PCDS The Bridge Magazine, Summer 2023

THE BRIDGE

Thank You for Your Leadership

THE BRIDGE

Phoenix Country Day School, Summer 2023

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 Martinez Director of Communications & Marketing

Tina Pitts Advancement Coordinator

Lydia Rodin Advancement Events Coordinator and The Bridge Editor

Largo Photography, Mark Skalny Photography Feature Photography

Other photography and articles: PCDS students, faculty, and staff

The Bridge is published 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.

©2023 Phoenix Country Day School. All rights reserved.

This Page: Grades 2-4 LS Eaglets’ Cheer Squad in action at GAME ON! 2023

Back Cover: Ella Brenes ’23, August Brenden ’23, Abby Bockrath ’23 at the 2023 US graduation

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 45-47.

45 Giving at PCDS

46 Save the Date: Bridge-the-Gap 2024

48 Save the Date: Alumni Events

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL PCDS

Community,

The typical term for the President of the Board of Trustees at Phoenix Country Day is three years. Having served as a member of the Board since 2013, David Lewis accepted the role as President in February of 2020. I imagine David knew that there would be an unusual array of challenges that would come with this new position of leadership. But I’m certain that he did not know just how unusual those circumstances would be.

For the record, it was only a month after David took the reins that the arrival of the coronavirus shuttered businesses and organizations around the globe, significantly impairing their ability to maintain their economic models and forcing them into an impossible dance around when to return to in-person experiences. Add to that a wildly tumultuous summer of 2020 during which George Floyd’s life was brutally taken and social unrest in America reached a crescendo. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, a bitterly divisive and roundly exhausting presidential election later that fall. In sum, our national confidence was significantly shaken, and schools, who were often at the center of the upheaval, were being tested in ways that they had never been.

But one person who never flinched was David Lewis. For the better part of that first year together, David and I met or spoke on the phone practically every day, and I can tell you with great conviction that his focus was unwavering. In fact, I even had moments where I sensed that he was relishing the challenge of it all.

Society wants us to believe that our best leaders are Type A personalities: Men and women who launch themselves into the fray and who gain the trust of those around them through sheer force of engagement. David Lewis proves that there is a different—but no less impactful—sort of leader. Leaders like David are valued for their wisdom, their calm, their attentiveness, and their unshakable reliability. They are the people who you know will always be by your side, through thick and thin. They are the ones who actually gain strength as the skies get darker.

And that’s what gets you through a real crisis.

I will personally miss David this coming year; he “graduated” from PCDS in June along with the youngest of his four children, a member of the Class of 2023. But I am equally excited to launch my relationship with the new Board President, Martin Felli. He and I have only just begun our partnership, but I can tell you already: Martin is yet another gift.

So enjoy this edition of The Bridge magazine as a final thanks to David Lewis, a welcome to Martin Felli, and the embrace of whatever the next chapter at Phoenix Country Day has to throw our way!

Andrew M. Rodin P’19, ’19, ’25 Head of School

“Leaders like David are valued for their wisdom, their calm, their attentiveness, and their unshakable reliability. They are the people who you know will always be by your side, through thick and thin.”

SCHOOL YEAR 2022-2023

David Lewis

President

Taylor Burke

Executive Vice President and Vice PresidentTrusteeship

Darryl Berger

Vice PresidentStrategic Planning

Donna Johnson

Vice PresidentAdvancement

Jordan Rose

Vice PresidentFacilities Planning

Charles W. Shields

Vice PresidentFinance

Jawad Ahsan

Chris Ashby

Martin Felli

Theresa Gregory

Mercedes Liljegren

Tim Louis ’81

Riad Nizam

Margaux Rosen

Julie Sabeeh

Tracy Schwimmer

Dan Silverman

Kiran Singh

Dave Stearns

Ex o cio:

Andrew Rodin Head of School

Ti any Pondelik ’00 President, Alumni Association

Gwen Gorlin President, Parents’ Association

Advisory Trustees:

Susan J. Bansak

Beverly Bradway

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

Thoughts and Reflections from Our Outgoing President

interview with David Lewis P’14, ’16, ’20, ’23

In June, we spoke with David Lewis regarding his tenure as Board President—March 2020 through June 2023—to hear his perspective on how he helped to guide our School during some uniquely challenging times. David has a longitudinal perspective of our School that few others hold: All four of his children graduated from PCDS over a span of nine years; and his father-in-law, Chuck Flail, taught history at PCDS from 1986-2008.

What have been some of your proudest moments/achievements in your time as Board President?

Each Board President I have served under, in my time as a trustee, advanced our School to a better place than when they first took o ce. Similarly, as I exit my position as Board President, I am most proud to have helped guide PCDS to the

position in which it currently finds itself—financially sound, with consistent enrollment, and a well-performing endowment; led by a first-rate administration working in partnership with strong division and faculty leaders; provides a student experience anchored around rigorous academic programs that are balanced with strong athletic, arts, and extracurricular o erings —all in service of our mission of preparing “promising students to become responsible leaders and lifelong learners through an education that emphasizes intellectual engagement, independence, collaboration, creativity, and integrity.”

PCDS has faced a number of issues over the past three years— the pandemic, social media usage, the impact of both of those on the wellness of our students, a high-inflation economy etc.—some of which will be front and center for a number of years to come. But with those key performance indicators

(noted earlier) all headed in the right direction, these challenging issues can be met from a position of strength.

Now that you have had a true insider’s view, what are your reflections on PCDS after serving as President?

PCDS is a much more complex organization than most people (including myself before becoming President) likely understand. It must manage an annual operating budget of approximately $25 million and an endowment of over $30 million. It must develop and o er a curriculum that meets the needs of students across a 14-year age spectrum. It must provide a welcome work environment for a diverse workforce of over 150 employees. It must sustain a large physical plant. And, it must maintain a safe and secure campus for the benefit of all of its families and visitors. To succeed across all of those fronts requires strong, consistent leadership performed by persons who want to be at PCDS and who continually strive to make it a better place. PCDS has that leadership, and that is a true differentiating factor that will ensure our School’s continued success in the years to come.

As you think about the next five years, do you have any predictions for where PCDS is headed?

With the foundational elements (noted earlier) in place, I see the next five years as a time when PCDS can really focus on several key matters that got sidelined a bit by the pandemic years, including achieving the goals laid out in our current strategic plan, financing and completing key capital projects (such as the redevelopment of Burch Hall), and continuing to maintain the rigor and alignment of our academic programs across all three divisions. Under our new board leadership, I expect PCDS to meet all of these challenges and to continue to solidify our position as one of the finest independent day schools in the country. n

“It is a great honor to be stepping into this leadership role at PCDS. Our School is in a very strong position, thanks to the leadership that has come before me. I look forward to helping continue that trajectory of success.”

Incoming President Martin Felli P’22, ’24, ’29

The Admissions Process: The Origin Story of Our Student Body

The Strategic Plan serves as a guiding light for PCDS, and there would be no plan—and no School—without our students. The origin story for the student body begins with the complicated and thoughtful work of our O ce of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Enrollment Management

Enrollment management measures serve as key indicators of the health of a school. The following measures have been remarkably strong at PCDS in the past decade and have bucked national trends, according to statistics from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

• Student retention versus attrition: Enrollment management begins with our current students, and at PCDS, retention of current students re-enrolling for the following

year is significantly higher than the national average, at 95%; particularly notable is the high retention between MS and US.

• Number of applications: While many fellow independent schools around the country are seeing applications decline, applications to PCDS have consistently increased, with an average of 400 applications for 100 spaces each year.

• Admissions yield: The national average yield—or the number of admitted students who enroll—for fellow independent schools is 70%. This past year, PCDS experienced a yield of over 90%, which included 100% yield in some grades.

In short, PCDS is a sought-after option for more students than we can admit, and if admitted, most students enroll and stay through graduation. As the only Pre-k through 12 independent school in the Valley, PCDS is uniquely positioned to appeal to families who are seeking a challenging and nurturing learning experience for their children. According to Head of School Andy Rodin, “We hear all the time from recently enrolled families that they chose PCDS because of the engaging instruction in our small classes, the expertise of our faculty, the rich academic curriculum, and the opportunity for students to become well-rounded individuals and leaders.”

“In keeping with our School’s Strategic Plan and Portrait of a Graduate, we’re looking for students and families who will serve as good partners and want to make a positive impact on our School.”

Assistant Head of School Roz Abero ’89

The Admissions Process

The admissions season runs from September to March of every year. It kicks o each fall with individualized family tours and our annual Open House, an all-hands-on-deck event when faculty, sta , and students show o our entire School. “Our initial aim is to encourage families to visit our amazing campus,” says Blake Howard, who oversees MS and US admissions, “because almost 100% of families who have seen our School and program in action choose to apply to PCDS.”

The application process is designed to allow families to get a clear sense of PCDS, just as it enables our team to get to know prospective students and their families. From individual family meetings and tours, to on-campus assessments, to student shadow visits, there are multiple touch points during the process. Kaitlan Cady, who oversees LS admissions, comments, “With Pre-k as our largest entry point, I’m often asked how we evaluate our youngest students for admission. In partnership with our expert early childhood faculty, we use nationally-normed assessment processes seen at independent schools throughout the country. These assessments —plus a parent meeting, questionnaire, and current teacher recommendations—help us consider each applicant in a holistic way.”

“Though we have become increasingly selective, we work really hard to get to know our applicants and their families. We always want to make sure that our process feels personal, intentional, and thoughtful.”

Director of MS and US Admissions Blake Howard

Admissions committees review each application carefully, with an eye towards shaping every grade and academic division to represent a variety of interests, perspectives, and backgrounds. This process has become evermore challenging and important as the number of applicants has increased, while available spaces have remained steady. Roz Abero explains, “While we’re gratified that PCDS is such a soughtafter educational destination, it does make for really di cult decisions. We don’t take pleasure in disappointing so many great kids and families who have PCDS as their first choice.”

Removing Barriers

PCDS also works each year to bring in a diverse student body, which includes ensuring that families do not see tuition as a barrier. Our School o ers need-based financial assistance to qualifying families, and approximately 24% of families receive some form of financial aid. According to Kristie Berg, Director of Financial Aid, our School is able to o er over $3 million in financial support each year.

PCDS

BY THE NUMBERS

30 %

ADMIT RATE ACROSS GRADES

90 % YIELD ACROSS GRADES

24 % FAMILIES RECEIVE NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID FROM THE SCHOOL

50 % NEWLY ENROLLED STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS STUDENTS OF COLOR

67

DIFFERENT ZIP CODES REPRESENTED WITHIN THE STUDENT BODY

100 NEW STUDENTS EACH YEAR

5 %

STUDENT ATTRITION RATE

“We’re committed to being an inclusive community with students from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds. We don’t want any family to be deterred by financial circumstances, and we are eager to help families explore opportunities to make PCDS a ordable.”

Director of Financial Aid Kristie Berg

Our Academic Team Makes the Grade

When the 2020 PCDS Strategic Plan was refreshed in January of 2023, we announced that our Academic Team— comprised of Kim Wass, LS Learning & Curriculum Specialist; Kelly Butler, MS Assistant Head; and Jennifer Cherilla, US Academic Dean—had completed a major milestone with the release of an internal Pre-k through 12 curriculum guide for faculty and administration.

“ Our goal is to help every department function as a team, which means sharing core beliefs about their role as faculty in each department.”

US Academic Dean Jennifer Cherilla

A cross-divisional curriculum guide is one-part audit and one-part planning document, designed to do the following:

• To ensure that there are no academic gaps or unintended redundancy across our School’s fourteen grades

• To provide a framework for department leaders to articulate academic philosophies

• To streamline the sharing of course objectives and learning outcomes across grade levels, departments, and divisions

• To reflect and enhance the thoughtful partnership among faculty across and within each academic department and division

• To serve as a living document that continues to evolve as curriculum evolves

Before our Academic Team could produce this curriculum guide, however, they spent five months working towards their first significant building block: To refine and clarify academic departmental organization and leadership, which included establishing norms and a template for academic department chairs. Mrs. Cherilla, now in her 27th year at PCDS, noted, “Our goal is to help every department function as a team, which means sharing core beliefs about their role as faculty in each department, from curricular decisions to pedagogy. Formalizing and structuring regular monthly meetings with shared agendas has been a critical step towards this goal.”

Throughout this process, a long-held challenge was addressed of how to more intentionally fold LS homeroom and “specials” faculty into the departmental meeting structure. According to Ms. Wass, now in her eighth year at PCDS, “It’s essential that our LS faculty, who teach the first six of our School’s fourteen grades, have a stake in curriculum articulation and development, as it is our LS faculty who are responsible for

creating that strong academic and social-emotional foundation that allows our students to thrive in the later divisions.”

After the establishment of an internal curriculum guide some 130 pages strong, the next strategic goal was to convert this academic magnum opus into a condensed, more digestible version to post on the PCDS website for external audiences— primarily current and prospective families—to get a clear sense of the thoughtful sequencing of the academic arc of a PCDS experience. The task of condensing the monumental internal guide into a condensed yet descriptive version for an external audience was completed at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Now, our LS, MS, and US academic webpages each feature an updated “curriculum” section that reflects the Academic Team’s e orts over the past two years.

