HW - Spotlight on the Transformational Impact of Financial Aid

Spotlight ON THE

Transformational Impact of FINANCIAL AID

Message from RICK COMMONS

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Dear Friends of Harvard-Westlake, Nearly 20 years ago, Harvard-Westlake began to highlight the power of financial aid by sharing the remarkable difference recipients were making to our school and community. A spring event, now known as the Spotlight Dinner, was created to honor the accomplishments of graduating seniors with two profound commonalities: 1) their impact on the school and fellow students was immeasurable; and 2) their experience could not have been possible without need-based financial aid.

In lieu of an in-person dinner this year, we share this communication, which demonstrates not only how these students are supported through financial aid, but also the many ways financial aid makes a difference to the entire Harvard-Westlake community. The first of these is access: financial aid dollars enable a greater number of the most talented applicants in Los Angeles, regardless of family resources, to access Harvard-Westlake. The second is diversity: a Harvard-Westlake education is unquestionably enhanced when we bring together a socioeconomically, racially, geographically, and ideologically diverse student body to experience this magical place together. The third, of course, is excellence: what will become immediately clear from these pages is that students receiving financial aid at Harvard-Westlake make us more excellent in every conceivable way.

Our goals for financial aid are considerable. In the near future, we hope to increase the percentage of students receiving needbased financial aid from 20% to 25%. Eventually we hope to be truly need-blind, so that a family’s financial position is not a factor in the Harvard-Westlake admission process. Underlying these aspirations, in every corner of both our campuses, is the transformational impact financial aid is having on young lives.

Thank you for your support of financial aid and your belief in the difference it can make. I hope we can all be back together on campus and in person in spring 2022, honoring a new set of dazzlingly talented students and celebrating the inspiring mission of Harvard-Westlake.

RICHARD B. COMMONS The Charles B. Thornton President & Head of School

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Evelyn Choi ’21 Evelyn Choi has taken “higher math” to a new level. Entering her junior year, Evelyn worked with four other high school students to conduct research on number theory and algebra as it applies to elections, leading to her co-authorship of a paper entitled “On Banzhaf and Shapley-Shubik Fixed Points and Divisor Voting Systems.” Her research measures the power of voters in weighted voting systems as consequential as the United Nations Security Council and the United States Electoral College.

I FEEL THAT MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HW HAS BEEN MY ACADEMICS. I HOPE TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POSITIVE CULTURE SURROUNDING ACADEMICS AT HW BY HELPING TO SPREAD THE JOY IN LEARNING AND ACADEMIC DISCOVERY.

ON THE

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

I’m not sure where I’ll be, but I’m interested in pursuing mathematical artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship so that I can use my mathematical skills to change the world by doing what hasn’t been done before. The math research that I conducted is also applicable to studying real world voting systems, and I want to continue to enjoy being creative through pure math research and its applications.

This photo is from my 9th grade retreat.

I had so much fun camping and Her math teacher says this about her: “Evelyn has a passion for the beauty of mathematics canoeing with my that is exceeded only by her ability to do friends! mathematics.” Her AP Physics C instructor, a master of clarity and pith, says simply this: “I have not found any flaws in Evelyn’s performance.” Beyond her flawless academic performance, Evelyn has performed many hours of community service as a hospital volunteer, a tutor to students in local public schools, and a beach cleaner with Heal the Bay. As Evelyn heads to Stanford to further her study of mathematics and computer science, we join her proud teachers in appreciation for all she has accomplished at Harvard-Westlake.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

John Szijjarto ’21 Since arriving in 9th grade, John Szijjarto has feasted at the smorgasbord of academic opportunities found in our curriculum, excelling in them all and earning recognition along the way as a National Merit Scholarship finalist. A selfdescribed “math-science guy” who will study engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, John nevertheless cites his Harvard-Westlake English teachers as the font of his creativity.

One of them describes John as the student who always sticks

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

The second floor overlook of Mudd Library was my home away from home. It was a place where I studied, socialized with friends, and relaxed in between classes.

In ten years, I see myself on the East Coast, not moving far from where I graduated college. I will be in a managerial position at an engineering firm, and I will be bringing the sustainability we so desperately need to the machines of tomorrow.

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MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HARVARD-WESTLAKE WAS EARNING THE AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION AWARD. I CHALLENGED MYSELF ACADEMICALLY BY TAKING THE MOST DIFFICULT, BUT ALSO INTERESTING, CLASSES I WAS OFFERED, AND I SUBSEQUENTLY WORKED VERY HARD TO LEARN FROM AND ENGAGE WITH THE COURSES.

