Beaver Reflections:
I graduated Beaver in 1979 and loved my time there. Beaver’s teachers were by far the best that I encountered during my academic years. The school’s biology teacher, Jerry McCarthy, made all of his classes lively and he was willing to advise all students interested in independent studies. For example, during my time at Beaver, I classified the School’s collection of 60 wild bird eggs. My fascination with birds, nurtured by Mr. McCarthy, became the seed for my artistic endeavors. During my time at Beaver, I usually would sculpt for three hours each day and make sculptures of birds, then surrealist sculptures of people, and finally some abstract art in stone. At one point during my time at Beaver, I was given the key to the basement so that I could sculpt on the weekends and during school break!

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After graduating from Beaver, I attended Cornell to pursue my dual interests in sculpture and science. Later, I went to law school and continued sculpting. I started my own law practice, where I developed the science and the facts on class action lawsuits. I developed the Flint Michigan Contaminated Water litigation. Along with my job as a lawyer, I have also continued to sculpt. I give my sculptures to municipalities that donate them to local schools.

“Looking back at Beaver, I realize that I have succeeded in life because it encouraged students to be passionate and self-sufficient in academic endeavors. You didn’t merely learn a subject, but rather were motivated to become obsessed in a very focused and dynamic way. Beaver was also decades ahead of other schools in encouraging students to use what they learned in one discipline — for example, the creative thinking process in art, and the knowledge of material characteristics — as a tool for decision-making in another discipline. My education at Beaver remains the pillar of my life.”

– Neal Weinfield ’79

Advice to Beaver students:
Try to learn a broad range of subject matter and always think creatively. Do not be timid; don’t be afraid to go into something that seems unknown to you, especially at your age. Try to take on the biggest challenges and create a path where there was none.