Thrive here,
then everywhere

A remarkable new chapter in Brewster Academy’s story is unfolding this fall. With great excitement and pride, Brewster has officially opened its newest international branch campus in La Moraleja, Madrid, a joyful milestone that expands our reach, strengthens our mission, and connects our Wolfeboro flagship to a growing international family of Brewster learners.

For more than two centuries, Wolfeboro has been Brewster’s hometown, where our traditions were born and where the Brewster Model of education took shape. Today, with approximately 340 students learning along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, that spirit now extends across the Atlantic, where more than 400 students are enrolled in Brewster’s two Madrid locations: the well-established Chamberí campus and the newly opened La Moraleja branch. Together, they form a thriving international extension of Brewster’s mission, unified by the Brewster Model and a deep commitment to knowing every student well.

The La Moraleja campus, set in a peaceful, green neighborhood just north of central Madrid, opened in September to students in grades K-12. Families describe the community as instantly warm and personal. The campus blends the historic beauty of its former monastery setting with entirely new, light-filled interior construction, preserving select architectural elements on the exterior as a tribute to the site’s heritage. The result is a stunning and architecturally unique space where old-world character and modern learning environments come together in a way that feels both inspiring and unmistakably Brewster. This style blends seamlessly with outdoor areas for play and connection, including a soon-to-be-completed basketball and volleyball court already buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

What makes this launch especially meaningful for the Wolfeboro community is how clearly Brewster’s ethos is reflected in Spain. The La Moraleja campus mirrors the relational, team-based, individualized approach that defines the Brewster Model. Students are known. Students are supported. Students are inspired to grow as learners and as people, just as they are here in New Hampshire.

The possibilities ahead for Wolfeboro are exciting. As the Madrid campuses continue to flourish, Brewster students in Wolfeboro will eventually have opportunities for exchanges, short-term study, collaborative virtual classes, and immersive cultural experiences that make the world feel closer and Brewster’s educational impact even broader.

Leading this new campus is Jennifer Pro, the Founding Campus Director of Brewster La Moraleja. Ms. Pro brings two decades of experience in international education, having served as a teacher and school leader in Madrid and Tanzania, including as Head of School in both locations. Her leadership is already shaping the heart and direction of La Moraleja, and her gratitude for the community shines through. 

The launch of La Moraleja, alongside the continued growth of Chamberí, marks a visionary step for Brewster Academy: a global network rooted firmly in its Wolfeboro home. Together, these campuses expand what is possible for students, deepen Brewster’s international presence, and reinforce the shared identity that makes this learning community so extraordinary.

One group of Brewster students is proving that reading for fun is one of life’s greatest—and simplest—pleasures. Now in its fourth year, Brewster’s Book Club meets in Kenison Library once a month to discuss the good reads they select (bonus: pizza and cookies are often involved!). So far this school year, they have discussed Elie Wiesel's 1960 memoir Night and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Atticus Baden ’26 from Andover, Mass., has been a Book Clubber since 9th grade. “I like coming to the club meetings because it’s a way for students to interact with each other through a more fun and interactive environment than class,” he tells us. “It’s a way for students to discuss their ideas on topics where we’ve all read the same thing, but people can be different and creative.”

Callie Pilkington ’26 of Lynnfield, Mass., joined last year, and says she likes reading and the community aspect of the club discussions, adding, “Also, you can’t pass up pizza when it’s offered. I also have friends in the club and it’s nice to hang out with my friends with an interest we all enjoy.”

Director of Library Services Jen Dumont hosts the Book Club, but students select each read at their monthly meetings. Avid reader Katherine Twombly ’26 from Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, has noted that selections have become more serious over her three years in the club. “But that’s been nice too,” she says, “because it’s great to talk to people about things I’m also interested in.” Katherine names Yellowface by R.F. Kuang as one of her favorite club reads. “It was different than anything else that we read,” she says. “It was fast-paced but not entirely unrealistic like Babel, also by R.F. Kuang. It was relatable.”

