S U M M E R / F A L L 2 014
HB celebrates the 75th anniversary of THE WIZARD OF
OZ
For the first time in school history, the Alumnae Achievement Award has been given to an entire class:
the Class of 1984 Annual Report on Philanthropy Inside
a greater whole For the first time in the history of the Hathaway Brown School Alumnae Awards, the Alumnae Achievement Award was presented this year to an entire class. In the three decades since they graduated, the members of the Class of 1984 have kept their alma mater close to their hearts. And just like all our HB sisters and daughters, they – of course – always have been close to ours. Sixty-five women strong, HB’s Class of ’84 graduates hold a wide range of professional expertise and interest. Among their ranks are lawyers, doctors, bankers, construction managers, authors, and entrepreneurs. Their commitment to the community is impressive, from their involvement with nonprofit organizations to their philanthropic endeavors.
Through the years, their dedication to HB has been extraordinary, with members of the class represented now or in the past on the HB Board of Trustees, Head’s Council, Alumnae Council and advisory committees. They’ve also wholeheartedly participated in alumnae gatherings and events locally and regionally, always with smiles and stories to share. They’ve offered advice and guidance to their fellow alumnae – young professionals now following in their footsteps, and they’ve been informative speakers and helpful instructors to our current students.
Here they read classical literature, memorized the quadratic formula, painted beautiful pictures, and learned to speak French. And above everything else, they forged lifelong friendships.
As I was casting my memory back to 1984, I thought it might be helpful to mine through Upper School Chemistry teacher Don Southard’s collection of back issues of the Hathaway Brown Review. Through my sleuthing, I discovered that in addition to devoting a full-page in the Valentine’s Day edition of the student newspaper to wondering whether Music Teacher Deb Dressell and Don himself would get together (they did, and they just celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary), the girls at HB were writing about a lot of important topics in those days. Like whether Footloose was worth the price of a movie ticket. And how the television mini-series The Day After brought to the forefront fears about nuclear war. There were Letters to the Editor about boosting school spirit, and a Page One story advocating for more people to take advantage of the now-defunct cross-registration program with University School and Laurel. One of my favorite lines from that particular piece was: “If you are interested in cross-registration but have some fears about being the only girl in a class full of US boys, rest assured that they are helpful and friendly.” I’m sure they were.
The Hathaway Brown Class of 1984 is a model for the rest of the alumnae community, as these women have stayed in touch with each other and actively connected with their alma mater through the years. They are a wonderful example of the strength of the HB sisterhood.
The Class of 1984 enjoyed some fabulous times together on this campus. They were members of The Pepsi Generation who learned the cuttingedge computer programming language of PASCAL. They pursued Strnad Fellowships in Creativity in topics ranging from black-andwhite photography to fruit fly embryos. They danced and sang on stage together in The Pirates of Penzance and raised funds for charity with their “Golden Games” Carnival. Here they read classical literature, memorized the quadratic formula, painted beautiful pictures, and learned to speak French. And above everything else, they forged lifelong friendships. On the day of their Commencement, the Class of 1984 bid adieu to these hallowed halls and went out to explore the world. They left Shaker Heights bound for colleges and universities around the country, including Bowdoin and Duke and Harvard and Cornell, Wellesley, Columbia, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Stanford and Yale. They become directors and managing partners and homemakers and CEOs.
ON THE COVER: (l-r) Yoga studio owner Amy Titgemeier Stevens, anesthesiologist Susan Dakin Dumas, M.D., and construction manager Cassandra Johnson represent their HB Class of 1984, winners of this year’s Alumnae Achievement Award. This marks the first time in the school’s history that this award has been presented to an entire class. To read more, turn to page 20. Cover photo by Jason Miller.
Alumnae News HB 89 1
But perhaps it is WHY we learn that is the key to our school motto: vitae—for LIFE! Maybe the real lessons are life lessons that will aid us in the decades to come: grit, resilience, commitment, integrity, and trust. This is what we learned here. Our HB education is not valued solely for the facts we memorized or the résumés we created, but rather on the trust we built, the confidence we found, the potential we discovered all within ourselves so that we can continue to learn—and enjoy learning—every day.
Alison Nordell ’14 - 138th Commencement, June 6, 2014
Photo by Kevin Reeves
... from the editor The infamously relentless Winter of 2014 blustered and blew frigid winds throughout Northeast Ohio for what seemed like six long months. Even Hathaway Brown, which – legend has it – went without issuing even a single snow day from the 1940s until well into the ’90s at least, called off classes and urged students to stay warm inside at home on five or more especially chilly occasions. Held back by temperatures that had dropped considerably below zero, my kids and I spent those days together like many other families, mainly locked indoors reading books and watching old movies. We also fired up the computer to discover all sorts of cool science tricks you can do when the mercury falls out of sight. I recommend blowing bubbles on a frosty breeze to watch them solidify midair; and you’ll get a lot of oohs and ahhs from converting water balloons into colorful frozen orbs in your snowy backyard. But if you ever decide to toss a pan of boiling water into the cold, starry night to watch it instantly transform into a beautiful glowing mist, try to remember that not all of the liquid evaporates after it leaves the pan. Enough of it even can hit the ground to form an epic ice slick, so you probably shouldn’t conduct this experiment on your front porch steps. Trust me on that. When the sun finally chased the arctic gales away, the end of the 2013-14 school year seemed to arrive even more quickly than normal. When all was said and done, we spent fewer days together on campus than we expected we would before the cold front parked itself at the corner of Courtland and North Park and refused to budge. But there certainly was no shortage of excitement at HB, and we were still able to pack in more than our fair share of fun. In the second half of the school year, we welcomed international recording artist Jim Brickman to HB (page 6), and our International Public Policy Forum Debate team finished their season ranked second in the world (page 7). HB was one of four schools in the country selected to participate in a special live videoconference with Secretary Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, discussing how to expand opportunities for girls and women everywhere (page 32). Meanwhile, the Middle and Upper School GROW Foundations joined forces to raise and donate funds to area babies and children in need (page 8). There was plenty more, too. Our five-time champion Varsity Basketball team added another line to the record books, netting their 37th consecutive postseason victory – more than any other boys or girls team in state history. In the pool, Blazer swimmers clinched the school’s first-ever OHSAA Division II District Championship. In the classroom, fourth-grade students assumed the identities of scores of Notable Women, and fifth-graders guided us on a memorable Walk Through Time. Eighth-grade songstresses made us believe we could fly with their tremendous staging of Peter Pan Jr., and Upper School
thespians took us on a mod trip through California in the late ’60s with their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We welcomed alumnae from near and far for a terrific Alumnae Weekend, and we cheered for the Class of 2014 as they ran through colorful clouds of Holi celebration dust to close out their final Legacy Day. At the end of that long, cold winter, we still were able to gather together for Commencement around the aquamarine fountain in the courtyard under a balmy and beautiful June sky. All the hope and inspiration contained in that memorable morning alone should be enough to sustain us for months to come. And there’s nothing Mother Nature can do about it.
contributors If you’d like to become a contributor to HB magazine, please email kosborne@hb.edu or call 216.320.8785.
Barry Goodrich
The Wicked and Wonderful Legacy of Margaret Hamilton, page 10 Barry Goodrich is a regular contributor to Cleveland Magazine, Ohio Magazine and Inside Business. He previously worked for the Sun Newspapers, Gastonia Gazette, and Chagrin Valley Times and has won awards from the National Newspaper Association, Ohio Newspaper Association, and The Press Club of Cleveland.
Sienna Zeilinger ’11
Lasting Lessons, page 18 Sienna Zeilinger is a senior at Brown University, where she studies English/ Nonfiction Writing and heads up the Writing Fellows Program, which provides undergraduates with peer advisors to assist them with their assigned essays throughout the revision process. When she’s not thinking about words, she is likely either learning to play the guitar, attempting to cook for herself without burning the apartment down, or riding around Rhode Island on the bicycle she built for her Strnad Fellowship at HB in 2011.
Letters to the editor may be sent to publications@hb.edu or to the school’s mailing address. We welcome feedback through our social media channels as well. Find us on Facebook under Hathaway Brown School or send us a tweet at @HathawayBrown.
Kathleen Osborne Editor, Director of Communication & Outreach
Vanessa Butler Creative Director, Director of Marketing
Scott Danielson Digital Media Specialist
administrative team: William Christ Head of School
Sue Sadler Assoc. Head of School & Director of Upper School
Sarah Johnston Assoc. Head for Enrollment Management
Sharon Baker Director of Middle School
Jane Brown Director of Early Childhood
Mary Rainsberger Director of Advancement
Katherine Zopatti Director of Primary School
alumnae relations team: Dana Lovelace Capers ’86 Director of Alumnae Relations
Erin Reid Advancement Coordinator
19600 North Park Boulevard Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122 216.320.8785 If you’d like to cancel delivery of HB magazine, please email publications@hb.edu.
Photo by Jason Miller
index
alumnae featured in this issue
Recognition for HB
Ann Baker Body ’34 – Notable Women, pg. 31
In the 2014 All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards sponsored by The Press Club of Cleveland, HB Magazine was named the Best Trade Publication in Ohio. The award was presented in a special ceremony at the House of Blues on Friday, June 6, 2014. In a program introduction from Press Club President Michael Bennett, it was noted that more than 800 entries were submitted to this year’s competition, and nominations came from Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati and several other cities and towns throughout the state. Judged by professionals who hold memberships in press clubs in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Omaha, Tulsa, Syracuse, San Francisco, and San Diego, the contest was open to journalists in print, radio, television, and digital media.