Though completing the internal and external curriculum guides marked a significant milestone in addressing a Strategic Plan objective, the Academic Team isn’t resting on laurels, as their work is never complete; in their ongoing leadership role, Ms. Butler, Mrs. Cherilla, and Ms. Wass will continue to provide support and guidance to department chairs through monthly meetings focused on collaborative problem-solving. According to Ms. Butler, now in her thirteenth year at PCDS, “We are eager to examine curriculum and mission statement alignment; support department chair observations through the rollout of a Growth & Renewal plan; help facilitate department curricular audits that address gaps and celebrate successes; and foster conversations around best practices and alignment, including grading, assessments, and pedagogy.”

PCDS is in great hands, as our Academic Team continues to provide organized and thoughtful leadership regarding the academic issues of today and of the future. n

FOURTH ANNUAL STATE OF THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST APRIL

18, 2023

This past April, PCDS welcomed members of the Honorable Mae Sue Talley Society—comprised of donors whose lifetime giving is $25,000 and above—to the fourth annual State of the School breakfast. In its annual tradition, the event took place under a tent on our very own Founders’ Lawn and featured an opening message from Board President David Lewis; an address by Head of School Andy Rodin; words from Keith Burns, our newly appointed Director of Arts; a Q&A with five seniors about their experiences at PCDS and future plans; and a report from our PCDS Academic Team, who have been charged with working on the tenets of the refreshed 2020 Strategic Plan related to academic excellence: Assistant Head of the MS and History Department Chair, Kelly Butler; Assistant Head to the US, Dean of Academics, Math Teacher, and Math Department Chair, Jennifer Cherilla; and LS Learning & Curriculum Specialist, Kim Wass.

Mr. Rodin provided a dashboard of our School’s health, including:

• A strong applicant pool with four applicants for every one spot

• Record applicant yield and record student retention, which are among the strongest of all independent schools in the country

• Massive diversity of experience and exposure among our student body with students from all di erent walks of life

• Our robust Annual Fund—in both participation and dollars—which provides vital resources and is the backbone of philanthropy, signifying a strong and healthy independent school

• A sizeable and flowing pipeline from tax credit, alumni fundraising, and our Louis Family Society for Planned Giving

•Our strong endowment which has reached record levels

•Our continued dedication to hiring and retaining happy, healthy, and hardworking faculty and sta , which contributes to the PCDS “secret sauce”

• Our continued commitment to providing teacher salaries that are among the best in the country

• The dynamic experiences that our School provides benefits our graduates who continue to attend the most selective colleges around the world

Mr. Rodin also touched on our continued focus and actions around the tenets of the refreshed 2020 Strategic Plan. Specifically, he spoke about the worst-kept secret on campus, which is our near-future plan to build a dynamic and innovative performing arts center on campus, and he emphasized our School’s continued and focused attention on academic excellence and continuity throughout all three divisions.

Thank you to our seniors who spoke about their own journeys at PCDS and what makes our School so special: Brianna Graham ’23, Tatum Horton ’23, Ben Lewis ’23, Connor Lloyds ’23, and Tyler Tam ’23.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many past and present families, alumni, and friends who have all played a huge part in helping to shape PCDS into the powerhouse independent School that we are today!

For more information on the refreshed 2020 Strategic Plan, visit www.pcds.org/about/2020-strategic-plan.

For more information on the Academic Team report, see pages 10-11. n

Goodbye, Mrs. Meyers and Thank You for the Ride

Mary Kay Meyers Retires After 21 Years

Mary Kay Meyers’s mother, Regina Von Flue, had an enormous impact on Mrs. Meyers’s life. Most days in the classroom, Mrs. Meyers could be heard talking about her mom and sharing the many sayings that her mom had adopted over the years. She was particularly fond of sharing her mother’s many pearls of wisdom: “You are who your friends are, so choose them wisely,” or, “What goes around, comes around.” It is these maxims that Mrs. Meyers has taken to heart and applied liberally to her own world and to the inevitable bumps that come with living a full life.

One of my favorites is this: “Leave the party while you’re still having fun!”

And boy did Mrs. Meyers ever have fun. Whenever you could witness Mrs. Meyers in her teaching mode, you were in for a real treat. In her classroom, you might find Mrs. Meyers on the floor helping her students sort through an art project. Peer into the quad and you were sure to find Mrs. Meyers embracing the LS life —like the time she coordinated costumes with her co-teachers for the Halloween parade. If you were to notice her at carpool pickup, she was most often animatedly engaged with a parent about a meaningful moment that took place around their child at school that day.

Mrs. Meyers was never without a huge smile and a hearty laugh. Throughout her life, she has held nothing back and, consequently, got so much in return—an endless list of meaningful relationships and a lifetime of fond memories. And even though Mrs. Meyers is retiring, she’s still cranking right along and is still having fun. She remains the bright light in the room, the one who puts everyone at ease with her laughter and ability to find the good in every situation.

Regina Von Flue’s daughter has been taught well and, subsequently, has always known that “when it’s time to hang ‘em up, it’s time to hang ‘em up!” Mrs. Meyers’s mom’s words rang true this year, as she understood that it was finally the time… time to thank everyone very much for the PCDS ride and time to move on to her next chapter. With her retirement, there will be more time for other adventures, which she will find equally worthy of smiling big and laughing hard: Playing golf in Scottsdale, going for long walks in Greer, and, of course, hanging with her delightful family.

Your colleagues, students, and families will miss you deeply, Mrs. Meyers, and your absence will be felt for some time. You have become a legend after two decades of excellence in teaching in our LS. We look forward to hearing all about your new adventures. Please come back and visit!

In the meantime, enjoy this send-o poem:

We wish you well!

—Brook Avenell, Third Grade Teacher

Tyler Tam ’23 was recognized as one of four 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars by the Arizona State Board of Education. US Latin Teacher Robin Anderson has also been recognized as a Distinguished Teacher based on her nomination by Tyler Tam. In June, both Tyler and Ms. Anderson were invited to meet with AZ Superintendent of Education Tom Horne and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs at a State Board of Education meeting.

US Math Teacher TJ Peacher was also recognized as a Distinguished Teacher by a student that Mr. Peacher had taught, prior to coming to PCDS, at Basis Scottsdale.

All recognized Scholars and Distinguished Teachers were to be honored by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education during the 2023 summer.

This past June, Athletic Trainer Mitchell Barnhart received a doctor of athletic training degree from A.T. Still University. Mr. Barnhart also wrote a second systematic review on concussions titled, “The Ability of Vestibular and Oculomotor Screenings to Predict Recovery in Patients Following Concussion: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” which was accepted for publication by the Journal of Athletic Training

Kindergarten Teacher Pauline Fleming had a busy April. In the beginning of the month, she became a grandmother. Along with her son, his wife, and other family and friends, they welcomed James David Fleming into the world.

At the end of April, Ms. Fleming’s daughter, Emma, and her husband, David Rappeport, married in Santa Barbara, CA.

Fourth Grade Teacher Sam Martin published a book, To John Love Lauri: 2nd Edition, which fictionalizes a 1977 cold case that Mr. Martin helped to ultimately solve. He and others spent eleven years trying to identify their “John Doe” who had died in a single-vehicle accident in Delafield, WI. In 2021, “John Doe” was correctly identified as John Lindberg Scott.

This past May, LS Operations Manager Amy Hill received a master’s degree in sustainability leadership from the College of Global Futures at ASU.

On May 12, First Grade Teacher Maddie Williams received a master’s degree in early childhood education from Northern Arizona University.

IN MEMORIAM / KATHY SCOTT

On May 7, 2023, Kathy Scott , long-term sub at PCDS, passed away after a long illness. Kathy touched the lives of many students, families, and colleagues throughout her 20 years of working at our School. Her active presence and dedication to her work and to our students will forever be remembered. She will be truly missed.

PCDS Faculty and Sta Awards

Each year, PCDS recognizes its outstanding faculty and sta for their work within our community. One of the ways our School recognizes excellence is through endowed chair awards.

This year’s recipients were as follows:

Brook Avenell, Nichole Dawson, Mary Kay Meyers, and Gina Saltonstall; Third Grade Teachers

The Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Foundation Chair for English

Presented in 2023 and has a three-year term.

John Pritzlaff and Mary Dell Olin were recognized for— among many other accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors—their generosity to our School. Their children and grandchildren attended PCDS, and now their great grandchildren are current students. Established in 1990, this award is given to an outstanding faculty member in the English department. This gift was intended to encourage other friends of the School to provide endowed support for faculty salaries, emphasizing that such support is basic to the future strength of an independent school.

Carrie Bloomston, MS Art

Rex L. Allison Chair for Excellence in Teaching

Presented in 2023 and is named annually.

Rex Allison was among the group of pioneers that first conceived of the idea to form our School, and he served as Board President from 1964-1966. First awarded in 1988, the Rex L. Allison Chair for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually to recognize a faculty member who exemplifies the high standards of teaching that we’ve all come to expect and appreciate at PCDS.

Katie Charles, Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship

The Naci Korzay and Pinar Tashman ’90 Family Endowment

Presented in 2023 and has a two-year term.

Awarded in odd-numbered years—and alternating with the Korzay-Tashman faculty award—the Korzay-Tashman sta award is given to a staff member who serves the PCDS community in an extraordinary fashion. An embodiment of core values such as integrity, loyalty, and hard work, this sta member works selflessly and tirelessly to ensure that our School is the best it can be.

Cindy Davis, Second Grade Teacher

The Naci Korzay and Pinar Tashman ’90 Family Endowment

Presented in 2022 and has a two-year term.

Awarded in even-numbered years—and alternating with the sta award—the Korzay-Tashman faculty award is given to a faculty member who routinely displays a commitment to our School and to our students that extends far beyond the classroom. Whether out on the athletic fields, traveling to foreign countries, or quietly between classes, this outstanding faculty member is someone to whom students feel a deep connection, and someone they will fondly remember for the rest of their lives—a leader among leaders and an inspiration to others.

Maki Fullerton, MS Science

The Dorrance Family Chair for Science

Presented in 2022 and has a three-year term.

The Dorrance family is well known for their extraordinary generosity and avid support of our School. Their two children attended PCDS, and Bennett Dorrance served as Board President from 1991-1994. Established in 1994, the Dorrance Family Chair for Science is awarded annually to an outstanding faculty member in the Science department.

Colin Reynolds, US History

The Loback Family Chair for History

Presented in 2022 and has a three-year term.

Since the early 1990s, Don and Toni Loback have been generous supporters of our School. Their three children attended PCDS, and Don served as Board President from 1994-1997. Established in 1994, the Loback Family Chair for History is awarded every three years to an outstanding member of the history department.

Congratulations Class of 2023

Following are the awards presented at the US Awards Ceremony prior to graduation:

Art Department Award: Jadynn Jones ’23

Endeavor Award: Sierra Goldstein ’24, Sam Novak ’25

Media Arts Award: Ridge Hall ’23, Tatum Horton ’23, Jake Seitz ’23

Vocal Award: Caleb Humphreys ’23, Aidan Perry ’23

40th Street Band Award: Tatum Horton ’23, Miles Sabeeh ’23

Strings Award: Braeden Allen ’25, Ridge Hall ’23

Theatre Arts Award: Max Cabianca ’23

English Award: Ella Brenes ’23

English Award for Writing: Arianne de Trenck ’23, Miranda Jarvis ’23, Jake Seitz ’23

W. David Martin History Award: Misha Ghafouri ’23

Salo Baron Prize: Elle Rosenfeld ’23

Mathematics Award: Aaron Wang ’23

Rensselaer Medal: Frank Kaplan ’24

Physical Science Award: Natalie Vu ’23

Life Science Award: Isabelle Tillman ’24

Bausch & Lomb Award: Bassen Felli ’24

Spanish Award: Frank Kaplan ’24

French Award: Nora Palermo ’24

Latin Award: Rohin Kumar ’24

Mandarin Award: Arianne de Trenck ’23

Eagle Awards for Excellence in Athletics: Connor Lloyds ’23, Emma Sorensen ’23

Most Outstanding Athlete Awards: Ella Brenes ’23, Adam Burns ’23

Athletic Prizes: Jonah Kaplan ’23, Tim Moriarty ’23, Elle Mullard ’23

Victor D. Feeney Prize: Ella Brenes ’23

Senior Prizes: Devan Amin ’23, Abby Caplan ’23, Ryan Fujii ’23, McKinley Paltzik ’23, Tyler Tam ’23

Robert Hendrickson Community Service Award: Adam Burns ’23

Galen Brewster Leadership Prize: Brianna Graham ’23

Margaret Madden Senior Speech Prize: Misha Ghafouri ’23

Faculty Prize: Elle Rosenfeld ’23

Spring Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone

This year, our spring musical was The Drowsy Chaperone, a hilarious comedy within a musical that transports its audience back to the 1920s. The music, written by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, is precisely what one might picture when thinking about the era of the 20’s—it’s light, airy, and full of fun and upbeat melodies that pair perfectly with the overthe-top and borderline ridiculous lyrics that play into the comedy of the show.

