Bearcat Gratitude Wall by The Hotchkiss School

Thank you, Jingxia Yang!

2026-01-20 19:03:03 UTC

Ms. Yang was my dorm proctor for both of my years at Hotchkiss. While I would consider myself an independent person, it was my first time living away from home and there certainly was an adjustment period. Ms. Yang would always have her door open by the water fountain, and every time I would go to fill up my bottle, she would ask how I was doing. Sometimes, I was cramming for finals and wasn't in the perfect headspace to discuss plans for the break. Other times, I had just submitted my work and had all the time in the world to chat about anything from the weather to classes. Looking back on my time at Hotchkiss, I am grateful that Ms. Yang was my dorm floor faculty head. Even when I was stressed or down, her constant availability to chat about any topic I felt compelled to speak about reminded me of home. It allowed me to vent in a productive way and feel closer to home. Every time I returned from the water fountain, whether it was to a mountain of work or a clear Canvas page, I felt grounded and composed. I will always attribute my success at Hotchkiss to the warm, welcoming environment she fostered in Dana while I lived there. -Evan J. '25

Thank you, Pat Jones!

2026-01-20 19:06:12 UTC

I am forever grateful to Pat Jones for teaching me to write, to think about literature...and for running the clock at every home game during my basketball games. Having her support in so many areas of my life made all the difference. -Kara H. '93

Thank you, Charlie Frankenbach!

2026-01-27 18:06:46 UTC

Charlie Frankenbach changed my life. He taught me how to write during daily themes sophomore year and English 550 senior year, and coached me for two years in basketball. His passion was infectious from the classroom to the court. From a whimsical day when he’d send us outside to write about anything to a random “grammar spasm” (he didn’t love those) to a deep discussion of Invisible Man, he was always right there in the moment with us, drawing out more than we ever knew was in there. Mr Frankenbach became a mentor to me and we stay in touch to this day; it’s that type of relationship that makes Hotchkiss a special place: one that pushed me beyond my comfort zone and forced me, in the best ways possible, to get uncomfortable, grow and lean in. To anyone considering giving this year: consider teachers like Charlie who change lives like mine and countless others. Without them, there’s no Hotchkiss. - Bart M. '07

Thank you to the late Walter J. Crain Jr. P'86,'89

2026-01-29 20:25:25 UTC

Thank you, Walter Crain. I have had a passion for electronics and technology since I was a little boy. When I finally decided to get serious about understanding the fundamental concepts behind capacitors, resistors, diodes, and transistors, it became clear that a solid grasp of math was essential. Thanks to your patience with me and your passion for teaching, I was able to succeed in my engineering education—and in the 40-year career that followed. I am deeply grateful for your gift.

-Roger S. '78, P'08

Thank you to the late Robert Hawkins

nwilder4 — 2026-02-05 17:26:12 UTC

A life can be changed by an encounter with a single master teacher. At Hotchkiss, I was lucky to study with several (Hello, Mr. Pressman. Hello, Mr. Drake). But I think the whole tone of my Hotchkiss experience was set by Bob Hawkins, from the very first day of my Prep year. When my parents pulled up to the Main Circle to deliver me into the school's care for the first time, I mustered every ounce of strength in my teenaged frame to brace myself in the back seat and barricade myself in. There was no way I was getting out of that car and leaving the safety of home and hearth for this slightly suspect school in Lakeville. Just when my frustrated parents were reaching the limits of "cajole" and steering menacingly towards "threaten", Mr. Hawkins appeared out of nowhere, adorned in tweed and authority (a zeugma, I would learn from him later that year). "Come along, Justin. We'll get you sorted out in the Main Building and get you to your dormitory." And I followed. This was someone full of auctoritas gravitasque, and anyone sensible would simply do what he said. I relaxed my grip on the car door and followed Mr. Hawkins to the reception desk without further complaint. Only once there did I realize that he had known my name without our having been introduced. Good Lord, I realized: he had memorized all of the Prep names and photos! Later that year, he taught all of us Preps, the talented and the untalented alike, how to tear open an English sentence and then build it back up. But from the very first day --no, from the very first hour -- of my time at Hotchkiss, I knew that there was someone who was paying attention to us, who cared about our progress, and who would make sure we got where we needed to be. -Justin A. '86, P'25

Thank you, Enrique Perez!

