The Marymount Magazine, Fall 2020

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CLUE In November 2019, the Marymount Players pulled back the curtains on the Fall Production of CLUE. Featuring a double cast, they played four sold-out shows, keeping the audience in stitches the entire time.

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FEATURES

16 From Social Distancing to Distant Learning A look into how Marymount shifted the School's paradigm to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

30 A Focus on Social Justice New initiatives to address changes needed to create a more inclusive environment at Marymount.

42 Embracing Uncharted Waters Celebrating the Class of 2020 Congratulations to the Class of 2020 as they embark on their next chapter.

ON CAMPUS

ALUMNAE NEWS

3 Letter from the Head of School 4 Inside the Gateway 8 Athletics Update 24 Visual Arts Update 34 Performing Arts Update

52 Watch our Women Alumnae Series 60 Class Notes 61 Transitions

ON THE COVER Members of the Class of 2020 give a final farewell to Marymount at their last virtual graduation meeting.

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Artist Insider: A Look into "Self Portrait"

by Kendra Thornburgh-Mueller '20 "This piece was part of my sustained investigation assignment for my AP Studio Art 2D Design class. For my final piece, we had already moved to remote learning, so I printed out digital photos. It is a 'self-portrait' inspired by Alfred Steiglitz's photos of Georgia O'Keefe. I made two collages, one of high contrast photos of my hands in tense positions, and the other with low contrast and soft positions."

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From the Head of School

Dear Marymount Families and Friends, During this time of year, I typically reflect on the many accomplishments of the past school year while looking forward to the journey of the new, but I would be remiss in not addressing the fact that these past many months have been anything but ordinary.

The 2019-2020 school year brought forth the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, a growing awareness of racial injustice, widespread economic disruptions, and educational shifts, which have all collectively proven to be challenging for our school and for schools across the country. As educators at Marymount, these elements have made it necessary to redefine how we teach, how we maintain connections, and how we continue to deliver an exceptional academic and co-curricular program in our new normal. Our faculty and administration have adapted and reinvented the curriculum, school traditions, Masses, and community gatherings to meet this new modality of engagement, and they have done so with positivity, nimbleness and innovation.

The journey of the Class of 2020 was particularly unique during this historic moment in time.

Their resiliency and perseverance have shown that they can take any challenge with indelible grace.

Their passion, drive, and strength, as a class and as individuals, will serve them well in the next chapter of their lives. As they join the over 5,400 alumnae who came before them, these graduates will hold a particularly special place in Marymount’s heart, and in our school’s history.

I am deeply proud of the ethos and charism of our Marymount community as we continue the legacy of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary to educate students so that all may have life and have it to the full. This extraordinary time allows us to foster the values that we cherish, and to pave a path for a better future. I am grateful for the role that each member of our community, past and present, has played and will continue to play in the life of our school.

With gratitude, Head of School

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Inside the Gateway Freshman Service Day Members of the Class of 2023 spent a day giving back to the Los Angeles community for our annual Freshman Service Day. Students were excited to go to A Place Called Home (APCH), where they helped prepare for APCH's 2019 Halloween Event, and to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where they boxed and assembled care packages filled with healthy foods.

Relocation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue Drivers on Sunset Boulevard may have noticed that the front of the School was recently re-landscaped restoring the School's historic buildings to their original beauty, and addressing aspects of Marymount's recently completed Safety and Security Audit.

The beautiful Sacred Heart of Jesus statue has been carefully relocated to the west end of campus, where it overlooks Sunset Boulevard at Westwood place.

The hillside has been landscaped, and lighting has been installed to ensure that the statue is visible, and that it will continue to be a landmark for drivers and pedestrians along Sunset Boulevard.

Mission in Action Day

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Our community came together to take a break from normal routine to celebrate Marymount's lived Mission. Featuring an Interfaith Prayer Service, intentionsetting, dancing, workshops, and plenty of activities, students, faculty and staff spent Mission in Action Day focusing on how all may have life and have it to the full.

Retreat Week 2019 Students embarked on a three-day adventure full of reflection, sisterhood and prayer during our annual Retreat Week, a beloved tradition and a cornerstone of our Spiritual Life curriculum.

During Retreat, students reflect on their faith and their personal identity, they explore their definition of community, and set intentions for the academic year.

Though Retreat may look different during the current 2020-2021 school year, Retreat Week will still occur, allowing this important and powerful tradition to continue for our students.

Ash Wednesday Marymount's Campus Ministry team worked hard to plan a beautiful Ash Wednesday Mass last February for our entire School community.

Heat Relief Living through Southern California heat waves is something that our students are very familiar with. During a particularly hot week in September 2019, ASB hosted a lunch-time pool party for each class, which provided students with some much needed cool-off and relaxation time.

Women in STEM Panel As part of Marymount's Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series, Dr. Abeer Alwan, Professor of Electrical Engineering at UCLA, Meghana Reddy, Data Science and Engineering Leader at Netflix, and Grace King, Data Security and Privacy Transactional Attorney, spoke to students about the depth and breadth of what a career trajectory in STEM can provide.

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list

HEAD'S

Take a look into Head of School Jacqueline L. Landry's library and streaming rotation.

Austin Channing Brown

Jeff Orlowski

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

The Social Dilemma

Austin Channing Brown's New York Times' Bestseller takes readers on a powerful and poignantly-written journey in confronting individual biases and privilege.

This must-see documentary on Netflix explores the all-toocommon negative impacts of social media on society, told through alarming statistics and the creators of the platforms themselves.

- Jacqueline L. Landry

- Jacqueline L. Landry

In a time when nearly all institutions (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claim to value "diversity" in their mission statements, I'M STILL HERE is a powerful account of how and why our actions so often fall short of our words. Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice, in stories that bear witness to the complexity of America's social fabric--from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middleclass suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.

We tweet, we like, and we share - but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? This documentary-drama hybrid reveals how social media is reprogramming civilization with tech experts sounding alarm on their own creations.

Melinda Gates

Matthew Walker, PhD

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

In this poignant call-to-action about gender equality, Melinda Gates offers readers a look into the lives of women around the world. Exploring how educating and empowering women brings significant changes in communities, this has been a must-read in my collection that I constantly revisit.

- Jacqueline L. Landry In this candid and inspiring book, Gates traces her awakening to the link between women's empowerment and the health of societies. She shows some of the tremendous opportunities that exist right now to “turbo-charge" change.

And she provides simple and effective ways each one of us can make a difference.

Matthew Walker takes readers on a tour of psychological impacts of sleep and sleep deprivations. An important read for any parent of an adolescent, as we work on ways to enhance the quality and quantity of sleep for our students.

- Jacqueline L. Landry Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Why We Sleep explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, obesity and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children; and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses.

Original book summaries are gathered online from the book's publisher.

Documentary summary gathered from Documentary website (thesocialdilemma.com).

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ATHLETICS RECAP

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BASKETBALL Varsity Basketball started off the season with an 0-4 record, but the team quickly adapted to a change in offense to accommodate Marymount’s size and speed. Becoming more competitive in every game, they placed second in the Las Vegas Gator Classic with Nicolette Agajanian '21 named to the All-Tournament Team. The Sailors finished the season 11-18 overall, and 3-5 in the Sunshine League. Head Coach Edison Locke could not be more proud of the hard work, dedication, and intensity that these athletes brought to each game.

With only three returning players, Junior Varsity Basketball welcomed three new Sophomores and Juniors to the team. While the season sped by, they were able to learn through the journey about how to play as one unit and trust in the system. JV Basketball Captain Sophie Dardashti '21 stepped up and helped the team take third place in the Burroughs Tournament and, with a record of 6-10 for the season, together, the team practiced and played with heart, effort, and tremendous character.

