August 13, 2021   Hello, Friends,  I’d like to start by welcoming our newest alumni and alumnae, the members of the Class of 2021, to this email list. "Happenings” is our way of keeping you informed about events on campus and opportunities for you to stay connected to The Albany Academies community. You will receive this newsletter every 3 to 4 weeks. Along with our usual good news, announcements, and information on upcoming events, this week we have some sad news to share. Three alumni, Carl “Pepper” Whitbeck 96, Ahmad Praileau ’20, and William Picotte ‘67, and a former Albany Academy for Girls teacher, Nancy White, all passed away recently.

Carl “Pepper” Whitbeck ‘96  While he was a student at The Albany Academy, Pepper excelled in both academics and athletics and was a three-sport varsity athlete playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. He was a member of the Cum Laude Society and served as president of the student council. After graduation, he went on to Williams College. He was a member of the Williams varsity lacrosse team and graduated cum laude in 2000. Pepper started his career at Lehman Brothers working in investment banking and then joined AXA Investment Managers, where he spent the next 20 years. Pepper is survived by his wife of 17 years, Gabriella, and their three children. He also has siblings who graduated from the Academies—Caitlin ’97, Corey ’01, and Casey ’05 and his wife, Alexandra Fingar Whitbeck '06. Contributions in Pepper's memory may be made to a Scholarship Fund being established in his memory at The Albany Academies at www.albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift.

Ahmad Praileau ‘20  The Albany Academy Director of College Counseling Jak Bestle said it best, “Ahmad was a Renaissance Man, a can’t-miss kid, a ‘Mister Academy.’ In a nutshell, Ahmad was the complete package - scholar, athlete, artist, and leader.” Ahmad was accomplished beyond his years, with talents in the arts, athletics, and academics. He was a prefect for his house, a member of the Chinese Honor Society, president of the Art Club, and a co-caption of the track team. When he graduated in 2020, he held several school records in track and field and received many awards for artistic, academic, and community excellence. During his time at Williams College, Ahmad won all-NESCAC honors in the long jump and academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. He passed away on August 3 and leaves his mother, Michele; his father, Yasin Sr.; and his siblings, Aminah ‘17, Yasin, and Bashir ‘23. Contributions can be made to a Memorial Fund being established at the Academies at www.albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift. The purpose of the fund will be determined with the Praileau family's input at a later date.

William Picotte ‘67  On August 6, William Picotte ’67, a former member of The Albany Academy’s Board of Trustees and current member of the Board of Visitors and Institutional Advancement Committee, passed away at his home in Menands. Following his graduation from The Albany Academy, Bill earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Holy Cross and then began serving in the New York Army National Guard. Later that year, he began a 50-year career at Picotte Companies, a commercial real estate company founded by his grandfather, uncle, and father, where he remained a senior vice president. Bill's life was marked by leadership and service to numerous Capital Region organizations, including many roles at The Albany Academies. He is survived by his wife, Susan; and by two sons, David ’01 and Philip ’04 and many other extended family members. Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to The Albany Academies at www.albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift.

Nancy White  A beloved former teacher at The Albany Academies, Nancy White passed away on August 10. Nancy taught at Albany Academy for Girls for 23 years before retiring in 2008. While at Albany Academy for Girls, she completed her master's degree in education at The College of St. Rose. In addition to her husband, Nancy is survived by her three children and five grandchildren.

One Admissions information session remains  We hope you will help us share that one “Asked & Answered” Admissions information session remains prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year. Please encourage anyone you know who might be considering an Academies education for their child to participate either in-person or remotely on Wednesday, August 25 from 3 to 4 p.m. Register here.

Reunion schedule available  I hope you are planning to join us on Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2, to catch up with friends and classmates during our annual Reunion. You can check out the schedule of events and find information about hotel accommodations here. **Please note that the special hotel rates we have secured are only available until August 31. Watch for a note about online registration for Reunion, which should be live soon. Also, hard copy invitations should be arriving in your mailboxes in late August. Please know that we will be following CDC guidelines for all our activities during Reunion. Most of our events will be held outdoors under tents.

Speakers wanted for Alumni and Alumnae Speaker Series  The first session in our virtual Alumni and Alumnae Speaker Series for the 2021-22 academic year will held on Monday, October 25 and its focus will be on entrepreneurship. If you are interested in participating as a speaker, please contact Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org.

Speed Mentoring Program needs mentors  We’d also like to encourage you to participate in our Speed Mentoring Program that will take place in the afternoon (time to be determined) of Wednesday, November 3. This is an opportunity for alumni/ae to network with our juniors and to discuss their profession in a round-robin format. If you’d like to serve as a mentor, contact Sarah Adamowski at adamowskis@albanyacademies.org. We plan to hold another session during the spring trimester, so if you can’t make it this time, please consider joining us for the spring event.

Early Childhood Center nears completion  Our new Early Childhood Center, a dedicated space for our preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten programs, is well underway. We are excited to showcase the finished center and introduce our earliest learners to this brand-new space! If you or someone you know is interested in one of these programs, please contact the Admissions Office at 518.429.2348.

Hall of Fame Class of 2021 winners announced Congratulations to our Class of 2021 AA Hall of Fame honorees: David Martin ’61 (posthumously), John Rich ’61, Jay Peacock ’71, Robert Helm ’76, Gerald Kyo Jeaong ’91, Agean Robinson ’01, Oliver Tassinari ’01, Jak Bestle (coach), and the 1961 Swimming Team, and to the AAG Hall of Fame Honorees: Allison Stefanelli '16, Nicole Van Slyke ‘03, MaryBeth Davis '88, and Sarah Kandath '11.

Visits from old friends Let’s end this somewhat somber note with some happy news! Hank Evans ‘63 came to campus for the first time in over 50 years this month. He and his wife Beth are traveling around the country in an RV, and they were stopping over for a visit with his son, Mark ‘83. Hank was interested in seeing the Caird Chapel, the Buttery, and the playing fields. Of course, much is changed since the COVID restrictions were applied, but much has stayed the same. He talked about the old bleachers across the way from where they are now, how he swam in the old pool, and that the Standish pool, the Michael B. Picotte Field House, and of course the James E. Poole Athletic Facility were not there when he attended. He remembers when there was an outdoor pond for hockey. The boys had to shovel it when it snowed, and the coach would go out with a hose at night to resurface it!

Craig Fasser '89 (with his wife, Jen, and daughter, Reaghan) and Adam Cohn '89 (with his wife, Laura, and sons, Zach and Jake) came back to The Albany Academies for a visit recently too. Adam, who was visiting from Virginia, made his first trip back to campus in 32 years, and Craig drove out from western Massachusetts to meet him. They were thrilled to tour the campus and said highlights for them were seeing the old gym, the Buttery, Caird Chapel, and the Robison Rink (where they recalled marching in the Guidon competitions). Craig and Adam also visited the Michal B. Picotte Field House and sat on the bench named for their classmate, Trevor Bader '89. Finally, they were excited to see the "new" Standish pool and the James E. Poole Athletic Facility. The classmates had a lot of laughs sharing many stories from back in the day with their families. I hope you enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer. We encourage you to plan a visit to campus sometime, just like Hank, Craig, and Adam did.

Sincerely,

Ann Wendth Chief Advancement Officer