Dynamic History Duo Earn 2025 Kenison Faculty Awards
By Suzanne Morrissey
Each year, Brewster bestows its highest faculty honors with The Arthur Morris Kenison Faculty Award for Career Growth and The Arthur Morris Kenison Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. Head of School Kristy Kerin revealed the 2025 Kenison recipients during her welcome remarks at Brewster’s All-School Meeting on September 2. Both honorees are from the History and Social Science Department: faculty member Sarah Inman and department chair Jonathan Browher.
Sarah Inman: Career Growth
Since joining Brewster in 2020, Sarah Inman has inspired students with her passion for history and her belief that “history is a way of seeing the world.” A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Providence College, she teaches AP Human Geography and Ancient and Classical Worlds, while also serving as Community Life Parent for Goodwin Dorm and Head Instructor for Recreational Skiing and Snowboarding.
Ms. Inman’s classrooms are known for energy, connection, and intellectual curiosity. She loves helping students make links between the past and their own lives, igniting new enthusiasm for learning. Ms. Inman also brings her background in archives and theater into her teaching, creating a dynamic, multidisciplinary approach that resonates deeply with her students. Her work exemplifies the very best of education at Brewster: nurturing curiosity and empowering young people to see their world in new ways.
In one Spring Evaluation just a few months ago, a student wrote, “Ms. Inman is one of my favorite teachers and I think that is because she knows what she is doing and knows how to make the class actually entertaining. She makes it so you can understand the topic and also have fun with your classmates.”
Ms. Inman admits she was not expecting her name to be called for the Career Growth Award, but at the All-School Meeting, as Ms. Kerin was describing the Kenison Faculty Growth Award winner and building anticipation, she said, “Students know that she cares deeply about their learning and their growth and her joy for her subject ignites high engagement in all of her students. When traveling in Spain her students would often step into historic sites and say ‘Wow! Ms. Inman is going to love this.”
“When Kristy said this,” Ms. Inman said, “I knew for sure that she was talking about me. I was absolutely moved to tears! I have loved watching my students make new connections and become more interested in history during our time together in Cádiz, Spain.” Ms. Kerin also noted the honoree’s work with the Thai Scholars program in the summer. “This was my sixth summer teaching with the Thai scholars and this year will be my fourth year heading to Cádiz,” Ms. Inman said.
“Few are more deserving of this award than Sarah,” fellow Kenison honoree Jon Browher shared after the announcement. “She has led the 9th grade team in cultivating a culture of care and growth for our newest learners, in a new environment, many who are away from home for the first time. She both challenges and supports her students, with a holistic approach that prioritizes their perspectives, learning styles, and unique opportunities for growth and challenge.” Mr. Browher complimented Ms, Inman on her integration of geography, religion, history, and texts, saying that has led to positive learning outcomes for students through to the upper school, adding, “I am excited for the opportunity she has in AP Human Geography to survey the growth many of her seniors have had since she taught them as 9th graders.”
Jonathan Browher: Excellence in Teaching
For Jonathan Browher, this year marks a banner chapter in his 14-year Brewster career. In addition to receiving the Kenison Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, he was named the 2025 New Hampshire State History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Mr. Browher teaches U.S. History and AP U.S. History, where his classes emphasize hands-on inquiry and analysis of primary sources. He is widely admired for balancing rigor with creativity, pushing students to think critically while also tailoring lessons to their unique strengths. His influence extends far beyond his classroom: Mr. Browher serves as Brewster’s Outdoor Skills Coordinator, is an assistant Alpine ski coach, and completed American Mountain Guides Association climbing instructor training. He is also a Community Life Parent in Vaughan, presented at regional and national conferences, and plays active leadership roles in the Lakes Region community, including with the Castle Preservation Society and the Wolfeboro Area Children’s Center.
“It’s a tremendous honor and so meaningful to receive this award, especially from the teachers who I work with every day,” Mr, Browher said. “Many of my values as an educator, and experiences in the community, have been shaped by my time here at Brewster. Opening night All-School on the new turf, under the clear and crisp twilight sky, was the perfect setting for us all to come together for the first time to make another year of memories. It certainly was a memorable night for me. I'll most remember the excitement of many of my former and current students, and colleagues, I've had some impact on over my time here, and who have impacted my teaching.”
Students and alumni attest to his transformative teaching. One former student, uncertain about her ability to succeed in AP U.S. History, recalls that Mr. Browher “went out of his way to ensure I was supported and could succeed,” adapting his instruction so she could shine. Stories like this underscore the power of his approach—and the lasting confidence his students carry with them.
Reflecting on his work, Mr. Browher emphasizes that history isn’t about memorizing facts, but about learning how to think. “If students can question, evaluate, and make meaning for themselves, they’ll be ready for whatever comes next,” he says.
Together, Ms. Inman and Mr. Browher embody the spirit of the Kenison Awards—educators who are deeply committed to their students, their craft, and the wider community. Their work strengthens the History and Social Science Department and, more broadly, the learning culture at Brewster.
The History of the Awards
Brewster’s Career Growth and Excellence in Teaching awards are named for the late Arthur M. Kenison, Ph.D, who served devotedly on Brewster’s Board of Trustees from 1979 to 1999 as the chair of the board finance committee. The Kenison family has strong and lasting ties to Brewster: Arthur’s grandfather, also Arthur, was Brewster Class of 1899. His uncles, Frank ’25 and Arthur ’30, were also Board members, and his father Samuel was Class of 1927. Brewster's library is dedicated to the Kenison Family legacy and the Keinson House dorm is named after Arthur ’30 and his wife Doris. It is an appropriate honor to name two of Brewster’s most prestigious awards after a man who devoted himself to ensuring a sound foundation for the school his family loved so dearly.
