Lessons in Connection
Peter Henderson ’83, MBA ’92 and his wife, Susan (Armstrong) ’84, MBA ’88, encouraged their three children to follow their own passions, whether it was the sports they decided to play or the colleges where they wanted to study. “Find what feels right for you,” Peter would always say.
It came as a surprise, then, when son Kevin ’19 chose not only a business path, but also one that began at their alma mater.
Kevin visited Bentley as a junior at Lincoln-Sudbury High — and was drawn to its competitive classes, inviting culture and more.
“I saw that Bentley was a strong, prestigious school that would put me in a great position to start a career in business,” says the former Corporate Finance and Accounting major.
The visit also impressed a certain couple who, more than 35 years ago, met at Bentley and got engaged by the campus pond.
“It was fun for us to see how things have changed, such as the larger campus and new facilities,” says Susan, whose great-uncle attended when Bentley was a Boston-based accounting school.
Other experiences crossed the generations. They all lived in the Tree dorms —specifically, Oak — at some point as undergraduates. It was Peter who, with a friend, started a “student ambassador” program to help introduce prospective students to Bentley; Kevin joined the program and went on to become its president.
Both parents are excited to see the school that propelled their careers forward do the same for Kevin.
“Having Bentley on my résumé has been a very good thing,” says Peter, a CPA who serves in several corporate treasury and finance roles for New Balance Athletics.
Susan is controller and HR manager at The Kenneth D. Anderson Company Inc., a pension-consulting and third-party administration firm. For Kevin, an internship at Woodside Wealth Management turned into a full-time post as an associate adviser.
The Hendersons’ ties to Bentley haven’t ended with Kevin’s graduation. Father and son are involved with newly launched Falcons of the Last Decade (FOLD). Peter hosted the group’s first gathering.
“It was so interesting to hear what all these 20-somethings are doing professionally and personally, and compare it to what Susan and I were doing at their age,” he says. “There were both significant commonalities and differences.”
Kevin attended the event. “I’ve seen how networking with alumni can really help students think more critically about what they want to do with their career,” he says. “Seeing my father engage with Bentley as an alumnus has motivated me to stay involved in the community that has provided our family with so much.”
In fact, the family already has another Bentley Commencement in its sights: Kevin’s cousin, Lydia Henderson, is a Data Analytics major poised to graduate in 2021.