Forte et Gratum Columbus School for Girls
SPRING 2015
Spotlight on Health and Wellness
Pictured above, the members of the Jeffrey family who attended the Agnes Jeffrey Shedd Theater Dedication were, from left to right: Donald Mykrantz, Susan Mykrantz, Jenni Mykrantz, Amy Walker, James Garland, Tad Jeffrey, Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70, Jane Power Mykrantz ’52, Carol Andreae ’63, Lynne Jeffrey, Nancy Jeffrey, Jill Kingsley, Betsy Jeffrey Balderston ’75. On the cover, front row (left to right): Sarah Schellhaas ’19, Annie Politi ’19, Emma Rau ’19, Maegan Mosher ’19; second row (left to right): Isabella Minkin ’21, Gabriella Anthony ’21.
Forte et Gratum
SPRING 2015
IN THIS ISSUE 2 LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 3 SIGNIFICANTLY CSG
17 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP NETWORK BREAKFAST
6 DEDICATING THE AGNES JEFFREY SHEDD THEATER
17 ANNUAL FUND 18 EVENTS GALLERY
7 CONNECTING IN BOSTON
20 ATHLETICS: HIGHLIGHTS
8 SPOTLIGHT ON: HEALTH AND WELLNESS
22 CLASS NEWS
16 GETTING TO KNOW YOU: LAUREN GREENSPAN
35 CONGRATULATIONS AND SYMPATHIES
A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Columbus School for Girls views supporting the
students’ social and emotional health as well as their
whole child as crucial to our mission. While
physical health and their cognitive development.
attention to the “whole child” has become a cliché
Lauren Greenspan, our Director of Counseling,
in the independent school world, CSG’s ethos—our
brings expertise in programming to support social-
commitment to community, the priority we place on
emotional learning, parent education, and teacher
relationships between teachers and students, and
training. Ms. Greenspan also has a background in yoga
the importance we place on family volunteerism at
and mindfulness training, so she is well equipped
the school—points to ways we have imbedded our commitment to student experience writ large into all that we do. The need to focus on not only our students’ academic, artistic, and athletic successes but also on their social-emotional health is an outgrowth of CSG’s commitment to the whole child. It is also a crucial aspect of a complete education, and this has never been more important than it is today.
high-pressure world we live in. As you will read in this month’s feature, “Health and Wellness,” Ms. Greenspan uses her impressive set of qualifications to make education fun and accessible while also helping our students to be healthy, empowered, and balanced. Under Ms. Greenspan’s leadership, CSG’s advisory program, health program, and student support
A recent article by Alan Schwarz published in the The
program are thriving.
New York Times, “More College Freshmen Report
You will find here ample evidence of our commitment
Feeling Depressed,” cited a study conducted by UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program which found that 9.5 percent of college freshman report feeling depressed—a significant increase when one considers that just five years ago that number was only 6.1 percent. Such findings are becoming more and more common: American teenagers report feeling more anxiety and stress than previous generations. CSG recognizes that our students are not immune to the pressures of an increasingly intense culture of
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to help our students grow and thrive despite the
to this whole-child approach. In addition to health, advisory, and student support, our developmentally appropriate and challenging physical education program is combined with thriving intramural and interscholastic athletic programs to ensure that our students are developing lifelong habits of physical fitness. Our teachers and coaches have found many creative, stimulating, and fun ways to enhance our students’ physical fitness while also building community. This focus on community health and
achievement that is a reality for high-achieving girls
balance is truly unique among independent schools.
in the U.S. In this issue of Forte et Gratum, you will
The result is a vibrant community of learners that
see programs, events, curricular shifts, and examples
remains exuberant as students get older and
of resource allocation that have at their roots CSG’s
expectations become more intense. I am proud to
commitment to supporting our students in a holistic
be part of a school community that recognizes the
way that honors each girl and supports her to reach her
importance of supporting the growth and development
full potential.
of girls in every dimension: CSG students are thriving!
The restructuring of our student support team is
Sincerely,
an example of our commitment to supporting our
Jennifer Ciccarelli
FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
Significantly CSG Kameron Millner ’15 Finalist for Two National Awards Kameron Millner ’15 was recognized as a Finalist for the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program and as a Scholar for the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. Kameron is one of only 1,300 Black American high school seniors who were chosen as a finalist for the 51st annual National Achievement Scholarship Program. Over 160,000 high school juniors requested consideration in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The College Board’s National Bottom row, Left to Right: Erica Sims, Valerie Du, Rebecca O’Donovan, Alexandra Verzella; Middle row, Left to Right: Alexa Raasch, Myrial Holbrook; Top row, Left to Right: Megan Gumina, Kameron Millner, Katherine Tierney.
Nine CSG Students Recognized by 2015 National Merit® Scholarship Program Nine students at CSG were recognized by the 2015 National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. The CSG students are: • Valerie Du ’15 – National Merit® Finalist • Megan Gumina ’15 – National Merit® Finalist • Myrial Holbrook ’15 – National Merit® Commended Student (placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the 2013 PSAT) • Kameron Millner ’15 – National Achievement Finalist & National Hispanic Scholar • Rebecca O’Donovan ’15 – National Merit® Finalist • Alexa Raasch ’15 – National Merit® Commended Student (placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the 2013 PSAT) • Erika Sims ’15 – National Achievement Outstanding Participant (scored in the top 3 percent of more than 160,000 Black Americans who took the 2013 PSAT) • Katherine Tierney ’15 – National Merit® Finalist • Alexandra Verzella ’15 – National Merit Commended Student (placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the 2013 PSAT)
Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring Hispanic/Latino high school students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latin juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT.
Megan Gumina ’15 Named Semifinalist of 74th Annual Science Talent Search Megan Gumina ’15 was named as a semifinalist in the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), a program of Society for Science & the Public and the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. During last summer, Megan participated in a selective research internship at Vanderbilt University through Vanderbilt’s Research Experience for High School Students program. She performed an individual project centered on the relationship between HDL (good cholesterol) and micro-RNA in high-sugar environments. Her project sheds more light on the association between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Megan was one of only five high school seniors in the state of Ohio and one of 300 in the nation to receive this honor out of more than 1,800 entrants from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. She has received a $1,000 award from the Intel Foundation, and an additional $1,000 will be gifted to CSG.
FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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Significantly CSG Rachel Politi ’15: UVA Bound On November 12, 2014, family, friends, coaches, faculty,
Columbus Theater Awards Recognize CSG Faculty and Alumnae
and staff gathered together for National Letter Signing
The Columbus Theater Awards honored both Upper and
Day and to celebrate Rachel Politi ’15, varsity swimmer, who signed her official letter of intent to join the University of Virginia Swim Team next fall.
Middle School Theater teachers and alumnae. Middle School Theater Teacher Liz Wheeler Bishara ’00 won the Theater Roundtable award for “Best Actress in a Musical” for her stellar performance in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at CATCO. Upper School Theater Teacher Janetta Davis was cast as Queen Gertrude in the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus’s production of Hamlet, which was voted one of the best plays of 2014 in the Columbus Dispatch, receiving “Best of 2014” theater commendations from all three critics in town. Of special note, the Columbus Theater Critics Circle gave a citation to Actors’ for casting CSG alumna Grace Bolander ’14 as Hamlet. The honor of a citation is reserved for very special theatrical performances.
Middle School First® Lego® League Robotics Team Places First at District Tournament The Unibots took the first place trophy for Strategy and Innovation at the Ohio Youth Robotics District Tournament held on January 10 and January 11, 2015, at Wayne Warrior High School near Dayton, and advanced to the FLL Ohio State Championship event at Wright State University on February 7 and 8, 2015. The team qualified for the District Tournament after competing against 16 teams, winning the trophy for Robot Design in the Regional FLL challenge “World Class Learning” on November 22, 2014. The Unibots rank in the top nine percent of young robot programmers in Ohio.
This year’s team members are, from left to right, first row: Sophia Feinberg ’21, Ella Feinberg ’21; second row: Katrina D’Arms ’20, Raelina Yu ’19, Vara Mehra ’20, Eileen Boyle ’20, Ali Maniace ’19, Haleigh Colombo ’20; back row: Coach, Michael Vernier, a doctoral student in Engineering at Ohio State. Their advisor, not pictured, is Ms. Ann Marie McDonnell.
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FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
Running left to right it is Todd Covert as Andre, Liz Wheeler Bishara ’00 as Christine Colgate, Joe Bishara as Freddy, Matt Clemens as Lawrence, and Susan Bunsold Wilson as Muriel in the CATCO production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. (Photo by Sostrom Photography)
Grace Bolander ’14 as Hamlet (center), Rachel Gaunce as Ophelia (right), John Feather as Lord Polonius (far left), and Janetta Davis as Queen Gertrude (second from left) in the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus 2014 production of Hamlet in the Schiller Park Amphitheatre. (Dispatch Photo by Courtney Hergesheimer.)
Significantly CSG Adena Effigy Pipe Featured As Ohio Archaeology Month Poster The Ohio Archaeological Council featured the Adena Effigy Pipe on the 2014 Archaeology Month poster. The selection recognizes the extraordinary significance of the artifact and the efforts of CSG students and teachers to make it the official state artifact. Students and teachers from CSG, with support from the Ohio Historical Society, worked
What Happens in the Woods Does Not Stay in the Woods!
for over four years to make the Adena Pipe Ohio’s official state artifact in May 2013.
CSG’s nature haven, Cynthia’s Woods,
The Adena Pipe is a 2,000-year-old relic that
has been a rich and valuable oasis for the entire Program for Young Children this year. It took courage for the girls to step off the bus and into the woods, but the
Left: Sloane Moneme ’29 and Grace Addison ’29 at Cynthia’s Woods. Above: 4/5 Class at Cynthia’s Woods.
experience was transformational. The woods quickly became a powerful place of freedom and responsible risk-taking for the girls as they immersed themselves in an environment away from school. Trudging through lush green growth, mud puddles, fallen leaves, and mounds of snow, the girls explored all of the seasons in the woods. As a place rife with inspiration, the woods became the catalyst for developing a tree house project in the 4/5 class. They visited every month to experiment hands-on with natural materials and building strategies. The girls saw deer, turtles, salamanders, aquatic creatures such as water pennies, and different birds such as red tail hawks and pileated woodpeckers, as well as animal bones. What happens in the woods definitely does not stay in the woods! Many natural treasures were brought back to the classroom for inspiration and as a means of remembering. The girls expressed themselves through photography, drawing, and sharing their stories with their classmates, families, and the school community. Cynthia’s Woods now lives deep in their hearts!
was found near Chillicothe. The effigy pipe, which was linked to the Adena culture, was found in a burial mound in 1901. The pipe is made of Ohio pipestone. According to the Ohio Historical Society, tubular pipes were common in the Adena culture (800 B.C. to A.D. 1), but the Adena Pipe is unique because it is tubular and formed in the image of a person. It is uncertain if the figure is modeled after an Adena man or a mythological being. After visiting and studying Ohio prehistoric sites in 2009, the Adena Pipe state artifact idea was conceived by Form IV (now Form X) girls studying Ohio history at CSG under the direction of Form IV teachers Tracy Kessler and Charlotte Stiverson. Through the ensuing years, additional classes of Form IV CSG girls joined the crusade and helped to continue shepherding the proposal through every step of the legislative process.
Form VII Galvanizes Middle School to Raise $200 for IRC On Thursday, November 13, 2014, Form VII organized a bake sale to raise money for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a non-profit organization committed to helping people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive and recover. The entire Middle School supported this worthy cause by purchasing the sweets, raising a grand total of $200 for IRC. Form VII organized the bake sale after learning about how Rick Neal P’27 traveled to Africa to aid in the Ebola crisis. On behalf of the IRC, Neal accepted the girls’ generous donation during a Middle School Chapel, the topic of which was service, and recognized their good deed and hard work in raising the muchneeded funds. Neal said that the $200 will go a long way to help the IRC. FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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Dedicating the Agnes Jeffrey Shedd Theater On Friday, January 30, 2015, students, faculty, members of the Board of Trustees, and members of the Jeffrey Family gathered to dedicate the Agnes Jeffrey Shedd Theater and to celebrate the generosity of the Jeffrey Family to Columbus School for Girls. Agnes Jeffrey Shedd was one of the earliest supporters of CSG. Her three daughters all attended CSG: Marion, Class of 1917; Elizabeth, Class of 1921; and Agnes, Class of 1928. Agnes served the School in every way that she could. She
Upper School Select Strings
valued education for all of her children because she believed that education makes a person complete. Although her family was her truest treasure, theater was her passion. As a student at Smith College, she was cast in The Merchant of Venice. Although it was a very small part, Agnes refused to let this stop her from having theater in her life. She learned quite early on that she would have to make her own opportunities to follow her dreams. Thus, as she dedicated her life to raising her family, she dedicated much of her time to the Columbus community, supporting and creating art and theater. As a result, theater and CSG became inextricably linked in Shedd’s mind. (continues on next page)
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FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
The Grace Notes perform “Fire, Fire My Heart” by Thomas Morley
Connecting in Boston On Thursday, February 26, 2015, CSG’s Head of School Jennifer Ciccarelli, Interim Director of Development and External Relations Regan Mazak, and Assistant Director of Development, Alumnae Relations Jordan Hilbrands ’07 traveled to a snowy Boston, Massachusetts, to visit local alumnae. Boston alumnae, with class years ranging from 1950 to 2012, attended the event. They were able to meet Jennifer Ciccarelli, share history about the School, and discuss the impact CSG has had on their lives. It was also a great way for alumnae in the Boston area to connect both socially and professionally. Those in attendance were excited to discover that there are over 130 CSG alumnae living within a 50-mile radius of Boston! This regional reception was a great success, and we are looking forward to planning the next one.
Agnes Jeffrey Shedd
“Having a state-of-the art Agnes Jeffrey Shedd Theater at CSG is very appropriate. We wanted the students of today to know that Agnes was a strong supporter of CSG and the theater, in general. She contributed generously to
Kim Dunham ’02, Christina Danosi ’09, Patty Arehart ’09, and Eleanor Vorys ’12.
school campaigns for her entire life. She was the embodiment of the school motto, Forte et Gratum, Strength and Grace,” said Nancy Jeffrey. Lexi Bright ’16, left, as Cinderella, and Jordan Brooks ’16, right, as the Fairy Godmother.
