Tabor Celebrates the Circle of Excellence

The Tabor Academy community gathered in Wickenden Chapel on the morning of May 6, 2026, to honor four alumni: Sally Taylor ’92, Lawrence Ford Schumaker Jr. ’52, P’80, 82, Mark Parsons ’86, and Maija Langeland Scarpaci ’95 as recipients of Tabor’s Circle of Excellence recognition. The Circle of Excellence, held every other year, recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves through professional, academic, artistic, and personal achievements, as well as leadership, service, and philanthropic impact. This unique recognition honors those who personify Tabor’s mission to connect, serve, and lead.

Student Co-Head Chloe Fox ’26 opened the proceedings with a welcome to the assembled students, faculty, staff, members of the board of trustees, and guests. Director of Advancement Stephen Ginter spoke and told the assembly that the Circle of Excellence is Tabor’s highest alumni honor. Each of the four awardees was introduced by a current Tabor student who had the opportunity to speak with them in advance. 

Sally Taylor: Using Art to Find Connection and Belonging

Sue Zhao ’26 introduced Sally Taylor '92, an artist, musician, educator, and the founder of Consenses, an innovative multidisciplinary artistic collaboration that brings artists together from around the world to interpret one another’s work across creative mediums. In collaboration with graduate students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Taylor also developed a multidisciplinary social-emotional learning curriculum now used in schools, helping students cultivate empathy and tolerance by “listening” to one another through art rather than words. Zhao said that Taylor’s “creativity, empathy, and commitment to curating artistic collaboration have left a profound impact within and beyond the community. To her, creativity means the search for personal freedom and the battle against fear. In an increasingly polarized world, she strives to extend freedom and space for everyone.”

Taylor’s artistic path took root early. At Tabor, she was deeply involved in theater arts—performing lead roles in school musicals, music, and serving as the captain of the crew team. She also co-founded a school band that later evolved into the nationally recognized band The Slip, marking the beginning of her professional music career. Her work also reflects a strong dedication to social impact: she co-founded The Tranquility Project, a nonprofit addressing landmine removal, survivor support, and advocacy in Southeast Asia, using music and performance as vehicles for awareness and healing. In 2026, Taylor authored and illustrated her first children’s picture book, titled “The Firefly, A Soul’s Journey.”

Lawrence Schumaker Jr.: A Lifetime of Service to Tabor

Lawrence Ford Schumaker Jr. ’52, P’80, 82 graduated from Tabor as one of the school’s football greats. While on Front Street, he also nurtured what turned into a lifelong passion as a self-taught artist. His life is one of leadership, service, and loyalty, both to his community and to Tabor. Drafted into the United States. Army during the Korean War era, Schumaker earned commendations for exemplary service before embarking on an extraordinary law-enforcement career. Over 25 years with the Massachusetts State Police, he rose from trooper to major, ultimately commanding statewide technical services and earning the highest recognition upon retirement. He later served 15 years as Chief of Police in Edgewater, Florida, where he transformed the department into one of the most respected in the region.

Schumaker’s two sons, William Sean Schumaker ’80 and Joseph Schumaker ’82, also attended Tabor. Sean passed away in 2011, and Schumaker established the Lt. Col. William Sean Schumaker ’80 Scholarship Fund in his honor. A devoted graduate, Schumaker has demonstrated an enduring commitment to Tabor through lifelong engagement and generous philanthropy. His life reflects the confidence, integrity, and purpose instilled at Tabor—values he has carried forward as a leader, artist, public servant, husband, and father.

Peter Bourque ’27 introduced Schumaker. “Mr. Schumaker’s life is a powerful example of leadership, loyalty and giving back,” Bourque said. “He took what he learned at Tabor and used it to make a real impact in his career and his community and in the lives of others. Mr. Schumaker established this scholarship to support students from families dedicated to public service, giving others the same opportunity that meant so much to his family.” Joseph Schumaker, the honoree’s son, accepted the award on his behalf. He shared that his father appreciated the confidence Tabor had instilled in him. “As the son of a law enforcement officer and a lifelong educator, as my mother was a teacher, I realized that was the faculty and staff of this place that made the difference,” he said.

