Spring 2022 Review Magazine by Montclair Kimberley Academy

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THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY S PRIN G 2 02 2

Listening Leading N I G E L D. F U R LO N G E

THE MAGAZINE OF

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY SPRI N G 20 2 2

F E ATURE

Listening and Leading MKA Community Officially Welcomes the Fifth Head of School, Nigel D. Furlonge.

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02 L E TTE R

FRO M TH E HE AD OF SCH O O L

03 A ROUND

MKA Campus, student, and faculty news

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37 T RUSTE E 40 A LUMNI

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AR E MKA Stories of Giving

CLASS NOT ES

ON THE COVER Illustration by Eleanor Shakespeare eleanorshakespeare.com

Editors Gretchen Berra Kim Saunders Assistant Editor/Copy Editor Marnie McNany Design Aldeia www.aldeia.design Cover Design Eleanor Shakespeare Contributors Jenn Baratta Ashley Conde Chris Kenrick Madison Kilduff Laela Perkins Photographers Michael Branscom Steve Clayton David Kenas Michael Mineo Derek Morf

Evidence of our mission is found in the KNOWLEDGE, VISION, and INTEGRITY of our students and our alumni: K N OW L E D G E • Academic excellence • Intellectual independence • Love of learning VISION • Personal engagement with the world • Understanding of human complexity • A sense of humility and compassion I N TEG R I TY • Strength of character • Responsibility as a citizen and leader • An honorable and generous life

FALL 2015

F RO M T H E H E A D O F SC HO OL N I G E L D. F U R LO NG E

Building Relationships Dear MKA Community, Over the course of the past few months, I have had the great fortune to connect with MKA students, parents, faculty, and alumni through events on and off-campus. I have made classroom visits and watched performances, traveled to Boston and southern Connecticut to meet with former MKA, MA, and TKS students, and met with current parents through dedicated conversations. As I share my values, goals, and vision for the school now and in the years to come, I am learning much about the school and student experiences by listening. As I listen and learn, one of my goals has been for the community to get to know me. I am building relationships and having conversations as I purposefully use the time that I have in this first year. You will soon find that I am an avid sports fan and music lover; I have had incredible opportunities to learn from impactful mentors in many prestigious schools; and I am a person for whom being open to ideas, people, and experiences is paramount. I believe that the role of a leader is to learn and listen and then to act from an informed position in order to set priorities for the months and years ahead. In my time on the fields and courts, in the hallways and the audience, in front of and behind the podium, I have been considering aspects of our academic program, admissions, development, and facilities, among others. These areas are the lifeblood of any school and must have clear goals, expectations, and leadership in order to function and best support the school community. We have identified some key areas of immediate focus that include onboarding a new Head of Campus at the Primary School and a new Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism. In addition, an immediate priority is growing our financial aid resources at MKA. There are also facilities needs at our Middle and Primary School outdoor spaces: our mission compels us to support a renovation that will enable yearround outdoor play, learning, and exploration to the benefit of all the students who use our fields. Finally, we need to continue to attract, retain, and mentor outstanding and increasingly diverse educators. I appreciate and continue to look forward to the collaboration of my colleagues, our families, and the Board of Trustees as we both set and achieve our objectives. Contemplating the conclusion of the year is exciting. We know that the months ahead here at MKA will be incredibly busy and include the culmination of projects, courses, athletic seasons, and for our seniors, their time at MKA. This culmination can be defined in one sense as when an object reaches its highest altitude or a decisive point. My hope is that all our students and families see the end of this school year as a high point in their development thus far. I hope that they also see this time not as their final departure from MKA, but as the beginning of a different and rewarding relationship with this special place. For me, this time is decisive as we move forward, drive change, and fulfill the aspirations of this vibrant community. Sincerely, Nigel D. Furlonge Head of School

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A A ROUN D M KA

Students on their way to class in our newly renovated Primary School

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Academics

6TH GRADE STUDENTS WHO ARE A PART OF THE WALK IN THE WOODS FLEX TOOK A FIELD TRIP TO MILL’S RESERVATION. THEY ENJOYED A PRESENTATION FROM THE MONTCLAIR BIRD WATCHERS CLUB AND THE AUDUBON SOCIETY ABOUT HAWKS AND OTHER RAPTORS THEY SAW DURING THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATION SOUTH FROM THE HAWKWATCH.

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Montclair Kimberley Academy has been selected as one of only three collaborative institutions in the U.S. for the program, “Meeting the Terra-Cotta Army, Understanding Qin Culture,” conducted by the Xidian University, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum. This is an incredible honor for our MKA Chinese

Established in 2020 to honor the life of former Trustee and MKA Parent, Philip McNeal, the Philip McNeal Leadership Program seeks to deepen the conversation on the topic of ethical leadership and help MKA students identify their own unique leadership style in order to best prepare for college and the world beyond. In September, student leaders met virtually and participated in the first of what will be an annual Student Leadership Retreat. Participants were welcomed to the evening session by Tri-Campus Chair of Integrated Ethics and Upper School Dean of Student Life Kerry Verrone who asked participants “to reimagine what’s possible when it comes to student life at MKA.” She continued, “This program will allow us to reconnect throughout the year, as well as bring programming to a broader audience to think about who we are as a school, our values, and what it means to be a ‘good’ leader.” After hearing from keynote speaker Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code, students attended 30 minute workshops each hosted by Tristan Love, Director of Learning and Engagement with Project Wayfinder, Seema Pothini, Lead Equity Specialist at Equity Literacy Institute, and Kobi Yamada, bestselling author. The evening was an incredible opportunity to bring four impactful leaders, thinkers, educators, and social justice warriors together with students to share their stories, perspectives, and the lessons they’ve learned.

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Program, the Upper School World Language Department, and our students in Chinese. Our students in Chinese will work together with peers from the Sidwell Friends School and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to participate in a series of 35-minute synchronous online lectures given by native Chinese teachers and five virtual field trips led by bilingual museum educators. Students will join in virtual field trips to Emperor Qinshihuang’s Terra-cotta Army Museum, the Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses, the Shaanxi History Museum, and the Ancient City Wall in Xi’an. In addition, four recorded webinar lectures will be devoted to disseminating information about up-to-date research in archeology and conservation in the museums to deepen students’ engagement with ancient Chinese history and tradition. Students will also use the Smithsonian Learning Lab to explore the digital Terra-Cotta collections and understand the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history. As a partner school, MKA students will have the opportunity to access the classes and webinars for free. The MKA Chinese teachers, Dr. River He, Ms. Fangzhou Zhang, and Ms. Tingting Chen, will help our students to fulfill the requirements for obtaining the certificate of completion as a celebration of their learning of Chinese. The program committee will present scholarships to four students who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the program and enthusiastic dedication to the language and culture, with a certificate of achievement and a $500 prize for each recipient. Participation in this program will provide MKA students with a unique opportunity to develop what they have learned about Chinese language and culture while also enhancing their interdisciplinary research skills in language, sociology, social studies, and history topics.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of unique activities during Monday Assembly. 4th grade students learned about Frida Kahlo and created their own paintings. 5th grade students learned how to make baleadas, a Honduras street dish over Google Meet. 6th grade students learned how to dance salsa, and 7th and 8th grade students watched the movie McFarland USA.

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As a culmination of the unit on the Harlem Renaissance and completion of Wallace Thurman’s novel Infants of Spring, Upper School students in the Literature and History of NYC course conducted a self-guided walking tour of Harlem. Among the stops on the tour were Strivers Row, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, and the Apollo Theater.

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The Middle School 8th grade Chinese class and the Upper School Chinese classes, along with the Upper School Asian Cultural Society, participated in the 2021 World Onigiri Action by making Japanese rice balls; onigiri means rice ball in Japanese. The Onigiri Action is an annual food drive which is a part of the World Food Day campaign that was established by the United Nations to support and raise awareness for children who suffer from hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for world change. Every photo of onigiri posted to the campaign website or social

media with #OnigiriAction helps to provide five school meals to children in need around the world. MKA students proudly raised 185 meals in total during this event. This is the first year MKA participated in the Onigiri Action. This event is also a part of the new bi-campus Chinese language and culture curriculum which focuses on social justice and socialemotional learning. Throughout the event, students learned the language and history about Asian food culture and also learned about real-life global issues related to food security, food waste, and hunger.

Upper School Environmental Science students measured biodiversity in planter boxes on the Green Roof of the Johnson Academic Center and measured water quality at the Peckman River with Watershed Ambassadors.

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MKA’s Primary School Black Boy and Black Girl Affinity Groups had their first in-person meeting. They enjoyed playing, getting to know each other, and looking forward to their next meeting where they will take part in a virtual book reading with the Middle School Black Girl Affinity Group. 08

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Primary School students created care bags for newly adopted animals at the Montclair Animal Shelter as part of their school-wide Thanksgiving Share Project. They personally decorated each bag, which included a crinkle bottle toy handmade out of water bottles, knee socks, and dry cat/dog kibble, and a can of wet dog or cat food. Once complete, each grade hand delivered the bags to the shelter. Students were so excited to participate in this community engagement project and learn how to create sustainable toys for animals.

To celebrate the kicking off of clubs at the Upper School, Jewish Cultural Society leaders Ben Sherman, Noah Weinberg, and Michael Bronstein welcomed new members to their Sukkot Celebration outside at The Sukkah in the amphitheater. Students enjoyed fall food, music, and fun activities as part of this community-building afternoon.

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With Gratitude The MKA community is incredibly strong thanks to the deep network of volunteers who support our school. From planning events, to mentoring, to fundraising and supporting our admissions process, our alumni, parent, and grandparent volunteers play a critical role in supporting the school’s mission. MKA has always had a rich tradition of volunteerism; however, the number of individuals who have offered to support our school with their time in recent months has been remarkable. In addition to MKA’s 25 members of the Board of Trustees, and 17 Alumni Council Members, this year we have over 100 PAMKA volunteers, 75 parent athletic volunteers, 75 Admissions Ambassadors, over 40 Development Ambassadors, and 150 alumni volunteers. These individuals have generously donated their talents to help MKA thrive, and we could not be the school we are without them. We are incredibly grateful to the members of our community who are caring for our school and building a community based on Knowledge, Vision, and Integrity. Thanks to you, there are endless possibilities that lie ahead. THANK YOU!!!!! 10

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“ Self-care alone won’t fulfill people’s psychological needs as we rebound from the pandemic. After many months in relative isolation, we must reclaim connection and meaning. That comes not just from caring for ourselves but also from caring for one another.” —Jamil Zaki for the Atlantic

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Last month, the Wounded Warriors Project club members replaced the tattered flag at the Upper School with the help of MKA’s Physical Plant Department. The club members were very excited to do this and made sure they knew how to fold the flag and dispose of it properly.

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Primary School students enjoyed celebrating Diwali with a visit from The Ajna Dance Company. Students learned about the meaning of the holiday and engaged in an interactive dance experience with the group. Students who celebrate Diwali were invited to wear traditional clothing to school and share their culture with friends, faculty, and staff. 12

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Ninety-five 9th graders and eighty 10th graders joined in on the festivities and fun at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. Pizza, ice cream, rides, and games were just some of the things that the students were able to enjoy. It was a great night with perfect weather, and a ton of happy kids spent time with each other.

Primary School students enjoyed time with their new Head of School during the Halloween parade where Mr. Furlonge sported “the Fresh Prince of Montclair” costume. They also shared a sweet treat with him during a visit from the ice cream truck.

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A special MKA tradition was upheld on October 15, when kindergarten students crossed the bridge and were met on the other side by seniors who presented them with Cougar beanies. Upper School Student Government President Brennan Columbia-Walsh and Senior Class President Kofi OduroManu read the name of each kindergartener. This special event presents an opportunity for the school’s youngest and oldest grades to connect and celebrate MKA, and it always brings out huge smiles.

Van Brunt Field was buzzing with activity for the Upper School Student Life Fair. The newest members of our community had the opportunity to learn about Upper School student organizations, including general interest clubs, social action groups, community service initiatives, competitive organizations, cultural societies, publications, performance groups, and affinity groups. With over 60 organizations to choose from, ranging from Women in Business to Shades of Color to Cougar Chat Room to the Robotics Team, there are so many ways for students to pursue an interest and learn something new.

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On Saturday, November 6, 170 people came together for the 2021 Fleming 5K at Brookdale Park. Together, members of the MKA community raised over $4,000 which will be donated to Toni’s Kitchen, The Human Needs Food Pantry, The MKA Fleming Fund, and Special Olympics NJ. The donation to Special Olympics NJ is made in memory of Tom Fleming, a longtime supporter and advocate of the organization, and a dear teacher/coach at MKA who passed away in 2017. We thank everyone for their generosity, participation, and volunteering to make the 2021 Fleming 5K a wonderful community event. Special thanks to Fleet Feet Montclair for donating the gift certificates, Montclair Ambulance Unit for being present at the event, and DJ Lou Productions for providing the up-beat and fun music.

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Arts AT LONG LAST After an almost two year hiatus, the Middle School choirs were back on stage to perform their annual winter concert. Mr. Anderson and choir students in grades 6-8 performed a varied concert program focusing on the joys of singing and the importance of unity and togetherness.

The US Winter Chorus Concert was one of the program’s most exciting and well-attended concerts held in Weiss Auditorium. Chamber Singers and Concert Choir sang a few holiday favorites and classical pieces dating back to the 1500’s, and then they ended with a contemporary favorite, “You Will Be Found,” which featured four spectacular soloists from Chamber Singers. The newly founded Jazz Choir performed Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train” as well as a jazz ballad, and

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this group demonstrated harmonic and rhythmic skill with their advanced harmonies and scat solos. Remix A Cappella made a return to live performances with outstanding soloists and ensemble work. The performance was magical because of the great energy and joy in the room. Senior Natalie Morral said before the performance and summed it up for all who sang and attended: “We used to take having a concert for granted but now we don’t, and we are so excited to be able to perform again.”

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The Upper School fall play, which is always a comedy, was Artifice by Anne Flanagan this year. The hilarious farce played to four sold-out audiences in Remix A Cappella had a special workshop with Shams Ahmed, an acclaimed vocal producer, who arranges and directs with Ben Bram and Scott Hoying of Pentatonix. Shams launched and produced Citizen Queen, an R&B group, as well as Acapop Kids. His groups recently performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Shams loves to give back to the music community by working with a cappella groups in workshops, judging the International Competition for Collegiate A Cappella, and producing large-scale university events. Shams greatly inspired MKA singers during their time with him. He worked on details in their current songs, made suggestions for their future songs and choreography, worked with how to best use microphones, and worked with our soloists. Students learned a great deal from him during the workshop and had fun in the process!

Deetjen Theatre. The cast of eight actors included students in grades 10, 11, and 12, and the crew of seven students represented grades 9-12. It was a wonderful production by a small but mighty group, and it was especially great to hear laughter inside a theater again—for both the audiences and the actors.

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When Nicole Met Marilyn By: Steve Valentine, Assistant Head of the Upper School

The passing of the torch between two theatre greats: Marilyn Faden and Nicole Hoppe.

When Nicole Hoppe started at MKA, she asked then F&PA department chair Tony Cuneo what she should do to understand the history of MKA’s theater program. Tony said, “Marilyn Faden is considered the mother of MKA’s theater. If you can find her, there’s your history.” Through a series of lucky connections, aided and abetted by Alicia Cuccolo and Judy Nesbit, Hoppe and Faden met for a series of lunches and formed a bond that shapes MKA’s program, and Hoppe’s approach, to this day. What follows is a brief oral history, as told by Nicole Hoppe. Marilyn and I went to lunch in Montclair, and she told me all about her time at MKA. I asked her what she thought was most important for the theater program. “When I think of the word program,” she said, “I think of the word family. And maybe it’s a little dysfunctional, a little loud, but the program can be family… When kids are comfortable, when they feel prepared and safe, and when they feel close to each other, they perform at their best. So you have to figure out the way to get there.” At another one of our lunches, I wound up telling Marilyn that I was worried about having children of my own and putting on shows. She just said, “Don’t worry, it all happens. Just like the magic of theater, it all comes together.” She continued: “Nicole, you’ve done professional theater, so you know that even in

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professional theater, it doesn’t come together until the end. Even with adults, we’re a week away thinking, ‘We can’t open!’ And then, somehow, we do. So if that happens with professionals, there’s no shot it’s not going to happen with students.” And then later she brought me pictures of her children. There were some of them playing dress-up in the MKA costume closet, some of them running around the stage during a rehearsal. “Neither one wound up in the theater,” she said, “probably because of this. But they thought it was just normal, and they were closer to me because they were always a part of what I did.” At that moment, she made me feel like it would be possible for me to do what I love at MKA and have my own family. At the opening night of my first musical here, Footloose, we honored Marilyn. After all she had taught me and all I had learned about her impact on our program, I thought that was important to do. We unveiled a display case and a big, beautiful sign that said it was in honor of all that Marilyn Faden had done. She was stunned. I never knew Marilyn was sick at that time, and she passed away shortly after. When her husband dropped off more of her books to me, he said, “I really think her coming full circle with you was a wonderful way for her to end her life.” I still have framed in my office a card she left me on opening night. I think of her often. She was such a special woman. She loved the kids as much as she loved the shows. She loved the madness and magic of it all.