Beth Brzozowski ’14 – Athletics Update, pg. 7 Missy Vertes Butler ’86 – Sailing Through Time, pg. 13 Megan Clark ’97 – Notable Women, pg. 31 Victoria Scaravilli Colligan ’87 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 26 Martine Vilas Conway ’49 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Hazel Crampton-Hays ’12 – Mutual Respect, Genuine Care, pg. 16 Susan Dakin Dumas ’84 – Cover; Alumnae Achievers, pg. 23 Ann Corlett Ford ’16 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Margaret Schafer Gallin ’84 – Enduring Influence, pg. 28 Cassandra Johnson ’84 – Cover; Alumnae Achievers, pg. 22 Amanda Keresztesy ’14 – Mutual Respect, Genuine Care, pg. 16; Leading from the Middle, pg. 18 Kate King Klein ’80 – Only the Sky, pg. 33 Virginia Blossom Kruntorad ’84 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 27 Janet Nutt Lembke ’49 – Notable Women, pg. 30 Alison Stoddart Linsley ’84 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 27 Hannah Margolis ’13 – Mutual Respect, Genuine Care, pg. 16 Torrey McMillan ’90 – Mutual Respect, Genuine Care, pg. 17 Anita Misra-Hebert ’84 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 26 Alison Nordell ’14 – Quotable, pg. 1 Logan Paul ’14 – Athletics Update, pg. 7 Sheena Dee Pauley ’84 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 27 Kim Ponsky ’98 – Milestones, pg. 36 Freda Rahnenfuehrer ’84 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 26 Clara Taplin Rankin ’34 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Elizabeth Spencer Ruppert ’54 – Notable Women, pg. 29 Dorothy Whittemore Schafer ’57 – Enduring Influence, pg. 28 Elizabeth Schafer ’82 – Enduring Influence, pg. 28 Brenna Scully ’13 – Mutual Respect, Genuine Care, pg. 15 Camille Lipford Seals ’02 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Eleanor Armstrong Smith ’17 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Amy Titgemeier Stevens ’84 – Cover; Alumnae Achievers, pg. 23 Sarah Stoll ’84 – Alumnae Achievers, pg. 22 Jennifer Sturman ’87 – 1984: The Year in Review, pg. 26 Louise Blyth Timken ’27 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Renee King Van De Motter ’88 – Milestones, pg. 36 Linda Vaughan ’56 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Laura Main Webster ’91 – Marks of Distinction, pg. 85 Sienna Zeilinger ’11 – Contributors, pg. 2; Lasting Lessons, pg. 18 Alumnae Council – Forever Linked, pg. 37 Class of 1984 – Honor Roll, pg. 24
And in April, HB Magazine also was recognized with four APEX awards from Lake Communicators, a Lake County, Ohio-based organization for public relations and marketing professionals. The Summer-Fall 2013 issue of HB took home the Gold in the Print Marketing/Magazines category. In Individual Specialties, the Winter-Spring 2013 issue netted a Gold award, while the Summer-Fall 2013 issue was awarded Silver for Graphic Design by Director of Marketing/Creative Director Vanessa Butler. In the Copywriting category, “Neighbors & Friends,” the cover story of the Winter-Spring 2013 issue written by Director of Communication & Outreach/Editor Kathleen Osborne, won Silver. In that same contest, Hathaway Brown School won three additional APEX awards. Osborne received the Gold in Copywriting for Lighting the Way, HB’s new faculty-staff directory, and the publication as a whole was awarded the Gold in the category of Print Marketing/Catalogs. Finally, the HB Communications Staff was honored with a Silver APEX for Business-to-Consumer Website redesign for the new HB.edu, which was unveiled in August 2013. Lighting the Way also was given an Award of Excellence by Communications Concepts in its 2014 national competition in the category of One-of-a-Kind Print Publications. The program selected 12 winners from 96 entries in that field.
FSC
contents Cover Story
20 In A Class All Their Own For the first time in school history, the Alumnae Achievement
Award has been given to an entire class: the Class of 1984
pg. 14
22 Alumnae Achievers Members of the Class of 1984 check in from around the country
to share what they’re doing now and what they remember most about their time at HB
28 Enduring Influence The Worldwide Communications Center Control Room is
named in honor of Margaret Schafer Gallin ’84
News from North Park
6 HB Highlights 7 Athletics Update 36 Milestones Features
The Wicked and Wonderful Legacy of Margaret Hamilton 10 October marks the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, the
enduring classic starring HB’s own Margaret Hamilton ’21 – her son, Hamilton Meserve, looks back
14 Mutual Respect, Genuine Care HB teachers and students share a transformative connection 29 Notable Women The 2014 Distinguished Alumnae Awards and the Head’s Award
for Exemplary Service have been presented to a trio of remarkable HB graduates
32 Only the Sky HB students join Hillary and Chelsea Clinton to discuss a world
where girls’ aspirations aren’t limited by ceilings
2013-14 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPY Class Notes
37 38 69 85
A Note from the Alumnae Office Alumnae News and Giving Brides, Babies, Memorials Endowed Faculty Chairs
Photo by Keith Berr
HB.edu/magazine
The contents of this publication – with the exception of Class News for privacy reasons – are posted online. To maximize your experience, we’ve made a wide array of additional content related to the featured stories available as well, including videos, photo galleries, and Internet resources.
All the Right Notes World-famous
singer-songwriter
Jim
Brickman
filled the Atrium with beautiful music during HB’s Piano-Palooza! in March. He opened an impromptu all-school performance by playing some childhood
favorites, including songs from Sesame Street, before he invited his friend and fellow musician
Anne Cochran (whom he met when they were both
students at Shaker Heights High School) to sing
some songs he wrote. HB students happily joined in
a rousing rendition of Brickman’s hit “Never Alone,” which is performed by Lady Antebellum. After the
program, Brickman and Cochran spent time with the
Upper School songwriting class, offering critiques, Photo by Jason Miller
tips, and guidance to many aspiring musical artists. Brickman’s visit was the culminating event of Piano-
Palooza!, a series of celebrations honoring the pianos and piano players in the HB community. The program
was organized by the Performing Arts Department to
give thanks for the three new Steinway pianos that were donated by the Hathaway Brown Parent Association and special supporters of HB. Festivities included piano-
playing marathons, special music-themed assemblies, and performances by a variety of guest musicians.
Photo by Jason Miller
Best of the BEST
Kavya Ravichandran ’16 won the grand prize and a gold medal in biomedical engineering at the BEST Medicine Competition (Bridging Engineering, Science, and Technology) at the University of Akron on March 22. Her project, “A Nanomedicine Approach for Thrombus-Targeted Delivery and Controlled Release of Thrombolutic Agents,” was the culmination of research she began in ninth grade at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Engineering. Visit www.uakron.edu/ bestmedicine/ to view a photo gallery and learn more about this science competition that includes top projects from all over Northeast Ohio.
ATHLETICS
UPDATE
– Finished eighth in the OHSAA Division II State Meet * For the first time in history, the team became Division II District Champions, besting Hawken School for the title
Basketball – Set the OHSAA state record for postseason wins for girls or boys basketball, with 37 consecutive victories * Beth Brzozowski ’14 became the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals. * Dani Lawson ’17 committed to play DI basketball at Purdue Lacrosse – Won fifth straight OSLA Division
II Regional Championship * Advanced to fifth consecutive OSLA Division II State Semifinal * Finished the season at 9-8-2
Softball
– Logged one of the best seasons in HB history * Advanced to the OHSAA Division II District Semifinal * Ended at 13-5 * Logan Paul ’14 became the school’s all-time leader in strikeouts
Track & Field – Secured HB’s first-ever dual meet win * Sophie Richards ’16 qualified for the OHSAA Division II Regional meet in two events
Hathaway Brown has received three recent awards that recognize the school as an outstanding employer. In recent months, The Plain Dealer, Inside Business, and Employers’ Resource Council all have ranked HB as one of the best places to work in the region. Hathaway Brown has been named to The Plain Dealer’s list of Top Workplaces for 2014, a designation that is reserved for only 100 organizations in Northeast Ohio, based on employee survey data. For the seventh year in a row, HB also was honored to be recognized as a NEO Success Award winner by Inside Business magazine. This year’s 81 NEO Success Award winners were chosen based on how they reflect and represent the rich cultural, business, innovation, and education environment in Northeast Ohio. And the Employers’ Resource Council in 2013 named HB to the NorthCoast 99. It was the 14th year in a row for the school to receive this coveted award. The NC99 program was created to celebrate the “99 Great Workplaces for Top Talent in Northeast Ohio.”
REMARKABLE SHOWING In an exciting worldwide contest, the Hathaway Brown International Public Policy Forum debate team ended their season ranked as Runner-Up. Nitya Thakore ’16, Aarathi Sahadevan ’16, and Lina Ghosh ’17 bested all of their competitors from 264 high schools in 37 states and 28 countries in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, eventually falling to Hamilton High School of Chandler, Ariz. Throughout the contest, the HB team debated both sides of the resolution: “Resolved: As a last resort, unilateral military force is justified to minimize nuclear weapons proliferation.”
Sport is what prepared me for my life. Mary Joe Fernandez, tennis champion, Olympic gold medalist, broadcast analyst, and HB mom – Hathaway Brown Learning for Life Speakers’ Series, February 26, 2014
IPPF is an international competition of “written debate” sponsored by the Bickel & Brewer law firm and New York University. Teams from 34 states and 29 countries wrote preliminary-round essays to qualify. HB is one of three schools in the world and one of only two in the United States to make it to the Elite 8 in this prestigious international competition in back-to-back years. For its second-place finish, HB received a $3,500 prize. Additional information about the program is available at www.ippfdebate.com.
QUOTABLE
HB
Swimming & Diving
Excellent Environment
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CELEBRATED CENTENARIAN
HB Kindergartners marked their 100th day of school by welcoming a very special visitor. Morton Weiss, a Hunting Valley neighbor of a K1 student, turned 100 years old on April 28, two days after he and his wife celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. In 2014, Mr. Weiss was honored as the oldest volunteer at the University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood, and he was feted at a Cleveland Indians game and presented with a jersey emblazoned with the number 100 on his birthday. To celebrate their 100th day of Kindergarten, the HB students invited Mr. Weiss to their class. They had many questions for him about what life was like a century ago. He described receiving daily deliveries from the milkman and the iceman and traveling by trolley car. The girls asked him how he used to light his house, how he used to dress for school, and how much he used to pay for candy. Mr. Weiss also passed around pictures that he had found and printed from the Internet of automobiles that have come and gone in his lifetime. And he posed for several photographs with his new admiring fans, who have since Skyped with him and made plans for a return visit next year, when he is 101.
