Phillips Exeter Academy

05/28/2026

Nine esteemed members of the Academy faculty who collectively have provided more than three centuries of service to Exeter are retiring this spring. Their impact is immeasurable.

Hilary Hall, Instructor in Physical Education, 1983
Duncan Holcomb, Instructor in English, 2004
David Hudson, Instructor in Physical Education, 1982 and 1999
William Jordan, Instructor in History, 1997
Paul Langford, Instructor in Classical Languages, 1985
Christopher Matlack, Instructor in Science, 1984 and 1989
Brad Robinson, Instructor in Science, 1988
Mark Trafton, Instructor in Modern Languages, 1987
Tatiana Waterman, Instructor in Science, 2004

As we get ready to bid farewell to this all-star roster of instructors and contemplate just how to fill the void they leave, please help us wish them well in the comments with a favorite memory. 👇

05/26/2026

Hearty congratulations to Dake Kang '11, part of a reporting team with The Associated Press honored this month with a Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. Kang covers Chinese politics, technology and society from Beijing for The AP.

The judges cited the team's "astonishing global investigation into state-of-the-art tools of mass surveillance, created in Silicon Valley, advanced in China and spreading worldwide before returning to America for secret new uses by the U.S. Border Patrol."

05/21/2026

Aubry Bracco '04 is the Sole Survivor!

Taking all the wisdom gained from three previous appearances on the show, Aubry was voted the winner of "Survivor 50" on Wednesday night to claim a record $2 million prize.

In a 2019 interview, she told The Exeter Bulletin that she tapped into her experiences as a student at the Academy as she endured the highs and lows of the game:

"I knew the second [Principal] Ty Tingley handed me my diploma: There’s no time to dwell on a bad day, and there’s certainly no time to complain. For every terrible performance trying to explain Alex in the Desert to a math class, there are three more chemistry tests to get through before winter thaw. 'Survivor' wasn’t very much unlike the roller coaster that was Exeter.

"But Exeter taught me that when my logic tells me the tank is empty, it is not. When it feels like a relationship or conversation around the Harkness table can’t possibly take another turn, it will. Commit. Persevere. Move forward with moxie and doors will open to places you never thought possible."

The 39-year-old earned a $2 million prize and the title of "sole survivor."

05/15/2026

Jan Woodford served Exeter’s alumni and school community for decades, earning more honorary class years than anyone in the Academy’s history. Friday, the Academy community repaid some of that kindness, honoring her with the 2026 Founders’ Day Award, given annually in recognition of longtime service to the Academy. Congratulations, Jan!

Jan Woodford served Exeter’s alumni and school community for decades, earning more honorary class years than anyone in the Academy’s history.

05/12/2026

What began in 1970 as a way to attract students to church, then evolved into an outlet for faculty stories about their travels is now an Exeter institution powered largely by students.

Meditation, as it has come to be known, invites the Academy to gather, to listen and to connect with a personal essay written and read by a member of our community each Wednesday in Phillips Church and Multifaith Center.

In the fall, faculty and staff speakers share reflections. As we progress through winter and into spring term, we pivot to hear from members of the senior class.

Did you deliver a meditation as a student? Do you remember listening to one particularly meaningful to you? Share your memories here and we might include them in an upcoming issue of The Exeter Bulletin!

05/06/2026

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, we took to the paths to have Exonians shout out their favorite instructors.

Have a favorite of your own, past or present? Give them a shout out in the comments! 💬🙌

05/01/2026

As a student, Admissions officer, coach, trustee and — for the last eight years — principal, Bill Rawson ’71; '65, '70 (Hon.); P'08 has lived and led by the Academy’s most fundamental values. He has modeled "goodness and knowledge" throughout his tenure, and will retire this summer having made a meaningful impact on thousands of Exeter students, colleagues and fellow alumni.

The spring issue of The Exeter Bulletin celebrates Principal Rawson's lifelong commitment to the school, his clear-eyed focus on what makes Exeter what it is and his vision for what an ever-evolving Exeter could be.

Click here https://exeter.edu/the-exeter-bulletin/ to read a wonderful tribute written by Sarah Pruitt '95 — and the rest of the spring Bulletin!

04/27/2026

Harkness: No table required.

🌞😎☀️🌼

04/21/2026

Oysters on the half shell? Hey, anything for Mother Earth.

Some of our 11th graders celebrated Climate Action Day with class, surveying the operation at New England Superior Oyster and sampling the wares.

Just as every classroom is home to a Harkness table and every sports season ends with a game against Andover, every April at the Academy includes a day for our community to reconnect with the natural world.

Now in its 12th year, Climate Action Day raises awareness of climate change, teaches students about their small place on a vast planet, and reminds us to reflect on environmentalism as an integral part of human existence.

04/15/2026

Good … morning? Happy Wednesday, Exeter.