Atticus says Oscar Wilde’s 1890 Gothic philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Gray as his favorite so far. “I think with it being kind of hard to understand sometimes, we all had super different ideas…and it was interesting to listen to others and hear what we might have missed or other ideas we might not have considered on our own,” he says. “Talking as a group about it helped bring new perspectives on it that we might not have seen when we were reading.”

Not every book hits home, and busy schedules mean that not every student can commit to a deep dive into every selection. Callie found this with a Donna Tartt novel last year: “I feel like if I put a little more effort into it, I would have really enjoyed The Secret History.” But no matter, sometimes the fellowship of the club is its own reward. And there’s always next month! The Brewster Book Club is currently reading Piranesi by British author Susannah Clarke. Published in 2020, this fantasy novel has been described by reviewers as magical, mysterious, and melancholy. Far from an “easy read,” readers say it’s worth the effort.

The Book Club welcomes new students anytime…just check in with Mrs. Dumont for more information. 

Almost every special event you’ve ever attended on campus has a conductor behind the scenes—a hidden hand guiding each moment. From Reunion to Commencement, Fall Family Weekend to the Bobcat Open, Special Events & Program Manager Caitlin Ward has been that conductor since joining Brewster in 2022. We caught her between events (the Board of Trustees Meeting/Dinner, an Admissions Open House, an alumni gathering at Maine Beer company in Freeport, and the upcoming Winni Classic) to get to know this Methuen, Massachusetts native who loves cats, travel, and a good rom-com.

Q. What first drew you into event planning as a career, and how did that path eventually lead you to Brewster?

A. I didn't actually plan to have a career as an event planner—I have a degree in psychology and worked in human services for a while after college, but I also always had a second job as a catering waitress for events. I really enjoyed watching all of the behind-the-scenes details come together at weddings. I was lucky enough to have a great boss at one of the hotels I worked for who saw how much I loved it and gave me a chance to try it out. When COVID-19 shut down events for a while, my husband and I relocated to Alton. That’s when I learned about Brewster from our neighbor, Kristy Kerin. A while later, I saw they were hiring an events manager, so I had to apply! I had never worked for an independent school before but it has been a great experience and a lot of fun.

Q. When you think “quintessential Brewster event,” what’s the first one that comes to mind—and why?

A. That would be Grandparents and Special Family Members Day. The first thing I always think about when planning an event is the “why.” What is the purpose of this event? Are we trying to teach a new group of people about Brewster? Are we trying to engage specific members of our community? Or is it about the experience and spending time together? To me, the most quintessential Brewster events are about members of our community and bringing them together. Our families love to be on campus and see what their students do every day—from joining in on classes to having lunch in the Estabrook, it brings them a lot of joy.

Q. What’s a behind-the-scenes detail about events that most people would be surprised to learn or never notice, but you obsess over?

A. There are so many behind-the-scenes details that most people don't notice but the one I spend the most time obsessing over is the weather! Some of our largest events of the year take place outside, so always having a backup plan and being able to pivot when the weather doesn't cooperate is super important.

Q. Can you share a favorite “wow” moment from an event—one of those times when you looked around and thought, “This is why I love my job”?

A. The first one that comes to mind is Commencement in 2022. It was my first year at Brewster and definitely the largest event I had planned. It was amazing to see it all come together and watch our students and families celebrate out on Brown Field.

Q. Events rarely go 100% according to plan. Without naming names, what’s a funny or memorable hiccup you’ve had to troubleshoot on the fly? 

A. This happened a while ago at one of the first weddings I had planned for a close friend. The ceremony and first half of the reception had gone off without a hitch, and it was almost time for the bride to change into her second dress. I went to the dressing room to get everything ready for her to change, but I realized her mom had packed an empty garment bag instead of the one with the dress. Thankfully, this was a local wedding, so we were able to quickly drive to her apartment and grab the dress before she even noticed it was missing! It was very stressful in the moment, but one of the great things about event planning is that even when things go wrong, you usually have the opportunity to fix them behind the scenes before anyone else notices.