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20,000 Miles in an Electric Vehicle? Mr. Rich Tests the Limits By Ben Rich, Upper School Science Teacher, Upper School Sustainability Coordinator

As I left my house in 2021 for a summer road trip, my mind shifted between excitement for the upcoming adventure and worry that I forgot something needed for a five-day backpacking trip in the wilderness. My plan was to go to Glacier National Park where I’d backpack through the backcountry then drive to Washington and Oregon before making my way home. The urgency to visit Glacier National Park has become obvious in the past few years since glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate. In January of 2020, wildfires raged across Australia, and they destroyed an area the size of Syria and killed one billion animals. Hurricane season annually introduces a storm more devastating than the last, and the oceans are warming so much that coral bleaching is everywhere. All of these are impacts we have been warned about for decades due to anthropogenic (man-made) climate change, and I wanted to see glaciers in Glacier National Park before the name became a reminder of what used to be there. There is one way to fight climate change, and that is to stop using fossil fuels. That’s it. There is no “trick”; there is no shortcut; there is no way to continue using fossil fuels and expect weather patterns to go “back to normal.” To reduce my own fossil fuel use, I switched to electric vehicles (EV) in 2008, and I rode an electric motorcycle until electric cars became affordable. Since then, I have ridden across the country six times on an electric motorcycle and twice in my Tesla Model 3. To get to Glacier National Park, I drove for five days and visited friends in Ohio, hiked through the Painted Canyon of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and visited an EV buddy in Oconomowoc, WI who charged my car using his solar system. Each day involved stopping for 10-15 minutes at adeptly placed Tesla Superchargers to recharge about 150 miles of range. At night I would often plug into a 110V outlet or at a hotel that has a Level 2 charging station to start the day at a full charge. Now for the highlight of my summer trip: backpacking through Glacier National Park. I can’t tell you exactly where I hiked because I was sworn to secrecy by a camp host in Glacier NP because my trip was in the area reserved for conservation, and

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they only want experienced hikers to visit who understand Leave No Trace camping. To get there, my Tesla had to traverse 30 miles of poorly maintained dirt roads. There is nothing like crisp, clean mountain air, and in 2021 there was none to be found. I had traversed the country in search of the fresh mountain air that rejuvenates the soul, revives the spirit, and reminds you of how good life can be. But there was not a single day in which smoke didn’t dominate the skyline as a result of unprecedented wildfires in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California that burned millions of acres during a time that is not considered wildfire season. After leaving Glacier National Park, I spent time in Seattle, Olympic National Park (beautiful!), and Eugene, Oregon before heading back east through Texas. One of my favorite stops was near Austin where my friends Orion and Tina Weldon started a Regenerative Farm called TerraPurezza (https://terrapurezza.com/) on which they raise pigs and chickens while replenishing the nutrients in the soil. Even better than sustainability is regeneration in which people don’t merely live in a sustainable manner but replenish what has been lost. On August 15 I found myself driving home after traveling 17,500 miles. As I contemplated how much rest my road-weary body would gladly soak up, I began to think that 20,000 is a nice round number and that it would only take one or two “short” weekend trips to New England to get there. After bouncing this idea off my friends who were fully supportive of this absurd idea, I did it. I drove to the top of Mt. Washington in NH, one of my favorite mountains, and got the sticker proclaiming my car’s success. Then, after a failed attempt to enter Canada, I arrived home with 21,111 miles on my odometer. I’ll leave you with one last thought, which has led me to pursue becoming Sustainability Coordinator at MKA, Co-Chair of the Montclair Environmental Commission, and to go on these road trips: life is made of time. If you waste your time, you waste your life. How you choose to spend your time, and therefore your life, shows clearly who you are and what you value most.

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ATHLETICS 2021 FALL 2021 TEAM AND STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS AND AWARDS *During the recently completed 2021 Fall Athletics season, the following MKA teams, coaches and athletes achieved honors:

FIELD HOCKEY Head Coach: Injoo Han (2nd year) Record: 15-7-1; NJISAA Prep B State Champions Natalia Espinosa-Dice ’22 Captain; MKA Fall Captain’s Prize Recipient; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference Angela Grace Flocco ’22 Captain; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference Ayantu Flowers ’22 MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/ Union Conference; Essex County “AllTournament” Team Lara Pramanik ’22 Captain; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B Allie Sherman ’22 Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference Kate Weinstein ’22 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 2nd Team All Non-Public, NJFHCA; 3rd Team All Non-Public, nj.com Phoebe Williams ’22 MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B Cameron Lienhardt ’23 1st Team All-Prep B

Caroline Murphy ’23 2nd Team All-White Division, Essex/ Union Conference Natalie Yu ’23 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All Non-Public, NJFHCA Margaret Horn ’24 Honorable Mention All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; Essex County “All-Tournament” Team Ava Moore ’24 MKA Most Improved Player Award Mimi Temkin ’24 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-White Division, Essex/Union Conference; Honorable Mention All-Prep B; Essex County “AllTournament” Team

FOOTBALL Head Coach: Anthony Rea (8th Year) Record: 4-5 Mahmoud Hassaneen ’22 1st Team Defense, All-MIFL Jake Pryor ’22 Captain; MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team Offense, All-MIFL Brodie Snyder ’22 Captain; MKA Weiner Award Austin Davis ’23 Honorable Mention All-MIFL Nicolas Lembo ’23 MKA Defensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team Defense, All-MIFL William Simms ’24 MKA Coaches Award

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Kalvin Thomas ’25 MKA Rookie of the Year Award

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY Head Coach: Timothy White (3rd Year) Record: 6-3 Caleb Fossett ’22 MKA Most Improved Runner Award Rohan Jain ’22 Captain; 3rd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com Nate Zuckerberg ’22 Captain; MKA Leadership Award Aidan Szilagyi ’22 Captain Freddy Bishop ’23 MKA Most Valuable Runner Award; Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com Nicholas Snyder ’24 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All Non-Public B, nj.com

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY Head Coach: Timothy White (3rd Year) Record: 11-0; 2021 SEC Liberty Division Champions Christina Bonarti ’22 MKA Coaches Award; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC Emma Burd ’22 Captain; MKA Leadership Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Martine Gulliver ’22 Captain; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Lindsay Driever ’23 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Rebecca Herrick ’23 MKA Most Valuable Runner Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Ella Martin ’23 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Olga Shandarivska ’24 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

BOYS’ SOCCER Head Coach: Rob Leather (8th Year) Record: 12-6-1; 2021 NJISAA Prep B State Champions Sean Cadigan ’22 Captain; MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B Arush Gopalji ’22 MKA Most Valuable Player Award; Honorable Mention All-Prep B Koome Murungi ’22 Captain; Honorable Mention AllAmerican Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B Zachary Seeve ’22 Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B Omar Martinez ’23 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B Asaph Saybe ’25 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC

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GIRLS’ SOCCER Head Coach: Jordan Raper (3rd Year) Record: 12-7-2 Katherine Hulse ’22 Captain Chloe Skipper ’22 Captain; MKA Players’ Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 1st Team All Non-Public, nj.com; 2nd Team All-State, nj.com

Katie Nossa ’22 Captain; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Kai Gibson ’23 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

Chiara Frungillo ’23 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public A, nj.com; 3rd team 2nd Doubles All-State, nj.com

Amara Lerner ’23 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Hanna Ganchi ’23 MKA Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 3rd Team Singles All Non-Public A, nj.com

Caia Carlesimo ’23 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team AllAmerican Division, SEC

Amara Sood Bhatia ’24 MKA Most Improved Player Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC

Isabella Douglas ’23 MKA Points Leader Award; 1st Team AllPrep B; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All Non-Public, nj.com

Milagros Carbajal Diaz ’24 MKA Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC

Brooke Huntington ’23 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC Sofia Vinasco ’23 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC Liah Lim ’24 MKA Coaches’ Player of the Year Award; Honorable Mention All-Prep B Lindsay Fouche ’25 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC

GIRLS’ TENNIS Head Coach: Bill Wing (25th Year) Record: 17-1; 2021 NJISAA Prep B State Champions; 2021 SEC American Division Champions; 2021 Essex County Champions

Julia Narucki ’23 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Hunter Levine ’24 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC Avery Pratt ’25 MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Katie Chung ’24 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC Hannah Lewis ’24 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team Doubles All Non-Public A, nj.com; 3rd Team 2nd Doubles All-State, nj.com

VOLLEYBALL Head Coach: Molli Dowd (4th Year) Record: 20-3; 2021 SEC Liberty Division Champions Samiyah Abdur-Rahim ’23 Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team AllPrep; 3rd Team All Non-Public A, nj.com Hailey Fouche ’23 Captain; MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

CONGRATULATIONS TO SENIOR FIELD HOCKEY CAPTAIN, NATALIA ESPINOSA-DICE...THE RECIPIENT OF THE FALL 2021 MKA “CAPTAIN’S AWARD.” The MKA “Captain’s Award” is given out each season to that male OR female captain who has exhibited the qualities that we look for in our team captains...leadership, dedication, respect, work ethic, and being a role model both on and off the field to his or her teammates and peers. Head Field Hockey Coach Injoo Han says, “Natalia is one of the hardest working, coachable players I have ever had. She has so much heart, is a leader by example, and a player who doesn’t want to let down her teammates. Her work ethic is simply unmatched. Her presence on and off the field was felt by all.” One of her teammates wrote at the end of the season, “Working the center is not an easy task, but Natalia fills the role with heart and determination. If you were to ask the team who your role model is, everyone would say her. She’s approachable, relatable, and someone you can go to for anything. Having her on the field is not only reassuring but inspiring because it encourages you to play better.” There is not one person in the program, old or new, that doesn’t have the utmost respect for Natalia, not only as a skillful player, but more importantly as an amazing person and friend. As a senior captain, it’s her leadership both on and off the field that sets her apart from others.

MKA Community Officially Welcomes the Fifth Head of School NIGEL D. FURLONGE

Listening Leading

I ’ M SO EXCI TE D to get to know and understand the absolute fullness of our community. We have such rich, robust, dynamic, passionate, and committed community members. In my first years, I want to listen to the community: to understand, to know, and to then be a part of it in the ways that I know I can be. There has to be more than speaking to the community, which of course is important, but I feel you have to also listen to understand it. I have to pay attention, and I have to discern the differences between the MKA that was, the MKA that is, and the MKA we will be. I like to think of myself in some ways as a bad ethnographer. A good ethnographer listens and seeks to understand a culture and observe that culture but tries to not impact that culture. I consider myself a bad ethnographer because, yes, I want to understand, but I also don’t have the luxury of not being engaged and not being active. This is the balance between listening and leading that is central to my first years at the school.

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ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, Montclair Kimberley Academy officially installed Nigel D. Furlonge as its fifth Head of School. The school had been under the leadership of only four other Heads of School: Richard Ward Day, Dr. Frances O’Connor, Dr. Peter Greer, and most recently, Thomas Nammack. President of the Board of Trustees, Kathleen M. Logan, presided over the official ceremony, noting, “This is a significant moment in our school’s history and a celebration of this very special person—Nigel Furlonge—who will lead us forward in unity and purpose. We welcome him, his wife Nicole, and their children to our community, and we celebrate the official start of his tenure at MKA.” She continued, “An authentic leader, fully aligned with MKA’s mission and beliefs, Nigel Furlonge will help us to uphold our most valued traditions and lead our growth in a transformative way.” Other speakers included Phil Peck, long-time Head of School at Holderness School, former colleague, and special friend to the whole Furlonge family, who introduced Nigel at the official ceremony. “Nigel is a passionate learner and has a contagious growthmindset. You are getting a truly remarkable person and leader to serve and guide your wonderful school.” Mr. Peck drew on his long, professional experience as colleague, mentor, and friend when he stated, “Leading schools for Nigel is not a job; it is a lifestyle that he embraces, [and] it brings him great joy.” He concluded by congratulating the school on its choice and said, “Hold on Montclair Kimberley Academy: your joyful journey of a lifetime under the very capable leadership of Nigel Furlonge is beginning!” The official Investiture included the ceremonial handing over of both the Kimberley School Bell and the Montclair Academy Bell to Nigel, both of which played significant, symbolic roles through the history of both founding schools. In his Keynote Address, Nigel acknowledged this rich tradition and looked to the future. He shared his commitment, “to leading a school that sustains the adults that work in it as professional learners and co-designers who find joy and purpose in

their work here. And, as much as I want students to thrive academically, I am equally committed to leading a school that intentionally cultivates intellectual curiosity,w wcapacity, joy, and integrity.” Senior Faculty member Scott Coronis closed the ceremony by sharing the faculty’s commitment to Nigel. Mr. Coronis said, “I hope that you will take your gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness to open yourself to what we have to offer so that we can all have a hand in creating the singular school you envision.” Attended by family members, colleagues, and special guests in person and via livestream, the Investiture of Nigel D. Furlonge was a significant and celebratory event in MKA history. As Nigel said, “This Investiture is not only about me as your new Head of School; it’s about all of us. It’s about the MKA story we will write together. It’s about the way we stand in community. And it’s about why we say, over and over again, ‘We Are MKA.’”

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“ An authentic leader, fully aligned with MKA’s mission and beliefs, Nigel Furlonge will help us to uphold our most valued traditions and lead our growth in a transformative way.” 24

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Q& A with N I G E L D. FU R LO N G E

Nigel, tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born in Toronto,

Canada, and I grew up in Boston. My parents and my grandparents immigrated from Trinidad in the West Indies. I met my wife, Nicole, in the 10th grade at Boston Latin School. After Boston, I went to college in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. Not everyone in my family went to college. But there was a kind of wisdom from my parents and grandparents, especially my grandparents who possessed a special ability to change their minds based on new evidence. In fact, I’ve often reflected that the mark of an educated person isn’t determined singularly by acquiring a high school or college degree, but rather by the ability to pull themselves beyond the immediate circumstances they are in and to consider new, potentially mind and heart-changing evidence. That to me is a signifier of an educated mind. My wife, Nicole Leta Brittingham Furlonge, is an educator herself. She taught English primarily in independent schools for 25 years. She’s currently the Director of the Klingenstein Center, at Teachers College at Columbia University, a Center that focuses on graduate and professional learning programs for independent school educators. Tell us about your professional life in independent schools. Right

after college, I took a job at the Holderness School, which is a boarding school in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. I started as a history teacher and coached basketball and soccer. I was also named the co-chair of their Diversity Program at 21 years old. That role put me in conversation with Trustees, parents, the Admissions’ office, and the College Counseling office in ways that I probably wouldn’t have been otherwise as an early-career, fulltime history teacher and coach.

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In 2000, my wife and I left Holderness and went to the St. Andrew’s School in Delaware. While at SAS, in addition to teaching and coaching, I also served as Chair of the Honor Committee and the Director of Studies. I count my blessings all the time that I happened to be in those schools for the first 13 years of my career, during which time community, educational values, integrity, honor, and leadership were interwoven into the daily life of each school. Every school talks about community, but what does community at full stretch look like? When I first visited MKA, there was a strong sense of community and of family: a family that is there for one another, on behalf of one another. MKA, I have discovered in my brief time here, is a soulful space. So one of the things that was so important to us as we joined this community was answering the question: “Is this a community that our own children can learn and grow in?” Our children have different interests and passions. I have one child that lives and breathes sports. I have another child that lives and breathes theater and the arts and writing. I have a third child for whom music is going to be a big part of their life. I can already see and feel that MKA will be a place of growth for all three of these different kinds of kids who are living under our roof.

What is most important to you?

The promise we make to our families. The Knowledge piece of our mission is informed and framed by Vision and Integrity. Knowledge is the pursuit of a sense of self, a pursuit in the sense of how we create a world that’s inclusive, that’s empathetic, and that’s honorable. I think about, “What does it look like when our students

That’s what I want our promise to be to our families, whether their children started in the ninth grade or they started in Pre-K. How do you describe your leadership style? In terms of my

leadership style, I think I learn, listen, and lead in equal measure. I see, as do many people, a world of opportunity at MKA and will

What drew you to MKA?

What are your first impressions of MKA? I joined a community. The

first thing I would tell new students and new families is that you may not know this, but you’re joining a community. Whether you’re in Pre-K or primary school, middle or high school, you’re going to be on the edge of your learning, and you will experience joy. You will experience belonging. You will experience a community that holds all these pieces.

walk across the stage, not just the literal stage but the metaphorical stage, in terms of the transitions that they’ll see between pre-K and senior year? Do they think critically really well? Are they sophisticated communicators, both orally and in the written form? Do they solve problems? Do they reason analytically? Do they ask questions—generative questions of themselves and of the world beyond them? Are they empathetic? Have they grown a sense of belonging and value?”

be strategic and prioritize the many, many things that we can do. In this journey, which I know is going to be a long one here at MKA for me, listening deeply, leading with purpose around our shared community values, and then continuing to engage our institution and ourselves in growth. That’s what we’re going to do.

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Professional Experiences that have Prepared You for Your Leadership Role Today ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS that comes to mind is the work I did at Christina Seix Academy (CSA). Having the opportunity to build a school from the ground up really allowed and forced me to think about things like school eco-systems, culture, values, hiring and developing a faculty, and programmatic goals for a school that didn’t exist. That was really transformative for me because every other school that I’d worked with had already existed. In this case I was coming into a community (Trenton, NJ) and had to do different kinds of work in terms of understanding Trenton and helping applicants and the faculty imagine something that didn’t exist.

