WINTER 2022
Teachers Our Essential Workers
magazine
contents H AR VEY M A G AZINE // winter 2022
4 FE AT U RES : TEACHERS, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS (Cover: Middle School teacher Doug Plaskett embodies the passion our teachers have for their students and Harvey. Photo by Tim Coffey)
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Teachers Change Lives
Alums’ Harvey Days Marked ‘Present’ in Their Teaching Today
The Ties That Bind: Alums Make Careers at Harvey
Here we celebrate some of our incredible teachers doing the essential work of engaging students in learning.
Influenced by their time as Harvey students, alums have carved out noteworthy careers in the world of education.
The alums on the Harvey staff today returned to their high school alma mater to share their talents and knowledge with their students.
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Mike Bonelli, Sr.: A Remarkable Man, an Extraordinary Life
Homecoming 2021 Celebration: Harvey Spirit Abounds
Harvey’s most senior staff member offers a heartwarming tribute to a man who was a beloved, iconic figure at Evarts Rink.
After a year’s hiatus, the Harvey community celebrated the fun and fellowship of Homecoming Day.
CONTENTS
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2
From the Editor
3
Welcome
26
Cavalier News + Views
40
Sports
43
Artistic Spotlight
46
Alumni News
50
Class Notes
62
In Memoriam
20 follow us! facebook.com/TheHarveySchool @HarveySchoolNY instagram.com/theharveyschool youtube.com/TheHarveySchool linkedin.com/company/The-Harvey-School
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From the Editor
magazine
The Harvey School 260 Jay Street, Katonah, NY 10536 harveyschool.org // (914) 232-3161 harveymagazine@harveyschool.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL William J. Knauer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Grazia CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Chris Del Campo ALUMNI EDITORS Susie Danziger Greg Janos DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Susie Danziger CONTRIBUTORS Mike Bonelli, Jr. Susie Danziger Greg Janos Ray Lacen Alex Lindquist
Brittany Merola Bruce Osborne Rick Price Denise Smith
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Coffey Gabe Palacio CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Stephanie Metz Effie Afentoulides Alison Nokes John Brooks Rick Price Karen Grazia Samantha Saraniti Marcie Hajem Megan Taylor Greg Janos Jessica Vicente Brittany Merola DESIGN Good Design, LLC gooddesignusa.com PRINTING Printech, Stamford, Connecticut MISSION STATEMENT The Harvey School provides a college-preparatory program that fosters lifelong learning and inspires students to develop the confidence and leadership qualities necessary to succeed in a diverse, competitive, and changing world. With our commitment to small class size, our community cultivates the strengths of each student through academic excellence, artistic exploration, athletic achievement, community service, and global understanding. CORE VALUES » Passion for learning » Respect » Integrity » Dynamic balance » Excellence
This issue’s theme was an easy choice! Every day when I arrive on campus, I see our entire faculty and staff eager and ready to greet students and welcome them to campus for another day of learning. Masks do not deter our teachers from engaging with their students, maintaining that same connection between teachers and students that is one of the great hallmarks of Harvey. The Harvey campus remains as it has always been — a warm and inviting environment where learning is interesting, innovative, and joyful. One testament to that is the number of Harvey alums who have returned to our campus now as teachers themselves, first inspired to become educators by their educational experience at Harvey. In this issue, we highlight their time as Harvey students and their reflections on why they made the choice to become educators. We also feature two other alums who have pursued careers as teachers outside of Harvey. They, too, speak of being influenced by their time as Harvey students. It’s heartwarming to know that our teaching alums are making connections with their students today, just as their Harvey teachers had done with them years ago. We were saddened by the passing of Mike Bonelli, Sr. this past fall and we honor his long-standing contributions to Harvey and Evarts Rink. This issue also celebrates our return to a full spectrum of activities and events on campus including theater productions, Homecoming, our Alumni Reunion, and fall sports. The Harvey community is thriving, invigorated by the opportunity to attend these annual events and happy to be able to share them with other members of the Harvey community. I hope you enjoy this issue and applaud the Harvey teachers we celebrate, our essential workers! Happy reading!
Karen Grazia, Director of Communications
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Eileen Walker, Chair Philip Bowers ’70, Vice Chair Andrea Tessler, Treasurer Jerri-Lynn Galgano, Secretary William J. Knauer, President & Head of School Kevin Durkin Deirdre Glascott Jonathan Kass Edward W. Kelly Raymond G. Kuntz Ronice Latta Wendy Lederer Donna Leone Joseph Plummer Elizabeth Schwartz Wallace L. Schwartz
Kathleen Treat Kelsey Turcotte Dawanna Veneable Lindsey Walker ’05 Clifford Wallach Jennifer Waterhouse-Cooper J. Eric Wise Daniel K. Chapman ’73, Emeritus Alice DeSomma, Emerita Barry W. Fenstermacher, Headmaster Emeritus Charles A. Krasne, Emeritus Jeffrey Lasdon, Emeritus Jane Petty, Emerita Frank A. Weil ’44, Emeritus
ALUMNI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Lara Casano ’95, Alumni President Pieter Catlow ’73 Erica Cheyne ’14 George Dallas ’64 Philip Eifert ’73 Laurel Elkind Meredith ’88 Seth Morton II ’57 Greg Presseau ’98 Lindsey Walker ’05, Trustee Andy Jamieson ’09
HEAD’S COUNCIL LIST Tracey Davies Bruce L. Dennis Dennis Dilmaghani ’62 Lori Garbin John Hughes ’68 Richard Ledes ’71 Vivien Levy Lucy Lopez Dave Raneri ’69 David Silk Vanessa Williams
welcome from the head of school
Saluting the Heroes Among Us
“Whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, in the arts center, or in advisor groups, our teachers are committed to bringing out the best in each person.”
In July 2020, I held a virtual forum for faculty and staff to share the school’s reopening plan in the midst of the pandemic. Our plan to come back to campus was based on the guiding principles that schools provide an essential service for students and families and that it was our responsibility to make in-person schooling available to our students to the greatest extent we could safely do so. When school opened that fall, all of our teachers courageously put their own fears aside for the sake of their students and prepared to face the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead. As I later shared in a letter to the Harvey community, our teachers responded as “heroes among us,” with whom I was “honored to work.” Some 15 months later, our teachers continue to arrive on campus on a daily basis, ready to challenge, support, and inspire our students. They do not just teach their students; they guide them, stretch them and get to know them as the unique individuals they are. Whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, in the arts center, or in advisor groups, our teachers are committed to bringing out the best in each person. Thanks to them, Harvey is a place where students flourish and become their best selves. When asked about their Harvey experiences, alumni inevitably focus on the sense of community and belonging their teachers created in the classroom and, beyond that, enabled them to grow and thrive. They recall the dedication and care their teachers demonstrated and point to the lasting, meaningful relationships they formed with their teachers that endure to this day. In short, our teachers are the heart of The Harvey School and all we do. I continue to be honored to work with them, and I am grateful for all they do.
With kind regards,
William J. Knauer, Head of School
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When One Teaches,
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Two Learn
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Alums’ Harvey Days Marked ‘Present’ in Their
Teaching Today For Alden Mauck ’72 and Tara McGarvey DiCorcia ’01, teaching is much more than a career. It is a vocation, a calling they trace back to their days as Harvey students. These two extraordinary educators heard the call and have combined to spend more than 50 years making a difference in the lives of young people, just as their Harvey teachers had done for them. By Chris Del Campo
Alden Mauck ’72 This teacher of 40 years credits his days at Harvey with sowing the seeds of his lifelong love of books.
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It was a love of reading, spawned and nurtured while a student at Harvey that ultimately led Alden Mauck ’72 to choose to become an English teacher some 40 years ago. Currently serving his 25th year teaching high school English at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, Alden says what he remembers best from his days at Harvey is his discovery and love of books. Alden recalls: “I remember reading for English class, being in school plays, going to the old library and seeing Mrs. Coburn. I remember the anticipation of the Harvey Book Sale and being reprimanded by Mrs. Coburn for reading ‘The Godfather’ while at school. (My mother, a fantastic reader, claims she gave me Puzo’s novel!).” Alden says there were several Harvey teachers who instilled in him an appreciation for reading, discussion, and writing, particularly, Mrs. Rose Baldwin, who Alden recalls had an “enthusiastic affection for learning and teaching her fourth-grade boys.” He also singled out another former teacher, Tom Dodd, praising him “for his presence within the community, his high expectations for his students, and serving as a model for the teacher as coach and advisor that all independent schools depend upon.” After his ninth grade graduation from Harvey, Alden spent his upper school days at The Taft School and later received his B.A. in Art History and Comparative Literature at Lake Forest College. Lost in his undergraduate experience as to what career path to take, Alden finally found his way, crediting a professor at Lake Forest with suggesting he attend
graduate school and consider teaching English. “Professor Greenfield told me, ‘You like to read books and talk about them. If you teach, someone will pay you to do that.’” Alden called his professor’s words “some of the best advice I have ever received.” Alden went on to earn an M.A. in English from Binghamton University in New York. Before he settled into a long career at his current school, Alden taught at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Massachusetts, but his first teaching job was at Harvey in 1981-83 where, he said, he “received wonderful mentoring and friendship from Ron Wilson, Greg Hoffenkamp, Ted O’Connor, Jan Jacobi, Bob Schmidt, and my 1972 Harvey classmate Tom Tretheway.” Alden says his goal in teaching is “finding the right mix of rigor, engagement, challenge, fun, discovery, and appreciation.” He describes teaching as “always a collaborative endeavor with the students.” He adds, “An essential strategy for the creation of a good class is always flexibility.” To be successful, Alden says the teacher must “be able to ‘read the room’ (pun intended) and to gauge where the students are and then to either meet their expectations or provoke them to go beyond the discussion or writing that they might have thought adequate before that specific class began.” Asked what he loves about his profession, Alden said, “The day-to-day experiences of walking a school campus, seeing my students before and after class as well as during, teaching students I have coached and
coaching players I have taught, reading new texts by new authors that can be integrated with canonical literature, and spending time with colleagues with whom I can share the trials and triumphs of working with teenagers and conversations that finish with laughter or advice, or hopefully both. These are some of the joys of being a teacher.” Alden also found immense joy in his personal life. He and his wife of 36 years, Laurey, reside in Newton, Massachusetts. They have two children, Hannah, 33, and Henry, 30, and one grandchild, Nell. To those young people considering a career in teaching, Alden would advise them not to worry about the money. “I can pave the road from Newton to Katonah with the anecdotal stories from my friends, family, and neighbors whose careers have provided only jobs. The rewards of their toil are measured by vacations, boats, pools, and houses on the Cape. We all carry regrets with us as we move through life, but I will never regret the decision to become a teacher. It has been the best possible profession for me … even though a pool would be nice. Oh, well!”
Opposite. Alden Mauck as an eighth grader in 1972, and now in his office // Top. Alden with his wife, Laurey // Above. Former Harvey Trustee Louise Moore with her sons, the Mauck brothers (left to right), Andrew ’76, Alden ’72, and Parker ’74
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Tara McGarvey DiCorcia ’01
A highly esteemed educator today, Tara recalls being inspired by her Harvey teachers to pursue a career that would allow her to care for young people.
Above. Tara McGarvey in her senior picture 2001 // Opposite Top. Tara teaching high school science // Bottom. Tara with her husband Scott, and daughter Mia
Tara McGarvey DiCorcia, Harvey graduate in 2001 and high school science teacher today, was inspired to become a caring adult to young people by the example she received from her days as an Upper School student. “At Harvey, I felt I had teachers and staff who genuinely cared about me — Ms. Morris, Ms. Mahony, and Ms. Boltz, to name a few — and I always knew I’d love to be that caring adult to others,” said Tara, who is a highly esteemed teacher at Arlington High School in Lagrangeville, New York. Tara has carved out a stellar teaching career. Starting out 16 years ago at Arlington, along the way she has earned National Board Certification and recognition as a 2021 NYS Master Teacher Finalist. After graduating from Harvey, Tara attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she obtained a B.S. in Biology Education and an M.A. in Educational Psychology. Entering the teaching profession felt right for Tara ever since her days as a high school student. “I’ve always enjoyed the school atmosphere — starting with my experience at Harvey. I truly enjoyed going to school, learning, and engaging with my teachers and my peers,” Tara said.
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When Tara thinks about what prompted her to consider pursuing a career in science, she recalls with fondness her first-year experience at Harvey. “Ever since my first frog dissection in Ms. McGowan’s (Mrs. Hajem’s) ninth grade biology class, I knew I loved science,” Tara said. She also remembers taking a medical ethics class at Harvey with Mr. Wade, a chemistry teacher who Tara says taught her “to think about my position in the world as a young adult and to learn how to make educated, informed decisions.” When Tara reflects on her time as a Harvey Upper School student, she feels thankful for the experience. “Harvey always provided a safe, supportive environment to allow me to explore a number of different interests — drama, figure skating, recreational hockey, softball, and student government. I don’t know if all those opportunities would have been available in a different school setting.” Tara also believes her days at Harvey gave her a solid foundation for academic pursuits after graduating from the Upper School. “While living on campus, Harvey provided me with fundamental tools, such as study skills, establishing evening
ILLUSTRATIONS©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VECTORMINE
time for study and homework, and overall time management, which allowed me to be a successful college student and eventually an educator.” Tara said, adding, “My goal every single day as a teacher is to provide a safe, supportive, fun, and engaging environment that fosters a love of learning biology and exploring the world around us, all based on the foundation I gained at Harvey.” Tara, who resides in Verbank, New York, with her husband Scott of 10 years and their 5-year-old daughter Mia, describes becoming a teacher as “the 100% best career decision” she ever made, and she would “absolutely” encourage a young person to explore teaching as a career. For someone who discovered she loved being a student in school when she attended Harvey, Tara continues to find great joy each day as an adult in school as a teacher. “I love working with high school students because every day is different, and I truly believe I’m making a positive difference in my community.”
