At Santa Fe Prep, we believe that every element of our upbringing and education forms the fibers of our mental, physical, and spiritual beings.
AROUND THE QUADS
06 SWEET 3-PEAT
Before 2023, Santa Fe Prep had never won a State Championship in Cross Country. This year, our girls team celebrated their third consecutive victory.
08 IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
The Prep Athletic Department just celebrated a first-ever milestone: a second generation jersey retirement.
10 CARE OF PLACE
Prep’s DEIJ Committee endeavors, intentionally and systemically, to advance equity work within our community—on campus and beyond.
11 FACULTY & STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
This year, we welcomed two alumni back to campus as educators… and bid farewell to a pair of Prep stalwarts.
14 BLURRING THE LINES
A trip to Central America offered one Prep educator the opportunity to reconnect with her inner, eternal student.
SALUTING THE CLASS OF 2025
15 BALANCED AND BONDED FOR LIFE… TAKING THEIR NEXT STEPS
On May 30, families, friends, teachers, and mentors gathered in the Upper School Quad to celebrate our newest graduates.
FEATURE STORY
18 SANTA FE PREP’S PUBLIC PURPOSE
Prep seeks to maximize its connection and responsibilities to our wider community and exist as more than a prep school.
PARENTS OF ALUMNI:
If your child is not receiving this magazine at their permanent address, please notify us so that it may be sent directly to them! Updated delivery addresses, or requests to cancel delivery of Prep magazine, may be sent to alumni@sfprep.org
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Santa Fe Prep Magazine is edited by Jillian Tomlinson. We’d love to hear from you! Letters to the editor may be sent to news@sfprep.org or to the school’s mailing address: 1101 Camino de la Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT
36 PREP’S HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
We give thanks to the alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty and staff, and other generous supporters of Santa Fe Prep.
ALUMNI UPDATES
58 A NOTE FROM ELEGE SIMONS HARWOOD '94 & THE SANTA FE PREP ALUMNI BOARD
Whether you’ve stayed closely connected or haven’t been back in years, we would love to welcome you home.
59 CLASS NEWS
Stay connected with your alma mater and with each other.
66 ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY 2025
A toast to Jim Leonard!
ENGAGE WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
We welcome feedback through our school social channels.
@SantaFePrepSchool
@SantaFePrepAlumni
@SantaFePrep
Magazine Photos by
Sheena Chakeres, Anne Staveley, Anna Robinson, Nathan Burton/The New Mexican, and Moonlight Studios.
Letter From the Head of School
RECENTLY, I HAD one of those minor epiphanies that we all hope for as learners. As is common for me, it happened a few pages into a book, in this case, Stephen Greenblatt's amazing Will in the World
Writing 388 years after William Shakespeare's death, Greenblatt, one of the world's premier humanities scholars, challenges himself to reveal Shakespeare's youth, life, and work in new ways. The amazing film Hamnet had a similar goal and effect. Specifically, Greenblatt explores the interplay between Shakespeare's rural upbringing and later urban life, his formal and informal education, and his relationship to popular culture and classical texts. Then, Greenblatt goes further and connects these threads in intricate ways to the text of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies, and histories, a body of work that comprises what Greenblatt describes as the greatest expression of creative thinking in the last thousand years.
Greenblatt asserts something that we believe at Santa Fe Prep: that every element of our upbringing—from our parents, to our teachers, the activities we engage in, the cultural events we attend, and the books we read—matters deeply and ultimately forms the fibers of our being: mental, physical, and spiritual. Each of us is more than the sum total of those influences, but those influences, large and small, make us richer and deeper because we are exposed to them.
Of course, there was nothing as formulaic as a college preparatory school in William Shakespeare's upbringing. But in reading about his early life and education, both literal and figurative, my mind immediately turned to Santa Fe Prep’s curriculum and programs, and the talented educators who deliver them. Sometimes it's easy for us to think of our classes, clubs, and sports as programs to be completed, but they are much more than that. Greenblatt’s lesson: everything we see and do matters. The largest and smallest moments of influence and exposure stick with us and open doors that we can choose to walk
through later. We all know that inspiration can't be scheduled on a calendar—sometimes it arrives in serendipitous conversations and the warmth of humor and friendship. I’m filled with great pride in the breadth and depth of what our students learn and do at Santa Fe Prep, and in the community and City Different in which they learn and do those important things.
As a part-time member of our History department, my heart was warmed to see the humanities treated with such reverence. And as an educator confronting the rise of AI, it reestablished my faith in humans’ ability to make sense of their world, to inspire each other, and to communicate that inspiration in words and in writing. There will never be a substitute for the power of a great book to connect minds and hearts across the ages, or the power of a great teacher to open doors to new worlds.
As you flip through the pages of this magazine, you will find a demonstrated commitment to our students’ growth and the growth and support of the important work of the school because we know that everything our students see and do adds to their experiences in incalculable ways. If you are a graduate or a current student or parent, I hope that part of what you see strikes you as familiar and that even more strikes you as vibrant and new. You will see the strength and creativity of our faculty and coaches. And you will see students, teachers, and graduates living lives of purpose, some celebrated posthumously for their impact on our community and world. Thank you for being part of our community and helping us set the stage for a lifetime of creativity and connections.
AARON SCHUBACH HEAD OF SCHOOL
Sweet 3-peat
Before 2023, Santa Fe Prep had never won a State Championship in Cross Country. This past November, the girls cross country team celebrated their third consecutive State Championship victory. On the course at Albuquerque Academy, four of Prep’s runners placed in the top ten, with seniors Sophie Bair '26 and Pippa Barrett '26 finishing first and second overall.
In 2022, when Prep P.E. teacher Lis Desmond and her husband, Matt, took over coaching, Prep and its students were still emerging from online school and Covid lockdowns. Lis first encountered many of her runners on Zoom, coaching them as middle schoolers through online P.E. classes (think DIY athome obstacle courses and student-led yoga sessions).
Once back on campus and in person, the athletes and their coaches were able to connect directly. Both runners in college and passionate about endurance sports, Lis and Matt have developed a dual coaching style, simultaneously focused on exercise physiology (Matt’s domain) and team culture (Lis’s). Because she sees them on a daily basis on campus, Lis has a built-in connection with the runners and understands the pulse of the school: she knows when they may have had a particularly taxing academic week or when
there might be conflict between friends and teammates—all of which can be taken into consideration prior to practices. Cross country is also unique amongst most high school sports in that boys and girls practice together, which Lis believes is a critical piece of the team’s success and sense of community. The team-building activities she plans range from post-practice smoothies and Taylor Swift singalongs to nighttime races around town with glow-in-the-dark face paint to team camping trips.
Matt arrives at practice full of energy and motivation, ready to inspire every athlete to give their best. A former professional racer with a background in exercise science, he writes the team's daily workouts, always looking for new fun places to run in and around Santa Fe. There’s rarely a one-size-fitsall workout—once a general plan is in place, Lis, Matt, and their assistant coaches discuss how to best tailor intervals or distance for individual athletes. And the runners trust the method: “[Our] connection with the kids is based in trust. They believe in the training process and see positive performances as a result.”
It’s a process that extends beyond the typical fall sports season, with preseason training starting in the summer and the postseason potentially running as late as Nationals in mid-December. While students may be attending camps or traveling with their families over the summer break, an account with Garmin allows every runner to purchase smart watches at a significant discount, track their metrics, and share data with their coaches. Prescribed workouts are uploaded to a shared calendar, ensuring everyone is following a similar program and schedule. The team also starts following a weightlifting plan over the summer, focused on building strength and keeping the athletes injury-free. Regular season practices begin in June. Beyond physical training, Matt and Lis also believe their program is unique in its embrace of and focus on psychology, with significant time throughout the season spent working on mental health performance. “Having done this for so long, we’ve seen issues with anxiety, comparison traps, and eating disorders. We’ve called upon other professionals who we’ve engaged for support and education, [and] we are continually educating ourselves through conferences, classes, and professional groups to advance our knowledge and resources.”
While Lis and Matt take their head coaching duties very seriously, they’re quick to note that they aren’t alone in the process, receiving significant support from parents, assistant and volunteer coaches, and Prep colleagues. Parents travel to out-of-state meets, donate snacks to keep everyone fueled, and host team dinners and “pasta parties” before major events. This past season, Blair Anderson (mom of runner Franny Anderson '27) offered weekly yoga classes to help with athlete mobility and self-care. Assistant coaches Douglas Turco (who also coaches Prep’s Track & Field team), Rachel Kesler (12th grade history teacher and senior class sponsor), and alum Ethan Caldwell '21 have all offered unique perspectives and experiences. Prep’s Athletic Department and transportation team (Larry and Rose Petry and Gabriel Chacon) have also been invaluable in their support. It’s the full community that helped propel the team to their first State Championship victory… and the two that followed.
In 2023, the team truly had no expectation of a championship title ahead of the state meet. “The girls had worked really hard, but it wasn’t a given,” Lis says. “It was more in the spirit of ‘let’s see what we can do when we get to the line.’” What they did was impressive, with then-sophomore Pippa Barrett running a personal best to place second overall and three of the team’s runners finishing in
the top six. When it came time for the trophy presentation, the entire girls team—runners and non-runners, many sporting inspirational Taylor Swift lyrics in glitter on their sleeves— was able to stand together atop the podium. At the end of the season, Lis and Matt were named District Coaches of the Year.
The following year, the team and their coaches tried to bring the same fun, relaxed, positive attitude to State, playing music and dancing at the starting line. While this pre-race ritual received some confused stares from the other teams, their dominant performance on the course left no room for confusion—Prep finished the meet 73 points ahead of the second-place team, with all five team scorers in the top ten. This meet also marked the final state race for Lis and Matt’s daughter, Helen Desmond '25. There may have been some tears shed by the proud coaches and parents.
Coming off their back-to-back titles, the team’s energy at the 2025 final can only be described as nervous excitement. As they walked to the starting line hand-in-hand—a portable speaker playing Shakira’s “Try Everything” (look up the lyrics!)—there were certainly nerves, but the team had also built confidence through experience and was ready to have fun. Following the race, overall first-place finisher Sophie Bair spoke to NMAA about her race process, starting out with a quick sprint in the beginning to get her legs going before settling in for a chill first mile: “[I] took some deep breaths and smiled ‘cause it’s all about fun… Then I really just went for it, I think I just started believing in myself. And that’s when things happen!”
While three of the team’s members will graduate in 2026— Sophie, Pippa, and Ingrid Ehrmantraut—the team remains strong. Current junior Franny Anderson is the youngest of the 3-peat champions and now a seasoned veteran. She has approached each year as a learning experience, and will step into the top leadership role as a senior. Joining her will be twotime champions Sofia Fuge '27 and Eri Steeves '28, as well as newcomer Grace Mena '29, who placed an impressive sixth in this year’s championship race.
And the team will remain in the hands of Lis and Matt, who are looking forward to another year of bus singalongs, inspiring motivation through gradual progress, and developing lifelong runners. “You never know what will come of bonds you create while running cross country… For both of us, we know that it’s the spirit of cross country that makes it special. Supporting each other and the team while athletes are discovering that they can do challenging things makes the coaching exciting.”
Around THE QUADS
What a time to be a Griffin!
On the same Saturday that Prep’s girls cross country team claimed their 3-peat title on the course at Albuquerque Academy, our boys varsity soccer team was across town, playing in their second consecutive final at UNM’s soccer complex. The game against Sandia Prep was a nail-biter that saw eighth grader Aiden Nickson '30 score two second-half goals to level the scoreline and send the game to overtime. It ultimately ended in a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Vince Baker '26 stopping three of the shots he faced to deliver the victory—and the team’s fourth State Championship title and first since 2016!
It Runs in the Family
At the end of the 2025 soccer season, the Prep Athletic Department celebrated a first-ever milestone: a second generation jersey retirement.
When Marley Belyeu '26 began her varsity soccer career as an 8th grader, she was following in her dad’s footsteps, albeit on a different playing field. Dustin Belyeu '95 was a star on the Prep basketball court, helping lead a team that won only four games his freshman year to district titles and the state tournament in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
Like Marley, Dustin began playing with the upper schoolers as an 8th grader, known for his fast break points, no-look passes, and never-back-down spirit. By his senior
year, he averaged 18 points and 6.9 assists per game, ending the season with 80 steals. “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing” reads the top of his senior page in the 1995 yearbook. And Dustin helped the Blue Griffins win a lot. In that final Prep season, before he would go on to play his freshman year at Whittier College, the team won the District Championship and was undefeated at home.
While it’s true that Dustin was known to sometimes work magic with the basketball in his hands—a put-back shot he made in his junior season, while lying on his back, once ran as a highlight clip on the local news—he was also known as a prolific point guard and director of the game. “Even though he scored in double digits,” says former Prep coach and longtime mentor Alfredo Lujan, “he was an assist man who could see every corner of the court.” Prep teammate Chris Chakeres '94 agrees: “When the ball was in Dustin’s hands, teammates, opponents, and spectators alike got a feeling that something amazing was about to happen. More often than not, it did.” Dustin’s willingness and even eagerness to take charges, dive for loose balls, and fight for position on the court against bigger opponents often left him bruised and battered—“We joked that Dustin wore half of the med kit each game,” recalls Chris—but his drive to win kept him going, and ultimately led to the retirement of his number 11 jersey following the 1994-1995 season.
It’s this same competitive spirit and drive that spectators and the Blue Griffin faithful see in Marley three decades later.
Marley scored her first varsity goal as an 8th grader in a game against Navajo Prep; she scored her second goal in that same game. Early in her junior season, she tallied four in a game against West Las Vegas to meet and then surpass the school’s longstanding all-time scoring record of 75 goals set by Molly George '98. It had taken her just over three seasons of playing with the varsity team to set a new school record, and she set her sights on the triple digits. By the end of her senior season, she would double the previous record, finishing her Prep career with 152 total goals scored. Molly’s formidable record stood for more than 25 years; it’s hard to imagine anyone ever coming close to Marley’s.
be seen alongside my dad’s.”
Now, Marley’s number 14 jersey will hang beside Dustin’s (along with Molly George’s number 4 and many other Blue Griffin greats) in the Commons—cementing not just a Prep legacy, but also a familial one.
The Youngest Belyeu
While she may be the youngest Belyeu to graduate from Prep, Marley isn’t the only second generation member of her family to have excelled in a Blue Griffins jersey. Older brother Kiran '24 was a track & field team captain and played varsity soccer and basketball. In his senior year, 30 years after his dad's team competed in the second round of the state tournament, Kiran helped lead the Griffins to the same elite eight round. “That's the Belyeu legacy,” says Alfredo Lujan. “That is a full circle.”
Around THE QUADS
Care of Place
Since its founding six years ago, Santa Fe Prep’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Committee has endeavored, intentionally and systemically, to advance equity work within the Prep community.
Last summer, the Committee (composed of teachers Breshaun Joyner and Rachel Kesler, Co-Director of College Counseling Carolyn Starks, and ROCA NM Program Director Matt Ybarra), convened for a threeday retreat to set an intention for the upcoming school year. From this retreat emerged a guiding theme for the year: Care of Place, grounded in three interconnected elements—care of self, care of community, and care of the land. This framework has shaped both the Committee’s and the Prep community’s work throughout the year and was fundamental to two January events: the inaugural Families of Color Dinner and Prep’s annual MLK Forum.
In collaboration with the Santa Fe Prep Parents’ Association, the DEIJ Committee hosted Common Ground: A Families of Color Night on January 16th in the Prep library. More than 50 community members gathered to enjoy a dinner catered by Posa’s Restaurant, reflect on experiences of belonging as people of color, and to celebrate connection within the Prep community and beyond. The evening marked an important step in strengthening relationships and creating dedicated space for affinity and communitybuilding. The Committee looks forward to hosting additional Families of Color gatherings in the future.
on the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The day concluded with a community lecture presented in partnership with the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and the School for Advanced Research, at which Ortiz reflected on the evolution and impact of his work.