FINANCIAL AID

around after class to delve a little more deeply into the texts, remembering one particularly intense after-class conversation about nihilism in the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Outside of Harvard-Westlake, John took part in the Coro Youth Fellowship Program and acts as a leader for the Independent School Alliance. In our own Admission Office, John serves as a student ambassador and will be remembered fondly for stepping in at the very last minute to substitute for a sick classmate at a financial aid workshop, tearing himself away from an AP Statistics analysis on the profitability of Lear motor parts and their market structure. We congratulate John on his multi-faceted excellence and thank him for his commitment to Harvard-Westlake.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Chance Walker ’21 For many of us, the pandemic slowed things down. For Chance Walker, it sped things up. While maintaining fidelity to her fitness as a varsity track athlete, Chance expanded the reach of the club she started in her sophomore year called HW Women of Color. At her first meeting, 30 girls showed up into a cramped classroom, and Chance ignited a spark among them that remained lit and continued throughout our virtual school year. Chance’s

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HARVARD-WESTLAKE IS CREATING THE WOMEN OF COLOR (WOC) CLUB MY SOPHOMORE YEAR. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020, I HOSTED VIRTUAL GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS WITH A PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST FOR WOC CLUB MEMBERS STRUGGLING WITH THE DOUBLE PANDEMICS OF RACISM AND COVID-19. HARVARDWESTLAKE HIRED OUR PSYCHOLOGIST AND I AM MORE HOPEFUL THAN EVER GIRLS OF COLOR SEEKING SUPPORT WILL RECEIVE THE ATTENTION THEY DESERVE.

ON THE

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

Hopefully, ten years from now, I will be working to advance and protect human rights, within the United States, as well as internationally.

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cultural awareness and leadership manifest themselves in any number of ways, at Harvard-Westlake and in the wider world. Her French teacher reports that Chance brings to the study of French language a cultural sensitivity rare among her peers; she wrote and performed in a wonderful play for the Playwrights Festival; and for a project in her AP Environmental Science class, she enlightened a gathering of 300 listeners about the perils of palm oil. If you listened in, you would be looking at every label on every product you buy! Outside of school, she sits on Mayor Garcetti’s Los Angeles Youth Council, and she studied My track spikes have government and politics at Harvard the summer become a lucky charm before her junior year. At every turn, Chance has of sorts throughout shown a voracious love of learning and a deep each season. I buy the commitment to community engagement. We same ones every year thank her for what she has given us at HarvardWestlake, and we look forward to the impact because the color and she will make beyond. style are simple,

yet powerful.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Shay Gillearn ’21 It’s hard to get Shay Gillearn to talk about himself, but others are happy to fill the void. His water polo coach says, “I have coached thousands of athletes in my career and there are few that rival his unique and extraordinary qualities. Shay is a fantastic student, a brilliant athlete, and a selfless teammate. I hope he knows he is the role model I hope all of my student athletes aspire to emulate.” In addition to the two CIF Division I Championships, multiple school records, and countless accolades he won in the pool, Shay has earned top

This is a pot I made in Ceramics last year. 3D art was very important to my Harvard-Westlake experience because it allowed me to be creative while having a lot of fun. Ceramics was something I never would have experienced if not for Harvard-Westlake, and I plan to continue doing it for many years to come.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

In 10 years, I hope to be working a job in finance, following Harvard-Westlake athletics, and giving back to the Harvard-Westlake community that gave so much to me.

ON THE

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HW HAS BEEN WINNING THE CIF WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP AND SCORING THE LAST GOAL IN THE FINAL. THIS WAS OUR SECOND TITLE IN A ROW, AND WE SET THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR MOST WINS IN A SEASON.

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I WOULD TELL AN INCOMING 7TH GRADER TO MEET AS MANY NEW PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MANY CLUBS AND CLASSES HW OFFERS. YOU CAN MAKE SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS AND DEVELOP INTERESTS YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED.

grades in a demanding course-load, finds time to develop his artistic side with a focus on ceramics and threedimensional art, and serves as a student ambassador, giving tours to prospective students and families. Shay is caring, sensitive, humble, kind, creative, and funny. Yet what his coach says makes him unique is his ability to harmonize and blend those qualities, selecting which one is most needed at any given moment. As Shay heads to Bucknell to study economics and continue his water polo career, we congratulate him on his many accomplishments and thank him for his many gifts.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Crystal Baik ’21

