FRIDAY, MAY 23 | 11 AM
We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2025 at Berkshire's 118th Commencement ceremony held at the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. Following the event, graduates and their families are invited to a special luncheon under the tent.
This year's Commencement speaker is Dartmouth President Dr. Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist by training and the first woman to serve as president of Dartmouth.
Photographers from Highpoint Pictures will be on campus to capture photos of the graduates before the ceremony, images of them with their diplomas, and family photos on the lawn afterwards.
Celebrate your Berkshire 2025 graduate with our collection of memorabilia! From grad party accessories and lawn signs, to apparel and gifts, The McLanahan Bookstore has everything you need to commemorate this significant milestone. 🐻 💚
Classroom Spotlight
AMSR Students Aim to Build Life-Saving UAV
Seniors Yaya Barak and Jamie Sachs have learned a valuable lesson in problem solving. As students in Berkshire’s Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR) program, the pair has worked all year designing and building an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that will deliver emergency care to patients in remote areas.
The idea for the project, which has required equal parts engineering and ingenuity, came to Yaya and Jamie while hiking the trails behind Berkshire. They wondered, ‘What would you do if you were suddenly bitten by a rattlesnake?’
Through lots of research, and some trial and error, the pair expects a successful launch before graduation day later this month. Watch the video below to hear Yaya and Jamie talk about their project.
If we knew at the start of the project what we know now, this would’ve been a lot easier. But it’s been a lot of fun.” –Yaya Barak ‘25
In AMSR, you really get to focus on one project and guide yourself through that. We’ve had a lot of assistance from Dr. Burch, she’s awesome.” –Jamie Sachs ‘25
You can learn more about Yaya and Jamie’s project at ARISE on Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Morgan-Bellas-Dixon.
Congratulations Team SeaCH4ange—Emma Leahy ’25, Troy Monte ’25, and Luke Plamondon ’25—winners of the 2025 Sabin Entrepreneurial Prize. Their proposed product, SeaCH4ange Livestock Feed, uses sargassum (which naturally reduces methane in cows’ digestion by up to 40%) to create a nutrient-rich, sustainable feed that tackles a pair of environmental threats, helping farmers lower their environmental footprint while cleaning up coastal ecosystems overwhelmed by seaweed.
On Thursday evening, April 24, an esteemed panel of judges convened on campus to hear five business plans from the 17 students enrolled in Chris Perkins’ Advanced Economics course.
“This year’s Sabin Prize truly embodied Berkshire’s motto, with students presenting creative, well-thought-out ventures that could easily be translated into real-world businesses,” says two-time entrepreneur Brooks Gammill ’19, pointing to the Q&A as particularly impressive. “Each team handled three to five questions, showcasing their ability to think beyond a scripted pitch.”
The Sabin Entrepreneurial Prize is an initiative to educate and expose Berkshire students to entrepreneurship and sustainability. Established in 2011 with the generous support of the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, the Sabin Entrepreneurial Prize is awarded annually to the best business plan for a product, service, project or program that is not only financially feasible but also contributes to living in more sustainable communities.
Congratulations to all of the teams on incredibly strong initiatives and presentations:
RePaw (from left): Zach Zaurov ’25, Damon Mos ’25, Hemin Khalid ’25, Rufus Robertson ’25
Eco-Pack: Arturo Peña Fulcar ’25, Alden Nisi ’25, Caspar Meredith-Jones ’25, Slade Engstrom ’25
VivaFit: Angela Pham ’25, Olivia Feeley ’25, Charlotte Flanagan ’25
Nudge: Olive Simpson ’25, Ryan Zouaoui ’25, Edward Lee ’25
In keeping with tradition, judges come from the community at large. We extend our thanks to this year’s volunteers: Matthew Cortes ’17; Brooks Gammill ’19; Carrie Herrington P’22,’22,’25; and Anthony St. Clair P’27.
“By engaging with Floridian ranchers, researchers, scientists, government officials, and local workers, we gained valuable firsthand insights that allowed us to take decisive and strategic action.”–Luke Plamondon ’25
“This experience taught me that real achievement is directly tied to the unseen work one is willing to put in when no one is watching.” –Emma Leahy ’25
“Overcoming setbacks that could have diminished our motivation, not only required collaboration and a shared commitment to finding solutions, but also fueled our determination.” –Troy Monte ’25
Spring Shorts 2025
Friday, May 9 & Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Spring Shorts is an annual tradition of short plays performed in an intimate "black box" theater, created by moving the entire audience up onstage in Allen! This limited-seating event is a fun, intimate performance that puts you up-close to the actors for an experience unlike anything else we do all year! The 2025 collection includes comedy, drama, and all stops in between.
