Crescent School Past & Present – Winter 2023

Winter 2023

The Bonds of Brotherhood

Groups of alumni from the past five decades share their tales of longstanding camaraderie.

Page 16

As COO of Solar Panda, Brett Bergmann ’00 is putting power in the hands of rural Kenyans

Lighting Up Africa

Words from the Alumni Chair

A Brotherhood for Life

Every year at Crescent, hundreds of friendships are ignited in classrooms, in the Dining Hall and in after-school teams and clubs. These friendships often flourish beyond our school’s doors and well into adulthood. Crescent brothers are there through thick and thin, supporting each other through challenges, becoming roommates in university, and standing as best men at one another’s weddings.

In this issue of Past & Present, our feature article, “The Bonds of Brotherhood,” explores some of these connections. You will find stories of boys who grew up together and stayed friends for years, in some cases decades. Some had the benefit of email and social media to keep in touch, while others had to use more antiquated technology like a home phone line or visiting someone in person.

I know you’ll also enjoy reading about Hanson Mak ’07 and his incredible cutting-edge work in architecture. He is an Associate and leading specialist in Building Information Modelling at Adamson and AAI, having worked on some of their most complex and prestigious projects in Canada, the United States, and England. Brett Bergman ’00 is profiled for his life-changing work providing solar energy to people in rural Kenya as the Chief Operating Officer of Solar Panda.

We’ve often heard from alumni that they want to know more about how their brothers are doing, and we hope we’ve answered that call with this special feature in our Winter 2023 edition of Past & Present As usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Andrew Norris ’03 Chair, Crescent Alumni Executive

Cover Photographer: Nathan Legiehn

Editor: Kristin Foster Editorial Committee: Jill Cannon, Kristin Foster, Claire van Nostrand, Leslie Pringle, Lynda Torneck Editorial Board: Spencer Belyea ’13, David Bruser ’95, Bert Fielding ’13, Philip Lloyd ’09, Myles Slocombe ’92

Design Agency: Aegis Design Inc.

Senior Designer: Sabrina Xiang Writers: Ali Amad, Rob Csernyik, Kristin Foster, Pat Morden Photographers: Karenna Boychuk, Nathan Legiehn, Sandy Nicholson, Sarah Waiswa Illustrators: Ally Reeves

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. 204

Full House at Open House

Record-breaking number of parents attend events in October

After two years of virtual Open House events, prospective families expressed their enthusiasm for in-person experiences by attending in droves. With over 500 registrants across two days, these events were the most well-attended in Crescent’s history.

01

Upper School students get ready to welcome families to the Open House event

02

Lower School students wait to fulfill their ambassador duties, taking prospective families for a tour of the school

03

A panel of Middle and Upper School students share their Crescent experiences with an audience of prospective families

04

An Upper School boy demonstrates his knowledge of robotics to two visiting boys during the Middle & Upper School Open House

05

Grade 7 students Noah, Avery and Harris were giving tours and handing out copies of the Crescent Prospectus, which just happens to feature their Grade 3 selves on the cover

06

Parents tour the different information booths at the Character-in-Action expo

Past / 1950s

This class photo, circa 1955 or 1956, was taken on the Dentonia campus grounds. Brian Smith ’56 (first row, centre) recently visited campus (see page 7).

Upfront / Alumni on Campus

A Family Legacy

Matthew

campus

October. It was their first visit since the Hudson Family Field House was named in their honour. The naming of the Field House, which was unveiled in 2020, comes many years after Mr. Hudson’s generous 2001 donation to the Above + Beyond Campaign that helped establish the iconic sports facility. “I want to provide a family legacy and recognition for my sons’ time at Crescent,” says Hudson as to why he chose to name the Field House after all these years. “To our family, Crescent represents leadership, camaraderie and a solid footing for young men to enter adulthood.”

“I want to provide a family legacy and recognition for my sons’ time at Crescent.”—Steven Hudson P’07, ’15

Headmaster Michael Fellin P’24 and Chair of the Board Jamie Coulter ’87, P’21 welcomed Steven Hudson P’07, ’15, his brother Todd and Steven’s sons, Cameron ’07 and

’15 to

in

From left to right: Board Chair Jamie Coulter ’87, P’21, Matthew Hudson ’15, Todd Hudson, Steven Hudson P’07, ’15, Cameron Hudson ’07, Headmaster Michael Fellin P’24

Steven Hudson P’07, ’15 Matthew Hudson ’15

Upfront / Alumni on Campus

Alumni Visit for American University Lunch & Learn

Five alumni visited Crescent for an American University Lunch & Learn on Friday, November 25. Thomas Herring ’16, Andrew Herring ’22, Michael Farkouh ’20, Nathan Beber ’20, and Ben Klassen ’17 met with met with Upper School students, sharing why they chose to go to school in the U.S. and their experiences to date. They broke into smaller groups for discussion and detailed Q&A.

Career Spotlight Speaker Series Returns

Alumni share career advice with Upper School

The Career Spotlight Speaker Series invites alumni brothers to visit the Upper School and impart their career stories and tips to students. Spencer Belyea ’13 (top), David-Michael Phillips ’11 (middle) and Mark Graham ’92 (bottom) recently visited Grade 10 career classes to share their experience and to answer student questions. “The students enjoyed hearing from the alumni on following your passion and how career journeys aren’t always linear,” shares Guidance and University Counsellor Megan Berry. “They found it so valuable that they requested to have more guest speakers in the future.”

Belyea is an Associate Underwriter, Phillips is working as a Lab Manager and Research Engineer in an orthopedic biomechanics laboratory, and Graham is a tech entrepreneur.

Upfront / Alumni on Campus

Alumni Drop In for Thanksgiving

Taking advantage of the holiday weekend, several alumni dropped by on the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving. They had the opportunity to catch up with the community and see the campus in all its fall splendour.

The Privilege of a Crescent Education

Brian Smith ’56 returned to Crescent recently, 66 years after graduating. It was his first visit since his grandson, Jonah Minerson ’24, arrived in Grade 9. On a tour led by Jonah, Smith reflected on his time at the Dentonia campus many years ago. “My mother thought I needed discipline, so she sent me to Crescent,” says Smith. Family tragedy likely played a role in her decision. His father was a World War II bomber pilot who was killed in combat. Smith started in kindergarten just before his fifth birthday, graduating from Grade 9 in 1956.

By all accounts, Smith thrived at the school. An avid sports player, he was awarded Sportsman of the Year in 1956. He was also Head Boy two years in a row. “The staff appointed me,” says Smith, noting that students didn’t run for the po -

sition back then. In 1955–1956, the school introduced a Grade 9 class (it only lasted one year). As the incumbent, Smith remained Head Boy by acclamation.

Smith is delighted that Jonah continues in his grandfather’s footsteps. “Jonah's getting a fantastic education, as well as all the non-academic elements that come along with it in terms of personal development,” says Smith. “I think that is as important as education these days.”

While many things have changed since Smith attended Crescent, much remains the same. “It’s a privilege to have the kind of education that I had and that Crescent students have today,” he says. “With that comes a lot of responsibility to pay back to the broader society and make it a better place for everyone.”

