A Magazine for the Alumni of Crescent School
Winter 2020
Home Is Where Your Heart Takes You Crescent alumni like AndrÊ Charoo ’99 (with puppy Bruno) in San Francisco share their experiences of living and working abroad. Page 16
PHOTOGRAPHER: KATHERINE MARKS
Page 24
Ian Burgess ’89 traded Wall Street investing for Brooklyn dog walking.
Going To The Dogs
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
Page 28
Jason Sordi ’95 is an articulate advocate for diversity and inclusion.
A Role Model For Authenticity
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 1
Words from the Alumni Chair
Getting younger as we mature It is my privilege to assume authorship of this page as the new Chair of the Alumni Executive. I’m grateful to Jamie Coulter ’87, P’21 for his leadership on the Alumni Executive over the past three years. As the first Chair of Crescent’s Board of Governors to have come from the Alumni Executive, Jamie represents the maturing of the alumni body as well as our commitment and leadership to the school which played such an important part of our lives. Unlike most things in life, our alumni community is getting younger as the years go by. Over 70% of Crescent alumni graduated after I did in 2001. The average age of our alumni will continue to get younger over the next few years. With this factor in mind, the Alumni Executive will spend time this year reflecting on how we can ensure our purpose and programs remain relevant to all alumni. We would be happy to hear your thoughts on this, and I look forward to reporting the results in our summer issue. You’ll notice another demographic trend in this issue: Crescent alumni are making their mark all over the world. Finding alumni on four continents for the feature article was easy – the hard part was knowing we couldn’t include more. We thank all of the alumni who shared their experiences for this edition, and we are always eager to hear what alumni are up to. Thank you to the Editorial Board members (Myles Slocombe ’92, Philip Lloyd ’09 and new members David Bruser ’95, Dean Perlman ’15 and Bert Fielding ’13) for volunteering their time and expertise to develop this issue. Enjoy the read. Tim Watson ’01 Chair, Crescent Alumni Executive
Past & Present is published twice a year by Crescent School’s External Relations Department to help all alumni stay connected with the Crescent community. Cover: André Charoo ’99 by Jay Watson
Editor: Leigh Bowser Editorial Committee: Leigh Bowser, Kathryn Foster, Leslie Pringle, Lynda Torneck Editorial Board: David Bruser ’95, Bert Fielding ’13, Philip Lloyd ’09, Dean Perlman ’15, Myles Slocombe ’92
Art Direction & Design: Aegis Design Inc. Senior Designer: Sabrina Xiang Writers: Leigh Bowser, Warren Lang ’88, Pat Morden Photographers: Betty-Ann Armstrong, Javier Corso, Katherine Marks, Bertrand Stark, Jay Watson, Nation Wong
Comments and suggestions about Past & Present are always welcome. Reach us at: Alumni Relations Office, Crescent School 2365 Bayview Avenue, Toronto ON M2L 1A2 e: alumni@crescentschool.org t: 416.449.2556 ext. 260
Upfront / Experiences The Living Classroom
Learning on the “wild side” of campus
02
Whether they are observing, exploring, running or playing, Crescent boys in every grade enjoy outdoor learning experiences in the ravine next to campus.
01
03 04
PHOTOS COURTESY OF (1) SCOTT MACDONALD, (2) GREG RYERSON, (3) SANDY NICHOLSON, (4) BETTY-ANN ARMSTRONG, (5) LOWER SCHOOL STAFF, (6) MELISSA PAIN.
05
06
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 3
Past /2006 Crescent boys put their snowman-building skills to work on a snowy day in the early months of 2006.
Upfront / Alumni Back on Campus
Sharing Insights About the American College Experience Home during the American Thanksgiving break, eight alumni who are studying in the U.S. spent time with Crescent students on November 29 to talk about their university experiences. From choosing courses to living far from home, they had lots of advice to share. Left to right: Jared Horwood ’18, Alex Spafford ’18, Krtin Udith ’19, Christian Metivier ’17, Yale Sussman ’17, Ryan Boyd ’17, Gorav Menon ’16 and Neal Ganguli ’16.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 5
Upfront / Alumni Back on Campus
Coaching The Coaches Crescent’s coaches enjoyed a basketball clinic led by alumnus Eric Khoury ’06 (Raptors Director of Analytics & Assistant Coach, on right) and Jama Mahlalela (Head Coach of the Raptors 905 in the NBA G League, on left) on October 11. “We learned a lot of hands-on fundamental basketball structures to support our athletic program,” says faculty member and coach Justin Chau. “It was also great to learn from tier-one coaches who have seen the benefits of positive and relational coaching.”
Studying Glaciers
Learning About Law
Alumnus William (Liam) Colgan '00 visited on November 28 to talk to Mr. Greg Michalski’s students about his work as a research climatologist. Now based in Denmark, Colgan holds a PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder and studies glaciers as indicators of climate change.
Alumnus David Forsayeth ’04 spoke to Crescent’s Upper School law students on October 16, sharing his stories about law school, working at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, and his current role as Director of Legal & Corporate Affairs for Flipp. He’s shown here with faculty members Mr. Sean DeZilva (left) and Dr. David Calverley (right).
CRESCENT THEN
The Class of 1988 Prefects, with Mr. Dave Budden. (See page 40 to find out what he’s been up to lately.)
6 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Upfront / Alumni Back on Campus
Stransman Endowment Brings Hayley Wickenheiser To Crescent One of Canada’s greatest hockey players, Hayley Wickenheiser, spoke at a full-school assembly on October 8, thanks to generous support of many donors. As the 2019 Stransman Speaker, Wickenheiser’s visit was made possible by the Leadership in Sports Endowment, in memory of John Stransman P’03, ’05, which supports sportsmanship, leadership and good coaching practices at Crescent. (Shown left to right, Lindsay Stransman, Steve Stransman ’03, Hayley Wickenheiser, Peter Stransman ’05 and Anne Rogers.)
Also spotted on campus...
Henson Tam ’11.
Class of 2019 alumni Kyle Chang, Liam Livingstone and Ashot Takmazyan.
Aidan Rivlin ’19 with his brothers Adam (Grade 9) and Ryan (Grade 7).
Class of 2019 alumni Brock Mutic, Spencer Soo, Ryan Turnbull, Nick Turnbull and Malcolm McOuat.
