“The delicate balancing of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” — Steven Spielberg
Retired executives Peter Polhemus and Bob Infantino have come full circle in life and are now giving students at Nauset Regional High School in Eastham the opportunity “to create themselves.”
There’s no higher calling, they have learned.
What started as a student mentoring concept morphed into a successful business, Nauset Hoodie Company, with a mission far beyond fashion. Nauset Hoodie brings to the fore Nauset’s unique attributes, as defined by students in the program — “inclusiveness, mutual respect, individuality, cooperation, imagination” — all represented in a logo showing students connected with the Nauset community and reaching out to the world beyond.
Nauset Hoodies, available in several vivid colors, are far more than apparel to buttress the winter chill on the Outer Cape; they are emblematic of a way of life hopefully to be emulated in a world today that at times can be as piercing cold as an offshore Atlantic blast in winter.
The Nauset Hoodie concept was devised with the guidance of Harvard/MIT- educated Polhemus, founding partner of the award-winning architectural and construction firm Polhemus Savery DaSilva, and with footwear industry icon Infantino, former CEO of Drydock Footwear and Rockport shoes, in addition to president of Clarks Companies, North America.
The two worked closely in concert with Nauset Principal Pat Clark, his gifted administrators, and staff and taught the students the critical need for product research.
In the fall of 2022, Polhemus expressed an interest in working with students regarding career exploration, business entrepreneurship, and real-world application of academic learning. Clark was fully onboard. And so Polhemus enlisted his good friend Infantino and, working with Nauset staff, gathered a group of business-minded students. After two brainstorming sessions with the students, it was determined that a bona fide business, rather than a simulation, was the route forward.
“Peter and Bob were blown away by the confidence and eagerness of the students,” says Clark. “Thus, the Nauset Hoodie Company was born. With two former CEOs as facilitators, the students engaged in all aspects of product development, sourcing, and merchandizing — bringing their hoodies to market. The team, an extension of classroom learning, continues to market and sell at community and athletic events.
“Peter and Bob are models of success, kindness and industriousness that every parent would want their child to gain,” adds Clark. “The most powerful influence is that of positive example, and Nauset High School could not ask for better community partners.”
The community has generously pitched in to support Nauset Hoodies with various contributions from individuals, among them John Murphy Jr. of the Land-Ho, Carol Hayward of Talking Threads, Sunderland Printing in Hyannis and others.
It takes a village …
At the start, a team member surveyed about 100 students. They brought the survey results back to the team so they could make informed decisions about how the product would look and feel.
The hoodies are available online (nausethoodies.org) and cost $55, with a discount for students. A portion of every sale is donated to the Cape Cod Food Pantry, and the balance is kept in escrow for the company's growth.
Seniors involved today with the Nauset Hoodie Company include Nicole Boyce, Salvi Cacciola, Logan Daniels, Andrew Dinnan, Liam Johnston, Timothy Sanders and Christian Todorov — looking to head off to schools such as the University of Colorado, Cornell, University of New Hampshire, Holy Cross, University of Maine, UMass-Amherst, Fairfield University and the like, with majors that range from business to economics, finance to international relations.
Undoubtedly, the Nauset Hoodie Company has been an impactful project that has helped students prepare for the collaboration and independence needed for success as a graduate. Seniors in the program are now involved in recruiting juniors to take their place and bring the Nauset Hoodie Company to the next level with the ongoing assistance of Polhemus and Infantino.
“Peter and I went into this project with an open mind about how we might give a group of young people a view into our experience," Infantino said. "We were happy to find these students very eager to learn and full of very good questions. The single most astonishing thing was how every one of them felt about the spirit that was pervasive in the building.
“I have felt so fortunate to be a part of this team," he added. "They have given me hope for the future. Their attitude toward one another and the kindness they have shown Peter and me has been an inspiration.”
Adds Polhemus, “We can’t wait to see what each of these students does as he or she heads out into the world.”
And that is, in selfless ways, the opportunity for others “to create themselves.”
Greg O’Brien of Brewster is a career journalist and author. He served on the Nauset Regional School Committee for 18 years, and was chair of the committee a number of those years.
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