Each year, Prep’s MLK Forum honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by creating opportunities for students and faculty to deepen their thinking around issues of diversity, equity, and justice at Prep, in New Mexico, and in the wider world. This year’s forum featured more than 20 workshops spanning all grade levels, led primarily by Prep faculty alongside community partners from Homewise, WildEarth Guardians, Environmental Education of New Mexico, and the City of Santa Fe Water Treatment Plant. The forum’s keynote speaker was renowned Cochiti Pueblo potter Virgil Ortiz. Over a career spanning four decades, Ortiz has worked across ceramics, fashion, and film to explore Pueblo cultural heritage, Indigenous futurisms, and resistance to colonial power, specifically focusing
Overall, the DEIJ Committee is encouraged by the continued growth of this work at Prep, and looks forward to deepening community connections, building more intentional partnerships, and expanding our collective understanding of justice in Santa Fe and beyond.
Rachel, Breshaun, & Carolyn
Virgil Ortiz with students
Familiar faces back on campus
There is a longstanding tradition at Prep of alumni returning to campus in a different capacity. This school year, seven faculty & staff members are also former Prep students. In the fall, we welcomed the return of two graduates from two different eras—1997 grad Phil Lucero and Frank Lanzante, Class of 2019.
In his relatively brief time away from Prep, Frank accomplished a lot. He received his Bachelor’s in Studio Art for Ceramics and Sculpture from Skidmore College (earning the Barbara Greene Wild Award for excellence in ceramics and the Molly Haley ’64 Entrepreneurial Artist Prize in the process), and recently completed a Post Baccalaureate program at the University of Hartford.
After leaving Prep, Phil earned a B.A. in English & Filmmaking from Colorado College, followed by an M.A. in Environmental Education from UNM. He worked in experiential and outdoor education with organizations like Two Wheel View and the North Carolina Outward Bound School before returning to his hometown of Santa Fe in 2015. In the years since, he’s served as a health and wellness specialist for Santa Fe Public Schools as well as Athletic Director and Dean of Students at both public and private schools around the city, coaching soccer and mountain biking in his spare time.
Frank and Phil both recently sat down to answer some questions about coming back to their high school, meaningful classes and figures from their student days, and the kinship they feel with current Prep students.
What memories from your time as a student at Prep do you remember most fondly?
FRANK: The memories I made at Prep, both in middle school and high school, are ones I cherish deeply. A few that stick out to me the most are our last 7th grade advisory breakfast with Joey Reich, winning our district in basketball with my best friends in 2018, getting rained out on the Green River during our senior trip, and spending time with Maia Sampson and Laura Scandrett in the ceramics studio. A large majority of some of my best memories come from my time at Prep.
A semester into your first school year as a teacher, what has been your favorite event or moment? What has been the strangest?
After only one semester of teaching at Prep, and my first year ever as an educator, my favorite moment has got to be seeing the look of my students' faces each time a finished piece comes out of the kiln. A look of both surprise and confidence in their ability to create something with their hands. The strangest moment has to be calling all my old teachers, now colleagues, by their first names.
Which faculty or staff members who you knew as a student are you most excited to now be working with as colleagues?
While I am so thrilled to have many of my old teachers be my new colleagues, there are many who are no longer at Prep, that I would have loved to share this role as an educator with. The ones that stick out the most to me may surprise some folks, but I
also want to acknowledge many of the people who make Prep what it is, that aren’t necessarily academic teachers. Mauricio Jaime-Andrade, our Operations Manager who works on our maintenance team, used to pick me up from the train station each morning in 7th grade after my commute from Albuquerque. Larry Petry, a P.E. teacher and our Transportation Coordinator, who not only drives our sports teams to some of the farthest reaches of our state, but provides support (sometimes alongside his wife Rose) as our only fans in the stands. And last but certainly not least, Matt Mullins, the head of our art department who teaches a handful of mediums at our school. Matt’s first year at Prep was my last as a student, and I was never able to take his class. My best friend always told me what a wonderful teacher and person Matt is. Now, I get to experience that on a daily basis, with only a wall in the Meem separating our classes.
What are you most looking forward to about the rest of your first school year?
I am most looking forward to seeing what incredible works my students make, building connections with my colleagues, and watching our basketball teams play on our beautiful hardwood.
Around THE QUADS
Tell us about the scope of your new role at Prep.
PHIL: I am the Athletic Director, taking over for Todd Kurth, or Coach K as I knew him, as he was my soccer coach when I was student. He certainly left big shoes to fill! As the AD, I am charged with oversight of the Athletic Department, which is a giant undertaking, but one I am excited about. As a student, I was on the soccer and lacrosse teams, and was also a thrower in the track and field program, throwing Shot Put and Jaevelin as a senior. When it comes to athletics, I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades, master of none. My approach to building athletic programs that resonate with students lies squarely in the lessons we learn through sport. For
'96, who was in the class above me. At the time, the darkroom was tucked into a small closet in the middle of the Meem, where a bathroom exists now. Carl patiently showed me how to load film into canisters in complete darkness, how to mix and use chemicals to develop it, and later, how to expose photo paper under a blacklight. He taught me tricks to edge and burn my prints to fix overexposed film, and how to cut mats, frame, and present my work professionally. He even taught me how to sign my name in the bottom right corner in pencil, with just the right balance of subtlety and flair. Carl seemed to enjoy the process of teaching me. It felt good to have someone looking after me like that, helping me hone my skill. I miss Carl, who passed away when we were both students at Colorado College. He was, and will always be, an inspiration to me.
Have you noticed anything about our current students that reminds you of you and your Prep classmates?
me, these lessons are about commitment, resilience, accountability, teamwork, and the confidence that comes from doing hard things alongside others. Athletics at Santa Fe Prep has always been about more than wins and losses, it's about belonging to something larger than oneself. My goal is to honor the strong foundation that Coach K and so many others have built, while continuing to evolve our programs in ways that support the whole student.
What memories from your time as a student at Prep do you remember most fondly?
I have many fond memories of being a student at Prep, but there is easily one memory that sticks with me the strongest: learning how to use a darkroom from Carl Kithil
My classmates from Prep remain some of my closest friends. After adventures that took us in many different directions, we’ve all found our way back to Santa Fe to put down roots. To my knowledge, we’re one of the largest groups of alumni in town who still regularly get together. I want to send a big shout-out to the nerds in the Class of '97. Hey! Look at us now. I see both striking similarities and meaningful differences from us to today’s students. Today’s students are clearly destined for greatness. These students are just as kind, bright and ambitious as we were, if not more so. My classmates went on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, artists, environmental advocates, educators and many other things, and there is no doubt that today’s students will soon be stepping into those same, important roles. At the same time, they are growing up in a fundamentally different world. They are more connected than ever through the internet and social media, yet often more distant from one another, navigating relationships and identity from behind screens in ways my generation never experienced. Even though the world around them is different, I see the same curiosity and resilience in today’s students that I saw in my own classmates.
Bidding a fond farewell to a pair of Prep stalwarts
How many smiles are there in 23 years of loyal service to Santa Fe Prep? For Larry and Rose Petry, it’s too many to count. Known for their playful and fun-loving care for our community, Larry and Rose have brightened the spirits of a generation of Prep students, parents, and faculty. From serving as a beloved P.E. teacher and coach to safely transporting our classes and teams around the state and beyond, Larry has been equal parts driver, tour guide, jokester, and disc jockey. Rose, too, has poured her love into the Griffin community over the years driving buses, coaching basketball, serving as the Athletic Departments’ official scorekeeper, and making her famous chili for many a concession stand. Larry and Rose have also been passionate about sharing the heroic story of their son, Leroy, whose service in Afghanistan led to his receiving the Medal of Honor from President Obama. Ultimately, all of us in the Prep community who know Larry and Rose have benefited from their generosity and service. If you’d like to share a memory or congratulatory message with them in honor of their retirement, please contact alumni@sfprep.org
A personal tribute to a family's survival
In March of 2025, 9th grade English teacher Adam Lowenstein traveled to Paris to visit and interview his 94-year-old cousin, Nicole Bricianer Caminade. Nicole was 10 years old when the Nazi occupation of France began in 1940; she was 13 when the French police, proxies for the Gestapo, came to arrest her immediate family—seven people in total. In a stroke of good fortune, one of the officers, seeing the five Bricianer children, took pity on the family and gave them 48 hours to vacate their apartment in the 1st Arrondissement and find what succor they could. Nicole’s story from that pivotal moment only gets more harrowing and inspiring; it is a story Adam knew he wanted to tell, not only for his own family's sake, but also for his students and for anyone compelled to keep the voices of survivors alive. Over the course of four days, Adam visited many of the sites around Paris that feature in Nicole’s past and interviewed her about her experience during the war and her life before and after. He spent the subsequent summer turning the material into a short film called Bricianer. For Adam, this project has been a labor of love—one that he will further engage with as he continues to edit the short film in honor of Nicole's incredible life. Watch Bricianer in its current form on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/xSNdJsVlhTs.
Welcome!
For the 2025-2026 school year, we’re thrilled to have welcomed these eight new members to Prep’s faculty & staff.
Top row:
Elizabeth Schwab, Nurse & Health Coordinator
Rebecca Starr, Director of Advancement
Phil Lucero '97, Athletic Director
Bottom row:
Frank Lanzante '19, Ceramics teacher
Bhupendra Mishra, Registrar
Chris Bingham, Choral & Music teacher
Camila Vásquez, Math teacher
Daniel Wendland, Assistant Athletic Director & P.E. teacher
Blurring the Lines
A trip to Central America offered one Prep educator the opportunity to reconnect with her inner, eternal student.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 2009, the EE Ford-Conway Family Summer Sabbatical program has offered grant funds to Prep faculty members, allowing them to curate sabbatical programs based on personal interests. Endowed through a grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation and the generous contribution of Amy and Bill Conway and their children Justin '03 and Willa '06, the program provides an opportunity for professional growth and personal renewal. Last summer, middle school English teacher Sarah Stark used grant funds to travel to Guatemala.
Eudaimonia is an ancient Greek concept that translates roughly as human flourishing through meaningful work. It is one of the ideas that inspires Sarah in her everyday life, and a concept that she brings into the classroom. Sarah believes eudaimonia is related to her desire to continue to be a student even as she is a teacher. An appreciation for how difficult and inspiring it is to learn something new. An understanding of how much work
may be required. The joy that can follow small success.
In an effort to reconnect with the eudaimonic student in herself, Sarah traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, last June to study Spanish at an intensive language school. Sitting at a small table in a lush garden with her teacher, Carlos, Sarah reviewed the grammar rules that she had learned more than 30 years previously. She practiced longforgotten vocabulary and the writing of simple sentences. She practiced listening and speaking together with her son, Jack, and her partner, Nick, who joined in the learning adventure. Each morning, they walked twenty minutes from their hotel to a nearby public garden where all the students and teachers from the Antiguena Spanish Academy gathered. After two hours of work, they enjoyed a pausa, a time to drink coffee, eat a snack, and climb the spiral staircase to the rooftop terrace to enjoy the surrounding beauty. In the distance, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes— Volcán de Fuego—billowed smoke. Meanwhile, young students at a nearby school could be heard singing, and a lone rooster crowed buenos días!
In addition to lessons around a table, Sarah, Jack, and Nick took their learning out into the larger world. Field trips included a walk to a small coffee farm, a ride on a chicken bus to a family-run cacao processing business, and a visit to a macadamia nut plantation. During these outings, they spoke only Spanish. What a wonderful way to learn: out in the real world!
Now, back in Santa Fe, Sarah finds herself translating in her daily speech
and even sometimes dreaming in Spanish. The passionate devotion of lifelong learning, the sensation of awakeness, the curiosity to find meaning in a complicated world— these are the practices that help blur the line between teacher and student, the ideas that Sarah attempts to bring into the English classroom every day.
The Class of 2025
is balanced and bonded
for life… and prepared to take their next steps
On May 30, families, friends, teachers, and mentors gathered in the Upper School Quad to celebrate the 55 members of the Class of 2025. In his opening remarks, Aaron Schubach— serving double-duty as Head of School and proud parent of a graduating senior—first welcomed his fellow parents before addressing this peculiar, sometimes uncomfortable, moment in the lives of the graduates, recalling his own early weeks and months after leaving high school and starting college.
"Recently, a friend introduced me to the image of a nautilus, an organism that knows the correct time to build a new chamber of its radial shell. Like a nautilus, first uncomfortably and later, gratefully, I moved on, finding the next chamber of myself—because I had outgrown the old me, as you have done so beautifully today."
In her graduation address, Rebecca Weiner '95 reflected on how different today's world is from the one she entered following her own Prep Commencement 30 years ago, when she delivered her valediction from the same podium—an era of optimism, plentiful jobs, and a profoundly less influential World Wide Web.
"Prep taught me to be open-minded, creative, and trust my instincts. To follow my interests and to be open to opportunity. Prep has also given these qualities to all of you... You all are incredibly talented, and you’ve been well prepared. Your futures are bright. The world needs you, and I know you’ll answer the call in your own individual ways."
Before diplomas were awarded, Aaron and Assistant Head of School Ashley Satterthwaite celebrated faculty and student achievements, honoring Art Department Chair Matt Mullins with the Jay Shelton Award for Teaching Excellence and Jazmin Zermeño with the Elrington Award, presented each year to a graduating senior who exemplifies honesty, determination, generosity, and leadership. Selected by her peers, Grace Canfield received the Douglas Schwartz Class Speaker Award. Grace recalled watching her older brother's Prep Commencement ceremony as a 10-year-old, and spoke about the ways in which she and her classmates have become a chosen family.
"Graduating is scary because of everything we’re leaving behind. I know I’ll see many of you during breaks over the next few years, but just in case we don’t see each other again, I want to say thank you. Thank you all for helping me to develop into who I am today. I’m so grateful for how you’ve been open and shared yourselves with me. I know some of our memories together may fade with time, but every one of you will always be with me, as part of my personality and character. I still remember being 10 years old, terrified of the day I’d graduate. Today I am still scared, but I know I'll be able to do it because I’m doing it alongside my best friends. My 10-year-old self who wanted to disappear into the crowd couldn’t have imagined that leaving home would feel like this—not an ending or a goodbye, but like finally being ready to move forward."
Valedictorian Zoë Márquez echoed these sentiments as she reflected on how both her classmates and teachers at Prep have inspired her to find joy in hard work and camaraderie.
"While I wholeheartedly believe that the class of 2025 has spent the last years supporting each other as our teachers and families have, I think we also did something else: we have helped each other find a balance between hard work and more fun, relaxing time spent together... It was this balance that I found with my peers that made me love hard work. And that’s one of the key things to know about the class of 2025: every one of the people graduating today works hard, not just in academics, but also in their passions, from athletics to theater to the beautiful art they create. I have no doubt that this will continue as we go on with the next phases of our lives. There will be so many successes, but also so many more moments of joy with friends."
Congratulations and good luck, Class of 2025! Don’t forget to come back and let us know how it’s going!
CHALLENGED AND CHAMPIONED, OFF THEY GO!
