THE BRIDGE A P U B L I C AT I O N O F P H O E N I X C O U N T R Y DAY S C H O O L
WE DID IT! IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR Summer 2021
THE BRIDGE Phoenix Country Day School, Summer 2021
Andrew Rodin Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership Roz Bolger Abero ’89 Assistant Head of School Katie Charles Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship Sam Cieplicki Director of Development Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99 Director of Alumni Relations Chris Hall Director of Communications & Marketing Tina Pitts Advancement Coordinator Lydia Rodin Advancement Events Coordinator and The Bridge Editor Baird Photography Studios Feature Photography Other photography and articles: PCDS students, faculty, and staff
The Bridge has resumed (post-pandemic) publishing twice each calendar year— winter and summer. An Annual Report on Philanthropy is also sent each fall. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please email The Bridge at communications@pcds.org. ©2021 Phoenix Country Day School. All rights reserved. This Page: Ivan Banks ’33 hard at work.
Contents ON THE COVER US Dean of Academics Jenny Cherilla high-fives graduating senior Quinn Murphy ’21 as faculty members Jenny Treadway, Liz Olson, MS Head Ben Sullivan, and Head of School Andy Rodin look on.
ANNUAL FUND
Look for the symbol to the left throughout this issue to identify PCDS Annual Fund dollars at work. Read more about the impact of philanthropy at PCDS on pages 44-47.
ON THE BACK COVER LS art teacher Michelle Gurnee assists Lillian Petermann ’29 and Dylan Tedesco ’29 at the LS playground “Growing Together” mural.
Inside this Issue: All the latest news from PCDS Upper School (US), Middle School (MS), and Lower School (LS), plus alumni features and philanthropy highlights. 2
Message from the Head of School
40 Speech & Debate
4
Silver Linings: Reflections on a COVID Year
44 Annual Fund
10 Maverick Series 12
Strategic Plan Highlights
17
Louis Family Society for Planned Giving
18
Growing Together: Curtis Fee
20 Welcome to Other New Faces 22 US Fall Play
46 Tax Credit 48 Save the Date: Blue & Gold 49 Message from the Alumni Board President 50 Destinations 52 Alumni Events 54 Golden Circle
24 Merit Honors and Awards
56 Alumni Retirements and Memorials
26 Athletics
58 PCDS:Connect
37 NCAA Athletes
60 Class Notes
38 US Spring Musical
76 Alumni Scholarship Fund
PCDS MISSION PCDS prepares promising students to become responsible leaders and lifelong learners through an education that emphasizes intellectual engagement, independence, collaboration, creativity, and integrity.
PCDS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which sets forth guidelines for independent school governing boards. To view the Principles of Good Practice, visit www.pcds.org/admissions/the-independent-school-difference.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 1
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
“When so many other schools were fracturing, we were drawing tighter together, leaning on each other for support and guidance so that we could follow through on our crucial mission: to educate our students.” Head of School Andy Rodin
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hat a year it’s been! After 15 months of social distancing and mask wearing, temperature taking and deep cleaning, we’re finally reaching the other side of this extraordinary period in our lives. And I think we’re all breathing a sigh of relief. In his 1959 speech at a United Negro Fund fundraiser in Indiana, John F. Kennedy noted that “in the Chinese language, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters, one representing ‘danger’ and the other ‘opportunity.’” While there is some debate about this translation, the intention is well worth consideration. The dangers presented by this unexpected crisis were monumental, and it took all of our collective energy to overcome the hurdles in our path. But overcome we did, and in that process we encountered an opportunity to grow even stronger as a community. I firmly believe that this experience will pay great dividends for us as we move through the approaching school year, and through school years to come. The debate about the Kennedy quote lies in the interpretation of the second Chinese character: a more accurate translation than ‘opportunity’ is actually ‘change point.’ Certainly when 2 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
we take into account the intermingling of the COVID crisis with the elevation of the social justice movement, we recognize that 2020/2021 was a ‘change point’ for our country, and likely for the world. Never in our lives has the call for equity and inclusivity been so strong and so resonant. As I reflect back on the school year that was, I am in awe of all that we have borne witness to. Even more so, I am energized by the undeniable intrepid spirit inherent in the PCDS community. It is this spirit that will continue to serve us through inevitable future crises, helping us turn them into both opportunities and change points. So congratulations, PCDS, on a job very well done. Onward and upward!
Andrew M. Rodin P’19, ’19, ’25 Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
David Lewis President
Taylor Burke Executive Vice President and Vice President Trusteeship
Michelle Hosmar Vice President Facilities Planning
Tracy Brennan Vice President Strategic Planning
Martin Felli P’22, ’24, ’29
Charles W. Shields Vice President Finance
Donna Johnson Vice President Advancement
Darryl Berger
Mercedes Liljegren
Tim Louis ’81
Jordan Rose
Margaux Rosen
Tracy Schwimmer
“ I had the privilege of joining the PCDS Recovery Planning Council at the height of the COVID-19 surge in Arizona. The quality and caliber of thoughtfulness that went into the deliberations were the best I have experienced. At a time of uncertainty and understandable anxiety across the community, PCDS provided that sense of comfort that ’all will be fine’.”
Julie Sabeeh P’23, ’25, ’29
Dan Silverman
Kiran Singh
Tiffany Pondelik ’00 Ex officio, President, Alumni Association Board
Marian Florey Ex officio, President, Parents’ Association
Advisory Trustees Andrew Rodin Ex officio Head of School
Beverly Bradway Susan J. Bansak Daniel J. Donahoe III Bennett Dorrance Nick Firestone ’84 Susan Garrity Samuel Garvin
Bert Getz Donald R. Loback Nan P. Miller Jahm Najafi Ellie B. Nolan Frederick M. Pakis
Nicholas J. Sakellariadis ’69 Jonah Shacknai Shoshana B. Tancer Charlene Whitfill Garth Wieger Gay F. Wray
“ As one of the newest members of the PCDS Board of Trustees, it was a humbling experience to be a part of such an amazing community. The collaboration between the board and our School allowed for a successful academic year. There was such determination to make the health, wellbeing, and safety of our students, staff, and faculty the top priority.”
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Silver Linings
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Reflections on a COVID Year The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down our world, beginning in March of 2020, was devastating. There was much fear, anxiety, heartbreak, and loss experienced during this time. In these next pages, we are choosing to highlight some PCDS successes—silver linings—during one of the more challenging phases in our world’s history.
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e did it! Because of the efforts and cooperation of everyone in our community— faculty and staff, trustees, our students and their parents—we were able to offer the option of 100% in-person teaching experiences throughout the 20202021 pandemic school year. Beginning in March 2020, our COVID Council—comprised of medical professionals, business leaders, food service executives, and our School leadership and in concert with the PCDS Board of Trustees—got right to work. Even as COVID information was constantly changing, they began to execute plans for an ongoing, uninterrupted, year-long, in-person teaching and learning experience with the health and well-being of all faculty, staff, and students as the guiding principle. Here are many of the ingredients that helped to make for a healthy and safe in-person school year: • Temperature checks and wellness surveys • Face masks • Social distancing—creating as much room between students as possible • Sanitizing and hygiene stations throughout campus • No visitors or parents were allowed on campus
• Upgraded filtration systems • Virtual Synchronous Learning (VSL) was an available remote learning option • A comprehensive social compact was designed and agreed upon by all community members • Increased nursing staff • Health, wellness, and safety signage around campus as reminders
• Seating charts and cohort grouping for contact tracing
• Transparent and regular communication
• Plexiglass in classrooms
• COVID contact tracing
• Professionals hired to clean work and eating surfaces throughout school day
• Teachers willing to make sacrifices and overcome anxiety and fears to teach on campus SUMMER 2020/21 | 5
Reflections from the Council Chair As a medical professional and chair of the PCDS Recovery Planning Council, I was laser focused on keeping the PCDS community healthy—from the teachers, to staff, to students. I worked hard to keep up with the new scientific findings with guidance and help from several parent physicians as well as being advised by national medical school research professors. The PCDS staff and teachers readily implemented and altered practices as the science evolved. In regular times, we have seen the PCDS staff and faculty’s academic talents on display through our own children. During the pandemic, the staff was uncertain and scared like so many of us. So, it is not lost on me the courage it took for them to show up on campus for our children each and every day this past school year. And hindsight of course is 20/20, but so many of us are in a position to be grateful. We can look back at a year that was not lost for our children. We had almost 3-6 times fewer COVID cases at PCDS than the surrounding community. The PCDS staff quite literally saved lives.
Parents’ Association and Team Get Creative Dr. Charlene Whitfill P’15, ’17, ’24 Chair of Recovery Counsel
The Parents’ Association has a clear purpose during normal times: we support PCDS and its administration, we build community, and we provide enrichment opportunities for our kids. In order to serve that purpose, our executive committee worked overtime to figure out which of our typical activities could be adapted and what had to be completely reimagined during the pandemic. A big challenge was the ever-changing COVID landscape, which made planning ahead difficult; we couldn’t predict what sorts of gatherings would be comfortable or permitted. Not being on campus was very hard, as was the need to be onscreen instead of in person. Zoom is far better than not seeing people, but it’s a pale substitute for sharing physical space with our teams and our community. We were determined to gather people under whatever conditions were required. I’m so fortunate to have had such wonderful people on the executive committee. Our group stayed focused on the possibilities, used teamwork and bold creativity, and we had a willingness to experiment. One of us would show up with an idea to brainstorm, and we’d figure out together how to make it happen. There’s no way we could have had a holiday gathering with 150 people in Burch Hall, so we invited our entire School to a Zoom magic show. We had a great turnout for completely new events like an outdoor flower arranging class and a petting zoo playdate. Our grade reps were awesome as well. Instead of organizing socials inside restaurants, they invited parents for morning walks, patio coffees, outdoor picnics, and park playdates. Our terrific enrichment volunteers managed COVID-adapted celebrations for Diwali, Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Norouz, and Cinco de Mayo.
Marian Florey P’21, ’23 Ex officio, President, Parents’ Association
We benefited from Andy Rodin’s enthusiasm for making things happen instead of waiting for the pandemic to pass. Roz Abero’s help was vital to helping us navigate the endless details required because of COVID. One important silver lining for me is the heightened appreciation I have for the energy our parent community brings when we’re together. Normally, being on campus has its own great vibe that was sorely missed this past year. The handful of times we parents were able to congregate on campus felt so good. Even though this year was relentlessly difficult, what I’ll always remember is our team’s sense of purpose and the joy we had working together to rise to the COVID challenge.
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Our Medical Front Line Our two nurses, Katie Suess (left) and Amanda Poole (right), worked tirelessly on the front lines during the pandemic—along with Health Center Administrative Assistant Mikenna Mack (middle)—to help identify symptoms and manage spreading in order to keep everyone in our PCDS community healthy and safe. No small task.
Our Vaccine Trial Heroes Six members of the PCDS faculty and staff volunteered for either Moderna or Pfizer experimental COVID-19 vaccine trials in the hopes of helping to put an end to the pandemic. Chris Eriksen
Courtney Rath
Matt Guthrie
Colin Reynolds
Sue Mazzolini
Stefan Youngs
Chris Eriksen thought of his fifth-grade students at PCDS as he was administered his trial shot. His students—just like all the others throughout the world—had endured months of isolation when the coronavirus forced schools to close and shift to online learning back in March of 2020. We are grateful to those who took this leap that made the widespread vaccine rollout possible. SUMMER 2020/21 2020/21 || 77 SUMMER
Teachers Teaching Teachers: Always Two Steps Ahead By Director of Curriculum and Instruction Andrea Avery Anyone who has spent time on the PCDS campus knows that this is an extraordinary, unusual place. We take pride in our beautiful, spacious buildings and grounds; our close community relationships; our top-notch curriculum; and our expert teachers, administrators, and staff. Exceptional as PCDS is, spring of 2020 found us in a position unfamiliar to teachers and students at schools of all different kinds, all across the country: With COVID-19 cases on the increase, PCDS shifted on the fly to a distance-learning model to finish out the 2019-2020 school year. But no one could tell the millions of teachers or school leaders across the country what to expect in the fall: Would we return to “normal” school? Would we be online? Would we teach and learn in a hybrid model? To prepare for any situation, PCDS teachers spent the summer of 2020
designing and offering a series of distance-learning workshops so that every faculty member had the chance to increase their skill in teaching in virtual and hybrid modes. The PCDS faculty boasts an incredible wealth of talent, experience, and teaching chops. As difficult as the COVID-19 situation was, it provided a perfect opportunity for PCDS teachers to share that wealth with one another. PCDS Director of Curriculum and Instruction Andrea Avery coordinated the effort, working with faculty across all divisions to identify areas of strength that teachers wanted to share with their colleagues and supporting them in the creation of their summer workshops. All courses were free and offered during various dates throughout the summer to ensure that anyone who wanted to participate could do so (while still enjoying the much-needed chance to rest and recharge).
Below is an overview of these summer offerings and the teachers who led them: US English teacher David K aye , described by US Head Lynetta Binger as a “Zoom maestro,” offered a four-session course called “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.” The focus was on maximizing student engagement over Zoom by looking at its basic and advanced features and considering some effective ways to incorporate Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Canvas, and YouTube. By the end of the training, Mr. Kaye helped his colleagues to feel well-prepared in how to set up, publicize, pace, run, and share dynamic Zoom meetings. Of Mr. Kaye’s course, one participant said, “Mr. Kaye’s workshops were so helpful. He went above and beyond to answer our questions, gave pertinent advice, and shared ideas to help us get the most out of Zoom sessions.”
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Two LS teachers, Andy McKean and Nichole Dawson, offered an eight-session “Camp Canvas,” a workshop focused on using the Learning Management System (LMS) Canvas. The course was primarily directed toward LS teachers, as Canvas was introduced into the LS for the first time in the fall of 2020, but teachers from all divisions were welcome. Topics included understanding what LMS is (and isn’t); building your homepage and enhancing it with added features and functions such as video; creating and sharing assignments; designing learning modules; and exploring assessments, rubrics, and feedback. A participant in Mr. McKean and Mrs. Dawson’s class said, “I can’t believe how much I learned about Canvas this summer. All of the resources and videos they shared will be so great for future reference this year.”
For those teachers already comfortable with our LMS and who wanted to up their Canvas game, Jim Waller, a math teacher in the MS, offered the four-session “Yes, We Can(vas)!” This course provided teachers with the opportunity to do some thinking and planning in collaboration with others about how to best use Canvas in a distance-learning or hybrid (distance-learning/in-person) environment. Mr. Waller’s class went beyond the technicalities and logistics of using Canvas and got at some bigger-picture pedagogical philosophies related to student engagement and experience when using LMS. Mr. Waller received high praise for his efforts: One participant said, “Mr. Waller was sort of like the sum total of all the things students have said I should be doing with Canvas, over the years. I’d just never had a complete picture until Mr. Waller’s workshop.”
MS Spanish teacher Rachel Scarpone led an exciting four-session workshop called “Distance Learning Goody Bag.” Participants in her class were introduced to some of Ms. Scarpone’s favorite “finds” for distance learning—most of which would also energize an inperson classroom. Participants broadened their use of Canvas as well as third-party apps and websites that integrated seamlessly with Canvas. The focus was on flexible, fun, high-engagement resources that teachers could adopt into any teaching environment (distance learning, in-person, hybrid model) right away. One grateful and energized participant said, “I absolutely loved the Sock Puppets and Toontastic apps. I’ll likely use them on a weekly basis for my kids to be able to create interactive and fun skits.”
Meily Riehle, an US Spanish teacher, offered four sessions of “Riehle Cool Apps.” This session was extraordinarily interactive: After playing with apps like EdPuzzle and Kaizena, teachers had the chance to build and get peer feedback on an appbased activity, lesson, or unit plan specific to their teaching context. Ms. Riehle received this enthusiastic feedback from one participant: “Ms. Riehle’s preparations and presentations were extremely well organized and thought out. She was very professional and cared about the use of our time. I learned about EdPuzzle, which I may use in the future. Well done.”
Finally, MS science teacher Brent Root offered a singlesession workshop for all faculty called “Going the Distance with Panopto.” Featuring Panopto, a platform for recording, archiving, and sharing high-quality classroom video recordings, this course ensured that all teachers were comfortable using video to deliver onsite experiences to students joining by video. At the end of the session, one participant reflected that “Panopto seems like a good tool for students to be able to review any concepts they may have struggled with in an initial group class presentation.” n
“Every single teacher at PCDS signed up for at least one workshop, and many took several. This is just another piece of evidence that PCDS teachers are deeply committed to their practice, to their students, and to the success of our School— even during the most difficult circumstances.” PCDS Director of Curriculum and Instruction Andrea Avery
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Overcoming Limitations
A conversation—just prior to the pandemic—with Ambassador Rahmani and Stephanie Sy P’29 On February 5, 2020, PCDS continued the tradition of the MAVERICK Speaker Series by featuring special guest H.E. Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States. Before the evening event, Ambassador Rahmani spent time with a select group of PCDS US students who asked the Ambassador about her career path, international relations, and the art of diplomacy.
are trying to make a living while going to school.” She explained that she is made particularly hopeful by the imagination and courage shown by Afghanistan’s youth, especially the young girls.
