Thrive here,
then everywhere

Interim Studies at Brewster Academy is a week designed for students to dive deeper into what drives them, on campus and far beyond it. For Ava Lincender ’28, going deeper meant going all the way to Northern Europe, to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship. It's the kind of pursuit that makes Brewster one of the most distinctive boarding schools in New Hampshire: a place where education follows passion wherever it leads.

When Brewster's Interim Studies week began on March 2, most students were settling into on-campus projects and off-campus adventures. Ava Lincender was lacing up her skates in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia.

A member of Brewster's ice hockey program, Ava had been selected to represent the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Women's Ice Hockey Team at the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship (Division III, Group B). The championship’s dates placed her squarely in the middle of Brewster's Interim Studies week. Rather than forcing a choice between two major commitments, Ava worked with the school to transform the experience into an independent study, checking in regularly throughout the week with faculty advisor Michelle Rafalowski, who served as her mentor along the way.

The arrangement gave Ava the space to pursue something far bigger than a classroom assignment. Competing against five other nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina earned a silver medal, and Ava finished as the second leading scorer among all players across the entire tournament.

"Representing Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 World Championship in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia, was more than just playing a tournament," Ava reflected. "While the name on the back of the jersey is mine, the pride on the front belongs to my country, and that comes with a great responsibility."

That sense of responsibility was on full display in the silver medal game, where Bosnia found itself down 2-0. Rather than letting the deficit define the outcome, Ava stepped into a leadership role that extended well beyond her spot on the scoresheet.

"I have learned that leadership lives in every voice that refuses to quit when you're down 2-0," she said. "In our silver medal game, the tension was high, but I stepped up and told the girls: 'To win this game, we first have to believe that we can.'"

She then backed up her words, scoring twice, including the game-winner with two minutes left, to complete the comeback.

"Getting us on the scoreboard and scoring the game-winner with two minutes left was a dream moment," Ava said, "but seeing our collective belief turn into a comeback victory was the real highlight for me."

Throughout the week, her check-ins with Mrs. Rafalowski gave the independent study added structure and meaning, helping Ava process and articulate an experience that was as much about growth as it was about competition. Her family felt grateful for that added layer of reflection, describing the whole experience as "truly meaningful" and crediting the school's support for making it possible. For Ava, the two commitments weren't separate at all; the ice and the reflection were always part of the same story.

And that story was never just about a medal or a stat line. It was about what she and her teammates are building, for the sport and for the girls who will come after them.

"We're clearing the ice for this beautiful game so the next generation of girls in Bosnia and Herzegovina knows that no dream is too big to chase," she said. "The work continues."

Putting the “Green” in Greenspace

The landscape design for the courtyard is led by Naomi Cottrell, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP, principal of Boston-based Crowley Cottrell, in collaboration with studioDSK. For Cottrell, the project is about more than aesthetics.

“We believe deeply in the power of quality open space,” she said. “At a boarding school with a rigorous academic schedule, having a calm outdoor space to gather and relax provides real respite.”

The design prioritizes pedestrian movement and encourages students and visitors to experience campus at a walking pace where they can be more aware of the lake, the landscape, and the surrounding community.

All plantings are rooted in place, with New England native trees and shrubs selected to thrive in the local climate. Large canopy trees will anchor the space, providing shade and structure for decades to come, while thoughtfully placed plantings soften the edges of pathways and parking areas.

Sightlines to Lake Winnipesaukee were a key consideration. Pathways and gathering spaces are aligned to maintain visual connections to the water that is so central to Brewster’s identity.

Adding a deeply local touch, Brewster parent Len Brochu P’19, ’26, owner of Brochu Nurseries and Landscaping, will install the plantings and stonework for the courtyard. The Brochu team also completed landscaping around the renovated Rogers Building.

“It’s always special when Brewster families contribute their expertise to a project like this,” said Director of Advancement John Northrop.

Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability

Environmental responsibility has been central to planning the Reyes Family Courtyard. By replacing impervious pavement with green space, the project improves stormwater management and reduces runoff into Lake Winnipesaukee.

