Communities, when they are at their best, work toward a greater purpose. They possess a deep belief in their shared work, and while certainly fallible, there is a collective commitment to making a positive difference in the world. Over the last 48 hours, Proctor alumni descended upon Andover, breathing life into our campus which has been empty since we celebrated the Class of 2025 last weekend. Our alumni have gone on from Proctor to live out our mission, each in their own way, reminding us that our collective impact on the world remains positive.
Starting with a Friday golf outing, dinner reception celebrating the Class of 1975 and their 50th Reunion, festivities continued into Saturday with an all-school assembly, activity blocks, an opportunity to engage with Learning Courage, our partners who have guided our work investigating historic misconduct at Proctor and the community care process, an Arts Market, swimming at Elbow Pond, a cocktail hour, Athletics Hall of Fame induction, and opportunity to dance the night away with Nick’s Other Band.
As alums moved from activity to activity, conversation to conversation, all while dodging downpours, it was hard to find a face without a smile on it. With over 200 alumni back on campus, there were 200 unique Proctor experiences. The vast majority were positive, but as we have learned over the course of the last year, we do not always know the whole of a student’s Proctor story, and that is where we, as a community, must continue to listen, learn, and heal.
There is no better representation of Proctor’s impact on the world than connecting with alumni this weekend. Seeing the alumni community come together from all corners of the globe, hearing how they have navigated college, careers, families, and seeing Proctor’s core values actively playing a role in their life is both reassuring and inspiring.
As educators, the seeds we sow in our classrooms, athletic fields, and advisories often take decades to fully bloom. When we have the opportunity to see the 30, 40, or 50 year old version of the 18 year old advisee who bumped their way through adolescence we are reminded that our work is good work.
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Alumni Reunion a success!
Check out more photos on Flickr!
- Alumni
- Community and Relationships