Jennifer Ciccarelli, Head of School, exclaimed during the dedication that “Agnes Jeffrey
Shedd is a role model for all of us. We need only to gaze around this exquisite space to know that, indeed, Agnes’s generosity will certainly have a lasting, positive impact on young women by enhancing their experiences as actors and musicians. Her legacy will continue to inspire and transform theater and music here at CSG, and in Columbus, for
Maria Dixon ’05, Head of School Jennifer Ciccarelli, and Elizabeth Hoy ’05.
generations to come.” FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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Health & Wellness SPOTLIGHT ON
W
e live in an interconnected world that is experiencing rapid change on a scale that is unprecedented. Information is exchanged at an unfettered pace, and
technological advances are a matter of course. Contemporary education has placed a necessary and well-intended emphasis on preparing students for this global world they will enter. Such reforms, however, have led to a competitive educational environment. Childhood has been fast-tracked and the academic pressure on students across the country is only increasing. Students are under immense pressure to perform and to do more in less time. They are trying to keep up with their school day, homework, social lives, and sports and barely have any time to relax or play. At Columbus School for Girls, we are cognizant of the rapidly shifting educational landscape and of the potential toll it could take on our students’ wellbeing. We believe that our students’ social, emotional, and physical health must be supported so that they will continue to thrive intellectually as well as socially, emotionally, and physically. At CSG, we view “health” as a comprehensive goal that incorporates the needs of the “whole child.” We have taken a holistic approach to health and wellness, weaving health and wellness throughout the curriculum, the Athletics Department, special initiatives, and outreach efforts.
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Social Wellness Crucial social skills are taught and cultivated through many CSG initiatives and programs, so that our girls develop and maintain a strong network of support and relationships that are based on interdependence, mutual trust, and respect. Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) is one such program. Facilitated by CSG school counselors, it provides evidencebased empowerment programming for girls. ROX equips girls with the knowledge and skills necessary to live healthy, independent, and productive lives. Lesson topics focus on girl bullying and relational aggression, healthy dating and relationships, cyberbullying and navigating social media, body Form V girls in the ROX Program.
image and the media, and leadership. Another program that promotes social wellness is the Big/Little Sis Program. Unique to CSG, a younger girl is paired with an older girl by Form: Form I students are paired with Form VII students, II with VIII, III with IX, IV with X, V with XI, and VI with XII. The program allows girls to both have a mentor and to be a mentor. Betsy Gugle, Director of the Lower School, said, “A strong bond is formed as the girls grow and learn together, year after year. Several special events take place throughout the year, like a back-to-school ice cream social, Hispanic Heritage month celebration, leaves of thankfulness project, and February’s heart health assignment tied to Valentine’s Day, so the girls get a chance to spend time together and focus on activities that are purposeful, healthy, and fun.” Red Outs are hosted by the Athletics Department and are a wonderful way to encourage students, faculty, and parents to attend big sporting events and wear red to support the Unicorns. Megan Henry, Director of Athletics, said, “This provides a fun time for the school community to come together in support of the Unicorns.” Social wellness is important for parents to learn as well. CSG’s faculty and administration regularly host Parent
Arlyvia Chaialee-Franklin ’18 and Asanda Ransier ’24 write what they are thankful for as part of the Big/Little Sis leaves of thankfulness project in November.
Education Events and Parent Coffees to help parents stay abreast of current research and best practices in wellness. These meetings provide tools for parents to use as they support the development of wellness for their daughters. Some recent examples of parent education topics include the ins and outs of social media, female friendships, and understanding standardized testing.
Emotional Wellness Stress management has been a key area of focus in the advisory curriculum in Forms VIII-XII. Girls learn healthy ways to manage stress through activities and exercises. In one, students are asked to first identify the sources of their stress. They are then asked to determine that which they have control over and can
CSG students get ready for a Red Out!
(continues on next page)
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CSG Cares By Charlotte Stiverson ’76 Having attended CSG daily for over 35 school years, nine as a student and 26 as a teacher, I have seen and felt the impact our all girls’ school has on the many lives it touches. It’s a community filled with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumnae who are lifelong learners and friends. The power of this community was very evident two years ago when I discovered I had breast cancer. Traveling this breast cancer journey was a bumpy ride, but the road became smoother with the help and support of the many friends in our CSG family. The number of CSG connections that helped during this process amazed me and showed me the impact my school has had on my life, and how bonds formed at CSG last a lifetime. Now that I am healing and reflecting on the support of the CSG family, my thoughts have gone to finding a way to make that support easier for others to access during challenging health situations. A few colleagues (teachers, school nurse, and alumnae) and I have discussed the possibility of working together with other interested CSG friends to create a group called CSG Cares. While many phases of CSG Cares are being planned by our committee, this year we have started by having an informal monthly gathering with an educational focus on health and prevention. These meetings involve book discussions, with topics revolving around health issues. As the organization grows, the educational interests and topics will evolve. The meetings are scheduled from 3:45-4:45 on the first Wednesday of the month and will be held in room 102 in the Lower School. We would like to invite any interested alumnae, family, students, teachers, and staff (both present and past) to be a part of CSG Cares. Please e-mail Charlotte Stiverson at cstiverson@columbusschoolforgirls.org or Jillian Smith at jsmith@columbusschoolforgirls.org to sign up for the meetings or to gather more information.
change versus things that they do not have control over and
Director of Counseling, Lauren Greenspan, said, “Our emotional
must learn to cope with or let go. Students then learn strategies
wellness programming and education helps our students
to deal with stressful events and situations that cannot be
identify, express, and manage a range of feelings. This results in
eliminated. Four primary strategies to cope with stress are:
a reduction of stress and anxiety, and an increase in positive
1. Reducing exposure to stressors through effective time
feelings. Students who are better able to self-manage their
management, problem solving, and making regular time for
feelings are more likely to develop a deep level of confidence,
recreation.
which leads to having a clear sense of self and being more
2. Reducing stress through good sleep, exercise, mindful movement, and relaxation and mindfulness techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, guided imagery, and tuning into the senses. 3. Reinterpreting stress by reframing their thinking and talking to a counselor. 4. Letting stress out through physical exercise, talking with a friend/family member/counselor, writing/journaling, and creative arts activities. Exams can be a source of additional stress for students. To mitigate test anxiety and stress, CSG provides all Upper School students a series of mindful test-taking workshops during exam weeks. The girls learn such strategies as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, and positive self-talk, all of which can be used while studying, before the exam, and during the exam when they experience anxiety. These strategies help the girls calm the emotional centers of their brains and increase the executive functions of the
resilient. As a result, they have the tools to better manage their academic studies at school.”
Physical Wellness In addition to our robust interscholastic athletics and Unicorn sports programs, physical wellness is approached holistically through the CSG physical education (PE) and health curriculum. Beginning in the Program for Young Children and continuing throughout their CSG experience, students focus on physical development and nutrition in PE classes. The goals of this program are for each girl to find her own motivation to stay physically fit, make healthy choices, and achieve and maintain a physically and mentally balanced life. Lower School Division Director Betsy Gugle said, “We always try to make learning about health and wellness as fun and as interactive as possible so students are excited and engaged in the health topic.”
prefrontal cortex (attention, focus, memory, organization, etc.)
For example, in recognition of February as National Heart
to perform optimally on the exams.
Health Month, Lower School PE teachers, Amy Hartman and (continues on next page)
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Lauren Todd put on a “Healthy Heart Fair” as part of the Lower School Chapel. Students learned more about how to keep their hearts healthy and happy through a series of stations. Most of the stations showcased fun and active things that the students can do, like jumping rope and hula-hooping. They learned relaxation techniques at the partner yoga station. At the nutrition station, the students saw an example of a healthy plate for meals. They also learned how to “sip smart” by seeing a display of a variety of drinks; each was accompanied by a plastic bag filled with that drink’s sugar content. To make nutritious choices, students were introduced to an application on computer called “Fooducate.” The app gives a letter grade—A, B, C, or D—for each food item. The students practiced using the app by scanning the barcode of several different cereal boxes, discovering which cereal would be the
Lower School students have fun while at the Healthy Heart Fair.
healthier choice. The girls helped decorate the bulletin board in the Gold Gym by writing on a paper heart what they do to keep their heart healthy. The Heart Health Fair was an active and powerful way to learn about heart health. Middle School students learned about the importance of cardiovascular fitness and the factors that improve cardiovascular fitness such as frequency, time, intensity, and type of exercise. In their swim unit, Form VIII students were introduced to heart rate monitors, which are a wonderful tool for gauging exercise intensity. Students took their pulse to learn their resting heart rate, which they then used to calculate their target heart rate zones. Then, as the girls played water games (continues on next page)
Research has shown that physical wellness leads to:
1.
Greater academic success
to have higher grades, and score higher on standardized tests than non-athletes. ● Female athletes are also more likely to do well
do not play sports.
Increased career opportunities
percent lower risk of obesity 20 to 25 years later. While public health program can claim similar success.”
● Sports participation decreases a young woman’s
chance of developing heart disease, osteoporosis,
4.
breast cancer, and other health related problems.
Improved mental health and increased personal skills.
● Being a female athlete is associated
● Girls who play sports report better health, body
image, and an overall higher quality of life, compared to girls who don’t play sports.
with 14 percent higher wages. ● An increase in female sports participation
● Women who played sports while young had a seven
a seven percent decline in obesity is modest, “no other
● Young women who play sports are more likely
in science classes than their classmates who
2.
3.
Health benefits
● Perhaps most importantly, physical activity leads to
leads to greater female participation in
higher self-esteem and protects against depression,
previously male-dominated occupations,
anxiety, loneliness, aggression problems, and
particularly high-skill, high-wage positions.
high-risk behaviors.
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What does healthy mean to you?: Greyson Wallace ’27 Program for Young Children Leonie Turack
Student “ Running and playing and playing tag outside with
Physical Education Faculty, Head Coach of Middle School Tennis
Sage and my sister keeping
“Health, to me, is about listening and being
my heart healthy.”
good to your heart. Physical activity is a way to keep it pumping. That’s why I love
play
CSG’s heart-healthy attitude of ‘A lot of spirit, a dash of rebellion, and a ton of courage.’ That’s what it takes!”
be good to
your heart
Annie Feibel ’19 Middle School Student
“ Ever since I was little, my mom, when asked at the beginning of the school year what she wanted for me in that year, had always said that her goal for the school year was for me to happy. This was not because I am not a routinely happy person, rather she knows for me to be a productive citizen, I need to be happy. In order to be happy, it is important to be healthy. One cannot grow physically or academically without good health. Eating right and getting enough sleep are essential. For me, being healthy also involves keeping my body moving. While Columbus School for Girls’ rigorous academic expectations keep our minds growing, our teachers and coaches also encourage us to have a healthy lifestyles. This includes eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising. Helping us to make good choices at lunch, teaching us how to complete our work as stress free and efficiently as possible with special workshops, and providing us with athletic opportunities, CSG helps me to be the healthy person I am. Most importantly, CSG’s loving community is always there when you do not feel like your best and healthiest self, which thus makes students like me happy.”
Jennifer Li Program for Young Children Faculty Member
balance sleep yoga
eat right
“Yoga is one of the most beneficial things I do to maintain a healthy life. It allows me to build strength physically and mentally, while also helping to
center and calm my mind. This year, I am refocusing on getting back into running. I really enjoy running half-marathons and find it so fulfilling emotionally, mentally, and physically. The goal of a race helps me to stay focused on carving out time for me to take care of myself. Making time to find balance can be such a struggle, but setting goals such as running a race or conquering a difficult pose in yoga pushes me to find more balance in my life. One of the most important things I do to keep myself healthy is spending time with those that I love. That time spent laughing and unwinding with friends and family is so therapeutic and healing. Staying healthy, both physically and emotionally, allows me to be the best version of myself in all areas of my life.”
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feel good about yourself
C.C. Seamon ’23 Lower School Student “ Exercise, feel good about yourself, and eat right!”
Nicole Johnson
in the pool, they monitored their heart rate. Students have also
Business Office Accounting Clerk
used the monitors to check their heart rate during circuit
“Exercising is knowing your own body,
monitors motivated them to exercise at a moderate or vigorous
never try to keep up with someone else, go at your own pace whatever feels comfortable to you. I’m in a running group called the Misfits, we are all ages, sizes, and at different running levels. Our motto is ‘Live to Run, Run to Live’ we encourage, motivate and cheer each other on at every run.”
training and while on the cardio machines. The heart rate level within their target heart rate zone, which will enable them to reap the most health benefits from exercise without overdoing it, thereby avoiding possible injuries. The Strength and Conditioning Program gives CSG students the opportunity to train, receive coaching, gain strength and mobility, and hopefully prevent injuries throughout the year. Coach Kaitlyn Nortz, Varsity Head Volleyball Coach, manages the program. She said, “We help students to develop a healthy
run swim
Kirby Boes ’15 Upper School Student “ Swimming is good for my physical, mental, and emotional health because it keeps me in shape and is a place for me to clear my head and focus on
move
something other than school, drama, or stress.”
routine via the structure of the program. There is a set day and time when students commit to becoming better athletes. We provide a phenomenal weight room. And just being surrounded by other like-minded, hard-working girls creates a positive environment that instills a healthy attitude in the girls, many of whom may never have worked out together it if weren’t for this program. Our goal is to not only train the girls to become stronger and faster but to build their confidence in a weight room or gym. Our intent is for students to engage in healthy (continues on next page)
Wellness Task Force The mission of the Wellness Task Force is to promote and support organizational and individual wellness among members of the CSG community. It aims to create and maintain a community that encourages a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle through positive school climate and collegial support.
Lauren Todd Physical Education Faculty, Head Coach of Middle School Lacrosse “Being healthy to me means living
live an active lifestyle
an active lifestyle by performing exercises that increase your heart rate and also build muscle strength. Another important part of taking care of your body is making healthy food choices. When I exercise and eat the right foods to fuel my body, I feel strong, happy, and energized!”
The nine-member task force includes representation from various departments and parent liaisons: Diann Casagrande, School Nurse; Stephanie Donley, Head Swim Coach and Aquatics Coordinator; Betsy Esser, PYC and Lower School Counselor; Lauren Greenspan, Director of Counseling; Betsy Gugle, Director of Lower School; Vanessa Landrum, Food Service Director; Lindsey Kelley, Upper and Middle School Health and Physical Education; Sarah Hall P’20; and Dr. Amy Whitson P’24. This group, along with the Health, Physical Education, and Support Services Departments, spearheads many of our wellness initiatives. Examples of programs include Big/Little Sis events, sharing of health tips and fitness opportunities, health fairs, the spring triathlon, and school-wide health and wellness observances, including breast cancer awareness and heart health month. During these observances, students learn helpful information about prevention and work to support those struggling with particular diseases.