Following the conversation between the Ambassador and Ms. Sy, Head of School Andy Rodin asked them both questions submitted primarily by students. Following the meeting with stuOn the topic of failure and leaddents, in front of hundreds of ership, Ms. Sy said that instead of PCDS community members—intrying not to be afraid to fail, she cluding students, parents, faculty, felt the most helpful guide for her alumni, and guests—Ambassador was to simply always try to do Rahmani was introduced by what was right. She said, “It brings James H. McCain ’07 prior to me back to Senator John McCain. launching into a conversation with To listen to a man like that who PBS NewsHour Correspondent was a prisoner of war, who was Stephanie Sy P’29. Ambassador an American hero…he continued Rahmani began her remarks by to face adversity and continued saying, “I would like to share a to put himself up, and he failed message from our people…of several times. Yet when we look gratitude and thanks. I am sitting at his legacy, we don’t think about here right now because of the failure, we think of a person who contributions that you all have did the right thing. If I sat down made, and the contributions with him today, he would lead Senator McCain made. We very with moral courage. I’m going to much share the belief he had in lead with what is right and that will the democratic process. He was be my guiding star.” Ambassador able to look beyond the political Rahmani replied, “Following one’s H.E. Roya Rahmani and social divisions and focus on passion is the key. If you are pasthe common good and shared sionate about something, you get goals. That’s what makes the world a better place, and it up and you try again.” She offered that failure is often only has impact on the other side of the globe.” a perception of failure, which by itself is limiting, and that passion can act as a torch that leads the way. A common theme throughout the evening was the ability to forge ahead in spite of limitations and to succeed without We were honored to spend time with Ambassador Rahmani, fear of failure. When asked what inspired her success, the James McCain, and Stephanie Sy. This event showed us the Ambassador responded, “No one inspires me more than… power of a community coming together to share ideas and the young people of Afghanistan, particularly the ones who learn how each of us can be a trailblazer in our own world. n
“I think nothing inspired me more than limitation. When you are faced with limitation, it’s by itself a driving force.”
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Please join us in February 2022, as we honor 2020 Nobel Prize Recipient in Medicine Dr. Harvey J. Alter for his discovery of the Hepatitis C Virus.
Harvey J. Alter, MD is the grandfather of Quincy ’25, Jake ’19, and Ty ’19 Rodin. Dr. Alter is a Senior Scholar at the NIH Clinical Center’s Department of Transfusion Medicine and shares the Nobel Prize with Michael Houghton, PhD, University of Alberta, Canada, and Charles M. Rice, PhD, Rockefeller University, New York City.
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FEATURE
THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY
ARTS
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE
Strategic Plan Highlights One Year In By Roz Bolger Abero ’89
I
n January of 2020, after two years of planning and prioritizing, PCDS Trustees approved a new five-year Strategic Plan. Within months, COVID struck, and the deck of priorities was temporarily shuffled while the energy shifted to remaining open safely for the 2020-21 school year. However, it was vital that PCDS also remained focused on long-range strategic priorities while attending to the unprecedented complexities of a very unusual year. While the entire Strategic Plan, including how it came to be created, was shared in the Winter 2019/2020 edition of The Bridge, the facing page outlines the key pillars in brief as a reminder to our community. The evolving and unabridged version of the plan can be found on our website. Here, we are pleased to share with you some progress highlights of our newest Strategic Plan.
Sustainability A focus on sustainable practices is not new to PCDS; environmental projects and clubs have long been a part of PCDS culture, but faculty members Andy McKean and Hallie Mueller are developing a plan that calls for ambitious action. To begin this process, a cross-divisional team of faculty is collaborating with sustainability expert and PCDS alumnus Bryan McClaren ’05 and others. Together, the team will focus on reducing waste on campus, with the aim of becoming a Zero Waste campus. The project will tackle both logistical changes, like reviewing current supply vendors to determine the most sustainable products, as well as cultural changes, like educating our community on how to dispose of items in recycling, compost, or landfill bins. Ultimately, the team plans to examine what comes in and what goes out of our campus so that our waste management systems are more effective and ethically sound, without requiring substantially greater effort or cost to manage. While the pandemic required a shift in focus this past year, our commitment to more environmentally-friendly Right: Avarie Bradley ’32
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campus practices has not wavered, and the new school year promises to deliver changes that capitalize on our strong sense of community and an alliance to informed and more sustainable decisions.
Strategic Positions—Seven Pillars
ACADEMIC
PROFESSIONAL
ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE DEVELOPMENT We EXCELLENCE believe that our ultimate DEVELOPMENT ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT
ENDOWMENT ENDOWMENT
HAPPY, HEALTHY, CULTURE HARDWORKING CULTURE HAPPY, HEALTHY, HAPPY, HEALTHY, HAPPY, HEALTHY,
ENDOWMENT HARDWORKING HARDWORKING CULTURE ENDOWMENT CULTURE ENDOWMENT HARDWORKING CULTURE
We believe that a first-rate We believe that the real responsibility is to provide for We believe that the class- education is a precious in- magic in the internal PCDS our students the most dy- room exchanges between vestment, and that we have community derives from our namic academic experience teachers and students are the a responsibility as a school to deep commitment to people possible. What to this day synapses of our educational follow sound financial prac- who are happy, healthy, and separates PCDS from the nervous system. Much as our tices for both the short- and hardworking. In every emTHOUGHT PARTNER TO DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY crowd—and what will contin- teachers ask our students to long-term. As we enter our ployee we hire, every student THE GREATER COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE ARTS ue to do so into the future— seek growth, we encourage seventh decade, we will delib- we accept, every student we is our unyielding dedication our teachers to seek growth erately focus on growing the support, and every family with to academic excellence. This of their own. To support these PCDS endowment through whom we partner, we must commitment is bolstered by endeavors, we offer dynamic philanthropy, planned giving, value and promote these crita thoughtfully crafted, ever- professional development well-advised investment strat- ical traits. We will continue evolving curriculum conveyed opportunities and will add to egies, and prudent business to nurture and evolve a safe to students by expert teachers. that a plan for the observation practices to ensure that the environment that brings out and formal evaluation of all profound impact of a PCDS the very best in our students. ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL HAPPY,forHEALTHY, faculty members on campus. education will be available ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL HAPPY,HEALTHY, HEALTHY, ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL HAPPY, ENDOWMENT EXCELLENCE DEVELOPMENT CULTURE generations toHARDWORKING come.
THOUGHT PARTNER THOUGHT PARTNER TO TOTO THOUGHT PARTNER THE GREATER COMMUNITY THE THE GREATER COMMUNITY GREATER COMMUNITY
EXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE
DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT
ARTS ARTSARTS
ENDOWMENT ENDOWMENT
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE AND AND ACCEPTANCE ACCEPTANCE
HARDWORKING CULTURE HARDWORKING CULTURE
Big Swings THOUGHT PARTNER TO
COMMUNITY THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY THEWeGREATER believe thatCOMMUNITY it is now time
for PCDS, at 60 years old, to serve as a thought partner to the greater Phoenix community: a knowledgeable, practiced, and steady point of association for local schools who are eager to push their own programs forward. Building on the model established nearly 30 years ago with Project Excellence, we will move beyond our own campus to make an impact.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY ARTS DEI DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE ARTS DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE ARTS ACCEPTANCE ARTS We believe that the visual, WeAND believe that the characdigital, and performing arts should be central to the PCDS experience, as they provide meaningful and engaging connections with the world around us, while simultaneously deepening our understanding of ourselves. Having recently lent extensive attention to other facets of our co-curricular program, including athletics, it is now time to train a conscious focus on the arts.
teristics articulated in the PCDS Portrait of a Graduate must serve as our compass through all we endeavor to accomplish. Central to these core values are deliberate, pedagogically sound, and age-appropriate discussions around diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance.
Balance, compassion, and self-awareness were intertwined within almost every discussion, recommendation, and goal. In addition, overlap in action items point us to some “bigger swings” that we are now poised to take on over the next 5 years. • Curriculum Articulation • Elevate the Arts • Folio • Sustainability • Master Plan and Arts Campaign
An unabridged version of the Strategic Plan 2020 can be found at https://www.pcds.org/about/2020-strategic-plan
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Curriculum Articulation
Jenny Treadway, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), has not let the COVID pandemic stop her progress. The Strategic Plan called for the creation of a DEI mission statement, an important step to frame our actions. In addition, a new DEI website shares programs and initiatives, and monthly updates spotlighting the DEI work being done across PCDS.
Despite the challenges of the 2020-2021 school year, two big school projects related to curriculum and professional growth continued apace under the direction of Andrea Avery, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. The first of these is the effort to map the entire preK-12 curriculum in the form of a comprehensive curriculum guide. This year, academic subject-area department chairs revised the MS and US guides while LS Curriculum Specialist Kim Wass spearheaded the LS’s curriculum guide.
In-house professional development and resources have been provided to all faculty on facilitating difficult conversations; sustaining an antibias, antiracist school community; auditing the curriculum for diversity and equity; working to ensure that classroom spaces are inclusive; and celebrating intersectionality with purpose. While this ongoing work can be challenging and imperfect, the Strategic Plan gives us a roadmap towards progress that benefits our entire PCDS community.
PCDS’s efforts in curriculum articulation align with what the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) reports as the four main reasons to undertake the instructional review process: to develop a scope and sequence of instruction that accurately represents what teachers teach and assess and what students are expected to learn from (pre-)kindergarten to commencement; to increase awareness of the curriculum and of instructional strategies, priorities, and talents among
Our guiding principle of promoting a happy, healthy, hardworking culture has never felt more salient than it did this past year—it was at the heart of our on-campus success every step of the way. In addition to establishing a safe environment during a global pandemic, we added a LS counselor, a Director of Campus Safety, and a Dean of US Faculty to directly address specific areas of need.
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STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE 2020-2021 Darryl Berger P’29, ’31, ’34* Chair Tracy Brennan P’18, ’19 Outgoing Chair Jawad Ahsan P’32* Kristen Brook ’95, P’33* Taylor Burke P’22, ’23, ’25
LS teacher Lisa Lieppert and between colleagues; to help new colleagues prepare for their teaching assignment when they come to our School, and to illustrate our School’s instructional program for prospective students, accreditation teams, and others; and to provide the basis for ongoing discussion about what we teach, why we teach it, how we assess it, and how we might want to do things differently to better serve our students and capitalize on our own talents. Now that a working draft of the curriculum guide has been created, in the fall of 2021, all faculty and administration will have access to this internal version, and stewardship of the guide will be overseen by a new Curriculum Steering Committee that represents all three divisions. This group will facilitate reflective curricular self-auditing and meaningful conversations to steer the School’s efforts to preserve and strengthen its robust academic program. The Curriculum Steering Committee will also adapt from the internal guide an outward-facing version to be shared with parents and other community stakeholders.
Professional Development and Folio Also under the direction of Andrea Avery, PCDS faculty continued their implementation of the Folio system for goal-setting, collaboration, and reflection. This was PCDS’s second year in the Folio collaborative, the mission of which is “to help schools help teachers to grow and learn as growth-minded educators”. At PCDS, each school year’s Folio cycle begins with goal-setting in the fall, a mid-cycle conversation with a colleague in January, and a year-end summary conversation in the late spring. For each step of the cycle, faculty create notes within Folio to document their progress and process. The PCDS Teaching Advocacy Group (TAG) serves as a think tank to brainstorm and design these goal-setting, discussion, reflection, and writing protocols, but each division has the latitude to conduct goal-setting as it sees fit. This year, TAG also led the way in adding functionality to our Folio work. Sensing that some COVID safety protocols had teachers feeling disconnected from one another, TAG created an innovative solution that leveraged our Folio membership as well as our existing use of Canvas, our School’s Learning Management System: every Folio user was enrolled in a Canvas “course” where teachers engaged in lively discussions around virtual and in-person instruction, teacher self-care, and the value of play in learning, to name a few.
Sonal Haerter P’25, ’28* Michelle Hosmar P’13, ’16 Donna Johnson P’17 David Lewis P’14, ’16, ’20, ’23 Matt Messmer P’31, ’34* Riad Nizam P’30, ’33* Charlene Whitfill P’15, ’17, ’24 * New member
“ We still have considerable work in front of us, but it’s hard not to be energized around the progress that we’re making together.” Head of School Andy Rodin
SUMMER 2020/21 | 15
In the year ahead, TAG will increase the utility of Folio for teachers by adding features that connect us with one another around professional goals, while also considering a parallel formal evaluation process. We look forward to beginning the new school year with a restored ability to visit one another’s classrooms and to provide authentic, responsive, documented feedback for one another—especially in support of new teachers or veteran teachers new to PCDS.
Focus on the Arts The Strategic Plan calls for us to “train a conscious focus on the arts” and a key objective is to “build a first-rate performing arts center”. We are excited to confirm that plans are underway to do just this! More information will be shared in future editions of The Bridge. Helping to lead the fundraising charge for new facilities is PCDS’s new Director of Development, Sam Cieplicki. Sam joined PCDS in March of 2020. Before moving to Phoenix, Sam was the Associate Director of Advancement and Capital Giving Officer at the New England boarding school New Hampton School, where he also taught, coached, and served
as Direc tor of Student Ac tivitie s a n d H o us e Head. He earned a BS in business administration from St. Michael’s College in Vermont and his MS in education with a focus on independent school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to serving as a teammate within the Advancement Office, Sam will help PCDS realize its strategic objectives through managing the School’s next capital campaign. Sam brings not only outstanding experience to PCDS, but a happy, healthy, hardworking ethos to all that he does. Welcome, Sam! We look forward to sharing Strategic Plan updates with our greater community through future editions of The Bridge. n
Thanks to a dedicated team of experts and a disciplined investment plan, our endowment has reached record heights, recently approaching the $33M milestone—nearly 2.5 times what it was a decade ago. While there is rarely much fanfare around our endowment, it is the driving force behind virtually every significant action we take—from hiring the best and brightest faculty members, to sustaining the most robust programs in the state, to making sure we can support the financial needs of every family we welcome to our campus.
16 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Louis Famil Societ FOR
PLANNED
GIVING
The Louis Family Society for Planned Giving recognizes members of the extended PCDS community who have included the School in their estate plans.
You are Invited to Leave a Legacy GIFTS FROM YOUR WILL OR TRUST The most popular way to make a planned gift is with a simple bequest to PCDS. Through your will or other estate plans, you may name PCDS as the beneficiary of a portion of your estate or of particular assets in your estate.
GIFTS FROM A RETIREMENT PLAN Donate assets subject to taxation and leave more to your family.
GIFTS FROM YOUR DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS Make an outright gift from your donor-advised fund or name PCDS as the ultimate beneficiary of the remainder in the fund.
GIFTS OF LIFE INSURANCE Make a significant gift to PCDS even without a large estate by naming PCDS as the beneficiary of your life insurance.
GIFTS OF REAL ESTATE Donate a valuable asset in exchange for powerful tax benefits.
LIFE-INCOME GIFTS There are a variety of tax-advantaged life-income gifts that you may wish to consider, including Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities.
Please consult with your tax advisor or estate attorney about tax implications and which options are best for you. For more information or to let us know you have arranged for a planned gift, contact: Roz Abero ’89, roz.abero@pcds.org, 602.955.8200 x2221 SUMMER 2020/21 | 17
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Growing Together
by LS Head Curtis Fee and LS Administrative Assistant Amy Hill
B
efore this past school year even started, despite COVID, Mr. Fee met with teachers and parents over his first summer as LS Head and asked, “What do you value about PCDS and why is LS a special place?” Over and over again the resounding responses were “the community.” So, here was Mr. Fee’s dilemma: How could he maintain and nurture this deep sense of community in the midst of a global pandemic where separation and distance were key mitigating measures? And to do so as a new leader with no preexisting relationships or connections?
FACTS: BA, Truman State University MTS, Urshan Graduate School of Theology Former Head of School, Archway Classical Academy, North Phoenix Former Interim Head of School, Rivermont Collegiate, Iowa He has traveled to twenty-five different countries on five continents and has lived in Russia, France, and The Netherlands.
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The primary objective for the pandemic year, of course, was safety. The teachers and parents needed to know that PCDS was taking every precaution to ensure a safe environment for all who chose to be on campus. “Applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is difficult, if not impossible, to experience love and belonging until a sense of security is firmly established,” explained Mr. Fee. “To keep students safe we kept cohorts separate during recess, PE, lunch, etc, yet we wanted them to feel connected to the whole of LS.” At the beginning of every day, each class logged onto Zoom to listen to a story, to share
“ As I built relationships with these wonderfully supportive families, I made every effort for them to see the good things that were happening on campus.” LS Head Curtis Fee
what they were learning in class, to discover more about a teacher through an interview, or to learn how to treat one another with kindness. At the conclusion of these meetings, the whole LS would take three deep breaths and wish each other well. As the pandemic year progressed, Mr. Fee implemented more ways to stay connected while apart. Students created a collaborative mural, entitled Growing Together. Large sections of pegboard were hung on the LS playground, and each student painted a flower, which artistically represented both their unique qualities and also their contribution to one common garden. Another community-building activity was Final Fridays. During these virtual monthly celebration assemblies, students shared accomplishments, celebrated birthdays, and joined in song. According to Mr. Fee, “These were small but meaningful ways to acknowledge that we were part of the same LS family.” Due to the restriction of visitors on campus, Mr. Fee made a concerted effort to connect with LS families. During each trimester, he hosted Parent Connection Zoom meetings for each grade level so that he could share with families what was happening in our LS and to hear about any questions and concerns. Every morning you could find him at the early childhood entrance greeting students and families. And every afternoon Mr. Fee walked the car line while chatting with parents, asking them how the year was going, and helping students get into their cars.
WELCOME, AMY Amy Hill joined PCDS as the LS Administrative Assistant in the summer of 2020 after having most recently worked—along with Mr. Fee—at Archway North Phoenix as the Communication Coordinator and Director of Operations. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BA degree.
“As I built relationships with these wonderfully supportive families,” stated Mr. Fee, “I made every effort for them to see the good things that were happening on campus.” For instance, LS Track and Field Day was live streamed via webinar, and Mr. Fee made his broadcasting debut, complete with play-by-play commentary and interviews of both teachers and students. Virtual parent pop-ins occurred regularly in the classrooms for student presentations, to read stories, to celebrate birthdays, and to observe choice time. “To the extent possible, I wanted parents to know that they are an integral part of our LS community,” shared Mr. Fee. As Mr. Fee looks forward to the new school year, he is considering it an extension of his first year: “Year One, Part Two”. “I wasn’t able to witness many of the events and opportunities that the true PCDS experience affords, so I am looking forward to First Friday, Blue & Gold Day, Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, and so much more.” Mr. Fee hopes that LS can continue some of the events that were started this past year, such as Living Literature Day and Global School Play Day, both of which were thoroughly enjoyed and embraced by the community, especially the students. With the glimmer of normalcy on the horizon, Mr. Fee will continue to champion the education of the whole child at PCDS, developing the social, emotional, and intellectual habits necessary to become “authentic individuals, inspired learners, and compassionate members of our community.” n
Thank you to Jaki Ivins who, before retiring, piloted our LS for nine years after serving as a LS teacher. We trust that Jaki is spending her retirement enjoying the things she adores most: Family, reading, gardening, her neighborhood walks around the lake, and whenever she is able, trips to her beloved England.