The story of The Drowsy Chaperone follows famed Janet Van DeGraff (played by Abby Caplan ’23), who finds herself having to decide between marrying her love-at-first-sight fiancée, Robert Martin (Aaron Wang ’23), or staying in the spotlight and continuing to perform in Feldzig’s Follies. Janet receives input on her decision in every which way from the cast of characters she finds herself with at Tottendale’s mansion: Mr. Feldzig (Bijan Atri ’24) and Kitty (Abigail Rowley ’24)

beg Janet to stay in the show while Feldzig avoids his own troubles with the ‘Pastry Chefs’—aka ‘Gangsters’ (Giancarlo Galá ’23 and Jason Lin ’24)—who have been sent to make sure Janet stays in showbiz. On the other hand, George (Harrison Whitfill ’24), who is the best man, is doing everything to make sure the wedding follows through, and The Chaperone (Nora Palermo ’24) is supposed to keep Janet in line but instead ends up falling into a drunken romance with Aldolpho (Caleb Humphreys ’23), the self-proclaimed ‘Ladies Man’. I played Mrs. Tottendale, an old woman who seems to be two steps behind everyone at any given moment and orders around her servant and eventual husband, Underling (Aidan Perry ’23).

What brings even more humor to this show is the character who sits on the sidelines the entire time, the Man in the Chair (Max Cabianca ’23). The audience watches The Drowsy Chaperone through the Man in the Chair. He plays the recording of this old Broadway show in his apartment and, throughout the production, he interrupts and explains this show to the audience.

This musical was brand new for many of us in the cast and jumping into it headfirst was an incredible experience. We were led by our wonderful Director Mr. Keith Burns. He took our unfamiliarity with this show and turned it into motivation for performing, and he ultimately turned this show into something incredibly special for all of the cast members. Alongside Mr. Burns, our Musical Director Mrs. Kara Harris helped us to master complex and di cult music and to learn challenging harmonies. She always did so with a smile on her

face and without fear while bantering back and forth with all of us, which made our rehearsal time so fun and productive. Mrs. Elizabeth Broeder, our choreographer, brainstormed and produced incredibly wild and fun dance numbers that truly brought the stage to life. And, of course, our show wouldn’t have been the same without the incredible live band that helped us through the music, which was led by our Band Director Mr. Nathan Botts.

The Drowsy Chaperone was everything I could have asked for in my last US theatre production. It was comedic, dramatic, over-the-top, and so incredibly fun to put together and work on throughout the last semester of my senior year. Thanks to everyone who saw the show, and I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone involved in this incredible production. n

ths ’25, Richard Humphreys ’23, Aaron Wang ’23, Lily Gentry ’25, Théo Champeymont ’23, Lili Chaidez ’27. Middle row: Megan Eckerman ’25, Sharvi Chaurasia ’26, Gracie Smith ’26, Nora Palermo ’24, Katie Eckerman ’23, Aidan Perry ’23, Ellie Robinson ’25, Saturn Klein ’26, Abby Caplan ’23, Harrison Whitfill ’24, Caleb Humphreys ’23, Ava Salomez ’27. Front

Miranda Jarvis ’23, Jason Lin ’24, Bijan Atri ’24, Giancarlo Galá ’23, Abigail Rowley ’24, Max Cabianca ’23, Zayna Khan ’27

A snapshot of our annual artful evening in May, which showcased PCDS art in its many forms, created across all three divisions of our School.

Esports Anyone?

Esports is a rapidly growing team competition that is partnered with the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and brings competition online rather than on a court, field, or pitch. This opportunity for varsity-level athletics may soon be the future of sports, which might be one of the many reasons PCDS is excited to participate in such a sport.

But what is esports, exactly?

In the most simplistic terms, esports are competitive video games. PCDS o ered varsity and junior varsity level esports across two titles this year: Rocket League and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. These games, and our esports team, bring together and uphold the drive and spirit that PCDS prioritizes on our athletic teams. The values of teamwork, persistence, commitment, selflessness, humility, and self-confidence shine in our PCDS esports. Esports is open to all skill levels, o ering a team environment that instills these values while improving an athletes’ journey to becoming the best. Alongside our athletes, we have two dedicated coaches—US Math Teacher Mr. Eric Heideman and US Science Teacher Mr. Chase McVey—who support every player and help to elevate us to our highest potential.

This season, our teams competed within the AIA for the fifth time, but it was only our second season competing as an o cial team—and we happened to have our two best seasons in PCDS esports history! Our Rocket League team ended the season with a 10-1 record, second best in our group. Some of our competition this year included: Brophy, Mountain View, Central, Camelback, Campo Verde, and many others across the entire Valley. Unfortunately, our Rocket League team saw an early exit in round one of the state playo s but secured us a top-16 final placement in the state. This finish marked our best result in any state playo s so far. Fueled by this year’s outcome, the Rocket League team is excited and ready to train and focus on the upcoming 2023-2024 spring season.

Similarly, the Smash Bros team went 9-2 this season, the best in Smash Bros team history. We qualified for the playoffs as the fourth seed in the group and the 19th seed in the state playo s. Unfortunately, our Smash Bros team lost an incredibly close game (2-1) in the first round. We say goodbye to many of this season’s senior players, but we look forward to the next set of varsity players for our 2023-2024 spring season! n

Girls’ Basketball State Champions

All-Conference Coach of the Year: Head Coach Sean Newland

All-Conference First Team: Kimi Cahoon ’24, Aila Kaibara ’25, Olivia Owens ’25

All-Conference Second Team: Nara Kaibara ’23

All-Conference Honorable Mention: Jadynn Jones ’23

All-Region Player of the Year: Olivia Owens ’25

All-Region Defensive Player of the Year: Kimi Cahoon ’24

All-Region Offensive Player of the Year: Aila Kaibara ’25

All-Region Coach of the Year: Head Coach Sean Newland

All-Region First Team: Kimi Cahoon ’24, Jadynn Jones ’23, Aila Kaibara ’25, Nara Kaibara ’23, Olivia Owens ’25

All-Region Second Team: Madison Gordon ’26, Rylie Lloyds ’25

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Ella Brenes ’23, Jadynn Jones ’23, Nara Kaibara ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Ella Brenes ’23, Jadynn Jones ’23, Nara Kaibara ’23

Boys’ Soccer State Champions

AIA 3A State Champions & Central Region Champions

Division Recognition:

All-Conference Player of the Year: Jonah Kaplan ’23

All-Conference Coach of the Year: Head Coach Andy Rodin

All-Conference First Team: Jonah Kaplan ’23, Ari Kreisberger

All-Conference Second Team: Adam Burns ’23, Jake Gregory ’25 United Soccer Coaches’ Association Arizona Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year in the Private/Parochial Division: Head Coach Andy Rodin

All-Region Player of the Year: Jonah Kaplan ’23

All-Region Defensive Player of the Year: Parker Milliken ’23

All-Region Coach of the Year: Head Coach Andy Rodin

All-Region First Team: Adam Burns ’23, Jake Gregory ’25, Jonah Kaplan

Ari

All-Region Second Team: Gabe Engilman ’25, Max McCavitt ’24

All-Region Honorable Mention: Connor Lloyds ’23

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Award: Parker Milliken ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Adam Burns ’23, Jayce

Jonah

Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis State Champions

AIA Division III State Champions & Section VII Regional Champions

Girls’ Division Recognition: The AZ Republic’s 2023 All-Arizona Honorable Mention: Julia Black ’23, Milan Sewell ’23

All-Section Singles Player of the Year: Milan Sewell ’23

All-Section Doubles Players of the Year: Julia Black ’23, Ellie Bartolino ’23

All-Section Coach of the Year: Coach Jerry Keever

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Award: Julia Black ’23, Milan Sewell ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Julia Black ’23, Misha Ghafouri ’23, Milan Sewell ’23

Boys’ Division Recognition:

Division III Doubles Champions: Linus Gino-Gri ths ’25, Jacques Sevrain ’24

The AZ Republic’s 2023 All-Arizona Team: Linus Gino-Gri ths ’25, Jacques Sevrain ’24

The AZ Republic’s 2023 All-Arizona Team Honorable

Mention: Tyler Tam ’23

All-Division Doubles Players of the Year: Linus Gino-Gri ths ’25, Jacques Sevrain ’24

All-Section Singles Player of the Year: Tyler Tam ’23

All-Section Doubles Players of the Year: Linus Gino-Gri ths ’25, Jacques Sevrain ’24

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Jacques Sevrain ’24, Tyler Tam ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Andrew Marks ’23, Tyler Tam ’23

Additional Athletic Awards

Congratulations to our School, teams, and athletes for the following honors and awards

PCDS: RECIPIENT OF THE 2022-23 DON F. STONE OVERALL EXCELLENCE AWARD

For the second year in a row, the AIA has recognized PCDS for its outstanding achievement in athletics. PCDS has been awarded the Don F. Stone Overall Excellence Award for the 2A Conference, which is based on succeeding at high levels in region and state competitions. Our School attributes this success to teamwork, unmatched leadership in coaching, strong community support, participation of our student athletes, and the work ethic required to compete at the highest level possible. GO EAGLES!

BOYS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL—Winter

State Playo Qualifier

Division Recognition:

All-Conference Second Team: Blake Sosnowitz ’25

All-Region O ensive Player of the Year: Blake Sosnowitz ’25

All-Region First Team: Sammy Brodsky ’24, Grant Brown ’23, Blake Sosnowitz ’25

All-Region Second Team: Deven Chhabra ’25, JD Jones ’26

All-Region Honorable Mention: La Quay Jerkins ’24

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Award: Grant Brown ’23

GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER—Winter

State Playo Qualifier

First time Central Region Champions

Division Recognition:

All-Conference First Team: Elle Mullard ’23

All-Region Player of the Year: Elle Mullard ’23

All-Region Coach of the Year: Megan Fry

All-Region First Team: Elle Mullard ’23, Emma Sorensen ’23

All-Region Second Team: Rachel Burns ’26, Chloe DeMark ’24, Quincy Rodin ’25

All-Region Honorable Mention: Maddie Angst ’24, Kayla Powell ’24

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Abby Bockrath ’23, Elle Mullard ’23, Emma Sorensen ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Abby Bockrath ’23, Elle Mullard ’23

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD—Spring

State Champion Pole Vault: Sam Novak ’25

State Champion 200 meter: La Quay Jerkins ’24

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Jaden Jackson ’24, La Quay Jerkins ’24, Sam Novak ’25

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD—Spring

AIA Division V State Runner-Up

Division Recognition:

State Champion 800 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24

State Champion 1600 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24

State Champion 3200 meter: Kimi Cahoon ’24

State Champion High Jump: Olivia Owens ’25

2nd Place 4 x 800 meter: Ella Brenes ’23, Kimi Cahoon ’24, Rachel Coviello ’26, Elsa Termansen ’26

2nd Place Pole Vault: Mikayla Yue ’24

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Kimi Cahoon ’24, Winter Rafal ’24

Eagle 4-Year Award: Ella Brenes ’23

BOYS’ VARSITY BASEBALL—Spring

Quarterfinalists at State

Division Recognition:

All-Conference Player of the Year: Tim Moriarty ’23

All-Conference First Team: Tim Moriarty ’23

The AZ Republic’s All-Arizona Honorable Mention: Tim Moriarty ’23

AZBCA 2A Player of the Year: Tim Moriarty ’23

All-Region Player of the Year: Tim Moriarty ’23

All-Region First Team: Adam Burns ’23, Ben Lewis ’23, Tim Moriarty ’23

All-Region Second Team: Frank Kaplan ’24, Logan Rose ’25, Jake Tucker ’25

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Adam Burns ’23, Ben Lewis ’23, Tim Moriarty ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: August Brenden ’23, Adam Burns ’23, Ben Lewis ’23, Tim Moriarty ’23

GIRLS’ VARSITY SOFTBALL—Spring

State Playo Qualifier

2A Metro Region Champions

Division Recognition:

All-Conference First Team: Rachel Burns ’26, Katie Hendrickson ’24

All-Conference Second Team: Natalie Vu ’23

All-Region Player of the Year: Katie Hendrickson ’24

All-Region O ensive Player of the Year : Rachel Burns ’26

All-Region Coach of the Year: Sadie Etheridge

All-Region First Team: Rachel Burns ’26, Gaby Galá ’23, Brianna Graham ’23, Katie Hendrickson ’24, Emma Sorensen ’23, Natalie Vu ’23, Grace Whalen ’23

All-Region Second Team: Katie Eckerman ’23, Sophia Yudell ’25

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Rachel Burns ’26, Katie Hendrickson ’24, Natalie Vu ’23 Eagle 4-Year Awards: Emma Sorensen ’23, Natalie Vu ’23, Grace Whalen ’23

BOYS’ & GIRLS’ VARSITY GOLF—Spring

Division III State Playo Qualifier

Third Place at State Tournament

Fourth Place in Metro Region

Division Recognition:

9th Place Finish at State: Brady Sheridan ’26

Internal School Awards:

Coaches’ Awards: Brady Sheridan ’26, Annabelle Winssinger ’23

Eagle 4-Year Awards: Devan Amin ’23, Jacob Sunenshine ’23, Mia Valente ’23, Annabelle Winssinger ’23

2023 Eagle Athletes

Six graduates from the Class of 2023 will continue playing their sport at the NCAA level.

