New England CRAN Updates: Alumni Gathered in Boston/Interview with CRAN Representative Trish Berry
On Thursday, October 10th CK alumni of New England gathered for a Cranbrook Schools alumni night of networking and reunion at YOTEL Boston Seaport. Alumni that attended spanned 7 generations ranging from the Class of 1955 to the Class of 2023. Jeff Suzik, Director of Schools, provided a welcome and remarks and attendees were able to reconnect with former classmates and build new connections with fellow alumni. The event drew over 60 alumni and generated a lot of excitement to build a stronger network in the area. We thank Andrew Georgeson ’12, Christopher Sower ’98 and new CRAN Committee member of New England, Trish Berry ’79 for all their hard work in helping to plan and promote this event. See below for an interview with Trish.
We are grateful to all who came out for the CRAN event in Boston! We look forward to building our alumni network in the region. If you are interested in becoming more involved in this or another regional network or want to ensure you get notice of future regional events and activities, please contact us at alumni@cranbrook.edu.
To view more photos from the Boston event, click here.
Trish Berry '79, New England CRAN Representative
Trish, being General Manager of Yotel Boston Seaport, was instrumental in helping us acquire the event space with the most gorgeous views of the Boston skyline, which all attendees enjoyed from the Deck 12 rooftop. While there, we asked Trish a few questions about her memories of CK and perspective now as an alumnus and new CRAN committee member for New England:
Trish, being General Manager of Yotel Boston Seaport, was instrumental in helping us acquire the event space with the most gorgeous views of the Boston skyline, which all attendees enjoyed from the Deck 12 rooftop. While there, we asked Trish a few questions about her memories of CK and perspective now as an alumnus and new CRAN committee member for New England:
Do you have a memory of a faculty member or campus spot that comes to mind when you think of your time at CK?
There are many that come to mind when it comes to faculty, Sarkis Halajian stands out. I played the Oboe and spent many hours practicing for concerts and musicals under his leadership. He was a great influence on me. I also think of Sue McKillop, Russ Connors, Anne Alfs, and of course, Liz DeWitt and Irene Kirby. As far as campus spots, the common spaces in the dormitory…dance parties to Saturday Night Fever come to mind.
As a multi-gen alum, did your parents Cranbrook Schools experience impact the way you think about your alma mater?
Both my parents attended Cranbrook/Kingswood, and both had fond memories of their time there; it’s why I chose to attend Kingswood. I think my fondness for the schools grew with mother’s involvement with Giftorama and the alumni board. She was able to keep me involved with fellow classmates and faculty when my career had me moving across the country. I wish I lived closer now so I could give my time to the school in the same way my mother was able.
What does it mean to connect with fellow CK alumni in your adult life?
I thank both my parents for emphasizing the importance of attending reunions when it was not my first choice. I have attended all but one of the Class of 1979’s reunions. Surprisingly (to me), I have had a wonderful time at all of them and have built and rebuilt friendships over the years that would not have happened had I not. Those newly formed and rekindled friendships have gotten me through some of life’s tougher moments.
Why should fellow CK alumni living in the Boston area, or other regional networks, come out to alumni events and activities?
CK is a special place! We all had different experiences while attending school but share the common bond of the incredible education and special place that we were able to spend a few years of our lives. We get so busy in our everyday lives that it’s difficult to find to time to connect with our fellow alumni as we would want. Events like this one make it easy to do that. You never know who you might meet or reconnect with that will become your next business partner, resource or friend.
Why is it important to to you to stay connected to Cranbrook Kingswood?
The incredible accomplishments of the schools and the evolution of the education and experience offered is extraordinary! We can all contribute to the CK legacy in some way and give back to a place and experience that impacted our lives for CK’s future and that of its future students.
Thank you, Trish!
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