HOMEGROWN SUPPORT The GROW (Girls Reaching Others Worldwide) Foundation at HB hosted an Empty Bowls fundraising event in April. In partnership with Hathaway Brown Parent Association, California Ceramics, Stone Oven, and AVI Foodsystems, GROW invited members from the HB community and Cleveland nonprofits to join them for a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a suggested $10 cash donation at the door, guests were asked to keep a bowl painted by HB students as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.
G . R .O.W. Girls Reaching Others Worldwide
The event highlighted the work of Providence House, the nation’s oldest crisis nursery, whose mission is to fight to end child abuse and neglect by protecting at-risk children, empowering families in crisis, and building safer communities for every child. The Middle School and Upper School members of GROW selected Providence House to receive a $1,000 Hathaway Brown Parent Association grant to support new programming for their Children’s Education Program and to sponsor emergency shelter in their Crisis Nursery for one child at risk of abuse or neglect for three weeks. A unique student-run philanthropic organization, GROW generated a record 28 proposals asking for nearly $40,000 in 2013-14. Members also raised more than $7,000 and awarded an additional $6,000 to programs serving the needs of at-risk adolescent girls and young women through their partnership with The Crittenton Foundation. The April 30 Empty Bowls event at HB included presentations by GROW Foundation student members, along with remarks by Providence House representatives. The meal – which was generously provided by sponsors – gave attendees time to reflect about the pervading problems of hunger and homelessness in the United States and abroad. Proceeds from the event will benefit the GROW Foundation’s 2015 grantees. To learn more, visit www.hb.edu/GROWfoundation.
Photo by Ripcho Studios
HB 9
OLYMPIC SPLASH USA Swimming stars and Olympic medalists Diana Munz (an HB mom!), Matt McLean, and Kim Vandenberg worked with 120 swimmers in the Carol and John Butler Aquatic Center at HB during the Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinic this spring. The unique training workshop featured direct instruction, technique practice, and lots of fun. BREAKout! was designed to inspire and motivate a new generation of aquatic athletes. Munz is pictured above (left) with a fan holding the gold medal she won in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Photo by Kevin Reeves
by Barry Goodrich
The wicked & wonderful legacy of
MARGARET HAMILTON he irony was never lost on Margaret Hamilton, a former kindergarten teacher who became the biggest female villain in the history of the movies. The woman who adored children ended up creating a character that scared them nearly to death. On August 25, 1939, MGM released The Wizard of Oz, the screen adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s cherished story. Today, the film that made little impact 75 years ago is now an American classic, in great part because of the role played by the Cleveland-born Hamilton. A member of the 1921 class of Hathaway Brown, Hamilton had prepared herself for a career as a teacher but her love of the stage took her in a different direction, one that would lead to appearances in more than 70 films during a 50-year-career. But it would be one iconic role that guaranteed her legendary status. A character seared into the consciousness of anyone who has ever heard that distinctive cackle that could only belong to the Wicked Witch of the West. “It’s a great character role and she played it to the hilt,” said Hamilton’s son, Hamilton Meserve, calling from his home in Maine. “It scares the bejesus out of you and it’s embedded in your mind.” Meserve, a retired banker who is now a county commissioner, remembers his mother worrying that her portrayal of the witch would frighten youngsters. “She was very concerned about the effect it had on small children,” he says. “She was very aware of Above: Photo courtesy of Hamilton Meserve; Below: The Wizard of Oz, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
say `I’m a nice lady’ and that the witch was `all make-believe.’”
While filming a second take of the scene in which the witch disappears in flames and smoke, Hamilton’s face was badly burned and she would not return to the set for six weeks. “I was led into her bedroom by my nanny and I said, `Mommy has a funny costume on.’ She was wrapped up like a mummy with only one eye showing,” Meserve recalls. Hamilton was born in Cleveland and lived in a Victorian home on Euclid Avenue. Her father was a successful lawyer and her grandfather a judge. “She came from a socially prominent family, a family where young ladies did not go on the stage,” says Meserve. “She had one foot in the entertainment world and one foot in the social world. I love to tell the story of her going to Hollywood for the first time with two letters of introduction – one from her agent and one from the Junior League.”
That break came in 1932 when she appeared in the Broadway show Another Language. She recreated her role for the film version of the play, embarking on a career that would see her work for directors such as Busby Berkeley, Frank Capra, and Robert Altman and alongside actors such as W.C. Fields, Mae West, and, of course, Judy Garland. Unlike most other actors, Hamilton never signed with a studio, choosing instead to work for $1,000 per week. For her Wizard of Oz roles of Almira Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West, Hamilton earned approximately $23,000 for four months of work. “Beverly Hills was an absolute paradise for a child in those days,” remembers Meserve. “I was one happy kid. My mother was multifaceted; she was a member of the PTA, a Den Mother, a member of the Beverly Hills Board of Education and a union leader. Within the business, she was very respected, continued on page 12.
No Place Like Home The 1921 Hathaway Brown Specularia offers a snapshot of the early life of an iconic American actress
Margaret Hamilton, or “Ham” as she was affectionately called by her Hathaway Brown classmates, served as the fourthquarter school vice president in her graduation year of 1921. The quote next to her senior class picture in the Specularia describes her thusly: “She’s quiet enough except when she’s making a noise.” Other yearbook references to Hamilton give glimpses into the type of actress she would become. In one section of the book, it’s noted that she was clever young woman with a unique voice whose favorite expression was “Golly!” During her senior year, she acted in a production of Pomander Walk, a play by Englishman Louis N. Parker set in the days of George III. According to an account by two of her classmates, “the part of Sir Peter Antrobus was admirably played by Margaret Hamilton; she entirely forgot herself and for two hours lived the part of the old admiral. … One of the most remarkable features of the play was the evident enjoyment all the players derived from their make-believes. Clearly some guiding genius had told them how to live their parts – not just act them.”
HB
His mother did not want him to see the movie until he was 9, but Meserve was 6 when he “snuck in to see the melting scene” at a friend’s birthday party. “I just wanted to know what she was doing with all those soldiers,” he says.
Photo: 1921 Specularia
Hamilton attended Hathaway Brown when the school was located at 1945 East 93rd Street. She went on to spend several years at the Cleveland Play House, where she would return years later to perform. “That’s where she “She was very aware of learned all of her the impact it had on kids. dramatic skills,” Time and again she would says Meserve. “Then literally get down on she pounded the pavement until she her knees and have kids touch her face. She would got her break.”
the impact it had on kids. Time and again she would literally get down on her knees and have kids touch her face. She would say `I’m a nice lady’ and that the witch was `all make-believe.’”
11
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Off To See The Wizard This fall, Upper School students will be performing The Wizard of Oz in The Ahuja Auditorium at Hathaway Brown, the alma mater of Margaret Hamilton ’21, who immortalized the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in 1939.
what they call an actor’s actor. I would come home and literally trip over the bodies on the floor of all the actors she had taken in.”
You can catch the classic musical on the HB stage on Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, November 16, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults; $6 for students and seniors. Contact Theatre Director Molly Cornwell at mcornwell@hb.edu or 216.320.8796 ext. 7125 for more info, or visit www.hb.edu/tickets to reserve your seats.
Hamilton would go on to appear in a multitude of films and on television shows such as Patty Duke and The Addams Family in addition to playing the role of Cora, a spokesperson for Maxwell House coffee. But her greatest fame came as the witch whose evil laughter once blew out the sound equipment circuits on the set of The Wizard of Oz. “When it was shown on TV in the 1960s is when the legend starts,” says Meserve. “It didn’t really become popular until the kids could handle it and the parents began to see the virtue of the film. Then it was handed down from generation to generation. When Andy Warhol included Wicked Witch screen prints in his work, that sort of cemented the character.” Hamilton passed away in 1985 at the age of 82. “She was very gracious with fans and was always dressed to the nines,” says Meserve. “She signed stacks of photos right up until she died. She would always sign WWW for Wicked Witch of the West.” During an appearance on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Hamilton said of the witch “She does enjoy everything that she does. Whether it’s good or bad, she enjoys it.” And generations of fans continue to enjoy the work of Margaret Hamilton. The 75th anniversary Blu-ray edition of The Wizard of Oz is available from Warner Home Video on October 1, 2014.
Margaret Hamilton ’21 with her son, Hamilton Meserve, and grandson, Chris, in Seoul, Korea in 1967.
This year’s trip took place over Spring Break, and Missy was able to rendezvous with Maren and the Southards and Crabbs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to catch up and swap stories oceanside before everyone came back to the States. “As a mom, it was very meaningful for me to know that my daughter was able to have the same sorts of experiences I had so many years before,” Missy says. “It was a great way for us to bond.”
issy Vertes Butler ’86 and her daughter Maren ’17 took the same Hathaway Brown trip to explore the British Virgin Islands, but their voyages set sail 30 years apart. In 1984, Missy traveled with Upper School science teacher Don Southard and former HB Middle School director John Crabb as skippers. Three decades later, Maren’s BVI trip chaperones were Don and his wife, Middle School music teacher Deb Southard, along with John Crabb and his wife, Elaine.
The BVI Sailing Trip was first launched at HB by Don Southard and John Crabb in 1982. The program continued for several years with the same chaperones, even after John moved to Arizona and took a job at Phoenix Country Day School. After a hiatus spent raising two children, Don and Deb Southard brought the trips back to HB in 2012 at the request Joe Vogel, director of the Center for Global Citizenship. At that time, John and Elaine Crabb came out of “trip retirement” as back-up skippers. “It was really amazing to have Missy at the helm on one of our first sailing trips, then to have Maren at the helm 30 years later,” Don Southard says. “And, when looking at the photos, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that they both have the same taste in red-and-white striped bathing suits.”
HB
Maren agrees. “At each place we set anchor, the chaperones told me different stories about my mom,” she says. “I liked knowing that she had been there before.”
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Mutual RESPECT
Brenna Scully hates bugs.
