ALUMNI PANEL

1. Rachel Rapoza - Class of 20062. Genevieve Richardson - Class of 19993. Lauren Jerr - Class of 2002 w/ partner Maegan Ryan4. Rob Whitman - Class of 1965 w/ partner Jeff Munger5. Joey Army - Class of 20066. Nataly Maloney – Class of 20137. Nick Fulchino - Class of 20158. Donna McCord - Class of 1994 (Submitting a video testimonial, but cannot attend in person)9. Marcus Smith - Class of 1988 (Submitting reflection but cannot attend in person. Smith’s reflection will be read aloud by English faculty member Dr. Bridget Tsemo) 

STUDENT PANEL

1. Anna Tarplin – Class of 20162. Annie Vance – Class of 20163. Chloe Saad – Class of 20164. Jadan Villaruel – Class of 20165. Nick Speranza – Class of 20176. Maggie Peng – Class of 20177. T Dinh – Class of 20188. Wade Atkinson – Class of 20199. Nhu Vo – Class of 201910. Hilda Barrioz – Class of 2019

BIOGRAPHICAL SNAPSHOTS OF 2016 ALUMNI PANELISTS:

Joey Army Almonte Grew up on Pomfret School campus as a faculty child from 1988 to 2006 when he graduated. After Pomfret he attended Vassar College where he studied Political Science and Theater, and graduated in 2010. Post college Joey moved to New York City where he put his creative talents to use educating children. He married his husband, Chris Almonte, in 2012 and together they have recently moved to the eastern side of CT. In addition to being a full time preschool teacher Joey is also pursuing a degree in Realtime Court Reporting to eventually become a court stenographer.

Rob Whitman and Jeff Munger Went to Pomfret (’65) and Lawrenceville respectively. Each went on to attend Colgate and Northeastern (Rob) and Princeton and Harvard (Jeff). Rob spent a major portion of his career at IBM Software: Jeff as a Museum Curator at MFA Boston and now at the Metropolitan Museum. Rob currently serves at the Board level of 2 charitable organizations working with at-risk and homeless (LBGTQ) youth. Rob and Jeff have been together for over 31 years and got married on their 25th anniversary.

Rob’s Question: Why are there so few male members of Pomfret GSA?

Lauren Jerr Graduated from Pomfret in 2002 and went on to attend Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Lauren currently serves as the Associate Director of Admissions for School Year Abroad, a yearlong study abroad and homestay program for high school juniors and seniors with schools in China, France, Italy and Spain. Lauren and her wife, Maegan, live in New Hampshire and are the proud parents to 9 month old triplets; Conrad, Charlie and Teddy. Lauren remembers coming out to her “day girls” over the summer after her freshman year of college and was met with love and support. Lauren and her wife met while playing rugby and it is a community that they are still closely connected to both in Boston and in New Hampshire and they can’t wait to start coaching youth rugby. They have lots of family time scheduled for the summer both in New Hampshire and visiting Lauren’s family in nearly Danielson.

Lauren’s Question: How can we, as alums, best support the efforts of Pomfret’s GSA moving forward?

Maegan Jerr Graduated from Spaulding High School in Rochester, NH and went on to attend Plymouth State University for undergrad and graduate school. Maegan is a first grade teacher in Rochester, NH and hopes to become a school principal once she completes her CAGS(Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies). Maegan was a college athlete and was part of the Plymouth State Rugby team that went on to win a DIII National Championship in 1999. Maegan is excited to have the summer to play and explore with their triplets.

Rachel RapozaGraduated Pomfret in 2006 then went on to Hamilton College where I played hockey and softball and graduated in 2010. I currently work in marketing for a software company in Lexington, MA, and I live in Billerica, MA with my wife, Ashley, and our 2 furchildren - Babs, a sassy Boston terrier/pug mix, and Maverick, an energetic pit bull/bassett hound mix. My hobbies include golf, hockey, and watching HGTV. My summer plans involve some trips to the beach, golfing, and a bunch of weddings. An LGBTQ-related "memory" (or experience may be the better term) I have is: my first job out of college was working in the fundraising department at GLAD (GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders), and I got the opportunity to work with Mary Bonauto, the lawyer who won the nation-wide, same-sex marriage case at the Supreme Court, hearing her talk about her cases and seeing how hard she works on behalf of the LGBTQ community was definitely inspiring.

