Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Summer 2009 | Page 11

Watching History Unfold at the Olympics

Marissa Gagnon ’99
represented top athletes
and traveled the world

This year’s guest speaker at the
Honors Banquet had some unusual
advice for the Class of 2009: Go big
and go broke.
It’s a philosophy that worked
well for Marissa Gagnon ’99,
who spoke at the event. Six years
ago she was just another college
student with an unpaid internship.
But Gagnon became Senior Client
Manager for Olympic medalist
Michael Phelps and worked with
other top athletes like Ian Crocker,
Shani Davis and Katie Hoff.
Guidance Director Paul Mondor
’68 (who recently retired, see story
on page 6) encouraged Gagnon
to enter the sports management
field. Knowing her enthusiasm for
athletics, Mondor suggested she
check out Springfield College in
Massachusetts where she ultimately
received her bachelor’s degree.
“I always thought I’d teach, even
as I was going through the sports
management program,” Gagnon said.
“My mom taught adult education for
20 years, and I always had a great
relationship with my teachers at TA.
I still hope to teach at Thornton one
day. But these opportunities flowed
in my direction and I’ve tried to do
my best with what I’ve been given.”
She’s had a