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Vanessa Landrum, Food Service Director
The Importance of Nutritional Health
restrictions tool as part of the online menu. Diners can click
At CSG, nutritional health is of prime importance. That is
want to avoid, and see how the menu adjusts. By clicking on
on the allergens/restrictions tab, choose the allergen(s) they
why CSG partners with SAGE Dining Services for meals.
a specific dish, the full list of ingredients will display.
The in-house team, led by Vanessa Landrum, prepares food
On a personal level, health “is not just about eating the right
cooked from scratch every day. To offer a balanced menu, SAGE uses whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables, sourcing local ingredients and buying organic produce when in season as much as possible. “A variety of menu options are offered every day that are healthy and popular with the students,” said Landrum. To help students make healthy choices, the SAGE Spotlight Program assigns color-coded dots to all menu items and on signs in the Ruch Dining Room to help students make informed choices: green for variety, yellow for balance, and red for moderation. Nutrition, Landrum states, is “all about balance and eating ‘the rainbow.’ Students should try to eat as many different colors of foods every day.” Proteins are also very important for students to sustain their energy throughout the school day. “Along with proteins on the main serving line,” Landrum said, “the deli bar features in-house roasted meats and local cheeses. The salad bar also offers different protein options, such as cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu.” She encourages students to “try new foods. You never know if you like it until you try it!” Diners always have an opportunity to leave comments in the comment box. “We truly listen to the students’ suggestions and make adjustments to the menu when possible.” Food safety is also another top priority. To help find safe items in the dining hall, SAGE offers an allergens and
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FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
foods,” Landrum said. It’s about “having an active lifestyle, surrounding myself with positive people, being present in the moment, and eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, along with vegetables, fruits, and minimal starches—that’s what keeps me feeling great!”
and safe movements. Ultimately, our hope is that the structure of the training and coaching will give athletes a competitive advantage in their sport.” Another program that has been successful and that students enjoy is the after-school yoga class for Middle School students. Director of Counseling Lauren Greenspan started the program (see page 16). She said, “When I first started practicing yoga, I noticed that I was gaining many health benefits. Not only was I feeling more physically fit and healthy, but my mind was clear and calm. So I decided to become a certified yoga instructor.” Greenspan merged her Top: Emma McDonald ’19
counseling background with the practices of yoga and mindfulness, which enabled her to offer a holistic approach,
Middle: Left to right: Mercedes Crestanello ’19 and Gabby Elliott ’19
truly connecting mind and body. When she began promoting
Bottom: Left to right: Eileen Boyle ’20 and Cameron Tiefenthaler ’20
students love it. “It is a time for the girls to come together, try
the new yoga class to the students, she didn’t know how much interest there would be. However, Middle School new things, enjoy some music, and have fun,” said Greenspan. “By the end of the class, they have gained a feeling of balance and peace. We all feel like we could go right to sleep because we are so relaxed by the end of class.” Other yoga initiatives at CSG include yoga at break (once a week in Middle School), yoga for the CSG Swim and Dive Team (Upper School), yoga in PE classes, and yoga for stress relief (Form VIII advisories).
Did You Know? That CSG’s eight-lane competition indoor pool is open to all Bexley residents, CSG families, and alumnae? Annual pool-only memberships can be purchased for: • Alumnae/CSG Individual Plan- $100 • Alumnae/CSG Family Plan - $200 • Non-Alumnae Individual Plan - $200 • Non-Alumnae Family Plan - $400 Hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:457:00 a.m. for lap swimming; and Sundays from 3:00-6:00 p.m. for lap and recreational swimming. To learn more about Community Swim, visit www.columbusschoolforgirls.org, click on Athletics and then Community Wellness.
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Members of the Middle School After School Yoga Class. From left to right, first row: Lauren Greenspan, Isabella Lomeo ’21, Ally Werstler ’21, Olivia Clarke ’21; second row: Cameron Tiefenthaler ’20, Lily Shayani ’20, Emma Rau ’19, Paige Parker ’19, Clara Livingston ’19; third row: Olivia Barry-Wilson ’21, Annie Politi ’19, Molly Bright ’19, Emma Showe ’19, Sophia Sommer ’21, and Ava Deskins ’21.
Getting to know you: Lauren Greenspan Lauren Greenspan is CSG’s Director of Counseling. In this brand new role, she is the counselor for Middle and Upper School students. She also coordinates all
WHERE WERE YOU PRIOR TO CSG?
I worked at the Graham Expeditionary Middle School and Graham Primary School as a school counselor, Ohio State as a Graduate Teaching Associate, and at Nationwide Children’s
social and emotional programming to raise awareness
Hospital as a Children’s Advocacy Project Coordinator.
of emotional health and wellness in the community.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT CSG?
Every girl has the chance to shine! Coming most recently from WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Pickerington, Ohio. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY OR THING TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
I like to walk my dog, hang out with people I love, practice
a co-ed school, I have been struck by the marked difference in our girls’ interactions and confidence here. I also love seeing them pursue their individual passions—from music and the arts to robotics to athletics. WHAT DOES HEALTH MEAN TO YOU?
yoga, cook, and discover new music.
To me, health is holistic. It involves emotional, social, spiritual,
WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU?
healthy and happy when I tend to every aspect of health in a
I went to the World Cup in Brazil last summer. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE COUNSELING AS YOUR CAREER FIELD?
My father inspired me to become a counselor. Although he himself was not a counselor, his quiet and gentle presence always made me feel safe to talk to him. He really listened to me, offering guidance and support during some difficult times in middle and high school. He inspired me to want to have the same type of positive impact on others. All kids deserve someone who will listen objectively and non-
physical, intellectual, and creative wellness. I feel the most balanced way. HOW DO YOU MAKE HEALTH A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE?
I make it a priority by creating space for it. I intentionally set boundaries and designate time for self-care. For me, that means having a cup of tea, playing with my dog, enjoying time with my husband, meditating, practicing yoga, and giving my full attention to the present moment. Every morning, I set an intention for my day, and I repeat that intention to myself throughout the day. It becomes my daily mantra, helping me stay focused and grounded.
judgmentally and guide them through difficult changes and
HOW DO YOU BALANCE WORK AND LIFE?
decisions. My dad was that for me, and I strive to be that for
I practice mindfulness by intentionally focusing on my breath
my students.
and engaging in relaxation exercises throughout my day.
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CSG Hosted Third Annual Women’s Leadership Network Breakfast
are taught they can do anything and have the freedom, ability,
In partnership with The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio,
understanding of the existence of unconscious bias, as well as
Columbus School of Girls hosted more than 100 women
our understanding of how to cultivate resilience, will help us to
leaders from the greater Columbus region for the Third
reach our full potential as powerful women, and it will help our
Annual Women’s Leadership Network Breakfast on February
daughters to reach their collective full potential, too.”
and willingness to take risks and rise to the occasion as they go onto college and enter the work force. “Ultimately, of course,” Ciccarelli concluded, “I hope that our
5, 2015. Head of School Jennifer Ciccarelli led a stimulating conversation about cultivating resilience and the concept of unconscious bias being a potential barrier to that development. In a lively discussion that followed Ciccarelli’s remarks, women in the audience noted multiple areas where unconscious bias exists in society. With incidents of bias occurring from the legislature to the board room, the audience shared their stories and reflected on the many consequences of bias (like downplaying the strengths they have to offer). Ciccarelli said, “Much of the focus in education is on cognitive research. Understanding the role that the unconscious brain plays in our behavior could have a profound effect on the way we prepare our students. Perhaps a better understanding of unconscious bias will truly have an impact on the way women and girls perceive their own strengths.” In terms of that strength, Katie Chatas ’84 talked about how CSG already prepares students to develop resiliency in their lives. “They develop an inner confidence. Classmates are not only peers but their support network.” As a result, CSG students
Clockwise from top left: Megan Fitzmartin ’80 and Upper School Director Pam Hartshorne; Francie Henry and Lisa Hinson P’16; Board Chair Lavea Brachman ’80 and Head of School Jennifer Ciccarelli; Karen Hough.
CSG Annual Fund Contributing to the CSG Annual Fund is one of the most positive and immediate ways to make an impact in students’ lives. Philanthropic support gives them access to new programs and opportunities, and helps retain outstanding faculty. You can make a gift securely online at www.columbusschoolforgirls.org/giving, by mail, or by phone 614.252.0781, ext. 133. With your support, you continue to turn today’s girls into tomorrow’s leaders.
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EVENTS GALLERY
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL
October 6, 2014
scholarship walk october 10, 2014
halloween october 31, 2014
November 2, 2014
by design
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EVENTS GALLERY
upper school
as you like it november 6-9, 2014
lower school
engineering night november 13, 2014
at the conservatory
the grace notes november 6-9, 2014
thanksgiving program november 25, 2014
upper school
holiday dinner december 19, 2014
senior caroling december 12, 2014
form viii tea december 12, 2014
dr. mlk, jr. program january 16, 2015
valentines day February 14, 2015
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ATHLETICS: HIGHLIGHTS
Congratulations to the Aqua Unies for being State Runner-Up! Mark Znidar, a reporter for The Columbus Dispatch, wrote
• Moosavian, Smith, Politi, and Donley upset the State
that “Ohio might be seeing just the beginning of a run of
Champion Hawken School in the 200 freestyle relay with a
success by the CSG Unicorns.” And what an historic season
time of 1:35.45. This is a new team record and earned them
it was!
an automatic All-American ranking. This is the first State
• Syreeta Palackdharry ’17 finished fifth in the state in the
Title for a relay team at CSG. • Moosavian, Smith, Politi and Donley, won the 400 freestyle
diving competition.
relay with a time of 3:30.01, earning the title of state
• 200 medley relay team of Gabbie Eismann ’16, Annie Moosavian ’16, Eleanor Smith ’16, Maggie Wagenbrenner ’17, and Co-Captain Kirby Boes ’15 moved CSG from 13th to 10th in the finals with a time of 1:52:08. • Co-captain Rachel Politi ’15 finished her senior year eighth in the 100 butterfly and fought to move from eighth to fifth in the 500 freestyle. She set a new team record of 4:59:91 in this event at Districts. • Smith swam a beautiful 100 butterfly in 58.34 seconds and went from 14th to 13th place in the finals.
CCL Swim and Dive Championships—both for the second year in the row. Congratulations to all team members for the fabulous season, for there were many more records broken and life-time bests made than can fit on the page! Miranda Donley Named Dispatch Athlete of the Week
week of February 10-16, 2015. Donley helped the Unicorns win the Division II District
record at 22.97 seconds. She finished fifth in the 100 freestyle, setting a new team record in the prelims. She
place 15th.
The Aqua Unies were also District Champions and won the
for her outstanding performance for the
championship in the 50 freestyle and set a new team
• Moosavian finished strong in the 100 freestyle to
them an automatic All-American ranking.
The Dispatch highlighted Miranda Donley ’17
• Miranda Donley ’17 won her first Individual State
earned two automatic All-American rankings.
champions. This is also a new team record and will earn
Championship by winning the 50 freestyle (23.42 seconds) and 100 freestyle (52.07), swimming the lead leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:37.84), and swimming anchor on the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:31.01).
Syreeta Palackdharry ’17
Co-captains Kirby Boes ’15 and Rachel Politi ’15.
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Upper School Swim Team Celebrates at Sectionals.
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Upper School Swim Team
Miranda Donley ’17
ATHLETICS: HIGHLIGHTS
Upper School Basketball Team
Middle School Basketball Team Undefeated
The Middle School Basketball team finished their regular season undefeated with a final record of 20–0 after winning the COAL Conference tournament championship game held in front of a packed crowd in Crane Gymnasium. Varsity Basketball Team Season Skyrockets
The Varsity Basketball team demonstrated tremendous improvement ending the regular season with a record of 11-11. This is as many wins as the last three seasons
Middle School Basketball Team
combined. Middle School Swim and Dive Team win 2014 Middle School Championship Meet
Congratulations to the Middle School Swim and Dive team on winning the 2014 Middle School Championship meet. Anna Ray Ziegler ’19, Allison Purdum ’19, Jordan AurnouRhees ’20, and Natalie Merryman ’19 broke the 200 medley relay record by three seconds. Merryman, Annie Politi ’19, Emily Dewolf ’19, and Aurnou-Rhees broke the 200 freestyle relay record by almost two seconds. And ArnouRhees broke her own 100 individual medley record by a second and the 50 breast by almost a second!
Middle School Swim Team
Smith ’16 Qualified for Cross Country State Championships
Eleanor Smith ’16 of the CSG Cross Country team competed in the Division III States on November 1, 2014, and placed 34th of 142 competitors, completing the race in 19:52.99.
Eleanor Smith ’16
CSG Tennis Stars Competed in States
Seniors Mary Ann Click ’15 and Linda Yang ’15, Upper School Tennis team members, competed in the OHSAA State Tournament for the second straight year.
Mary Ann Click ’15, left, and Linda Yang ’15, right, with our beloved Unicorn mascot, center.
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CLASS NEWS 1931 It is with great sadness that we report the death of Elizabeth “Libby” Gill Kurtz on November 23, 2014. Libby celebrated her 100th birthday on August 12, 2014, surrounded by friends and family. Libby’s daughter is Betsy Kurtz Argo ’63 and her niece is Catherine Kurtz Vrenna ’88.
1932 Class Representative: Virginia Kurtz Ebinger Virginia Kurtz Ebinger celebrated her 100th birthday on February 9, 2015. Ginny is our oldest living alumna. Happy birthday!
working on a new project in Florida. I went to Lancaster, Ohio, for Christmas and had a super time. In between bridge games, I had a bad cancer spot removed from my forehead. Cheers!”
1940 Class Representative: Suzanne Kibler Morris
75th Reunion!
1941 Class Representative Needed
1933
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Susan McIlroy Pierce. She passed away on November 21, 2014, in Granville, Ohio, at the age of 91 years old. Susan’s daughter is Polly Pierce Edwards ’71.
1934
1942
Class Representative: Mary Ruth Essex Patterson
Class Representative Needed
1936
Evelyn Means McKitrick writes, “Since there are so few of us, I will respond. Not much news, but Jeff and I are still here at 90 and 92 in our own home with wonderful help. We are well, but moving slowly. We have two wonderful daughters in the Chicago area and Greensboro, North Carolina, and four grandchildren and 3.5 great grandchildren. Not much activity but content where we are.”
1937
1943
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Virginia Davisson Morrison on January 8, 2015, at Bethany Village in Dayton, Ohio. Virginia was 95 years old. Virginia’s sisters are Patricia Davisson Skinner ’46 and the late Rita Davisson Stout ’33.