Coulson Wiggan ’19, Ryan Bell ’98 and Yusuf Lum (Grade 8).
Class of 2019 alumni Spencer Charleton and Ben Colfer.
Brotherly Advice At BEAR Week Jack Zechner ’16 spoke to the Grade 9s about the Crescent’s alumni brotherhood during BEAR Week in September. He encouraged them to connect with friends and appreciate the relationships with their teachers during their time at Crescent.
CRESCENT NOW
The Prefects of the Class of 2020.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 7
Upfront / Crescent News
Fighting Hunger And Spreading Joy
Crescent families pitch in at the Salvation Army On two Saturday mornings this fall, Crescent students, parents and faculty volunteered their time at a Salvation Army warehouse to help make life a bit easier for families across the GTA. They sorted and packed donated food for the Salvation Army’s food drive. They also pitched in to sort donated toys for the Salvation Army’s Toy Mountain campaign. At school, Crescent’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and Holiday Toy Drive traditions continued. Crescent collected more than 987lbs of food and a wide assortment of toys.
Giving Generously
The Crescent School Foundation marks its 25th anniversary An important group at Crescent is marking its 25th anniversary. The Crescent School Foundation is a registered charity and public foundation that was established in 1994 to raise funds to benefit Crescent School. Now the Foundation Directors, all volunteers, manage a $16 million endowment with donor-designated funds that support student financial aid, academic program funding and other school priorities. In 2018/2019, the Foundation disbursed over $596,000 in support of these initiatives. Shown in the photo are the Foundation’s current Directors: back row from left, Christopher John P’27; Bob Livingston P’02, ’05, ’07; Sante Corona P’19, ’23; Ian Palm ’85 and Jonathan Pollack ’89, P’23; front row from left, Lesley Marks P’21, ’23; Dominique Barker P’25; Rita Caporiccio (Chair) P’17, ’20; Deborah Lee-Chang P’19, ’20 and Cassandra Oravecz P’20, ’21. Absent: Jeremy Millard ’95. 8 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Upfront / Crescent News
Welcoming Boys From Down Under International student exchange program piloted
Crescent’s enrolment grew by two this fall when Alexander Richardson and Frank Finlayson, both Year 10 students from The Scots College in Sydney, Australia, became the first participants in a new international student exchange program. They were hosted by the families of Grade 10 Crescent students Charlie P. Bunker and Andrew Jaques for six weeks starting in late October while attending Grade 10 classes at Crescent. This summer, Bunker and Jaques will attend “winter term” at The Scots College while being hosted by the Australian boys.
Discovering How Boys Learn Best The new Centre for Boys’ Education builds Crescent’s research culture
L to R: Frank Finlayson, Charlie P. Bunker, Alexander Richardson, Andrew Jaques.
Alex Richardson (L) got a taste of a Canadianstyle Christmas with Charlie P. Bunker and his sisters Beatrice and Grace.
Frank Finlayson (R) bundled up for a visit to Niagara Falls with Andrew Jaques.
“An exchange program offers students a unique opportunity to experience a different culture and educational system, and build confidence and resilience by living outside the familiar home setting.” – David Grant P’14, Crescent’s Dean of Studies
After 106 years, Crescent has ample expertise to share about how boys learn best. The new Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education (CCBE) is a research hub which will expand and share this expertise, connecting Crescent faculty with educators around the world. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to formalize Crescent's contributions to research dedicated to boys' education. Through the CCBE, we will be expanding our research culture and sharing our learning from our colleagues,” says Dr. Sandra Boyes, Crescent’s Executive Director, Professional Learning & Research and Head of Lower School. She is leading the work of the CCBE along with Trish Cislak P’17, Head of Libraries and Research at Crescent. Boyes also serves on the Research Committee of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) and Cislak has been an IBSC Action Research Team Advisor since 2012. The CCBE focuses on three research areas: character, student wellbeing and the pedagogies of active, experiential and relational learning. This year, 13 faculty and staff members are working on “action research” projects, conducting systematic inquiries to better understand their professional practice and to improve how their students learn. The research includes topics such as the impact of outreach service on fostering empathy, how socialemotional learning enhances peer relations, and how to equip teachers with relational teaching strategies. The CCBE will also collaborate on research with other schools, universities, and health and education organizations, including the IBSC and Challenge Success at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. In April, it will host the IBSC-Circle Character Education Conference and officially launch its website to share Crescent's research globally. Crescent School Alumni Magazine 9
Upfront / Crescent News
Jane Smith and Christian Jane Smith, whose grandson is Grade 8 student Christian Smith, is the granddaughter of Frank Porter Wood, a financier, industrialist and philanthropist. He purchased the 30-acre Bayview Avenue estate in 1928 and hired the architects Delano & Aldrich to build the Manor House. When Smith was a child, her aunt and cousins lived with her grandparents and she visited regularly. The house was filled with her grandfather’s art collection, which was bequeathed along with the property to the AGO following his death in 1955.
Family Ties Two Crescent students have an interesting connection to their school: the campus previously belonged to their grandmothers’ families.
Drawing Room
Smith remembers coming to the house on Christmas morning and her grandmother unlocking the Drawing Room door with a very large key. Inside, the Christmas tree and presents were waiting.
Crescent School c. 1970
Cabin
10 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Smith’s grandmother, Emma Wood, had the cabin built in 1935 as a place where she could paint and have tea with her friends.
”I wish someone had told me, ’pay attention, this is exceptional,’ because I took it for granted at the time.” – Jane Smith
Upfront / Crescent News
Camilla Dalglish and Luke Camilla Dalglish, whose grandson Luke Abell is in Grade 11, is the eighth of nine children of businessman and philanthropist W. Garfield Weston. He purchased the property from the AGO after 1955. Her wedding reception in 1964 was held on the Manor House terrace. Her father sold the property to Crescent for a million dollars in 1967. Transforming the house into a school “was the ideal thing to happen,” says Dalglish.
Manor House c. 1970
“We weren't allowed to walk on the lawn. It was like a golf green.” – Camilla Dalglish
The present-day staffroom wing was originally the Carriage House, where the Woods kept their cars. Camilla Dalglish used it as storage space for her Bloor Street cookware shop, Pampered Kitchens, which opened in 1963. “The big containers would arrive and I’d unpack it all, put it into the garages. The store was very small but it was highly successful because there was no one else in Toronto selling anything like that.”
