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Spring 2015
MIDDLE SCHOOL GREEN AMBASSADORS – HONORABLE IN DEED
GOING GREEN
UPPER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDINGS EARN GOLD LEED STATUS Germantown Academy is pleased to announce that its new Upper and Middle School building project, which was facilitated by Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT), has achieved a “Gold Rating” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.
LEED is an independent rating system for green building developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building. LEED Certifications are awarded as Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum, depending on the number of credits a building receives. “LEED Certification identifies Germantown Academy as a showcase example of sustainable design. Not only are we positively impacting the environment with this plan, but we also are giving the school and its students an opportunity to interact directly with nature,” said Maarten Pesch, Principal at WRT and project lead architect. "As Head of School, I could not be more proud of our community for achieving LEED Gold status, which required a significant amount of time and effort on the part of many faculty, staff mem-
bers, students and parents," said Head of School Jim Connor 1760. "I also salute our Board of Trustees, whose directive was to invest the financial resources needed to construct beautiful facilities that will support and enhance programs and are environmentally responsible, today and in the future. This communal commitment to being LEED certified has enabled Germantown Academy to become a ‘true green' community."
Sustainable strategies employed within the new building to reduce utility consumption include a rain water harvesting system, advanced mechanical and lighting systems with strong reliance on natural daylighting strategies, grey water systems, a demonstration green roof, and a host of other sustainable features. In addition to LEED Gold status, GA received the Montgomery County’s Excellence in Planning and Design 2012 Land Development Award.
Concurrent with the development of the new Upper & Middle School, GA also proceeded with a reconfiguration of its outdoor athletic areas and restoration of the environmentally sensitive areas to improve water quality and storm-water management, as well as, to increase the animal habitat
and biodiversity. The area, known as “The Preserve” is a combination of The Berton E. Korman Family Wet Meadow and acres of native woodlands. The Preserve is a living laboratory where students can study within functioning wetlands, a designated pond, rain gardens, a butterfly garden, and acres of trees and plants. GA is also proud to be certified as an Audubon Society Bird Habitat. All students, through a variety of curricular offerings, take advantage of the outdoor classrooms and landscape, while the entire community accesses the nature trails for exercise and appreciation of nature.
ON THE COVER: FARM TO TABLE
Patriot m yy d ee m A cc aa d n A wn ow n tt o m aa n G ee rr m G
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Spring 2015
With the help of Middle School Science teachers Cory Eklund and Maura Saurman, the Middle School Green Ambassadors learned the ins and outs of gardening, as well as the science behind it, as they grew a variety of vegetables in the Academic Courtyard this past spring. “They do it for the joy of organic gardening and providing healthy food for others,” said Saurman.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GREEN AMBASSADORS–HONORABLE IN DEED
Len Dwinell, husband of Middle School Spanish teacher Barb Dwinell, provided the seedlings. The Maintenance Department did a great job preparing each raised bed with compost.
The greens (bok choy, lettuce, kale, mustard) were donated to the GA Dining Hall. The Green Ambassadors also grew tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs to make salsa.
DESIGN THINKING ON EARTH DAY
Lower School teachers and students took full advantage of the campus’ natural resources for a “Design Day” rooted in the context of Earth Day on April 23. Design Days have grown in scope and popularity in each of the three divisions over the past two years, as the five-step problem-solving process known as “design thinking” allows small groups of students to actively develop and test ideas in search of a real-world goal.
The focusing question for the day was “Why is nature important for kids?”, which framed projects situated in the Wissahickon Creek, the Preserve, or the new Lower School Nature Nook (located just behind Leas Hall). Some design thinking projects emphasized an engineering approach, with students in the Nature Nook using saws and other tools to build a new vision for the space out of natural materials like branches, mud, and rocks, while others featured independent thinking and creativity. In the Preserve, students gathered cattails and shaped them into a variety of creative apparatus. Other projects asked students how they would make music with nature, or what they would create using water.
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Table of Contents
JULY 2015 HEAD OF SCHOOL James W. Connor 1760 ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL AND HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL Rich Schellhas BOARD OF TRUSTEES Judi J. Goodman 1760, President
Scott M. Badami Karen Dougherty Buchholz Judy Chang Cody Brian DiDonato Thomas E. Durkin ’89 Alison Korman Feldman ’78 William M. Garbose 1760 Lori Griswold 1760 Janet Haugen Annamarie Geppert Hellebusch ’84 Jeffrey A. Honickman ’75 Michael H. Jordan Bradley J. Korman ’83 John Korman ’76 Marcy Kramp Susan Stratton McGinnis ’78 Robert L. McNeil ’80 David O. Oberkircher 1760 Lori Reiner Jeffrey T. Sultanik ’72 Catherine Thompson ’77 Andrew Towne Nancy A. Wolfson Kathy Wyszomierski 1760 CHARTER TRUSTEES Robert L. Bast 1760 Berton E. Korman 1760 John W. Rex ’63
EDITOR Carla Zighelboim Director of Communications & Marketing czighel@germantownacademy.org DESIGN Dina Katz Associate Director of Communications & Marketing FEATURED WRITERS Thomas McGlinchey, Adam McGrath, Audrey Schnur, Heather Durkin EDITORIAL STAFF Audrey Schnur, Martin Dean, Thomas McGlinchey, Adam McGrath, Heather Durkin, Kellianne Kaput, Julie Moore PHOTOGRAPHY Dina Katz, Thomas McGlinchey, Adam McGrath, Maura Saurman COVER PHOTO Maura Saurman
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Going Green
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Commencement 2015
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Class of 2015 College List
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Campus Life
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Forever Patriots
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The Beard Center for Innovation
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Alumni Notes
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Two GA Alumni Win Pulitzers
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Get Social With Us! Facebook.com/GermantownAcademy
@GA1759
linkedin.com/groups/ Germantown-Academy-82992
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Mission: GA
Germantown Academy inspires students to be… • Independent in Thought • Confident in Expression • Compassionate in Spirit • Collaborative in Action • Honorable in Deed Germantown Academy is a Prek-12, independent, coeducational, nonsectarian day school, welcoming students, faculty and staff of diverse ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
youtube.com\GA1759
@GermantownAcademy
The Patriot Magazine is produced twice a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement at Germantown Academy. The Patriot was printed by Paradigm Digital Color Graphics in Southampton, PA. Reprinting of any material contained in this publication requires the written consent of Germantown Academy. Please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement with any corrections or omissions - Goodman House, 340 Morris Road, P.O. Box 287, Fort Washington, PA 19034. For more information about Germantown Academy, please visit us online.
www.germantownacademy.net
Stay Tuned!
