Commitment Embodied: Dedication Behind the Scenes

Some people just have a way of making your day better. You don’t always realize it in the moment, but you come to count on it over time. You find that you seek out opportunities with those people for a quick conversation, a warm smile, a meaningful exchange, and a consistent way of being.

This year, we’ve talked a lot about commitment. It’s easy to think of that in terms of big moments or visible impact. But more often, commitment is simpler and quieter. It means showing up every day with care, consistency, and a kind of presence that lifts up people around you.

As I continue this two part series on commitment, I’ve been thinking about three people who are retiring at the end of this school year and who embody that kind of commitment for me.

Jimmy Mongovan: 26 Years

Jimmy Mongovan has been a key member of Brewster’s Buildings & Grounds team for twenty-six years. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in horticulture, he takes real pride in his work, grounded in years of experience in landscaping and even time as a ski instructor up at Waterville Valley.

If you pass him while he’s out mowing lawns, he’ll stop, wave you through, and greet you with a smile. It’s a small thing, but it reflects the way he cares for our campus and the way he treats people. Even with just a few words, Jimmy’s warmth communicates so much.

Kids know how to find genuine people. So it is not surprising that Jimmy is a favorite of many of the faculty children on campus. Toddlers can be heard running up to him in the dining hall, shouting “Jimmy!” with delight. His warmth is something that kids feel and adults remember. 

Ron Dunbar: 16 Years

I often see Ron Dunbar (left) early in the morning, usually as I’m just getting started with my day and he has already been at work for hours as our early morning Housekeeping Supervisor. Ron and I often cross paths as he makes his early morning rounds from building to building. I’m usually rushing, having just launched three teenagers off to school, mentally reviewing my to-do list as I head into the Academic Building. But when I see Ron, I’m always glad for the moment to pause for a hello and conversation.

Ron brings a wide range of experiences to his work. He has been with Brewster since 2010.  Prior to that, he was a business owner, worked at summer camps, served as an interim pastor, worked as an apprentice mechanic at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and served in the US Navy as a Radarman/Operations Specialist as a Petty Officer 2nd Class.

Ron is thoughtful and observant, someone who notices the details that others might miss. He is one of the first employees to respond when we send out surveys or ask for input. He shares his observations with a great deal of care and with a unique perspective. He always wants to make Brewster better, and he recognizes that small things matter. Ron is dependable and quietly but deeply invested in his work and in the community at large. Simply put, my day is always better when our paths cross.

Wes Matchett: 15 Years

And then there’s Wes Matchett, our Database Administrator and Robotics Coach, whose energy is impossible to miss. Spend even a few minutes in the robotics space with him and you’ll understand. (In fact, a “few minutes” rarely stays that way as his enthusiasm has a way of pulling you in.)

His enthusiasm is infectious – youthful, joyful, constantly thinking about what is next, what more we can build, and what else is possible. It’s the product of a lifetime spent building and creating, including decades as a programmer and entrepreneur, and years at Brewster in roles that have ranged from the snack shop to the classroom to the systems that keep us running.

His ideas often come with a pitch for what we could build next (he could easily be a professional fundraiser in his next career!) and more often than not, he convinces me. He makes it hard to say no because his curiosity fuels the experience of the students around him. He pulls people in, invites them to see possibility, and helps them engage. It’s hard not to get caught up in it. Wes is a big reason that the Tyler Balint Robotics Lab is one of my favorite spaces on campus. 

Our Lasting Gratitude

Each of these three colleagues expresses commitment in a different way, but the impact is the same. People want to be around them, and they make our community better through thousands of small moments and interactions, just by being who they are. They are the people who make the systems work. They show up early, stay late, notice the details, and create the conditions for others to thrive. They are the kind of people who don’t seek recognition, but who shape our school in lasting ways.

We will deeply miss their presence next year, and the daily ways they make this place feel like Brewster.