Crystal Baik’s personal energy shines in myriad and unexpected ways. In addition to her array of academic strengths—from AP Chinese Language to Genetics to Criminal Law—Crystal has performed in the Playwrights Festival, devoted many hours to community service at hospitals and local public schools, and even climbed into the ring to spar as a member of the boxing club. Last summer she was awarded a fellowship in the Coro leadership program and devoted herself to studying the nursing home crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. She developed her summer work into a senior independent study project, focusing on the portrayal of the

THROUGH MY TIME AS A STUDENT AMBASSADOR AS WELL AS MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE FINANCIAL DIVERSITY GROUP AND VARIOUS OTHER SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, I HOPE TO HAVE PLAYED MY PART IN INFLUENCING HOW BOTH THE STUDENT BODY AND POTENTIAL APPLICANTS VIEW FINANCIAL AID ITSELF AND THE STUDENTS ON IT. I HOPE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO GROW MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT, AT TIMES, THIS STIGMATIZED TOPIC AND THOSE ON FINANCIAL AID CONTINUE GROWING TO UNAPOLOGETICALLY SMILE WITH PRIDE AT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

I like to describe myself as a cottage person with a dash of city in me. Therefore in addition to having graduated law school with a focus on health law and policy, I hope to also have bought a small plot of land with my friends to create the sustainable farm we’ve always talked about.

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health crisis in various news media. Her attention to matters of public health will continue next year at New York University, where she plans to double major in global health and communications.

Finally, Crystal has been a pioneer as we explore a more open attitude about financial diversity at Harvard-Westlake. She was the first student to appear in front of applicant parents to discuss our financial aid program, speaking openly about her experiences in ways that were inspiring and liberating to the families in attendance.

Congratulations and thank you to Crystal, with gratitude for her commitment to “purposes beyond ourselves.”

Here is a picture of myself with the rest of my cast members before our 2019 Playwrights Festival performance. Always having wanted to participate in a school production, I promised myself that if I was fortunate enough to attend HW as a sophomore transfer, I would make the jump I’d always chickened out of doing. Well let’s just say I ended up having such a blast my first year that I’ve participated in at least one school production every year since then!

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Jake Futterman ’21 Senioritis hits 12th graders in lots of different ways. Here’s how it hit Jake Futterman: straight A’s in all AP classes, rendering his first semester GPA a perfect 5.0. But his impressive academic performance is just one part of Jake’s story. He is also one of the leading youth robotics experts in the country, and he has won a remarkable series of robotics championships – eight of them, to be exact. Still, if you ask Jake what he is most proud of, he will tell you it’s his creation of an organization dedicated to teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and robotics to underserved children all over the

As the team captain of Harvard-Westlake’s robotics team, VEX robotics has been the greatest influence on my life and my love for STEM. HW’s extensive robotics team has allowed me to pursue my 3 passions: to innovate, compete, and educate.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

In 10 years, I hope to be working at or leading a robotics company of some kind. It would fulfill a childhood dream to build space exploration robots for a company like NASA or SpaceX. I also hope and plan to continue expanding my robotics education projects to share the wonders of STEM and robotics with even more students around the world.

ON THE

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AT HW WAS WINNING THE 2019 VEX ROBOTICS CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP UNDEFEATED. I LED MY TEAM IN MY FIRST YEAR AT HW’S UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS PROGRAM TO BUILD A COMPLEX ROBOT THAT COULD EFFICIENTLY SOLVE EVERY CHALLENGE AND WIN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!

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world. In the summer of 2019, he was honored by the city of Gode, Ethiopia for his work inspiring schoolchildren there to love learning. Closer to home, Jake is the captain of the golf team, plays guitar in the jazz band, and has served as a student ambassador since 9th grade. Even the pandemic of 2020 couldn’t slow him down. He spent time at home designing online STEM and robotics curriculum for the student-run community service organization Bored of Boredom, did the same for his alma mater Mirman School, and in February of 2021 he won the Centennial Remote Skills robotics competition. For all he has accomplished and all he has given to others, we offer thanks and congratulations.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Khyra Stiner ’21

Khyra Stiner came to us as one of two students from the charter school KIPP Academy of Opportunity, and she quickly made her mark. Khyra has been an activist, filmmaker, athlete, and a scholar. As a leader of our Black Leadership and Culture Club, she has been responsible for meaningful events such as bringing author and politician Bakari Sellers into conversation with HarvardWestlake students last fall. Khyra’s greatest talents may lie in filmmaking. As a sophomore, she directed an award-wining film called In Plain Site about a boy creating a website that reveals secrets at his school, which earned abundant

I HOPE TO LEAVE AN INSPIRING MARK ON HW. COMING TO THIS SCHOOL WAS A BIG CHANGE FOR ME, BUT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT MY HOME AND I WANT TO SHOW OTHER MINORITY STUDENTS THAT THEY BELONG HERE AND CAN THRIVE HERE AND OFFER THEM HOPE.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

My goal is to make a difference in the world, whether that’s just a small group of people or people all across the world. I just want to leave my mark. A big thing that I want to be able to do in 10 years is to share my story and inspire those with similar interests or experiences.

