The magazine of
Greenhill School
The
SUMMER 2019 Digital Edition
A SUMMER TRIBUTE TO THE
Greenhill Class of 2019
greenhill.org
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This magazine is a digital issue of The Hill with a special focus on the Class of 2019 and academics, arts, athletics, and alumni highlights.
SPOTTED ON INSTAGRAM:
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Contents GREENHILL SCHOOL is a diverse community of learners that strives for excellence; values individuality; fosters a passion for learning; promotes the balanced development of mind, body, and character; encourages service; and instills a respect for others.
4 Commencement 2019 14 Baccalaureate 2019 16 Capstones 18 Senior Projects 19 Matriculation list of the Class of 2019
20 Collegiate Athletes 22 Fine Arts Spotlight 24 Divisional Award ceremonies
25 Fourth & Eighth Grade Awards
26 Alumni Weekend 2019 27 Distinguished Alumnus John Burnett ’74
28 Alumni Association welcomes the Class of 2019
29 Hooray Greenhill Fund! 30 Welcome New Trustees
Greenhill School 4141 Spring Valley Road Addison, TX 75001 972.628.5400
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GREENHILL CLASS OF 2019 4 The Digital Hill | Summer 2019
The traditional class portrait taken before the Commencement Ceremony on Monday, June 3, 2019. Greenhill has been using the Morton H. Meyerson Symhony Center for graduation since the early 1990s. greenhill.org
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Greenhill School graduated the Class of 2019 at the Commencement Ceremony held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Monday, June 3, 2019. Head of School Lee Hark introduced the graduating class, and Assistant Head of School Tom Perryman ’81 gave the invocation. Senior addresses, performances, and awards followed. Mr. Hark spoke to the class about how much he enjoyed getting to know them over the year and imparted his words of wisdom. “I have many hopes and wishes for you. I hope that in your future, at least some of your time each day is spent making a positive impact on others. I hope you find that being an adult — that living an adult life — is really fun. I hope you find joy in your life... and that it lasts. I hope you find success — and that you are able to define success for yourselves and not live someone else’s version of it.” “But if I had to charge you with one thing, I would charge you to be earnest. If you are an earnest person, you are serious in intention, purpose, or effort. Let things matter to you, and show others that they do. Among the many crises your generation will be asked to fix is this: the obscuring of authenticity by technology. It has always been difficult for people to express themselves authentically; technology makes it that much harder.” “That... and tell your parents thank you. And that you love them.” “This is most likely the last time this class will be together as a whole, and in the spirit of being earnest, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say publicly, one last time, on behalf of the faculty: graduates, we love you, and we are so proud of the people you have become and are becoming.” Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, let us once again congratulate the Class of 2019!
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are runners and scholars, singers and dancers, “ We mathletes and poets, storytellers and leaders. We are
a powerful people. We are unstoppable! Class of 2019, unstoppable does not mean never failing. But it does mean getting back up when we hit a wall. So, that means we are constantly changing. We are pushing ourselves to grow. We are evolving... Let the fire within each of us never die out. Take with you the power, the resilience, the love, and the determination as you all go into this next chapter of your story.” — ANANIAS HAYES, excerpted from his Senior Address
not forget that our generation along with our “ Let’s class is part of the rising tide of change that will sweep across this country. People will tell us to sit and wait our turn, that our passion is simply a symptom of our youth, but I say no, no, we simply believe. We’re comets ready to crash into everything and anything to make our mark, we’re stars ready to light up the world with our radiant allure. So, make trouble, make noise, make them listen to you because our voice matters.” — WILLIAM SHI, excerpted from his Senior Address
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2019 Graduation Awards BRIAN ZHOU | Valedictorian The Valedictorian is the graduating senior who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average during the course of their Upper School years at Greenhill School. “Brian is no stranger to challenging courses. Over the four years of Upper School, he has enrolled in nine AP courses and one post-AP course, successfully earning the top score of five on each AP exam taken through junior year (the scores aren’t out until July for this year’s courses). Looking at each course, he did not earn a grade below an A, and nearly half of his grades were A+. Throughout his time in Upper School, he ran the table in mathematics and sciences, completing Vector Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics C. But Brian is not just a math/science whiz. He also took all our AP classes in the Humanities, including a second AP language exam on his own. He is a national champion in Debate and a two-time member of the USA Debate Team. Teaching this young man as a ninth grader and again as a twelfth grader, I was pleased to see the same drive to succeed, the same curiosity to grow and learn, and the same humility to bring everyone else along with him.”
