There were teachers, coaches and staff who gave me their best. I earned my share of kitchen duty. Team sports were great and my grades improved as a few of The Five Words began to take hold, until…

What I learned at Hyde was many things: to live by my principals and values, to trust that a circle of caring people can become a family, and to believe that I was (and am!) a good person. Hyde believed in me before I believed in myself.

As a 1974 Black graduate of Hyde School, the most important life lesson I learned was that I mattered and that my voice was just as important and valued as anyone else’s

And then a tectonic shift happened in 10th grade. I went to Hyde, where my character and potential were recognized and pulled out of the hiding places they had found. I was challenged on many levels. I began doing things I didn’t know I could do – like rowing a dory up the Maine coast, sharing my struggles with others, winning medals in sports, and performing solos in front of hundreds of people.

I honestly believe that if it weren't for Hyde with its incredible philosophy, faculty, and sports programs, I would not have succeeded in life.

My experience at Hyde helped to provide me with the resilience to go on to college and law school, embark upon a 30+ year legal career, and be a dad.