CONGRATULATIONS, SANTA FE PREP CLASS OF 2025
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2025
• 5 National Merit Semifinalists
• 2 Davis New Mexico Scholars
• 6 Century Bank Super Scholars
• 5 LANL Foundation Scholars
• 5 National Hispanic Scholars
• 3 National First-Generation Scholars
• 1 National Indigenous Scholar
• 75% of all early action applications were accepted
• 64% is the overall admit rate for the class
• 33% admitted to every college they applied to
• All seniors completed an internship (60 hours) in an area of interest
• Average ACT score of those who tested is 31 (96th percentile nationally)
• Average SAT score of those who tested is 1353 (94th percentile nationally)
OUR GRADUATES ARE ATTENDING:
Amherst College
Bates College
Brandeis University
College of Charleston
Colorado College
Cornell University
Macalester College
McGill University
Montana State University (2)
New York University
Northeastern University (2)
Northwestern University
Occidental College
Pomona College
Purdue University
Rice University
Santa Clara University (2)
Smith College
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
University of British Columbia (3)
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder (2)
University of Massachusetts, Boston
University of Miami
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of New Mexico (4)
University of Pennsylvania
University of Redlands
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of South Alabama
University of Toronto
University of Tulsa
University of Washington
Villanova University
Washington University in St. Louis
Western Washington University
Whitman College (5)
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
OVER MANY YEARS, David Brooks's journalism and books have significantly impacted ethics, politics, and government. Recently, at the recommendation of a Prep parent, I read his book The Second Mountain. A short paraphrase: many individuals master the technicalities of education, careers, and, for some, child rearing— their first mountain to climb. Later in life, many find further fulfillment by ascending higher mountains (an
apt Santa Fe metaphor) in the fields of community action, public service, and civic engagement. In short, the first phase of our lives is a journey to independence, and the second, if we are lucky, is a journey from independence to interdependence, from knowledge to meaning. I'm inspired by these ideas, both as an individual and as a school leader, and I see a parallel in several interrelated, highly impactful, and long-standing
INTRO BY AARON SCHUBACH
PREP ESTABLISHED TAP
programs housed at Santa Fe Prep and closely connected to the school. If, when established in 1961, Prep's First Mountain was to become northern New Mexico's premier college preparatory institution, Prep's Second Mountains seek to maximize our connection and responsibilities to our wider community. We share the talents of our students and faculty; we build high expectations of, and supportive academic environments for, students across the city; and we promote college attendance and success for students across New Mexico. At the risk of mixing my metaphors, these programs were designed to prevent Prep from being an isolated school on the hill with limited connections to the wider community.
Our community programs were designed and have been sustained by important figures throughout our history, including former Head of School Jim Leonard and original Executive Director of Breakthrough Santa Fe Michael Multari; a succession of strong trustee boards and leaders, including Warren Thompson '72, Carol RomeroWirth, Billy Feldman, Kelsey Daly Brown '82, Christine Lehman, and Susan Mattecucci; as well as game-changing philanthropists and visionaries such as Andrew Davis. In the words of Brooks, the founders and leaders of these programs have created a moral
BREAKTHROUGH
SANTA FE EE FORD TEACHERS' COLLOQUIUM
ecology here at Prep—a system of beliefs and behavior that lives and replicates as leaders and institutions evolve.
Although distinct, these programs share a lineage. Rooted at Santa Fe Prep, the programs share a deep commitment to the Santa Fe community and to the talented students and educators who learn and grow both within and beyond our campus. In the following pages, you'll find program summaries and a series of reports from our highly impactful, public-facing programs. You will hear from Anders Fristedt on our TAP program, Dieu Ho on Breakthrough Santa Fe, Summar Aubrey '00 on the EE Ford Summer Teachers’ Colloquium, Sam Ritter on the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, and Matt Ybarra on Rural Opportunities for College Access. Our longstanding relationships with these community programs have broadened and improved the work of the school and the lives of Prep students, as well as many other community members and talented public school students and educators.
“...SEVERAL INTERRELATED, HIGHLY IMPACTFUL, AND LONG-STANDING PROGRAMS HOUSED AT SANTA FE PREP...”
DAVIS NEW MEXICO SCHOLARSHIP ROCA
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
Beginning in 1988, TAP (originally the Thursday Afternoon Program and now formally the Teen Action Program) was founded on the belief that Santa Fe Prep students benefit as much from the service they provide to community partners as the partners and their clients do. By allowing students to break out of their intellectual studies, their campus, and their neighborhoods to engage in hands-on and impactful service learning, our students make meaningful and heartfelt connections with volunteers and professionals in our community, often developing lifelong interests and practical skills.
TAP’s current model allows students to have a profound impact on the community of Santa Fe. Working with more than 30 unique organizations, schools, and partners, our students provide authentic service while, at the same time, learning valuable leadership, communication, and professional skills.
There is no onesize-fits-all approach to TAP. Students can elect to complete their service hours during the established TAP time (in the 20252026 school year, TAP groups meet every other Wednesday afternoon). Alternatively, some students, particularly juniors, may choose an asynchronous or summer TAP opportunity.
In-depth conversations with students, faculty, and partners have revealed there is strong support for deepening our impact in and around Santa Fe, and 38 years since its initiation, Prep
continues to demonstrate its dedication to the program. This school year, TAP time increased by 40% from 2024-2025 and we added three new TAP partnerships to our roster. Additionally, with an increased focus on accountability and relationship-building, we were able to rekindle four partnerships from previous years. As a collective, students volunteer over 8,000 hours annually. While our impact is significant, our students also benefit significantly from this program.
Laurie Merill, Executive Director of Free Flow—an organization that works to combat period poverty and increase access to menstrual products— writes, “Through their time with our organization, students are learning the importance of dignity, care, and community responsibility. They see firsthand how thoughtful, respectful systems can support
people in meaningful ways, and they learn that addressing access barriers can be done with compassion and collaboration.”
Engaged partners, engaged faculty leaders, and engaged students create a positive feedback loop through which the positive ripple effects of this program spread far and wide.
ANDERS FRISTEDT Director of Experiential Education
2025-2026 TAP PARTNERS
Boomer Tech
Breakthrough Santa Fe
Cancer Foundation for New Mexico
Carlos Gilbert Elementary School
City of Santa Fe Parks & Open Space
Continental Divide Trail Coalition
Danny Maas Charity Run
El Castillo Life Plan Community
Empty Bowls
Film Prize Junior New Mexico
The Food Depot
Free Flow New Mexico
Habitat for Humanity
Kearny Elementary School
Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
La Mariposa Montessori School
Lensic 360
LEO/Lions Clubs International
Little Earth School
Marbella Santa Fe
New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence
Nina Otero Elementary School
Randall Davey Audubon
Center & Sanctuary
Reunity Resources
Reading Quest
River Source
Salazar Elementary School
Santa Fe Animal Shelter
Santa Fe Children’s Museum
Santa Fe Watershed Association
"...THOUGHTFUL, RESPECTFUL SYSTEMS CAN SUPPORT PEOPLE IN MEANINGFUL WAYS..."
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
Santa Fe Prep brought Breakthrough to Santa Fe in 2004 as part of its Local Ground initiative, seeking to serve the broader Santa Fe community with what Prep does best: provide an ambitious course of study in a warm, nurturing environment. Since its founding, Breakthrough has served more than 500 students and families and works closely with Santa Fe Public Schools to identify motivated 6th graders who will need support to reach college. Breakthrough students stick with the program (which includes the Middle School Summer Program, Super Saturdays, academic tutoring, and college counseling) for six years. To date, 92% of Breakthrough Santa Fe’s graduates have gone on to college, and 86% of them were the first in their families to do so.
Breakthrough primarily serves students who face barriers to higher education, including first-generation college students and those from multilingual or historically underrepresented communities. As part of a national network of 25 Breakthrough sites, Breakthrough Santa Fe partners with families to provide academic support, mentorship, and individualized college and financial aid guidance.
Students join Breakthrough the summer after 6th grade and begin with a six-week, academically rigorous summer program. During the school year, they receive tutoring, monthly Saturday programming, and ongoing advising. Small class sizes allow for personalized instruction and strong relationships. The summer program is led by Teaching
Fellows—high-achieving high school and college students—who serve as teachers and role models, creating a dynamic near-peer learning environment that inspires both students and future educators.
Last summer, we welcomed 36 new 7th-grade students to Breakthrough and completed another successful six-week intensive learning session, led by our 20 Teaching Fellows from across the country. Our middle school students wrote research and analytical essays, completed the annual cow eyeball dissection, and strengthened their math skills. Our high school students visited the University of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech, Highlands University, and St. John’s College, and seniors studied children’s books to explore storytelling in their college essays. We celebrated the end
of the middle school summer program with our annual camping trip to Bandelier National Monument, where most students camped and hiked for the first time.
This last school year also marked Breakthrough’s 20th year in Santa Fe! An anniversary event at the Palace Modern Hotel featured alumni from the very first Breakthrough class, founding Head of School Jim Leonard, board members from the original steering committee, and community supporters. The event raised critical funds to support the next 20 years of Breakthrough and reflected the strong community that continues to believe in our students and our mission. As Breakthrough looks ahead to the next 20 years of success, the launch of the Community Impact Advisory Board and the continued support of
Santa Fe Prep will guide our organization into the next phase: growing into a 10-year program that will support students through college graduation and expanding our summer Teaching Fellowship into a year-round support program for educators in training.
DIEU HO
Executive Director of Breakthrough Santa Fe
“IT WAS JUST SO MUCH BETTER THAN SCHOOL. YOU COULD SPEAK SPANISH AND NERD OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NO ONE WOULD BE MEAN TO YOU. I DIDN’T FEEL CHALLENGED IN SCHOOL, BUT I LOVED BREAKTHROUGH.”
OSCAR LOYA
Breakthrough Santa Fe Student Support Coordinator
Oscar Loya became a Breakthrough student in 2013. He stayed with the program through middle school and high school, even as he left Santa Fe to attend United World College USA in Montezuma, New Mexico. From there, he was named a Davis New Mexico Scholar, attending college at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 2021, Oscar returned to his hometown and to Breakthrough to work as a summer Teaching Fellow, reconnecting with former mentors and forging new friendships while teaching and mentoring a new generation of Breakthrough students. When a full-time position with the organization became available the summer after he finished college, he was contacted by Dieu and encouraged to apply. Now in his third year serving as Student Support Coordinator, Oscar believes deeply in Breakthrough’s culture of care and the value of early education. “Working with communities you believe in is the key thing for having a happy life, so why wouldn’t I come back to this community that took such good care of me?”
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
The EE Ford Summer Teachers’ Colloquium provides independent and public school teachers a chance to explore professional development subjects alongside a diverse group of colleagues at an adult and in-depth level. In doing so, it allows teachers a unique opportunity to fill up the tank before the school year. The Colloquium offers a variety of courses in four basic tracks: Math & Science, Writing & Literature, History & Culture, and the Arts.
In 2011, Santa Fe Prep was granted a $250,000 award from the Edward E. Ford Foundation to create the EE Ford Summer Teachers’ Colloquium (affectionately known as EE Ford or The Colloquium). The program was developed by Prep faculty in response to the identified need to deepen intellectual fulfillment among the faculty and expand connections with colleagues beyond Prep. Prep faculty who want to teach a course in the Colloquium submit a detailed proposal, and are encouraged to expand their own expertise and explore new areas of interest in their courses.
Thanks to the original EE Ford Foundation grant, faculty whose courses are selected are generously compensated and participants are charged a reduced cost. And because an important component
of the original program proposal was to strengthen ties within the Santa Fe community, Santa Fe Public School teachers can attend courses for free.
In 2013, the Colloquium held its first summer session, with 39 attending participants, and reached its highest enrollment in 2019 with 58 participants. Since 2022, enrollment has been rebuilding after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. Cohort sizes are small, with a goal of 10-15 students per class. The Colloquium takes place during a single week at the end of July, and all courses make extensive use of the resources and location of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico, whether it be hiking and writing in nature, visiting museums and historical sites, or enjoying lunch at a downtown restaurant.
Unlike most professional development programs
for teachers, the focus is not on pedagogy or what can be taken back to the classroom—the goal of the Colloquium is to help teachers renew their passion for learning and their subject, and to learn in community with other teachers. Year after year, we hear that it really does accomplish these goals. Reanna Ursin, the Atlanta-based Executive Director of the Malone Schools Online Network, took a course in Afrofuturism taught by Breshaun Joyner in the summer of 2025. In a recent interview, Reanna said, “The best part of my Colloquium experience was getting to be a student again. It’s so reinvigorating to have the space to explore and figure things out with other educators.”
David Berthold, a history teacher at The Kincaid School in Houston, said that he keeps returning to the Colloquium (five times now) for “the restorative value for
me as an educator. And it’s at the perfect time because then I go right back into school, and I am just riding high off of the week. It has led to a really positive tone-shift every summer that I come back from Santa Fe. I think [the Colloquium] is right for any teacher that really wants to recharge and go back and start the school year just inspired.”
The summer 2026 Colloquium will offer a course on place-based learning with Chris Chakeres, literature and mindfulness with Adam Lowenstein, and a semiotics course with David Páez. Learn more about the Colloquium at eefstc.sfprep.org
SUMMAR AUBREY '00
Director of the EE Ford Summer Teachers’ Colloquium
“...TO HELP TEACHERS RENEW THEIR PASSION FOR LEARNING AND THEIR SUBJECT, AND TO LEARN IN COMMUNITY WITH OTHER TEACHERS...”
PAST COLLOQUIUM COURSES TAUGHT BY CURRENT PREP TEACHERS
A Sense of Place, Callie Carew-Miller
Afrofuturism, Breshaun Joyner
Enchantment Regained: Finding Balance in an Era of Transition, Chris Chakeres
Great Matters: Zen, Literature, and the Southwest, Adam Lowenstein
Plein Air Painting in Northern New Mexico, Matt Mullins
Daily Hiking and Writing Practice, Sarah Stark
Death Comes for the Archbishop, Liz Friary
The River Why, Sam Ritter
Field School of the Ancient Southwest, Mark Bixby
Here’s Looking at Euclid, Joey Reich
Center Stage, Brad Fairbanks
Confluencia, Sheena Chakeres
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
Housed at Prep, the Davis New Scholarship was founded in 2014 with an explicit charge to ensure that more first-generation collegegoing New Mexican students complete a four-year degree. Since then, it has awarded more than $54 million in scholarships and $3.7 million in grant awards.
In the decade-plus since its founding, the Davis New Mexico Scholarship has become the largest private scholarship in New Mexico state history, with over 250 scholars currently enrolled in the program. Funded by the groundbreaking philanthropic contributions of former Santa Fe Prep trustee Andrew Davis and his wife, Kathryn Davis, the program has grown to reach first-generation college students throughout Northern New Mexico.
Today, the scholarship operates its flagship program, the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, alongside a statewide college access network and Rural Opportunities for College Access (ROCA), a direct program for first-generation college students from rural New Mexico. Through these three areas of impact, the Davis New Mexico
Scholarship brings the opportunity to attend four-year college out of state to high-achieving students throughout our region.
As the Davis New Mexico Scholarship looks forward to its second decade, the program will expand on its mission to serve as a hub for four-year college access for underserved New Mexican students. In addition to growing the reach and impact of the scholarship program, the organization will continue to provide professional development opportunities for high school counselors, offer opportunities for mission-aligned colleges to connect with students, and work to strengthen pathways and programs that offer college access to first-generation and rural New Mexican students.
SAM RITTER DNMS Director
Davis New Mexico Scholarship Program Manager
When Alejandra Palos reached her senior year of high school, she was at a crossroads. A Breakthrough student since 2008, she was working with Sam Ritter as her college counselor, but she wasn’t sure she even wanted to (or could) go to college. That spring, Sam called her—there was a new opportunity for a full-ride scholarship, did she want to apply for it? The call came at the beginning of the week, and by mid-week she was on Prep’s campus interviewing with Sam and Susan Matteucci. That’s how Alejandra became part of the inaugural Davis New Mexico Scholars cohort, attending St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
“I JUST REMEMBER EVERYONE WAS CRYING WITH HAPPINESS… IT HAPPENED SO FAST.”