EMILY BUDARAPU | Salutatorian The Salutatorian is the graduating senior who has achieved the second highest cumulative grade point average during the course of their Upper School years at Greenhill School. “‘A shining star….masterful.’ This is what one teacher commented on Emily, and yet, as you browse the comments of all her teachers, the theme was the same throughout her tenure in Upper School. In the top track in math from ninth grade, Emily accelerated into AP Biology as a tenth grader and continued to take an AP science class as a junior and senior, and amassed 8 AP classes total across the academic spectrum. Her AP Macroeconomics teacher commented, ‘She always asks thoughtful questions that, whether she knows it or not, help all of the students in the class understand the material better.’ Clearly that innate skill to impart wisdom came through multiple times, as teachers often used her essays as models for other students or shared her work with outside organizations. In the end, her ability to excel in all disciplines contributed to this stellar achievement in the classroom and this deserving award.”
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KATE BENDALIN & RACHEL MONGER | The Kate Cecil Award We have two recipients of the Kate Cecil Award, given to the senior who renders the most outstanding service to the Dallas community. The award is named in honor of Kate Cecil, a member of the faculty for seventeen years. “Our first recipient, Kate, has reported more than 670 hours of community service in Upper School and has been described as empathetic, curious, and possesses a great sense of humor. Additionally, she always has a smile on her face and a kind word for others. While she has served the greater community making gifts for children at Scottish Rite Hospital and registering people to vote, the majority of the hours earned come from one project in particular...” “Our second recipient, Rachel, has also reported more than 670 hours of service in Upper School and has been described as unassuming and genuine, with a personality that is infectious. While this student has served the greater community volunteering at a local elementary school and at the Dallas Children’s Theater, the majority of the hours earned also come from one project in particular... “ “Kate and Rachel co-chaired the Greenhill Fashion Show this year, whose proceeds benefit the Grant Halliburton Foundation that works to strengthen the network of mental health resources for children, teens, and young adults. The co-chairs must secure an outside venue, contract with a variety of local vendors, convince shops to donate clothes and accessories, sell tickets, and produce the actual show. It is a huge undertaking, and one that both students led with grace and precision. The adults with whom they interacted regularly commented on their maturity and professionalism. Thanks to their vision, dedication, and commitment, this year’s event raised nearly $13,000 to benefit the much-needed cause of mental health awareness. What an indelible legacy to bequeath to next year’s organizers.”
DaRON HALL | The Estelle Dickens Service Award The Estelle Dickens Service to Greenhill Award is presented to the senior who has given the most outstanding service contribution to Greenhill School. The award commemorates the over-four decades of service given to Greenhill by beloved teacher and administrator Estelle Dickens. “‘Anything DaRon can do to make our campus a happier, more unified place, he does it with enthusiasm.’ That is how one college counselor characterized this true triple threat in the triangle of academics, arts, and athletics. Whether this student is in the classroom, on stage, or on the field, he serves this community with a commitment to the betterment of Greenhill School. He is inclusive, relishing in his interactions with different student groups. His teachers often cite the importance of his collaborative nature as he facilitates a positive and productive atmosphere. He channels that positivity in his role as a peer mentor to younger students, as a Hill Guide touring prospective families around the campus, as a member of Student Council, and as a Summer on the Hill counselor, to name just a few.”
*All quotes are attributed to Trevor Worcester, Head of Upper School, taken from his remarks at the Commencement Ceremony.