BY S C O T T PA R S O N S
Photos by Keith Berr
HB
HB teachers and students share a transformative connection
And so, during her first semester of college she didn’t feel equipped to deal with a winged-ant invasion in her dorm room – after 6 p.m. when no one in the facilities department was available to help her. Worse yet, it was the evening before her economics midterm. Sitting on the floor in the hallway and nearing her breaking point, the 2013 Hathaway Brown graduate says she recalled the wise words she had heard over the years at HB: variations of “stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop waiting for someone to save you.” Then she pulled herself together, bought “enough Raid to sustain a small country,” fumigated the room, and slept that night on her neighbor’s floor. The next morning, she called facilities and the entire ordeal was resolved before lunch. So far, she says, that experience ranks as her “ultimate ‘not for school but for life’” moment.
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t’s well known that HB students are extraordinarily well prepared for college. Perhaps less well known, however, is that an essential part of this preparation—and a signature quality of the HB experience—has nothing to do with homework or extracurriculars; nothing to do with rigor or AP courses. In fact, it doesn’t even involve anything traditionally academic. Instead, it is the distinctive and vibrant working relationships between teachers and students, relationships built on mutual respect, genuine care, and attentive listening – all of which become empowering forces in students’ lives. For Hazel Crampton-Hayes ’12, this teacher-student dynamic represents the best part of her HB education. She remembers what she learned, for instance, from art teacher Jamie Morse and his photography class; but she also values, perhaps even more deeply, their shared and nuanced appreciation of musicians Chrissie Hynde and Morrisey. Relationships like these that extended beyond the curriculum, she says, inspired both personal and academic growth, something she can’t imagine having happened elsewhere. As the mother of Emily ’15 and Audrianna Imka ’22, Kathy Bruening has an appreciation for these shared connections because “they give girls the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills with adults that are a part of their own world, rather than their parents’ world.” Beyond the halls of HB, Brenna has been able to draw on the voices of a host of adults who believed in her and knew she had the fortitude to manage the unpredictable. Hannah Margolis ’13, who currently studies at The Ohio State University, says in the tightly knit HB community “teacher-student relationships were much easier to establish and were more personal. I really loved that aspect of the school, and through trial and error I’m slowly learning how to establish those relationships in a much larger community.” Hazel attends Oberlin, a college that prioritizes the professor-student connection, and she says her HB experience gives her “a huge advantage in terms of already knowing how to see academic superiors as potential peers, not terrifying, impersonal overlords.” Indeed, one thing HB students learn is how to feel challenged but not intimidated by the faculty. Amanda Keresztesy ’14 is inspired by the ways in which the school culture supports valuing each community member’s contributions. She describes how important it is to be taken seriously by her teachers, whom
she describes as “truly brilliant people.” She cites as an example the encyclopedic literary mind of English teacher Jamie Mueller, claiming that “if Google ceased to exist, the world could still carry on when it came to anything in the literary world” because she seems to know everything there possibly is to know about literature. That’s important, Amanda says, because when someone that smart comments on her students’ work as “absolutely fantastic” or “just brilliant,” you trust her opinion and start to think, “maybe I am smart.” It means something to students when biology teacher Sheri Homany cheerily calls out,“Hello, smart girls!”at the start of class, or when history teacher Kevin Purpura refers to his students as “scholars.” Kathy Bruening observes these interactions through the parent perspective and describes her daughters’ teachers as “sources of moral support and confidence-building that girls may view as more objective than their parents, and therefore they potentially have a greater impact.” There’s much more at play during the Upper School years of an HB education than high-level academics and the development of fiercely intelligent students. While Amanda describes her teachers as “exquisitely bright, shockingly hilarious, witty adults,” what really stands out to her is that it feels as though “for whatever reason, they care about us sometimes as much as our parents do.” Teachers at HB are committed to educating the whole student — mind, body, and spirit. They know that whatever is happening in a girl’s life will shape how she learns just as much as the expertise with which a lesson is prepared and executed. Learning, after all, does not take place in a vacuum, and adolescence is an especially intense period of growth and discovery. An Upper School education includes students finding ways to form identities outside their immediate families as they try to make sense of an often bewildering and overwhelming world. So complicated are the high school years, in fact, that Bruening believes that “no parent, or pair of parents, can possibly tackle every question, reservation, attitude, peer relationship, etc. that is thrown at our high-schoolers.” As the girls navigate all that confusion, it’s essential, she says, that they are being taught and mentored by “invested, mindful, caring adults whom our daughters trust and feel comfortable with.”
It means something to students when biology teacher Sheri Homany cheerily calls out, “Hello, smart girls!” at the start of class, or when history teacher Kevin Purpura refers to his students as “scholars.” Dean of Students Hallie Godshall agrees, and she believes fervently in the influence of mentors in adolescent girls’ lives. “They need their peers and parents for support,” Godshall explains, “but they absolutely need mentors who believe in them, help guide them, and challenge them. This collaboration is an essential component of our educational philosophy, helping girls to understand that reaching out for help and looking to others for advice is crucial to success in our world.”
Being a part of students’ journeys, teaching and nurturing them as they explore their curiosities and passions is a high calling to which each adult in the building enthusiastically responds. HB faculty members truly do believe that helping the girls to “learn not for school, but for life” should be at the heart of what they do. In the 2013-14 school year, a fascinating (and very natural) manifestation of this dynamic emerged. Inspired by casual conversations she had during lunch with students, Torrey McMillan ’90, director of HB’s Center for Sustainability, had a vision for a regular lunchtime forum during which faculty members could share key moments or life lessons from their own perspectives. So began “Real Talks with Real People.” Originally envisioned as a monthly program, the interest grew so strong so quickly that the series ran every Tuesday and Thursday through the spring. Each discussion drew a large and curious standing-room-only crowd of students and faculty into the Osborne Writing Center to hear stories of turning points, moments of reckoning, and surprise discoveries. Some Real Talks sessions were somber, some whimsical; participants shared anecdotes about family, love, loss, fear, and
Conversations of this caliber and depth are only possible in a community that’s built upon trust, a trait that is evident in every aspect of the HB experience. With that trust in place, both teachers and students are able to be their genuine selves, rather than subscribing to traditionally defined roles. In the end, Shah notes, this leads to “a tighter community more deeply rooted in each other’s stories.” McKenna Ritter ’16 has found great comfort in entering into those stories she heard in the writing center during her sophomore year. When she entered HB in ninth grade, she says she felt “awkward and disconnected.” But that quickly changed. “In the last year and a half,” she says, “I have become myself. It sounds cliché and odd, but I have never been more accepted for who I am and acknowledge myself to be than when I am inside these brick walls.” McKenna describes HB as more like a second home than a school. She credits the Real Talks series with helping her to connect even more with her extended “family.” That description makes a lot of sense to Amanda Keresztesy, who says that “Hathaway Brown is more than a place; it’s a feeling; it’s a culture.” As she heads to Northwestern University, Amanda explains that although she’ll continue to use in college what she learned in the classroom of calculus teacher Bill Adler, she cherishes even more the moment when he told her that her strange and comedic Morning Meeting announcement was still in his head two weeks after she’d delivered it. She also fondly recollects bonding with her mentor, science teacher Diana McBeath, while eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with her mentor group. And while she’s going to remember Director of the Center for Global Citizenship Joe Vogel for his lectures in Global Scholars, what will resonate most in her memory is riding a tuk-tuk with him in Cambodia. Above all, she simply appreciates having been treated like a real person by her teachers, and that they were willing to be real themselves. Scott Parsons is director of HB’s Osborne Writing Center.
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All of these factors combine to create the distinctive HB energy: an electric learning environment that is palpable to anyone who spends time on campus. Reflecting on her experiences as a writer in residence at HB for the last three consecutive years, author Alexandra Fuller notes that her visits inspired her to reimagine how she understands education and the role teachers play in it. “It wasn’t until I came to HB,” she says, “that I realized a teacher’s job is not so much to fill his or her students’ minds with what they believe to be an education, but to allow the student the courage of her own convictions so that she may hunger for knowledge and wisdom and wit and thereby fill her own mind. In that way, HB provides not only an education for those years traditionally given over to learning, but also for a life – a whole, fully realized life.”
resilience. Koyen Shah, director of HB’s Center for Leadership & Well-Being, says that each talk challenged notions the girls might have of a perfect life trajectory. She noted that every conversation demonstrated to students that life is filled with wildly unpredictable twists and difficulties and that “your response to those challenges is really the whole art of living.”
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LEADING
FROM THE
MIDDLE
LASTING
Sharon Baker named Director of Middle School Amanda Keresztesy ’14 remembers the first time she felt like a grown-up. Specifically, something happened between the seventh-grade Hathaway Brown trip to Cape Cod and the eighth-grade trip to Washington, DC, when she was trusted to be on her own for periods of time. “That,” she says, “is when I first realized I was capable of being independent and that the teachers were not my surrogate helicopter parents. They were people who treated me like a person.”
For 35 years,
Susan Levitan has nurtured her lifelong passion for literature and inspired her students in the process
by Sienna Zeilinger ’11
Sharon Baker, newly installed director of the HB Middle School, sees that type of growth toward independence as a core part of the learning experience for students in her division. She explains that middle school advisors work closely with the girls over the course of four years to build those skills, moving them from being closely monitored to being in charge of themselves. The end result is that “by the time they reach eighth grade, girls have learned to be independent, and to value establishing relationships with their teachers by seeking help when needed, emailing thoughts and questions, and understanding that they are known and valued at HB.” In announcing her appointment, Head of School Bill Christ noted, “Since 2005, Sharon has been one of our most respected and beloved teachers, a star in the English department and an anchor on the seventh-grade team.” Baker is enthusiastically embracing her new role. Her vision is “to continue developing the pioneers that make up our students and faculty, people who are willing to try new, innovative projects, to lean in to challenges, and to be new and varied versions of ourselves who are willing and ready to lead the way.” While Baker’s appointment as Middle School Director was greeted with great and unanimous enthusiasm by the community, there was one concern: Would Mrs. Baker, Middle School Director, be as fun as Mrs. Baker, English teacher? Specifically, her students want to know if there will be any more of her trademark practical jokes. “Obviously I cannot divulge my plans for pranks, and fake spiders and squirt guns may or may not be involved,” Baker says. “But I can assure you that there are plans in the works.”
