Let's Talk

Students are engaging in a conversation that is long overdue. Here's how alumni can help.

By Laura Keeler Pierce ’03, Pomfret Alumni Association President

When I was a student at Pomfret in the early 2000s, the world was a very different place. I remember sitting in Lasell Alumni House on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center towers fell. I immediately understood — in some indescribable way — that things had changed forever. At Pomfret, my history teachers encouraged me to explore the series of events that had led to that fateful day, but it was the community that enriched me and nourished me in the weeks, months, and years that would follow.

Today, the educational experience of current Pomfret students is defined by a different kind of social reckoning, spurred by the death of George Floyd and sustained by the acknowledgment that this was not an isolated incident. Once again, faculty are helping students to explore what they are living through, and once again, members of the Pomfret community are stepping up to help our students make sense of it all.

I so admire the cultural acumen and global motivation of this generation. They are engaging in conversation and action that is long overdue. Their commitment to the fight for equality, their dedication to issues that extend well beyond the Hilltop, and their growth as citizens make me proud to be a Pomfret alum.

"This dialogue has rekindled old friendships, but more than that, it has energized a group of alumni who are now ready to take action."

But it’s not just Pomfret students who are deeply engaged in work around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Alumni are stepping up, too. About six months ago, to help each other understand and confront issues of racism and injustice, alumni from the Classes of 1964 and 1965 and the Class of 1998 began talking regularly over Zoom. This dialogue has rekindled old friendships, but more than that, it has energized a group of alumni who are now ready to take action.

To help build on this momentum, the Alumni Association Executive Council (AAEC) is inviting members from other classes to initiate self-organized dialogues of their own. If you are interested in joining or starting such a dialogue, I invite and encourage you to contact Jim Seymour ’65 to learn more about how you can get involved.

I am inspired by these conversations, and as your alumni association president, I am looking carefully at how we can continue to promote equality and justice within our community. The work is just beginning, but I am encouraged to know that current students will undoubtedly join a more vibrant, a more representative, and a more accepting alumni association than the one we inherited.

Laura Keeler Pierce ’03 is President of the Pomfret Alumni Association Executive Council (AAEC)— the governing body of the Pomfret Alumni Association. She has been a Class Agent since 2003, is a former member of the Headmaster’s Council, and served as Vice President of the Alumni Association Executive Council (AAEC) for three years. Laura has sat on the AAEC since 2011, participating on the Events, Awards & Nominations, and Engagement Committees. She was elected an ad hoc member of the Board of Trustees in February 2014. You can reach her at laura@keelerandco.com.