“My goal every single day as a teacher is to provide a safe, supportive, fun, and engaging environment that fosters a love of learning biology and exploring the world around us, all based on the foundation I gained at Harvey.” harveyschool.org 9
ALUMS MAKE CAREERS AT HARVEY By Karen Grazia The foundation of The Harvey School mission is creating an educational environment where students discover who they are and what inspires them. For the eight Harvey alums featured in this piece, their love of teaching and working in education was first sparked during their time as Upper School students and set them on a course to return to Harvey as educators inspired to engage and motivate current students to find their own passions just as they did years before. Kyle Delaney ’04, who has been teaching at Harvey for 13 years, started Harvey in eighth grade. “My parents always said I’d be a good teacher and coach,” says Kyle. “Their support and encouragement made taking the first step toward becoming an educator an easy one.” After graduating Indiana University Bloomington with a B.S. in Education, Kyle found his way back to Harvey. “My teachers at Harvey played a vital role in my wanting to pursue a career in education. Mr. Kelly, Mr. Morse, Dr. Byrne, Mr. Plaskett, and Mr. Lazzaro all inspired me to want to teach and coach,” Kyle shares. “Their guidance, efforts, and mentorship were truly invaluable. I’m now fortunate to work alongside them.” Kyle enjoys his many roles at Harvey which include Middle School history teacher, head varsity football coach, Middle School hockey coach, and assistant coach for varsity hockey. Megan Taylor ’09 always felt the calling to be a teacher. “I think I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” says Meg. When she was 10 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
a senior in high school at Harvey, she tutored at the Boys and Girls Club through Harvey’s community service program. She also worked one-on-one with local English Language Learners (ELLs) elementary students. “These experiences really solidified my love and passion for teaching,” Meg says. Graduating New York University with a B.S. in Educational Theater, Meg started at Harvey as a theater teacher for three years, and for the past four years has taught English. “My teachers at Harvey really showed me what kind of teacher I wanted to be,” says Meg. “Ms. Mahony was my advisor, theater director, and English teacher. She absolutely ignited my love for reading and writing, but, more than that she showed me how to champion my students to set high expectations and provide the ladder for them to reach their goals.” In addition to teaching English, Meg is a dorm parent and a coach for cross country and girls rugby. Greg Janos ’98 returned to Harvey to teach in 2012. “Harvey has always felt like home, and getting a chance to work
alongside former teachers and greats like Mr. Osborne has been outstanding,” says Greg. Attending Harvey as a student in grades 10-12, Greg definitely felt inspired to pursue a career in education. “For me, it was Mr. Jason Baker who had the most impact on me,” shares Greg. “Mr. Baker, or ‘Bakes’ as we called him, just knew how to get me to respond, even if it meant taking off his tie and getting right in my face. As well as being a teacher, he was also my advisor and a coach. We have kept in touch throughout the years. Building a relationship with a teacher outside the classroom was something completely new for me as I had transferred to Harvey from a large public school.” Greg taught science in the Middle School until this year when he transitioned to the Alumni Office as associate director. Living on campus, he is the director of the O’Malley Dorm and serves as girls varsity lacrosse head coach. Tucker Kiessling ’02, who attended Harvey for grades 11-12, is a first-year fulltime English teacher after holding a parttime position last year. With a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in literature and creative writing, and an M.A. in teaching from Iona College. Tucker changed his career to pursue his lifelong love of literature and enjoyment
Kyle Delaney ’04 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
›› Football (captain senior year) ›› Hockey (captain senior year) ›› Rugby HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› MS History Teacher ›› Varsity Football Head Coach ›› MS Hockey Head Coach ›› Varsity Assistant Hockey Coach
Megan Taylor ’09 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
›› ›› ›› ››
Theater Community Service Student Council Dance Chorus
HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› English Teacher ›› Varsity Cross Country Coach ›› Varsity Girls Rugby Coach ›› Yearbook Advisor ›› Dorm Parent
Greg Janos ’98 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
›› ›› ›› ›› ››
Science and Biology Club Soccer Baseball Hockey Lacrosse
HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› MS Science Teacher ›› Associate Director of Alumni Office ›› Dorm Director ›› Varsity Girls Lacrosse Head Coach
Tucker Kiessling ’02 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
›› Newspaper HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› English Teacher
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Connor Welles ’10 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
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Soccer Basketball Rugby Model UN
HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
Gretel Coleman ’08
›› American History Teacher ›› ISP Associate
HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
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Community Service Field Hockey Tennis Class Rep
HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› Associate Learning Specialist
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of working with young people. Teaching was the natural choice, and fulfilling that new career at Harvey was the perfect fit. “I had so many great teachers at Harvey, including some who are still around today,” says Tucker. “One who stands out is Mr. Owens, my English teacher. I remember his willingness to continue talking with me about ‘Slaughterhouse Five’ for half an hour after class had ended. His passion for the material and his excitement about my excitement always stuck with me,” Tucker says. Gretel Coleman ’08 is another alum starting her first year as a Harvey teacher as an associate learning specialist for ninth graders, a new position created this year. Teaching for seven years now with a B.S. in Education from Lynchburg College and a M.S. in special education and general education from Bankstreet College in New York, Gretel discovered her passion for teaching early on in life. “Education played a leading role in my formative years,” shares Gretel. “Both of my parents are teachers, and having a very different learning plan from my sister became the foundation for my wanting to pursue a career in teaching.” A student at Harvey in grades 8-12, Gretel has a deep appreciation for her teachers at Harvey, like Ms. Visintainer, Mr. Hill, Mr. Morse, and Mr. Lazzaro. “Words cannot express my gratitude for all that they have done for me academically, athletically,
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mentally, socially, and emotionally,” she says. “Thank you for always encouraging me to become a better version of myself. With my learning profile, I would have been lost in a larger setting.” New to teaching is Connor Welles ’10, embarking on his first year teaching American History and working with the international students at Harvey. “I have always considered being a teacher, and I took advantage of Harvey needing substitute teachers because of the pandemic,” Connor shares. With a B.A. in History from Western Connecticut State University, after attending Harvey in grades 6-12, the “Harvey Lifer” says, “My time at Harvey exposed me to the different individual personalities that make up a school campus and community. I owe my philosophy of individuality to Harvey.” On the administrative side of Harvey, John DePalma ’01 has been at Harvey for 17 years and is now the Logistic Coordinator and Harvey Summer Camp Associate Director. “I’ve always enjoyed working in an educational environment,” John says. After attending Harvey in grades 9-12, John found his way back to his high school alma mater quickly. “Starting as a camp employee in the summer of 2000 showed me a side of Harvey that I never knew existed in my first few years as a student,” he says. “Being able to work in both operations (school and camp) is great with every day being different and challenging in a good way.”
Stephanie McCaine ’87 is now in her fifth year at Harvey in the Admissions Office as the associate director. She was one of the first girls and the first Black female student to attend Harvey in the 1980s. She paved the way for her own daughter, Shelby, who is now a junior. “Mr. O’Connor is the person who encouraged my parents to enroll me at Harvey and changed my whole academic journey,” says Stephanie. “Mr. O’Connor challenged me, knew how to get through to me, didn’t tolerate my nonsense, and got me excited about the work in spite of my having no passion whatsoever for history,” she says. “Mr. Lopes helped me find my voice and learn to engage in intellectual debates,” shares Stephanie. “There were still more boys than girls at Harvey then, and it was easy for discussions to be male-dominated. He always made sure the girls got our time and say. Mr. Lopes was the kind of teacher you never wanted to disappoint.” Stephanie graduated from Skidmore College with a B.A. in Psychology and worked in higher education for years before coming back to Harvey. Being back at Harvey allows her to follow her passion of making a difference in a student’s academic journey. These alums share a common motivator for taking the road back to Harvey: rejoining the community that dramatically impacted their young lives. They are now passionate educators eager to create those same deep connections with their own students. “Harvey gave me so much when I
John DePalma ’01 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
›› Cross Country ›› Theater ›› Theater Tech HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› Logistics Coordinator ›› Summer Camp Associate Director ›› Dorm Staff
Stephanie McCaine ’87 HARVEY STUDENT YEARS
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Soccer Basketball Softball Model UN
HARVEY TEACHING YEARS
›› Associate Director of Admissions ›› DEI Chair
was a student and to be able to give back as an educator and coach makes my job deeply fulfilling,” says Kyle. “I am proud to be able to teach and coach at my alma mater.” “I love spending my entire day on the Harvey campus,” says Connor. “I love working with the international students, with the students in my classroom, and being with students on the soccer field. The various aspects of the culture here make every day exciting and enjoyable.” Tucker agrees, “I love that, as a teacher, I get the opportunity to really get to know the students both as scholars and as people,” he says. “I always hated talking in front of a group of people, which is actually ironic given my current job. One thing Harvey offered me was the confidence to get past that discomfort and be OK taking center stage. That kind of student engagement at Harvey is a fundamental aspect of student success. I try to make my English class interesting, even for students who would rather be crunching numbers.” “At Harvey, you get to know students in so many different ways, whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, in the theater,
or through a community service project,” says Meg. “I once had a student I struggled with in class until I coached him. We got to know each other outside the traditional classroom setting. I learned that he didn’t feel confident as an English student, so he approached my class with trepidation,” says Meg. “But once we were outside the classroom, he opened up. The best part was that it then carried over into our class.” “The relationships I have built throughout the years with so many people from different paths of life is what I love about teaching and working at Harvey,” says Greg. “We are a community in ourselves on this campus, and there is a lot to be said about a school that can retain its best teachers for so many years. I have seen Mr. Osborne and Tom Banca at Evarts Rink ever since I came to Harvey in 1994,” he says. “They are staples of the Harvey community and why so many people feel comfortable being at Harvey.” These alums are at Harvey because they want to be and not because they have to be. They all see Harvey as a place where students learn how to think and not what
to think, where they are treated with respect and engaged by dynamic teachers giving life to the subject matter they teach. “I believe you have to teach to the whole student,” says Meg. “Students have to be seen as people first.” The alums agree that learning is continuous, even as teachers. “We can all learn from each other,” says Gretel. “Understanding that we as teachers are never done learning is what drives us to take on additional responsibilities, such as mentoring and coaching. My teachers serving as my coaches allowed them to gain a stronger understanding of who I was as a student and person,” she says. “For this reason, I felt as though they really understood how to help me grow into the best version of myself.” Meg sums it up with a sentiment her fellow alums all feel and that is rooted deep in their passion for both education and Harvey. “I love the kids,” Meg says. “It is awesome to get to know them and watch them grow and discover new things about themselves. Harvey is really about those incredible, authentic relationships between students and teachers.”
“THE RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE BUILT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WITH SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PATHS OF LIFE IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT TEACHING AND WORKING AT HARVEY.”
-Greg Janos ’98 harveyschool.org 13
Mike Bonelli, Sr.
a remarkable man an extraordinary life ,
By Bruce Osborne
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friend and colleague Mike Bonelli, Sr. passed away September 7, 2021, at the age of 83. He was a large presence at The Harvey School’s Evarts Rink for more than 30 years, but more than anything, he was my dear friend and a friend to countless others in the Harvey and rink community. My relationship with Mike extends back to the early 1980s when his family joined the Hickory Hill program at Evarts Rink. With five kids in the various rink activities, Mike quickly became a “regular” at Evarts, fitting into the rhythm and culture of the rink. He did it all back then; everything from shuttling carloads of kids to various travel venues to being involved in the management and oversight of the program. I know Mike enjoyed every aspect of it, and he spent countless hours contributing his time and talent. Everything Mike did to help make a great program was not just for his kids but for every kid and family who skated at Harvey. Mike appreciated talented, skilled players, but, for him, it was more about giving kids opportunities, having fun, and learning a respect for the sport. During that time, hockey was not a sport that girls played. Mike believed that girls and women should have the same experience. Mike organized and coached the first female hockey team at Harvey, which included his wife Donna, daughter (also Donna), as well as my wife Dale.
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As Mike already had established deep roots at Harvey, his actual employment beginning in 1989 was merely a formality. It is hard to recall a time when Mike was not involved at the rink, and it will never be the same without him. He is best known for his “rink signage” which always got the message across in a way that completely captured the situation. Once when the soda machine was not working, I asked Mike to put a note on it. I expected a typical “out of order” sign; instead, he drew a robed judge leaning over his bench waving a gavel saying, “This machine is OUT OF ORDER!” Another sign asked families to clean up after themselves in the lounge. Mike drew a woman at a table, rather oblivious to her child, who was sitting on the floor throwing popcorn in the air like confetti while surrounded by pigs and a rat. “Please Clean Your Table.” He could find humor in any situation and would communicate it through his drawings. He was never demeaning, but you could always relate to his point. Recently, to see pictures of Mike from his earlier beardless days was interesting. The distinctive “Bonelli beard,” his large gold-rimmed glasses and chuckle as he related one story after another are how I will remember him. He really did not change much during our long friendship. One haunting photo Mike took while stationed overseas was of a young Korean woman carrying a large bundle of firewood on her back, and, although you could
not see her face, you could recognize through Mike’s camera how difficult her life was. A remarkable perspective for an 18-year-old, posted 12,000 miles from home. Mike served as a demolition man, disposing of unexploded shells. He would talk about making little panda bears out of the plastic explosives he used — dark humor in a bizarre, surreal experience, but totally Mike. Dale and I attended Mike and Donna’s 50-year anniversary celebration that was held in the gallery of the Walker Center for the Arts. A large display of his artwork was assembled which covered much of his career. Mike’s work included covers from The New Yorker magazine, cartoons from The Village Voice, illustrations from various ad campaigns, the official 25th anniversary Woodstock poster, and skating rink drawings all side by side. (Mike also created the sculpture of the now-retired Emery Edge NHL award. He also drew NY Islander player caricatures, and illustrated “Historic Landmarks of the Town of North Salem, New York.”) Mike’s ability to relate to such a diverse audience and capture the essence of a subject for each was a remarkable gift. What was even more special that day was seeing Mike and Donna’s entire family gather to celebrate. How relaxed and comfortable everyone was, and the genuine respect and admiration they clearly expressed toward one another clearly demonstrated what a remarkable relationship the Bonelli family shares.
remembrances of mike “Mike was beyond talented. I have never seen an artist, or anyone who could picture in his mind something he knew so accurately and then draw it with exact and complete detail. Mike was a very special part of the rink. He will never be forgotten by anyone who spent any time there. Always visible, he usually could be seen interacting with everyone.” — Tom Banca, assistant rink director
“My father really loved the community feel and family atmosphere of Harvey for the decades he was there. As a parent, coach, and then employee, he was proud of his involvement with the school and was a big fan of the Cavaliers. The outpouring of calls, texts, and notes meant that the community felt the same about him.” — Mike Bonelli, Jr.