Nick Fulchino Graduated from Pomfret in May 2015. As school vice president, Nick worked in conjunction with school president Rachel Godfrey to bring gender and sexuality programming to the Pomfret student body. Nick now attends Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire where he is a Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassador at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. He served as an organizing fellow and team leader for Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire primary campaign. As a member of student government, Nick is also working to push Saint Anselm to recognize transgender as the school currently only refers to "LGBQ" issues, not "LGBTQ" issues.

Nataly MaloneyI graduated Pomfret in 2013 and went on to study Architecture and Sustainability in Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. I also continued my love of being a Prefect and turned it into becoming an RA. I am also the President of the GSA at my university and work on the Bias Education Response Team and a coalition between all of the Social Justice groups on campus. I identify as gay and prefer not to have a specific gender identity. I've also recently because Hormone Replacement Therapy, not to fully transition to a man but to feel more at home in a more androgynous body, do it too falls outside the binary where I'm not trying to go from "one side of the binary" to the other.

Genevieve Richardsonis passionate about the outdoors and protecting the environment—She rides her bike to work. She is an endurance athlete, a minimalist, a philanthropist, and a craft beer connoisseur. She rescued a stray puppy, she calls Monkey. Genevieve’s profession is in sales, but she volunteers for the HRC, Habitat for Humanity and the Boston College Varsity Club. She has raised money for a number of great organizations, such as The Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Sierra Club. She was a Pomfret “Fac-brat” and earned 11 Varsity letters here. She was voted Best Athlete in her class, and is in the Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame. She’s a Boston College alum, with a BA in Communications and skated internationally for the USA women’s hockey team. Genevieve recently sidestepped a coaching opportunity in Florida where the parents feared that hiring a gay coach could possibly turn their daughters gay.

Genevieve’s Questions: Are there any LGBTQ folks on The Board at Pomfret? Trustees? Is it necessary to have this event/ GSA group at Pomfret? Is it to simply check the “diversity” box?

How would the students who have come to hear the panel, define diversity?

Coming out is a continual process. Does it ever get easier or is it exhausting?

Marcus SmithAfter graduating from Pomfret,

Marcus graduated with a B.A. in American Literature from Wesleyan University in 1993. He played varsity soccer all four years, won the ECAC’s his junior year, and was elected captain his senior year. Marcus began his teaching career at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey after receiving his B.A. from Wesleyan. He then went on to pursue a master’s in theology with an emphasis on theological experiences in American literature at Harvard Divinity School. As a Teaching Fellow for Dr. Robert Coles in “The Literature of Social Reflection,” he received a “Distinction in Teaching” award from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center. After completing his Master’s at Harvard in 1997, Marcus went on to pursue his interests in music and marketing. He worked at Universal Motown Records Group and then went on to be an executive producer of original music for commercials and films. His work in the music and advertising industries diversified and expanded his knowledge of narratives. Last fall, he brought his academic and life experiences back to the classroom to teach English at Saint Joseph Preparatory School in Brighton, Massachusetts, where he taught AP Literature & Composition and American Literature. Marcus will teach four sections of English, head coach thirds soccer and junior varsity boys tennis.

Katie Wells GSA Faculty Advisor

Katie grew up as a faculty child on the campus of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. She graduated from the nearby Cannon School, and went on to major in history at Bowdoin College, where she was a member of the crew team. Katie then received her Masters in Teaching from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. From 2010-2013, she was on the faculty at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her wife, Katy Field, are living in the apartment on Upper Two. Katie teaches American History, advises the GSA, and works with Outdoor Adventure in the fall and Girls Crew in the spring.

Katie’s Question: What do you think of changing the name GSA from “Gay Straight Alliance” to “Gender and Sexuality Alliance”?

What is the role of GSA in this climate of sexual assault and harassment on high school and college campuses?

How can the culture and facilities of our community accommodate a future trans* student or faculty member?