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FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Welcome to Other New Faces in Our Community Dr. Lynetta Binger, Tim Mitten, and Abby Pontius
Dr. Lynetta Binger Imagine just starting out in a brand new role as a school division leader at a fairly familiar place. After having held a teaching position at that same school for just a few years, you actually begin to get some footing in your new position when, out of nowhere, the COVID-19 pandemic hits and completely shifts the priorities of your new role. Overnight, you are expected to be a leader in this new and unfamiliar territory of on-line learning while also readying your division—faculty, parents, and students—for the possibility of mostly shifting back to a safe, in-person learning option within five months time. To do this, your job also requires you to manage and support all the questions, concerns, fears, and dilemmas that this challenging time demands, not to mention reevaluating and, in many cases, reworking the known teaching spaces and methods that had been so successfully used to educate our US students prior to the pandemic. This was the world of Dr. Lynetta Binger throughout the months leading up to the pandemic school year and throughout it. Within 2.5 months, Dr. Binger went from PCDS Biology teacher, to Interim Head of US, to Interim Head of US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout all the adversity,
FACTS: BS, The University of the South MS, University of Illinois PhD, University of Illinois Advanced Biology Teacher, Episcopal High School, Virginia Former Teacher, The Madeira School, Virginia Dr. Binger became the first in her family to go to college, and she furthered her education to earn a PhD in entomology.
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Dr. Binger fought hard for her faculty, parents, and students. She helped to lift them when things got rough, and she served as a guide through the unexpected, turbulent, and unfamiliar terrain. Because of her dedication, sacrifices, skills, and willingness to ride whatever wave came her way, our US community was able to emerge even stronger. As a result, our US can thankfully, and with great pride, now refer to Dr. Binger not as our Interim Head of US but as our bold and courageous Head of US. “ While my learning curve was especially steep this past year, it was deeply fulfilling to be in a position to serve a community that I cherish and to help see us through such a turbulent time. We should be proud of all that PCDS accomplished this year. I am particularly happy that the US was able to reimagine all of our important events and traditions in the face of COVID restrictions. My hope for next year is that we continue to come together as a community, fostering the sense of belonging that helps our students ask critical questions, engage in civil discourse, and embrace challenges courageously.”
Tim Mitten
Abby Pontius
Tim Mitten, our new Director of Campus Safety and Security, was hired to carry out the safety objectives outlined in our School’s Strategic Plan. During Mr. Mitten’s first year, which also happened to be the pandemic school year, he has already spearheaded numerous initiatives and projects. These have included securing the southern perimeter of campus with proper fencing, creating limited access points for the softball and lower fields, and improving our camera systems. Additionally, over the summer of 2021, a new entryway will be installed in the Walk of Champions which will be accompanied by a new badge swipe system.
Abby Pontius joined PCDS as the Director of Finance and Operations just prior to the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic year, Ms. Pontius played an integral role in the decision-making around all the components needed for our successful virtual and in-person learning platforms from March of 2020 through June of 2021. Ms. Pontius worked closely with the Head of School, committees, and our Trustees in order to maintain our School’s robust financial position while also implementing all the safety measures necessary for in-person learning.
Mr. Mitten joins PCDS after 31 years in law enforcement and security. In this new role at PCDS, he will continue to assess our School’s overall safety and security protocols. His longterm plan is to focus on all the areas that examine safety and security which include all physical aspects of the campus, emergency and crisis management policies and procedures, trainings, and student and staff safety measures. Mr. Mitten felt it imperative to begin his role by interviewing a variety of faculty and staff in order to gain a firm understanding of their security roles on campus, any areas of concern that they might have, and any improvements that they felt needed to be made in order to best protect our faculty, staff, and students on campus. “ My goal is to be a resource to our community and to help create the safest place possible to learn while not stifling movement and exploration.”
A bit about Abby Pontius: Ms. Pontius brings extensive management and finance experience to the PCDS Business Office. Most recently, she served as Director of Finance and Administration for Make-a-Wish Foundation International, and prior to that role, Ms. Pontius was the Director of Finance and Administration for the National Archives Foundation in Washington, D.C. “ Starting a new job during a global pandemic wasn’t easy, but having an amazing team to work with made all the difference. The collaboration efforts of the administration team, the Trustees, and really everyone at our School I had the pleasure of working with were unparalleled. It made a difficult year also an enjoyable one.”
Thank you to Ken Brodell for his commitment and service to our School as the Director of Finance and Operations prior to his 2020 retirement.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 21
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
The Show Must Go On by Taraneh Atri ’21 and Bijan Atri ’24
Bijan Atri ’24
Halley Moran ’22
Taraneh Atri ’21
Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters, is a collection of poems that describe the lives of the residents of Spoon River. The residents have passed away and are speaking to the audience from beyond the grave. While some speak about their relationships with other townspeople, others attempt to portray a message about life in a small town, and some simply reflect on the life they lived. Due to COVID-19, there were many changes in the structure of the 2020 fall play that allowed it to happen. For example, everyone involved performed individual monologues, and the production was held outside, around the entirety of the PCDS campus. The audience members traveled in small groups, and they stopped to listen to each Spoon River resident as they toured the town. Each resident was stationed at a miniature set built by our PCDS Stagecraft Class, and we (all the actors) performed our monologues about twenty-five times over the course of the night. I, Taraneh, chose to play the role of Aner Clute, a woman whose profession is widely frowned upon by the members of the town. She talks about how in a small town, once someone is labeled as something, that label becomes their life. It becomes impossible for her to select another profession, as the town does not see her as anything other than what she does. To me, the message Aner Clute is trying to portray is still very relevant in today’s world, and I enjoyed the process of figuring out how to play a character that both speaks in metaphors and shares a message. I learned how to emphasize specific words, pause in places that highlight a phrase, and how to perform poetry in a way that is almost conversational. I, Bijan, played the role of Trainor the Druggist, a man who preferred to spend his time analyzing the lives of others rather than live his own. He remarks on human interactions, equating other townspeople to certain chemical reactions and their children as products. With this being the first production I’ve acted in, it was great fun learning how to embody the character of Trainor and step into his shoes. As a senior and a freshman, we were both at different stages in our theater careers, but we both agree that Spoon River Anthology was a unique, innovative experience that we will never forget. n
22 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Annika Almquist ’22
SUMMER 2020/21 | 23
STUDENT SECTION
National Merit Competition Seven seniors recognized
Seven members of the Class of 2021 received recognition in the National Merit Scholarship competition. The PCDS senior class is comprised of: 2 Merit Semi-finalists and 5 Commended Scholars.
Top row: Neil Patil (C), Ben Marsden (C), Michael Bendok (SF). Bottom row: Samuel Travis (C), Katie Bartolino (C), Taraneh Atri (C). Not pictured: Leah Schroeder (SF). (SF: Semi-Finalist; C: Commended)
24 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
2021 US Awards
Presented at the US Awards Ceremony prior to graduation Art Department Award: Cloe Short ’22
Spanish Award: Claire Elizabeth Linos ’21, Elliot Wessel ’22
Endeavor Award: Lauren Yeung ’22
French Award: Charlotte Sevrain ’22, Katherine Cohen ’22
Media Arts Award: Lucas R. Olschansky ’21
Latin Award: Keara Dean ’22, Sabrina Bailey ’22
Vocal Award: Bennett Foster Montrose ’21
Mandarin Award: Ethan Michael Lambert ’21
Jazz Band Award: Eli Frederick Silverman ’21
Emerging Linguist: Mieke Rempe ’22
Strings Award: Aaron Bracher ’21
Eagle Awards: Benjamin Phillip Brodsky ’21, Ciara D. Rethore ’21,
Theatre Arts Award: George Matthew Nassar ’21 English Award: Lucas R. Olschansky ’21, Raechel Orli Rawicz ’21 English Award for Writing: Olivia Jiajen Vu ’21, Neil-Aryan Arun Patil ’21, Ethan Michael Lambert ’21 W. David Martin History Award: Neil-Aryan Arun Patil ’21 Salo Baron Prize: Pierce Emerson Florey ’21 Mathematics Award: Benjamin O. Marsden ’21 Rensselaer Medal: Sam Tepper ’22 Physical Science Award: Thomas R. Higgins ’21 Life Science Award: Lucas Oland ’22 Bausch & Lomb Award: Daniela Castro-Martinez ’22
Most Outstanding Athlete Awards: Benjamin O. Marsden ’21, Alexandra Xanthos ’21, Athletic Prizes: Will John Miraglia ’21, Quinn Evelyn Murphy ’21 Victor D. Feeney Prize: Benjamin O. Marsden ’21 Senior Prizes: Michael R. Bendok ’21, Lucy Mesfin Negatu ’21, Dylan Simone Weiss ’21 Robert Hendrickson Community Service Award: Marisa H. Greenberg ’21 Galen Brewster Leadership Prize: Benjamin Phillip Brodsky ’21 Margaret Madden Senior Speech Prize: Anika G. Patel ’21 Faculty Prize: Pierce Emerson Florey ’21
Anika G. Patel ’21 delivering her senior speech at commencement.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 25
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Swim & Dive Boys’ DIII State Champions Division III Boys’ Swim Coach of the Year:
Individual State Champions:
Mike Maczuga
100 Back: Quinn Murphy ’21
Division III Girls’ Dive Coach of the Year:
400 Free Relay: Harper Alt ’24, Tatum Horton ’23, Quinn Murphy ’21, Charlize Szetzo ’22
Kristin Pruett
26 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Below, back row: Richard Humphreys ’23, Max Goldstein ’21, Lucas Olschansky ’21, Caleb Humphreys ’23, Oliver Lehmann ’24. Bottom row: Coach Maczuga, Lucas Oland ’22, Tyler Sessler ’22, Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Eli Silverman ’21, Wade Hunter ’22, Bennett Russo ’24, Coach Pruett
Above, back row: Tatum Horton ’23, Harper Alt ’24, Charlize Szetzo ’22. Center: Quinn Murphy ’21
School Records: 100 Breast, 200 Free: Jaxon Gonzales ’21 400 Free Relay: Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Richard Humphreys ’23, Lucas Olschansky ’21, Tyler Sessler ’22
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Harper Alt ’24, Max Goldstein ’21, Sierra Goldstein ’24, Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Quinn Murphy ’21, Tyler Sessler ’22, Lauren Yeung ’22 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Max Goldstein ’21, Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Quinn Murphy ’21, Lucas Olschansky ’21, Neil Patil ’21, Eli Silverman ’21, Olivia Vu ’21
Note: Some athletes, due to COVID-19, were either unable to participate or chose not to participate in athletic competitions.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 27
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Boys’ Varsity Tennis Divi
28 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
sion III State Champions Division III Singles State Champion:
All Section Doubles Players of the Year:
Ashton Kroeger ’22
Eric Emami ’21, Tyler Tam ’23
Arizona Republic All-Arizona Team:
ATCA DIII Doubles Second Team All-State:
Ashton Kroeger ’22
All Division Player of the Year: Ashton Kroeger ’22
All Section Singles Player of the Year: Ashton Kroeger ’22
ATCA DIII Singles First Team All-State: Ashton Kroeger ’22
Arizona Male Tennis Player of the Year: Ashton Kroeger ’22
Eric Emami ’21, Tyler Tam ’23
Division III Coach of the Year: Jerry Keever All Section Coach of the Year: Jerry Keever Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Eric Emami ’21, Ashton Kroeger ’22, Bennett Montrose ’21 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Eric Emami ’21, Bennett Montrose ’21
Below: Justin Horlick ’22, Bijan Atri ’24, Tyler Tam ’23, Jacques Sevrain ’24, Bennett Montrose ’21, Coach Keever, Eric Emami ’21, Sam Tepper ’22, Andrew Marks ’23, Ashton Kroeger ’22, Walker Murff ’24. Not pictured: Tanti Felli ’22
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ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
30 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
From left: Anna Sabol ’24, Kimi Cahoon ’24, Ella Brenes ’23, Jenna Powell ’24
Track & Field State Champions in four events
Girls Team 4th in State State Champion 800 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24 State Champion 1600 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24 State Champion 3200 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24 State Champions 4 x 800 meter: Ella Brenes ’23, Kimi Cahoon ’24, Jenna Powell ’24, Anna Sabol ’24 3rd Place 1600 meter: Anna Sabol ’24 7th Place 800 meter: Ella Brenes ’23 7th Place 3200 meter: Ella Brenes ’23 8th Place 3200 meter: Jenna Powell ’24 9th Place 800 meter: Anna Sabol ’24 9th Place 1600 meter: Ella Brenes ’23 Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Ella Brenes ’23, Kimi Cahoon ’24, La Quay Jenkins ’24, Ben Kreisberger ’21, Jenna Powell ’24, Elliot Wessel ’22
Kimi Cahoon ’24, State Champion in four events
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ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Boys’ Varsity Soccer Finishes Runner-Up at State Finals 3A Metro North Region Champions / 3-2 loss at State Championship match
From left: Luca Prozzillo ’21, Adam Burns ’23, Max McCavitt ’24, Devin Bansal ’22, Christian Levitz ’21, Alex Sondergaard ’23, Esben Sorensen ’23, Quinn Pruitt ’23, Coach Horlick, Coach Rodin, Parker Milliken ’23, Ben Kreisberger ’21, Connor Lloyds ’23, Ben Marsden ’21, Speed Gregory ’22, Edu Abero ’24, Jonah Kaplan ’23, Jayce Huskey ’23, Banks Voss ’23. Not pictured: Ely Brayboy ’22
32 32 || PCDS PCDS THE THE BRIDGE BRIDGE
All Conference First Team: Speed Gregory ’22 All Conference Honorable Mention:
All Region Honorable Mention: Jayce Huskey ’23, Ben Marsden ’21
Devin Bansal ’22, Jonah Kaplan ’23, Alex Sondergaard ’23
Internal School Awards:
All Region Player of the Year: Speed Gregory ’22
Coaches’ Awards: Ben Kreisberger ’21, Christian Levitz ’21, Ben Marsden ’21, Luca Prozzillo ’21
All Region First Team: Devin Bansal ’22, Speed Gregory ’22, Jonah Kaplan ’23, Alex Sondergaard ’23
Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Ben Kreisberger ’21, Christian Levitz ’21, Ben Marsden ’21, Luca Prozzillo ’21
All Region Second Team: Ely Brayboy ’22, Adam Burns ’23
SUMMER SUMMER 2020/21 2020/21 || 33 33
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Girls’ Varsity Tennis Division III State Semifinalists
From left: Taraneh Atri ’21, Milan Sewell ’23, Julia Black ’23, Elsa Jackson ’22, Katie Bartolino ’21, Coach Keever, Kiran Tuli ’21, Dylan Weiss ’21, Ellie Bartolino ’23, Marisa Greenberg ’21, Misha Ghafouri ’23 Milan Sewell ’23
Julia Black ’23, Katie Bartolino ’21
AIA Division III Singles Runner-up:
ATCA DIII Second Team Doubles All-State:
Milan Sewell ’23
Julia Black ’23, Katie Bartolino ’21
Arizona Republic All-Arizona Team: Milan Sewell ’23
Arizona Republic All-Arizona Team Honorable Mention: Katie Bartolino ’21
All Section Singles Player of the Year:
Internal Awards:
Milan Sewell ’23
All Section Doubles Players of the Year: Katie Bartolino ’21, Julia Black ’23
ATCA DIII First Team Singles All-State: Milan Sewell ’23 34 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Coaches’ Awards: Ellie Bartolino ’23, Katie Bartolino ’21, Milan Sewell ’23 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Taraneh Atri ’21, Katie Bartolino ’21, Marisa Greenberg ’21, Kiran Tuli ’21, Dylan Weiss ’21
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Additional Athletic Awards Congratulations to the following teams and students for athletic honors and awards
GIRLS’ VARSITY VOLLEYBALL—Fall
GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER—Winter
State Playoff Quarterfinalists
State Playoff Qualifier
Division Recognition:
Division Recognition:
All Region First Team: Hannah Drewitz ’21, Lilly Robinson ’22
3A Central Region Coach of the Year: Coach Andy McKean
All Region Second Team: Ella Wilmink ’22
All Conference Honorable Mention: Anna Sabol ’24, Ryan Schumacher ’21
All Region Honorable Mention: Alex Xanthos ’21
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Hannah Drewitz ’21, Justine Money ’21, Ciara Rethore ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Hannah Drewitz ’21, Justine Money ’21, Ciara Rethore ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY—Fall Third at AIA Sectionals, Sixth at AIA State Meet Arizona Republic All-Arizona Honorable Mention, Second at AIA Sectionals, Fourth at AIA State Meet: Kimi Cahoon ’24 Sixth at AIA Sectionals, 30th at AIA State Meet: Claire Linos ’21 Eleventh at AIA Sectionals, 25th at AIA State Meet: Ella Brenes ’23
All Conference Second Team: Alex Xanthos ’21
All Region First Team: Anna Sabol ’24, Ryan Schumacher ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21 All Region Second Team: Hailey DeMark ’22, Sammie McKee ’24, Justine Money ’21 All Region Honorable Mention: Ciara Rethore ’21, Charlotte Sevrain ’22
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Johanna Gonzalez Coachi ’21, Ciara Rethore ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Anna Casey ’21, Johanna Gonzalez Coachi ’21, Justine Money ’21, Ciara Rethore ’21, Ryan Schumacher ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21
GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL—Winter State Playoff Qualifier
Internal School Awards:
Division Recognition:
Coaches’ Awards: Kimi Cahoon ’24, Ben Kreisberger ’21, Claire Linos ’21
All Conference First Team, All Region Player of the Year, All Region First Team: Nara Kiabara ’23
Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Claire Linos ’21
All Conference Honorable Mention: Eesha Narwani ’21 All Region First Team: Nara Kaibara ’23, Eesha Narwani ’21 All Region Second Team: Kimi Cahoon ’24 All Region Honorable Mention: Ella Brenes ’23, Manya Madala ’23