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YESENIA AVALOS ORTEGA | The Phillip G. Foote Award Recipient of the Phillip G. Foote Award, given to the senior who is considered by the faculty to epitomize the qualities of citizenship in the Greenhill community. These qualities are rooted in the School’s core principles of honor, respect, and compassion. The award is named for Greenhill’s second Headmaster. “According to Yesenia’s advisor, ‘She understands that to be a true community member and embody our core principles, people have to come together.’ She engages in conversations on campus with a combination of conviction, empathy, and a willingness to listen and learn. She epitomizes our core principles in a deliberate and consistent way that inspires others to act similarly. She also has the strength to call someone out when they stray from our values, and when she does, she does it with grace, looking for those learning opportunities to better the community. I have found my conversations with her to be invaluable and her perspective wise beyond her years. I’ll end with her advisor’s words once again: ‘This award simply recognizes something that is innate in who she is and how she will interact with the world’.” JADE CURRINGTON | The Board of Trustees Award Recipient of the Board of Trustees Award, presented to the senior who has met the challenge of Greenhill with perseverance, courage, and humor. “Jade could have been the voice for a chapter in the book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges. In this book, Dennis Charney and his co-author formulate a list of ten traits of resilient people. This student embodies them all. She has an innate sense of optimism, loves to laugh and make others laugh, she has a strong moral compass, a deep-seated sense of altruism, respects and values her physical well-being, and she has identified, developed, and employed her personal strengths to thrive at Greenhill. One of her most outstanding qualities is her intuitive love of words and her implicit understanding of the power of words, and specifically the power of the spoken word. Stories flow through her, and she has used her storytelling to lift not only herself to excellence but also her peers in the classroom, the entire Upper School during community time, and in the greater Dallas area by performing at DaVerse Lounge.”
ALISHA NATHANI | The Senior Leadership Award Recipient of the Senior Leadership Award, given to the member of the senior class who best demonstrates the qualities of leadership. The origin of this award was the D. Harold Byrd and Jennie Stuck awards, which honored male and female leadership. “Alisha leads because she has a passion for larger causes, and her cause is genuine care and concern for the well-being of her peers. Daily, Alisha seeks ways to lift them up, and her leadership reflects her love for Greenhill and her compassion for her classmates. She leads with a positive and open attitude, and she is a young woman of her word. She uses her creativity and limitless energy to try to help those around her feel heard and brighten the lives of her peers. She creates hand-written birthday cards for all her peers in the Class of 2019. That display of cards on the lockers in the senior locker room is emblematic of her work: positive, tireless, and from the heart. Her advisor wrote, ‘She brings just the right mix of creativity, organization, enthusiasm, vision, and humility to be an effective and inspiring leader. Moreover, no job is too big or too small. She would never ask something of someone she wouldn’t do herself.’”
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MEGAN OLOMU | The Bernard L. Fulton Award Recipient of the Bernard L. Fulton Award is the highest honor given in the Upper School and is presented to the senior who best embodies the mission and ideals of Greenhill School. The award is named for the founder and first Head of School. “The quintessential student. Exemplary. A bright star. These are but a few of the descriptors teachers have used to describe Megan. In the classroom, this student is all in, all the time, engaging in our most demanding AP courses, and our most challenging non-AP courses. Said one teacher, ‘The joyous and the profound coexist in her, and together these traits make her learning experiences deeply personal and intensely meaningful.’ “ “A rare, three-sport varsity athlete all four years, she didn’t just participate, but excelled on her teams. One coach noted her tremendous work ethic, ‘She is never satisfied to leave the gym until she gets it right.’ “ “Her work ethic and leadership skills went beyond the classroom and the court, as she was involved in student government all four years of Upper School, culminating in her leadership of the student body this year as Student Council President. And while she can easily form harmonies with the senior singers, she capped our Baccalaureate service on Friday with a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace, a capella. That’s one final gift to the community that she represents so well by exemplifying excellence in academics, arts, and athletics, and embodying our core principles of Honor, Respect, and Compassion.”
Helen Fulton Awards The Helen Fulton Awards are named in honor of founding faculty member and wife of Greenhill’s founder, Bernard Fulton. Helen Fulton was a lifelong learner, exemplary citizen, and a well-rounded, balanced individual. This award is unique because seniors nominate their peers whom they believe embody these characteristics and then the winners are chosen by a faculty vote. Six students were chosen to receive this award.
ROBERT GAO
ROSS RUBIN
*All quotes are attributed to Trevor Worcester, Head of Upper School, taken from his remarks at the Commencement Ceremony.