Class Representative: Jane Mitcheltree Werum
1935 80th Reunion!
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Carolyn Barton Davis on August 6, 2014. Carolyn was 95 years old. Carolyn’s sister was the late Virginia Barton Heer ’35.
1938 1939 Ruth Keller Slaughter writes, “I am wintering again in Florida. At 93, I am still enjoying life.” Betty Miller Custer writes, “My 9-year-old grandson is now talking, and I thank the Lord daily for this miracle! He is in a Montessori school in Granville, Ohio. And in Wellington, Florida, son, Bill sold his business and is
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Jane Mitcheltree Werum writes, “I received a loving phone call from Martha Downing Johnson in the fall followed by a Christmas card that was a picture of her and Rense and their wonderful large family, even a red-head or two. They’ve moved to 12401 Trail Oaks Drive, #252, still in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73120. She told me they were just a half-mile from their daughter and very close to another. Happy New Year to them and to all the rest of you! Please, please, let me hear from you. I am planning to go with my daughter, Janie Marr Werum ’70, to France to celebrate my 89th! How about that?” Patricia Gumble Grayson writes, “Things are good! We’re grateful! Great-grandchildren are holding at 11—nine boys and two girls, more to come!”
1944 Class Representative Needed Frances Sterner Richardson writes, “I had the fun of meeting my fourth great-grandchild at her baptism; her name is Nora Frances Feeney. Her mom is my beautiful granddaughter, Alison Bassler Feeney. My young family all live in Springfield, Virginia. Then, my son Bob III, and Marcie Bassler visited me in December. Wouldn’t you know—Tucson had a cold snap! I sing in the Vesper’s chorus and am happy with all of the many activities offered at Splendido CRCC in Oro Valley, Arizona. It’s located near Dove Mountain Golf Resort, too! My Richardson clan has also presented me with two tiny great-granddaughters. All are cuties! I try to keep up with my nieces, the ‘Johnson Girls’—all are very active. Jennifer and I share interest and activity with local music groups. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra lists me as an Honorary Director. A group from Splendido always attends their fantastic performances. Lastly, my little dachshund, with uncanny accuracy, notifies me when it’s ‘our’ bedtime! My best wishes to classmates and friends for a happy, HEALTHY, New Year in 2015.”
1945 Class Representative Needed
70th Reunion! Patricia Hunter Downey Joklik writes, “I have been gone from Columbus for over 50 years but do keep up with Donna Cole Egan ’46, as we have been close friends since childhood.”
1946 Class Representative: Nancy Dunn Williams Nancy Dunn Williams writes, “My classmates seem to be doing well. Bev Prentiss Dunkel is planning a family trip. We had a long talk about CSG memories. Sally Luethi Havens is happy at her farm with Jack. Her family keeps her busy. Diane Evans Vernon has retired from her position as a high school principal and recently took a trip to Paris. Jane Turton Miller is going full speed. She recently gave a presentation on the three Wyeths to an audience of 200. Donna Cole Egan’s two daughters have both retired. Her son, Robie, came to Portland, Oregon from San Diego, California. We had a lovely visit. Pati Belle Davisson Skinner keeps in touch. She reports the death of her sister, Virginia [Davisson Morrison] ’37, at age 95. My news is the birth of my fourth great-grandchild, Eleanor. Finally, a note to my class mates…please keep in touch.”
1947 Class Representative: Jane Maize Stone
With great sadness, we report the death of Joan Evans Taylor’s husband on July 21, 2013. Joan’s daughters are Laura Taylor ’80 and Katherine Taylor ’78.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Blythe McVicker Clinchy on April 23, 2014.
1952
1948
Class Representative Needed
Class Representative Needed
1949 Class Representative: Barbara Spencer Jones
1950 Class Representative: Judith Gibson Stone
65th Reunion! Jeanne Stoddard Barends writes, “Dear friends, looking forward to our 65th (!!) reunion and hoping the out-of-towners will join us!”
1951 Class Representative: Nancy Cottingham Johnson Brenda Mykrantz Milum and husband, George, flew to Paris, and then drove to Fountainebleu and met their daughter, Lee, and a friend, to begin a trip through great chateaus like Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, Chambored, Cheverny Amboise, and Villandry, whose gardens awed them. They went to Bergerac, a medieval village, the Grotte de Pech-Merle cave, and then toured Josephine Baker’s Chateau des Milandes. They spent three nights in a B&B in the countryside north of Avignon to sample village life. Next, they stayed near Venice and St. Paul in the hill country above Nice and the Riviera. What a change from their 1959 visit! The same was true for the Grand Prix; it is no longer a small event, but is now overrun with tourism, so they went to Jardine Exotique above the town and saw a tiny bit of the race. Then they traveled to the Cinque Terre, five small villages, poised precariously on the rugged hillside above the Mediterranean. They took the train through all of the villages and stopped at monumental crypts and statues at Staglieno Cemetery, near Genoa. Driving across Italy to San Marino, they found a charming little enclave perched high on a hill for lunch. Then, the group moved through Germany’s Black Forest, stopping in the Garmish-Partenkirchen ski area. Then they moved towards the medieval towns near Rothenburg and Luxembourg, before heading home. Judy Cadot Janssens Chambers invited classmates to lunch at Kendal at Granville. Judy Roth Garel, Joan Evans Taylor, and Barbara Ebner Lutz attended and, of course, the talk was never ending.
1953 Class Representative Needed Sally Lou Kirkendall McDonald writes, “All is well. Still playing tennis and bridge. My three daughters keep in touch, which is great, since I am a widow.”
1954 Class Representative: Bette Abel Young It is with great sadness that we report the death of Anne “Gibby” Green Jeffrey’s husband of 13 years, Joseph A. Jeffrey, on August 4, 2014. Joe’s first wife was Cynthia Black Jeffrey, also of the class of 1954.
1955 Class Representative: Bobbie Isaac Weiler
60th Reunion!
1956 Class Representative: Andrea Smith Lorig Barbara Boothby Thun writes, “I had a terrific solo exhibit of my work at The Hill School last October. I had one of my large works accepted into the inaugural exhibition of Governor Tom Wolf; works from Pennsylvania artists and museums were curated and hung in an interesting format at the State Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “Next month, David and I go back to the Virgin Islands for 10 days of sailing with friends. David and I are the only experienced sailors, and at this age it will be fun to see how we do with all our gimps and aches. Warmth will be welcomed and we are able to be more leisurely in exploration of the islands than last time. May brings our championship lacrosse granddaughter’s graduation (recruited by Franklin & Marshall College), and, in June, we head off to Utah to do some rafting with David’s daughter and her family. Summer will be split between here and Marion, Massachusetts, and we would love to have any or all visit us in that lovely Buzzards Bay town.” Andrea Smith Lorig writes, “Go to Columbus Beach in northern Michigan, and what do you get? You get a lovely exercise in the ‘WayBack Machine’ with CSG sorts, wrinkles and all. The Lorigs were there for the Annual Lorig Mosquito and Poison Ivy Fest down
on Elk Lake, but not above traveling the map to impose on Sue Andreae Brown and her husband, Hewett. In the past two years, the four of us have invaded New Zealand, Australia, and Turkey together, and now plan an assault on southern France next year. The beat goes on!” Judy Yenkin Brachman writes, “Merom had his 60th high school reunion in Fort Worth, Texas, in early November. While he visited with his classmates at his Friday evening event, I spent the evening catching up with one of our classmates, Ellen Feinknopt Mack. You will remember that Ellen is married to Merom’s grad school/high school/college classmate and longtime friend, Ted Mack. “Ellen and I had a great time talking about Columbus, CSG, events, and memories from many years past. Merom’s reunion festivities on Saturday included lunch at a well-known Mexican restaurant that had been a favorite eating spot for his class 60 years ago. I can vouch for the reason the restaurant has been so popular for so many years.” Andrea Smith Lorig received a letter from Molly McCloud Parry. She claimed that she and her husband, Dick, are slowing down but healthy. With so many grandchildren, it’s hard to believe they’ve slowed down at all. “Our oldest son, Steve, and his family (two boys) live in New Canaan, Connecticut. He trades oil. Bruce is married to Kai, a lovely young woman from China whom he met via the Internet. They have a handsome son, Zack, who is two years old. Kate, our daughter, has six children and a grandchild. They live in St. Augustine, Florida. Mallette, our youngest, lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a nanny—a profession she loves.” Joanna Walz Foster writes, “After enjoying our ‘farm’ life in Ashland, Oregon (we raised three beautiful chickens), husband, Jerry and I returned home to San Antonio, Texas. My son, Scott, and family visited us for Thanksgiving and we traveled to Rhode Island to have Christmas with Jerry’s son, Brad, and family. At the moment, Jerry’s daughter, Sheila Foster Carder ’84, and her family are visiting her mother, who has moved to South Africa— Yeow! Sheila’s 7-year-old daughter, Clarity is ecstatic. Her new best friend is a warthog and there will be giraffes, rhinos, and other magnificent creatures.” “This February, I am expecting visits from my sisters, hooray! Miriam Walz McCall ’66, will travel from Canton, Ohio, and Nancy Walz Chinn ’58 from New York City. San Antonio presents quite a contrast to both of those areas. We’ll eat lots of Mexican food. I also loved having dinner with Judy and Merom Brachman last fall. Both are lovely people. Happy spring.” Rev. Barbara Babcock Claypool writes, “My news is that I have a new great-grandson, Zackary Warren Orr. I sang a solo, ‘Oh Happy Day,’ at his baptism. This makes two great-grandsons and three grandchildren. My youngest granddaughter, Ainsley Goot, FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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danced in the Nutcracker ballet along with the Donetsk Ukrainian Ballet Company, which came to Ridgewood, New Jersey, for a guest performance to raise funds for cancer research on December 13, 2014.”
1957 Class Representative: Linda Gerstenfeld Cheren Judy Pass Redd writes, “What a difference a year makes. I am one year older; however, I feel much younger. Last year, this time, I was walking with a cane, and barely driving. I wasn’t doing much of anything. This year, wow! I am back at the ‘Y,’ doing all my old exercises, and trying some new machines. I walk fine, although I get a little off balance, especially when I am tired. Driving is fine. I am anxiously waiting for signs of spring. My son lives with me currently. My grandson, Spencer, visits often. My granddaughter, Fontyne, is here often, also. She is a sophomore at Ohio State. In May, my granddaughter, Mackenzie graduates from UC Berkeley, I will be there, of course. Her major is Integrative Human Biology. She is engaged to a PreLaw graduate. What will she do after she graduates? Follow her fiancé to whatever law school he is in. I hope everyone is in good health and fine spirits. I know it gets harder as we age.” Mary Rose Webster writes, “2014 has been a year of transition. I have been closing down my antique frame business to make room for my bed and breakfast, which is thriving. I now have two rooms for rent, plus an airbed in my downstairs sitting room for overflow guests. I have hosted people with fascinating lives from all over the world—my new travel mode. You can find more information and photos at www.airbnb.com/rooms/198468. What fun it would be to have guests from CSG! “I am also still heavily involved in trying to improve the quality of life in my neighborhood. It is a challenging role with continual setbacks, but I find the effort immensely rewarding. This spring, we will be working with three Binghamton University professors doing community-based research with grad students in the neighborhood—an interesting new development.
We lived in an apartment for six months and finally found a wonderful duplex. We moved on December 17, 2014, and all of our kids were home for Christmas. “We were busy traveling in the fall before the move. We had a reunion of Tom’s roommates in the Adirondacks over Labor Day. The next week, I flew to Kohler in Wisconsin for a golf outing with nine other ladies. Later in the month, we took a Stephen Ambrose World War II trip as part of a Princeton class mini reunion. We finished up the month with a long weekend in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with friends. Now, it is time to settle down and begin unpacking boxes.” Linda Gerstenfeld Cheren writes, “We made a significant move this past May. We sold the house in Weston, Massachusetts, where we had been living for 40 years and moved to a rented apartment in Brookline, Massachusetts. We’re delighted with the move. Nothing to take care of! We’re right on Beacon Street near Coolidge Corner, which is a wonderful neighborhood for walking and shopping. And, there’s transit right across the street to pop into Boston. “I’ve had some physical setbacks—most notably a lumpectomy and fractured pelvis. But, I’m on the mend. “Stanley has retired from full time employment, and has been doing so-called locum tenens in various hospitals around and about—filling in for defined periods. Soon, he’ll be through even with that for 2015. Alas, I’ve not so much been enjoying retirement; I really miss the challenges and rewards of my career in graphic design. But we’re looking forward to some lovely trips this spring—one of them being a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. So, I can’t complain.”
1958 Class Representative Needed
1959 Class Representative: Monin Lopez Dreebin
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Class Representative: Carolyn Thomas Christy
55th Reunion! Sandra Ackley Kirk writes, “I have four grandchildren here in Columbus, and my youngest daughter, Lindsey Kirk ’01, and her husband, Jeremy, are expecting their first baby at the end of April 2015. They reside in San Francisco, California.”
1961 Class Representative: Anne Kirsten Wilder Karen Mykrantz O’Keefe writes, “My oldest son, David, and his wife, Laura, and their 7-year-old son, Owen, have moved back to San Diego, California, after four years in Bali. It’s nice to have them closer than a 30-35 hour plane ride away. Last April, David ran the Boston Marathon and completed the run in 3 hours, 19 minutes. My youngest son, Andrew, is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Ashley. A fall wedding is planned. My daughter, Kathy, still lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is doing bodywork…therapeutic massage, cranialsacral, and polarity.”
1962 Class Representative: Patricia Tice Offenberg
1963 Class Representative Needed In September, Pam Pryor, Betsy Kurtz Argo, and Doodie Gorrell Frank, went wine tasting on Old Mission Peninsula and had a great time! With great sadness, we report the death of Betsy Kurtz Argo’s mother and fellow alumna, Elizabeth “Libby” Gill Kurtz ’31, on November 23, 2014. Libby was 100 years old, and our oldest living alumna at the time of her passing.
1964 Class Representative: Carla Pollock Lane and Linda Benua
“In family news, my brother’s unexpected death was a huge shock to me. Even though I hadn’t seen much of him in recent years, I hadn’t realized what a comfort it was to know he was there when I needed him. My son, Chuck, continues to thrive in the art world. I went to Manhattan three times last fall for his openings. It is a ‘kick’ to be his mom.” Margie Barton Williams writes, “2014 was a time of big change for the Williams household. After living in the same house for 35 years and trying to sell it for the last five years, we finally managed to sell our home last May. We sold it to Jeni of Jeni’s Ice Cream, and we are still negotiating a life time supply of ice cream.
