Robert E. DesMarais, Jr. ’01 (Hon.) has been appointed to hold The Class of 2001 Teaching Chair. This Honor was established by the Board of Trustees in recognition of the generous benefaction of the parents of the graduates of the Class of 2001.
Mr. DesMarais joined the Kent School faculty in 1989. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics, earned Phi Beta Kappa honors and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He spent one semester of his junior year studying abroad in Rome at Stanford University’s Intercollegiate Studies Center. At Kent School, Mr. DesMarais has contributed in numerous arenas. He served as dorm parent for eleven years in Middle Dorm South—and for eight of those years as the Dorm Master. He also ran the daily Hours Program for ten years, encouraging and supervising students as they worked off hours every afternoon. For over a decade, he has coached the club crew program in both the fall and the spring and has timed the varsity boys’ basketball games. He is an avid supporter of the varsity soccer and hockey teams -- indeed of all Kent athletics. In 2006, Mr. DesMarais was named Chairman of the Classics Department. He has successfully inspired students at all levels, from the B and C levels to the Advanced Placement and Latin 5 classes. He is also a contributor to the Kent Quarterly. Mr. DesMarais has served as Secretary of the Faculty for the past three years.
Robert F. Ober III is the recipient of the Elinore S. Wing Teaching Fund in History Award for
2011-12. The Wing Fellowship was established by the Board of Trustees in 2008 in recognition of a generous gift to the School from John R. Wing ’56 made in memory of Mr. Wing’s mother Elinore. The intention of the Wing Award is to recognize excellence in teaching history, promise and loyalty to the School.
Mr. Ober has been a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher of history at Kent School for twenty years. He has taught a variety of courses in that time including US History on both the regular and AP levels. He has also recently created an elective course on America’s role in World War II. In all of his work, Mr. Ober distinguishes himself by his keen interest in the topics at hand and a passion for absorbing and conveying the lessons of history. His enthusiasm is well known and has helped him reach and inspire countless numbers of students. His love of history and dedication to teaching at Kent make him a most worthy recipient of this year’s Wing Award.
Cortney Tetrault has been appointed to hold The Class of 2000 Teaching Chair. The Chair was established by the Board of Trustees following a generous benefaction by the parents of the graduates of the Class of 2000.
Ms. Tetrault joined the Kent School faculty in 2007. She graduated from Phillips Academy in 2003 and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wesleyan University in 2007 with a double major in neuroscience/behavior and biology. Cortney was a tri-varsity athlete at Andover and became a standout athlete in two sports at Wesleyan. She served as the captain of the Wesleyan field hockey team in 2006 and earned a variety of honors, including First Team All-NESCAC and Third Team All-American; she was also 2nd Team All-NESCAC in lacrosse at Wesleyan.
At Kent School Cortney teaches Honors Chemistry 1 and AP Psychology. She has been a faculty resident of Case Dormitory, and covered duties in Dining Hall Dorm, and currently is a faculty resident in North Dorm. She skillfully supervises both the girls and the boys. Cortney is the head coach of varsity field hockey and girls varsity lacrosse.
Oliviya B. Chavka has been appointed to hold the Harlan W. ’36 and Ria S. Newell Teaching Chair in Modern Languages. The Board of Trustees established the Chair in 2002 in recognition of the generous benefaction of Mr. and Mrs. Newell of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Ms. Chavka joined the Kent School faculty in 2002. A polyglot 1997 graduate of Uzhgorod State University, Ukraine with a Masters degree in French in 2006 from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont.
Oliviya stands out in her knowledge of phonetics, her creativity and her generosity of spirit. She has a special talent for getting the reluctant student to reach his or her potential. Her classes are animated by an endless variety of hands-on activities that get the student immersed and learning. Oliviya understands as well as anyone that encouragement can lead to achievement and that success is built on those achievements.