Brian receives the House trophy from Headmaster Walter R.E. Williams in 1955

Brian Smith ‘56 stands in front of the Dentonia columns during a campus visit with grandson, Jonah Minerson ‘24

Mr. Gavin Muranaka, Connor Grant ’22, Mark De Robertis ’22 Christian Corbett ’20, Will Krstajic ’20

Chris Fu ’22, Mr. Geoff Green, Hayden Carter ’22

Ben Cooke ’20

Everett Tang ’22

Ms. Trish Cislak, Michael Cheng ’22

Upfront / Crescent News

CRESCENT THEN Crescent runners compete with students from peer schools in a fall 2002 cross-country race at Boyd Conservation Area in Vaughan.

Crescent Wins First Place at OFSAA Golf Championship

Matthew Javier ’24, Eric Zhao ’25, Tyler Bunker ’25 and Ethan Fong ’24 fought a two-day battle in wind and rain at the FireRock Golf Club just west of London, Ontario. They emerged victorious. On October 12 and 13, Crescent’s boys’ golf team earned first place at the 2022 Boys Golf Championship held by the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA). It is the first time Crescent has won an OFSAA gold in golf in the school’s history.

$2M Gift Strengthens Future of Crescent School

“Crescent will have a lifelong impact on the man our son will become, and the sons of so many other families, and it is crucial that the school is given the resources to thrive.” This rationale is what guided Fabrizio and Nicole Cortellucci when deciding to make an extraordinary $2 million donation to the School’s Master Campus Plan. The Cortelluccis’ son, Cristiano ’29, started at Crescent in Grade 3 and over the years, says Nicole, “we have watched him grow, make friends, and develop resilience.” This major gift makes the Cortellucci family one of the most generous benefactors in Crescent’s history.

In recognition of their gift, Crescent’s CCL Theatre has been named the Cortellucci Family Theatre.

Q&A with Head Boy Shay Kothari

What is your favourite activity/hobby?

My favourite activity is definitely baseball. I play a lot of that outside of school with other Crescent grads. I’m a pitcher.

What is the most important thing you’ve read?

Born A Crime, by Trevor Noah. I read it last summer as a part of Crescent’s reading co-operative. It was cool to learn about Apartheid in South Africa and see how far we’ve come but also the things we can still improve on, especially in our own communities in Canada.

What is your most treasured possession?

One would be my signed Wayne Gretzky poster. My second would be my Rubik’s Cube. I fidget with it and it gets my mind active. I learned how to do it a couple of years ago and I use it quite often. On our Grade 9 leadership retreat, I said to my buddy Cameron, “Could you teach me how to do this?” We sat there for three hours straight on the bus up to camp, and he taught me.

What do you want to be “when you grow up?”

I’ll say “fulfilled.” In whatever I’m doing. I don’t want to give one answer just yet.

What advice would you give to a Grade 3 Crescent student today?

I’ve been saying this a lot this year as I’ve visited the Lower and Middle Schools. “Try everything.” Get involved and meet as many new people as possible—especially as we’re coming out of the pandemic. Be nice to everyone.

To read more of Shay’s answers, see the Crescent Blogs page on crescentschool.org.

CRESCENT NOW

Jaksen Neldner ’25 competes at the CISAA Cross-Country Championships in October. He and Jeremy You ’24 qualified for the OFSAA Cross-Country Provincial Championships.

Introducing the Crescent Diploma

“The quest to the Crescent Diploma has been many years in the making. It helps answer the question, ‘What differentiates our academic program?’”—Nick

Recent curricular and programmatic changes are enhancing Crescent’s academic experience. And soon, the Crescent Diploma will signify that students have met our enriched academic requirements, demonstrated the character qualities that underpin our Portrait of a Graduate, and were fully engaged in community life.

On October 25, Deputy Headmaster Nick Kovacs introduced the Crescent Diploma at a Parent Assembly. “The quest to the Crescent Diploma has been many years in the making,” says Kovacs. “It starts with the Ontario curriculum but layers depth and breadth unique to Crescent. It helps answer the question, ‘What differentiates our academic program?’”

The Crescent Diploma is symbolic of a well-developed Man of Character equipped to positively impact our world. The diploma rolls out for Grades 3 and 7 this year and next year for Grade 9. Many curricular and programmatic enhancements are already in place and benefitting Crescent students today.

Modern and Future-Ready Knowledge

Crescent has enriched the curriculum in two important ways. The first is by modernizing the content from traditional subjects, e.g. data science as part of mathematics, healthy relationships and consent as part of health education, and public speaking as part of the performing arts. The second is making room for new future-ready subjects like computer science, personal finance, psychology, and sociology, and topics such as artificial intelligence, coding, digital literacy and emotional intelligence.

Character-Infused Education

Crescent has always been a character school. What’s new is the deliberate, systematic, evidence-based approach to teaching and assessing character competency. Crescent is one of the world’s first schools to integrate and develop evidence to demonstrate character competency across its curricular and co-curricular programs. “It’s one thing to say, ‘I want to teach a certain character quality,’” says Kovacs. “It’s entirely another to embed the teaching of a character quality deliberately and consistently, and provide students with feedback on their progress in demonstrating it.”

Signature Experiences

The final component of the Crescent Diploma is signature experiences. Students earn badge credentials for a range of experiences that recognize effort and achievement above and beyond the core curriculum and are central to a boy’s character journey. Examples are the Grade 5 Let Grow badge, the Grade 7 Public Speaking badge and the Grade 11 Modern Masculinity badge. “All signature experiences link back to one of our twelve character qualities,” says Kovacs. “It is yet another way we are embedding our mission meaningfully.”

Kovacs

There are three main components of the Crescent Diploma.

Spotlight on Friday Night Lights

Excitement was felt across campus on September 23, as Crescent prepared for its first Friday Night Lights event in three years. Crescent friends and families enjoyed a family barbecue prepared by our excellent culinary staff under the direction of Chef Mitchell. At 6:30 p.m., our Senior D1 soccer team took to Innes Field for a game against St. Andrew’s College. The teams were well matched and Crescent eked out a 1–0 win.

A Visit With History

“I know my grandfather would be so pleased to know that his home is now a boys’ school,” says Lynn Mekinda. “He was a perfectionist, and every part of the school is orderly and very attractive.” Her grandfather was Frank P. Wood, a Canadian financier, art collector and philanthropist who built the Manor at 2365 Bayview Avenue in 1931. Ms. Mekinda lived in the Manor from her birth in 1944 until 1947; she would return to visit until her grandfather’s death in 1955. Ms. Mekinda recently came back to Bayview Avenue with distant cousin Lucinda Graham, the great-great-granddaughter of Edward R. Wood, who built Glendon Hall across the ravine from Crescent. Ms. Graham is a Queen’s University student who is writing her Master’s thesis on Frank P. Wood’s extensive art collection. Wood was a renowned collector of Old Master paintings who remains the single most generous donor to the Art Gallery of Ontario. “My favourite painting hung in my grandfather’s beautiful Pine Library [now Crescent’s Enrolment Office],” says Mekinda. “It was a Rembrandt called Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog which now hangs at the AGO.”

Formal Garden Gets a Makeover

While Crescent families were enjoying their summer, our campus was undergoing some key upgrades in preparation for the school year. One such project was the installation of grasslike turf on the Formal Garden, transforming the surface into a lush yet virtually indestructible lawn. In addition to providing a more beautiful and safer play area

for students, the new surface resolves issues around water management and slope stabilization. “This project reflects another milestone of our Master Campus Plan and further supports our staff and students being outdoors to enjoy the beauty of our campus,” says Headmaster Fellin.