Formal Garden
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 11
Upfront / Faculty Focus
How does Crescent build character? The faculty who lead Crescent’s five “Character-in-Action” programs share their perspectives.
Don Morrison Director of Robotics Joined Crescent in 1999
Team 610 at the FIRST World Championship, 2017
How robotics builds character: “Robotics is about the pursuit of excellence – but more importantly, it’s about character. Team 610 competes at the highest level in the world. Character becomes evident when the boys spend 25 hours a week in the lab for months on end, persevering through multiple build iterations, and in their exhaustion after giving everything they have in competition.”
The Laramie Project (Upper School Drama), 2016
Godric Latimer-Kim Head of Performing & Visual Arts Joined Crescent in 2003 How the arts build character: “The Arts provide ‘brave learning spaces’ – an environment that supports exploration, self-identity and compassion. The boys step outside their comfort zone to risk, reflect and connect with parts of themselves that they might not yet be attuned with. Through the arts, we can unearth some of the questions and vulnerabilities that might not always show on the surface.”
12 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Upfront / Faculty Focus
Sheryl Murray Director of Outreach Joined Crescent in 2005 How outreach builds character: “We want our students to be engaged citizens. Our Outreach programs expose students to people outside their immediate community. It helps them understand how other people live, to respect people’s differences, and to identify things we can do to help others.”
Volunteering at Daily Bread Food Bank, 2014
Gavin Muranaka P’25, ’27 Director of Business & Entrepreneurship Joined Crescent in 2007
Visiting the TD Trading Floor, 2019
How business builds character: “All of Crescent’s Business clubs and teams are student-led. They offer opportunities to build leadership skills and performance character traits. Boys develop their communication, analytic and critical thinking skills while stoking their passion for business.”
Fraser Bertram Director of Athletics Joined Crescent in 2005 How athletics builds character: “Sports lends itself so easily to character moments. Our Athletics program encourages our boys to be active and hopefully build healthy habits for life. We intentionally hire ‘teacher-coaches’ – they are teachers first, they know the boys, have a good understanding of the ‘whole boy’ and how relational learning can be enhanced through sport.”
Senior D1 Basketball, 2015
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 13
Present / November 2019 Following the Remembrance Day Assembly, the Grade 3 boys visit Crescent’s war memorial.
Perspective from the Headmaster
Embracing Our Past and Our Present
C
rescent alumni are making a positive impact and setting a good example all over the world. This issue of Past & Present highlights just a few of their experiences, from finance, education and tech startups to film animation and entrepreneurship. However, how our alumni are doing is just as important as what they are doing. Each fall, many young alumni visit Crescent during their university break. It is reassuring to hear that they are well prepared and placed in the programs of their choice. But it is even more pleasing to hear that they are caring for themselves, staying in touch with their Crescent friends, and keeping an eye on those who may need support. This for me is part of the Crescent difference: the bonds that begin here and last for a lifetime. In an era of increased mental health concerns and social isolation, it has never been more important for our boys and alumni to stay connected with one another. Our alumni play such a vital role in the Crescent community, especially when sharing their time and experience with our boys. My hope is that in reading this magazine (which is produced by alumni for alumni), you once again reflect on how you can lead and live as a proud alumnus of Crescent School. Veritate Stamus et Crescimus.
Michael Fellin P’24 Headmaster, Crescent School
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 15
Home Is Where Your Heart Takes You
16 Past & Present / Winter 2020
PHOTOGRAPHER: JAVIER CORSO
Five Crescent alumni reflect on what inspired them to live and work abroad By Warren Lang ’88 Benny Mouckley ’98 with his family in Barcelona.
rescent alumni who live and work abroad tend to have their own version of the adage “Home is where the heart is.” Often, their international experiences result from pursuing personal and professional passions. Their maxim becomes, “Home is where your heart takes you.” Benny Mouckley ’98 is a great example. After falling in love with the Spanish language during his first year at Dalhousie University, he spent every summer plus a fifth year living in Mexico and Spain. Later, when he decided to pursue an MBA, he enrolled at the EADA Business School in Barcelona. “In 2004 I arrived with only a duffle bag under my arm,” recalls Mouckley. “I was supposed to be here for 10 months. When it was over, the only thing that was clear to me was that I didn’t want to leave.” After working in Spain for a year, Mouckley founded a real estate company focused on serving expats in Barcelona, who make up about 20% of the city’s population. Since then, the company has grown into SuiteLife Real Estate, a thriving boutique firm specializing in buying, selling and renting residential real estate and offering turnkey service to foreign investors looking to buy local properties. Mouckley also met and fell in love with his wife, Sarit Mouckley, who was born in Israel but has lived in Barcelona since age five. The couple married in 2013 and have two children, Mia (4) and Ella (2). What hooked him? “Barcelona is magical,” he says. “It’s like the perfect city: 1.5 million people, mountains, ocean, beaches, incredible architecture, culture, and food, a temperate climate, and a cosmopolitan vibe. Once you are here, you never want to leave. The city has a way of grabbing hold of you and not letting go.” →
“Barcelona is magical. 1.5 million people, mountains, ocean, beaches, incredible architecture, culture, food, a temperate climate, and a cosmopolitan vibe.” – Benny Mouckley ’98 18 Past & Present / Winter 2020
01
01 Benny Mouckley strolls to an apartment showing near the famous Placa Cataluña. 02 Storytime with Ella (on left) and Mia. 03 Between client meetings, Mouckley catches up on work in a cafe. 04 Relaxing with his wife, Sarit Mouckley, in a cafe near his office in the Eixample neighbourhood.