CROSS COUNTRY By a narrow margin of just 1 point, Marymount’s

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Cross Country team took first place at the Cluster League Finals and became the 2019 Mission League Champions – a first in the School’s 97-year history. Freshman Hayden Hobson led the Sailors with Caitlin Donovan '21 on her heels. The pair took home fourth and fifth place in the race, with a 12-second difference. Senior Lucia Perez-Saignac placed in seventh, only 8-seconds behind Caitlin, and Ruby Wedbush '21 finished in ninth, only 4-seconds after Lucia. Rounding out the Top 5, and helping the Sailors earn a winning score of 38, was Adelle Levi '23, taking thirteenth place with a run time of 22:05. The Sailors advanced to CIF-SS preliminaries and placed fifteenth overall in Division IV. EQUESTRIAN Mary Wickstrom '22 and Julia Nickl '22 had outstanding performances in the final Interscholastic Equestrian League Show of the season, with Mary placing second in Equitation Flat and Equitation Over Fences in the Equitation Reserve Championships, and second and fourth place in Handy Hunter and Working Hunter, respectively, in the Hunters Reserve Championships. Julia had to leave the competition due to an injured horse, but placed fifth in Varsity

Flat prior to departing. Additionally, Isabella Saint Martin '22 placed first in her jumper speed class, seventh in the optimal time jumper class, and eighth in Equitation Flat.

GOLF The 2019 Golf season came to an end with the Sailors finishing sixth in the Mission League - a record of 2-5. In League Finals, the team collectively had their best showing, coming in at fifth place at Elkins Ranch. Led by Team Captains Grace Jenkins '20 and Joelle Villegas '21, Head Coach Trent Nishiyama shared that this was by far his most memorable season. A highlight of the season occurred when Emily Fox '22 qualified for the Mission League Championship, where just one year ago, she had missed the cut by just one stroke.

ROWING In the first regatta of the Spring season, Marymount’s Rowing team raced in the FaultLine Faceoff located in the San Pablo Reservoir in Northern California. The team raced in six different boats over nine events. Rachel Cuneo '21 came in third in JV, Kendall Fisher '20 came in first Novice A, Sofia Prestine '21 came in second at V8.

Caroline Ross '22 placed first and third in V4 and

V8, Caitlin Cowan '20 came in second in V8, and Leah Kelly '21 placed first and third in V4 and V8.

The next Regatta for Marymount was the SoCal Cup Challenge in Long Beach, Calif. Sofia Prestine '21 finished first in 3V. Leah Kelly '21 placed second in V4 and V8. Caitlin Cowan '20 completed second in V4. Rachel Cuneo '21 finished second in JV and third in Lightweight 8. Kendall Fisher '20 finished first in JV4 and second in JV8, and Caroline Ross '22 placed second in V8 and third in Straight 4.

SOCCER Varsity Soccer began the season on a strong note, winning against last year’s Division III Champions during their preseason. Early in the season, the Sailors were tied for first place in the Mission League and ranked 12 in Division II - a first in our School history. Goalies Kalyn Mason '22 and Nathalie Martinez '21 had seven shutout games and, at one point, were 36-0. However, with the injuries of a couple of players and illnesses throughout the season, the Sailors were unable to maintain their momentum to finish off the season.

The team narrowly missed earning a spot in CIF-SS playoffs, but with only four Seniors graduating, the team is a strong contender for a League title in the Sunshine League next year. Finished with a record of 7-8-1 overall and 3rd in league.

Returning players came onto the Junior Varsity Soccer team this year with such immense teamwork and leadership, which translated to the Freshmen becoming the surprising standouts within the team. Freshman Taylor Snider led the team in winning tackles and interceptions while playing both wide defense and holding the midfield against Santa Monica High School. Strong camaraderie occurred off the field which translated to tremendous performances on-the-field with Freshman Lola Castorina helping the team win three games playing different positions between midfield and defense. The Mission League is tough, but our Sailor athletes remained close in every game which is an achievement in and of itself. The team finished with a record of 3-10-3, and placed fourth in League.

SOFTBALL With their season cut unexpectedly short, Marymount Softball was ready to dominate the field. After a few non-league games where Sailor Softball played with an incomplete roster due to injuries and illnesses, the full team was together when they played against Maranatha High School in Pasadena. The game was called due to the Mercy Rule, and the Sailors brought home a commanding

12-2 victory. Senior Devin Waddell pitched a perfect game through the first three innings and closed out with 13 strikeouts. Ready to play against Campbell Hall next, the season was called due to COVID-19.

SWIM Marymount swimmers had their season cut short after only two meets, but that did not stop them from showing their strength at the beginning of the season. Against Notre Dame Academy, they had a perfect meet, coming in first place at 56-12, in every event they entered. Tenley Gorman '20, Elizabeth Rielly '20, Isabella Montgomery '23 and Reagan Whitney '20 finished in first at the 200 Medley Relay. Sophie Wazzan '20 took first in the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle. Isabella Montgomery '23 brought home first in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke. Reagan Whitney '20 came in first in the 50 Freestyle and 100 Freestyle. Elizabeth Rielly '20 claimed first in the 100 Butterfly. Isabella Montgomery '23, Sophie Wazzan '20, Elizabeth Fisher '23 and Reagan Whitney '20 took home first in the 200 Free Relay, and Emma Farnham '22 came in first in the 100 Backstroke.

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TENNIS Varsity Tennis sent two singles and two doubles pairs to the Mission League CIF Qualifiers, with Stephanie Sowa '21 and Gabriella Holian '20 ranked ninth and tenth, respectively, in the singles bracket and Rory Watson '21 and Cassidy Niehaus '23 ranking eighth. Double partners Brooke Pierpoint '21 and Alexandria Acholonu '21 went into the qualifiers as the number two ranked doubles, sweeping their semifinals and advancing to the final round. They advanced to the CIF-SS Sectionals where they ended their season in the second round.

TRACK & FIELD Track & Field only competed in one meet prior to the season ending due to COVID-19. Competing against elite Division I schools, Marymount came out strong and made Coach Lasan Darboe proud of their effort and determination. Standouts from the meet included Eva Muldoon '22, Rachel LaPorta '21, Kiyomi Genewick '21, Ruby Wedbush '21, Caitlin Donovan '21, Kaelin Yago '21, Jordan Kerrick '21, and Kelly McAllister '22 taking fifth place in the Varsity 8 x 200m and Eva Muldoon '22, Reese Murphy '22, Grace Espinoza '23 and Caitlin Donovan '21 taking eighth place at the 4 x 800m.

VOLLEYBALL Varsity Volleyball closed out a winning season at the CIF State Regional Playoffs at Torrey Pines, the top-ranked team in the Open Division. As expected, every rally was incredible, and every set a nail-biter.

From proudly claimed the Championship Title for the second year in a row at the Nike Tournament of Champions which consists of 96 elite high school teams from 15 different states, to taking home third place at the Durango Fall Classic, competing against the Top 20 teams from across the nation, and being named the Mission League Champions for the twentieth consecutive season, our School community is beyond proud of our Sailor athletes’ accomplishments and successes. Additionally, four Sailor Volleyball players were named All-State by Cal-Hi Sports this year. Amanda Leinbach '21 was named Junior All-State 2nd Team, Kelly Belardi '22 was named Sophomore All-State 2nd Team, and was also nominated for a USA Today Sports Award for Player of the Year. Kerry Keefe '22 was named Sophomore All-State 1st Team, and Elia Rubin '22 was named Sophomore California Player of the Year.

WATER POLO Marymount Water Polo completed the season with an overall 15-12 record, placing second in the Gold Division of the Burbank Tournament, fourth in the Mistletoe Tournament, and finished third in the Mission League. Succumbing to Millikan High School in Round I of the CIF playoffs brought their season to an end. Senior Reagan Whitney broke a school record for both season goals and overall career goals, and Senior Sophie Wazzan broke a school record for most steals. Reagan Whitney was named to the All-CIF 1st Team and Sophie Wazzan was named to the All-CIF 2nd Team. Nine Seniors graduated from the team and Head Coaches Nick Amstutz and Katie Bradley look forward to rebuilding the team for the 2020-21 school year.

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College Bound

Senior Athletes

AMARA AIMUFUA University of California, Davis - Volleyball

OLIVIA MACK Baylor University - Soccer

CAITLIN COWAN University of Wisconsin, Madison - Rowing

AVA O'CONNOR Amherst College - Volleyball

ANNABELLE DALY Wake Forest University - Volleyball

MARISSE TURNER California State University, Fullerton - Volleyball

KENDALL FISHER University of Notre Dame - Rowing

SOPHIE WAZZAN Indiana University - Water Polo

SOPHIE GLOBE University of San Diego - Volleyball

REAGAN WHITNEY University of California, Berkeley - Water Polo

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2020

A GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

COVID-19

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In early 2020, Marymount began preparing as news surfaced about a novel strain of coronavirus called COVID-19. With the creation of COVID-19 Internal and External Taskforces, Head of School Jacqueline L. Landry assembled a team of administrators, faculty, Board Members and expert physicians to prepare the school for every scenario, including the ultimate shutdown of campus beginning in March, which is still in effect during the printing of this publication.