Photo by Vanessa Butler
LESSONS When Ms. Levitan picks up the phone, I’m instantly rendered my eighth-grade self again. I can’t bring myself to
call her Susan. For a moment, I forget that I long ago traded the granny-style glasses I wore throughout Middle School for contact lenses. I almost go to brush my horrendously geometric bangs (to call it a hairstyle would have been generous) out of my eyes. I realize that I haven’t even heard what Levitan just said. And then I realize that, for a moment, I’ve reverted to age 13 on the inside, too.
This willingness to be involved with the world around us even as we look inward would strike all of us as deeply familiar, but Levitan, an English teacher and class dean, has a special reverence for eighth-grade students. Through her Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, which allows for examining the ideas and events that led to the Holocaust through primary resources and discussion-based exercises, Levitan has been able to harness that introspection and turn it into fruitful self-reflection. To engage her students, Levitan works to ground the ideas of her class in concrete, familiar experiences—asking her students, for example, whether they would rather go to prom with Romeo or Mercutio—which gives them a jumping-off point to begin wrestling with bigger ideas. Recently, she says, they have been reading Primo Levi’s description of the “demolition of a man,” and exploring how we, as individuals, assert our identity on a regular basis. Levitan instructed her students to hold up their pencil cases and asked them how these objects make a statement about who they are. “They’re open to making that imaginative leap,” Levitan says, “and in terms of Primo Levi’s work, it gives the girls the ability to
But teaching eighth grade was not always the plan. Levitan had intended to become a veterinarian. Then she took a class at Harvard about the history of education, and “I thought, wait, this is where I want to be,” she says. A few years later, she was teaching in the Upper School at nearby Laurel. When she heard that Hathaway Brown had an opening in the Middle School, she applied, and she’s been working here ever since. That was 35 years ago. For Levitan, though, the novelty never has worn off. “You know, it sounds kind of corny, but it’s absolutely true—every day when I go into work, I think, ‘I’m happy to be here,’” she says. “I’m doing something I love, that I think is important, at an institution with amazing people, and at an institution that trusts me.” That trust is crucial when it comes to revamping a curriculum. “I had a combination of incredible mentors and people who said, ‘Go try it.’ It’s always been true of HB that when you want to do something, from a curricular point of view, the administration says, ‘Go try it.’ And I’ve come to appreciate that as not the norm.” Levitan has overhauled her curriculum no fewer than six times since her arrival at HB. At first, her students studied Greek mythology and the Old Testament. Now, they are reading The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and unpacking white, male, and heterosexual privilege. She says the book has led to fascinating discussions with the girls. “The most important thing is to be able to teach material that I feel passionate about, that will get kids to think about themselves and their place in the world,” she says. Levitan ties her lifelong love of literature and social justice directly back to her maternal grandmother, Anne Terry White, who wrote more than 100 children’s books. “I spent a lot of time with her, and she is the reason I fell in love with literature. She read me Pride and
Prejudice, she read me King Lear … I have an entire pillow that I needlepointed while she read me War and Peace,” Levitan says. “She was a huge influence in my life. She taught me that you have to think about your role in society and think about how you affect other people. That became very much part of who I was as a teacher.” That dedication to her profession, to bringing out the best in her students, is palpable, and is exactly why Levitan is regarded with such awe. She recounts a time when a student chose to present her assigned essay topic in the form of a video, rather than a written piece; Levitan was so impressed that even after talking with the student, she called her mother and prompted her to encourage her daughter’s filmmaking skills. For Levitan, “being able to help a kid find that moment of identity, that sense that they’ve found something they do and want to do,” is the best part of teaching. The reward goes both ways. Recently, a former student came back to visit Levitan’s classroom. She told her, “You know, all that stuff that you taught us, the Facing History stuff—I get it now.” “Those are the moments when you say, ‘This is why I do this,’” Levitan explains. “It makes for a better world. That’s what I really want.” There’s a lot to remember about Ms. Levitan’s class—games of Balderdash, piles of vocabulary-word-adorned index cards, how powerful it felt to read Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise aloud. But my main memory from eighth-grade English is Ms. Levitan’s comments on my written work. There were, unfailingly, notes all over the margins of the essays I wrote. I can still see her handwriting now, the letters loopy and rounded, the ink bright purple. Her notes were unflinchingly honest and held the power to validate and to humble. It took something like courage to turn over your paper and face what she had to say. And then you read those words and you were better for it.
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“I love eighth graders. The eighth-grade girl is in some ways the most self-centered individual you could possibly have,” Levitan tells me. “On the one hand, that’s the essence of who the eighth-grader is. And on the other, it’s the girl who’s saying, ‘I can solve world hunger.’”
dig in and really think about what’s being stripped away. That’s the beauty of working with eighth grade: you’re working with girls who are suddenly ready to embrace the ideas of the world.”
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For the first time in school history, the Hathaway Brown Alumnae Achievement Award has been given to an entire class:
the Class of 1984
Photo by Jason Miller
1984 Specularia 21
HB 21
he Hathaway Brown Class of 1984 is a microcosm of the best kind of society: diverse, yet connected; accomplished, yet always striving to do more. Taken individually, these 65 women are impressive. They’ve made breakthrough discoveries and broken all sorts of ceilings. They’ve traveled the world, tended to the sick, and triumphed over adversity. As a whole, the class is a force to be reckoned with. They are incredibly intelligent, fiercely loyal, strikingly innovative, and passionately committed to the ideal of lifelong learning that was instilled in them at their alma mater.
Even before they graduated from HB, the dedication of the Class of 1984 was evident. Through the years, they’ve maintained a steadfast devotion to each other and to the world at large. They’ve always been thinkers and believers and seers and doers. It doesn’t come as a surprise to any of HB’s longtime faculty members who had the privilege of teaching them that these amazing women are being recognized for their personal and professional achievements. The 2014 Hathaway Brown Alumnae Achievement Award is one that has been three decades in the making.
Established in 2004, the Alumnae Achievement Award recognizes an alumna who has graduated in the past 30 years and has achieved significant accomplishments in her professional or civic roles. ir 30th Classmates gather for the Photo by Jason Miller
Reunion.
ALUMNAE ACHIEVERS
Members of the Class of 1984 check in from around the country to share – in their own words – what they’re doing now and what they remember most about their time at HB.
SARAH STOLL Washington, D.C. Professor of Chemistry, Georgetown University
When I Entered HB: 10th Grade What I Do: I run a small lab of 5-8 PhD students who work on different aspects of magnetic nanostructures. One project is directed at next-generation magnetic data storage and the other is seeking new nano-sized beads to be used as a contrast agent in MRI clinical scans. I teach both undergraduates and graduates in my area, as well as environmental chemistry. I’m also co-director of a program called Science in the Public Interest, which involves science students in areas of policy and government that overlap with science (energy, global health, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, etc.) I’ve been there since 2002. I have seen HB students come to Georgetown, and as a reviewer for the Intel, I’ve had a few HB applicants cross my desk.
My Fondest HB Memories: What do I remember about HB? Canvas bags piled outside of assembly, field hockey sticks, brown plaid skirts, Ms. Cortez the biology teacher (swinging plastic parts), IDEO, and writing. A lot. My most vivid HB memory was having a blind woman give an inspiring speech that brought us to our feet at the end. As we stood up, the clatter of those old wooden seats let her know she got a standing ovation. How HB Prepared Me for Life after Graduation: The senior speech was one of the notable experiences that carried with me, and gave me confidence in public speaking. I knew how to study and organize my work. As a teacher, I still carry that ethos of “not for school, but for life.” My Most Significant Personal or Professional Accomplishment: Who can point to one thing? I’m pretty proud that my kids get to school on time and I haven’t totally lost my mind. Every time I get an NSF grant I feel blessed, or do something I never expected to do. If pressed, I would have to say that having students come back to see me after they’ve done amazing things and tell me that it started in a class I taught or in my lab – that is what makes me the happiest. My Advice to the HB Class of 2014: Don’t be afraid to try new things; it is always possible to reinvent yourself. Mistakes are where the learning comes.
CASSANDRA LYNN “SANDY” JOHNSON Cleveland Heights, Ohio Director of Construction, University Hospitals
When I Entered HB: 10th Grade What I Do: In my role I manage the design and construction activities associated with hospital construction. In my six years at UH, I have served as construction director for more than $800 million in hospital construction programs. My Fondest HB Memory: What I remember the most is the small classes and the hands-on learning environment. In public schools there was a certain “distance” from teachers and instructors (likely due to the large numbers of students). I immediately felt in relationship with my peers and my teachers in a way that was new and exciting for me.
studio, with an eclectic blend of teachers and teaching styles. I handle the advertising, payroll, class schedules, private lessons, and special workshop events where we bring in people from throughout Montana or other parts of the country to teach. I love teaching and running the studio because I believe that anyone can do yoga and yoga can help anyone regardless of their ailments.
My Most Significant Personal or Professional Accomplishment: For me, it has been reaching the point where I no longer feel the need to prove myself. As we mature, we go through different levels of uncertainty in who we are and what we do. I feel confident that “I know what I know” and that I recognize the areas where I’m not as strong and I have to work a little harder. And I’m comfortable with that; I’m comfortable in my own skin.
My Fondest HB Memories: What I loved about HB was the single-sex education experience as well as the close connection we had with our teachers and coaches. I felt that the teachers cared about us as individuals and went out of their way to help us and encourage us. The coaches too were always there to listen and were understanding of the commitment to school first, team second, and always encouraged us to do our best and work our hardest.
My Advice to the HB Class of 2014: We can spend too much time in the present focused on either the past or the future. The present moment has so much to offer and it’s so easily overlooked. If I could go back knowing what I know now, I would enjoy the moment(s).
How HB Prepared Me for Life after Graduation: HB showed me that college was a continuation of my scholastic experience. I knew that I would continue to be a lifelong learner after high school thanks to HB.