Q. What’s your favorite Brewster tradition to help plan or support?

A. My favorite Brewster tradition to help plan is the Lifer Dinner. For most of the events I don't get a lot of input from our students, but for the Lifer Dinner, they get to pick the menu and some of the other details—it feels more special when they get to be involved!

Q. If you had an unlimited budget and no logistical constraints, what kind of “once-in-a-lifetime” event would you design for the Brewster community?

A. Oh this is a fun question! I think it would have to be some sort of “destination” Reunion Weekend. Our campus is beautiful and I love having alumni back for the weekend, but it would be a lot of fun to plan a huge trip at a fancy resort with all of our alumni and faculty.

Q. What tools, tricks, or rituals keep you organized when you’re juggling multiple events at different stages of planning?

A. The biggest hack or “trick” for event planning is that as soon as an event ends, I need to start planning for the next year. The first thing I do after every event is hold a debrief meeting to review what went well and identify any changes we want to make for next time. Even when we have multiple events in one week, it's important to get feedback and start planning early; otherwise, it’s easy to fall behind.

Q. When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time?

A. When I’m not working, I spend a lot of time with my family in Maine and Massachusetts. I also love to bake and spend a lot of my weekends trying out new recipes. My niece Evelynn, who is 5, is also starting to get into baking, and it’s such a fun activity to do with her! Although I’m pretty sure she’s only interested because she knows I'll let her eat all the chocolate chips she wants.

Q. Ha! That is definitely an aunt’s prerogative! What’s something students or colleagues might be surprised to learn about you—an unexpected hobby, hidden talent, or past job?

A. I don't know if this qualifies as a hidden talent, but something most people may not know about me is that I did tap, ballet, and jazz dancing for about 15 years. It was something I really enjoyed when I was younger and I even won a few national competitions!

Q. Your much-loved cats sometimes make appearances in team Zoom calls. Can you tell us about your newest furry friend?

A. Milo! He joined our family in August and he is almost 3 years old. Milo is a sweet little guy who loves to cuddle but also enjoys a healthy dose of chaos. His favorite hobbies include watching squirrels from our living room window and chasing our other cat, Taz, around the house, trying to get him to play.

Q. You've had some terrific travel experiences…is there someplace you dream of going, or a place you'd love to return to for an even longer visit?

A. My husband and I have been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places together (Norway, Ireland, Scotland, and Lapland, to name a few) but the place I’d most like to go back to is Iceland! We went for a week a few years ago, but I'd love to go back for a longer trip one day. It is such a beautiful country, and nothing compares to the scenery.

Q. What's your go-to pump-up song before a big event?

A. It changes a lot, but right now it would have to be “Opalite” by Taylor Swift. You can’t listen to that song and not get hyped up!

Q. You have a lot of wedding planning experience. How many times have you seen the Jennifer Lopez movie, “The Wedding Planner”?

A. At least a dozen times. I love a good rom-com!

Feature Image: Caitlin Ward and her husband, Lucas, visiting Copenhagen in 2024. 
 

When families first hear about Brewster’s “academic team system,” they sometimes assume it’s just another way of saying “grade level.” But a Brewster academic team is far more than that. It’s a living, breathing community within the school—where students are known deeply, supported holistically, and encouraged to grow into confident, capable young adults.

“From a student’s perspective, teachers get to know them beyond just the shared academic class,” explains Dean of Faculty Katie Gardner, who also serves as the Dean of Academic Support Programs and Coach for Girls’ JV Basketball. “Our team approach focuses on the whole student—classes, athletics, co-curriculars, and residence life. Students get to build a bond with a smaller community within the school, which builds a level of comfort and confidence.”

This team system traces its roots back to the advent of The Brewster Model in the late 1990s. “I believe the first year may have been 1998,” recalls Academic Dean Matt Butcher. “Teams are really teams, with the same 50 students working with the same six to eight teachers in as many classes as possible. They meet frequently, plan and participate in team events, and work together to ensure that all students are successful.”