More Alumni News, Campus Life and the Annual Report will arrive in our special September edition! p.3
TRADITIONS The Legacies
Class of 2015 members with a parent or grandparent, who is also an alumnus/a (including class of 1760), met before commencement for annual photos. Included are: Garret Trucksess ’15 & Cory Trucksess ’88, Siobhan Andress ’15 & Lori Dougherty Andress ’88, Allie Cannon ’15 & John Cannon ’80, Josie Pizzino ’15 & Rebecca Pizzino 1760, Kayla Schwartz ’15 & Tara Karr Schwartz ’84, Meg Westrum ’15, Katie Westrum ’15 & John Westrum ’82, Kaela Griswold ’15 & Kent Griswold ’76, Chet Asher ’15 & Robert Asher ’55, Harrison Bunim ’15 and Cynthia Thresher Bunim ’77, Kathryn Nunes ’15 & Linda White Nunes ’80, Stuart Butler ’15 & Lisa Van Blarcom Butler ’82, Hunter Kessell ’15 & Katherine Hopkins Kessell ’86, Alexis Palmer ’15 & Kevin Palmer ’88, Ashley Piszek ’15 & Bill Piszek ’77, Lexi Riesenberg ’15 & Gwen Kaminsky Riesenberg ’78, Claudia Mezey ’15 & Gaby Russomagno 1760 (not pictured), Jess Zettlemoyer ’15 & Eric Zettlemoyer ’78 (not pictured) & Christine Yeakel Zettlemoyer ’78 (not pictured), and Lily Feldman ’15 & Alison Korman Feldman ’78.
Hats off to the Class of 2015 — 134 Strong!
Germantown Academy honored, celebrated and welcomed the remarkable Class of 2015, the largest ever in the school’s history, into the school’s illustrious alumni body during the 255th commencement on Friday, June 12 in a ceremony held on the Quad. Prior to the presentation of diplomas from Head of School Jim Connor 1760 and Board of Trustees President Judi Goodman 1760, students, parents and extended family members were inspired and entertained by student speakers Shira Wein ’15 and Gideon Sawyer ’15, as well as faculty speaker Susan Merrill, GA’s Associate Director of College Counseling. Senior Class Form Representatives Kaela Griswold ’15, Madeline Jones ’15, and Nate Mann ’15 presented the class stone and the Class of 2015’s gift to the Annual Fund.
During the ceremony, graduation awards were bestowed upon Jones and Sam Lehrman ’15 (Nahill Memorial Medals), Nicole Nadwodny ’15 and Zach Burkhart ’15 (Head of School Prizes), and Griswold and Max Hanamirian ’15 ( Beard Memorial Awards).
Also included in the ceremony was the induction of new members to the honorary alumni Class of 1760. Alumni Society Board President Deborah Huntzinger Herting ’73 announced this year’s honorary alumni: Charles Landgrebe, Maintenance Supervisor, Lori Griswold, Current Parent and Trustee, and Peter Drewniany, Upper School English Teacher. Following the recessional, members of the Class of 2015 and GA faculty lined up on the outer edge of the Quad and wished each other well during the traditional handshake line. Congratulations to our newest alumni!
The Lifers
This group of Class of 2015 seniors started at GA in Prek or Kindergarten! Front Row – Kaela Griswold, Lily Feldman, Jenna Berman, Kayla Schwartz, Madeline Jones, Caroline Asplundh, Lexie Naber, Nicole Nadwodny, Casey Menna, Allie Carrigan, Alexis Palmer, Olivia Gorman, Ashley Piszek. Back Row – Robert Barnett, Meg Westrum, Claudia Mezey, Chet Asher, Hunter Pruitt, Cam David, Max Hanamirian, AJ Abrevaya, Zach Villari, Kathryn Nunes, Patrick Ledwith, Josie Pizzino, Thomas Schlegel, Amanda Izes, Katie Westrum, Emily Schecter, Rebecca Aronow, Rachel Wolfson, Jess Zettlemoyer and Amanda Hill.
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TRADITIONS ...And the Journey Continues Graduates from the Class of 2015 will matriculate at the 83 different colleges and universities in the United States and abroad listed below. Albright College (2) American University Auburn University Babson College Boston College (2) Boston University Brown University Bucknell University (6) Clark University Colgate University College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross (2) Columbia University (2) DeSales University Dickinson College Drexel University (5) East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Elizabethtown College Elon University (3) Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College Georgetown University (3) Georgia Institute of Technology (2) Georgia Southern University Gettysburg College (ED) Goucher College Gulf Coast Community College Harvard University Haverford College (2) Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College (2)
Lehigh University (5) Loyola University Maryland (2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Miami University, Oxford Moravian College Muhlenberg College New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University (3) NewYork University London Program Pennsylvania State University, Abington Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College Pennsylvania State University, University Park (4) Roanoke College Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts Saint Anselm College School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2) Sewanee: The University of the South Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Stanford University Swarthmore College (3) Syracuse University Temple University Texas Christian University The George Washington University (2)
Newest 1760 Inductees (left to right): Charles Landgrebe, Lori Griswold and Peter Drewniany
The Juilliard School The University of Arizona The University of Tampa Tufts University Tulane University Union College United States Merchant Marine Academy University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Santa Cruz University of Colorado at Boulder University of Delaware (2) University of Kentucky (3) University of Miami (2) University of Michigan (2) University of Nebraska at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (4) University of Pittsburgh (2) University of Richmond (2) University of South Carolina (2) University of St. Andrews Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University (4) Washington and Lee University Washington College Wesleyan University Wilkes University Woodbury University Yale University (2) York College of Pennsylvania
Presenters of the 2015 Class Stone (left to right) Nate Mann ’15, Madeline Jones ’15 and Kaela Griswold ’15
COUNSELING FOR A PROPER FIT — TODAY’S UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS…
Have the opportunity to meet with more than 130 college admission representatives who visit GA each fall, and another 100 who attend the annual spring college fair held at GA. Gain exposure to the wide range of col-
leges and universities that exist in the US and abroad. 134 graduates of the Class of 2015 are attending 83 different colleges and universities.
Are encouraged to make thoughtful de-
cisions. 44% of the Class of 2015 gained admission to 100% of the colleges to which they applied.
Identify colleges where they can pursue
their talents. In the Class of 2015, 8% will major in the visual or performing arts; 25% will play a varsity sport at either the NCAA DI or DIII levels.
Apply early in their senior year. In the Class of 2015, 88% applied to at least one college through Early Decision, Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, or Priority. Seek colleges in geographical areas beyond the Northeast. The Class of 2015 has 43 students heading Southeast, 6 heading West, 5 heading to the Midwest and 2 heading to the Southwest; they will call 26 different states, the District of Columbia and the country of Scotland home. Consider the cost of attendance when
deciding where they will apply and enroll. For 16% of the Class of 2015, cost of attendance determined where they enrolled.
2 members of the Class of 2015 have delayed their enrollments to spend a year abroad.
Explore GAP Year experiences
Kashta Davis ’15 and Gabby Acker ’15 gratefully shaking the hands of 5th Grade Teacher Phy Chauveau 1760 and Upper School English Teacher Ted Haynie 1760
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CAMPUS LIFE
PATRIOT SCHOLARS
The McNeil Patriot Scholarship Award is bestowed upon two boys and two girls in the Junior class who have built an uncompromised reputation in the following areas: leadership, personal character and conduct, scholarship and full engagement in the extra-curricular life of the school. The four awards, which include a prize of a senior year tuition, are named in honor of four legendary GA educators. The 2015-16 Patriot Scholars are: Gregory Callahan ’16 (Peter Biggs 1760), Elizabeth Prezioso ’16 (Virginia Belle Day 1760), Sydney Caplan ’16 (Suzanne Baird Perot 1760) and Eathyn Edwards ’16 (E. Daniels Rankin 1760).
JONAS JESWALD NAMED HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
After a national search last fall that included input from students, faculty, parents and administration, Head of School Jim Connor 1760 proudly named Jonas Jeswald the new Head of Middle School. Jeswald, a thirteenyear veteran of independent school teaching, came to GA as the Middle School Dean of Students in September 2013 and served as the Interim Head of Middle School during 2014-15. Jeswald is a graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School, Skidmore College, and Northeastern University (M.Ed.).