PULKIT GUPTA
COURTNEY SAQUETON
ANANIAS HAYES
JACK SHUMAN
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“ I hope you find joy in
your life… and that it lasts. I hope you find success — and that you are able to define success for yourselves and not live someone else’s version of it. But if I had to charge you with one thing, I would charge you to be earnest. If you are an earnest person, you are serious in intention, purpose, or effort. Let things matter to you, and show others that they do.” — HEAD OF SCHOOL LEE HARK
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BACCALAUREATE
Baccalaureate The Greenhill Baccalaureate Service provides graduating seniors a final opportunity to reflect upon their time and contributions to this community. Held at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church on Friday, May 31, senior class leaders offered an invocation, anthems, readings, and benedictions to express their gratitude and committment to their Greenhill experience, values, and beliefs. Math teacher and senior advisor Dr. Youssef Oumanar gave the keynote address by telling two fables from Morocco; one about the differing perceptions and interpretations of those around you and acting for your own validation rather than others’ approval. The other fable was about using time and resources in the best possible way. To conclude the ceremony, student body president Megan Olomu gave an incredible and memorable a capella voice offering of Amazing Grace.
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“ We all have 24 hours in a day, and we must hold
ourselves accountable as to how we use them every single day. We are all responsible for using time wisely, and a first step in doing so, is to set our priorities straight, at all times.... This is a story of 116 amazing people who graduate from high school today and go on to achieve some amazing things and live happily ever after. Now, I’m witnessing the beginning of this story, but I truly hope, that years from now, you’ll come back to share with me the end.” — DR. YOUSSEF OUMANAR, BACCALAUREATE SPEAKER
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Senior Capstones In the spring, eleven seniors presented Capstone projects reflecting months of collegiate-level field research. These varied and involved projects evoke an earnestness for exploration and intellectual curiosity. MAYA DESAI | Community-Based Health Fairs in the Bhutanese Refugee Community
PHOEBE METZGER-LEVITT | Visual Arts and Propaganda
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I studied Russian Constructivism, a wave of art beginning before the First World War in the early 1900s. Artists and exhibits from this period were manipulated by government forces, and this behavior continues to be relevant today in our country, due to Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election. I am most interested in how art influences those in power and how free speech is reflected in the freedom of artists.
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REID ZLOTKY | Indigenous Haunting in Sharon Butala’s Perfection of The Morning: A Decolonial Analysis
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I studied the work of a Canadian author, Sharon Butala, in Perfection of The Morning: A Decolonial Analysis. I analyzed the author’s autobiography to understand how she interprets the indigenous populations that have lived and continue live near her home in rural southwestern Saskatchewan.”
Phoebe Metzger- Levitt
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Three years ago, I co-founded a nonprofit to assist the basic health care and support for Bhutanese refugees in DFW. For this Capstone project, I surveyed the people who we have helped to get feedback about what services and supplies to include in future health fairs. For context and background, I also did a photography study, which was focused on capturing their lives as immigrants and how they maintain their religion-and way of life in a new home.” DANIEL LAWSON | A Learning Robot: Reinforcement Learning for First Tech Challenge Robotics
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In my Capstone project, I applied deep reinforcement learning to solve a task. Reinforcement learning is an area of machine learning which trains agents to take actions in an environment toward a desired behavior. I built
Daniel Lawson
a basic simulation which resembled the real-life environment, trained the robot on the simulated environment, and transferred the learned knowledge, captured by a convolutional neural network, to a real-life robot.” ERICA YANG | Inside the Minds of Veterans
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I compared and contrasted the health systems of both America and Taiwan and how they support their veterans, especially in terms of mental health. I interviewed Taiwanese veterans in Mandarin that required a process of translation and research; I interviewed American veterans via the assistance of a group called Operation She Is Strong! which is an online support group for women veterans. Through my study, I compared and contrasted health systems and how they have supported their veterans.”
Rishika Kaja
Yash Sarada
Jacyln Goldstein
YASH SARADA | The Future of CrossFit: A Study of the Compounded Effects of Mixed Modality Movement in Succession
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I studied sports medicine and movement mechanics with an examination of CrossFit. My research consisted of the effects of CrossFit on the lower back, knees, and shoulders, information about sports medicine and injuries often found in high school athletes, and real-world accounts of CrossFit athletes. My project evolved from a basic idea of researching sports to actually understanding movement mechanics and the effects/stresses they place on the human body.” ESMIR MESIC | Unity Through Robotics
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I focused on expediting the R&D process for robotics teams by creating a simulation of the FTC Robotics (First Tech Challenge) game in Unity. Teams are able build their own robots with unique designs and drive their robots around with semi-customizable controls to make sure their designs work before they build them. The simulation is built to be used by future teams for many seasons to come.” TYLER PITTS | Quadcopter: A Four Pronged Approach
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electrical problem mid-flight and was cast away. I researched the electrical, mechanical, and computer science engineering behind quadcopters. Then, following the engineering design process, I slowly got the quadcopter working with repeated tests of different designs. The final goal has been to fix the quadcopter to the point where it can stably fly and navigate autonomously.”