The transformation was funded by the Crescent Parent Association, part of a generous pledge made in the 2020–2021 school year.

Lynn Mekinda pushes her doll stroller in the Manor Courtyard as her mother, Joyce Robinette, looks on

Family Ties

Families with a history of three generations at Crescent are very rare. Currently, there is only one such family at the School. Meet the Joliats.

Crescent roots run deep for Paul Joliat ’94, P’24, ’26. “It’s a home and the people in it are my family. Which is kind of funny, because the people in it actually are my family.” Three generations of Joliat boys have attended Crescent, and Paul Joliat’s wife, Amy, is a learning support specialist and Lower School subject head in English.

The Joliats’ tenure at Crescent began with patriarch Marc who entered Grade 1 in 1951. Marc’s parents, both professors in the French department at the University of Toronto, wanted to find the right place for their precocious son to grow. “I think what Crescent gave me was a sense of how important family and community are, and I definitely felt that here,” he says. One of his childhood memories of Grade 1 stands out: his teacher would occasionally dye her hair to match her dresses, not shying away from purples or greens. “She was ahead of her time.”

Despite the fact that he only spent two years at Crescent, the experience influenced Marc. When the time came to choose a school for his son Paul, he and his wife Sharyn were drawn to a familiar place. “We knew that he'd get a good education at Crescent,” says Marc. During the interview process, Paul made his father proud. “There was a question that they asked Paul. ‘Whose decision was it?’ And Paul answered, ‘It was a family decision.’”

Paul began Grade 4 at Crescent in 1985, the same year as one of his most cherished teachers, Graham Steele. “We got to go through our first year together,” he says. “I have a great father to begin with, and Graham was really another

01 Back row: Paul Joliat ’94, P’24, ’26; his wife Amy Joliat (Learning Support Specialist at Crescent), and their son Cole ’24. Seated: The Joliats' younger son Reid ’26 with cousin Gabe ’30 and grandfather Marc ’52

father figure.” Mr. Steele kicked off the school year with a fun creative writing exercise, where the boys invented characters, wrote biographies about them, and then took photos posing as their characters. “We got our ties around our foreheads and ruffled our blazers and such,” he says. “I really remember just how much fun that was.” The exercise helped the boys forge connections with each other in their early days at Crescent.

In addition to nurturing his interest in theatre arts, Paul loved sports and participated with zeal — especially hockey, where he was coached by Steve “Rog” Davies. “We used to practice at seven o'clock in the morning. I would get there early with our goalie because he had to get changed. One morning, Mr. Davies was walking in at the very moment that I shattered a pane of glass with a slap shot. He said, ‘Well, it looks like you've been practicing!’”

Paul remembers fondly how his parents supported his passion for sports. “They came to every sporting event that I ever played,” he says. “I remember so vividly watching them watching me, and now it touches me deeply to see them watching their grandkids.”

Paul’s two sons, Cole ’24 and Reid ’26, are Crescent students and his nephew, Gabe ’30, recently started Grade 5. In the year after Cole’s birth, Paul wrote down a bucket list — a list of personal goals, some quite lofty. “There were things on there that I wrote down that I have accomplished, like running a marathon or seeing the Taj Mahal,” he says. “But one of the things that I wrote in there was ‘See my son graduate from Crescent.’ When Reid came along, I thought, ‘OK, we’ll just make it plural.’”

Paul credits Crescent for playing a pivotal role in his professional life, too. “I had a major in psychology and a minor in music. After university, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” says Paul. “I remember coming back to the school and talking to Linda Gray. She asked me, ‘What are you interested in?’ I didn’t know. She said, ‘Let me rephrase that. What are you passionate about?’”

Paul’s passion for sports, and help from Ms. Gray, led him to a job working at the RBC Canadian Open (then the Bell Canadian Open). Today, Paul works for Sun Life Financial in their philanthropy and sponsorship portfolios.

When it comes to the next generation of Crescent alumni, Paul and Marc agree. “All these things that I got out of Crescent, I see my kids getting out of it as well,” says Paul. “We tell friends, when they’re considering schools for their sons, ‘Your son will find his way at Crescent. He will find something that he’s passionate about at this school.’”

“It’s a home and the people in it are my family. Which is kind of funny, because the people in it actually are my family.”—Paul Joliat ’94, P’24, ’26

01

Present / October 2022

Upper School Mentor Groups are in a yearbook competition for the most creative group photo. This entry is from Mr. Shannon and Ms. MacInnis’ Mentor Group.

Perspective from the Headmaster

Friends Through the Ages

The person who held the door open for me on my very first day of high school became my best friend and remains so 35 years later. He was with me the first time I travelled overseas, was the best man at my wedding, and helped me find my first teaching job.

I have always felt extremely fortunate to have met my friend at such a pivotal time in my life. At Crescent, though, it seems that this kind of deep connection is more often the norm than the exception.

Lasting friendships and strong bonds are inherent in the Crescent School experience. A glance at the “Life After Crescent” section in any Past & Present magazine will show numerous examples of friendships that have endured through the decades. What is it about Crescent School that ingrains and perpetuates these friendships? Our feature article, “Bonds of Brotherhood,” shares stories from groups of friends and why these bonds are so impenetrable.

As Crescent returns to a post-pandemic normal, opportunities to come together abound. Our alums are returning to campus to visit with favourite teachers, give university advice to our grads, and shine a spotlight on their career choices. Earlier this year, alums gathered on the lawn bowling pitch and recently raised a pint at the Midtown Alumni Social in December. One of the main goals of our Alumni Relations department is to foster sustained and meaningful connections among alumni. It is just one way we help support the bonds of brotherhood.

Michael Fellin P’24 Headmaster

The most powerful bonds of friendship are not forged overnight. Many are created during one’s formative years and cultivated by shared moments of dedication, empathy, and, of course, fun. Even though their Crescent experiences were decades apart, the alumni interviewed for this article shared stories with common themes: they are each other’s companions through thick and thin, they’re best men at each other’s weddings, some even collaborate professionally. These are the stories of boys who became men together, tackling challenges and celebrating the successes of life.

THE BONDS OF BROTHERHOOD

Written by Ali Amad Photography by Nathan Legiehn

CLASS OF 1979:

Dean Constand and Cam Smith don’t remember exactly how they met at Crescent, but they vividly recall their first impressions of Dave Boehm. “He was the cool dude with the long hair and all the girlfriends,” laughs Constand. As the newcomer who’d enrolled in Grade 10, Boehm befriended Smith, Constand and many more students in the class of 1979 while playing squash and tennis. “Sports helped solidify many of the bonds in our year,” says Boehm. “Being on the same teams working towards a singular goal developed a powerful sense of belonging and camaraderie.”

From that foundation, Boehm, Constand, Smith and others supported each other through many of the same awkward and overwhelming teenage experiences: first girlfriends, first break-ups, first cars, first part-time jobs, and more. Constand and Smith didn’t stray too far after graduation: both attended the University of Toronto and later became Chartered Professional Accountants, helping many Crescent grads with their taxes. As for Boehm, he has remained best friends with Smith and many other classmates. Several of them have worked together and done business at various periods in their lives.

