CLAIRE UNDERWOOD

HOCKADAY, PROBABLY CLASS OF 1983

Sure, she is a fictional character, but Claire Underwood’s rich backstory includes a little piece of Preston Hollow. Played by Emmy-nominee Robin Wright, in season four of Netflix’s “House of Cards” it is revealed that Underwood is a “Dallas debutante” who attended Preston Hollow’s prestigious Hockaday School. Based on fan pages concurring she was born in 1965, she perhaps was a fictional member of the class of 1983.

What she’s up to now: This season, Underwood serves as 47th president of the United States.

Three things to know:

1

Prior to embarking on her political quest, Claire was CEO of an environmental nonprofit. She was ousted after a nasty court battle; fans of the show suspect she held the position merely to make herself seem less awful, anyway.

2 Claire met husband, Francis Underwood at Radcliffe College. Wed in 1987, they chose world domination over child rearing. A poignant episode reveals Claire’s miniscule vulnerable side, as she speaks publicly of the abortion she had years ago. To beef-up the plotline: 50-year-old Claire, at that point, wanted a baby.

3 Claire hails from a family of wealthy ranchers. She had a close relationship with her father but a strained one with Mom, Elizabeth Hale, who always told her daughter to “frown less, smile more.”

—JACKSON VICKERY

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

PROCEEDS BENEFIT

Lakewood Elementary, J.L. Long Middle School, Woodrow Wilson High School

$15 in advance, $20 at the door, Children 12 and under free

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL students have been exposed to a myriad of cultures since its inception a century ago.

Founder Ela Hockaday prioritized cultural awareness so much that in 1928, she encouraged a handful of students and teachers to explore Europe for seven months.

Now students can study in Buenos Aires, Argentina or Australia’s Gold Coast their sophomore year to satisfy their wanderlust. Teens from across the globe move to Preston Hollow for an elite education, too.

Leaving family, friends and familiarity behind is daunting at only 13 or 14 years old. Boarder Buddies Programs, offered to boarding students, helps ease that transition.

The teens are matched with parents or staff members who can help soothe homesickness or navigate cultural barriers. They go out to dinner, watch movies and even spend holidays together.

“It recreates the home they’re missing,” says Meshea Matthews, director of residential life and global outreach. “Many times the families become friends, even though they’re so far away.”

What’s most important to Matthews is that international students find their niche without changing their identity. In the five years that she’s worked for the program, it’s something that worries students and parents alike.

“One of their greatest fears is, ‘Will she lose her culture?’ ” she says.

Students find creative ways to maintain touchstones to their heritage. In the past, they formed a Korean pop dance troupe that performed at the school, while another group of teens held Bollywood dance classes.

“It lets us thoughtfully engage with the perspective they bring,” says Gary Stollar, international program coordinator. “They help us look at things through their eyes.”

ELISSA CHUDWIN