LA-BOUND
Talented guitarist Jessica Araten ’16 has played on a number of stages during the course of her music career, but none as big as the stages which are featured in Los Angeles during GRAMMY Week. That all changed on February 4, 2015 when Araten made her debut at Club Nokia with the GRAMMY Camp Alumni Band at “GRAMMY in the Schools Live!” featuring five-time Grammy award nominee Hunter Hayes.
FAMILIAR FACES
GA honored longtime head chef Jimmy Stewart 1760 P’09 (44 years) and cashier extraordinaire Tina Quillen (29 years) in the Dining Room during the Lower and Middle School lunch period as well as during the Upper School morning meeting. Students and faculty offered their congratulations and thanks for their service and for being an integral part of the GA community.
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CURRICULUM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Head of School Jim Connor 1760 traveled to Beijing in early June to distribute certificates to 58 students who completed Advanced Placement academic courses and the College Counseling process that constitute the requirements of Germantown Academy’s Curriculum Partnership Program with Capital Normal University High School. Led by Director Harvie Ruggles, this unique program provides the same college counseling process for CNU High School students that is provided for students at GA. The goal for our Chinese students is the same as well: advise and assist students in discovering and applying to colleges and universities that offer programs that match the talents and interests of the individual child. For this service, GA is paid a per-student fee, which greatly enhances the school’s auxiliary income. Our CNU High School students were admitted to an impressive list of American and Canadian colleges and universities, a list made all the more remarkable by the fact that so few spaces are made available to international students. Congratulations to Ms. Ruggles and her team, and to the CNU High School Class of 2015 for this accomplishment.
NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS NAMED
Assistant Head of School and Head of Upper School Rich Schellhas announced that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) named seven members of the GA Class of 2015 National Merit Finalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These seven GA finalists are Nolan Averbuch ’15, Nancy Cui ’15, Claudia Mezey ’15, Morgan Rees ’15, Lauren Weiss ’15,Vivian Zhong ’15, and Rebecca Zhou ’15. Mezey also received a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Award, while Averbuch was the recipient of the National Merit Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Scholarship.
THEATER HONORS FOR BELFRY CLUB
The Belfry Club, the nation's oldest continuously run high school drama club, made history at the 2015 Greater Philadelphia Cappies Gala by becoming the first school in Philly Cappies history to win the award for Best Musical for a third time. The award was for its production of Little Shop of Horrors performed in November 2014. The group also won for Best Song (“Suddenly Seymour”) and lead actress (Sophie Hearn ’15) and lead actor (Nate Mann ’15) in a musical.
CAMPUS LIFE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALUMNI PANEL KINDERGARTEN EXPLORES THE CREEK
This spring, GA’s Kindergarten classes celebrated “Creek Day,” for the first time, and took advantage of our beautiful natural areas, while using design thinking. Students created their own boats to see which ones would float. Some of our youngest learners found that plastic floats, while cardboard sinks! Other activities involved using rocks to build a small dam, and learning how to paddle a canoe, as evidenced above with Kindergarten teacher Peter Waxler keeping the boat steady.
INTEL SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH
McNeil Patriot Scholar Justin Wong ’15 was one of 300 high school seniors to be named a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search 2015, a program of Society for Science & the Public, out of 1,800 entrants from 460 high schools in 41 states, Puerto Rico and five American and international high schools overseas. For his project, “Coordinate Descent in Two Dimensions for Protein Loop Closure,” Wong developed a computer algorithm that helps predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins.
ROBOTICS TEAM ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS GA’s team of Nichelle Hall ’15, Patrick Ledwith ’15, Abay Tadesse ’15, Trent Weiss ’15 and Justin Wong ’15 made it to the semifinals of the first Philadelphia 76ers Robotics Night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. With Maitreya Venkataswamy ’16 serving as GA’s key programmer, the team built a robot to meet certain tasks and programmed it to run an autonomous section. Upper School science teacher Diane Goldstein and Arts Center Production Manager and Technical Director Bill Kingsbury served as faculty advisors, while Upper School science teacher Mike Rheam led the team at two previous competitions.
In March, Director of Innovation and Special Programs Gaby Russomagno’s Upper School Entrepreneurship class welcomed several alumni entrepreneurs including Patrick Fitzgerald ’93 (DreamIt Ventures, Lecturer at Wharton), Rich Podulka ’95 (United American Builders Inc.), Krista Emmett Sherkey ’98 (Streamline6 Communications, LLC), and Mason Wartman ’06 (Rosa’s Fresh Pizza). Students learned about each graduate’s experiences in building their business and what they’ve learned along the way. The Entrepreneurship Class was offered for the first time this year as a mini-mester course (pass/fail, non-credit). Its companion class during the second semester was Marketing and Branding.
5TH GRADE INVENTOR NAMED WINNER OF SCHOLASTIC CONTEST Christine Meng ’22 was one of 10 winners out of nearly 30,000 participants from around the world in the Scholastic Reading Club’s 2015 Brilliantly Ridiculous Invention Contest. Christine invented the Coat Outfit Closet Organizer, or the C.O.C.O. for short, that picks up clothes off of the floor using electromagnets. Fifth grade students studied simple machines and made their own inventions with Lower School Science Coordinator Craig Newberger 1760. As a winner, she received a collection of books and the school received $750 worth of funding for the science program.
SINGING PATRIOTS TOUR EUROPE
The Singing Patriots returned to Europe in March where they toured the Czech Republic and Poland, performing concerts in Prague,Wroclaw, and Krakow. In Krakow, GA sang in two concerts at St. Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral and the ICE Congress Center of Krakow with its sister school, First High School of Krakow. p.7
CAMPUS LIFE FOREVER PATRIOTS!
Peter McVeigh 1760, Upper School History Teacher Director of CSO Tenure: 45 years
It would take thousands of words to summarize the legacy of Peter McVeigh, but perhaps one word will suffice: gratitude. Peter consistently and sincerely expresses his deep gratitude for the many meaningful relationships he has forged with students and faculty over the years. And they in turn have passionately and repeatedly conveyed their gratitude for Peter’s kind guidance and unwavering commitment. Classrooms and awards may be named in his honor, but it is with the simple words, “thank you,” that Peter will be forever remembered. Joe Mauro Director of MS/US School Band Tenure: 15 years
Joe Mauro’s tenure as Director of GA’s Middle and Upper School Bands was something of a surprise second act, as he came to GA after 28 successful years at Abington. Under Joe’s exacting direction, the entire music program has flourished, with students exploring jazz and musical theater along with concert pieces. Mauro frequently plays with his colleagues and students, demonstrating an active love of music that is completely contagious. The seeds Joe has planted in GA’s music department will continue to bear fruit for years to come. Richard Shoulberg 1760 Director of Aquatics Tenure: 46 years
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swimmers under his tutelage. For Shoulberg, success is measured in maintaining personal relationships and in championing basic water safety for every swimmer, regardless of age or talent. Sharing his lifetime of experience in presentations all over the world, Shoulberg continues to bring the lessons born at GA into the wider world, empowering all that wish to take to the water the confidence and tools to do so. Joseph Scherrer 1760 Upper School Science Teacher Tenure: 37 years
For Joe Scherrer, the markers of his GA legacy are more tangible than most. Written into existence based on his ideas, the physics-first Upper School Science curriculum and the school’s Honor Code found their genesis in Scherrer’s firing neurons. Joe’s ability to see what a community needs and then convince others of the same is just one of his many memorable qualities. Any student that has embraced a life of the mind owes a debt to Joe. Barbara Dennis Admin. Assistant, Athletics Tenure: 18 years
Dedication is the word that comes to mind when considering Barb Dennis’ impact on the Athletics Department over the past two decades. Barb epitomizes the concept, putting in countless hours to support the coaches and student-athletes in her care. She has been an ideal liaison for the Inter-Academic Athletic League, cementing the relationships in that tight-knit community, and her warm presence will be sorely missed.
