THE MAGAZINE OF THE MASTERS SCHOOL
Bulletin
WINTER
2022
Annual Report of Donors 2020–2021
“
Our students have taught us resilience, adaptability, vision, openness, and above all, hope. — Life Trustee Edgar Masters H'98
”
contents F E AT U R E S
4 L I V I N G O u r M i s s ion Latifa Lyles ’93
8 L E A R N Marjorie McHenry Bride ’57 S T R I V E Tash Mainsah ’17 D A R E Bill Roberts, Upper School Science D O Andrew Ciacci ’16
16 BE A POWER FOR GOOD Hanna Schiciano ’23 Alex Pinnock ’26 Rose Manzano ’26 Mowen Chad Zhao ’22
THE BIG P ICTU R E
“Boo” It With Thy Might was the theme of the day on Halloween. Middle school students donned creative costumes for a festive parade across campus.
Printed on paper containing 30% post-consumer waste with vegetable based inks. 100% of the electricity used to manufacture the paper is green e-certified renewable energy.
2 f r om la u r a danfo r t h
18 on c amp u s
24 A D AY I N T H E L I F E
26 ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT
28 D O U B L E TA K E
30 C AT CH I N G U P W I T H F O R M E R FA CU LT Y
32 B O A R D O F T RUS T E E S
34 C L A SS N O T E S
60 in memo r iam / r ememb r an c e s
62 ann u al r epo r t
Co ntacts The Masters School 49 Clinton Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-2201 mastersny.org Send letters to Communications Office communications@mastersny.org Send alumnae/i news to class notes editors or to the Office of Alumnae/i Engagement alumni@mastersny.org The images included in this issue of The Bulletin were provided by the individuals profiled, captured prior to the pandemic, or taken in a safe and socially distanced setting.
m a s t e r s n y. o r g
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our words our mission
A Message from LAURA DANFORTH
The Masters School celebrates active participation,
Dear Masters Community,
deep understanding, and meaningful connection.
At The Masters School, we endeavor to live by our words — our mission — of being a power for good in the world. Our mission statement invites us to strive as
A community of diverse individuals, we gather to learn, to strive, to dare, to do —
a community to move beyond
As you read the articles that follow, you will notice how that message of harnessing one’s power in order to create change resonates, not just with our newest class of alumnae/i, but our faculty, current students and those who graduated years ago.
to be a power for good
ourselves, to share a concern for
in the world.
“The connection between my career and
each other’s well-being and for the
my experience at Masters is very clear to
common good beyond Masters.
me; it always has been,” remarks alumna Latifa Lyles ’93, a lifelong advocate for
In his address to the Class of 2021, graduation speaker Van
gender equity. Andrew Ciacci ’16, a Fulbright scholar who is
Jones spoke about our School’s mission and focused on the
studying politics and international relations, says that Masters
word “power.”
“provided me with a moral framework through which I want to structure my life, career and impact.”
“You don’t need any power to identify a problem,” Jones said. “You don’t need power to post about a problem. You don’t need
Enjoy the responsibilities and privileges of being powers for
power to hashtag about a problem. But you need power to
good in the world.
solve one.” He explained that the most important skill students can foster to gain power and bring about change is “the ability
With gratitude,
to partner authentically across lines of difference.”
Laura Danforth Head of School
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“
...we endeavor to
live by our words —
our mission — of being a power for good in the world.
”
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living our mission
A Passion for Change-Making
A lifelong advocate for gender equity, Latifa Lyles ’93 approaches life with the credo: “Assume you’re underestimating your potential all the time. There’s always more that you can do.”
LATIFA Photo courtesy BET.com
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LEFT TO RIGHT: Stephanie Seidel '93, Caitlin Van Dusen '93, Alana Rosenberg '93, Latifa Lyles '93, Hope Clements Buerkle '93 and Jordan Abbott '93 at Latifa's wedding.
It’s been the driving force behind her belief that “we all have a higher responsibility” —
work. Early on, Lyles recognized that she had
a belief that began during her days at The
a responsibility to lead and effect change. She
Masters School when she was actively involved
secured positions in organizations that shared
with the School’s community service programs
a common mission: to safeguard the interests
and has carried through to her advocacy work
of women and advocate for their equality. An
in women’s and civil rights.
internship at the Association for Women in Science led to public policy work at the national
After graduation, Lyles headed to Washington,
grassroots organization Older Women’s League,
D.C., a city she was drawn to ever since she
where Lyles researched economic policy and
attended the March for Women’s Lives in 1992
Social Security privatization. A position at the
with other Masters students. “It was the first
National Organization for Women followed,
time I realized that there were people — not
and soon thereafter Lyles, at age 29, was
just one or two people or people at Masters, but
elected membership vice president, making
there were hundreds of thousands of people
her the group’s youngest-ever national officer.
who felt the way I did about a social issue
In keeping with her desire to do more, Lyles
and who had the same level of intensity and
also served as the group’s spokesperson. Her
excitement that I did,” Lyles said of the march.
work caught the attention of the Obama
“That sense of being part of a larger advocacy
administration, and Lyles was tapped for a
community was amazing. It was life-changing.”
leadership role in the Department of Labor, where she served as director of the Women’s
Determined to pursue her interest in
Bureau, working to advance and improve
government and politics, Lyles studied political
standards, practices and opportunities for
science at George Washington University and
women in the labor force.
started on her path to advance women’s rights through advocacy, fundraising and policy
LYLES ’93 “
Lyles recalls her work there as “the most challenging thing I’ve ever done” — as well as immensely gratifying and fun. “I did everything from travel around the country advocating for paid leave and talking with women working on construction sites about equal opportunity to promoting higher minimum wages for home care workers. It was a combination of public education and advocacy, private sector continued
That sense of being part of
a larger advocacy community was amazing. It was life-changing.
”
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engagement and working with regulatory
Lyles recalls participating in Midnight Runs,
agencies … a great way to join forces
during which she and classmates would
with community leaders and with the
distribute food, clothing, blankets and
administration to make some really positive
personal care items to homeless individuals
changes.”
on the streets of New York City. “Giving back and having a broader consciousness about how
That role gave her a different perspective on
we are showing up and how we are stewards
social change — one that resonated with her
in this world — that’s a big part of our small
from her time at Masters. She is quick to
Masters community,” she explained.
admit that the School instilled in her a passion
“
for change-making. “The connection between
Other fond, and specific, memories of her
my career and my experience at Masters is
Masters experience are Soviet studies with
very clear to me; it always has been,” Lyles
Carolyn Gallaher and art studio with Larry
said. She also forged a close bond with Jordan
Blizard. “I enjoyed the unique personalities
Abbott ’93, Hope Clements Buerkle ’93, Alana
and passion teachers brought to learning
Rosenberg ’93, Stephanie Seidel '93 and
experiences,” she said. Nearly three decades
Caitlin Van Dusen ’93, a tightknit group that
later, Lyles still has the paper on the KGB
has supported and inspired her since their
she wrote for the Soviet studies class and old
time together at Dobbs. “Having community is
sketch pads from art class.
extremely important, especially today, in this world,” she said.
As she considers the next chapter in her career in advocacy for women’s economic
The connection between my career and my experience at Masters is
very clear to me; it always has been.
”
security and workplace equity, Lyles says she is interested in doing more in corporate social impact. “When I was in the White House, I was able to convene dozens of events that brought those corporate voices to the table to say, ‘Yes, this is good for our bottom line, but it’s the right thing to do.’ That’s something that I’m looking forward to doing more of — bridging that gap across sectors and interests.”
