Alumni Weekend: Honoring the Past and Excitedly Looking Ahead

Alumni Weekend at Millbrook School is a time for reconnecting, reminiscing, and celebrating the ways campus has progressed while remaining true to its founding principles. The 2025 version of the event held additional significance, as alumni participated in the dedication of the new Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo.

This year the Class of 1975 returned to campus to celebrate their 50^th reunion, and the Class of 2000 made the trip down School Road for their 25^th reunion. The Class of 2020 had the largest turnout, as students who were unable to celebrate Commencement in person due to COVID-19 made up for lost time by reconnecting with each other and their alma mater.

Reunioners enjoyed the traditional slate of events during their time back on campus. The Class of 1975 got things started with dinner and drinks at Tamarack Preserve on Thursday. They then toured their old stomping grounds the next morning before gathering in Pulling House for Oral History sharing.

The group reminisced about how Millbrook community service shaped their lives, recounted various adolescent hijinks, and highlighted the differences between how the school was then and now. The group noted that although much has changed, they still feel like they’re returning to the place they fondly remember from the 1970s, thanks to the school’s dedication conservative progressivism. They then joined the 25^th and 50+ reunioners at Anthony House to help identify people in photos from their respective eras.

Friday ended with a special reception at the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo. As the group enjoyed caipirinhas and a spread of delicious appetizers, nature made its presence felt at the event. As if saluting the zoo’s namesakes, Millbrook School Biology Teacher Frank Trevor and conservationist Dr. Tom Lovejoy ’59, the skies opened, sending down torrents of rain and striking a nearby tree with lightning, causing a power outage.

Thankfully, generators kept the lights on, and the Meigs Education Center ensured guests remained (mostly) dry. When the rain abated, attendees made their way to the tent next to the red panda habitat for remarks by Millbrook Head of School Jonathan Downs ’98, Chair of the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo Board Committee Kelly Coles ’86, and Dr. Lovejoy’s daughter, Kata Petty.

On Saturday, alumni returned to the zoo for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo Director Dr. Alan Tousignant and featuring addresses by former Head of Millbrook School Drew Casertano and Dr. Rob Bierregaard ’69. They then headed back to campus for a full day of activities.

Millbrook’s senior leadership team gathered in the Chelsea Morrison Theater for a Q&A session, where alumni asked about everything from the school’s use of solar power to the cautious integration of AI into the academic curriculum. Lunch at Casertano Hall followed, and then alumni headed to the classrooms. Their options included a poetry class with English Instructor Kathy Havard, a forensic fingerprinting workshop with Biology Instructor Gordie MacKenzie ’79, and a session on healing wounds with honey taught by Dr. Allen M. Dennison, M.D. ’70. Those willing to brave the wet conditions were able to relive their days in the Farm community service group with Farm Program Director Lyuda Pope.

Unfortunately, the traditional Alumni Parade was cancelled due to rain. However, the reunioners still gathered for Assembly in the Flagler Memorial Chapel. There, Mr. Downs delivered a State of the School Address, channeling the school’s senior leadership team to outline how Millbrook School is doing better than ever in every area of its programming. He also explained the school’s bold plans to construct a new boys dormitory and expand the Mills Athletic Center and chapel (to support these essential projects, click here).

Assembly also featured Millbrook award presentations to Mark Merritt and Rev. Cam Hardy. Merritt, who has served the Millbrook community as a member of the Physical Plant Office for 41 years, received the Community Service Award. Finishing up 35 years at Millbrook, Hardy was presented with a Millbrook Medal. She gave a beautiful acceptance speech and then read the roll call of all the community members who have passed in the last year.

After Assembly, alumni gathered on the chapel steps for class pictures, with nearly 20 classes represented. Finally, everyone gathered for one last meal together at the dining hall, followed by music and dancing.

As always, Alumni Weekend was filled with joy, as old friends reunited and relived their high school experience for a few days. Next year’s reunion can’t come quickly enough!

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