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The second experience that comes to mind is when I was at the Holderness School as the Associate Head of School. I built something called the Learning Master Plan. It was conceived parallel to the school’s existing Campus Master Plan. The Campus Master Plan was implemented to think about what the campus was to look like five, 10 and 20 years down the road. A Learning Master Plan does something similar. It helps us imagine what teaching and learning looks like five, 10, and 15 years down the road. I felt that was important and that it could work in concert with the Campus Master Plan. It sent a signal that when we were working on a particular building or redesigning a classroom, we should have a vision for what teaching and learning looks like in those spaces moving forward. This vision of what learning will look like in the future ultimately informs the teaching and learning experiences we design in the present. As I reflect back on my time as Associate Head of School at Holderness, I’m proud of how much we were able to do in a short amount of time. It took three years to design and implement the Learning Master Plan with a nuanced understanding from key constituents in the community. I remember being there with some faculty members, legendary faculty members, who said, “We’ve been talking about this stuff for a long time, but it hasn’t ever happened.” And while I’m not claiming that I was the sole driver behind this one thing in this one moment, I think I was there at a certain time when I was able to collaborate and build with other folks who were like-minded in service of a greater goal that would benefit, first and foremost, student learning. For the first 13 years of my career, I was a full-time teacher. At St. Andrew’s I taught, but I was also doing some administrative work. I was the chair of the Honor committee, for example. At Holderness, I co-chaired the Diversity committee, was teaching and coaching, and engaged in residential life as a dorm parent. That time connected to both Holderness and St. Andrew’s really helped me think about the place that independent schools play in the educational landscape. I didn’t go to independent schools; I didn’t really have a sense of what they offered.

Then I started to understand what role an independent school can play, certainly in teaching students and creating positive relationships with those students, many of whom I have those relationships with today, but also in producing leaders and citizens out in the world. If I had not been so fortunate to have been a part of those two institutions, I don’t know that I would have come to that understanding. When I graduated from high school, I was so focused academically; I was so focused on, “Get into a good college and then get out in the world and be successful.” But I believe that the students from independent schools, much like the students who are connected to MKA, think of how they might make the world a better place now and long after they graduate. That’s really important

to me, and it’s really important to our world that independent schools exist. Another experience I am thankful for and that helped prepare me for the role I’m in today is serving on the Board of Trustees at the Holderness School. It allowed me to understand in a much more intimate and thoughtful way how valuable the Board of Trustees is, and then by extension, how valuable Alumni and Parents are in the ecosystem. These constituencies allow MKA and all independent schools to be the special places that they are. When I was a faculty member, I honestly didn’t have that appreciation. I just didn’t. I was so focused on teaching and coaching, building relationships with kids, residential life, being an advisor, and in graduate school that I wasn’t thinking about some of those other

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pieces. As a Trustee, I started putting some pieces together that are really important when thinking about your school’s community. Lastly, I will say that while I was at the Fieldston School, managing and leading in moments of crisis allowed me to think and grow as a leader. There are crisis issues that I think are important for any leadership team or any Head of School to be able to negotiate. What I learned is that it’s much less about, “Did you do the right thing at the right time or make the right decision at the right time?”’ It is more important to ask, “Did we collaborate effectively as a team? Did we ask the right questions of our thought partners?” Being able to ask the right questions and have the humility to say, “You know what, I don’t know. We don’t know, but let’s figure it out. Let’s figure out what the next right step is and how then, do we move forward and lead through that crisis moment.” That is crucial.

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Power Couple INTRODUCING DR. NICOLE L. BRITTINGHAM FURLONGE Considering the definition: “A power couple is two people who both complement each other’s strengths and support each other’s individuality,” Nigel and Nicole Furlonge are a power couple indeed. While they have taken different paths, both Nicole and Nigel have risen to positions of leadership in the education world. They are mutually supportive of one another while balancing their professional, personal, and family lives and clearly value knowledge as a path to a world that’s inclusive, empathetic, and honorable. Nicole Brittingham Furlonge is Professor and Director of the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College Columbia University. The Klingenstein Center is dedicated to improving the quality of independent and international schools by developing and strengthening the leadership skills of teachers and administrators at every stage of their careers. Carefully structured programs provide enhanced learning that hones skills and philosophical approaches to leading and learning for teacher-leaders, mid-career administrators, and heads of schools. She also serves as Narrative Medicine Core Collaborator at Columbia Medical School and is co-founder of LEARNS Collaborative, a catalyst for human-centered, equitable change in organizations. A first-generation college student, Nicole earned her Ph.D. and B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Teachers College, Nicole served as Director of Teaching and Learning at the Holderness School. She taught English and served as English Department Chair and Director of Diversity at several independent schools, including St. Andrew’s School (Delaware), The Lawrenceville School, and Princeton Day School. Nicole is the author of Race Sounds: The Art of Listening in African American Literature. Her book demonstrates listening as an essential interpretive and civic act that leads to deeper engagement with others. Nicole has previously served on the boards of People and Stories/Gente y Cuentos and Village Charter School in Trenton, NJ. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, SXSW Edu, and the Tang Institute at Phillips Academy Andover. Nicole’s research examines the intersections between listening, cognitive neuroscience, social justice, and school leadership. Nicole and Nigel met in high school, and their relationship has grown and thrived through the establishment of their careers and their family. While raising their three children and achieving professional success, Nicole and Nigel certainly do, “complement each other’s strengths and support each other’s individuality.” We are thrilled to welcome Nicole as an integral member of the MKA community: a parent and a partner to our Head of School.

“ At the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College, we learn and work at the intersection of education, equity, and change leadership. Strong schools require strong leadership throughout.” DR. NICOLE L. BRITTINGHAM FURLONGE

Arts Athletics

INSPIRED BY

Music I think back to when I was a kid, and there are certain songs or bands that transport me right back to a moment. And in some of those moments, as the music transports me, it also transforms me. The impactful role that music and certain songs play is so important in so many people’s lives. In the context particularly of the pandemic, many of us reconnected to parts of our life that may have fallen by the wayside or weren’t necessarily being attended to in the same way. In our home, we made a conscious effort to listen to music a little bit more. Nicole and I regularly led what we called Listening Salons with some of our friends who are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Providence, and Mumbai, just to name a few of the many, far-flung locations. We would come together over Zoom calls and play music for one another. Sometimes it would be thematically based, but other times the music would be in response to something that was going on in the world, such as the turn of the seasons or a holiday, George Floyd, the pandemic, or January 6 at the Capital: whatever it was that was happening in the world that had us thinking, wondering, and questioning. Sometimes we would just come together in that space and say, “You know what, this moment reminds me of this song, and this is what I’m thinking about.” So some of us would contribute songs, and we would talk about what that song meant, how we’re hearing it, and how we’re listening to it. Ultimately, it was a way for us to build and affirm community and friendship.

“ I feel that sports offer real opportunities to learn and grow.” COAC H

Furlonge

O N AT H L E T I CS: When I first started working at Holderness, I was 21 years old, and I was teaching, coaching, and connecting to residential life for the first time, and it didn't occur to me until I had already started that I didn’t really know anything about any of those things. So, kudos to Holderness and Phil Peck and all those educators and mentors who I was connected to in those spaces for giving me a chance and really working with me and mentoring me in all of those areas. I loved sports growing up. I liked to play, but I actually hadn't been a part of many teams. I played soccer a bit for a club team, but it was a local club team and not a club team the way we think about club teams nowadays. In high school, I played basketball a lot but not for my school, just pick-up hoops in Boston. My buddies and

I would go around and find pickup games at the local Y or around courts in the city. In college I was an absolute gym rat. I played a lot of basketball. If I wasn't in class, I was pretty much at the gym playing basketball. Once I was at Holderness, my main aim was to explore my interests in teaching and coaching (basketball, soccer, and tennis). As a coach, I found there was a special opportunity to build relationships with students on my teams. I taught many of those same kids, but being able to coach them added a point of contact that allowed for deep relationships to be built that have lasted in many instances throughout my life. Athletics requires leadership strategies and roles, and one strategy isn't going to be useful for every situation. Those people who have either played or coached multiple sports understand

that each scenario requires different approaches and skill sets. This is not expertise you can learn in a book, but you can certainly learn it through experience. An important lesson I have experienced in sports is learning how to deal with loss. Loss is part of sports. Every year most teams end the season (if you're fortunate to be in a postseason) with a loss. There are ebbs and flows and ups and downs within a particular season. I don't so much remember the wins and the losses, (maybe a couple like a game winning shot, or losing at the buzzer, or that overtime goal that your team scored), but for the most part, dealing with loss isn't about getting over it. It is having that humility to learn from each moment and prepare more effectively for the next, similar situation. It’s cliché to think about teamwork in an athletic

context, but it very much is part of what I've experienced and what I learned over the years in athletics. Sports, like school really become spaces where our values are manifest, and ultimately, athletic competition becomes an occasion where our values are tested. Our notions of honor and integrity are both forged and affirmed and sometimes complicated under the pressure of competing. There are certain ways that competing athletically and competing honorably in those spaces endures from a value perspective and actually transfers to other fields and disciplines as well. Far beyond wins and losses, my hope is that the students I've taught and coached walk through the world with a sense of honor and integrity, and for me those concepts were very much refined in athletics.

Philanthropic Priorities COMMITTED TO CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS AT MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY, academic excellence is at the core of our educational experience. Fulfilling our mission to create a diverse, collaborative, and inclusive community that inspires students to lead lives of noble character, purpose, and distinction requires it. Philanthropy plays an important role in these efforts and has the power to enhance the student experience in the near and long term. In my first year, I am already seeing opportunities for how to strengthen our school through the power of philanthropy. Facility improvements, expanding our financial aid program, and strengthening the resources we have for our faculty and staff are just three of the initiatives to which I am committed. The school has grown significantly over the past years, and many commitments have been made and fulfilled; however, there’s also opportunity and room for us to grow, moving forward. Philanthropy is critical as we work to address the needs of students and families and to our aspirational goals for the future of this special school. Giving to MKA is one way individuals give back to a school they love and value. It is a way to speak to the belief in not only their firsthand experiences with MKA, but also to their belief in what this school can be and do going forward. A robust culture of philanthropy will help us shape the future of the school in transformative ways. I am incredibly grateful for the loyal and generous individuals—alumni, families, and friends—who have and will continue to support our work.

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“ Giving to MKA is one way individuals give back to a school they love and value. It is a way to speak to the belief in not only their firsthand experiences with MKA, but also to their belief in what this school can be and do going forward.”

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Arts Athletics INSPIRED BY

Music

I think back to when I was a kid, and there are certain songs or bands that transport me right back to a moment. And in some of those moments, as the music transports me, it also transforms me. The impactful role that music and certain songs play is so important in so many people’s lives. In the context particularly of the pandemic, many of us reconnected to parts of our life that may have fallen by the wayside or weren’t necessarily being attended to in the same way. In our home, we made a conscious effort to listen to music a little bit more. Nicole and I regularly led what we called Listening Salons with some of our friends who are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Providence, and Mumbai, just to name a few of the many, far-flung locations. We would come together over Zoom calls and play music for one another. Sometimes it would be thematically based, but other times the music would be in response to something that was going on in the world, such as the turn of the seasons or a holiday, George Floyd, the pandemic, or January 6 at the Capital: whatever it was that was happening in the world that had us thinking, wondering, and questioning. Sometimes we would just come together in that space and say, “You know what, this moment reminds me of this song, and this is what I’m thinking about.” So some of us would contribute songs, and we would talk about what that song meant, how we’re hearing it, and how we’re listening to it. Ultimately, it was a way for us to build and affirm community and friendship.

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Athletics “ I feel that sports offer real opportunities to learn and grow.” COAC H F UR LO N G E

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P PA REN T NE WS

A Primary School student enjoys an after school moment while waiting to be picked up.

PA R E N T N E WS

PAMKA BOARD OF OFFICERS

Dear MKA Families, Listen. Learn. Lead.These are qualities we look for in our teachers and hope to instill in our children, and it has been inspiring to watch our new head of School, Nigel Furlonge, do all three as this year has progressed. Our return to in-person events after a year of being exclusively online has given us the opportunity to look at what we do and why we do it with fresh eyes.We have been able to take what we learned from last year and incorporate the things that worked, using technology where it could help, but finally being able to harness the energy that comes from being able to work together, in-person.We were grateful to be able to bring back Parent Socials, in-person committee meetings, and a live Spring Fundraiser, while also using Zoom for Parenting Workshops and keeping a virtual aspect to our Holiday Drives. Community Engagement was stronger than ever, as evidenced by the success of our Holiday Drives and our first Upper School Blood Drive in almost two years.Thanks to the generosity of the entire MKA community: • The Human Needs Food Pantry received 200 bags of food and over $4,000 in cash donations. • 325 toys put a smile on the faces of many children at Toni’s Kitchen. • 700 hats, mittens and scarves were given to Valley Settlement House. • 47 units of blood were donated to New Jersey Blood Services.

Janice Jacobson President Silvia Henriquez Secretary Sybil Eng Finance Vice President Alison Slone Communications Vice President Lauren Kaplan ’93 Community Engagement Vice President Ruchi Misra Volunteer Coordinator Vice President Leena Bansal Special Event Vice President Meredith Gardner Primary School Campus Vice President Becki Hirsh Middle School Campus Vice President Stephanie Salzman Upper School Campus Vice President

THE PAMKA MISSION STATEMENT

Each of these drives involved participation from across the MKA community—students, faculty, and parents.It is impressive what we can accomplish when we all work together. Best wishes, Janice Jacobson PAMKA President

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PAMKA is a parent volunteer organization established to provide opportunities for parents to participate in the support and enhancement of the students’ educational experience at Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA). PAMKA pursues its mission working in cooperation with the school administration through activities consistent with the policies and goals established by the Board of Trustees at MKA.

PA R E N T N E WS

Fall Clothing Swap -A Success in Every Way! PAMKA’s first Fall Clothing Swap gave parents a chance to clear out their childrens’ outgrown school clothes and stock up on dress code items and Spirit Wear, all while supporting the school. Thank you to everyone who supported the Swap by donating clothing or shopping. A huge thank you to Swap Chair Nancy Wheeler and parent volunteers Leena Bansal, Jenn Dozier, Becki Hirsh, Ruchi Misra, and Alison Slone for all their efforts in making this event a success.

AMKA held its annual P Tri-Campus Hat, Scarf, Mitten, and Toy Drives that benefitted Valley Settlement House and Toni’s Kitchen. This year, we were excited to provide options for both virtual donations through Amazon Wish Lists and inperson donations through collection bins that were located on each campus.

PAMKA Grade Socials, while not exactly how they have looked in the past, were held under the tent at the Middle School on Friday and Saturday evenings in October and November. When last year’s socials were cancelled due to COVID-19, we quickly realized that we had long taken for granted what a valuable opportunity the socials are for building community and connection, particularly among new families.

Every year, the MKA community comes together to help provide Thanksgiving dinner items to individuals and families in the local area through the Patty Strain Thanksgiving Food Drive. This year, MKA community members outdid their donations from previous years. Along with 150 turkeys, 200 bags of food, and 1,500 food items from online donations through Shoprite of Clifton/Nutley, the community also raised over $4,800 for the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair, NJ. Middle School Student Government officers brought the donations over to the Pantry on Thursday, November 18. Many thanks to Shoprite of Clifton/Nutley for their support. This event is named in loving memory of Patty Strain, mother of three MKA alumni and longtime volunteer/supporter of the Human Needs Food Pantry, who passed away in 2018.