02
PHOTOGRAPHER: JAVIER CORSO
WHERE CRESCENT ALUMNI LIVE:
Europe Belgium Denmark England France Germany Hungary
Ireland Italy Scotland Spain Sweden Switzerland
Americas Bermuda Canada United States
Asia & Pacific Australia China Hong Kong Japan New Zealand Pakistan
Middle East & Africa Ethiopia South Africa United Arab Emirates
03
04
If you live in a country not listed here, contact alumni@crescentschool.org to let us know.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 19
For Mouckley, a passion for Barcelona fueled his entrepreneurial spirit. For André Charoo ’99, it was the other way around. His entrepreneurial spirit was the catalyst for a whirlwind of international experiences. During his undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Toronto, Charoo was one of 36 students selected for a program run by Reza Satchu, an entrepreneur (and now a Crescent parent) who has built several successful businesses. “Reza taught us to put ourselves in super uncomfortable positions, because that’s how you grow professionally,” recalls Charoo. Guided by that mantra, Charoo pursued opportunities all over the globe. He started with a brief stint in investment banking, which took him to Charlotte, North Carolina, and then London, England. While there, he founded an online recruiting company, which eventually led him to Silicon Valley, where he has lived and worked while building a network of prominent venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. “I don’t think there is any place like this in the world,” says Charoo. “There is a
currency of intentional serendipity here. If there is something you care about or obsess over, someone will make an introduction for you. It’s perfect for me, because when I am super enthusiastic about an opportunity, I am all in on it.” Thus far, Charoo has worked at four major startups. Notably, he was employee #25 at Uber, where he singlehandedly led the company’s launch in Canada. He later became employee #15 at Hired, an online tech industry recruiting platform where he has spent the last six years launching the company in 16 markets across six countries. Charoo recently founded a venture capital fund called Maple, focused on investing in Canadian founder-led startups. He is also co-chair of C100, an organization focused on fostering Canadian entrepreneurship. The international nature of Charoo’s experiences extends to his personal life. His wife, Sylvia Kim, was born in Korea, raised in Argentina and moved to the United States in her early teens. Today, the couple live with Bruno, their Boston Terrier mix (with Frenchie and Chihuahua), in the SoMa area of central San Francisco.
01 André Charoo at the Hired offices in the SoMa district of San Francisco. 02 André and Sylvia with Bruno. 03 André chats with Anant Verma, Head of Engineering at Hired. 04 Living close to the office, André’s commute is a five-minute walk.
“I don’t think there is any place like this in the world. There is a currency of intentional serendipity here. If there is something you care about or obsess over, someone will make an introduction for you. It’s perfect for me, because when I am super enthusiastic about an opportunity, I am all in on it.” –André Charoo ’99
02
20 Past & Present / Winter 2020
03
PHOTOGRAPHER: JAY WATSON
01
Jon Tredgett ’89 with his family in London.
04
Charoo’s interest in investing echoes one of the many passions that has kept Jon Tredgett ’89 living, working and raising a family in London, England for 26 years. In 1993, when wrapping up his undergraduate degree at Western University, Tredgett wanted to transition into a graduate program while acquiring international experience. Following the lead of his older sister, he enrolled in a one-year master of science at the London School of Economics. “That year was transformational for me,” Tredgett recalls. “I made so many friends playing squash, playing rugby, going to the pub in the basement of the residence. I have stayed for 26 years partly because of that experience.” Reflecting on his tenure in London, Tredgett is clear that meaningful friendships account for just one dimension of his decision. “For me, it's all about the experiences in life,” he says. “I want to go to places and see the way people live. The history of London and Europe is fascinating to me. I enjoy living in a cosmopolitan city that is also a major international hub. It’s so easy to go anywhere in Europe from here.” Career opportunities have also kept Tredgett in England. He spent 12 years in institutional equity sales before becoming a partner at a fund manager called Findlay Park Partners nine years ago. “I love my work,” he adds. “It’s like a hobby that I happen to get paid for. I'd be doing it even if it wasn’t my job.” In 2001, Tredgett ran into Natalie Melling, a former housemate at Western who is from Montreal, and they were married soon after. They now live in Fulham in Southwest London, near Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, and have three children, Zoe (13), Mya (11) and Luke (9), plus their dog, Lola. The family travels extensively and owns a vacation property at Mont Tremblant that they visit annually. → Crescent School Alumni Magazine 21
Rob Coleman ’83 lives in Australia and California.
Back in 1993, as Tredgett was preparing to head across the pond, Rob Coleman ’83, who studied Animation Film Production at Concordia University, was embarking on his own international adventure. Coleman was working as an animator in Toronto when he saw the movie Jurassic Park on its opening night. Dazzled by the dinosaur animations created by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), the special effects company founded by George Lucas, Coleman was struck by the fact that the ILM team had used the same two Canadian-developed software platforms he worked with every day. Walking home from the movie, Coleman recalled a conversation with his father over a decade earlier when they had seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. As young Rob marvelled at the movie, his father said, “Maybe someday you will work with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. You are a creative kid. If you want something, you can do it.” “After I saw Jurassic, what dad had said was kind of ringing in my ears, so I figured I might as well give it a shot,” recalls Coleman. He applied to ILM, was offered a job, and by the second week of October was moving to northern California as animator #9 at the company. Since then, Coleman has risen to the pinnacle of his profession, including being handpicked by George Lucas to be Animation Director on all three of the Star Wars prequel movies, which garnered Coleman two Academy Award nominations. Later, after 14 years in the Lucas orbit, Coleman followed another passion. “As an artist, one thing I knew I wanted to do was work on animated feature films,” he says.
22 Past & Present / Winter 2020
In 2009, Coleman left Lucasfilm to work for director George Miller in Sydney, Australia, and then went on to become Head of Animation at a company called Animal Logic. Here, among other projects, he oversaw animation for both The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. Reflecting on the international experience he and his family have had, Coleman says simply, “We have loved it.” In California, Coleman, his wife Beth Howard, and their children Jack (21) and Abby (17) lived in San Rafael, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge and 25 minutes south of the Skywalker Ranch. In Sydney, they live in Randwick, a district in the southeast part of the city. Sometimes, as with Coleman, global experiences are an offshoot of professional opportunities. In other cases, a passion for travel is a driver of its own, as it has been for Shanghai resident Todd Hurst ’99. When he was six months old, Hurst’s family moved to Beijing, China, because his CTV journalist father was stationed there. By the time Hurst arrived at Crescent for high school, he had already lived in Beijing, Moscow and Washington, DC. “When people ask where I am from, I say Toronto because I went to high school there, but it’s not an easy answer for me,” says Hurst, who attended the University of Windsor for communication studies. Soon after completing his undergraduate degree, Hurst travelled to South Korea to teach English as a second language. He thought it would be a one-year gig but ended up staying for three years, during which he discovered a true love of teaching. While there, he met his future wife, Laura Guay, a Montrealer whose parents both worked for major international airlines. “One reason we connected is we both have travel in our stories,” says Hurst. The couple has lived and worked all over the world. They taught in a tiny logging village called Zeballos on the west coast of Vancouver Island, lived in Wales while Hurst completed his teaching certification, and did stints at international schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and São Paulo, Brazil.