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Artist Insider: A Look into "Masked"

by Sophie Dardashti '21 "I visited different areas around Los Angeles when the virus began to see how everything was affected. I sat in my car and took candids of people in the street with their masks on. I felt upset at how much everything had changed so quickly and how everyday tasks and outings were no longer regular, so I decided to turn the camera towards myself and capture the expression on my face and eyes."

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from

SOCIAL DISTANCING

to distant learning

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marymount shifted the School's paradigm to meet the needs of our students and support their well-being, while continuing to deliver an exceptional academic program.

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"We have grown stronger together and students have shown a new level of resiliency and agility in the face of adversity."

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As COVID-19 began sweeping the globe in winter 2019, Marymount – like every school in Los Angeles – had to change how we worked, how we delivered our program, and how we planned in real-time. The School did not hesitate in its response as it pivoted from a traditional in-person classroom setting to a remote learning model seemingly overnight; a model that was formed with thoughtful consideration and intention. M shares with its readers how our School community met this unparalleled and unfamiliar landscape with nimble eagerness, resilience, and innovation, and discusses the abiding challenges faced in this new environment.

TECHNOLOGY SET-UP Recognizing that not all students had equal access to the resources and tools necessary for remote learning, Marymount’s Technology Department ensured that every student received the support, software, hardware, and internet configuration necessary to achieve success in this new normal. Access to these tools is paramount to ensuring that students are successful within this new modality, and eliminating the possibility for learning gaps to occur.

Director of Technology Yevgeny Zharovsky spoke of the process, specifically crediting Marymount’s teachers.

“While our Department provided state-of-the-art technology, the faculty’s ability to use this new modality and modify their lesson plans enabled our situation to be extraordinary. No amount of technology will ever replace dedicated and caring teachers, and we are extremely lucky to have that at Marymount.”

FACULTY TRAINING The School began researching online meeting platforms and remote learning tools in mid-February, in anticipation of the State and County’s Safer at Home measures. To mitigate the educational impact on students, campus was closed for two days and faculty engaged in extensive professional development. Teachers used this time to work collaboratively and learn not just the technology that would be required for this new model, but to also map out new pedagogical practices and amend their curriculum and lecture structure to fit this new modality.

Kim Bathker ’02, Science Department Chair and CoCoordinator of STEAM, spoke about the transition to online learning and the long-term opportunity it provides to creatively and innovatively reinvent the School’s traditional learning experience. “Remote learning has stretched everyone,” she began. “In March, I was so impressed by teachers' ability to toggle to remote instruction and, this academic year, I'm constantly amazed by the students' resilience and creativity in taking their classes entirely online.”

Along with ensuring that faculty received training in remote learning technologies, an emphasis has also been placed on how teachers can best support students in this new learning environment. Promoting collaboration amongst classmates and faculty, highlighting the importance of adaptation and perseverance, supporting students with time management both in class and during office hours, clearly communicating objectives for classes and assignments, and encouraging human connection and stress management in this virtual space are just some of the ways our teachers have continued to support students during this time.

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For instance, Modern Language Teacher Dominique Abensour has a section of her class website dedicated solely to stress-relief methods, which she encourages her students to review especially before testing.

In discussing how she stays connected with her students, Drama Teacher and Theatre Director Corey Wexler says, “We have a ‘vibe check’ in every class where students can speak their mind, express frustration, celebrate a victory, or simply share something about themselves.”

As Marymount enters its ninth month of remote learning, professional development remains ongoing. Teachers continuously re-examine the scope and sequence of each course and make alterations based on what research has proven works best, solidifying our faculty’s strong foundation in delivering exceptional academics.

ACADEMIC SCHEDULE Early in the pandemic, Ms. Landry formed internal and external taskforces to help guide the logistics of remote operation, and to meet and plan for the School’s eventual reopening based on the developments of this evolving landscape. There were some challenges in the beginning, including the need for students and faculty to strike a healthy balance between screen time and time to unplug, combatting “Zoom Fatigue,” and a lack of social connection. By gathering feedback through Advisories, classroom discussions, virtual parent town halls, faculty and staff meetings, department meetings, and surveys, Marymount was able to strengthen a pedagogical design

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and schedule that allowed for maximum learning while prioritizing the emotional health and well-being of the students.

Ensuring a sense of normalcy has been paramount during the transition to remote learning, and having student connections – in a time when connections often seem muted – was essential. Each morning, the school day begins with a prayer, daily announcements, and tips from Student Body Vice President, Karly Condon '21. Classes begin at 9:00am and end at 2:00pm from Monday-Thursday, allowing for an hour of after-school Office Hours followed

by Co-Curricular activities (including club and alliance meetings, Conservatory Arts Program, and Model United Nations) and, as of mid-September, optional sociallydistanced in-person workouts, conditioning, and yoga. On Fridays, students participate in an auxiliary day where we gather for activities ranging from Community Assemblies, Masses, Advisory blocks, to Co-Curriculars. AP Classes also meet on Fridays to allow for additional class time.

Gina Kornfeind, parent of a current senior, reflected on how the newly shifted schedule has worked for her daughter.

“The adjusted hours were critical,” Gina shared. “This made such a difference with my daughter’s mental health in general. The teachers have been so accessible, and having clubs and alliances meet regularly has been amazing.”

Student wellness remains an essential component of the Marymount program. Beginning last March, Co-Directors of Counseling Meggie Purpura and Lyndsey Smith DeMuro '97 scheduled time with students to unwind, and

to promote reflection and engagement. By hosting virtual “Netflix & Popcorn” sessions, virtual yoga gatherings, and extending time where students could discuss their mental health and well-being, students had opportunities to find their own voices while diving deeply into their personal and shared experiences.

When it is safe to return to campus, Marymount will implement a hybrid model of learning, through which small cohorts of students will have the option to alternate being on campus. This option also allows families the option to continue remote learning entirely until the school can safely resume full operations in-person.

OUTCOMES The indicators by which Marymount monitors academic achievements and outcomes affirm the school’s success in having pivoted to remote learning. Marymount maintained synchronous instruction and continued to grade all courses. There are no significant differences in regard to academic achievement pre-pandemic to the current year. Students have shown remarkable resilience in learning how to master a new platform, they continue to engage with teachers and, even in this virtual space, have created innovative ways to collaborate with one another.

Students report benefits and insights which have helped to drive the School’s activities and inform Marymount’s approach to best support their well-being. They report

having more time to follow their passions and hobbies, to nurture deeper relationships, and to catch up on sleep – which research has shown has a profound impact on adolescent’s mental, physical, social, and emotional development.

Trishatheon Vasquez '21 shares, “My physical and mental health has improved greatly, and this time has allowed me to form a deeper bond with my parents.”

Additionally, students openly discuss the power and significance of the Marymount community, and the unique sisterhood that they have formed with their peers.

Dean of Students Dawn Regan elaborates, “The concept of community has been redefined as a result of this pandemic. To have had something so tangible taken away – without warning – has allowed our students to reflect on its importance, and to think about tangible ways in which they can recreate being together in newly construed ways. Many students have now expressed that this is an extraordinary gift that they will never take for granted.”

Juliet McMillan '21 shares, “It has made me appreciate time with my friends and classmates much more. I never realized how much our 50-minute lunches meant to me, or walking to and from class with a classmate, until I could not have them.”

Along with the silver linings, there are also challenges in the face of online learning. Screen fatigue is a reality that is reported among Marymount students, and students nationally; connectivity issues create scenarios where

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students may get booted out of classrooms unexpectedly; and, having a lack of in-person social connections, which is crucial in an adolescent’s development, is widely discussed.

Sophomore Emma Baskin '23 shares, “While Marymount’s transition to online learning was practically seamless and the best it could be, I fear that the small Zoom boxes will take up the majority of my high school memory. Technology is a great aspect of life, but now, it basically is my life.”