Maya Desai
WILLIAM SHI | Histopathologic Cancer Detection
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RISHIKA KAJA | The Effects of Tobacco Use on the Brain
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I examined how tobacco use may affect the volumes of different brain regions and cognitive ability. Working with Dr. Brown from UT Southwestern, I used data from the Dallas Heart Study to determine the significance of a relationship between tobacco use, regional brain volumes, and cognitive ability. I studied the structure and function of nicotine, the primary ingredient in cigarettes, to hypothesize how nicotine affects the brain. Although cigarette smoking has decreased, the use of e-cigarettes, whose primary ingredient is also nicotine, has increased dramatically in teens, and I hope my research gives teens an insight into what this harmful habit may be doing to their brains.”
I created a multi-layer convolutional network (CNN) that can identify the presence of metastatic tissue in histopathologic scans of lymph node sections. Medical imaging is becoming a prominent field of interest in ML, with diagnostic classifications being a prime target for automation since you can significantly expedite a doctor’s ability to accurately diagnosis problems. In the future, I want to focus on crafting a weekly supervise detection method for poorly annotated medical data along with a class activation map (CAM). JACLYN GOLDSTEIN | A film entitled “Convenience Criminal”
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In a fantasy universe where customers can quite literally “build” their best selves by reusing donated disembodied limbs, Convenience Criminal centers around a store clerk who wants nothing more than to be her own boss — and crosses moral lines to get there. From a can of beans teaching a spin class to students trading a bit of skin for a sip, this film features Greenhill student actors and so much more. Visit https://goldsteinj. myportfolio.com/senior-capstone for more.
I repaired and improved a four-year old quadcopter design that had an greenhill.org
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CLASS OF 2019
Senior Projects Along with Capstones, 64 seniors chose a senior project. In late spring these projects allowed students to explore their interests, make connections with the greater community, and participate in project-based field experience. They even sparked relationships with our alumni and parent community. THANK YOU TO ALL THE ALUMNI AND PARENTS who gave their time to our seniors!
HAYDEN GERARD (top right) worked with Jimmy Webb ’05 trading stocks on the foreign exchange market together. ALEX BLUMENFELD (taking the photo below) worked with parent of alumni David Matthews and his son, Stewart Matthews ’15 for her senior project at their company, RevTech. Alex took the picture below of them with their financial analyst from Vietnam, Loc. JAKE WEISS (bottom right) worked with Gabe Oros ’06 at Corgan, an architecture and design firm located downtown.
Name
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And they’re off... THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 have decided to attend 73 colleges in the United States and abroad. The University of Alabama Arizona State University Austin College Bard College Barnard College (2) Beloit College Boston College Bowdoin College Brookhaven College Bryn Mawr College California Institute of Technology University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara Carleton College Case Western Reserve University (2) Chapman University (2) College of Charleston University of Chicago (2) Colgate University University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado College Colorado State University University of Connecticut Cornell University
Davidson College Emory University (2) University of Georgia Harvard College (2) Haverford College University of Houston Howard University Indiana University at Bloomington (4) University of Kansas University of Kentucky Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans University of Miami University of Michigan (5) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2) New York University (2) New York University Abu Dhabi Northeastern University Northumbria University Northwestern University (4) University of Notre Dame Occidental College (2) The University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania Pomona College (2)
Princeton University Purdue University (2) Queens University of Charlotte Reed College Rhodes College Rice University (5) San Diego State University School of Visual Arts University of Southern California Southern Methodist University (4) Southwestern University (2) Stanford University (2) Texas A&M University (2) The University of Texas, Arlington The University of Texas, Austin (7) The University of Texas, Dallas (2) Trinity College Dublin Tulane University (2) United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School Vanderbilt University (2) Washington University in St. Louis (3) University of Washington Wellesley College Wesleyan University
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Collegiate Athletes Greenhill Athletics Department is proud to send the following 13 student athletes to compete at the college level. Congratulations!
