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THE MAGAZINE OF LAUSANNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL / FALL 2015 Vol. 9 Issue 1
Starting Ahead: Impacting Our Community
Fr om th e He a d m a s t e r
PLEASE ENJOY “THE REAL ME” http://www.lausanneschool.com/therealme
Dear Friends of Lausanne, “Lausanne graduates can change the world!” That was the unified response from Lausanne faculty when asked the question “Why does Lausanne exist?” The impact of our current students, graduates and alumni is local, national and international. Therefore, whether you are a current Lower School student involved in the all-school recycling program; an eighth-grader implementing the Reader’s Writer’s Workshop approach to reading with kindergarten students at Promise Academy; a sophomore serving with the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis; a member of our senior class interning at a trading company in New York City; a graduate teaching English in China or an alumni from decades ago managing an international business; you are that impact agent because of your experience at Lausanne. Lausanne students’ passion, commitment and service to communities regardless of geographic locations is driven by a pervasive empathy for others nurtured by Lausanne’s commitment and vision to global citizenship. The Lausanne institutional impact whether it be in education, instructional innovation, technology or just asking the right questions has its roots in the school’s history, traditions and vision for the future. This commitment to looking beyond enables Lausanne students, past and present, to be themselves, the individuals they want to be or as most recently described in our students video “The Real Me.” Over the years, we have created, developed and now fully implemented a comprehensive, curriculum-driven, thematic, experiential learning program for grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth, that includes the Upper School’s new Internship Program as well as many other grade level community building and impacting activities. This program, while having the school’s history, tradition, mission and vision at its core is also supported and guided by The Lausanne Way and the International Baccalaureate learner profile. Much of the content of this magazine is dedicated to sharing this impactful program with you. I hope that upon reading the details and learning more about this innovative learning program that you will be excited for the persons and communities this program will positively impact. Moreover, I hope that you will continue to be very proud of our students, alumni and our institution’s commitment to impacting positive change whether it be locally, nationally or globally.
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M A GAZINE
fall IN
2015
THIS ISSUE
1 From the Editor 2 Starting Ahead: Impacting Our Community 10 College Admission Process 14 Profiles 20 Class Notes 27 Thank You! Annual Report 2014–2015 50 Looking Back
On the cover: senior Aynsley Hartney ’16 at Medtronic during the inaugural week of the Lausanne Internship Program. Photo credit: Matt Taylor, Creation Studios
Lausanne Magazine is a publication of Lausanne Collegiate School whose mission is to prepare each of its students for college and for life in a global environment. EDITOR
Carrie Linder Lotterhos Director of Communications clotterhos@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1003 MANAGING EDITOR
Laura S. Trott Director of Admission & Marketing ltrott@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1036 COPY EDITOR
Through our commitment to servant leadership, humility and empathy for others, we will demonstrate fully the “why” behind the question “why does Lausanne exist?” As we now believe, that answer is because our graduates can change the world.
Susannah Reese ‘00 ART DIRECTOR
Alison Johnson Charles CLASS NOTES AND ALUMNI NEWS
Anne Jones Director of Alumni Relations ajones@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1008 ANNUAL REPORT
Stuart McCathie Headmaster
Charlotte Albertson Director of Annual Giving calbertson@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1029 PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael Christopher Carrie Linder Lotterhos Karon Nash ‘04 COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
Headmaster Stuart McCathie visits JK students about plants and gardening tools as a part of their dirt project.
Allie Foster Lausanne Collegiate School 1381 W. Massey Rd., Memphis, TN 38120 901.474.1000 www.lausanneschool.com
From the Editor
Carrie Linder Lotterhos with senior Aynsley Hartney ’16 at Medtronic during the inaugural week of the Lausanne Internship Program.
Inspiration: something that makes
someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create; a force or influence that inspires someone; a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something; a good idea. ( M E R R I A M - W E B S T E R D I C T I O NA RY )
There is no other word to describe what I witnessed during the second week of the 2015-2016 school year, as I had the honor to “intern-hop” around the city of Memphis and watch our Lausanne Upper School sophomore and senior students in action. Our Lynx were spread across our great city, and some even ventured out of town, to complete the inaugural year of the Lausanne Internship Program. Sophomores Gray Clark ’18 and David Wakefield ‘18 jumped into the scene at BRIDGES, Inc., a non-profit organization which encourages the youth in Memphis to unite and inspire diverse young people to become confident and courageous leaders committed to community transformation. Senior Aynsley Hartney ’16 walked confidently into Medtronics, a spinal and biologics medical company, with which she has been interning since her eighth grade year, and not only participated but contributed her engineering knowledge throughout the day. Our Lynx were also at International Paper, Le Bohneur, the VA Hospital, Theatre Memphis and many other city-wide organizations and were not only learning but representing
ENJOY A BRIEF VIDEO OF THE LAUSANNE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM EXPERIENCE. http://www.lausanneschool.com/internships
Faculty advisor Faunne Brown visited with senior Krish Muthiah ’16 and some of the doctors and nurses at the Veterans Hospital.
our school in the most impressive way possible. Between internship visits one day, I stopped in the Peabody Lobby to record my notes from my previous stop. I welled up with the deepest since of pride as I sat in the foyer of one of the most famous Memphis landmarks, just a block away from the mighty Mississippi River, and thought through this inspiring story of the empowering jobs our Lausanne students were doing to contribute to our community at such a young age. I thought back to my first internship at WREG Channel 3 between my sophomore and junior years of college. It was one of the most impactful summers I had ever experienced, and the hands-on learning guided me into my career, which helps me in my job, even today. Our Lausanne students are being presented an internship opportunity so much earlier and it’s exciting to imagine the ability this experience is going to give them. The launch of the program is not only allowing our students to dig into the Memphis community but also molding them immensely for the mission of Lausanne which is to prepare them for college and for life in a global environment. It most certainly is making them extremely attractive to college and university admission offices.