A REAL GOOD TYME AT THE COUNTRY FAIR!
It was gingham shirts and wide-brimmed hats as far as the eye could see at the bi-annual Parents’ Committee Auction on Saturday, April 18. The Good Tyme Country Fair brought together more than 300 GA community members for a fantastic evening of revelry and fundraising, resulting in more than $100,000 for the school’s operating budget.
With antique farm machinery and fresh bales of hay setting the mood, the campus buzzed with excitement as parents, alumni, faculty and more cast bids on the wide range of items and experiences generously donated by the GA community. New this year was mobile bidding, with the entire silent auction taking place via a smartphone app! Event attendees clicked away to the last minute, while folks as far away as California also got in on the action in real time. Community-wide events like the Country Fair take months of planning, and would not be possible without sharp minds, generous hearts, and willing hands. Thanks go to all the Parents’ Committee volunteers especially event co-chairs Kim Itterly P’15, P’17 and Lauren Finkelstein Hellman ’95, P’22, P’25, as well as all sponsors, item donors and bidders for their overwhelming generosity. We hope you had as much fun as they did and plan to join us for the next big event.
LEARNING THROUGH IMMERSION
This past spring, Alejandro Gonzalez ’17, Allie Ernst ’16, Paulina Campos ’16 and Molly Doman ’16 spent five weeks abroad in Seville, Spain attending classes at the Europa International School (EIS) where they were immersed in Spanish language and culture. Carol Ayers, Upper School Spanish Teacher and Director of Upper School Diversity, served as their faculty advisor.
NEW ON CAMPUS THE BEARD CENTER FOR INNOVATION
Germantown Academy is proud to announce the creation of The Beard Center for Innovation, which is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2015. The construction of the Beard Center was made possible due to the generosity of the late Midge Beard Price, who had been committed to the school over the years and to preserving the Beard Family name and legacy at the Germantown Academy.
“We are honoring Midge’s support of Germantown Academy by naming this unique venture for her family,” said Head of School Jim Connor 1760. “She had always been supportive of cuttingedge approaches to education and incorporating technological advances, and the Beard Center for Innovation will help GA expand its ability to engage students through new programs and with effective uses of technology.”
Incorporated in the Roberts Family Library and Technology Center, The Beard Center consists of two spaces to further engage students in their learning — a makerspace and a larger, flexible innovation lab. Students and faculty will use the innovation lab to collaborate, share resources and knowledge, and generate ideas, as well as access a robotics field. The new ideas will take shape in the makerspace, where students can work on projects with the use of 3D design software, a laser cutter, computers and a variety of materials. The Innovation and Special Programs Department, led by Director Gabrielle Russomagno 1760 has been actively piloting and designing various programs and classes for all grade lev-
els. The Beard Center will provide a hub for these innovative teaching and learning initiatives, which are centered on project-based learning and a collaborative, creative problem solving process.
“We wanted a designated space for generating ideas and a true makerspace for these projects to live,” said Russomagno. “Engaging faculty and students by giving them time, space and the opportunity to achieve their goal, or fail and regroup, has shown truly inspiring outcomes like critical thinking, problem solving, risk taking and more. I can’t wait to see what these great minds produce.” Be sure to look for the next presentation of Innovation at GA this fall.
The Beard Family History
Donald Swan Beard 1922 and his five brothers, Robert ’13, John ’14, William, III ’15, David ’19 and Milton ’23 attended Germantown Academy from 1903-1923 with unbroken attendance. Donald followed in his father’s footsteps, William K. Beard, Jr., who served as a Trustee (1923-1929), when he joined the Board in 1943. In 1957, he was appointed as President of the Board of Trustees where he worked closely with Head of School Donald Miller 1760 to make the decision and begin the process of relocating Germantown Academy to Fort Washington. During his tenure as President, the all boys academy was transformed into a coeducational school. He served as President until his untimely passing in 1960. The Beard Family continued its relationship with GA when Donald, Jr. ’49 and his children, the late Sharon Beard Testa ’82 and Susan Beard attended the Academy. The Beard Memorial Prizes, awarded in the Upper School, are named in honor of Donald and his father William K. Beard, Jr.
RED, BLACK, BLUE AND
Thank you to all those who generously supported the 2014-15 ANNUAL FUND. Contributions from the school community directly benefit each student and our dedicated faculty across divisions.
The Honor Roll of Donors and Financial Summary will be published in the September 2015 issue of The Patriot. The full Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2014-15 will be available online in the fall. ANNUAL FUND G A You. Red, Black, Blue and
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1760s
ALUMNI NOTES
After 52 years of working with young people, Jim Buckley 1760 has decided to retire. Buckley announced his retirement from Ursinus College’s women’s basketball team in June after 13 seasons and 151 victories. During his distinguished career at GA, Buckley coached numerous teams, including the varsity girls’ basketball team, which went 235-74 in his tenure. He was also the Athletic Director from 1989-93. The Towamencin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored Upper School history teacher Judy Krouse 1760 with the 2015 Outstanding Teacher of American History award, which she not only won for the Towamencin Chapter, but for the entire state of Pennsylvania.
Head of School Jim Connor 1760 and Director of Rowing Libby Peters were among the many members of the GA community on hand during the May 9, 2015 christening of the "Peter McVeigh 1760," the newest boat in the crew’s fleet.The boat was named in honor of Director of CSO/Upper School History Teacher Peter McVeigh 1760.
1940s
Jack Loughridge ’41 was honored with the Conshohocken-Plymouth-Whitemarsh Rotary Club’s distin-
1950s
guished service award in May 2015. The citation recognizes civic engagement.
1960s
Frank Colosey ’60 reported that he is still working at Merion Pump & Equipment Company in Conshohocken, a business that he started 25 years ago. Frank wrote, “I’m sure that I utilize skills and lessons at GA every day. The days on School House Lane were the greatest of my life.” Lee Marcus ’61 and his wife, Elaine, traveled to Morocco in April 2015 where his camel ride was a highlight of the trip.
Fred Stuart ’61 and wife, Karen Davis, joined other GA alums on a bus trip to see Bradley Cooper ’93 portray the Elephant Man on Broadway. "It was a unique day," said Fred. "How many times does the whole cast casually sit down on the stage after a performance and take questions for an hour!”
Six members of the Class of 1961 met for lunch at Farmacia in Philadelphia on December 10,
IN MEMORIAM: GA’S OLDEST ALUMNUS
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Rich Christine ’56 took his daughter and grandchildren to the Great Wall of China. “Both grandchildren started at GA, but are now living in Tokyo, and they love it,” wrote Rich.