1960
Linda Benua and 20 other pilgrims from her Unitarian church in Concord, Massachusetts, traveled to their partner city, Szekelykeresztur, in Transylvania, Romania, for a Harmony and Heritage trip. They toured villages, brought computers to the Unitarian school, and learned about Hungarian culture and history from their warm and gracious hosts. The culmination of the trip was a concert of songs in both languages that the pilgrims and local choir performed together. For Linda, it was a life changing experience! Pam Pryor ’63, Betsy Kurtz Argo ’63, and Doodie Gorrell Frank ’63 went wine tasting on Old Mission peninsula this fall.
Linda also learned a little Hungarian on her trip, which turned out to be useful when she
spent New Year’s Day with Cathy Balshone Becze and her husband, Will. Will’s family is Hungarian, and he grew up speaking the language with his grandmother. So, Linda and Will were actually able to speak to each other in Hungarian (a little, Linda stresses), and she and Cathy managed to sing “Happy Birthday” to him in Hungarian. Adding to the classmate visits, Cathy reports that she and Priscilla Gray Platt got together for lunch last June at the Black Point Inn in Maine. Linda McNealey Anderson is involved with the Greensboro, North Carolina, community gardening program through her church and the North Carolina Master Gardener Program, so her thumb is always brown from planting seeds, weeding, and harvesting. She and husband, Gary went to Japan in November on a hiking/walking trip to the Kumano Kodo. “What a beautiful, clean, and well-organized country with kind, hospitable people,” Linda comments. They spent their first few days in Tokyo, visiting with three of Linda’s English for Speakers of Other Languages students. As Program Director of the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress (LOC), Karen Wise Jaffe is planning the LOC’s 14th Annual National Book Festival, held in Washington, D.C., over Labor Day. One of her featured authors will be none other than Cynthia Yenkin Levinson ’63, who will be back for a repeat LOC performance, this time to promote her new book on children from diverse cultures in “conflict zones” training together for a social circus. Cynthia will bring some of the young performers with her. Karen is also planning a program with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, which is connected with the LOC’s special exhibit on Magna Carta. Justice Sotomayor will be talking to a group of sixth graders about the historic documents, which will be on loan from England. Diane Vorys Phillips and husband, Rick, have also joined the Florida commute. They bought a home in Melbourne Beach, and plan on spending about half the year there. Rick retired from his position at Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington, but he and Diane still manage their business measuring the effectiveness of federally and state-supported after-school programs, which they can do over the Internet from Florida. Daughter, Melissa, lives not too far away in Seattle, Washington, but their son and his wife live in Minnesota with their son, and Diane finds it difficult to have them so far away. Diane had lunch with Susan Miller Strader when she was in Columbus in September. She had hoped to attend our reunion, but had just made the commute from Florida to Washington, and it seemed a little much to head back east again. She’s hoping to make the next one. Lizzie Rambo Lewis lives in Colorado Springs with husband, John. For a Rambo family reunion, Liz’s brothers, Richard and Bill, recently managed to make it across the
Mississippi to join Lizzie on a cog railway ride to the top of Pikes Peak. Lizzie’s daughter, Sarah, who heads a Nurturing Parent Program, lives not too far away in Salida, Colorado, with her two boys. Also within visiting distance, is son, Lucas, who lives in Seattle, Washington, with his son. Son, Andy, is a bit farther afield, however, near Kyoto [Japan], where he teaches in a private K-12 school. Andrea Alloway Ralston reports that she and husband, Darwin, have both retired, Darwin after 35 years as a minister, and Andrea after many years as a teacher in the Lima, Ohio, public schools. “We both loved every moment of our jobs and feel blessed to have had them,” Andrea reports. Meanwhile, first son, Seth, earned a degree in Molecular Biology at Ohio State, and works there now, studying nematodes and their relationship with soybeans. Younger son, Zak, just completed his degree in Social Studies. Having decided not to pursue a graduate degree, he is enjoying his position in a Kroger Pharmacy. The news Andrea took the greatest pleasure in reporting is that Seth will be getting married in April. It is with great sadness that we report that Ted Crane, beloved husband of Abbie McClintock Crane, died this past April. They were together for 44 years, time for which Abbie is very grateful. Their three sons and families, including granddaughters, Melody and Imogen (Immy), are nearby and are a great source of comfort. With a life busy with family, friends, and volunteer work, Abbie is most pleased to report that she is still learning.
1967 Class Representative: Carol Benua Major It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jennifer Teachnor Gaffey, who passed away on December 2, 2014. Jennifer’s daughter is Lori Ashleman Larimer ’86 and her sisters-in-law are Mariann Teachnor Dargusch ’75 and Cynthia Teachnor Graham ’69. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Phebe Miller Olcay’s husband, John, on October 17, 2014 after a long battle with prostate cancer. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Catherine Sirak Bardsley’s father, Dr. Howard David Sirak, on January 14, 2015. Nancy Sirak Hudson ’69 is also Dr. Sirak’s daughter. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Caroline Johnson Voderberg’s husband, Paul, on November 8, 2014.
1968 Class Representative Needed
50th Reunion!
In October, Rosalind M. Mercier hosted Vicomte Roland de Rosière, son of the late Vicomtesse Paul de Rosière, as Roland wanted to visit his mother’s family roots in Columbus, including CSG. Sally Crane Cox ’75, very kindly invited them both to stay out at her beautiful horse farm, Red Tail Ridge, in Johnstown, where they rode horses, and Roland got a taste of the autumnal Ohio countryside—so fun and different from his life in Europe and Palm Beach. Roland briefly met our new Head of School, Jennifer Ciccarelli, with the hopes of initiating small personalized alumnae tours to Europe, in memory of his mother, perhaps as early as this year.
1966
1969
Class Representative: Kathryn Jeffrey
Class Representative: Candace Corson
1965 Class Representative Needed
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Nancy Sirak Hudson’s father, Dr. Howard David Sirak, on January 14, 2015. Catherine Sirak Bardsley ’67 is also Dr. Sirak’s daughter.
1970 Class Representative: Jill Levy
45th Reunion! Dia Mitchell Canter’s daughter, Kate, moved with her daughters to Ogden, Utah, in May. Her son, William, is still in Washington, D.C. The other three boys are all in Ohio. Lots of driving and frequent flyer miles are being racked up by Dia and Robert! Chris Heer Dill ’70 and Randi Stein Hutton ’70 connect in Connecticut.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jill Levy’s husband of 18 years, Steve Price, on November 26, 2014, in Westerville, FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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Ohio. He was a Columbus Academy alumnus from the class of 1967.
1974
1971
Class Representative: Muffy Hamilton Parsons
Class Representative: Teri Gockenbach
1975
1972
Class Representative Needed
Class Representative Needed
Lizanne Galbreath Megrue writes, “I am living in Rowayton, Connecticut, keeping busy with Board work, philanthropy, and my three boys. My oldest, Kyle, 26, is working for Greats. com in Brooklyn, New York. It is a startup that sells fashion sneakers for men online. Check it out—awesome stuff! My middle son, Chris, 23, is working for Farmers Business Network, a startup based in San Francisco, California, that does big data analytics for farmers to help them improve their yields. He has spent some time at Darby Dan in Columbus to learn the farming business up close! He actually lives in Davenport, Iowa, which is a far cry from San Francisco in so many ways! My youngest son, Jack, is a high school freshman at a day school in New Canaan, Connecticut. I am looking forward to seeing all my ’75 classmates this spring for our 40th! Ouch! That sounds so painfully old! Hope we have a great turn out!”
It is with great sadness that we report the death on Paula Penn-Nabrit’s father, Washington Leondicus Penn, on September 17, 2014. Paula’s sisters are Cheryl Penn ’76 and Courtney Penn Blevins ’89.
1973 Class Representative: Marla Lumbert-Smith Cole Susan P. Bauer writes, “Looking forward to a ‘December in Columbus’ to meet up with Columbus based classmates and then to Cleveland to see Debbie Baum and our moms together.”
40th Reunion!
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Donald Young on June 4, 2014. He was the father of Sarah Young Taylor and Donna Dee Young ’76.
1976 Class Representative: Michelle Gockenbach Lewis It is with great sadness that we report the death of Donna Dee Young’s father, Donald Young on June 4, 2014. Sarah Young Taylor ’75 is Donna’s sister.
1977 Class Representative: Constance Staber Christine Davis ’72 and her mother attend the 2014 Davis Cup Doubles Invitational at CSG’s Kirk Campus.
1978 Class Representative: Kate Estabrook Schoedinger
Caron Zand ’74 and Dana Field Foster ’74 hosted Katie Chatas ’84 at Caron’s home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Katie won the “experience” in the 2014 Galleria Online Auction!
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Kate Estabrook Schoedinger writes, “Another great perk of stalking authors is collaborating with them! I am delighted to co-present with award-winning, bestselling author, Sigmund Brouwer, at the NH Library Association Conference in May 2015 about literacy for adolescents. Our focus is supporting male adolescent readers, while always working to match every child with a book to his or her liking! Sigmund is a great presenter, so check out his web site at rockandrollliteracy.com to have him come to your school. Tell him, ‘I sent you!’” It is with great sadness that we report the
death of Beth DeLeo Gibbs’ father, Dr. Bernard DeLeo, on October 23, 2014. He was living near Beth’s sister, Cathy DeLeo Uggeri ’77, for the past 18 months since they mother passed away in 2012.
1979 Class Representative: Margaret Cunningham Basiliadis Susan Buchanan writes, “I was appointed to the Children’s Heath Protection Advisor Committee of the US Environmental Protection Agency.” Congrats Susan! Andrea Jones writes, “After 30 years of public service to the citizens of Ohio, I retired from the State of Ohio in November 2014. I love retirement. The first thing I did was turn off the alarm clock. Then I took all those ‘professional’ clothes to the dry cleaner and donated them to Dress for Success. The third thing I did was schedule the installation of solar panels on my house. My commitment to social, health, and environmental issues remains as strong as ever, and I am looking forward to working on these issues in a volunteer capacity.” It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jill Glick Babbitt in March 2014 at her home in Italy.
1980 Class Representative Needed
35th Reunion! Emily Chapman Blodgett writes, “In late September/early October, five of us (Lavea Brachman, friend Sue Wagener, Emily Chapman Blodgett, Jennifer Johnson Eve, and Martha Gottling Cottrill) and a guide took a challenging five-night, six-day hiking trip starting at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It was fabulous and life-changing. We trekked down to the Colorado River, hiking through two billion years of breathtaking geologic history and beauty. We also rediscovered some wonderful friendships forged at CSG as we chatted nervously while descending some pretty dicey hairpin turns, enjoying cocktail hour (vodka and Gatorade) at sunset, and crawling into our tents under the stars.” It is with great sadness that we report the death of Martha Herrmann McCarthy’s mother, Becky Herrmann, on January 11, 2015 in Upper Arlington, Ohio. She was 86 years old. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jane Coffman Wichman’s mother, Jo Ann Coffman, on July 28, 2014. She was also Lori Coffman Palmer ’87’s mother.
1981 Class Representative: Jenny Corotis Barnes
Shelagh Connor Shapiro writes, “In February [2014], my husband, Jerry, and I set off on a journey we’d been planning for close to ten years: a 2,400-mile cycling trip from Key West, Florida, to Burlington, Vermont. While on that trip, I learned that my novel, Shape of the Sky, had been accepted for publication by the wonderful small press, Wind Ridge Books, in Vermont. All in all, a good year!”
1983
1982
1984
Class Representative: Leslie Rogovin Fox It is with great sadness that we report the death of Alexandra Skestos Holmes’s mother, Kathryn Skestos, on August 20, 2014. Stephanie’s sister is Stephanie Skestos Gabriele ’84 and sister-in-law is Kathleen Carberry Skestos ’84.
Class Representative: Bridget Hart It is with great sadness that we report the death of Betsy Carlin’s father, David Carlin, on January 11, 2015. He was also Kate Carlin Giller ’87’s uncle. David’s mother was also a CSG alumna, the late Florence Poston Carlin ’27.
Class Representative: Julie Schottenstein Saar Kim Feinknopf-Dorrian is enjoying her two kids, Mason, 14, and Lainey, 10, both great students at Bexley Schools, as well as her archival work for President Harding’s nephews and the Jeffrey Company. She most
recently wrote a history of Tad Jeffrey’s great grandfather. Kim’s husband, Joe, just started a new business in November alongside of his corporate training at Ohio Health, called “The Ohio School of Falconry.” This is only the sixth educational venture of its type in the US and will offer individual, group, and corporate falconry experiences, hawk walks, and talks to the public, as you find at fine hotels such as The Greenbrier, Hershey, etc. Daughter Lainey assists and handles birds with her father and his falconry team. You can learn more at http://www.ohioschooloffalconry.com. Katie Kessler Chatas writes, “I’ve been following Lolly [Marks]’s work at Canine Companions for Independence for the last five years, and finally broke down and became a puppy raiser. We are fostering Gambit, a golden lab cross, who will hopefully become a service dog and change someone’s life.” Katie also assisted friend Kristin Kirk Florey in a raccoon litter rescue after the mother raccoon was killed by a drive-by car in front of Katie’s home. Kirk coached Chatas in how to find and rescue the baby raccoons. They then continued with classmate Andrea Krupman Powell to nurse the babies for a couple of months until they could make their way back to nature (and reality)!! Katie has continued in her support of the good work of Planned Parenthood, especially needed in this unique political climate where women’s health has become lower down on the priority list. Katie also adds, “Caron Zand ’74 and Dana Field Foster ’74 hosted us for our second lobster clam bake in Kittery, Maine, at Dana’s stunning home. They are friends after all these years as so many CSG alumnae are… best Galleria item!”
Lavea Brachman ’80, friend Sue Wagener, Emily Chapman Blodgett ’80, Jennifer Johnson Eve ’80, and Martha Gottling Cottrill ’80 hiked the north rim of the Grand Canyon!
During the Columbus Academy 1984 reunion at Rocky Fork in October, members of CSG’s class of 1984 were invited to attend. Pictured are Alicia Wilcox Prokos, Julie Schottenstein Saar, Katie Kessler Chatas, Andi Wobst Jeney, Stephanie Skestos Gabriele, Kristin Kirk Florey, and Andrea Krupman Powell arrived after the photo was taken.