Senior Nathan Camp ’16 worked in the Leadership and Talent Management Department at International Paper.
driven during their Restaurant Project not only to learn the skills of business but also to contribute their earnings to MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) that provides food programs to the underprivileged and homebound in Memphis. Our Middle School eighth grade students connect with the kindergarten students from Memphisarea Promise Academy each year to help them learn to read and are constantly encouraged to help others be the best they can be. When the Outdoor Discovery Center was built this summer, the pre-existing playground equipment was carefully removed and reinstalled at Promise Academy. By the time our students leave the Lausanne campus after graduation, they will have lived the skills to be able to integrate themselves into whatever city they land, whether stateside or overseas, and know they can make a difference. I hope you enjoy seeing throughout the magazine the work our students, past and present, are doing and the passion they bring to all that they do. Seeing these Lynx intern and being able to witness it has been, without a doubt, my favorite collective week I’ve ever experienced at Lausanne. But, then again, it is Lausanne, so I’m sure that honor won’t last for long! Go Lynx!
Our Upper School students aren’t the only ones being encouraged to immerse themselves into service, that message starts at the youngest age of PK at Lausanne. Our first grade students are
Carrie Linder Lotterhos Director of Communications
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Starting Ahead: Impacting Our Community Lausanne Launches New Internship Program
From Westport, Connecticut out to Boulder, Colorado, from New York City to Cuba, Missouri, back east to Durham, North Carolina and down to our city of Memphis, Tennessee, the inaugural week of the Lausanne Internship Program made an impact across the country. During the week of August 21-28, 2015, the Lausanne class of 2016 and 2018 took part in a new strategic community learning experience. Beginning this year, the sophomore class and senior class participated in an internship week designed to replace the traditional class trips. This program is specifically intended to allow our students to experience the Lausanne mission first hand by exploring how their personal participation in community organizations prepares them for college and for life in a global environment. Our sophomore students were assigned to non-profit organizations, and seniors had to research and find internships for themselves in the corporate realm. Many of these students already had ongoing relationships with the organizations they were serving and used this opportunity to further narrow their college and university program interests and applications. The program was met with rave reviews by both students and the companies with which they were working. Our Lausanne students are not only benefitting from the opportunity to study in the most rigorous and well-rounded academic curriculum but also the knowledge of what it means to be involved and serve joyfully in a community. It’s The Lausanne Way.
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Sophomores Gray Clark ’18 and David
Wakefield ’18 at BRIDGES, Inc. Sophomores Judy Wieland ‘18 and Laura McKinnon ‘18 at Christian Brothers University
Senior Matthew Crowe ’16 and Dean of English for Upper School Ms. Brenda Robinette at Chuckalissa Museum Senior Emily Thomas ’16 at Collierville Animal Clinic
Seniors Tony Chen ’16, Hannah Jordan ’16, Savannah Woods ‘16 and Pari Kuman ’16 at FedEx
Senior Ben Calkin
s ’16 at Entercom-ES
PN 92.9
Lausanne has always encouraged students to engage and make use of the relationships we have with other people. So as students, I think we were very well-prepared in that sense when we were asked to look for the internships on our own. —Senior Tony Chen ‘16, FedEx World Headquarters, Memphis, Tenn.