AMY TITGEMEIER STEVENS Livingston, Montana Owner, Breathing Room Yoga
When I Entered HB: 5th Grade What I Do: I have been teaching yoga since 2006 and I bought my yoga business in 2008. There are six employees at the
My Most Significant Personal or Professional Accomplishment: I feel fortunate to have a job that I love and to own a business in a small town in which I know my clientele. It was a leap for me to purchase the business since all my previous work had been in nonprofit organizations. Owning and running a business has been a great challenge and continues to stretch me in ways that I never thought possible. This experience helped me last year when I climbed The Grand Teton in Teton National Park. This was a significant personal accomplishment because although I hike and am active, climbing was not something I had done very much. As frightened as I was to fall and not return to my children in one piece, I also knew that my experience and knowledge of taking care of my mind and body had prepared me for this moment. I talk a lot in yoga classes about taking leaps of faith and not knowing where you will land, both literally and figuratively. That’s how we challenge ourselves each day. It also
shows us how we can get out of being stuck in a job or situation that no longer serves us. My Advice to the HB Class of 2014: As a graduate of HB, I think the small bit of advice I might lend to upcoming new graduates is to take risks, follow your heart, and work hard. Know that all of your life experiences – even the tough ones – will help you. Know yourself; know your strengths and weaknesses. But don’t be defined by them. Know where you struggle and dive in to learn more about those areas instead of being ashamed about them and pushing them aside. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many people who can and will offer helpful personal and professional advice. As long as those people have your best interests at heart, they can help to mold you into who you might become.
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How HB Prepared Me for Life after Graduation: HB helped me develop my voice as an independent thinker. We were encouraged to take a position and to confidently defend the position. I am more comfortable than some of my colleagues and peers being confident in my thinking whether or not it aligns with conventional wisdom.
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SUSAN DAKIN DUMAS Shaker Heights, Ohio Co-Director of Obstetrical Anesthesiology at Case Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve University Medical School
When I Entered HB: 2nd Grade What I Do: My job includes the daily management of anesthesia services at MacDonald Women’s Hospital specifically on Labor and Delivery, teaching and supervising anesthesia residents and master of anesthesia students, as well Continued on page 25.
HONOR ROLL The members of the Hathaway
Brown Class of 1984 may be found throughout the United States, but all have maintained strong ties with their alma mater in Shaker Heights. These women have been honored with the 2014 Alumnae Achievement Award in recognition of their individual and collective accomplishments, both personal and professional. Melinda Pollard Allen – Marietta, GA Sarah Ashe-Donnem – Rockville, MD Jodi Goldberg Barrett – Lake Worth, FL Jocelyn Brown – Shaker Heights, OH Desiree Gordon Bruggeman – Cincinnati, OH Tracy Buescher – New York, NY Jennifer Treadway Burke – Moreland Hills, OH Lynn Carpenter – Chagrin Falls, OH Lisa Malumud Cicero – Miami, FL Todd Baldwin Cochran – Shavano Park, TX Elizabeth Hilliard Colleye – Washington, DC Ames Tickner Connelly – Wellesley Hills, MA Sharer Dale – Beech Island, SC Elizabeth DeMarco – Pittsfield, MA Diana Pedler DiRienzo – Fairport, NY Gina Figliola Drane – Parma, OH Susan Dakin Dumas – Shaker Heights, OH Lela Durham – Chicago, IL Rebecca Lytle Everett – Pepper Pike, OH Tamara Fish – New York, NY Sarah Fisher – White Plains, NY Susan Eppes Frodyma – Shaker Heights, OH Elizabeth Hannon Furlong – Chagrin Falls, OH Margaret Schafer Gallin – deceased Pluria Gardner – Marietta, GA Cindy Gilbert – Seattle, WA Jill Goodman – New York, NY Wendy Conley Gordon – Sewickley, PA Francie Gottsegen – New York, NY Sarah Reid Green – Wellesley, MA Renee Hathaway – Akron, OH Cynthia Richards Heller – Boulder, CO Cassandra Johnson – Cleveland Heights, OH
Ellen Jones Nordell – Gates Mills, OH Betty Strode Jordan – Cleveland, OH Margaret Karch – Seattle, WA Sheila Harding Keaton – North Ridgeville, OH Virginia Blossom Kruntorad – Vero Beach, FL Elizabeth Thomas Leathery – Columbus, OH Alison Stoddart Linsley – Windham, ME Lauren Litton – Cleveland Heights, OH Stephanie Speck Mastroianni – Falmouth, MA Jennifer Krall Mawby – Hudson, OH Janet Lowe Mazzola – Chagrin Falls, OH Jane McKelvey – Chagrin Falls, OH Laura Sullivan McKenna – Cleveland Heights, OH Anita Misra-Hebert – Moreland Hills, OH Katherine Offutt – Cleveland Heights, OH Susan Sawyer Ortiz, Baltimore, MD Whitney Pamula – Chicago, IL Sheena Dee Pauley – Chagrin Falls, OH Kimberly Perkins – Honolulu, HI Sara Plevin – Cleveland, OH Laverne Kisner Price – Pickerington, OH Reem Rahim – Petaluma, CA Freda Rahnenfuehrer – Grand Canyon, AZ Liza Daley Read – Flagstaff, AZ Deborah Alexander Richards – Tampa, FL Molly Brooks Seitz – Brooklyn, NY Lori Gordon Shafer – Chagrin Falls, OH Stephanie Simon – Chapel Hill, NC Amy Titgemeier Stevens – Livingston, MT Sarah Stoll – Washington, DC Beverly Dana King Weaver – Kirtland, OH Hyle White – Chagrin Falls, OH
as anesthesia consultation for high-risk obstetrical patients. I also am involved in quality assessment and improvement committees for both Case Medical Center/ MacDonald Women’s Hospital and the Ohio Department of Health.
How HB Prepared Me for Life after Graduation: My educational experience at HB helped me become an independent thinker and provided me with the confidence to move forward and reach my goals. I feel that HB allows girls to develop the skills necessary to accomplish just about anything they want, whether this is in science/ medicine, the arts, sports, etc. My Most Significant Personal or Professional Accomplishment: Difficult to say. As Co-Director of Obstetrical Anesthesia and as an anesthesiologist who has focused on women’s health in the GYN operating rooms, I have been involved in many exciting and sometimes very stressful cases. Positive outcomes are quite satisfying. I can honestly say that I felt extremely honored to provide care for Susan Faulder during her illness. It allowed me the opportunity to give back to one of the teachers whom I valued quite highly.
LYNN CARPENTER Chagrin Falls, Ohio Director, South Franklin Street Partners and Candlewood Partners
When I Entered HB: 7th Grade What I Do: I work at a boutique investment bank that provides strategic advisory services to the Impact Investing and Conscious Capitalism markets. What that simply means is we work with entrepreneurs and business owners – who have a passion and a mission not only to profit but benefit society – to find the right capital partners to help them grow, acquire, or sell their business. My Fondest HB Memories: My greatest overall memory is of the ridiculously close and intimate friendships. Many of my fondest memories are around playing sports – field hockey and lacrosse. Dancing, goofing around, hiding behind trees when Longley wanted us to run (and we didn’t want to), picking our feet up for good luck when driving over railroad tracks, or mentally psyching ourselves up playing “We Are the Champions” for the thrashing of our next opponent. All of the camaraderie, teamwork, bad hairdos of the ’80s, support, encouragement, trust, success and the failures, bring a warm smile to my face every
time I remember or am reminded. It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. How HB Prepared Me for Life after Graduation: HB helped me understand that we are all uniquely ourselves with something to contribute – we each bring our own distinct perspectives, talents, imperfections, experiences, and backgrounds to the table, which adds to the whole. No one is better or worse than another – just different. Therefore, try not to judge or assume, and treat others as you would wish to be treated. My Most Significant Personal or Professional Accomplishment: Becoming comfortable with exactly who I am – or as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” I have come to appreciate that life is a journey and we’re all on our own path of learning. The direction we take is far more significant than the place our mind often parks us: pursuing more – more stuff, accomplishments, status, and money fueling endless striving with a false promise of eventually arriving. I now realize fulfillment and happiness come when we find comfort in who we are, eliminate striving, and focus on the things that bring us meaning and a sense of purpose. My Advice to the HB Class of 2014: Pursue your passion. No matter what that is, follow what inspires you. Whether for work or outside interests, when you follow your passion, not only will you tap into your own unique gifts and talents but you’ll be more fulfilled, happy, and successful. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and do that. The world needs more people who come alive. For more remembrances of the HB class of ’84, see pages 26-28, and the letter from Head of School Bill Christ on the inside cover.
HB
My Fondest HB Memories: I remember my time in the Prime Department. I entered HB in the middle of second grade, so it was a bit awkward, but I knew one or two girls already. The classrooms were cozy and inviting, as were the teachers. Miss Faulder’s bunny was a big hit in the second grade classroom. Margaret Hamilton’s (Wicked Witch of the West) visit was certainly a highlight as she performed a disappearing act in the living room. Finally, fourth grade in the Prime Department was capped off by the fourth-grade play. We wrote, directed, and created the scenery for the play ourselves. It was a space-age theme which now seems a bit funny since I am sure some of our thoughts about what the future would be like are now true.
My Advice to the HB Class of 2014: I would say to keep your mind open to all the possibilities that are presented to you and think outside the box as you move forward.
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1984: THE YEAR IN In the Summer 1984 issue of the Hathaway Brown Review, then-rising sophomores Victoria Scaravilli ’87 and Jennifer Sturman ’87 described the school’s 108th Commencement Exercises: As if in deliberate contradiction of George Orwell’s dark fantasy, glorious sunlight captured the graduation smiles of the class of ’84 on one of the most beautiful days Hathaway Brown has ever seen for a senior graduation. The largest class in H.B. history began the ceremony with the traditional processional “March of the Priests from Athalia.” Gracefully walking through the courtyard, they were received by a large audience of family and friends.