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Alicia Wilcox Prokos writes, “A number of CSG alumnae and faculty showed up to support Columbus’s TedX co-founder, Ruth Milligan ’86, at the TedX speaking event held at the Riffe Center on November 7, 2014. A fantastic and evergrowing event, the sixth annual TedX featured amazing speakers enjoyed by all. Classmate Colleen Duffy was there too. We happened to bump into Jack Guy, who had just returned from a second trip to Afghanistan and looked as fit and amazing as ever! I also ran into my step-sister, Kari Scott, who is a TedX fanatic and has been to every event since the beginning. Ruth did a great job—with 15 speakers and over 900 attendees, it was a very successful event!” Julie Schottenstein Saar writes, “Our Columbus Academy brothers included us in their reunion gathering at Rocky Fork in October.” Alicia Wilcox Prokos, Julie Schottenstein Saar, Katie Kessler Chatas, Andi Wobst Jeney, Stephanie Skestos Gabriele, Kristin Kirk Florey, and Andrea Krupman Powell all attended. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Stephanie Skestos Gabriele’s mother, Kathryn Skestos on August 20, 2014. Stephanie’s sister is Alexandra Skestos Holmes ’82 and sister-in-law is Kathleen Carberry Skestos ’84.
1985 Class Representative: Robin Ives Canowitz
30th Reunion! Sheri Farber had her first child—Sawyer Beckett Farber was born on October 2, 2014, in New York City. He was 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20.75 inches. Mom and baby are doing well! It is with great sadness that we report the death of Lisa Lowder Darke’s father, Peter Lowder, on January 12, 2015. He was 74 years old. Lisa’s sisters are Sarah Lowder ’92 and the late Meg Lowder Kauffman ’89, and Lisa’s daughter is Hannah Barends ’14.
1986
With great sadness, we report the death of Catherine Kurtz Vrenna’s grandmother and fellow alumna, Elizabeth “Libby” Gill Kurtz ’31, on November 23, 2014. Libby was 100 years old, and our oldest living alumna at the time of her passing. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Cecily Chester Alexander’s brother, Joel Chester, on January 21, 2015.
1989 Class Representative: Tammey Cheek Kessel
1990 Class Representative: Janet Knight Rauschenberger
25th Reunion! Betsy Luper Schuster is now a Judge on the 10th District Court of Appeals (Franklin County, Ohio). Janet Knight Rauschenberger, Claudia Driskell Blake, and Holly Mizelle Johnson ’89 reunited at the wedding of a friend in Atlanta, Georgia.
1991 Class Representative Needed In late Fall 2014, Kimberly Lowe Hall, introduced the community to the work of the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls, a new non-profit organization that promotes the academic success and healthy selfimage of economically disadvantaged girls attending private schools. Regan Mazak, CSG’s Interim Director of Development, and Jordan Hilbrands ’07, Assistant Director of Development—Alumnae Relations, attended the breakfast launch in October. Kim’s personal experiences as a student on full scholarship motivated her to support young women from similar backgrounds, and her inaugural fundraising event enabled the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls to make a $3,500 scholarship donation to CSG.
Class Representative: Louise Davidson-Schmich
The Olive Tree Foundation for Girls has two areas of focus for young women enrolled in private schools—incidental scholarships and mentoring. The incidental scholarships provide funding for expenses that are not traditionally covered by financial aid, such as costs related to uniforms, books, athletics, tutoring, and technology. The Olive Tree Mentoring Program will launch this spring and will pair CSG students with professional women in the community who are genuinely interested in their success. The $3,500 donation from the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls will cover the $500 technology fee for up to seven CSG students who receive high levels of financial aid. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Kim intends for the Foundation to continue supporting CSG students and also expand its reach to economically disadvantaged young women attending Columbus Academy. For more information, please e-mail foundation@olivetreeforgirls.org or visit www.olivetreeforgirls.org.
1992 Class Representative: Elizabeth Zimmerman Donaldson It is with great sadness that we report the death of Sarah Lowder’s father, Peter Lowder, on January 12, 2015. He was 74 years old. Sarah’s sisters are Lisa Lowder Darke ’85 and the late Meg Lowder Kauffman ’89, and Sarah’s niece is Hannah Barends ’14.
1993 Class Representative: Laura Julien Blust Kathryn Conners Beck’s father, Bob Conners, passed away on November 23, 2014, after a brief struggle with a rare form of lymphoma.
1994 Class Representative: Brooke Brown Helmstetter With great sadness, we share that Alana Ralph passed away on August 13, 2014. Alana’s cousins are April Zimmerman Katz ’87 and Elizabeth Zimmerman Donaldson ’92.
1987 Class Representative: Susan Robinson Austin It is with great sadness that we report on the death of Lori Coffman Palmer’s mother, Jo Ann Coffman, on July 28, 2014. She was also Jane Coffman Wichman ’80’s mother.
1988 Class Representative: Sarah Hamilton Shook
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Janet Knight Rauschenberger ’90, Claudia Driskell Blacke ’90, and Holly Mizellle Johnson ’89
Regan Mazak, Kimblerly Lowe Hall ’91, and Jordan Hilbrands ’07 at the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls Breakfast.
1995 Class Representative: Clare Willoughby Ceballos
20th Reunion! Melissa Huffman took a leave of absence from Strategic Public Partners, LLC for a position as Deputy Campaign Manager for Lt. Governor Mary Taylor on the Kasich Taylor of Ohio Campaign. Melissa says that it is a great honor to help out on a great campaign to keep Ohio moving in the right direction.”
1996 Class Representative: Sarah Sofia Knepp Emily Shaw was an interpreter for the deaf for President Obama’s presentation on the Special Olympics this past fall. Emily received her Doctorate at Georgetown in the Linguistics of American Sign Language, she has had an article published in the magazine Gesture, and she just published a special dictionary of 350 American and French signs issued from Gallaudet University Press.
1997 Class Representative: Julie Ferber Zuckerman Katie Nyhan married Courtney Lantz Price on October 18, 2014 at Liberty Presbyterian in Delaware, Ohio. Attending the wedding from the class of 1997 were Kim Snyder Barton and Susie Mayhan Bauman.
Kim Snyder Barton ’97, Katie Nyhan ’97, and Susie Mayhan Bauman ’97 at Katie’s wedding!
Sylvia DeVennish Wolff ’97 and her family after competing and winning her national title.
Natalie Gregoire Baribeault’s family welcomed their second son on December 1, 2013. His name is Colin Joseph. Henry, her first son, turned two in April. The kids keep Natalie busy and she loves it! Natalie is still in Kent, Ohio, through December while Tom finishes his Master’s Degree in Nurse Anesthesia. Natalie is still blowing glass when she can! Sylvia DeVennish Wolff stepped down from head of “one of the world’s most awesome jobs,” Chief of Corolla Ocean Rescue, to accept another “one of the world’s most awesome jobs,” a teacher at the Water’s Edge Village School in Corolla, North Carolina. Three years ago, a group of seven incredible people met to complete a 100+ page application to the state in an effort to establish a local charter school, which would save local children three hours of riding on a bus every day. In March 2012, that application was successful and the charter was granted! Silvia will be teaching K-6 in a two-room schoolhouse with 21 phenomenal kids and two teachers. With ocean to the east, sound to the west, wild horses to the north, and Currituck Lighthouse immediately to the south, Sylvia says, “Any way you look, my office has an amazing view!” On a separate note, Sylvia’s agency competed in both regional and national competitions. She competed in both age groups and open events, and she was the high scorer if the team in both instances, which means she was national champion for all events she competed in within her age group.
Kristin Bluhm Mobley is a Pediatric Research Coordinator for the Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her husband, Matthew, is a Senior Associate for the Design Resource Group, an engineering and architectural firm. They have two daughters.
1998 Class Representative: Miranda Martin Warren Anastasia Staten is the Vice President, Philanthropic Services, at the American Humane Society. You can reach her at anastacias@americanhumane.org Katie Allen Godwin writes, “I have been out here in Los Angeles, California, for almost 13 years now, and I absolutely love it. Jackie Feibel and I see each other all the time, and I am grateful to have a member of my CSG family as part of my LA family. I am the recruiter for Method Studios. I recruit and hire visual effects artists, producers, designers, and engineers, to name a few. We do visual effects and design work for motion pictures, television, and commercials. We are working on some Marvel features at the moment. I absolutely love my job. I hope to come back to Columbus sometime in 2015 to visit CSG and to see old friends that I haven’t seen in far too long. Please pass on my love to the Class of 1998!”
Tara Bonaventura DeFreytas and her husband, Jonathan, welcomed with great joy and gratitude the arrival of their daughter, Emma Grace, on April 14, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois. Emma is the sweetest baby who goes with them everywhere (six planes in four months) and is proudly protected by their tiny, but mighty five-pound Morkie named Lucy. They live in Roscoe Village, a neighborhood within the city, and continue to enjoy and love the city life—walking everywhere, the beach, summer festivals, etc. with Emma and Lucy. During Michaelena Stinziano’s summer break, she headed to Chicago, Illinois, for a few days, where she stayed with both Julie Ferber Zuckerman and Tara Bonaventura DeFreytas. They shared many laughs, reminiscing about the good ol’ days at CSG, and how our lives have changed over the years, yet we still have that CSG bond. Michaelena met Tara’s new baby, Emma Grace, for the first time and was able to spend quality time with Julie’s three kids. They cannot wait to get together again, either in Chicago or Columbus. Tara and Julie live a few miles apart in the city and are able to see each other often, and they would love to get together with any other CSGers in the area! Julie Ferber Zuckerman, Whitney Lucks Schneider, Liz Salamy Chahine, and Ginny Rothschild recently got together at Liz’s house. It was so nice for everyone and for all of the kids to play!
Tara Bonaventura DeFreytas ’97, husband, Jonathan, and their daughter Emma Grace.
Michaelena Stinziano’s ’97 visit to Chicago with Julie Ferber Zuckerman ’97 and Tara Bonaventura DeFreytas ’97 (and baby, Emma).
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1999 Class Representative: Katharine Ersly
Buzzfeed. Another exciting development— Sam recently became a Uni! He joined the PYC faculty and staff as the new Assistant to the Director, Lynne Steinhaus, in August.
Amanda Moore McGinnis just became a godmother to Sarah Brown’s new daughter, Elisabeth Janina. What an honor!
2000
After living in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the last 11 years to complete medical school and a rigorous Plastic Surgery residency at Penn State University College of Medicine, Julia Stevenson is done with being a professional student! She is now practicing the breadth of Plastic Surgery (Hand Surgery, Breast Reconstruction, Lower Extremity Reconstruction, Microsurgery, and Cosmetic Surgery). Julia says that “the transition from resident to ‘boss’ has been awesome and the work is extremely rewarding.”
Class Representative: Erica Reaves
Kate Livingston and her partner, Sam Affholter, welcomed their son, Sycamore, on August 7, 2014. Kate was thrilled to recently discover that Sycamore’s beloved pediatrician is actually the mother of Jamila Watkins! Kate writes that Sycamore became an unexpected viral Internet sensation on his first Halloween as Ruth ‘Baby’ Ginsburg. His pintsized tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was declared one of the best costumes of the year by nation media outlets including MSNBC, Time, Today, Jezebel, and
15th Reunion! Jessica Germain Price writes, “I am due April 3 with my first child, and we opted not to find out the gender. Over the holidays, Annette Enlow Owili, Jacquelyn Bitler,
Jennifer Good Skrobarcek, Katy Murnane Reis, Jacquelyn Stavroff McKiernan, Sarah Resch Flower, Elizabeth Seidler, and myself all got together to catch up and celebrate Baby Price.” Mary Kathryn Sagaria shared that she and Meg Barritt were married in August 2014 in the mountains of Colorado. Lauren Fontana ’99 was in attendance. Lindsay Saxe married Adam Griffin on November 15, 2014, in Tampa, Florida. Additionally, Lindsay joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa as an Assistant Attorney in early December 2014. Katherine Fiorile Burgess, along with her husband and son, welcomed Rory Michael Burgess on August 29, 2014. Victoria Davis reports from Virginia that all is well with her, her husband, and 19-month old daughter, Amelia. Victoria returned to Orbital Sciences last summer in the Corporate Strategy group and is now part of the management team planning the merger integration with Alliant Techsystems, Inc.
Mary Kathryn Sagaria’s ’00 wedding to Meg Barritt with Lauren Fontana ’99 in attendance!
Elizabeth Wheeler Bishara was married Joe Bishara in a small ceremony on November 28, 2014, in Columbus. Faon Bridges was one of her bridesmaids.
2001 Class Representative: Claire Kelley Katie Huss Aichhorn married twice in 2014 (to the same man). Once, in the courthouse in May in Vienna, Austria, and once in her church in Columbus in August. Katie’s new last name is Aichhorn (which means Squirrel in German) and she and her husband Nikolaus are residing happily in Vienna. Amy Trumbull Rowlette now lives in Russellville, Arkansas, with her husband Robert and works at International Paper. Their son, Bobby, is four years old and their newest addition, son Larimer, just turned four months old.
Sycamore, son of Kate Livingston ’99, went viral for his Halloween tribute to Supreme Court Justice “Ruth Baby Ginsburg.”
Victoria Davis ’00’s adorable daughter, Amelia.
Annette Enlow Owili, Jaquelyn Bitler, Jennifer Good Skrobarcek, Katy Murnane Reis, Jacquilyn Stavroff Mckiernon, Sarah Resch Flower, and Elizabeth Seidler (all ’00) got together to celebrate Baby Price!
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Gina Casagrande Forster ’01, Nick Forster, and their daughter Paige Michelle.