BRENNAN ANDREWS-BROWN Football Howard University
BAILEY BOWMAN Field Hockey University of Michigan
CARLOS CARDENAS Football Southwestern University
MAYA DESAI Fencing University of California San Diego
ANDREW ESTRADA Soccer Pomona College
ANANIAS HAYES Volleyball Queens University
DaRON HALL Track & Field New York University
J.T. HERRSCHER Track & Field Stanford University
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Greenhill Welcomes Jarrett Shine as Head of Athletics & Physical Education
KEVIN HOARE Football Occidental College
MAX MOTLAGH Tennis Boston College
We are proud to announce Jarrett Shine as the new Head of Athletics and Physical Education. Jarrett is moving to Texas from Connecticut, where he previously served as the Director of Alumni Relations and head football coach at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Jarrett brings a strong background in athletics and management, as well as a deep understanding of independent school culture. As Director of Alumni Relations at Brunswick, Jarrett increased alumni giving from 13% to 38%, made significant fundraising contributions to school’s most recent capital campaign, and created the first Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame. As head football coach, Jarrett transformed the varsity football program from an average team to one of the top squads in New England independent school football. During the last six seasons, his team earned two championships, played in five championship games, and had a 42-10 record.
JORDAN SIMMONS Basketball Air Force Academy
CAROLINE SIMPSON Soccer Wesleyan
In addition to Brunswick, Jarrett has experience with systems administration at Footlocker, Inc, sales and business development at NanoStatistics, LLC, and he founded his own athletic apparel company. Jarrett earned his B.A. in math and economics from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania and a certificate in Sports Marketing from New York University. One of Jarrett’s former colleagues shared, “What [Jarrett] has done at Brunswick is abundantly clear… how he has done so has been more impressive. He is a man of character and principle and he requires the same of those in his charge; he is tireless in the effort; his standards are impeccably high; and, most important, he measures success by the metrics that matter and endure.”
ERICA YANG Swimming Case Western Reserve University
Jarrett, his wife Kyna, and their sons Landon (rising fifth-grader) and Bryce (rising second-grader) will be relocating to Dallas this summer. Please join us in welcoming the Shines to the Greenhill community.
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Fine Arts Spotlight Greenhill Fine Arts continues to shine with incredible accomplishments in performing and visual arts. Highlights of the year included theatre productions such as Our Country’s Good and The Drowsy Chaperone, two winners in the Schmidt & Jones High School Musical Theater Awards, 28 student films juried into festivals, a Gold Crown Award for Montage, and countless TPSMEA awards to talented musicians. Other highlights include Young American Talent awards, photography awards, visual art honors, and the daily inspiring work of budding musicians, actors, painters, sculptors, photographers, designers, filmmakers, debaters, and more. For a full recap on this year’s art highlights, visit: WWW.GREENHILL.ORG/ARTS
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OTHER CELEBRATIONS
ACROSS ALL DIVISIONS, the last week of classes is a time of celebration, honoring student accomplishment and superlatives in academics, arts, and athletics. From the Lower School farewell assembly to Middle School honors in academic, artistic, and athletic awards, to passing the torch between divisions in fourth and eighth grade, to recognizing Upper School achievements, the time of culmination every year is also a time to celebrate, while honoring our values and mission.
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Fourth & Eighth Grade Awards HELEN MISURA AWARD Helen Misura was one of the founding members of the Greenhill faculty in 1950 and served as the first Head of Lower School from 1950-1969. Upon her retirement in 1969 the school established an award in her honor, given to a fourth grade boy and girl who demonstrate outstanding leadership, scholarship, citizenship, and sportsmanship. Congratulations to our 2019 recipients: VIVEK THANKAVEL and JULIA DIEBERT
RONNIE FREEMAN AWARD A friend of Greenhill’s founders, Ronnie Freeman was a Middle School student in the 1950s who, before she died of spinal meningitis, showed tremendous resiliency, perseverance, and courage. This award is given to an eighth grade boy and girl who have attended Greenhill for four years and have maintained the highest standards of scholarship, citizenship, leadership, and participation in school activities. It is the highest honor attained in Middle School. Congratulations to our 2019 recipients: TRE WILLIAMS and MADISON ROJAS
Preschool and Lower Schoolers gather at Founders’ Place on the last day of school for songs, send-offs, and summer activity ideas!