The plays are: Her Heart by John Cariani, Buckle by John P. Bray, A Moment Defined by Cusi Cram, 1900s Women Bonding by Catherine Weingarten, Kids Today by Ian McWethy, and... a staged reading of a new play!
Spring Shorts '25 also includes the last performances by graduating seniors Michkael McKenzie '25, Sofiia Patkanovtsiy '25, Diana Splawn '25, and Akari Ikeda '25.
Performances run Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. with a $2 donation at the door. Limited seating is first-come, first-served, and there is no late seating. The evening runs about 100 minutes plus a short intermission.
Come and check out what many call their favorite theater production of the year!
Poster by Diana Splawn '25
The Spring Dance Concert is happening on Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Allen Theater.
This year's dancers are Nuala Chee '27, Sara He '28, Yuki Hu '26, Katherine Nelson '27, Ciecee Qiu '28, Gabrielle St. Clair '27, and Trevor Sullivan Weinstein '25. They will be performing a variety of styles including ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, and tap.
It has been such a joy working with the Spring Dance team. Each routine has its own unique story and theme to share, bringing a variety of emotions to the stage through intentional movement. Spring Dance is a hectic sprint to the finish line, and I am so proud of the progress these young dancers have made. –Madison Bagby, Dance Program Director
Spring Team Photos Are Here!
Come cheer on our Bears! For the athletic schedule, click here.
Follow @BerkshireSchoolAthletics on Instagram and Threads for athletic scores, news, and more!
Tennis Legend Visits Bears
Girls Varsity Tennis had the unforgettable opportunity to learn from one of the greatest players in tennis history this week: 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.
Chrissie, along with her sister and Berkshire parent Clare Shane P'28, joined the team for a special clinic-style practice on April 28, offering on-court guidance and sharing insights from her incredible career.
Following the session, players gathered for a team dinner where Chrissie answered questions about focus, handling pressure, staying motivated, and managing emotions during match play. It was an inspiring afternoon filled with energy, wisdom, and joy—an experience our Bears will carry with them both on and off the court!
As a coach, it was an incredible honor to witness our players learning firsthand from someone who helped shape the landscape of women’s sports. Chrissie’s example reminds us that leadership, resilience, and determination create opportunities that stretch far beyond the court."–Lizzy Spalding '07, Head Coach, Girls Varsity Tennis
Berkshire welcomed families to campus for Spring Family Weekend last month. The event featured a special dinner for the Class of 2025 and their guests, the annual Spring Concert, and other opportunities for families to spend time with their children under the Mountain.
Anyone who may have missed renowned sports psychologist and speaker Dr. Jarrod Spencer, can view a video of his presentation in the Parent and Guardian Hub. Just log into the Parent Portal (link below) and click the green button for the Hub!
Alumni Spotlight
Lauren Ginsberg '06
Many people dream of a career in the retail industry, but for Lauren Ginsberg ’06, it was an accidental move that blossomed into a rewarding career.
She has forged a distinctive and nontraditional path in the retail industry during her 11-plus-year career with Gap Inc., and she is currently leading all learning, education, and engagement for Athleta North America. Ginsberg has also taught both undergraduate and graduate students about B-Corporations (B-Corps) by sharing Athleta’s rigorous certification process. Learn more about her career journey below.
Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 PM (EST)
Do you know someone who's interested in becoming a Bear? Our admission team invites prospective families to our Virtual Spring Open House to hear from some of our rising student leaders and learn more about what makes Berkshire, Berkshire!
For questions about the event, please email admission@berkshireschool.org or call (413) 229-1003.
Our 10th annual One Day for Berkshire was an absolute 10! Thanks to your incredible participation and spirit, we secured 1,564 donors—surpassing our goal of 1,440.
With unbelievable support from current parents, a $60,000 challenge gift was unlocked to support Berkshire’s faculty and staff. And, with a strong surge of donations later in the evening, we secured an extra $25,000 to the Annual Fund through the dollar-for-dollar match challenge!
We’re so grateful today and every day for the outpouring of generosity among alumni, parents, staff, faculty, students, grandparents, and friends.
From all of us under the Mountain to all of you who participated … THANK YOU!