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Kimi Cahoon ’24, Nara Kaibara ’23, Eesha Narwani ’21 Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Eesha Narwani ’21 Coach Andy McKean—Soccer
Nara Kiabara ’23—Basketball
Note: Some athletes, due to COVID-19, were either unable to participate or chose not to participate in athletic competitions.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 35
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS All Region Honorable Mention: Brianna Graham ’23, Jadynn Jones ’23, Natalie Vu ’23
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Sabrina Bailey ’22, Noemi Hernandez ’21, Jadynn Jones ’23 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Noemi Hernandez ’21, Eesha Narwani ’21
Will Miraglia ’21—Basketball
Tanti Felli ’22—Basketball
BOYS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL—Winter State Playoff Quarterfinalists All Conference Player of the Year: Will Miraglia ’21 All Conference First Team: Will Miraglia ’21, Tanti Felli ’22 All Region Player of the Year: Will Miraglia ’21 All Region Defensive Player of the Year: Tanti Felli ’22 All Region First Team: Will Miraglia ’21, Tanti Felli ’22
BASEBALL—Spring 2A State Playoff Qualifier
Division Recognition: All Conference First Team: Cole Sorosky ’22 All Conference Second Team: Tim Moriarty ’23 All Region First Team: Tim Moriarty ’23, Cole Sorosky ’22 All Region Second Team: Adam Burns ’23, Frank Kaplan ’24, Ben Lewis ’23
Internal School Awards:
All Region Second Team: Kiahn Tehranchi ’22
Coaches’ Awards: Frank Kaplan ’24, Tim Moriarty ’23, Cole Sorosky ’22
All Region Honorable Mention: Ben Brodsky ’21, Samuel Steiner ’21, Sam Tepper ’22
Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Matthew Linhart ’21
Internal School Awards:
GOLF—Spring
Coaches’ Awards: Ben Brodsky ’21, Tanti Felli ’22, Will Miraglia ’21 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Ben Brodsky ’21, Will Miraglia ’21, Matthew Linhart ’21, Chris Santos ’21, Samuel Steiner ’21
SOFTBALL—Spring
Fourth Place in Metro Region Tournament Top 25 State Finishers: Devan Amin ’23, Sammy Marks ’22, Ben Marsden ’21 Coaches’ Awards: Jack Lindquist ’24, Ben Marsden ’21, Annabelle Winssinger ’23
Division Recognition:
Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Ben Marsden ’21, Will Miraglia ’21, Jacob Singer ’21
All Region Offensive Player of the Year: Katie Hendrickson ’24
END-OF-THE-YEAR US ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT OVERALL HONORS
All Conference Second Team: Katie Hendrickson ’24
Most Outstanding Athletes: Ben Marsden ’21, Alex Xanthos ’21
All Region First Team: Katie Hendrickson ’24
36 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Seventh Place at State Tournament
Internal School Awards:
2A State Playoff Qualifier
All Region Second Team: Sabrina Bailey ’22, Noemi Hernandez ’21
Division III State Playoff Qualifier
Eagle Award Winners: Ben Brodsky ’21, Ciara Rethore ’21 Athletic Prizes: Will Miraglia ’21, Quinn Murphy ’21 Katie Hendrickson ’24—Softball
MS Eagle Sports Awards: Jake Gregory ’25, Quincy Rodin ’25
ATHLETICS RECAP 2021
2021 Eagle Athletes Spread Their Wings
Five graduates from the Class of 2021 will continue playing their sport at the NCAA level
Jaxon Gonzales, swimming, Seattle University Will Miraglia, basketball, Rice University Tanner Hamilton, rowing, Drexel University Quinn Murphy, swimming, Yale University Piper Priem, ice hockey, Salve Regina University SUMMER 2020/21 | 37
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
Spring Musical: A Real Snoopy Classic— COVID-style! by Raechel Rawicz ’21 & Simone Rawicz ’21
As the weekends and holidays roll around, many of us tune in to watch the adventures of The Peanuts. In our house, we always watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Thanksgiving. This year, however, we were able to see our favorite characters in an entirely new way—on stage. Suddenly, the lovable friend group we had seen on TV throughout our childhood was coming to life, but this time with us and our friends. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown provides insight into the perspectives of a young boy, Charlie Brown; his sister, Sally; his friends, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and Peppermint Patty; and his beloved dog, Snoopy as they navigate the ups and downs of daily life. The show is undeniably relatable, and at one time or another, we can all see aspects of ourselves in each character—Schroeder’s passion for his interests, Snoopy’s adoration for life (and suppertime!), and Charlie Brown’s internal monologue of self doubt. Each character was portrayed by multiple actors throughout the show. I, Raechel, played one of the Lucys while I, Simone, played one of the Snoopys. Much like everything else this year, our spring musical was reimagined in order to ensure the safety of the artists and the audience. Instead of occurring in Dorrance Auditorium, we performed in various outdoor settings in the LS, MS, and US campuses. Some of our favorite moments throughout the shows were the improvised interactions between the actors (always in character) and audience during the scene transitions: our production was truly a uniquely immersive experience. And, the audience loved playing along with us! Although our time on the PCDS stage has come to an end, we are so grateful for all the opportunities that the theater department has given to us. How fitting for us that in our final production at PCDS, we performed a show with a central message of growing up and personal development—a perfect parallel as we graduate and begin the next chapter of our lives in college. n Right top, from left: Nora Palermo ’24, Theater Director Keith Burns; Halley Moran ’22, Nora Palermo ’24, Jewel Abdo ’21; Elliot Ernster ’22. Bottom, back row from left: Max Cabianca ’23, Harrison Whitfill ’24, Katie Bartolino ’21, Kori Schwarz ’21, Caleb Humphreys ’23, Rohin Kumar ’24, Bryce Bzdak ’23. Third row: Nora Palermo ’24, Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Raechel Rawicz ’21, Jewel Abdo ’21, Taraneh Atri ’21, Simone Rawicz ’21, Abby Caplan ’23, Erin Florance ’22, Anika Almquist ’22, Halley Moran ’22, Elliot Ernster ’22, Miranda Jarvis ’23, Jason Lin ’24. Second row: Lucas Oland ’22, George Nassar ’21, Aaron Wang ’23, Jaden Grossman ’21, Katie Eckerman ’23, Bennett Montrose ’21, Sienna Liljegren ’22, Jack Dahl ’24, Bijan Atri ’24. Bottom row: Ronan Keul ’24, Jade Loelke ’22, Jasmyn Loelke ’22, Mr. Burns, Ms. Harris, Mx. Mixon
38 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
SUMMER 2020/21 | 39
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
Speech & Debate Results Team results between January 2020 and June 2021
UPPER SCHOOL – SPRING 2020 At the 2019-2020 National tournament, PCDS received the Speech School of Excellence award for placing in the top-20 schools overall in speech events. This is the fifth straight year earning a national team award, and the fourth time they have placed in the top-20. The tournament was held online and nine students represented PCDS: Ryan Horlick ’20, Michael Bendok ’21, Pierce Florey ’21, Ethan Lambert ’21, Anika Patel ’21, Neil Patil ’21, Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22, McKinley Paltzik ’23.
The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament
Arizona State University Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Invitational
3rd Place Duo Interpretation: Ryan Horlick ’20, Yash Wadwekar ’22
Fourth Place Team
12th Place in Prose Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22
Humorous Interpretation Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22
13th Place in Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21
2nd Place Informative Speaking: Nina Amin ’21
Quarterfinalist Top-30: Ethan Lambert ’21 – Programmed Oral Interpretation
3rd Place Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: Pierce Florey ’21
Pierce Florey ’21 – International Extemporaneous Speaking
3rd Place Duo Interpretation: Ryan Horlick ’20, Yash Wadwekar ’22
McKinley Paltzik ’23 – International Extemporaneous Speaking
3rd Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Emory Murff ’21
Anika Patel ’21 – Original Oratory
5th Place Prose Interpretation: Annika Almquist ’22
Harvard National Tournament
AIA Division I State Tournament
3rd Place Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Team: State Runners-Up
5th Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Impromptu Speaking Champion: Pierce Florey ’21
Semifinalist Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21 Semifinalists Duo Interpretation: Ryan Horlick ’20, Yash Wadwekar ’22 Semifinalist Informative Speaking: Nina Amin ’21 Quarterfinalist JV Public Forum Debate: Sammy Marks ’22, Luca Prozzillo ’21 Quarterfinalist Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21
Informative Speaking Champion: Neil Patil ’21 Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Dramatic Interpretation Runner-Up: Ryan Horlick ’20 Extemporaneous Speaking Runner-Up: Pierce Florey ’21 Humorous Interpretation Runner-Up: Ethan Lambert ’21 Congressional Debate Runners-Up: Michael Bendok ’21, McKinley Paltzik ’23
Jackrabbit Jamboree at Mesa High School Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Programmed Oral Interpretation Champion: Ethan Lambert ’21 40 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
UPPER SCHOOL – FALL 2020-SPRING 2021 At the National Tournament, PCDS received the Speech School of Excellence award for finishing among the top-20 schools in the country in Speech events. This marks the sixth year in a row that PCDS received a national team award, and the third straight year placing in the top-20. This was the largest Nationals in history, and nine students represented PCDS and competed against nearly 400 other competitors in their events: Devan Amin ’23, Nina Amin ’21, Misha Ghafouri ’23, Ria Mehta ’24, McKinley Paltzik ’23, Anika Patel ’21, Neil Patil ’21, Sai Vanderkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22.
The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament
Glenbrooks National
4th place in International Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
3rd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22
Semifinalist Round Qualifier/14th place in Dramatic Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Semifinalists/Top-14: Misha Ghafouri ’23 – Poetry Interpretation Yash Wadwekar ’22 – Original Spoken Word Top-30: Anika Patel ’21 – Informative Speaking Misha Ghafouri ’23 – Original Oratory Devan Amin ’23 – Expository Speaking Sai Vadnerkar ’22 – Prose Interpretation
Arizona NSDA District Tournament National Qualifiers Informative Speaking: Nina Amin ’21, Anika Patel ’21, Neil Patil ’21 Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22 Original Oratory: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Congressional Debate Champion: Michael Bendok ’21 5th Place International Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Semifinalist International Extemporaneous Speaking: Pierce Florey ’21 Semifinalist Original Oratory: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Quarterfinalist Original Oratory: Anika Patel ’21 Quarterfinalist Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21
Patriot Games Classic at George Mason University Extemporaneous Speaking Round Robin Runner-Up: Pierce Florey ’21 Informative Speaking Runner-Up: Anika Patel ’21 Extemporaneous Speaking Semifinalist: Pierce Florey ’21
Arizona State University Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Invitational Fourth Place Team Impromptu Speaking Champion: Neil Patel ’21 Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Yale University Invitational
2nd Place Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
2nd Place Informative Speaking: Nina Amin ’21
Semifinalist Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22
Montgomery Bell Academy Extemporaneous Speaking Round Robin 4th Place: McKinley Paltzik ’23
3rd Place Original Oratory: Anika Patel ’21 3rd Place Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21 3rd Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Misha Ghafouri ’23 3rd Place Impromptu Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 5th Place Impromptu Speaking: Pierce Florey ’21 SUMMER 2020/21 | 41
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION UPPER SCHOOL – FALL 2020-SPRING 2021 – Continued
Harvard National Tournament
ASDCA Division I Winter Trophy
2nd Place Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
Fifth Place Team
Semifinalist Dramatic Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22
Poetry Interpretation Champion: Kirtana Roopan ’22
Quarterfinalist Original Oratory: Misha Ghafouri ’23
Congressional Debate Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Quarterfinalist Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Impromptu Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
AIA Division I State Tournament
Novice Public Forum Debate Champions: Tabitha Cohen ’24, Ria Mehta ’24
Team: State Runners-Up
Scorpion Spectacular at Basis Peoria
Congressional Debate Champions: Michael Bendok ’21, McKinley Paltzik ’23
First Place Small Schools Sweepstakes
Informative Speaking Champion: Anika Patel ’21
Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Poetry Interpretation Champion: Kirtana Roopan ’22
Impromptu Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Prose Interpretation Champion: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Impromptu Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Extemporaneous Speaking Runner-Up: Pierce Florey ’21 Original Oratory Runner-Up: Anika Patel ’21 Dramatic Interpretation Runner-Up: Yash Wadwekar ’22
Jim Fountain Classic at McClintock High School Third Place Team Congressional Debate Champions: Michael Bendok ’21, Pierce Florey ’21, Yash Wadwekar ’22 Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: Pierce Florey ’21 Impromptu Speaking Champion: Pierce Florey ’21
Toro Country Classic at Mountain View High School Fifth Place Team Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
42 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Informative Speaking Champion: Nina Amin ’21
Jackrabbit Jamboree at Mesa High School Third Place Team Dramatic Interpretation Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Poetry Interpretation Champion: Kirtana Roopan ’22 Original Oratory Champion: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Programmed Oral Interpretation Champion: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
MIDDLE SCHOOL – FALL 2020-JUNE 2021 The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament The Middle School Speech Challenge was an online competition that hosted close to 1,000 middle school students, representing nearly 200 schools from 35 states. 11 PCDS students competed in the tournament earning PCDS the tournament’s highest honor, a School of Excellence award. Three PCDS students were named Showcase Finalists, finishing in the top 10% of their events. Team: School of Excellence Award Showcase Finalists: Jiya Mutyala ’25 – Declamation Speaking Aaryan Wadwekar ’26 – Original Oratory Tara Ghafoui ’27 – Poetry Interpretation
Spring High School Middle School Speech and Drama Tournament Humorous Interpretation Champion: Tara Ghafouri ’27 2nd Place Storytelling: Mia Coviello ’26 3rd Place Declamation Speaking: Jiya Mutyala ’25 3rd Place Storytelling: Kavin Mutyala ’27 4th Place Storytelling: Rachel Coviello ’26 4th Place Declamation Speaking: Ula Stratz ’27
Jackrabbit Jamboree at Mesa High School Congressional Debate Champion: Aaryan Wadwekar ’26
Southern States Middle School Speech and Debate Championship Poetry Interpretation Runner-Up: Tara Ghafouri ’27
Middle School Tournament of Champions at University of Kentucky Dramatic Interpretation Runner-Up: Aaryan Wadwekar ’26 5th Place Dramatic Interpretation: Christina Keller ’26 6th Place Declamation Speaking: Jiya Mutyala ’25
Calling all PCDS Grandparents and Grandfriends: If you haven’t already done so, send an email to chris.hall@pcds.org and request to receive our monthly digital newsletter, PCDS Connections. It highlights excerpts from The Weekly Eagle and includes special features for our grandparents and grandfriends.
PHILANTHROPY
44 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
PCDS
The Annual Fund is the backbone of philanthropy at Phoenix Country Day School as it provides the resources our School needs to bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a PCDS education. Like all independent schools around the country, PCDS relies on charitable donations to help us meet the true need—and especially this past year, as we spent nearly $1,000,000 on measures to keep our School open and our community safe.
ANNUAL FUND
Look for the symbol to the left throughout this issue to identify PCDS Annual Fund dollars at work.
ANNUAL FUND
“ Given the current environment, and the unprecedented challenges schools have faced in dealing with the pandemic, we more than ever wanted to show our support. PCDS has gone above and beyond our expectations, so contributing in some small way to help our School maintain its course of a safety-first environment is something our family was more than happy to do.” — The Horlick Family P’20, ’22, ’26
We ask each community member to pledge their Annual Fund support today, payable by June 30, 2022. Your gift is tax-deductible. Participation is key. Make your gift today: pcds.org/give Questions about supporting PCDS? Please contact Katie Charles, Director of Annual Giving, at (602) 955-8200 x 2346 or katie.charles@pcds.org
2020-2021 RESULTS $1,023,184 A record year—the most total Annual Fund dollars ever raised in PCDS history Thank you to our generous community of parents, faculty, staff, alumni, grandparents, and friends for your support of the 2020-2021 PCDS Annual Fund. Your unwavering generosity has helped keep our School strong.
2,048 Total Donations
77%
Parent Participation
100%
Board of Trustees & Alumni Board Participation
99.5%
Faculty & Staff Participation
SUMMER 2020/21 | 45
PHILANTHROPY
PCDS Tax Credit
Arizona taxpayers can further the education of private school students
46 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
DEADLINE FOR PARTICIPATION IS APRIL 15, 2022 FOR THE 2021 TAX YEAR.
TAX CREDIT PCDS
VOICE WHERE YOUR STATE TAX DOLLARS GO! $ ARIZONA TAXPAYERS CAN DECIDE:
OR PCDS STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED
ARIZONA GENERAL FUND
1
MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION The maximum amount for 2021: $2,435 (married filer) and $1,219 (single filer).
2
CLAIM YOUR DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR CREDIT Visit www.PCDS.org/taxcredit for more information. CORPORATE TAX CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES ALSO AVAILABLE. Thank you to those to contributed to the most recent tax year contribution.
$751,088 Total Individual Dollars Raised
441
Total Individual Donations
$1,967,500
Total Corporate Dollars Raised (during 2020)
25
Total Corporate Donations
SUMMER 2020/21 | 47
Blue & Gold
Our annual event is back! And this time, we’ll also be celebrating the 60th birthday of PCDS!
Save the Date
Friday, October 22, 2021 PCDS Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Game, Food Trucks, Carnival Rides, DJ, Face Painting, Fireworks, and More.