SAVE THE DATE! 36

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T TRUST EE N EWS

The beautiful view of New York City from the Upper School cafeteria

T R U ST E E N E WS

MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY 2021-2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS Kathleen M. Logan President Luke A. Sarsfield III ’91 Vice President Karen T. Gulliver Vice President

Dear MKA Community,

Jeffrey G. Szilagyi Treasurer Evelyn M. Colbert Secretary MEMBER TRUSTEES

One of the highlights of my tenure as President of the Board of Trustees took place in October when I presided over the Investiture of Nigel D. Furlonge as MKA’s fifth Head of School. It was a meaningful and historic event made even more special by the fact that this has happened so infrequently in the 48 years of the school’s existence. It is a great source of pride for members of the Board and for me to point to the longevity of so many of our leaders, both on the staff and on the faculty. Many educators choose to stay at MKA because of the opportunity for personal growth and the dynamic environment in which they are able to make a positive impact on students through world class academics, arts, and athletics. At his Investiture, I described Nigel as an authentic leader, fully aligned with MKA’s mission and beliefs. I know Nigel will help us to uphold our most valued traditions and lead our growth in a transformative way. These accomplishments will not be achieved alone, without the support of the entire community. Scott Coronis, MKA’s longest-serving faculty member, said at the Investiture, “Your largest (and newest) group of supporters is the other group sitting here today: the faculty and staff of MKA. Each one of us wants nothing more than to be a resource and a rock for you. We have a vested interest in your success: if you succeed, we all succeed. We know that you are here for us, and we want you to know that we are here for you.” As we approach spring and the end of the school year, it would be negligent of me not to recognize the sacrifices that our faculty and staff have made, yet again, during this past school year. They have faced new challenges with courage and resilience, and the Board is profoundly grateful. The members of the Board of Trustees and I stand at the ready to support the school and help deliver on the mission of MKA. With warmest regards,

Merrick G. Andlinger Naveen Ballem ’90 Jennifer A. Barbetta Anya C. Barrett ’89 James L. Bromley Bonnie S. Carter Evelyn M. Colbert Paige L. Cottingham-Streater ’79 Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 Carolyn N. Everson Clifford B. Finkle IV ’92 Peter J. Fusco ’89 Tracy E. Higgins Janice L. Jacobson Tina A. Jordan Lauren H. Kaplan ’93 Thomas W. Nammack Robert J. Ruberton Stephanie A. Salzman Matthew J. Sherman Margaret A. Wager HONORARY TRUSTEES Aubin Z. Ames ’54 John E. Garippa Alice M. Hirsh Michal V. Johnson Newton B. Schott, Jr. ADVISORY TRUSTEES

Kathleen M. Logan, President, Board of Trustees

David A. Crichlow Barry W. Ridings ’70 Robert L. Tortoriello For more information about our Board of Trustees, please visit www.mka.org/about/ board-of-trustees

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Remembering a Cherished Member of our Community

Mary Johnson P’06 ’08 ’10 ’13 ’19 MKA parent and integral community member Mary L. Johnson, 61, of Montclair, NJ and Nantucket, MA passed away unexpectedly in her sleep from heart complications on December 15, 2021. She was vigorous and active up until her untimely death and will be greatly missed. Michael V. Johnson, Mary’s beloved husband, has been on MKA’s Board of Trustees since 2000. He was MKA’s Board President for six years and remains on the Board as an Honorary Trustee. Michael and Mary have five children, Sarah ’06, Matt ’08, Will ’10, MH ’13, and Annie ’19; all graduated from MKA and are considered Lifers at the school. Born in Oklahoma City, OK, Mary graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1983 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. She practiced engineering from 1984-1988 in the workplace and for the rest of her life in the home. Mary and Michael wed in 1983. They were joyously married for nearly 38 years and lived in Dallas until 1989, when they moved to Montclair. Mary was very active in her community and church. A woman of profound faith, Mary sensed when people needed help and helped them herself. From waking up at 5:00 a.m. to drive a friend into the city for dozens of chemo treatments, to delivering a meal to someone with an upsetting family event, to fixing the boiler of a grieving family, she was simply there for people. She shrugged off any credit or thanks, always wishing she could do more. Her giving often went beyond what friends knew, such as the secretive provision of airconditioning for her church, the secret payment of tuition for a family in need, or the quiet payment of a medical bill. At MKA, Mary served on PAMKA for more than 15 years in a variety of positions but especially as a treasurer. She is remembered for creating models and spreadsheets for the Book Fair finance team on each campus, and while the models were complex, they were created in such a way as to make it easier for everyone on the team to succeed. Mary hosted innumerable grade socials and made newcomers feel especially welcome as she embraced them as part of the MKA family. In particular, Mary’s long lasting impact can be seen and felt in the continuation of the PAMKA Faculty Trust Grants. Faculty Trust Grants were her favorite part of PAMKA, and she was honored to chair that committee. She loved the teachers and truly enjoyed seeing them rewarded for intellectual pursuit and personal renewal, thought through the details,

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and always worked to ensure there were maximum rewards for the dollars allotted. In addition to PAMKA, Mary hosted Board functions while Michael was President; served as class parent; and always followed the activities of their five children. It is clear in all she did that Mary felt a duty to give but also took genuine joy in providing. She taught us the meaning of love and charity, and she was kind, compassionate, and thoughtful. Her life serves as inspiration to us all, and her memory will live on.

“ Mary was a person of great integrity who engaged with MKA as a parent and a volunteer with warmth, candor, and deep respect for teachers. She and Michael and their five children made MKA a second home and in so doing imbued the school with a deeper sense of family. As a volunteer, Mary completely committed to whatever assignment came her way, motivated by the desire to see the school fulfill its mission for every child and every colleague. She was a joy to work with on any committee or initiative. Mary’s sense of purpose moved MKA forward on countless occasions and was a source of inspiration for me and many other colleagues, students, and parents.” – Tom Nammack, Former MKA Head of School

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Solomon Steplight ’93 with his children and the Furlonges at the 2021 Homecoming.

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Dear Alumni, Greetings Alumni, Parents, Students, Grandparents, Babysitters, and whoever else may be browsing this copy of MKA’s Spring Review: Thank you to all alumni who participated in MKA Day! This Giving Day raised critical funds in support of Financial Assistance. With more than 170 students who rely on financial assistance for their MKA education, alumni giving on MKA Day not only sustains but helps us grow this essential program! Each one of your gifts helped to give the gift of a life-changing education to students: we are so grateful! I hope to see all of you at the All-Class Reunion Weekend the weekend of April 29 (especially celebrating the ‘2s and ‘7s). Due to the pandemic and being unable to hold a Reunion for the past two years, we are thrilled to invite everyone to come together on Saturday, April 30 to celebrate with one another! If you or anyone you know wants to help current MKA students network for success, please contact me or Madison Kilduff in the Office of Alumni Engagement (mkilduff@mka.org). We are looking to expand the May Term Internship program at the school. Internships are key in setting up the success of those who go after us and continuing on the strong legacy of the MKA community. May Term, is a capstone project for seniors during the month of May that allows them to get real life experience in something they are interested in. May Term projects/internships vary significantly but here are some guidelines. Internships: Do not need to be every day: it can be for a couple of hours a day, a few times a week.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 President Stuart Harwood ’07 Executive VP Stephen Bezer ’11 Senior VP Lhenée McKoy ’05 Secretary COUNCIL Racquel Booth ’96 Seth Bynum ’11 Jenna Clancey ’03 Geoffrey Close ’71 Michael DeVita ’11 Frank Godlewski ’76 Cara Landolfi ’05 Angela McCaffrey ’06 Chadd Mukete ’11 Samora Noguera ’02 ADVISORY J. Dean Paolucci ’73 Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00

SAVE THE DATE!

• Are unpaid • Could be a ’side' project you need help with • Can be in-person or remote • Can simply be a “shadowing” experience. We are also looking to expand our career services program for our alumni. This can include agreeing to be a mentor to a younger alum, alerting the Office of Alumni Engagement to career opportunities you might have available so that we can post them in the Montclair Kimberley Academy LinkedIn Group, providing internships to college-age alumni, etc. If you are interested in becoming a part of this program, please reach out to Madison or me. Last but certainly not least, I invite you all to join us for our Cougar Convos every other Friday on our @mkaalumni Instagram page. Come get interviewed (we welcome everyone to participate)! We speak with fascinating alums and talk about what they do, where they have been, and how they got to where they are today. You never know who you’ll want to connect with! Wishing you all the best and as few “April Showers” as possible! Warmly, Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 President of The MKA Alumni Council caitlindiruggiero@gmail.com

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April 29-30 Reunited and it feels so good! Because MKA has been unable to hold Reunion Weekend for the past two years, this spring, we invite all MA, TKS, and MKA alumni to come together and attend this year’s All Class Reunion. We will especially celebrate the classes ending in ’2s and ’7s, but look forward to having great representation across all class years. Please join us!

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Alumni Events

Keep up-to-date on the latest MKA Alumni events by visiting our upcoming schedule of events at mka.org/alumnievents

Winter Games/Friendsgiving Event The Al Rehus Alumni Basketball game at the Upper School and the Ice Hockey game at Clary Anderson Arena were great ways to kick off what will now become an Annual Friendsgiving reception at Tierneys. Over 60 alumni came together to reconnect and celebrate. Oh, what a night!

ALUM NI ARTS ALCOV E One day, several years ago, Upper School Fine and Performing Arts teachers Nicole Hoppe and the late Tony Cuneo were discussing how many successful artists have graduated from MKA. Tony had the great idea to renovate the alcove in the Arts Wing to showcase all of our extraordinary alumni in the Arts. The Alumni Arts Alcove is a wonderful way to highlight the amazing creative work being done all over the world by MKA alumni.

We are thrilled to unveil this exciting initiative celebrating: Elizabeth Jones Glaeser ’53, Michael J. Pollard ’57, Michael Yamashita ’67, Frank LaRocca ’69, Grant “Whip” Hubley ’75, Barry Centanni ’77, Rohina Gandhi-Hoffman ’86, George Hrab, Jr. ’89, Doreen Oliver ’92, Damien Vena ’93, Jeremy Selenfriend ’96, Ruben Atlas ’97, Kristen Connolly ’98, Dan Blake ’99, Lauren Hooper-Rogers ’00,

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Kerry Bishe ’02, Danny Monico ’03, Will Connolly ’03, Brandon Uranowitz ’04, Jake Weary ’08, Michelle Uranowitz ’08, Melissa Schlobohm ’08, Nadia Brown ’12, Isaiah Thompson ’15 , and Casey Garvin If you, or another MKA alum that you know of, should be displayed in our Alumni Arts Alcove, please reach out to alumni@mka.org!

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Homecoming More than 50 alumni came out to Lloyd Road under the alumni tent to meet Head of School Nigel Furlonge, connect with one another, and watch the football game. Alumni were also treated to amazing food from Local Smoke, Steve Raab’s ’97 awardwinning barbecue restaurant. Now that Reunion Weekend has moved to the spring, this year's Homecoming was all about the opportunity for the entire MKA family to connect with one another and celebrate the school on a beautiful day.

Alumni Parent Reception

Networking Event

To kick off Homecoming weekend, alumni parents were invited to the home of Michele and Bryan Becker ’96 for the opportunity to meet new Head of School Nigel Furlonge. Over 75 of these integral members of our community gathered together to celebrate the MKA of then and now on a gorgeous fall evening.

Molly Stoller Margulies ’07 (Senior Manager, People Strategy and Operations, GlossGenius), Taylor Dougherty ’08 (Director Talent Acquisition, Golin), Alayjah Watson ’08 (Recruiter, Google Cloud, Cloud Customer Experience) and Nadia Uberoi ’14 (Senior Talent Manager, Chewy) led Strategies for Success: A Panel Discussion with Top HR Leaders. These thought leaders are trusted guides to their C-suite leaders and imperative to their respective companies’ successes. The audience of over 100 alumni learned much from each presenter, including how they navigate a myriad of mission-critical aspects within the workplace.

On the Road Again…

Celebrating Bulldogs The Alumni Office and Upper School Teachers Cort Bosc, Caroline Toman, and David Korfage visited eight MKA alumni who are currently attending Yale University: Nyla Williams ’19, Shaurya Salwan ’18, Judson Potenza ’18, Sanaa Williams ’21, Arnelle Larose ’20, Michelle Medawar ’20, John Colbert ’20, and Jared Brunner ’18.

Michael Yamashita generously donated his piece Window On My World taken in Songtsam Lodge in Tacheng, Yunnan, China to be the centerpiece of the installation.

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In an effort to immerse himself in the MKA community and learn about the heritage of the school, Head of School Nigel Furlonge and the alumni team visited over 25 alumni in the Boston area for an evening of connecting and conversation at Mooo… on Beacon Hill. They then travelled to visit a group of Kimberley alumnae at Townhouse in Greenwich, CT.

MKA Down South Jenna Clancey ’03, in conjunction with the Alumni Office, hosted a dozen alumni who live in Charleston, SC for a reception at Stars Rooftop celebrating those who live in the area.

CHANGE MAKERS “ I was lucky to be at MKA. Now it is up

to people like me to take my experience and use it to decrease inequity in the world. It’s my responsibility.” What brought you to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development?

At MKA I was the head of Habitat for Humanity. I thought I wanted to be an architect, as I’d always been interested in that field, but I went to UVA and studied public policy and foreign affairs. I coupled my studies with my love for architecture, and it was a natural fit. I worked for Americorps for two years, and while I was in D.C., I was able to help the company change from a storytelling model to a more data driven model, particularly from the institutional side. The approach really effected change for them and solidified my love for what I was doing. What have been the greatest challenges in your professional life?

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Working at a large, public institution of any kind is like trying to steer a destroyer ship. It makes switching priorities difficult, and oftentimes we are forced to get creative to find solutions. From a more specific perspective, what I think is most relevant now has been dealing with the challenges of weathering the storm of COVID-19 and the aftermath it has had on this industry. Managing the funds for eldercare residences and facilities has never been more important. This sector was hit so hard, and it's imperative to get their resources allocated to them. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?

I recently had a pilot program that we launched three years ago approved by Congress. Its mission is to get nurses on site for staff at elder care residences. Where do you see yourself in five years:

I’d like to focus on environmental management and sustainable business. Large banks and companies are increasing their dedication to ESG concerns and corporate citizenship. This is not just a burgeoning industry: this is a cultural tenet, with the expectation that you are leaving the world a better place than you found it.

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Daniel Allen ’07 Daniel is an affordable housing and grants professional living and working in New York, NY with experience as a grantee, intermediary pass-through, and grantor from both the private non-profit and public perspective. He is interested in public and foreign policy, chiefly affordable housing, and international trade and development, as well as in corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. With a focus on the seniors “staying in place” program, Daniel makes sure the money gets to where it is supposed to go so elders can stay where they are as they age-in-place. Very often, especially in low-income housing, elders are forced from their homes or have to put the burden on family members as they get older, even after paying social security their entire lives. A person should be able to age-in-place with pride.

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“ W hen I was a little kid, I wanted to be just like my dad. ”

Alan Wilzig ’83

Alan was born and raised in New Jersey. His father Siggi Wilzig was a German Holocaust survivor and his mother Naomi (née Sisselman) Wilzig, a New Jersey native. He has two siblings, Ivan and Sherry. In 1968 Siggi Wilzig purchased the Trust Company of New Jersey (TCNJ) and built it into a 45-branch franchise. After graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1987, Alan joined TCNJ. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1997, promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 1999, and named President and CEO in 2002. After his father's passing in 2003, Alan was appointed Chairman of the Board, while continuing in his role as President and CEO. During this period, the bank expanded to 75 branches and nearly doubled in market value. In December 2003,

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North Fork Bank agreed to purchase TCNJ and officially acquired the business on May 17, 2004. Following the merger, Wilzig became a director at North Fork. After his father's death, Alan and his family memorialized him with an endowment, naming one of the facilities at the Jersey City Medical Center "Wilzig Hospital.” In 2005, Alan purchased a 275-acre property in Taghkanic, New York. The following year, he asked the town zoning board for permission to build a racetrack on the property, which he called Wilzig Racing Manor. The racetrack was completed in 2011 at a cost of $7.5 million. It is the largest racetrack zoned for private recreational use in the U.S. Wilzig owns over 100 cars, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles, which he houses at the Wilzig Racing Manor.

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Tell us about your upbringing and about your father, a Holocaust survivor who arrived in America with hardly any money and became one of the greatest financiers this country has ever seen.

My father was a hero to me, I wanted to be exactly like him. I would drag around one of his old, tattered briefcases, and I would sit on his lap and read the Wall Street Journal. My father was completely self-educated. He worked in a sweatshop and read the financial papers on the subway on his way home after pressing 800 bow ties for 10 cents apiece in a basement in Brooklyn. He would always say to me, “Imagine with all this success, how successful would I have been if I was able to have the education that you, your brother, and sister are having and are going to continue to have.” It was because of his lack of opportunity that his greatest respect was for those who were highly educated. Describe your MKA experience and journey through college.

You cannot conjure a parent more vested in their children getting the absolute best education possible than my father. And that led me directly to MKA. The teachers at MKA were excellent and recognized that I had an inquisitive nature and a desire to acquire knowledge. They recognized the positive qualities in me, and did everything to foster them. I screwed up at MKA by not being diligent enough in my homework to be getting straight A's instead of B's. My original plan was to go to the University of Pennsylvania and then Wharton. Not getting into Penn my senior year had everything to do with me and nothing to do with MKA. My getting into Penn as a sophomore transfer had much to do with MKA. I can't say it more clearly than that. At Boston University for my freshman year, I saw the value of how MKA prepared me for college. What I got from MKA enabled me to have the confidence to ask the questions that led not only to success in class but also to impressing my professors. After failing an initial advanced calculus class and being told I’d never succeed, I worked harder than I ever had in my life and got the A’s I needed to transfer. Tell us about your journey to success at the Trust Company of New Jersey?

I graduated at 22 from Wharton, and when I came into the family business, my dad told me, "Half of the bank has been working here for decades. I can't put you in as a Vice President, no matter what fancy school you went to." So he made me the lowest level administrative employee, and my first job at the bank was in the facilities department where my principal responsibilities were construction and extermination for $27,500 a year. He started me at the bottom, and I learned and worked my way up to become the head of retail banking. I became head of retail banking just as it was undergoing a rapid transformation to everything becoming internet based. The biggest purchase

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decisions and expenditures on the cost center side of the bank had to do with all the new technology, and my dad would say straight away, “Ask Alan.” For many years, I was in charge of the entire back end of the bank, and my father was in charge of the front end. In 2000 my father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He got the diagnosis, got out of the hospital, and looked to sell the bank. The books were prepared, and we received not one offer. My father did not function as a traditional bank CEO. He was an admirable man, but no bank was willing to pay 10 cents for us. So for three years I ran the bank in my father's absence and had to turn the Trust Company into a bank that makes money like other banks and has annuitized streams of dependable income. The stock value went up, and we went from no offers to getting six unsolicited offers a week from every bank. I ultimately did a deal which was valued at $765 million with North Fork, a company I knew from my time in the Hamptons and with a CEO who was one of the best operators in the country. The deal was named Financial Institution Merger of the Year in a year where there were 30 bank acquisitions. Four years later, John Kanas sold North Fork to Capital One. We got a second premium on the two thirds and then cashed out. Your second act: the post-banking chapter. You built the Wilzig Racing Manor which is the largest racetrack zoned for private recreational use in the U.S., and you own over 100 cars and motorcycles. What ignited your passion for racing?