The strong relationships they built at Crescent helped the group cope with the hardest moments in their lives in the subsequent decades. “When Arden, my wife of 20 years,

passed away, my Crescent friends were there for me,” says Boehm. “Their companionship got me through that terrible time.” For Smith, supporting Boehm was the least he could do for the man who’d been a constant positive force in both his personal and professional life. “Dave introduced me to my partner Tracy, and he also helped my practice expand by sending work my way,” he says.

The friends have also shared happy occasions, like weddings (Smith attended Constand’s wedding and his daughter’s), and life’s simple pleasures, like fishing trips or concerts. They’ve also regularly reunited to play the sports that first bonded them at Crescent. “We can be crazy competitive and yet we can laugh and fool around, whatever sport we play,” says Constand. On Constand and Smith’s bucket list: a round of golf at the famed St. Andrews Links in Scotland.

While snagging much-coveted tee time at St. Andrews might be a lofty dream, Smith believes what the trio and the rest of the class of 1979 already possess is much more valuable: a network of friends who can turn to each other for help and advice when it comes to their health, retirement and so much more. Boehm agrees: “The greatest thing about our Crescent brotherhood is that no matter what happens, there is never any judgement. There’s just the knowledge that you can count on one another.” →

↑ Cam Smith (left), Dean Constand (middle) and Dave Boehm (right)

Soon after Rob Watt and Randy Lewis met in Grade 7, they discovered they were also neighbours of sorts. “Our families had cottages only two kilometres apart on Lake Muskoka, and we promptly made plans to go fishing and water skiing the next time we were both up at the cottage,” says Lewis.

The pair took up different sports at Crescent — Lewis played soccer and then squash and Watt played rugby and basketball — but were best friends in all other areas of life, hanging out during field trips and at school functions. “High school is a difficult time in a person’s development and there’s a lot of social pressures,” says Watt. “Together, Randy and I navigated all our ups and downs. We have fond memories of the teachers as well, many of whom helped support a really solid group of guys in our year. Many of us stayed in touch and have gone on to successful careers, and that has a lot to do with our experiences at Crescent.”

After university, the duo launched careers as entrepreneurs in different fields. Watt now works in property management, while Lewis runs a food ingredient trading company and a brewery. In the 1990s, Lewis moved south of the border to New York and then later relocated to the Catskills, where he still lives today. Through it all, the pair stayed close friends and were even best men at each other’s weddings. “This was before instant messaging, so it took more effort to maintain a long-distance friendship back in those days,” says Watt.

Whenever possible, Lewis and Watt book time off to go fly fishing or hang out with their families at Watt’s cottage. Away from life’s distractions, the pair enjoy the outdoors and catching up with one another sharing life’s experiences. The conversations have evolved as they’ve grown older and started having kids (Lewis has two daughters and Watt has a daughter and a son, Jack, a graduate of Crescent’s class of 2014). “Rob’s an avid duck hunter, and it’s become another tradition for our two families to have duck for a holiday dinner whenever I come back to Toronto around Christmas,” says Lewis, who also hosts Watt and his family at his Catskills property. The pandemic forced the pair to postpone their fishing trips three summers in a row, but they’re now optimistically looking forward to a salmon fishing trip in New Brunswick in summer of 2023. “Fishing continues to be the stitching that has kept the fabric of friendship together all of these decades,” says Lewis. →

“High school is a difficult time in a person’s development and there’s a lot of social pressures. Together, Randy and I navigated all our ups and downs.”

—Rob Watt ’85

← Randy Lewis (left) and Rob Watt (right)

CLASS OF 1992:

When Myles Slocombe started at Crescent in Grade 9, he instantly noticed a powerful cohesiveness and solidarity among his classmates, many of whom had already been at the school together for six years. “I knew I’d found something special here, and it was remarkable how quickly they all took me in,” says Slocombe. “We spent time at each other’s homes and cottages, getting to know all our parents and siblings. We were truly immersed in each other’s lives, and you don’t really have many of those kinds of friendships later in life.”

The class of 1992 had a spirited sense of fun and what Slocombe describes as lighthearted “cheekiness.” Their favourite prank: “Tim Webster was beloved by everyone, and in his honour, we’d often hoist his backpack up the flagpole,” laughs Slocombe. Their selfchosen mantra their senior year: “Class of ’92: We Will Rock You,” inspired by the title of a Queen song that would also play at the start of the school assemblies they led.

An industrious bunch, the class painted and furbished their own grad room and started up Portfolio, a fundraising fashion show that involved models from their class as well as from several Toronto girls’ schools. Later on, the class donated a Crescent crest by the school’s front entrance, a gift Crescent recognized with a plaque dedicated to the class of 1992’s renowned spirit, enthusiasm and generosity.

The class’s bond continued later in life, celebrating milestones and supporting one another through challenges. “We share a collective history, so although we may not all see each as much anymore, we’re always there for each other,” says Slocombe.

Reunions are always a well-attended and festive affair for the class of 1992. “Something about seeing each other again brings out inner youthfulness in each and every one of us and all the old inside jokes resurface,” says Slocombe. One inside joke is a nickname he’s never been able to shake. “Because I sort of look Scandinavian, Mark Crane — who had a talent for creating nicknames that stuck — started calling me Norge, which is Norwegian for Norway,” he says. “To this day, the nickname still comes up whenever I see one of the old Crescent grads, who’ve taken to using it as a general noun or verb. For example, instead of going up north, people go up Norge.”

Slocombe treasures the fact that the foundational friendships he built 30 years ago are now extending to a new generation. He and fellow Crescent grad Martin Ritchie have remained particularly close over the years, and their eldest daughters are now also great friends. “The meshing of our friendship is so strong that a lot of our own kids are becoming friends because of it, which is wonderful to witness.” →

“Because I sort of look Scandinavian, Mark Crane – who had a talent for creating nicknames that stuck –started calling me Norge, which is Norwegian for Norway. To this day, the nickname still comes up whenever I see one of the old Crescent grads, who’ve taken to using it as a general noun or verb. For example, instead of going up north, people go up Norge.”

—Myles Slocombe

↑ Back row from left to right: David Scott, Martin Ritchie, Joel Hay, Mark Heissler

Front row from left to right: Ariel Vinizki, Sevag Yeghoyan, Myles Slocombe, David Sorbara, Brett Younge

Foreground: Sergio Rattner

’92

CLASS OF 2005:

Gabe Diamond, a Crescent student since Grade 3, had an established friend group before two new arrivals became some of his closest lifelong companions. When Chris Penner moved from the U.S. to Toronto at the start of Grade 7, he was, in his words, “the new guy with a cast on his arm and a very unfashionable bowl cut.” Eager to fit in with Diamond’s existing group of friends, Penner joined a Crescent pick-up basketball game. “Needless to say, I was picked last,” he recalls. He managed to shock everyone by slickly sinking a shot with his good arm. “Once people started calling me ‘One-Arm’, I knew I was in!”

Ryan Nelson enrolled in Crescent two years later. Looking for a place to sit during lunch, he found an empty spot at a table that included Penner and Diamond. “I immediately launched into a long-winded joke that dragged on and on for an eternity,” says Nelson. “It was the worst joke I ever heard,” says Penner. “None of us can even remember what the punchline was. All we know is it had something to do with a horse race.”