48 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
ALUMNI BOARD
MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00 President Elizabeth Reahard Oviedo ’04 Vice President Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ’00 Secretary
Dear Fellow Eagle Alumni, One of the biggest goals of the Alumni Association is to create a vibrant community that lasts long after graduation. This year, as we all struggled to maintain a sense of community in our lives due to the pandemic, the Alumni Association pivoted our focus to virtual events and, in doing so, found our Eagle’s Nest to be as strong as ever. We were thrilled to see so many alumni on Zoom for our numerous online events that included trivia night, a virtual wine tasting, virtual reunions, and much more. Our networking panels allowed our PCDS alumni to share their professional expertises with both fellow graduates and current students in fields ranging from engineering to mental health. And, when PCDS students needed it most, our generous community came together to generously support the Alumni COVID-19 Assistance Fund and our Alumni Scholarship Fund. We hope that next year finds us bringing back traditional in-person events such as our Alumni Holiday Party and Alumni Reunion Weekend. We have missed seeing so many of our alums across the country during our regional events and look forward to getting back on the road when it is safe to do so. For those seeking the advice of alumni mentors as you graduate high school or college, PCDS:Connect is a fantastic resource to get valuable feedback from a fellow Eagle. If you haven’t yet registered to network with fellow PCDS graduates, it only takes a minute to get your profile up and running at pcdsconnect.org. A special thank you to our amazing PCDS faculty and staff who went above and beyond to make this year happen. We also send our sincere thanks to our alumni healthcare heroes who have been on the frontlines of COVID-19. We are so proud of our many alumni who have worked tirelessly to allow us all to be hopeful for better times ahead. Have a happy and healthy summer. Go Eagles!
Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00
Tim Daley ’89 Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ’91 Colby Kant Harris ’95 Sarah Vieh Dworkin ’98 Aylin Tashman Kim ’99 Gilbert Armenta ’00 Sasha Pasulka ’00 Ali Hicks LeClair ’01 Eric Fram ’09 Hannah Keogh ’10 Rachel Chanen ’11 Matthew Prusak ’11 Benjamin Marsden ’21 Simone Rawicz ’21
HANNAH KEOGH ’10 JOINS PCDS ALUMNI BOARD “ I am excited to be joining the PCDS Alumni Board as a way to give back to a school that provided me an opportunity to not only earn an invaluable education but gain lifelong friends. It’s already been a fulfilling experience to see firsthand how engaged the alumni community continues to be.“
SUMMER 2020/21 | 49
The PCDS Alumni Association congratulates the Classes of 2021 and 2020
CLASS OF 2021 DESTINATIONS
Jaden Harlee Grossman
Emory Murff
Jewel A. Abdo
Tanner S. Hamilton Drexel University
Quinn Evelyn Murphy
Meadow L. Harriss
Eesha Ajay Narwani
Noemi Hernandez
George Matthew Nassar
Thomas R. Higgins
Lucy Mesfin Negatu
University of Southern California
Gauri Agarwal
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Nina Yasmin Amin
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Taraneh Elizabeth Atri
Washington University in St Louis
Boston University
TBD
University of San Diego University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Katherine Grace Bartolino
Megan I. Horlick
Michael R. Bendok
Benjamin David Kreisberger
Aaron Bracher
Chloe Kwa
Dartmouth College
Stanford University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College Rochester Institute of Technology Purdue University
Jakob M. Lamber
Benjamin Phillip Brodsky
New York University
Anna Park Casey
Columbia University
Rachel Jaclyn Cooper
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Hannah Grace Drewitz
Arizona State University
Emory University
Cornell University
Indiana University Bloomington Point Loma Nazarene University
Hank Dryden
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Eric Jân Emami
Ethan Michael Lambert Calin Boston Li Yong Lane
Jessica Andrea Larrea-Betz Christian Burke Levitz Babson College
Matthew Eli Linhart University of Georgia
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Claire Elizabeth Linos
Pierce Emerson Florey
Ella Leanne Maffi
Case Western Reserve University
University of Chicago Yale University
San Diego State University University of California, San Diego Brown University
Lucas R. Olschansky
Northwestern University
Anika G. Patel
The University of Texas, Austin
Neil-Aryan Arun Patil New York University
Logan W. Prescott
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Piper Priem
Salve Regina University
Luca S. Prozzillo
The George Washington University
Raechel Orli Rawicz Vanderbilt University
Simone Lior Rawicz
Vanderbilt University
Tajh Seth Redden
Arizona State University
Ciara D. Rethore
College of Charleston
Benjamin Richardson
University of British Columbia Sciences Po Dual Degree Program
Wake Forest University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Benjamin O. Marsden
University of California, San Diego
Arjun Himgiri Rishi
Max G. Goldstein
Jesús Adán Martínez
Sadie Noel Rosenthal
Will John Miraglia
Christopher R. Santos
Sanya Mittal
Leah Evelyn Schroeder
Justine Alexis Money
Ryan Schumacher
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Bennett Foster Montrose
Kori Rebecca Schwarz
Marisa H. Greenberg
Victoria A. Noriega Moreno
Sachi Sharma
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Jaxon E. Gonzales
Arizona State University
Johanna Galilea Gonzalez Coachi
Rice University
Talia Rose Goodman
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Riley Nicole Grauer
Washington and Lee University
Seattle University
Grand Canyon University Duke University
University of Florida
50 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Wesleyan University
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of Wisconsin, Madison Vanderbilt University
Southern Methodist University The University of Texas, Austin Saint Louis University
Eli Frederick Silverman
Elyse Cristina Jane Glascock
Bennett Hutchins Milliken
Jacob Pollack Singer
Daniel Zambrano Gomez
John Edward Moore
Samuel B. Steiner
Alex Lee Haberman
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Chapman University
Caroline Mary Moriarty
Samuel Aidan Travis
Ryan Horlick
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Kiran Kaur Tuli
Sydney Rachel Hott
Olivia Jiajen Vu
Louis Russell Hulburd
Dylan Simone Weiss
Mira Devi Kaibara
Williams College
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Boston University Loyola Marymount University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Alexandra Xanthos
Santa Clara University
Karsen Michael Yue
University of California, Irvine
CLASS OF 2020 DESTINATIONS Semeon E. Afework
University of Notre Dame
Quanah McKinley Brayboy Yale University
Sena Isabelle Brenden
Cornell University Park University
Emory University
New York University
The University of Arizona Honors College
Noah William Kaplan
Washington University in St Louis
Kenya Kieler
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Hampton Presley Kohler
Loyola Marymount University
Jacob Charles Koster Brown University
Alain Kennard O. Kouchica
Case Western Reserve University
Indra Rubin Kwatra
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Northeastern University
United States Naval Academy Texas Christian University
Giselle Genevieve Neck
ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Jared Tadashi Novoa
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Pietro Marino Ori
New York University
Isabelle Mina Partovi
The University of British Columbia
Alexander Harry Petrides Willamette University
Maja Jessica Phillips
Northern Arizona University
Cameron James Pickle Baylor University
Saira Karina Puri
New York University
Nikolas Finn Riester
Arizona State University
Natalie Rae Rink
Washington and Lee University
Sarah Elizabeth Lett
Ethan Jonah Rosenfeld
Natalie Vail Lewis
Mattia Alfredo Saladini
Kira L’Isere Liljegren
Camille Yun Jung Sevrain
Amir M’saad
Isabella Eden Sigalove
David Solomon Machbitz
Jackson Tyler Sigalove
Arthi Macherla
Samantha Arline Stein
The University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
Sydney Michelle McCarter
Dylan Todd Stringer
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
New York University, Shanghai
Oscar Elias McNally
Brierly Michaele Wand
Macalester College
Butler University
Brett Hayes Miketinac
Kevin Joseph Wang
Texas Christian University
Chapman University
Chaya Joy Feng
Caden Joseph Mikkelsen
Willo Wass
Griffin Elliot Howley Freret
Cameron L. Miller
Ethan Mamoru Zimmerman
Santa Clara University
Kathleen Barbara Cereghini
Loyola Marymount University
Ethan Charles Cohen
The George Washington University
Elena Sylvia D’Avanzo Carleton College
Jessica Leigh Dady Tulane University
Dominik Deciga
University of California, Riverside
Anna Elizabeth DeFilippis Emory University
Dylan Caleb DeFilippis
Indiana University Bloomington
Allison Pennington Dever
Loyola Marymount University Southern Methodist University University of Wisconsin, Madison
The University of Alabama Duke University
University of Southern California University of California, San Diego ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
California Institute of Technology Lawrence University
Stanford University Rice University
Princeton University
University of Virginia Boston College
Arizona State University Northwestern University
SUMMER 2020/21 | 51
Alumni Events Highlights by Leslie Feldman ’99, Director of Alumni Relations
Wow—what a year for alumni events! I want to extend a special note of gratitude to the PCDS Alumni Board who helped me plan and facilitate at least one virtual alumni program every month of the 2020-2021 academic year. Through these programs, we also had the opportunity to shine a light on several alumni who are out in the world doing really interesting things—thanks to each of those individuals for giving back to our alma mater through their time and talent. And, kudos to our Class Agents who helped rally their classmates to participate in some rousing virtual class reunions! In case you missed them, here’s a rundown of what we offered this year on Zoom followed by some of the programs in (virtual) action: • September: Alumni in Healthcare Professions Virtual Roundtable • October: Alumni Virtual Book Club • November: Get Organized! Featuring Professional Organizer Cassidy Server ’15 • December: Virtual Wine Tasting Featuring Sommelier Elizabeth Smith ’04 • January: Alumni Virtual Roundtable on Mental Health • February: Virtual Trivia Night Featuring Faculty Jeopardy! Contestants Lance Coon and David Kaye • March: Alumni Video Game Night and Alumni Engineering Roundtable • April: Virtual Reunions for the Classes of 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981, and 1976 • May: Book and Author Event Featuring Kalea Martin ’14 • June: Senior Dinner and Golden Circle
From top: Virtual Wine Tasting; Virtual Trivia Night; Engineering Roundtable; professional organizer Cassidy Server ’15; author Kalea Martin ’14
52 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Senior Dinner 2021 Welcome Class of 2021
Each year, the PCDS Alumni Association hosts the Senior Dinner where the soon-to-be graduates are officially inducted into the Alumni Association. The event is typically held inside Burch Hall, but this year’s dinner was moved outside to Founders’ Lawn where the class of 2021 was able to enjoy a socially distanced alfresco meal—their last together before graduation! The Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Association is so proud to welcome the 75 members of this year’s graduating class into the fold.
From left: Director of Alumni Relations Leslie Feldman ’99 and Alumni Board Vice President Elizabeth Oviedo ’04 officially induct the Class of 2021 into the Alumni Association; Jewel Abdo and George Nassar offer some lighthearted remarks to their classmates; Eli Silverman, Nina Amin, Gauri Agarwal
From left: Johanna Gonzalez Coachi, Noemi Hernandez, Megan Horlick; Benji Marsden, Ben Richardson, Chris Santos, Matthew Linhart, Eli Silverman, Ben Kreisberger, Ben Brodsky; Karsen Yue, Logan Prescott, Neil Patil, Victoria Moreno
From left: Katie Bartolino, Bennett Montrose, Raechel Rawicz, Simone Rawicz, Taraneh Atri, Anika Patel; Lucy Negatu, Sachi Sharma, Claire Linos; Talia Goodman, Leah Schroeder
SUMMER 2020/21 | 53
Golden Circle 2021 We were thrilled to bring back both the classes of 1970 and 1971 to be inducted into the PCDS Golden Circle this June. With a record 24 Golden Circle members in attendance, graduates from the classes of 1965 through 1971 enjoyed a cocktail reception and State of the School Address from Head of School Andy Rodin before coming back to campus to lead the procession of the Class of 2021 at US Graduation. The PCDS Golden Circle is an honorary group of all classes who have celebrated their 50th reunions. Each June, the members of the Golden Circle wear gold robes and cross Daley Bridge, leading that year’s newest alumni to their graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, Golden Circle members receive special recognition and an open invitation to return each year to welcome new inductees and to march during graduation, reminding our current families and all others in attendance that PCDS enjoys a truly rich history.
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Above: Libbie Gibson ’65, Jean Kilker ’65, Donna Kinney ’71, Julie Newell ’71, Christopher Walker ’65
Above, from left: Larry Cutler ’70 donning his PCDS letterman sweater at the Golden Circle Reception; Roy Gardner ’71, Stephen Buck ’71, Cindy Absher; Donna Kinney ’71, Arthur Pearce ’71 Below, back row, from left: Grant Babcock ’68, Linda Buck Laws ’68, Jean Singer Kilker ’65, Christopher Walker ’65, Libbie Lawrence Gibson ’65, Dan Foote ’69, David McCaleb ’71, Jeff Scoon ’71, Paul Orme ’71, Roy Gardner ’71, Scott Simpson ’70, Bill Crisp ’70. Front row: Larry Cutler ’70, Gregory Lincoln ’70, Wirt Morton ’70, Michael Pachtman ’70, Barbi Crisp ’71, Jim Restin ’71, Bill Taber ’71, Arthur Pearce ’71, Donna Lenherr Kinney ’71, Julie Newell ’71, Stephen Buck ’71, Anne Hetherington Sutherland ’70
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Faculty Retirements Thank you to Dave Martin, Dave Rowe, and Danny Majeski Several beloved longtime faculty members have retired since the last issue of The Bridge was published. Each of them touched the lives of hundreds of PCDS graduates. We are pleased to print testimonials below from just a few of those alumni who will never forget the enduring legacies of these extraordinary educators. Dave Martin was a member of the US History faculty at PCDS for 34 years (from 1986-2020), during which he taught American History, Comparative Genocide, Global Terrorism, Vietnam War Seminar, and many other important and timely courses. Beloved for his Socratic teaching method and the critical thinking skills he imparted upon his students, the Alumni Association expresses its gratitude to a teacher who meant a great deal to so many of us. “ Congratulations on your retirement Mr. Martin! Thank you so much for all your dedication and hard work in making the PCDS US experience a memorable one for so many students including me. Your engaging teaching style, sincere love of history, and obvious care for students’ education and understanding of history and the world made you such an effective teacher. Before junior year you encouraged me to take AP US History instead of the standard class. I’m so glad you had high expectations for me and pushed me in the right direction. I was challenged and learned so much! Senior year, you taught Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and Vietnam War electives with creativity and passion that left a lasting impression. Your teaching made history come alive for me, and I loved all your classes. When asked by my kids, “my favorite teacher” is always “Mr. Martin,” and “history” my favorite subject. I feel extremely fortunate to have been one of your students. Best wishes for a relaxing and fulfilling retirement!” — Ashley Morrill McNair ’99 Dave Rowe taught band at PCDS for 33 years, from 1987-2020. “ Hi Mr. Rowe, it’s Eric Fram, lead trumpet from the class of 2009. Congratulations on your retirement! I wanted to share with you some of the impact that my time in jazz band had on me. Even today when I put on jazz music to help me get through work, I think back to my days in the band. Some of my favorite memories from US are from jazz band. Anything from field trips to competitions locally, afternoons in the jazz band room, the trip to San Francisco, and of course the trips to New Orleans, these are all activities that deepened my appreciation for music culture and left a lasting impact on me. So, thank you for teaching us about jazz, music in general, and working together to delight our audiences. Best of luck to you with everything going forward. Thank you, Mr. Rowe.” — Eric Fram ’09 Danny Majeski taught PE at PCDS for 39 years, from 1981-2020. “ I will always have amazing memories of Mr. Majeski running the lunchroom at summer camp, teaching us the golden rule in PE, and his diehard commitment to the Green Bay Packers. Even though my brothers and I only had him in LS, he has left a lasting impact on all three of us; thank you for your timeless advice and never-ending energy.” — Justine Money ’21
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In Memorium Alumni fondly remember retired faculty members In the past year, the PCDS community lost several retired faculty members who had each made indelible impacts on our alma mater. They will always be in our hearts. Bob Hendrickson worked at PCDS from 1987-2016. He served as a teacher, coach, and Dean of Students. “ ‘Of all the people I know, Hendi was one of them.’ This iconic Hendi joke never got old because each time he delivered it, he did so like he had just thought of it, and no one had ever heard it before. Hendi was a Dean of Students, a coach, and a friend. He advocated for students even when others didn’t. He also held us accountable when we were wrong. More than anything, though, he knew there was a mutual respect and that’s why he felt so comfortable forming bonds with his students. He even roasted me during his introduction to my Senior Speech. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was also lucky enough to call him a friend in the last 19 years since I graduated. He came to my wedding, he helped me learn how to golf, and he was always good for some great storytelling over a drink. He will be truly missed, and his mark on PCDS will hopefully never be forgotten.” — Brian Snyder ’01 Fran Vierck was a PCDS LS teacher from 1966-2004—an extraordinary 38-year tenure. “ I had Mrs. Vierck for 4th grade in the early 1990s. She took tracking very seriously and set the bar high. It was a year of hard work for me, and I will always be grateful to her for pushing her students to be their very best selves. I also remember her for her beautiful long red polished nails.” — Aylin Tashman Kim ’99 “ Fran Vierck was my first teaching partner at PCDS in 1979. I learned so much from Fran AND had a lot of fun in and out of the classroom. Fran was a dear friend whom I will truly miss.” — Ms. Judy Mitchell, retired MS counselor and teacher
Les Felten taught band and orchestra at PCDS from 1976-1987. “ I was able to go to PCDS because my father took a job there. It is one of the many, many things I am grateful to him for. And of the many wonderful teachers I had at PCDS—such standouts as Ms. DeMarzo, Mr. Roof, Mr. Dashnaw, Coach Kos—my dad turned out to be my favorite. What a remarkable gift it was to witness one’s father do his life’s work and do it well. And, of course, that work of his was only possible because of the participation and effort of students who worked so hard to make music together. For that, I want to thank all of you who played in my dad’s bands at PCDS. He was tremendously proud of all of you and everything you accomplished. Thank you for enriching his life as he enriched all of ours.” —Eric Felten ’82 “Mr. Felten was such an amazing teacher who inspired us to be better at everything in life, not just music. He gave so much of himself to us students and to PCDS overall. The organization of the European and Hawaii band trips led to wonderful memories and camaraderie. His love for music knew no bounds. I love that we have so many PCDS alumni that have gone on to make a profession of music and that many play an instrument for fun. Cheers to you, Mr. Felten.” — Catherine Baggott ’87 SUMMER 2020/21 | 57
MIDDLE SCHOOL YEAR IN PHOTOS
PCDS:Connect
Connect with fellow PCDS graduates through the online networking platform The members of PCDS:Connect (our alumni networking program) live all over the globe and work in a variety of industries. Moving to Los Angeles? Search the platform for fellow alumni already living there. Thinking about medical school? You can connect with fellow Eagles who are physicians here, too.
LOCATION OF PCDS:CONNECT MEMBERS Cities
Find member information in PCDS:Connect by using the search engine on the platform.
