Commitment Embodied: Almost a Century of Service

This year, we asked our entire community to explore what commitment really looks like in practice. As I watched that conversation unfold across classrooms, teams, dorm hallways, and advisory groups, I found myself thinking about some colleagues who have not been exploring the question so much as answering it, continuously, for decades. This spring, we will say farewell to some impactful members of our faculty and staff as they prepare to retire from Brewster.

I’d like to talk about three of our student-facing educators here, and follow up in our next Campus News to talk about three others who have made their impact behind the scenes. While there will be many more recognitions for them as their final year comes to a close, I believe it’s worth taking this opportunity now to highlight all that they’ve done.

TJ Palmer: 39 Years

TJ Palmer has spent 39 years bringing history to life in the classroom while shaping campus culture as a dorm parent, hockey coach, and the engine behind everything from the Tailgate Club to pond hockey tournaments. Experiencing TJ Palmer’s classroom starts before you even enter the space. Often, you can hear his animated excitement before you reach his classroom door. Walking into the classroom, it would be common to find his students engaged in a heated debate, with TJ at the center, orchestrating the process. His energy is unmistakable, almost electric, especially when the conversation turns to the moments and figures in U.S. history he loves most. He leans in, pushes, challenges, and invites students to do the same, not just to know the material, but to wrestle with it. There is a momentum to his classroom, a sense that something is always happening, always building, and that each student has a role to play in it.

That energy spills out of the classroom to anything he has chosen to undertake, even some of his more, shall we say, unconventional ideas (yes, TJ, I am thinking about the ice cream truck that you (sort of) refurbished and (briefly) drove around campus!) In the late 1980s, Mr. Palmer saw students’ interest in hockey. Alongside former faculty member Ron Nentwig, TJ literally threw some sticks on the ice at the Pop Whalen Ice Arena (then just a sheet of ice without a roof) and by 1990, Brewster’s varsity hockey program was born. By 2000, the team finished runner-up in the New England Championships, competing in front of a raucous crowd after TJ and his players cajoled former Head of School David Smith to purchase tickets for the entire school to attend.

For most of us, our energy would start to wane after 39 years. One of the most amazing qualities TJ has is his relentless energy and spirit. He can still be found, even in his final year, prepping the ice on his backyard Crescent Lake for 3 v 3 pond hockey tournaments, and transporting his grill on the back of his old, blue pickup truck to lead the Tailgate Squad at major home games. This year, he and the club even brought the show on the road to the NEPSAC girls’ soccer championship and to the ski and snowboard competition at Abenaki. What ties all of this together is not just energy, but joy. TJ has always understood that when learning and community feel alive and fun, students lean in. Those are the moments that students engage deeply and remember for years to come.

Laura Duffy: 31 Years

Laura Duffy has spent 31 years guiding students and families through the college process with a steadiness and expertise that generations of Brewster students have counted on. Laura’s impact is quieter, more measured and thoughtful, but nonetheless pivotal. A lover of English literature and the written word, Laura translates her love of storytelling into helping students craft their college essays. She has a way of sitting beside a student and, through a series of steady questions and careful listening, helping them find the story that is truly theirs to tell. In a process that can feel overwhelming, she brings clarity and perspective, gently guiding students as they move from a world of endless college options to choices that feel right for who they are and who they are becoming.

There is something deeply reassuring about Laura’s presence. She does not rush students toward an answer just to ease the tension of the moment. Instead, she helps them slow down, reflect, and make decisions with care. In a process that can easily become performative or anxiety-filled, Laura has always brought students back to themselves. That is part of what has made her so effective over three decades. She has helped generations of Brewster students not only find colleges, but understand themselves better in the process.

Beyond the College Office, Laura has long been one of those people this school leans on when something requires thoughtfulness, discretion, and sound judgment. As a faculty advisor to the Dean’s Council, she brought the same care and perspective to student discipline that she brings to counseling, always centering reflection, growth, and fairness. She has been a trusted sounding board for colleagues and leaders alike (including four Heads of School), someone willing to take on complicated or sensitive work with wisdom and humanity.

And true to form, Laura’s commitment continues right through her final stretch at Brewster. This week alone, Laura and her colleagues in the College Office brought 70 juniors to a large college fair, conducted ACT testing, and helped seniors finalize decisions about what comes next. On May 1, we will celebrate Beyond Brewster Day, when seniors proudly share their plans for the year ahead. We are excited for Laura and all that is ahead for her, too. But for now, it seems right that Laura’s final spring at Brewster is fully focused and committed to the work she has done so well for so long: helping students take their next steps with confidence, clarity, and perspective.

Jason Smith: 26 Years

Jason Smith has spent 26 years building Brewster basketball into one of the most respected programs in the country. Though many would describe him as a man of few words, his impact is anything but quiet. Jason has never needed a lot of words to make his point. His presence, his standards, and the consistency with which he has held young people to them have always spoken loudly. When Jason talks to players, they know it matters. He expects discipline, accountability, and teamwork, and students respond.

From the moment he arrived in 2000 (as a self-described baseball coach!), there was a clarity to what he was building. Yes, the results have been extraordinary: national championships, NEPSAC titles, and a long list of alumni who have gone on to college basketball and the NBA. But what has always set Jason apart is that the program was never only about winning. He built something with real identity, a culture that asked students to be serious about their talent, their choices, and their responsibility to one another. The banners and jerseys tell part of the story. The larger story is in the habits, discipline, and sense of purpose that his players carried with them long after they left Brewster.

While Jason is not retiring, this still feels like an important moment to pause and recognize what he has meant to Brewster. For 26 years, he has built a program of rare excellence and lasting influence. He has helped define an era of Brewster athletics and a standard that will continue to shape this school and our basketball programs well into the future.

What They Have Shown Us

This year, we’ve asked our community to think about what commitment really looks like. TJ, Laura, and Jason have shown us, day after day, year after year. They have shown up, invested, and built, and they kept getting better. Over time, that kind of continued, dedicated effort shapes a school. I’m grateful and proud that Brewster has been shaped by them and I encourage us all to continue to learn by their examples in the ways we choose to commit. Please join me in celebrating these three remarkable educators over the coming months as they close out their tenures at Brewster.

Next issue: We will feature our retiring staff members who have made a tremendous impact behind the scenes.