Freshman Brooke Lee '24 talks about her unique perspective beginning a new school in a remote setting.

“As a Freshman, I was always imagining the first day of school - meeting new classmates, getting on the bus for the first time; it is really just the everyday things that didn't seem as important when we experienced them in our dayto-day lives. Currently, there are none of these tiny little moments that you get to experience with your peers that could turn into a great memory that you cherish for the rest of your life. However, through these struggles, I've been able to grow closer to my new classmates by being able to relate to each other on a new level.”

This new reality has allowed the world to share a global experience, opening up unimaginable learning pathways.

Through this lived experience, students are more socially aware and have become greater global advocates, noting the interconnectedness of the causal effects of their own actions. They are also challenged to nurture meaningful relationships at a time where their need for human connection is heightened. As educators, we are responsible to ensure that students think critically about this historic moment, cultivating a mindset of the lasting difference each individual makes on the future of our world.

Ms. Landry reflects on this experience as one of the greatest challenges that she has had to face as a leader, and she expressed gratitude for the unrelenting passion from our students, families, faculty, staff and administrators.

“The continuous trust and patience that our community has placed in us while we navigate this new territory has allowed Marymount to reinvent itself and our program to meet the needs of our time. We have grown stronger together and students have shown a new level of resiliency and agility in the face of adversity. This is a time in history that they will never forget.” n

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NURTURING

wellness

BY LYNDSEY SMITH DEMURO '97 & MEGGIE PURPURA CO-DIRECTORS OF COUNSELING

A

“

s we navigate the new territories of remote learning amidst a global pandemic, nurturing the mental health and emotional well-being of our students has never been more crucial. For better or worse, we know through developmental research that adolescents tend to experience their feelings much more intensely than adults. The levels of joy, silliness, and excitement that emanates from a group of teen girls can be equally matched by higher levels of anxiety, overwhelmingness, and hopelessness. A recent survey by the National 4-H Council shows that 7 out of 10 teens in the United States currently report struggling with their mental health, and 64% of teens believe that COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on their generations’ mental health.

While these statistics may not come as a surprise to parents and This deep emphasis on mental guardians living through health and wellness helps to bridge the pandemic with their teens, understanding the gap of distanced connections. precisely why this period of time is so challenging for our students has helped Marymount create more targeted support systems based on their unique needs.

Pre-COVID, two vital precursors for positive teen mental health were built into students’ daily routines, and thus, would naturally occur without much effort: physical movement and connection with their peers. Walking to and from the bus stop, laughing with friends during lunch, and conversing alongside classmates while strolling across campus in the fresh air are just a few examples of small, but meaningful moments that remote learning unfortunately cannot provide. Additionally, the natural flow of the school day – moments of intense focus followed by movement, changing environments, and social interaction – helped keep students motivated, an element now lacking. As a result of these disruptors, we, as educators, have been tasked to build in more opportunities for positive coping strategies, decompression tactics and further promote social connections throughout the school day.

Marymount nurtures a passion for the student experience. We have always put a focus on the “whole girl,” which emphasizes wellness as one of the pillars of our education. The school’s re-envisioned Advisory model could not have come at a better time given the city’s Safer at Home measures, and the disruption

it has caused for the much-needed human connection that teenagers yearn for. Each week, students meet in a group with their faculty advisor to connect with each other in an informal and inclusive space utilizing a curriculum built to meet the specific needs of each grade level. Students are particularly eager to make new connections and maintain a sense of normalcy during this increased time of stress and isolation. Ninth graders, for example, will participate in activities to help build friendships despite their lack of social interaction. While tenth through twelfth graders will engage in deeper, and more meaningful conversations processing the current issues that our nation faces.

This deep emphasis on mental health and wellness helps to bridge the gap of distanced connections, allowing students to empathize with one another, hear similar experiences from their classmates and teachers, and to know that they are not alone. This is crucial in maintaining a positive psychological state at a time where students are increasingly vulnerable. As counselors, we have shifted the conversation inside the classroom to empower students with the tools necessary to self-assess their emotional wellbeing. Using insights, latest research and easy-to-use methods, students are given the foundation to gauge their social-emotional wellness – a required skill to maintain positive mental balance throughout their lives. Students are also being enriched with new coping skills during this time of uncertainty – a bedrock in prioritizing their own psychological state – including, but not limited to, practicing gratitude, journaling and focused breathing exercises.

Understanding that this is an unpredictable time creates a level of heightened anxiety that will require coping mechanisms for both the short-term and long-term. Once it is deemed safe to return to campus, though healthy interactions may commence, the emotional support that will be needed to move forward from this time is something that educators and health practitioners are still unpacking.

Once we are back on campus, Marymount will continue to provide workshops on a variety of social-emotional topics, as well as meet individually with students to understand their specific needs and concerns. We understand that the implications of this time in our history is one that will not just disappear, and so we will continue to acknowledge it, create new strategies, and work through it together. n M - THE MARYMOUNT MAGAZINE | FALL 2020

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VISUAL ARTS

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Michelle Choi '21: Photo-based illustration with collage for Advanced 2D Visual Arts

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Top L to R: Gianna Wardy '23, Shea Tepstein '23 Bottom L to R: Angela Dean '23, Nia Porter '23 Digital self-portrait drawing using a tablet.

Emma Scwettman '21 Hand in clay for 3D Design

Reagan Whitney '20 "I drew from different cultural beliefs and stories to create my depiction of the ways of living and the afterlife. The portraits depict three types of living people: those who live righteously, those who live in limbo, and those who submit to temptations."

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Reilly Brumbach '20:

"This is one of the photos I took for my AP Portfolio. The collection is titled 'Carter in the Urban Adjacent.'"

Jacqueline Musico '20:

Emma Pierson '20:

"This is an early piece in my Sustained Investigation, which I intended to portray the personality of my family and relatives.

This painting was inspired by a photograph of my father as a young man, playing in Measure for Measure."

"For my concentration, I took the LA metro system from West LA to 7th St Station in Downtown to Union Station. I talked to artists, photographers, piano players, skateboarders, police officers, etc. I photographed how the city changes, and how one system can connect people from all different walks of life."

Liliana Rudolph '21:

Photo-based illustration and collage for Advanced 2D Design

Michelle Choi '21:

Illusionary space - extreme perspective for Advanced Studio B

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THE GETTY MUSEUM CHALLENGE In March, The Getty Museum began a social media challenge to keep people engaged during quarantine.

This challenge inspired users across the world to recreate their favorite art using objects (and people) found around their home. Marymount students rose to the challenge and created countless interpretations of iconic artworks.

Liliana Rudolph '21

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Venice Cusumano '22

From Top to Bottom: Chandler Garland '21, Emily Fox '22, Amelia Mullen '22, Fiona Fisher '22

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Kelly McAllister '22

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Artwork by Marymount Staff Member Amanda Jones

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A focus on

Social Justice

Marymount’s core remains true to our RSHM founding and identity. We are called to respond to the needs of our time, working unabashedly to carry on the legacy of our Sisters in the quest for social justice. We are committed to acknowledging the work that must be done to meet our Mission as we pledge to expand the School’s sustained initiatives in anti-racist and anti-biased education so that we can continue to cultivate a vibrant community of ethical leaders united through mutual respect.

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Artist Insider: A Look into "We Rise Together"

by Coco Kennedy '22.

"I incorporated the idea of "togetherness" to inspire this piece. We are all so different in so many ways - every students, staff member, teacher - however, the one thing we have in common is Marymount. We are all in this together, and we will find a way to rise."

“

The world never needed women’s intelligence and sympathy more than it does today. The education that will equip women to meet modern conditions effectively will not neglect any medium in which true American womanhood may find its best expression.”

- Mother Marie Joseph Butler, RSHM Foundress of the Marymount Schools in America

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ollowing months of significant social and civic unrest across the country that were rooted in systemic racism and social injustice, Head of School Jacqueline L. Landry and members of the Board of Trustees engaged in thoughtful discourse, listened to experiences of racial injustice that were shared by members of our alumnae, parent, and student communities, and resolved that Marymount must and would do better in creating and bolstering an inclusive environment where all students, parents, and alumnae feel welcome. Over the summer, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) page of the school website was launched to share the school’s ongoing commitment and work in this essential area.

