2023 Alumni Summit

Leading into Earth Week, and in accord with this year’s core value of stewardship, the first ever Alumni Summit gathered twenty proud graduates who have brought their Millbrook values to study and work out in the world. Students and faculty were treated to presentations by guests throughout the day and encouraged to ask questions and connect with alumni living exciting lives of meaning and purpose in the world of work.

 

The community gathered for a morning keynote from Rob Bierregaard '69 whose passion for the natural world was ignited at the Trevor Zoo where his interest in birds of prey led to his becoming a falconer. Rob met Tom Lovejoy '65 at Yale and became Lovejoy's first field director of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments in Manaus, Brazil followed by stints with the World Wildlife Fund and the Smithsonian Institution. He taught ornithology and ecology as a distinguished visiting professor at UNC-Charlotte for 18 years and is the author of an awarded children's book, Belle's Journey, that tells the story of a young osprey’s first migration to South America and back. Rob engaged the audience by connecting his Millbrook education to a distinguished career as a globe-trotting scientist, educator, and steward of the natural world.

 

Wildlife veterinarian Hollis Stewart spends most of her time in the field saving sick and dying wild animals. Hollis served as an attending veterinarian from July 2012-July 2013 at the Trevor Zoo where she inspired students and zoo staff alike. Her work since has taken her to all kinds of places, from rescuing cheetahs with Dr. Laurie Marker in Namibia to conserving panthers with the Florida Panther Project. Accompanied by compelling images of the places she has been and the animals for whom she has cared, Hollis urged students to take chances and say yes to adventure.

 

Students had the chance to attend four sessions of interest from over 20 alumni summit presenters fanned out across campus. Every session allowed for Q&A time and deep dives into how their individual Millbrook experiences led to their singular experiences and careers. As Rob Bierregaard '69 said in his opening remarks: “We are here to help you make connections.”