Nelson and Penner were embraced by Diamond’s friends, and despite the large size of the group, the bonds were uniquely tight. They spent almost every day after school together, usually at Penner’s place, where they played football or made up countless new games. One of their favourite sports at Crescent was softball: half of their friend group was on the school team. “Chris and Gabe were amazing players. I wasn’t good enough to be on the team,” says Nelson. “But I somehow talked my way into being an assistant manager of sorts. I don’t remember having any actual responsibilities, but that got me on the bus for trips to the different schools we played against. Those trips were some of the best times we had at Crescent.”

The highlight for Diamond, Penner and Nelson was a memorable no-expense-spared beach-themed school dance Diamond took charge of organizing in Grade 12. “We called it ‘The Beach Ball’,” says Penner. “Crescent grads still come up to me at reunions and tell me they had their first kiss at that dance.”

The friend group remained tight-knit in university, mostly studying commerce at Queen’s or attending Western University’s Ivey Business School, and would take turns visiting each other’s residences throughout the year. As they splintered off after graduation to start their careers, they decided to reunite for summer canoe trips in Algonquin or Killarney Provincial Park. “We’ve organized those trips 16 years in a row,” says Nelson. “It hasn’t always been easy to carve out time as we’ve gotten married and started having kids, but those trips have been important ways to ensure what we have doesn’t erode.”

That being said, Penner, Diamond and Nelson agree that the most special part of their bond is how they’re able to go several months without talking and reconnect without missing a beat. “Because I’ve known my Crescent brothers for so long, the real deep conversations are always saved for them,” says Penner. “Looking back, being able to have that depth of friendship with so many of the Crescent guys is priceless,” adds Nelson. →

↑ From left to right: Tom Gutierrez, Adam Fremes, Lee Berger, Gabe Diamond, Ryan Nelson and Matt Bank

In many ways, Matt Eaves, Drew Hollenberg and Nick Wellner make for an unlikely trio of best friends. “We all joined Crescent at different years and we didn’t have much of an overlap in our interests or classes but still became great friends,” says Eaves.

Hollenberg was always focused on the sciences, while Wellner and Eaves preferred business and the liberal arts respectively. Although they got closer as they worked on projects together in the classes they did take with each other, their bond was forged outside the classroom. All three have great memories of annual BEAR Week camping trips and hikes. “Being out in nature gave us a break from studying so we could have fun and get to know each other on a personal level,” says Eaves.

In particular, Eaves and Wellner treasure the experience of visiting Europe with Crescent’s hockey team during Grade 10. “I was invited to join the trip despite not being part of the team, which was an incredible privilege since I’d never travelled to Europe before,” says Eaves. “We toured beautiful countries like the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria, and I did it with a big group of classmates I’m still friends with to this day. Not many high school students are lucky enough to do that.”

After graduating from Crescent, the trio moved to London, where Eaves pursued a degree in political science and government at Huron University College, while Wellner took economics and Hollenberg studied medical sciences at Western University. Eventually, they started living together in a house close

to their campuses. “We were away from our parents for the first time and we taught each other how to fend for ourselves,” laughs Eaves. “Thankfully, Drew was actually a decent cook so none of us starved!”

At the end of a long day of lectures, the roommates often congregated in the living room to play videogames and watch movies — horror flicks were their favourites. Other times, they’d have deep chats discussing their programs and post-graduation plans. “We’ve always been rocks supporting each other in that way,” says Eaves. “Going through school and university together, we shared some of the most stressful and formative life events a person can experience, and it’s been incredible to have friends who’ve been there by your side the whole way.” That bond endured after they began establishing careers in Toronto in spring of 2020, the early months of the pandemic. During lockdown, they stayed in touch with Zoom calls and group chats. When restrictions were eased, they reunited for occasional day trips to nearby towns like Elora and Georgetown.

Nowadays, Wellner and Eaves share an apartment in downtown Toronto. Wellner is an analyst at CPP Investments and Eaves is a client manager at Forsman & Bodenfors, an advertising agency. As for Hollenberg, he works as a strategy analyst with Manulife and has his own place a five-minute walk down the street from Wellner and Eaves. The group still hangs out regularly, watching Leafs games and discussing potential trips to Europe. “Although we’ve all taken different paths in life, we never end up being too far from each other,” says Eaves.

You never know how valuable the friendships you make at Crescent can be. “In some ways, I regret not befriending more of my classmates because the kids who attend Crescent grow up to become such phenomenal people,” says Ryan Nelson ’05. “Later in life, those people can become business partners, mentors and so much more. You don’t necessarily have to become best friends with everyone, but we’re all better people thanks to the different friendships we started at Crescent.”

“Going through school and university together, we shared some of the most stressful and formative life events a person can experience, and it’s been incredible to have friends who’ve been there by your side the whole way.”

—Matt Eaves ’16

↑ Nick Wellner (left), Matt Eaves (middle) and Drew Hollenberg (right)

LIGHTING UP

As COO of Solar Panda, Brett Bergmann ’00 is putting power in the hands of rural Kenyans

Written by Pat Morden

On his first trip to Kenya with Solar Panda, Brett Bergmann ’00 visited the home of a customer. He was prepared to ask a set of typical consumer insight questions, but he didn’t get far. The man rushed over and gave him a big hug, saying, “Now I don’t have to worry about my children breathing kerosene fumes and then coughing all night!”

That day was filled with similar interactions, and Bergmann returned to his hotel exhausted but uplifted. “It hammered home that this isn’t just a job,” he says. “We are changing lives.”

Bergmann’s journey to that day began when he started at Crescent in Grade 5. At school, he reveled in the opportunity to explore diverse sports, activities, and academic pursuits. He helped start a swim team and even competed in the school talent show as an Elvis impersonator — and won! “I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, and the school didn’t pigeonhole me into anything,” he says. “The teachers supported me to find where I had strengths and passion. That’s been critical in my career.” →

AFRICA

Bergmann went on to study economics and engineering at Queen’s University and later completed an MBA at the University of Michigan. He had the entrepreneurial itch from an early age. During university, he founded a company that organized grad and spring break trips, and Crescent was one of his first clients. Realizing that to be a successful entrepreneur he needed experience in a wide variety of business functions, he spent five years at McCain Foods and seven years at General Mills in various roles. “I made a lot of lateral moves because I had a belief that one day, I would be well positioned for what I’m doing now.” In 2018, Bergmann took what he calls a “giant leap of faith,” joining start-up company Solar Panda.

The company was founded by Andy Keith, a fellow Queen’s graduate and a family friend since childhood. In his mid-20s, Keith started a company focused on the early-stage development of large solar farms in Ontario. When he sold the business and began looking for other investment opportunities, he came across a relatively new sector doing off-grid solar systems in Africa. He saw this as a great way to impact people’s lives and ultimately decided to start Solar Panda in 2016, trying to come up with a better service for customers. He asked Bergmann to help him achieve his vision.

One billion people in the world don’t have access to reliable electricity. Many depend on kerosene for lighting, despite its negative health effects (it’s the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day). Keith and Bergmann saw an opportunity to have a positive

social impact while growing a business. The Solar Panda brand came about when Keith was playing cards and someone noticed a panda on the back of the cards and suggested the name as a joke. As it turned out, “panda” translates roughly to “climb up” in Swahili, ensuring that the name would work in both languages.