That structure means students are seen, known, and guided from multiple vantage points. Teachers collaborate on everything from learning profiles to social dynamics, ensuring that a student’s growth is understood in full. Mr. Butcher, who is also the Director of Summer Programs and Head Coach of Girls’ Varsity Soccer, describes the Team Leader role as one of the most important—and demanding—positions on campus. “Team Leaders are responsible for keeping their teams aligned with the school and with each other, for helping to ensure advisors deliver our advisory program, and for making sure students are taking advantage of their opportunities and making progress,” he explains. They also help facilitate structure and support when needed, always with the goal of keeping students on track academically and personally. “They’re organized, they set high expectations, but they’re also flexible and know when and how to have fun.”

This balance of rigor and joy is evident in the team leaders across campus. This fall, two first-time leaders emerged. Chris Brown became a Team Leader for the Class of 2026 in addition to his role as a soccer coach and Dean of Equity and Belonging. And English teacher Maeve Connelly helms a 10th grade team. Mr. Brown sees the system as a net that keeps every student in sight. “The team approach works because students can’t slip through the cracks with all the different touch points,” he says. He recalls one student who arrived at Brewster with limited resources, from winter clothes to academic supplies. “Through the team approach, this student was identified as someone needing extra support in all areas of life here. He didn’t fall off the radar, and today he’s playing soccer at a high level in college.” For Mr. Brown, the best part of the job is the camaraderie: “We all get along on a professional level but also bring fun to the table. It’s clear everyone enjoys what we do.”

Ms. Connelly shares that the team leader role quickly showed her how much connection happens outside the classroom. “As a team leader, my role goes beyond the students I teach in my own classes—I’m responsible for supporting every student on the team and working closely with my team faculty,” she says. “Getting to know students outside of the classroom has been my favorite part.” She also credits fellow leaders like Janis Cornwell, Team Leader for 10th Graders and a member of the Instructional Support faculty, and her predecessor, Alicia Wingard, for helping her make a smooth transition. Ms. Cornwell, who has been leading since 2017, describes her responsibilities as “a million little pieces of magic”—from orientation planning and overseeing faculty, to guiding 40 to 50 students and keeping them connected to advisors. What she loves most is the growth: “Seeing students from their first day as sophomores to Moving Up Day in May—it’s awesome. And when they come back and share that they miss ‘Team Cornwell’ and feel gratitude for the journey, that’s incredibly rewarding.”

Longevity is a hallmark of Brewster’s team system. Byron Martin, Team Leader for the Class of 2026, Instructional Support faculty, and Varsity Golf Coach, has been at it for 30 years, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in school history. He describes teams as a “networking support system for students” where “many eyes and views on a student” ensure that no one is overlooked. The 11th grade teams benefit from similar long-term leadership, with history teacher TJ Palmer and Instructional Support faculty member Barb Thomas both guiding juniors year after year. Their experience and consistency help anchor students in what can be one of the most demanding years academically and socially.

Collectively, these leaders embody the qualities Mr. Butcher and Ms. Gardner say are essential: organization, consistency, and above all, care. “Team Leaders learn about their students, they care about them, and they figure out how to best challenge, support, and empower each of them,” Mr. Butcher says. 

“Not all team leaders have to have the same approach,” Ms. Gardner adds. “But they do need to believe in Brewster and believe in kids.”

Yong Kim crossed continents to reach Brewster, bringing little more than a steadfast ambition and the hope of belonging. Years later, he credits those uncertain days with forging the resilience and vision that would fuel his journey from new arrival to CEO, author, and lifelong learner.

When Yong Kim ’96 reflects on his journey from Seoul to Wolfeboro, he remembers the swirling mix of excitement and sharp trepidation—the steep language barrier, the winter chill, and the sense of uncertainty that shadowed his first months at Brewster. He arrived mid-year, far from home, with ample ambition but limited English and no familiar faces.