Not a member yet? It’s free, and only takes a minute to get up and running with a profile that allows you to network with hundreds of PCDS alumni.
PCDSCONNECT.ORG
58 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Number of Members
Phoenix, AZ Paradise Valley, AZ Los Angeles, CA Scottsdale, AZ New York, NY Washington, D.C. Boston, MA Atlanta, GA San Diego, CA Chicago, IL Tempe, AZ Tucson, AZ Dallas, TX Cambridge, MA Ann Arbor, MI Claremont, CA Seattle, WA Philadelphia, PA St. Louis, MO San Francisco, CA Mesa, AZ Malibu, CA Trabuco Canyon, CA New Orleans, LA Madison, WI New Haven, CT Cleveland, OH Santa Barbara, CA Springfield, MA Vancouver, BC, Canada Denver, CO Charlottesville, VA
119 46 29 28 25 11 10 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cities/Countries with One Registered Member
Hyattsville, MD Glendale, AZ
Ngaoundere, Adamawa, Cameroon
Singapore, SG
Reno, NV
Vienna, VA
Colorado Springs, CO
Portland, OR
Salem, OR
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Gilbert, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Durham, NC
Valley, Wales, UK Fairfield, CT Costa Mesa, CA Lebanon, NH Providence, RI Columbus, OH San Jose, CA Corvallis, OR Hempstead, NY Evanston, IL Cuyahoga Falls, OH Calabasas, CA Jersey City, NJ Salt Lake City, UT Princeton, NJ Turlock, CA Burlington, VT Berkeley, CA Napa, CA Middletown, CT
Davis, CA Houston, TX Glendale, CA Lansing, MI Oakland, CA Sedona, AZ Santa Clarita, CA Nashville, TN Orange, CA El Dorado Hills, CA La Jolla, CA Lakewood, OH San Luis Obispo, CA Laguna Niguel, CA Gambier, OH Fort Worth, TX Ithaca, NY Santa Monica, CA Stanford, CA Columbia, SC
Las Vegas, NV
Hanover, NH
Wellesley, MA
Pittsburgh, PA
Rochester, NY
Rome, Laz., Italy
New London, CT
Rochester, MN
Hillsdale, KS
San Francisco Bay, CA
Olathe, KS
Doylestown, PA
Sarasota, FL
Athens, GA
Brooklyn, NY
Waltham, MA
INDUSTRIES OF EMPLOYMENT OF PCDS:CONNECT MEMBERS
Law Practice Student Computer Software Hospital & Health Care Higher Education Management Consulting Design Medical Practice Research Entertainment Publishing Financial Services Non-profit Organization Management Real Estate Sports Mental Health Care Marketing & Advertising Public Relations & Communications Retail Banking
EDUCATION HISTORY OF PCDS:CONNECT MEMBERS
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Science Master of Business Administration Doctor of Philosophy Master of Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts Master of Science Master of Public Health Juris Doctor Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration Master of Social Work Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Doctor of Medicine Bachelor of Science in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Engineering Postdoctoral Research Master of Science in Information Science/Systems Master of Philosophy Master of Education
Information in PCDS:Connect is updated in real time so check the site frequently for new additions. SUMMER 2020/21 | 59
Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to… 1983
2002
Herb Stratford released a new documentary film nationwide entitled Gustav Stickley: American Craftsman. The film chronicles the rise, fall, and resurrection of the father of the American Arts and Crafts movement. He also produced and hosted a “Napoleon Dynamite” virtual reunion in December of 2020 as a fundraiser for The Hunger Project. Check it out on YouTube!
Ted Blosser and Caitlin Burke are married and live in the Bay Area with their two young daughters: six-yearold Waverly; and one-year-old, Felicity. Caitlin works in finance at Google, and Ted runs a software company called WorkRamp. “Although we don’t get to visit often, we have fond memories of growing up in Arizona and are forever grateful for our transformative years at PCDS.”
Daniel Lowe attended the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, NY, where he majored in communications design and minored in art history. After school, he worked on several mass e-commerce websites including Converse.com, Oakley.com, Levis.com, and Theory.com. Daniel then relocated to Los Angeles where he is next-door neighbors with Tommy Reahard ’02. After working at beauty startup Violet Grey as design lead, Daniel then went on to start his own creative agency focusing on direct to consumer brands like Starface, KNC Beauty, Ugly Drinks, Nuggs, Chnge, Kosas & Ipsy. Nina Schulze-Solce Brunker has been living in the UK since 2005. She married Englishman Ben in 2013. They currently live in London with their two kids: Cora Seraphina, age six; and Macsen Frederick, age four. In 2020, after 15 years, Nina officially became a British citizen. She is a doctor and has been working on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the year, she has also been involved in the UK national vaccine effort.
On May 10, 2021, the PCDS US met virtually with Rhett Reese ’87 and Paul Wernick ’90. Mr. Reese and Mr. Wernick are Hollywood screenwriters who wrote the screenplays for a number of hit films and tv shows including Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Zombieland, and the upcoming Escape from Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller. Among their many accolades, in 2017 they were nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. US students asked Mr. Reese and Mr. Wernick a host of questions ranging from their professional journeys to their friendship with Ryan Reynolds. We are so lucky to have such engaged alumni available to our students. Thank you to Rhett and Paul!
After PCDS, Ryan Rosen moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, and while there, he met his wife, Lindsay. He later went back to UCLA to get his MBA , and he now works in alternative investments, focusing primarily on seeding hedge funds. He and Lindsay live in Costa Mesa with their 16 month-old son, Connor. “The biggest silver lining of the pandemic has been working from home which has allowed us to spend much more time with him!”
We collect many Class Notes each year and cannot guarantee that all submissions will be printed. Class Notes are written in an individual’s own words.
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After earning degrees in comparative literature and cinema-television critical studies from USC, Nicole Jilly Wachell embarked on a career in education. She has been teaching secondary English in the greater Los Angeles area for over thirteen years and has served as department co-chair at her school site for the past few years. She also writes literary fiction and has recently published her novel entitled The Right Amount of Brilliance. The book, which follows the story of two middle-aged academics who belatedly discover that they are separated twins, is available through Amazon. Nicole and her husband welcomed their first daughter in 2014 and second daughter in 2016, and she reports that their smiling faces bring worlds of joy to her life. Claudia Gonzalez is enjoying the sunny life in Yuma, AZ, while making the most of quarantining with her “incredibly spoiled” dogs. She is thrilled to be starting her new adventure as the newly appointed Court Commissioner for Yuma County Superior Court.
Adam Lewkowitz is currently living in Rhode Island where he works as a high-risk pregnancy doctor and publichealth researcher at Brown University. “My wife, three kids, and I all love living in New England but miss being able to visit our Arizona family. Thank goodness for FaceTime!” PK Fisher graduated from Vanderbilt in 2006 and from Charleston School of Law in 2010. After a brief time exploring the law, he returned to education, first working in Admissions and then the Upper School History Department at St. Paul’s School in Baltimore (his high school alma mater). He currently teaches American History and Constitution Issues, and he coaches the varsity soccer and tennis teams. Chandra McClelland reports that she lives in Brooklyn and freelances as a bookwriter-lyricist. After graduating from Kenyon College in ’06, she moved to New York to pursue degrees in musical theatre criticism and musical theatre writing at NYU. She also spent nearly a decade working in human resources for educational and arts organizations. She is currently training to be a Feldenkrais practitioner and is madly decluttering her tiny apartment, in preparation for clutter clearing practitioner training in 2022. Gabriel Bruffy-Holmes shares that he has lived in the Dallas area for over six years and that most of his family has relocated there as well. He is a practicing Emergency Physician and also helps to run a winery, wedding venue,
Interested in being featured in an upcoming virtual alumni event? We love to highlight the cool work our graduates are doing out in the world. Email alumni@pcds.org so we can connect!
and MedSpa out on a farm, about an hour north of Dallas. His family has been hugely supportive and helpful with this venture. “We are constantly challenged and are learning new things about our cows, bees, and garden.” 2003 After finishing undergraduate studies at the University of San Diego and medical school at Loyola University Chicago, Christopher Dru moved to Los Angeles to complete his urology residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is now in private practice in Denver, CO. He specializes in robotic kidney and prostate surgery. He and his wife, Katie, welcomed their son, Harry, to the world in January 2020. Traci Brinkman Thomas shares that she is living in Tiburon, CA, with her husband and two children, Sawyer and Soren. She has been working as a clinician on the front lines of the pandemic, treating COVID patients— at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital— by night and practicing telemedicine —with the healthcare concierge company Grand Rounds—by day. “When I am not in the hospital, I can be found enjoying my kids, racing sailboats in the Bay, cycling beautiful Marin County, or snuggling with my two nieces, Ainsley and Pippa.” Rebecca Dalton reports that she is now an eighth-year trademark associate at Covington & Burling LLP, assisting clients with all their branding needs. In her free time, Rebecca reports that she and her husband, Zach Gonnsen, enjoy renovating their home in Silver Spring, MD, playing with their (slightly pre-pandemic) adopted puppy, Nico, and “pretending like the East Coast ski slopes are a sufficient proxy for the Rockies.” SUMMER 2020/21 | 61
Network with PCDS alumni around the globe at pcdsconnect.org Veronique Millon Trimble and her husband, Sam, welcomed their first child, Lucas, in the summer of 2020. They currently live in Los Angeles, CA, where she is a practicing attorney in land use and real estate.
Chelsea Keller Kunde graduated from the University of Arizona in 2007 with a degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. She started her career doing behavior intervention at the Southwest Austism Research and Resource Center. Later, she received a master’s in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Diego. Currently, she resides in Phoenix with her husband, Josh, and their two daughters, Harper, age seven; and Reese, age three. Chelsea owns her own business called Building Blocks Family. She provides service to families with loving family solutions for sleep, discipline, and potty training needs for ages 0-6. She also founded and helps run a nonprofit called Wigged Out. It provides financial assistance to those with medically related hair loss to fund their wigs, hair pieces, and/or hair accessories. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, and enjoys all Phoenix has to offer. 62 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
After graduating from PCDS, Cody Sonntag attended Princeton University and graduated in 2007, with a degree in civil engineering. Reportedly, many of Cody’s friends had been convinced that Cody “had peaked in high school.” Determined to prove them wrong, Cody moved back in with his parents before studying law at UCLA. Reportedly, after continuously striving to match his highest accomplishment as a male cheerleader at the 2003 Blue & Gold Day, Cody was recently recognized as a Law 360 Rising Star for his real estate law practice at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. “Fearing for my prospects in competition with my peers in the image-obsessed oil town of Los Angeles, I resorted to a green card marriage and am now wed to a French woman, Juliette Estrade.” They currently have a home in Hollywood, CA. “So far, we have just one child, Holly, disparagingly described by some as ‘very hairy’ and ‘a dog’”. Cody shares that he regularly sees his brother, Schooner ’09, who also lives in Hollywood, and that he misses his sister, Cheyenne (Cassie) ’05, who lives in Pennsylvania but will soon be relocating to San Francisco. 2004 After graduating from USC with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Ryan Schubert obtained a medical degree from Stanford. While there, Ryan
reports that he met and married his current wife, Alexis. After Stanford, Ryan trained at the University of California San Francisco and is now a boardcertified neurologist. After caring for patients with multiple sclerosis and working in a research lab for three years, Ryan took a job in biotechnology and is now developing treatments for neurologic diseases. Ryan and Alexis currently live in San Francisco with their six-month-old daughter, Adele. Ryan still keeps up with his former PCDS classmates, and he has many fond memories of his friends and mentors at PCDS. 2005 John Kester III is currently working as the Sustainability Director for Zoned Properties. He recently completed the Harvard Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership program and continues to work with this cohort to discuss supply chain and governance issues. John also volunteers with the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust helping to remove invasive species and conduct restoration efforts in the surrounding conservation areas. Callie Thompson is still living in the Bay Area with her husband, David, and their two-year-old daughter, Samantha. Since moving to the Bay Area, Callie has also made the transition from public affairs consulting to tech. Callie has been with Facebook now for four years, the last two of which she has served as Chief of Staff to the Head of WhatsApp. Callie and her family are looking forward to being able to travel again, and they hope to visit Arizona and family there again soon.
Brooke Sheppard reports that after graduating from PCDS, she attended Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and received a bachelor’s degree in communications. She then moved back to Scottsdale to get a master’s degree in global affairs and management at Thunderbird School of Global Management. “I was one of the youngest to ever graduate from that program—having been a part of the school’s second class to admit recent college graduates.” From there, Brooke moved to her current home of Houston, after accepting a job in aviation and then in oil and gas. In early 2020, Brooke received her paralegal certificate from Rice University and is now a paralegal for the senior partner in a medium size law firm that specializes in tax law and litigation. After graduating from Yale in 2009, and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2012, Sarah Watson Vrabac spent five years working in finance and operations for Bloomingdale’s. In 2017, she moved to Darien, CT, where she currently lives with her husband, Dane, and daughters, Charlotte, age three; and Olivia, age one. “These days I fill my time taking care of the girls and giving back to my community as a co-President of OPUS for Person-toPerson, an organization that helps ensure that basic needs of food, education, and stable housing are met for all families of our community,” Sarah shared.
2006
treatments for PTSD. Outside of work, Drew and his partner welcomed their first child (about a year ago), and they are adjusting to life as parents during the pandemic, while trying to support the social justice and equity missions in the great city of Atlanta.
While many were stuck at home with last year’s COVID craziness, Cole Geringer reports that he and his family seized this opportunity to spend more time together and travel. The Geringers celebrated the first birthday of their newest daughter, Wynne, and took family trips to Tampa, FL; Destin, FL; Highlands, NC; Pebble Beach, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Courtney McConnell shares that she has been living in San Francisco for the last ten years while working in the tech field. She recently became engaged to her fiance, Mark Melnyk, and they plan to tie the knot in Paradise Valley, AZ, at the end of 2021. Drew Teer reports that he is currently completing his fellowship with the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, an interdisciplinary group that provides evidence-based treatment for post-9/11 Veterans dealing with the invisible wounds of war, and he conducts clinical research to improve
On January 7, 2020, Dr. Chloe Charlton and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their second child, Tom Smith Charlton III. Everyone was thrilled to meet Smith, especially big sister, Rosie. Chloe is a small animal veterinarian in Scottsdale. During the summer of 2019, Jake Rodin ’19, shadowed Dr. Charlton in her vet office.
Join hundreds of fellow alumni on the Alumni Scholarship Fund honor roll at pcds.org/giveback Read more about the Fund on page 74.
SUMMER 2020/21 | 63
Are you following the PCDS Alumni Instagram Page? https://www.instagram.com/pcds_alumni/
BJ Neller attended Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD, where he was a member of the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship lacrosse team. He transferred to Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, and following graduation, he helped run a biomedical waste disposal company, worked on Carnival Corporation’s OCEAN Medallion project, and he most recently began law school at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains, NY. Caytlin Vilbrandt Reese reports that she currently works as a small business owner and webcomic artist. She shares that she spends most of her days managing a small team of creators to bring her story Tamberlane to life, among several other endeavors. After PCDS, she attended the University of Puget Sound for a year before having to transfer to a community college in order to finish out her degree due to financial hardship. She is now living happily in Seattle with her husband and two cats. Last July, Grady Wieger Ban and his husband, Jake, moved from San Francisco to Cambridge, MA. Grady manages a growing technology advertising agency, April Six, and Jake attends the Harvard Graduate School of Education—both from the comfort of their home. In order to break up the monotony of daily life during the pandemic, Grady reports that they have spent their weekends exploring the quaint towns and nature preserves of New England. 64 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
and politics. Charlottesville is a nice change of pace from D.C., he reports, as it offers more opportunities for hikes and outdoor activities. Michael shares that after his wedding in Charlottesville this fall, “The hunt will be on for a dog to join our family which also includes two cats, Nikki and Brie.” Af ter leaving Chile, Emma Robbs shares that she moved to Amsterdam where she has been living for the past five years. Although due to COVID, she’s been “stranded” in San Diego for the past few months but with no complaints. Her plan is to “head back to Europe soon in order to continue my work in recruitment consulting and HR tech…just in time for summer.” 2007
John Schupbach is now an Emergency Medicine Resident Physician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. John shares, “Needless to say, I had a front row seat for the pandemic, and it has made me more grateful than ever for my loving family. Since my last update, I graduated from Harvard Business School in 2017, and Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in 2019. At Squalor to Scholar (where John is the founder), our students continue to progress and inspire despite truly unprecedented constraints on access to education due to COVID. Thank you to my numerous teachers, mentors, and friends from the PCDS community who continue to support me through this wild journey.” Michael Peloquin reports that he recently moved to Charlottesville, VA, with his fiancé, Natalie, who took a job at UVA Law. He commutes to Washington, D.C., in order to continue working with his clients in government
After Alexis Irwin graduated from the University of Virginia in 2011, she moved to Los Angeles, CA. She reports that she has been in LA ever since and started her own life coaching business in 2017. Since the pandemic, she has increased her focus on helping women entrepreneurs and moms lose weight in a way that fits their unique lifestyles. She shares that she couldn’t have done it without the help and support from her partner, John.
Ben McRae Vega and Alyssa Vega were married in March 2020. Their first child, a daughter, was born the following year. Ben recently started a new job at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation. Dr. Sandeep Dhadvai is a pediatrician and Chief Resident at the UCI/ Children’s Hospital of Orange County Residence Program. After PCDS, he attended Haverford College, earning a BS in psychology. Before returning to Arizona for medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, he worked in health care quality improvement at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia while doing research on the effect of total brain irradiation on child cognitive development. In medical school, he met his fiance, Brittany, who has been training to be a surgeon specializing in surgical oncology. Sandeep then completed his
residency at the UCI-CHOC pediatric residency program in 2020, prior to his role as Chief Resident, and he has maintained a passion for teaching and medical education. At the completion of his chief year, Sandeep has plans to pursue a career in general outpatient pediatrics and newborn nursery. Outside of work, you can find Sandeep hiking, traveling, playing board games, reading comic books, and drinking craft beer. He loves spending time with his fiance, new quarantine rescue dog (Nellie), and their two cats (Hops & Barley). Sandeep and Brittany plan to be married in the spring of 2022, and are hoping to eventually return to Phoenix to practice after the completion of Brittany’s specialized training.
