Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 26

1811 Society
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When Vangel Cotsis ’85 says he’s from
a Thornton family, he means it. The
eighth of nine siblings—all of whom are
alumni—has enrolled the eldest of his four
children in Thornton Academy Middle
School and he and his wife are homestay
parenting an 8th grader from Spain. He’s
also a member of Thornton Academy’s
Board of Trustees, a position he has held
for nearly 15 years.
“If you asked me to describe the Board
while in my twenties, it would have
evoked images of the bank board in
Mary Poppins—all men and a room filled
with the smell of cigars. It turned out to
be nothing like that. There really was a
gravity about the Board, a deep history
of accomplished professionals. They were
the pillars of society. When you’re young,
you don’t envision yourself fulfilling such
a responsibility, but self-perception often
doesn’t match how you’re assessed by
others. Joining the Board at age 33 was
quite an honor; I’m still the youngest
member.

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they wanted to be
when they grew up.
My educational path
was unconventional. I
initially put an average
amount of work into
school and so I got an
average amount out of
it, but I was involved
in student government
and met with Mr. Curtis
frequently as my class
advisor. Through Phil’s
recommendation, I
received an award for
leadership which had a
very lasting impression
on me.
“I took a computer
programming class
my senior year with
Dom DiBiase, having
recognized that computers were
becoming a very integral part of society,
although I never could have imagined
the degree to which it has evolved.

drawn to finance, money management,
and the world of financial markets. Then,
I eventually became a private banker
to affluent families. That role evolved
into financial planning and investment
management.

“As a Board member this year, I asked for
“After graduation, I enrolled at what was
the honor of calling retired teacher Phil
SMVTI in the Electronics Technology
Curtis to see if he would be willing to
have a classroom dedicated after him and program. I didn’t know what I wanted
“I advised many people on estate
two other teachers
planning over the
“Education is the lifeblood, the foundation of any community. Without
(see p. 9). I was
knowledge, you don’t have a thriving community. What better entity to invest years but realized I
anxious about
hadn’t done much
in than the fabric of what makes a community connected and successful? It to protect my
the call because I
makes giving easy.”
wanted to ensure
own legacy. Life
that I properly
creeps up on you.
to do, but my strength was primarily
communicated the meaning and depth
I
decided
that
I
wanted
to carve out a
in mathematics and I thought I should
of the honor to him and his colleagues.
piece
for
Thornton
Academy.
Education
align myself with a technology field. It
I obviously wanted to be sure he would
is
the
lifeblood,
the
foundation
of any
agree. I told him, ‘You made an impression wasn’t a good fit, and so I apprenticed
community.
Without
knowledge,
you
in the sheet metal fabrication trade for a
on decades of students. We want to
don’t
have
a
thriving
community.
What
couple of years.
recognize that and the school will benefit
better entity to invest in than the fabric
from the association with you.’ I think he
of what makes a community connected
“It slowed down my long-term career
was taken aback in his acceptance.
path, but that job taught me that a higher and successful? It makes giving easy. You
have to believe it’s important to give.
education was critical to realizing my
“Phil Curtis was the one with whom I
full potential. By my late twenties, I had
made the most positive connections,
earned an Associate’s degree in Business “Some people say, ‘TA has an
academically and otherwise. I was never
endowment and doesn’t need my help;
and then a B.A. in Economics from
the student who knew early on what
or I’m not going to write a check in
USM, while working full time. I was