Since graduating, the six alumnae have
reunited regularly for seasonal retreats.
Lyles is also reconnecting to where she began
“During the pandemic, our WhatsApp group
her journey. This past June, she joined The
chat ranged from parenting to politics,” Lyles
Masters School Board of Trustees and sits on
said. “Among the memories at Masters and
the Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
those same values we share today, community
Committee. Her advice for today’s Masters
engagement and social justice are high among
students? “Never take for granted how
them. The community service aspect of my
significant your experience is and how much
experience at Masters made a significant
value you hold in the world.”
impact in my life. Not just my career, but how I live my life every day.”
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BACK ROW: (left to right): Hope Clements Buerkle '93, Jordan Abbott '93 and Caitlin Van Dusen '93 FRONT ROW: (left to right): Stephanie Seidel '93, Latifa Lyles '93 and Alana Rosenberg '93 Since graduating in 1993, the six friends have reunited regularly.
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learn
strive
dare
do
LEARN
When most people want to learn about America’s founding, they turn to the history books. Marjorie McHenry Bride ’57 turns to her family tree.
Bride is a direct descendant of James McHenry, one of the
graduating from Bryn Mawr, Bride pursued her passion for foreign
Constitution’s signers, and that legacy led to her recent academic
policy with a job at the Export-Import Bank; her career path later
journey at Harvard Extension School. Inspired to discover
took her into urban planning, commercial real estate and travel.
more about her Founding Father ancestor, The Masters School
“I am, in general, a risk-taker, compared to people around me,”
alumna enrolled in a course on the Constitutional Convention.
Bride shared. Indeed, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start her
Unsurprisingly, given a longtime interest in foreign policy, she was
own companies and a nonprofit to help grandmothers in Blantyre,
soon expanding her studies to include world leadership, politics and
Malawi; travel around the world; and, receive a master’s degree six
Islam. The octogenarian graduated in 2021 with a Master of Liberal
decades after last stepping into a classroom.
Arts in international relations, and, she shared, “In her graduation speech, the dean of the Harvard Extension School mentioned me as
At the age of 82, Bride is undaunted in her current pursuit as a
the oldest graduate this year, and cited the work I had done on my
Mount Vernon Library Research Fellow. In November 2021, she spent
thesis.”
three weeks in residence at Mount Vernon. There, she utilized the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington
A unique family heirloom influenced her capstone project topic:
to study “how George Washington used the 12 Sheffield silver wine
Bride is the proud caretaker of a Sheffield silver wine cooler that
coolers for entertaining.” Using extensive first- and second-hand
President George Washington gave to McHenry. Bride’s research
sources, Bride researched “what kind of gatherings he had and who
covered “the luxury trade in the colonies with Britain after the
he interacted with, and also the consumption of Madeira, wine, port
Revolution, including why they went back to trading with England
and other liquors.” Ten of the 12 wine coolers are accounted for, and
after a bitter battle” — and used the McHenry wine cooler as an
Bride aimed to trace the location of the missing two. She will return
example.
to Virginia in the spring to complete the project and hopes to publish her research in historical magazines.
Going back to school had its challenges (Bride admitted to grappling with “the technological aspects of the program,” such as online
If the past is any guide, Bride will continue this journey of discovery
coursework and resources), but she persevered — just as she had
with her trademark determination — and all her might.
when arriving at The Masters School as a homesick sophomore in 1954. “I decided to get to work and take advantage of everything Dobbs had to offer,” she said. Bride found that she enjoyed the
RIGHT: The Sheffield
rigorous coursework and participating in Tower and DAA (Dobbs
silver double wine cooler,
Athletic Association). “Dobbs was a big challenge for me, and I think
commissioned by George
once I succeeded at the School, it set a pattern for me of taking on
Washington was presented to
challenges and doing my best to accomplish what I set out to do.”
James McHenry in 1797. Bride
That tenacity has served her well throughout her life. After
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BULLETIN Winter 2022
is the caretaker of the family heirloom.
“
I am, in general,
a risk-taker, compared to people around me.
”
Marjorie McHenry Bride ’57 Will Wohler of Wohler & Co
ABOVE: Inscription reads: Presented by Genl. Washington to James McHenry, August 14th, 1797.
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“
Masters helped me find my
voice and empowered me to use that voice to do good.
”
Tash Mainsah ’17
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learn
STRIVE
strive
dare
do
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For Tash Mainsah ’17, striving is in her DNA.
“I’ve gotten most of the opportunities in my
public sector/social impact at Boston
co-chair of the School’s Black culture club,
life by being inquisitive and unafraid,” she
Consulting Group (BCG), which allows
ONYX, and a student diversity ambassador.
explained.
her to marry her passion for health sciences and social impact work. Mainsah
At Stanford, she tutored preschoolers at a
While attending Masters, Mainsah was
had originally planned to go to medical
local school. In addition to spending two
steadfast in her pursuits; she was passionate
school after college but wasn’t yet ready
mornings a week working one-on-one with
about science, service learning, and equity
for the commitment. Shortly before BCG’s
young students, Mainsah took a course
and inclusion. A graduate of Stanford
summer recruiting deadline, she learned
that focused on issues of educational equity
University’s Class of 2021, Mainsah
about consulting and applied for a position.
and youth development. In an essay for
considers the education she received
“Despite many of my peers assuring me that
Stanford, she said, “Exploring these issues
at Masters critical to her personal and
I was too late to the game, I got the job.
on a systemic level in a Stanford class
professional development.
This serves as a constant reminder to never
and then working through them on an
count myself out,” she said.
individual level in an elementary school classroom was an incredible experience in
She credits upper school science teacher
empathy and cultural awareness.”
Elisabeth Merrill with inspiring her to
In just a few months with BCG, Mainsah
pursue biology in college. “I adored AP
has taken in how companies function
Biology with Ms. Merrill,” Mainsah said,
and how they can best support those they
“My passion for equity and inclusion, built
“and I took a science research class my
are serving. One lesson she has learned
during late-afternoon ONYX meetings and
senior year that solidified my love for
is “the importance of a strong user
at diversity ambassador lunches, was the
research.”
experience through digital.” She also has
foundation for my work in college and
a better understanding of “the numerous
in my budding career,” Mainsah shared.
Once on the Stanford campus, Mainsah
opportunities there are to work in health
“Masters helped me find my voice and
found that the most difficult part of
care outside of being a doctor.” While she
empowered me to use that voice to do
college wasn’t the course load, rather, it
is still considering a career in medicine
good.”
was “managing expectations — my own,
— specifically in pediatric neurology —
STRIVE
my parents’, my mentors’. There are so
Mainsah also is exploring the idea of “a J.D./
many things to be passionate about, but
Ph.D. and looking at the intersection of
one person can’t do everything,” she said.
neuroeconomics and political consulting.”
“Going with my gut and trusting that those around me would support me regardless
As a Masters student, Mainsah was
was an important skill to learn.”
involved with MISH (Masters Interested in Sharing and Helping) and participated in
That confidence in her intuition helped
the School’s annual service-learning trip
her to land a job in health care and
to Jonestown, Mississippi. She was also
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DARE
Transitioning from a more-than-threedecade career in medicine to teaching high school science is a daring move. Inspired by his daughters, Bill Roberts hung up his lab coat and took a seat at the Harkness table.