Supported by the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and administration, a number of the actions and initiatives addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion were implemented, while others were already in progress. Still others will require more time for systemic change to occur. The nature of this important work requires that Marymount continue to evolve to meet the needs of students today and into the future, and ensures that the school will continue to be rooted in a Mission that is dedicated to social justice, so that all who enter our gateway may have life and have it to the full.

The DEI webpage is updated regularly to reflect the School’s ongoing work. Among the key initiatives and objectives shared on the website are: •

•

•

To ensure that we create a more diverse and inclusive environment at Marymount, better reflecting and embracing the diversity of the city in which we reside. This includes, but is not limited to: • Hiring and retaining more faculty and staff of color as positions open by actively partnering with recruiting firms and participating in recruitment fairs that have a deep commitment to diversity.

• Providing implicit bias training for all faculty and administrators who interview prospective families.

• Status Update: Marymount’s efforts to recruit and retain Students of Color have resulted in an increasingly diverse student population, growing from 18% in 2011 to 43% in 2021. Additionally, during this same time period, Marymount focused on recruiting an increasingly diverse Board of Trustees that better reflects the demographics of our school community. Currently, 36% of the Board identify as People of Color.

To provide inclusive, equitable, and clearly understood disciplinary/reporting policies and procedures for Marymount faculty, staff, administrators, students, and parents. This includes, but is not limited to: • Ensuring that the Parent-Student Handbook, a document that both parents and students must acknowledge and sign, reflects our school’s commitment to anti-racism and anti-bias education and clearly outlines protocols for accountability.

• Requiring all students to sign Marymount’s Pledge to Live Honorably which reflects our goals and work to help students on their journey to live with integrity, authenticity and inclusivity.

To provide professional development opportunities to ensure that faculty, staff, administrators and Board of Trustees have ample opportunities to learn and grow within their professions and roles at the school. This includes, but is not limited to: • Requiring that faculty, staff, administrators and Board of Trustees partake in mandatory and extensive professional development and programming surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Status Update: Nationally-renowned DEI expert Dr. Derrick Gay conducted anti-racism and antibias training with administration, faculty, staff, Board of Trustess and current parents during the Summer and Fall of 2020.

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•

To reassess the curriculum and provide opportunities for expanded learning for both students and their parents. This includes, but is not limited to: • Updating the curriculum to review and ensure relevancy, inclusivity, breadth of program, and academic preparedness, all while students continue to receive individualized services and support in relation to their academic, social, emotional and mental health.

• Requiring parents to participate in education through quarterly Thought Talks, speakers and meetings throughout the year.

• Status Update: The School has assembled an internal Task Force of teachers who have begun the task of decolonizing the curriculum to ensure diversity and BIPOC representation within all academic and co-curricular areas.

Further supporting the School’s commitment to this essential work is a newly established Board Committee. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, is co-chaired by Trustees Brenda Stevenson Cones and Rita Tuzon, and is responsible for overseeing and helping to guide strategic policies that ensure that the mission of the school is being fulfilled, specifically in relation to planning and execution on anti-racist and anti-bias plans of action. The members of the DEI Committee are: • Brenda Stevenson Cones (Co-Chair) • Rita Tuzon (Co-Chair and Board Chair) • John Thomas West (Special Advisor on Content and Curriculum)

• • • •

Patricia Connor, RSHM Estelle Reyes Madrid '96 Nancy Power Linda Wenglikowski

The DEI Committee has established a BIPOC Community Advisory Committee to assist in this work. The members of the BIPOC Community Advisory Committee are: • • • • • • •

Amber Avant '11 Kimiko Barbour ‘00 Candace Coleman ‘04 Jennifer De Maio '93 Angela Makabali ‘02 Katie McInerney (Holmes) ‘02 Stephanie Venegas Peterson ‘03

• Noelle Porter '87 • Willard Sheffie (current parent) • Morgan Thomas '11 • Selina Turner '11 • Jessenia Zelaya '15

Learn more about Marymount High School’s DEI initiatives and on-going work at www.mhs-la.org/dei.

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PERFORMING ARTS

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2019 WINTER CONCERT This festive event showcases dancers, singers and instrumentalists igniting the holiday season for our entire community.

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LITURGICAL MUSICIANS AND DANCERS Over one-fourth of our student body share their talents through song, orchestra and dance during Masses, school-wide Prayer Services, community gatherings, and concerts.

DTASC FALL VARSITY THEATRE FESTIVAL In Oct. 2019, Marymount's DTASC team competed at Calabasas High School's Fall Varsity Theatre Festival. The Mean Girls scene moved to the final round of competition, bringing home an honorable mention and taking a position in the Top Ten of the Large Group Comedy category.

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FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Like many other schools across the country, our Spring Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, was canceled due to limitations necessitated by the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the city. Our School community, actors, and crew were devastated, but made the most of a difficult situation. Thankfully, the Marymount Players were able to perform one show as a special dress rehearsal attended by the faculty and staff on Thursday, Mar. 12.

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CELEBRATING the CLASS OF

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To summarize the stories of the 108 young women who comprise the Class of 2020 would be to tell the story of activists, educators,

scientists, mathematicians, artists, vocalists, dreamers and believers. These students, who have now graduated to the next chapter of their lives, have left an indelible mark on our School.

The anticipated excitement of their final year of high school was forever altered due to the circumstances of our global state. However, the

resilience that these 108 Seniors showed during the last several months of the 2019-2020 school year will never be forgotten. We will continue to celebrate these women for years to come, because

they are now part of the larger narrative of our history - both globally - and for our School.

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Student Commencement Speech

Taylor Thompson '20

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s steadfast students, as devoted educators, as impassioned loved ones, we are all connected.

Connected through something bigger than we are, something that “moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, until we find our place, on the path unwinding.” We are connected through “the circle of life.” As we are brought into this world by our parents in this beautiful macrocosm of existence, we are brought into ourselves by our educators in this beautiful microcosm of high school.

Parents, sitting right next to you, you see your daughters, who have grown inch by inch by the measures of your love and your sacrifices. Your daughters who have futures, who will grow up and become world leaders, serve as global advocates, and continue your legacies. Your daughters who will find their places in this world because of the knowledge, the confidence, and the drive that Marymount has instilled within them.

Marymount has given us the tools to grow in mind and soul, calling us to ignite the “fire and the flame” burning within our hearts.

Our journey through Marymount may be compared to the trials, tribulations, and victories of an entire circle of life, from birth to adolescence, to adulthood, to seniority. Now, as we come to the end of our high school journey, we are rebirthed into the ether of our futures with Marymount’s gift of an intellectual and a spiritual life, and the desire to live it to the full.

Freshman year. Just like a newborn child, we entered into this new world of high school with fear, awe, and intellectual innocence. Our educators, like our parents, taught us how to rise to our feet and to communicate our ideas and thoughts, showing us the symbiosis of The Bean Trees, the proofs of geometric shapes, and the duties of a samurai warrior. We learned our roles in the community - whether it was trying out for the play, joining a sports team, a club, or eternally embarrassing ourselves by rapping Hamilton for

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an election. We got to know our classmates as we waited to make our paninis while simultaneously annihilating every other student in the cafe with our protruding backpacks. In this first year, we were most susceptible to change, just as children, and we were molded into strong, passionate girls - who would soon rise to the next stage of our microcosmic lives.

Sophomore year. In our adolescence, we became more comfortable in ourselves, learning to apply our knowledge in new ways, bending our intellectual curfews. Still, under the roof of our educators, we grew exponentially - dancing our way through Frankenstein, the unit circle, and the periodic table. This year, we welcomed challenges - taking our first APs or Honors, trying out different electives or outside of school, learning how to drive a car. We fostered our relationships even more, engaging in the cultural celebrations of our classmates through events such as Holi, where we colorfully welcomed the Spring and the diversity of our class. We came into ourselves Sophomore year, we saw each other for our backgrounds, our ideas, our passions, and we eagerly waited to ascend to our next stage.

Junior year. Adulthood. This, arguably, was the most challenging year for a lot of us. Being thrown into the pools of responsibility, yet still guided by the support system of our educators, we had to harness control over every aspect of our lives - in terms of our studies, our SATs and ACTs, and planning for our futures. With independence, we learned to manage our time, to understand the depth and meaning behind American history, to analyze pieces of social commentary like The Scarlet Letter or The Tortilla Curtain, and to make an impact in our world - through Kingdom Fair. In this stage of adulthood, our friendships became families, especially after bonding on our Junior retreat.

