A Spectacular Fall Day for Visiting Grandparents

More than 250 grandparents visited Westminster Sept. 27 on a spectacular fall day. They sat in on classes, attended a Chapel talk, dined in Armstrong Dining Hall, toured the campus and lingered through the afternoon to watch athletic contests.

 

Andrew and Diane Plauché traveled from New Orleans to visit their grandson Lane Gallagher ’25. They also got a chance to catch up on high school chemistry – or at least tried.

 

“The chemistry class? I did terribly, and I didn’t even know they were speaking in English. His wife, Diane, chimed in that on the contrary it all came back to her.

 

Joking aside, like most grandparents they were thrilled to be with their grandchild. Whether they sat with them in the classroom trying to learn chemistry, French or biology or simply strolled the pathways with them, grandparents gained insight into everyday life at Westminster.

 

For some, the visit gave them the chance to see the campus for the first time. “It was beyond my expectations. It’s just beautiful, there is so much light in the buildings,” said Karen Allen from Buffalo, New York, who was visiting her grandson Caden Powers ’26.

 

Hanna Coccaro’s ’26 grandparents, Howard and Anne Burgess P’81, ’87, traveled from southern New Hampshire to visit her. After attending classes and sharing lunch with her, they were excited to stay through the afternoon so they could watch her play soccer and cheer on the Black and Gold.

 

In welcoming the grandparents, Head of School Elaine White reminded them, “This day is a day that comes full circle. Your grandchildren will feel your love and bask in your love, but they will also benefit from the time that you get to spend with them, and they will benefit from your wisdom and experience. You will give them the strength to so that they keep working hard and so that they will take advantage of all the opportunities here at Westminster. And, in the end, you will be the one who continues to tell them that they can achieve anything they want as long they put their mind to it.”

 

“We are thrilled to have you here,” she added. “We feel your love, and we send it right back to you.”

See more photos that can be downloaded here.