Roberts has spent his life “doing things that will help others and
the opportunity to help “large numbers of people by making useful
that are also intellectually challenging.” As an upper school science
contributions to seven different drugs that were eventually approved
teacher, he fulfills that desire by instilling in young people an
and prescribed by doctors for their patients.”
appreciation for and love of science. Roberts brings his vast medical and research knowledge to his After graduating from Columbia University’s College of Physicians
classes, whether he’s teaching about the way the human body
and Surgeons and completing his postgraduate training, Roberts
works — “and sometimes falters” — during Human Biology &
practiced gastroenterology for five years and was an investigator in
Physiology; the importance of conducting ethical labs and trials
a number of clinical trials for new and existing drugs. “I enjoyed
in Science and Ethics in Medical Research; or helping students
this and came to see clinical research and drug development as
“design a trial for 2,000 patients or an experiment on photosynthesis
an opportunity to help a lot of people who could benefit from new
and cellular respiration” in Environmental Problem Solving &
medicines,” Roberts explained.
Applications. Perhaps most essential, Roberts aims to teach students “the importance of patience, humility and valuing the journey as
This experience informed his decision to pursue a career in drug
well as the result” — ideals he learned in drug development. “The
research and development. During 20-plus years at Merck and later at
development process for each drug may take upwards of a decade,
Regeneron, Roberts worked on the discovery of medicines for blinding
and some do not succeed,” he said.
eye diseases, asthma and allergies, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, and a rare autoinflammatory disease.
Roberts describes teaching as “a source of great gratification” and the students as “wonderful, interesting and interested.” Some of his
It wasn’t until he was watching his girls grow up that he considered
favorite moments are when he can “help students process why their
a career in education. “I came to see how much I enjoyed the energy
results in a lab did — or did not — turn out as they expected. It’s
and the humor that kids bring to life,” he said. “I also empathized
often an enlightening process.”
with some of the insecurities they experienced, remembering how I
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had gone through many of the same uncertainties. I always imagined
A longtime “Jeopardy” fan, Roberts also knows how to inject fun
that being a teacher would allow me to experience that energy while
into his curriculum. When reviewing a unit, he hosts a friendly
helping young people to learn and, hopefully, foster some curiosity
competition in which students provide answers in the form of a
about science — as well as a solid sense of self.”
question. “The kids get pretty pumped up,” he shared.
Roberts acknowledges that teaching presented “a really steep
“I feel quite fortunate to be able to use a lot of what I learned from
learning curve” from his previous work in the medical field. As a
my prior experience in medicine and clinical research to inform
physician, he diagnosed diseases and created treatment plans that
what I bring into the classroom,” Roberts said. “And, if you like kids,
improved patients’ health; in drug research and development, he had
school is a great place to be!”
BULLETIN Winter 2022
“
I feel quite fortunate to be able to use a lot of what I learned from my prior experience in medicine and clinical research to inform what I bring into the classroom.
”
Bill Roberts Russell Wohl ’21, right, with Bill Roberts, recalls the care Dr. Roberts has for his students and for the Masters community: “His class was more than just covering material — it made me consider science’s role in the world, a theme that has been especially relevant since the pandemic began. He always speaks with a purpose, and his love for the natural world is unmatched.”
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“
Never forget how you got to where you are. Be humble and thankful.
Andrew Ciacci ’16
Ciacci in Pristina, Kosovo, at a monument commemorating U.S.- Kosovo relations.
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learn
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Although he graduated from Claremont McKenna College only two years ago, Andrew Ciacci ’16 already has racked up a robust resume.
This past fall, after working on
College’s Middlebury-Monterey Language
hard and not taking anything for granted.”
climate change and conflict issues
Academy. “One thing Masters taught me
His teachers “inspired a love of literature
with the International Crisis Group, a
is that you have to take initiative and
and reading closely” and held him to high
nongovernmental organization dedicated to
assert agency in claiming your education,”
standards. “They always believed in their
preventing and mitigating violent conflict
he explained. When he signed up for the
students,” Ciacci said. “They went above and
worldwide, Ciacci set off for Europe. He
Middlebury program, he “didn’t know a
beyond to be tutors and emotional guides.”
is currently in Kosovo on a Fulbright
lick of Arabic.” By the end of the program,
research fellowship, during which he will
he had studied the Quran and fasted for
The School’s focus on service “provided me
utilize archival and ethnographic research
several days during Ramadan in solidarity
with a moral framework through which
to assess the role of international legal
with those who observe the Islamic holy
I want to structure my life, career and
institutions in catalyzing the country’s post-
month — an experience he described as
impact,” he explained. Ciacci is particularly
conflict democratization.
“powerful.”
drawn to issues of climate change, explaining that it affects both domestic
He will then spend three months in Serbia,
Ciacci is quick to highlight the impact
politics and international relations.
where he will participate in a language
Masters’ global student community had
“Climate is everything,” he said. “I could
and culture intensive as a David L. Boren
on him, noting that it’s “impossible” not
not find a work area that has more potential
scholar (an initiative of the United States
to interact with individuals from varied
to be relevant and to do good with.”
Department of Defense). After that, he’s
cultures and countries. “The way the world
off to China, where he will pursue a
is — how fraught politics are, the lack of
What’s his advice for Masters students?
master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua
understanding between cultures and groups
“Never forget how you got to where you
University in Beijing as a Schwarzman
— it’s really important that when you’re
are,” he shared. “Be humble and thankful.
Scholar. The scholarship program is
young you’ve been exposed to a variety of
The people who walk the hallways with
designed to build a global community of
perspectives,” he shared.
you enrich your experience, your teachers, parents, grandparents — use them as a
future leaders who will serve to deepen understanding between China and the rest
Thanks to the School’s financial aid
of the world.
program, Ciacci was able to attend Masters,
guiding motivation.”
an opportunity for which he is grateful. Unsurprisingly, Ciacci has always
“I would have fallen through the cracks,”
been interested in foreign policy and
he said about the large public school he
international relations. At Masters, he was
attended previously. “Masters is a great
president of Model UN, and during the
institution; everything is world-class.”
summer break between sophomore and
His experience at Masters helped him
junior year, he studied Arabic at Middlebury
understand the importance of “working
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STUDENTS LIVING OUR MISSION Homework, friends, co-curricular activities. Masters students’ schedules can be jampacked, but these four, like many of their peers, have found time to do more.
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HANNA SCHICIANO ’23 On campus and beyond, the quest to be “a power for good” comes naturally to Hanna Schiciano ’23, who has taken the call to action to heart by supporting those facing food insecurity in her community. The junior recently created the Feeding Our Neighbors initiative, which has raised more than $11,000 for Feeding Westchester, a nonprofit that serves Westchester County residents struggling with food insecurity. With monthly sales of baked goods and Feeding Westchester lawn signs, the determined teen has far surpassed her original goal of $5,000. Schiciano credits her parents, as well as her Jewish culture, with “instilling in me the importance of helping those that are not as fortunate as I am.” When she saw the increase in families who line up each week for food distribution in her area during the pandemic, she knew she had to do something. “This cause is so important to me because I don’t believe anybody should go hungry,” she said. Schiciano also volunteers weekly at the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry and recently organized a Meals-4-Kids event aimed at combating childhood hunger. The Masters community has also nurtured her passion for giving back. She’s involved with MISH (Masters Interested in Sharing and Helping) and EFFECT, the School’s environmental sustainability club. This year, she started a new club with her friend Maddy Israel ’23: Feeding Westchester at Masters, which mobilizes classmates to help at the Mount Kisco food pantry and raises awareness about those facing food insecurity in the county.