We all trudged through these waters with love and respect and empathy, like proud birds.

Senior year. Seniority - the level of utmost wisdom, gratitude, and reflection. With the plight of adulthood behind us, and the excitement of our future, we prepared for this next chapter in our lives by applying to schools, and in our applications, we shared our stories of our microcosmic lives at Marymount - how they

shaped us, changed us, molded us, and brought us to ourselves. We honed in on our interests, we branched out, and we were faced with a challenge that turned our worlds upside down.

The pandemic of COVID-19. Being ripped away from our school, our friends, and our face-toface classes, we faced uncertainty and sorrow.

Above all, however, we were reminded of our interconnectivity with our world, our existence in this circle of life where we must face adversity and tribulations, and hope that as a Marymount community, as a nation and as the human race, we can overcome anything.

As seniors, this global challenge encouraged us to look to our past, upon our memories at Marymount and it demanded that we look toward our future - college and beyond.

Through “the despair and the hope,” the “faith and the love,” we have now found our places, on life’s unwinding path, as we ascend beyond our microcosmic life into our future.

We now enter into an unknown world of our life’s preparation, where we will experience eternal growth. In Marymount, through its encouragement, its administrators, its teachers, its hope, its love, and its gift of life has made us who we are. As we move onto this next life, our past existence will live in our fulfilled hearts and our intellectually-strengthened minds forever.

We will go out into the world and initiate change, bring peace, and stand up for what we believe in. As we continue on this circle of existence, we will thank Marymount - for giving us a life to live to the full.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 - may you cherish this life you have lived in your hearts forever, and may you always stay Sailor Strong.

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Class of 2020

College and University Acceptances We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2020 graduates who were admitted to over 150 college and/or university programs.

Below is a select list of acceptances for the Marymount Class of 2020.

Every school with a graduate attending is denoted in bold and schools with an asterisk denotes multiple enrollees.

American University Amherst College Auburn University Bard College Barnard College Bates College Baylor University Belmont University Boston College Boston University * Brown University Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Butler University California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Fullerton Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Clark University Clemson University Colgate University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Columbia University * Connecticut College Cornell University Denison University DePaul University Drexel University Elon University Emerson College Emory University Fairfield University Fordham University Georgetown University Goldsmiths, University of London Gonzaga University Grinnell College Hampton University Haverford College Howard University Indiana University, Bloomington Ithaca College Kenyon College King's College London Lafayette College Lake Forest College Lehigh University Louisiana State University

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Loyola Marymount University * Loyola University Chicago Manhattan College Marquette University McGill University Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Montana State University Mount Holyoke College Mount Saint Mary's University Muhlenberg College New York University * Northeastern University Oberlin College Occidental College Ohio Wesleyan University Pace University Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Pratt Institute Purdue University Quinnipiac University Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rollins College Rutgers University, New Brunswick Sacred Heart University Saint Louis University Saint Mary's College of California San Diego State University Santa Clara University * Sarah Lawrence College Scripps College Seattle University Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College Smith College Southern Methodist University Spelman College Stonehill College Syracuse University Texas Christian University The American University of Paris The George Washington University * The New School The Ohio State University The University of Alabama The University of Tampa The University of Tennessee

The University of Texas at Austin * Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University of Louisiana * Union College University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley * University of California, Davis * University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles * University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara * University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago * University of Colorado Boulder * University of Delaware University of Denver University of Evansville University of Georgia University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Kansas University of Maryland University of Miami University of Michigan * University of Minnesota University of Mississippi University of New Hampshire University of Notre Dame * University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Portland University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego * University of San Francisco * University of South Carolina University of Southern California * University of the Pacific University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison * Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University * Wake Forest University * Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis * Wellesley College Whitman College Willamette University

2016

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Awards & Honors EMILY BUCHI

MARY COOPER

The Les Anges Award

The Mother Butler Award

This award is given to a Senior who consistently demonstrated the high ideal of a Marymount education, who took full advantage of the unique opportunities of that education, and who consistently contributed to her school community.

Marymount’s highest honor is given in memory of the Foundress of the Marymount Schools in the United States and Europe. It is awarded to a Senior who has best integrated the ideals of a Marymount education through her academic excellence, leadership, loyalty, and supportive presence to the school community.

GIANNA LOPEZ

SAMANTHA JACKSON

The Gailhac Award

The Katherine Alfs Caldwell '35 Memorial Award

This award, named after the Founder of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, is presented to a Senior who consistently demonstrated the energy, enthusiasm, warmth, leadership, and joy that promoted the special family bond that is unique to Marymount.

ALI MORA The Alumnae Association’s Marymount Young Woman Award

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This award is presented to a Senior class leader for her initiative, devotion, commitment, and spirited contribution to her class.

ZOEY GRANT & JACQUELINE MUSICO Marymount Outstanding Scholar Award

This award is given to a Senior for her dedication and service to Marymount High School and her devotion to the principles of Christian womanhood who achieved excellence in a multitude of disciplines.

The award represents Marymount’s highest academic honor and is presented to an exceptional Senior who achieved excellence in a multitude of disciplines.

ELIZABETH RIELLY

REAGAN WHITNEY

The Marian Award

The Kristin Klein Keefe '88 Award

This award is presented to a Senior whose devotion to the pursuit of excellence is complimented by a sincere dedication to the highest standards of character and integrity.

This award is presented to a Senior who displayed excellence in academics and who participated in interscholastic sports with the highest standards of sportsmanship and integrity as exemplified by Kristin Klein Keefe '88 during her years at Marymount.

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Gold Medal Recipients

MADELINE ABADIN

SARAH AMBROSE

ISABELLE AMSTER

HAILEY BATES

Spanish

Mathematics

French

Science

ARIANNA GARCIA

ZOEY GRANT

SARAH KNIGHT

GIANNA LOPEZ

English

English, Mathematics, Science, and Performing Arts: Orchestra

Religious Studies

Spanish

ALI MORA

JACQUELINE MUSICO

ISABELLE PEREZ

LUCIA PEREZ-SAIGNAC

Religious Studies

English, Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts: Photography

Performing Arts

French

EMMA PIERSON

ELIZABETH RIELLY

TAYLOR THOMPSON

Visual Arts

Mathematics

English, Social Studies

KENDRA THORNBURGHMUELLER Visual Arts

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Watch

Our Women Alumnae Series

This series celebrates decades of Marymount graduates who have worked tirelessly to affect change in the world around them, each in their unique way. These women inspire us with their dedication to innovation, determination, creativity, and service, and we are lucky to call them sisters in our alumnae community.

We look forward to continuing this series in each issue of M - The Marymount Magazine as well as on our website over the coming years. If you are interested in participating or nominating a fellow Marymount graduate to be featured in this series, please contact alumnae@mhs-la.org.

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ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT Vivian Cheung '85 Professor, Pediatrician, and Physician-Scientist

As one of just 2% of physician-scientists in the United States, Vivian has dedicated her practice and research to understanding RNA regulation and its relationship to diseases such as neurological disorders in children. While she embarks in this critical work, Vivian has made it her calling to help increase the number of leaders within her shrinking field.

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here is a looming decline in the number of physicianscientists in the country, fueling concern for the future of this workforce. Dr. Vivian Cheung '85 attributes this reduction to the substantial accumulation of student debt after medical school, the lack of funding for research, and fewer role models to attract the future generation of leaders. In response to these challenges, Vivian has taken it upon herself to be a mentor to her students and trainees – listening, understanding their needs, and encouraging them to excel – the same way that many of her teachers did at Marymount for her.

“Going to an all-girls school is probably one of the most important contributors to my success,” Vivian says. “Growing and developing one’s identity in an environment that has minimal gender bias made me oblivious to what ‘girls can and cannot do.’”

Women and people of color are increasingly underrepresented in Vivian’s unique field. In medical school, while Vivian’s class had an

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equal representation of men and women, she shares that fewer women were represented within senior leadership as she moved up the career ladder. Vivian was further along in her career before she became aware of the existing invisible glass ceiling. Now, she has made it her mission to challenge those biases, and to show women and people of color that, in laboratories, the essence of research is in the discoveries – although it may be a long road, it is one that is often rewarded with uncovering the wonders of nature.