“All the social groups were already formed when I got there,” Yong recalls. “Everything just felt new. There was a high level of anxiety, and I went into survival mode.” But in that environment of struggle, seeds of transformation quietly took root. The compassion and patience of Brewster faculty and his peers made all the difference. “They gave me the safety net to try different things, fail at them, and realize it would still be okay. That built so much confidence in me,” he says.

Brewster’s influence extended well beyond academics. After an early experience off-campus with racism, Yong poured his emotions on paper. Then, despite being new to public speaking and the language, he stood before the entire school to read his reflections. “With my broken English, I read what I wrote about the experience, what it made me feel, and everyone got up on their feet and clapped. That was the moment I truly felt connected to the Brewster community. Walls came down and friendship blossomed.” That experience, he says, was proof that kindness and belonging were not mere ideals at Brewster, but daily realities.

Forging a Path Guided By Questions

Yong continued to grow at Brewster: “At 15 or 16, it’s hard to know who you are or what you want. Brewster taught me that it’s okay to not have the answers. Instead, keep asking the right questions and keep growing.” At first, he leaned on his fellow international students in the dorm for connections. As his English improved and comfort grew, he became part of a close-knit group in Sargent Dorm. These relationships that would last decades beyond campus.

After Brewster, Yong set off for the University of Chicago, studying economics and mathematics. He considered a future in academia, starting graduate school at Harvard only to realize the academic path was not a good fit. He took a detour into business consulting, then investment banking on Wall Street. It became a world that promised stability and reward, but left him unfulfilled. “I did it for almost 10 years,” he admits, “but every year, I thought, ‘This will be my last.’ The only way out was just to finally say, ‘I’m done.’ So that’s what I did.”

That leap became a pattern of growth: “Big decisions for me were never planned for months or years. If I want to do something, I just do it.” In 2013, with the support of his wife, Linda Kim, Yong left finance and began further soul-searching. Reflecting on the barriers he’d faced as a young immigrant, he saw a persistent mismatch in America’s job market: companies in need of workers, and workers struggling to find opportunities, especially those from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds. With fellow Brewster alum A.J. Brustein ’98—whom he’d serendipitously discovered shared the same alma mater—they launched Wonolo, a tech platform connecting businesses with skilled and available workers. Ten years later, Yong’s company has helped millions, but the journey has required all the grit and heart he once built at Brewster.

“If I’d known how hard building a company would be, I probably wouldn’t have started,” Yong laughs. “There’s suffering, heartbreak, constant testing of character. But when I hear the stories of people whose lives have changed because of what we’ve built, it wipes away all the heartache. That’s what keeps me going.”

This same drive led Yong to yet another challenge: writing a novel. The process started as a late-night outlet for the pressures of entrepreneurship and turned into a disciplined act of creation. “Finishing a book required just as much discipline as starting a company,” he says, “and you can only do for the love of it.”

After 12 months, he officially published When River Loves Deborah (3M3G Books 2025), a book whose tech entrepreneur protagonist embarks on a journey of love, self-discovery, and second chances. While the story is not an autobiography, Kim said he drew inspiration for storylines that are similar to his life experiences.

The book now sits proudly in Brewster’s Kenison Library.

Advice for Current Students

In 2019, Kim returned to Brewster as the year’s Cooper Series speaker. During his talk, he discussed the importance of failure as a learning tool, and encouraged students to have the courage to fail.

Not surprisingly, his message to students remains consistent. Asked what advice he’d offer today’s Brewster students, especially fellow international students stepping into the unknown, Yong returns to themes of courage, kindness, and self-discovery. “Find your own voice. Block out the noise, ask yourself what you truly want, and have the courage to pursue it, even if it doesn’t fit others’ expectations. And ask for help when you need it. There are always people who want to see you succeed.”

For Yong, the margins of every chapter are filled with reminders not to fear uncertainty, but to embrace it, growing through each challenge. Brewster’s real gift was instilling a lifelong willingness to learn, lead with kindness, and step forward courageously—even when the way isn’t clear.