B E A P O W ER FOR G OOD
ALEX PINNOCK ’26 Alex Pinnock ’26 also is making an impact — on the environment. For the past four years, he has been committed to the conservation of the eastern bluebird, the New York state bird. Pinnock’s interest in birds took flight when a friend introduced him to a local chapter of the National Audubon Society; the eighth grader is now a volunteer nestbox monitor for the Bronx RiverSouth Shore (BRSS) outpost. It is a responsibility Pinnock takes seriously. “We have to monitor the boxes so that no invasive species nest in the box and kick out the native bluebirds. This work is important because it keeps invasive species from breeding and causing harm to the eastern bluebird,” he explained. “It makes sure that homes for the bluebirds aren’t already taken, allowing them to nest and then be tagged so they can be monitored.” According to BRSS, the nestbox program is the reason the bluebirds are nesting where they were previously absent for 25 years. The animal lover and aspiring biologist/genetic engineer is inspired by his mother and his teachers — in particular, the School’s Science Department chair, Dana McNamee. “Dr. Mac helped keep my love of the natural world alive because her classes and her after-school program delved into marine biology, a topic that I have always loved,” Pinnock said. “This volunteer work just strengthened that.” Pinnock has also presented his work with BRSS and the need for volunteers like himself to the middle school community. The best part of the job, he said, is “seeing the chicks and noticing their parents taking care of them. It feels good to know that I’m making a difference in the lives of one species of bird that everyone should know more about, since it’s our state bird.”
ROSE MANZANO ’26 In August 2021, when Rose Manzano ’26 heard the news about the devastating earthquake in Haiti, she sprang into action. “I saw that Haiti was impacted by an earthquake, and I jumped at the chance to help other people,” she said. The eighth grader is no stranger to giving back, having participated in programs at several local food pantries. A few years ago, Manzano was introduced to the AFYA Foundation, a local organization that provides lifesaving medical supplies, equipment and goods to underserved communities around the world. She has been volunteering there ever since. After the earthquake, she worked in the organization’s warehouse with like-minded volunteers, sorting and packing in-demand items like gloves and gauze to send to Haiti. “Even though what I’m doing might be making only a small difference, when I’m doing it together with all my fellow volunteers, I know we are making a huge difference,” Manzano said. When she appeared on a TV news report about AFYA’s work, Manzano was grateful that members of the Masters community “rushed to support me and this organization.” On campus, Manzano has been involved with MISH, which, she says, “helped me become more aware of the problems around me and influenced me to help more people.” As a sixth grader, she helped the student-run group raise nearly $2,000 to support the UN Refugee Crisis. Manzano points to the “teachers at Masters who create an environment where students are encouraged to use their voices and speak their mind.” She said, “We learn how to be a power for good, and are given many opportunities to do so.”
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MOWEN CHAD ZHAO ’22 During the pandemic, Mowen Chad Zhao ’22 gave back by going back. Throughout the 2020-21 school year, while attending Masters remotely from his home in China, Zhao spent his weekends teaching at YingJiaMei, the English school he attended when he was younger. Zhao wanted to help because schools such as his alma mater were understaffed and struggling because of the global crisis. “I went to this school for four years, and it helped me adjust to high school life in the U.S. I thought it was only appropriate for me to volunteer to teach, not just to help out the school, but also to pass the good memories down to the younger kids,” he said. “To my surprise, after I reached out, the head teacher did not just offer me the job, but also gave me the freedom to design my own lectures.” While those lessons sometimes included playing educational games and watching fun videos, Zhao also enjoyed the serious side of sharing his knowledge with the children, who ranged in age from 8 to 12 years old. “To prepare for a class, I decided on a topic, then built the English teaching on top of that topic,” he explained. “The subjects I chose were usually the ones that are often neglected in Chinese schools, like racism and environmental protection, so it is also rewarding to know that I am making an impact on the community.” Zhao’s advisor, upper school science teacher Courtney White, was thrilled to learn that the senior took advantage of this opportunity to make a difference. “I could tell he really enjoyed the process of teaching, especially creating interesting assignments that would bring about greater curiosity and joy to learning,” she said. “There is no doubt that Chad was an important and memorable role model in these children’s lives.”
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News and happenings
on campus
Masters Celebrates the Class of 2021 On June 12, 2021, during a joyful commencement ceremony on Graduation Terrace, the Masters community recognized the 128 members of the Class of 2021 as they became alumnae/i.
Life trustee and former board chair Edgar M. Masters H’98, who retired from the Board of Trustees after 51 years of service, described the graduates before him as “amongst our greatest blessings; they have taught us resilience, adaptability, vision, openness and, above all, hope.” Dream Corps founder, CNN host and social entrepreneur Van Jones spoke about the School’s mission — to be a power for good in the world — and how today’s young people, who are passionate about forging a more just society, can create change. The answer, Jones explained, lies in one word in Masters’ mission statement: power.
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G RAD U ATION 2 0 2 1
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RESILIENCE. GROWTH. GRATITUDE. COMMUNITY. These themes were front and center during a moving Middle School Graduation on June 11, 2021, celebrating the 61 members of the Class of 2025 as they transitioned to ninth grade. (Left to right) Allison Tarter, Matthew VanWright and Thomas O'Grady were among the nine student speakers who took the stage to reflect on how they had grown during their middle school years. m a s t e r s n y. o r g
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FALL / W INTER NE W S
BOYS
SOCCER Wins NYSAIS Championship
As the final whistle sounded in the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championship game on November 7, 2021, Kyle Benson ’22 was overcome with emotion. The glow of the scoreboard reflected Mastersʼ 2-1 win over Hackley.
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It was a historic achievement for the varsity boys soccer team, which secured its first
Noah Kassell-Yung ’23 and Adul Samon ’23 flexed their
NYSAIS title before a throng of loud and proud purple-
muscles all match, refusing to be denied the hardware
clad supporters.
as the pressure mounted in the second half.
“My mind flooded with emotions,” Benson said of his
“We have been playing together for the last two months,
immediate reaction following the final whistle. “I was
and these last games reflected that true connection,”
crying tears of pure joy. I couldn’t stop the flow of
said David Ferrando, the unit’s ace center back.
emotions as I was approached by dozens of friends, alumni and teammates.”
Masters reached the final after victories over UNIS (2-0 in the quarterfinal on November 3) and Riverdale (2-0
Benson found a moment of calm in the eye of a raucous
in the semifinal on November 5). As with the final, the
postgame celebration, embracing fellow senior Daniel
quarterfinal and semifinal matches drew a huge swell of
Medina on Manhattanville College’s turf field.
support from the Masters community.
“We spent so much time manifesting the idea of being
And the outpouring of love wasn’t lost on the players.
champions and leaving behind something that the School will never forget,” Benson explained. “The team has
“Friends, peers, teachers and parents supporting us ... it
worked so hard this year, and I’ve spent years dreaming
gave us immeasurable amounts of energy,” Benson
of putting a banner in the FC (Fonseca Center).” Consider it a smashing success. Masters turned in another dominant performance against rivertown rival Hackley, leaning on its airtight defense and clinical offense. Daniel Heller ’22 buried both goals, flashing his top-flight pace and deft finishing ability. Hackley’s lone goal came on a penalty kick at the
“
We spent so much time manifesting the idea of
being champions and leaving behind something that the School will never forget.