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praise for its stunning creativity. Her teacher for Cinema Studies and mentor for her senior independent study project says this about her most recent work as a writer and producer: “What was intended to be a screenplay for a short film is well on its way to becoming a feature-length film. What impresses me most is Khyra’s confidence.

In many ways this doesn’t feel like a first effort. It is a lovely piece of work from a gifted and mature young writer.” Khyra says that her goal is simply to make a difference, and we are proud and grateful that she has begun to do so here at Harvard-Westlake.

This is a photo that I took in 9th grade (2017) of a show that was in the middle school art gallery.

The photo is of a quilt, and it was selected to be the cover for one issue of The Spectrum, and it won an award. I like this photo because it contains memories of writing and photography, which were two of my favorite things while I was at the middle school and they helped to shape my current hobbies.

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All Students on Aid Receive:

HARVARD-WESTLAKE

2020-2021

FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid at Harvard-Westlake exists to attract and enroll the most talented students in Los Angeles. Every grant is need-based and customized to the circumstances and financial profile of each family.

$1,300

DRAW ACCOUNT FOR SCHOOL STORE AND CAFETERIA

ALL BOOKS AND COURSE MATERIALS

BY THE NUMBERS Average Tuition Grant

$

31,000

COMPUTER STIPEND of the student body receives financial aid

of

TUITION

Total budget:

MILLION

REQUIRED ATHLETIC UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

Expanded Supplemental Aid

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CAN INCLUDE:

Travel Study Grants

Family Emergencies

Leadership Programs

SAT/ACT Prep

Everything that Harvard-Westlake does in its financial aid program is incredibly inclusive and thoughtful.

It does everything to level the playing field in ways that most people wouldn’t even think of, whether that is: paying for textbooks before they even arrive, having a small stipend at the bookstore so that you can join in school spirit activities and wear a Harvard-Westlake shirt, paying for costumes, or the ability to have your art supplies covered.

IT NURTURES THE WHOLE PERSON AND THE WHOLE STUDENT, AND IT MAKES THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF REACH SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO AND SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN FLY FROM. - JULIANNA BENTES ’00 Financial Aid Recipient

Summer School

Academic Tutoring 17

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is Financial Aid a priority at Harvard-Westlake?

THERE ARE THREE MAIN REASONS:

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2

#

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ACCESS

DIVERSITY

EXCELLENCE

Financial aid dollars enable a greater number of the most talented applicants in Los Angeles, regardless of family resources, to attend Harvard-Westlake.

A Harvard-Westlake education is unquestionably enhanced when we bring together a socioeconomically, racially, geographically, and ideologically diverse student body to experience this magical place together.

Students receiving financial aid at Harvard-Westlake make us more excellent in every conceivable way.

The greatest distinction of our students in our need-based financial aid program is that there is no distinction between them and their full pay counterparts. Students on financial aid perform at or above every measurable standard at our school: GPA, college admissions, and excellence in all arenas.

In the 2019-20 school year financial aid students achieved the following: 20% of students in Cum Laude, equal to their percentage at the school, an average GPA .06 of a percentage point higher than the school-wide average, acceptance to highly selective colleges and universities, and the usual outstanding representation and performance in drama, athletics, clubs, affinity groups, and campus leadership.

BRINGING IN DIFFERENT WAYS OF SEEING THE WORLD, DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES IN THE WORLD...THIS ENRICHES EVERY CONVERSATION, EVERY RELATIONSHIP, EVERY ATHLETIC EVENT, EVERY ARTISTIC EVENT. ALL OF IT IS ENHANCED AND ENRICHED A THOUSAND TIMES OVER BY BEING INCLUSIVE OF A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS. - AMI KRAMER COHEN ’81 P’15 ’18 ’24 Financial Aid Recipient

The total Harvard-Westlake experience produces students and people who are attractive candidates for colleges and universities. In the coming academic year we conservatively estimate our graduating seniors will receive close to two million dollars in grants and scholarships. Of those graduating seniors about half are the first generation in their family who will graduate from university.

