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How Graland Alumni Live Their Passions
Alumni How Graland Alumni Live Their Passions
As we explore the concept of living out your passions, the Alumni and Development Office wanted to highlight two outstanding Graland alumni who reflect this idea in their everyday lives. Meet Rasa Humeyumptewa from the Class of 2014 and Cully Cavness from the Class of 2002!
RASA HUMEYUMPTEWA ’14
Each day, Rasa Humeyumptewa works to live out her passion for helping others through her studies at Colorado State University. According to Rasa, “One of my interests has always been helping people and being able to understand how to best help each person I come across. Psychology has also always been a topic of interest for me so, when it came time to pick a major for university, it was fairly easy for me to decide. My minor in Indigenous studies adds to my ability to share my passion with my community by allowing me to understand other Native Nations better so I can create culturally sensitive treatments and programs.” As a Hopi tribal (sun clan) member, Rasa’s ultimate goal is to return to her community in Hotevilla, Arizona, to provide treatments that will help youth and adults in ways that more Westernized therapy might not be able to. Rasa shared that she hopes to do this through horticulture/agriculture therapy, a technique in which the outdoors is used to help people talk more freely and comfortably about what issues they may be facing and dealing with.
CULLY CAVNESS ’02
Cully Cavness is a proud Graland alumnus who is passionate about family, adventure, the environment, and working towards audacious physical goals. On July 31, 2021, Cully completed a 107-mile ultramarathon through the North Dakota Badlands on a trail called the Maah Daah Hey. After more than 32 hours of continuous running, Cully reached the finish line as one of eight people to complete the event, which included more than 10,000 feet of climbing, multiple water crossings, and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The event combined many of Cully’s passions, and he used the opportunity to model the core values of the company he co-founded in 2018, Crusoe Energy Systems, which works to reduce the waste of natural gas and emissions from the energy sector. Specifically, Cully wanted his team and family to connect with his passion for setting and overcoming big goals, “enduring the expedition,” and his commitment to environmental stewardship (the race event, which Crusoe sponsored, funds the preservation of Badlands parks and trail systems). Cully hopes that his young daughter, Cameron, will grow up to set her own audacious goals, whatever they may be. When he is not training for endurance challenges or working at Crusoe, Cully loves to spend time with his wife, Emily, and daughter in the Colorado outdoors.
Are you an alumnus following your passion?
Email Anna Natassja Scheitler '13 at ascheitler@graland.org we would love to hear more! SAVE THE DATE
ALUMNI REUNION
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022, 5-8 P.M.
25th Reunion for the Class of 1997 and 50th Reunion for the Class of 1972. Milestone celebrations for class years ending in 2’s and 7’s. All alumni 21+ years old are invited.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022 6 P.M. VIA ZOOM
The Parent Education Network (PEN) is excited to welcome back Dr. Lisa Damour on Thursday, January 27, 2022, for a virtual discussion. This January will mark two years that we have been living in the midst of a global pandemic. Dr. Damour will reflect on the impact of the past two years, how it has affected the community, and how we can reconnect after such a protracted period of time navigating COVID. About the Speaker: Dr. Lisa Damour, a recognized thought leader by the American Psychological Association, is a best-selling author, monthly New York Times columnist, and a regular contributor to CBS News. She maintains a private practice, is a senior advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University and serves as the executive director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls. Dr. Damour blends years of experience with the latest research developments to provide sound, practical guidance to children and adolescents as well as their parents, teachers, and advocates. She also co-hosts the popular podcast “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting.”
Register: graland.org/PEN-LD
SPRING BOOK FAIR WITH TATTERED COVER
MARCH 7-MARCH 14, 2022
Graland is once again partnering with Tattered Cover for the book fair this spring. Mark your calendar and look for more information coming soon on how your purchases from Monday, March 7 to Monday, March 14 can help fund GPA initiatives and events throughout the school year!
The GPA will also be collecting used books for Reach Out and Read Colorado, a nonprofit that partners with healthcare providers across the state to encourage families with young children to read aloud together. Please drop off donated books from Monday, February 28 to Friday, March 4 at the Corkins Center or during morning carline. Thank you!