“With less pavement, the ground can absorb more water naturally,” Gilligan explained. “We’ve worked carefully to protect the watershed.”

The new parking lot includes a central rain garden and modern drainage infrastructure designed to filter runoff and meet best-practice environmental standards. These changes reflect Brewster’s long-term commitment to sustainable campus development.

A Positive Impact Beyond Campus

The project will also enhance the experience of those who live in and visit Wolfeboro. Consolidating driveways along South Main Street will reduce curb cuts, improving safety for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists while smoothing traffic flow along one of the town’s main corridors.

Replacing pavement with trees and professional landscaping will beautify a prominent gateway into town, benefiting neighbors and first-time visitors alike.

Looking Ahead

The Reyes Family Courtyard is designed not only for today’s students, but for future generations. The open greenspace will serve as a flexible gathering area, supporting informal recreation, outdoor studying, community events, and quiet moments of connection.

“We imagine students playing spikeball, relaxing in Adirondack chairs, gathering with friends, enjoying an outdoor class, or simply enjoying a calm space free of cars,” Kerin said. “However they make it their own, we’re confident this courtyard will beautifully enhance the center of campus.”

While the project is fully underway thanks to the generosity of the Reyes Family and other donors, there remain opportunities for community members interested in supporting this important campus improvement. Those interested may contact John Northrop at jnorthrop@brewsteracademy.org.

On the first Morning Meeting back from spring break, Brewster welcomed home one of its own.

John McNamara '13 returned to campus on Tuesday, March 24 alongside his colleague and close friend John Toracinta for a Q&A panel discussion hosted by three student leaders from the Mental Health Matters Club. It was part homecoming, part entrepreneurship story, and entirely a conversation worth having.

The two met while working together at golf apparel company FootJoy. The friendship that followed eventually became something bigger. In 2019, Toracinta and his wife Sarah launched what began as a hat brand and has since grown into a full-scale apparel line built around a single belief: NOSOLO. Nobody Goes Solo.

The story behind the name is worth telling. On their honeymoon in Croatia, the Toracintas fell into a late-night conversation with a group of strangers. They talked about kindness, shared struggles, and how people from completely different backgrounds still find common ground. By the end of the evening, those strangers were friends. The experience crystallized something the couple had long felt: no matter what you are going through, you are not alone in it. With Sarah's background as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and John's experience in product and marketing, the brand came together naturally. NOSOLO donates 20% of all proceeds to the NOSOLO Give Back Foundation to support mental health initiatives around the world.

McNamara also brought something else to campus that morning: a genuine love for the place. He talked about the waffles in Estabrook, Lakes Region lacrosse championships, and rushing the ice after a remarkable goal against Proctor that those who were there have clearly not forgotten. Beyond any single memory, though, what he kept coming back to was the people.

"Best three years of my life," he said. His advice to current students: cherish it. It goes faster than you expect, and the friendships built here are the ones that last.

For Brewster's Mental Health Matters Club, the connection to McNamara’s experience and NOSOLO’s mission was immediate. The idea to bring the brand to campus was first raised in the fall, and the active club, which meets one to two times a week, ran with it. Members Luke Smolan '26 and Max Rusov '26 jumped on an initial Zoom call with McNamara and Toracinta to get things moving. Together, they decided a Morning Meeting Q&A was the right format. From that first conversation to the morning itself, the students drove the event from start to finish.

On the day of, Smolan, Rusov, and Gabi Reynolds ’27 took the stage in Anderson Hall to lead the panel in front of the entire school. They drew out conversation on entrepreneurship, networking, and what it looks like to build something with real purpose. Running through all of it was a more fundamental question: how do you notice when someone around you is struggling, and what do you actually do?

"Having the opportunity to lead the Q&A on stage meant so much to me," Smolan ’26 said. "I was incredibly grateful to help facilitate such an important conversation about mental health. Hearing the stories shared by our NOSOLO guests reminded me that small acts, like checking in with a friend, make a real difference."