The Solar Panda business model is “pay as you go” to ensure afforability. Customers pay a small deposit and receive a home system consisting of a solar panel, a control unit, light bulbs, a radio, a flashlight, a lantern, and a phone charger cable. They then pay about 60 cents a day for the next 15 months. Once the loan is paid off, they own the system outright and have free electricity for years. Systems are built to be upgradeable so a customer can grow into bigger systems with more accessories, like TVs. The product is designed in Canada and manufactured in China. There are 37 Solar Panda shops in Kenya, 300 full-time employees, and more than 1000 field agents who sell door-todoor in rural villages. Apart from a handful in Canada and one ex-pat in Kenya, all Solar Panda employees are Kenyan.

Bergmann says Solar Panda “ticks all the boxes.” Solar power is environmentally friendly and much healthier than kerosene. Electricity enables children to study and adults to work at night. (During the pandemic, Solar Panda provided USB sticks loaded with educational content for use by customers with televisions.) Today more than one million people in Kenya have access to reliable electricity because of Solar Panda.

The company was recognized as the third fastest growing in Canada in 2021 and, remarkably, made the list again in 2022. That success ensures that it can continue to deliver its social benefits.

“We are often asked why we didn’t go the not-for-profit route,” says Bergmann. “That’s because we want our customers to be part of Solar Panda for many years. We are building a sustainable business so we’ll be around for the long haul.”

Solar Panda raised $10M in a Series A equity round this past summer and is actively engaging with new investors to help support its future growth.

Although COVID slowed plans, Solar Panda is now adding products and looking to enter new markets in Africa and beyond. Bergmann is committed to being part of it all. He says simply, “I couldn’t top this.”

01 Brett Bergmann at Solar Panda Kenya office.

02 Field Technicians installing a panel

03 Field Agents doing a product demonstration

04, 05 & 08

Solar Panda products in use

06 Bergmann on a video call with Kenyan team

07 Bergmann visiting Solar Panda customers

Photo by Sarah Waiswa

“We are often asked why we didn’t go the notfor-profit route. That’s because we want our customers to be part of Solar Panda for many years. We are building a sustainable business so we’ll be around for the long haul.”

—Brett Bergmann ’00

“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, and the school didn’t pigeonhole me into anything. The teachers supported me to find where I had strengths and passion. That’s been critical in my career.”

—Brett Bergmann ’00

Written by Rob Csernyik

Hanson Mak ’07 translates design dreams into reality as an Associate and leading specialist in Building Information Modelling

Photography by Sandy Nicholson

Architecture

Mak, a licensed architect who spends his off-hours keeping up-to-date on the industry’s latest technological advances and trends, has that passion.

From a young age, Mak, who has worked at Adamson Associates Architects in Toronto since 2014, was interested in art and mathematics, making architecture an appealing career aspiration. But he’s also long been fascinated by how design imbues buildings with certain qualities —like how a courthouse projects an air of authority, for instance—and how collectively the experiences and feelings people get from built spaces shape our society.

Mak was already preparing for a future in architecture while a student at Crescent.

Studying in the Grade 12 arts program under Harriet Wynne-Jones left a particular mark on him. It’s there he remembers having his first experiences with defending his artistic choices for his mixed media artwork, explaining the motivations and theories behind his project. Later, as an architecture student at Carleton University in Ottawa, Mak would have to defend his work in similar juried critiques.

Today, Mak plays a special role in the architectural ecosystem at the intersection of design and technology.

While many people imagine architects’ work solely as designing buildings, Adamson is frequently employed as the “architect of record” on projects. In this role, a firm is responsible for bringing a design architect’s vision to life, using the design to prepare construction documents. Mak plays a critical role as a specialist in digital project workflow and building information modelling.

If you think of the team as translating a design into a workable project, Mak is a guide helping translate the design into the “language”—the computer programs— used by different professionals working on the project, from drafters and structural

01 & 02

Building models and materials at Adamson Associates Architects

03 Mak at Adamson Associate Architects Toronto office

04

Mak holds an early mock-up of what would become the Google Bay View campus

05

Completed

consultants to builders. It’s a self-taught skill Mak developed over time. Throughout his career at Adamson, Mak’s built his own custom plug-ins and add-ons for existing architectural software to help convey geometry to builders and make sure shapes and curvature from design architects meet technical requirements.

“That helped tremendously with my career progression,” he says, including roles on some of the firm’s most complex and high-profile projects across North America and in London, England.

Take, for example, when Mak was part of a team working on the building envelope (architect-speak for the exterior skin) of Google’s Mountain View, California headquarters.

“The designers came up with a very complex and fancy building exterior scheme, and basically we had to make it work,” he says. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out drainage patterns for the unique dragon-scale tile roof— made up of silver solar panels arranged in a motif resembling reptile skin.

The tiles needed to be applied to a double-curved surface according to the design, but Mak’s team wasn’t sure it could be done. Using a 3D modelling program and an algorithm he wrote that helped generate the shingle layout on concave surfaces and project where water would pond and how it would flow, Mak was able to prove to the general contractor the design was feasible.

is a field for people who are passionate,” says Hanson Mak ’07. “If they’re in the field and they’re not passionate, I don’t think they can survive or even thrive in the industry.”

Google Bay View campus is topped by a novel "dragonscale" roof that has integrated solar panels. Photo by Iwan Baan

“I think the future of architecture is going to be more software-based”

—Hanson Mak ’07

The software solutions he’s devised are critical to projects, allowing Adamson to make initial assessments on design feasibility, simplify complex tasks, and make internal workflows even more efficient, saving thousands of working hours.

One of Mak’s current projects is setting up the digital workflow for a longanticipated Toronto project—Forma, the pair of 73- and 84-storey residential towers on King Street West designed by the iconic architect Frank Gehry.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Mak says, noting that few people get the chance to collaborate with Gehry’s architectural team.

Though Mak’s role in architecture is untraditional, it’s increasingly important —especially in an industry where workflows can sometimes be old-fashioned.

“I think the future of architecture is going to be more software-based,” he says.

Though some people see a divide between the design and technology sides of architecture, he excels in that intersection. It’s where he believes he, and his industry, will advance and thrive.

“The designers came up with a very complex and fancy building exterior scheme, and basically we had to make it work.”

—Hanson Mak ’07

Cameron Hubbs ’83 worked as a successful commercial photographer for 25 years, shooting for a variety of high-profile clients. He currently heads up Echo Photography, focusing on portraits. When he isn't busy shooting, you'll find him on a golf course or squash court.

The advent of smartphones means that today, we all have a sophisticated camera within arm’s reach. In fact, it’s introduced some language into our vocabulary, notably “selfie.” Whether you are taking a photo of yourself or someone else, here are a few tips that have helped me over the years.

Five tips for better smartphone portraits

By Cameron Hubbs ’83

Experiment with portrait mode

Explore all the options available to you in portrait mode, available on iPhone and Android smartphones. It is here that you’ll adjust your depth of field either with the aperture setting (iPhone) or the Blur setting (Android), making your subject stand out. There are also wonderful lighting filters that can further enhance your portraits.

Take your time

Lighting is everything

Try finding soft, diffused lighting to flatter your subject. Placing your subject in the late afternoon or early morning sun, shade, or near a softly lit window will achieve a nice soft look and invoke a sense of mood. Experiment with the direction of light. Try putting the sun behind your subject for a nice backlight, an effect you could further enhance using your camera's built-in filters and styles.