It all started when I was at MKA, and there was a kid named Larry that had a 80cc dirt bike. I was so jealous and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I would walk to a motorcycle dealership a mile from my house, and I would see that same yellow Yamaha that Larry had and wish it was mine. I didn't really get involved in team sports and things like that. I read car magazines and fell in love with races like the 24 hours of Le Mans, and the 100-day long, always deadly, Paris Dakar Rally. To me risking your life with such high stakes, where one turn can change everything, is fascinating. It’s not about the morbidity of it; it’s the audaciousness, the training, the preparation, and everything that's required. The very first thing I did when I graduated college was buy a motorcycle. I had always loved having cars, but the rush came from the bikes, having something underneath you that is so responsive. When you put on your helmet to ride a motorcycle, everything is blocked out. I don’t have a super competitive nature at all, but I love to race. I traveled everywhere and spent time getting riding experience. I decided I was going to build my own track in my backyard, and after four years of struggling to get the track built, it’s now known and admired, and I absolutely love it. My family said it was like my own Field of Dreams, and I would just say, "I'm happy just to be here. The whole environment. I feel like I found my home."

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“ It’s my job to be a marketer who supports and continues to build PepsiCo’s ‘most loved brands,’ but it’s my passion to work on impactful programs that not only drive the business but shift culture.” Tell us about your work.

At PepsiCo, I’ve had a breadth of experiences. From executing big promotions on the Pepsi Brand team, to owning NBA, Music and Culture on Mountain Dew, to driving PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey within our Food Service Marketing Department, I’ve had the pleasure of being a cultural marketer who has led platforms we all know intimately. It’s my job to be a marketer who supports and continues to build PepsiCo’s “most loved brands,” but it’s my passion to work on impactful programs that not only drive the business but shift culture. How did you first become interested in your profession and how has your role evolved over the years to include such transformational projects like Mountain Dew’s the Real Change Opportunity Fund and your latest, #DigInDay?

After graduating from UPenn, I wanted to be a publisher and got an awesome opportunity to be the assistant to the Associate Publisher at GQ. To be frank, I hated it. After trial-and-error, I realized it was the brands that were featured in the magazines that I loved, more than the publishing industry itself. After realizing I had a passion for brand marketing, I went on to Estée Lauder Companies, where I worked on amazing brands under Jane Lauder and Bobbi Brown. While I was applying to business school, I dual-pathed an application to PepsiCo and got an offer almost immediately, which is where I’ve been ever since. Over my 13+ year career, I’ve kept myself open to having new experiences and learning new things, but I’ve also been honest with myself about what I love and what I don’t love, which has meant trusting my gut and pivoting when needed. I never dreamed I would have a career in CPG, nor did I think brand management and purpose-driven platforms were my thing. But I have been open to a journey. It hasn’t been a straight-line, but I’ve found success by finding myself: a culture-driven marketer who likes to push boundaries, work on consumer-first platforms, and face different challenges everyday.

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What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced and what did you learn from it?

My biggest challenge was facing my fear of public speaking. Earlier in my career, I was very nervous speaking in front of large audiences. I had a mentor once tell me: “Get out of your head and out of your way.” I took that to heart. While I still get nervous, I have realized that fear is just a mindset. What is your proudest professional accomplishment to date?

I currently sit on PepsiCo’s Prestige Brand Building Team, leading Pepsi Dig In: a five year, purposedriven platform to close the wealth gap by supporting Black-owned restaurants. It has been an honor and a privilege to drive change in a way that not only helps individuals (restaurateurs) but also communities. By using PepsiCo’s scale and position as a corporate leader, I’m able to create large-scale marketing programs that not only capture the attention of all consumers, but I also work with other industry titans to make a difference that will have short and longterm benefits for all communities. What areas of opportunity in your industry excite you the most right now?

While the pandemic introduced a lot of uncertainty, negativity, and change, there have also been new perspectives and so much innovation. For example, companies are redefining what they expect from employees (working from the office five days a week, versus the flexibility of working from home). People are re-prioritizing what’s important to them, and there are so many new consumer needs that are pushing these industries forward. After the 2009 recession, AirBnB and UBER were created; I can’t wait to see what new industry, innovation, or company emerges from this unique and historical moment. In what ways (if any) did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?

MKA ingrained in me that if you are hardworking, persistent, and true to yourself, you can succeed at anything. Throughout my career, and even personally, I’ve been thrown curve balls or told I wasn’t good enough. However, I have a strong constitution, and I don’t let others define me. I have the courage to determine what is right for me. I learned this mindset at MKA and still carry each day with me the motto of Knowledge, Vision, Integrity.

Ashley Booker ’04 Senior Marketing Leader on the Prestige Brand Building Team at PepsiCo. She is responsible for purpose driven platforms and consumer engagement.

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Stacy Cochran ’77 Stacy Cochran is a director, producer, and screenwriter based in New York City. She made her feature debut with the Columbia TriStar title My New Gun starring Diane Lane and James LeGros. It was shot on 35mm film by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Ed Lachman, ASC. It premiered in Director's Fortnight at Cannes and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature. Subsequent projects as writer-director include the Touchstone/Interscope title Boys starring Winona Ryder, the half-hour film Richard Lester! about the director, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival (Criterion Channel), and Drop Back Ten, which premiered in the Dramatic Competition at Sundance. After an unplanned hiatus from directing, she completed Write When You Get Work starring Emily Mortimer, Finn Wittrock, and Rachel Keller. Shot on Super 16mm film by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit, ASC, the movie premiered in Narrative Competition at

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SXSW. Currently Stacy is in the midst of post-production for Year On Ice, a fictional film about professional hockey set in 1969, inspired by Gerald Eskenazi’s book of the same title. She is working independently to set up the project as a series and is in the midst of writing a four-part limited series as well. Stacy was born and grew up in Passaic. She is a graduate of Williams College and Columbia School of the Arts. As the Arthur Levitt Artist-in-Residence at Williams College in 2003, Stacy taught screenwriting and directing in Williamstown, MA, and continued at Williams as a Visiting Lecturer in English and Studio Art for the following three years. She served as head of the Program Advisory committee at MASS MoCA in North Adams for seven years. She now lives in New York with her husband Eric and near to her three now-grown daughters, two of whom are in college and graduate school. The third is teaching ESL in public school for K-2.

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“ MKA prepared me, I think, to find happiness and ambition at the edges.” Tell us about your work.

I am a filmmaker, and the movies I make are stories: entirely invented constructs with fictional characters. They’re intended to be funny, and I tend toward happy endings, but they’re not exactly “comedies” in the commercial sense. I once heard myself admit that I write about things I’m angry about but then try to keep the anger to myself. I think that’s what builds an anxious foundation and, for me, that’s funny. What is your proudest accomplishment and worst career failure?

For me as a writer/director, both have been a result of being at the mercy of movie critics. When someone you admire, especially a brilliant film critic, understands what you’re up to on all kinds of levels, technical and compositionally, rhythmically and tonally, all of it, and their thoughts and excitement are published, that experience of being understood and explained in the news has been a thrill, and it is vital to building a career. On the other hand, when a critic trashes your work and devalues you, it can totally derail your career and really dishearten the cast and crew who trusted you, quite profoundly, to protect them from being attacked or misunderstood, or dismissed. Why directing? How did you first become interested in your profession?

I always had hopes of and compulsions toward being a writer but didn’t know how I’d support myself, or what I might be able to write. I was working other jobs when I finished college and found myself writing dialogue which grew into scenes which grew into screenplays. And then, once I had a finished script, I realized it was nothing but an unfinished movie, so I had to figure out how to produce and direct it.

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How would you like to be remembered?

This question really makes me think of a Taylor Swift song about her grandmother, “Marjorie.” Swift wrote, “Never be so kind, you forget to be clever. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.” And in the next verse: “Never be so polite, you forget your power. Never wield such power, you forget to be polite.” I think that’s a beautiful way to remember the counsel of a mom, grandmother, or grandfather, or for that matter a paper boy or a president. The lyrics in the verse continue: “I watched as you signed your name, Marjorie. All your closets of backlogged dreams. And how you left them all to me.” I’d also like to be remembered as someone who left plenty of unfinished dreams, entwined with excitement and melancholy, behind to my kids, to my friends, and really to anyone who I might unexpectedly help to get back on their feet! In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?

I loved MKA, but what I think it actually “prepared” me for is the double-ness of the path I tend to find myself on. On the one hand, MKA had so many special opportunities to offer: we were inside a strong institution with dedicated teachers, small classes, lovely arts programs, and opportunities for sports. It was a private school and so, by definition, it offered a kind of insider-excellence. At the same time, coming to school every morning from Passaic, the post-industrial mill town I lived in, I felt like an outsider geographically, socio-economically, and honestly, being Jewish. Those of us from beyond Essex County had fun in those little blue vans that fanned out in the morning to pick us up and bring us to MKA, but we were perpetual outsider/ insiders, and I think that informed my sense of myself as fortunate in so many ways but ever-tangential. I now realize I prefer it that way, in that it offers perspective up, down, and sideways, and from the inside and the outside. MKA prepared me, I think, to find happiness and ambition at the edges.

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Nick Graziano ’90 Nicholas F. Graziano is the Managing Partner of Venetus Capital Partners, an investment firm he founded in 2015. Nick also served as a Portfolio Manager at Icahn Capital, the entity through which Carl C. Icahn manages investment funds, from February 2018 to September 2020. Prior to founding Venetus, Nick was a Partner and Senior Managing Director at the hedge fund Corvex Management LP from December 2010 to March 2015. At Corvex, he played a key role in investment management and analysis as well as risk management. Prior to Corvex, Nick was a Portfolio Manager at the hedge fund Omega Advisors, Inc. as well as

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Managing Director and Head of Special Situations Equity at hedge fund Sandell Asset Management. Nick began his career in the Investment Banking department of Salomon Smith Barney after graduating from Duke University with a BA and MBA in 1995. He has been a director of nine public companies, including: Xerox, Inc., Cloudera, Inc. (Chairman); Herc Holdings Inc.; Herbalife Ltd.; Occidental Petroleum Corporation; Conduent Inc.; FICO Inc.; InfoSpace, Inc., and WCI Communities. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich.

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“ I’m proud to say that through the course of my career, I don't think I've ever compromised my values and principles in order to get an outcome on an investment or to advance my career, overall. I've always tried to deal with people honestly. ” Nick, you are an investor and portfolio manager. Tell us about what you do and why you enjoy it?

I'm usually managing either a pool of money or a group of investments, which is generally a small number of investments. Some portfolio managers manage up to hundreds of positions or investments at one time. For me, it's somewhere around 10 investments that really matter, maybe 20 total. It’s very concentrated, which enables me to get very involved in each one of the investments, to know the things you're investing in extremely well, and engage with them to create value in those investments. What opportunities excite you the most in regards to your work?

Whenever there's an opportunity to get involved closely with a company as part of a management team to create value (because in almost all the situations I get involved in, there's some sort of impediment or impasse to creating value) and to be some part of the solution that helps fix that, it is very rewarding. Both obviously, in terms of getting the securities priced higher, but also in terms of accomplishing something and working with people to do it; there's a lot of satisfaction in that. What change do you hope to inspire or effect when you sit on a Board?

First you have to figure out what is not going well. What is it that's limiting their ability to realize value? There's often a lot of smart people involved who are trying to figure out exactly that problem. It's not like, especially these days, people just sit there and accept poor performance. So you have to figure out what it is that's getting in the way of value realization, and that could be a lot of different things. It could be the management team; it could be the strategy; it could be a disagreement on a Board. I've come on to Boards where you have half the board saying one thing, half saying another, and the two sides just cannot agree. In some cases just being a deciding vote on something is important to help move a process forward. Sometimes the solution is clear, and it's just a matter of getting it done or getting the right people involved to get it done. Other times you have to figure out what that solution is, and that's often more challenging because it's not all black and white. It requires a lot of hard work and research and getting to know a problem very well before you can solve it.

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Have you seen a change in the way investments are being made due to the recent world events that have taken place? Have your investment recommendations changed at all during these times? What do you think might be longer term impacts on the investing environment?

There has certainly been a huge increase in focus on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) focused investing and companies pursuing ESG mandates and goals. While the jury may still be out on specifically ESG focused investment strategies, what has certainly happened is that many companies now realize that serving multiple constituencies and understanding environmental, social, and governance goals and achieving those things actually make for a better company. A better company has better performance. A company that's serving both its shareholders, by having the highest stock price possible, and focusing on other constituencies, for instance, the employee base and the community, is more successful. In particular, I strongly believe that having great employees that are loyal to the company and stay for a long time is incredibly productive. There's almost nothing more unproductive than having to replace unhappy employees and having bad morale. I think what people have discovered is that by having really strong corporate governance and being a steward in the environment, all these things that have sometimes seemed to be social goals, actually serve the economic goals too. The two can coexist. You can maximize shareholder value by improving some of these other things, and especially because people are seeing that it's working, and agree that this is constructive, both for the company and the people that it serves, it's here to stay. What is your proudest accomplishment, both personally and professionally?

Personally, my family, and raising two amazing children. Professionally, I'm proud to say that through the course of my career, I don't think I've ever compromised my values and principles in order to get an outcome on an investment or to advance my career, overall. I've always tried to deal with people honestly. What is the one piece of advice you would give to current MKA students that you wish someone had shared with you during your time at MKA?

I'll give you two. The first is that I benefited a lot from great advice. So I'd advise students to find mentors in whatever they're doing. Find someone who's been successful at what you want to do and then try to learn from them. It's the best training available, it's generally free, and you'd be surprised how much people are usually willing to do it. The other thing that I'd say is, I would encourage students to go a hundred percent at whatever they're really interested in. If you're deeply engaged in what you're doing, you'll almost never feel like it's part of a grind, and it will never be as much of a struggle.

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Laurel Pekar Tahija ’67

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“ Cross-cultural opportunities showed me the universal needs of humanity and planted the seed for me to focus on sustainable development, education, and environmental protection throughout my life. ”

Laurel’s commitments to her work have been meaningful because they often involved personal growth, family, and community service. Teaching as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ivory Coast, Francophone West Africa, Laurel’s first cross-cultural living and working experience after college gave her a new global perspective of how most of the world population lives. Laurel was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the University of Khartoum in 1976, and her time examining Sudan as a potential breadbasket for OPEC neighbors gave her further exposure to the need for sustainable development on the African continent. While living with a camel-raising nomadic tribe in western Sudan, Laurel witnessed the Sahara Desert’s encroachment as local populations consumed trees and shrubs for firewood. After receiving her master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies in 1979, Laurel pursued a career in international banking with Chase Manhattan Bank and in 1984 was assigned to Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1989 Laurel married her Indonesian husband, George, and since then has focused her work on philanthropic activities in education, environment, and sustainable multi-stakeholder investments. With her passion for improving local education, she set out to create a model primary school with student-centered pedagogy in Jakarta in 1995 called PSKD Mandiri Jakarta, which in 2012 became the first K-12 international Stephen Covey TLIM™ The Leader in Me school and is currently a leading school among the Raffles International Christian School network in Jakarta.

To help teachers, students, and parents understand the students’ strengths and weaknesses in acquiring knowledge, Laurel worked for five years with Dr. Kevin McGrew and the Indonesian State Gadjah Mada University, Faculty of Psychology, to develop, norm, and launch the first Indonesian Cognitive Assessment test for students ages 5-18 in 2018. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they began the gamification of the test to reach out to more students on their mobile phones throughout Indonesia. Education and community engagement have driven the success of other philanthropic commitments Laurel and George have made, including The Coral Triangle Marine Center in Sanur, Bali that teaches marine coastal communities and fisheries among six nations how to protect the coral reefs that have the greatest number of coral species in the world. And, over the past decade, their Tahija Foundation has funded a venture philanthropic project pioneering the use of Wolbachia bacteria to eliminate dengue fever. With Gadjah Mada University and WMP of Monash University implementing randomized controlled trials, it became clear from the start that not only was the science of producing and distributing millions of mosquitoes with Wolbachia to prevent the mosquitoes’ ability to transmit dengue fever crucial to the project’s success, but also educating the local community to achieve their ongoing engagement was necessary for the project to succeed. The project has seen a 78% reduction in incidence of dengue fever in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

What legacy do you hope to leave?

Learning Chi Running at age 66 with Coach Danny Dreyer in Asheville, NC. This led me to my proudest moment of a ten-kilometer running event at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Northern Territory, Australia in 2017. My second proudest event was my 10K run in the annual Havana marathon on my 70th birthday in 2019.