Gathered here is a small sampling of other items that appeared in the school newspaper during the senior year of the Class of 1984. Special thanks to Upper School science teacher Don Southard, who has lovingly and faithfully curated a collection of every issue of Review produced since 1981, when he began his tenure at HB.
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Photo by Jason Miller
1984 Specularia
Enduring INFLUENCE During Alumnae Weekend, the Class of 1984 came together to dedicate the Control Room of Hathaway Brown’s Worldwide Communications Center to the memory of their classmate Margaret Schafer Gallin ’84, who died in July 2013 at the age of 46. A lifelong Cleveland sports fan and gifted communicator, Margaret attended HB for kindergarten through grade 12. She went on to Colby College before embarking on a successful career at ABC Sports. Over the course of two decades, she received numerous promotions and eventually was named a director of sports broadcasting at the network. She traveled the globe covering a wide array of sporting events, including the Tour de France, World Gymnastics Championships, and the Super Bowl. After she left ABC, Margaret joined The Golf Channel, where she covered the Champions Tour for many years. HB’s Worldwide Communications Center houses a working television studio and state-of-the-art videoconferencing equipment. It is used by students in all divisions to create and broadcast multimedia projects, to connect with others across the globe, and to learn valuable writing, editing, and videography skills. The members of the Class of 1984, family, colleagues, and friends donated more than $80,000 to HB to name the WCC Control Room in Margaret’s honor. The dedication ceremony was attended by a large contingent of her classmates, friends, and family, including her mother, Dorothy Whittemore Schafer ’57, and her sister, Elizabeth Schafer ’82. The plaque that now hangs outside the Margaret Schafer Gallin ’84 Control Room reads: “A passion for sports led her to be a trailblazer for women in sports television.”
Dr. Elizabeth Spencer Ruppert ’54 Photographed by Jason Miller
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Notable Women 2014 Distinguished Alumnae Awards, Head’s Award for Exemplary Service presented to a trio of remarkable HB graduates B Y LI N DA CO RCO RA N
2014 Distinguished Alumnae Awards Dr. Elizabeth Spencer Ruppert ’54 Dr. Elizabeth Spencer Ruppert, M.D. has made medicine and helping people her life’s passion. She was one of only five women in a class of 150 medical students when she graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She began her career as a resident at Columbus Children’s Hospital in the Pediatric Department, becoming a chief resident and neonatology fellow. A 1954 graduate, Dr. Ruppert credits her education at Hathaway Brown for teaching important lessons that have influenced her life and career. When she was a young girl, Dr. Ruppert read the biography of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States. The story struck a chord with her and inspired her to pursue her own dream of becoming a physician. After HB, she entered Newcomb College, the women’s college of Tulane University. She graduated in just three years. In her first year at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, she fell in love with a fellow medical student, Richard D. Ruppert. They were married for 52 years before Dick’s passing in 2012. The couple raised “four of the finest daughters in the world,” according to their mother, who also is also a proud grandmother of seven. Dr. Ruppert spent 16 years at the Medical College of Ohio as a pediatrician, teacher, researcher and writer. And she continues to teach medical students as a professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Toledo’s College of Medicine. Through her experience as a neonatologist who oversaw long-term follow-up of infants and children who spent time in pediatric intensive care units, Dr. Ruppert became very interested in children with special healthcare needs. In 1983, she founded the EduCare Center in Toledo, Ohio, a unique organization where families with infants and children with chronic healthcare needs receive year-round childcare/ education and physician-prescribed care delivered by nurses in one location. The EduCare Center has received national recognition and has been a model for other communities in supporting families who have children with disabilities.
Dr. Ruppert has demonstrated a commitment to healthcare and community advocacy throughout her lifetime. She is past president and a current active member of the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently recently awarded her with its highest recognition, renaming the annual Outstanding Pediatrician of the Year Award as The Elizabeth Spencer Ruppert Award. In addition to being a 2014 Hathaway Brown Distinguished Alumna, she also is an Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, a recipient of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio’s Hero Award, Mercy Children’s Hospital’s Child Health Advocacy Award, the Press Club of Toledo’s Touchstone Lifetime Achievement Award, and the YWCA of Greater Toledo’s Milestone Award in Medicine.
Janet Nutt Lembke ’49 An author, a teacher, a gardener, a linguist, and a raiser of chickens, Janet Nutt Lembke was a scholar in the highest sense of the word. If she found a topic that captured her fancy, she learned everything there was to learn about it. She pursued her passions with an honest and unbridled zeal and she had an uncanny knack for combining her interests. In fact, in 2005, she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to translate Virgil’s Georgics, a poem on farming. A 1949 graduate of Hathaway Brown, Lembke went on to major in Latin and Greek at Middlebury College in Vermont. She was the author of 20 books and was working on another at the time of her death in September 2013 at the age of 80. She was a prolific writer, archivist, and translator. Her books include poetry, literary translations, and collections of essays on the natural world. Her final memoir was to be called I Married an Arsonist, about her life with her husband, Adrian Stanley, whom she had met when she conducted a creative writing workshop at Staunton Correctional Center in Staunton, Virginia. From that point forward, she became a powerful advocate for restoring voting rights for felons who had served their time. Lembke was the mother to four children, and a certified Virginia Master Gardener. She regularly attended HB alumnae gatherings in the Charlottesville area, and she enjoyed the annual opportunity to reconnect with HB administrators and fellow alumnae in her home state.
As a member of the Junior League of Cleveland, an organization committed to promoting volunteerism and improving the community, she was introduced to new methodologies for teaching children with learning differences, which were just coming to light in the world of education. Clark’s interest in the field led her to establish the Listening Development Centre of Cleveland, the first nonprofit organization of its type in the country to offer a treatment program for children and adults. In the early 1980s, a new form of communication piqued Hilde’s interest: the personal computer. She adapted quickly to technology and learned, in part from HB faculty, how to manage database and desktop publishing programs. She turned her newfound skills into ways of connecting people with each other, which she used as Computer Chair of the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Major Flower Show.
Hilde Body Clark ’64 Hilde Body Clark has never once stopped learning. Her curious nature and desire to connect with people have compelled a lifetime of service to others. In 1958, Clark entered seventh grade at Hathaway Brown and became part of a long tradition of HB women. Her mother, Ann Body, was a member of the class of 1934, and her great aunts, aunt and cousins also attended HB. The legacy continued with her daughter, Megan Ann, a member of the HB Class of 1997. After her 1964 HB graduation, Clark entered Colby Sawyer College in New Hampshire in preparation for entry into The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western University. She graduated with her BSN and began working at University Hospitals of Cleveland, rising to the rank of head nurse on the oncology floor. Her comfort in being with people, even at the end of their lives, brought her fulfillment.
Clark and her husband, Terence, are the parents of three children. She is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement in San Francisco, with summers on Canada’s Georgian Bay. She still works to keep people connected, though. She publishes an online newsletter, sends e-blasts, and creates an annual 350page Islander Yearbook, which is distributed to the island’s 1,500 residents.
HB
Head’s Award for Exemplary Service
In 1992, Clark became President of the HB Alumnae Association, and over the next three years she led the Alumnae Board in developing an array of new programming. During that time, she designed and created a College Directory to keep HB graduates in touch with one another. She also helped to establish the Alumnae College, which brought alumnae back to campus for weekend and evening classes. On top of that, she actively served her class and the broader school community as a class correspondent, as a member of the HB Board of Trustees, and as a member of the Head’s Council.
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Sue (left) and Sunny Roy ’15
athaway Brown was honored to be one of only four schools in the country selected to participate in a live “No Ceilings” video conversation with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton in April. The program – which was the first of a series of No Ceilings interactive initiatives – was moderated by actress and activist America Ferrera. HB students were able to speak directly with the Clintons about how vital it is for girls and women to come together to support one another.
Broadcast from the Lower Eastside Girls Club in New York City, organizers used Skype to join HB students with girls from the Girls Club, the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Girl Up, the Young Women’s Leadership Network, and three other U.S. schools: The Seattle Girls School in Seattle, Wash; The York County School District in York, Va.; and the KIPP Delta High School in Helena, Ark. During the 90-minute conversation, nearly 40 Upper School students were gathered in the school’s Worldwide Communications Center to be part of the live feed. When it came time for the first question, HB juniors (and twin sisters) Sunny and Sue Roy rose to the podium to offer some observations and open an important discussion. “You both teamed up for this initiative as mother and daughter, bringing
in others in order to accomplish one common goal,” Sunny remarked. “In this campaign, you’ve had to collaborate and negotiate together on issues addressing the various concerns surrounding girls around the world. Our question to you is: How does collaboration promote and advocate for girls and women across the globe?” Both Secretary Clinton and Chelsea thanked the Roy sisters for their engaged insights and explained that the Clinton Foundation is working with the United Nations, World Bank, Google, Facebook and telecommunications companies around the globe to spread their message and get feedback. “It’s the only way that we’ll have a holistic or at least a holistic attempt at where we stand with rights and opportunities for women and girls around the world,” Chelsea said.
For HB students and faculty members who were unable to participate in the conversation itself, the program was streamed live in The Ahuja Auditorium. A large group of community members, including parents, were able to view the talk in real time. People from all 50 states and more than six countries tuned in as well, and joined in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #NoCeilings. Those watching the program were among the first to hear the news that Chelsea Clinton and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, are expecting their first child, as she made the announcement during the program’s closing remarks. “I just hope that I will be as good a mom to my child and hopefully children as my mom was to me,” Chelsea said as Secretary Clinton beamed.
Shortly after the program, a note arrived at HB from The Clinton Foundation. Personally signed by Secretary Clinton and Chelsea, it read: “Thank you for helping us bring together such a dynamic group of young women for our very first No Ceilings conversation. We were delighted to have Hathaway Brown join our efforts to empower all girls to reach their full potential. We were especially glad to hear from Sunny and Sue Roy, both shining examples of the thoughtful, engaging, and academic-minded young women who inspire us every day.” Special thanks to HB alumna Kate King Klein ’80, whose recommendation helped HB secure this opportunity.
