People Type: Alumni

Randall Krantz

Randall Krantz graduated from Derryfield in 1991 and went on to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for his BA in Mechanical Engineering. Building upon a love for travel and language that he discovered while at Derryfield, Krantz studied abroad in France at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne and continued his studies in Mechanical Engineering, this time strictly in French. After his time in college, he worked as a control systems field engineer for General Electric Power Systems. Krantz then moved to Alaska and worked at Anchorage Municipal Light and Power before he pursued his MBA at IESE Business School. After his time abroad, he decided a life of travel and cultural immersion was just what he was searching for. During his MBA studies Krantz landed a project management consulting position in San Salvador, El Salvador followed by a start-up management position in London, England. During his time in London he co-founded what is now known as the Responsible Business Club, which looks at problems with an eye for social and environmental consciousness. Krantz next landed in Geneva, Switzerland, a place of mountains and cold weather, much like New Hampshire. In Geneva, Randall began working for the World Economic Forum where he helped initiate their work on climate change, environmental sustainability and consumption. Krantz then seized an opportunity to do some government advising work in Bhutan for two years. Krantz and his wife took a risk and quit their jobs to make the move, but he recalls the choice as one of the best he’s ever made. His time in Bhutan taught him the issues he was working to fix regarding the climate crisis could not be solved without taking a step back and looking at ways to provide equitable solutions to sustainability and consumption. When he returned to Geneva in 2016, Krantz was committed to making sustainability accessible for all people and now works on shipping decarbonization and helping companies set realistic and accountable climate targets. He recalls his time at Derryfield as foundational for the path he has since chartered, citing Mr. Rob Bradley’s chemistry experiments and Señor Gomez’s trip to Spain as major influences in his life. Krantz says that Derryfield taught him to take risks and look at problems more deeply and formed the roots of his character and his life.

“Derryfield is very very accepting of things outside the ”’normal”. There is an exploratory attitude around it. There is always a teacher encouraging you to go do something crazy; crazy in the best way.” – Randall Krantz ‘91

Andrew Leblanc

Settling upon MIT was initially a big, scary decision for me, but the process became easier with a bit of research. Crucial in my decision was the wealth of resources I’ll have there. The students, professors, alumni network, labs, and maker spaces are second to none at MIT. Equally important was the culture. At many competitive universities, you’ll find a cut-throat, competitive sort of environment, but no one I’ve spoken to has said such about MIT. Everyone there is in it together, helping to push each other up rather than simply outperforming them.

Derryfield was an excellent resource in navigating what is an undoubtedly intimidating process. They started us off early in the spring of our junior year—a time when a lot of high school students aren’t even thinking about college yet. My essay coaching was fantastic in that it was individual, specific, and really honest. It’s a great feeling to have someone just as invested in producing good writing as you are. Finally, Derryfield is encouraging. I wasn’t even going to apply to MIT going into senior year, as I thought it was completely out of my reach. I’m immensely thankful for all of the gentle nudges from my advisors, teachers, and coaches that resulted in the best outcome I could have asked for.

Charlotte Leyden

Charlotte Leyden graduated from Derryfield in 2016 and set her sights on the west. She went on to graduate from Montana State University with a degree in Agricultural Economics. During her time in Montana, she worked at many different ranches, finished her schooling early and met her boyfriend. After she graduated she and her boyfriend moved to Colorado. Last fall was full of amazing experiences for Leyden. She rode her horse 100 miles down the Colorado Trail alongside a group of other women riders. They camped overnight under the stars and rode 25 miles during the day. She then was presented with an opportunity to work for Centennial Livestock Auction Company as a ranch hand. Leyden currently runs livestock and also works in the sale barn where livestock are auctioned on a daily basis to about 400 people. She really enjoys the fast pace and welcoming atmosphere. During her time at Derryfield Leyden became passionate about the Spanish language, fueled by her much admired teacher Judy Reynolds. Leyden is finding her facility with Spanish to be extremely important in her job, as the majority of the customers speak Spanish fluently. Leyden loves what she does and adores that her job is based in the outdoors. She is very grateful to Steven Mathes, her former Derryfield teacher, who encouraged her to pursue her dreams.