Digital cameras allow you to shoot hundreds of pictures quickly. But I suggest that you’ll have more success if you slow down, shoot with intent, and take the time to compose your image. Consider the lighting and how your subject is positioned.

Choose your background with intent

Choose a simple, uncluttered background. Remove anything that distracts from your subject. Consider what type of background will help your subject stand out: a pop of colour, a darker or lighter background, or a background with texture all set a different mood. Try moving in closer to your subject to bring out fine details or throw the background out of focus to further isolate your subject.

Engage your subject, not your camera

A great image is more about feeling than anything else. Don’t let the camera come between you and whoever you’re photographing. Engage with your subject, look over the top of your camera, have a chat, and release the shutter when the moment is right.

Taking your social media presence to the next level

By Thomas Johnston ’19

Thomas Johnston ’19 is the managing director of Shifted Digital, a talent management agency representing leading digitalfirst talent. Thomas’ background includes talent and artist management, production for film, TV, and theatre, and much more.

Everyone (and their dogs!) has a social media presence, but not all of us can make it as an influencer. Curious about what it takes to make the leap to content creator?

Create with authenticity and passion

Aspiring digital media stars should begin by finding something that they are passionate about. Passion will lead to authenticity, making it easy to document and share. Developing and understanding why you are on this pathway will leave you miles ahead of others.

Seek monetization and brand partnerships

After a highly engaged audience (community) is developed, you will be able to understand their age, gender, and location demographics. Brand partnerships are typically the largest revenue stream for creators. Seek brand partnerships that feel authentic to you and are valuable to your brand and community. If a campaign is successful, you may earn repeat business from brands.

Find what sticks with you and your audience

Creating is not a “one size fits all” adventure. Once you have found your initial inspiration and subject, you must continue to iterate. Review insights (social media data) to find out why your audience is consuming your content and what sets you apart from the millions of other accounts. This is one of the biggest contributors to organic growth and engagement.

Decide whether to go full time or part time

Creators often reach a point where they match or exceed their current income streams (from other employment) through content creation. They don’t necessarily need to be full-time content creators to achieve this. You may identify how to create content alongside other work opportunities. Having a second job can also lead to more creative outlets and ultimately more content subjects.

Engage with your community offline

Never stop engaging with your community. They are like-minded people who consume your content. Whether your audience is composed of one hundred or ten million users, they care about what you’re producing and will likely stay with you as your content creation journey evolves.

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.

Celebrating Award Winners at Leadership Reception

Crescent held the Alumni Leadership Reception on October 27 for the first time since the pandemic. Sixteen distinguished alumni were presented with three years’ worth of awards: the Young Alumni Excellence Award, the Alumni Excellence Award, and the Community Leadership Award. Three new inductees were added to the Wall of Honour: Jason “Chilly Gonzales” Beck ’89, Dr. Michael Warner ’96 and Jesse Wente ’92.

Michael Yan ‘05 Winner of the 2020 Community Leadership Award (left) and Tom Dobson ‘98 (right)

Dr. Michael Warner ’96 P’30, ’32 (centre), winner of the 2021 Alumni Excellence Award and 2022 inductee into the Wall of Honour, with Andrew Norris ’03, Chair of the Alumni Executive (left), and Tom Dobson ’98 (right)

Left to right: Shay Kothari ‘23, Head Boy; Andrew Norris ‘03, Chair of the Alumni Executive; Farhad Shariff ‘01

Aleem Janmohamed ‘96, Member of the Alumni Recognition Committee (left) and Gerald Chan ‘99, winner of the 2020 Alumni Excellence Award (right)

Headmaster Michael Fellin P’24 (left) and Jesse Wente ‘92, 2022 Wall of Honour inductee

Left to right: Andrew Norris ‘03, Chair of the Alumni Executive; Griffin Bush ‘06, Clark Davis ’02 and Jeff Barton ‘91, P’25, ’27, winners of the 2022 Alumni Community Leadership Award; Tom Dobson ‘98

Left to right: Clark Davis ‘02, winner of the 2022 Alumni Community Leadership Award; Bruce Burgess ‘57, winner of the 2021 Alumni Community Leadership Award; Lincoln Mak ‘10

Social Life

Alumni Reunite on Lawn Bowling Green

Crescent alumni met at the Lawrence Park Lawn Bowling & Croquet Club on a mild Wednesday in early October for lawn bowling, croquet and, most of all, to catch up with one another.

Montreal Alumni Enjoy Dinner Together

Crescent faculty member Geoff Green hosted an intimate alumni dinner in Montreal at Madison’s Restaurant and Bar on November 11. It was a great opportunity for some of our newest graduates to get together and share a meal.

Midtown Alumni Social a Smashing Success

Close to 100 alumni gathered at the Rose & Crown on December 1 to catch up with Crescent brothers and enjoy a pint. There were many familiar faces in attendance, including former faculty members Rob Cranston and Greg Michalski.

Life After Crescent

Milestones and Celebrations

Have family or career news to share? Send your Life After Crescent updates to alumni@crescentschool.org.

1980s

Jamie Lougheed ’87 joins Crescent as the new Chief Advancement Officer and member of the Executive Team effective January 2023. In this role, Jamie oversees the school’s external relations functions, including enrolment, fundraising, marketing and communications, and alumni engagement.

Dan Houck ’87 recently published his second book, Mellifluous Moments: volume 2.

Evan Solomon ’87 is the new Publisher of GZERO Media and a member of the Eurasia Group’s Management Committee.

Andrew Rathbun ’88 recently released two new albums, Semantics and Nodes, where he showcases two completely different sides of his musical persona.

Brian Saunderson ’80, MPP of Simcoe Grey, is pictured (centre) with Gian DelZotto ’85 (left) and Paul Perantinos ’78 (right). Brian has been named by the Premier to serve as Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General of Ontario.

1990s

Charlie Mills ’99 married Meghan Kemper on July 8, 2022 at Peter Pan Bistro in Toronto. Former faculty Patrick Mills (Charlie’s father) and Rob Messenger attended, along with current faculty Ryan Bell ’98 and Ari Hunter. Alumni in attendance included Chris van de Water ’99 and Ryan McKaskle ’97.

2000s

Jesse Berger ’02 and Jared Nusinoff ’03 recently collaborated on a re-release of Jesse’s book, Magic Internet Money. It is the first book powered by Bitcoin’s lightning network.

Jake Cassaday ’06 and his wife Amy welcomed their third child, Madeline Mary Elizabeth Cassaday, born August 27, 2022. Big brothers Max and Robbie are thrilled with their new baby sister.

Scott McGregor ’06 married Polly Cullimore on June 25, 2022 in Masseria Susafa, Sicily, Italy. Class of 2006 alumni Jake Cassaday, Nick Warwick, Chris Corneil, and Alex Doak plus Anton Jivov ’05 and Scott’s brother Reid McGregor ’00 were in attendance.

’08 married Brigid Allemang on June 11, 2022 at 1 Hotel in Toronto. Class of ’08 alumni in attendance were Ethan Wolfe, George Gleeson, Dan Moor, Nick Studley, Jeff Ballard, and Mike Robinson.