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GREENHILL ALUMNI
Alumni Weekend 2019 No matter how much time has passed since you received your diploma, Greenhill connections hold strong. ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019 reinforced the value and fortitude of the relationships of Greenhill School. On Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, hundreds of alumni — many with their families — gathered in Dallas to reminisce with former classmates, tour campus, and celebrate friendships. This year, we especially welcomed the classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009. Thank you to our graduates who traveled and especially to our Alumni Association Board for hosting the weekend of events. One alumnus shared, “I always felt like our class was special. At our reunion, I was amazed and humbled to experience the generous, good-hearted, curious, and awesome people I went to school with years ago. It was like making new friends all over again. I enjoyed our weekend of meaningful reconnections, and I really was amazed to see the growth of campus.” THANK YOU ALL ALUMNI WHO CAME BACK TO CAMPUS! WE LOVED SEEING YOU.
CLASS OF 2004
CLASS OF 2009
CLASS OF 1994
CLASS OF 1999
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John Burnett ’74 named Distinguished Alumnus The Greenhill School Alumni Board recognized John Burnett ’74 as 2019 Distinguished Alumnus during a reception kicking off Alumni Weekend on Friday, April 26. Mr. Burnett is NPR’s southwest correspondent for National Public Radio, covering immigration, border affairs, Texas news, and other national assignments. Mr. Burnett has worked around the world, filing stories from more than 30 countries since joining NPR in 1986. His notable work includes serving as East Africa correspondent in Nairobi; working in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina; reporting from New York, Pakistan, and Afganistan after September 11, and continuing coverage of the US. drug war in the Americas. John has remained engaged with Greenhill, most recently by visiting or video conferencing with Upper School classes. In 2011, John interviewed Greenhill Legend Christine Eastus as a part of NPR’s StoryCorp #thankateacher initiative, crediting her as being a teacher that encouraged him to develop his writing skills.
Fellow Distinguished Alumni Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60, Tom Perryman ’81, and David Johnson ’67 gather with John (second from the left) in their signature jackets.
The Friday reception at Founders’ Place was a great way to start the weekend featuring food trucks and family fun! Thank you to all the alumni who made this weekend so special! greenhill.org
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GREENHILL ALUMNI
Greenhill Alumni Association welcomes the Class of 2019
EVERY YEAR THE ALUMNI BOARD INVITES the graduating class to a luncheon held this year at Bent Tree Country Club. Board members have a chance to speak with seniors about the benefits and opportunities available to them as Greenhill Alumni. This year, Sophie Levy Zuckerman ’07 was invited to speak. She shared her stories on alumni connections and the importance of Greenhill relationships, including a time when she had a chance meeting with another Greenhill alumnus on a train from Brussels to Prague. Sophie did not have the right currency, so her new friend bought coffee for the pair. “This place is part of your story, and for some of you — a MAJOR part of your story. Giving back, coming back, and just staying involved is a way to say thanks and be a part, large or small, of many stories.” “I assume most of you are ready to begin the next chapter of your lives while also balancing feelings of nervousness and nostalgia. Once you leave this place, you will quickly realize just how much Greenhill has prepared you for all that will come your way. The knowledge, friendship, trials, and triumphs that you have experienced at Greenhill is a precious gift that will stay with you and will prepare you for all that is to come. This education is yours to keep forever. “ Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Sophie!
“This place is part of your story.”
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greenhill fund
Hooray Greenhill Fund donors! WE DID IT! WE ACHIEVED OUR GOAL!
$1,725,000 96%
PARENT PARTICIPATION... and counting
and counting!
GREENHILL FUND MET GOAL A MONTH BEFORE OUR FISCAL YEAR CLOSE! WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, EACH OF YOU HAVE HELPED IMPROVE, AUGMENT, AND TRANSFORM THE UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE OF A GREENHILL EDUCATION.
PARTICIPATION FROM TWELVE CLASSES!
THANK YOU to our incredible community of volunteers and donors who made this happen! WE INVITE YOU TO SHARE YOUR GIVING STORY! As a Greenhill Fund contributor and a valued member of this community, we know you have compelling reasons why you give to Greenhill Fund. Please share them with us! We will be gathering “Why I Give to Greenhill” stories for our Annual Report, and we invite you to be a part of it. Email your “Why I Give” remarks to Annie Carter at cartera@greenhill.org by July 15, 2019. THANK YOU for your continued support of this tremendous community.