“Derryfield pushed me to be my own person and helped me in finding out who I am. Derryfield admired my authenticity which led me to pursue a career in which others admire it as well.” – Charlotte Leyden ‘16

Mackenzie Logan

MacKenzie Logan graduated from Derryfield in 2011 with a dream of one day starting her own business. She furthered her education at the University of New Hampshire and left there with a degree in Business and Economics. For the past few years, her career has been mainly focused on marketing. During the pandemic, she was working from home as a marketing coordinator, and although she enjoyed what she was doing, she felt like she wanted to be doing something more. While working full time from home, she organized a book drive for community organizations on the seacoast. The drive brought in 5,000 books that Logan then donated back to her community. She also started an Etsy account for her handcrafted seashell ornaments and sold over 1,000 of them. Yet the dream of starting her own bricks and mortar business still remained in the back of her mind. So when Logan stumbled upon a building for rent and realized it would be a perfect place for a coffee shop, she was able to make her dream a reality. She renovated a beachfront storefront in Hampton, NH and called it Flamingos Coffee Bar. From the fun wallpaper to the vivacious furniture to the heavenly drinks and food, this place has it all.

“Derryfield instilled in me a really hard work ethic and prepared me for working through things. Once you start something, you finish it! That is the Derryfield way!”

Elizabeth Ludwig

Jewelry designer Elizabeth Ludwig graduated from Derryfield in 2015. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA and earned her Bachelor’s of fine arts in jewelry. Ludwig has worked as a sales associate, creative assistant, and jewelry designer at a variety of companies and boutiques such as Deconic and Macy’s. Most recently, she has been designing jewelry for INC International Concepts for retail sale in Macy’s stores. Ludwig also has her own line of jewelry available for sale on her website. She remembers long hours in the art rooms during her time at Derryfield. Ludwig is especially grateful for and appreciative of Mr. Andy Moerlein, her art teacher, for his encouragement of the pursuit of her craft. After completing a pre-college program at Savannah College of Art and Design, Ludwig knew she wanted to pursue a creative career path. She is grateful for the kindness and advice of DS teachers and advisors like Mr. Bruce Berk, Señora Judy Reynolds, and Ms. Jen Melkonian. She also fondly remembers her days as manager of the baseball team with Coach Jeff Hastings.

Jennifer Mandelbaum ’10

Jennifer Mandelbaum, MPH, graduated from Derryfield in 2010. She attended Brandeis University, earning a double degree in health: science, society, and policy and sociology, with a minor in women’s and gender studies. Mandelbaum then went to the Yale School of Public Health, where she attained her MPH in social and behavioral sciences with a concentration in global health. At Yale, she worked in research in community-based initiatives that aided low-income neighborhoods in New Haven. Currently, Mandelbaum is pursuing her PhD in health promotion, education, and behavior and is planning to graduate in 2022. She is currently working as a special projects evaluator at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in the Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management. Mandelbaum led the creation of a data dissemination project. Madelbaum and her team are compiling this information into a manuscript that is currently under peer-review. The team is also working on another paper about how to identify priority populations to target for medical interventions. Mandelbaum shared that, like at Derryfield, the goal of this work is to be collaborative and to critically consider broad issues of public health. She discovered her fascination for public health in Ms. Keefe-Hancock’s “Diseases” course at Derryfield, where she learned to look beyond the biomedical aspect of health and into the social, geographical, and environmental nuances. Mandelbaum says the curriculum at Derryfield emphasized the importance of different perspectives and critical thinking.

“The education I received at Derryfield laid the groundwork for considering different perspectives and looking at things from different angles. That type of thinking lent itself really well to a career in research and public health. A Derryfield education was truly the greatest gift my parents could give me.” – Jennifer Mandelbaum ‘10

Donald Monson ’96

Don Monson graduated from Derryfield in 1996 and went to Northwestern University to earn a BS in Economics, and then to the London School of Economics for his MBA in Public Financial Policy. Throughout his life, Monson has been an active member of numerous choral groups from Derryfield’s own chorus, to a fraternity chapel choir at Northwestern, to the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. He recalls Derryfield as foundational in both his personal and professional pursuits. After graduate school, Monson joined Deloitte and worked in analytics for 17 years. He recently joined JP Morgan & Chase and is working in anti-money laundering. Monson says he “traces all this back to the math programs at Derryfield,” where he enjoyed rudimentary computer programming and mathematics. Monson is a father to two sons, ages eleven and nine, who are carrying on their father’s Eagle Scout interest in Scouting, an activity that has become a bonding activity for the trio. He remembers his Derryfield days fondly and recalls his relationship with his advisor who encouraged him and kept him connected to music and the arts. Monson says that Derryfield instilled a sense of confidence in him that he doesn’t believe he would have found anywhere else. He remembers the other students that he connected with in Derryfield’s crew program and the coaches that welcomed them with open arms.