Matt

James Watts ’03 and his wife Anne welcomed their first child, a daughter named Lorraine (“Lane”) Rebecca Watts, on August 14, 2022 which was also James’ 37th birthday.

Wolfe

Hanson Mak ’07 and his wife Nancy welcomed their daughter Olivia last summer. Sister Makayla is thrilled to have a baby sister.

Life After Crescent

Michael Bolton ’09 married Emma Walter on September 17, 2022. His best man was John Bolton ’05. Kris Medhurst ’09 and Robbie Dowler ’09 were also in the wedding party. Class of 2009 alumni Josh Chan, Daniel Cameron, Mark Cameron, Pearce Jarvis, Philip Lloyd, Brandon Macpherson, and Robbie Mitchnick were there to celebrate on a perfect fall day at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Nick Riedlinger ’09 married Allison Williams on October 15, 2022 at Rosedale Golf Club. His best man was Gianrico DePasquale ’09 and the wedding party included Class of 2009 alumni Adrian Dingle, Chris Leung, David Lye, David Monus, and Philip Lloyd. Josh Chan ’09, Josh Su ’09, Matti Keskikyla ’10, and Marco DePasquale ’12 danced the night away. Nick recently moved to London, England where he is a Senior Business Analyst with Newton Investment Management Group.

James Spencer ’09 married Catherine Franey on August 13, 2022 at Chateau du Charmes in Niagaraon-the-Lake. His best man was Duncan MacDonald ’09, and Toye Ojo ’09 was a groomsman. Michael Yan ’05, Zach Spencer ‘07, Cameron Hudson ’07, Jonathan Norris ’07, Remi Ojo ’08, Philip Lloyd ’09, Josh Chan ’09, Chris Hatsios ’11, and Henson Tam ’11 all raised a glass with the newlyweds. James is currently a software developer at Clio.

2010s

David Lay ’10 was married to Ally Palmer on July 16, 2022. In their wedding party were Class of 2010 alumni Sean Mckerroll, Alex Mitchell, and Travis McKenna. In attendance were Class of 2010 alumni Gaby Weitz, Adam Shier, Alex Rasmussen, Jeff McFarland, Matt Tompkins, Crew Sisley and Zach Mandel, as well as Jeff Miller ‘12 and Alex Turner ‘11.

Matthew Kasperavicius ’17 started a new job at Meta as a software engineer and has recently moved to San Francisco.

Rohan Jain ’18 is attending Osgoode Hall for the Juris Doctor program hoping to specialize in green construction and climate change law. On December 6, he was awarded the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility for his impressive work developing the potential of youth with autism. He co-founded Able2learn Inc., a social enterprise that aims to transform and empower people with autism by promoting healthy lifestyles and independent living.

In Memoriam

Shane McCarthy ’97 May 24, 1980—September 16, 2022

Shane McCarthy passed away surrounded by his loving family and cherished friends at the Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto. Born and raised in Toronto, he is the son of Alexa Usher-Jones (née Kelly) and Peter McCarthy, and stepson of Brian Usher-Jones. From his early days at Crescent School to his high school days at Lawrence Park Collegiate, it was apparent to all that Shane was the funniest guy in the room. He is survived by his wife, Genevieve Pardoe, and their two beautiful children, daughter Maier James and son Emmett Brian. Shane is also survived by his little sister, Shannon Comeau (née McCarthy), and step-siblings Andrea Usher-Jones, Richard Usher-Jones, Mike Usher-Jones and Tim Usher-Jones ‘01. The impact of his passing will be felt profoundly by his family and his many amazing and devoted friends.

Stay Connected

Spencer Blackwell ’16 recently moved to New York City to continue his career at PlayFly. After the first year working remotely, Spencer joins the new midtown office of PlayFly, a leading sports marketing and media company.

Alex Gerlings ’13 pictured here with his Dad at Cabot Cliffs, Cape Breton back in 2018, has recently accepted a position as Marketing Manager for Cabot Cliffs Golf Course.

Catching Up With...

John Nicollucci: Ahead of His Time

John Nicollucci joined Crescent in 1994, starting in Middle School and moving to Upper School until his retirement in 2013. He taught geography exclusively.

Daniel Tiberini: What led you to choose Crescent?

John Nicollucci: A teacher at Crescent named Rex Taylor was interested in learning more about geographic information systems (GIS). I was teaching GIS at Dante Alighieri Academy and was involved with Ryerson University (now TMU). Rex called Ryerson, and they said to get ahold of this guy, Nicollucci. Rex and I started working together on a workbook. An opportunity came up at Crescent, and I took it. I never looked back.

DT: It’s amazing that we were learning about GIS a quarter of a century ago, and now we can’t do anything in our daily life without it. It’s how GPS works, how we get our stuff from Amazon and Uber Eats. None of these companies can function without that data and how it interplays with GIS. What did you know back then that very few others knew at that time?

JN: One thing that I did know was that spatial analysis goes on every day. When I saw GIS, I thought, what a great opportunity to teach all aspects of geography and get technology involved. Everything I see is spatial; everything I see I connect to geography.

DT: When we were learning about GIS, our peers in other schools were learning about provinces, capitals and world cities. It wasn’t commonplace. What should we be teaching today in geography courses that would be applicable 20 years from now?

JN: Virtual reality, where you could put on a VR set and literally go into a volcano and fly right over it and almost touch it. That would be number one for me. And social media. I would love to teach how social media reacts in a spatial world where space doesn’t come into play. Remember the word diffusion? How things get from one point to the other? It used to take a while, and now it takes seconds.

DT: In the context of the business world, we talk about globalization and deglobalization, the political and geopolitical implications of reshoring, domestic production, and migration. It all comes back to geography.

JN: When I see something on the news, I often wonder if one of my former

By Daniel Tiberini ’03

students would say, “I remember doing that in geography.” That would be the greatest compliment for me.

DT: You’ve been retired from Crescent now for eight years. What have you been doing since then?

JN: I supply taught at Crescent and Havergal for two and a half years which helped wean myself off teaching. I highly recommend that because, in the first September of my retirement, I instantly missed the students, missed the interaction. And a shout out to Mike Goldstein ’08. He got me interested in mountain bikes. After I retired, I went to Guelph for ten days and became a professional bike mechanic. It was one of the most difficult courses I ever took in my life! And not many people know this, but I’m an avid stamp collector, and I continue that. I got into more gaming and colouring. Adult colouring is the most relaxing thing you can do.

DT: You were obviously selected for this magazine because you’re a student favourite. In your opinion, why do you think that was the case?

JN: It’s me being me. My daughter’s a teacher, and I’ll tell you what I always tell her—try to make a connection with every student. If you show interest in the things that interest a student, all of a sudden, he’ll go, “This teacher gets me.”

DT: Anything else you want to share with me?

JN: I did a lot of travelling with Crescent. I got to go to Nicaragua and work on an actual volcano with the kids and Washington, D.C. I got to go to Italy and show the students my culture and where I came from. Crescent allowed me to do that. That was great. I’m glad I remembered to throw that in.

“Try to make a connection with every student. If you show interest in the things that interest a student, all of a sudden, he’ll go, ‘This teacher gets me.’”

—John Nicollucci

Daniel Tiberini ’03 is the CEO of Matcor Matsu Group of Companies. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARENNA BOYCHUK