Latest News

After two years of virtual gatherings, Wildcats joyously came together on campus to celebrate Reunion—and 50 years of coeducation—on June 10–12. More than 270 alumni graduating from Williston Northampton School, Williston Academy, and the Northampton School for Girls in class years ending in “2” or “7” and their guests flocked back to campus for a...

Class of 2020 Celebration: see photos of the event here. See playlist of the videos, including video of the entire event, the address by Eric Albanese ’20, the speech by Ken Choo, and a short slideshow of event photos.  Members of the class of 2020 made their way back to campus on June 4, 2022,...

Some things are just meant to be—like the wonderful convergence of a NEPSAC win with a deep alumni connection   “You couldn’t have written a better script for Hollywood,” Athletic Director Mark Conroy said while reflecting on the success of this year’s girls varsity hockey team. Not only did they take home the NEPSAC title,...

Students and colleagues reflect on the kindness and mentorship of “the Hagrid of Williston”   Paul Luikart built a career at Williston that began in 1997, teaching science in both the Upper and Middle schools and coaching judo for many years. In his subject area, chemistry, Paul was encyclopedic, but his interests and life experience...

A generous gift from Robert H. Sammis ’51 is helping to fund scientific exploration and a new campus maker space A recent gift from the late Robert Sammis ’51 is already at work on campus, helping support one of the key Williston Builds campaign priorities—Academic Excellence. Thanks to Sammis’ generosity, students in AP Computer Science,...

In Reed’s sunny art studio, students are using technology to find new ways to create Williston students have a new array of state-of-the-art tools to make almost any object they can dream up. A second-floor art studio in the Reed Campus Center has been transformed into a Maker Space, housing a laser cutter/engraver, a CNC...

We asked students, “What is your favorite tradition or special weekend activity at Williston—and why?” I love how the annual football homecoming game brings together our whole community. Whether you’re playing or cheering for your friends, there’s a great atmosphere. Because it takes place early in the fall, the homecoming game is a time when...

The dedication of Wold House recognizes the Wold family’s longtime support of the Williston community   Peter Wold ’67 likes to recount the story of his arrival at Williston in the fall of 1964, having made the three-day drive with his parents from their home in Casper, Wyoming. The family pulled up in front of...

Assistant Head of School Ann Pickrell and Academic Dean Greg Tuleja retire after a combined 79 years of  exceptional service to Williston When Assistant Head of School Ann Pickrell and Academic Dean Greg Tuleja began their careers at Williston, Ronald Reagan was in his first term as president, Michael Jackson’s new album Thriller was filling...

New Theater Director Jorge Rodríguez aims for transformation, for both the audience and student actors   This fall, after longtime Theater Director Emily Ditkovski left to pursue graduate school full time, Williston was excited to announce Jorge Rodríguez as its new Theater Director. Rodríguez, who formerly led the theater program at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts...

A new tradition brings Asian culture and cuisine to the Quad   On a perfect Monday evening in April, Williston’s Main Quad was transformed. More than a dozen food stations were set up, grill smoke wafted through the air, and Asian hip-hop music transported hungry students and faculty to the open-air markets of East and...

Writers’ Workshop presenter Colson Whitehead visited campus in December, following a school-wide read of his Pulitzer Prize–winning book The Nickel Boys   What books influenced you when you were in high school? Reading Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude as a senior in high school and making that link between science fiction and...

Katherine Verdickt ’05 hand paints custom tiles inspired by traditional delftware   While renovating her Dutch Colonial home in Amherst, Massachusetts, fine artist Katherine Verdickt ’05 decided to give the new kitchen a delft backsplash. Along with color, the distinctive blue-and-white tiles, named for the Dutch city where they were first manufactured in the 17th...

Colorado civil engineer John Kronholm ’93 helps all manner of animals get to the other side of dangerous highways   As a child growing up in rural Blandford, Massachusetts, John Kronholm ’93 loved the outdoors. He built dams in the driveway when it rained, he loved camping with his scout troop, and he pored longingly...

Architectural conservator Andrea Madsen Gilmore ’70 preserves old buildings   Early in her acclaimed career, architectural conservator Andrea Madsen Gilmore ’70 was tasked with documenting the architectural history of Lindenwald, the Kinderhook, New York, home of Martin Van Buren, which recently had been acquired by her employer, the National Park Service. As luck would have...

Stanford physician Robert Jackler ’72 works to expose the dangers of nicotine marketing   Robert Jackler ’72 knows all too well how readily teens can succumb to the influence of their peers. He experienced it himself at Williston, where, as his yearbook portrait shows, he wore his hair to his shoulders and dressed in the...

Alex Park ’81 is finding a way to make a difference in his life’s second act   Alex Park ’81 knew he needed a change. It was 2015, and he had worked in the financial industry for 30 years, building a successful career as a foreign exchange trader for banks around the world. But he...

In the Native villages of rural Alaska, Charissa Williar ’93 helps engineer sanitation systems that keep the faucets flowing and the toilets flushing   You probably don’t know anyone who loves their job more than Charissa Williar ’93 does. She’s the Sanitation Facilities Program Manager for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), which means...

By turning once-overlooked health information into data sets, Michael Waskom ’05 is helping researchers create targeted treatments for cancer   As a senior data scientist at the pioneering health technology company Flatiron Health, Michael Waskom ’05 works at the leading edge of cancer research. He builds machine-learning tools that draw on real-world data to expand...

Hockey fans eagerly tuned in to the Olympics last February to see the much-anticipated gold medal match-up between the top-ranked women’s teams from the United States and Canada. But no one was paying closer attention than Kendall Hanley ’04. As a linesperson for the international four-woman officiating crew, Hanley was on the ice with whistle...