Nick Farrier shares that he has been working as a Software Development Engineer for Amazon for about five years. He lives in Phoenix with his wife and two dogs, Gizmo and Koda. He married his wife on October 25, 2019, at Luci’s at the Orchard. Both Jamie Engelman ’07 and Asher Landay ’07 were in attendance. They have remained great friends since high school.
Keep up to date with alumni happenings on the Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PhoenixCountryDaySchoolAlumni
After graduating from PCDS in 2007, Liz Jeans reports that she moved to Memphis, TN, and completed a double major in chemistry and physics at Rhodes College. While there, she worked as a translational researcher in the Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This is where she says she found her love of medicine. She graduated from Rhodes in 2011, and was recruited by Teach for America to teach physics and chemistry in Chicago. She reports that she was excited for the opportunity to postpone medical school in order to serve innercity children and encourage STEM careers in youth. Following her two years at Teach for America, she started medical school at Rush University in Chicago. Drawn to their affiliation for serving Cook County, Chicago’s innercity hospital, she pursued her passion to improve medical inequities and found a passion in oncology. In 2017, she graduated from medical school and started a residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Liz reports she is now in her fourth year of her specialty of radiation oncology. She serves as both the Vice Chair for the organization overseeing residents in radiation oncology and the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology. Liz will complete her residency in June of 2022, and she looks forward to being closer to family and having some time to relax. Her clinical expertise and research has focused on appropriate de-escalation for patients with head and neck cancer, proton and advanced particle radiotherapy, and novel strategies to induce the immune system during radiotherapy delivery. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, David, who has graciously uprooted his life twice for her career, and their two cats, Lilly and Lucy. She visits Arizona as often as possible (pre-COVID) to visit her parents, sister, and nieces. SUMMER 2020/21 | 65
Brittny Golding King reports that she is the founder and CEO of Silver Lining Wellness, a lifestyle and wellness brand dedicated to helping guide women towards their healthiest and happiest selves. “I believe when we take care of ourselves, we can take care of others, and that is how we make a positive impact on the world.” Brittny has coached hundreds of women towards feeling their best from the inside out. She offers 1x1 coaching, group coaching, and personal development workshops for corporations and women’s wellness retreats. Brittny has also been teaching spin for the last nine years and recently pivoted to the online space (thanks COVID!). She reports that she is now a partner at Hustle Health Fitness, a virtual online studio with on-demand classes updated weekly. She records virtual classes that students can take anytime and anywhere with a computer and Wi-Fi. “If you had told me that I would be living down the street from PCDS as an adult, I would have laughed and said no way. But now I live in Paradise Valley (1 mile from PCDS) with my husband Brian, and Goldendoodle, Benji. We love going on walks and hikes in the neighborhood, and any chance we can get, we head out on an adventure.” 2008 Chelsea Robbins graduated from USC in 2012, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in consumer behavior. After graduation, she moved to San Francisco for a couple of years before returning to LA to buy her first home. She now lives in Mar Vista with her boyfriend and their French bulldog. For a bunch of years now, Chelsea has worked for a company called Jam City, which is a mobile game development studio started by the founders of MySpace. 66 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Julia Ivanova reports that she is set to defend her dissertation on child mental health in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at ASU. She and her students are working on an international COVID-19 study funded by NSF, and she also works with biomedical informatics at the College of Health Solutions. She and her husband had the honor and pleasure of having friend and fellow alumna, Lizzy Burton ’08, as their officiant in 2018.
would be on the frontline of a global pandemic. “I feel fortunate to be in a position where I can help others during this unprecedented time, and I remain eternally optimistic that the world will return to some level of normalcy soon. I hope that all PCDS alums can catch up at an event in the near future!”
On October 19, 2019, Kelsey White married Douglas Bopp at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Fellow alumni Julia Ivanova ’08, Tres White ’10, and Lexi White ’05 were members of their wedding party. Kelsey reports that she and Doug met in Boulder, CO, where Doug was completing a PhD in atomic physics, and Kelsey was working for the Public Health Department. Their plan is to reside in Boulder where Dr. Bopp has founded his company, Vapor Cell Technologies, LLC.
Jennifer Papp Weyland reports that she is working as the Logistics and Operations Manager at a small engineering company based in San Diego which manufactures torque sensors for the motorsport industry. The company works with every team in Formula 1 and across many other racing series as well. In October of 2019, Jennifer married Chris Weyland in Del Mar, CA. Many of Jennifer’s PCDS classmates were in attendance: Mercedes Cain ’08, Tori Crase ’08, Kaleena Patel ’08, and Lauren Motzkin ’08. Jennifer and Chris, along with their dog, Cooper, currently live in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego.
After graduating from Midwestern University’s Physician Assistant Program in 2018, Laura Bodell Greenberg moved back to Colorado, where she had completed her undergraduate degree. She then began working as a medical provider in the emergency department of a level 1 trauma center. Little did she know that just two years in, she
Caitlin Wilenchik joined the Montgomery County DA’s office in Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) over a year ago and has been prosecuting criminal cases as an assistant district attorney in the community prosecution unit, adult trials division. Caitlin reports that she still lives in Philadelphia and is currently engaged.
We have PCDS Alumni gear for sale! Email alumni@pcds.org to order hooded sweatshirts, tank tops, or hats!
Four years ago, Alexa Cohn (above right) left in-house design to start her own small interior design firm, working for architects or directly with clients on commercial projects. This past year, when things slowed down, she cofounded SortJoy, a line of eco-friendly home-organization products. “We released our first products in 2021, which are now available online at www.sortjoy.com. Before COVID, I had been living between SF and NYC. My boyfriend and I spent most of 2020 in Phoenix with my family, but we just recently relocated to Miami. My favorite recent PCDS run-in was with Laura Bodell ’08 at the 2020 Westminster Dog Show in NYC.” After graduating high school in 2008, Chris Gibbs attended ASU where he studied computer science, specifically game engine development. From ASU, he gained employment with Nintendo USA in Redmond, Washington, where he spent the next three years. Chris reports that after an amazing experience with Nintendo, he moved back to Phoenix and attended the Art Institute of Phoenix, where he earned a graphic and web design degree. He is currently a Creative Director at FabCom Strategic Marketing in Scottsdale, AZ. Outside of the office, Chris shares that he enjoys anything on a mountain or camping with his dog, Cinder, a twoyear-old black lab. “I am excited for what the future holds and will never forget where it all started!”
After completing her pediatric residency in 2019 at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX, Kaleena Patel completed her chief residency year during 201920, during which she had a once-ina-lifetime experience of helping to run a residency program during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is now a first-year pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and she is looking forward to spending the next couple of years exploring the city once this pandemic passes. Daniel Rollingher has been living in Oakland for the last five years and working as in-house counsel at a real estate technology company (they use blockchain to digitize real estate transactions). He also has enjoyed spending time with his partner, Joy. “We cook and spend time crafting and training her dog, and staying sane with a gym we built in the garage. Currently, we are trying to find opportunities to support affordable housing and radical ownership models in the Bay Area to increase home ownership and prevent displacement. We are missing travel and dinner parties, and any kind of party that doesn’t involve Zoom. But, we are grateful and looking forward to what comes next.” Harrison Ward studied engineering at Stanford University where he met his wife, Jennifer Place. They currently live in San Diego, California. Harrison has pursued a career in software, initially through growth equity investments and now operations. He is currently the Head of Strategy at Mitchell International, the largest provider of Property & Casualty insurance software in the nation. Jennifer is a venture capital investor at Finistere Ventures, where she focuses on partnering with innovative companies in the food and agriculture ecosystem.
2009 Owen Bean reports that he graduated from Colorado College in 2013, with majors in classics, history, and political science. He is currently working as a Director of Operations for IRBNet, a website for researchers to submit study protocols for review by institutional review boards (IRBs) and other regulatory oversight committees. In 2020, Owen led the IRBNet Support Team in facilitating the rollout of IRBNet at every Veterans Affairs research program in the nation. Owen and his girlfriend currently live in Somerville, MA. In his spare time, Owen rides his bicycle around the city, and plays board games and video games online with his friends.
Eric Fram shares that he lives in LA with his girlfriend, Cat, and his Sheltie, Dolce. Dolce joined the family in the summer of 2020, just after retiring from life as a show dog in Northern California. After graduating from UCLA Anderson School of Management with an MBA in 2019, Eric joined Riot Games where he currently leads insights for Riot Forge, Riot’s indie publishing label, and acts as a strategic advisor to Riot Entertainment leadership. In his free time, Eric reports that he climbs Rocket League’s ranks with Prateek Wakharkar ’09 and exchanges dumb memes with Chris Abdo ’09. SUMMER 2020/21 | 67
In 2019, after nearly ten years of school and work in Boston, Harrison Kent relocated to San Diego to join a small institutional asset management firm. While he reports that he may occasionally miss his former coworkers and friends back East, he certainly does not miss those frigid New England winters. He is “looking forward to finding new California adventures in 2021 and beyond.” Chris Abdo graduated from Tulane in 2013, and completed a second major at ASU in 2016, before pursuing a medical doctorate at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix that same summer. He has recently graduated and is awaiting match results, after applying for a general surgery residency position.
Kendra Simon Perdue is currently living in Singapore. She and her husband, Peter, recently welcomed their daughter, Eleanor (“Ellie”) into the world. Kendra reports that she has taken some time off from her legal career to be with Ellie and is now starting the process of interviewing for in-house counsel roles. The Perdues are “enjoying life in the Lion City.” They report that they are looking forward to the time when borders reopen, allowing them the opportunity to travel back home to the U.S. to introduce Ellie to their families. 68 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
It has been about four years since Taylor Leonesio contributed a blurb to Class Notes, and in that time his career has evolved quite a bit. He reports that he went from a hungry young assistant at one of the biggest agencies in the entertainment industry, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), to moving up the ladder at a management company where he was able to work on behalf of clients like Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. While there, Taylor realized that he didn’t want to spend his career in representation and made a major shift to the physical production side of the industry. “I realized that I had entered this business because I love storytelling, and I wanted to be part of putting those stories together more directly. My passion was with the stories, not with the behind the scenes. So, I put what I had learned about the business together and made a push to learn the trade of producing quality stories, whether for film or television.” Taylor then took a stint with CBS Studios and saw how their development worked, and now he’s putting that to good use after partnering with another young and hungry producer named Jo Henriquez. “Together we are producing projects for studios like Sony Pictures and Netflix, and we are working with major talent across the board as our projects rise in budget and stature. It’s been a wild ride so far and with any luck, it’ll keep getting wilder going forward. I couldn’t be more excited.” Nicole Lopez has been practicing law for five years, and she currently works in criminal defense for the law firm of Mayes Telles. In 2019, she bought her first home, and in 2020, she got engaged. The wedding is planned for May of 2022, in Flagstaff, Arizona. During her free time, Nicole shares that she enjoys off-roading, hiking, and playing sand volleyball with her fiancée.
In the spring of 2020, Adam Oest completed a PhD in computer science at Arizona State University. His doctoral work recently won the Facebook Internet Defense Prize for its contributions toward keeping users safe from malicious websites. Adam is currently a cybersecurity researcher at PayPal, where he leads research initiatives with various universities and industry organizations. Adam lives with his wife in Phoenix. Savion Smith reports that he is a fourth year medical student. He r eceived a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from ASU, and he then continued h is pre-med education at Washington University in St. Louis. H e has since returned home to Arizona for medical school at The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix,from which he will be graduating in 2021, at which point he will begin a residency in psychiatry with a specialty in children and adolescents.
Noah Segal reports that “following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, my unit was mobilized to D.C. It has been the absolute highlight of my military career to help protect my city and country to ensure a peaceful transition of power. What made it even sweeter was that for a while, my unit’s area of operations was smack dab in the middle of The George Washington University, where I am studying for a global MBA. In the most real sense, I was able to serve *my* community.”
Isabel Hines reports, “Hi all! It’s been a while! Over the last few years, I’ve moved around between Atlanta, Chicago, and most recently settled in San Francisco, where I landed after graduating with an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. I moved out to the Bay Area to work as a product marketing manager for a digital health startup called Omada Health. Since COVID hit, I’ve been working remotely from Phoenix with my boyfriend (another Kellogg grad) and spending a lot of time with some old PCDS friends: Sara Paull ’09, Janey Zitomer ’09, Morgan Shepard ’10, Richie Zitomer ’09, Chris Abdo ’09, and Harry Kent ’09—to name a few. My boyfriend and I went on a three month road trip to various Western ski towns (in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington), and we returned to SF in May. I, along with Janey and Morgan, recently celebrated the wedding of Sara Paull and her lovely husband, Eric O’Brien in Paradise Valley. It was a weird (but overall good) year back in Phoenix, and I was sad to see it coming to an end. Hope to see everyone soon on the other side of all of this!” 2010 Jonathan Osborn has stayed busy growing the eCommerce development agency—now called Presidio Creative—he started while in college. “We’ve been fortunate to ride the ecommerce wave, and the team has grown to 30 employees working remotely across North America and Europe. On a personal level, I’ve been splitting my time between London and Kansas City, where my family has relocated. I’m looking forward to settling down more permanently in London, once COVID is in the distance.”
Were you a part of Project Excellence? If so, let us know if you are interested in being a resource to current Project Excellence students by emailing alumni@pcds.org.
(CSR) initiatives. Post-graduate school, she has worked in the fields of philanthropy and CSR. Maude is excited to share that she recently moved back to Phoenix with her rescue pup, Carrie, to start a new job at a local family foundation. She can’t wait to reconnect with the nonprofit community in Phoenix, as well as support social impact work being done across the Valley. Outside of work, Maude reports that she tries to golf as much as possible, to practice yoga, hike, cook, read, and lie in the sun with Carrie. Surrounded by immediate family, Hannah Keogh married Teddy Gates last summer in Telluride, CO. The couple has postponed their larger celebration until June 26, 2021, which will mark the one year anniversary of their civil ceremony. Hannah currently works as a Shopping Specialist at Google, and Teddy is an Industrial Real Estate Broker at CBRE. The two live in Chicago, IL. In 2014, Maude LaBelle graduated from ASU and began working in the nonprofit sector, specifically contributing to tobacco control and public health efforts across Arizona. In 2017, she moved to LA to attend graduate school at USC. While pursuing a master’s in the field of social work, Maude had the opportunity to intern at two amazing organizations: The I Have A Dream foundation, where she provided therapy to a small caseload of eighth graders who lived in Watts; and Warner Brothers Entertainment, where she supported the organization’s corporate social responsibility
Sarah Bauer is currently living in Nashville where she is continuing to pursue her MBA at Vanderbilt. Prior to going back to school, she was working as an attorney in Scottsdale. “I am excited about returning to Arizona after finishing my MBA and about utilizing both my law and business degrees in my future career. Additionally, I’m engaged, and we’re excited to report that the wedding will be in Arizona in October of 2022.” 2011 Ryan Dougherty is a professor in computer science at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point). He previously was a professor at Colgate University. Ashley Barnhill graduated from Midwestern University’s Physician Assistant Program in August 2020, and now works at Redirect Health. All the patients she currently sees are COVID patients. “These are definitely strange times, but I am staying safe and healthy,” shares Ashley. SUMMER 2020/21 | 69
After PCDS, Nikita Mokashi attended college at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in mathematics and PNP (philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology). After graduating, Nikita joined Teach for America and taught ninth grade algebra for two years at South Hills High School in Fort Worth, TX. She is currently a third year medical student at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. “As a physician, I would like to work in under-resourced areas to increase access to high-quality health care,” states Nikita. 2012 Brandon Mayhew is finishing his last year (remotely in Scottsdale) at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. “I am enjoying the wonderful change in the winter venue.” After graduation, he will be practicing law at Wilson Sonsini’s San Francisco office within its M&A and PE group. To any alum in the Bay area, Brandon asks to please reach out. After graduating from Barnard College in 2016, with a bachelor’s in history, Aida Duarte moved to San Francisco to work for Google. In 2019, she moved back to New York City—in Chelsea— and is now working as a Product Marketing Manager at Google. In her free time, Aida reports that she enjoys her family and friends in the city, including her older brother, Bert ’03. Aida’s parents and extended family are still in Phoenix, and she loves visiting as often as she can. Alessandra Dagirmanjian reports that she graduated from Fordham University’s law school in 2019. She was admitted to practice law in New York last spring and is currently working as a litigation associate in New York City. 70 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Jann-Michael Greenburg is the Vice President of Business Affairs for Tresona Multimedia, LLC, a music copyright licensing company that issues print, synchronization and remix licenses on behalf of music publishers and songwriters around the globe. Additionally, Jann-Michael was elected president of Scottsdale Unified School District’s governing board, which serves 22,000 students and employs 3,000 people. He looks forward to potentially running for the same or another office in 2022. Since joining the workforce in 2016, Brock Ghelfi worked in investment banking and, more specifically, in equity capital markets. In this role, Brock helps corporate clients raise equity capital via primarily initial public offerings and follow-on offerings. He currently works for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City on the Healthcare Equity Capital Markets team. He has had the opportunity to work with notable clients across h e alth c a re , in clu din g M o d e r na , BioNtech and Boston Scientific. Prior to working at BofA, he worked for HSBC plc—in both New York City and London—on the Emerging Markets Equity Capital Markets team. Joe Schornak very recently uprooted his life in San Antonio, TX, and relocated to Boston, MA. In the past few years, his travels have taken him across the globe—from the balmy Tunisian island of Djerba to the frozen Siberian shores of Lake Baikal. Joe reports that he fervently hopes to resume his adventures this summer. “I have won the victory over myself and learned to love permanent workfrom-home.” Joe works for PickNik Robotics based in Boulder, CO.