Mark Parsons: An Innovative Technologist

Mark Parsons ’86 is a leading technologist, entrepreneur, educator, and artist with a distinguished history of innovation at the intersection of design, robotics, and community development. He is the founder and Executive Director of New Bedford Research & Robotics (NBRR), a non-profit incubator he established in 2021 to provide equitable access to frontier technologies like industrial robotics, artificial intelligence, marine tech, and clean energy. NBRR's mission is to foster a creative ecosystem that drives economic empowerment and social impact. Previously, Parsons established the Consortium for Research & Robotics (CRR) in 2014. This multi-disciplinary research center was created to bring industry and higher education communities together, providing access to advanced technologies. Parsons was appointed by the U.S. Department of State as a U.S. Speaker on Creativity, Innovation and Technology. His work extends to humanitarian efforts, most notably as the Lead Designer and Principal of the Haiti SoftHouse. This transitional shelter was a highly engineered, tensile structure designed to be resistant to both hurricanes and earthquakes.

Dario Spoljaric ’27 introduced Parsons. “His innate sense of curiosity came not from his successes, but rather the challenges, the setbacks, and the failures he encountered here at Tabor,” Spoljaric said. “He believes that the challenges he encountered here are actually the most valuable learning lesson that we can take from our time here.” Parsons accepted the award and spoke about the power of imperfection and his previous sailing trip around the world. “The thing that I think is important to convey today is that I understand something different than the strength that I thought I needed to embody as a senior leaving Tabor,” he told the assembly. “On any given day when you zoom in, you might be heading this way or that way, or not moving at all, or going the wrong direction. And yet it is through a series of imperfections in each moment on any day that we achieve that circle. And it is those imperfections, in fact, which allow us to stitch together with others their circles. We're doing this; us together.”

Maija Langeland Scarpaci ’95: A Champion of Community and Classroom

Maija Langeland Scarpaci ’95 is a dedicated educator, mentor, and lifelong learner whose passion for language, culture, and student growth has shaped a distinguished career in teaching and service. She credits her own Spanish teachers at Tabor with inspiring her path forward and has carried the school’s commitment to intellectual curiosity, leadership, and community engagement with her ever since. Scarpaci’s teaching career spans more than 20 years. She currently teaches Spanish at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in Hamilton, Massachusetts. She believes deeply that all schools are special places—communities co-created by talented educators and students and filled with unique potential. In her classroom, she encourages students to engage deeply with language, literature, art, music and global perspectives, and she regularly leads international travel experiences for her students that she tailors specifically to their classroom curricula.

Scarpaci remains deeply connected to the Tabor community as a volunteer, including roles as Co-Chair of the Fund for Tabor, Alumni Council member, and 90’s Decade Co-Chair, as well as leading the Class of 1995’s gift effort for Café ’95 in the Travis Roy Campus Center.

She is most proud of her work helping to establish the Travis Roy ’95 Fellowship Fund at Tabor, which seeks to eliminate financial barriers so that students can access the full Tabor experience. After two decades of supporting The Travis Roy Foundation, alongside many of Travis’ Tabor classmates and teachers, and contributing to fundraising efforts that have generated millions of dollars in research grants and support for individuals with spinal cord injuries, Scarpaci has turned her focus to the TRFF to further Travis’ impact and mission.

Tess Adams ’26 told the assembly that “through her dedication to education, service, and community, Maija truly embodies Tabor’s core values of care, collaboration, courage, and curiosity … She sees schools as more than just classrooms; they are communities built by people who care deeply about learning and about each other.” 

Scarpaci took to the podium and noted that the ceremony fell during Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States. “I have so much gratitude for so many of the Tabor teachers and other staff members,” she said. “You all have been my compass, I would say, during stormy seas and dark nights. Some lessons that we learn from our teachers, we learn rather immediately,” she continued. “But other lessons from our teachers need more time, space, life experience to reveal themselves.” Scarpaci spoke on the ways in which her teachers at Tabor modeled what it means to work on their craft and passions as lifelong learners. “There will never again be a place where so many people love you, are cheering for you, and are invested in your success and your happiness,” she concluded. “This is true of all schools, I think, but it is especially true here at Tabor.”

The ceremony concluded with the singing of the Tabor Academy Alma Mater and remarks from Head of School Tony Jaccaci. “What a privilege it is to serve in this role at this fantastic school and community, and to honor these distinguished alumni,” Jaccaci said. “We are deeply proud to call you Seawolves and graduates of this school … We hope that today's honorees serve as inspiration to every student here, reminding us that the possibilities ahead are shaped by the choices we make and the values we carry forward.”