Ashley Love has relocated to Athens, Georgia, as of August 2014 to attend the University of Georgia for her Ph.D. in Critical Studies in Education in the Educational Theory and Practice program. Her daughter, Chloë, has just started Pre-First (Kindergarten) at Athens Academy and loving her new school. Ashley can be reached at ashleylatrice@gmail.com. Gina Casagrande Forster gave birth to her daughter Paige Michelle on August 17, 2014. Whitney Link Gibbs lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Hosea. She is working as an attorney at the Flint Circuit Public Defender’s Office in metro Atlanta. Whitney and Hosea have a daughter, Kennedy, who is 22 months and they just welcomed a baby boy, Hosea II, on December 2, 2014. Katie Logan accepted a position as a Media Relations Manager for OhioHealth in Columbus. She’s based downtown at Grant Medical Center and works with the media to tell the public what’s happening at the hospital and around the OhioHealth system in the service lines of cancer, hospice, and community health. She is also president-elect
of the CSG Alumnae Board and notes that if anyone is interested in getting involved with the Board (in any role, large or small), please e-mail her at logan.katie@gmail.com. Jamie Goldach Hinesman was married to Jeremy Hinesman on August 9, 2014. She walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Just a Girl” by No Doubt. Leah Schottenstein Schulman, Gina Casagrande Forster, and Sarah Mendelsohn were bridesmaids, and many CSG girls were in attendance including Jordan Sugarman ’02, Annie Westwater, Claire Murnane Adams, Kristen Orlando Ricordati, Anne Morelli, Amy Trumbull Rowlette, and Claire Kelley. Amanda Peters is a Senior Digital Strategist at the Grey Group in New York City, working on two P&G brands. When not working, she enjoys traveling, recently visiting India and Spain. She also went on her first yoga retreat to Patagonia in January. Janis Penn Bond started a home preschool called the Junior Graduates Enrichment Center in 2011. She expanded the business to a facility and became licensed in April 2014. Her center now provides programs for students between the ages of two and a half to 12 (preschool in addition to before and after school care). Visit the center’s web site at www.gradexcel.org. Sarah Cooperman Bergman was married to Shane Bergman on June 28, 2014, in Colorado. Her sisters, Kati Cooperman and Becki Cooperman ’99, were bridesmaids. Renee Ransbottom moved to Napa, California, in January after a year of traveling. Following her working season in Antarctica, she traveled New Zealand with a working holiday Visa, taking side trips to Australia and Southeast Asia. In New Zealand, she had a great weekend on the North Island catching up with Liza Young ’02.
Newlyweds Claire Kelley ’01 and Nathan Schneider at their September 6, 2014, wedding in Brooklyn.
Wynne Campbell Lennon lives in Darien, Connecticut, and she and her husband, Pat Lennon, welcomed a new addition to their family—Cormac Wesley Lennon—on on May
27, 2014. His older sister, Campbell Kirby Lennon, turns three in February. Claire Kelley married Nathan Schneider on September 6, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Veronica Leahy and a number of classmates from the class of 2001 attended. Nathan is a journalist, and Claire is the Director of Library & Academic Marketing at Melville House, an independent book publisher. In February 2015, they went to visit Claire’s sister, Ann Kelley McCabe ’05, just outside of Nairobi. Ann is living in Kenya for the year while her husband Collin does research for his Ph.D.
2002 Class Representative: Lauren Yen Leahy Mikell Taylor and her husband, Nick, welcomed a daughter, Margaret Joan Townley (Maggie), on November 11, 2014. They have relocated to Cairns, Australia, and welcome any visitors (especially those who are interested in diving at the Great Barrier Reef)! Jaiza Page was featured in an article in the Columbus Dispatch in January 2015, focusing on her appointment to Columbus City Council. Congratulations Jaiza! Jordan Sugarman has open Lifted Studio | Pilates & Fitness Studio in a renovated space west of the North Market in Columbus’ bustling Arena District. Jordan teaches from a place of authenticity, with the goal of enriching and lifting her client’s lives through Pilates. She brings expertise from the Pilates and fitness industry, passion for educating the community, and a zest for life to her teaching. Jordan was also recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors for The Center for Balanced Living. By doing so, she aspires to create strength through balanced living. The Center is an organization providing comprehensive outpatient treatment, research, and prevention services for persons with eating disorders in Central Ohio. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Saher Aziz’s father, Haroon Aziz. Dr. Aziz passed away on January 15, 2014, at the age of 67 years old.
2003 Class Representative: Liz Liston
CSG girls in attendance at Claire Kelley’s September 6, 2014, wedding. From top left: Jamie Goldach Hinesman ’01, Kristen Beavers Zeligs ’01, Amanda Peters ’01, Claire Kelley ’01, Wynne Lennon Campbell ’01, Kate Baughman ’01, Hannah Hill ’01, Annie Westwater ’01, and Dr. Veronica Leahy. From bottom left: Sarah Mendelsohn ’01, Ann Kelley McCabe ’05, Kristen Ricordati Orlando ’01, Anusha Venkataraman ’01, and Julia Kelley ’11.
Jess Gerber Abzug married Ben Abzug on August 31, 2014, at the Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina. In attendance were CSG alumnae, Liz Liston and Amanda Seybold, who danced the night away with Jess and survived a very humid and hot summer night in The South. Jess and Ben recently bought their first home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, so they have been busy this winter painting and learning how to use power tools. Ben is the Assistant Manager of the Riverdogs Minor League Baseball Team, and Jess is a Product Manager for a software company. FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2015
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Rachel Belt married Kevin Broderick at an intimate family ceremony in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 13, 2014. They spent their honeymoon in La Quinta, California, and stayed active hiking around the breathtaking Indian Canyons. Rachel and Kevin also recently purchased a new home in Carmel, Indiana, and Rachel is enjoying her seventh year as a resource teacher in Washington Township School District. She will have completed a Master’s Program in Applied Behavioral Analysis with an emphasis in autism from Ball State University this coming summer. Megan Merry Brenneman married Ben Brenneman on February 1, 2014, in the beautiful wintry landscape of Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado. Bridesmaids included
fellow CSG alumnae Cari Murnane and Liz Liston; Jenica Moffett Williamson served as Matron of Honor. Megan and Ben live in Denver, Colorado, where Megan works as a Commercial Manager for Enterprise Products.
2004 Class Representative: Emily Kasler Connie Bowen and her husband, Rudy, welcomed a baby boy on November 16, 2014. His name is Alfred Eugene Borro. Connie reports that he is healthy, strong, and they are all doing well! After three years in private practice as a corporate attorney, Simi Botic is leaving Dinsmore & Shohl to focus all of her energy on her holistic health coaching business and lifestyle blog, which she started last year (www.themicroharvest.com) Mandy Mengel Goetzke and her husband, Jordan, are excited to share the news of their newest addition, Brody Joseph Goetzke. Brody was born on May 27, 2014, and has quickly become the center of their world. Mandy and Jordan purchased their first house together in Nashville, Tennessee, last fall and have been busy decorating and creating memories to truly make it a home. Mandy’s current full-time job is being a mom to Brody. She also runs a “mommy blog,” www.goodasitgoetz.com, and photography business on the side! If anyone is ever in the Music City, Mandy says to give her a ring! Ali Lehman began her second year of law school at Ohio State in August. In May, she will begin the summer associate program at Jones Day’s Columbus office.
Jess Gerber Abzug ’03 and her husband Ben at their August wedding.
married Brian Pivar (Chicago, Illinois) at The Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 18, 2014. Sherry Zox ’68, Laurie Zox Leder ’69, Elizabeth Fergus-Jean ’73, Allison Bloch Gold ’83, Laura Bloch Kepes ’87, Emilee Deutchman ’06, and Jen Redman ’06, all traveled to the bride and groom’s new home city to celebrate! Hallee finished her Ph.D. at Ohio State in 2013 and joined the Advanced Materials Technology group at Honeywell Aerospace, and Brian is the Operations and Logistics Manager for Uber Technologies in Phoenix. Hallee and Brian love the change of scenery in the desert and are happy to have joined the ranks of the Midwest transplants in Arizona (especially this time of year)!
Jada Cain (Connie’s former student), Adrienne Walters ’04, Constance Bowen ’04, and Amanda Seybold ’03 gathered for Connie’s baby shower in November 2014.
Lindsey Innes and her parents hosted another Thanksgiving get together at their home in Blacklick. In attendance were Emily Wightman, Lindsey Innes, Ali Lehman, Meredith Coen, Brigid Maher, Emily Kasler, and Elizabeth Fiorile. Hallee Zox Deutchman (daughter of Sherry Zox ’68 and sister of Emilee Deutchman ’06)
Connie Bowen ’04, husband, Rudy, and their son, Alfred Eugene Borro.
Rachel Belt ’03 and her husband, Kevin Broderick.
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Cari Murnane ’03, Liz Liston ’03, Megan Merry Brenneman ’03, and Jenica Moffett Williamson ’03 at Megan’s wedding.
Mandy Mengel Goetzke ’04 and husband Jordan with their newest addition, Brody Joseph Goetzke.
Elizabeth Fenner was married on August 16, 2014, to Erik Yassenoff in Upper Arlington. Bridesmaids were classmates Emily Burns and Colleen Connor Hopkins. Elizabeth is counsel with Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. Erik works in Governor Kasich’s office and is also a member of the Upper Arlington City Council. Elizabeth is the daughter of David and Paula Martin Fenner ’74.
2005 Class Representative: Maria Dixon
10th Reunion! Steffie Ross is still living in Boston, currently on the steep streets of Beacon Hill, and approaching her second year at the cancer genomics company Foundation Medicine. She recently joined the marketing team as a Marketing Communications Associate and expects to be traveling a fair amount around the U.S. to various medical conferences—if she knows she is coming to your city, she will certainly reach out! Steffie also plans to spend more time in Columbus moving forward, since her adorable nephew is now living in German Village. She is always up for a unicorn reunion, so stay in touch! Rebecca Morton graduated from WashULaw in May and took the Massachusetts Bar Exam in July. She passed (well done!) and has started working as a trusts and estates attorney at Nutter McClennen and Fish, a law firm in Boston. Katy (Uli) Shanahan made it through the first part of law school and is looking forward to what the next semester brings. She is joined by both Molly Porter and Emily Gerlach and has enjoyed having some familiar faces at school! This summer, Uli will be working in Washington, D.C., as part of a school program that includes an internship and a class on the ethics of lawyering in D.C. (ha!). She is looking forward to the experience and to the opportunity to see some friends living in town while she is there.
Samantha Parsons lives with her fiancé, Michal, in London, England. They are having a 1920’s themed wedding in a Polish Castle on July 4, 2015. She started a new job as an Account Director for Flag on February 2, 2015. Flag is the leading sustainability reporting agency in the UK. Shameem Balakrishnan received her M.Phil. in Education, with a double concentration in School Counseling and Professional Mental Health Counseling, this past May from the University of Pennsylvania. She enjoyed a wonderful summer in India with her family and moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in September to begin working as an Elementary At-Risk School Counselor for a Pre-K-5 school in the Mount Pleasant Community School District. She has loved every minute of work since day one and is so grateful to have the opportunity to serve such a resilient group of students.
2006 Class Representative: Marielle Perrault McGregor Christine Skobrak graduated from Ohio State and is currently working at Walt Disney World. Quiera Lige writes, “I am currently in my fourth year as a graduate student, pursuing my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. I received my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from UC last year! I am pretty much a professional student! I am currently working as a practicum student at the university counseling center. I am also embarking on a mission trip this May to Cape Town, South Africa, to work with children. Go Unies!”
JM Hodge has just started the graduate program in International Studies at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She will be in the Denver area for two years and welcomes any fellow unicorns who are around for drinks!
Marielle Perrault McGregor writes, “From Ebola to earthquakes, Dallas seems to keep making national news. But, let me assure you, all is well in the big city. Temperatures have stayed above my age for most of the winter, and by the grace of God, Justin Bieber’s international tour didn’t stop here. So, overall, it’s been a good year. Hope all is well where you girls are! It’s hard to believe next spring is already our 10-year reunion. Hope to see you there ;)”
2007 Class Representative: Kassie Ansley Czubik Mara Gruber married Nate Reese at The Darby House on October 5, 2014. They honeymooned in Jamaica and live in an old farm house in Hilliard. She does wedding photography, and he is a motion graphics designer at S77. Congrats to all our newly engaged classmates! Laura Fanning was engaged in November to Dr. Christopher Cooley. They met in undergrad at Miami University and will be married in the fall! Lydia Foss was engaged over the summer to Ryan Britt, a Bexley native. Audrey Wobst was engaged to Tyler Stanley at her home in Bexley this past August. Their wedding will take place on New Year’s Eve 2015!
Audrey Wobst ’07 and her fiancé Tyler Stanley.
After graduating from Villanova University in 2009, Christa Roundhouse Reurink moved to New York City, where she worked in accounting and acquired her CPA license. She came to realize that she wanted to pursue education, so she switched careers and studied childhood education, obtaining her M.S. Ed degree in January 2014. On March 13, 2014, she married Erik Reurink in the Netherlands (Erik is Dutch). After moving back to Columbus, she is currently teaching first grade and is enjoying being back in Ohio. Christa Roundhouse Reurink ’05 married Erik Reurink in the Netherlands in March of 2014.
Kate Vorys ’07 and her fiancé, Samuel Kennedy.
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Sara Winters was engaged in August to Lt. David Kehoe, who is a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Navy. They will get married on September 12, 2015, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Columbus.
working at the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (not with Ebola, though!). In her spare time, she enjoys lots of visitors, including CSG graduate Laura Arnold ’10, who came for Halloween this year.
Kate Vorys moved to Seattle, Washington, with her fiancé and is working at a global PR firm called Waggener Edstrom. She hopes that CSG alumnae and Seattleites might connect with her!
Teresa Eigel has started a blog called “Peace, Love, Wholefood,” a nutrition and healthy living blog that embraces plant-centric whole foods and living. Check it out online (www.peacelovewholefood.com) or visit Instagram or Facebook pages for awesome recipes and ideas. Feel free to get in touch with Teresa with heath or wellness questions— she’s always happy to help a fellow Unicorn!
On September 11, 2014, Kassie Ansley Czubik, her husband, and big sister, Autumn, welcomed Vincent Michael Czubik into the world. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 inches long. He is an extremely happy and snuggly little baby.
2008 Class Representative: Caitlin Allen and Mikayla Upchurch Mikayla Upchurch is currently living in Washington, D.C., working on her MBA at Georgetown. She is loving exploring a new city but also misses her friends and family in Columbus. Caitlin Allen is finishing up her Master’s of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. While in school, she has been
Claire Larson recently moved to Laramie, Wyoming, and is planning to go back to school to study sport nutrition. Her dad closed his well-loved toy store, Larsons, and has moved to Florida, but Claire still plans to visit Columbus for the half-marathon in the fall.
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Class Representative: Molly Schissel
5th Reunion! Mackenzie Cottingham Kendrick and husband, Keith, welcomed baby Hailey Janean Kendrick on August 16, 2014. She has already brought many smiles and laughter to her family in her few months!
“This past summer, I was able to visit my sister, Katelyn Ashbaugh Lawrence ’06, in Dallas, Texas, to celebrate her April marriage to Abe Lawrence IV. I have also enjoyed being able to see classmate, Caitlan Ruff, when she returns to town on her breaks from law school. If anyone wishes to be in contact, my e-mail is ayssa.ashbaugh@gmail.com.”