The Academy lost its senior-most alumnus with the passing of Herman R. Hutchinson, GA Class of 1933, in May 2015. As a true life-long GA Patriot, Mr. Hutchinson’s contributions to the Academy are innumerable. His page in the 1933 Ye Primer described him as a “charter member of the class” of which he was a part since
IN MEMORIAM... Ruth M. Aden 1760 Herman R. Hutchinson ’33 William B.Yoder ’36 Maurice R. Landes, Jr. ’41 Joseph Etris, Jr. ’42 Thomas J. Vischer, Jr. ’49 Willard H. Goeckler, Jr. ’51 George W. Samson ’51 David Bushrod James III ’54 Robert P. Powelson ’54 William J. Germain, Jr. ’57 Joseph J. Duda ’58 Roger McC. Eastlake ’59 Richard M. Dickenshied ’71 James P. Anderson III ’77
2014. They included Brenda Kieffer ’61, Bonnie-Kay Marks ’61, Meredith Berry ’61, Gwen Borowsky ’61, Janis Darlington ’61, and Wendye Carnecchia ’61. “It was a delicious and delightful time spent together,” noted Bonnie-Kay.
1970s
After many years teaching in special education with the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and private institutions and schools, Patricia Dinlocker Kuhn ’70 is retiring from teaching. Patricia wrote: “I am looking forward to working part-time in retail, or working with animals, my other passion, and having time to work and volunteer, paint and still teach from time to time. I’m really looking forward to catching up with my friends and GA classmates. I recently bought a home in 2012 and am enjoying gardening and fixing it up.” Randy Alexander ’76, president and CEO of the boutique entertainment PR firm Randex Communications, has added Live Nation, the world’s largest
the 1st Grade. As an alumnus, his frequent attendance at school events, as well as his generous on-going support of the school, made him a wonderful leader and role model within GA’s alumni body. At 99 years old, Mr. Hutchinson set a fine example for all those who come after him. His family has requested that gifts in his memory be made to the Herman R. Hutchinson Financial Aid Fund at Germantown Academy.
concert promoters, to his roster, to handle the launch and opening of The Fillmore Philadelphia. The Fillmore Philadelphia is billed as "a music hall to top all music halls" and "the best live rock music venue in the United States."
ALUMNI NOTES
Emily Solis-Cohen ’06, Alex Crane ’08, Sally Solis-Cohen ’76, and Abby Bach ’77 enjoyed a mini GA reunion in San Francisco.
After spending 15 years in Haiti, Richard Mears III ’77 is returning to the Philadelphia area as the International Director with Ambassadors Football. Richard wrote, “I will be overseeing Ambassadors’ soccer clubs and ministries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently Ambassadors works in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, and Peru so I will be travelling a lot and brushing up on the Spanish I learned from Señor Casa and others! Two of our children are in the U.S. and the other is studying French in Switzerland. We look forward to connecting more with the GA community when we get back in the area around July!”
1980s
In January 2015, Leslie Stern Richards ’85 was sworn in as the new secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Leslie, who previously served as a Montgomery County Commissioner, made history by being the first female secretary
in the Keystone State’s Department of Transportation.
Dr. Arthur Stitzer ’86, an equine veterinarian, returned to campus on April 13, 2015 along with Dr. Lucy Wimpenny ’00, a school psychologist, for the Upper School’s Club Med panel discussion and dinner. Every spring, Club Med hosts a medical career panel discussion with experts and practitioners in various roles within the medical field. In conjunction with the Office of Institutional Advancement, Club Med welcomed alumni, current parents, and parents of alumni back to campus to share advice with students interested in pursuing a medical career.
1990s
Steve Christy ’90 is now working at bioCSL in King of Prussia as a National Account Manager for Government Tenders and U.S. Health Systems. “I am still in the vaccine industry and wouldn’t have it any other way,” Steve said. “Lola will be three in August and Steven turned one on June 1.”
Stu Miller ’90, a producer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, recently led a new effort as executive producer and showrunner of Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live from the Brazos County Jail, which aired on Comedy Central on June 13, 2015. He is also the executive producer and showrunner of Ferrell Takes the Field, which is an hour-long baseball special starring comedic actor Will Ferrell, which will air in Fall 2015 on HBO. Michael ‘Pup’ Turner ’91 will begin his tenure as the Head of School at St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond in July 2015. He previously served as the Director of Upper and Middle School Admission, history teacher and football coach at the school before becoming Head Elect in 2014. Dr. Lenny Roberts ’92 was the final guest in this year’s Upper School Let’s Do Lunch series, a program led by Director of Athletics Jim Fenerty 1760 that allows students to connect with professionals in various athletic fields. Dr. Roberts spoke to students about health and wellness, including ‘text neck’ and ways to improve their lifestyle. He is a chiropractor with Summit Spine and Wellness Center and a chiropractic consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers.
ROGER EASTLAKE ’59 REMEMBERED
Roger Eastlake ’59, student, alum- For some long-tenured employees, there’s a fine line between the person
nus, teacher, coach, mentor, counselor, defining the institution and the institution defining the person. Each is husband, father, grandfather and friend, woven into the fabric of the other. Germantown Academy is a better place passed away on March 4, 2015 after a due to his contributions, yet it was more than the roles he played or the time valiant battle with brain cancer. Hundreds he dedicated to GA that defined Roger — it was the sincerity and care which he wove into his daily approach of Roger’s friends gathered with his He was truly excellent at his job because he saw to each role and generations of stufamily on June 6 to possibility in his students when they only saw their dents and families. celebrate his life and pay tribute to the tremendous imlimitations,” remarked Tory Rodgers ’08 at the pact he had on so many lives. memorial service. “For him, the college process “Roger’s instinct to feel genuinely was not about striving to get a great name on a happy for the success of others is the During his 46 years at GA, Roger was a teacher of Engbumper sticker or sweatshirt, but about helping trait of his I admired most,” said Head of School Jim Connor 1760 at Roger’s lish, the school’s first full-time Director of Admissions, students to live out their best lives.” passing. “A close second, now, is the the first formal Director of College Counseling, Presastonishing power of Roger’s life ident of the Alumni Board, Director of Summer Programs, football coach, and, in his spare time, editor of The Patriot Magazine. force. Reveling in companionship, thrilling at optimistic stories, Roger For Roger, GA was family, and he was proud to have his own family engaged never wanted to miss a moment or a thing. Roger’s ‘rage against the dying here; when his wife Cynthia taught in the Lower School, when his children of the light’ (Dylan Thomas) has become the stuff of institutional legend. Emily ’88 and Peter ’91 were students and now alumni, and now when a He simply did not, would not, leave us. Now that he has, in his passing third generation, granddaughters Molly ’14 and Lucy, carried on his legacy abides a reminder of the resilience of the human will.” at the school. p.11
“
ALUMNI NOTES
Amanda Kriebel ’93, a doctor of physical therapy and a yoga teacher at MiraCosta College, is the creator of the Surf ExpansionYoga series that is currently featured on theinertia.com, a surfing website, and ourbodybook.com, a health and lifestyle website run by celebrity Cameron Diaz. She also writes monthly blogs for The Body Book website.Through her writing, Amanda shares her love of health and yoga. She has assisted the sports medical team at World Surfing League events since 2011. She lives in Encinitas, CA and loves her boards—either in the surf or snow!