In 2018, she returned to Santa Fe and again reached out to Sam, seeking assistance in her post-college job search. A part-time gig doing translation work allowed her to reconnect with the Breakthrough and Davis programs. Sam offered her an internship working with Davis scholars, and she has now been with the program for seven years. “I’ve seen the program grow, I understand the mission of the scholarship, and that’s what’s kept me here.”
Number of high schools
Number of Scholarships
ALEJANDRA PALOS
GROWTH OF THE DAVIS NM SCHOLARSHIP BY NUMBERS AND REACH
Santa Fe Prep's Public Purpose
Rural Opportunities for College Access, or ROCA, has become one of the national leaders in rural college access. Operated as a part of the Davis New Mexico Scholarship’s college access umbrella, the program has become a powerful advocate for first-generation students from rural New Mexico looking to attend four-year college, and an important conduit for colleges looking to recruit New Mexican students from outside of the northern Rio Grande corridor.
The ROCA program recruits high-achieving students from throughout rural New Mexico to attend a one-week summer program heading into their senior year of high school. From there, ROCA students receive personalized college and financial aid counseling to help them understand their options for college following high school graduation.
ROCA is now in its fifth year of operation, and celebrated its first student (also a Davis Scholar) to graduate from college in December—a semester early. The 2025-2026 cohort consists of 43 students from 24 unique high schools around the state, including 11 firsttime schools.
MATT YBARRA
ROCA NM Program Director Hidalgo
San Juan
Catron Grant Hidalgo
Gallup
San Juan Rio Arriba
Tierra Amarilla Aztec Taos Colfax Union McKinley Sandoval Cibola
Chaves DeBaca
Taos
Raton Mora Las Vegas SANTA FE
Santa Rosa
Estancia Los Lunas
Socorro
Carrizozo
Tucumcari
Mosquero
Clovis Clayton
Portales
Fort Sumner
New participant locations at ROCA 2025
A CYNIC MIGHT ASK: what's in it for Santa Fe Prep, a school with a strong record of college placement and a place of distinction among local and regional institutions? As you can see, we have many answers to that question. These programs send an implicit and explicit message to prospective and current families and our students, graduates, and faculty and staff members that Prep exists to be more than a Prep school; our connections to the city of Santa Fe and its citizens enrich and enliven us. Some tangible examples:
• Not only do the leaders and faculty members in these programs often participate directly in Prep programming, but they're also a source of knowledge regarding best practices in education, college access and success, and equity work, among many other areas.
• The ROCA program and the Davis New Mexico Scholarship’s College Access Network increase Prep's exposure to and connection with local and national colleges and universities.
• Breakthrough Santa Fe hosts Prep students in a long-running and highly successful TAP.
• Since 2021, a small number of Prep students have been selected to be Davis New Mexico Scholars.
“...OUR CONNECTIONS TO THE CITY OF SANTA FE AND ITS CITIZENS ENRICH AND ENLIVEN US...”
• Our teachers not only benefit from the EE Ford Summer Teachers’ Colloquium as participants, it's also been a tremendous creative playground for our faculty as course leaders and co-leaders, and a place for our teachers to make connections and collaborate with other local educators.
• Many of our graduates connect their current passions and professional work to interests ignited by the TAP and Senior Internship Programs.
As we look to the future, we're thrilled to recommit to our public purpose, thank and inspire the donors who have and continue to support these programs, and redouble our commitment to the talented students, teachers, and professionals who benefit from and lead these programs, all of which broaden the impact of our fine school. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you would like to know more or get involved.
—AARON SCHUBACH
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
30 | SF PREP ANNUAL REPORT 2024/2025
Santa Fe Prep is an ambitious and diverse learning community dedicated to active discourse. We value our place in the community of Santa Fe, which enriches and defines us. We cultivate qualities of character, scholarship, and citizenship in our students that inspire them to act responsibly and compassionately at home, at school, and in the world.
Through the many dialogues that unfold on campus each day, our students exercise their minds in active inquiry. The discourse of Santa Fe Prep promotes the joy of discovery, the power of critical thinking and reflection, and the thrill of creativity. Our commitment to collaborative learning fosters an inclusive school environment grounded in trust, where students honor and respect each other and themselves.
The world is full of possibility. Empowered with the values and qualities inherent in our School, our students can embrace lives of thoughtful purpose.
LETTER
From the Head of School
EACH OF US —administrators, educators, staff, trustees, parents, students, graduates, and community members, all of whom are co-piloting Santa Fe Prep through its 63rd year—has much for which to be grateful.
Recently, a fellow independent school colleague introduced me to a resonant phrase popularized by one of my favorite thinkers, Brené Brown: “What separates privilege and entitlement is gratitude.” Brown and other mental health researchers and professionals have consistently found that ancient and conventional wisdom is correct—the act of giving thanks and recognizing how the actions and generosity of others positively impact us as individuals (and as an institution) helps us see more clearly who we are, where we are coming
from, and where we—often with the help of others—want to venture. We, the current leaders of Prep, are privileged to be part of this incredible community and to benefit from the previous generosity and work of others. In the spirit of gratitude, we thank you for your financial support, which helps sustain this intentional community for generations to come, as detailed in the following 2024-2025 annual report.
Aaron Schubach Head of School
Advancement at Santa Fe Prep
2024/2025 ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE
Jenna Scanlan, Chair
Guillermo Bleichmar
Bob Borden
Liz Bremner
Randy Dry
Estevan Gonzales
Adelma Hnasko '92
Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94
Thao Marquez
Leslie Anne Ross
Ex Officio
Aaron Schubach
Advancement Committee Report
DEAR FRIENDS, on behalf of the Advancement Committee, thank you so much for all YOU do for our cherished school community!
We have so much to celebrate this year, including the arrival of Rebecca Starr as Director of Advancement. Rebecca has integrated into Santa Fe Prep beautifully, and we are so grateful for the joy, expertise and persistence she brings!
Our committee is proud to support the Annual Fund, which bridges the gap between the school’s tuition revenue and the cost of operations. For the 2025-2026 school year, we aim to raise $560,000, and we are delighted to report that our Board of Trustees and Faculty and Staff have contributed generously.
In addition, we are thrilled to help advance the goals of our Prep Forward Campaign. I sincerely believe that this campaign’s success will position Santa Fe Prep to face the next 60 years from a place of excellence, inclusivity, and abundance. We are so fortunate to have two exciting match opportunities for this campaign, and of course we’d love to tell you more!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Rebecca, Aaron, or any one of us to learn about how you can join us in supporting Santa Fe Prep financially. We couldn’t be prouder to call you partners in these efforts.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Jenna Scanlan Advancement Committee Chair
Santa Fe Prep Annual Fund Donor Recognition 2024-2025
FOUNDERS
$25,000+
Stephen Badger
Santa Fe Prep Parents' Association
Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund
ELRINGTON BELL SOCIETY
$10,000-$24,999
Charnes Chiu and Kathryn Chan
Ed and Maria Gale
Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94 and Justin Kaufman
Josh Klinefelter '93 and Kelsey Klinefelter
Catherine Oppenheimer
Claire Pfister
Antoinette Silvey '82
Todd Vaziri and Kearsley Higgins
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S CIRCLE
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous
Guillermo Bleichmar and Katie Dry
Bridges Fund
Connor Browne and Christina Price
Randy Dry and Ocean Munds-Dry
Greg and Alice Dunn
Eric Enfield '77 and Kelly Sue Enfield
Ariana and William Feinberg
David and Amanda Kocon
Shobhan Porter '88 and Joel Rowland
Pablo Sanders '95 and Rochi Cantu
Richard Sanders '94
Jenna and Wilson Scanlan
Phil and Jessica Smucker
The Thornburg Foundation
Owen and Katherine Van Essen
Amy Van Winkle and Mike Welch
The Walt Disney Company
GRIFFINS
$2,500-$4,999
Christina Alfieri and Michael Schriber
Sara April
Brant and Rebecca Bair
Liz Bremner and Karen Crow
J.P. Dahdah '93
Kate Ferlic and Christopher Stanek
Dominic and Celia Garcia
Noel Harvey '87
Vivienne Harwood
Adelma Hnasko '92 and Tom Hnasko
Evan and Amy Land
Phil and Julie Murray
Fred and Arlyn Nathan
Russell Olson and Frances Parker
Sara and Nigel Otto
Len and Barbara Rand
THANK YOU so much to every donor who, through annual gifts to Prep, helps make so many great things happen for our students.
Bruce Roscherr and Susan Kurien
Leslie Ross and Adriana Molina
Glenn Schlactus and Amber Train
Peter Spier '94 and Stacey Spier
Tom Spier '96 and Stephanie Spier
Douglas and Kristin Thal
SUN MOUNTAINEERS
$1,000-$2,499
Anonymous
John Anderson and Jacqueline Davis
Ryan Bailey '94 and Melanie Maxon
David and Patricia Baker
Steven Barrett and Katie Arnold
The Bodell Gubelmann Family
Magnus and Eveline Brunner
Josh and Mitra Devon
David and Deborah Douglas
Andrea Fiegel
Dylan Fuge '97 and Alexis Fuge
Estevan and AdiRisa Gonzales
Tim and Keri Goorley
Miquela and Kevin Korte
Jamie Lenfestey and Missy Wolf
Erik Litzenberg '90 and Melissa Litzenberg
Alexander and Karen LoRusso
Steve and Meredith Machen
Thao and Samuel Marquez
Sidway McKay '69 and Bev Nelson
Michael McNeill
Helen Neill '84
George Strickland and Anita Ogard
Lee and Joohee Rand
Thomas Ritter and Christine Keller
Louise Rogers '84
Dennis Romero
Carol Ann Sass
William Scarborough
Gracie Schild '78
Aaron Schubach and Anna Sass
Jay and Katherine Shelton
Warren Thompson '72 and Mickey Thompson
Gene and Sharon Tison
Ulrich Consulting Group, LLC
Larry White '68
Michael Wiese and Margaret Hennessey
Jeff Willis and Gerry Fairbrother
PREP FRIENDS
$5-$999
Jose Franco and Audrey Abeyta
Richard and Jan Adesso
Elizabeth Alarid
Christian Alexander '02
Mark and Martha Alexander
Rebecca Allahyari
Winthrop and Elizabeth Allen
Kristina Alley '91 and Timothy Farrell
Jolene Altwies and Mary Carmack-Altwies
Karen Andersen '95 and Alex Hlavacek
Stewart and Blair Anderson
Joseph Armijo
Kaitlyn Atencio
Summar Aubrey '00 and Julian Garrett
Thomas Tison and Veronica Aymacana
Stephanie Barks '71
Briana Bassler and Barrett Estess
Dustin Belyeu '95 and Brooke Belyeu
Yesi Bermejo
Marc Bertram '78 and Cathryn Bertram
Genevieve Betts and David LeBard
Bryan and Jennifer Biedscheid
Mark Bixby
Russ Bixby
Tai and Satara Bixby
Jesse and Maggie Blanchard
David Blick and Suzanne Thornton
Bob and Chewy Borden
Myla Borden '15
Peter Borden '18
Chris Border
Juli Bray-Morris
Jim and Elizabeth Brockmann
Justin Brown '00
Hayley Burke
Dave Caldwell and Elizabeth Ortiz
Julie Campbell '75
Callie Carew-Miller
Andrew Carpenter '84 and Rebecca Carpenter
Courtney and Linnea Carswell
Chris Chakeres '94 and Sheena Chakeres
Ajoy Chandra and Katharine Griffing
George Chappell '79 and
Lorelei Chappell
Chevron Matching Gift Program
Stewart Chritton '76 and Laura Chritton
Tejinder and Juliana Ciano
Sarah Cohen '92
Jocelyne Comstock
Frederica Conroy
Luz Corrales
Michael Crawford and Rebecca Parish
Matt Declerck and
Martha Yazdani-Declerck
Natasha and David Deighton
Elisabeth and Matthew Desmond
Cheney Doane
Charles and Erin Doerwald
Jackson Dooling '14
Jennifer Dryfoos
Andy Dudzik
Micayla Duran and Parker Jennings
Lou Ellis-Brassington '69 and Doug Brassington
Tim Enfield '09
Elizabeth Evans '84
Brad Fairbanks and Karen Burbank
Tiller Russell and Jess Falkenhagen
Peter Hagen and Lindsay Faulkner-Hagen
Emily Haozous and Zander Evans
Andras Fehervary '82 and Carlotta Fehervary
Ambrose Ferber '93 and Rebecca Ferber '96
Todd Kurth '81 and Kendel Fesenmyer
Alexandra Fleming '01
Lucy Foma '05
Nicholas Freedman '92
Matt French and Heather Novak French
Liz Friary
David Friedland and Sarah Davis
Ben Friedman '91 and Rocio Alvarez
Gosia and Alan Friedman
Anders Fristedt
Michael and Nina Furlanetto
Richard and Christine Furlanetto
Joaquin Garofalo and Jaclynn Castanon
Dan and Kristin Gasteazoro
Lisa Gavioli
Marián Giraldez Elizo and Lance Lewis '06
Andrea and Arthur Gonzales
Leo and Debra Gonzales
Joseph Gonzales
MacDonnell Gordon '69 and Charlene Shildmyer
Ken Grob and Haviland Staggers
Augusta Gronquist '10
Katharine Handler '88
Mary Harper
Rob and Anna Hastings
Kris and Virginia Hendricks
Tom Hill
Cory Hirsch and Martha Arnett
Robb and Numi Hirsch
Dieu Ho
Megan Jacobs and Jonathan MacCarthy
Mauricio Jaime-Andrade and Maria Horta
Dina and Douglas Jansen
Dennis Jasso and Inga Hendrickson
Breshaun Joyner and Ralph Bolton
Brian and Allyn Kennedy
Rachel Kesler
Karl Kilborn '86
Nancy Klaus and Jeffrey Cooper
Emma Koolpe '17
Pen La Farge '69
Alexandra Ladd and Christopher Graeser
Earl and Jessica Lawrence
Zoe Ledbetter
Morgan and Sarah Meghan Lee
Jim and Story Leonard
Molly Leonard '12
Hanna Levin
Jesse Levin '98 and Shane Plossu '96
Brian Lewis '11 and Caroline Stanley '13
Matt Lewis '99
Will and Hannah Lichty
Mary and Kent Little
Bill and Marcy Litzenberg
Silvana Llerena Delgado and Jorge Hernandez Granciano
Clea Lopez '96 and Teddy Huyck
Kate Lopez
Nicola Lopez '93
Adam Lowenstein
Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
Oscar Loya
Phil Lucero '97 and Liz Barrett
Katie Macaulay and James Attlesey
Jennifer and Robert MacDonald
Danielle Mansour
Tony and Johnna Marlow
Gabriella Masoni
Ross and Rebecca McDonald
Bill and Marge McIntosh
Catherine McKenzie
Michael Meade '06
Natalie Meek '94 and Corbin Meek
Meghan and Jason Mercer
Cameron and Adam Miranda
Mario and Nadine Montoya
Brent and Mary Ann Moore
Matt and Annie Mullins
Robert and Townley Neill
Lisa Nordstrum
Leah O'Shell and Sam Montoya
Gary and Kirsten Oakley
David Páez
Alex Parsons '87
Aiyana and Stuart Pendleton
Tony and Andrea Perlak
Larry and Rose Petry
Karen Phillips '98 and Kyle Olmon
Tony Pinkerton '91
Arina Pittman
Greg Pollak '68
Katy Power
Mark Prochaska and Rebecca Sam
Victoria Quijada '68
Elizabeth Quirante
Joey and Amy Reich
Bradley Reid and Katherine Herrell
Stephanie Reynolds '85
Willy Richardson '92 and Kim Richardson
Heather Rider and Romeo Portillo
Sam Ritter and Kat Keener
Jesse Roach '90
Andrew and Taz Roberts
Heather Robinson
Catherine Rogers '85
Jeremy Rohrlich '02
Joel and Patricia Rosen
Yadiner and Nouri Sabir
Bruce Sachs and Denise DuPont
John and Paula Salazar
Judy Sanchez
John and Lillie Sandoval
Sky Sartorius '04
Ashley Satterthwaite and Adam Johnson
Darcy Scholts '73
Thomas Scott '73 and Vanessa Woog
Garrett Seawright and Alessa Greenway Seawright
Zack Shandler and Lisa Schub
Jeremy Shelton '91
Bearclaw Shipe and Martha Henderson
Steve and Kate Shultz
Brent Silver '94
Daniela Silverstein '92 and Seth Silverstein
Elege Simons Harwood '94 and Kyle Harwood
Frieda Simons '00
Ben Sleeman
Sarah Stark
Carolyn Starks
Geoff and Brye Steeves
Meghan and Walter Sterling
Nick Stofocik
Beth Succop
Michael and Reena Szczepanski
Suzanne Thornton and David Blick
Greg Throne '10
Jillian Tomlinson
Michelle and Valente Torrez
Deborah Ungar
John and Jackie Utsey
Todd Volz and Camila Friedman-Gerlicz '06
Kathy Wagner
Donald and Alison Walcott
Drew and Kevin Walker
Andy Wallerstein and Mary Sloane
Ashley Watson
Rebecca Weiner '95
Carla Westen and Michael Flores
Jim White '80 and Florianne White
Jalice Wiest '67
Mark and Mary Ann Wightman
William and Jemima Winkler
Nick Wirth
Michael Benanav and Kelly Wolpert
Brian and Christy Wood
Matt Ybarra and Linda Serrato Ybarra
Fred and June Yoder
Doug and Katie Zang
Richard Zierman '89
Ellen Zieselman
IN HONOR
In honor of Chris Chakeres '94 & Sheena Chakeres
Brent Silver '94
In honor of Rachel Balkcom
Lucy Foma '05
MacDonnell Gordon '69 and Charlene Shildmyer
In honor of David DePolo
Willy Richardson '92 and Kim Richardson
In honor of Lisa Fisher
Elege Simons Harwood '94 and Kyle Harwood
In honor of Anita Ginocchio
Nicola Lopez '93
In honor of Todd Kurth '81
Andrea Gonzales
Matthew Lewis '99
Phil Lucero '97
In honor of Jim Leonard
MacDonnell Gordon '69 and Charlene Shildmyer
In honor of Story Leonard
Jeremy Rohrlich '02
In honor of Jim & Story Leonard
Molly Leonard '12
In honor of Fred Maas
Darcy Scholts '73
In honor of Michael McNeill
Beth Succop
In honor of Lisa Nordstrum
Julie Campbell '75
In honor of Jay Shelton
Lucy Foma '05
In honor of Tove Shere
Alexandra Fleming '01
In honor of Sarah Stark
Nick Wirth
In honor of Jillian Tomlinson
Julie Campbell '75
In honor of Jerry West
Lou Ellis Brassington '69
Darcy Scholts '73
In honor of Marie White
James White '80
In honor of Rob Wilder
MacDonnell Gordon '69 and Charlene Shildmyer
IN MEMORY
In memory of Deborah Cornelius Fehervary
Andras Fehervary '82 and Carlotta Fehervary
In memory of Kirt Fiegel
Andrea Feigel
In memory of Fannie Freedman
Nicholas Freedman '92
In memory of Bob Kurth
Alexander Parsons '87
In memory of Sam Mott '06
Michael Meade '06
In memory of Don Ross
Leslie Ross and Adriana Molina
In memory of Claire Weiner
Rebecca Weiner '95
GIFTS IN KIND
Joe Bova
Elizabeth Bradley and Dan Merians
Warren Thompson '72 and and Mickey Thompson
Strategic Impact Fund Donors
THE FOLLOWING DONORS CONTRIBUTED GENEROUSLY in support of student tuition assistance in 2024-2025.