In fact, it was the mentorships Vivian received at Marymount, and throughout her educational journey, that helped fuel her desire to pursue this field.

It was at Marymount, Vivian writes, that she was instilled with the foundation and confidence to tackle difficult obstacles and to ask challenging questions – skills that she has carried throughout her career as she aims to solve complex problems in biomedicine and RNA biology. Vivian credits former Marymount Biology teachers Ms. Burke and Mr. Warren for setting her on course, determining a path where science could take her, instead of following a path that has already been discovered. During her undergraduate work at University of

California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Vivian studied under the mentorship of Dr. Donald Puppione exploring the lipid metabolism in elephant seals. Dr. Puppione taught her to look into literature for clues and to carry out experiments in order to identify unknowns – a task that left her with lasting memories.

Once in medical school at Tufts University, Vivian attended a seminar by Dr. Robert Mahley from the UCSF Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, which led her to eventually join his group traveling to Turkey as part of the Turkish Heart Project during breaks and research blocks while attending medical school. That experience made it clear to Vivian that she wanted to see patients and to do research that could better human health. Along the way, she met another female physician-scientist, Dr. Helen Hobbs, who studies lipid metabolism, which further showed Vivian the power of women within the field.

After her clinical training, Vivian joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Pediatrics where she became aware of the over thirty million Americans who have rare diseases. She set up the Vivian Cheung Lab after becoming aware of the many unmet needs of children with rare neurological diseases resultant

from genetic mutations, and realizing that a diagnosis did not always translate to treatment. After this conclusion, and a move to the University of Michigan, Vivian moved her lab to continue her research uncovering how the genetic code in DNA affects the expression of genes, and how RNA regulates cell function so that treatments can be crafted.

“As I build my career, I often turn to my mentors for advice,” she shares. “With their encouragement, and the fearlessness that Marymount taught me, I shifted my research to study how RNA affects patients with juvenileonset ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).”

In her lab, Vivian and her team ask how RNA sequences and structures are regulated and what exactly they regulate so that they can understand why this affects the functions of patients’ motor neurons. But, even with this compelling work, Vivian has realized that she is called to do more. Intentional about who she hires, recruiting and mentoring young women, Vivian hopes to lead a new wave of physicianscientists down a path of senior research leadership roles.

While attending Marymount, Vivian read Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which quickly became one of her favorite books.

In her office today is a quote from de SaintExupéry – “to be responsible is to be ashamed of the miseries you did not cause…” – which serves as a reminder for why she wants to do more in addition to just her research.

“Seeing the mounting inequities experienced by people of color, women, and those with disabilities in our healthcare system, compelled me to step out of my comfort zone and become more active nationally,” Vivian shares. “Through Marymount, I learned the need to serve, and to answer critical issues.

To address the issue of the declining number of physician-scientists in our workforce, five colleagues and I formed the Physician-Scientist Support Foundation to build a diverse and sustainable physician-scientist workforce,

by developing leaders who will make fundamental discoveries that improve human health.”

“If the COVID pandemic has made one thing clear, it is the importance of science in medicine,” she explains. “The fundamental knowledge that enables the manufacturing of vaccines and medications is discovered in research laboratories in universities and research institutes. There is a critical need to increase the number of physician-scientists so that our country can maintain primacy in healthcare and medicine innovation.”

Vivian and her research team are taking a lead in this innovation today. At the beginning of the pandemic, members of her lab unanimously voiced their wish to use their knowledge to help find a cure for the novel coronavirus, given that COVID-19 is an RNA-virus.

“We pivoted our work and began a new project with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to develop ways to break down the RNA in the

virus,” Vivian shares. “So far, we have found compounds that target key parts of the viral RNA that should prevent the virus from reproducing and surviving. If successful, this will be a very specific drug to treat the coronavirus infection.”

In reflecting on her career and educational trajectory, Vivian encourages current Sailors to treasure their time at Marymount. “The lessons and values that you learn will be lasting,” she explains. “In eleventh grade, I had an independent project to look at mitochondria in celery. I still remember buying celery and preparing it with Mr. Warren to find the mitochondria. Over 30 years later, one of my fellows is now studying how RNA in mitochondria in kidney cells is made and the regulatory steps in that synthesis.”

“One never knows how the knowledge that we learn can be useful down the road.

So go out and ‘embrace community, pursue intelligence, ground in noble goals, and speak the truth.’” n M - THE MARYMOUNT MAGAZINE | FALL 2020

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ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT Lauren Delahanty Gorosh '09 Registered Nurse Neuro ICU

Treating patients in a city that quickly became a COVID-19 epicenter, Lauren Delahanty Gorosh ’09, RN, speaks about the perseverance and discipline she needed to get through the grueling early months of the pandemic.

F

or the past two years, Lauren has spent her professional career in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

Caring for critically ill patients who suffer from strokes, seizures, neuromuscular diseases, spinal traumas and a plethora of comorbidities, Lauren adapts a critical-thinking and creative mindset, while fiercely advocating for those in need, to each patient with whom she comes in contact.

Lauren shares, “The values I learned at Marymount have carried me throughout my life, and led me to the successes I have had thus far. As a nurse, I come in contact with patients from all walks of life. I try to educate patients and their families about how they can improve their health. I have to explain the long-term implications of their conditions in creative ways so that they can thoroughly understand what I am trying to teach. I often do this by using analogies. For instance, I use the water pressure in a garden hose to

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describe hypertension. Being creative allows you to reach people where they are.”

Each day in the life of a nurse differs, depending on the patients who are admitted.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck New Orleans, Lauren shared that no one was prepared for the pace that patients came in. Though Ochsner is a large and wellresourced hospital, Lauren shared that at the height of the pandemic, they lacked the critical resources that they needed. “I was reusing my N95 mask, we had to hire travel nurses, and all five 30-bed COVID-ICUs were completely full.”

Lauren chose to work extra shifts during the peak – not because she was required to do so, but because she wanted to do so in order to support her colleagues and patients. The hospital quickly became her second home.

Reflecting on her years at Marymount, Lauren credits her perseverance to having been a member of the Swim and Water Polo Teams. “Playing in these sports at Marymount taught me teamwork, discipline, and time

management,” Lauren says. “These teams showed me what a home away from home looked like and how hard work pays off.”

Lauren also explains how Marymount taught her to adapt to new environments, a value that prepared her well for the unimaginable disruption of the pandemic. Lauren was tasked with training several travel nurses to learn the entire hospital system, sometimes in one or two shifts, all while collaborating with nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, post-anesthesia care unit nurses, emergency department nurses, and pediatric nurses to support the influx of cases at the hospital.

“This entire experience, though emotionally taxing, has been an opportunity for further learning. With my stroke patients, there are often subtle changes; but if someone cannot breathe, as often occurs with COVID patients, you can see that,” Lauren explains. “My focus had to shift to treat acute respiratory distress, ensuring that patients had their airways protected, oxygenated, and ventilated properly.”

Imbued with the lessons taught in her Marymount science classes, Lauren mastered asking the question of ‘why.’ She asks this question when thinking of the patients whom she lost as a result of the pandemic, and also when thinking through the best ways to solve hard problems. The long-term effects for survivors of Coronavirus are still unknown.

Lauren ruminates over the why, asking why certain comorbidities affect COVID patients more than others. She stresses how, as global citizens, every person must do their part to continue the reduction of cases worldwide.

When asked what advice she would give to current Marymount students, Lauren emphatically states that she encourages them to take the road less traveled. “It will be worth it,” she shares. “I was the only girl from my grammar school to attend Marymount. I was the only one from my Marymount class to attend Clemson University, and I did not know a soul when my husband’s job led us to New Orleans. Going out on your own is hard, but you will learn a lot about yourself and your own strength.” n

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ALUMNAE NEWS '50

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ALUMNAE: Send Us Your Notes!

Our community wants to hear from you! Send us your class notes or photos electronically in a .jpg format to alumnae@mhs-la.org. If you are submitting photos, please make sure that the resolution is high enough for print publication – preferably 300 DPI. Your classmates can’t wait to see what you have been up to!

