Last Summer, a group of alumni and friends gathered in Portland, Maine in joy and friendship. When Director of Alumni Engagement Jessica Harms heard from Jesse McMahon ’97 and Jennifer Cummings ’73, who said they were interested in connecting with other George School friends in their home city, she was determined to make it happen.

The trio set to planning, and soon pulled in Adam Mihalich ’13, who had the perfect location for the gathering: his workplace, Bissell Brothers, a family-owned craft brewery that shares George School values of community, stewardship and sustainability. Before they knew it, there they were enjoying a beautiful New England evening, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones and sharing in lifelong George School relationships that are found across the country and around the world.

“George School alumni share a core set of values and the belief in the power of community,” explained Jesse. “These spark instant connection. Faculty, the approach to curriculum and the physical structures will change over the years, but the essence of what it means to be part of the George School family persists.”

One of the remarkable things about the gathering was the way alumni across decades connected with one another — from Sara Farneth from the Class of 1962 to Nadira Talayee from the Class of 2022.

“The last George School reunion I attended was during the winter of my sophomore year of college,” shared Nadira. “Since I go to school in Massachusetts, I don’t often make trips down to Pennsylvania. But this summer, I was doing an internship in Portland, and when I heard there was a George School reunion happening nearby, I got excited. I thought I might see some familiar faces.”

To Nadira’s surprise, she didn’t know anyone except George School Director of Events Gayle Kowalewski. Nonetheless, she struck up a conversation with two alumni from the Class of 1967. As it happened, their daughters both went to Nadira’s current school, Smith College.

“I wasn’t sure how much I’d really have in common with everyone besides just being part of the George School community. However, I realized that there is this shared sense of open-mindedness, curiosity, and connection among George School students that transcends generations, which is what made it special for me.” - Nadira Talayee '22

“No one does it like George School,” said Jennifer. “The dedication of the alumni department to the Georgian, Alumni Weekends that make everyone feel so special and taken care of and the many alumni who share, network and show true interest in what others have been doing since they saw each other last. Coming back to George School is like coming home to many of us. And the new faces are just family we haven’t met yet!”

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