“Mike Bonelli was always present at Evarts Rink. He was a dynamic part of the rink for decades between coaching and cutting the ice. My memories of the Hickory Hill days will always include him. Rest in peace, Mr. Bonelli!” — Matty De Nicola
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“Our Tuesday night adult recreational hockey group has been skating at The Harvey School for almost as long as Evarts Rink has been around, and some of our players began skating there as children. So Mike Bonelli, Sr. was a familiar presence and friendly face to us. “For some, he was the guy who drove the Zamboni unusually fast — it is a machine that we are all used to seeing do its magic at a more leisurely pace. For others, he was the guy operating the scoreboard all day long during weekend rec league games. One day during Spring League, a player in the penalty box watching a physical game turned to Mike and said, ‘Wow, pretty intense game today, huh?’ Mike had seen a lot of
hockey — a lot — and with a little grin and glance he told the player, ‘What game are you watching?’ “He was the quiet rink attendant who often had a cigarette in his mouth and his eyes on the ice, and although he didn’t say much, you definitely got the idea he was an excellent observer. Those who were themselves observant noticed that the funny rink-related artwork that started popping up on the rink’s walls and windows were his work. When he was doing all that watching, he was engaging in the process of creation. “Merging his life as a professional illustrator with his life as a rink volunteer, Mike created drawings that gave a lighthearted character to a rink that already has a different atmosphere than other rinks in our area with its unique wooden roof and rural location, and the drawings add immeasurably to Evarts Rink’s own ‘personality.’
We know from Mike, Jr. who skated in our group for a number of years, that his father was a dedicated hockey dad and volunteer who, through his words and his work, encouraged young boys and girls to enjoy their time at the rink. He was also a hockey pioneer, coaching the area’s first women’s hockey team, with his daughter one of the players. “But to many of us, Mike Bonelli, Sr. was a warm, friendly presence who always had a knowing smile on his bearded face and a twinkle in his eye.” — Stu Hackel, organizer “I have been a regular at the rink since I was 13, first as a player, then as a coach, and now as a proud parent teaching my little ones to skate on the same ice. Mike was there to witness me and so many others grow up and enjoy the ice that he resurfaced, as fast as possible! Mike lived in the moment watching all the patrons of the rink enjoy the
game of hockey. ‘Senior,’ as many of us in the rink community called him, was constantly watching over Evarts and going about his business, taking in all the sounds and sights of the rink, and then incorporating it all into an amazing artistic creation. Most often it was an illustration to remind the parents to watch their kids or not to bang on the glass in the warming room. Mike was famously known as the ‘Zamboni guy’ and celebrated as an amazing artist, but there was so much more to him. The parents, coaches, and players who were lucky enough to stop and talk with him were always amazed by his personal story and encouraged by his words of wisdom. They shared laughs with him as he picked on his own kids. The members of the rink staff are like family, and Senior was one of a kind. His presence at the rink will be missed.” — Greg Janos ’98, associate director of alumni, Hockey Alumni
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“As a regular skater at Evarts Rink, I had the pleasure of getting to know Mike beyond his role as a colleague at Harvey. Mike was an integral part of the life and spirit of the rink. He clearly took joy in watching young people as they pursued their interests and passions on the ice, whether through figure skating or hockey, as he quietly worked behind the scenes to support their efforts. A quiet, humble, unimposing man on the surface, Mike was a kind, generous person; a loyal, loving parent and friend; and a creative and talented artist. The rink won’t be the same without him, but his legacy will live on.” — William J. Knauer, head of school “Not only was he the fastest Zamboni driver this side of the Mississippi River, but Mike Bonelli, Sr. had been connected to The Harvey School and
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youth hockey programs run out of Evarts Rink for his entire adult life. Besides being a youth hockey coach, rink manager, and father of a former head coach of the Harvey program, Mike was an outstanding artist who drew countless Cavalier designs, which are still in use to this day. “In the 20 years that I entered and exited Evarts Rink, the one constant face was Mike, who was always there with a smile on his face and a word of encouragement. When there were some lean years for the hockey program, or the team had just suffered a defeat, Mike would always remind me that the coaching staff had a larger role than just winning games. In his own way, he helped me see the true importance
and impact that athletics have on teenagers.” — Alex Morse, History chair, varsity soccer and hockey coach “I already miss Mike and I am sad he is not at the rink. I will always remember climbing up the rink’s stairs, opening up the rink doors, and seeing Mike in the lobby telling stories. He was always talking proudly about his family and had an ear to listen to everyone. I would give a ‘Hey, Mike’ as I walked into the office and began to put on my skates. As I looked around the office, Mike’s fingerprints were all around, beginning with his distinct artwork, model trains, and his famous artistic rink public service announcement posters. At the time, it looked like an artist’s studio …
Mike was always quietly generous with his talent. It seemed like he was always working on a character sketch someone asked him to do for retirements, graduations, birthdays, etc. I said to him once that he would be a multimillionaire if he were compensated for all his free work. If he wasn’t drawing, he was doing some renovation project at home or detailing his model trains which, as his son Michael said, “If you showed a picture of them to someone, they would swear they were the real thing.” At the time in one’s life when most people are starting to slow down and relax, Mike decided he wanted to study watercolor painting. He enrolled in a course several years ago. His son shared the story of Mike’s first class where the instructor saw what he was working on and said, “What are you doing in this class? You could be teaching it.” Dale and I have one of his early works that is placed on our mantel. I look at it every day and it keeps me connected to him. Mike was a special man who loved his family, circle of friends, country, and hometown. He was always comfortable and content with whatever he was involved in at the moment. In all the years Mike served the rink community, rarely did he consider his role at The Harvey School as “work.” He considered the rink staff his extended family, and anyone who ever worked at the rink felt it an honor and privilege to share time with him. He loved Evarts
and, oh, Mike was a great artist! Mike was the heart and soul of the Harvey rink. He had to constantly keep the rink moving through its hectic schedule, rotating the teams on and off the ice like a well-operating carousel. Next, Mike was onto the Zamboni to ‘make ice,’ then into the pro shop to sell sticks and tape, and finally up to the lounge to politely ask fans to ‘Stop banging on the glass!’ Mike did all of this and more with his calming demeanor, which all of us loved about him. Mike was a proud family man, hockey ambassador, and a veteran of the Korean War. I will miss Mike Bonelli greatly.” — Doug Plaskett, Middle School history & Middle School hockey coach “To many Harvey hockey players, Mr. Bonelli was the Zamboni guy who let us skate at all hours of the day, watched every practice and game
Rink and felt a connection to it. Once, after a very long, busy day, Mike said to me, “When you turn the rink lights out and walk into the rink area you can feel the building groan and creak, as if it were saying, it was a tough day, but we made it through.” I can’t think of anyone else who would frame it in those terms. “After the three-month rink closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mike was concerned about his health and did not feel comfortable returning to work. I think he was pleased that his son Scott had filled the position and felt that he was still connected. Last week, I received a late-night phone call from Scott, indicating that the Zamboni stalled and was in the middle of the ice. I quickly ran over and we got it running. The next morning Dale called when I was up at the school, and she was very excited. She said, “Just as Mike would have done, Scott drew a picture on his time sheet of a very tired and sad Zamboni.” The entire rink community is sad with Mike’s passing but also celebrates a remarkable man who had an extraordinary life.”
Bruce Osborne is a senior faculty member, science teacher, and the director of Evarts Ice Rink. You can read more about Mike Bonelli on page 63 of this issue.
with coffee in hand, and always seemed to appreciate watching kids enjoy the game. But for those who really got to know him, he was an accomplished artist beyond any high school student’s imagination. His many drawings are on display at Evarts Rink, and this is a tangible way of seeing how he is woven into the Harvey culture. But it is his intangible contributions that we will miss most: a selfless guy who was most content watching others enjoy the ephemeral years of adolescence and high school hockey.” — Greg Presseau Harvey ’98, Hockey Alumni “No one could cut ice better with a Zamboni than Mike Bonelli. I also enjoyed working with Mike on the Rink’s 50th Anniversary and how he shared the wonderful pictured logo he created for the celebration. Truly a great artist.” — Dave Raneri ’69
“I always looked forward to pulling the nets on or off the ice because it gave me a few moments to chat with Mike. Whether it was just a ‘How you doing,’ a story from his past, or an update on his family, it always left me glad that I had that shared moment with such a genuinely kind person.“ — Stew Whittman, Harvey parent, Bedford Bears Program
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homecoming 2021 celebration HARVEY SPIRIT ABOUNDS
After missing our annual homecoming celebration in 2020, the Harvey community was pumped up and ready to make Homecoming 2021 a festive affair. Although the weather forecast was rain and gloom, it didn’t stop Harvey students, faculty, staff, parents, and alums from turning out in the hundreds in full Harvey spirit. Our positivity must have been contagious, for the clouds parted and blue skies appeared, allowing the sun to warm the spectators who came to shop the annual Farmers Market, enjoy the BBQ lunch, and “fill the hill” in support of Harvey’s athletic teams. Alums took campus tours provided by our dedicated student ambassadors; and children decorated pumpkins for Halloween; played with puppies up for adoption; and had fun taking hockey shots instructed by former NY Rangers hockey great Brian Mullen near Stark Field. Whether it was shopping for Harvey spirit wear, jewelry, cheese, or grabbing a tasty bite of Mr. Lazzaro’s homemade pizza, the Farmers Market was bustling with laughter and smiles. With volleyball action in the Fenstermacher Athletic Center, girls soccer on R.K. Field, and boys varsity soccer and the big Homecoming football game at Stark Field, the campus was alive with Harvey Pride and just the simple joy of being together as a community on a wonderful fall Saturday. We think the photos from the day speak to what a spectacular day it truly was!
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coming home
THE ALUMNI RECEPTION & LUNCHEON
The 2021 Alumni Reception and Luncheon at Homecoming was our first in-person alumni event on campus since the pandemic. We were thrilled to welcome Harvey alums spanning the decades back to campus October 30 to participate in all our Homecoming festivities with the Harvey community. Alums were invited to take campus tours provided by our student ambassadors before settling in for a delicious luncheon featuring Asian-themed dishes, sushi, a carving station, and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Associate Director of Alumni Relations Greg Janos ’98 welcomed his fellow alums and introduced a host of speakers including Head of School Bill Knauer, President of the Alumni Association Lara Casano ’95, and Director of Development Susie Danziger. Alums listened to an insightful panel of current students sharing “what life is like as a current Harvey student.” Harvey senior Halima Konteh and juniors Bennet Katzin, Emi Knauer, and Jacob Weisberger spoke eloquently about their experiences and answered questions. The reception concluded with recognition of the Harvey Class of 1961.
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CAVALIER news + views
The John H. “Jock” Burbank ’56 Scholarship In celebration of our friend and colleague, we are pleased to announce the formation of the John H. “Jock” Burbank ’56 Scholarship established by John ’82, Michael ’58, and Stephen ’60 Burbank in honor of Jock as a lauded scholar, passionate linguist, and beloved educator. The Scholarship will be awarded annually and support the financial needs of an incoming ninth grader for the student’s full four years at Harvey. Recipients will be selected based on their academic standing, passion for learning, and commitment to school life. Jock began his career as an educator at Harvey in 1964, after serving in the Army and while attending Columbia University. He left in 1968 to pursue his master’s degree at Yale. In 1975, Jock returned to Harvey where he stayed for 11 years serving as a teacher, department chair, admissions director, mentor, assistant headmaster, and member of the school’s Board of Trustees. Jock spent 23 years as part of the Harvey community, inspiring and shaping minds young and old. 26 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
The Burbank family invites you to make a contribution to the Scholarship Fund and will match all gifts made in Jock’s honor up to $500,000. If you are interested in learning more about the scholarship, contact Susie Danziger at sdanziger@harveyschool.org or (914) 232-3161 x111. If you are interested in applying for the John H. “Jock” Burbank ’56 scholarship, contact the Harvey admissions office at admissions@harveyschool.org.
Fall Open House How exciting to open up our campus once again to prospective students and families at our Fall Open House October 16. There is nothing like stepping foot onto our beautiful rolling campus and meeting our warm and diverse community of students, faculty, staff, and parents to discover just how unique a place Harvey is. With more than 100 prospective families in attendance, we are so proud of our student and parent ambassadors, as well as our faculty and staff, for providing such an incredible and welcoming introduction to Harvey. For more information about our future admissions events, visit harveyschool.org/admissions/upcoming-events.
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Upper School Unlimited Passion 2
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1. Michael Sorio ’25, Jesse Jamil ’23, Juli Rocco ’23, and Talia Spector ’23 take their learning outdoors. // 2. Sophomores Helena Kasarda and Sienna Bates explore their artistic side. // 3. Ian Bryant ’24, Mitchell Winters ’23, and Drew Rosen ’22 demonstrate friendship across the grades. // 4. Ninth graders Arianna Curro, William Bland, Shae-Anne Falconer, and Ladidi Abdul-Wahab enjoy a laugh on the Quad. // 5. These ninth graders and teachers get into the excitement at the annual FirstYearFest scavenger hunt in September. // 6. Boarding student Katie McCulloch decorates her pumpkin in October. // 7. Gracie Hansen ’25, Samuel Kiamie ’24, Eliza Morris ’24, Zachary Class ’24, and Grace Lanier ’24 are all smiles on the Quad. // 8. Students are focused on learning, happy to be back in class full time. // 9. Seniors Sam Alexander and Mitchell Yurko diagram Caesar’s classical prose. // 10. Ninth grader Helen Katis gets comfy in Harvey spirit wear during Spirit Week. // 11. Ninth grader Ryan Byrne works on a self-portrait in art. // 12. Juniors Mitchell Winters, Jacob Weisberger, Emma Galgano, Lucinda Durkin, and Juliet Jaques are proud Harvey student-athletes.
