Marquand Squad

I spent four formative years at Northfield Mount Hermon, living in Marquand dorm—and those years shaped the essence of who I am. The friendships I built there remain some of the closest in my life.

A few weeks ago, several of us gathered in Denver. For some, it had been decades since we’d last been together. And yet, we fell right back into step with one another—as if no time had passed at all. It was soul-filling, heartfelt, and such a powerful reminder of who I am at my core.

Collectively, we’ve lived a lot of life since those days—marriages, divorces, cancer, career changes, children, no children, surgeries… life in all its forms. And still, I could see each of us as we were back then, layered seamlessly with who we are today.

We laughed until we cried, remembering the rules we broke, the fun we created, the people who shaped us, and the way we lived in our own NMH bubble—long before computers, cell phones, or social media. Oh my.

What struck me most was the depth of love I feel for these friends—the ones who stood beside me as I was becoming myself. Life has taken us in many different directions, and yet when we come back together, even for a few short days, that connection is still there. Effortless. Unchanged.

There’s something truly magical about that kind of bond—and I don’t take it for granted.