The Benjamin School honored alums Rich Krumholz ‘03 and Andrew Krumholz ‘05 at the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on April 2. For the Krumholz brothers, returning to campus was more than just receiving an award; it was an opportunity to reflect on where their journey began.
“I really appreciate the entire process of coming back and going down memory lane with my family and friends coming with me to celebrate this award. It is also nice to share with students how I was in their shoes at one point,” Mr. A. Krumholz said.
The recognition was a meaningful moment for both brothers.
“I was really honored, even though they emailed my personal email and I respond to everything through my work email,” Mr. A. Krumholz said.
Looking back, both brothers credit their time at Benjamin as a key factor in shaping who they are today.
“Academically, Benjamin prepared us very well for college and for life. However, the biggest impact came from the life lessons that we learned at Benjamin. There are so many important ones, ranging from learning to take risks to living a well-rounded life, to being a great team player and leader,” Mr. R. Krumholz said.
Adding to Mr. R. Krumholz’s point, Mr. A. Krumholz highlighted how Benjamin shaped him beyond academics.
“High school years are special years. Socially, it matters a lot, and teachers leave a lasting impression on who we are today. They taught us how to be ourselves and lead with excellence,” Mr. A. Krumholz uttered.
For Mr. R. Krumholz, one teacher in particular stood out during his time at Benjamin.
“There are certain people in life who have an outsized impact on you, and Mrs. Wissner is one of those for me. She was a star teacher as Chair of the Math Department who taught us Calculus, and she was the Student Council Faculty Advisor, which was a major activity for me in high school,” Mr. R. Krumholz remarked. “She had those high expectations for us because she cared so much and had such a big heart under that exterior.”
After graduating from Benjamin, both brothers continued their academic journeys at Harvard College, where they studied economics before entering the world of finance.
“We were always interested in business, but because Harvard is a liberal arts college, it does not offer any business courses, so we joined Goldman Sachs and other investment firms after school to learn about finance and investing. When we were 29 and 32, we finally felt ready to go out on our own and founded Delight Restaurant Group,” Mr. R. Krumholz stated.
Their decision to start their own business came from a desire to create something meaningful, but lasting.
“We wanted to be able to build something that we would be proud of. We learned a ton in our other jobs, but growing our business lets us make an impact on other people,” Mr. A. Krumholz exclaimed.
Through their journey, the brothers have built not only a successful business, but also a strong team and family foundation.
“I am most proud of our family and the amazing team that we have built at Delight Restaurant Group,” Mr. R. Krumholz noted.
Like any path to success, their journey was not without challenges.
“Our framing around it was hard. We always have to assume bad things will happen and accept them. And we want to turn it into a story of resilience,” Mr. A. Krumholz explained. “We want to take a bad time that we had when we were working on growing our company, and say how I am going to look at this in five to ten years.”
Now, they returned to Benjamin and gave the students, who are just beginning their own paths, some advice.
“I talked about in the assembly to work hard and be a lifelong learner. We take so much for granted, but we always want to have open ears and learn more about what’s going on in the world, but also about ourselves,” Mr. A. Krumholz noted.
Coming back to campus serves as a reminder of how impactful early years can be.
“Benjamin holds a special place in our hearts because high school is such a formative experience in life. We would not be who we are today if it weren’t for our teachers, friends, and time at Benjamin, so it means so much to be back here,” Mr. R. Krumholz declared.
The Krumholz brothers’ story reflects the lasting impact of Benjamin’s education. It’s one that extends far beyond the classroom and shapes success years after graduation.
