7 minute read
Class Notes
The Council
Alumni Council and Awards Program 2022
At the January 2022 meeting of The Storm King School Alumni Council, President Steven Bluth ’83 invited participants to introduce themselves with one word reflecting what they felt at the meeting. Alumni responded with the words grateful, happy, rejuvenated, great, appreciative, community, excited, freedom, and love. These words are commonly used by alumni to describe The Storm King School.
As the school year came to its conclusion with the final Council meeting of 2021-2022 in June, the Outreach and Development Committee thanked Lisa Veyka ’83 for her ideas and work on alumni quotes and old/current photos for the fall 2021 mailed fundraising appeal. The Director of Annual Giving and Development Coordinator Sarah Fulton ’09 incorporated Lisa’s ideas into the year’s Storm King Magic theme. There was a good response in both gifts and positive comments. Jodie Gerson ’91 was thanked for leading the Alumni Conversation Series with energy and warmth. These virtual conversations were held with mid-’80s-’90s alumni; on “Whole Person Health,” and with LGBTQ+ alumni.
Awards Committee Chair Johnathan Flores ’12 and Committee members Richard Broughton ’54, Jermaine Miller ’02, and Monifa Tarjamo ’90 selected five excellent recipients of the 2022 Awards at reunion (see pages 42-43 ). Get your nominations in before the end of the calendar year for 2023! The nominations form is in the Alumni and Awards section of www.sks.org now!
Sarah Fulton ’09 and Development Director Tom Fogarty provided the Council with informative updates about the School and the Development and Alumni Relations Department. The 2021-2022 Storm King Fund reached $357,428, surpassing its goal of $280,000 by nearly $80,000.
The Storm King School Alumni Council thanked Council members who concluded their terms on June 30: Madison Flores ’14, Judy Romano ’79, Larry Spiegel ’69, and Monifa Tarjamo ’90. Each one brought energy, passion and ideas.
The Storm King School thanks the dedicated Council volunteers and many others who participated and contributed in 2021-2022. Thanks go to alumni speakers in classrooms and for Career Week; conversation facilitators for the Alumni Conversation Series; participants in the NYC Alumni Business Network dinner; class agents; Reunion 2022 presenters; and everyone who attended, responded and stayed connected.
Jack Liu ’11 attended The Storm King School for three years. “Attending SKS created a dramatic and positive impact on my life. My coaches taught me teamwork and to never give up. I played varsity soccer, varsity basketball, and I was varsity lacrosse team captain in my senior year. Upon graduation, I was honored with being awarded The Spy Rock Cup.
After Storm King, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LIM College in New York, majoring in fashion merchandising. I managed a small startup company in New York City where I worked as the visual merchandising director responsible for promotion, visual content, and merchandising design. I have also worked as a warehouse manager in Shanghai, China, supervising a regional distribution center and the employees that work in the warehouse. Since 2019, I have been working for my own entrepreneurial company which focuses on luxury cars. I am also working as a cryptocurrency trader and an NFT collector. This job focuses on future decentralized financial development such as USDT, BTC, ETH, and NFT.
I am looking forward to serving as an SKS Alumni Council member and I will do my best to connect more international alumni back to the school community.”
Paul Jerry ’69 joined The Storm King School as a junior. “I had spent my sophomore year at Choate in Wallingford, Connecticut. Unfortunately, I didn’t start until mid-November– one day before midterms. It was academically challenging and I was never able to catch up. Luckily, my parents gave me the option of transferring to another school. I chose SKS because it had a great soccer program and I could be a “day boy.” I loved my two years on the Mountain. I regained my confidence as a student and really enjoyed the team sports. I found a family at SKS that has continued for decades.
After graduation from SKS, I went to the University of Vermont for pre med and then to The Catholic University of the Philippines for medical school. I transferred back to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx and stayed within that hospital system for General Surgery. While waiting for a residency in Plastic Surgery, I worked in Emergency Rooms in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. I realized I preferred the ER to the OR and relocated to Port Huron, Michigan to join a local ER group. We started a multi-specialty group that grew to 60 medical providers. Due to our size, we were able to bring in specialists to provide much needed expertise to our community. I retired after 30 years with that group.
I’m looking forward to serving on the SKS Alumni Council and supporting the School in any way I can.”
Dominique Manpel ’79 has ‘a profound and abiding attachment to The Storm King School.’ “My formative years were spent on campus where I was challenged intellectually by a great assortment of teachers. Unquestionably, the School prepared me for college and subsequently a professional life in law.
I worked for a few law firms before deciding to open my own practice here in the Hudson Valley. My firm is a general practice firm with emphasis on real estate, trusts and estates, and matrimonial law. The very personalized education I received at Storm King has translated into a practice devoted to client care and attention to detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed participating in Career Night 2019 and was pleased to have a student shadow me in Court for a day. Serving on the Alumni Council, I hope to perpetuate the quality education and leadership values of The Storm King School through alumni outreach and engagement.”
WHY I GIVE
Lauren FitzHarris ’97
Most Athletic: Kenji Tsurasaki & Lauren Lug
Lauren Lug and a group of friends
— Lauren FitzHarris ’97
Over the last 25 years, I’ve made the decision to give back to the School annually. The Storm King School relies on the gifts from alumni, parents, teachers, and other donors in order to continue operating successfully. Although many updates and changes have been made to the School over the years, its intrinsic beauty and historical backbone have not changed.
I give so that I can see progress and milestones about programs the students are involved in, including athletics and the arts, or read about fellow classmates and where life has taken them. I get excited when I receive On the Mountain editions that are mailed to my home because for those moments when I peruse each page and see each photograph, I feel as though I am there.
Being able to attend events like reunions, off-site gatherings, and on-campus meetings are all privileges that are afforded to us because of the generosity of the Storm King community. As students, many of us were fortunate to have modern amenities such as new team uniforms, durable equipment, a library filled with books and computers, and reliable transportation for trips and events. None of that would be possible without continual giving.
Every time I return to the Mountain, I meet someone new, or hear a story that reminds me how lucky I am to have spent my high school years at Storm King; and that this special opportunity will continue to be available to students and staff for many years to come. Each one of us has the ability to help positively secure the future of our beloved school and to impact the foundation of the students she educates. No amount is too small to make a difference. Gifts can be unconditional to areas that are most needed, or can be designated to assist in specific places.
I encourage everyone to think about what made you happy or smile during your tenure at Storm King, and consider paying a little bit forward to allow that potential for our next generation.