Most of my adult life I have lived out of my comfort zone, taking on new responsibilities and building on each experience. My legacy wish would be to inspire young people to explore all aspects of life and experientially develop a holistic world view. Being a mentor who quietly inspires others to gain opportunities for continuous learning, well-being, and happiness would be my aspirational legacy.

What is the biggest challenge that you have faced?

Our adopted son, Adhi, has endured depression and struggled with ADHD most of his life. His challenges have taken our family on an emotionally difficult learning journey. Keeping a positive attitude has helped us navigate this profoundly humbling experience. We continuously learn about mental health and substance abuse issues and hope for the best outcome. Our son inspired me to persevere with my dedication to healthful nutrition, education, and cognitive development research.

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In what ways did The Kimberley School (TKS) prepare you for the path your life has taken?

TKS teachers and friends prepared me well for my journey. My English teachers broadened my mind and taught me to write well, and my French and Spanish teachers inspired me with the joy of immersing myself in learning foreign languages. I enjoyed continuous academic improvement as well as a sense of self-confidence from team building and physical fitness in field hockey and water ballet.

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“ MKA instilled in me a lifelong love of learning that has allowed me to adapt to new technologies and innovations.” Tell us about your work. Why medicine, and why, in particular, vascular surgery?

I chose the field of medicine to make a difference in the lives of others on a daily basis. I could not see myself sitting in front of a computer at a desk job all day. I am a vascular surgeon, someone who operates on the blood vessels of the body except those of the heart and the brain. We are like the plumbers of the circulatory system! Vascular surgery has been one of the most exciting fields of medicine over the past 20 years. There has been a huge shift from large open surgeries to minimally invasive surgeries with the advent of new technology. This technology has shifted the way we can deliver care to more patients, improving their quality of life as well as their outcomes. I enjoy the longitudinal delivery of care to my patients as well; typically I follow my patients for years, and I value the relationship and trust that is formed with them. The variety of surgeries and procedures also is a rewarding aspect of vascular surgery. What opportunities excite you the most in regards to your work? What inspires you?

I get excited about the progress that has been made with the treatment of complex aortic disease. The aorta is the main blood vessel in all of our bodies, and in some people it may become dilated and weakened to form an aneurysm. Repairing the vessel used to take large painful incisions, from the scapula all the way to underneath the belly button. Now, the majority of these patients can be repaired with stents that go in through incisions as small as your thumb nail. The recovery goes from weeks to a few days with much less pain or discomfort. This enables us to treat more frail patients and save lives that would not otherwise have been able to be saved 10 years ago. What sets you apart from other vascular surgeons?

I have been very lucky to have been trained by excellent mentors in complex aortic surgery over the years. This allows me to offer my patients surgeries that many other surgeons may not be comfortable with offering their patients. I am glad that I have the ability to utilize this cutting edge technology but am still able to treat patients with open surgery if needed. As a vascular surgeon can you talk to us about the intersection of COVID-19 and Cardiovascular disease?

There are multiple ways in which COVID-19 has affected patients with cardiovascular disease. Many of the patients that are at highest risk for cardiovascular disease from their medical conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, history of smoking, obesity) are at

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higher risk of complications and poor outcomes from a COVID -19 infection. That is why it is so important for these at risk patients to get vaccinated and follow appropriate protocols. We have also seen over the past year a surge of patients who delayed their care because of the pandemic. They may not have had COVID-19, but were afraid to come to the hospital or their provider to be evaluated. This has caused many patients to present with more severe progression of their disease and has led to poorer outcomes, including strokes, heart attacks, limb loss, and death. Even in healthy patients, COVID-19 can affect the cardiovascular system. The cells lining the blood vessels can become inflamed from viral replication, causing an inflammatory state and clotting. I have treated several patients with COVID-19 who presented as young and otherwise healthy individuals, often in their 30’s and 40’s, who have developed deep vein or aortic clotting. Some of these patients have even had strokes secondary to their COVID infection. What is your proudest accomplishment both personally and professionally?

Personally, I am proudest of being married to my lovely wife Adrianna and being father to my two wonderful daughters, Nina and Nora. Professionally, I am proudest of seeing the successes of all of the medical students, residents, and physicians I have mentored over the years. What is your biggest career challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it?

Balancing personal and professional life has been one of the biggest challenges in my career. Vascular surgery is a very demanding field that requires a lot of dedication to your patients and time away from home. It is very important to set yourself up for success by choosing an environment and career where your personal and professional life can coexist in symbiosis. This is a challenge that I have definitely improved from earlier in my career but have to continually work on. In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?

Playing football and lacrosse at MKA helped me develop character, perseverance, and showed me the importance of working as a team for a common goal, all important traits in healthcare. MKA instilled in me a lifelong love of learning which has allowed me to adapt to new technologies and innovations. What is the one piece of advice you would give to current students that you wish someone had shared with you during your time at MKA?

Take advantage of all of the opportunities that present themselves in life. You never know when a club you sign up for, a trip abroad, or an after school activity will develop into a lifelong passion.

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Raghuveer Vallabhaneni, MD, FACS FSVS, is the Director of Vascular Surgery for the Baltimore Region of MedStar Health. He is a fellowship-trained vascular surgeon who is board certified in vascular surgery. Prior to this position, Dr. Vallabhaneni served as an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of North Carolina. Experienced in all forms of endovascular and open surgery, Dr. Vallabhaneni has specific expertise in complex aortic surgery and has developed a national reputation in this field. He trained in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and completed a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh and his clinical vascular surgery fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Dr. Vallabhaneni's research interests are focused on patient outcomes related to the latest advances in vascular surgery. He has been the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials. Dr. Vallabhaneni is published widely, including book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, and has been an invited speaker at both regional, national, and international vascular surgery conferences.

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W WE A R E M KA

Cover of the program for Susie Huang’s senior-year concert, which was described by the President of The Kimberley School Parent’s Association as an opportunity for Susie to, “show her appreciation to the school and all her friends through her music…in a talented and graceful way.”

W E A R E M KA

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk: Stories of Extraordinary People and Why They Give

Susie Huang ’72

Born in Hong Kong, Susie Huang ’72 started winning major piano competitions at the age of nine and went on to give recitals and to perform on television. At 16, she was a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and played the Weber piano concerto. That same year, she was accepted by The Juilliard PreCollege School in New York to study piano. When Susie’s mother decided her daughter must also continue her academic studies, she went to the library to find private schools near New York that she could attend. Susie came to The Kimberley School (TKS) in 1970 with assurances from Mr. Howard, the Assistant Headmaster, that the school would accommodate her commitment to piano. She attended classes from Monday through Thursday when she would leave for New York City to study at Julliard through Sunday. “At TKS, the girls didn’t know what to make of my highly unusual presence, but they couldn’t be kinder and nicer,” said Susie. “They asked so many questions, and we got so much by learning from each other. It was an amazing experience.” Classmate Robin Silver ’72 and her family welcomed and hosted Susie the first year, and close friend Nancy (von Lengerke) Wheeler ’73’s family hosted her

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in the second. Nancy also spent much of summer ’71 with Susie’s family in Hong Kong. Susie remembers both families with much fondness and appreciation. While her math and science courses in Hong Kong were advanced enough to allow her to skip 10th grade, Susie needed much help in history and English as a junior at TKS. She credits history teacher Mrs. Thorsen and English teacher Mrs. Hamilton in particular for their dedication in helping her but said she enjoyed the support of the whole school from Headmaster Richard K. Loveland all the way to the students. She remembered with a laugh that she was not allowed to participate in Physical Education due to possible injuries to her fingers but instead would practice piano in the corner of the gym while the other girls bounced basketballs. Together they made quite a racket! Susie did not go to Juilliard for college but instead attended Princeton and then Columbia Business school, after

which she stayed and had a very successful career in finance. After retiring from full time work in 2003, she joined a mutual board where she is currently still serving as an Independent Trustee. Without TKS, Susie said she would not be where she is now, and her two years in Montclair helped set her on the path for the rest of her life. Driven by her personal academic and work experiences, female empowerment is important to Susie, and she is also passionate about empowering others to join her in supporting MKA today and in the future. She shared, “The school is instrumental in a student’s career and life choices, and I’m just hoping to inspire not only some classmates but also women around my years to be good role models in giving.” Susie is forever grateful for the friendship, mentorship, and opportunity at TKS. We are so thankful for Susie’s membership in the Heritage Society as she certainly is opening doors for others.

WE ARE MKA

Lazarus-Coviello Family

“ We give back to MKA because we want every child to have the same positive experience that our children have been fortunate to experience.”

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W E A R E M KA

pleasures of watching sporting events together at normal times since we are finally in the right time zone for American sports! What drew you to MKA? We knew we wanted to move to Montclair because both of Lisa’s sisters live in Montclair, and after so many years overseas, we wanted to be near family. Lisa’s nephew had gone to MKA and loved it, so it was high on our list. After visiting a number of schools in the area, both Julian and Stella felt most comfortable at MKA and thought they would have the best opportunities to thrive there both academically and socially. MKA has not disappointed as the ideal school for our children. It has worked out very well for both of them. What about MKA means the most to you? There are so many potential answers to this question. If we had to pick one, it would probably be the support of the teachers and administration to help our children become the best version of themselves. What is your proudest achievement as a family? We are most proud of the fact that after 13 years abroad we were able to adjust to living back in the U.S., and notwithstanding COVID-19, we supported each other’s journey to find each of our places in the community. It wasn’t an easy re-entry to the U.S. under these circumstances and due to some of the political events taking place at the time. However, we were open with each other about the challenges, and we successfully worked through them together. Describe your family. What are some things you love to do? Our family moved to Singapore when our oldest (Julian, now 17) was only 9 months old. After that, we lived in Geneva, Switzerland (where Stella, now 12, was born), London, and then Singapore again prior to moving back to the U.S. in 2019. While we lived overseas, we loved traveling together and discovering new places. Now that we are back in the U.S., we love just being home and the simple

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How do you work to make an impact at the school? We try to support the school in all of the activities our children are involved in and to participate wherever we think we can be impactful. Why do you give back to MKA? We give back to MKA because we want every child to have the same positive experience that our children have been fortunate to experience.

C CL ASS N OT ES

Johnny Borbone ’08 turned to surfing as a low-impact outlet after he was injured in a snowboarding accident. He created Borbone Wavecraft by applying his formal backgrounds in both robotic engineering and visual fine art to create an experience that harmonizes the surfer, the surfboard, and the wave.

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E D I TO R ’S N OT E

The deadline for news for the FALL MKA Review is May 15, and the deadline for the SPRING issue is December 15. News can be submitted at any time in response to the Alumni Office’s annual mailing, on the MKA Fund remittance envelopes, via mail or email to the MKA Alumni Engagement Office (alumni@mka.org) or your class representative. We keep ongoing files for each class and welcome photographs in digital or hard copy. If your class does not have a Class Representative listed, please consider volunteering for the position! It is a great way to re-establish contacts with old friends, does not require a great deal of time, and is essential to the ongoing vitality of the school. Thank you.

1941

/ TKS / Mrs. Enid Hyde 5402 Duvall Drive,

Bethesda, MD 20816, enidghyde@ aol.com

1945

/ TKS / Mrs. Leigh Smith, 847 Franklin

Street, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, lbsmith15@yahoo.com

Leigh (Berrien) Smith: While greatly saddened by the losses of Anne Feagley Wittels and Eleanor Helm Ketcham ’46, a good friend, I am pleased to share greetings from Cynthia Carswell Blair who has warm memories of school days, and living in a congenial senior facility in Manchester, NH. Having spent 25 years at Brookside, I’m happily in touch with former faculty and parents Rebecca Hayes and Av Green, former parent Judy Greene, former parent Jean Richardson, whose sons are Eric and Michael (married and one son). I am also in touch with alumni such as the James Johnson ’79 family, Harriet Fitzpatrick ’78, Sanders, and my daughters Alison ’70 and Pam ’72, and Bryan and Appenzeller. I have admired Tom Nammack greatly , and I have been grateful to make his acquaintance. Roger Kenvin, widower of Rudd Trimble Kenvin, passed away on November 8, 2021 at his home in California. He had always maintained an interest in Brookside and The Kimberley School. Rudd attended Brookside when it went through grade 8 then went onto TKS. Cynthia Carswell Blair retains

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strong interest in the school she attended before boarding school in the 10th grade. Now she is happily in New Hampshire Senior facility in good health. Only a few TKS ’45 alumnae remain; Anne Feagley Wittels in CA, Phyllis Harder Reininger in Washington State, Dorothy (Mike) Van Winkle in Rumson, NJ, Peggy Odell Overholser out West, and Leigh Berrien Smith in MA.

1946 passed away on November 6, 2021 at 93 years / TKS / Eleanor “Ellie”

Ketcham

old. She was a beloved member of the Kimberley School, and the Class Secretary for many years. / MA / Raymond Dudley Ward, age 93, of West Windsor, NJ passed away peacefully on July 8, 2021.

It is with great sadness that we share 1947 the passing of / TKS /

Aubin “Teeny” Sander

retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan ’72 , and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr., and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson ’56. It is with great sadness that we share the passing of J. Henry “Hank” Leonhard. He was 91 years old. He passed away on July 28, 2021 surrounded by his family at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. It is with great sadness that we share 1950 the passing of . He / TKS /

George Weilepp

passed away at age 90 in Flint, TX on August 21, 2021.

1951

/ TKS / Mrs. Gail Marentette, 93 Glen

Avenue, Llewellyn Park, West Orange, NJ 07052

She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan ’72, and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr. ’48, and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson ’56.

1952

1948

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander ’47. She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home

’47.

/ TKS / Mrs. Martha Moran, 8011 Strauff Road,

Baltimore, MD 21204, martha.moran1@ verizon.net

1954

/ TKS / Ms. Georgia Carrington, 38 Silver

Spring Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877 / MA / Mr. Sheldon Buck, 22 Bedford

Court, Bedford, MA 01730, sheldon buck@me.com

/ MA / It

is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander. She died on August 8, 2021 at the

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

C L AS S N OT ES

The MKA connection runs deep between Larry Nazarian, Barbara Flessas, and Nick David.

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C L ASS N OT ES

CLASS CONNECTIONS

My Favorite Fellow Alum, Larry Nazarian ’56 by B a rba ra Fles sas ’ 7 2

Pictured left to right, Bob David, Barbara Flessas, Nick David, Larry Nazarian, Sharon Nazarian, and Nina Piazza gathered together for a mini reunion in Upstate New York.

Larry graduated from the Montclair Academy Class of 1956; I graduated from The Kimberley School in 1972. Obviously, our paths never crossed anywhere near the MKA campuses. It took a summer trip in 2013 to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming for our paths to cross. My husband, Bob, and I took a park ranger-lead hike one early morning. About 10 sleepy fellow hikers joined, and the ranger asked us each to say where we were from. A friendly and too-awake fellow brightly announced that he was from Rochester, New York and that our Nalgene bottles were made up there. “Who knew…and where the heck is Rochester,” I thought. We simply responded that we were from New Jersey. The man walked over to us and asked where in New Jersey we lived. The bubble over my head said: “This guy is not going to know where Montclair, New Jersey is,” but I said, “Montclair,” and to my amazement he told us that he grew up in Montclair! Now, I was awake too. Larry introduced us to his lovely wife, Sharon, and we hung out together for the rest of the hike. We learned that he had lived on Grove Street and that he went to Montclair Academy. “Wow,”

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I responded. “I went to The Kimberley School, and my sons, Nick (Class of 2005) and Ian (Class of 2006) went to MKA.” Quite a coincidence, but it gets even better. Then, we learned that Larry was a physician. “Oh,” I responded. “My son, Nick, is applying to medical school”. Larry asked, “Where did he go to college?” “Yale,” I proudly answered. Larry responded: “I went to Yale.” We all laughed in disbelief. I explained that Nick had been a philosophy major at Yale and that he was just completing his post-bac to fulfill his pre-med course work requirements. Larry, still on track to amaze us even more, responded that he was an English major at Yale and had taken the same back-breaking freshman seminar that required a paper every week, Directed Studies (D.S.), that Nick had also taken. He went on to ask whether Nick was considering the University of Rochester Medical School. He thought it would be a good fit because the U of R Med School likes applicants who were liberal arts majors. I said I’d mention this to Nick, and we exchanged email addresses not knowing whether we’d ever see each other again. Fast forward, Nick applied to the U of R Medical School. Larry and

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

Sharon generously offered that he could stay with them when he went to Rochester for his interviews. Nick loved meeting the Nazarians, and they had a great visit. Nick got into the U of R. We invited the Nazarians to the White Coat ceremony that the school had for incoming students, and our friendship continues. Larry and Sharon were great friends to Nick throughout medical school. When Larry’s former medical partner’s wife, Nancy, asked Larry if he knew a deserving medical school student to whom she could give her husband’s medical bag, Larry introduced her to Nick. Larry was always there for Nick when he sought out guidance, and I was so happy that Nick had a role model like Larry: a smart, sweet, fun person who had also slogged through D.S.! Nick is now married to Nina, and they live in Rochester. We recently saw Larry and Sharon when we last visited. All the times together have been great, but perhaps my sweetest memory of Larry is from Nick and Nina’s wedding. Of course, Larry and Sharon were invited to the wedding, and as always, Larry was all smiles and having a great time. And as we watched the dancing together, he blurted out: “This sure beats D.S.!”