Marie Claire has added four contributing editors, including alumna Courtney O’Donnell ’93, who is currently head of external affairs at Airbnb, an online international rental lodging company. Photographer and writer Adam Bell ’95 released a new book entitled Vision Anew: The Lens and Screen Arts this past spring. “Vision Anew is an anthology of essays and writings by a variety of artists, critics, and writers,” wrote Adam. “In this new book, we’ve broadened the scope of our reach to include not only the still and moving image, but also to look at ’the lens and screen’ as central tools and platforms from the creation and dissemination of imagery today. In essence, the book attempts to define a new and broader, albeit messier, terrain that more fully define what the lens-based arts can do today."
Dianna Groff Metzger ’95 and her husband, Aidan, welcomed their son, Nathaniel Kingston, into the world on September 20, 2014. “His two big sisters, Athena and Nadia, are over the moon to have a baby brother to squeeze and kiss and play dress up with,” reports Dianna. Rich Podulka ’95, President of United American Builders, opened a new office in The Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter was present at the ribbon cutting ceremony. United American Builders is a general contracting firm serving Greater Philadelphia, New York City and New Jersey. Richie Podulka III ’24 was proud to help cut the ribbon!
Meghan McVeigh Maciolek ’97 and her husband, Joshua, welcomed their son, John Stephen, on January 30, 2015. Big sister Stella is loving every minute of playing and cuddling with her little brother, while the entire McVeigh family, especially “Poppy Pete” and Great Aunt Maggie, could not be more excited about the newest addition to the clan. Lila Scoville was born to Laura Adelman Philipson ’97 and Stephen Philipson on June 11, 2014. She joins elated big sister Isabel Childs (3) and an unruly 9-year-old black lab Cash.The family lives in Charlotte, NC.
RUTH ADEN MEMORIAL FUND ESTABLISHED Germantown Academy will host a memorial service for Ruth Aden 1760, who passed away in January 2015, on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 4pm in the Honickman Auditorium.
"Ruth was a Lower School music teacher for 25 years until her retirement in 1994. Those who knew her will remember the abundant joy with which she taught music and lived her life. Ruth had spirit; Ruth had energy. Ruth loved to laugh, and we loved to laugh with her, as her merriment was memorable and irresistible."
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- Head of School Jim Connor 1760
"As most of you know, my mom loved her time at Germantown Academy, and GA became a second family to her for over 25 years of her life. She loved everything about GA— the kids, the teachers, the administrators, the support staff, the parents, the campus and the whole package. Because of my mom’s love for Germantown Academy and GA’s love and appreciation for her, my dad and our whole family have decided to raise enough money for the Ruth M. Aden Memorial fund at Germantown Academy, to have a meaningful and long-lasting memorial to her. Please join us in this effort, and send any donations for my mom to the Germantown Academy Ruth M. Aden Memorial Fund."
- Beth Aden-Buie ’78
Lauren Quaile ’97 married Will Tonkin on November 8, 2014 in Portsmouth, VA surrounded by many GA friends, including Jessica Rotzell
’00, Jennifer Rotzell Bucci ’97, Arielle Wexler Serrano ’97, Cathy Hebling Peduzzi ’94, Alexis Smith Evarts ’97, Laura Adelman Philipson ’97, Kelly Johnston Bayer ’97, Tom Adelman ’04, Steve Adelman ’00, Chrissy Dare Derbyshire ’97 and Dr. Sue Johnston 1760.
Michelle Frankel ’98 and her husband, Jonathan Tallman, welcomed their son, Sopher Frankel Tallman, on November 10, 2014. They are happily living in Denver. Michelle’s brother David Frankel ’01 and his wife, Anne Schmidt Frankel, welcomed Sebastian Bernard Frankel on March 9, 2015. They live in Ardmore.
Genevieve Younce Zabielski ’99 and her husband, Scott Zabielski, won first place in the Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest on Super Bowl Sunday, as well as $1 million and a “dream job” at Universal Pictures. Genevieve and Scott, the director and executive producer for the comedy TV show Tosh.O created “Middle Seat.” Scott directed the 30-second commercial that revolved around a man’s attempt to protect the empty middle seat next to him. “The shoot was incredible,” Genevieve told the Lansdale Reporter. “It was just one of those things that totally fell together. “
2000s
Michael Buckler ’00 participated in Young Survival Coalition’s Tour de Pink in September
ALUMNI NOTES TWO GA ALUMNI TAKE HOME THE PULITZER!
powerful oratorio for chorus and sextet evoking Pennsylvania coal-mining life around the turn of the 20th century."
Germantown Academy is proud to announce that two graduates were recipients of a Pulitzer Prize in April 2015. NewYork Times writer Eric Lipton ’83 won the award for investigative reporting while respected composer Julia Fink Wolfe ’77 won the award for distinguished musical composition. Both prizes included $10,000 rewards.
It was Lipton’s second Pulitzer Prize of his career. The veteran journalist received the prize for his series on “aggressive efforts by lobbyists and lawyers to push state attorneys general to drop investigations, change policies, negotiate favorable settlements or pressure federal regulators to benefit their clients,” stated The Times. “Journalists who do the difficult, demanding work of investigation, of trying to raise people’s awareness and provoke them to action, while at the same time adhering to the highest standards of ethics and integrity, are some of the most important people working today,” said Director of the GA Writing Center and Upper School English teacher Robynne Murray Graffam ’86.
Lipton is an investigative reporter in the Washington bureau of The Times where he writes about lobbying, ethics, and corporate agendas. He joined the Washington bureau in 2004, initially 2014, a three-day 240-mile bike ride from Philadelphia to Assateague Island, MD that raised funds and awareness that young women can and do get breast cancer. Mike noted that two survivors inspired his journey: his mom and fellow alum, Jackie Roth ’00. Riding with his dad and uncle, he raised over $10,000 for Young Survival Coalition, which provides education, support, and resources for young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Encouraged and supported by his wife and Tour de Pink Event Manager, Kristen Lueckel Buckler ’00, Mike successfully completed this challenge. He was also lucky enough to ride alongside TODAY Show’s Natalie Morales. “Thank you to everyone who provided a generous donation,” wrote Mike. Kathryn Kleppinger ’00, an Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at George Washington University spoke on Al Jazeera America and took part in a panel discussion at New York University about events in France after the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Julia FinkWolfe ’77 and Eric Lipton ‘83
to cover terrorism and homeland security. From 1999 until 2001, he was a reporter for the Metro section of The Times covering City Hall and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. In September 2001, he was assigned to write exclusively about the attack on the World Trade Center, a topic he covered for two years; he ultimately co-wrote a book on the topic, City in the Sky:The Rise and Fall of theWorld Trade Center (Times Books, 2003). In 2002, a package of articles Lipton wrote with James Glanz and other science reporters at The Times about ground zero was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism. Wolfe, a composer associated with the NewYork music collective, Bang on a Can, was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for her work, Anthracite Fields.The Pulitzer jury described the piece as "a
Kathryn completed her Ph.D. in the Joint program in French literature and French Studies at New York University in 2011 and received her Master’s Degree in French Literature from Bryn Mawr College in 2004. Her teaching and research interests center on contemporary French and Francophone literature, in particular how writing from outside metropolitan France influences and shapes conceptions of the French literary canon. Her current book project, tentatively titled Why the Beur Novel? Authors and Journalists Interact to Construct a New FrenchVoice, studies the television and radio reception of novels written by the children of North African immigrants to France. Jacqueline Paranzino ’00 married Ryan Malkes in New Orleans on April 18, 2015. The happy couple lives in Virginia and celebrated their honeymoon in Italy, Greece and Turkey. In attendance at their wedding was Elizabeth Ayerle ’00, who served as Jacqueline’s maid of honor.