52-minute mark. The Panthers’ defense clamped down from that point on, coming together as a unit to thwart Hackley’s speed up top. It was another outstanding
”
performance in a season of them for Masters, which
said. “Even when we were in school or had a day
did not relinquish a goal in the run of play during the
in between games, the amount of motivational
three-game NYSAIS tournament run.
support the team received was incredible. It is truly a testament to the collaborative and encouraging
The defensive core of Henry Eisenbeis ’23, David Ferrando ’23, Marco Ferrando ’23, Gabriel Guerrero ’24,
community here at Masters.”
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Masters Pride
on Display During Spirited Founder’s Day
Amidst a sea of blue and red, tradition and friendly competition took center stage during the School’s annual Founder’s Day celebrating Eliza Bailey Masters. An opportunity for the entire community to come together, Founder’s Day honors the history and traditions of The Masters School. Students, faculty and staff wear their team colors: Delta (blue) and Phi (red). When red and blue are mixed, they produce purple, the school color. The festivities began in the afternoon with an all-school meeting on Graduation Terrace. In her remarks, Head of School Laura Danforth emphasized the School’s mission: “to be a power for good in the world.” Class representatives also addressed the crowd, speaking about the School’s founding and sharing humorous historical tidbits. Later, on Reunion Field, both teams competed in the traditional Delta vs. Phi tug of war and enjoyed red and blue ice pops after the contest.
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Students Take a Bite Out of “Dracula”
Upper school actors sank their teeth into “Dracula,’’ the play adapted from the classic novel by Bram Stoker. More than 35 students took part in the production, which had its debut Halloween weekend. Marbod Faure ’22 played Count Dracula and said the character was fun to experiment with, even though he is “a scary and ruthless beast.” Faure compared the role to “driving a big car with an insanely powerful engine” and found that “a lot goes into the process of deconstructing Marbod and building Dracula, from the way he talks and walks to what his thinking process is like.”
Sixth Grade Science Students
Turn the Hudson River Into Their Classroom Seining nets in hand, sixth grade students waded into the water at the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park as a part of their experiential curriculum about the Hudson River. “It’s one thing to study the river in the classroom. Venturing into the river is on a different level,” said middle school science teacher Dan Russo, who has been running this trip since he started at Masters 14 years ago. “Students gain an appreciation for the beauty of the river and nature in general.” Studying marine life up close helped students better understand the environment they had been studying in the classroom. “Seining was so much fun,” Siena Olay ’28 said. “I liked finding the fish we caught in the seining net and looking them up in the Hudson River book we had.” One group celebrated the biggest catch of all: an American eel. “It was only the third eel caught in 14 years!” Russo shared.
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alumnae spotlight BOARDING STUDENTS SHARE AN INSEPARABLE BOND
Mina Fukai ’15 & Ria Thakurani ’16
Ria Thakurani ’16 arrived at The Masters
“secret sleepovers” in each other’s rooms.
University. Ria is currently working in the
School from Jamaica not knowing anyone.
Even doing laundry, a rite of passage for any
dental field and preparing for graduate
Although she had spent her summers at a
young person living away from home for the
school; Mina is pursuing a master’s degree in
sleepaway camp, boarding school was an
first time, was a memorable experience, with
molecular medicine and biopharmaceutical
unfamiliar experience. “I had never been
Mina showing Ria how to use the dorm’s
science at Seoul National University.
away from home to live elsewhere for a long
washer and dryer.
period of time,” she says. “It was daunting, at first.”
Even though they are separated by an ocean During the time they lived on campus
and are focused on their respective careers,
together, Ria and Mina, who hails from
they regularly keep in touch and never miss
That is, until she met Mina Fukai ’15. The
South Korea, also learned about each
an opportunity, although rare, to get
two connected during Dorm Olympics, a
other’s cultures, customs and favorite foods.
friendly inter-dorm competition held at the start of the school year. “Mina was extremely welcoming,” Ria remembers. Soon, “friends like Mina became my family away from home. She took me under her wing, almost like I was a little sister, and helped me get acclimated to the boarding environment.” Their nascent friendship quickly grew into an inseparable bond. The McCormack
“
I am fortunate to say that I was able
to meet one of my lifelong best friends through boarding at Masters...
dormmates fondly recall evenings studying
“Everyone should try the spicy version
math together, watching Netflix, and having
of Big Foot,” says Mina about the cheesy
”
Jamaican snack. Mina taught Ria how to use
together. They last saw each other in Los
chopsticks; “I even hope to visit her in Korea
Angeles in February 2019 and spent hours
soon,” Ria shares.
catching up. “Whenever we meet, it’s as if nothing has changed,” Mina says.
Mina explains that their close friendship is
Mina (left) and Ria during their days as McCormack dormmates.
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based on mutual kindness and respect: “Ever
With 8,300 miles separating their home
since we met, Ria has accepted, understood
countries, the pair probably never would
and supported me in all of my endeavors.”
have crossed paths but for serendipity
After graduation, Ria headed to Chapman
— a fact that isn’t lost on them. “I am
University in Orange, California, where she
fortunate to say that I was able to meet one
majored in biological sciences. Mina, too,
of my lifelong best friends through boarding
went west — back to South Korea to study
at Masters,” Mina reflects. “True friendship
life science and biotechnology at Yonsei
isn’t defined by distance or duration.”
“
We are the ones who are going to make a better world.
”
—Senior Class Co-President Carolyn Hohl, addressing her classmates during Graduation 2021.
GIVE.
So our students can have access to unrestricted possibilities and become powers for good in the world.
With your continued support, there’s no limit to what Masters students can achieve. Support the 2021-2022 Masters Fund today at mastersny.org/makeagift or contact Director of Annual Giving Hilary Finkelstein at hilary.finkelstein@mastersny.org or 914-479-6510.
The Estherwood Society recognizes alumnae/i, parents and friends who have chosen to honor The Masters School through their estate, trust or other gift planning vehicle. The thoughtful planning of society members provides an ongoing legacy for future generations of Masters students and helps the School remain on solid footing during times of economic uncertainty.
For a complimentary gift planning guide or to notify The Masters School of your intentions, please contact Director of Alumnae/i Engagement Sujata Jaggi ’01 at 914-479-6611 or sujata.jaggi@mastersny.org.
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double double take take
An alumnus and two students — all with a passion for journalism — answer a series of questions on their interests, accomplishments and pursuits.
What is your fondest memory of Masters?
the Hudson Independent has given me
TP: My fondest memory is working on
invaluable experience that has made me
Tower. It ignited a love for journalism that
realize that journalism is definitely what I
endures today and gave me foundational
want to do in the future.
training in reporting and writing that set me up for success in collegiate journalism
SVB: I love telling stories.
and beyond.
Tyler Pager ‘13 Tyler Pager joined The Washington Post as a White House reporter in 2021 after covering the White House for Politico and the 2020 presidential campaign at Bloomberg News. A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Daily Northwestern, Pager also served as editor-in-chief of Tower his senior year at Masters.
KR: There are so many, but I think it has
What was the most exciting interview
to be Founder’s Day this past spring. We
you’ve conducted?
had been waiting for it for such a long time
TP: One particularly exciting interview was
because of the pandemic, and we were all
a one-on-one interview with then-Senator
so excited and enthusiastic. We played a fun
Kamala Harris while she was running
game with a water bucket, and at the end, I
for president. She was doing a bus tour
had the whole bucket dumped on me.
through Iowa, and I interviewed her while we were driving between campaign stops.