Harrison VanDolah graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in May 2021, and will be starting residency in combined internal medicine and pediatrics at The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix and at Phoenix Children’s Hospital this summer. “I am very excited to be continuing my medical training here in the Valley of the Sun for the next four years. I am also looking forward to mentoring students at the new fouryear Creighton University School of Medicine’s regional campus here in Phoenix. I would love to catch up with anyone who finds themselves back in town!” 2013 John Fernandes graduated from Grand Canyon University as a member of the inaugural class of the Honors College. He graduated at the top of his class with a BA in Christian studies and a minor in worship studies, and a BS in psychology. He then began his seminary track for his Master of Divinity at Nazarene Theological Seminary while simultaneously beginning another master’s program at GCU in addiction counseling. After a semester, he put seminary on pause to focus on addiction counseling, and he graduated from that program in April of 2021. John reports that he intends to finish his MDiv. In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he got married. Then in October, he and his wife relocated to Payette, Idaho, to accept a youth pastor position at Payette Church of the Nazarene. Andrew Bohannon moved back to work for a restaurant group in Dallas five years ago. “2020 was an incredibly challenging year for our business and industry, but I can thankfully say we will make it through this pandemic. My parents and my brother, Matt, now live in Dallas as well, but we all try to visit Phoenix whenever we can.”
Alex Sylvester moved back to Phoenix after spending nearly two years in Downtown Napa, CA, assisting school programs with fundraising. He recently accepted a new role in finance where he is studying to pass the SIE, Series 66 and Series 7 exams this year. Alex also completed his ACE Personal Trainer Certification in 2020, and he enjoys staying involved with PCDS through athletic coaching. Alex Hosmar graduated from George Washington University in 2017, with a BA in economics and public policy. He is currently working at Booz Allen Hamilton as a data science, strategy, and communications consultant. After coming home for his annual spring training vacation in early March 2020, a planned week-long trip turned into a six month stay as the pandemic set in. While normally based in Arlington, VA, to support DoD client work at the Pentagon, much of the last year was spent teleworking in Paradise Valley and in Jackson, WY, alongside his parents and brother, fellow PCDS alum Andrew Hosmar ’16. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Alex reports that he can still be found doing his favorite (and naturally socially distanced) activities on the golf course, trails, running paths, fishing streams, and slopes. Nitya Agrawal is currently a first year student pursuing a Master in Public Affairs degree from Princeton University. After graduating from PCDS in 2013, she attended Tufts University and double majored in economics and international relations. After college, she moved to New Delhi, India, and she worked with IDinsight, an organization that helps development leaders maximize their social impact through data and evidence. She designed and conducted large-scale surveys of 10,000 women across ten states to assess government health and nutrition policy. In August 2020, she started
her graduate program at Princeton and reports that she is really enjoying it so far. She credits the debate team and her teachers at PCDS for first sparking her interest in public policy. 2014
After graduating from The University of Arizona in 2018, Parisa Noghrehchi worked at a physical therapy clinic for two years while coaching the PCDS Girls’ Varsity and JV Basketball teams. In the summer of 2020, she started DPT school at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. She continues to coach the girls’ varsity basketball teams—even through the pandemic. Saira Purewal graduated from UCLA in 2018, and is now a medical student at the University of Arizona - Tucson. “I am engaged and hope to marry in 2022, when people can gather safely.” She is still very close with all the friends she made while at PCDS. Isabelle Brothers is working at a venture capital fund in Silicon Valley and investing in cool tech companies.
In 2018, Suzette Guzman became a first-generation, low-income Latina graduate from Scripps College. She earned a BA in biology and dance. While her family is still in Phoenix, she is a medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker Medical School. Since March of 2020, she has been on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight and has volunteered with the Infection Control and Prevention Team at UChicago Medicine. She was recently published in Contraception (a peerreviewed medical journal covering reproductive medicine) for her ongoing research around access to reproductive health services. As a Schweitzer Fellow, Suzette is developing and facilitating a health education program for the youth in the Pilsen neighborhood, a predominantly Latinx community. She is interested in pursuing family medicine and hopes to care for underresourced Spanish-speaking, immigrant communities in the future.
Isabelle Brothers is working at a venture capital fund in Silicon Valley, and investing in cool tech companies.
Since graduating from PCDS in 2014, Kalea Mar tin went on to study romance languages and studio art at Mount Holyoke College. After college, she pursued a career in international publishing , working for LUXOS Magazine Italy and HarperCollins Publishing. She is now a writer at POPSUGAR Media in NYC and is the co-author, illustrator, and translator of the best-selling children’s book, From the Dog Shelter to the White House which is published in six languages. SUMMER 2020/21 | 71
After graduating from PCDS in 2014, Ashlynn Miller attended Duke University and graduated with a BS in economics and a minor in dance. While studying at Duke, she was a member of varsity cheer, served as president for her beloved chapter of the historically black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and was heavily involved in the performing arts community. After graduation, Ashlynn moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in dance and eventually was signed and worked as a dancer and assistant. Along this journey, she decided that she also wanted to write, act, and produce TV and film. So, she began a search for entry-level jobs in the industry and landed a PA role. This eventually got her to her current position as the executive assistant for Marta Kauffman, co-creator of Friends and Grace and Frankie, at Okay Goodnight. During COVID, Ashlynn has loved living and working from home in Arizona, dancing in her backyard every second she can and waiting until she can move back to Los Angeles to begin production. 2015 After graduating with honors from Georgetown University, Shannon Burke moved home to Phoenix to pursue a master’s degree in education from ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Her passion for teaching, combined with her love for PCDS, brought her back to her former fifth grade social studies classroom! Since the fall of 2020, Shannon has been teaching the fifth-graders about all things geography. She says her favorite things about teaching social studies are encouraging her students to both discover their personal interests and to ask questions that might not have straightforward answers. Outside of school, Shannon enjoys camping, hiking, and playing with her golden retriever, Nellie. 72 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Returning to the Eagle’s Nest This year, three members of the class of 2015 returned to PCDS in professional capacities. Shannon Burke (middle) teaches fifth grade social studies, Morgan Gonzales (left) coaches the US golf team, and Amelia Meyer (right) was a long-term substitute teacher for US art. PCDS students are so lucky to be taught and coached by these PCDS alumni who were also classmates! “ It has been such a joy returning to PCDS in a teaching capacity. I get to teach side-by-side with my former teachers and spend all my time in my old social studies classroom. Social studies has always been my favorite subject, so it’s a privilege to share my passion with future PCDS alumni.” Shannon Burke “ It has been the greatest reward returning to PCDS in a professional capacity. PCDS provided me with so many memorable experiences and helped shape me into the person I am today. I feel extremely fortunate to be in a position to pass on the same experiences and create new memories that these students/athletes will carry with them forever.” Morgan Gonzales “ Returning to this community as a teacher has been a fun, joyful, and truly unexpected learning experience. I never thought that in 2021, I would be attending my fifth prom as a chaperone or sitting in the same faculty meetings as Dr. Allison, a woman who single-handedly taught me 90% of the knowledge I still use every day. The problem now is that I have been spoiled in my first teaching experience with such a kind community full of smart and curious people. Only here would you ever develop such a close bond with your lacrosse coach, Hallie Mueller, that you stay in touch for years and then one day she asks you to sub her classes. I consider myself incredibly lucky to work here…or perhaps PCDS will do just about anything to make sure even their weird artsy students find good jobs.” Amelia Meyer
Wesley Curci graduated from The University of Arizona and is now working in commercial real estate. Similarly to his PCDS days, Gabe Hamilton reports that he is all over the place. He attended undergrad at McGill University in Montreal where he studied economics and urban systems. He later moved to Vancouver, where he now works as a management consultant. In the future, he plans to shift his attention to earlystage investing and city design. Since graduating from Claremont McKenna College in 2019, Remi Edwards has been working at United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the world’s leading talent and literary agencies. At UTA, Remi works in the Marketing Department representing corporate brands like General Motors, General Mills, Google, LinkedIn, Signal, Petco, Covergirl, Delta, P & G, and more. Engaging iconic talent like Post Malone, LeBron James, Tiffany Haddish, and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Remi and the Marketing team work to integrate their brand clients into all aspects of culture and entertainment, including film, TV, music, digital content, commercial endorsements, sports, and more. In 2019, Dylan Hong graduated from Tufts University School of Engineering with a major in human factors engineering and a minor in entrepreneurial leadership studies. “I work at a software company in Boston, but I have recently become a remote employee and have moved to Washington, D.C. I primarily work as a product designer, but I also regularly produce videos for my technology-focused YouTube channel, and there I test out and talk about all different types of technologies. I am looking forward to traveling once the pandemic winds down and am excited to spend time with friends again.”
After leaving her previous agency, mdg, in March 2020, Lilia Dashevsky has been working as the Senior Public Affairs Specialist at Clyde Group, a public relations and public affairs agency based on K Street in Washington, D.C. In her role, Lilia counsels her clients—ranging from higher education institutions and technology companies, to pharmaceutical associations and agriculture coalitions—on a variety of complex public affairs issues, crisis communications, public relations campaigns, branding efforts, and much more. In her spare time, Lilia reports that she has been serving as a mentor to students at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, continuing to take advantage of living in D.C., and planning future travels for when social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines are a thing of the past. In 2019, Madeline Gordon graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in biological sciences and medicine, health, and society (MHS). During her time there, she interned with Vanderbilt’s Community Health Improvement team and developed a passion for health equity. She moved to Chicago after graduating and now works at Sg2, a healthcare strategy consulting company, on the Strategic Analytics team. She works with health systems across the country to support them in making data-driven strategic decisions. After PCDS, Morgan Gonzales graduated from The University of Virginia with a degree in cognitive science. While at UVA, she competed as a member and captain of the women’s golf team. Following graduation, she moved back to Arizona and is currently working for Symphony Health as a Business Intelligence Analyst. She is also excited to be able to give back to the PCDS community by helping to coach the US golf team!
Nihaal Reddy is currently pursuing his MD at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He started his third year in May and will be graduating in 2023. He has yet to decide which field of medicine he will pursue but has been working on projects researching cardiology, orthopedics, and plastic surgery. 2016 Iya Agha is very grateful for the opportunity to attend PCDS and feels strongly that it laid the groundwork for her to be successful in all of her endeavors thus far. Last spring, she graduated summa cum laude with two bachelor’s degrees from ASU, Barrett, The Honors College. She earned a BA in English literature and also a BS in biological sciences, while also working full-time as a medical assistant at a dermatology clinic in the Valley. Iya also proudly shares that she has been published in the peer reviewed SkinMed journal for a case study that she completed. She is currently living in New York City and attends Columbia University, where she is working toward a Master’s in science degree in bioethics before she matriculates this fall to one of the medical schools to which she has been accepted. Iya loves her life in the city and even the change of seasons! Andrew Ekmark played varsity basketball and lacrosse for Stanford University, where he graduated with an engineering degree. After Stanford, Andrew began his career in management consulting in the consumer goods practice area of the Boston Consulting Group in Dallas. “I have enjoyed it the past ~1.5 years but recently decided to start four businesses and have moved back to the Phoenix area. I’m also contemplating running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.” SUMMER 2020/21 | 73
After MS at PCDS, Mollie Goldfarb went to boarding school—The Kent School—in CT. After high school, she attended Brandeis University as a politics major and, in May of 2020, graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors for her senior honors thesis. Mollie reports that Brandeis further enhanced the skills she first gained at PCDS—leadership and resilience. Today, Mollie is a J.D. candidate at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. She is happy to call the Midwest her new home and is interested in a career as a transactional lawyer. As he enters his tenth and final semester at Tufts, Oliver Marsden is beginning work on his capstone project for his master’s in electrical engineering. He has focused on transmission issues associated with the impending influx of offshore wind into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coastlines. After interning at an offshore wind development office in downtown Boston and submitting transmission policy recommendations at the state and federal levels, Oliver is working to aid decision makers in the area by modeling different injection scenarios of offshore wind power for up to four million homes on the New England grid. Much to his parents’ chagrin, Oliver reports that he continues to deliver the defense opening statement for the Tufts Mock Trial Team via Zoom. “It will be over in three months, Mom (unless I can find another loophole)!” Oliver reports he was over the moon to find out fellow alumnus Jason Greenfield ’16 will be moving to Boston to work in an office less than five miles from Tufts. To remain sane throughout the lockdowns, Oliver backpacked through the alpine zone of the New Hampshire White Mountains with Tufts grads and another PCDS 74 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
alum, William Porter ’17. He looks forward to touring apartments in Boston and continuing his work in the renewable energy power systems in June 2021, with the engineering consulting firm Burns and McDonnell. Cole Dady reports that he is currently completing a master’s degree from HEC Paris. He is also creating a startup in mental health and loves working out in his free time. Tara Dugel reports, “After graduating from P CDS in 2016 , I at tended Columbia University in NYC as a recruited Division I athlete. There, I played on the women’s varsity squash team and majored in 20th Century U.S. History and minored in sociology, achieving Dean’s List Honors every semester as well as becoming a member of Columbia Athletic’s 4.0 GPA Club, an honor reserved for varsity athletes who achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA. I worked at various nonprofit organizations around the city including Nadia’s Initiative, the organization founded and run by the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nadia Murad; and KIPP Beyond Middle School, a Teach for America charter school. In May of 2020, I graduated magna cum laude from Columbia as a 4-year D1 varsity athlete. Currently, I am living in NYC and working on the development team of Up2Us Sports, a nonprofit that trains coaches to be positive mentors for underserved youth. I will begin pursuing my JD this fall with a focus in public interest law. Although early, I have been offered admission to various law schools, including the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, which houses the Toll Public Interest Center, one of the strongest public service centers in the country. However, I cannot wait to see where I end up in the next few months.”
Ari Bradshaw is currently working as the owner of three business ventures registered in Phoenix. “I founded a few separate companies in contemporary music production, web development, and advertising while still studying at Vanderbilt University. I graduated in 2020, with a language degree and moved from Nashville back to Phoenix, where my clientele includes a variety of musicians, bars, and off-road auto companies. In my free time, I’ve been working on America First political campaigns, building instruments, and practicing a variety of languages. In the future, I’m planning to expand my business ventures, release more music, go to law school, and work on more local political campaigns.” After her time at PCDS, Stephanie Kay moved to Germany and South Korea with her family, doing 2.5 years of high school in Germany and finishing the remaining 1.5 years in South Korea. After graduating high school, she and her family moved back to the U.S., and Stephanie attended Cornell University, where she majored in biological sciences and minored in environmental and sustainability sciences. While at Cornell, Stephanie participated in the ROTC program. She graduated from Cornell in May of 2020, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves as part of the Medical Services Corps. “I’m currently pursuing a Master of Public Health from Emory University while serving in the Reserves part-time. I’m also a part of a research group at Emory that’s aimed at finding the relationship between climate change, chemicals/toxicants, and its impact on human health. Since the pandemic, I’ve been living with my family again just outside of D.C. I plan to go to medical school once I finish my MPH next spring while also continuing to serve in the Army Reserves.”
In May 2020, Drew Hosmar graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a degree in economics. Over that summer, he wrapped up a postgraduate research fellowship studying Major League Soccer finances. He is currently doing compensation consulting for Segai. Drew was supposed to move to Chicago, but throughout the pandemic, he has been working from home in Phoenix.
improve quality and ease of access to Veteran services across the United States. She has also been supporting the National Democratic Institute’s efforts to promote responsible technology use in local government. Jillian also reports that she is slowly becoming a pretty decent roller skater.
After spending the pandemic year in the tumultuous world of tech startups, Jillian Gilburne will be joining Booz Allen Hamilton as a Design Strategist on the Veterans Experience Office project, where she will be working to
Gillian Barfield was a four-year member of the Gonzaga University Division I Women’s Basketball team. Known throughout ZagNation as the “ultimate connector,” Gillian’s job was not always easy but certainly necessary in order
2017
for her consistently top-ranked team to achieve success. As Gonzaga Coach Lisa Fortier said, “Getting enthusiasm out of her teammates [was] Barfield’s job, in more ways than one. A walkon, she [didn’t] play the most minutes for GU, but after four years here, her role in the locker room [transcended] that.” Gillian will be taking her skills to the nursing profession following graduation, where she intends to work with kids full-time. Read more about Gillian’s basketball career at Gonzaga: https://gozags.com/news/2021/1/ 27/womens-basketball-wbb-gillianbarfield-is-the-ultimate-connector.aspx
2020 and 2021 Congratulations to the Class of 2020 and 2021 Lifers: PCDS graduates who attended from pre-k or kindergarten through their senior year. Here are their very first campus photos.
Allison Dever ’20
Chaya Feng ’20
John Moore ’20
Alexander Petrides ’20
Brierly Wand ’20
Kevin Wang ’20
Aaron Bracher ’21
Rachel Cooper ’21
Hannah Drewitz ’21
Eric Emami ’21
Max Goldstein ’21
Talia Goodman ’21
Jaden Grossman ’21
Meadow Harriss ’21
Matthew Linhart ’21
Ella Maffi ’21
Victoria Moreno ’21
Anika Patel ’21
Ciara Rethore ’21
Benjamin Richardson ’21
Jacob Singer ’21
Olivia Vu ’21
Alexandra Xanthos ’21
Karsen Yue ’21
Do you have news to share? We are always excited to hear from you. Send details about a graduation, a new job, a birth, engagement, or marriage announcement, a recent trip, a new hobby, or a visit with another alumnus/a (and email accompanying photos) to alumni@pcds.org. We look forward to learning what you have been up to!
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Alumni Scholarship Fund The Alumni IMPACT initiative encourages all alumni to engage (by attending events and submitting Class Notes), connect (through our networking platform), and give back (by contributing to the Alumni Scholarship Fund). In 2020-2021, PCDS graduates contributed $138,067 to the Alumni Scholarship Fund and to its subsidiary—the PCDS Alumni COVID-19 Assistance Fund—to meet the immediate financial needs of PCDS students and their families with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, Phoenix Country Day School alumni are making a powerful IMPACT. “ The Alumni Scholarship Fund is about contributing to leveling the playing field. The people who contributed to student scholarships when I was a student leveled the playing field for me. I am proud to support the PCDS Alumni Scholarship Fund today.” — Claudia Gonzalez ’02 Below: Eric Emami ’21, Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Lucas Olschansky ’21 at graduation 2021.
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SUMMER 2020/21 | 77
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