The concert-length oratorio draws on oral histories, interviews, speeches, and more to honor the people who persevered and endured in the Pennsylvania Anthracite coal region. The score was described by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times as "a major, profound work...[that] captures not only the sadness of hard lives lost…but also of the sweetness and passion of a way of daily life now also lost. The music compels without overstatement." The NewYork Times wrote: “In Ms. Wolfe’s polished and stylistically assured cantata, the overall coherence of the musical material helped her expressions of outrage to burn cleanly and brightly.” The hour-long work was commissioned by the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, which gave the world premiere, along with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, on April 26, 2014 in Philadelphia. “I feel very fortunate, even before the Pulitzer, to have a wonderful life in music working with amazing musicians,” Wolfe told National Public Radio.
Bree Wexler Eingorn ’00 and her husband, Kyle, welcomed Charlie Emerson, brother of Hudson Cole, on June 13, 2014. Jacqueline Younce Bromiley ’01 and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Cooper Gerald Bromiley, on December 29, 2014 in Burbank. “Everyone is happy and healthy, and we are over the moon in love with our little boy!” wrote Jacqueline. Katherine Harris ’03 and her husband, Craig Supowitz, welcomed their first child, Gavin Harris-Supowitz, on December 12, 2014. He weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces and was 19 ½ inches long. Katherine noted that he has already brought them more joy than they could have imagined was possible! p.13
ALUMNI NOTES
Joanna Mack Stahl ’01 and her husband, Lower School assistant teacher Dan Stahl, welcomed their second child, Gianna Marie, into the world on February 10, 2015. “We are so in love with our newest addition and Robby loves his big brother role!” wrote Joanna. Stephanie Spada Cecco ’03 was named Conshohocken’s Director of Recreation Services and Parks where she provides recreation services and develops programs that promote health and wellness for the community. She also runs the Fellowship House and provides recreation programs at the borough’s five parks. Stephanie earned a history degree at Brown University in 2007 and a master’s degree in business administration at Philadelphia University in 2012. Mark McAuliffe ’05 and his wife, Michele, delivered a cute and healthy boy on March 24, 2015. Baby boy Brennan weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Holding Brennan is proud Grandmother Marisa McAuliffe, GA Lower School Spanish teacher/Program Coordinator! Katie Allenson Spear ’05 and her husband, Matt, welcomed their second son, Adam James, on March 13, 2015.
Jackie Connard ’06 has been named Germantown Academy’s new varsity field hockey head coach. Following her graduation from GA, Jackie played field hockey at Brown University. During her collegiate career, she earned four varsity letters, was a captain for two years, and won several team awards. Jackie earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in 2010 and was a D.W. Lyman Scholar all four years. After completing her first year of a Master of Architecture degree at Boston Architectural College, Jackie currently works as a designer at Ellen Happ Architect in Doylestown. p.14
Ben Siegl ’06 got engaged to his college sweetheart, Meg Boon, on August 19, 2014 in Colmar, France. Carolyn Weber ’06 married Zack Haas on June 28, 2014. GA alums in attendance were Kristie Haynie ’06, Jacqui Kates ’06, and Annie Wallentine,’10.
On May 5, 2015, Camille Peggs Dargan ’07 and her husband, Dorian, gave birth to their first child, a healthy baby girl named Denvre (pronounced Denver) Raine Dargan in New York City.
Bianca Johnson ’07, a 2011 graduate of Muhlenberg College, has traded in her two-year career in Manhattan as a public relations account executive to pursue a career in education. She attended University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), graduating magna cum laude in May 2014 with a Master of Science in Education. Soon after, she landed a position as kindergarten teacher at the Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square where she now resides. Brian O’Neill ’07, a current right wing of the Manchester Monarchs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, was named the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player for the 2014-15 season. O’Neill scored 22 goals and led the AHL with 56 assists and 78 points in 69 games entering the final weekend of the regular season.
Allen Tate ’08 has been busy lending his baritone voice to orchestral pop band San Fermin. Allen returned home when San Fermin played at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia on May 7, 2015. Allison Fried ’09 was selected as the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to teach in Madrid for nine months.While abroad, Fried will teach English, lead a Model United Nations Global Class-
room program, and study bilingual schools and international public education. In May 2015, Fried graduated from the University of Louisville with a master’s degree in teaching with Spanish and middle school social studies certifications. She is a 2013 graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., where she majored in world politics and foreign languages (Arabic and Spanish).
2010s
Joe Getsy ’11 graduated from Stanford University in June 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Human Biology and a Notation in Science Communication. After a summer of research, Joe will return to Stanford in the fall to pursue his Master’s degree in Biology. Joe sends his best to everyone at GA and his friends from the Class of 2011.
Starting outfielders Aaron Novak ’11, a senior, and Greg Guers ’11, a redshirt junior, provided Penn State University’s baseball team with a lethal power combo this past season. Novak hit .326 and knocked in 27 runs with a slugging percentage of .464. Guers hit .284 and plated 38 runs with a slugging percentage of .495. Guers was recently featured in an article by The Times Herald after his batting average shot up 82 points from midMarch. Mike Markovitz ’11 graduated from the University of Pennsylvania on May 18, 2015. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a Major in Bioengineering and a Minor in Mathematics and will be attending the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in July. He will be joining his sister, Michele Markovitz ’08, currently a fourth year student at Jefferson. Philadelphia University’s basketball guard Monica Schacker ’11 scored the 1,000th point of her college career as she helped the Rams beat CW Post, 83-65, in February.
Penn State University’s Jenny Dobson ’12, a junior in Eberly College of Science and a Schreyer Honors Scholar, raised $3,020 for her “Bald is Beautiful” campaign as part of Penn State’s THON 2015. Dobson shaved her head to show solidarity for the cancer patients who have lost their hair through medical treatments.
Washington College sophomore basketball guard James Drury ’13 earned a place on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll for winter sports. He is majoring in Business Management.
ACADEMY CLUB INDUCTIONS
A GA tradition since the Class of 1924, Academy Club members are those to whom the responsibility for keeping the class in touch with the Academy is bestowed. Chosen at the end of their junior year, the 15 members of the 2015 Academy Club, the 91st class of inductees, spent time throughout senior year in learning, and then helping to educate their classmates, about what it means to be an alumnus of Germantown Academy. “Your dedication, involvement and leadership have earned you the recogni-
tion and trust of your classmates,” Director of Alumni Relations, Heather Durkin, said in her introduction at the annual event.
Also notable at this year’s induction dinner was the fact that four of the newly-inducted seniors have a parent who is also in the Academy Club. “I’ve enjoyed coming to the Academy Club Induction dinners for the past few years, but this one was extra special,” commented Academy Club member and senior parent
Kent Griswold ’76. “In addition to seeing the work that these students put into this commitment, hearing a teacher like Peter McVeigh speak on Kaela’s behalf was very special.” Members Lisa Van Blarcom Butler ’82, Alison Korman Feldman ’78 and Linda White Nunes ’80 were also on hand to welcome their seniors into the club. This year’s inductees, like those before them, will be called upon to help keep their class connected for years to come.