C L AS S N OT ES

Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan ’72 , and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr. ’48, and her cousins Aubin Ames and Gail Wilson ’56.

1956

/ TKS / Ms. Susan Ferdinand, 125 Limerick

Lane, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865, facesbyferdinand@gmail.com

Henny Nelson Skeen writes that Nancy Cornell Esposito passed away on July

9, 2021. Nancy and her late husband, August, were the owners of Graphics III in Caldwell for many years. She is survived by her children, James V. Esposito and his wife Ellie, David C. Esposito, Deborah A. Grapes and her husband, John, and by her grandchildren, Thomas J. and Kelly E. Esposito, and Aiden and Madelyn Grapes. It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander ’47. She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan ’72, and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr. ’48, and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson. Carol Barnard Ottenberg: “Hello to all. I had a long luncheon visit with Gail Wilson in Maine last August but missed a lunch date with Nancy Ward -restaurant issues with COVID. Two more Road Scholar trips were canceled or postponed, so I stay pretty close to Seattle. Canned tomatoes, froze plums and apples, all from the garden - I felt just like Mother Bounty. “ Nicole De Jurenev: “Just got out from under months of organizing, getting new tenants (did you know that people rent some place they can’t afford, wait for the landlady to evict them so they can apply for Biden Bucks?) At an open house, I asked a man where he worked, and

the reply was ‘none of your business.’ Just like everything else, the rules have changed. Am too old to change! The only dramatic thing was when my water line broke and my neighbors were on the portal ringing my bell at 6 p.m. No plumbers will dig any more, including mine, and it took quite some time to locate “diggers,” and they only came because they liked my non-digging plumber. In total, 15 of them with shovels were poised and ready to go at 8:30 a.m. They had the water line replaced and repaired by 3 p.m. and so thousands of dollars later and not a leaf torn in the garden I discovered you use water for almost everything. More or less, that’s how my summer and fall have been going with no let up! Thought I could escape to my ‘villa’ on the coast, but no such luck. Love to all my dear Classmates.” Anne DeVausney Hallowell: “I won my 5k race and continue to hold the Clarence deMar race record for 80-89 (2019) at 44:04 minutes. My race this year with my new hip was 45:25 minutes, but with the hip working so well, I will try next year to better my record. If it is not a steamy hot July 24, I will run a women’s race in Richmond, VT and work toward 44 minutes. We are here all summer, but gathering all our kids for a week in Nantucket at the end of September. All were here for the race, and our son Chris ran as did 2 grandchildren; all did very well! It was fun.” Sue Crook Ferdinand: “Pandemic life has been quiet here in Phillipsburg, NJ. I am blessed by geographic proximity to son Mark and his partner and to daughters Liz and Julie. The younger grandchildren have moved on to U.Pitt, Molly in the pharmacy doctoral program and Noah in the nursing program, while Wyatt pursues a kaleidoscopic route of his own definition. I have finally retired from my face painting business, but I miss the kids and their laughter. I continue to work for America’s Fresh Start, a company that handles short sales for

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

sellers and Realtors, but the booming real estate market has reduced the equity gap that once bedeviled so many homeowners, so business is quiet, leaving me ample time to tend to my indoor garden which thrives on an enormous, 3-tier plant stand in my bedroom.” Molla Kaplan Reisbaum: “My husband and I left our condo in Wayne and moved to Hackensack. Joanne Weiser lives in the building as well. We get to see Joanne for Monday Bridge. Joanne is a superb player; I go along for the ride. Like most of us, the vagaries of the aging process bring us arthritis, hearing loss, cataract surgery. In addition, I have been diagnosed with arteritis, inflammation of one’s arteries. No problem, I continue to walk 3-5 miles about five days a week. Keeps me going for sure. I am no longer working for Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff. Residential real estate has changed a great deal. I had a good run but felt it was time for me to retire. Our three children and five grands continue to give us great joy. Anna Reisbaum, our oldest grandchild graduated Tulane in New Orleans. Anna stayed in NOLA, working for a company that deals with surveys. Ethan graduated U Maryland. He is studying for the LSATS: good luck, Ethan! Solomon Medintz graduated U Michigan. Solomon graduated in three years, all A for the three years. He has been traveling, working on all sorts of interesting possibilities. Joshua Medintz had one semester at Middlebury when COVID reared its ugly head. Joshua will continue his education at U of Michigan January, 2022. Ira Day is a junior at The Beacon School in Manhattan. She loves her soccer and community service. She will be looking for colleges come the spring. We are all looking forward to the end of the pandemic so that we can make our golden years glow.” Joanne Weiser Salomon: “All I can say is goodbye to this ‘annus horribilis’ of 2021. I quote Queen Elizabeth referring to an earlier

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year which couldn’t compare to this one. I am doing reasonably well trying to maintain my sanity. I fill my time by playing online bridge, reading, and watching Netflix.” Nancy Prescott Ward: “We enjoyed almost 4 weeks at Christmas Cove (ME) in August into September. It’s always a lovely spot, and we had a lot of activity, with our children, grandchildren, and assorted dogs staying with us or renting down the road. Our 5 grands range from 18 (College freshman) to 4 (preschool), and we are so grateful to be part of their lives, all year round, and particularly during our Maine time. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with our niece and her family in Connecticut. We will spend the rest of the holidays at home, with some quality time with the younger generation, but no travels or unusual plans on the docket. We wish a happy and healthy 2022 to our Kimberley friends and families. / MA / Mr. Eric Jaeckel, P.O. Box 20153, Boulder, CO 80308, efjaeckel@ hotmail.com / Dr. Lawrence Nazarian, 82 Brickstone Circle, Rochester, NY 14620, LFredN@aol.com

1957

/ TKS / Mrs. Thelma “Tam” Knight, 3001 Linton

Boulevard, No. 201C, Delray Beach, FL 33445, tknight115@aol.com / MA/ It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Harold “Hal” Cohen. He passed away on October 16, 2021 at his home in Naples, FL surrounded by his loved ones.

1958

/ TKS / Mrs. Diana Little, 1-K Buckingham Road,

West Orange, NJ 07052, dianablittle@ gmail.com / MA / Mr. Henry Agens, 86 Eagle Rock Way, Montclair, NJ 07042, hymelee@earthlink.net Hy Agens:

Despite the inconvenient, often perplexing COVID situation, Mike and Chris Gennet were fortunate to be able to travel happily and healthfully in the Fall of 2021. Mike recalled: “We had postponed a European trip for 18 months,

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The Gennets “Alping” it!

but finally flew to Switzerland in August with memorable stops in Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen in the Alps near Interlaken, Bern, Montreux, Lausanne and Geneva. Over 11 days we were blessed with great weather, spectacular scenery, delicious food, and all modes of transportation. The Swiss train system is marvelous and accommodated all of our needs, when we weren’t on gondolas, lake boats, or cog railways. The French segment started in beautiful Annecy in the French Alps and then Dordogne, a major Bucket List area for me. The cliff cities and legendary cave art in this region were special treats. After dropping a car in Bordeaux, where we visited the Cite du Vin (Wine Museum), we took a TGV to Paris to meet friends for a few exhausting, wonderful days of touring our original honeymoon city. Then we joined a National Geographic Normandy tour that took us to Monet’s home in Giverny, the picturesque town of Honfleur, the Normandy beaches and Bayeux Tapestry, and Mont Ste. Michel. After stopping in Rouen to see the incredible Cathedral and Joan of Arc Museum, we returned to Paris for our final days, absorbing the culture and museums. After only 12 days home in Southern California, we then flew to New York City to catch up on theater and culture, came home to the desert, and 6 days later flew to Kauai for two weeks of great

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

weather and relaxation, maybe from travel overload. Including a few trips to Los Angeles and Orange County to see relatives, we have been a couple on the move. Now we’re home for a while to enjoy the winter season near Palm Springs.” Those of you who frequent Facebook have been able to appreciate some terrific Gennet photographs taken during their various trips. Actually, Mike and Chris could give American Travel Writer and TV Personality Rick Steves a run for his money with a few significant travel pointers of their own along with maybe a video or two. That’s a wrap…..until that time, keep punchin’.

1959

/ TKS / Ms. Jarvis Reilly Nolan, 15612

Via Marchena, San Diego, CA 92128, jarvisno@aol.com

1961

/ TKS / Mrs. Suzanne Hardy, 47 Bartlett Parkway,

Winthrop, MA 02152, sueshardy@ comcast.net / MA/ Mr. David Bruck 34 Nelson Ridge Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, dbruck@greenbaumlaw.com

1962

/ TKS / Mrs. Barbara Creed, 501 Portola Road, #8185,

Portola Valley, CA 94028, bbcreed@ aol.com / MA/ Mr. W. Doug Donald, 189 Sedgefield Circle, Winter Park, FL 32792, D1Donald@aol.com

It is with sadness that we share the passing of Marian Fullerton Brown St. Onge. Marian passed away on August 18, 2021 in Lincoln, MA. She died as she lived: with strength, grace, dignity, and a clear mind. She had a full understanding that all things return and life is in many ways a circle, an Odyssey of sorts that begins and ends more or less in the same place where it started. Marian will be greatly missed by many, especially her dear friends from the Class of 1962.

1965

/ TKS / Ms. Katharine “Kitty” Haines, 201 East

83rd Street, Apt. 15F, New York, NY

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10028, khaines22@aol.com

said she and her husband, Jim, are fortunate that their family is well. They have a cozy condo, enjoy our community, and see a lot of their grandson who’s a junior at Dartmouth. Her other grandchildren are in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, and Portland, ME. Sue also said that Kate/Kathy Bonniwell’s son, Alex Leibovitz, graduated from Dartmouth in June. He majored in history with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies and planned a legal career, following in his Dartmouth father’s footsteps who was a Manhattan judge. Just before Memorial Day, he had an informational interview with a partner at Skadden Arps. The firm had completed its hiring for the legal assistant program, but apparently Alex impressed the lawyer. That afternoon HR called Alex and when they spoke in mid-June, he was in the 2nd week of training to become a Legal Assistant. His mother and father would be so proud. Cheryl Calmenson Graff’s daughter got married right before COVID, and she was able to enjoy the wedding together. Her grandchildren who are in Toronto are all in college. Her other 3 grandchildren (all boys) are in Plano, Texas and play competitive hockey. She is still actively selling real estate but starting to cut back a bit. Kitty Haines has been able to continue her volunteer computer work with the Bermuda museum during the pandemic. She hopes to travel to Bermuda in 2022. Page Paterson, and her husband Charles, camped for 2 1/2 months in their 1976 renovated Argosy, soaking up nature and the great outdoors. They spent most of the time in Picabo, Idaho at a friend’s ranch. COVID’s silver-lining for Page was deciding to sell the office and move her acupuncture practice to her house. She was ready to have a less scheduled life and reduce her clients from 6 a day to 6 a week. Page’s daughter lives in Susan DeBevoise Wright

Australia with her husband and 2 young grandchildren and they have not seen them for 2 years. She will travel there in early January 2022 for 3 months. Lucille Russamano de Boissezon is still working and will be in the USA in early 2022. She now has a NYC apartment near Kitty and hopes to see her. Andrea Sporer hopes to get to Paris in February 2022 for a mini family reunion with her French and Swiss cousins. She hasn’t seen family (other than her daughter Christi and husband Gavin) in two years, so she is really looking forward to it. Her clients are starting to come back from California to Canada to Kenya, and she is definitely not ready to retire. Joan Vanderbeck Taylor’s part-time job went away in the Spring of 2020, and this year, she stepped away (2nd time) from her building’s condominium board. She says Wilmington is a nice city, and she’s glad to have her sister Marcia, and her step-sister Cindy, nearby.

1966

/ TKS / Mrs. Jessie Boyer, 8095 S. Addison

Way, Aurora, CO 80016, boyerjessie@ hotmail.com

1967

/ MA / Mr. Craig Perry, 25 Mooregate Square,

Atlanta, GA 30327, Craigcperry250@ gmail.com

M KA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

1968

/ TKS / Ms. Avie Claire Kalker, 10 Knolls Road,

Williamstown, MA 01267, heraldicone@ gmail.com / MA / Mr. Geoff Gregg, 6108 Percheron Trail, Summerfield, NC 27358, tartanone@triad.rr.com

1969

/ TKS / Ms. Christine Hannon, 97 North

Street, Northampton, MA 01060, channon@smith.edu / MA / Dr. Edward

A. Griggs Jr., 100 Cedar Street, Apt. B24, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander ’47. She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan ’72, and Rob Sander, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr., and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson ’56. Edward Griggs: Greetings from New York. As your class representative for the past 25 years, I would like to try to fill some of the void which has been our class notes during that time. In this era of COVID19, with many of us feeling more isolated, I believe it is important to connect with our friends, both past and present. I hope that after reading these notes, you will all take a few moments to putfingers to the keyboard and send me some of the highlights of your past 50 years. In the MKA Review for Spring 2021, there were a couple of articles on which I would like to comment. In the 1970 Class Notes there was a fitting tribute to former faculty member Ian Naismith who passed away at age 86 last year. It was my privilege to have had Ian as my Latin instructor and my adviser on the Yearbook, both for two years, and then as my friend for life. A couple of Ian memories come to mind. One day in my sophomore year, I was sitting in a study carrel when Ian walked by and asked me, “Can you type?” I said yes and thus began a three year career at the Yearbook. Also, I can picture Ian

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coming into Latin class on the day of an exam and covering the entire blackboard in his precise handwriting with Latin phrases to translate. He would then turn to the class and say, “Gentlemen, at this juncture, I hope you will find this test neither too short nor too simple.” Over the years Ian and I would often meet for lunch in New York City, and a number of years ago my son and I visited him at his home in Ormond Beach, FL. Ian was one of the many excellent, dedicated teachers whom I had, and he will always be one of the fond memories I hold of Montclair Academy. In the same issue there was an article about Mike Yamashita ’67 and the many awards he received as a photographer for National Geographic Magazine. It fails to mention; however, that years before shooting photos for National Geographic, he was gunning down runners trying to steal a base as the catcher on the MA baseball team. I took many of those throws when I played second base. Allow me to add my congratulations, Mike, on your distinguished achievements. As for myself, I am retired after practicing Ophthalmology for 35 years in Yonkers, NY. My wife Mary Anne and I are happily ensconced in Dobbs Ferry, New York. I have a daughter and a son and one grandson. My wife and I enjoy gardening and travel, or did until the pandemic, and over the past several years we have spent time in Key West and in Provence, France. We hope to resume our travels soon. Please remember to write. It would be great to hear from all of you.

1970

1971

/ TKS / Ms. Philippa Bowles, 39 Orts Road,

Hamburg, NJ 07419, john11t24@ outlook.com / MA / Mr. Jeffrey Jones, 77

Monroe Street, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009, coastdaylight98@yahoo.com / Mr. Anthony Vitale, 10 North Wood Avenue, Apt. 601, Linden, NJ 07036, tvod9999@ gmail.com Amy Schechter Larchuk and

her husband Terry are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Now that they are both retired, they are exploring what their retirement years should look like. It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander ’47. She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr., William Bryan ’72 , and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr., and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson ’56.

1972

/ MA / It

/ TKS / Ms. Susan Read, 38 College

Circle, Staunton, VA 22401 / MA / Mr.

Thomas C. Galligan, 14805 Audubon Lakes Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70810,

/ TKS / Ms. Leslie Bryan,

tgalligan714@gmail.com / Mr. Gregory

844 East Morningside

Lackey, 216 Hunters Road, Medford

Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 / MA /

Lakes, NJ 08055, gregory.lackey@usps.

Mr. V. James Castiglia, 3 Lark Lane, Oak

gov

Ridge, NJ 07438, vjc@vjamescastiglia. com / Mr. Peter Webb, Mile Slip Farm, 48 Mason Road, Brookline, NH 03033, pwebb@winerbennett.com

1974

/ TKS / Ms. Erin Cuffe Crawford, 121 Clarewill

Ave, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043, erincrawford@verizon.net / MA / Mark Griggs

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1975

/ MKA / Mr. Paul Zukerberg, 1790 Lanier

Place NW, Washington, DC 20009, paul.zukerberg@gmail.com

1976

/ MKA / Mr. Frank Godlewski, Fells Bridge,

249 Runnymede Road, Essex Fells NJ 07021, fellsbridge@gmail.com / Mrs.

is with great sadness that we share the passing of Aubin “Teeny” Sander ’47. She died on August 8, 2021 at the retirement home Galloway Ridge in Pittsboro, NC. We send our heartfelt condolences to her entire family, especially her sons James Bryan Jr. ’71, William Bryan, and Rob Sander ’69, daughter Margaretta Sander ’66, her brother William Redfield, Jr., and her cousins Aubin Ames ’54 and Gail Wilson ’56.