In addition, Anne Milne will also graduate in May with her Master’s Degree in Public Health from SLU.
2009 Class Representatives: Patty Arehart and Laura Raines
Sara Leighty is teaching Pre-K special needs students in Hillsborough County, Florida.
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2010
Stephanie Ladman now lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where she works as a Tour Consultant for Education First.
Karmell Brown is the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Seton Catholic High School in Richmond, Indiana.
Caitlin Allen ’08 welcomed a visit from Laura Arnold ’10 for Halloween.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Claire Allen’s mother, Annette Swanberg, on October 21, 2014.
Alyssa Ashbaugh writes, “I currently live and work in Columbus. I am actively involved in my work, including coaching Middle School girls’ field hockey and lacrosse. I have recently gone back to school for my Master’s in Reading Education at Otterbein University. I have attended trainings in Orton-Gillingham methodology to further my teaching abilities for my students of different learning styles. I have remained actively involved in my sorority, Sigma Kappa, in which I joined the House Corporation Board for my Chapter at Wittenberg University.
Heather Michaels lives in West Hollywood, California, and works at Sony Studios, currently with a new TV show, The McCarthy’s.
Kassie Ansley Czubik ’07’s daughter, Autumn, with her new baby brother, Vincent Michael Czubik.
southeast corner of Orlando. She remains active in her church through leading middle school students and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. She hopes to pursue graduate school for education in the next year at Harvard, Vanderbilt, or Ohio State.
Kathryn Skobrak is a senior, studying Mechanical Engineering at Ohio Northern University, and completed an internship at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) at Walt Disney World. Molly Schissel will finish up her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University in May. She is currently on clinical rotations for the spring semester.
Sarah Henderson is currently working in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a community development corporation, which is focused on economic development work surrounding food entrepreneurship in Albuquerque’s South Valley and area with a high immigration and impoverished population. In addition, Sarah is also working at a non-profit clinic to help injection drug users with their addiction. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Maggie Wilson’s brother, Casey Wilson, on October 2, 2014 at the age of 24. Maggie’s classmates came together to raise $550 in Casey’s name.
2011 Class Representative: Taylor Lint
Caroline Hohl is a third grade science and social studies teacher at Rose Hill Elementary School in Reynoldsburg.
2012
Tayler White writes, “I am taking part in this wonderful event called Columbus Rising where we’re doing a Flashmob at the Columbus Art Museum on February 14, 2015, to help raise awareness about violence against women.”
Class Representative: Angela Mentel and Bridget Lorenz
Elyse Cooke is finishing her second year of teaching in Orlando, Florida. She teaches second grade at a Title I urban school on the
Sarah Taylor spent the fall semester studying abroad in Paris.
Eva Nesbit’s article, “Cosmology Matters” was published in Along Middle Path at Kenyon College on October 1, 2014.
Robin Smith wrote an article, called “Seeing Red: Russian Stereotypes in the U.S. Media” for The Algerian, an online student-run, political science journal at Ohio State.
2013 Class Representative: Natalie Feldman and Rebecca Sugar Jessica Greer writes, “I spent the summer working at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research on MIT’s campus. My work focused on an injectable gel for drug delivery in the body. In November, I had the honor of presenting my research at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. It was an amazing experience to attend the conference and meet some of the best engineers in my field. In addition to starting my Chemical Engineering courses this fall, I also moved into my sorority’s (Sigma Kappa) house, stage managed our fall talent show, and was elected Vice President of Communication. This spring semester, I will be continuing more Chemical Engineering courses and hopefully more research.”
Congratulations & Sympathy BIRTHS: Sheri Farber ’85 On the birth of her son, Sawyer Beckett Farber, on October 2, 2014.
Katie Nyhan ’97 married Courtney Lantz Price
Natalie Gregoire Baribeault ’97 and Thomas Baribeault On the birth of their son, Colin Joseph, on December 1, 2013.
Lindsay Saxe ’00 married Adam Griffin
He joins big brother, Henry.
Sarah Brown ’99 On the birth of her daughter, Elisabeth Janina. Kate Livingston ’99 and Sam Affholter On the birth of their son, Sycamore, on August 7, 2014. Katherine Fiorile Burgess ’00 and her husband On the birth of their son, Rory Michael Burgess, on August 29, 2014. He joins his big brother, Alex.
Amy Trumbull Rowlette ’01 and Robert Rowlette On the birth of their son, Larimer.
Sarah Naguib was featured on Role Model Magazine’s Facebook page as one of their honorees. Sarah is the founder of Laptops for Egypt and is currently attending Kenyon College, majoring in Neuroscience. Sarah was also the guest speaker at CSG’s International Day of the Girl Celebration.
He joins big brother, Bobby.
2014
Whitney Link Gibbs ’01 and Hosea Gibbs On the birth of their son, Hosea II.
Class Representative Needed Katherine Hohl is a freshman at Xavier University majoring in Nursing. She volunteers weekly at a local community center and performs with an improve group through the Theatre Department.
Class Reps needed!
Gina Casagrande Forster ’01 and Nick Forster On the birth of their daughter, Paige Michelle, on August 17, 2014.
He joins big sister, Kennedy.
Wynne Campbell Lennon ’01 and Pat Lennon On the birth of their son, Cormac Wesley Lennon, on May 27, 2014. He joins big sister, Campbell Kirby.
Mikell Taylor ’02 and Nick On the birth of their daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Joan Townley, on November 11, 2014. Connie Bowen ’04 and Rudy Borro On the birth of their son, Alfred Eugene Borro, on November 16, 2014. Mandy Mengel Goetzke ’04 and Jordan Goetzke On the birth of their son, Brody Joseph Goetzke, on May 27, 2014. Kassie Ansley Czubik ’07 and Michael Czubik On the birth of their son, Vincent Michael Czubik, on September 11, 2014. He joins big sister, Autumn.
Contact the Alumnae Relations office 614-252-0781 x132 csgalumnae@ columbusschoolforgirls.org
MARRIAGES:
Mackenzie Cottingham Kendrick ’10 and Keith Kendrick On the birth of their daughter, Hailey Janean Kendrick, on August 16, 2014.
October 18, 2014 Delaware, Ohio.
November 15, 2014 Tampa, Florida
Elizabeth Wheeler Bishara ’00 married Joe Bishara November 28, 2014 Columbus, Ohio
Katie Huss Aichhorn ’01 married Nikolaus Aichhorn May 2014 Vienna, Austria
Jamie Goldach Hinesman ’01 married Jeremy Hinesman August 9, 2014
Sarah Cooperman Bergman ’01 married Shane Bergman June 28, 2014 Colorado
Claire Kelley ’01 married Nathan Schneider September 6, 2014 Brooklyn, New York
Jess Gerber Abzug ’03 married Ben Abzug August 31, 2014 Charleston, South Carolina.
Rachel Belt ’03 married Kevin Broderick December 13, 2014 Indianapolis, Indiana
Megan Merry Brenneman ’03 married Ben Brenneman February 1, 2014 Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado
Hallee Zox Deutchman ’04 married Brian Pivar October 18, 2014 Scottsdale, Arizona
Elizabeth Fenner ’04 married Erik Yassenoff August 16, 2014 Upper Arlington, Ohio
Christa Roundhouse Reurink ’05 married Erik Reurink March 13, 2014 The Netherlands
Katelyn Ashbaugh Lawrence ’06 married Abe Lawrence IV April 2014 Dallas, Texas
Mara Gruber ’07 married Nate Reese October 5, 2014 Columbus, Ohio
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Congratulations & Sympathy IN MEMORIAM-ALUMNAE: Elizabeth “Libby” Gill Kurtz ’31 November 23, 2014
Daughter, Betsy Kurtz Argo ’63: 11250 Barnes Road, Kewadin, MI 49648 Granddaughter, Catherine Kurtz Vrenna ’88: 4594 Crompton Drive, Columbus, OH 43220
Virginia Davisson Morrison ’37 January 8, 2015
Sisters, Patricia Davisson Skinner ’46: 1104 River Ridge Drive Ashville, NC 28803
Carolyn Barton Davis ’37 August 6, 2014
Children are Ellen and Sally Davis
Susan McIlroy Pierce ’41 November 21, 2014
Daughter, Polly Pierce Edwards ’71: 9300 Heimberger Road, Baltimore, OH 43105
Jennifer Teachnor Gaffey ’67 December 2, 2014
Husband, Richard Gaffey: 8543 Pitlochry Court Dublin, OH 43017 Daughter, Lori Ashleman Larimer ’86 Sisters-in-law: Cynthia Teachnor Graham ’69 and Mariann Teachnor Dargusch ’75
Jill Glick Babbitt ’79 March, 2014
Alana Ralph ’94 August 13, 2014
Father, L. Gerald Ralph: 62 W. Beechwood Blvd. Columbus, OH 43214 Cousin, April Zimmerman Katz ’87: 336 S. Columbia Ave. Columbus, OH 43209 Cousin, Elizabeth Zimmerman Donaldson ’92: 116 Preston Rd. Columbus, OH 43209
CONDOLENCES: Joan Evans Taylor ’51, Laura Taylor ’80, and Katherine Taylor ’78 On the death of Joan’s husband and Laura and Katherine’s father, Frederick Taylor, on July 21, 2013. Joan: 2383 Berwick Blvd. Columbus, OH 43209 Laura: 120 W. Allens Ln.Philadelphia, PA 19119 Katherine: 2810 Churchill Drive Columbus, OH 43221
Anne “Gibby” Green Jeffrey ’54 On the death of her husband, Joseph A. Jeffrey, on August 4, 2014. Gibby: 2371 Crooked Mile Road, Gahanna, OH 43230
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Mary Rose Webster ’57 On the death of her brother
Mary: 12 Edwards St. Binghampton, NY 13905
Abbie McClintock Crane ’64 On the death of her husband, Ted Crane, in April 2014. Abbie: 1260 Laforest Drive SE North Bend, Washington 98045
Phebe Miller Olcay ’67 On the death of her husband, John Olcay, on October 17, 2014. Phebe: 1 East End Ave., Apt. B New York, NY 10075
Catherine Sirak Bardsley ’67 and Nancy Sirak Hudson ’69 On the death of their father, Dr. Howard David Sirak, on November 8, 2014. Catherine: 1209 Daviswood Drive McLean, VA 22102 Nancy: PO Box 1321 Ross, CA 94957
Caroline Johnson Voderberg ’67 On the death of her husband, Paul Voderberg, on November 8, 2014. Caroline: 9898 Fallsburg Road, NE Newark, OH 43055
Jill Levy ’70 On the death of her husband, Steve Price, on November 26, 2014. Jill: 4491 Ravine Drive Westerville, OH 43081
Paula Penn-Nabrit ’72, Cheryl Penn ’76, and Courtney Penn Blevins ’89 On the death of their father, Washington Leondicus Penn, on September 17, 2014.
Paula: 157 Sandstone Loop West Westerville, OH 43081 Cheryl: 112 South Ohio Ave.Columbus, OH 43205 Courtney: 1815 Oak St. Columbus, OH 43205
Sarah Young Taylor ’75 and Donna Dee Young ’76 On the death of their father, Donald Young, on June 4, 2014. Sarah: 1265 Elmwood Road, Rocky River, OH 44116 Donna: PO Box 14 Morgan, VT 05853
Cathy DeLeo Uggeri ’77 and Beth DeLeo Gibbs ’78 On the death of their father, Dr. Bernard DeLeo, on October 23, 2014. Beth: 15112 Charles St. Omaha, NE 68154 Cathy: 8727 Second St. South Mattawan, MI 49071
Martha Herrmann McCarthy ’80 On the death of her mother, Becky Herrmann, on January 11, 2015. Martha: 1811 Katherines Wood Drive Columbus, OH 43235
Jane Coffman Wichman ’80 and Lori Coffman Palmer ’87 On the death of their mother, Jo Ann Coffman, on July 28, 2014.
Jane: 4916 Heath Gate Drive New Albany, OH 43054 Lori: 2587 Bexley Park Road, Columbus, OH 43209
Alexandra Skestos Holmes ’82 and Stephanie Skestos Gabriele ’84 On the death of their mother, Kathryn Skestos, on August 20, 2014.
Alexandra: 71 Preston Road, Columbus, OH 43209 Stephanie: 2340 Central Park Ave Evanston, IL 60201
Betsy Carlin ’83 and Kate Carlin Giller ’87 On the death of Besty’s father and Kate’s uncle, David Carlin, on January 11, 2015.
Betsy: PO Box 871 Wilson, WY 83014 Kate: 145 Ashbourne Road, Columbus, OH 43209
Lisa Lowder Darke ’85, Sarah Lowder ’92, and Hannah Barends ’14 On the death of Lisa and Sarah’s father and Hannah’s grandfather, Peter Lowder, on January 12, 2015.
Lisa and Hannah: 371 Fairway Circle Columbus, OH 43213 Sarah: Via Pomponia Grecia 10 Piano Terzo Scala D Rome 00145 ITALY
Cecily Chester Alexander ’88 On the death of her brother, Joel Chester, on January 21, 2015. Cecily: 3545 Mann Road, Blacklick, OH 43004
Kathryn Conners Beck ’94 On the death of her father, Bob Conners, on November 23, 2014.
Kathryn: 1831 Dogwood Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145
Saher Aziz ’02 On the death of her father, Dr. Haroon Aziz, on January 15, 2015.
Saher: 2433 Billiton Court, Columbus, OH 43220
Claire Allen ’09 On the death of her mother, Annette Swanberg, October 21, 2014.
Claire: 7245 Davis Road Hilliard, OH 43026
Maggie Wilson ’10 On the death of her brother, Casey, on October 2, 2014.
Maggie: 3921 Tarrington Lane Columbus, OH 43220
CSG Alumnae Weekend Friday, April 24, 2015
12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch at CSG 1:15-2:00 p.m. Alumna of the Year Chapel Legacy Photos 2:05-3:30 p.m. Classroom Visits 3:30-4:15 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Induction 4:15-4:45 p.m. Campus Tours 4:45-5:30p.m. Meet Jennifer Ciccarelli 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cocktail Party Class Giving Awards Class Photos
Visit columbusschoolforgirls.org for more details about both events!
Columbus School for Girls presents
Le MĂŠridien Columbus, The Joseph
Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:30-10:00 p.m.
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
Columbus School for Girls 56 S. Columbia Ave. Columbus, OH 43209 www.columbusschoolforgirls.org
PAID
COLUMBUS, OH PERMIT NO. 153
&
then CSG BASKETBALL TEAMS CIRCA 1900-1901 AND 2014-2015
now