MS Results Mountain Valley and Great Hearts Athletic Leagues

Congratulations to the following teams for winning the championships in the Mountain Valley and Great Hearts Athletic Leagues:

7/8 Boys’ Basketball

7/8 Boys’ Soccer

5/6/7/8 Boys’ Tennis

5/6/7/8 Boys’ Swim & Dive

5/6 Girls’ Blue Basketball

5/6 Boys’ Soccer

5/6 Girls’ Soccer

Congratulations to the following teams for finishing their seasons as runners-up in the Mountain Valley and Great Hearts Athletic Leagues:

7/8 Girls’ Blue Basketball

7/8 Girls’ Soccer

5/6/7/8 Girls’ Tennis

Internal School Awards for Winter Sports:

6/7/8 Softball Coaches’ Awards: Ellie Dahl ’27, Bella Engilman ’27

6/7/8 Baseball Coaches’ Awards: Owen Engilman ’29, Soren Etheridge ’27

Girls’ Tennis Coaches’ Awards: Ali Leinbach ’29, Ann Nichols ’29

Boys’ Tennis Coaches’ Awards: Alex Ekpo ’29, River Libhart ’30

5/6 Girls’ Soccer Coaches’ Awards: Ann Nichols ’29, Dylan Tedesco ’29

7/8 Girls’ Soccer Coaches’ Awards: Jodie Jones ’27, Brooke Vella ’27

Girls’ Cross Country Coaches’ Awards: Emerson Butler ’28, Nora Finn ’30

Boys’ Cross Country Coaches’ Award: Kellan Keeton ’30

7/8 Boys’ Blue Basketball Coaches’ Awards: Jadd Agha ’27, Blake Huskey ’27

7/8 Boys’ Gold Basketball Coaches’ Awards: Levi Razar ’27, Jayden Robinson ’28

5/6 Boys’ Blue Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Bennett Ashby ’29, Kingston Shaia ’29

5/6 Boys’ Gold Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Pelé Pappoe ’30, Liam Shay ’29

Internal School Awards for Spring Sports:

6/7/8 Girls’ Blue Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Juliana Crisalli ’27, Jodie Jones ’27

6/7/8 Girls’ Gold Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Annika Etheridge ’28, Charlie Yudell ’28

5/6 Girls’ Gold Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Bella Stralman ’30, Eleanor White ’30

5/6 Girls’ Blue Basketball

Coaches Awards: Ava Jannenga ’29, Alexis Vella ’29

7/8 Boys’ Soccer Coaches’ Awards: Turner Ashby ’27, Blake Huskey ’27

5/6 Boys’ Soccer Coaches’ Awards: Bennett Ashby ’29, Ronan Brown ’29

Diving Coaches’ Awards: Lili Chaidez ’27, Teagan Roeder ’27, Rollin Sabeeh ’29

Boys’ Swimming Coaches’ Award: Felix Lehmann ’28

Girls’ Swimming Coaches’ Award: Gabi Abelson ’30

7/8 Boys’ Blue Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Jadd Agha ’27, Wynn Gorcyca ’27

6/7/8 Boys’ Gold Basketball

Coaches’ Awards: Bennett Ashby ’29, Atreyu Wesley ’28

Speech & Debate Results

US team results for the spring of 2023

The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament

The top 3% of all Speech & Debate competitors in the country qualify for the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament. This year, PCDS qualified eleven students:

Devan Amin ’23

Nathan Conley ’26

Misha Ghafouri ’23

Miranda Jarvis ’23

Sameer Khan ’25

Ria Mehta ’24

Jiya Mutyala ’25

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Sebastian Saenz ’24

Siddharth Vadnerkar ’26

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

This tournament hosts over 1,000 schools and nearly 5,000 competitors. Each event starts with approximately 250 competitors, before breaking to the top-60, top-30, top-14, and finally the top-six. The top-six competitors in each event represent the top-0.05% of the entire Speech & Debate community. This year, PCDS had two students make the top-six, earned a School award for the eighth-straight year, and celebrated a back-to-back national champion.

Team: Speech School of Excellence

Top-20 in the Nation in Speech Events

Back-to-Back National Champion in International

Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23

Undefeated Season (both in and out of state): McKinley Paltzik ’23

Winningest Extemper of All Time: McKinley Paltzik ’23

National Finalist in Expository Speaking: Devan Amin ’23

Semi-finalist in Congressional Debate: Ria Mehta ’24

Quarterfinalists in Congressional Debate: Nathan Conley ’26, Sameer Khan ’25

Octafinalist in Program Oral Interpretation: Misha Ghafouri ’23

Octafinalists in Expository Speaking: Miranda Jarvis ’23, Jiya Mutyala ’25

Double Octafinalist in Storytelling : Miranda Jarvis ’23

Double Octafinalist in World Schools Debate: Sebastian Saenz ’24

January 6-8

Additional Speech & Debate Tournament Results

Kaleb Gebresillasie ’25, Tabby Cohen ’24

Ria Mehta ’24

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26, Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Sanya Somani ’24

Public Forum Debate

Congressional Debate

Duo Interpretation

Impromptu Speaking

Humorous Interpretation

Humorous Interpretation

Informative Speaking

Informative Speaking

Double Octa-Finalists*

10th Place**

5th Place

7th Place

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

January 7-8

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Extemporaneous Speaking

January 13-14

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Nathan Conley ’26

Ria Mehta ’24

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Sharvi Chaurasia ’26

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Presley Grauer ’24

Miranda Jarvis ’23

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Nathan Conley ’26

Bijan Atri ’24, Katie Eckerman ’23

Congressional Debate-House 1

Congressional Debate-House 1

Congressional Debate-House 3

Humorous Interpretation

Impromptu Speaking

Humorous Interpretation

Informative Speaking

Lincoln Douglas Debate

Program Oral Interpretation

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous Speaking

Duo Interpretation

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

Semi-Finalist

Octa-Finalist Third Place

January 27-29

Ria Mehta ’24

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

* Earns first bid to the Tournament of Champions

** Fully qualifies to the Tournament of Champions

Congressional Debate

Extemporaneous Speaking

Informative Speaking

Humorous Interpretation

Semi-Finalist Third Place Semi-fi nalist

The Jackrabbit Jamboree (hosted by Mesa High School)

February 3-4

Sebastian Saenz ’24

McKinley Paltzik ’23

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Devan Amin ’23

Misha Ghafouri ’23

Miranda Jarvis ’23

Samantha Horlick ’26

Congressional Debate

Congressional Debate

Extemporaneous Speaking

Humorous Interpretation

Humorous Interpretation

Informative Speaking

Original Oratory

Program Oral Interpretation

Program Oral Interpretation

Prose Reading

Kathryn Barakat ’26

Rachel Caplan ’26

February 11-13

Maeve Brown ’26

The Harvard Invitational

Sebastian Saenz ’24

McKinley Paltzik ’23

February 18-20

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26, Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Presley Grauer ’24

Devan Amin ’23

Misha Ghafouri ’23

World Schools Debate

Congressional Debate

Extemporaneous Speaking

Duo Interpretation

Informative Speaking

Lincoln Douglas JV Debate Original Oratory Program Oral Interpretation

Division 1 State Tournament (hosted by Mountain Ridge High School)

February 24-25

Ria Mehta ’24

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Nathan Conley ’26

Sebastian Saenz ’24

McKinley Paltzik ’23

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26, Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Bijan Atri ’24, Katie Eckerman ’23

Sid Vadnerkar ’26

Aaryan Wadwekar ’26

Jiya Mutyala ’25

Aya El Masry ’26

Misha Ghafouri ’23

Miranda Jarvis ’23

Maeve Brown ’26

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SPEECH & DEBATE RESULTS

NSDA Middle School Nationals

Storytelling Semifinalist: Kavin Mutyala ’27

Humorous Interpretation Semifinalist: Neriah Safir ’29

ASDCA State Tournament

In April, our MS Speech & Debate students competed at the ASDCA State Tournament. They finished as State RunnersUp (falling just 4 points shy of the state title!). Our MS Competitors were:

Camila Acharya ’27

Coco Bliss ’29

Arinze Felli ’29

Isa Galá ’27

Rakeb Gebresillasie ’29

Tara Ghafouri ’27

Caden Huckelbridge ’27

Zayna Khan ’27

Alaina Kieran ’27

Sofia Levine-Bosch ’27

Michael Murphy ’28

Kavin Mutyala ’27

Mady Nakaji ’27

Jyothi Patil ’28

Adhiyanth Ram ’29

Alexandra Rosetti ’29

Neriah Safir ’29

Sienna Shuster ’29

Harmoon Singh ’27

Yug Sonawane ’27

Congressional Debate: PCDS held five of the twelve spots in the state final—more than any other school!

State Runner-up: Sofia Levine-Bosch ’27

Third Place: Tara Ghafouri ’27

State Finalist: Caden Huckelbridge ’27

State Finalist: Mady Nakaji ’27

State Finalist: Isa Galá ’27

Impromptu: PCDS held three of the six spots in the state final—more than any other school!

Third Place: Alaina Kieran ’27

Fifth Place: Harmoon Singh ’27

Sixth Place: Rakeb Gebresillasie ’29

Semifinalist: Sienna Shuster ’29

Semifinalist: Neriah Safir ’29

Storytelling:

State Champion: Kavin Mutyala ’27

Third Place: Neriah Safir ’29

Giving at PCDS

Thank you to our generous families, alumni, faculty, and sta for supporting PCDS during the fiscal year July 2022 - June 2023.

PCDS relies on families to support our School through three distinct areas of giving:

1 – Annual Fund

•Helps to bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost to run our School

•Immediately supports teachers and students both inside and outside the classroom

• Is tax-deductible

•Can be gifted from anyone—parents, grandparents, faculty, sta , alumni, and friends of our School

•Helps with our overall Annual Fund participation, which is a key factor in securing outside resources

2 – Tax Credit

1. Support PCDS students with financial need by redirecting your individual and/or corporate Arizona tax obligation through our foundation, AISSF.org, by April 15, 2024.

2. AISSF sends you a receipt. Hold on to it.

3. You or your accountant will use the receipt to claim your dollar-for-dollar state credit.

4. AISSF provides scholarships to PCDS students.

3 – Special Projects

•Includes PlayOn!, a capital campaign for smart spaces

• Endowment giving

•Planned giving

2022-2023 Results

Annual Fund

$1,149,673

Total Dollars Raised—A New Record

2,205 Total Donations

76% Parent Participation

100% Board of Trustees & Alumni Board Participation 98% Faculty & Sta Participation Tax Credit

$867,505

Total Individual Dollars Raised 395 Total Individual Donors $1,924,500

Total Corporate Dollars Raised

27 Total Corporate Donors

Pledge a tax-deductible gift today at pcds.org/give.

Questions about supporting PCDS?

Please contact Katie Charles, Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship at katie.charles@pcds.org or (602)955-8200 x2346.

Bridge-the-Gap 2023

Our annual culinary-style festival features food and beverages donated by our Valley’s premier restaurants and vendors, which is coupled with a DJ and a boutique-style auction, and honors all the ways our community gives back to our School.

Thank you to all the vendors who graciously donated to our event. Your generosity helped to make our evening a fun and elegant experience…and a huge success! Save the date for Bridge-the-Gap 2024: Saturday, April 20, 2024—see you there!

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Atlasta Catering

Chauncey Social

Cincoro Tequila

Copper Cane Wines & Provisions

E&J Gallo Winery

Elements at Sanctuary

Camelback Mountain

Elote Man

Firestone - 805

Gadzooks

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

Huss Brewing Co.

Johnnie’s Java

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Luna Gelateria

Pa’la

Pomo Pizzeria

Quintessential Distributor

Sage Dining Services

Sonoran Pasta Co.

Tarbell’s

The Americano

The Spot at Arcadia

The Vegan Taste

AUCTION

A Bakeshop

Applewood Pet Resort & Spa

Arizona Athletics

Arizona Boardwalk

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Sunrays

Balancing Paws

Ballet Arizona

Balyage and Blow Outs

Braid Babes

Busy Bees Babysitting

C West Entertainment

Cafe Monarch/Reserve

Chef Markus Ford

Chef Neshe

Cincoro Tequila

Dae Hair

Dan Campbell Golf Academy

Daytryp Health & Wellness

Define Pilates Studio

Desert Botanical Gardens

Desert Stages Theatre

Do Rei Mi School of the Arts

Exclusive Home Spa

F45 Fitness: East Phoenix Farmyard LLC

Francine

Garage Boutique & Concept Store

Giovanna Param

Grimaldi’s

Hi-Five Summer

Sports Camp

Hillstone

Honeybee Mobile Spa

Ice Den Scottsdale & Chandler

Inflate Forty Eight

IPS - Huddle Up Stores

JDM Partners

Lauren Allen Dinners

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Master GardenerCheryl Schmidke

Mini Melt by Melissa

Neiman Marcus

Nobu

O.C.D. Onsite Car Detail

O.C.D. Organizers

Octane Raceway

OrgANNized

Parties on Purpose

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Rising FC

Phoenix Suns

Pontoon Boat Rental

Puzzle Rides

Radiant Photography

Ramon Bostic

Rick Bronson’sHouse of Comedy AZ

Riot Hospitality Group

Roadhouse Cinemas

Rootbar

Seidewinder Pickleball

Seth Korey

Tennis Academy

Skin Better

Southwest Teepee Rental

Space Massage Studio

Spilled Batter

Studio J. Kessler

Interior Design

The Clotherie

The Comstock

Aesthetics

The Fredrick on Missouri

The Freezer at Harkins Camelview

The Gladly

The Linen Tree

The Thunderbirds

Timeless Authentic

Tiny TeepeeZzz

Topgolf

Total Wine - Camelback

urbAna

VIDA I MOULIN

Village Health Clubs & Spas: Camelback

Wunderkind

Xoxo Charcuterie

Save the Date For These Annual PCDS Alumni Events

Blue & Gold Alumni Tent

Friday, October 20, 2023

Alumni Holiday Party

Friday, December 22, 2023

Alumni Spring Weekend and Reunions

Friday, April 19-Saturday, April 20, 2024

Golden Circle

Thursday, May 30, 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

Dear Eagle Alumni,

This past school year, our goal as an Alumni Association was to make meaningful individual connections. As we moved away from hybrid and virtual programs and returned to all in-person events, it was the conversations, hugs, laughs, and renewed memories that stick out for me the most. This spring, in particular, it was such a joy to return to San Francisco to reunite with our Bay Area alumni, to welcome back beloved retired art teacher Jim Cook for our Alumni Masters’ Lecture, to celebrate reunions, Alumna of the Year honors, our Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, Senior Dinner, and Golden Circle with so many of you. It’s unique to be in a professional role that o ers me the opportunity to reunite with high school friends and classmates on the regular (shoutout to some of you featured in the accompanying photos!). Each of those individual connections truly matter to me. And, to all of you whom I had the opportunity to meet at your very first alumni event—thank you for joining us. I can’t wait to see you again!

