Happily Ever After the Hilltop: KUA Love Stories
This Valentine’s Day enjoy a good love story! We have collected the stories of some of KUA’s couples who either met while students on The Hilltop or found their way to each other in their years after graduation.
Want to be included next year? Send us your story!
Tim Laflam ’97 & Zannie Norgang ’99
What is the story of how you met?
Tim and I met at KUA in 1997, hiking French’s Ledges
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
Coming back to campus as adults with our kids and seeing them play in the field house, jump in the swimming hole, shoot baskets in the old gym. My sister Colleen ’03 working at KUA and Tim’s family still in the village make Meriden a popular family destination. Sometimes we run into Seth Boroughs ’97 and his family which is also so fun.
What are you up to now?
Tim and I still live in Blue Hill, Maine. Our oldest is 16 and learning to drive! Having teenagers brings back so many memories of KUA and our high school days. I’m still a midwife doing home and hospital births. Tim is building barns and tapping trees. We sail in the summers and skate in the winters. Life is good on the coast of Maine.
Katie (Sanders) Barrette ’00 & Dave Barrette ’05
What is the story of how you met?
Kaitlyn and I met through her brother Ryan Sanders ’05 in 1999. I was in 7th grade playing AAU basketball with Ryan when Kait was a junior in high school, so I only really interacted with her when I was at the Sanders house or vacationing with them in Florida. Fast forward to Thanksgiving in 2007 where Kait had just moved back to Vermont from California as a gemologist at GIA. I was home on Thanksgiving break from Miami where I was in culinary school at Johnson and Wales University. Kait and I had an instant connection and dated long distance for 6 months before moving in together in RI.
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
Since Kait and I didn't go to KUA at the same time we don't have memories from school age together, but we did have a blast at the reunions! The classes of ’00 and ’05 know how to party! We also have had a lot of fun at KUA weddings from our classmates getting hitched.
Since Kait and I didn't go to KUA at the same time we don't have memories from school age together, but we did have a blast at the reunions! The classes of ’00 and ’05 know how to party! We also have had a lot of fun at KUA weddings from our classmates getting hitched.
What are you up to now?
Kait and I moved back to Hanover, NH from Orlando in 2017 and had our beautiful daughter Zoey. In Orlando, Kaitlyn was a foreclosure litigation attorney, and I was working as a chef at Disney. When we moved to Hanover, we decided to buy a long-standing kitchen store in Hanover called Main Street Kitchens. We have run Main Street Kitchens for almost 3 years now and we love being back in the Upper Valley where we both grew up.
Jesse Gendron ’02 & Mallory (Lefebvre) Gendron ’04
What is the story of how you met?
Jesse and Mallory met at an open mic night at Flickinger Art Center on a closed weekend. Jordan Loessor ’02 was playing the guitar and Jesse was singing. He then walked Mallory to her dorm at Hall Farm. Soon after, Headmaster Knox called "Headmaster’s Day," which in the fall was Mountain day. Jesse and Mallory both climbed Mount Cardigan with their friends and then met at the top and walked down the mountain together. Soon after they began dating and that last 19 years are history!
Jesse and Mallory met at an open mic night at Flickinger Art Center on a closed weekend. Jordan Loessor ’02 was playing the guitar and Jesse was singing. He then walked Mallory to her dorm at Hall Farm. Soon after, Headmaster Knox called "Headmaster’s Day," which in the fall was Mountain day. Jesse and Mallory both climbed Mount Cardigan with their friends and then met at the top and walked down the mountain together. Soon after they began dating and that last 19 years are history!
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
One of their favorite memories was when their friend Alicia Cerrone ’04 (formally Sargent) coordinated Jesse flying home for Mallory's senior prom. Former faculty members Bill & Shelly Farrell helped hide Jesse in their VW Van and surprised Mallory before leaving for prom!
One of their favorite memories was when their friend Alicia Cerrone ’04 (formally Sargent) coordinated Jesse flying home for Mallory's senior prom. Former faculty members Bill & Shelly Farrell helped hide Jesse in their VW Van and surprised Mallory before leaving for prom!
What are you up to now?
Jesse and Mallory are now married with two girls of their own; Hattie who is 4 and Nora who is 18 months old. Mallory is in her 13th year of teaching public school and Jesse is a driver for UPS. Despite the pandemic, which has put a halt on many things, they try their best to spend most of their time with family boating and staying at their family home on Bear Island, Lake Winnipesaukee.
Jesse and Mallory are now married with two girls of their own; Hattie who is 4 and Nora who is 18 months old. Mallory is in her 13th year of teaching public school and Jesse is a driver for UPS. Despite the pandemic, which has put a halt on many things, they try their best to spend most of their time with family boating and staying at their family home on Bear Island, Lake Winnipesaukee.
Kemper Pierce ’04 & Megan (Bennitt) Pierce ’04
What is the story of how you met?
We met originally during freshman orientation on the new student camping trip and were then 4-year Wildcats together! Meg boarded all four years, and Kemper became a boarder sophomore year after realizing how great the dorm experience was. We 're-met' at the KUA Holiday party at Anthony's Pier IV in Boston in 2011 and have been together ever since. KUA alumni gatherings and holiday parties remain one of our favorite things because it is what brought us back together.
