Alumni Connections

The sense of community and belonging at Tabor Academy continues to inspire me in my new role as Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement. My impression—a few days into the job—was that everyone genuinely cares about one another, and they share a deep connection to the school. This feeling was validated during my experience over Reunion Weekend.

Coming from Northeastern University, where the reunion model doesn’t exist, this was my first opportunity to be “behind the scenes” at an alumni event of this scale. The energy in the Advancement office during the week leading up to Reunion was electric, as my colleagues and I prepared hospitality baskets, snack bags, registration packets, and dorm room assignments for our guests. In my one-month tenure at Tabor, I had not become super familiar with the dormitories and the named spaces across campus; Reunion prep took care of that as we loaded into a Tabor van to make our deliveries.

On Friday, June 8, it was finally here: the much-anticipated kick-off to the weekend. Around noon, alumni and their guests started filing into Hoyt lobby wheeling their suitcases and sporting their Tabor gear. That evening, I had the pleasure of joining the 50th reunion dinner and listened while alumni from the Class of 1973 reminisced about their time on campus and bonded with classmates over their shared memories—a few of which included Duff’s command of the classroom, riflery drills on the waterfront, and an impromptu shuttle ride for one of the sports teams aboard the Tabor Boy—apparently they made it to Martha’s Vineyard for their game in record time! Is there a better way to learn about the history of the school than to hear about it from alumni who lived it? I can’t think of one. Although time was spent recounting the “good old days,” there was a lot of catching up to do, too. Alums shared what life after Tabor looked like. To be expected, there were higher degrees attained, storied careers fulfilled, families raised, and far away cities traversed. Many accredited their success to their time at Tabor. A common thread in the conversation at my dinner table was where the Class of 1973 would run into fellow alumni across the world, proving the global reach of the School by the Sea.

My Reunion “duties” on Saturday mostly had me stationed at the Travis Roy Campus Center—a newly minted space on campus. Several programs were hosted there, and it was an opportunity to showcase the building to alumni. RoseMarie Wallace, who serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging (DEB), had an open door in the main corridor throughout the morning and into the afternoon prior to her session on Tabor’s strategic commitment to DEB. Every time I glanced over at her glass-encased office, she was engaged in a conversation with an alum or a whole crew. The candy jar may have enticed them to enter, but it was RoseMarie who got them to stay and share their Tabor experience.

Later that afternoon, although the weather was fickle, we managed to avoid downpours to carry on with a new Tabor tradition: Convocation. 3s and 8s lined up at the labyrinth to take class photos and paraded into Wickenden Chapel to hear from a star-studded line-up from the Tabor community. Associate Head of School Tyrone Black stole the show with his booming voice and memorable remarks. However, the most impactful moment of the weekend, for me, was when the newly inducted Admirals from the Class of 1973 marched out of Chapel amongst a sea of Tabor alums cheering them on. As Dr. Black impressed upon alumni from all generations, “Tabor will always be your home.” I can’t wait to welcome 4s and 9s home next June!