SVB: My first year here, in eighth grade, a winter storm came out of nowhere.
Some of the most meaningful interviews
I remember making the walk from the
I’ve conducted are those with people who
dining hall to the middle school building
do not hold elected office — a student
after lunch and thinking it felt like an epic
in Central African Republic, a South
expedition trekking through, essentially, a
Carolina resident whose home flooded
blizzard.
from a hurricane, or an undecided voter in Iowa. Those are the interviews I often look forward to the most because they are much
Kira Ratan ’22 Kira developed a passion for journalism during her time at Masters and currently serves as editor-in-chief of Tower. She also is a reporter for the Hudson Independent newspaper and last summer participated in the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute.
What made you decide to pursue a career
more unscripted and more revelatory.
in journalism? TP: I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
KR: Last fall, I wrote an article about test-
I have always been drawn to compelling
optional policies being adopted by colleges
stories and the notion that journalism
and universities during the pandemic, and
can effect change for good. Since my
I was able to interview the director of the
days working for Tower, I have found
College Board. It was my first time speaking
journalism to be an incredibly exciting
with someone in such a high post, and it
and fulfilling pursuit. It has allowed me to
was a great experience. It was a really nice
investigate wrongdoing, hold elected officials
sneak peek into being a journalist at the
accountable, and travel the country and
next level, too.
world in search of stories to tell. SVB: My first-ever interview was with the
Sophia Van Beek ’22 This is Sophia’s sixth year at Masters. She was born in Singapore and lived there for 10 years before moving to Dobbs Ferry. She is editor-inchief of Tower.
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KR: Throughout high school, I’ve developed
editor of The Rivertowns Enterprise. I had
a real passion for writing, and especially
scheduled the interview myself and was
journalistic writing. I love talking to
meeting him in the newspaper’s office. I
other people, telling stories and providing
was so nervous!
information and perspectives to different communities. Working on Tower and at
alumnae/i
What news article are you most proud of?
colleagues. All of them write such vivid
SVB: World History II was one of the most
TP: I’m quite proud of my coverage of the
and empathetic stories about American life
interesting classes I’ve ever taken; it played a
presidential transition from the Trump
outside of Washington that often lies at the
huge part in my current perspective on world
administration to the Biden administration.
intersection of politics and policy.
relations and politics (thank you, Dr. Fish!).
It was a time of enormous upheaval in our country, and the president-elect and his
On the White House beat, I have been inspired
advisers were making consequential decisions
by The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman,
What was the best piece of advice you got?
about how to chart the United States through
who broke countless stories over the past
The worst?
historic crises.
four years and played an indispensable role in
TP: A simple but sage piece of advice: Search
informing the American public.
for what you’re passionate about and pursue
As a new White House reporter, I, along with
it wholeheartedly. Relatedly, some bad advice
my colleagues (then at Politico), broke news
KR: So many of my instructors at the Medill
I got: Don’t go into journalism. It’s a dying
on more than a dozen senior appointees
program I participated in last summer are
industry.
(including seven cabinet picks) while also
accomplished journalists I look up to: Bret
writing stories on the broader dynamics of
Begun, Erin Ailworth, Carlin McCarthy, Ava
KR: My mom has given me the same piece of
the tumultuous time.
Thompson Greenwell, Jenny Hontz and many
advice for a long time now, and it’s a Bruce
more. I love listening to Nina Totenberg on
Lee quote, “Don’t ask for an easy life, pray
KR: The piece I’m most proud of has to
NPR. Of course, Tyler Pager is someone I
for the strength to endure a difficult one.” I
be the article I wrote on Mondaire Jones
admire very much.
really love this advice because I’m reminded
in November 2019. Jones, now the NY-
that taking the easy way out is never the
17 congressman, had just announced his
SVB: John Reed was an American journalist
solution. Having the strength to overcome
candidacy for what was to be one of the
who covered stories about labor rights and
obstacles or hardship is what really counts.
most competitive congressional races in
movements. He dedicated his career to
Some of the worst advice I’ve received, for
the country that cycle. As a new Tower staff
activism on behalf of the underrepresented
obvious reasons, is probably to take up coffee
member, I went to his meet-and-greet with
through journalism and was willing to stand
drinking.
Tower advisor Mr. Ives and was the only
up to the federal government. He used his
reporter there (I was 15!). I was able to
abilities, connections and talents to lift up
SVB: I’ve learned the value of self-advocacy, a
interview Jones one-on-one, converse with
the marginalized, which is well aligned with
quality necessary for any journalist. This is in
voters at the event, and talk to his campaign
my goals as a journalist.
large part thanks to my advisors, Ms. Cowhey
manager. That reporting experience made
and Mr. Ives, who gave me advice about how
me a better student journalist. The story won
to stand up for myself. I once was told to
a gold key award from the Scholastic Art &
Favorite class at Masters?
“Tone down the feminist stuff” — this is a
Writing Awards.
TP: Outside of journalism, I loved my history
comment which I reflect on a lot. Although
classes at Masters, particularly AP U.S.
a bad piece of advice, especially coming from
History.
a man, I learned the value of considering
SVB: I am really proud of the story I wrote and designed about substance abuse among young
how my audience might receive my words,
adults during the pandemic. It was a lot of
KR: Besides Tower, my favorite class at
and the lifelong importance of advocating for
work and research, but the final project was a
Masters has been AP U.S. History (APUSH).
other people.
comprehensive and valuable story.
I took APUSH my junior year, and I enjoyed learning about American history, especially the parts that have often been left out of
What journalist(s) do you admire and why?
textbooks, and all of our discussions and
TP: I have long admired Eli Saslow, Robert
debates regarding so many different topics.
Samuels and Hannah Dreier, three narrative journalists I’m honored to now call my
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catching up with former faculty Pat Bayliss D e a n o f F a c u l t y (1971 – 19 8 8 ) I came to Dorset, United Kingdom, when I retired to be with my mother, who was going blind. Every spring and summer, I brought her to stay in our family’s holiday cottage in Pen Y Parc, on the coast of west Wales. In the early days of retirement, I returned to New York to stay with friends, and in the winter we would go to the Virgin Islands together. I would also do Broadway with Bayliss with her constant M.A. Haskin (chair of the Drama companion, Lulu Department, 1979–2014) and her artist husband, Paul. I saw her again in 2019 when I came across the pond on the Queen Elizabeth 2. Miwa Murase ’78 drove me out to Dobbs to see the new buildings on that same trip. After my mother’s death, I moved permanently to Pen Y Parc, extended the cottage, and made it suitable for year-round living. I then turned my attention to the garden. It is a small one-acre plot on the stony Welsh hillside. With an imaginative designer and
When I retired from The Masters School in 2007, I simply walked two blocks down Broadway to Chestnut Street and the house Peggie and I have occupied for the past 40 years or so, and there I remain.
capable gardeners, I have spent the last 20 years creating a terraced secret garden that looks across the Dyfi estuary to the mountains of Snowdonia and Cader Idris, also known as Arthur’s Seat. (During his legendary life, King Arthur traveled widely with his knights, but he came to sleep here until he was called to rescue Wales in a time of great peril. So, I feel very safe in this magical place.) Until recently, I have been singing in several choral groups in Welsh and English, but this stopped along with volunteering at the local art gallery and music society. For the past two years, I have been quite isolated, but I have good friends on the farms nearby, although there are more sheep than people here. My garden is still a work in progress, and Lulu, my third Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a precious companion who takes me to walk on the beach each day. I revel in my freedom from school responsibilities, though I miss my AP History and Art History classes and my cheery seventh graders. Now, I can read more widely, but with a greater sense of urgency as I, too, am beginning to go blind. I am now 89, so life is slower and travel is less attractive. Although I am solitary, I am never lonely. Old age restricts physically, but within the mind’s eye, there is much to remember with pleasure. Nothing can chain the spirit or stem the joy which comes from floating free over the shores and mountains which surround my cottage home.