“I love living abroad. You are exposed to different cultures and learn to be open-minded about the world.” – Todd Hurst ’99
01 Todd Hurst teaches Grade 5 at the Western International School of Shanghai. 02 Keeping the Canadian tradition of pumpkin-carving with his son, Miles. 03 The Hurst family at a restaurant near their home. 04 Todd commutes on a scooter in Shanghai. He says the electric scooter has opened up the neighbourhood for his family.
02
01
Currently, they work at the Western International School of Shanghai, an International Baccalaureate school where Hurst teaches Grade 5 and Laura is a secondary school visual art teacher. Their children, Miles (10) and Ella (7), attend the school, and the family regularly takes in Chinese culture while also enjoying Shanghai’s international amenities, which include a Tim Horton’s coffee shop. “I love living abroad,” says Hurst. “You are exposed to different cultures and learn to be open-minded about the world.” He also points out that the school community he lives and works in is incredibly diverse, with staff and students from all over the world. So what advice would these five alumni have for current Crescent students? It would be something like this: Follow your passions. You never know where they will carry you. It could be London, Barcelona, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Sydney, or even a galaxy far, far away.
03 04
PHOTOGRAPHER: BERTRAND STARK
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 23
Going To The Dogs Ian Burgess ’89 traded Wall Street Investing for Brooklyn Dog Walking By Pat Morden
24 Past & Present / Winter 2020
PHOTOGRAPHER: KATHERINE MARKS
W
hen Ian Burgess ’89 told his friends and family that he was leaving a successful Wall Street career to start a dog-walking service in Brooklyn, many laughed. When he said he saw the potential for seven-figure sales, they rolled their eyes. His partner loyally supported the idea but later admitted that she thought he’d be back on Wall Street within three months. Only his mother saw the real potential. Nearly five years later, Dogger is a successful and rapidly growing company. When Burgess graduated from Crescent, he assumed he would follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a chartered accountant. But then a friend’s father posed an interesting question: “When it comes to making money, do you want to be in the driver’s seat, or do you want to be the guy in the back seat checking the driver’s work?” The answer was clear. His 20-year career in finance began with equity trading at CIBC World Markets and ended at investment bank GMP Securities, where Burgess was a Managing Director. “Twenty years is a long time in finance,” says Burgess. “It grinds your soul into a fine powder!” He was working long hours and traveling extensively. He wasn’t seeing enough of his partner, Basia Fabian, who was an executive with Ralph Lauren, and their blended family of five children. It was time for a change. Burgess is an animal person. For 10 years, he was a certified foster parent to dogs and cats for the NYC ASPCA, an organization that rescues abandoned pets and offers them for adoption. The idea for Dogger was born of his own frustrating experiences with dog-walking services. “To me, it looked like the existing service providers were amateurs, with little or
“‘When it comes to making money, do you want to be in the driver’s seat, or do you want to be the guy in the back seat checking the driver’s work?’” – Ian Burgess ’89 26 Past & Present / Winter 2020
01
02
no business background and little or no animal care background,” Burgess says. “Yet the more I thought about it, the more I could see this had the potential to be a huge business.” When security camera footage confirmed that one pricey service wasn’t even taking his dogs out of the house, he knew he could do better. Dogger’s “secret sauce,” says Burgess, is bringing together business know-how, professionalism and technology to create a reliable and convenient service. When a walker from Dogger arrives at a client’s house, she scans a magnet, sending an email to the client announcing her arrival. When the walk is complete, she scans the magnet again, this time sending an email with photos of the walk, comments on what she and the dog did and saw, and even a link to a Google map tracking the route. Dogger accepts only credit cards and offers an automatic payment service. All services can be booked online. The company has more than 20 walkers, all bonded, insured and certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. Many are artists and performers who welcome the opportunity to spend daytime hours outdoors with dogs. Three managers ensure that everything runs smoothly.
03
04
PHOTOGRAPHER: KATHERINE MARKS
01 Dogger clients book walks using online scheduling and payment. 02 A scan magnet in a client's home allows the walker to check in before and after each walk. 03 Everyone gets excited when it's leash-up time. 04 Ian Burgess out on the beat but still in touch with Dogger’s business operations.
In addition, Burgess and Fabian offer doggie daycare and overnight stays in their Brooklyn brownstone. “There’s no kenneling or crates,” says Burgess. “The dogs just hang out with our family.” Six to nine dogs share the house at any one time, along with Trouble (who isn’t), the resident dog Burgess and Fabian adopted when a client could no longer keep him. Dogger now has celebrity clients, including one of the breeders of the Portuguese Water Dog the Obama family adopted during their time in the White House. The business continues to grow organically and by buying up other dog-walking businesses in the area. Once Dogger has spread throughout Brooklyn, a rich market lies right across the river. “I don’t want to turn this into the next Fortune 500 company,” says Burgess, “but it provides for our family pretty darn well. In fact, it eclipses anything I did on Wall Street at this point.” Crescent School Alumni Magazine 27
A Role Model For Authenticity
Jason Sordi ’95 is an articulate advocate for diversity and inclusion By Pat Morden
28 Past & Present / Winter 2020
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 29
F
or Jason Sordi, the gamechanging moment came when he opened up about being gay to a senior executive he worked with at RBC. “He was very supportive,” says Sordi. “I wasn’t closeted but I hadn’t been very open about my personal life either. That was the first step in making me feel safe and comfortable – having the support of a senior person made me feel like I had a bit of ‘air cover.’” These days Sordi, a Vice President with RBC Wealth Management Private Banking, provides similar support to others in the organization and beyond. The supportive senior executive suggested that as an openly gay man, Sordi had an obligation to be a role model, showing others that there was a place for LGBTQ people in corporate Canada. He started becoming more proactive at a time when RBC was also embracing “diversity & inclusion” as one of its five core values. Sordi says efforts to ensure the work force is reflective of the LGBTQ community, and investments in the Pride Employee Resource Group, are making a real difference. In 2017, RBC was ranked first on an LGBTQ+ index. In 2019, RBC was ranked #3 on the “Top 25 Most Diverse and Inclusive Companies” in the Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index. and celebrated National Coming Out Day by inviting staff and families to a drag show in downtown Toronto. “The bank is a very comfortable place for LGBTQ people these days,” Sordi says. “I don’t think twice about bringing my partner to an event or introducing him around.” Sordi attended Crescent from Grades 5 to 12, a privilege that he says he didn’t fully appreciate until he had left. “I had lots of opportunities to do different things, make great friends, and connect with some amazing teachers,” he says. Although he knew he was different from other boys, he says he didn’t think about his sexuality much during those years. He went on to complete an undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Toronto, while working parttime as assistant to a member of provincial