GREG GONZALEZ P’12 ’15 Director of Financial Aid MEET DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID GREG GONZALEZ Financial aid has been a catalyst for Greg Gonzalez’s entire life. A native of Boyle Heights here in Los Angeles, Greg attended both Columbia University and Columbia Journalism School with the assistance of need-based financial aid. Following a career as a reporter, Greg found his way to education and Harvard-Westlake in 1994. He has served as middle school English teacher, middle school dean, varsity football coach, upper school History teacher and History Dept. Chair, and now as the Director of Financial Aid, a position he began in 2018. Greg has long had a deep connection to financial aid, even before he began administering our current $13.7 million program to 363 students, as both his daughters, Bella ’12 and Sophia ’15, received financial aid throughout their time here. “My goal is to bring financial aid out of the shadows,” Greg explains. “I am grateful for events like the Spotlight Dinner and publications like these that help to communicate the 19 inspiring Harvard-Westlake stories that I am fortunate to witness every day.”

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ON THE

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WHEN WE PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID, we are not just aiming

for a talented student to grow and flourish at HarvardWestlake; we are also aiming to prepare that student to make a difference beyond us—in college, in graduate school, in professional and community life. We believe that talent and motivation should knock down barriers to opportunity, and we believe that the opportunities Harvard-Westlake provides should multiply in the future accomplishments of our graduates and in the lives of the people they will touch.

- RICK COMMONS

The Charles B. Thornton President & Head of School

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Where are they ?

I am a Double Major in Political Science and Sociology at Grinnell College. I will be pursuing the Student Government Presidency in addition to studying in Washington, D.C. during my junior year. Additionally, I was recently accepted into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program which will allow me to pursue research on Black men navigating finance in our own spaces and how we accumulate resources amongst ourselves while navigating solidarity and masculinity. My career goals are either to be a politician or have my sociological research have policy implications and create change for underprivileged youth and people.

This summer, when it became apparent that I’d be faced with a virtual school year, I decided to take a gap year from Princeton, where I’ve been studying for the past two years. I’ve spent my year living with some of my friends from school in the Pacific Northwest and interning virtually with Emory University’s Carlos Museum, Get Lit Words Ignite, the Bronfman Fellowship, and Serve The Moment/ Repair the World.

I’m excited to be returning to Princeton as a junior in the English and Humanistic Studies departments in the fall!

HARVARD-WESTLAKE GRADUATES ARE DEEPLY ENGAGED WITH THE WORLD AND STRONGLY COMMITTED TO CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIETY. HERE ARE UPDATES ON ALUMNI WHO WERE FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS AND HONORED AT A SPOTLIGHT DINNER DURING THEIR SENIOR YEAR.

SULTAN DANIELS ’19 I’m a sophomore at Brown University studying Computer Engineering. I’m a part of the Space Engineering club here where I work on designing the electrical circuitry for a small cube satellite that our club is trying to get launched into space. In my downtime, I’m either reading about science & society, or producing electronic music!

SAKURA PRICE ’18

SAM LYONS ’13 I am currently working as the 8th grade Humanities teacher at Wildwood School, after graduating from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Philosophy. This is my fourth year as a teacher, and I not only strive to remain at the forefront of innovative education, but also to foster lasting and meaningful relationships with my students like I had with teachers at HarvardWestlake. My goals with teaching focus on providing students with a global perspective on equity and justice as well as the tools necessary to create positive change.

JESUS MORALES ’12 I attended the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. After interning at two different start ups my freshman and sophomore summers I interned on Apple’s Apple Watch team the summer before my senior year. Since graduating I’ve moved to San Francisco and joined the Apple Watch team full-time as a software engineer on the media team. I’m constantly working to improve the Podcasts experience on the Apple Watch.

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ASTRID GARAY ’15 I recently graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I am now living in New York City where I work for IBM as a Cloud Technical Seller. In my free time, I love to travel to foreign countries (well, when we can again!) and recently have been cooking/baking more and experimenting with new recipes (I definitely fell into the quarantine baking trend). I love being in the tech industry and have been looking into new ways to help women navigate the tech world professionally.

SOPHIE MCALLISTER ’13 I graduated from Columbia University in 2017 and now attend the University of California, San Francisco for medical school. This upcoming year, I will be taking a year off of medical school to research congenital heart disease as a fellow with the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation. I look forward to applying to internal medicine residency the following year.