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Years of Service Honored 45 years • Bruce Osborne, science teacher, senior faculty member, director of Evarts Skating Rink
20 years • Jay Hill, science teacher, boys varsity lacrosse head coach • Alex Morse, history teacher, varsity hockey and boys varsity soccer head coach • Denise Smith, assistant to the director of athletics, athletic center rentals coordinator and site supervisor
15 years • John DePalma ’01, logistics coordinator, associate director of Harvey Cavalier Summer Camp, O'Malley Dorm staff
2021 Impact Awards Board of Trustees Chair Eileen Walker announced the second annual Impact Award recipients at this year’s State of the School. This award recognizes and honors members of the Harvey community who have given back in an unprecedented way, having a meaningful impact on the community. The 2021 recipients are Harvey alum Jim Wood ’41, former parents Kathy Treat (trustee) and Jeremy Treat, and Harvey English teacher Virginia Holmes. We thank them for all they do for Harvey!
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The Harvey Perspective
Teachers Supporting Teachers By Elisabeth Visintainer, assistant head of the Upper School, senior faculty member, English Dianne Mahony, Upper School academic dean, senior faculty member, English Starting a new job as a teacher is very much like one of our students first arriving at Harvey. It can be a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and not knowing quite where you fit in. It’s widely known that we have many ways to welcome new students into our school community, such as FirstYearFest for incoming ninth graders and new student orientations for both middle schoolers and students in grades 10-12. We take time to greet our new families and introduce them to all things “Harvey.” Our advisory program is an ongoing way to help acclimate students with both their peers and teachers, provide a safe and trustworthy place where they can ask questions, and receive support in all areas of their school lives. What you may not know is that we provide the same care and attention in welcoming our new teachers to the Harvey academic community. Our newest educators also need our support, our guidance, and especially the wisdom of our senior faculty members as they settle into their classrooms to find their voice and space. The Harvey School Mentor/Educator Program connects new teachers to senior faculty members who become their mentors during their first year. A better definition than mentor might be closer to “wise and trusted counselors and guides” because our senior faculty do so much more than mentor; they provide advice, support, and encouragement to ensure that our new colleagues quickly feel at home at Harvey. Our goal is not only to assist new teachers in feeling comfortable and confident in the classroom but also to create informal relationships that easily lead to opportunities to collaborate, network, share classroom experiences and teaching tips, and grow into long-lasting professional relationships and friendships. Harvey truly is a family, and the bond that develops between faculty members is one of mutual respect, admiration, and genuine warmth. What’s also vital is encouraging our junior faculty members to realize their own potential as educators and help them seize opportunities that allow them to grow professionally and personally. We have often said that teachers are also learning in the classroom, from our students and from each other. It is that passion for lifelong learning that drives Harvey faculty to create an environment where we are the very best teachers we can be for our students, and kind and compassionate colleagues to each other.
“A better definition than mentor might be closer to ‘wise and trusted counselors and guides’ because our senior faculty do so much more than mentor; they provide advice, support, and encouragement to ensure that our new colleagues quickly feel at home at Harvey.”
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Middle School Joyful Learning 1
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1. Seventh graders (clockwise) Aidan Garcia, Lily Kutai, Sophia Kimmel, Sydney Boothe, Graham Casey, and Zack Schwartz pose on the Harvey Quad. // 2. Peikang Hu, Wyatt Bland, and Cameron LaMoreaux collaborate in class. // 3. Middle School science students study how light travels through different colored prisms and how it interacts with different colored papers. // 4. Middle School students wore pink in October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. // 5. Sixth graders Adam Hajem, Zakaria Boujid, Yamila Jackson, Amity Doyle, Ruth Doran, Benjamin Tobias, and Isabel Doran enjoy recess outside. // 6. Wearing your favorite team jersey is always a favorite during Harvey Spirit Week. // 7. Publications class seventh graders Sarah Fisher, Anna Bogenschutz, and Beatrix Mackil work on their next issue of The Rambler. // 8. Eighth graders Conrad Breede, Maeve Lazzaro, Sonja Espitia, Sophia Collum, and Christiana Greene are all smiles walking to class. // 9. Seventh grader Sarah Fisher plays the drums in the Middle School talent show.
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In Their Own Words
From right: Edward (Pui Ka) Tam, Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein, Peikang Hu, Ricardo Paris Aguirre, Joy (Jiayi) Chen, Tracy (Siyi) Wang, Angela (Yi) Lu, Regimantas Ciunys, Lucia Falque Moreno, Sofia Marcos Munoz, Mariana Kriuchkova, Stepan Romenskiy, Rubin Becker
Profiles from the International Student Program Regimantas Ciunys My name is Regimantas Ciunys from Vilnius, Lithuania. I am 18 years old and a senior at Harvey. I have a mom, a dad, and a brother. My mom is a music teacher. My dad works as a police officer, and my brother is 11 years old. My hometown Vilnius is a capital city in Lithuania and much bigger than Katonah. My favorite subject is English because I’m learning it as a second language and I’m feeling good to know new stuff. Basketball has been my dream since I was 7 years old, and I’m ready to take a hard path. I’m ready to work hard and reach everything I want. I played basketball in a fall league and am playing basketball in the winter term for Harvey. In the summer, I plan to play in the AAU tournament. My host family are the Joneses. They have an 11-year-old son named Markus. We are like brothers now. I really love my host family, and I feel blessed to live there. My favorite American food is Buffalo wings. I like most everything about 34 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
Harvey: the dorms, the food, the teachers, the people around me, and the gym.
Edward (Pui Ka) Tam My name is Edward Pui Ka Tam. I am new to the Harvey community, and so everyone can just call me Edward. I was born in Hong Kong, and I am 15 years old. I live in a house with three older sisters and my parents. My parents are mostly very busy, so they usually come home late after we are in bed. Now only one of my sisters lives in the house, which means for most of the time, the house is empty. All my sisters have studied abroad, which made me prepared to skip to the next chapter of my life as well. Through their experiences from studying overseas, I am more confident and ready to join the Harvey community. In my hometown of Hong Kong, there are lots of different cultures in the city. Everyone is walking at a fast pace and is busy. There are varieties of cultures in Hong Kong, and so it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
In Katonah, it is very quiet, not a lot of cars and people, but more of a small town. There are not many people, which makes the air quality better. Both places have their unique lifestyle, and I believe after I start getting used to the lifestyle here, everything will go smoothly. My favorite subject at Harvey is Spanish. Learning a new language is always difficult and challenging but, at the same time, helpful. Learning Spanish is exciting, which I believe will help me improve my Spanish skills in no time. Although some may think a Spanish class is boring, our teacher always has a way to energize the students. In Spanish class, we have a small class size which leads to more opportunities for each student. The most exciting part of class is being able to speak to Spanish speakers outside class. My hosts are Jenny He and Zach Kuba. Zach is the basketball coach I met back in China. We already had a close relationship before they became my host family. During the weekends, they usually bring me to basketball games and events. Not
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only am I able to work out with my coach, but also I can learn from watching these basketball games. Sometimes my coach brings me to events where I help the coaches, and I become the assistant coach. Aside from basketball, my host family takes me out and shows me around the city. Although they are not my parents, they showed me love and welcomed me into the family. Everything is going great at this point. I believe that after I become used to the Harvey community, the unique lifestyle, and also have a closer relationship with my host family, everything is just going to get better and better.
Mariana Kriuchkova My name is Mariana, and I am a junior and 16 years old. I was born in the capital city of the Far East — Vladivostok in Russia. In my hometown, I live with my parents. I am the only child in my family. My dad is a CEO of a company in my city. My mom is the manager of my dad’s company. I have a small dog. Her name is Michele, and she is 6 years old. My hometown is not a very big city, but it is very beautiful. It is situated near the sea, and we have a lot of places with incredibly beautiful views. The population of my city is 600,000 people. The main difference between my city and Katonah is that Vladivostok is built on
hills, but Katonah is on a solid plain. My city is situated near the sea, but Katonah is situated in the forest zone. Also, if we talk about food, I will say that in my city, and in general in Russia, we have completely different food, and which is much healthier than in the United States. My favorite subject is mathematics. I really love mathematics because it’s a pleasure for me to solve equations — I can do it all day long. I chose to join the Dance Club because dance for me is a part of my life. With dance, I can express my feelings and get rid of bad energy. My favorite sport is tennis, and I am planning to play it in the spring. My favorite extracurricular activity is traveling. Exploring new places is always very interesting and exciting for me. My host family, Pascal and Jennifer Doran, have three daughters. Their daughter Eve is 16 years old and is also a junior. The two other girls are twins: Ruth and Izabel, 11 years old. On the first few weekends with my host family, we went to a swimming pool party, and then we went to the community day festival. I am planning to become a fashion designer. I really love this industry. Fashion occupies a huge part of my life and brings me a lot of pleasure. My favorite American foods are burgers and Reese’s. The best things in my Harvey life are spending time with my friends and taking art classes. Friends that I found at Harvey school are incredible. I love them with all my heart.
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Kira Ortega, Iliana Hellinger, Edward Tam, and Jose Vasquez
Peikang Hu My name is Peikang Hu, and I am 12 years old and in the seventh grade. My hometown is in Beijing. It’s really a large city, the capital city of China. I live there with my father, mother, and my little brother, who is 7 years old. I have four cousins, too. Here, I live with my host family — my aunt and my grandma. The difference between China and Katonah is that there are many more people and cars in the city but no lakes or rivers. There are not many trees in my city, either. My favorite subjects are math and science because they are interesting, and I use my brain a lot. I chose Robotics for my elective because it is good for me to use my hands and build something, and it’s really interesting. I chose soccer for the fall and was going to choose basketball for my afterschool activity in winter and spring. I’d like to be a doctor because I can help sick people. I want to be a helpful person in the future. My favorite American food is the hamburger. The teachers, classmates, and food are the things that I like about The Harvey School.
Rubin Becker My name is Rubin Becker. I was born in Germany. I am 15 years old and a sophomore. I live in Brüggen, a small town in western Germany, but since no one knows where that is, I always say that it is near Cologne or Mönchengladbach, which the footballers should know because it has a well-known team. My hometown is really beautiful because it has a medieval old town with a castle. I live on the outskirts of the city near the forest and an old military area with my parents and little brother. It takes me only about 10 minutes to ride my bike over the border to the Netherlands, and because there is the Schengen Agreement, which allows me to cross the border without control, I do this very often. As you can see, there are many differences between my hometown and Katonah, but that doesn’t mean harveyschool.org 35
that this is something bad. In fact, I really like it here and especially at The Harvey School with its huge, beautiful campus. I also appreciate the big offering of different and special subjects. My favorite subject so far is Robotics because it is totally different from any of the subjects I had in Germany. To design your own robot is fun. The other great thing about Harvey is the sports. I have been playing soccer since I was 6 years old and therefore decided on soccer in the fall. In the winter, I am planning to participate on the ski team. Because I am both interested in golf and tennis, I haven’t finally decided which sport I will do in the spring. During the week I am living in the dorms, which is really great because I get the chance to wake up later since I don’t need to take any bus to come to school. It’s also a good opportunity to meet lots of new people. On the weekends, I stay with my host family, who are really nice. On the first weekend I stayed with my host family, Adam and Christina Cohen and their son Xan who is in the ninth grade at Harvey. They took me to New York City, which is completely different from everything
Class of 2022 international students
I have seen so far because the city is so huge and filled with different people from all over the world. In one store there was even a skater track. When asked what my favorite food is in the U.S., I have to say it is the Mexican food that thrills me the most.
Lucia Falque Moreno I’m Lucia Falque, and I am an international student. I’m in Grade 11, and I am 17 years old. I’m from Donostia, which is in the north of Spain. My family is made up of my parents and my brother. My parents’ names are Elena and Vicen, and my brother’s name is Sergio. My parents separated about 10 years ago. My mother is now married to a man who has two other daughters, and my father is married to a woman without children. My brother is 21 years old, and the daughters of my mother’s husband are 20 and 19. We are all very close. I live with my mom and her husband, but every day I go to dinner at my father’s house. I live in a small city. It has 188,240 inhabitants and is a bilingual city since
it has two official languages, Basque and Spanish. The big difference between Katonah and Donostia is the language and that Katonah is a village. There is also a big difference in that Katonah has neither a beach nor mountains. In my city, the most characteristic features are the three beaches and the three mountains that are there. My favorite subject is Chorus. When I hear all the voices as they form a perfect harmony I love it. Chorus is also my favorite because music and rehearsal have been very important in my family since I was little. I enjoyed playing soccer in the fall. I don’t know if I’ll take another sport or go to the gym in my free time. I would like to study economics because I think I’m good at it and I like it a lot. My father and grandfather were good at economics as well. My host family is the Halsey family. One activity we did in the fall seemed incredible to me because I had never gone to a medieval festival. I was very amazed because I had never been to one, and I really liked how people were disguised. My favorite American food is the hot dog. In Spain, this food is never eaten, and when I tried it, I liked hot dogs a lot. What I like most about Harvey is the independence they give you and the confidence they transmit when dealing with you.
Joy (Jiayi) Chen My name is Joy, and I am a student in Grade 8 at The Harvey School and 14 years old. In my hometown of Jiangsu, China, I live with my parents, my grandmother, and my sister, who is 23 years old now. My hometown is a small city that has 7.7 million inhabitants. There are many things different between Katonah and my hometown. For example, there are shops that are houses one after another in Katonah, but in my hometown the shops are mostly in shopping malls. People in Katonah may know each other, but, in my hometown, we are all strangers to each other. My favorite subjects are math and history. The way we learn is fun. For example, we drew a map to help us learn about the Civil War in history class. The teachers are humorous. Sometimes they will tell some 36 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
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jokes in the class. I am a member of the middle school newspaper publication. I enjoy it because writing articles and taking pictures can give me a better understanding of life. I like art best for my after-school activity because it can improve my creativity and imagination, and I can learn different forms of art such as drawing, painting, and mosaic art. To go back on weekends is really good. In this way, I can spend time together with my family and go to different places in America to learn American culture. My favorite American food is the hamburger, and I enjoy the time when I am sitting outside and talking with my friends most.