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Senior Norman Nichols
’16 at International Paper
Sophomores Nathan Bologna ‘18, Miles Parker ‘18, Trevor Anderson ‘18, Asa Shaw ‘18, Destiny Hinton ‘18 and Mason Weiss ’18 at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Senior Raghav Ranga ’16
at Le Bonheur
Our whole team enjoyed having Raghav shadow today. He had wonderful insights for a handout I was preparing regarding non-food rewards that would be appealing to adolescents. It was like having a focus group right in our clinic. I was also incredibly impressed by his knowledge. He could name more pituitary hormones than the medical students who have rotated through the clinic! —Dr. Han, General Pediatrics at Le Bonheur
Senior Sierra Dattel ‘16 at Musicare
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Senior Adam Boyce ’16 at Tennessee
Prep Academy
ud ’18 and Sophomores Cameron Arna atre Memphis Kenzie Brown ’18 at The
Senior Krish Muthia h ’16 with Upper Sch ool Physics teacher Mrs. Faunne Brown at the Vetera ns Hospital
Senior Afif Showkat ’16 at Methodist Hospital-Olive Branch
Senior Daniella Fisher ’16 at Woodson and Bozeman – Wholesale Distribution Department
Senior Joseph Igoni ’16 at Mid-South
Urgent Care
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“ One of the first things I noticed while interning at Terex was the many different team projects. Many projects at Lausanne, similarly, are not individual efforts. Lausanne has taught me how to keep an open mind, be creative and how to be productive in team projects. I feel that I now know how to shape my path for the next four years in college and what to expect after college as well.” —Senior Josh Bender ’16, Terex Corporation, Westport, CT
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Although I’m still unsure of what career path I potentially want to pursue, working at TheSkimm taught me a lot about journalism. I’ve always loved writing, but I had never done anything with it. Watching the production process for the daily emails that millions of people subscribe to was a really cool process to have been a part of. At any other school, I assume internships outside of Memphis wouldn’t be allowed or recommended. At Lausanne, the faculty was so supportive of my internship and helped me make an opportunity I never thought I’d have a reality. —Senior Claire Tanenbaum ’16, theSkimm, New York City, N.Y. Senior Claire Tanenbaum ‘16 at The
Skimm in New York City
Senior Catherine McCloy
Sophomores Milanca Wang ’18, James Griffith ’18 and Andrew Roberts ’18 at AGAPE
’16 at Bikesmith
Sophomores Amelia Kerr ’18 and Audrey Hoggard ’18 at Ballet on Wheels
Senior Caleesha Body ’16 at Collierville Middle School in the band department
Sophomores David Rhea ‘18, Jonathan Kagoo ’18, Tori Moore-McMiller ‘18, Samantha Patterson ‘18 and Max Blen ’18 at Opera Memphis
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Sophomores Peter Bahouth ’18 and Trey Herron ’18 at the Exchange Club
Interning at Kirby Pines gave me a really good view of what a real-world job was like, and I feel Lausanne gave me the information and support that I really needed.
Senior Caroline Wi
lson ’16 at the Oliv
e Branch Animal Clin
ic
—Jay Lattimore ’18, Kirby Pines, Memphis, Tenn.
Senior Anvi Dalal ’16 with Dr. Lakshmi Dasaree at her gastroenterologist practice Senior Milan Zhou ’16 with Lausanne alumni parent Jay Etkin and a gallery employee at the Jay Etkin Art Gallery
r Barlow ’18 at Memphis Area Legal
Sophomores Sam Hori ’18 and Zephy
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Services
Senior Joe Besser ’16 at West Memp
his Steel Corporation Senior Je’sus Mendez ’16 at Investor River City Land Company Realty
Nation and
I want to pursue a career in the healthcare field. This internship was valuable in exposing me to all the different parts of the running of a hospital, not just the medical side. It demonstrated how integrated everything is and opened me up to new possibilities for me to continue down this career path. It also provided me with new volunteer opportunities that I can use for college applications and to grow into a more well-rounded person. —Alisha Pershad ’18, Methodist LeBonheur, Memphis, Tenn. Senior Lauren Herron ’16 at Carter Malon
e Group
Senior Eleanor Bates ’16 at Midtown Yoga
Senior Josh Bender ’16 at Terex Corpo ration in Westport, Conn.
Senior Addison Miller ’16
phis
at Pharm D at Baptist Mem
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Lausan n e To d a y
Self-Reflection & Experience in a Competitive College Admission Process by John Hawkins and Martha O’Neill, Lausanne College Advisors
The college admission process is becoming more competitive every year. As Lausanne students prepare for the future, it is important to expose them to different career possibilities so that they can use this knowledge in applications to schools and specific programs. Lausanne’s new internship program has added an important self-reflection and experience element to give Lausanne students an edge in the college admission office. Student reflection is a core value in The Lausanne Way. From the meaningful relationships developed with teachers to the small group advisory discussions with peers, students have a chance to explore a wide-range of passions and interests in a supportive atmosphere. Internships extend the learning process from the campus of Lausanne into the world. Whether the internship takes place in Memphis or New York City, the experiences give students a different perspective on life. For example, Claire Tanenbaum’s ‘16 was taken to New York City, where she interned for a writer at theSkimm. This new mentor gave her an understanding of the skills needed to produce theSkimm, a daily email newsletter aimed at giving subscribers a quick, summarized version of today’s news headlines. The internships also give students the chance to connect many of their daily lessons with practical application. Not only do the internships help students reaffirm the pathways they have been considering, but also in some cases jumping outside of their comfort zones may lead to undiscovered talents or skills being realized. Students also might find that their once-considered dream career might not be the best match for their talents.
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We have a superhero team at Lausanne for the college advising process. Co-college counselors Martha O’Neill and John Hawkins (pictured here participating in Halloween fun) help guide our students to the best college and university fit for them.
Seniors Susannah Bailey ’16 and David Baskind ’16 meet with the college admission representative from Birmingham Southern and co-college counselor John Hawkins. Lausanne has over 100 college and university representatives visit with our students each school year.