MILES MCQUEEN ’16 I graduated from Middlebury College this past summer with High Honors while majoring in International Politics and Economics. While I enjoyed my time in Vermont, I’m happy to be back living and working in LA. Soon after graduation, I started a new position as a junior investment analyst at Payden & Rygel.

ALLISON GOROKHOVSKY ’17 I’m currently in my last semester in the Huntsman Program at the University of Pennsylvania, completing majors in International Studies, Russian and Eastern European Studies, and Business Management. I’m also working on a senior thesis that compares two of the most central revolutionary leaders of the 20th century - Vladimir Lenin and Ayatollah Khomeini.

After graduation, I’m moving to New York where I’ll be joining McKinsey & Company.

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ADAM YARON ’16 In May 2020, I graduated from the USC Thornton School of Music with a major in Songwriting and a minor in Music Industry. Upon graduation, I was lucky enough to receive the inaugural scholarship created by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, now awarded annually to a student that demonstrates “exceptional professional potential.” My songs have been placed on NBC’s Blacklist, Pretty Little Liars (Perfectionists), promos for Playstation and NBA2K, amongst others.

I am now working as an independent writer and producer, constantly collaborating with artists and creators that inspire me.

BRENDA FLORES ’13 I am currently living in Washington, D.C. and working for my alma mater Georgetown! My work as the Assistant Director for Events and Marketing at the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) is focused around creating meaningful programs and events to foster a strong sense of community and belonging for students who identify as first-generation and/or low-income. Being a first-gen college grad and alumni of the program, I find it extremely rewarding to be able to work towards creating a more equitable college experience for students. At GSP we provide support in a variety of ways to students and I am excited to be working with the team to fundraise for our goal of a 10 million dollar endowment of our Necessity Grant!

MOLLY STEINBERG ’14 In 2018, I graduated from Carleton College, which is in snowy Northfield, Minnesota with a major in Sociology and Anthropology and a minor in Educational Studies. After undergrad, I moved to South Korea and taught English for a year and a half to elementary and middle school aged Korean students. Since coming back to the United States, I have decided to go back to school and get both my master’s in Education and credential in teaching. I am currently in an 1-year accelerated teacher education program at UCSB, taking classes and working in a 3rd grade classroom as a student teacher!

GABRIEL GAMEZ ’14 I graduated from Cornell University in 2018 with a degree in Information Science and have since been working in technology as a Project Manager at NBCUniversal. Outside of work, I started On The Go LA in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, which is a service that helps local food entrepreneurs easily and affordably formalize their business and grow their customer base by offering full-service, short-term food truck rentals. When those two aren’t keeping me busy, I am hitting the GMAT study books and am an active participant in the Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA Prep Program.

SAMANTHA GARFIELD ’14 I live in Washington, D.C. where I work for Deloitte Consulting helping government agencies improve employee experience through innovative technology and process solutions. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Economics and Public Policy in 2018. I am passionate about health and wellness, and recently helped a boutique fitness studio redesign their internal website. I am anxiously awaiting the end of the COVID-19 pandemic so I can travel back to visit my parents in Los Angeles and overseas again!

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MILA BARZDUKAS ’15 After Harvard-Westlake, I attended Emory University, winning the NCAA National Championship in volleyball during my senior year. I also worked in Emory’s Office of Admission, and this experience sparked a passion for expanding college access.

While currently a social studies teacher in Brooklyn with Teach for America, I am in the process of applying to graduate schools for Higher Education Administration. I hope to spend my career giving students across the country as amazing an education as the one I received growing up.

TAYLOR NUNLEY ’12

I’m currently a graduate student and nonprofit consultant, remotely pursuing a master’s in Counseling at Northwestern and supporting social media/marketing efforts at Washington, D.C.-based Defend Yourself and Safe Bars. At Northwestern, I am also a part of the Counseling program’s new Multicultural, Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and the founder of the Counselors of Color student group.

As an undergraduate Film major, I hope to one day incorporate screenwriting more into my daily life as well. (she/her)

JASON SANTILLÁN ’17 I will be graduating from MIT this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science.

I am currently looking for fulltime manufacturing roles back in Los Angeles. I look forward to going back home and staying in touch with the Harvard-Westlake community!

KELLY LOPEZ ’18 I’m currently a junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Bioengineering with a concentration in Multiscale Biomechanics. My fields of interest are medical devices, biomechanics, and product development. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to research additive manufacturing labs at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and have recently joined a startup laboratory working on biosensors for wireless and wearable recording of brain activity in mobile settings.