“When you see how much need there is, you feel a sense of obligation. Running for office is one way to give back and help people who need it.” – Jason Sordi ’95 30 Past & Present / Winter 2020
parliament, and later to the Hon. Art Eggleton, Canada’s Minister of National Defense. Working on election campaigns was eye-opening, Sordi says. “Crescent was very much a sheltered environment, a place everybody looked and felt the same. But suddenly I was knocking on doors during election campaigns in low-income housing complexes and seeing how diverse the world is, not just culturally but also economically.” Sordi later worked with the Canadian Unity Council, running a national youth employment program that gave young Canadians the opportunity to live and work in a different part of the country. He also continued to be active in community work. That’s how he met an RBC executive who eventually offered him a job. “I never had any ambition to go into banking and I worried about not living up to expectations. But he told me that I had the soft skills they couldn’t teach me, and that they could teach me the hard skills.” He hasn’t looked back. RBC has given him a range of opportunities including diverse roles in commercial and retail banking. Along the way, he spent six years in Ottawa, where he also served on the National Capital Commission. “For an organization that’s so big, RBC is very flat,” he says. “Everybody is accessible and wants to hear what you have to say. I’ve had the opportunity to have impact at every point in my career.” Last January, Sordi was part of a Crescent Pride Day event. He admits that he was nervous going into it. “I worried about being judged,” he says ruefully. “But the boys put me at ease very quickly, and the interactions were positive and respectful.” He was impressed by the thoughtful questions and honest dialogue. His message to the boys? “While it’s daunting to be open about something that can still be controversial, it’s also daunting to be isolated. It’s worth it to take a risk because if you find an ally, you’ll be stronger for it.” Although Canada has become much more inclusive in recent years, Sordi points to a recent resurgence in racism and intolerance and says there’s still work to be done. “It’s a constant struggle. We need to be vigilant, we need to talk, to understand one another, to celebrate victories and to work through difficulties. It’s a long road, and maybe one that will never end.” Sordi remains passionate about his community advocacy work and has ambitions to run for public office in the future. “When you see how much need there is, you feel a sense of obligation. Running for office is one way to give back and help people who need it.”
01
04 01 Jason Sordi with American artist Gilbert Baker, who designed the rainbow Pride Flag. 02 The Pride Flag flew at Crescent during the school’s Pride Day in January 2019. 03 Sordi (right) with his sister Adrienne Sordi, brother-in-law Frank Macri, his niece Samantha and nephew Christian. 04 Sharing his message with students at Crescent’s Pride Day in January 2019. 05 At the Pride Day assembly in January 2019: Headmaster Michael Fellin, Sordi, Jack Wiggan ’19, Crescent social worker Andrea Kaye and Shannon Grant ’10. 06 RBC at the Toronto Pride Day parade.
06
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CRESCENT SCHOOL AND ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
03 02
05
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 31
Expert Advice 3. G ain new perspective – There’s nothing that a fresh set of eyes can’t fix. We often push our Crescent interns to challenge the status quo and suggest ways that we can approach problems differently. You’d be amazed to hear the creative and innovative ideas that have been put on the table by the young alumni who did their stint down here in Melbourne. 4. R efine that tech stack – I don’t care what industry you’re in. The average SME now uses over five apps on a daily basis, and research shows that the more connected your ecosystem is, the better your business outcomes will be. Maybe you’re trialling Slack to increase collaboration across your team, or deciding between different project management solutions. Get the digital-native generation into your business and let them help you decide.
The benefits 0f bringing interns on board By Chris Galt ’09 Chris Galt ’09 is a manager in the digital team at BlueRock. he was an intern at BlueRock in 2013 through the Crescent Alumni Internship Program before being hired full-time there. He has now been with BlueRock for five years and helped develop a new division of the business.
B
lueRock provides specialized business services to entrepreneurs in Melbourne, Australia, and we’ve just completed our eighth consecutive year with the Crescent Alumni Internship Program (AIP). Over this time, we’ve hired 13 Crescent Alumni as interns. They have helped the business grow and completed strategic projects that had a direct impact on our success. If you’re thinking of participating in the AIP, here are the benefits you will inevitably see by bringing a young alumnus into your business: 1. G et more sh!t done – We’re all busy. And sometimes we’re too busy working in the business to allow ourselves to focus on the business. An extra pair of helping hands from a “switched-on” alumnus is probably just what you need, to give you that head-space to focus on those business development activities you just can’t seem to get to at the moment.
32 Past & Present / Winter 2020
You’ll never know the power of the Crescent network unless you tap into it. The decision to apply for a spot at Crescent in Grade 4 significantly changed my life – but not until 12 years later when I stumbled across the Alumni Internship Program. If leveraging the Crescent brotherhood is something that you’re considering, I encourage you to post an opportunity with the AIP. It may just result in a future longterm Crescent employee.
ILLUSTRATOR: KARA PYLE
2. C hallenge your managers – Making the most of a short-term resource is a great learning opportunity for the managers. It is always challenging to upskill a new staff member. At BlueRock each year, we tend to focus on giving our Crescent interns an outcome-based project that they can really sink their teeth into and deliver by the end of their internship.
5. G ive back to the wider Crescent community – Providing an opportunity for young alumni to work with you and your team gives them strong career advice and helps them discover what they’re truly passionate about. Sharing your experience to mentor fellow alumni is an invaluable way to provide them with information and direction.
Expert Advice
How to get the most from an internship By Jonathan Pearce ’15 Jonathan Pearce is completing a MSc in Computer Science at McGill University with a research focus in robotics and reinforcement learning. After his postgraduate studies, his goal is to shift into a research lab in industry that is focused on his current areas of interest. His Alumni Internship Program experience is helping him get there.