Larry Gonzalez, Senior Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment and Outreach at Indiana University at Bloomington, writes, “Many students head to college with some idea of a major and/or career path, but if I have learned anything in my 33 years in undergraduate admissions, most students end up changing their minds.” He mentions the following key benefits of participation in an internship: • Allows students to explore career paths • Allows for real world experience • May allow them to rethink and/or refine their career path • Allows for self-discovery • Builds practical experiences – time management, working with a team on group projects, working independently, multitasking, etc. • Possibly allows them to earn some money for college • Networking with professionals • Builds self-esteem and confidence in their abilities • Obtain transferable skills for future job opportunities Exploring career opportunities through their internships in high school will
hopefully allow students to formulate a stronger list of possible majors. This helps Lausanne students focus on the colleges that offer the types of majors that match their career goals. Most importantly, Lausanne students will also learn how to market their skills. In Lausanne’s college advising offices, we create and plan individual college advising programs to best fit each student. This includes discussions about specific programs to how to tailor résumés and essays. The internship experiences may lead to a great topic for college or scholarship essays. Admission officers want to see students show a constant interest in a particular area. Jazmane Brown, Director of Admission at Queens University, said, “Students who showcase applicable experience during the college selection process demonstrate characteristics that can be utilized in a college classroom. They typically come away with increased knowledge in working with diverse work environments, collaborating in teams to solve issues and have more open ideas and theories that will help them in their professional careers. How do we know this? They discuss how these experiences
have transformed their mode of thinking in their essays. They become more competitive as applicants because they have tangible experience, which could possibly lead to additional scholarship opportunities.” Without a doubt, the internships will look great on our Lausanne students’ résumés as they prepare for the college application process. The experiences will also give our students a unique aspect to share with their prospective colleges during their campus visits. Admission representatives want to talk with students that know more than just schools’ colors or their mascots. With Lausanne’s joyful and challenging learning environment, supportive faculty and college advisors and the added benefit of a multi-year internship program, students at Lausanne are going to have in-depth questions about majors, research and internship opportunities on the college level. They will be even more prepared for college and for life in a global environment.
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Lucas Teixeira ‘15 & Cullen Robinette
‘15
Six Lausanne Upper School students attended Governor’s School during the summer of 2015. Seated left to right: Emma Whitehorn ’17- Arts, Elizabeth Goetz ’17- Computational Physics, Eleanor Bates ’16- Sciences, Ashley Thomas ’16- Business and IT Leadership Standing left to right: Arpad Kovesdy ’17- Engineering, Matthew Crowe ’16- International Studies
Starting Ahead at Governor’s School Tennessee high school students have an amazing opportunity to dig deeper into their potential careers by participating in the state’s Governor’s Schools. These twelve different summer programs are awarded to gifted and talented students to study agricultural science, arts, business and IT technology leadership, computational physics, engineering, humanities, international studies, education, science, scientific exploration of Tennessee heritage and scientific models and data analysis. Each subject area is hosted at a different college campus throughout the state and typically features local faculty, visiting professors and experts in the fields of study. Lausanne alumna Blanche Deaderick ’61 is the associate director of the Governor’s School for International Studies located at the University of Memphis. For her, the experience is an invaluable lesson for high school students, both in and out of the classroom. It gives students the opportunity to navigate a collegelike setting, including managing their own schedule, doing laundry and sharing their space in dorm living. It is also the first time for most to spend time with other students who are deeply interested in the same subject area. Deaderick points out that students get to dig deeper into the field of study, getting a sense of what the college curriculum for an international studies student would be like and how the college classes differ from high school classes. They also get exposure to a language that isn’t readily available in most high schools; languages taught this year were Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese. Over the fourweek program, the instruction is so rigorous that students earn six credit hours of college coursework. The Governor’s Schools program offers students challenging and intensive learning experiences, giving them insight into where they might take their interests and put them to practical use.
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Rickelle Henry ’15 & Skal Labissiere
‘15
Valedictorian Anita Pershad ’15 leads the graduating cla 2015 out of the cer ss of emony to cheering faculty and staff.
Congratulations to the Class of 2015! After years of study and an education enhanced by Lausanne’s joyful and challenging learning process, the graduates of the class of 2015 find themselves prepared for college and for life in a global environment.
Emma Rudd ‘15, Sarah Besser ‘15, Matth
ew Moskovitz ‘15, Eliza Schneider ‘15
Class size: 82 100% acceptance rate 329 acceptances to 133 different colleges and universities Matriculation to 48 different colleges and universities $9.8 million in scholarships 2 national merit scholarship finalists 3 national merit semi-finalists 2 national Hispanic scholars International Baccalaureate Diploma and Certificate Exams In 2015, 92 Lausanne students sat for 312 International Baccalaureate exams. The overall pass rate for reception of the full IB diploma was 75%. This compares to a national average of 69% and a Tennessee average of 54%. (2014. 2015 data not available at time of printing.)
Brinda Patel ‘15, Ali Ottinger ‘15, Leya
Gouto ‘15
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Aynsley Hartney ‘16 | current student
PLEASE ENJOY THIS VIDEO FOLLOWING AYNSLEY HARTNEY ’16 AND GRAY CLARK ’18 DURING THE WEEK OF THE INAUGURAL LAUSANNE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. http://www.lausanneschool.com/internships
Aynsley with the Middle School girls Lausanne Medtronic Mindstorm team she mentored as a part of her IB CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) project. Pictured from left to right: Dalia Chemaitilly ’21, Shreya Palakurthi ‘21, Isabelle Kagoo ‘21, Elaina Przybyszewski ‘21 and Hannah Lowe ‘20.
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Lausanne senior Aynsley Hartney ‘16 jumped into her Medtronic internship five years ago during her eighth grade year.