JOSH’S BOOK CLUB: THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 6 P.M. IN THE LEARNING COMMONS (CORKINS CENTER)
In this year's Head of School Book Club, Josh Cobb will return to the lens of fiction and explore how the novel, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, provides insights on our ongoing question, "What does it mean for our children to thrive in life?'" All are invited to join Josh on campus at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16, to reflect on this question and more. About the Book: Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe, there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
Register at: graland.org/PENBookClub21
GRALAND SPIRIT STORE: KEEP WARM THIS WINTER
Visit the Graland Spirit Store at graland.org/store for new fuzzy sherpa jackets, cozy sweatshirts, and hats to keep you warm this winter. Please remember that all proceeds from store sales fund community engagement opportunities throughout the year, such as speakers, events, and programming. So shop online and GO GRALAND by supporting the school you love!
graland.org/store
GET INVOLVED AT GRALAND
BOARD SEEKS NOMINEES
The Board of Trustees is seeking volunteers to serve on a number of board committees for the 2022-23 term, and now is the time to consider opportunities to get more involved at Graland. Committee members are managed by committee chairs and membership is assessed annually to ensure diverse skill sets are present. To indicate your interest in learning more, there is a short form on the Graland website’s resource board under “Board of Trustees.” For other information about serving, contact the nominating chair, Bernie Dvorak.
NOW SLATING: GPA OFFICERS & VOLUNTEER LEADERS, 2022-23
The Graland Parent Association is a wonderful organization tasked with building community, promoting volunteerism, supporting the Graland mission, and raising funds to benefit the school community. Each year, dozens of committed parents/ guardians step up to lead, plan, and achieve these goals, and now is the time to begin looking at next year’s volunteer leaders. Visit graland.org/GPALeadership to self-nominate or to nominate another person for a leadership role, or graland.org/GPAVolunteer to join a committee.
Now accepting tournament sponsors at all levels! Contact event chairs Liza Coughlin or Greer Kneip, or visit graland.org/golf.
Save the date for the Graland Parent Association’s biggest fundraiser of the year! We are now seeking tournament sponsors to make this event a success. Visit graland.org/golf for more details about sponsorship levels, costs, and perks! Golfer registration will be available soon.
Junior Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament
Thursday, May 19, 3:30-6:30 p.m. CommonGround Golf Course
Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament
Friday, May 20, 8:00 a.m. Shotgun Start CommonGround Golf Course
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS*!
*AS OF 1/6/2022
EAGLE PRESENTING SPONSOR:
GOLF CART SPONSOR: The Brody Family BIRDIE SPONSORS: Altitude Control Technology The Coughlin Family The Dvorak Blair Family The Kentro Group Land Title Guarantee Company
HOLE SPONSORS: The Borgen Family - Congratulations Class of 2022 The Coleman & Frampton Families The Corrigan Family CyberGRX The Davis & Boswell Families The Finke Family The Glyphis Family Ibex Investors The Schaub Family The Shannon Family
Graland Country Day School 55 Clermont Street Denver, CO 80220 303.399.0390 graland.org
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Head of School Published Nationally in Independent School Magazine
In the fall issue of Independent School Magazine, Graland’s very own Head of School, Josh Cobb, was published nationally for his article titled “Core Progress.” The article, which can be read at graland.org/article, discusses the pathway to the compensation structure redesign at Graland, its powerful impacts on educators and the broader field, as well as the journey forward in carrying out the sphere-based model.
In an effort to recognize teachers beyond their experience and education, this innovative structure honors exceptional teaching, encourages leadership, collaboration, and innovation, expands student learning, and provides the school with the means to attract outstanding teachers and retain talented faculty.
In an excerpt from his article, Mr. Cobb states, “It would be easy to shrink from the new challenges that the pandemic has presented and to view change as too risky or too difficult, but as I heard loud and clear during that keynote presentation [at the Association of Colorado Independent Schools Leadership Conference], now is the time for innovation. At Graland, we are still early in our implementation of the new system, but I believe it will help sustain a dynamic, energized, growth-focused faculty and ensure that they feel truly and fairly valued. There will surely be more challenges ahead, but I look forward to seeing our revised compensation system benefit the adults and students in our thriving learning environment.”
Graland would like to thank Independent School Magazine for sharing this story, Mr. Cobb for his continued leadership and support, the task force that ultimately brought the vision to life, the generous donors that contributed to the Inspire Campaign, and the Graland community, for standing behind Graland’s most valuable resource: its teachers.