Stephen and Karen Bershad
Liz Bremner and Karen Crow
Michael and Carol Lawrence
Lee and Joohee Rand
Jenna and Wilson Scanlan
Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund
Steele Family Foundation
Email us at the
jtomlinson@sfprep.org or rstarr@sfprep.org
Your Investment in Prep Matters
Prep’s annual budget is built to ensure that every student receives a meaningful, wellrounded, and academically rigorous education. Your support helps us bridge the gap between tuition and our annual operating expenses. Thank you for your generous support. If you would like to make a gift or pledge please visit: www.sfprep.org/supportprep or scan:
Endowments at Santa Fe Prep
Endowment Committee Report
THE SANTA FE PREP ENDOWMENT helps assure the longterm stability of the school. It is to this end, through thoughtful management and investment strategies, the Endowment Board dedicates its time and expertise. In close collaboration with Ulrich Investment Consultants, this group is charged with setting investment policy and strategy, monitoring investment performance, and ensuring a long term perspective in aligning with Prep’s goals. The Endowment Board currently oversees roughly $34.9 million of assets as of the end of 2025. These assets are made up of nearly 40 permanently endowed funds and short and intermediate term funds that are dedicated to uses for school operations and tuition assistance. In particular, the school has an annual draw of 3-4% from the long-term endowed funds that provides significant support for tuition assistance and faculty professional development.
Dominic Garcia
Endowment Commitee Chair
2024/2025 ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE
Dominic Garcia, Board Chair
Sara April
Connor Browne
Marianne Dwight
Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94
David Kocon
Joohee Rand
Richard Sanders '94
Ex Officio
Aaron Schubach
Bruce Sachs
Endowment Fund Donors
SANTA FE PREP RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF A ROBUST ENDOWMENT to assure the school's future. We give particular thanks to the donors who have contributed to our endowed funds during the fiscal year 2024-2025.
$15,000+
Carl Kawaja '82 and Gwendolyn Holcombe
$10,000-$14,999
Phil and Julie Murray
$1,000-$9,999
Elisabeth Alley
James Alley III '84
Kristina Alley '91 and Timothy Farrell
Sue and Frank Cannon
Frances Parker and Russell Olson
Linda Vincent
$5-$999
Anne Alley '82
Samson and Becca Benen
Dorothy Beutler
Nicholas Farrell '22
William and Louisella Frank
Holly Lynton
Endowment Funds
AS OF JUNE 30, 2025
TOTAL ENDOWMENT
$25,270,865
Breakthrough Operating Fund
$1,139,054
Buckman Scholarship
$326,391
Davis Breakthrough Scholars
$1,759,980
Doris Bry Scholarship Fund
$931,997
EE Ford Summer Teachers Colloquium
$341,256
James and Elisabeth Alley Scholarship Fund
$177,485
Kathryn Wasserman Davis 20th Century History Chair
$979,288
Permanent Endowment Fund Trust
$3,425,299
Spirit of Santa Fe Prep Endowment
$605,880
The Arlene LewAllen Artist Outreach Endowment Fund
$30,239
The Board of Trustees Summer Fellowship Account
$107,640
The David Ginocchio Endowed Scholarship Fund
$396,940
The Edward E. Ford & Margaret P. Driscoll Endowment Fund for Upper School Faculty Summer Study
$239,847
The EE Ford/Conway Faculty Growth & Enrichment Initiative Endowment
$291,340
The Elias Farmer Memorial Scholarship Fund
$406,133
The Endowment for Faculty Compensation and Development
$978,031
The Faculty Professional Development Fund
$314,236
The Goodwin Family Scholarship
$971,994
The Griffin Chair for Inspirational Teaching
$455,435
The Headmaster’s Scholarship Fund
$958,284
The J. Burchenal Ault Library Fund
$347,857
The Jenny and Alice Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund
$150,532
The Kathryn O’Keeffe Endowment for Native American Students
$1,119,030
The Leland Thompson Founders’ Endowment Fund
$326,894
The Leonard Family Scholars Endowment
$3,471,739
The M.A. Healy Chair for Teaching Excellence
$704,739
The Malone Family Foundation Endowment
$2,341,220
The Mary and Ramsay Harris Endowment
$3,788
The Minority Scholarship Endowment Fund
$950,169
The Mordaunt Elrington Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund
$60,505
The Parents’ Association Endowment for Tuition Assistance
$230,092
The Quincy Brave Conway Scholarship Endowment
$92,703
The Robert W. Kurth Endowment
$145,533
The Sage Fund
$514,089
The Sage Endowment 50th Campaign
$130,739
The Santa Fe Preparatory Class of 1988 Scholarship Fund
$11,137
The Tamsin F. Bemis '84 Memorial Scholarship Fund
$496,383
The William H. Borchers Fund for Teacher Professional Development
$98,613
Tuition Assistance 50th Capital Campaign
$821,775
Santa Fe Prep Report of Finances
Finance Committee Report
AS AN INDEPENDENTLY GOVERNED EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT , our Board of Trustees and finance committee are especially attuned to the nuances of school finance, and we benefit from a strong endowment and robust fundraising that help offset expenses. In making the careful decision to set tuition at $29,599 for the 2026-2027 school year, the finance committee and board analyzed extensive comparative data and independent school financial benchmarks using guidelines and best practices for independent schools. The Finance Committee and the Board authorized a 3.00% salary increase for faculty and staff, recognizing the increased cost of living and the unique costs associated with living in Santa Fe. Annual decisions regarding tuition and salary increases are just part of the crucial work of this group.
As part of its thoughtful fiscal management, the finance committee helps to set philanthropic goals and tuition assistance allocations based on the overall financial health of the school. The expertise of this committee assures a sustainable future for our school.
The school remains debt free, offers increasingly generous aid packages to current and incoming students, continues to benefit from healthy enrollment numbers, and enjoys the security of a healthy, growing endowment.
David Kocon Finance Commitee Chair
David Kocon, Chair
Sara April
Ajoy Chandra
Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94
Alice Dunn
Dominic Garcia
Joohee Rand
Ex Officio Members
Aaron Schubach
Bruce Sachs
Statement of Financial Position
REPORTS
Parents' Association
Report from the Parents’ Association
“BUILDING COMMUNITY” was the guiding theme for the 2024–25 school year for Prep’s Parents’ Association, as volunteers continued their efforts to encourage meaningful connection and active involvement in supporting the school. The PA focused on strengthening relationships in our parent community while also supporting fundraising efforts that benefit tuition assistance for Prep families and Breakthrough Santa Fe. We are proud of the strong partnership between parents, faculty, and staff, and for the many ways our community showed throughout the year. With the support of parent representatives for each grade, the Parents’ Association hosted 28 events during the 2024-25 school year and carried out the following achievements with strong community participation:
• Organized the Annual Rummage Sale, which raised $28,000 for PA initiatives
• Hosted four full-school parent socials & grade-level gatherings, including parent coffees, skating, and a movie night
• Volunteered at school events and supported faculty/staff appreciation initiatives, including raising $18,000 to offer cash bonuses to faculty and staff
• Co-hosted a back-to-school Corn Hole Tournament with the Booster Club
• Organized volunteer days at Pete's Place & The Food Depot
• Led two community-wide book reads
In the 2025–2026 school year, the Parents’ Association is building on this strong foundation. This year’s theme is “BETTER TOGETHER” and includes the added leadership of Marisa Bodell Gubelmann '98 as the new co-chair. This year, we helped plan and execute the Prep Gala, launched the firstannual Bingo Night in support of tuition assistance, co-hosted Common Ground: A Families of Color Night with the DEIJ Committee, and continued our tradition of co-hosting a back-to-school Corn Hole Tournament
Coming up, the PA will host Prep’s annual Rummage Sale on Saturday, April 18 in the Santa Fe Prep gymnasium, with a special preview opportunity the evening of Friday, April 17. 100% of funds raised at the Rummage Sale are dedicated to tuition assistance for Prep students (37% of current Prep students receive tuition assistance, with an average grant of $17,271) and Breakthrough Santa Fe (hosted on Prep’s campus for over 20 years and having served more than 500 Santa Fe students in its history). The Rummage Sale is open to the entire Santa Fe community and features gently-used items for sale, including men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing and shoes, athletic equipment, books, games and toys, housewares, furniture, and much more. Thank you to all of the parent and community volunteers who make this important annual event such a success year after year!
Building community takes time, care, and commitment beyond the demands of daily life, but the generosity of our parent volunteers has made these efforts both meaningful and lasting.
Heather French & Elege Simons Harwood '94 2024-2025 Parents' Association Co-Chairs
REPORTS
Booster Club
2024 / 2025
SFP BOOSTER BOARD
Ocean Munds-Dry, President
Cathy Griffith, Vice-President
Chris Stanek, Secretary
Anna Sass, Membership Chair
Alexandra Ladd, Treasurer
Blair Anderson
Becky Bair
Dustin Belyeu '95
Connor Browne
Karen Crow
Sean Healy
Tom Hnasko
Justin Kaufman
Lee Rand
Meg Sterling
Report from the Booster Club
THE SANTA FE PREP BOOSTER CLUB is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support for Prep’s athletic programs. Founded by a group of Prep parents in 1983, the Boosters volunteer their time to raise funds and promote school spirit. Prep has a storied history of athletic accomplishments, but the Boosters recognize that far beyond wins and losses, Prep students gain important life skills by becoming part of a team, competing and growing with classmates and friends.
The Boosters raise funds through gate entry fees at athletic events, selling Prep-branded merchandise, memberships, sponsorships, and fundraising events like the back-to-school Corn Hole Tournament co-hosted with the Parents Association.
With the support of the Prep community, the Boosters raised more than $60,000 this past year. These successful fundraising efforts allow the Boosters to support the Athletic Department in myriad ways: purchasing new uniforms, supplies, and training programs to enhance the experience for student athletes and coaches; making sure every Prep student can compete in any sport by providing necessary athletic equipment; and recognizing student-athletes through banners in the gym that become gifts to students when they graduate.
The Boosters also consider themselves stewards of the larger legacy of athletics at Prep by providing significant contributions to enhance the Prep experience for many years to come: $100,000 toward the purchase of Sun Mountain Field; $20,000 toward the Adesso Archives athletic boards in the gym lobby; $9,000 toward a new team bus; $6,400 toward weight room renovations; $12,000 toward gymnasium upgrades; $24,000 for the new scoreboard for the gym.
The Boosters are incredibly grateful for your ongoing support. We encourage the entire Prep community to continue to watch our student athletes in action!
For more information or to become a member, visit: www.sfprep.org/parents/booster-club.
Booster Memberships
Many heartfelt thanks to the following fans in the stands, who purchased memberships or sponsored us for the 20242025 school year as well as our lifetime members, whose commitment is unparalleled.