“The art development at Derryfield was very meaningful on a personal level. It was very nice to have that availability to expand across cultural horizons within a small community”

Anu Mullikin

Anu Mullikin worked as a law clerk at Devine Millimet, her current firm, before heading to Boston University to pursue her J.D. Following the completion of her J.D., Devine Millimet offered her the position of associate in criminal litigation. Mullikin subsequently transitioned to trusts and estates, utilizing her M.A. degree in tax law and taxation. In 1999 she became a partner, and in January 2022 she became the president of the firm. Mullikin cites her appointment as president as the proudest moment of her career.

Mullikin envisioned becoming a lawyer early in her educational journey, despite the challenges the male-dominated field presented. She recounted stumbling upon her gifts for taxation, trusts, and estates because of her talents in manipulating and balancing numbers.

Originally, Mullikin believed she would pass on an offer to become a president of a firm, as it meant paring back her client list—relationships she nurtured and grew over many years. She also knew the lead position would force her to trade administrative responsibilities for full-time litigation. Mullikin had a change of heart when the presidential search committee approached her sharing she was unanimously endorsed by her peers. The collective faith in her abilities to lead the firm, swayed her to accept the position. Looking back, she is confident of her decision and looks forward to celebrating Divine Millimet’s 75th anniversary this year.

Mullikin believes Derryfield provided the foundational skills for analytical thinking and writing, for both her and her daughter Kaitlyn ’15. She fondly reminisced that Mr. Anthony’s challenging coursework helped her to become the leader, thinker, and businesswoman she is today. Mullikin is excited to see Derryfield’s equity and belonging initiatives evolve and hopes the work will continue through gifts that support students.

“Derryfield taught me how to think analytically and write at a level that I didn’t learn anywhere else. It was in Mr. Anthony’s class, a class where nobody ever earned an A, that I learned how to push to get what I wanted. Those lessons still stick with me in the work I do every day.”

Firas Omer

Firas Omer graduated from Derryfield in 2011 and went on to attend Middlebury College for a degree in neuroscience. After that, he landed an internship in Burlington, VT for a startup called Faraday. This internship is where he found his passion for tech and data. Once his internship ended, Omer moved to Oakland, CA to work at Plaid. He loved the job but his role was mostly in customer service, which is not exactly what he wanted to be doing. Omer left Plaid after a year and started a new job at ValueStream Ventures as an investment associate. ValueStream Ventures helps and supports other small data companies by investing and growing them. Omer’s responsibility is to find these small data companies and get them connected with ValueStream Ventures. Omer enjoys his job and appreciates that his role allows him to meet new people everyday.

Omer was also nominated to be a part of the HBCUvc Group, and recently was named one of their 2021 Emerging Venture Leaders. HBCUvc is a non-profit organization that helps educate students studying venture capital and technology entrepreneurship while attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Omer wants to help increase the diversity and inclusion within his field as well as become a mentor to those who want to one day have a career in his line of work. Omer noted he was given a lot to help him succeed, which is why he wants to “pay it forward.”

“Derryfield was the reason that I could survive at Middlebury. DS instilled in me responsibility, leadership and maturity. It is also the reason I am a great writer, because the teachers at DS really set the standard and I have continued to carry that standard ever since.” – Firas Omer ‘11

Sean Pallatroni

Sean Pallatroni is an EMMY® Award Winning composer, music teacher, accompanist, and performer in Manhattan, New York. He graduated from Derryfield in 2006 after four years of involvement in the arts and went onto the Hartt School at the University of Hartford to earn his BA in music composition. Pallatroni then went to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for his MFA in musical theatre writing. After graduating from Tisch, he became a composer for Connecticut Public Broadcasting and a music theory teacher at the college and high school level. Pallatroni has continued his work in composition for commercial, classical, theatrical, and marketing purposes. He has had shows at the New York Musical Fest and has directed over 30 shows throughout New York and New England. Now, in addition to his work in composing, Pallatroni works as an accompanist for RIOULT Dance NY and Pace University. Pictured is Pallatroni working as an accompanist for a ballet class in Central Park. While at Derryfield, he found his roots in music. He remembers the overwhelming joy he felt as a freshman while watching Derryfield’s production of Children of Eden. After that performance, Palltroni became a member of the pit band, jazz band, choir and select choir as well as an integral part of the behind the scenes of Derryfield’s theatrical productions. He remembers his mentor and freshman advisor and choral director, Laurel Devino, as the catalyst for his career, confidence, and success. Ms. Devino advocated for and encouraged Pallatroni in the arts and music and pushed him to try new areas of the medium.

