Andover students, faculty, and alumni gathered for the 15th Annual Veterans Day Program, hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Andover and the Military (AATM) committee on November 7. The evening was split into two parts and sought to highlight Andover’s legacy of public service.
The first part of the program was a conversation with U.S. Congressman Seth W. Moulton ’97, Marine Corps Veteran and Representative for Massachusetts’s 6th Regional District. During the conversation, Moulton detailed his journey to becoming a Marine Corps Officer and eventually a House Representative. Jaewon Choi ’28’s grandfather was a veteran in the Korean and Vietnam War. With his personal connection, Choi shared his general takeaways from the conversation.
“This is a very important time, at least for the democracy inside the United States, and I feel that this opportunity is a very distinct opportunity because Andover shares an array of great alumni that have served for its country, both in the military and for public service. [I learned] more about how this sense of Non sibi extends beyond just our time here. I learned that we have so many great alumni who have sacrificed a lot for this country and their own respective countries, serving the military and for public service,” said Choi.
Katja Latva-Kokko ’26 expressed her appreciation for the chance to exchange questions with Moulton in person. As a day student living in Andover, Latva-Kokko highlighted her unique connections with Congressman Moulton and spoke on the importance of having such conversations in especially polarizing times.
“Hearing Seth Moulton talk about his policies and also about the state of democracy was really eye-opening and also kind of soothing to some of our worried Democratic students… The most meaningful part [of the conversation] for me was having the opportunity to ask basically anything and to get an open and honest answer, even if it wasn’t something that I necessarily agreed with, like one of his policies. But it felt good to know that I have a personal connection to the people that are representing us,” said Latva-Kokko.
The conversation with Moulton was followed by a keynote address delivered by Captain Hunter D. Washburn ’00. After attending Andover, Washburn attended the Naval Academy before pursuing a career in the Navy as a captain. Washburn commented on how Andover equipped him for his career in the military.
“Andover definitely prepared me very well for the Naval Academy. I talked to some of my classmates here that went to other colleges or universities. [There] is the same sense that Andover gave them a lot of skills and tools that helped them be successful at school,” said Washburn.
Reflecting on his decision to enter military service, Washburn recounted his early curiosity toward life on the water. Washburn reiterated how leadership positions at Andover, such as Proctor and sports team captain, prepared him for military service. He highlighted that his leadership roles at Andover prepared him for attending the Naval Academy and then onto his career in the U.S. Military.
“I always wanted to have a career on the water in some form. I also wanted to have the opportunity to lead people… Andover provides an environment where you can take meaningful risks. You’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to be disciplined… whether it is on the athletic field [or] in the classroom, there are plenty of leadership opportunities, whether formal leadership positions like Cluster President and Student Council, to team Captain and you live in a dorm and you’re a Proctor or a Prefect,” said Washburn.
Washburn continued, “A lot of that small leadership that you see on a team applies to my work in the Navy, whether as a division officer, where I’ll be responsible of a division within a small group of sailors, to department head, where you’re responsible for multiple divisions, to eventually a captain where you’re responsible for the whole ship.”
As a Civil Air Patrol cadet, Lucas Bernadete ’26 attended Andover’s Veterans Day events in the past and was asked by the Office of Alumni Engagement to prepare an introduction. Bernadete, who is considering a military career, mentioned how Washburn’s journey stirred him, given that Washburn is an Andover alumnus.
“It was really motivating about how his experience at Andover prepared him to go on into his future career in the Navy. As someone who’s interested in a military career myself, it was very motivating to see someone as an Andover graduate go on to have such a distinguished career in the Armed Services… He grew up in the Andover community, and he attended Andover, and he ended up rowing for the Naval Academy. I’m a rower too, so I really liked that,” said Bernadete.
Choi also expressed how Washburn’s application of the Non sibi spirit in his life was inspiring, noting his appreciation for the sacrifices that veterans all around the world make for their countries.
“It was very interesting to see how the Andover community, the alumni, the former instructors who taught here, and the relatives of Andover students, how all of them have made marvelous commitments to their country… [Washburn’s] speech made a lot of sense about how his time at Andover really helped him nurture this Non sibi spirit and continue that for the wider community in his days in the military,” said Choi.
Santiago Morgan, Instructor in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, expressed his excitement of teaching in a community with strong connections to the military. Having attended the Veterans Day Program last year as well, Morgan reflected on the perspectives given by the alumni veterans, acknowledging the need to feature them at more events in Andover.
“I invited some students that showed up, and yesterday, I was telling one of them [that] I’m so jealous of the community [they] belong to. I’m so jealous that [they] arrived at this place with so many interesting people that come to the school, and the military that comes to the school with super interesting lives of service… I strongly encourage more students to attend, and I wish it was a bigger deal. I wish more of these veterans would get invited to more events, not only [for] Veterans Day but [also] All-School Meetings or other things,” said Morgan.