2015 Academy Club inductees with faculty speaker in parentheses: Siobhan Andress
(Judy Krouse 1760), Jenna Berman (Allison Rader), Stuart Butler (Mike Koziol), Allie Carrigan (Ted Haynie 1760), Lily Feldman (Peter Drewniany 1760), Kaela Griswold (Peter McVeigh 1760), Madison Hackley (Chris Nelson), Max Hanamirian (Matt Dence), Kathryn Nunes (Karen Mason), Matt Perricone (Jim Fenerty 1760), Hunter Pruitt (Robynne Graffam ’86), Matthew Rueter (Dan St. Jean), Gideon Sawyer (Dave Sampson), Noah Schleicher (Kendall Mattern 1760), Alex Straus (Michelle Friedman)
Arthur Frayler ’12 helped the Florida Gators win their third straight SEC title by placing third in the 1,650 freestyle, seventh in the 500 freestyle, and 18th in the 400 IM. At the NCAA Swimming Championships, in which Florida finished fifth overall, Frayler took 12th in the 1,650 and 16th in the 500 freestyle.
Dickinson College’s Ryan Dolan ’12 was named to the 2015 All-Centennial Conference Baseball Team. Ryan, an outfielder, jumped up to the First Team after earning Second Team honors in 2014. The former GA slugger had another great year as well, hitting a whopping .384 on the year behind 48 hits, including five doubles, eight triples and a homerun.
Bryan Draganosky ’12 helped the University of Louisville Cardinals finish second overall at the ACC Championships. He finished eighth in the 1,650 freestyle and 12th in the 500 freestyle.
Daniel Hoy ’12 has completed his junior year at Princeton University, where he is studying Politics,
Political Economy and Spanish. As a three-year starter for the baseball team, Hoy received the 2015 William Clarke MVP award for leading the Tigers in offensive stats and started in all 35 games played. He batted a team high .311 in 132 at-bats. Topping the squad in home runs (6), triples (2) and doubles (13), he also slugged a team-best .576, while driving in a team-high 26 RBIs. Hoy received First Team All-Ivy honors for the 2015 season. University of Delaware’s Madeline Maher ’12 finished third in the 400 IM, fifth in the 200 IM and ninth in the 200 breaststroke at the CAA Swimming Championships. Her time of 4:18.74 in the 400 IM race set a new Delaware record.The Blue Hens finished fourth overall. Adam Sjoholm ’12 played a key role in Army’s second place finish at the Patriot League Swimming Championships. The junior placed 14th in the 100 freestyle and was a member of Army’s bronze medal 200 freestyle relay.
Eagan Zettlemoyer ’12 helped Emory’s 800 freestyle relay team take second at the University Athletic Association Swimming Championship. He also finished sixth in the 200 freestyle and placed 16th overall in the 500 freestyle race. Emory won the UAA title with 1,551 points.
Nick Lindner ’13 was in the national spotlight during the 2015 Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament when his No. 16 Lafayette College Leopards took on No. 1 Villanova in the first round. He was the 17th former GA basketball player who played under Head Coach Jim Fenerty 1760 to earn a trip to a NCAA Tournament. Nick played the game of his life when the Leopards beat American University in the Patriot League Tournament championship game to earn an automatic bid to March Madness. He scored a game-high 25 points and was later named the Patriot League Tournament MVP. Bradley Garcia ’13 was awarded the America East Elite 18 Award at the conclusion of the 2015 America East Men’s Lacrosse Championship between Stony Brook University and the University of Albany. The Elite 18 Award honors student-athletes in the America East Conference who exemplify excellence in both their sport and in the classroom and is awarded to the one athlete who participated in the conference championship who also maintains the highest overall GPA. Garcia is a sophomore defenseman for the Stony Brook Seawolves and has an overall 3.86 GPA. He is majoring in Health Science and is on a pre-med track.
Natalie Dowzicky ’14 helped the University of Richmond Spiders capture their fifth-straight Atlantic 10 Conference Swimming Championship. Dowzicky took 16th in the 50 freestyle and swam the second leg of Richmond’s silver medal 200 freestyle relay. At the end of the season, Dowzicky received the award for the highest Freshmen Female Athlete GPA (3.92).
Send us your news!
More Alumni News will be included in the next issue of The Patriot this fall. Send your announcements, photos and news to classnotes@germantownacademy.org. p.15
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Congratulations Class of 2015! AJAbrevaya • Ally Acker • Gabby Acker • John Aiello • Siobhan Andress • Rebecca Aronow • Chet Asher • Caroline Asplundh • Nolan Averbuch • Robert Barnett • Jenna Berman • Andrew Blaney • Anthony Bozzelli • Q Branker • Harrison Bunim • Zach Burkhart • Stuart Butler • Ryan Calhoun • Brooks Cannell • Allie Cannon • Allie Carrigan • Gavin Chen • Logan Cody • Eric Corliss • Nate Craft • Nancy Cui • Cam David • Ian Davies • Kashta Davis • Jack Davis • Anna DeRusso • Ryan DeWalt • James Diver • Brittany Dobson • Ryan Elefante • Lily Feldman • Brooke Fireman • Lexi Fortune • Phoebe Frank • Kishan Ghodasara • Rebecca Gober • Olivia Gorman • Kaela Griswold • John Grossi • Tim Guers • Madison Hackley • Nichelle Hall • Max Hanamirian • Sophie Hearn • Josh Herman • Kelsie Hermance • Amanda Hill • Morgan Itterly • Amanda Izes • Madeline Jones • Liam Kelly • Hunter Kessell • Pauline Kim • Grant LaSorda • Patrick Ledwith • Sam Lehrman • Seth Levin • Sam Lindgren • Pat Longo • Brendan Lugossy • Matthew Magid • Nate Mann • John Marion • Victoria Mauro • Shannon McKernan • Casey Menna • Carson Metzker • Claudia Mezey • Hannah Mills • Lexie Naber • Nicole Nadwodny • Jake Niedosik • Kathryn Nunes • Bridget O'Hara • Julia Pacitti • Alexis Palmer • Pravesh Patel • Abhi Patel • Matt Perricone • Ashley Piszek • Josie Pizzino • Hunter Pruitt • Ciara Quattlebaum • Megan Raitt • Morgan Rees • Ebony Rhodes • Lexi Riesenberg • Brady Riley • Sam Ritz • Olivia Rosato • Ashton Roth • James Rueter • Matthew Rueter • Hannah Sargent • Anvi Savani • Don Sawyer • Gideon Sawyer • Rebecca Schafle • Emily Schecter • Thomas Schlegel • Noah Schleicher • Kayla Schwartz • Mike Shangguan • Trevor Shirakawa • Andrew Simon • Anthony Simon • Kyle Sonlin • Alexander Straus • Abay Tadesse • Edward Tamasitis • Ned Tanner • Taylor-Morgan Tappen • Garret Trucksess • Chris Tsinontides • Marcus Vargas • Zach Villari • Madison Visco • Xena Wang • Shira Wein • Trent Weiss • Lauren Weiss • Katie Westrum • Meg Westrum • Rachel Wolfson • Justin Wong • Pete Zaharchuk • Jess Zettlemoyer • Vivian Zhong • Rebecca Zhou