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CHARLIE MENDES ’19 26

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I’m currently in my sophomore year at Rice University working towards a degree in Material Science and Nano-engineering as well as a Business minor. Outside of the classroom I’m the starting punter for the football team. Along with this I was given a full athletic scholarship starting in the fall of 2020. With Covid eligibility rules I hope to keep playing through two years of a master’s program.

BELLA GONZALEZ ’12 This May I will be graduating from USC with my master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Local Government. After working for the City of Los Angeles at El Pueblo Historical Monument for a couple of years after undergrad at UC Berkeley, I decided to pursue my master’s degree to learn more about the public sector. I have been fortunate to have been employed by HarvardWestlake since graduating in 2012 as an assistant for the Girls Water Polo program. Our girls program won the 2020 CIF Division II Championship last year and the last time the girls had won CIF was when I was a senior in high school in 2012. It was a very special moment to celebrate as a coach this time!

JOHN HARBOUR III ’18 I graduated Harvard-Westlake in 2018, and I am now a junior pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering.

Along with my acceptance to NYU, I was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for my commitment to social activism and later, the National Society of Black Engineers and Honeywell Integrated Pipeline Scholarship, a select award for African-American engineering students. Recently, I accepted an internship with Ford Motor Company for this summer in their Product Development division and, in an attempt to apply my background outside of the classroom, founded an intercollegiate undergraduate club, Engineering Investment Group, with a fellow HW Class of ’18 alum. I am extremely grateful for my time at HarvardWestlake and I hope to utilize my opportunities and background in a career dedicated to bridging the gap of STEM engagement and financial literacy within minority communities.

CAROLINE CHOI ’19 I’m a sophomore at Stanford double-majoring in Math and Computer Science, with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence. Last summer, I conducted NSF-funded research to work on an open problem known since the 1800s. My collaborators and I made a breakthrough discovery, and the paper was recommended for publication in the Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. Recently, I received news that the PCT (international patent system) recommended my novel technology for early disease detection for patenting.

KARLA ALAS ’16 In May of 2020, I graduated from Occidental College with a major in Psychology and a minor in Education. It was during my undergraduate years that I realized I want to play a role in the successful social, personal, career, and academic development of students. Currently, I am a first year graduate student in the School Counseling master’s program at California State University Northridge. Outside of school, I work as a career and guidance counselor assistant at Pierce College and I continue to coach high school soccer.

ON THE

THE LEGACY OF YOUR GIFTS

FINANCIAL AID

is still being written across all the individuals who are benefited by your generosity and altruism.

- AKIR GUTIERREZ ’91 Financial Aid Recipient

JAZMIN PICHE CIFUENTES ’15 After graduating from Brown University as a first-generation student with two BAs in 2019, I spent a year working at an international company in Washington, D.C. Recently, I was selected as a Fulbright Grantee to Brazil and am now beginning the law school application process while awaiting further details from the Fulbright Commission. In spite of the pandemic, I plan on furthering my studies of international affairs!

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HARVARD-WESTLAKE

Student Assistance Funds Harvard-Westlake is extremely grateful to the following donors who have established Student Assistance Funds to provide additional funds beyond tuition for students receiving financial aid.

These funds cover student expenses aside from tuition, such as books, required materials, school trips, musical instruments, and athletic equipment—ensuring that every student can benefit from the full Harvard-Westlake experience regardless of financial need.

Arnall Family Student Assistance Fund Attanasio Family Student Assistance Fund Marsha & Karl Austen Student Assistance Fund Bailey Family Student Assistance Fund Baril Student Assistance Fund Barnum Family Student Assistance Fund Bilger Family Student Assistance Fund Jim Brink Memorial Student Assistance Fund Reverend Canon José D. Carlo Student Assistance Fund Choi Family Student Assistance Fund Clancy Family Student Assistance Fund Cohen Family Student Assistance Fund Sergio D. Coury Student Assistance Fund ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Dean Family Student Assistance Fund Demoff Family Student Assistance Fund Dern Family Student Assistance Fund Doyle Family Student Assistance Fund Fisher Family Student Assistance Fund Beth & Josh Friedman Family Student Assistance Fund Marianne Hall Student Assistance Fund Harvard-Westlake African-American Alumni Network Student Assistance Fund Harvard-Westlake Parents Association Student Assistance Fund Joslin-Kaleel Family Student Assistance Fund Kanoff Family Student Assistance Fund Karmarkar Family Student Assistance Fund Karney-Goldstein Family Student Assistance Fund Khalil Family Student Assistance Fund Klein/Marcus Family Student Assistance Fund Jaime Lee ’03 Family Student Assistance Fund Li Family Student Assistance Fund Jenny & Luis Li Family Student Assistance Fund

