Jacob Fiumara '91

IMG_0662-2.jpg

Current Role: Managing Director at DivcoWest Real Estate Investments

Time at GUS: 4th-8th Grade/Graduated in 1991

Why your family chose GUS: Private school was not something my family had experience with, and it was a sacrifice to send me and my sisters to GUS.  I think they were drawn to the project-based learning, and they also got really involved in the GUS community. I remember my father helping Steve Kent (father of Nick Kent ’91) build many things around GUS.  And now, my mom can’t wait to attend Grand Friends Day with Sam!  

Q+A

  1. How does it feel to be back at GUS?!
    Surreal. Getting to walk my son around campus is an amazing experience that has been better than I ever thought it could be. I’m lucky to still be in touch with many of my old GUS friends, and walking around the campus again has brought back so many of those great memories.

  2. As you look around campus, what looks the same?  What looks different? 
    What is now just the lower school, and used to be upper and lower, has the same feel as it did when I was there almost 30 years ago. Walking back into the lobby of the lower school brought back a rush of great memories while the sheer size of the campus is exciting to see.

  3. Anything catch your eye?  
    The new upper school building and gym are incredible. They mesh right in with the original school building and it feels like they have been there forever. Fantastic expansion of the school!

  4. Who are the teachers you remember fondly when you were a student?
    Wow, a lot.  In no particular order; Mrs. Elliott(4th grade), Mrs. Ryan(5th), Mrs. Conway(6th), Mrs. Bullivant(7th & Latin), Mrs. Rogers(Spanish), Ms. Vicente(art), Mr. Felt(PE), Mrs. Randolph(8th), Mr. Feldman(HOS), Mrs. Williams(music), and Ms. Krohn(dance). Apologies for any names I misspelled, but these names are some of the first to come to mind. 

  5. What was your favorite field trip?
    Tough to pick one!  Solo outdoor wilderness training, Mystic Seaport or climbing Mount Monadnock.

  6. In your personal opinion, why is a GUS education helpful or important in today’s world?
    GUS has a way of making a community without forcing it. The GUS community builds confidence in kids that will stay with them throughout their personal and professional lives.

  7. What do you want your child to gain from the GUS experience?
    Aside from confidence, I hope Sam leaves GUS with the understanding that there are many ways to approach problems/projects creatively.  

  8. What does Sam have to say about GUS?  
    Sam can’t stop talking about GUS. There are always stories about his teachers and classmates, which range from hilarious to getting serious about wheat and its lifecycle. My favorite stories are when Sam talks about all the people who don’t directly teach him, like Cheryl and Mrs. Forsyth, it shows me that Sam is experiencing the community that I remember so well.

GUS AlumniWhitney Buckleyjacob fiumara, GUS alumni, DivcoWest Investments