Exeter Hosts Annual Senior Alumni Dinner

More than 200 alumni and seniors gathered in Love Gym on Friday to attend the Exeter Leadership Weekend (ELW), an annual event planned and prepared by the Office of Institutional Advancement to create and maintain alumni connections.The evening included a speech from Principal Tom Hassan as well as the President’s Award Ceremony.

Program Manager of Alumni and Parent Relations Dawn Perkins said that the weekend was designed to thank the volunteers and donors for their service as well as to reinvigorate their fondness of Exeter.

“ELW is a wonderful event that thanks and informs our volunteers,” Perkins said. “Volunteers leave informed and energized with a renewed sense of what Exeter means to them. It also provides the senior class the opportunity to have conversations with alumni on their experiences and why they volunteer in service to Exeter.”One of the ways theAcademy expresses its gratitude is through presenting the President’s Award, given by the president of the General Alumni Association (GAA) to present members of the Alumni Council who, through their efforts as volunteers for Exeter, have made significant contributions to the Academy within the past two years.

This year, four alumni received the President’s Award for their service for the Academy. Alex Yang ‘13, one of the recipients, said that the awarding ceremony, as well as the evening itself, allowed him to recognize the importance of ELW.“I realized this weekend that, pretty soon, I'll be returning to Exeter and running into less and less familiar faces. But this very fact has led me to realize the very power of ELW,” Yang said. “It is an event that brings together strangers across generations, strangers who all believe in the mission of Exeter—a love of learning, questioning and risk-taking. And the very power of this weekend to do just that speaks volumes to the purpose of this institution.”

Nick Devonshire ‘07, another recipient of the President’s Award, said that attending ELW helped him reflect upon his own time in the Academy and revitalize his love of the school. “Exeter Leadership Weekend is unquestionably useful for me. I get to visit the school, get face-to-face updates on the status of the Academy from administrators, and most importantly, reinvigorate my love for a school that I inhabited for only a few years nearly a decade ago,” Devonshire said. “All of this helps as I take Exeter's message back to the rest of my class,” he added.Laura Shen ‘07, who also received the President’s Award, believed that the ELW helps volunteers to remind and inform their classmates of any news. She added that the annual event narrows the gap between Exonians of various ages by allowing them to connect over the similar experiences and memories at the Academy. “ELW is an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between generations of Exonians, I think there is something unique about having everyone back on campus for one weekend, just to update us on what’s going on,” Shen said.Seniors agreed with alumni that the ELW provides a unique experience for all. Many seniors particularly noted that attending the dinner provided a new perspective to their Exeter careers. “It was fun getting to speak to alums,” senior Muyunji Tembo said. “Seeing what they did after Exeter and how they used the skills they gained here in real life was really interesting and gave me such a new perspective on things.”Senior Sabrina Movitz added that the evening allowed her to shift her focus briefly from immediate responsibilities in Exeter to future experiences to come after Exeter. “When senior fall rolls around, we're working on homework, college apps, extracurriculars—our heads are in Exeter,” Movitz said. “Events like these let us know that soon, our heads are going to be in the real world, and meeting people who can give advice and wisdom about that process are invaluable.”Senior Andy Espinoza said that he particularly enjoyed listening to alumni’s stories. He said that all the stories were not only intriguing but also informative of the future years to come after Exeter. “All of the stories were very positive and it was nice to hear that all the hard work we students do here at Exeter will be worth it in the long run,” he said.Similar to Espinoza, Movitz said that learning about the alumni’s journey after Exeter allowed her to get a sense of how she will utilize her Exeter education. “Talking to the alums at dinner was really fulfilling, because it gives you a sense of what other Exonians have been doing with their education,” Movitz said. “That was the best part: seeing where people have gone in life after Exeter. It is inspirational to get an idea of where you could be going too.”Yang added that alumni also enjoy revisiting campus for the weekend, because it provides opportunities for them to express their gratitude for the Academy as well as talk to the current students, who will inevitably share the same sense of gratitude after they graduate. “I never stop reminding myself that the experience my classmates and I received at Exeter would not have been possible, if not for the time and generosity of our alumni community,” Yang said. “It is this gratitude that I have for my time at Exeter that compels me to ensure future generations of Exonians are able to share that experience.”