As she walked through the grand doors at Medtronic for her internship, senior Aynsley Hartney ‘16 didn’t have the slightest hint of nervousness. Aynsley has been an intern with the medical company since her final year at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School, which ends in eighth grade. Her internship over the years has progressed much like an actual Medtronic product, she’s had several mentors across different departments including design, testing, legal, manufacturing, sales and logistics. So, when it came time for the senior class at Lausanne to choose a company during Lausanne’s inaugural Internship Program week, Aynsley knew right away where she would land. Realizing math and science were her two favorite subjects, several people encouraged Aynsley to consider engineering, leading her to pursue the internship at Medtronic five years ago. She found even more connections during the recent internship process. “After my initial internship, I discovered a pivotal organization called the Society of Women Engineers [SWE]. What’s even more interesting is that my mentor [at Medtronic], Mrs. Heather Savage, is the founder of the SWE chapter at Medtronic. I had never heard of this organization, but I quickly learned that they promoted women in engineering, as engineering is a field that is still dominated by men. I hope to become a role model like Mrs. Savage has been for me, so that I can encourage girls from a young age to follow their dreams and become engineers to help change these statistics.” In 2014, Medtronic hosted their first Medtronic Mindstorm Lego competition, which was part of an outreach program that distributes robotics kits to and works with schools afterschool for underprivileged kids. After the first competition, Aynsley decided to bring the knowledge she had gained during her internship at Medtronic and share it with the Lausanne community. She gathered a group together from the Middle School and formed an all-girls robotics team to compete in the 2015 Medtronic Mindstorms competition. “I wanted to give the girls the opportunity and an environment to share their ideas and implement them,” says Aynsley. “I hoped to eliminate common phrases such as ‘boys should do that’ or ‘I’m not as good as my brother.’ I also wanted to be there to encourage them to keep trying different configurations or programs if theirs seemed flawed so that they wouldn’t give
up on their ideas but rather strengthen them. It seems only right that I helped them follow their passions as I was so lucky to have the amazing experience I have had with Medtronic. The experience wasn’t just for the girls but also for me. I learned how to become a better mentor through opportunities with group dynamics, communication and leadership. I think the girls helped me grow as much as I helped them.” As a full International Baccalaureate Programme Diploma candidate, Aynsley decided to use the opportunity of mentoring the Lausanne team as her CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) program project, which is an integral part of the IB that makes the curriculum different from AP or honors programs. The goal of the CAS program is to ensure that students aren’t just spending all of their time studying and preparing for classes during the school day. It’s a learning experience, much like the rest of the program. The CAS program requires that the students write about their experiences with the individual activities so that they can reflect on what they are actually doing rather than mindlessly going through the motions just so they can get CAS credit. Aynsley says, “The robotics team was a combination of both creativity and service. But I am not just checking this off as done. This year, I hope to reconvene the team and find an underclassman to help lead the team so that the program and the relationship won’t disappear after I leave.” Next year, when Aynsley is a freshman at one of her many college choices and the 2017 senior class enters into their internships, she is excited to know those students will be obtaining the important internship opportunity she has experienced. “Internships are so valuable. It’s hard to fully understand why until you do one. Real world experience is one of those things you can’t just read about in books or watch on TV. You just have to live it. These kinds of experiences teach you the most. You can study a subject or topic all you want, but you won’t ever know how to apply that knowledge until you are put into a situation that demands it. An internship is just a taste of this kind of situation. Because of my internship, I have experience requesting and setting up internships, had a taste of what life is like in a corporate setting, and I have really come to appreciate the benefits of hands-on experiences. I hope to pursue more internships when I’m in college, because these experiences will set you apart when you are applying for jobs, because the people hiring you will see that you have some experience applying your knowledge in the real world rather than just on a final exam.” It’s The Lausanne Way.
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Ethan Fox ‘15 | recent graduate
Ethan Fox ’15 worked on the development of UniversityRecruitMe.com close to 40 hours a week during his entire senior year.
“ I feel like being at a technology-driven school like Lausanne helped. The ability to bring my laptop each day and work on things during study hall helped me learn so much. It gave me the ability to better utilize my time and work in the environment I am most comfortable.” On graduation day, May 24, 2015, Ethan knew he was headed to the University of Tennessee- Knoxville for an education but would continue to help run and develop his company.
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HAVE FUN EXPLORING THE UNIVERSITY RECRUIT ME WEBSITE! UniversityRecruitMe.com
Ethan Fox ’15 walked across the stage on the afternoon of May 24, shook hands with Headmaster Stuart McCathie and walked into his future as a Lausanne Collegiate School graduate with a definite plan. This fall, Ethan began his college career at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where he plans to major in computer engineering, following his passion since sixth grade, when he discovered computer programming. His path to a career after college began during his own college admission process, when he was introduced to Steven Mizell, a former higher education admission officer, who had been working on a website called University Recruit Me. The website was created as a professional social marketing tool for students as a gateway from other social media platforms into professionalism. One of Lausanne’s co-college advisors Martha O’Neill knew Mr. Mizzell and had developed a good working relationship with him through the high school to college admission process. Often he would ask Martha’s opinions on the use of UniversityRecruitMe.com. Martha said, “He was discussing that his biggest challenge was with programming. He had the ideas but needed help with implementation, so I mentioned that one of the students in my advisory worked with programming and even had his own business his freshman year before starting at Lausanne. Steven often stopped by campus to meet with students one-on-one so I took advantage and introduced him to Ethan. I knew that Ethan worked best when he was challenged and kept busy and I thought this was the perfect opportunity for him.” Throughout the course of the school year, Ethan and Steven met regularly, with Ethan working on the project at least forty hours each week as well as finishing his senior year at Lausanne.
