Academy Bids Farewell to Hamilton

After serving for 19 years at the Academy, Jamie Hamilton, beloved religion instructor and associate dean of students for health, will leave Exeter at the end of this month. Hamilton will serve as the rector at All Saints’ Church in Peterborough, NH.Prior to coming to Exeter, Hamilton served as pastor of a church in New York City and through the years has been actively involved in the ministry. She also said that while she was working as a religion instructor, she ran a summer parish to stay involved in her religion.“I would leave every June for the summer, so I could balance the two lives: my Exeter life and religious life. But running the parish became a bigger and more significant job, and reached the point where I couldn’t do both,” Hamilton said.Hamilton added that when she was appointed to be the associate dean of students for health, the position allowed her “to have more of a pastoral presence for the kids on campus.” However, because the amount of time she was able to dedicate to her religious life decreased as she took up the responsibility, she longed for more time to dedicate herself to ministry and preaching.Although excited for the new journey Hamilton will be beginning, Hamilton’s students, advisees and colleagues have expressed that she will be deeply missed.

Dean of Faculty Ronald Kim, who first met Hamilton 19 years ago when she first arrived at PEA, noted Hamilton’s trademark compassion and wisdom.“Ms. Hamilton is a great listener, compassionate, supportive, but also willing to be firm and realistic,” Kim said.“I have spent much time in Ms. Hamilton's office and vice versa. Our conversations have been professional and sometimes personal, and I will miss being able to walk across the hall and talk to her about whatever is on our minds.It's special to have someone whose judgment one can trust implicitly.”Senior Emily Lemmerman, who was in one of Hamilton’s religion classes, said that she was impressed by Hamilton’s ability to possess a strong religious passion while being able to accept those with any kind of religious background with complete care and empathy.“I had her in religion lower spring, Faith and Doubt, and began to talk to her more in my reflections on how the class had impacted my outlook the next fall. She is graceful in the way that she balances both her own religious background and her curiosity and acceptance for others, her willingness to talk to students and care for them,” Lemmerman said.“ I will miss her and I know the school will too, but I am also excited to hear about her life as a rector, and I'm sure she will be amazing at that as well.”

Upper Michaela Kivett, who is in Hamilton’s advisee group, said that Hamilton always had time to speak to an advisee about her day, concerns and opinions. She also emphasized that Hamilton gave great advice when she needed them.“I remember when she was on duty, she would actually sit down and talk to you about ten or twenty minutes about how your day was and how your classes were going,” Kivett said.“She always had good advice. She was always available and she was always supportive of us.”Upper Tan Nazer, another advisee of Hamilton’s, said that she has been the most helpful adult figure during her first year in Exeter as an incoming lower last year.“Ms. Hamilton has been the absolute best advisor I could ask for. She helped make my transition to Exeter run so smoothly, and gave me the advice necessary to make the absolute most out of my experience here,” Nazer said.“She was a friend when I needed her to be, and a role model no matter what the situation. She will leave a big void in Merrill and the Exeter community as whole.”Hamilton said that she will miss the Academy community equally, and that it will especially be hard to leave the students she has gotten to know.“I will miss the students hand down,” she said. “I’ll miss being at a basketball game and watching one of the students I’ve taught make the final point, or watching a point and knowing that somebody who has struggled with personal issues star the play.”Hamilton said that she hopes to continue the relationships she has built at Exeter and hopes that students and colleagues will visit her at Peterborough.“I’m going to miss this place,” she said. “I have a new house called The Rectory, and I’d love to have people come visit me in Peterborough.”