I
nternships are a great opportunity to get out of the classroom and explore different fields that interest you. Competition for internships can be tough, so making use of connections can be essential to getting your foot in the door. One such connection available for all young Crescent Alumni is the Alumni Internship Program (AIP), which connects companies seeking confident and creative interns with Crescent alumni. During my time at university, I was able to take advantage of the AIP twice. My first internship was in a robotics lab at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The following summer, I was a research analyst intern at Hotspex, a Toronto-based marketing company. From these jobs, I was able to experience the differences between research in academia and industry, and I discovered the academic experience that is required to be involved in competitive and well-regarded research in your field of interest. These factors helped motivate me to continue my studies beyond my undergraduate degree. The beginning of an internship can seem overwhelming. One week you’re at school struggling to stay awake in a 600-person lecture hall, and a few weeks later you’re in a conference room being introduced to your coworkers and given your first assignment. In my experience, there are lots of ways to make your internship more rewarding and enjoyable – both for you and for your employer. Here are three tips that have helped me the most:
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. It’s easy to think that the best course of action during your internship is to stay quiet and fly under the radar. However, when you step up and express what’s on your mind, you’ll be surprised how often your fresh perspective on a problem leads to a solution.
Learn from your coworkers. The people you work with during your internship are a great resource for career advice. Take the time to speak with them about their experiences and how they navigated the transition from university to industry. These conversations will help you tailor your coursework and future internships to ensure you’re prepared when you leave university.
Try to make a lasting impact.
ILLUSTRATOR: KARA PYLE
“ T here are lots of ways to make your internship more rewarding and enjoyable – both for you and for your employer.” —Jonathan Pearce ’15
This can be difficult and good ideas are not always obvious. Whether it’s finding a way to automate a repetitive task that will save your coworkers time or testing out a way to make meetings shorter and more productive, taking the initiative will ensure your team remembers you well beyond the duration of your internship.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 33
Social Life
Together Again It’s always a good time when Crescent brothers get together. For more photos and upcoming event listings, go to crescentalumni.org.
London
Alumni studying at Western University enjoyed a chance to reconnect on November 14.
Downtown Alumni Social
The always-popular Downtown Alumni Social meant Toronto was the place to be for Crescent alumni on November 28.
34 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Social Life
Kingston
A reception for Crescent alumni and faculty was a great way to kick off the Queen’s University Homecoming Weekend on October 17.
Waterloo
With so many alumni studying and working in Waterloo, the alumni reception on October 24 was very popular.
Mark Your Calendar Watch for details on crescentalumni.org about these and other alumni events coming up this spring.
8
Dentonia Alumni Luncheon Friday, May 8, 2020 Celebrating Crescent’s most venerable Men of Character
9
Alumni Reunion Saturday, May 9, 2020 Honouring the classes of 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 35
Life After Crescent
Milestones and Celebrations Have family or career news to share? Send your Life After Crescent updates to alumni@crescentschool.org.
1980s
Bram Belzberg ’98 was named to Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in June. Bram is the Chairman and CEO of KEV Group, which makes accounting management and online payments software for K-12 public schools.
Russell Bennett ’88 recently published Canada’s Cannabis Act: Annotation and Commentary. This is Canada’s first annotated book on the federal Cannabis Act, written to help people navigate the laws and regulations of the cannabis industry. Russell is the founder of the Toronto-based law firm Cannabis Law.
2000s Tim Watson ’01 and Caitlin Watson welcomed their daughter Scotia to their family on October 23. Big brothers Turner and Walter are taking on their new role with pride.
Hessam Ghadaki ’99 and his wife Ana Aur welcomed their first daughter, Lila, on June 6.
1990s Mark Graham ’92 and his wife Catherine Graham have sold their promotional products agency, Rightsleeve, to Genumark, the largest Canadian-owned distributor of corporatebranded merchandise. Mark and Catherine will continue to run commonsku, a CRM and order management software product designed for the promotional products industry. Mark credits his time as Crescent’s Student Council Treasurer in 1991-92 as one of the inspirations of his entrepreneurship.
David Bruser ’95 and his wife Kaley Pulfer welcomed their third daughter, Lucille, on May 17. Big sisters Aila and Teddy are thrilled with the newest addition to the family.
Gerald Chan ’99 a partner at Stockwoods LLP in Toronto, was named one of Canada’s Top 25 most influential lawyers by Canadian Law Magazine in August.
36 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Charlie Mills ’99 graduated from the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Leadership Institute in July.
Dr. Mike Livingston ’02 is the recipient of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Resident Mentor Award at McMaster University. The annual award honours a resident who has demonstrated outstanding advocacy for medical students and resident colleagues through individual mentorship and exemplary role-modelling. Mike is a Clinical Fellow in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at McMaster, where he has been a resident since 2011. In Summer 2019, he began his clinical practice as an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Life After Crescent
Andrew Riley ’03 and Hilary Riley welcomed twin boys, Cameron Gordon and Colin Derek, to their family on September 20.
Kevin Doe ’06 is performing in a featured role in the 22-week North American tour of the musical We Will Rock You. A high school teacher for the past seven years, Kevin believes it’s important for students to see that multiple career options are possible.
Sam Andrew ’04 completed the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon on October 20 with an outstanding time of 3hr01. He had trained for a year, aiming for a subthree-hour marathon. With his goal in reach, Sam collapsed just 400m from the finish line. Two unknown runners helped him up and walked him across the finish line. Sam says he’s proud of his effort and grateful to the runners who displayed remarkable sportsmanship and selflessness. Sam trained extensively with fellow alumnus and endurance athlete Brandon Throop ’04, who paced him for 13km that day and got Sam within striking distance of his goal.
Derek McFarland ’08 and Heather Gouinlock were married in Toronto on June 29. Included in his wedding party were Crescent alumni Greg Jetten ’08, Duncan Bull ’08, Gregory Warkentin ’08, Scott Fletcher ’08, Jeff McFarland ’10 and Scott McFarland ‘14. Derek and Heather live in New York City.
Remi Ojo ’08 completed his Masters of Business Administration in Rotterdam, Netherlands this fall. He is back in Canada in January to begin his Master of Management Analytics at the Queen’s University Toronto campus.
Jonathan Prinsell ’06 and Alisha Buisman became engaged on October 1. Jonathan works as the Director of Business Intelligence and Data Analytics at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club and Forge FC.