Philanthropically, our alumni body came together once again to change the lives of deserving students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to receive a PCDS education. Thank you for your generosity and for keeping the PCDS Alumni Scholarship Fund on your priority lists!

I am also so thankful to all of you who are active members of our networking platform, PCDS:Connect. This is a unique and important way to link our graduates—regardless of where they live—and, in particular, our youngest alumni benefit so greatly from the expertise and advice they receive from people who share their academic roots. I’m excited for us to continue utilizing this resource that allows us to easily connect with one another. Also, thanks to our alumni who o ered summer internships specifically for PCDS students and college-age alumni. We are so appreciative of your help in pioneering this opportunity that highlights how much you value PCDS connections.

In addition to serving as the School’s Director of Alumni Relations, I am also an academic advisor for a group of juniors and seniors in our US. For two years of their US tenures, I meet with my students each week, get to know them very well, and play a small part in helping to guide them on their academic paths. As such, I want to especially wish “my” four graduating seniors Kayla, Adam, Quinn, and Gaby the best of luck as they leave the Eagles’ Nest for Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Grinnell, Iowa; and Middlebury, Vermont. I’m so proud of you. And, now that we are all alumni, I expect to see you at an event soon! Our future is bright because of you and your classmates.

I conclude with a heartfelt o ering of gratitude to our Alumni Board who continue to assist me in all of our e orts to engage our alumni body. Your dedication to PCDS means so much, and I’m very grateful.

Go Eagles!

Alumni—as a nod to the School’s emphasis on sustainability, please use this QR code if you would like to opt-out of printed issues of The Bridge magazine moving forward. Instead, by completing the survey you will receive an email link to the online ISSUU version of The Bridge

Class of 2023 Destinations

Maya Catherine Allmendinger

The University of California, Los Angeles

Devan Manish Amin Dartmouth College

Nicholas Calib Armenta Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

Emily Ann Armstrong University of Colorado Boulder

Sydney Rae Ayers Arizona State University

Patrog Azadfekr

Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

Elizabeth Anne Bartolino Vanderbilt University

Julia Montee Black

University of Southern California

Abigail Ann Bockrath University of Georgia

August Olsen Brenden University of Arizona

Isabella Faith Brenes Yale University

Grant Roger Brown Southern Methodist University

Adam Elijah Burns Vanderbilt University

Bryce Reardon Bzdak Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

Max Mondalvo Cabianca Dartmouth College

Abigail Pauline Caplan University of Washington

Arianne de Trenck

University of Southern California

Mariana Harris Deignan Arizona State University

Kathleen Lorraine Eckerman Boston University

Skylar Mason Florey Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

Ryan Minoru Fujii Cornell University

Gabriela Galá Middlebury College

Giancarlo Galá Barrett, The Honors College at ASU

Misha Ghafouri Yale University

Brianna Lanee Graham Franklin & Marshall College

Ridge Halen Hall University of Redlands

Tatum Horton Loyola Marymount University

Caleb Je erson Humphreys Cornell University

Richard Nicholas Humphreys Carnegie Mellon University

Jayce Earl Huskey

University of Oklahoma

Eliana Simone Ja ee University of Pennsylvania

Miranda Gayle Jarvis Smith College

Jadynn Alyssa Jones

University of Colorado Boulder

Nara Kaibara Case Western Reserve University

Jonah Philip Kaplan Grinnell College

Estelle Floriane Kudelski

University of Southern California

Owen Edward Lambert

Rhode Island School of Design

Zane Lateef Arizona State University

Benjamin Charles Lewis

University of California, San Diego

Connor Thomas Richard Lloyds

University of Southern California

Anya Isabel Machbitz

Scripps College

Evan Harrington Ma

Wake Forest University

Andrew Jacob Marks

Tulane University

Parker Cameron Milliken

University of Colorado Boulder

Timothy Antonio Moriarty

Texas Christian University

Elle Grace Mullard

University of San Diego

Eliot Rose Murphy

San Diego State University

Armaan Ajay Narwani Babson College

Sophia Ana Nistor

University of St Andrews

Jordyn Smolens Oppenheim University of Michigan

Seth Gabriel Osorio

Arizona State University

McKinley Jean Paltzik

Harvard University

Hannah Sage Perlmutter

San Diego State University

Aidan James Perry

Savannah College of Art and Design

Quinn Pruitt Grinnell College

Eliana Carmel Rosenthal Stanford University

Miles Anthony Sabeeh Arizona State University

Jake Ryland Seitz Chapman University

Evelyn Ann Serpa Arizona State University

Milan Paulina Coraggio-Sewell University of Pennsylvania

Ava Lee Shields

Pepperdine University

Kayla Drew Singer The University of Texas at Austin

Alexander Sondergaard Jensen Claremont McKenna College

Emma Katrine Sorensen University of Michigan

Esben Bjorn Sorensen University of Michigan

Jacob Levi Sunenshine Tufts University

Tyler Ming-Fei Tam Stanford University

Mia Marie Valente

Bucknell University

Banks Richard Voss University of Denver

Natalie Jiali Vu

Case Western Reserve University

Aaron Christopher Wang

Case Western Reserve University

Grace Du y Whalen

Oregon State University

Annabelle Winssinger

Washington University in St. Louis

CONGRATULATIONS, PCDS LIFERS

The Class of 2023 Lifers: Graduates who attended PCDS from Pre-k or kindergarten through their senior year.

From top to bottom: Owen Lambert ’23, Natalie Vu ’23, Bryce Bzdak ’23, Tyler Tam ’23, Evan Maffi ’23, Kayla Singer ’23, Miles Sabeeh ’23, Abby Bockrath ’23, Jordyn Oppenheim ’23, McKinley Paltzik ’23. Far right: Aaron Wang ’23, Grace Whalen ’23; Not pictured: Jayce Huskey ’23

Spring 2023 Alumni Events

We loved seeing so many of you this past spring!

Complete photo galleries from all of our alumni events can be found at: https://www.pcds.org/alumni/engage

In January, after four long years, we reunited with our Bay Area alumni in San Francisco. Attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception at the Walt Disney Family Museum, which was followed by a private tour of the galleries. In March, we hosted our annual Alumni Masters’ Lecture featuring retired US Art teacher Mr. Jim Cook. Mr. Cook guided participants (both in-person and online) through an interactive painting class. It was a true joy to be back in the art classroom with our beloved teacher. In April, Alumni Spring Weekend boasted a full schedule of events including the Outstanding Alumna of the Year Luncheon, a welcome cocktail reception, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, alumni campus tours, and class reunions at our all-school Bridge-the-Gap celebration.

Alumni Spring Weekend & Reunions

Alumni Spring Weekend & Reunions

2023 Outstanding Alumna of the Year

Major Katie Potter ’98

Each year since 1990, the PCDS Alumni Association has named an Outstanding Alum or Alumni of the Year. These individuals have distinguished themselves in service to their communities, professional achievement, and commitment to PCDS. During a special luncheon in her honor, the Alumni Association was proud to celebrate Major Katie Potter ’98 as the 2023 Outstanding Alumna of the Year. In addition to her remarkable accomplishments both personally and professionally, Katie has been a supportive and active member of the Phoenix Country Day School alumni community since she graduated. The award was presented to Katie at the Alumna of the Year Luncheon and an excerpt from the proclamation she received follows.

Counsel representing victims of sexual assault, a role that led to a meeting with the Acting Secretary of the Air Force and helped shine a light on the need for additional prevention and support resources. In Katie’s next assignment as an Area Defense Counsel defending military members accused of crimes, she addressed important concerns regarding the inequitable treatment of military members of color. She is proud of the military’s e orts to improve both how they treat victims of sexual assault and the disparity in justice and punishment based on race.

On Friday, April 28, 2023, the Phoenix Country Day School Board of Trustees and Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Association proudly bestowed upon Major Katie Potter the honor of Outstanding Alumna of the Year. Moved by the service and sacrifice she saw in those around her, Katie wanted to use her education and experience to give back and set out to become a military lawyer. When Katie joined the Air Force JAG Corps, she recognized the power and discretion that prosecutors have in assisting victims through the military justice process. At Los Angeles Air Force Base, she served as Special Victims’

In addition to her remarkable accomplishments both personally and professionally, Katie has been a supportive and active member of the Phoenix Country Day School alumni community since graduating in 1998. She even spoke to our US students about the importance of using our voices for honesty and truth. Major Katie Potter epitomizes the virtues and goals that PCDS holds dear: we strive to matriculate students who love learning and pursue wisdom; use their talents and skills for the greater good; are adaptable, resilient, and responsible citizens in their local communities, their nation, and the world; and who engage in life with both honor and integrity. Accordingly, Katie Potter, class of 1998, is a most worthy recipient of the Phoenix Country Day School Outstanding Alumna of the Year award. n

PCDS MS Student Inspired by Alumna of the Year

Each year at the start of Alumni Spring Weekend, the US has the pleasure of hearing from the Outstanding Alum of the Year during a special Morning Meeting presentation. It is the Alumni Association’s hope that our honored graduates inspire current students and allow them to see how PCDS has laid the foundation for success in the lives of so many of our alumni. This year, MS student Alaia Lalji ’28 personally reached out to Alumna of the Year Katie Potter ’98, which led to an opportunity to spend several hours together while Katie was still in town. Below, Alaia describes the experience:

“It was amazing to meet someone as accomplished as Major Potter. When speaking with her, I noticed how she spoke calmly and confidently. It was clear how much she loves being an attorney and the impact she makes on others’ lives. From our time together, I learned that it’s important to be confident, which comes from loving what you do. It was also a pleasant surprise to learn that Major Potter did her thesis on the gender pay wage while she was in law school. I shared with her that I had written a paper on the same topic for my 7th grade end-of-year project—it was an instant connection!

I also had the lucky opportunity to meet up with Major Potter for several hours at the Phoenix Art Museum. As Major Potter and I looked at art that was actually created by her neighbor, Philip Curtis, she asked what it was about human rights law that interested me. I explained that I enjoy taking on challenging projects. Working in law would allow me to do that and to have an impact on many people’s lives. Major Potter talked about some of her cases, sharing a day-in-thelife as a JAG attorney. She explained the process of being on a case, from start to finish. The most important piece of advice she o ered was that regardless of whether you win or lose a case, the knowledge that you gain from it is key. It allows you

the opportunity to improve upon your skills for your clients so that you can best serve them. As we paused at a painting of broken highchairs lying in the desert, she explained to me more about the artist, and how this piece reflected his and his wife’s life together. We entered another gallery where we met some of Major Potter’s friends who were also PCDS alumni. As people who are also in careers centered on improving lives, they were excited to hear that I hoped to follow a similar path. Our conversation was inspiring, and I hope to always remember Major Potter’s advice about life while at PCDS and after it.

I feel fortunate to be a student at PCDS. We have an opportunity to learn from the alumni who started out just like us, at the same school, taking the same classes, maybe even sharing some of the same teachers. Alumni have done such amazing things since graduating from PCDS, and they are willing to show us how to grow into incredible humans and how we can make a di erence in the world, just as they have.

In the future, like Major Potter, I want to be an attorney for women’s rights and to make a di erence in people’s lives. Women face injustices in many di erent areas, such as the workforce, and they should have someone advocating for them. For my 7th grade end-of-year project, I did a presentation and created a website about the gender wage gap, which included details on this issue, how it a ects people, and ways to improve or work towards solving it. This is something I feel strongly about, and I would like to help women solve these problems in my future career.” n

“Major Potter is an inspiration and role model. She has dedicated her life to making a change within the Air Force and to helping fellow servicewomen. I think it is amazing how she is so determined to help the people that she meets whether they are clients, students, or people she just met.”

Alaia Lalji ’28

PCDS Athletic Hall of Fame

This past spring, we welcomed three individuals into our Hall of Fame.

The Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding alumni athletes and coaches who excelled during their time at PCDS. The annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction solidifies a sense of pride and tradition for our School and our Eagle athletics community. This ceremony is particularly special as athletes are inducted by their former PCDS teammates and coaches.

A Hall of Fame athlete:

• Has made a significant impact on the PCDS athletic program

• Has been recognized locally, regionally, statewide, and even in some cases, nationally

• Represents the highest values of our School and our athletic program: A person of character, leadership, and dedication

• Exemplifies the values set forth in our Pursuing Victory with Honor program: Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship

Learn more about this year’s inductees, below:

PAUL SURDAKOWSKI ’98

Paul Surdakowski was an All-Metro Region athlete in soccer, basketball, and baseball. He was recognized for his outstanding play and for his dedication and determination to be the best athlete he could be. In his junior year, Paul won the Eagle Award for his sportsmanship and positive character qualities, which helped advance him toward being an outstanding leader. Paul’s career culminated in his senior year when he was voted by the coaching staff as our School’s Most Outstanding Athlete.

CODY SONNTAG ’03

Cody Sonntag was a star on the soccer and lacrosse fields. In Cody’s senior year, he won the Most Outstanding Athlete Award. He also won the coveted Eagle Award for his character, leadership, sportsmanship, and dedication. Cody was also selected as the Most Valuable Player in both varsity soccer and lacrosse and served as captain of both teams. In soccer, he was Central Region first team. In lacrosse, he was All-State and also finished as one of the top point leaders in Arizona.

BECKY MYER ’08

Becky Myer dominated the sport of softball. She was one of our athletic department’s all-time best pitchers. With Becky’s outstanding pitching, she was All-Metro Region for four consecutive seasons and named Most Valuable Player each year. Becky had outstanding ability but what really made her great was her drive, determination, compassion for the game, leadership, and her humble approach. Becky is now coaching softball in Ohio where she makes a significant di erence in the lives of young people.

Senior Dinner

Welcome Class of 2023

Each year, the PCDS Alumni Association hosts the Senior Dinner where our soon-to-be graduates are o cially inducted into the Alumni Association. This year’s event featured a lovely meal, a rousing alumni trivia game, special alumni gifts, and also provided one final opportunity for our seniors to come together before graduation. Special thanks to the members of the Alumni Board who attended in order to personally congratulate the 73 members of this year’s graduating class as they joined the fold. Are you interested in welcoming our newest alumni to your city this fall? They are all registered on the PCDS:Connect platform. Please connect with them at pcdsconnect.org.

Alumni Scholarship Fund

HONOR YOUR ALMA MATER’S FOUNDING YEAR

Support PCDS Students through the Alumni Scholarship Fund

GIVE $61 FOR OUR FOUNDING YEAR: ’61

100% of your gift supports PCDS scholarship students and makes a powerful IMPACT. Thank you!

Golden Circle 2023

Inducting the Class of 1973

We were thrilled to induct the Class of 1973 into the PCDS Golden Circle in June. Graduates from the classes of 1965 through 1973 enjoyed a cocktail reception and State of the School address from Head of School Andy Rodin before leading the procession of the Class of 2023 at US Graduation. We were also delighted to be joined by the Class of 1973’s MS Teacher Ms. Jackie Ellis!

The PCDS Golden Circle is an honorary group of all classes who have celebrated their 50th reunions. Each year on US graduation day, the members of the Golden Circle wear gold robes and cross Daley Bridge, leading that year’s newest alumni to their graduation. 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 commencement, reminding our current families and all others in attendance that PCDS enjoys a truly rich history.

Class of 1974—please mark your calendars for Thursday, May 30, 2024, as we welcome you into this illustrious group.

“

PCDS:Connect Pilots Alumni Internship Program

Eagles Helping Eagles

This summer, the PCDS Alumni Association piloted an alumni internship program for current students and recent graduates. Internships were generously hosted by PCDS alumni and were open only to PCDS applicants. The goals of the internship program are to expose interns to careers they may be interested in pursuing and to provide work experience that will help prepare them to be life-long learners. The program

is supported by the Alumni Board’s Networking Committee, which recruited the alumni hosts and organized the marketing and interview process with the applicants. Thank you to our first two alumni internship program hosts—Jason Hackett ’88, owner of HAPI Advertising, and Elizabeth Oviedo ’04, CEO of Symmetry Software—and congratulations to our first interns

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn and intern with HAPI, thanks to the connections facilitated by PCDS alumni. This experience has not only broadened my horizons but has also equipped me with invaluable skills and experience that will undoubtedly benefit my future career aspirations.

I am truly fortunate to be a part of the PCDS community and to have the chance to contribute to meaningful initiatives alongside passionate alumni.”

After working with Sarah, I am optimistic about our future workforce. She is well-rounded and genuinely cares about learning. Sarah contributed for us at a high level, both creatively and analytically. Her maturity and professionalism will serve her well in whatever career she chooses. Sarah is a good human, of which the world needs more. We were happy to help this promising young Eagle to spread her wings.”

“We have been delighted to have Manya as our summer intern this year at Symmetry Software, and I am very grateful to the PCDS Alumni Association for making this meaningful connection. Her enthusiasm for learning new things, willingness to help the team, and curiosity for understanding our business stand out to me as hallmarks of a PCDS education put into practice.”

“When I initially reached out to Elizabeth about an internship, I was incredibly grateful for her kindness, generosity, and immediate willingness to help out. This opportunity at Symmetry Software is an invaluable learning experience for me, and I have the PCDS network to thank for it! I appreciate the Alumni Association for establishing these connections, and I look forward to being a PCDS alumna.”

Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to…

1996

Laura Hazlett is the CFO and COO at Klamath River Renewal Corporation. As part of her company’s work, they have begun taking out four dams along the Klamath River to both improve the water quality and to restore 495 miles of native fish habitat. When completed, it will be the largest watershed project in the U.S. Laura lives in Bend, OR, with her husband and daughter. She enjoys golf and horseback riding, which she took up after a long hiatus. She is now back to competing in the U.S. and Canada, just as she did when she was younger. Laura reports that her daughter also rides and competes. Laura also serves on the board of Positive Coaching Alliance, a large national organization focused on creating “better athletes, better people”. Last year, Laura negotiated the merger of that alliance with Coaching Corps. Laura also serves on the board of Worthy Environmental, which is a small entity in Bend that focuses on environmental sustainability.

After graduating from PCDS, Erin Holsonback majored in environmental science at the University of Oregon. Erin reports, “I thoroughly enjoyed my college years and fell in love with the culture, mountains, rivers, ocean, and green surroundings of the Pacific Northwest. During my final college term, I had to take a general credit and decided to try an urban farm class, which sparked my interest in gardening and growing food. Little did I know

that my experience in this class would eventually lead me to my current career as a landscape architect. I also didn’t realize that I had already met my future husband while in Eugene. After college, I moved to San Francisco for three years, where I worked for two non-profit organizations, the State of the World Forum and San Francisco Community Recyclers, and became involved with the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, an organization that ran the community gardens in the city at the time. I also happened to reconnect with my now husband, Brian Holsonback, who was living in Northern California and working as a glass artist. In 2002, we moved back to Portland, Oregon, where we married and have lived happily ever since. While in Oregon, I have taken landscape design classes at Portland Community College, worked at a plant nursery for two years, and then landed a job at a landscape architecture firm. My job was significantly impacted during the recession of 2008, so I used the extra time to study and take the exams needed to become a licensed landscape architect—a dicult endeavor that took two years to complete. Since then, we’ve added two boys to our family, Logan, age 11; Parker, age 8. They keep us on our toes. In 2019, my former boss retired, and I took ownership of the small landscape architecture business, which has been both challenging and rewarding. Brian has worked for an organic produce company for many years and enjoys

fishing for salmon, hunting for chanterelle mushrooms in the fall, and coaching little league baseball. I love to spend time with family and friends, adventure outdoors in the summer, and I hope to someday get back to my pottery hobby. We recently moved to a 1970s house that we adore and have been remodeling and building a fenced vegetable garden. My mother and sister have both moved to the Northwest, so I no longer have family in Phoenix but will always have fond memories of my Southwest roots. I have remained in contact with several PCDS friends and had a great time at our 20th reunion. Go Eagles!”

Arden O’Connor shares that she has been in Boston—for college, graduate school, and now as an adult—since graduating from PCDS. Arden currently lives in downtown Boston with her three dogs (Mango, Kiwi, and Guava) and runs a concierge behavioral health firm O’Connor Professional Group. “We have a talented and compassionate team and recently created a film about my family’s story, Addiction and A uence. Please feel free to drop me a line, if you’d like to see it. Outside of my work and pack of dogs, I am trying to become a mom through surrogacy. Because I had leukemia, I can’t carry a child myself. I have found a village of people to help me through the process, so I hope to have good news in the months to come. I miss so many things about PCDS—even Mr. Martin’s pop quizzes! I am continually impressed by the changes on campus and hope to see my classmates either virtually or in-person in the future,” shares Arden.

We have PCDS Alumni gear for sale!

private equity group, GEM Funds, in 2018. When he is not focused on Bitcoin mining or hi-tech agriculture, he reports that he leads the largest YPO chapter in the world. As his daughters go through their own educational journeys, Zeb reports, “I constantly use my own experience at PCDS as the barometer for what I think a great education looks like!”

Eric Cornwell reports that he has maintained a facade of keeping busy since graduating from PCDS. Along with his day job in commercial real estate, he and a partner purchased the Humble Pie restaurant chain in Phoenix. They are now in the process of expanding Humble Pie and creating new dining experiences with their Humble Bistro, Humble Oyster Bar, and Humble Tortas & Tacos restaurants. He currently resides in Doylestown, PA, with his wife, Sarah, and their three children, Harrison, age 15; Amelia, age 14; and Finnegan, age 10.

of Washington, D.C., where she is managing director of an organization that encourages young people in battleground states to get civically engaged and to vote. “I love traveling, which has included an East Coast road trip with my dog and cat, visiting the region’s wineries, and living an active lifestyle,” shares Kate.

1997

Zeb Portanova lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife, two daughters, and two English Bulldogs (Wa es and Buddha). He has spent the last 20 years attending multiple schools and running companies around the world, ultimately founding his own

After graduating from PCDS, Kate Lyon attended UCLA and UCSD and graduated from law school after a short stint at InStyle magazine. Kate practiced law for a year before she was, “bitten by the political bug”, and she then joined Planned Parenthood’s public affairs team and worked for both the California State Legislature and on Capitol Hill. Kate bounced back and forth between the legislative side and the campaign trail while working on healthcare policy, campaign management, and message strategy for candidates at all levels—from school board to president. Kate currently lives in the Dupont Circle neighborhood

Eric Shoemaker reports that 25 years after leaving PCDS, he still loves being a part of the PCDS community. He attributes this loyalty to “some combination of our pitch-perfect alumni engagement, life-long PCDS friends, and a deep gratitude for the people (Rod Dashnaw, Dave Martin, et al.) who provided me with both an education without equal, and a healthy dose of life wisdom (to a kid who sometimes didn’t deserve it). In 1997, I left AZ, for the frozen tundra of Minnesota and Carleton College (thank you, Paul Schweikher), spent a couple of years on Wall Street, and ultimately landed in Portland, OR, where I attended Lewis & Clark Law School. This experience helped me to understand that I’m a better client than I am a lawyer, and thus now have a career in commercial real estate finance development. Currently, I run the northwest market for LA-based Freedom LP, a small private equity fund that invests in value-add real estate projects across the western states. My beautiful wife, Deanna, and I live in Cannon Beach, OR, and commute to Portland a couple days a week. Although we have the best beaches in the Pacific Northwest, the winters are long and rainy. It won’t be too long before we’ll find ourselves spending more time in AZ again,” states Eric.

Since graduating from PCDS, Nancy Perla has moved all over the country. After attending Columbia University and then spending some time living in Paris, where she studied art history and architecture, Nancy then went to graduate school at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. From there, a career as a television news reporter took her to Tucson, AZ; Tampa, FL; and then to Washington, D.C., before making it back to NYC for a job at the financial news network CNBC. Having retired after the birth of her children, Nancy now lives in Wichita, KS, where she has lived for the past ten years while raising her kids and serving as a philanthropist (promoting and fundraising for a variety of local charities). She reports being an avid art collector and is now, “beginning to write my next life chapter as an art consultant and interiors advisor”.

Rachel Finkelstein Anderson resides in Phoenix with her husband, Reid, and their two girls, Olivia, age 18; and Elle, age 9. Rachel has spent the last 20 years working in the non-profit sector, specifically within the clinical setting focusing on autism spectrum disorders. Her current title is Chief Clinical Officer at the Southwest

Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC). Olivia, her older daughter, is headed to UA in the fall to study biomedical engineering, and her younger daughter is currently a third grader at PCDS. Rachel shares that her best friend today is still Kristin Stamm McNealy ’07

Julie Geantil Freise shares that she will always be grateful for her educational experiences at PCDS. She believes that the teachers, sta , and coaches at PCDS helped her to become the curious and compassionate person that she is today. And, she continues, they helped to cultivate her thirst for knowledge and experience as a lifelong learner. “My post-PCDS journey began at the University of Puget Sound, wh ere I studied mathematics (big thanks to Dr. Cags and Mr. Swingler) and met my husband. From there, I lived shortly in San Diego, Alaska, and then Chicago but have called Seattle home for most of my adult life. I have worked in accounting and business and received a master’s in teaching. My husband and I are grateful for each and every day, as we raise our three kids (Eva, Kate, and Blake) and two dogs. I stay busy with teaching, managing apartments, and coaching soccer,” shares Julie.