Ethan reflects, “I feel like being at a technology-driven school like Lausanne helped. The ability to bring my laptop each day and work on things during study hall helped me learn so much. It gave me the ability to better utilize my time and work in the environment I am most comfortable.” Not only did the Lausanne administration support Ethan’s work from the beginning, they also gave him the opportunity to launch the product to the Lausanne class of 2015 during their admission process. “I wanted Lausanne to be the true beta test environment for UniversityRecruitMe.com because I know that the students at Lausanne would give good honest feedback.” He continued, “That is what we needed in the early stages. Also, it was an awesome feeling to be sitting in study hall and see someone use that program that you have been working on for such a long time.” After almost a year of research and development, including seven local area Memphis schools using the product, the website is now live and being used by students and college representatives around the country. As for his mentor, Steven Mizell knows what an asset having someone as talented as Ethan is to launching this program. “Ethan took the initiative to approach me about UniversityRecruitMe.com,” shared Steven. “He took the challenge of wanting to learn about a startup company and decided he could co-found start a company and be a senior in high school. It is my hope that other students at Lausanne and across this city will be inspired by him.” As a result of the successful beta testing of the website, a few investment groups in Los Angeles have been in contact with the company to partner the tool with their students. Ethan is continuing to help run the company from Knoxville, knowing that if it continues to grow like it’s projected to do, he will have a work future ahead of him which stemmed from his early passions and was encouraged by his teachers at Lausanne.
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Ana Picaza Soler ‘65 | alumna
From left to right: Ana Picaza Soler visiting Lausanne in the spring of 2015. Ana Picaza in her Lausanne School for Girls senior portrait in 1965. Ana and Mrs. Louis Cannon who housed Ana’s family in Memphis and guided her toward Lausanne.
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Not only did Ana Picaza Soler ’65 change schools in 1960, she changed countries. Ana’s father was a neurosurgeon in Cuba and decided because of what he saw as hostile political climate at the time, his family’s future should be lived in another country. He reached out to friends in France, Australia, Canada and the United States to find a safe haven for his family to move. It was the response and open invitation to his home in Memphis of Mayo Clinic classmate Bland Cannon that brought the family almost 1,000 miles north to the Bluff City. “My parents left everything in Cuba but their education; that came with us,” said Ana. The family was pointed in the direction of then boarding school Lausanne School for Girls by Dr. Cannon’s wife, Louis. Ana reflected, “We received a wonderful reception from Dr. [Walter] Coppedge [Lausanne Headmaster, from 1960-1965], and I knew English well.”
“[The interns] were a wonderful support to my staff,” said Ana. “We pushed them to accept responsibilities and gave them opportunities to be published. We wanted them to make a seamless transition from their internship experience to the real world work duties.” It’s now been 50 years since Ana graduated from Lausanne, but she comes back to visit campus and keeps in touch with her classmates, including her 50th reunion this past September. She fondly thinks back to her time at West Massey Road and feels the school prepared her for life with values, discipline and academic strength. She remarked, “I remember the school was compassionate, challenging and hard, but ever since I left Lausanne it’s the school I’m most proud of. I still speak about its programs and the incredible vision.” #AlwaysALynx
Wonderful memories were made between Ana and her 1965 graduating class of 27 girls, but she also remembers being in a Tanner Hall bathroom with some friends when a classmate burst through the door to say President John F. Kennedy had been shot. She commented how loving and supportive the staff and teachers were during that sad time. “The warmth throughout trying years for me helped me maintain my balance between my schoolwork, my emotions and my political life; it was a leveling place for me.” After Lausanne, Ana attended Southwestern College (now Rhodes) for two years and went on to graduate from the University of Alabama with a degree in sociology and a minor in Latin American studies. She then received her master’s degree in Spanish literature from the New York University campus in Spain. She moved back to the states and immediately began working in New York for two years in the office of public information for the United Nations. However, her entrepreneurial drive took over, and she moved into public relations in the financial industry. In 1980, Ana and her husband Frank began a Spanish-language magazine in Miami, called Miami Mensual (Miami Monthly), geared toward the Hispanic community in South Florida. Although Ana never had the opportunity during her Upper School years at Lausanne to do an internship, it was during her years of owning the magazine that she saw the importance of the internship process for others.