LIFETIME MEMBERS
Mark and Martha Alexander
Cameron and Eric Anderson
Christian and Maggie Andersson
Daniel April
Sara April
Brant and Rebecca Bair
Marc and Cathryn Bertram
Marisa Bodell Gubelmann and Wyeth Gubelmann
Boys and Girls Club
Leigh Anne and David Brown
Connor Browne and Christina Price
Karen Crow and Liz Bremnar
Ocean Munds-Dry and Randy Dry
Brian and Kelly Egolf
SILVER SPONSORS
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Mobile MD
Water Boyz
BRONZE SPONSORS
Farrellgas
Homewise
Neurogeneces
EL PATRON MEMBERS
AdiRisa and Estevan Gonzales
Amanda and David Kocon
BLUE MEMBERS
Dustin and Brooke Belyeu
Elege and Kyle Harwood
Josh and Johnathon Hawley-Molloy
Brent and Mary Ann Moore
Laura Najman and Eric Dobratz
Elizabeth Quirante
Anna Sass and Aaron Schubach
Ashley Satterthwaite and Adam Johnson
Kate Ferlic and Chris Stanek
Kurt Gilbert and Elicia Montoya
Cathy and Ted Griffith
Liz and Michael Grover
Sally and Chris Harvey
Rebecca and Sean Healey
Justin and Jenny Kaufman
Jeannette Kelly
Miquela and Kevin Korte
Henry and Tina Lanman
Marcia and Tim Lenihan
Cindy and Neil Lyon
Susan and Lee MacLoud
Thao and Samuel Marquez
Arlyn and Fred Nathan
FAMILY MEMBERS
Jana and John Amacher
Marilyn and Larry Cohen
Stacy and Patrick Quinn
Rennae Ross
Jenna and Wilson Scanlan
Michael Schriber and Christina Alfieri
Jules and Devon Stokof de Jong
Mark and Jamie Stone
George Strickland and Anita Ogard
Wendy and Peter Trevesani
Kathy and Owen Van Essen
Cindi Vernold and Mark Hopkins
Mary Vickers
Debbie and Michael Whiting
Sasha Wilcoxon
Peter Wirth and Carol Romero-Wirth
Katherine and Douglas Zang
Zach Dacuk and Wendy Kraus
Matt Declerck and Martha Yazdani Declerck
Alan and Gosia Friedman
Cynthia and Michael Furlanetto
Keri and Tim Goorley
Matthew Kozak and Danielle Mansour
Byrne Larsen
Sharman Leventon and Matthew Nerzig
Michael Lacey and Maria Redondo Lacey
Raymond Newell and Adriana Reyes Newell
Bradley Reid and Kate Herrell
Pedro Pablo Reyes and Noranik Zadeyan
Caroline Stanley and Brian Lewis
Meg and Walter Sterling
Vanessa Woog and Thomas Scott
Associated Programming
2024/2025 COMMUNITY IMPACT BOARD
Leah Swanson, Board Chair
Luis Burrola
Andrew Davis
Miquela Korte
Susan Matteucci
Cindy Onore
Pier Quintana
Mitchell Rocha
Dennis Romero
Carol Romero-Wirth
Jenna Scanlan
Report From the Community Impact Board
I AM HONORED TO BE WRITING TO YOU as Chair of the Santa Fe Prep Community Impact Advisory Board. The Community Impact Board provides advisory and strategic guidance for the Breakthrough Santa Fe and Davis New Mexico Scholars programs at Santa Fe Prep. We are made up of eleven members from the broader Santa Fe community, including several current and prior trustees of the Santa Fe Board of Trustees. Our purpose is to ensure stewardship of both programs under Santa Fe Prep and to serve as advocates of the programs within our community.
It is difficult to overstate the impact of the Breakthrough and Davis programs on the Santa Fe Prep community and across New Mexico. The advisory board is focused on supporting the strategic plans of these two programs, elevating the visibility of both within the community, diversifying our funding sources through advancement efforts, enhancing the educator pipeline and professional development opportunities, and ensuring educational attainment and success for the students.
I served on the Santa Fe Prep Board of Trustees from 2016-2024 and joined the Breakthrough Advisory Board in 2022. In doing so, I was drawn to the significant impact Breakthrough Santa Fe has on students and families, guiding them toward high school graduation and on to college success. As Prep-based programs, Breakthrough and Davis have also benefited numerous Santa Fe Prep students. These remarkable students have gone out into the world, returning the dividends of their educational experiences to New Mexico and beyond. Breakthrough Santa Fe and the Davis New Mexico Scholarship are grateful to Santa Fe Prep for the partnership in driving this important community impact within education.
Leah Swanson, Community Impact Advisory Board Chair
Breakthrough
Santa Fe Donors
$25,000+
Breakthrough Collaborative
Davis New Mexico Scholarship
Las Campanas Community Grants Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
Anonymous
Hestia Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Stanley Karczewski and Cynthia Onore
New Cycle Foundation Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Santa Fe Community Foundation
United Way of Central New Mexico
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous
City of Santa Fe
Billy and Meg Feldman
Gale Family Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
New Mexico Children's Foundation
Wilson and Jenna Scanlan
Harry Shapiro and Peyton Young
Siegelaar Bryer Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Steele Family Foundation
Andrew Wallerstein and Mary Sloane
Peter and Marianne Westen
$2,500-$4,999
Anonymous
Steve and Meredith Machen
Meade and Robin Martin, Robert Moody Foundation
Drew and Christine McDermott
New Mexico Children's Foundation
Martha and Scott Ritter
$1,000-$2,499
Avalon Trust
Liz Bremner and Karen Crow
Jenny Cohen Kaufman and Justin Kaufman
George Duncan and Sherry Kelsey
Dominic and Celia Garcia
Benton Hammond
Robb and Numi Hirsch
Jon and Christine Lehman
Robert Levin and Mei Negishi
Susan Matteucci and Mike Loftin
Len and Barbara Rand
John Ritter
Penn Ritter and Robin Kipnis
Sam Ritter and Kat Keener
Thomas Ritter and Christine Keller
James and Claire Rhotenberry
Michael and Miriam Schechter
Shaggy Peak Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Paul and Carolyn Shapiro
Paul Stockton
Susan and Conrad De Jong Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Patrick and Scarlett Talamantes
Frans and Deborah Trouw
Owen and Katherine Van Essen
Nancy Meem Wirth
$5-$999
Anonymous (4)
Paul Abrams and Abigail Adler
Annai Family
Sara April
Leslie and Rutgers Barclay
Guillermo Bleichmar and Katie Dry
David Bomse and Claire Romero
Anthony Bonanno
Jordan Bosiljevac
Carole Brito
Ted Buchanan and Sally Corning
Breakthrough Facts and Figures:
Luis Burrola
Allie Cooper
Nancy Dahl
Mark Donatelli and Anne Pedersen
James Forke
Mac Gordon and Charlene Shildmyer
Jim and Jay Heneghan
David Henkel and Cleo Griffith
Marilyn Katz
Jim and Story Leonard
Claire Lichtenstein and Michael Gold
Nicole Lim
Oscar Loya
Gabriel Alarcon Macias
Rob Madril and Gail MacQuesten
Carl Marbach
Arzoo Mulla
Yuki Murata and Chris Long
Fred and Arlyn Nathan
Adriana Mendoza Ortiz
Ryan Ortiz
David and Susan Pulling
Rabinowe Family Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Sandpip Rai
Matthew Ritter
Dennis Romero
Allie Schechter
Aaron Schubach and Anna Sass
Elege Simons Harwood and Kyle Harwood
Emily Talbot
Kathy Wagner
Alan Webber and Frances Diemoz
Michael Wiese and Margaret Hennessey
WIlliam and Janieslee Wiese
Cindy Wilson
Matt Ybarra and Linda Serrato Ybarra
Ellen Zieselman
80% of Class of 2025 attending college
11 members of Class of 2025 received the Davis NM Scholarship 10 members of Class of 2025 received the Breakthrough Scholarship
CLASS
OF 2030:
100% of our students are students of color
72% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch at school
89% of students will be the first generation in their families to attend college
61% of students speak a language other than English at home
36% of students come from a single-parent household
The Importance of Secondary School Funding
When people decide to give money or estates to educational institutions, they automatically think of colleges or universities. Rarely do they consider secondary schools, which are the institutions that will help feed higher education with some of their best students. In the past few decades, private college preparatory schools have closed at an alarming rate, and we should be concerned about this. The school I went to, Southern Arizona School (SAS) in Tucson, in the late 50s and early 60s closed soon after I graduated. Although a classmate of mine, Jefery Matthews, made a gallant effort to keep it open, it eventually closed. Other schools across the nation have met a similar fate— both in the Southwest and on the East coast. These schools provided a learning environment that no others can offer. Small classes, personal attention, and care are primary, and such an atmosphere cultivates students who might not have succeeded, I myself included. I was late coming to appreciate the value of learning—in my last year in prep school—but it did happen and I owe that to SAS. I wished to repay that to a school that is very similar: The Orme School. But it closed, due to lack of funding, at the end of the 2025 school year. In its place, I have named Santa Fe Preparatory School as the beneficiary of my estate to augment its endowment, and to continue its mission in serving our local community.
After I graduated from SAS, I attended Texas Christian University (TCU) and received a B.A. and an M.A. in philosophy, and did postgraduate studies at the University of Kent at Canterbury in the philosophy of history. In 1970, I earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma and returned to teach at TCU for 37 years in the philosophy department, where I was chair for many years. Since retirement, I have lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and have produced several books—the latest is Becoming Collingwood: Central Themes (Hamilton Books)—and many articles. I continue to pursue research in my field and enjoy traveling, and deeply appreciate what Santa Fe has to offer in culture and food.
SPENCER KIEFER WERTZ, NEW CARITAS MEMBER
My maternal grandfather, James Lawrence Breese, Jr., would have been proud. The remains of his oil burner development business—land and buildings on Upper Canyon Road—were leased to the fledgling Santa Fe Prep in 1963. He was a great inventor with many patents and would have been thrilled to see a school where the new aspiring generation could catch fire and do great things.
Years later, I started and sold two high-tech companies in chemical instrumentation, but I was dismayed at the apparent rote learning in schools.
Right here in my backyard was Prep, where learning programs could encourage curiosity, imagination, and the spark to forge important careers in great enterprises. I approached Aaron Schubach with this vision, and he immediately agreed that the school should have a program to foster curiosity. Now the project is moving forward.
My wife, Betsy, was with me on those creative journeys, and she remembers well the trials and tribulations that follow an entrepreneurial couple. She joins me in my support of the Curiosity Project at Prep, and we wish all the students the very best.
LAWRENCE BREESE “LARRY” KILHAM, NEW CARITAS MEMBER
Caritas (Kǎr-ē-täs)
Noun, from the Latin: charity, unselfish love, love of kindness esp. with the notion of generosity.
Since our founding, Santa Fe Prep's growth can be traced to the extraordinary contributions of our alumni, trustees, parents, grandparents and the generosity of close community. The Caritas Society, established by the school's Board of Trustees in 2003, recognizes those who wish to remember Santa Fe Prep by testamentary provisions in their will or estate plan.
To maintain the tradition of excellence at Prep, we must ensure secure, reliable sources of funding: building our endowment is an essential part of securing our future. Membership in the Caritas Society is open to those who have made bequest provisions or a planned gift in the form of charitable trusts, real estate, or life insurance. Membership in the society is for life.
Anonymous (6)
David and Margaret Alexander
Marc Bertram '78 and Cathryn Bertram
Julie Campbell '75
Larry and Marilyn Cohen
William and Amy Conway
Steven J. Dayton and Carol Norton
Anita and Joseph Ginocchio
Matthew Harland '79 and Katie Harland
Brad and Lauren Hunt
Larry and Betsy Kilham
Jim and Story Leonard
Gregg and Diana Lowe
Drs. Stephen and Meredith Machen
Fred and Arlyn Nathan
Karl and Lisa Ray
Bruce Sachs and Denise DuPont
Gracie T. Schild '78
Jay and Katherine Shelton
Warren Thompson '72 and Mickey Thompson
Andrew Wallerstein and Mary Sloane
Spencer Wertz
Jim and Amy Weyhrauch
Betsy and Larry Kilham
2025 Gala Raised $150,000 for Prep Forward Capital Campaign
Held October 4th on Brennand Field, Santa Fe Prep’s biennial Gala offered a festive evening to celebrate the success to date of the Prep Forward Campaign and to secure additional donations toward the campaign goal.
More than 150 gala attendees were welcomed by a local youth mariachi band and a performance from Prep’s Middle and Upper School choirs. Dinner was catered by Prep’s own Chef Eduardo Beltran, and following a brief interruption by Carmelita the tequila donkey, a successful Paddles Up raised an additional $100,000 for the campaign! The evening wrapped with a packed dance floor moving to the soulful tunes of Vanilla Pop until the very last song.
We extend great appreciation to our 2025 Gala Committee: Janice Biletnikoff, Lorelei Chappell, Diego Duran, Gaby Duran, Heather French, Marisa Bodell Gubelmann, Elege Simons Harwood, and Heidi Vargas.
The momentum of this campaign would not be possible without the extreme generosity of Stephen Badger, whose lead gift includes a $2 million dollar-todollar matching opportunity.
To hear from Stephen directly about his support of Prep Forward scan this QR code to watch a short campaign video.
The PREP FORWARD campaign is a bold, innovative capital campaign that will set Prep up for a maximally impactful and purpose-driven future, investing in our school’s purpose, people, and programs to meet the challenges of our time and forge our school’s legacy for generations to come.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 GALA
An especially exciting component of the Prep Forward campaign is a Down Payment Assistance Program, an innovative homeownership initiative designed to support current faculty and staff. The Down Payment Assistance Program will offer eligible educators $50,000 zero-interest loans to assist with the purchase of a home, enabling them to establish long-term roots in the community where they teach, mentor, and lead. In support of this program, the Edward E. Ford Foundation awarded Santa Fe Prep an extraordinary grant of $250,000 to be matched on a dollar-to-dollar basis. Prep is collaborating with Homewise, a local nonprofit homeownership organization, to manage and disburse the loans. In today’s economy, many professionals working in independent schools face significant financial barriers to homeownership. This is an incredible opportunity for Prep to help recruit and retain valuable educators to the larger Santa Fe community.
To learn more about the Prep Forward Campaign, including both of these matching opportunities, please reach out to Head of School Aaron Schubach or Director of Advancement Rebecca Starr directly.
From top left: Caroline Stanley & Brian Lewis; Alexis Fuge & Heather French; Diego & Gaby Duran; Maryam Miller, Soren Peters, Elege Harwood; Alice & Greg Dunn, Ocean MundsDry; Jenna & Wilson Scanlan, celebrate at the Prep Forward Gala 2025.
Prep Forward Donors
AS OF JANUARY 2026
$1MM+
Stephen Badger
Larry and Betsy Kilham
$100K-$999,999
Anonymous (2)
Stephen and Karen Bershad
Jenny Cohen Kaufman and Justin Kaufman '94
Randy Dry and Ocean Munds-Dry
Edward E. Ford Foundation
Ed and Maria Gale
Fred and Arlyn Nathan
Sanders Foundation
Wilson and Jenna Scanlan
Garrett Thornburg
Spencer Wertz
$20K-$99,999
Brant and Rebecca Bair
Guillermo Bleichmar and Katie Dry
Liz Bremner and Karen Crow
Connor Browne and Christina Price
Charnes Chiu and Kathryn Chan
Brian Egolf '95 and Kelly Egolf
Eric Enfield '77 and Kelly Sue Enfield
Ariana and William Feinberg
Dominic and Celia Garcia
David and Amanda Kocon
Thao and Samuel Marquez
Phil and Julie Murray
Catherine Oppenheimer
Nancy Scanlan
Thornburg Foundation
The William and Salome
Scanlan Foundation
Andrew Wallerstein and Mary Slaone
$100-$19,999
Anonymous
Kristina Alley '91 and Timothy Farrell
Sara April
David and Patricia Baker
Genevieve Betts and David LeBard
Janice and Nathaniel Biletnikoff
Julia Boaz Cooper and Patrick Coughlin
Our most sincere appreciation to our Prep Forward donors for prioritizing this campaign as the next phase of Prep’s growth and dedication to serving our community.