After Morning Meeting, the conversation continued in the Grayson Student Center Flex Classroom, where McNamara and Toracinta held an optional discussion for anyone who wanted to come. More than twenty students attended.

Rusov reflected on what drives the club's work in the first place. "It is okay to not be okay. It is okay to ask for help, it is okay to feel the way you are feeling. Most of all, asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength."

For Heather Souther, the club's faculty mentor and Brewster's Counselor of Wellbeing, the morning was a proud one. "I am just so proud of how the club took this on. They did such an amazing job up there on that stage. The feedback from both students and faculty has been overwhelmingly positive."

Smolan noticed the ripple effect too. "The discussion on mental health continued to echo throughout our community following the all-school, showing how powerful our community can be when we are willing to listen and look out for one another."

The clothing is a conversation starter. What happened in Anderson Hall on March 24 was proof of that.

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To learn more about NOSOLO and their mission, visit nosolobrand.com.

When Justine Siegal ’93 stepped onto Brewster Academy's campus last year to speak to the student body, she brought with her a career's worth of firsts. Now, she can add one more to the list.

Siegal, a Brewster alum and member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame, has been named the first Commissioner of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), the country's first professional women's baseball league, set to open its inaugural season on August 1, 2026. The announcement, made on March 20, places Siegal at the helm of a historic organization she also co-founded, one that will feature four teams across New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco competing through mid-September at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

For anyone who has followed Siegal's career, the appointment feels less like a surprise and more like an inevitable next chapter. In 2009, she became the first woman to coach a professional men's baseball team, taking the field with the Brockton Rox. Two years later, she was the first woman to throw batting practice for Major League Baseball teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, the Athletics, and the Cardinals. In 2015, the Oakland Athletics brought her on as the first female coach in an MLB organization. Her jersey and hat from that stint are now on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 2010, she founded Baseball For All, the nation's largest girls' baseball organization, which has grown to serve players across the country. More than a third of the WPBL's drafted players came through the program, a testament to just how far her reach extends.

The week of her Commissioner announcement, Siegal was also featured on NPR's Morning Edition in a segment covering the WPBL's spring training launch. In the piece, she spoke about what this moment means for the sport, noting that the athletes have always been there and that women have always been playing well. The visibility, she said, is simply finally catching up.

Her words on the appointment itself carried the same mix of gratitude and drive that those who heard her speak at Brewster will recognize. "Being appointed Commissioner is beyond anything I've ever dreamt of," she said in the WPBL's official announcement, "and a humbling opportunity to help shape the League and the future of women's professional baseball."

When Brewster reached out to congratulate her, Siegal was candid about where her head was at. "Grateful. Humbled. And ready to help build Women's Pro Baseball League and opportunities for girls and women around the world," she said. She also made a point to look back at the foundation that helped get her here. "I'm thankful to the faculty and staff of Brewster, who helped hone my leadership capabilities through opportunity, support, and love."

It is exactly the kind of outcome Brewster strives toward. As a mission-driven boarding school in New Hampshire, Brewster has long emphasized leadership development and giving students the tools to pursue meaningful work in the world. Siegal's trajectory is a vivid example of what that can look like over a lifetime.

Beyond the diamond, Siegal holds a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College and served as Baseball Coordinator for Amazon Prime's A League of Their Own series. In 2017, USA Today named her one of the 100 Most Powerful People in MLB.

As the WPBL's Countdown Tour winds through fan events and exhibition games across the country this spring and summer, Siegal will be at the center of it, building something she once could only imagine. For the girls watching, and for every Brewster student who heard her speak, she is proof that the work you put in, the values you carry, and the mentors who believe in you can take you somewhere entirely your own.

Opening Day is August 1. We will be watching.

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To listen to Siegal speak on NPR, you can tune into her NPR Morning Edition interview on the WPBL's spring training launch. To learn more about the league and her new role, read the official Women's Pro Baseball League Commissioner announcement.