Fifteen members from the class of 1965 met in Fairhope, Ala. this past September for their 50th reunion. From left to right: Robbie House Knotts, Carol Pulitzer, Carol Strauch Heinrich, Cecelia Block Johnson, Patsy Parkinson Riley, Dottie Kirkpatrick Steelman, Ana Picaza Soler, Cynthia Hamilton Palmer, Roxie Carpenter, Barbara Segal Goldfield, Donna Buford Gottshall, Diane Fleming Hall, Murray Smith Johnson, Gay Graeber Stubbs, Charlotte Hays
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Looking Ba c k
The Goodman Twins Lausanne Legacy
Betsy Goodman Belz (left) and Sally
Goodman Graflund
In the fall of 1949, four year old twin girls started school at a big house on Central Avenue. What followed is a lifelong journey of education and a family commitment to Lausanne that has spanned three generations, so far. The former Goodman Library, then located next to the Norfleet Gymnasium, is named in honor of the patriarch of the clan, the late William Goodman. His commitment to the then radical concept of an inclusive school, one where students find a home regardless of their religion, ethnicity or learning style, led him and his wife Hallie to choose Lausanne for their girls. His belief in the school’s mission led him to help purchase the property on West Massey Road where Lausanne has resided since 1959. Four Goodman sisters attended Lausanne, including twins Sally Goodman Graflund ’62 and Betsy Goodman Belz ‘62, their older sister Mary Goodman Walker ’55 and younger sister Eleanor Goodman Gipson ’69. The legacy continued as some of their cousins and children attended Lausanne over the years. Now Sally’s grandchild and second-grader Thomas McGown ’26 can be found navigating the halls of the Lower School.
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There were only a handful of students who attended all three campuses of Lausanne. Sally and Betsy are two of those students and they generously agreed to share their memories of what being a Lausanne student means to them and how the education has impacted their lives.
“The choice of Walter Raleigh Coppedge as headmaster came later, an innovation that had far-reaching conseque nces for us students. He was all ov er the place in his own quest for knowledge and made learning everything exciting.” —Sally Goo dman Graflund ‘62 with her grandson Thomas Sally Goodman Graflund er. ent Lausanne second grad McGown ’26 who is a curr
FROM SALLY’S PERSPECTIVE… “With my twin sister Betsy, I began my formal education at Lausanne in the fall of 1949 at the age of four and attended for 13 years, graduating in 1962. In 1949 the school was at its Central Avenue location and my most vivid memories there were, honestly, the playground seesaws, swings and running girls. Jumping rope was a big activity there. All of this was supervised by Miss Statler. My parents Hallie and William Goodman had chosen Lausanne because of the classical nature of the education offered. We took French in kindergarten, which was unusual at that time, and most importantly, its inclusive attitude toward its students. They didn’t want us to go to a ‘snob school.’ Our sisters and Goodman cousins went there too, as did most of their children later. “At Lausanne we revered the ‘big girls’ and absolutely loved Mrs. Bisland, who taught us in first and second grade. Mrs. Hopper, our third grade teacher, read The Secret Garden to us in her honeyed southern accent. She took us to her farm south of Memphis for a big adventure. Meanwhile we were required to memorize and recite a poem before the class every Friday. That was agony. “When the school moved to the Union Avenue location, the ‘big girls’ loomed larger, as we were older and more aware. They informed us about Elvis, the new phenomenon. Our class was always small, sometimes tiny, so we discussed current events with freedom. We were living in a dramatically changing world. My closest brush with science came in the sixth grade, when there were many exploding sun spots causing storms here
on earth. Of course, we talked about that a lot. Athletics, in particular basketball, became more important. “The school then made the surprising move to its present location. My father was an enthusiastic supporter of the move out east and continued modernization of attitude. The boarding department was implemented around that time. That circumstance, of course, widened our circle of friends and broadened our experience. “The choice of Walter Raleigh Coppedge as headmaster came later, an innovation that had far-reaching consequences for us students. He was all over the place in his own quest for knowledge and made learning everything exciting. History was learned from original sources, Herodotus, Thucydides and so forth. In his class, we read and discussed The Catcher in the Rye. When we arrived at Vassar we were presented with the same reading lists. “The lecture series gave us wonderful exposure to the outside world. We heard and exchanged ideas with William L. Shirer, William F. Buckley, Prince Otto Von Hapsburg and other varied and distinguished people of the world. While it’s fair to say we didn’t influence them as much as they influenced us, it was still a challenge. The Coppedges took a group to Europe the summer of 1960, and we were lucky to be a part of that intense experience. We were like sponges. (I should mention that without the prodding of Lillian Newton, I probably wouldn’t have even applied to Vassar.)
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a course on what we us g in ch tea ter af pe ro Eu to us k “They too usanne connected us La y wa er oth an s wa It . see to t ou were ab gh school we had a hi ng ri Du ! too n fu so d an d, rl wo to the obally famous figures gl t gh ou br at th ies ser r ke ea sp ul wonderf us students but also for t ea gr s wa It k. ea sp to ol ho sc to our for the larger Memphis community.” —Betsy Goodman Belz ‘62
“At Lausanne we were encouraged to stretch ourselves in many ways. The school was small enough that we all participated in everything. In that way my own self-worth was greatly strengthened. It is that spirit that I see being fostered in the Lausanne of today, and it’s one reason I’m so thrilled that my grandson Thomas McGown ‘26 is in the second grade there. In first grade at Lausanne, he decided he wanted to be an inventor when he grows up. Every child should feel the sky is the limit, and Lausanne continues to reinforce that value.
Sally Goodman ’62 was named Lausan ne’s “Friendliest” during her senior yea r.