Larry Blizard A r t Te a c h e r ( 19 7 0 – 2 0 0 7 )
Our house is one of the oldest houses in Dobbs Ferry (c. 1855) and requires a lot of our attention. However, residents say they enjoy looking at it, and it is a part of village history. So, we try to keep it in shape. Speaking of history, I am a trustee of the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society. I research and write articles about the village’s history. From time to time, these appear in The Ferryman, a quarterly newsletter published by the society, of which I am managing editor. In addition, Peggie and I undertook the renovation of the Mead House on Elm Street, which is the society’s headquarters. Clara Mead (Dobbs Class of 1922) bequeathed her house to the society, but it needed much love and attention. It is now a source of village pride. After that, we created a 19th-century summer kitchen using an outbuilding. These projects required years of our time, but have been positive additions to village life. Since retirement, I have been spending hours every day on my artwork. My studio is in the former stable on our property. I am addicted to drawing and often will spend weeks on a single piece. My website is larryblizard.com. Stop by if you are in my neighborhood.
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Blizard sketching in his home studio
The Wilson family on Sophie’s wedding day. From left: Doc Wilson with his daughter, Sophie Wilson Juvan ’09; son-in-law, DJ Juvan; wife, Melissa; and son, Thomas.
Everett “Doc” Wilson H e a d o f M i d d l e S c h o o l ( 19 9 6 – 2 016 )
After 46 years in education, the decision to retire was not at all a difficult one. In fact, it came quite naturally. My wife, Melissa, and I were healthy and strong; our children, Sophie ’09 and Thomas, were grown and settled into their chosen careers, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to create some new adventures for ourselves. I loved every minute of my career, but thought it was time to see what else was “out there.” Our final days at Dobbs were wonderful, but more than a few tears accompanied that last drive out of the campus. However, once we were settled into our home on our beloved Cape Cod, we very quickly found a new rhythm of life and a pace that seemed to suit us well. Many of our summer friends were now our year-round friends. The days, nights and weekends started to fill up with all sorts of activities. We were boating and entertaining more than ever before and found that we even had time for some travel. During our first year away from school, we enjoyed several road trips that took us from Maine to Florida with no timeline to worry about. Time took on a new meaning: We had lots of it, but didn’t want to waste a minute of it. We found ourselves getting involved in community activities almost immediately. Before we knew it, we were asked to join the board of our local library, where I am now vice president and serve as the secretary of the Finance Committee. Who would have thought!
Sophie and Thomas are working in Manhattan and live in Stamford, Connecticut. They see one another all the time and are great about coming home to the Cape. Melissa has continued to teach by helping out at Cape Cod Academy and has developed a small side venture selling painted oyster shells. I continue my love of cooking and have taken a couple of master classes at Chatham Bars Inn. My next venture is to begin taking some watercolor classes — something I have wanted to do for quite some time. COVID obviously put a stop to our traveling for now, but it did give us a chance to paint almost every square inch of our house. If I don’t see a can of paint or a roller for a while, I won’t complain. All in all, life after Masters has been wonderful. We are relaxed, healthy and happy. But, rarely does a week go by when we find ourselves looking back at our time at Dobbs and thinking how lucky we were to be there at a time when the School was growing and thriving and to have been able to raise our children in such a warm and supportive environment. We will be forever grateful and appreciative for all we shared with The Masters School.
In August 2018, Sophie became engaged to DJ Juvan — to our great delight — so for the next year, we were consumed with wedding plans. All went smoothly, and on October 12, 2019, they were joined in marriage. Both
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NE W B OARD m e m b e r s
Board of Trustees ZhiFeng Li P’22 ZhiFeng Li is the executive director of Zhengzhi Healthcare Company, a private company developing TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) in Shanghai that enables Chinese traditional herbal formulas to improve people’s health and cure diseases. Before embarking on this new venture, ZhiFeng had successfully executed an IPO on the SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange) in 2016 as a member of the company’s entrepreneur team. ZhiFeng graduated from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in 1995 with a B.B.A. and completed the EMBA program from China Europe International Business School in 2008. Over the past 10 years, ZhiFeng had served as the vice president of Shanghai Chamber of
Latifa
Lyles ’93 Latifa Lyles is a career advocate for gender equity. Most recently, she led TIME'S UP's advocacy agenda for public policy and private sector change and its efforts to support survivors of sexual harassment and assault. Latifa has more than 20 years of experience in the social justice movement working on issues of economic justice and equity for women, U.S. labor policy, and combating gender-based violence. In 2010, she was appointed by President Obama to serve as head of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she led initiatives on workplace equity and policies in collaboration with the White House Council on Women and Girls and across executive agencies. Previously, Latifa was a vice president at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, a vice president at the National Organization for Women and a fundraiser at the Public Justice Foundation. Currently, she serves as an elected member of the DC Democratic State Committee, and she has served on the Boards of the DC ACLU, The Smithsonian Early Education Center and the National Organization for Women.
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Commerce for Importers and Exporters and the vice president of China Timber and Wood Products Circulation Association. He is currently a member of council of World Federation of TCM. ZhiFeng and his family live in Shanghai. His wife, Karen Zheng, runs an art gallery that specializes in sculptures and public art design. His daughter, Avivi, is a senior at Masters, and his son, Eric, is in the first grade of primary school.
Steve
MARLOWE P’23, ’23, ’25 Steve Marlowe is the CEO of Chef LMT Foods, a branded and privatelabel food company. Chef LMT sells its products across multiple channels in the United States under a variety of wellknown brands, including Nathan’s Famous. Prior to Chef LMT, he was the senior vice president of product, licensing and publishing for Weight Watchers International, where he created and oversaw retail businesses in excess of $1 billion. Steve serves as a member of the board of directors of the Carando Gourmet Frozen Food Company, based in Massachusetts, and is a chair emeritus of his Young Presidents’ Organization chapter. He has served in a number of leadership roles for the national and local UJA Federation Network. Steve was an adjunct professor for six years at both the NYU Stern School of Business and Pace University. At Masters, he currently serves on the Campaign Steering Committee. One of Steve’s favorite volunteer activities at Masters has been as a guest speaker in the Design Thinking and Social Entrepreneurship class. Steve earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. Steve and his wife, Staci, who serves as a Parent Association class representative for the Class of 2023, have three daughters: Lauren ’23, Madeline ’23 and Taylor ’25.
Welcomes New Members Rajiv
Ratan P’22, ’24 Rajiv Ratan is a neurologist and neuroscientist who currently serves as the CEO of the Burke Neurological Institute (BNI), an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medicine. Raj received an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Amherst College and an M.D. and Ph.D. from the NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program at NYU. He completed neurology training and served as chief resident at Johns Hopkins, after which he took a faculty position at Harvard Medical School. Raj relocated to Westchester County, New York, to take over BNI in 2003.
boards of more than a dozen journals and the scientific advisory boards of several companies and institutes. He co-chairs a grant review committee at the NIH focused on neuronal oxidative metabolism. He received an honorary degree from Mercy College and was elected to the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars in 2020. Raj sits on the Health Advisory Task Force for Masters, and is the father of two Masters students, Kira ’22 and Arjun ’24.
