From Cheshire Academy Postgrad to West Point and Beyond
By Ben Vasta PG’16 Starting at Cheshire Academy, I’m grateful for all the connections I made with instructors, staff, and students in one short year that I still stay in contact with today. At CA, I learned the value of consistency. Consistent effort in all things compounds into many great things. Whether that’s studying or […]
IB Extended Essay: A Teacher-Student Collaboration
As you likely have read elsewhere, we hosted Yanying “Nicole” Hao ’21 on April 2, 2026, as our third Alumni in the Classroom visitor. It was an exciting and productive visit focused on her many interests and talents. I want to share a personal story about her that gives even more evidence of her intellectual […]
Finding the Perfect ‘Right-Fit’ College
At Cheshire Academy, personalized college counseling from year one is key. In June, 111 students graduated from Cheshire Academy. The list of colleges they went off to was almost as long as their procession, including nearly 80 institutions from Ivies to “Big 10s” to international business heavyweights like Hult International Business School and IEU—Madrid. When Cheshire Academy […]
Cheshire Academy’s Chase Harding Brings Tennis Clinic to Jamaica — NEPSAC Magazine
Recent grad is living CA’s mission of “Individual Growth. Global Purpose.” Tennis player Chase Harding ’26 brought donated rackets and equipment to his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, because he wanted to host a tennis clinic for kids and foster a love for the sport that he enjoys so much at Cheshire Academy. His efforts did not […]
‘They Believed in Me Before I Did:’ Cheshire Academy’s Class of 2026 Marks a Milestone Commencement
An alum returns as keynote speaker, a new tradition takes root, and 111 graduates carry CA’s lessons forward Cheshire Academy held its historic 232nd annual Commencement Exercises June 6 in a festive celebration of chances taken and given and the school’s faith in each student’s burgeoning potential. Under sunny skies and a warm wind, the […]
UVA Associate Professor, Alum is 232nd Commencement Speaker
Christi Lockwood ’04 Will Address Building a Life of Chances Taken Christi Lockwood ’04, Ph.D., associate professor of management at University of Virginia, will be the keynote speaker for the 232nd Cheshire Academy Commencement Exercises on Saturday, June 6. The 9 a.m. ceremony will take place on Kevin Slaughter Memorial Field, with 111 seniors and postgraduates expected to receive their diplomas. “Cheshire’s willingness to give me a chance as a […]
From Cheshire to Forever: A Love Story
A Twin’s Hunch Leads Two Cheshire Academy Alums to a Campus Proposal Salena Khan ’20 didn’t think twice when English teacher Nicole Beaudwin P’26 asked if she could come to campus for a “Where are They Now?” interview for the Cheshire Academy yearbook. After all, she had worked on The Rolling Stone when she was a student, and she looked forward to spending some […]
Best-selling Author Mark Kurlansky ’66 Visits Classes, Gives Public Book Talk
Award winner toured campus, met with students hoping to follow in his footsteps Mark Kurlansky ’66, an award-winning author of more than 40 books, stopped by Cheshire Academy February 19, visiting several classes and signing books before an evening author talk at Barnes & Noble Cheshire. Kurlansky met with aspiring writers in the Writing Center and addressed classes in both history […]
Remembering Cheshire Academy Alum James Van Der Beek ’95
Class of 1995, Cheshire Town Scholar, 1977-2026 It is with profound sadness that Cheshire Academy mourns the passing of James Van Der Beek ’95, who died on February 11, 2026, following a courageous battle with colorectal cancer. He was 48 years old. James embodied everything the Cheshire Town Scholar award represents: scholarship, citizenship, ambition, and […]
Cheshire Academy Alum Molly Golden to Headed to Super Bowl LX
Sophomore is youngest Ithaca College student ever to cover the Big Game from the official Super Bowl Media Center and Radio Row Molly Golden ’24 is headed to California to report on Super Bowl LX for Ithaca College, where she is a sophomore. Golden, who started the popular “Molly’s Minute” Instagram series while at Cheshire Academy, is the youngest-ever student to be […]