Angela (Yi) Lu I am Angela, a first-year student in Grade 10 this year and 16 years old. I came from Shanghai, which is a big, diversified city. To be a resident who lives in this diversified place, I enjoy many experiences. I was studying in an international school, which is managed by the U.K. government. I went skiing in Milan and played hockey in Korea with my school. I studied music, art, and drama, which made me interested in art and musical theater. I performed in “The Addams Family,” and I was the docent in the art museum. I like to communicate and organize the activities, so I also joined the student council. My favorite subject in Harvey is Photoshop because I was not good at art, but when I came to Harvey, teachers told me to try out everything. That gives me more confidence to work on these new challenges or the subject I was not so good at. This year I took volleyball in the fall for my after-school sport, and I am going to take some art and music for winter and spring. Being a first-year student at this new school, I am happy that I didn’t feel strange here or with communicating with other students. The biggest change that I find is the variety of the students. That makes me have more chances to meet new people in the small community. My family is an art family. I have a brother, and he is in Grade 6 now. My host in America is the family of Lu Shi in Connecticut, and they are my mom’s friends. They have a large yard with two
dogs and several chickens. The house is like a museum because they also work in an auction company. Also, they like to search for different artworks from different artists. Sometimes they will go shopping or fishing with me. They lived in Beijing, which means every week I come back to my host family, I can still have lots of Chinese food. I am going to be a lawyer in the future. I hope I can protect myself and help others in need of the law. I’m also good at expressing my thoughts. I never have stage fright and always express my opinions. These factors make me feel more suitable to be a lawyer. To help my dream come true, I want to participate in many activities such as Model UN, world scholars, and more. NYU stimulated me to study law because this is my dream school. There is a restaurant next to NYU that will make delicious pho, but the main reason why I like NYU is that it has a large library.
Ricardo Paris Aguirre My name is Ricardo Paris Aguirre. I will be 17 in January. I am a junior at Harvey, and my hometown is Valencia, Spain. My family is made up of a lovely mother and my grandma, who I am very close with. My favorite subject is art. I love all the art classes with Mr. Price. He is a wonderful teacher. The art room and the materials are all I need, and I have a great time painting and learning about the arts. I enjoy skiing and playing tennis because I’m not a huge fan of team sports. I also love extracurricular art because I get to develop my personal projects. My host family is the family of Ben Goldblatt ’23. They are the best. We always have lots of fun. In the fall we visited New York City one weekend and saw Times Square. It was amazing! For a career path, I will probably pursue fashion design because it has been my passion since I was a child, and it’s something I truly believe I can do and succeed in.
Xan Cohen, Rubin Becker, and Emily Sorio
My favorite thing about Harvey is breakfast … the pancakes! I have to admit that they may not be the healthiest food, but every time we have pancakes for breakfast I go crazy. I love them all covered in butter. I’m obsessed with Harvey breakfast pancakes!
Sofia Marcos Munoz I am Sofia Marcos Munoz from Spain. I am 18 years old and a senior at Harvey. I live in one of the cities of Madrid called Alcala de Henares. There I live with my parents and my sister. She is 3 years younger than me. She loves to ride horses and likes animals in general. We love to travel throughout Europe and see new cities, but they also want to come here to the United States. My sister and my mom are like my best friends. We usually spend a lot of time together. One of the most different things that I found here in Katonah is that the houses are so big and all so far away from each other. In my city, everything is closer, and you don’t need the car at all. I love to go to school here because Spain is so different. Two of my favorite classes are photography and dance because I never had any subjects similar to those two before. They are very interesting, but I also love economics, English, and chemistry because I really like how we learn in these classes. My favorite things here at Harvey are the activities that we do and how everyone is so friendly. This fall I played soccer. The girls and the coaches were really nice, but I’m waiting for the harveyschool.org 37
Vivian Shen and Angela Lu
winter season because I want to play basketball, which is my favorite sport. Here, on the weekends I live with my host family, Jessica Vicente (assistant director of Harvey admissions) and her two children, Lucas ’23 and Stella. They are very nice, and I like staying with them. One weekend we went to New York City, and there I saw my friends from the school and also met with all their families. They are very international, and it was very interesting to hear them speak. My favorite American food is the hamburger because the restaurants make them taste so good. I also really like Mexican restaurants. When this year finishes, I want to go to a university to play basketball and study criminal justice or international business. Also in the future, I want to study law in Spain.
Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein My name is Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein, and I am 18 years old and a senior at Harvey. I was born and raised in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where I used to live with my parents and my 13-year-old sister. My hometown has a population of 1.5 million; therefore, it is much bigger than Katonah. I like being at Harvey, and what I like the most in the school are the friendly people and the campus. My favorite subject is Bioethics because it mixes philosophical debates with biological questions. My favorite extracurricular activity is definitely soccer, which is the reason I chose to do it after school during the fall term. 38 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
My host family is Mrs. Menacho, who is a Spanish teacher at Harvey. During the weekends I live with her, her son Giovanni, along with Hayden ’24, William ’22, and Stepan ’24, who are three other boys from the dorms. In her house, located in Stamford, Connecticut, I share my room with William, who is a great roommate.
Tracy (Siyi) Wang My name is Tracy Wang. I am 15 years old, and I am in Grade 10. My hometown is Tianjin, China. I live with my parents and grandparents. I have no brothers and sisters. My hometown Tianjin is a beautiful modern city, the brightest pearl in the Bohai Bay. The Haihe River is the symbol of Tianjin. The scenery around the Haihe is like a long landscape picture, which makes Tianjin look beautiful. Her most beautiful thing is the Haihe flowing under the night light. The bright and dark lights on both sides reflect off the river, just like gorgeous rosy clouds. I still remember when I first came to Harvey this school year on Sept. 1. It was the first time I set foot on the land of the United States to study alone. I brought three suitcases of luggage. After more than 24 hours of traveling, I was so tired I could barely carry my suitcases up the stairs to the dorm. Then, two teachers came to help me. They carried the heavy suitcases and helped me find my room. Their kind action undoubtedly helped me and made me really fall in love with Harvey. I chose Harvey for many reasons, not only because of its good geographical
location but also because I like Harvey’s art discipline and there are many sports here. I enjoy the learning environment here. We discuss problems and do physics experiments together in class. It’s really a wonderful experience. On the weekends, I stay with my host, Harvey Spanish teacher Rosana Lindoro. I like the choir best because I like music very much. I joined the volleyball team in the fall term because I like volleyball very much, and my friends were there. I’m not going to play a sport in winter and spring because I want to participate in some artistic activities.
Stepan Romenskiy My name is Stepan. I am 16 years old, and I am in 10th grade. I am from the middle part of Russia, a cold city called Tomsk. I do not remember my hometown because I moved to another city when I was 3 years old. I was born on the 14th of February — St. Valentine’s Day. I have a great family. We like to spend time together traveling and doing activities. I enjoy spending time with them. We live in Stavropol, an industrial city in the south of Russia. There are a lot of goods that are popular in Russia. I have a sister, and we go to school together. There are many differences between schools in the U.S. and schools in Russia. I like studying. My favorite subjects are English and physics. These subjects are very interesting. By the way. I like sports, too. I like basketball and working on a team. In the fall, I decided to play soccer, and it was a good experience. In addition to playing sports and attending school, we need to socialize. From Monday to Friday, I live in the dorms, and on the weekends I live at Mrs. Menacho’s house. Mrs. Menacho (Harvey Spanish teacher) is a very kind, very interesting person. She does everything for us to make us feel at home. Her cooking is excellent. My favorite dish is pumpkin pie. I decided to go to the U.S. to get a good education because the U.S. is the country of opportunities. In conclusion, I would like to say that I like The Harvey School.
news + views
What Will Your Legacy Be?
Leaving a Legacy To make a gift to The Harvey School is an act of generosity that will have a significant impact on the lives of future students, making it possible for young people from all backgrounds to find their passion and discover themselves through a Harvey education. Leaving a legacy gift to Harvey through your will or trust is the most profound way to touch the lives of young people and help them grow into insightful, open-minded, future leaders, like Jacob Weisberger ’23. Jacob joined Harvey as a quiet sixth grade student in 2017. As he navigated his middle school years, it became clear to Jacob that Harvey was offering him a tremendous opportunity to step outside his comfort zone and, encouraged by his teachers, try things he otherwise might not. “The teachers want you to be the best version of yourself. They want to form relationships that continue outside the classroom and last long after graduation. I am very grateful for my teachers who spent countless hours with me helping me to find my voice,” said Jacob. Today, as a junior, Jacob has the lead in the school musical, plays two varsity sports — hockey and lacrosse — and serves as both a student ambassador for the Admissions Office and as an intern in the Development Office. These seemingly disparate roles are providing Jacob opportunities to explore his talents, both inside and outside the classroom. // For further information on how to leave Harvey in your will and provide a legacy, contact Susie Danziger at sdanziger@harveyschool.org
“The teachers want you to be the best version of yourself. They want to form relationships that continue outside the classroom and last long after graduation. I am very grateful for my teachers who spent countless hours with me helping me to find my voice.” — Jacob ’23
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A Return to Action Fall Sports Roundup/Awards How great it was to see our varsity athletes suit up and play meaningful games again this fall after losing the 2020 season to COVID-19. Going into the fall athletics season, the varsity coaches and players alike looked forward with great joy and anticipation to being able to compete for a championship. When the final whistle blew on the fall season, Harvey had a championship to celebrate as the boys on the varsity coed cross-country team captured the crown as Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) champions with the help of the league’s No. 1 racer, Hudson Chris, and his teammates. Meanwhile, on the soccer field, the boys, 1-4 to start the season, reeled off a late-season nine-game unbeaten streak to put themselves into the title game against Wooster, the only league opponent the Cavs did not beat in
the regular season. The Harvey boys came up short against the top-seeded Generals in the championship game as the Cavs earned the 2021 runner-up trophy. The girls soccer team, a gritty group on the pitch, struggled to get victories, with their only win coming on Homecoming Day. Their 2-1 heartbreaking loss in the first round of the playoffs served as proof of their mettle. On the court, the volleyball team had many fine moments in a season that saw the girls perform well enough to advance to the semifinals before losing to Christian Heritage, the eventual HVAL champion. Meanwhile, on the gridiron, there was no playoff appearance for the football team this fall, but the Cavs left it all out on the field each game, and gave their fans an action-packed season in NEPSAC 8-Man League contests.
At season’s end, the following athletes earned special league and team honors >
Varsity CROSS COUNTRY 2021 HVAL Champions All-NEPSAC Hudson Chris HVAL All-League Hudson Chris Samuel Alexander Jordan Freund William Hargreaves HVAL All-League Honorable Mention Sophia Beldotti MVP Samuel Alexander Top Runner Hudson Chris Top Newcomer William Hargreaves Leadership Gabriella Feldmeth Cavalier Spirit Jordan Freund Most Improved Madison Reckson
40 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
Boys Varsity SOCCER
Varsity FOOTBALL
(8-6-2; 7-3-0 HVAL) 2021 HVAL Runner-Up NEPSSA All-League Clayton Collum
(2-5) NEPSAC 8-Man All-League Daniel Gasch Jayden Kass
NEPSSA All-League Honorable Mention Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein HVAL All-League Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein Clayton Collum Luca Vega Charles Hildebrandt MVP Clayton Collum MVP Defense Luis Felipe Breidenbach Klein MIP Armaan Bhaskar
MVP Juliet Jaques MVP Offense Lila Leibowits MVP Defense Ash Champlain MIP Phoebe Lichtman Sportsmanship Grace Alpern
Varsity VOLLEYBALL
Sportsmanship Charles Hildebrandt
(9-13; 5-6 HVAL) All-NEPSAC Iliana Hellinger
(1-9; 0-5 HVAL) NEPSSA All-League Honorable Mention Juliet Jaques HVAL All-League Ella Cohn Juliet Jaques
MVP Offense Daniel Gasch Coaches Award James Miller “Bare” Lineman Award (named after popular alum, right guard in football and former teacher Mike Barefield ’05) Charles Treseler
The “Sullivan” Cavalier Award (Most Valuable to the Team) Jayden Kass “The Mitch” (Named for Mitch Thompson and given to the player or players who best exemplify heart, hustle, and love of the game) Joshua Sestito Ryan Spiro
Cavalier Award Juliet Jaques
Coaches Award Mitchell Yurko
Girls Varsity SOCCER
MVP Defense Bradley Lederer
HVAL All-League Iliana Hellinger Kira Ortega MVP Iliana Hellinger Kira Ortega MIP Giselle Grant Cavalier Award Talia Campbell
Top Student-Athletes of the Fall Term Hudson Chris ’23 and Iliana Hellinger ’24
Boys JV SOCCER
Middle School VOLLEYBALL
Middle School CROSS COUNTRY
(2-4) MVP Hudson Krasne
(4-4) MVP Maeve Lazzaro
MVP Evan Vasile
MIP Spencer Hindle
MIP Madilyn Fleisher
Coaches Award Oscar Lo
Sportsmanship Christiana Greene
Sportsmanship Julian Marin
Cavalier Award Lila Silpe
JV VOLLEYBALL
Middle School SOCCER
(6-9) MVP Gabriella Bonilla
(0-8) MVP Daniel Lehman
MIP Shae-Anne Falconer
MIP Yamila Jackson
Coaches Award Ladidi Abdul-Wahab
Coaches Award Ryan Dey
Sportsmanship Talia Spector
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MIP Micah Berni Sportsmanship Conor Shepard Coaches Award Nicholas Ritenis
Artistic spotlight
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Opening Page. Clockwise, self-portraits by Riannah Wallach ’24, Ari Klein ’23, Kirk Ortega ’23, and Ross McIntyre ’23 // Top. Cast of the fall musical “Chicago” on stage at Lasdon Theater // 1. “Super Hero” by Madison Boothe ’27 // 2. Ceramic work by Christina Phipps ’25 and Lila Leibowits ’25 // 3. Self-portrait by Ricardo Paris ’23 // 4. An ancient Aztec and Mayan inspired clay mask by Aidan Garcia ’27// 5. Stepan Romenskiy ’24 gets creative with digital clone photography // 6. A rendering of a Tim Burton character by Olivia Barsky ’26 // 7. Kayla Lichtenstein ’24 displays her self-portrait // 8. The handiwork of Yamila Jackson ’28 and Sydney Boothe ’27 in stage makeup // 9. Jayden Goldberg ’22 and Jacob Weisberger ’23 in “Chicago” // 10. One point perspective by Amity Doyle ’28
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©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/EIVAISLA
alumni news Dear Harvey Alumni, As we look back on the past 18+ months, I believe that we have all formed an even greater appreciation for teachers. How could we not have? Our teachers were unwavering in their commitment to our students throughout the pandemic. Their already challenging jobs took on additional obstacles that they tackled head-on, enabling their students to continue to remain engaged and feel connected. During a time when there was so much uncertainty for everyone, students at Harvey had amazing teachers, ensuring that they felt seen, heard, and connected on an academic and personal level. As part of the Harvey community, you are well aware of the incredible teachers that Harvey has and has had during the years. Our teachers give our children purpose, and they establish relationships that inspire them to be driven to do well and succeed in life. They work tirelessly each day to create a solid foundation that allows our children to become the leaders of tomorrow. Great teachers change lives for the better. They act as a support system when needed, serve as constant role models, and encourage our children to dream bigger by expanding their limits and challenging their creativity. The connections that many of our alumni had with teachers while at Harvey inspired many to return to Harvey as teachers themselves. Other alums developed the passion for educating and have gone on to become teachers because of the impact of the teachers they had at Harvey. The dedication of Harvey’s teachers to their students is evident through their round-the-clock work, whether grading papers, providing extra help, creating new and exciting lesson plans, or communicating with parents or students. Teachers can make one of the largest impacts on another person’s life, and our alums, those teaching at Harvey or other institutions, have wonderful insights, strengths, and skills to share as they shape the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders. Warm regards,
Lara Casano ’95, Harvey Alumni Association, President
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Upcoming
Alumni Events The Alumni Reunion and luncheon at Homecoming 2021 in October was amazing! Check out page 24 for the recap. We are looking forward to seeing many Harvey alums in 2022 with our annual NYC Networking event and our new Spring Alumni Day featuring the Alumni Hall of Fame awards, athletics games, and more. Please visit harveyschool.org/alumni or scan the code to stay up-to-date on these events, log into the alumni portal, and learn about all things Harvey Alumni related!