“The nice thing about DS was that they were incredibly flexible and had the most wonderful faculty that kept pushing us to do more. Even when it pushed us out of our comfort zone, they wanted us to do more, and that really made me grow” – Sean Pallatroni ‘06

Bill Partlan

Bill’s love of theater spawned when he was a student at Derryfield. His favorite teacher, Jack Coogan, started a drama club at Derryfield and encouraged Partlan to join. That decision revealed his future career pathway—though he didn’t realize it at the time.

After graduating from Derryfield, Partlan attended Dartmouth College. His original plan was to study psychology and perform in theater productions as electives. The first semester he landed a role in the freshman play, shortly after, Partlan switched majors, opting to pursue a degree in Performing Arts.

Partlan attended the National Playwrights Conference during college summer breaks. It was at the Conference that Partlan was introduced to Lloyd Richards, who quickly became a significant mentor and source of inspiration.

During the summer following his junior year, Partlan stage-managed a play in New York City. His senior year he received a call from the National Playwrights Conference, which shared that the Royal Shakespeare Company was seeking a stage manager for a production that featured American actors. Partlan signed on and spent seven months in England. He then followed the production back to New York City and wrote his thesis about his experience.

After Dartmouth, Partlan pursued an M.A. at the University of Minnesota and later moved back to New Hampshire to work in summer stock theater. His next adventure led him to New York City where he reconnected with his mentor, Lloyd Richards who offered him a job as production manager and casting director for ABC Television’s playhouse.

Partlan went on to become a freelance director and served as an artistic director at the National Playwrights Conference. Partlan is presently the theater director at Arizona State University. What started out as a passion pursuit at Derryfield transformed into a lifetime career—one which has been both rewarding and soul-satisfying.

“Jack Coogan and Derryfield opened my mind to the arts and to theater. It taught me that theater can have an impact on the world. It has the ability to put the audience into someone else’s shoes and feel what they feel. I think that is very important and needed in today’s world.”

Del Pierson ’16

When Del Pierson embarked on her Independent Senior Project in the spring of 2016, she never expected it to span throughout the next four summers and blossom into a career. Pierson interned at Nanocomp, where she designed a Soxhlet extraction for carbon nanotube materials, researched carcinogens and their by-products, experimented with new ways to prevent carcinogens, and even dappled in quality control. Pierson eventually completed her college thesis at Colby College with Nanocomp. She found her love for physics at Derryfield, inspired by Mr. Cousineau’s lessons and labs. At Colby, she discovered an interest in quantum physics, citing its potential for impacting the world. After completing her bachelor’s degree in physics, Pierson worked as a teaching assistant in the physics labs at Colby while employed at the Huntsman Corporation as a product development intern. There, she researched and performed heat transfer experiments.

In July 2020, Pierson joined the XMA Corporation as a sales engineer. She gives credit to Derryfield as a cornerstone of her success in her new position. She noted, “Derryfield taught me how to learn, how to dissect a problem and communicate the solution. This is so important in my roles as a salesperson and a scientist.” Pierson sells the XMA product line to corporations like BAE Systems, Raytheon, Verizon, Blue Origin, Oxford Instruments, IBM, Google, Amazon, and Intel.

As a woman in a male-majority field, Pierson recognizes the need to continue to diversify and market her talents. Her efforts have led to strengthened connections and mutual respect among her male counterparts. Pierson is a member of the NH Tech Alliance’s Power Women Breakfast series, which gathers women and non-male-identifying people in all different industries surrounding tech to talk about their goals and issues they face in the industry.

After chatting with our alumni office, Pierson was able to reconnect with Mr. Cousineau. Together, the pair is discussing how Derryfield can build our physics program to expose students to careers in STEM and equip them with 21st-century skills employers seek. Pierson praised Derryfield, “As I get more settled in the quantum community, I am learning more about the need for quantum knowledge coupled with strong soft skills and professionalism. I think Derryfield’s focus on a well-rounded education and hunger for learning is an awesome foundation for these skills, and knowledge of opportunities could help students navigate the post-high school process. I never realized there were so many jobs that require a balance of technical skills and communication abilities until I landed this job.” Derryfield is grateful for Pierson’s desire to give back to her alma mater, and we can’t wait for students to experience the STEM curriculum changes inspired by Pierson’s input.

“Derryfield gave me a solid foundation in science and math but coupled it with skills in communication, writing, interpersonal relationships, and creativity. Those soft skills help me bridge the gap between engineers, physicists, and sales reps. That kind of flexibility is really attractive to employers, and it isn’t something I would have learned anywhere else.”