Video stills courtesy of The Clinton Foundation
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The April No Ceilings conversation was focused on listening and learning. By hearing directly from women and girls around the world about the progress they are seeing in their own lives and also challenges and barriers they still face, The Clinton Foundation believes that we can best understand where we need to focus our efforts to truly make progress. Many other programs have been planned as well. Visit www.clintonfoundation.org/noceilings to learn more and to view video footage and highlights from the conversation that included HB students.
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Celebrating Sisterhood
2014 Alumnae Weekend Recap What a celebration! From the Brown & Gold Bash to the Awards Presentation to the Family and Friends Lunch, there was something for everyone during Alumnae Weekend 2014. This was an extra special year, as it was HB’s turn to host the Four-School Reception. With more than 400 people in attendance, the atrium was brimming with reconnections, memories, laughter, and fun.
SAVE THE DATE!
ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2015
All class years welcome! For more information and a gallery of images from this year’s celebration, please visit www.hb.edu/alumnaeweekend.
HB
MAY 15 – 17
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milestones Photo by Jason Miller
Ready. Aim. Inspire. At the close of the 2013-14 school year, we said farewell to many of our colleagues, and wished them the best as they head into their retirement years. A special dinner was held in the Margery Stouffer Biggar ’47 & Family Dining Hall in their honor, at which they were surrounded by family and friends. The evening featured heartfelt remarks from Head of School Bill Christ about each of these longtime members of the Hathaway Brown community:
Bob Armstrong – Director of Transportation – 31 years Chris Franc – Third Grade Teacher – 14 years Nancy Gladstone – Director of Middle School – 20 years Debra Gressel – Upper School Art Teacher – 15 years
Your gift to the Annual Fund provides access to a world of Hathaway Brown opportunities for talented girls, professional development for expert teachers and staff, and an innovative curriculum and transformative experiences that inspire HB students to learn for life. When you lead, others will follow. Give today to the Annual Fund and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Together, your gifts build a fund that generates a powerful impact and benefits 100% of our students. HB girls grow into HB women who never stop asking questions, stretching their boundaries, and influencing our world for the better. Please choose to make a difference in their lives.
Joanne McConville – Kindergarten Teacher – 25 years Karen St. Amour – Prime Learning Specialist – 15 years Judy Silverstein – Upper School Math Teacher – 16 years Carol Sphar – Primary School Art Teacher – 11 years And at the final school luncheon in June, we celebrated the employment anniversaries of the following faculty, staff, and administrators:
5 Years of Service - Lindsay Ahrens, Joy Barton, Toni Cross, Kristin Kuhn, Natalie Manzanares, Nora Myers, Kim Ponsky ’98, Renee Van De Motter ’88;
10 Years of Service – Ed Beegle, Beth Burtch, Mary-Scott Pietrafese, Bridgette Nadzam-Kasubick, Lynda Seidel, Linda Simon-Mietus, Joe Vogel; 15 Years of Service – Michael Buescher, Jennifer Burnett, Sarah Johnston, Denise Keary; 20 Years of Service – Jane Brown, Molly Cornwell, Patricia Hunt, Lisa McKenna, Alvin Williams, Kelly Wilson; 25 Years of Service – Roseanne Paradise; 35 Years of Service – Mary Toth
Support the Annual Fund today at HB.edu/supportHB or contact Director of Annual Giving Marcia Merritt at mmerritt@hb.edu.
A Note from the
Alumnae Office
2014-2015 Alumnae Council M. Lily Datta ’90 – President
Forever Linked
The Hathaway Brown School Alumnae Association’s charge to the graduating class, borrowed from our sisters at the HB Aspire Program, challenges the young women to strive for excellence in their lives and impresses upon them a responsibility to stay connected to their alma mater and their HB sisters. The brief but powerful words of advice and encouragement are reinforced by all of the alumnae in the audience who stand proudly in solidarity as the words are spoken by the president of the Association. Along with singing IDEO, Bless This House, and our school’s alma mater, this is an HB tradition that resonates with me on a deep emotional level, reminding me of the strong bond I share with all my HB sisters.
Regina Rubin Cody ’80 – Alumnae Weekend Chair Molly Bruce Downing ’60
Musette Vincent ’74
Alumnae News
As a member of the Hathaway Brown administration, I have the privilege and honor of processing in the annual Commencement ceremony. Each step through the courtyard brings back memories of my own HB graduation and the feeling of nervous excitement at the thought of spreading my wings. One of my favorite parts of the morning is a new tradition tucked in with the sage advice of the Commencement speaker and the heartfelt reflections of a member of the graduating class.
Sheena Dee Pauley ’84 – President-Elect
Cassandra Johnson ’84
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Kathy Williams Malone ’66 Holly Boyer Scott ’73
Lisa Mortimer ’88 Catherine Herrick Levy ’93 Susan Evans Polatz ’94 Katherine Barr Hollingsworth ’96
“On this day, as you enter the world with wings sculpted by years of sisterhood, service, spirit, and scholarship, we charge you to spread those wings over distances you have never imagined. We charge you to fly farther than those before you, higher than those in front of you, and faster than those next to you. But on this flight, we charge you to remember this place.
Stephanie Malone Teeter ’97
Remember your sisters, for this sisterhood does not end on this day. Remember your spirit, for it may be broken more than once, but you have a sea of sisters willing to help you put it back together. Remember that you are a scholar and it is your duty to learn and to lead. Finally, remember to serve. An HB girl comes to HB to learn. An HB alumna comes to HB to give back. This is a call to action. Your Hathaway Brown journey has not ended, but extended beyond these walls.
Tierney Healey ’06
Congratulations and welcome to the Hathaway Brown Alumnae Association.”
I share these words with you in the hope that you’ll reflect upon the meaning of your HB experience and its impact on your life whether you graduated last year or 80 years ago or anywhere in between. Then I invite you to come back to campus for a special event or even an unplanned visit so that your steps can bring back memories, too.
Dana Lovelace Capers ’86 Director of Alumnae Relations
Carrie Edelstein ’98 Kate Barone Tropiano ’99 Danielle Horvitz Weiner ’00
Shaina Munoz ’06 Roberta Duarte ’09 Stephanie Poland ’13* Jaylaan Ceasor ’14* Logan Paul ’14* Michele Zhou ’14* *Alumnae Association College Liaison
HB Alumnae Network “Everyone enrolled at HB also is automatically enrolled in a tremendously empowering network.” - Bill Christ, Head of School We make it easy to keep in touch with your alma mater through a variety of digital interfaces and social media platforms. Download the Hathaway Brown Alumnae Mobile App, built exclusively for HB alumnae, available free in the App Store and at Google Play. You’ll be able to securely connect and network with your HB sisters around the world, all from the palm of your hand. Visit www.hb.edu/alumnaeapp for more information and to learn about all of the app’s features. HB also maintains a very active presence on LinkedIn through the Hathaway Brown School Alumnae Network. Joining the group is a great way for alumnae with established careers and recent graduates alike to stay in touch with one another, form professional relationships, share best practices, and converse about topics of interest. Alumnae App available FREE in the iTunes store.
Please Note: Hathaway Brown is committed to protecting the privacy of our alumnae. This alumnae app uses email verification and is only available to confirmed alumnae of Hathaway Brown School. Should you have any questions about the app, please email hbsalum@hb.edu
“The HB Alumnae App is a terrific resource that gives you the alumnae directory right at your fingertips. I especially love the mapping feature which allows you to see where alumnae are living. This is very helpful when moving to a new city or looking to connect with alumnae in a certain area.” - Kate LaMantia Sherwin ’00, Regional Director of Advancement for the Northeast, Hathaway Brown School
“Networking with other HB alumnae is important for me and for the school. LinkedIn is an easy way to feel and stay connected to HB and to make new contacts.” - Erin Wolf ’75, Founding Executive Director, Women’s Leadership Center at Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University
Marks of Distinction Friends, family, and colleagues gathered in May to celebrate the current holders of Hathaway Brown’s Endowed Faculty Chairs: Laura Main Webster ’91 – Anne Cutter Coburn Chair for Excellence in Teaching; Mary Kay Patton – Judy Cortese Chair in Science; Jason Habig – Ann Corlett Ford Chair in History; Lori Harris – Louise Blyth Timken Chair for Mathematics; Jamie Mueller – Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Chair in English; Sandrine Lhomet-Schmitz – Marting Chair in Foreign Language; Paul Maes – Linda K. Vaughan 1956 Chair for the Athletic Director; Patty Hunt – Kettering Fund Chair for Student Research; Morgan Locsei – Hathaway Brown School Award Fund for Promise in Education; Camille Lipford Seals ’02 – Martine Vilas Conway 1949 Chair for Aspire; and Joe Vogel – Clara Taplin Rankin 1934 Chair for the Center for Global Citizenship. To learn more about these designations, please visit www.hb.edu/endowedchairs.
Endowed Faculty Chairs Announced
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mark your calendar HB.edu/upcomingevents
Cleveland, Ohio Permit #3439
Family Food Fest at HB October 11, Atrium and Grounds, 9-11 a.m. Kid-centered program focused on staying active and eating right Parenting in the Middle October 15, The Ahuja Auditorium, 6:30-9 p.m. Featuring Michelle Icard, author of Middle School Makeover Middle & Upper School Open House October 19, 1:30-3:30 p.m. For prospective families, grades 5-12 Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, and Kindergarten Open House November 8, 10-11:30 a.m. Educational and interactive event for parents and children Upper School Fall Play November 14-16, The Ahuja Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat; 2:30 p.m. Sun. The Wizard of Oz First Lego League Competition December 6, 1-3 p.m. Northeast Ohio regional robotics competition Open to the public Fair Trade Sale December 8, HB Atrium, 11 a.m.-4 p.m Support artisans around the world. MasterWorks December 8, Tri-C East Campus, 7:30 p.m. Middle and Upper School musical ensembles perform
Several HB Upper Schoolers are members of the Cleveland Youth Rowing Association, with teams of students from numerous regional schools who crew on the Cuyahoga River.
Winterfest December 19 HB students and alumnae gather to celebrate the spirit of giving and the arrival of Winter Break