Cavalier Speaker Series Victoria Lily Shaffer ’11 ILLUSTRATION©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JANE55
The Harvey Cavalier Speaker Series returned December 9, 2021, with featured speaker Victoria Lily Shaffer ’11, dog rescue advocate, puppy guru, and new author of the recently published book “Pup Culture: Stories, Tips, and the Importance of Adopting a Dog.” Victoria returned to campus to talk to a live audience inside Lasdon Theater in The Walker Center for the Arts, sharing inspiring and meaningful canine adoption and fostering stories. Victoria surely made dog lovers out of all of us! After her presentation, Victoria answered audience questions and signed books for attendees.
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ories! m e M y e rv a H r u o Y re a h S
, R E I L A V A C A E ONC R E I L A V A C A S ALWAY
48 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
By Ray Lacen, athletic director For an athletic director, the common responsibilities of the position are to build safe and enriching athletic programs, hire and manage qualified coaches, purchase equipment and uniforms, coordinate travel, select officials, and the list goes on. These are part of the job description and the expectations. For me, I have taken on an additional responsibility to ensure Harvey’s athletic programs are ones that alumni are proud of and follow long after they leave campus. As an athlete, I never gave this much thought. I believed my job was to play and move on. It was not until I attended my first game after graduating from college and saw the respect from the new crop of players toward those who came before them. It was eye-opening. They appreciated the fact that I came back and that I was supporting them as an alumnus. It was then I came to realize how the past makes an impact on the present beyond just wins, losses, and statistics. Alumni provide the foundation for how traditions are passed along from generation to generation. Alumni allow me to tap into what made their experiences positive, inspiring ideas for ways to improve, and strive to continue Harvey’s traditions. One of the best reactions I get from alumni comes when they see changes in our facilities, uniforms, or campus since their years at Harvey. What makes it special is that they are not disappointed they missed out; instead, they are happy to see that their alma mater is moving forward. We must understand and embrace the fact that sports play a defining role in the lives of student-athletes, before and after they leave high school. After graduating, most athletes stay in touch with their teammates and continue to work out, and a few will play at the college level. I continue to meet and speak with alumni student-athletes, and I deeply appreciate their time and the stories they share with me. A common sentiment is how very special Harvey athletics is to them. I invite all our alumni student-athletes to be part of If you would like to share your the process of improving and Harvey athletic experience or suggest growing Harvey athletics for the ways to grow the program, email Ray future. We want all our alumni Lacen at rlacen@harveyschool.org to know, “Once a Cavalier, Always a Cavalier!”
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class notes To submit a note or share your Harvey memories, please contact your class agent or the alumni office at alumni@harveyschool.org.
1941
1952 // 70th Reunion
1956
Class Agent: Jim Wood, (914) 922-1559, jimandtwink@gmail.com
Ross Langhorne was stuck in his cottage in England in January-April 2020 due to the U.K.’s COVID lockdown but made it back to the U.S. in May. Normally, he would have been racing in the cycling senior division this year, but due to the pandemic, he spent most of his time training with an eye on next year’s nationals and Huntsman World Championships. Ross is planning to return to London fairly soon as one of his properties there was severely damaged by a flash flood. Unfortunately, he won’t be at this year’s alumni reunion but sends his best wishes and kindest regards to all.
Class Agent: John Crawford, (540) 247-8810, celect@comcast.net
1948 Richard Montague, despite the young age of 87, still enjoys getting out into the Great Outdoors to pursue one of his hobbies: visiting fascinating topographic points. Remaining physically active, within the last six months, Richard was able to stand on both the northernmost and southernmost geographical points in Germany. (See page 51 for more on this excursion!) Although he was originally born in Madison, Wisconsin, Richard has lived in Germany on a permanent basis for more than 35 years. He is a retired former managing partner of the executive search firm of Carre, Orban & Partners International. 50 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
John Crawford reports, “My wife Polly and I are active, playing racquetball, tennis, and this new thing called pickleball, which is great for these old bones because it does not require you to move around as much as tennis. Still flying, touring the entire East Coast in our little propeller-driven airplane. Age discrimination does come in there, for the insurance people don’t think that I can fly safely and charge me a fortune. The FAA gives me medicals and thinks that I am just fine. At the age of 81, one decides that some things are better than others and maybe three hours in our airplane would be better than driving the 14 hours to our place near Bath, Maine where we spend the summers.”
RICHARD MONTAGUE ’48
Never Stop Exploring Richard Montague ’48 is a world explorer, recently at the northernmost point of Germany August 4, 2021. The location is actually a sand spit known in German as the “Ellenbogen,” which lies at sea level on the north shore of the German island of Sylt. Sylt lies in the North Sea opposite the southern coast of Denmark. On October 1, 2021, Richard trekked to the southernmost point, a mountain pass located along the present German/Austrian national border. Both points are deserted. “The northernmost point is rather easy to reach since all that is required is a hike of a couple of miles along Sylt’s outer North Sea beach until one reaches the northernmost point of land,” said Richard. “The precise location on the shoreline can be determined with a Garmin GPS instrument since the northernmost point of the sand spit is not marked.” At the northernmost point, there is nothing except sky, the North Sea, and the beach sand and dunes. At 55 degrees 03’ North, this is the location in the northern “end” of the Federal Republic of Germany. “Reaching the southernmost point of Germany, however, is a different undertaking,” Richard said. “This point lies about 6,335 feet or more than a mile high in elevation, in a remote mountainous region lying along Germany’s present national border with neighboring Austria.” The spot lies in open, deserted country, marked today only by survey cairn #147 at 47 degrees 16’ North. “It took me more than three and a half hours of climbing upward from the village of Lechleiten in Austria’s Lech Valley
to reach the cairn,” shared Richard. “All in all, a daylong trip but well worth the effort.” Richard shared that the establishment of the political border between the “then” Kingdom of Bavaria and the “then” Austrian Empire dates back to 1842. “It must have been difficult and a challenging undertaking back then for the party of Bavarian and Austrian land surveyors who had to travel by horseback and on foot in order to mark the border and then set up cairns all along the line separating their two countries,” said Richard. “This is not an easy mountain country in which to travel!” Richard explained that virtually all original border cairns (meter-deep concrete pillars set upright in the ground with the national symbols of Bavaria and Austria affixed) are still in place after almost 180 years, with the exception of cairn #147, which is now in a museum in Germany. The original #147 border cairn was replaced after World War II with a new marble pillar. “Endeavors to reach the southernmost and the northernmost points of land in Germany, are, of course, totally without practical value,” said Richard. “But I find it rewarding having been able to reach both locations, Shank’s mare style (meaning on foot, with only a GPS instrument and topographic map to guide one) within less than six months time!” At 87 years of age, rewarding, indeed! See the spring issue of Harvey Magazine for Richard’s next adventure in “Never Stop Exploring.”
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1957 // 65th Reunion Class Agent: Alex McKown, (718) 392-1373, alexander.mckown@gmail.com
1961 Class Agent: Sandy Gabel, (919) 693-8099, sandy.gabel@icloud.com Sandy Gabel has some BIG news to share — “calving season is upon us.” He had five calves as of when he shared this news
and “only 87 to go!” he says. In addition to the 92 moms, they have 17 replacement heifers, two bills (soon to be three), and some feeders. Their farm also has seven horses, two donkeys, two alpacas, about 20 laying hens, and a lot of guinea hens. Sandy and his wife, Laura, took a quick trip to the Northeast at reunion time to see three grandchildren in Boston and three in Mamaroneck — and, of course, their parents! “I enjoyed being with my pals at the reunion,” says Sandy. “We had a good turnout.”
1965 Class Agent: Rev. Malcolm Starring, (603) 444-6016, mfstarring@gmail.com
1968 Class Agent: Alex Edwards-Bourdrez, (631) 754-1041, alexb2@gmail.com
1973 Class Agent: Phil Eifert, (914) 232-6489, peifert@yahoo.com
RICK KINNAIRD ’65
Harvey Connections Before COVID, Rick Kinnaird ’65 was traveling extensively to places like Egypt, Indonesia, India, and the Mayan area. Rick shared that this past summer he visited fellow alums Bill Browning ’65 and Theo (Teddy) Cogdon ’65, who both now live in Maine. Rick’s favorite Harvey memory was being on the first Harvey lacrosse team and using wooden sticks. He went on to play at Johns Hopkins University, and he believes having played lacrosse “had a lot to do with my being accepted there.” “Teddy and I also recorded a Happy Birthday message and sent it to Peter Duncan ’65,” shared Rick. “He pleaded with us never to do that again. Wait until next year!” joked Rick. Rick says Harvey gave him the love of reading. “The reading hour allowed me to read a lot of books — “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Three Musketeers” were two I distinctly remember reading,” said Rick. Two big influences in his life were reading Richard Haliburton’s “Book of Marvels,” and the other was the year he studied India while a student at Harvey. Mr. Perrine was the teacher, and one afternoon a guest speaker told the class about traveling through India on a motorcycle. Rick has now traveled to many ancient places such as Petra, The Pyramid, Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Tikal, Teotihuacan, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza. He’s currently working on developing videos and slideshows for young people to spark their interest in traveling and experiencing ancient sites.
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Philip Eifert took some COVID-safe family trips recently — one to Arizona to visit his daughter, Helen, who is a graduate student at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff; ski trips in 2021 to Stratton and Sugarbush in Vermont, and Alta and Snowbird in Utah; summer kickoff visit to North Carolina to see his 92-year-old dad including a detour to the Outer Banks for a few days; 2020 Thanksgiving in Mill Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona; a trip to Germany for his nephew’s wedding rescheduled from 2020 and then to a visit with relatives in Italy. “So nice to be able to travel again — and look forward to even more travel in the near future!” said Philip, who owns an insurance agency in Katonah. Carl “Ruby” Rubenstein has been hired to be a Stratton Mt. Ski ambassador for the upcoming winter season. He was supposed to do this last year but New Yorkers were not allowed to work in Vermont last season, due to the pandemic. He’s looking forward to skiing more this year than in past years. Carl reports that his father passed away last March. He postponed his retirement until the end of COVID, but if that date doesn’t happen soon, he says he might retire anyway!
1978 Class Agent: Patrick Peterkin, (203) 655-9917, p_peterkin@yahoo.com
Poet and Author
1983 Class Agents: Melinda Frey Arkin, bentleyshop@aol.com; Joshua Rosenthal, (970) 385-4723, weplay@bresnan.net
1984 Class Agent: Herbert Sloan, (203) 438-0051, hjs1988@yahoo.com
Jonathan Wells ’68, an accomplished poet, has come out with his first full-length prose work, “The Skinny,” a memoir that covers just under 10 years of his life between early adolescence (including his time at The Harvey School) and early adulthood. A review in the digital weekly Air Mail calls the book “a poetic remembrance of pain and forgiveness that rivals Tobias Wolff’s “This Boy’s Life.” Vogue praises it as “lushly rendered and touchingly intimate, a critique that is loving and unsparing at the same time.” Jonathan chronicles his experiences growing up underweight and under heavy scrutiny and judgment from his father (and others), who saw his son’s prolonged skinniness (and associated diminished masculinity) as something to be redressed. Through tribulations of forced weight-gain diets, exercise regimens, and being shunted off to boarding school in Switzerland, Jonathan evokes the solace he found in the golden age of rock music (late 60s, early 70s), as well as oases offered by literary figures like Dylan Thomas. The book culminates in a redemptive coming-of-age episode in Jonathan’s later college years. Jonathan’s writing draws the reader in with him as he traces the journey of his unique yet relatable story. His volumes of poetry (“Train Dance,” “The Man with Many Pens,” and “Debris”) are equally engrossing and evocative. — Contributed by classmate Alex Edwards-Bourdrez ’68
1987 // 35th Reunion Stephanie Jones McCaine was re-elected to the Bedford (N.Y.) Town Board in November 2021. “I’m incredibly proud to have the opportunity to serve the residents of this town that has given me so much throughout my lifetime — including the Harvey School!” said Stephanie.