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 37
Life After Crescent
2010s Jeff McFarland ’10 and Stephanie McCall were married on September 28 in Toronto. The wedding party groomsmen included Crescent alumni Derek McFarland ’08, Scott McFarland ’14, Darren Chu ’10, David Lay ’10, and Robbie Mitchnick ’09. Jeff is a Canadian Financial Services Associate at Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets.
John Conlin ’15 released a single called “Drunk Words” in October.
Will Higgs ’15 is working in the London, U.K. office of Ardian Private Equity.
Felix Yu ’19 represented Canada at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in October and received a bronze medal.
Andy Binns ’16, Conor Lynch ’16 and Ben Debresser ’17 along with Duncan Ross (a.k.a. The Pacifiers) have released their first professionally produced 10-track album, Macroscopic.
Nicholas Latifi ’13 has been promoted to a full-time seat on the Williams Formula One team. He's one of just 20 Formula One drivers worldwide and he'll make his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March 2020.
Ryan Tam ’14 is working in the Research and Development office for Safran, one of the 10 largest aerospace companies. He is responsible for helping to develop new technologies and design concepts for commercial aircraft and Safran has filed three patents for his design. Ryan says the work reminds him of his time on Crescent’s Robotics Team.
38 Past & Present / Winter 2020
Nicholas Oprescu-Havriliuc '18 organized and moderated a conference featuring legal experts' perspectives on Brexit, in his role as External Relations Officer for the European Union Society at the University of Edinburgh. The conference, titled Devolution and Exiting the European Union: A Legal Perspective, took place on September 19. One of the speakers was Crescent alumnus George Revel ’98, who is doing his PhD in International Law. Oprescu-Havriliuc also attended the reception to mark the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union at The French Institute in Edinburgh on September 25.
Life After Crescent
Faculty Retirements Best wishes to two faculty members who retired from Crescent in December 2019 Susy Bellisario joined Crescent as a Guidance and University Counsellor in 2015. A passionate and innovative educator, she received the “Team of the Year” Premier’s Award for Excellence in Teaching 2008-2009 in her previous work as Head of Guidance and Head of Special Education at Neil McNeil High School.
Tracey Forbes joined Crescent in 2014. As Lower School Librarian, she cultivated a love of reading and learning (and Star Wars!) among our youngest students. One of her most important contributions was the Dads’ Read program, which brings together boys and their fathers each year to celebrate reading.
Stay Connected Join the Crescent Alumni Network Site. Go to crescentalumni.org to find mentoring opportunities, internship positions, reunions and networking events, news from your former classmates and ways to get involved at Crescent. Find alumni news on our social media: CrescentSchoolAlumni @CrescentAlums @crescent_alumni Crescent School Alumni Group Have questions? Contact alumni@crescentschool.org
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 39
Catching Up With...
Dave Budden: Bringing a connection full circle Dave Budden worked at Crescent from 1976 to 2011, first as a teacher, then head of Admissions, and then Assistant Head of Upper School. We caught up with him in November. Dean Perlman: How are you? This is so funny to see you. You look no different. Dave Budden: I’m an old dude. I’m 70 now. DP: I remember in 2005 you interviewed me to enter Grade 3. You had all the Habs gear and memorabilia in your office. You gave me this green pen, which I still have today. DB: Yeah, that’s amazing. That’s great. DP: I guess I was one of a couple thousand maybe that you interviewed over the years. When did you actually start your career at Crescent? DB: I started in 1976. I got hired by Chris Gordon who was the Headmaster then. Chris Gordon was a teacher at Lakefield when I was a student there. Then when I started at the school, James Wright was already there and he and I were classmates at Lakefield. So it was full circle. Chris Gordon taught me at Lakefield, and I guess I didn’t do enough bad things at Lakefield to put him off. DP: And, obviously… DB: I took the job and lasted 35 years. DP: What did you like about Admissions? DB: I loved the Grade 3s. Some kids came in and they were talk, talk, talk, talk. Other kids came in and wouldn’t say boo to a goose. You could see the parents were just mortified. And it didn’t bother me in the least. So it was a lot of fun.
DP: You coached some of the Crescent teams too. DB: Yes, back in the ’80s, Geoff Roberts and I won the soccer championship two years in a row. That was pretty cool. I think we beat Trinity College School both years, and one year was in extra time. Coaching the soccer was great and coaching Under-14 softball with Doug Smith was phenomenal. We just had a great time with the kids. If we won, that was great. If we didn’t, we made sure everyone had a good time. DP: Was it hard to retire? DB: No, 35 years was enough. I walked out the door and didn’t have any regrets. DP: You’ve been retired for eight years. So what have you been up to? DB: I play golf in the summer with Richard Nakatsu and Mark Suckling. I play tennis in the winters and I play with Stuart Cumner now. He’s joined our group. He’s the young pup. My wife and I get together with Doug Smith and Ross MacDonald and their wives, two or three times a year. I have a two-anda-half-year-old granddaughter, Zoe. And another grandchild arriving soon.*
By Dean Perlman ’15 her family and we went to Australia with my youngest daughter and her partner. So family’s a big thing to us, as it should be. DP: Do you have any words of wisdom for Crescent alumni? DB: I think being a Man of Character is important. The other thing I would pass on is: dare to be different, or take the path less travelled by. Challenge yourself every now and then. Don’t get stuck in a groove. Look for something out of the ordinary that will expand you as a person and make you a better person and make the world a better place. And I think that’s basically what Crescent has tried to instil in its students ever since the time that I started there. DP: The school’s evolving and I guess time goes on. DB: It hasn’t changed. It’s just different people doing the same thing that I did.
DP: I feel that your focus and outlook helped shape the school, who we are today. You started my career at Crescent, and that’s why, talking to you now, it feels really nice to catch up and see what you’ve been up to. DB: I appreciate that. Hopefully, every kid in the school made a connection with at least one or two teachers that they could go to if they needed to. DP: What’s next for you? DB: In the next year or so it’s going to be a lot of grandparenting and that’s great. We have done some travelling. We were in France and Italy a couple of years ago with my eldest daughter and
*Dave's grandson, Zachary, was born on November 16, 2019. From being interviewed by Dave Budden when he was applying to Crescent to catching up with him as an alumnus, Dean Perlman ’15 was glad to bring their connection full circle with this interview for Past & Present.
40 Past & Present / Winter 2020
PHOTOGRAPHER: BETTY-ANN ARMSTRONG
Crescent School 2365 Bayview Avenue Toronto, Ontario M2L 1A2
