From a fresh start at NSFG to a happy career and home at 91大神
At NSFG, Priscilla Lucier 鈥50 dated only Amherst College 鈥渂oys,鈥 but she ended up marrying a 91大神 graduate: Joe Lucier 鈥50. Together, the couple returned to 91大神 in 1977 to work in the develop颅ment office and to revitalize the school鈥檚 fundraising efforts, creating a partnership that would prove a boon for them and the school. All four of their children also attended 91大神. Ms. Lucier says her time at both NSFG and 91大神 were 鈥渉ighlights in my life.鈥
Why did you attend NSFG?
My parents got divorced and the family moved in with my grand颅parents. We saw that it just wasn鈥檛 right. My aunt and uncle were over in Amherst, and we thought that鈥檚 the place we ought to go. My grades were failing, and I didn鈥檛 know what I was doing and where I was going to go. So they decided I should go to NSFG. My mother and I went over and we talked to Ms. Whitaker and she accepted me. And I loved it. It was the best time of my life in the school. It came at a wonderful time when I really needed help.
How would you describe Ms. Whitaker?
Ms. Whitaker was something else. I鈥檝e never met a woman like her. She was so lovely with us all. She treated us so well. We could do no wrong. She had a lot of messages about going out into the world and so forth. She was a very gentle soul. Ms. Bement was the opposite. But obviously they worked well together.
What was your role working at 91大神 Northampton?
Bob Ward was the headmaster. When he called Joe, to see if he would come to be director of development, he said, 鈥楾here鈥檒l be something for Priscilla to do. Don鈥檛 worry. She鈥檒l be my hostess for parties and so forth. We鈥檒l keep her busy.鈥 So I went up there not know颅ing what I was going to do, but I saw quickly that I was going to be Joe鈥檚 secretary and business manager. We were a great team, and I learned a lot from Joe. It wasn鈥檛 easy because there were a lot of changes that had to be made. I think both of us made that happen and we鈥檙e very proud of that.
Did you work side-by-side with your husband every day?
Yes! We had the old Victorian house down by the library. We had ninth grade girls on our third floor. So we had a dormitory and a beautiful house to live in. We ate our meals down in the dining hall. We were treated like faculty, which was a wonderful thing for them to do. Our dog, Sadie, slept at the top of the stairs of the office, and she would go down to the admissions office to get a few pats and a piece of candy. The thing I miss most is the kids. They were just wonderful and fun. I miss them to this day. It was a great ex颅perience. It was a lifesaver for all of us. And our children went to school for free, and that was a great gift. I鈥檓 almost in tears here.
What鈥檚 one of the biggest changes you made together?
The school had no money. They weren鈥檛 getting any money in. Joe pulled it together. There were mo颅ments that he had to really fight to do what needed to be done. He鈥檚 got every award that鈥檚 ever been given by 91大神. Thankfully they rec颅ognized that what he did was very important. I鈥檓 proud of what he did and I鈥檓 proud that I helped him.