1988 Class Agents: Charles Collin, (860) 263-7972, chascolin@gmail.com; Laurel E. Meredith, (917) 280-5233, laurel.meredith@gmail.com Class agent and alumni executive council member Laurel (Elkind) Meredith lives in Westchester, and her son Gabriel started at Harvey this year, Class of ’25. He is enjoying Harvey’s world-class robotics program. Her oldest child, Natalie, just started her freshman year at Cornell University, College of Arts &
Sciences; her youngest daughter is in seventh grade. Laurel recently launched a start-up focused on applying machine learning to improving media and entertainment content acquisitions and distribution. She and her husband Chris enjoy downtime in the Adirondacks, skiing and snowshoeing with their golden retriever Moose. Laurel would love to hear from her ’80s classmates. David Hammer sends his best from South Florida. David and his wife Megan and their three sons moved out of the Northeast to Boca Raton seven years ago for a great job opportunity, in addition to the chance to escape cold winters. David is currently the chief financial officer of Orangetheory Fitness, a leading boutique fitness chain with 1,500 locations in 25 countries. After spending most of his career working in large consumer products companies like PepsiCo and Newell Brands,
he is thrilled to be part of a rapidly growing health and wellness company. With one child in college (Ty, age 19) and the other two in high school (Max, age 16 and Sam, age 14), David reports that his time at Harvey is top of mind these days and that he often bores his kids with “when I was your age” stories.
1989 Class Agent: Chris Abrenica, (914) 556-8344, cabrenica71@outlook.com
1990 Class Agent: Peter Hall, (518) 369-1991, hallpeter1@gmail.com Jennifer Weinstein is a self-employed pharmaceutical marketing consultant. harveyschool.org 53
class notes
JONATHAN WELLS ’68
Kevin Conboy ’94 welcomes son Hunter
Corey Muse ’95, along with his wife Kate, add to their family with son Emmett
1993
are in the seventh grade and hope to attend Harvey in the near future. As current president of the alumni association, Lara would welcome hearing how her classmates and all alums are doing.
Jarrod Brown lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and is in school to become a first responder while also working for an addiction recovery treatment center. He has also partnered to open a car wash and detailing business. His son is now 20 and doing very well, starting college in spring 2022. Jarrod still plays hockey in a men’s league.
1994 Class Agent: Russell Stamm, (781) 329-3004, rcstamm@rcstammco.com Kevin Conboy welcomed son Hunter Robert Conboy, born August 28 at Greenwich Hospital, weighing 7.3 pounds and measuring 20 inches long.
1995 Class Agents: Lara W. Casano, (347) 539-7301, Gilligan.school@gmail.com; Raphael Miranda, (917) 520-7808, mirandaraphael@hotmail.com Lara Casano remains active in the Harvey community in numerous ways and is so glad to still be connected. She lives in New Rochelle with her husband, Sean, and three children, Cade, Mallon, and Rylan. Cade is a ninth grader at Harvey and very involved in various sports and the Harvey community as a whole. Mallon and Rylan 54 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
Corey Muse welcomed baby boy Emmett James September 11, 2021 weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and measuring 20 inches long. Emmett joins big brother Hank who has been waiting a long time for a little brother, reports Corey. Corey and his growing family are living in Peekskill, New York, and he is a locomotive engineer for Metro-North Railroad.
1996 Class Agents: Keith Harrigan, (412) 853-9392, kh1843@gmail.com; David Stark, (336) 771-5303, dlstark@kpmg.com; Jeannette Brandt Stark, (336) 771-5303, jeanettemstark@gmail.com
1997 // 25th Reunion Class Agent: Blayre Farkas, (561) 929-1802, carolynfarkas@gmail.com
1998 Class Agent: Greg Janos, (845) 857-7688, gjanos@harveyschool.org
1999 Class Agent: Amy Albert Morello, papillia@hotmail.com Heather Soss received her MBA from Fitchburg State University in August 2021.
2000 Sean Sasso is a real estate broker with Compass and founder of Coast, a real estate firm with offices in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He recently appeared on the first episode of season 9 of “Million Dollar Listing New York” on Bravo. Fellow Harvey alum Alex Compton ’03 recently referred Sean’s firm to handle leading and marketing for The Lighthouse, a 50-unit building in Port Chester, New York, for one of the largest developers in the country.
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class notes
2001
singing to him. Jeanne says, “Hudson is a happy baby, always smiling, and he hardly makes a noise, so he has made it very easy for us, me especially, getting back into the rhythm of life after having a newborn. I’m so thankful and blessed for my family.”
Class Agent: Jennifer J. Vogeney, (914) 494-9397, jenn.j.vogeney@gmail.com Jeanne Porcelli welcomed son Hudson Ryan Meyer July 2, 2021, weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce,and measuring 19 inches long. Jeanne reports, “Mom life is going great with three kids!” She was a bit nervous about how the older two would adjust “but it’s been as if Hudson was here the whole time.” She says her older kids love holding him, playing with him, and
2002 // 20th Reunion Class Agent: Tiffany Franqui Hamilton, (845) 612-9858, travelsize84@gmail.com
GREG JANOS ’98
(top) Sean Sasso ’00; (above) Sean with wife Tabitha and daughters Cecilia (9) and Josephine (7) enjoying a vacation.
Harvey Pride Greg Janos coordinated and ran two Try Hockey For Free events sponsored by the NY Rangers at Harvey’s Evarts Rink in 2021 with more than 300 local kids registered to try hockey for their very first time. In addition to settling into his new position as Harvey’s associate alumni director, Greg is also coaching with the Learn to Play program with the NY Rangers working alongside former Rangers legend Adam Graves, (pictured above). As Greg settles into his second year in the Harvey alumni office, he is focused on reconnecting and engaging with as many Harvey alums as possible. Greg strongly believes in the strength of a Harvey education and enjoys highlighting our alums’ accomplishments and life milestones in the Alumni Newsletter and Harvey Magazine. He encourages his fellow alums to share their achievements and keep Harvey in the know! Greg is also looking forward to assisting all alums who would like to put together a mini class reunion of their own. Whether you would like to host a small gathering, a dinner party, happy hour, golf outing, or any other type of event, please reach out to Greg. The alumni office looks forward to hearing from all of you! gjanos@harveyschool.org
SCAN TO UPDATE YOUR INFO NOW! > Brian Durling’s ’02 son in Harvey swag harveyschool.org 55
Mike Keerdoja ’03 with wife Melissa and their two daughters 2008 classmates Brooke Stager, Dylan Hackley, Sam Lavin, and Joe Lombardi celebrate Dylan’s wedding.
2003 Class Agent: Jaclyn Walker, (914) 319-1699, JaclynMarisaWalker@gmail.com Mike Keerdoja is married to his beautiful wife, Melissa, and together they share two daughters. He enjoys his career as a union ironworker in Manhattan. Mike enjoyed playing hockey at Harvey and still plays whenever he gets some free time. He also played rugby at Harvey, sharing, “Being a part of the team was a real pleasure and good life training experience for me,” he said. “I enjoyed the friends I made while in school at Harvey.”
Dylan Hackley ’08 with new wife Jenny on their wedding day
Sean Brofman welcomed daughter Felicity Lauren Brofman May 6, 2021, weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long. “Words cannot explain the love I feel already,” shares Sean.
2007 // 15th Reunion 2004 Class Agent: Maria Neri, (845) 279-5234 Alex Kosbob is now head of Human Resources for the Department of Justice’s United States Attorney’s Office for the State of Connecticut. He shares, “Harvey is always on my mind!”
2005
2008 Class Agents: Gretel Coleman, (914) 234-0907, gretelcoleman@gmail.com; Dylan Hackley, (914) 482-5318, dhack@me.com
2006
Dylan Hackley finally married Jenny Travis in Newport, Rhode Island, September 5, 2021. He reports that all went according to plan and they were able to celebrate with their friends and family by their side.
Class Agents: Gregory Jurschak, (914) 260-8133, gjurschak@gmail.com; Teresa Neri, (914) 462-7440, teresa.neri12@gmail.com
Miranda Larsen is living in New Orleans, Louisiana, and working as a cook at Alon Shaya’s restaurant, Saba.
Class Agent: Brian Ryerson, (914) 329-6863, ryersonb@gmail.com
56 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
Miranda Larsen ’08
Class Agents: Doniella McKoy, (914) 960-9375, donimckoy@yahoo.com; Alexandra Pugliese, (914) 760-0119, alexandra.m.pugliese@gmail.com
Scott Oltman ’08 welcomes daughter Charlotte
Scott Oltman welcomed a new baby girl, Charlotte Elizabeth May 15, 2021, weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces, and measuring 18 ¼ inches long. After teaching elementary-aged students for six years, Gretel Coleman decided to expand her horizons and take her career in a new direction. She joined The Harvey School faculty in September as
class notes
the associate learning specialist, a new position at Harvey. It was created with the intention of having a faculty member work closely with the ninth grade students on study skills, executive functioning, and social awareness. Collaborating closely with the other ninth grade teachers and pushing into various classes continue to serve as the backbone of this position. Gretel shares: “I have gained a stronger understanding of how to best support each child on an individual basis. I feel very grateful that a place as nurturing, supportive, and dedicated to helping young people become the best version of themselves has been there to guide me in this pivotal moment of my life. Returning to work sideby-side with many of my former teachers has been incredibly grounding as I know I always have someone to turn to.”
Justice Koonce ’11, who is currently in the Air Force, poses for a nice family photo with brother Sharif Koonce ’13, his mom, and brother Malcolm, who is a Harvey rugby alum. Rachel Dewar ’10 with her fiancé.
2010 Rachel Dewar got engaged!
2009 Class Agents: Andrew Jamieson, (203) 273-3884, andrewjamieson91@icloud.com; Erika Osborne, osborne7937@gmail.com; Peter Sorenson, (914) 438-7486, psorenson68@gmail.com; Megan Taylor, (914) 234-6205, meg.kerrytaylor@gmail.com
2011 Class Agents: Amelia Slater, (914) 874-7436, ameliajslater1@gmail.com; Nicolette A. St. Lawrence, (914) 707-0414, ns669@cornell.edu; Konrad Testwuide, (914) 953-9006, ktestwuide@gmail.com Molly Orell married Tim McGavock October 7, 2021 at Winvian Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut. She also started a new job at ViacomCBS.
Molly Orell ’11 with her husband Tim
Refer a friend to Harvey! Small classes, inspiring teachers, rigorous academics, and an array of extracurriculars instill in students a passion for lifelong learning and the confidence to pursue individual passions.
harveyschool.org 57
2012 // 10th Reunion Class Agents: Brandon Hickey, (845) 270-8670, hickbg05@gmail.com; Brett Marks, (914) 815-1686, brettmarks94@gmail.com; Nicole Pugliese, (914) 760-7148, npug@umich.edu; Julian Rissetto, (914) 539-1175, j.rissetto@icloud.com; Maya Sank, (203) 803-5850, mayasank7@gmail.com; Daniel Schonning, (203) 788-6811, danny.schonning@yahoo.com; Natalia R. St. Lawrence, (914) 707-0406; Mikhyle Stein, (914) 419-4615, mick909@gmail.com Dan Schonning just started work as a Trias Postgraduate Teaching Fellow at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In this position, he will be teaching undergraduate students creative writing in a variety of forms and will be able to devote lots of time to his own projects. Dan has published poems in the latest issues of Orion Magazine, West Branch Magazine, and the Yale Review.
Gabrielle Kahn ’13 with her fiancé Spencer
Annelise Cepero ’13 (Credit: Nesta Photography)
2013 Class Agents: Sharif Koonce, (914) 356-1553, skoonce29@gmail.com; Karina K. Lambert, (914) 844-9123, karina.k.lambert@gmail.com; Ben Walant, (203) 947-4541, bwalant@gmail.com In addition to walking in New York Fashion Week this fall for the first time, Annelise Cepero made her film debut in the new “West Side Story” and had guest appearances in three separate major TV network dramas. Gabrielle Kahn got engaged June 5, 2021 to Spencer Scalzitti, sharing, “It was the best surprise of my life!”
2014 Class Agents: Christian Artuso, (914) 462-0302, cjartuso@aol.com; Erica Cheyne, (914) 708-9482, ericacheyne@outlook.com Christian Artuso is a rugby champion again, helping the Chicago Lions capture the 2021 USA 7’s Club National Championship 58 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
Christian Artuso ’14
Robby VanRaamsdonk ’14 and Isobel Quinsee ’14
August 22, 2021 near Seattle, Washington. He was also the Chicago Lions Men’s Player Spotlight feature October 18, 2021. Christian captained the Harvey rugby team that won a New York State championship in his senior year. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure for whom he also played rugby. When he’s not playing rugby, Christian works for an investment bank supporting clients in managing their portfolios and trading fixed-income securities.
2015
Isobel Quinsee and Robby VanRaamsdonk got engaged May 13, 2021. They both shared, “We could not be more excited to spend our lives together.”
Mark Siegel graduated from Anna Maria College in December 2021. He recently returned to Harvey to skate with Coach Janos and a few other alums.
Class Agents: Julia Chatzky, (914) 420-6876, jbc310@gmail.com; Richard Hicks, (914) 233-6825, hicks.ricky1@gmail.com; Brendan Kneitz, bkneitz24@gmail.com; Ariana Weaver, (914) 703-0008, arianaweaver@gmail.com Tom Gattuso got engaged to Jenny Pritikin October 31, 2021.
class notes
Tom Gattuso ’15 with his fiancée Jenny
Ryan Park ’17
Matthew Tuckner is a writer in New York City and currently an MFA candidate at NYU and assistant poetry editor of Washington Square Review. Matthew was interviewed by The Massachusetts Review September 20, 2021 about his work, his process, and inspiration. He is currently working on his first collection, “Zoo,” while finishing up a sequence of poems called the “Figurative Language” series in which he “seeks to dissect the human capacity for description and the distance that is inherent to comparison in different contexts such as addiction, religion, my grandfather’s struggles with dementia, etc.” Read the complete interview at massreview.org/node/9882
become an ALT on the JET Programme. She will be based in Fukui, Japan. “Model UN at Harvey helped me realize how much I love researching and learning about the world,” shares Lauren. “The skills I learned in MUN, such as researching and public speaking, served as a great foundation for presenting in academic conferences in college.”