Alison Pulaski Carter currently lives with her family just down the street from PCDS. In 2001, she graduated from Yale University. In 2006, after a detour on Wall Street, she became a lawyer. She is currently practicing employment law at BurnsBarton PLC in Phoenix. Her husband, John Carter, is a local corporate attorney. They have an 11-year-old son, Charlie, who is a current fifth grader at PCDS; and a 9-year-old daughter, Alexandra. Alison is loving every minute of raising a family in the same desert where she grew up—except for during the summers when she tries to spend as little time in Arizona as possible.

Marissa Gerdes Humphrey reports that she lives in Maryland with her husband and 13-year-old daughter. She shares that her daughter, “takes it upon herself to remind me everyday of how tragically uncool I am.” Marissa graduated from Brown University, and after a few years working in consulting, went to Duke’s Fuqua School of Business (neither school, Marissa says, proved as academically challenging as PCDS). For the past 15 years, she has worked for Exelon, a large energy company, and is in the process of relocating her family to Philadelphia for a new role as CFO.

1998

Paul Surdakowski reports, “I graduated with an English degree from The University of Texas at Austin. I then attended law school at Cal Western in San Diego, however, I quickly realized that law was not the right career path for me. While attending a wedding, I met a financial advisor who worked for a regional firm, Piper Jaffray. During our conversation, this advisor o ered me an internship in financial services. Over that next year, I interned and learned how the financial services industry worked, and I was ultimately hired as a junior advisor. However, after only a few months, Piper Jaffray was purchased by UBS, and as a result, many of our advisors found new homes. I made the decision to pivot my career from financial advising to financial wholesaling and have been working in that sector since 2008. I provide expert advice on REITs, annuities, and longterm care for both financial advisors and their clients. My career then journeyed in yet another direction in November 2021, when I took on the role of building and managing a team of annuity hybrid wholesalers for Nationwide, a position I currently enjoy immensely. When I am not working, my days are spent relaxing, playing sports (specifically basketball and golf), connecting with friends, and, most importantly, spending time with my 12-year-old daughter, Siena (we especially enjoy Disneyland). I feel such joy watching Siena grow as both a person and an athlete. She is a fantastic soccer player and was just added to the ECNL club at Phoenix Rising. Her team is one of the best in the country, having won the State Cup for the last two years while playing up a year. Currently, I reside in the Desert Ridge neighborhood in North Phoenix with Siena and our two dogs, Benji and Butters.”

1999

In 2018, Sharon Lipovsky traded her native Washington, D.C., for a life up a mountain and down a dirt road deep in the Catskills of NY. She appreciates that her husband, Colin, and their three children have a sense of adventure. When not getting her shoes muddy, you might find Sharon recording her Design Yourself podcast or coaching executives and their teams to reinvent the way we do business. Her leadership development firm, Point Road Studios, turned ten last year, and she reports, “I am grateful to have built a professional life that allows me to do the work of my heart. Sharon is deeply appreciative that she and Colin finished renovating their octagonal schoolhouse (mostly) before the pandemic hit. You can read about their adventures in home building in Dwell and The New York Times . She would welcome visits from her fellow alums and hopes to find an excuse to get back to Phoenix soon.

After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in biomedical engineering, Aylin Tashman Kim joined J&J’s Ortho-McNeil prior to heading back to Columbia University for her MBA. During her time at J&J, Aylin met her husband, Louis, and they eventually moved to Seattle, WA, where they both started their careers. Aylin shares that she and Louis love raising their three children in Seattle and enjoy all the natural beauty and culture of the Pacific Northwest. After 15 years of Seattle living, Aylin reports that she finally started drinking co ee and routinely runs in the rain. She loves seeing Julie Geantil Freise ’97

whenever she can and was thrilled to give Jerry Mischel ’97 a tour of the school that her children attend in order to support him in his quest for the “PCDS of Seattle”. Aylin currently works to support early-stage medtech, biotech, and digital health entrepreneurs at a life science accelerator.

Whitney Pozgay is currently living in Piedmont, California, with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Kiki. She is the designer and founder of the apparel brand WHIT and is a member of The Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is also working as a creative consultant for other brands and loving motherhood.

Katherine Ferris majored in psychology and minored in Spanish at USC. During college, she began dancing professionally with several companies and auditioning for commercials, film, television, and live shows. After college, she took a few years to dedicate herself to professional jazz, ballet, hip hop, and the aerial arts. She performed in many live shows with artists, such as Alicia Keys, Will Smith, and Britney Spears. Recognizing the limited longevity of such a career, she then pursued and completed post-baccalaureate/ pre-medicine courses with the goal of medical school. She attended medical school at the University of Miami (including a dedicated year of research) and was accepted into a dermatology residency at the University of California, Irvine. After completion, she accepted positions in two private practices in Southern California. She remains in San Diego with her partner Geo , and their two beautiful children, daughter Naomie, age 3; and son, Matteo, 9 months.

2000

Sarah Donovan Finnegan reports, “I left PCDS hoping to be an English major at Swarthmore College. I loved my time in Philadelphia and getting to know that city, community, and culture that was so very di erent from Arizona. I enjoyed the cold, snowy winters for some time, though when it was 90 degrees in Phoenix in April and still snowing in Philly, that was a bit hard to process! After two years of a wide variety of liberal arts courses (astronomy, psychology, engineering, political economy, French) while at Swarthmore, I fell in love with political science and switched majors. After graduating, I moved to Washington, D.C., to work on Capitol Hill, which is where I realized that I actually need to know a lot more about economics and finance to understand complex issues like tax and trade policy. So, in 2006, I moved to London to pursue a master’s in public administration in economic policy from the London School of Economics. While studying, I needed to earn some cash, so I accepted an internship in London’s financial center. At first, I was involved with administrative documentation to support new financial services regulations. Then I moved to increasingly more complex trade ticket monitoring and risk assessment. While studying corporate and international finance, Lehman Brothers collapsed and the Global Financial Crisis began. These events really shaped my perspective and my career. For 15 years now, I have worked in risk management in the financial services industry and have really enjoyed it.”

2001

After graduating from PCDS, Callie Kant headed to the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in communication. Ever since graduating from Penn, she has lived in NYC. She

attended Pratt Institute for a master’s in communications design and has worked in various capacities in the fashion and women’s lifestyle industries. She is currently the VP of Brand & Creative at M.M.LaFleur, a women’s clothing company, where she oversees the brand projection, including photography, graphic design, copy, content, brand marketing, PR, and ecommerce. Callie’s niece (Hadley Harris) and nephew (Hudson Harris) are current PCDS LS students. During a recent visit to Phoenix (which she does often), Callie reports enjoying getting to experience the PCDS life once again.

Julie Clark shares, “With a college and law school degree in hand, I moved on to a career in cutting-edge precision health care as the deputy general counsel for the world’s pre-eminent cellular therapy organization, National Marrow Donor Program. I spend my workdays managing complex legal issues spanning subject matter from intellectual property, to data privacy and security, to multi-center clinical trials. While I love my job, my true love is being a mom to 9-year-old Reed, whose creativity and passion for all things athletic (this summer’s particular focus being horseback riding) keeps me constantly on the move.”

2002

Kat Tomalty shares, “After graduating from PCDS, I received a BS and MS in biological sciences from Stanford University and then attended UC Davis for a combined DVM/PhD program. My PhD focused on conservation genetics of pacific salmon. After practicing as an emergency veterinarian in Portland, OR, for the past seven years, I am now planning a move back to California to pursue a veterinary radiology residency at UC Davis. My husband, Derek, and I have a wonderful 3-year-old daughter, Vivian.”

Danielle Goldstein Masserman met her now husband, Tal Masserman, while attending college at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Danielle then went on to USC to get a doctor of dental surgery degree while Tal got his dental degree at UCLA. Both Danielle and Tal now practice at Affiliated Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics in Scottsdale; Danielle specializes in pediatric dentistry and Tal in orthodontics. They currently have two children who both attend PCDS—Brooks (1st grade) and Levi (Pre-k). Danielle reports that she loves being back on campus and seeing her kids so happy and thriving in school. When not working, Danielle also loves spending time outdoors and traveling with her family.

2004

David Dilettoso has been living in Orange County, CA, for the last 15 years. Four years ago, he started his own residential architecture firm, Mesa Studio Architecture & Design, helping homeowners create or re-imagine their dream homes with projects throughout Southern California and Arizona.

Abby Zeitlin and her husband, Noah, met during their college years while studying abroad in Chile. They currently live in the Phoenix area with their son, Ari, who just finished Pre-k at PCDS. Abby, Noah, and Ari are happy to be so close to extended family, and they spend weekends hiking and adventuring around Arizona.

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In June 2022, Sophie Epstein Statnekov and her husband, Jacob, welcomed baby Miles. Miles has successfully displaced their two beloved tuxedo cats as their new favorite child. Currently, they live in Tempe and hope to “resume sleeping through the night sometime within the next decade”. Sophie works as an internal learning and development consultant for Bank of the West (now part of BMO) and celebrated her fourth anniversary with the bank this past April.

performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Pensacola Opera, and the Indianapolis Opera. Currently, Anne lives in Indianapolis with her boyfriend, Adam, a doctoral student in trombone.

which since I joined in 2018, has raised over ten million dollars for children’s charities in the Valley,” shares Pat.

Will Fielder has been working at Salt River Project, where he leads the organization’s acquisition of new power generation resources. He and his wife, Rose, live in Scottsdale with their two children (ages 4 and 6). “Some may know that in 2012, I was sworn in as a police o cer (reserve) for the Phoenix Police Department. After five years in patrol and five years in the firearms training detail, I’m hangin’ it up. It was a good run, and I appreciated the experience,” reports Will.

2007

2005

Anne Slovin reports that she is still singing. In the spring of 2024, she will graduate with a doctorate in voice performance and a graduate certificate in vocology from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. At IU’s opera theater, Anne recently premiered the role of Anne Frank in Shulamit Ran’s new opera based on The Diary of a Young Girl. She has also

2006

Alex Hazell shares, “After our 7-yearold daughter, Anastasia, passed away from cancer, we started Hope House Hazells, in her honor. This charity helps to support disabled and neurodivergent young people (ages 16 to 24) to cultivate their talents and passions. When Anastasia was in palliative care, we researched alternative therapies and pioneered a new technique to manage her pain.”

Pat McGroder has been working as a trial attorney and partner at Beus Gilbert McGroder PLLC. His focus has been on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Pat reports that his daughter, now 7 years old, enjoys softball and diving. “I am proud to be a member of Executive Council Charities,

Katie Lupica reports that she is in her final year of an MFA in theatre directing at Northwestern University. In August, she will begin new positions as Assistant Professor of Directing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Associate Artistic Director of the Clarence Brown Theatre (a professional theatre company embedded on UT’s campus). Katie will be teaching directing and play analysis courses and directing plays during the Clarence Brown Theatre season. “I am excited because teaching, directing, and working in the area of artistic leadership is a dream come true for me,” shares Katie. She will be moving with her partner, Nathan, and cat, Clementine, but before leaving Chicago, she will be directing Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (as part of her thesis at Northwestern) and a production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at Kane Repertory Theatre.

Alexa Itkin Bloom lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Aaron; son, Asher; and newborn daughter, Avery. Alexa is a business development and project director at Studio Grey, a boutique architecture & interior design firm specializing in commercial hospitality. Aaron is an anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician. At their wedding, Alexa introduced close friend and classmate, Dania Gold ’07, to Aaron’s first cousin, Dan Bloom. Dania and Dan are now married, and as both family and best friends, the four of them enjoy frequent visits between Minnesota and Arizona.

Agency. She enjoys spending time with Asher Landay ’07 for puppy play dates and Sandeep Dhadvai ’07 for brewery exploration and when cheering on the Suns.

2008

In 2022, Natalie Swinford graduated from UC Davis with a PhD in human population genetics and biological anthropology. She now lives in Utah and works as a population geneticist at Ancestry on their DNA science team.

Piper Gustafson

Youtzy is a digital marketing strategist at Rosenberg Advertising, a board member at Literary Cleveland, and a freelance ghostwriter for food bloggers. She lives in Lakewood, Ohio, with her husband, Jared.

2009

In 2019, Greer Gosnell moved from London to San Diego, where she now lives with her partner, Travis, and her tuxedo pets, Socrates and Rasa. She has been working as a senior environmental economist on the global health and development team at Rethink Priorities, a nonprofit consultancy and think tank informing large-scale philanthropy with evidence-based research on high-impact global interventions. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, cooking, eating tasty vegan food around SD, traveling, and cheering hard for the Phoenix Suns.