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“Lausanne taught me and my children, Will McGown and Katherine Greenwood, and now my grandson, Thomas McGown ‘26, that it’s not necessary to do things like everybody else, that we all have different paths, learn differently and can realize different life dreams. The school has consistently offered the tools to achieve that goal. That nurturing is the essence of education in my opinion and why Lausanne has been—and remains—so important to me and my family. FROM BETSY’S PERSPECTIVE… “I attended Lausanne from kindergarten through 12th grade at three different locations, graduating in 1962. My first years felt more coddled than later because we were in a big house on Central and because we had the same teacher for three years, sweet, plump Mrs. Bisland. The school was small, and, because we were twins, we got to do special things like carry the American flags at the front of the procession for chapel in the mornings, when we also pledged our allegiance. In the early years we had an actual French French language teacher, Mme. Gontard, who taught us how to set the table in French. We put on a play in French, Little Red Riding Hood. I was Little Red and Sally was the Wolf. The school was so small then that we got to do lots of stuff like that. “A little later, after we moved to the newer campus on Union Avenue, we grew up into Mrs. Hopper’s class. She was stricter, but we loved her reading The Secret Garden to us. It gave a fascinating glimpse into a world outside Memphis. I have a vivid memory of Lea Hazelwood running into the school on Union all excited because Elvis had moved in next door. I said, ‘Who’s Elvis Presley?’
“At that campus we had a great gymnasium, where Mrs. Dixon coached us in basketball, which I loved. We barely had enough students to make a team, but it was fun and we were competitive. When we moved to the new campus on Massey for our high school years, there was no gym—a great disappointment to me. “One of my favorite high school teachers was Lore Hisky, who combined a wealth of knowledge with a great sense of humor. Another teacher I admired was Dr. Johnson, who taught us English after retiring from Southwestern College (Rhodes). I became a better writer under his tutelage. Our Latin teacher, Frances Martin, was not only an exceptional teacher but also so upright. ‘Be sure your sins will find you out.’ That’s a phrase all her students will still recognize! “Of course, Walter Coppedge was a great influence. He was so young, although we didn’t know it then, and full of energy and lovely inexperience. It was all a big adventure and pretty funny at times. He and his wonderful wife lived on campus and were a big part of our lives. They took us to Europe after teaching us a course on what we were about to see. It was another way Lausanne connected us to the world, and so fun too! During high school, we had a wonderful speaker series that brought globally famous figures to our school to speak. It was great for us students but also for the larger Memphis community. “Lausanne helped me understand that it’s ok to be different and to explore different ways of being. As a child, I loved reading travel and adventure books by Richard Halliburton and others. The fact that Halliburton had lived only a few blocks from me showed me that one could leave here and go anywhere for adventures. Lausanne always encouraged that way of thinking. Now it is truly global in its focus and student body. “My family was involved with Lausanne initially because of its inclusiveness and focus on intellectual pursuits more so than other private schools in Memphis at that time. Inclusiveness has come to mean not just religious, racial, and geographical inclusiveness but also allowing for different ways of learning. The school is a real leader in recognizing that we are not all alike and that’s even better than OK.
“My ability to speak out for what I believe in was really nurtured at Lausanne.
t Attractive” in the Betsy Goodman ’62 was named “Mos class. senior Lausanne
Goodman cousins also attended Lausanne. My sister Mimi, Mary Goodman Hohenberg Walker ‘55, sent all her children to Lausanne, and her son Adam ‘82 was in the first co-ed graduating class. She helped start the Montessori program and brought teachers from London to teach others to learn the Montessori technique. “I’m so happy the school has not only survived some tough times but has thrived and become such a leader in global education in Memphis. My father would be proud. I am proud. I guess a measure of Lausanne’s influence is the way our local WKNO/NPR announcers mispronounce our namesake Swiss city on the radio.
“I’m so thankful Lausanne continues on doing its good work. Inclusiveness, tolerance and excellence in education are the common threads that I see in Lausanne through time. And I love seeing the fancy technological stuff students can use now to follow their dreams and ideas—video cameras and things I don’t even know about—to further self-expression, another constant educational focus of Lausanne. I am still a student, I am looking forward to taking several courses at the University of Memphis in the fall and I realize that Lausanne really started me on a lifelong interest in learning.”
“My kids have also benefited from Lausanne, both in the summer camp and the regular school year. When my daughter Peggy ‘06 needed more flexibility in learning, Lausanne provided just the environment she needed to grow. Many of our
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NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT NO. 1419
Marketing & Communications Office 1381 West Massey Road Memphis, TN 38120
On August 12, 2015 the red ribbon was cut by a group of rising fourth graders, a cheer went up and a sea of Lower School students flooded through the gates onto the new internationallythemed Lausanne Collegiate School Outdoor Discovery Center. The Outdoor Discovery Center embodies the global footprint and culture of Lausanne where the student body is represented by 54 different countries. This new space will not only be seen as a playground for the students but will serve as an educational tool and an extension of the classroom environment. Construction of the Outdoor Discovery Center was made possible by generous gifts to the Lausanne Fund. The former playground equipment was carefully removed and reinstalled at Promise Academy with whom Lausanne has a long term partnership.
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PLEASE ENJOY THIS VIDEO OF THE OPENING OF THE OUTDOOR DISCOVERY CENTER. http://www.lausanneschool.com/outdoordiscoverycenter