Bob and Chewy Borden
Magnus and Eveline Brunner
Richard Campiglio
City Different Investments
Larry and Marilyn Cohen
Andie Crosby
Steven J. Dayton and Carol Norton
Matt Declerck and Martha Yazdani-Declerck
Greg and Alice Dunn
Diego and Gaby Duran
Enterprise Bank and Trust
Matt French and Heather Novak French
French & French Interiors
William and Elinor Fries
Dylan Fuge '97 and Alexis Fuge
Richard and Christine Furlanetto
Joaquin Garofalo and Jaclynn Castanon
Linnea Geiss Gallagher '96 and
Wade Gallagher
Estevan and AdiRisa Gonzales
Sara Gustafson and Toshi Sanchez
Sarah and Juan Guzman
Noel Harvey '87
Rob and Anna Hastings
Robb and Numi Hirsch
Miquela and Kevin Korte
KSWV Radio
Morgan and Sarah Meghan Lee
Jon and Christine Lehman
Jim and Story Leonard
Brian Lewis '11 and Caroline Stanley '13
Mary and Kent Little
Bill and Marcy Litzenberg
Erik Litzenberg '90 and Melissa Litzenberg
Silvana Llerena Delgado and Jorge Hernandez Granciano
Clea Lopez '96 and Teddy Huyck
Neil and Cindy Lyon
Jennifer and Robert MacDonald
Susan Matteucci and Mike Loftin
Michael McNeill
Yuki Murata and Chris Long
Laura Najman and Eric Dobratz
Sara and Nigel Otto
Annie Polk '96 and Chris Oatey
Sam Ritter and Kat Keener
Joohee and Lee Rand
Dennis Romero
Joel and Patricia Rosen
Leslie Ross and Adriana Molina
Santa Fe Prep Booster Club
Carol Ann Sass
Aaron Schubach and Anna Sass
Frieda Simons '00
Elege Simons Harwood '94 and Kyle Harwood
The Simons Firm LLP
Philip and Jessica Smucker
Sotheby's International Realty
Carolyn Starks
Rebecca Starr
Meghan and Walter Sterling
Warren Thompson '72 and Mickey Thompson
Jillian Tomlinson
Ulrich Investment Consultants
John and Jackie Utsey
Heidi and Joseph Vargas
Todd Vaziri and Kearsley Higgins
Thomas Scott '73 and Vanessa Woog
Katie Zang
Letter From the Alumni Board President
As President of the Santa Fe Prep Alumni Board—and now back in the community as a Prep parent—I am continually reminded just how special the Santa Fe Prep community is and how enduring the Prep experience can be long after graduation. Whether you left campus five years ago or fifty, Prep has a way of staying with you, and shaping how you think, engage, and show up in the world.
This year’s Holiday Party was a perfect example of that lasting connection. More than 200 alumni, former faculty, and friends gathered to catch up and to honor Jim and Story Leonard, whose impact on Prep was significant. Laughter, friendly competition, and unmistakable Griffin pride filled the room—it was Prep at its very best! Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome alumni back for our fifth-annual all-class reunion on May 30, 2026. This growing tradition also creates space for milestone class reunions—5, 10, 15, 20 years, and beyond—to gather around a shared weekend. Past reunions have drawn alumni and former faculty and staff from near
and far. Last year, families with young children (and future Griffins!) played on Brennand Field while alumni enjoyed ceramics, photography, and other campus offerings. The goal is simple: reconnect, reminisce, and strengthen the ties that bind us across classes, decades, and life stages. Whether you’ve stayed closely connected or haven’t been back in years, we would love to welcome you home.
I also want to reflect on the importance of alumni giving. Financial contributions matter, but what truly matters is participation. A $20 monthly recurring gift adds up to $1,200 over five years—proof that small, steady generosity can make a meaningful and lasting difference! The Alumni Board exists to foster these connections and create opportunities for involvement that feel meaningful and manageable. Prep is stronger because of its alumni, and the best chapters of this community are still being written.
ELEGE SIMONS HARWOOD '94 ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
SANTA FE PREP ALUMNI BOARD
Elege Simons Harwood '94, President
Alicia Bertram '09
Amalia Bertram '14
Julia Bertram '11
Reed Bienvenu '01
Chris Chakeres '94
Alexandra Fleming '01
Lucy Gent Foma '05
Matthew Harland '79
Adelma Hnasko '92
Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94
Kate Kennedy '05
Michael Meade '06
Danny Quinn '12
Willy Richardson '92
Laurel Seth '70
Cass Thompson '08
Peter White '82
Class News
1960s
Jalice (Daum) Wiest '67 worked at Arizona State University for 25 years before retiring in 2009. She is now enjoying retired life in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, three adult children, and nine grandchildren, ranging in age from 2.5 to 23. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, making efforts to exercise, traveling, and practicing Buddhism with her SGI Buddhist community. Last summer, Jalice visited Santa Fe to see family and friends and participate in the alumni reunion weekend, along with her sisters Jane (Daum) Kadalubek '69 and Janet (Daum) John '70. Jalice loved the three years she spent at Prep, and especially appreciates having learned to think critically, which has helped her throughout her post-Prep life journey. Best wishes, fellow Griffins!
Pen La Farge '69 has been working on historic preservation since the 1970s, when he saw to it that Old Santa Fe Trail's sidewalks were lined with brick instead of cement. Since that time, he has served as president of the Old Santa Fe Association and is its current vicepresident. In addition to his historical work, Pen records books for the blind and writes. He is currently writing a chapter for the centennial anniversary book on the Old Santa Fe Association on the subject of the 1957 Historic Styles Ordinance, originally written by his father, Oliver La Farge, and John Gaw Meem.
1970s
Prior to 2025, the Class of 1970 had only celebrated one class reunion. With time passing quickly, Laurel Seth '70 and her classmates decided it was time to plan another; they wanted to include Prep’s first graduates as well as those after 1970 who still had fond memories of the Canyon Road campus. Coinciding with last summer’s all-class reunion weekend, Warren Thompson '72 and his wife Mickey hosted a dinner in their home for alumni from 1967-1973. Nearly 60 people attended, including a few beloved former Prep teachers and 12 out of the original 16 members of the class of 1970! Those gathered reminisced about the old campus and class trips to Juarez, toasted to departed classmates, and enjoyed a delicious feast and a beautiful sunset. Thank you to all those who organized, and to Warren for hosting such a special event!
Robin McKinney
Martin '70 owns The Santa Fe New Mexican and Taos News, formerly owned by her late father, Robert McKinney, one of the founders of Santa Fe Prep. This year, both newspapers won the General Excellence Award from the New Mexico Press Association, the highest state press honor. Robin is part of an extended Prep family. Her rancher husband, Meade Martin, graduated in 1972. Meade served on Prep’s board and was instrumental in remodeling the Meem art building. Their daughter, Laura '06, lives with her husband,
Max Baseman, in Santa Fe. He owns an art gallery and she is the personnel director at the newspapers. Son Elliott '08 and his partner, Nery Espinosa, are currently taking a sabbatical in Mexico City; he had been a NASA engineer and she, a political consultant, living in Washington, DC. Meade’s brother, Chris '74, an artist, and his wife, Jill, are the parents of Sophie Martin '17. She works at Wolf Trap Performing Arts in Virginia. Meade’s father, John Martin, and Robin’s mother, Louise Trigg, were early board members of the school. They all appreciate their Prep educations!
Betsy (Egan) Hickok '71 moved to Santa Fe from Cleveland, Ohio in 1967 to begin her freshman year at Prep, still at its upper Canyon Road campus. Since relocating from the Midwest, Betsy has lived by her childhood mantra: “Don’t make me come inside!” She hiked the Grand Canyon twice, and has ridden horses most of her life, often playing a little-known sport called polocrosse— lacrosse on horseback. Her sister was a professional horse packer and Betsy “rode drag” for her at the end of the line, charged with catching any horses, or dudes, that broke away. In another lifetime, she was an EMT and provided medical backup on the fire line during forest fires. Life indoors isn’t nearly so interesting! Betsy now has three sons and six grandchildren. She is a psychotherapist in private practice in Santa Fe and is having the happiest and most productive years of her life. She is grateful for the education she received at Prep, which has served her very well.
Class News
Greg Stark '71 shared the following about life since Prep.
With big plans after Prep, I attached myself to remarkable people, professions, writings, experiences…
Nothing remarkable came of it. What came? Hard times. Then, slowly, a lovely wife, who accepts me, many experiences in wilderness, friendship, handiness, Spanish, a measure of healing. Unending, difficult labor, the half-empty glass, actually half-full, a way forward yet. A lot of regrets. I have chewed those; they are part of me. Political disappointments. And everyday moments, a bean patch to prepare, cool wind, soft clouds, blue sky, warm sun on my sleeves, our beautiful dogs, resting in the same warmth.
Thank you for the high school experience that gave me depression, heartache, and gifts to carry through life:
Love of words and tale tellers, passion for the outdoors, a few friends whose kindness makes its mark to this day, and the example of classmates and teachers, sometimes misdirecting, sometimes offering choice. That it was unremarkable matters less than that it was and is a life.
Lauren Davis '73 lives in Croton on Hudson, New York, where she is a psychotherapist and a painter.
Hyda Maria Dougherty '73 has published two art and nature books for children—Ant to Zinnia: Nature’s ABCs and Ant to Zinnia: Nature Activities. Both books can be purchased at Garcia Street Books or Doodlets in Santa Fe, as well as online. In addition to continuing to write and illustrate works for children, Hyda Maria shares music, dance, and water blessings.
Amy McConnell Franklin '73 lives with her husband in Taos, where they raised their five lovely grown children who are now scattered across the globe. Four years ago, she co-founded the Social and Emotional Learning Alliance for New Mexico (SEL4NM.org). This not-forprofit organization emerged from two decades of Amy’s pioneering work with equity-focused educators, parents, and policymakers across the world, who were dedicated to developing emotional intelligence and social and emotional skills through schools. Right now, she is working to ensure that education in New Mexico aligns with the findings of the Yazzie/Martinez Lawsuit, so that all New Mexican students have access to a highquality and culturally-aligned education that allows them to thrive as whole people. If this work resonates with you, please be in touch (amcconnellfranklin@ sel4nm.org).
Randy Brown '75 left New Mexico to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks, withdrawing after one semester in order to move to Eagle, a small community on the Yukon River near the Canadian border. There, Randy learned how to build log cabins, run dogs, hunt, and butcher bears, moose, and other food animals. Randy met his future wife Karen at a solstice festival in Fairbanks, and moved with her to rural western Alaska where she was teaching. The community lacked housing for teachers, but had recently built a new jail, which was rented to them as teacher housing for the school year. After marrying in 1981 and spending a decade traveling around rural Alaska, Randy and Karen settled in Fairbanks with their two sons. Randy returned to UAF where he studied biology, graduating Cum Laude in 1996, 21 years after graduating from Prep. He was hired as a biological technician by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, simultaneously pursuing a Master’s degree in fisheries. In 2020, he received an Honorary PhD from UAF. Randy is now retired, and he and Karen have three granddaughters. He credits his experience at Prep with helping to form his perspective on life and humanity, and is grateful to have attended.
Send us your Class Notes! We’d love to hear from you!
Email Jillian Tomlinson at alumni@sfprep.org with your news and photos.
1980s
Last summer, 13 members of the Class of 1975 gathered at the La Fonda to celebrate their 50-year reunion! The group included Bob Adler, David Ault, Charles Brunn, Julie Campbell, Caroline Dechert, Joe Hoback, Steve Houser, Rand Levitt, Will McConnell, Jamie O'Neill, Eric Shultz, Lauri Shea, and Linda Spier, as well as four alumni from adjacent classes. Although Charles, Lauri, and Julie did not graduate from Prep with the class of '75, warm feelings for this place and their classmates have endured and everyone was very happy to be together. Thank you to Julie Campbell for organizing!
Kevin Lind '77 is back in New Mexico after a number of years. He currently resides in Albuquerque, where he is a senior staff scientist for AER/Space and Air Force/ JANUS, studying means to characterize and predict radiation and its effects on satellites in Earth’s orbit. He graduated with a Bachelors in Physics/ Space Science/Mathematics from Rice University in 1981 and earned his PhD in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology in 1983. Since then, he has worked in astrophysics, massively parallel/high performance computing development, and space science applications and research. He has also been a leader of a Messianic Jewish congregation, and has continued his private studies of Biblical research, languages, and civilization to continue to understand and teach in those areas.
Following careers as a US Senate aide, an environmental consultant working on Superfund implementation, an arborist climbing redwoods, and a fly fishing guide in Alaska, California, and New Mexico, Toner Mitchell '81 joined the staff of Trout Unlimited in 2012, where he currently works as the New Mexico Rural Engagement Manager. He has worked on campaigns to protect the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Area. Toner has applied his knowledge of the state’s unique cultural history to forging partnerships with ranchers, farmers, and other rural community leaders in the common cause of protecting and restoring watersheds. After seeing his son Gus Curtiss-Mitchell '24 off to college, Toner is empty-nesting with his wife Cullen in Santa Fe.
Kelsey Daly Brown '82 lives in Santa Fe with her husband, Josh Brown. She is the Executive Director of The Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry and administers the Santa Fe Youth Poet Laureate program. This year, her son Griffin Daly '12 married Elizabeth Reisen of Summit, New Jersey in Amsterdam. Her son Liam Daly '14 is a working artist and teaches visual arts at the New Mexico School for the Arts. Her daughter Aidan Daly '18 is an environmental science teacher and the Dean of Academics at The Outdoor Academy in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina.
40 years ago, as a newly-minted Prep graduate, Seonaidh Davenport '85 was working in a gallery in Santa Fe for her gap year, wondering what college on the East Coast would be like. She successfully graduated from Princeton and went on to spend seven years in New York, working in publishing and website development, before she fled back to the Southwest, settling in Austin. Large scale website development production segued into computer and then video game development. She met her husband, Brian, a software engineer, at work. They got married in 2001 and moved to Seattle to work for Microsoft. They loved the mountains and the water, developing a tight-knit community, but Seonaidh definitely struggled with the dark winters. After 25 years in Seattle, and following Seonaidh’s mother’s death in 2022, they moved back to Santa Fe in 2024. They now live in the house Seonaidh’s grandmother built in 1957, just up the ridge from Sonja Thorpe Bohannon '85. Seonaidh takes incredible joy in being here, and in her work for Community Palliative Care of Northern New Mexico, a nonprofit that provides in-home palliative support to patients, regardless of economic situation. When they aren’t working, Seonaidh and Brian are in the mountains and exploring New Mexico on foot, skis, or bikes. She is continually delighted by a sense of querencia here in the Sangre de Christos.
Class News
Claude Silver '87 is the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, where she leads with a mission to spark optimism, bravery, authenticity, and heart-centered leadership at work. As a speaker, author, podcaster, and LinkedIn voice on modern leadership, she inspires leaders worldwide to embrace humanity as a business advantage and proves that belonging drives performance. At Vayner, she has helped scale the company from 400 to 2,000 people across 11 countries while championing emotional optimism as a true leadership superpower. Her career path has been anything but linear—spanning from founding an outdoor adventure and surf company in San Francisco to executive roles at JWT London, JWT San Francisco, and Publicis. Claude is a TedX Speaker and has been recognized with Campaign US’s Female Frontier Award, Adweek’s “Changing the Game” Award, and Adweek’s 2025 Mother of the Year. She recently published her first book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.
1990s
After leaving Prep, Carl Smith '90 spent a few years in San Francisco before studying art at Cooper Union in New York City. From there, he moved to Berlin, Germany, where he has lived ever since. He is focused on making art—mixed media painting that appears to be 3-dimensional but is in fact flat—and is fortunate to work with some great galleries, including Artspace Warehouse in Beverly Hills, California. For decades, he has also been recording, performing, and releasing music. In February, his fourth album titled Wild Birds was released on all major streaming platforms. The album is the culmination of four recording sessions, including one in Santa Fe, and delves into Carl’s Americana and Southwestern roots. The song “Desert Rainbow” especially is an homage to New Mexico. Carl is still a keen skier and bike tourer, having taken an epic six-country bike tour last summer from Berlin to Helsinki. He is proud and happy to report that he lives in the same Berlin neighborhood as old friends Maurice Frank '90 and Oliver Miller '90 and they see each other often!
