by Carlene Phillips ·
Friday, March 20, 2026
Misha Kalava (left) and Gwyneth Poutasse. (Courtesy photos)
The final program in this year’s Warner Free Lecture series was postponed from its original date and will be held Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. in Volunteers Hall. This is a departure from the lecture’s usual Friday night, and another departure is that, for the first time, the speakers are students—two Bromfield juniors, Misha Kalava and Gwyneth Poutasse. The Warner Free Lecture chair, Michael Kilian, said that for a long time, the trustees have wanted to involve young people. They hope on Thursday night the hall is filled with the usual committed attendees but also with students and their parents.
Young people were, in fact, part of the audience Henry L. Warner had in mind when he gifted the money for a lecture series that the town accepted in March 1891. Warner grew up in Harvard; his family had been here for more than 200 years. He had moved out of Massachusetts, but even from afar he wanted to do something to “promote the permanent interests of the town” and at the same time “show his devotion to his family home.” He wanted something that would increase the “already great educational advantages of the town, a first-class academy, model library, and fine public schools.”
He believed the best way to do this was to establish a lecture series for the entertainment and instruction of “young and old, learned and uneducated” by which they could “enjoy good lectures and receive from them knowledge, ideas, and improvement.” He believed that “by them, not only individuals but entire communities may be elevated in their literary taste and intellectual attainments.”
In talking about how to raise awareness and involve younger generations, the trustees agreed the best way was to “literally involve students in a lecture,” Kilian said. Trustee Steve Peisch volunteered to connect with Kim Murphy, principal at Bromfield, whom he knew from having worked with her at Chelsea High School almost 20 years ago. From his earlier experience, he knew she supported projects that involved all kids and that she was committed to getting students to believe that it was “cool” to be passionate about academics and to giving them a chance to stand out.
Murphy and Peisch agreed the opportunity to speak at the Warner Free Lecture should be competitive. They collaborated on criteria for the lecture and what should be in an application. Murphy enlisted a panel of teachers to serve as a jury with her. The topic for the lecture was to be something a student is passionate about, and there were seven student applicants. Out of those, the panel selected two. Kilian said the young women chosen are talented and that this will be a great learning experience for them, speaking to a “serious audience.”
Poutasse will talk about the deeply rooted history and practice of the martial art Kempo Karate and her own experiences with the art, which she has been practicing for more than five years. She has competed in many tournaments and earned both state and national titles, helping her gain confidence and feel more secure in herself. In a written statement she said, “I hope to empower others to join the martial arts community and show how karate can help you not only feel safer but trust yourself more.”
Misha Kalava writes that her passion is being a beginner. She transferred to Bromfield this year and will talk about her feelings and experiences starting over in a new school. She writes that struggling in new environments “invites true growth,” willingness to fail in public is “a talent,” and “significant progress comes from being vulnerable.” Being a beginner applies to everyone in various circumstances, and in a later email, Kalava said, “I hope they [the audience] can change their perspective from seeing things as ‘out of reach’ or ‘uncomfortable’ to seeing things as ‘an opportunity to have fun and grow.’”
Warner established the Warner Free Lecture Trust with $10,000. He charged future trustees with “the perpetual safety and integrity of the original fund” and to “restore the loss in full should any loss occur to it and keep it forever unimpaired and undiminished.” Kilian said the original trust has continued to support the series and there is still money; but it hasn’t grown a lot lately, and finances are a challenge. With the costs of the programs—among them a stipend for speakers and publicity—trustees need to find outside funding sources to protect the original trust. A grant from the Harvard Cultural Council funded this program. Looking ahead, Kilian said, “We will have to find more grants.”
Kilian said the trustees are optimistic that these first student speakers will help expand the younger generation’s participation as speakers and audience members. They plan to make the sixth lecture of each series one that features student speakers, recruiting from Bromfield and the Parker School.
Both young women are also optimistic that their talks will positively affect the audience. In later emails, Poutasse wrote, “I hope to get some people to try something new and out of their comfort zone.” And Kalava echoed this idea: “I really hope attendees are able to walk away with the confidence and courage to try new things!”