Thrive here,
then everywhere

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.

This May, Brewster will come together with leaders from four other respected New Hampshire boarding schools at the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Annual Conference in Baltimore to share a powerful story of collaboration. Known as the Granite 5, the group of schools includes Holderness School, New Hampton School, Brewster Academy, Kimball Union Academy, and Proctor Academy. While each school has a distinct mission and culture, the group is united by a shared commitment to transparency and professional learning.

These five schools, all located in New Hampshire’s Lakes region, partnered during COVID to create shared programming and immersive campus experiences for independent educational consultants (IECs). Now, more than five years later, the Granite 5 has welcomed over 100 IECs to their campuses, broadening professional understanding of the region and highlighting the depth and diversity of a prep school in New Hampshire.

“Families don’t experience schools in isolation, and neither should the professionals who guide them,” says Dr. Bryan Gross, Brewster’s Dean of Enrollment and Marketing. “The Granite 5 allows IECs to see both what makes each school distinct and what connects New Hampshire boarding schools as a region.”

Highlighting the Value of a Prep School in New Hampshire

Through shared campus visits and open dialogue, the Granite 5 has helped IECs gain a more complete picture of what students experience at a prep school in New Hampshire, from academic rigor and residential life to outdoor education and community culture.

“Collaboration strengthens trust and understanding,” Gross adds. “By working together, we’re helping families make more informed choices and showcasing the extraordinary opportunities students find at New Hampshire boarding schools.”

Leaders from New Hampshire’s Granite 5 schools will present at the upcoming national Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) conference in Baltimore, MD in a session titled “Value of Consortia: Granite 5 Schools in New Hampshire.”

Presenters will share how the Granite 5 collaboration has broadened awareness of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region among education professionals while providing meaningful opportunities for consultants to deepen their understanding of each school’s mission, culture, and student experience.

The panel features David Flynn of Holderness School, Michelle Cote of New Hampton School, Bryan Gross of Brewster Academy, Joshua Labove of Kimball Union Academy, and Christin Lathrop of Proctor Academy. Together, they will discuss lessons learned from their partnership and offer practical strategies for schools seeking to build collaborative initiatives that strengthen relationships with IECs and help families identify the right educational fit.

Dr. Bryan Gross, Dean of Enrollment Management & Marketing at Brewster Academy, will also participate in a featured session at the upcoming IECA conference titled “Enrollment, Retention and Trusted IEC Partnerships.”

The session brings together school leaders and independent educational consultants to explore how transparent, mission-aligned partnerships help families make better school choices while strengthening enrollment and retention outcomes. Through real case studies and practical strategies, the panel will examine how schools and consultants can work collaboratively to ensure students find communities where they will thrive.

Gross joins a panel of experienced IECs and school leaders to discuss how institutions can clearly articulate culture, values, and affordability in ways that build trust with consultants and families alike. The conversation will highlight how thoughtful collaboration between schools and IECs improves student–school fit and supports long-term success.

Collaboration at the Heart of New Hampshire Prep Schools

On Monday, May 18, the Granite 5 schools will also host an evening reception for approximately sixty invited independent educational consultants on the field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The event will provide an opportunity for school leaders and counselors to connect, exchange insights, and collaborate on how best to support and guide students and families through the independent school search process.

The Granite 5’s work with IECs extends beyond the conference in Baltimore. In the fall, the consortium will host its annual consultant tour from October 4–7, 2026, welcoming independent counselors to experience the schools and the Lakes Region firsthand.

Brewster’s participation reflects the Academy’s continued commitment to leadership in enrollment strategy and collaboration across the independent school community.

When David Nieman ’11 first stepped onto Brewster’s campus as a ninth-grade day student from Wolfeboro, he thought he might become an architect. Nearly two decades later, he has built a vibrant career in the visual effects world, helping bring hit streaming shows to life from his home base in California. Along the way, he has drawn on the curiosity, discipline, and exposure to new ideas that started for him in high school.​

From the beginning, Nieman found himself gravitating toward the arts. He spent countless hours in the Rogers Building and, as he puts it, “pretty much did every single creative class and elective Brewster had.” He credits the small classes, often tailored toward students' individual interests, for having a lasting impact. “I probably wouldn’t have gone into the field I ended up going into if it wasn’t for that,” he says.​

As his interests deepened, a defining turning point came his senior year, when Nieman worked with Brewster faculty to design an Independent Study with Wolfeboro-based visual effects specialist Christian Boudman, whose portfolio includes globally known projects such as “Game of Thrones.” That weekly, hands-on experience, he says, “basically pivoted my interest” and set him on the path to pursue film production at Emerson College in Boston. “The internship gave me such good insight and clarity as to what that work would look like.”​

From Emerson, the path to Los Angeles began to unfold. On campus, Nieman became the lab manager of the post-production computer labs and spent his final semester on the college’s Los Angeles campus. His senior internship in L.A. quickly led to a full-time role, and he found himself building a career in the VFX industry even before graduation.​

About 10 years ago, a new opportunity emerged: Nieman joined Tower 33, a growing VFX studio in Los Angeles. When he started, the team was fewer than 10 people; now, the company has more than 100 employees and a roster that includes popular streaming series such as “9-1-1: Nashville” and “Running Point.” For Nieman, watching that evolution has been energizing. “It’s really fun to watch the life cycle of an organization. It’s been a huge growing experience as we scale,” he says. “In the last couple of years, we’ve had the opportunity to acquire talent from all over the place, and that’s brought in a lot of new ideas.” In “Running Point,” for example, most of the arena crowd beyond the first few rows is entirely computer generated—a quiet showpiece of the studio’s craft.​

Today, as his role has expanded, so has the complexity of his work. Nieman now serves as Tower 33’s VP of Technology, a position that bridges creativity and complex systems. “It’s both creative and highly technical,” he explains. “The ability to have a really comprehensive creative vision over something and be able to plug in all the pieces from different areas to execute it, is critical.”

The rise of generative AI has only sharpened his belief that a strong creative point of view matters. “If you give AI a prompt, it’s going to give you the most median version of that, because that’s how machine learning works,” he notes. The real value, in his mind, lies in the unique ideas humans bring to those tools.​

Looking back, Nieman can trace that mindset to the range of experiences he stacked together, starting in Wolfeboro. At Brewster, he tried rowing for the first time and joined the crew team, where he learned the kind of discipline he relies on today. “I now have a really strong ability to just put my head down and, it sounds bad, but suffer through stuff,” he says with a laugh. “It definitely gave me grit.”​

Just as influential was the daily exposure to people and perspectives far beyond his hometown. Between studio time, traveling around New England for crew, and learning alongside classmates from around the world, Nieman felt his world expand. “Especially as a day student, being able to be around so many people from all over the world is really invaluable for character development,” he reflects.

He encourages today’s Bobcats not to narrow themselves too early. “I think it’s important not to get siloed into any one thing in high school. Take the opportunity to investigate as many different things as you can. You’re using different parts of your brain and developing different skills is really, really important.”​

In the end, for all the creative and technical catalysts that took place at Brewster, Nieman still looks back at the small, in-between moments as the most memorable: hanging out with friends after study hall, before practice, and in the pockets of time between commitments. “A lot of the best memories are the little moments in between things, which is unique to boarding school,” he says. “Seeing my friends all day every day was pretty special. Even being a day student, Brewster became a home away from home.”