Nicholas Freedman '92 and his son Dom relocated from the Philippines to Santa Fe in 2019. Dom is now a sophomore at Prep.
Willy Bo Richardson '92 was featured on the cover of Pasatiempo in December. The magazine highlighted his oneperson exhibition at Nüart Gallery, which ran throughout December 2025. The feature, titled Ups and Downs, offers a look at his artistic journey—from early influences to the color-driven, emotionally resonant painting practice he continues to explore today.
Brent Silver '94 sends warm greetings to the Prep community. He is enjoying living in Seattle near family and recently completed a fun year of Argentine tango dance lessons.
Lisa Evans attended Prep in 1994.
Although her time at Prep was brief, she has fond memories, particularly of her incredible science teacher, Jay Shelton. After leaving Prep, Lisa spent many years in San Francisco before returning to Santa Fe to work for the city in Economic Development and event design. During the pandemic, she co-founded Bell Modern with a longtime friend—a home staging company focused on interior design and local real estate. Lisa has remained in close contact with several classmates, and in a wonderful full-circle moment, their daughters are now in the same class at Prep. She is proud to be a Santa Fe Prep alum and is grateful that her daughter, Averie Bell, can now share in that experience.
Elege Simons Harwood '94 is once again fully immersed in Santa Fe Prep life—this time as both an alum and a Prep parent. She serves as President of the Alumni Board and stays closely engaged with the school in many ways. She and her husband, Kyle, are the proud parents of three full-fledged Griffins: Steck (senior), Meyer (sophomore), and Archer (7th grade). While the boys play a variety of sports, all three are currently focused on basketball— meaning Elege now spends far more time in the gym than she ever did as a student! The Harwoods live in La Cienega, surrounded by an extended and wonderfully close-knit family that includes Susan and Tom Simons, Frieda '00 and her children (Nelson and Lulu), Quinn '92 & Veree '94 and their children (Perrin, Shepard, and Turner). Elege is a partner at The Simons Firm LLP, where she practices family law and mediation alongside Quinn, Frieda, and Jenny Cohen Kaufman '94. Kyle recently launched his own firm, Harwood Pierpont, with offices next door to The Simons Firm. The combination makes some workdays feel less like work and more like a party! When she’s not working, Elege can usually be found planning family adventures, attending Prep events, or cheering from the sidelines. Life is full, loud, and deeply rewarding.
2000s
Jon Chakeres '01 retired from the Army in May 2025, after twenty eventful years that included deployments to beautiful and majestic places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mongolia in the winter! Following his retirement, Jon and his family settled near Cincinnati, Ohio where Jon started a new career working for a small passenger transportation company. Jon enjoys spending time with his wife Jeralee, their two children, Mian (8) and Everett (5), and a menagerie of animals.
In July 2025, Sara Naegelin '01, her husband Alex, their seven year old daughter Mariela, and their border collie Pepper relocated from Portland, Oregon to Mexico City. Living in Latin America has been a lifelong dream and they made it happen! Sara continues to dance in Mexico City and hopes to find performance opportunities. The family is finding their groove, building community, and enjoying LOTS of good food!
Jeremy Rohrlich '02 moved home to Santa Fe four years ago with his wife Caroline and their daughter Isla. Jeremy is an ER doctor and medical director of the Christus ER. Caroline is a realtor with Sotheby’s. Isla is in second grade and currently unemployed. Jeremy spends his free time biking, skiing, and fly fishing. Caroline is writing a romantasy novel. And Isla likes to play with slime.
Last summer, Ayla Bystrom-Williams '03 and James Hill '03 were awarded a US Patent for their Santa Fe-founded Honeymoon Brewery kombucha-based brewing process. This milestone is the result of nearly a decade of work in fermentation and entrepreneurship, and represents an exciting new chapter as consumer interest grows in wellness-driven and functional beverages. Honeymoon Brewery has previously been recognized with a silver medal at the 2023 World Kombucha Awards in Barcelona, and 1st Place in Miller Lite’s National Business Plan Competition. With the patent now issued, Ayla and James are turning toward licensing and collaboration opportunities to bring their innovation to a wider audience.
Last May, members of the Class of 2004 gathered in Santa Fe to celebrate a belated 20th reunion. Organized by Leela Perez Stadum, the amazing weekend included a family-friendly event at Fort Marcy Park and dinners at San Francisco Street Bar & Grill and Santa Fe Brewing Co.
Class News
Over the holidays, Thea Hutchinson '05 organized a 20-year reunion weekend for the Class of 2005
Attendees included Max Beck, Elizabeth Cerny-Chipman, Lucia Donatelli, Noah Gapsis, Lucy Gent Foma, Claire Johnson, Kate Kennedy, Heather Lauritzen, Cina Littlebird, James Longmire, Tristan Love, Brynn MacLeod, Katherine Grace Noble, and Gwen (Winston) Shaw The weekend kicked off with a festive gingerbread house decorating event for alumni with kids, followed by a dinner at La Choza.
After extensive travels throughout Latin America, Europe, and the US, Lance Lewis '06 is back in the Land of Enchantment where he runs Santa Fe-based real estate business Way Out West Properties. Lance is husband to current Prep professor of Spanish Marián Giráldez Elizo, PhD, and father to Alfred Hunter Lewis, now 2 and half years old and taking on the world one country at a time. Lance is an avid reader, learner of languages, and history buff, and is still a skier and sports and fitness enthusiast thanks to his education at Prep over 20 years ago.
Michael Meade '06 began work with the NM Community Solar Program in March 2025, serving as Partnership Development Manager with Solstice, connecting thousands of New Mexicans with clean power from Community Solar farms built throughout the grid territories of PNM, El Paso Electric, and Xcel Energy. He continues to expand sustainability advocacy initiatives as Education Director with All Aboard Earth, delivering school programs and Eco HipHop performances around NM and beyond.
After seven years in Hamburg, Germany, Vanessa Lowe '08 returned to the US in 2023, settling in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is currently Head of Social Media at NXP Semiconductors and is the mother of three young children. She recently published a children’s book about an adventurous giraffe and plans to continue writing in her spare time. She especially enjoys reading her book to children and participating in author visits at local schools. Her work can be found at www.vanessamarielowe.com. Vanessa is also active on LinkedIn and welcomes connections with fellow alumni interested in marketing communications, the semiconductor industry, or balancing leadership and motherhood.
2010s
Members of the Class of 2011 (Derek Nunner, Zach Ewers, Will Blaine, Lindsay DeMay, Alison Blain, and Alex Delgado) gathered in Denver in summer 2025 to celebrate the marriage of Julia Bertram '11 to Andrew Stahl. Julia lives in Santa Fe and works with her father, Marc Bertram '78, and her two sisters, Alicia '09 and Amalia '14, in commercial real estate. She also serves on the board of the Santa Fe Farmers Market and the Santa Fe Prep Alumni Board.
In June 2025, Brian Lewis '11 and Caroline Stanley '13 welcomed their baby boy, Russell! They live in Santa Fe.
After graduating from Prep, Ben Maran '14 attended NYU and has stayed in New York City. These days, he splits his time between working in finance (as a Product Manager at Invesco, focused on private credit funds) and running Brooklyn Habit, a café he owns in Brooklyn. Life has been busy but great—lots of coffee, a little bit of spreadsheets, and a lot of communitybuilding. If any Prep alumni are in NYC, he’d love to say hello!
Sarah Schulz '14 recently moved from Denver, Colorado to the Aspen area with her boyfriend Jake and their two goldendoodles, where she works as a Project Manager for a luxury home building company. As always, she’s still baking lots of desserts!
2020s
Fisher Hirsch '22 is in his final semester at Wesleyan University, studying film. For his senior thesis project, he’s writing a featurelength romantic drama screenplay (with a little bit of comedy sprinkled in). He’s also co-directing a documentary about Rhode Island’s commercial fishing industry and its environmental impacts. Fisher recently studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, where he spent his time surfing, exploring the country, and soaking up the sun—it all made him a little sad to be returning to a New England winter. Outside the classroom, Fisher is finishing his final season of Division III golf, having served as a two-year team captain. After graduation, he plans to take his camera on some adventures before pursuing a career in video journalism or documentary filmmaking.
After graduating from Prep, Starlight Lain-Straus '22 attended Dominican University of California, where they have been pursuing an Education Studies major with a minor in Community
Action & Social Change. Starlight has continued their athletic journey as a Division II athlete on the men’s cross country and track & field teams. At the end of their junior year, Starlight was honored to receive the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award for both cross country and track & field—given to the athlete with the highest GPA. They have also been actively involved in a variety of student organizations, including PRIDE Club, Peer Mentors, Honors Program, student government, and the studentathlete advisory committee. Now in their senior year, Starlight believes they wouldn’t be where they are today without the encouragement, support, and belief of their teachers and mentors at Prep.
This past fall, Dahlia Reyes Newell '25 started her studies at Cornell University, majoring in plant sciences with the hope of making a positive impact against climate change. In her first semester, she enjoyed exploring the surrounding area with the birding club and the Outdoor Odyssey backpacking group. She has kept up the passions fostered at Prep by continuing to run track & field and play violin. Outside of classes, she is a research assistant for a graduate student working on her thesis on AgroVoltaics. Dahlia finds purpose in this research because it is directly related to how agriculture in New York can become more sustainable by proving that incorporating solar energy into agronomy does not diminish the yield of crops. She is also part of the Seal and Serpent Society, and enjoys being part of a community that strives to make connections with people around the world dedicated to higher education and upholding Cornell's ideals of “any person any study.”
Over winter break, alumni gathered in the gym to revive a beloved Prep tradition: alumni basketball games. Hosted by Chris Chakeres '94 and Anika Gusterman Amon '97, the games were played in honor and memory of Tim Enfield '09 and featured alumni from across 30 years of Griffin basketball. Tim's father, Eric Enfield '77, shared about what basketball at Prep had meant to Tim. Teammates reconnected and the seeds of new friendships were planted through friendly competition and sideline conversations. The girls’ game included Pattie Amos '99, Bella Caldwell '23, Camila Friedman-Gerlicz '06, Abby Furlanetto '23, Clea Lopez '96, Jackie Rea '97, and Cassi Serna '23. The boys’ game included Dillon Abeyta '19, Josh Abeyta '22, Dustin Belyeu '95, Kiran Belyeu '24, Ryder Brooks '14, Shoki Bundy '19, Wyeth Carpenter '15, Forest Carter '04, Finn Coles '22, Sean Coles '19, Jackson Dooling '14, Santi Hughes '22, Nils Gould '04, Frank Lanzante '19, William Lenfestey '14, Harrison Miller '18, Theo Olinger '04, Diego Perea '14, Ryan Romero '09, Jerome Roybal '20, Nick Salazar '04, Sam Sparks '19, Andrew Thaggard '04, Shane Unverferth '17, and former coach Jill Tiedemann.
A Toast to Jim Leonard!
“As so many of us know, it is in Jim’s fiber to create and build community.”
ON DECEMBER 19, 2025, nearly 200 members of the Santa Fe Prep community gathered in the library for the annual Alumni Holiday Party. Students from Prep’s earliest class years mingled with our most recent graduates, home from their first semesters at college or in the midst of gap years; current and former faculty members were joined by trustees past and present, enjoying enchiladas prepared by Prep’s own Chef Eduardo Beltran and toasting the festive season.
The evening also featured a special tribute. When Jim Leonard retired as Prep’s Head of School in 2020—having served 21 years in the role—it was at the height of the Covid pandemic. Classes had shifted online and Commencement events that spring consisted of a drive-by procession. While the administration and Prep community did everything they could to send Jim, and wife Story, off with the appropriate amount of fanfare and gratitude, a true celebration was limited by social distancing protocols. It was especially meaningful, then, that this year’s Alumni Holiday Party was planned in part as a celebration of Jim’s tenure at Prep.
Head of School Aaron Schubach welcomed everyone to the party, taking an unofficial poll of how many attendees had been students, parents, faculty, and trustees during Jim’s Headship. He spoke of its lasting significance, particularly in regards to the transformation of Prep from a school almost entirely dependent on tuition, with very limited financial aid, to the school as it is today, one that aspires to truly represent the diverse city of Santa Fe.
“At this point in time, there are hundreds of Santa Fe Prep graduates who would not have had the chance to be here without your hard work and the generosity of the thousands of donors who believed in your vision. And, as we play your legacy forward, there will eventually be thousands of young people whose personal horizons and minds are broader and clearer thanks to their ability to attend this fine school. [...] All of us are Jim and Story’s successors, and we need to be as committed and vivacious in preserving this community as Jim and Story were in creating it.”
because of Jim’s vision and his commitment to this institution. But they aren’t just places and programs. They include an emotional tenor. [...] Jim didn’t just help bring these elements of Prep to life: His heart and soul and that of the whole Leonard family is interwoven into Prep’s community and culture even after their time leading this school.”
Chris Chakeres '94—current Middle and Upper School science teacher and former Head of the Middle School— echoed Liz’s sentiments.
“Jim’s legacy as the longest-tenured Head of School in Santa Fe Prep’s nearly-65-year history won’t be captured tonight. As we know, his true contribution to this school is known in the hearts of all those whose lives he touched. I can safely say that you, Jim, have been among the most formative figures in my life, and I am deeply grateful. I know that many others, both here tonight and elsewhere, feel the same way. But your legacy can also be seen in the health and strength of this institution.”
Liz Friary—9th & 10th grade Dean of Students and 12th grade English teacher—expressed her gratitude for Jim’s thoughtfulness and care, for the feedback that helped to shift her perspective in times of struggle, and for the guidance he offered during her most formative professional years. But, Liz shared, Jim had an influence on much more than her own professional development.
“Jim changed the landscape of Santa Fe Prep. Breakthrough and Davis, this library, the Commons, Sun Mountain Field, increased financial aid, E.E. Ford grants… the list goes on. They all exist in part
Before Chris ended his remarks, he reminded all those in attendance that Jim’s legacy was also characterized by “a little competitive fun.” With that spirit in mind, Chris introduced an impromptu competition: Jim Leonard Versus the Alumni. Originally planned to have taken place prior to Jim’s retirement, but thwarted by Covid protocols, the three-round competition consisted of three of Jim’s passions: soccer, spelling, and pranks. Jim and Danny Quinn '12 chipped soccer balls into buckets. He and youngest daughter, Campbell '20, went head-to-head in a spelling bee (Campbell was victorious with “junket.”). Finally, Jim’s former assistant, Melissa Fricek, joined him in searching the library for a carefully hidden Jim on the Shelf. The Prep library has rarely been so raucous.
It was a great joy to be able to celebrate Jim in this setting and toast to his legacy. Alumni, colleagues, and friends— both in attendance and absent—are grateful to Jim, Story, and the Leonard family for their innumerable contributions to our school.
SANTA FE PREPARATORY SCHOOL MAGAZINE
May 30, 2026!
SANTA FE PREP ALUMNI OF ALL CLASS YEARS ARE INVITED to join us on campus for our fifth-annual Alumni Weekend, featuring campus tours, mini classes, reunion celebrations, and other special events. Gather your classmates and make plans to reconnect at your alma mater! If you would like to plan a class-specific reunion during this weekend, please reach out to Elege Simons Harwood '94 at elege@me.com. Alumni Weekend