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Welcome New Trustees Greenhill School is proud to announce the newest members of our Board of Trustees. The responsibilities of the Greenhill School Board of Trustees include: affirming and upholding the Mission of the School; establishing school policies; evaluating the Head of School; approving campaign goals for annual giving and special capital campaigns; and approving the annual budget. New members of the Greenhill School Board of Trustees are elected by their peers annually. Members are elected to serve three-year terms and may serve two successive terms.
DAVID FOX David Fox and his wife Richelle are parents to Greenhill sixth-grader Abigail and tenth-grader Hannah. David is currently Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the regional head for Private Wealth Management in the Southwest. David is also an Olympic gold medalist in swimming.
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KENJI HASHIMOTO Kenji and his wife Dana Starner are parents to Greenhill ninth-grader Kendall and eleventh-grader Kai. Kenji is Senior Vice President of Finance and Corporate Development at American Airlines and serves on the advisory boards for Teach for America DallasFort Worth and the American Airlines Education Foundation.
JOAN HILL Joan Hill is the Head of School at The Lamplighter School. Joan served as a Greenhill Trustee from 2013-2018 serving on first the Finance Committee then the Audit Committee. She also serves on the board of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, ISAS (Independent School Association of the Southwest), Dallas Arboretum, and she is a member of the advisory board of Austin College and the Center for Children and Families at UT Dallas.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-2019 OFFICERS Bruce Sostek Chair Holland P. Gary ‘93 Assistant Chair/Secretary Roy S. Kim ‘88 Finance Chair/Treasurer
JENNIPHER RICE P.A. President-Elect Jennipher and her husband Blake are parents to Greenhill primer Coleman and fifth-grader Megan. Jennipher has a background as a case worker for Dallas MHMR and AIDS Arms and as a sign language interpreter. She is an active volunteer in the Parents’ Association and on the Cultural Arts Committee.
HARDEEP SEHGAL Hardeep and her husband Rajesh are parents of Greenhill third-grader Sonam. Hardeep is the Managing Attorney at the Sehgal Law Firm, LLP and has been practicing law since 2003. She is also a member of the Orchid Giving Circle at the Texas Women’s Foundation.
LORI WHITTEN Lori and her husband Chuck are parents of Greenhill first-grader Elliot and fifth-grader Beckett. Lori has a background in management consulting and corporate strategy. She is an active volunteer in the Parents’ Association, currently serving as the Preschool and Lower School Parent Coordinator. Lori also serves on the Advisory Board for the Rice University School of Social Sciences.
BING XIE Bing Xie and his wife Jane Zhang are parents of Greenhill sixth-grader Harris and eighth-grader Ryan. Bing is SVP, Sales and Applications at Texas Instruments Inc, where he has worked since 2006 in both Shanghai and Dallas.
TRUSTEES Leslie Benners Yasmin Bhatia Joe Chu Albertina M. Cisneros Christopher I. Clark ’89 Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Angela Adkins Downes ‘87 Aaron Enrico Lauren Pritchard Goodman ‘04, Alumni Board President David C. Greenstone Lee J. Hark, Head of School Jay Henry Karlyn Herlitz Zack Hicks Rachel Ladin ‘91 Jet Li E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ‘86 Marlo Melucci Rich Moses Rebekah Newman, P.A. President Terry Oxford Adriana Perales David Podolsky Kaitlin Prieur, P.A. President-Elect Tracy Rathbun William E. Rose ‘85 Augusto Sasso Ashley Scheer Grace Smith Patricia Smith Bharti Subramanian, Ph.D. Beth Thomas Clifford Weiner Linda Wimberly Jeff Zlotky EX-OFFICIO David L. Johnson ‘67 H. Ronald Nash LIFETIME TRUSTEES Rusty Jaggers Daniel T. Phillips Molly Fulton Seeligson ‘60 greenhill.org
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THE MAGAZINE OF GREENHILL SCHOOL SPECIAL DIGITAL EDITION | SUMMER 2019
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER & SAVE THESE IMPORTANT FALL DATES! TUESDAY, AUGUST 27 | First day of School WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 | Founders’ Day FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 | Homecoming
Fourth graders celebrate their last day of Lower School at their annual end-of-year pool party.
4141 Spring Valley Road Addison, TX 75001 972.628.5400 www.greenhill.org