James V. Maloney Jr. Student Assistance Fund Doris B. Meyer Student Assistance Fund Myerson Family Student Assistance Fund Carol & William Ouchi Student Assistance Fund George C. Page Student Assistance Fund Nancy & Stephen Paul Student Assistance Fund Reese Family Student Assistance Fund Ressler Family Student Assistance Fund Rosson-Frandzel Family Student Assistance Fund Roth Family Student Assistance Fund Chan U. Ryu Student Assistance Fund Sachs Family Student Assistance Fund Seo Family Student Assistance Fund Shapiro Family Student Assistance Fund Shell Family Student Assistance Fund Song Family Student Assistance Fund Norman F. Sprague III ’65 Student Assistance Fund Lori & David Sunkin ’85 and Kathleen & Ted Buchalter Student Assistance Fund Tananbaum Family Student Assistance Fund Thibiant Family Student Assistance Fund Walske Family Student Assistance Fund Wen Family Student Assistance Fund Wixen Family Student Assistance Fund Xie Family Student Assistance Fund Yuan Family Student Assistance Fund

ON THE

Scholar Endowments

FINANCIAL AID

Harvard-Westlake is extremely grateful to the following donors who have established Scholar Endowments, which provide need-based financial aid and tuition assistance to Harvard-Westlake families. Scholar Endowments enable the school to draw and retain the most talented applicants in Los Angeles, regardless of family resources.

Ahrens Scholar Endowment The Alumni Scholar Endowment John Amato Scholar Endowment Anderson Family Scholar Endowment Attanasio Family Scholar Endowment Gabriella Axelrad ’04 Scholar Endowment Milo W. Bekins ’44 Scholar Endowment Philip H. Berk Memorial Scholar Endowment Brittenham Family Scholar Endowment Burnap Foundation Scholar Endowment John A. Butler Memorial Scholar Endowment J. Chen Family Scholar Endowment Children of Faculty and Staff Scholar Endowment Cisneros-Ferreira Family Scholar Endowment Jarron ’97 & Jason ’97 Collins Scholar Endowment Richard B. Commons Scholar Endowment Davis Family Scholar Endowment Dees Family Scholar Endowment du Manoir-Camacho Family Scholar Endowment J. Howard Edgerton 1924 Scholar Endowment Jane B. Eisner Scholar Endowment Everard Family Scholar Endowment Fischer Family Scholar Endowment

Fischmann Family Scholar Endowment Flesh Family Scholar Endowment Garen Family Scholar Endowment General Scholar Endowment Father John S. Gill Scholar Endowment Goldsmith Maltz Family Scholar Endowment Hartford Family Scholar Endowment Harvard Class of ’85 Scholar Endowment Harvard-Westlake Parents Association Scholar Endowment Thomas C. Hudnut Scholar Endowment Reese Hummer ’88 Memorial Scholar Endowment Independence Foundation Scholar Endowment Les Josephson ’79 Memorial Scholar Endowment Kaplan Family Scholar Endowment The William M. Keck, Jr. Scholar Endowment The William M. Keck, II Scholar Endowment Larkin Family Scholar Endowment Latino Parents’ Association Scholar Endowment Christopher Lizzio ’82 Memorial Scholar Endowment Lu Family Scholar Endowment Lucas Family Scholar Endowment Walter & Carol Matthau Scholar Endowment

Stanley Meyer Scholar Endowment George E. Moss ’48 Scholar Endowment The Promise Fund Resnik Family Scholar Endowment Richards Family Scholar Endowment Max Joseph Ritvo ’09 Scholar Endowment The Right Reverend Robert Rusack Memorial Fund Frank R. Seaver Family Scholar Endowment The Segal Family Scholar Endowment Steven Shafran ’77 Scholar Endowment Henry E. Singleton Scholar Endowment Harold V. Spencler 1917 Scholar Endowment Peter Stark ’62 Memorial Scholar Endowment The Stellar Family Scholar Endowment Wallis Foundation Scholar Endowment Barbara Welsh Scholar Endowment Robert W. Wienpahl ’35 Scholar Endowment Ina Coleman & Alan Wilson Scholar Endowment Woods Scholar Endowment Whitney Woods ’00 Memorial Scholar Endowment

Spotlight ON THE

Transformational Impact of FINANCIAL AID