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CLASS NOTES

1950s Patricia Costello Humphreys '54 writes, “One of the things I always look forward to is Home For The Holidays in December.

Let's pray and hope that at some point we will be able to gather again for such a wonderful and cheerful event. Marymount will always remain near and dear to me and I treasure the memories of my early years."

1970s Margaret McNulty McEniry '70 shares, “I retired after 17 years from my position as Accounting Tech for Leucadia Wastewater District in June. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my granddaughter who is 2 and a half. My youngest daughter Catherine was supposed to get married in May, but her wedding was postponed due to COVID-19 until the following year.

Hopefully, everything will work out as planned!”

Patty Swartz Avilla '76 pictured with her two daughters, daughter-in-law and four granddaughters at 'The Nutcracker' - a yearly tradition that has continued for eleven years.

Nancy Henderson '72 shares, “I have retired and moved from Beaverton to Salem, OR. I am enjoying living in a smaller, lesscomplicated city and being closer to my daughter and her family. I am active in the local Genealogy Society and the local needlepoint group. Most excitedly, I am now a grandparent of a wonderful little boy who is 5-months old and a real cutie.”

Patty Swartz Avilla '76 writes, “I wanted to share a group picture of my beautiful family members. Last December, I took my two daughters, daughter-in-law and four granddaughters to the American Ballet presentation of The Nutcracker in Orange County.

This tradition began when my oldest granddaughter was 3-years-old and now she is 12. We are blessed.”

Nina Fauntleroy Hagan '77 writes, “I’m proud to write that my daughter Abby Hagan was recently hired by Restoration Hardware Corporate as their Merchandise Coordinator, at a time when job opportunities remain scarce. My husband and I advised her to broaden her scope and not give up, and after sending out over 200 job applications and participating in countless interviews, she was able to persevere. I advise all Marymount students to follow the idea that persistence is doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Never give up!”

L to R - Mariana Aguilar Marrone ‘08, Ashley Zieminski Chellgren ‘04, Carly Zieminski Magnusson ‘04, Katie Zacuto ‘08, Carissa Vitale ‘08 and Malory McDonald '08

2000s Patricia Shatz '03 writes, “I moved three months ago from Los Angeles to the Rocket City (Huntsville, AL), to work for the Department of Defense as a Software Architect / Jr. Oracle Developer. I am thoroughly enjoying my new life here thus far.”

Rosemary Miller '08 shares, “In June 2019, I graduated from UCLA with a Doctorate in Education. My research was focused on developing a new approach to literacy instruction for beginning readers. My greatest joy yet came in September when my husband and I welcomed a baby girl. Grace was born on September 4 weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce. We are so in love and enjoying every minute!”

Carly Zieminski Magnusson '08 shares, “I got married in July, and five beautiful Marymount alumnae were bridesmaids in my wedding party!”

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Rosemary Miller '08 and husband Derick John Stace-Naughton welcome baby Grace.

Christina Woodward Graziano '05's oldest daughter, Lucy, welcomes Olivia "Liv" to the family.

Marriages Carly Zieminski '08 to Magnus Magnusson (7/13/19) Carissa Vitale '08 to Matthew Beath (10/26/19)

Births Coco Grace, to Kiki Ryan Burger '01 and her husband, Tim (1/30/20)

Lorenzo Willington, to Gennea Squire de Torres '02 and her husband, Francisco (5/23/19)

Colter, to Evan Shoop Taranta '02 and her husband, Austin (12/10/19) Grace Anne, to Rosemary Miller '08 and her husband Derick John Stace-Naughton (09/04/19)

Olivia “Liv� Alexandra, to Christina Woodward Graziano '05 and her husband, Andrew (9/10/20) Oliver Castro, to Daisy Castro '03 and her husband, Sean (11/30/19)

James Mario, to Kirsten Thordarson Agosto '02 and her husband, Stefano (4/15/20)

Sloane Wendy, to Megan Hall Walker '98 and her husband, Anthony (11/15/19)

Jones Lochlan, to Elizabeth Meczka Dixon '04 and her husband, Aaron (3/29/19)

In Memoriam Austin Abram '07, sister of Keeley Abram '09 (12/15/19)

Vera Evanoff Larravee '49 (7/9/20)

Stephen Abram, father of Austin Abram '07 and Keeley Abram '09 (12/14/17)

Suzanne Levanas, mother of Danielle Levanas '01 and Virginia Levanas '03 (1/16/20)

Annette De Carlo Abernethy '72 (9/24/19)

Monica McClelland, sister of Cris Gutierrez '73, Leni Gutierrez Moore '75, Mary Gutierrez Mitchell '77, and Teresa Gutierrez Cahalan '80, (6/10/20)

Charlene Ahern '77, sister of Nancy Ahern '76 and Michele Ahern '81, and niece of Alston Ahern Horrocks '44 (5/20) Carolyn Crockett Bell '43 (12/21/19)

Karen L. McGovern, mother of Nancy McGovern Passarelli '78 (6/12/20)

Patrick Bowen, step father of Nicole Wenzel Leeper '99 and step uncle Stephanie Matthias '02, Sophia Matthias '04, Theresa Matthias '05 and Natalie Matthias '07 (12/31/19)

Jeanne A. Meyer, mother of Jacqueline Meyer-Donaher '67 and Dorothy Meyer Works '70 (10/25/19)

Georgene Wukojevich Boyd '52 (6/18/20)

Pam Rector, mother of Grace Rector '17 (2/15/20)

Lauren Carey '06, daughter of Indy Shriner Carey '68 (10/13/19) Katherine Carter '68, sister of Mary Alice Carter Tibbles '59 and Anne Carter Cane '62 (8/21/20)

Jessica Anne Royer, mother of Lily Royer '13, Maggie Royer '19 and Mia Royer '19 (1/3/20)

Susan A. Myers DePrez '96 (6/18/20)

Barbara Kirsch Savant '50, mother of Cristina Zacarias Kemper '75 and sister of Bridgette Kirsch Kahn '58 (9/27/19)

Peggy A. Finch, mother of Susan Finch Matazzoni '69 (7/6/19)

Steve Tallant, father of Greer Tallant Anderson '02 and uncle of Emily Peterson Hooks '02 (12/5/19)

Curtis Guss, father of Kristen Guss Domingo '82 and Tracy Guss Davis '83 (6/30/20)

Elise Violette Tower '58 (1/31/20)

Jeanine Brinkman Hemard '69 (6/2/20)

Barbara Breslin Watson '49 (7/7/19)

Susan Joyce, mother of Shannon Joyce Peitzman '89 and Amy Joyce Barclay '98 (4/28/20)

Laurie Williams, daughter of Anne Orvis Welsh '52 (7/27/19)

Michele Kneafsey, mother of Karen Kneafsey Schwartz '91 (5/15/20)

Catherine Woodward, mother of Ashley Woodward '99 and Christina Woodward Graziano '05, and sister-in-law of Mari Olsen Woodward '75 (9/2/20)

Grayce Labelle, mother of Debra LaBelle Marvil '74 and grandmother of Jamie Marvil '13 (12/29/19)

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Marymount's 2019-2020 Annual Report is now online.

To access the report, and to see how your gifts made a difference, please visit: https://bit.ly/mhsannualreport Please note: The link above is case sensitive.

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C NNECT

JOIN MARYMOUNT CONNECT: AN ALUMNAE MENTORING & PROFESSIONAL NETWORK NEED SUPPORT AS YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAREER? LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE AS YOU CHANGE CAREERS? WILLING TO MENTOR A FELLOW MARYMOUNT ALUMNA? JOIN YOUR FELLOW SAILOR SISTERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO HELP EXPAND YOUR NETWORK!

EXPLORE THIS AND MORE ON:

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M - The Marymount Magazine is published by the Marketing & Communications Office.

Marymount admits students without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin to all rights and privileges, programs and activities available to students. It does not discriminate in the administration of educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs, athletic programs or any other school administered program.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. If we have made an error or if you would like additional copies of this magazine, please contact the Marketing & Communications Office at communications@mhs-la.org. Thank you to all contributors to this publication, including:

Contributing Photographers:

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Parents of Alumnae:

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Designer & Editor: Stephanie David, Director of Marketing & Communciations, Marymount High School

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