Lizzie Thompson and her husband, Brian Lloyd, live in LA and welcomed their first child, James, this past April. Lizzie reports that she leads the client social impact practice at United Talent

Thomas Turansky is living in beautiful mid-coast Maine with his wife, Kathryn, and two boys, Andrew, age 3; and James, age 1. After 10 years in the marine industry, including a stint managing Kathryn’s family’s business, Je ’s Marine, Thomas is now working at Steel-Pro, a custom manufacturer of ASME pressure vessels and vacuum chambers. Thomas and his family enjoy spending as much time as possible on the water of Muscongus and Penobscot Bays and at the Saint George River. When not boating and swimming, Thomas reports that he and his family can likely be found wandering through the lovely Maine woods on Hupper Island or around their 1920s farmhouse in Warren.

2010

Margaret Liu earned her MD at the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix and completed an internal medicine residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. She is currently completing a gastroenterology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Basil Latif reports, “I am working as a data scientist and enjoying every minute of it. I am coding sophisticated solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large semi-trucks. I have also started a consulting company, Click Analytics. I recently took up cycling and am hoping to complete a 100-mile ride this year. Hit me up if you have a road bike and want to ride together.”

In November 2022, Diana Schron married her husband, Ted. Many PCDS alumni were in attendance.

Zachary McVay shares, “I continue in my dream to transcend time, space, and explanation. I was recently seen being mistaken for an exhibit at a Titanic Museum, teaching Latin lessons while dressed like a pirate on Zoom at a Las Vegas McDonald’s, explaining pre-Socratic philosophy to visiting Australian tourists on Amtrak, and pulling flaming raisins out of a cauldron under the big top of a circus of which I was not a part. A well-prepared Scotch egg summons me. I can’t quite explain it all.”

2011

Corey Bayne reports, “Currently, I am working as a large enterprise account executive at Google, focusing on selling cloud infrastructure and productivity software to Fortune 100 companies. Previously, I worked for several technology firms in Founders’ Fund backed startup Zenreach, Box, and Slack. Each delivered a myriad of experiences in the industry, though Slack provided me with the unique opportunity to go through one of the largest technology acquisitions of all time when Salesforce acquired the company for $27.7 billion. I presently live in NYC, where just last year I got married to the love of my life, Rebecca Bayne. One final note, my experience at PCDS was truly transformative. Not many people came from my background nor looked like myself, but it surrounded me with an excellent network that inspired me to try new things and to give a solid e ort in doing so. I am forever grateful for my experience at PCDS and the confidence it gave me to play with the best of the best!”

Attention all bird watchers: Gordon Silverman ’11 and Leah Motzkin ’12 , two Eagles in love, share that they are planning to marry in Phoenix in October 2024. This eagle-eyed duo reconnected during the pandemic. Both were nesting with their parents

in Arizona and finishing up graduate school. They now live in D.C., where Gordon has been busy with his health tech startup, and Leah’s been using her sharp talons to fight for justice as a lawyer. No reported plans for any eaglets in their immediate future, but they’ll soon be flying o to California, where “the skies are as blue as a robin’s egg and the fish are plentiful.”

2012

Kylie Prusak Eiteljorg moved to Tokyo after graduating from PCDS. There she modeled for brands such as Uniqlo and Shiseido. She then moved to LA to obtain an undergraduate degree at USC. In 2016, she completed her degree and continued her educational pursuits at the Gemological Institute of America, where she obtained a graduate gemologist certification. Following a successful modeling career, Kylie then pivoted and pursued her passion for education. She went on to earn a master’s in education from ASU and now resides in Santa Monica with her husband and their beloved Aussiedoodle, Cosmo. Currently, Kylie is an elementary school teacher at Brentwood School, where she is able to combine her love for teaching with her broad range of experiences.

Shannon Manley reports that she has been living in NYC with her fiancée. She is nearing her ninth year in the city but feels she remains an Arizonan at heart. Last year, she got engaged on the back trail of Piestewa Peak and “is extremely excited for this next stage in my life.” After graduating from Columbia Business School in May 2022, Shannon joined McKinsey & Company to start a career in consulting for companies in a diverse array of industries. Shannon regularly sees other PCDS alums in the city and has recently connected with alumni who have interest in following a similar career path.

Lindsay Coda reports, “I traveled to Richmond and Clifton Forge, Virginia, to work as the assistant art director on the Hulu limited series Dopesick. It turned out to be a very eye-opening project in regard to both the subject matter and the film industry during COVID. After that series wrapped, I went back to LA to work on some projects as a remote set designer (A League of Their Own, Yearly Departed 2021, Ordinary Joe). At the beginning of 2022, I headed to Albuquerque, NM, to work as an assistant art director on a new animation-hybrid film, Coyote v. Acme. While there, we spent about five months building rockets and laboratories for the purpose of trying to catch that dang roadrunner. I fell in love with the crew in New Mexico, and I have since begun working with them on an upcoming Netflix series Obliterated and on a new Peter Berg project, American Primeval, set in 1857 Wyoming. I love working in the film industry because one day you’ll be building a Las Vegas penthouse and then the next day you’re building an 1800s log fort.”

Since her last update, Slater Katz moved to Appleton, WI, with her fiancé and two kitties. They settled in Appleton after traveling and living in California, Washington, Iowa, and Montana. Slater has found a love for business and is still working in the tech industry.

Currently, Natalie Davenport and their spouse, Maybe Stewart, live with their assortment of pets in Phoenix. When not gardening or hiking, Natalie works in operations for a non-profit, focusing on data and impact measurement.

2013

In May 2023, Jaimie Bryan graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine. In June, she began a plastic & reconstructive surgery residency at Stanford. She has plans to pursue a fellowship in craniofacial, microsurgery, or hand surgery at the end of her training.

Grant Gustafson is living in NYC and working for hedge fund Marshall Wace. He leads a small engineering team that enhances investment portfolios with data and algorithms. He loves all that NYC has to o er (especially on the music side) but misses Phoenix sunsets.

2014

Briana Ewart Redfield reports, “I have been working at Intel and just began an exciting new position as an HSIO platform signal integrity engineer. I also recently began the final term for an electrical engineering master’s degree and will graduate in June of 2023. I was also married in 2020, and I now live in Oregon.”

In August, Alexandra Melikian graduated from UA College of Veterinary Medicine. She has plans to move to LA with her two dogs (Lincoln and Nellie) to start work at a small animal general practice while her boyfriend finishes law school.

After a brief stint in NYC, Aashay Sanghvi shares that he moved back to San Francisco. Since college, he has been working as a venture capitalist and recently became a partner at his firm. If any other PCDS alumni find themselves in the Bay Area, Aashay says to please give him a shout.

Sam Gilson is currently living in LA and working as an executive assistant to the head of Smokehouse Pictures, George Clooney’s production company. Before that, he lived in New Orleans for six months while supporting the director and executive producer on Universal Pictures’ RENFIELD. He also reports that he is a proud cat dad.

Chelsea Fassero attended PCDS for middle school. For college, she attended The University of Oklahoma and after college moved to NY. She began working at an event planning company and then switched to marketing. After working in the marketing department at Stuart Weitzman for more than three years, she recently made the move back to Arizona and reports she is excited to be home.

Joanna Fennessy shares, “I have lived in NYC for five years now while pursuing my professional career and passion for branding and advertising. I currently work for Saatchi & Saatchi, a global advertising agency, managing the Pampers and Dawn brands within the Procter & Gamble account. I live in

the West Village of NYC with some of my best friends from Arizona. While NYC will always have my heart, I still love to escape to AZ to visit my family and for some much-needed nature and sunshine.”

2015

Sage Druch shares, “Despite the fact that my most unsavory grades in US were always in my language classes, I have somehow found myself pursuing a career in linguistics. Go figure. As of now, I am researching cognitive linguistics at Tohoku University in Japan. What’s more, the Japanese Ministry of Education is paying me to do it. Can you believe that? Massive mistake on their part.”

2016

Amara Miller reports, “I am so grateful for my time at PCDS. The community and teachers there are truly the best. As a result, I built a strong foundation upon leaving US, and those experiences helped inspire me to be a lifelong learner. I have bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and neuroscience from Barrett, The Honors College at ASU, and am currently finishing up a master’s in medical studies at UA. I will be starting medical school at UA College of Medicine-Phoenix this summer and will be one step closer to reaching my goal of being a physician.”

Did you graduate in 2014, 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984 or 1979?

If so, we can’t wait to see you for your Reunion Weekend!

Save the Date:

Friday, April 19-Saturday, April 20, 2024

2017

Meyla Milian-Sanchez shares, “I have my degree in political science and philosophy from Texas Christian University. (A shoutout to Mr. Guthrie’s “Theories of Justice” class for awakening my love and passion for philosophy.) I landed my first job as an associate at Fidelity Investments in an 18-month rotational program designed for liberal arts majors to leverage their diverse perspectives within the financial services industry. Immediately after completing that program, I packed up my life to embark on a new journey living on the East Coast for the first time, moving from Texas to Boston to work in the consulting and strategic insights group at Fidelity.”

Branch Williamson reports, “Life is great. I’m working for a private aviation tech startup and get to travel all over the country. I just got back from a job in Hawaii, where I was able to scuba dive and spend a lot of time at the beach. I am the VP of Aircraft Operations for an annual charity event called Wings and Wheels at Scottsdale Airpark. My short-term goals for right now are to buy my first rental property and continue to travel!”

Julius Dodson reports that he is working in healthcare investment banking and having a great time living in Harlem with friends from college.

Evan Pittman reports that he received a Fulbright Scholarship for the 2023-24 academic year. He has also been selected as a Hansen Leadership Institute Fellow and will attend Hansen’s summer exchange program on conflict resolution before beginning his Fulbright Scholarship, which will involve teaching and research in Colombia. Since graduating from Brown with a dual degree in business and education, Evan has worked as a business analyst with the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C.

2018

In May of 2022, Aliya Orenstein graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University, with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and actuarial science and a minor in economics. Immediately after graduation, she began working in Texas as a health actuarial analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield. “Although my time in Texas was enjoyable, I missed Arizona. I have since moved home and transitioned into a better role as a financial analyst at a renewable energy company, Balanced Rock Power, based out of Moab, UT, where we develop utility-scale solar and battery projects throughout the entire Southwest region.”

Angie Anaeme attended Duke University, where she majored in evolutionary anthropology and minored in global health. Throughout her time at Duke, she reports, “I was a four-year member of the Duke Dancing Devils, a student research assistant in the Nunn Lab of Evolutionary Medicine, a dance teacher at the Ronald McDonald House,

a student o cer on the Duke Alumni Board, and the founder of the North Carolina chapter of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Outside of class, I pursued my passions in both physical and mental health by working as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line and conducting research on ulcerative skin conditions, resulting in a publication in Wounds Journal. Since graduating with distinction and Latin honors, I have been working as a medical assistant in Arizona while applying to medical schools. Recently, I was accepted to eight medical schools and received full tuition merit scholarships at three of those programs. In the fall, I will be attending the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.”

Ben Davies is still at his public opinion research company and is reportedly really enjoying the work. He was hired as a full-time analyst and works on a bunch of projects for the CDC. This summer, he is “excited to make lots of funky ice cream flavors.”

After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Ilana Hoffer moved to D.C. After she finishes a master’s at GWU, she looks forward to teaching 7th grade U.S. history in the D.C. area.

Samantha Collins left Arizona and attended the University of NebraskaLincoln to pursue a BA with an emphasis on sports media. In May 2022, she graduated from that program and decided she wanted to further her education. She made a life changing decision to move to the Netherlands, where she now combines her love for travel with her desire for higher education. She is currently in a master’s program at the University of Groningen, where she is specializing in researchbased media creation and innovation.

In May 2022, Breanna Price graduated from Louisiana State University with a BA in finance. For the last nine months, “I’ve been living in Dallas and working at Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) as a disputes and investigations associate. At A&M I assist clients and attorneys during legal disputes by determining damages, conducting research, and performing various types of analyses. I’m really enjoying Dallas again. If there are any other PCDS alumni in the Dallas area, I would love to connect.”

Nikasha Patel will be starting her PhD at MIT in the brain and cognitive sciences department this fall with a focus on human and machine movement learning. This summer, she will

be interning in Denmark at ARIS Robotics, a startup that aims to improve industrial-scale recycling with AI. Nikasha says you can catch her in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the next fi ve years.

2019

Lanie Walkenbach reports, “I graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University with a major in marketing and a minor in communication studies. In the fall, I will be attending Pepperdine University to pursue a master’s in business. Go Waves!”

In May of 2023, Sophia Corridan graduated summa cum laude from Barrett, the Honors College at ASU, with a bachelor’s of science in political science, a minor in urban planning, and a certificate in applied business data analytics. She successfully defended her honors thesis, “It Takes A Village: The E cacy of Phoenix’s Urban Village Model as a Mechanism for Citizen Participation in Urban Planning and Governance.” In addition to her honors research, Sophia served two terms as the VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She also served as a junior fellow for the School of Politics and Global Studies, worked as a Barrett upper division mentor, worked with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce as a public policy intern, and came back to PCDS to coach the Speech & Debate team for a year. After graduation, Sophia is spending the summer working on a ranch in Wyoming and will be living her cowgirl dreams. After

the summer, Sophia will be taking some time to gain additional work experience (and catch up on sleep!) before pursuing a master’s in urban planning.

2021

This past April, former PCDS

Director of Advancement Ryan Joyce passed through Ann Arbor and caught up with PCDS grads, Jacob Singer ’21, Ty Rodin ’19, and Nina Amin ’21 at the University of Michigan.

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, 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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