2016 Class Agents: Hannah Herrera, (914) 714-5407, Hannahv_herrera@yahoo.com; Tyler Levy, (914) 572-3020, bbhockey22@gmail.com Tyler Levy graduated from Bentley College and is currently working for NYC start-up company Halo Hydration. He also stays involved in hockey, recently coaching with Ice Hockey in Harlem and fellow alum Malik Garvin ’11. After Lauren Suna graduated from Ithaca College in 2020 with a B.S. in Emerging Media, she worked as an instructional design associate for Cornell’s Online Certificate program, eCornell. Lauren worked at eCornell for a year and has now
2017 // 5th Reunion Class Agents: Joseph Bakas, (914) 708-6131, bakasjoe@gmail.com; Alexandra Barber, (914) 414-7353, lgbarber1999@gmail.com; Jewel Li, (914) 920-1409, lijewel1117@gmail.com; John Wise, (203) 637-7876 Jared Ellis was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Muhlenberg College and graduated in May 2021 with a degree in psychology and business administration. Sage Myers was named an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar at Purchase Jazz Studies. The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation “supports gifted and hardworking young singers who are carrying on Ella’s legacy.” Ryan Park graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in May 2021. Sara Steinberg graduated from Ithaca College in May 2021.
Sara Steinberg ’17
Claudia Ziser ’17
Claudia Ziser graduated from Emerson College in December 2020 with a BFA in Theater and Performance.
2018 Class Agents: Marissa Annechiarico, (845) 546-2011, marissa.annechiarico@yahoo.com; Yulanda Huang, (203) 947-2885, hjuewei@163.com; Chloe Savitch, (914) 393-9432, cbsavitch@aol.com; John Sullivan, (914) 217-6364, johns2388@aol.com Marissa Annechiarico continues to walk in fashion week and was featured in Yahoo News about her career as a petite fashion model. Read the article at sg.news. yahoo.com/meet-411-petite-fashionmodel-133559054.html harveyschool.org 59
After completing an “amazing summer internship” with Bloomberg LP as a financial products analytics and sales intern, Heidi Lee accepted a full-time position as a financial products analyst next fall. Julia Mallon was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Emerson College. Julia was also named to the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference Team for the spring season as a member of the women’s lacrosse team. Julia is majoring in journalism and is a member of Emerson’s class of 2022.
Danielle Oddo returned to Harvey as a summer 2021 intern in the Development Office. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to gain valuable experience while helping Harvey develop deep connections with alumni, not only locally, but across the country. The experience has only reinforced and focused my career path. Not only is Harvey a wonderful place to go to school but also it is an incredible place to work. Dani is a senior at Salve Regina University majoring in psychology and minoring in sports management. She is also a member of the Salve Regina women’s basketball team. Chloe Savitch was named to the 2021 dean’s list at Union College. She is a member of the class of 2022, majoring in psychology and theater.
2019 Class Agents: Treshawn Felder, (347) 792-7458, joel@harlemlacrosse.org; Charlotte Levy, (914) 238-1099, charlottehailey16@gmail.com; Sebastian Wallach, (914) 763-2579, sebski01@gmail.com; Courtney Warren, (914) 755-6960, courtrw1@gmail.com Ethan Frey was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at the University of Vermont. Ethan is studying in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, majoring in community and international development. He is a member of the class of 2023. Katie Ketner was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at SUNY New Paltz. She is majoring in visual arts. Elizabeth Mahony is majoring in psychology and minoring in creative writing at Muhlenberg College. She is a member of the class of 2023.
Danielle Oddo ’18 working at Harvey.
BECOME A CLASS AGENT TODAY! A Message from Class Agent John Crawford ’56
Keys of being a Class Agent
Being a class agent has been fun. I get to keep up with the school happenings and communicate with some of my old classmates. I don’t have a lot of email addresses from my former classmates but, while trying to bring attention to the homecoming and alumni reunion on the 30th, I contacted the ones I do have and we had a Zoom meeting. I was happy to talk to Howard Baldwin, Nick Firth, Eric Fris, Henry Smith Miller, and Jonathan Choate. I also heard from others who couldn’t make it at the time: Kirk Waldron in Florida, Terry Haig in Canada who until recently was a lost alumni, and others.
• Share information about school events, local get-togethers, news from campus, and current students • Write periodic class letters and emails; establish class group on Facebook • Update class rosters • Locate “lost” classmates
Since I don’t have email addresses for the rest of our class, I wrote letters to everyone inviting them to this year’s alumni reunion in October. Some of these letters went to our class in Texas, Minnesota, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, Arizona, and California. We have certainly spread out. This class agent remembers the 50th reunion, when many of us attended and sat in a restaurant reminiscing over old times.
60 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
There can be more than one agent per class, so grab a friend and get involved in the Harvey community. There are currently vacancies for class agents in the classes of 1942-55, 1958-60, 1962-64, 1966-67, 1969-72, 1974-77, 1979-82, 1985-87, 1991-93, 2000, 2010. If you cannot take on a class agent post, please consider volunteering to serve your class as a Reunion Coordinator. Classes with an involved Reunion Coordinator have had more successful reunions with a higher turnout.
To volunteer or if you have questions, please contact alumni@harveyschool.org.
New With You!
2020 Class Agents: Allan Dilone Rodriguez, (914) 393-3642, allanedilone@gmail.com; Daniel Galgano, (914) 763-0461, dpgalgano@gmail.com; Ryan Piken, (914) 628-4166, rypenguin57@gmail.com; Cameron Thomas, (914) 736-6565, cameronthomas155@hotmail.com Aidan Cammisa and Harley Cohen recently returned to the Harvey ice to skate with Coach Janos and some other alums. Harley shared that he is excited to return for the alumni game this winter, after winning the FAA Championship in 2020. Daniel Galgano finished his first year at The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs entirely remotely, but he still got involved with both the University’s Model United Nations team, one of the highest-awarded organizations of its kind, and The GW Hatchet, the independent student-run campus newspaper. “It has certainly been an interesting experience, and I’m expanding on the skills and early involvement that I had in Model UN at Harvey that has made it all the more rewarding,” says Daniel.
Jeannie “Jiji” Fink interned in the Harvey Development Office during the summer 2021 before heading off to college at American University in Washington, D.C.
NOTES FROM
Faculty & Friends
To submit Class Notes: Send notes, images, or both to alumni@harveyschool.org. For short milestone info (weddings, engagements, births), please include full name and dates. Photo tips: • Set your camera to best setting. • Photo size 4 x 6, in 300 dpi. • Save files as .jpg or .tiff. • Identify people in the picture. • Attach file to email.
Harvey nurse Kerby Lewis welcomed her second son, Nicholas Stephen Cabrey, October 29, 2021, making his debut at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Nicholas joins his dad, Andrew, big brother Vincent, and his mom, Kerby. “We are loving every second with this little guy,” shared Kerby. “He is doing great!” Kerby is currently on maternity leave and settling in as a mom of two! Lucas Chirico ’21 volunteers with the St. Bonaventure rugby team
2021 Densley Blake and Syrreal Watson are roommates at Howard University, and they report they are settling in nicely to college life.
Harley Cohen ’20, Mark Siegel ’15, Aidan Cammisa ’20, Greg Janos ’98 Aaron Shyer ’21 and Spencer Hellinger ’21
Lucas Chirico volunteered alongside his teammates at The Warming House at St. Bonaventure University where he is a student and member of the Bonnie’s D-I rugby team. The Warming House is the oldest student-run soup kitchen in the nation. Aaron Shyer is loving Elon University as a freshman. He is fully engaged in his business and psychology courses and has joined the club baseball team. Aaron is roommates with fellow Harvey graduate Spencer Hellinger and has definitely found a home at Elon University. Densley Blake ’20 and Syrreal Watson ’20
Jeannie “Jiji” Fink ’21 working at Harvey harveyschool.org 61
class notes
Tell Us What's
in memoriam ALUMNI
Christine Mahfouz ’06
Brett Henry Lake ’11
June 16, 2021
Christine Mahfouz was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, to her proud parents Sandra and Joseph on February 7, 1988. She was raised in Bedford Hills, New York. Christine attended the Bedford Central School District, The Harvey School, and Suffolk University in Boston where she received a B.S. in Business and Entrepreneurship. She then pursued her passion for baking and the culinary arts after graduation from the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. At the time of her passing, she worked for Big Y World Class Market in Newtown, Connecticut. Christine was known for her big smile, quick laugh, and great sense of humor. If you were fortunate enough to be her friend, there was no limit to her loyalty and what she would do for you. She possessed a lifelong passion for dogs, horses, and tropical fish. Christine was taken from this world far too early. She had so much more to contribute. She touched so many lives and will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to have known her. The memories of her beautiful life will last with those who loved her for their lifetimes. Christine leaves to mourn her passing: loving parents Joseph and Sandra; an adoring brother, Matthew; a loving grandmother, Dorrie Rabbett; eight wonderful aunts and uncles, and countless cousins. The family has requested that those wishing to honor her consider making a donation in Christine’s name to The American Stroke Association.
Remembrance “I am so saddened by the news of Christine’s passing. I fondly remember Christine. She was lovely. I remember she left for one year and then came back. She didn’t tell me she was coming back because she wanted it to be a surprise. I couldn’t think of a better way to start the school year than having her as a classmate again.” — Emily Roman ’06 62 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
October 4, 2021
The Harvey community was saddened to learn recently of the passing of Brett Henry Lake, Class of 2011. Brett, of South Salem, New York, died unexpectedly October 4, 2021. He was born July 4, 1993, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Diana E. Lake. Brett is survived by his mother, his dog Spencer, and many friends and family. Brett was a graduate of Hofstra University, receiving a B.A. in Political Science. At the time of his death, Brett was a second-year law student at Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.
Tributes for Brett Several of Brett’s former schoolmates, faculty, and friends shared their remembrances when learning of his passing. “I was fortunate to have had Brett as my advisee and as his teacher for four years. Brett went on the Harvey trip to Japan, and we kept in touch after he graduated. Brett loved Japan and the Japanese language, and he especially loved anime. After our trip to Japan, he went back to Japan the following summer and spent a month there on his own doing a homestay and learning more about the language and culture. Quite impressive for a 16-year-old! But Brett was not afraid of challenges and was always comfortable in his own skin. He traveled far and wide, learning about the world or helping people through such organizations as People to People. He made friends wherever he went and was sure to cultivate these friendships by reaching out to people, even if distance and time separated them. He truly was a caring and gentle soul with an ebullient personality. “He found his way at college and graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Political Science in 2015. After that, he
did an internship in Washington, D.C. for House of Representative member Mike Honda of California. After that, he moved to the New York City mayor’s office as a community liaison. Brett then entered law school at Hofstra in 2018 and was on his way to a law degree. He truly seemed to be going places. “On a personal note, Brett looked at me as a mentor, and for placing that trust in me I will always be grateful. I will try to pay it forward by doing the best I can as a teacher and advisor going forward with his memory as my motivation. His soul lives on in all of those he touched. Rest in peace, brother. Love you!” — Tim Cornell, Harvey Japanese teacher and language department chair “I lost such a valuable friend this week … I can’t believe you’re gone after 15 amazing years of friendship. Brett Lake, you were always fun to be around and made me challenge myself. You made me think ‘big picture’ and gave me so much direction that words could not thank you enough. You made me safe to be myself without shame. You gave me hope for my future and helped me grow in indescribable ways. You mean so much to me and especially to my family, and you’ll always have a special place in all of our hearts. I know we were talking about reuniting in the summer and I’m so sorry you left this planet way too soon. There was so much I wanted to tell you, especially about life after Harvey. Thank you for being in my life and making life better.” R.I.P. — Shay Kessler ’12 “Rest in peace, my friend. You were one of the people I have known the longest in my life. From our high school adventures, to studying abroad in Japan, to becoming adults and still watching anime and making memories together. Your unforgettable smile, humor, and positive energy will always be radiating through all of us. You’ve made such an impact in all of our lives in the most amazing way. You will be forever missed and always remembered. I love you, Brett!” — Ashley Rooney ’12
“I was so blessed that I got to see you and have one of our movie and dinner nights. Brett, you were, and will still continue to be, like a brother to me. Your kindness, confidence, and selflessness truly shined whenever we were all hanging out. We had some amazing times, from going to punk shows, watching anime, and getting Cluckin’ Russians at Cams with the crew at 3 a.m. I love you, man. Thank you for 12 years of an amazing friendship.” — Chad Yvon ’11
STAFF
Michael A. Bonelli, Sr. September 7, 2021
The Harvey School and the entire Evarts Rink skating community are mourning the passing of Mike Bonelli, Sr. of Brewster, New York, who died September 7, 2021 at the age of 83 from complications of COPD and lung cancer. With more than 30 years associated with activities at the rink, including coaching and playing hockey, Mike was the face of Evarts Rink Wednesday and Friday nights and all day and night on Sundays, serving as rink supervisor and driver of the Zamboni that was used to cut ice for skaters. Among his many contributions to the local skating community was his coaching in 1985 of the area’s first women’s hockey team in the Hickory Hill program. Born in Manhattan and a Korean War veteran, Mike was a successful artist whose most notable work included creating the sculpture for the now-retired Emery Edge NHL award, drawing NY Islanders player caricatures, and creating the official 25th anniversary Woodstock poster. Mike is survived by his wife Donna, his five children Mike Jr., Ed, Chris, Donna, and Scott, and eight grandchildren. // See full feature and tributes to Mike on page 14. harveyschool.org 63
#HarveyProud 64 HAR VEY MAGAZINE // winter 2022
We invite the entire Harvey community to participate in the 2nd annual Harvey Day of Giving February 10, 2022. This year, our activities will be interactive so you can follow along with us throughout the day. We will be announcing special challenges, hosting on-campus activities, and sharing fun videos. Save the date, and be sure to join in on the fun!
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