2026-02-06 14:44:58 UTC

Ever since meeting Enrique Perez in the Leaders-in-Partnership program, run by former faculty member Charlie Noyes '78, P'03,'07, I’ve looked forward to seeing him around campus. His warm greeting in Spanish and a fist pump are small gestures that always make my day better and exemplify the friendly community we have here at Hotchkiss.

I was so thrilled to see that he was willing to step beyond his role as Assistant Housekeeping Supervisor to give our students a learning experience they could not get from a textbook. When he shared his personal observations about the situation in Venezuela on January 20 at Hotchkiss’s Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking (CGUIT) speaker series, he offered a powerful, firsthand perspective that is the hallmark of a Hotchkiss education.

Enrique’s generosity in sharing his story is a perfect example of how the best learning moments can happen outside the classroom. Thank you, Enrique, for your warmth and for making our community richer with your presence and your perspective." -Mark L, Hotchkiss Staff

Thank you Tom Drake & Rick Hazelton!

nwilder4 — 2026-02-06 15:01:55 UTC

It's no accident that my two Hotchkiss grad children have both worked as high school teachers since graduating college. Virtually every adult they interacted with at Hotchkiss had some hand in that, but of particular note would be Tom Drake and Rick Hazelton. Between them, they taught, advised, coached, and generally helped my kids turn into the great young adults they are today. I couldn't be more grateful! - Gwyn W. '84, P'17,'19

Thank you, Bob Haiko!

nwilder4 — 2026-02-06 15:04:32 UTC

Mr. Haiko, you taught me a lifelong skill - thank you! The photo lab was the place I felt most calm, most creative, almost peaceful, as peaceful as a teenager can be. I was an athlete and a struggling academic trying to find my cadence, but in the photo lab, I felt free to take risks, do things my way, have fun! What a gift. Mr. Haiko supported the budding artists in his classroom with kindness, humility, and humor. After teaching us the basics, he let us fly. Almost forty years later, whenever I point my now iPhone at something I want to capture, I think of the lighting, the framing, the background, and the foreground. Thank you, Mr. Haiko, for providing me with the yin to Hotchkiss's yang. - Caroline R. '87

Thank You, Richard Kirby P'08,'09,'14,'15

2026-02-09 19:26:35 UTC

Thank you, DK, for pushing me to become the best version of myself. When I arrived at Hotchkiss, I was not prepared for its academic rigour. DK saw my potential, challenged me, and, through kindness and extra time, helped me become the person I am today. I am forever grateful for DK's service to me and the entire Hotchkiss community. Thank you, Dr. Kirby! - Barrett S. '15

Thank you, Robert Barker, “Mar,” and the late Alban Barker!

nwilder4 — 2026-02-16 21:42:55 UTC

Thank you, Robert Barker, “Mar,” and the late Alban Barker.
Mr. (R.) Barker: You told me I could do better, and you invested the time to show me how. Mar: You knocked me down but in doing so I found the strength to improve myself, and on the diamond, you gave me the chance to excel. And to the late Alban Barker, you made French and soccer great fun. I did not know how much I learned from all of you and others until I got to college.
-John R. ’81, P’12,’14,’18

Thank you, Christy Cooper P'08,'11, John Virden '64, P'89,'91, and the late Julia Trethaway P'06,'09

2026-02-23 16:29:40 UTC

Hotchkiss was very special to me, and it feels good to show my gratitude for an institution that gave me so much. I’m most grateful for the teachers. Julia Trethaway, Christie Cooper and John Virden’s mentorship put me on a different trajectory in life. I feel so much regret that I didn’t get to say that to Julia while she was alive. -Gina O. '99