Miss Hall's School Graduates 42

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Forty-two graduates, including nine students from Berkshire County, graduated on Sunday, May 31, during Miss Hall's School's 128th Commencement.

The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the School's Holmes Road campus and was broadcast worldwide via Zoom.

Hosted by Miss Hall's Head of School Julia Heaton, the ceremony included remarks from School President Idia Enoma, of Chester, N.Y.; Senior Class President Pimpisa Jongjaroonrungson, of Bangkok, Thailand; School Vice President Akshara Muthavarapu, of Pittsfield; and MHS Board of Trustees President Nancy Gustafson Ault, Miss Hall's School Class of 1973.

This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by Her Excellency Madam Rulan Samara, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Republic of Kenya. Ambassador Samara was introduced by her niece, Class of 2026 graduate Noya Samara, of Amman, Jordan.

Local graduates in the class of 2026 are Eva Sopia Allen Vargas, of Richmond; Emersyn Bray, of Dalton; Madelyn Craig, of Williamstown; Beatrix Gilb, of Pittsfield; Fiona Gordon, of Lenox; Kara Kisselbrock, of Dalton; Simma Krantz, of Pittsfield; Akshara Muthavarapu, of Pittsfield; and Mea Richardson, of Cheshire.

The following awards were also bestowed on members of the Class of 2026:

• Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Akshara Muthavarapu, of Pittsfield

• Faculty Commendation Award: Rafi Hernandez Unger, of New York, N.Y.

• Christine Fuller Holland '33 Service Prize: Fabiana Romero, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• Meus Honor Stat Keys Awarded for MHS Core Competencies: 

  • Vision: Noya Samara, of Amman, Jordan
  • Voice: Idia Enoma, of Chester, N.Y.
  • Interpersonal Efficacy: Nguyen Yen Phuong, of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Mea Richardson, of Cheshire
  • Gumption: Rebecca Kitonga, of Nairobi, Kenya

• Margaret Witherspoon Award: Xingru Chen, of Shanghai, China, and Hyeon Jung, of Seoul, South Korea

• Engineering and Technology Innovation Award: Jaimie Corpuz, of Stamford, Conn.

• Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Idia Enoma, of Chester, N.Y.

• Virginia Breene Wickwire '67 Reading Prize: Rafaela Romanini, of Campo Grande, Brazil

• Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Studio Art Prize: Pimpisa Jongjaroonrungson, of Bangkok, Thailand

• Angela Kalischer Theater Prize: Isabella Aponte, of Bronx, N.Y.

• Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Trinity Ren, of Beijing, China

• Paul C. Cabot, Jr. History Prize: Mea Richardson, of Cheshire

• Horizons Award: Xinyue Ren, of Shanghai, China

• Monique Jalbert French Prize: Nefertiti Williiams-Jack, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

• Spanish Award: Kara Kisselbrock, of Dalton

• English for Speakers of Other Languages Award: Nguyen Yen Phuong, of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Akshara Muthavarapu, of Pittsfield

• Iive Rouse Science Award: Xingru Chen, of Shanghai, China

• Sylvia "Rusty" Shethar Everdell '38 Prize: Simma Krantz, of Pittsfield

 


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Berkshire Health System Blood Program Helps Shield County From National Shortage

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The American Red Cross declared its second national blood supply crisis in its history on Monday, but community members can breathe easy thanks to Berkshire Health System's blood donor program. 
 
Berkshire Medical System has always had a stationary donor center for autologous donations, which is no longer common practice, and had some O-negative blood on hand that it purchased from the Red Cross prior to having its own blood donor program, said Christine Amuso, blood donor coordinator.
 
Today, Berkshire Health System's blood donor program collects about 2,300 to 2,400 units of blood annually, all of which stays within Berkshire County to help keep local blood supplies stocked. 
 
In some years, the program has reached record collections of about 3,000 units.
 
"That [record has] only happened a couple of times since I've been employed with the program. So, we really have done wonders with the program," Amuso said. 
 
Donating blood through Berkshire Health System's program is accessible, with a donor center at the main campus and a mobile blood unit that travels throughout Berkshire County, including select Saturdays.
 
While appointments for blood donations are strongly encouraged, staff also intentionally leave scheduling gaps to accommodate additional donors who walk in without an appointment. 
 
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