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
Our '04 graduation is one of our favorite KUA memories. Kemper's father, Bill Pierce
(KUA Trustee & Treasurer '03-'08) took the first picture of us together that we can find. We love it so much we used it on our wedding invites!
Our '04 graduation is one of our favorite KUA memories. Kemper's father, Bill Pierce
(KUA Trustee & Treasurer '03-'08) took the first picture of us together that we can find. We love it so much we used it on our wedding invites!
What are you up to now?
After living in Boston, Munich and Brooklyn, we moved back to the Upper Valley in March of 2020. Meg is a 1st grade teacher at Crossroads Academy in Lyme, NH, and Kemper is a managing director at Altman Solon, a strategy consulting firm. Our daughter Lucy, age 4, is also at Crossroads, in kindergarten. KUA is in our family - Meg's father, Colin, was class of '73 and Meg's brother, Ian, was class of '01. We can't wait for Lucy to be a Wildcat in the class of '34!
Bryant Harris ’04 & Jess MacLeod ’05
What is the story of how you met?
Bryant and Jess met at Kimball Union Academy over 15 years ago. Bryant was a senior, Jess was a new student and a junior. They dated briefly during their high school days but reconnected again at Jess’ 10-Year-Reunion at KUA.
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
One of their favorite memories as a couple was when they reconnected at Reunion in 2015. It was Bryant’s smooth dance moves that first caught Jess’ eye once again. After that night, they have been inseparable.
One of their favorite memories as a couple was when they reconnected at Reunion in 2015. It was Bryant’s smooth dance moves that first caught Jess’ eye once again. After that night, they have been inseparable.
What are you up to now?
While the two are both quite busy during the school year (Bryant works at KUA now and is a coach on the varsity boys hockey team, the mountain biking program, and for JV lacrosse. In addition, he is a history teacher, and learning specialist. Jess is a school psychologist.) They unwind by hitting the slopes to ski and snowboard together in the winter months and spend their summer days on Prince Edward Island with their dogs. After five years together, Bryant popped the question on New Year’s. The two have not set a date yet but are looking forward to celebrating with family and friends, when things return to normal.
Emily (Hoar) Dewdney ’06 & Tyler Dewdney ’06
What is the story of how you met?
We were put in the same orientation hiking group freshman year although Tyler does not remember this. We also had English class together freshman year, which is where our friendship blossomed.
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
We actually never dated at KUA, but always had a crush on one another. Our favorite memories were hanging out in upstairs Miller after the boarders had to go to study hall.
What are you up to now?
We have been married for 2.5 years (together for 10) and live in Sunapee, NH with our two Australian Shepherds, Dempseys and Fisher. Tyler is the VP of Agency and Enterprise Sales at Appcast and Emily is the Head Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach at Colby-Sawyer College.
Evan Roberts ’07 & Sarah (Cutts) Roberts ’08
What is the story of how you met?
Sarah and Evan met right when Evan came to KUA as a new junior in 2005. Sarah was a retuning sophomore and a mutual friend thought they’d make a great pair. However, the couple didn’t connect until Sarah was working at a KUA event in the fall of 2012 at Anthony’s Pier 4 in Boston. They started dating shortly thereafter, leading to Evan relocating from Rhode Island to Meriden, an engagement, a wedding and a beautiful baby girl, London.
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
Sarah and Evan had the same group of friends but were both too shy to connect. However, they both remember watching each other in their sports games. Both were 3 sport varsity athletes (football, hockey and lacrosse for Evan and field hockey, hockey and tennis for Sarah.) Their favorite memories as a couple are hosting Sarah’s advisees or students in their on-campus home for dinner, snacks and good conversation.
What are you up to now?
After playing lacrosse in college, Evan is now a senior financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Hanover, NH. After playing both tennis and squash in college, and spending eight wonderful years teaching, coaching and working at KUA, as well as earning a master’s degree at Middlebury College, Sarah is a writer and artist who also watches baby London full-time.
Lauren Borislow ’10 & Josh Dollinger ’10
What is the story of how you met?
Josh and I first "met" very briefly at the all school photo in 2007 on the first day of classes. He was late and got placed between my friends and I - we were not pleased about this random guy separating us! Definitely a few eye-rolls came his way. A few hours later we both walked into the same classroom and realized we had algebra together. We often talked before and after class, in the dining hall and on the fields during our soccer practices - some very average flirting attempts from both parties. It wasn't until later in the year on a weekend away with friends that Josh and I had officially started dating!
What is your favorite KUA memory as a couple?
Once a week, Josh and I used to get in our comfiest sweatpants and meet at the school store after dinner. We would each pick out a pint of Ben and Jerry's and find somewhere on campus to sit and eat it, which was usually the steps of the old Miller building. This was basically our KUA version of "date night." We would sit there, talk for hours (well, until study hall) and each take down a pint of ice cream. We are just realizing that this also sounds a lot like our 2020 date nights!
What are you up to now?
Josh and I have been living and working in Boston for the last 6 years and we actually just purchased a home in Andover, MA. We are so excited and have had a lot of fun picking out furniture and prepping for the big move. Because of Covid-19, we've recently spent a lot of our free time cooking, playing board games, trying new wines, and enjoying a lot of quality time together. We consider our "happy place" to be our family's house in Meriden and we try to get there as often as possible!