Raj has published more than 200 original articles, reviews and book chapters and has edited several books. He sits on the editorial
Jonathan Resnick P’26, ’29 Jonathan Resnick is the president of Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc., one of New York City’s preeminent, familyowned real estate development and management companies. Jonathan oversees the firm’s portfolio of approximately 5 million square feet of commercial office and retail space, and approximately 900 rental apartments. He is directly involved with asset management, capital projects,
leasing and the day-to-day operations of the firm. Jonathan is a director of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations and a member of the Executive Committee of the New York Building Congress. He sits on the boards of the Salvadori Center and the Borough of Manhattan Community College Foundation and is also a member of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Executive Committee.
He is a director of the Realty Foundation of New York, a pastchairman of the Greater New York Construction User Council, and active with the Carnegie Hall Real Estate Council. Jonathan holds a B.S. from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. He and his wife are the parents of two current Masters students.
m a s t e r s n y. o r g
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Bulletin THE MAGA ZINE OF THE MASTERS SCHOOL
C O M M U N I C A T I ON S
ADVANCEMENT
Meredith Halpern Associate Head of Strategic Communications
Seth Marx Associate Head for Institutional Advancement
Aishling Peterson P’18, ’20, ’22 Director of Parent Engagement and Special Events
Isaac Cass Digital Communications Coordinator
Judy Donald Advancement Associate
Maryann Perrotta Database Administrator
Hilary Finkelstein Director of Annual Giving
Mary Ryan ’00 Associate Director of Institutional Advancement
Christina Ha Communications Associate Laura Danforth Head of School laura.danforth@mastersny.org
Jen Schutten Associate Director of Communications Design: KBWhite Communications LLC
T H E M A S T E R S S C H OO L Head of School Laura Danforth BOARD OF TRUSTEES Edith C. Chapin ’83, Chair Beth Nolan ’69, Vice Chair Katherine A. Henry ’94, P’25, ’29, Treasurer Suzie Paxton ’88, Secretary Laura Danforth Marie Fabian P’22, ’26 Michael Greene P’10, ’13 Christina Masters Jones Philip Kassen Shaojian (Richard) Li P’20 ZhiFeng Li P’22 Latifa Lyles ’93 Sydney Shafroth Macy ’70 Steve Marlowe P’23, ’23, ’25 Edgar M. Masters H’98, Life Trustee Hannah Miller ’10 Allison Moore ’83, P’17, ’19, ’24 Susan Follett Morris ’57, Life Trustee
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Sujata Jaggi ’01 Director of Alumnae/i Engagement
Amie Servino ’95, P’26 Director of Strategic Partnerships and Advancement Communications
L E A D ER S HI P 2021-2022
HONORARY TRUSTEES Marin Alsop ’73 Cynthia Ferris Evans ’52, P’76, ’86 Jeannette Sanford Fowlkes ’58, P’87 Ruth Mitchell Freeman ’51 Nancy Maginnes Kissinger ’51 Claudia Boettcher Merthan ’51 Lynn Pilzer Sobel ’71, P’99, ’05
PARENT ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jennifer Nappo P’21, ’23, ’23, Co-Chair, Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day
Officers Marie Fabian P’22, ’26, President Madeline Seguinot P’20, ’24, Co-Vice President, Upper School
Joelle Resnick P’26, ’29, Co-Chair, Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day
Monaqui Porter Young P’23, ’25, ’27 Co-Vice President, Upper School
Jordana Manzano P’23, ’26, Chair, Parent Program Committee
DOBBS ALUMNAE/I ASSOCIATION BOARD Hannah Miller ’10, President Ricardo Oelkers ’03, Vice President Justina Michaels ’02, Clerk Natasha Bansgopaul ’04 Lucas Buyon ’11 Sharin Nechis Castillo ’84 Karen Feinberg Dorsey ’84 Austin O'Neill Dunyk ’98 Kathryn Taylor Harvill ’95 Jodi Innerfield ’05 Vincent Madera ’05 John McGovern ’07
Jose Camacho P’26, ’28, Co-Vice President, Middle School
Dana W. Oliver P’22, ’25 Hillary A. Peckham ’09 Rajiv Ratan P’22, ’24 Jonathan Resnick P’26, ’29 Steven Safyer P’04, ’07 Diana Davis Spencer ’56, P’84 Tracy Tang ’80, P’18 Mirna A. Valerio ’93
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Sydney Hummel Advancement Assistant
T H E M A S T E R S S C H O O L • A n n u a l R e p o r t o f D o n o r s 2 0 2 0 — 2 0 21
Brooke Nalle P’24, ’27, Co-Vice President, Middle School Committees and Chairs Gabrielle Rosenfeld P’24, Co-Chair, Admission Support Saloni Singh P’27, Co-Chair, Admission Support Roxanne Todor P’21, ’23, Chair, Book Club Tracelyn Charles P’26, Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Madeline Seguinot P’20, ’24, Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Susie Williams P’26, Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Andrew Barnes P’26, ’26, Chair, Parent Masters Fund
Class Representatives Jose Camacho P’26, ’28 Marielys Divanne P’24 Marla Evans P’24 Midori Im P’22, ’28 Staci Marlowe P’23, ’23, ’25 Jillian Miller P’22 Jenny Liang Milward P’24, ’26, ’29 Lindsay Mortimer P’26 Brooke Nalle P’24, ’27 Jennifer Nappo P’21, ’23, ’23 Jennifer Neren P’28 Rini Ratan P’22, ’24 Joelle Resnick P’26, ’29 Elizabeth Stein P’22 Liz Tarter P’25, ’27 Natasha VanWright P’25 Monaqui Porter Young P’23, ’25, ’27
In a 1919 letter to alumnae, school founder Eliza Bailey Masters wrote: “You own the School.” Inspired by her words, alumnae raised funds for a new school building, completed in 1921, and named it Masters Hall in her honor. Today — 100 years later — The Masters School still relies on the generosity of our community to continue Miss Masters’ legacy and support our School’s mission, students, programs and future.
Here are just a few of the many ways that alumnae/i and parents can give back to the School. If you have an idea for involvement that is not listed, please let us know.
Financial Support Annual Giving
CAPITAL PROJECTS
ENDOWMENT SUPPORT Planned Giving
Contact Associate Director of Institutional Advancement Mary Ryan ’00 at 914-479-6433 or mary.ryan@mastersny.org
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Parents Alumnae/i ADMISSION VOLUNTEER
ADMISSION VOLUNTEER
CLASS AGENT
FACULTY/STAFF APPRECIATION DAY COMMITTEE
Alumnae/i Giving Day Class Notes Editor EVENT HOST
REUNION COMMITTEE Contact Director of Alumnae/i Engagement Sujata Jaggi ’01 at 914-479-6611 or sujata.jaggi@mastersny.org
Annual Fund Volunteer PARENT ASSOCIATION PHONATHON CALLER
Contact Director of Parent Engagement and Special Events Aishling Peterson P’18, ’20, ’22 at 914-479-6639 or aishling.peterson@mastersny.org
49 Clinton Avenue | Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522-2201
SAVE THE DATE
REUNION 2022
2022
Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14 Celebrating the classes ending in 2 and 7 and The Masters School’s 145th anniversary