1973

unexpectedly on August 20, 2021, in Morristown, NJ. At Montclair Academy and MKA, Mark ran cross country and track, he was a member of the Yearbook club, and he contributed artwork to the Montclair News. He graduated from Susquehanna University in PA and worked for Pella Windows for many years. Mark lived in Ogdensburg. NJ, and he enjoyed the outdoors, spending many vacations hiking and camping with his fiancé Debbie. Mark is also survived by his two children, Sarah and Mark, his grandson Daniel, and his four siblings: Edward ’69, Gail, Denise, and Joyce ’82.

passed away

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

Sara Close, 76 Wootton Rd, Essex Fells, NJ 07021, dmjcrowther@comcast.net

lives in Rhode Island with his wife Amy of 36 years. Kevin is teaching at the University of Rhode Island and at Providence College in the Theatre and Communications Department. He also started a small theater company FirstHandTheatrical (firsthandtheatrical.org) in 2013 and has created and produced 6 original plays based on cultural and family oral histories. He was so thrilled to work with Greg MancusiUngaro who designed the lights for one of his productions. Most recently his play “How Many Bushels Am I Worth?” was presented at the Mark O’Donnell Theatre in Brooklyn. After graduating MKA, Kevin had a brief and unsuccessful career as an undergrad at Columbia and ultimately graduated from SUNY Oneonta. He went on to earn an M.F.A. in Directing at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. Kevin taught theater at Hope College in Michigan Kevin Olson

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and also at the University of Michigan, Flint campus before starting a career in non-profit Arts Administration and as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center in Providence, RI. He and Amy lived in St. Paul, MN for over 20 years before relocating to Rhode Island in 2005. His children are married, Daniel to Rabbi Ben Goldberg and Shira to

Scott MacPhee, and both are living in Port Chester, NY and Providence, RI respectively. You can contact Kevin at amkevols@gmail.com. He’d love to hear from you!

1977

/ MA / Mr. Robert Hubsmith, 16 Warren

Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040, roberthubsmith24@gmail.com / Mr. Andrew Pedersen, 335 Ocean

MICHAEL PLATT ’ 77 Tell us about yourself andyour work. After being the best ice hockey goalie in MKA history, I graduated college, went to law school, and as one does after passing the Bar Exam, became a TV writer. Actually, I did practice law for a couple of years with my dad, the only lawyer who’d hire me. It helped that I had a great letter of recommendation from my mom. But I always wanted to do comedy; I just had no idea where to begin. I took a stand up comedy class, which led to me doing stand up for many years, including opening for and touring with Howie Mandel. Stand up is where I met Dennis Leary. We talked a lot about hockey, one thing led to another, and I became the goalie for film and TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Bad Boys” hockey team. After two years of flying under the radar, playing with celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Keefer Sutherland, etc., one day, a very big manager who played with us got around to asking who I was and what I did, anyway. He read a couple of my scripts, signed me, and helped me get my first job. Miraculously, some 25 years later, I’m still going. I just finished writing and Executive Producing Grace and Frankie for Netflix and am wrapping the first season of The Game for CBS Studios, on Paramount+, and I’m also a writer/Executive Producer. Please watch so we get a second season.

Blvd, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716, apedersenco@gmail.com

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Rob Hubsmith’s mother, Lois Hubsmith. She passed away peacefully on August 21, 2021 in Morristown, NJ. The entire MKA community sends our heartfelt condolences to Rob and his family for their loss of this extraordinary woman.

To some extent, luck does play a role; take, for example, the luck of me playing hockey as the entry to Hollywood. But my luck would have meant nothing if not for some great writing samples ready to go. As an aside, One of my first samples was a Friends spec script which garnered lots of attention. Years later, when Marta Kaufman, the co-creator of Friends hired me and I had been sitting next to her at the writers’ table at Grace and Frankie for two years, I told her about my script from years ago. Her response was, “I’m sure I would’ve hated it” and “Good thing you had something more recent to get this gig.” But for years, I sat next to, and am dear friends with the creator of Friends. How cool is that? What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is being able to earn a living doing something I love. If you have a passion, go for it. My father was my biggest fan. He wanted nothing more than to have me take over his law practice, until he saw that I wanted something different. He encouraged me to give up his dream to pursue mine. I am eternally grateful to him for that gift. He also gifted me a few grand to get started. My happiest moment was having my parents come to LA and see me working as a writer on a TV show. They got to see me “make it.” My hard work paid off. Which show/set that you have worked on has been your favorite experience and why? That’s like asking me who my favorite child is, which I can’t say because they might read this. Most of my shows were great for many different reasons: the people, the money, the freedom of expression, the clout and notoriety, the money. The ones I did not like were for much the same reasons: the people, the money…

What inspires you? My family inspires me to keep going, mostly because I have to pay for my twin boys’ education. An MKA scholarship sure would help, hint hint. I really get inspired by being able to reach a multitude of people through this medium and the effect my words and stories have, to hopefully provide entertainment and provocative thought. Maybe I can’t change the world, but I certainly can make them laugh and think.

You have had a very impressive and long career as a writer and producer. What advice would you give to other young alumni who want to pursue a similar career in the competitive entertainment industry? Advice: Don’t let anyone dissuade you. Writing is rewriting. Keep writing and rewriting. Nothing replaces rolling up your sleeves and diving into hard work. Not, however, at the expense of living your life. Your best writing will come from tapping into your own personal life experiences.

What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? My biggest challenge in my career, and probably the biggest challenge for anybody in this career, is the inconsistency and uncertainty of success. An old adage is, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” And this is very true in entertainment.

In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? MKA helped prepare me by allowing me to fail. Chemistry comes to mind. Thanks a lot Mr. Chudomel. Actually, he and I are still in touch to this day through social media. And I deserved that F.

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

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1978

/ MKA / Ms. Pamela Zeug, 60 W. 57th Street,

#15F, New York, NY 10019, pzeug@ downinggroup.com Christine Nigro shared the passing of

Deborah Mann Sklar on September

28, 2021. Debbie is survived by her husband Maurice Sklar, her brother David Mann, and her dear friends who will always miss her.

1979

/ MKA / Dr. John Brink, 1246 Beach Haven

Road, Atlanta, GA 30324 / Mrs. Shawn Ortiz, 2163 Gilbride Road, Martinsville, NJ 08836 / Mr. Bruce Eng, Lattjiu@aol.com

MKA connections and legacies are alive and strong as our alums continue to partner with each other making huge impacts and contributions to society one project at a time. Paige Cottingham Streater and Edward Williams ’01 partnered to develop a dynamic showcase of 60 years of CULCON that mirror MKA’s core values of understanding human complexity and personal engagement with the world. We are extremely proud of this work: a huge congratulations to both of them in developing a creative solution for CULCON’s 60th Anniversary. CULCON is a binational advisory group to the U.S. and Japanese governments and is composed of two panels. Established in 1961 to build stronger people-to-people ties between our two countries, CULCON has convened stakeholders in the U.S.-Japan relationship to encourage deeper cooperation in solving shared policy challenges, to develop better business practices, and to deepen the connections between civil society in the United States and Japan. 60thanniversary.culcon.jusfc.gov. Tributes to our recently passed 1979 classmate, Vanessa Noble Good. Beth Lloyd-Thomas (Kindler): Vanessa and I immediately connected when we met at Brookside in first grade. We always had so much fun together. I will always remember how on playdates we would dance around outside to the music of Henry Manccini and ‘The Pink Panther’.

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Paige Cottingham Streater, Anita Sims, Lisa Westheimer (Godlewski), Beth Lloyd-Thomas (Kindler), Ruth Perretti—enjoying a celebratory toast our long wonderful friendship at Ruthie’s BBQ in Montclair over Christmas 2021. Socially distant of course over a warm burning outdoor fire pit at her and her husband’s fantastic (and delicious) restaurant.

Prancing like little sneaky spying cats. Guess that really dates us but the Peter Seller’s movie had recently opened to great fanfare and WE LOVED IT and the music. We had great aspirations of Broadway and Hollywood in those days. I also remember Vanessa being an avid and prolific reader. At Brookside we had these ‘reading level’ books and she was always way ahead of most of us. Vanessa was fearless, funny, and a good, kind friend. I miss her. Ruth Perretti: I remember so well hanging out with Vanessa in her bedroom where she had a cookie iron like nothing I have ever seen before. They are pressed like waffle irons but make delicate lace like cookies. We made cookies that looked like lace and I was floored. They were strongly flavored with Anise. I was so taken that she knew to make these delicate cookies with this unusual flavoring—I clearly remember the little seeds in the cookies. I was in 8th grade at the time and there was no way I knew about any of these things—a little specific iron that pressed batter into lace like cookies, and the uusual flavor of the Anise. That certainly speaks to my passion and interest in creating our own sweetsas my mom didn’t allow store bought goodies. And she was a new friend—on of my first at MKA and she welcomed me and brought me into her very special baking world of cookies. And I swear—she

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

had that iron in her bedroom! She was always the kindest and gentle of my young friends and had an unusaul depth- and ability to connect. When I think of Vanessa I think . Jim Johnson: There are two group pictures of me at 5 and 6. In the first, I was a kindergartner at Nishuane and surrounded my kids that looked like me. In the second, I am the only African American boy. It is my first grade photo at Brookside. I knew I didn’t fit in, but didn’t know so much that I wouldn’t try even when others who noted the difference made a point of reminding me of the rules. I learned quickly to Discern who among my peers was clearly “safe.” Vanessa was more than safe. She and her family became havens. She had perhaps the broadest smile in the class and a generous laugh. And she was so much fun, and mischievous, in a way that defied (without breaking) the expectations of the child of TWO teachers in the school system. I got to call her my classmate for a dozen years. She was, in a world, essential.

1981

/ MKA / Mrs. Laura Itzkowitz (Laura Reisch),

37 Nottingham Road, Manalapan, NJ 07726, howardandlaura@optonline.net

Congratulations to 1982 on being named the 2021 Top Women / MKA /

Cheryl McCants

in Media Award Honoree: DEI Champion. Cheryl is the Founder and CEO of Impact Consulting Enterprises, an award-winning creative-marketing solution and digital communication provider. Impact Consulting Enterprises is recognized for the value it derives from its team’s diverse approaches, community insights, and researchbased strategies, and it salutes the team’s unyielding dedication to customer satisfaction, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Cheryl shared her appreciation for the award, “I am overjoyed and humbled to receive support from my peers around the work that we do here at Impact. 2021 has been a rough year

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1991

for many of us. Yet, I am proud to say that we continue to stand tall and work with our clients to ensure that their stories are told and heard around the world.”

1983

York, NY 10016, daramarmon@gmail. com / Mr. Luke Sarsfield, 105 Franklin

Street, Apt. 4, New York, NY 10013, luke. sarsfield@gs.com Marty Torjussen

/ MKA / Mr. Walter J. Davis, 66 Oakwood

Drive, New Providence, NJ 07974, davisteam@comcast.net / Mrs. Maureen Natkin (J.P.), 5 Riverview Road, Irvington, NY 10533

1984

/ MKA / Mrs. Jennifer Jones Ladda, 17

Belleclaire Place, Verona, NJ 07044, jjonesladda@gmail.com

1986

/ MKA / Ms. Jennifer Remington-Knodel, 44

Hamilton Drive East, North Caldwell, NJ 07006, jenremknodel@aol.com

1987

/ MKA / Mr. Dennis Rodano, 3 Byron Road,

North Caldwell, NJ 07006, rodanod@ verizon.net / Ms. Lynne Yellin, 413

Ridgecrest Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, lynneGY@aol.com

1989

/ MKA / Mr. Louis Lessig, 2009 Morris Drive, Cherry

Hill, NJ 08003, llessig@brownconnery. com / Mr. Josh Raymond, 33 Oak Place, North Caldwell, NJ 07006, jraymond@ msbnj.com Mark Strobeck, David Ames, Geoff

Krouse, and Peter DeCandia met in

July 2021 to celebrate everyone’s 50th birthday.

Mark Strobeck, David Ames, Geoff Krouse, and Peter DeCandia

Congratulations to 1990 who launched the ultimate / MKA /

Michelle Santoro

Lomuscio

Indie Rock Station called Bone Pool

/ MKA / Ms. Dara Marmon, 330 E. 39th, Apt. 21D, New

Michelle Santoro Lomuscio

Radio! When New Jersey native M.S. Lomuscio started Bone Pool Radio in 2018, she was guided by the spirit of the Jersey sound, the local bands who helped shape it and the days when independent radio defined a distinct music scene. Inspired by the ethos and ethics of a generation, Bone Pool Radio is New Jersey’s ultimate indie rock station. The station plays alternative hits spanning five decades, local Jersey bands and original shows curated by talented DJs. BPR is home to artists such as The Smiths, Dinosaur Jr., and The Strokes. In addition to these iconic artists, the station champions local bands, like Thrill Ride, Allied Chemical, and Thee Volatiles. DJ hosted shows, including Ska Nation!, Under The Influence, and Timmy Smith’s Digital MixTape explore genres such as old-school punk, ska, and modern rock. Over the past few years, Bone Pool Radio has developed a tremendous local fanbase and a robust international following. Free BPR apps are available on iOS, Android, and Amazon Alexa. Additionally, in May 2019, BPR was added to iHeartMedia’s broadcast platform, iHeartRadio; the station can also be heard via radio.net, myTuner, and the original site, bonepoolradio. com. Go check it out! Congratulations to Macaya Douoguih on the extraordinary accomplishment of receiving the Science and Technology Medal at the 42nd Annual Edison Patent Awards for developing the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. Extremely well-deserved!

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and his wife Meredith at their daughter’s Varsity Soccer Game MKA vs. Caldwell. Marty’s daughter is a junior on the Caldwell squad. Long-time MKA coach and teacher Ken Smith is the Site Administrator, enjoying the game with his former student and athlete. Ryan Young joined Textile Exchange in October 2017 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Young was an integral force for their climate plus strategy, and his determination to make the world a better place for future generations was evident in all that he did. Young passed away on January 4, 2021 from Glioblastoma (cancer of the brain).

Ryan Young Climate+ Awards

On November 16, 2021 at The 2021 Textile Sustainability Conference in Dublin, Ireland, Young’s wife, Helena Young presented the first ever Ryan Young Climate+ Awards, which recognizes five leaders driving progress towards a lower impact textile industry with organic, recycled, and regenerative solutions. Winners include “Climate Leaders” Rebecca Burgess of Fibershed, Prama Bhardwaj of Mantis World, Helene Smits of Recover™ and Margot Lyons of Coyuchi, as well as “Rising Stars” Annabelle Hutter of Säntis Textiles and Landon Nash of Tact & Stone.

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IN MEMORIAM The MKA Community is heartbroken that trusted friend, colleague, and mentor, Ronnie Califano has passed away. Ronnie had Prion Diseases and fought bravely against it for several months. She was 72. She was a loving mother to Jayme ’97 and Sarah, and a doting and proud grandmother. She came to MKA in 1997 where she began working in the Business Office. Before too long, she moved to the Upper School, where she served as Registrar and then Administrative Assistant to the Head of Upper School before retiring in August of 2020. Head of the Upper School Dave Flooco said, “To many in the Upper School community, Ronnie was more than just a member of the staff or a secretary — she was its heartbeat. She was a welcome face for any student or parent coming into the Main Office - some came by just to see her. Her genial personality and warm smile made her a magnet for students and parents, alumni, and, of course, anyone on the faculty and staff. Her presence at the Upper School was missed upon her retirement. Her presence from this life will be missed beyond measure.” Ronnie was bestowed the Honorary Alumni Award in 2019 by the Alumni Council for her significant, easily recognizable, and direct impact on MKA students. We wish Ronnie’s family and friends all of the love and prayers in the world during this time.

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La Rhea Pepper, Founder and CEO at Textile Exchange, said: “We are honoring Ryan Young’s pioneering efforts with the creation of these awards. He often used to say, ‘Do we want to be someone who is part of the solution or someone who is part of the continued problem?’ I think he would agree that all of today’s winners want to lead the solutions.” Helena also spoke on behalf of her husband, “Ryan cared deeply about sustainability in the true essence of the word. He wanted everyone to stop, listen, and acknowledge their impact on the world today and on future generations. He encouraged companies to be strategic and ambitious with their goals on reducing carbon emissions. He understood the urgency of the problem and the responsibility of companies to create systemic change. If he were here today, he would be in awe of the creativity, leadership, and dedication of all the distinguished awardees we are honoring.”

1992

/ MKA / Dr. Enrique Neblett, 718 Ainsley

Court, Durham, NC 27713, enrique. neblett@gmail.com

It is with heavy hearts that we share that Lubna Khalid passed away in June after a battle with breast cancer. Lubna lived life to the fullest and inspired many to bring play and happiness into their lives. She began a journey in self-healing and self empowerment speaking after her diagnosis a few years ago. She will be sincerely missed by all.

1994

/ MKA / Mr. Jason Awerdick, 23 Greenbrook

Drive, Bloomfield, NJ 07003, jasonawerdick@gmail.com

For the 2nd consecutive year, PR News recognized Brian Donahue’s company CRAFT | Media/Digital among the top 100 elite and most innovative PR and communications agencies in the business.

1996

/ MKA / Ms. Tanya Barnes Barnes.tanya@gmail.com

/ Ms. Erica Hirsch, 10 West 15th Street, #710, New York, NY 10011, ehirsch77@ yahoo.com / MKA / Mr. Lee Vartan,

3 Swayze Lane, Chester, NJ 07930, ldvartan@yahoo.com Dimitri Thivaios, of chart-topping EDM duo, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, has teamed up with Michael Uslan, executive producer of the Batman extended universe, and his son, David Uslan, an expert in the animation and graphic novel field, to create an NFT art collection of Thivaios’ upcoming comic book characters, Alien Samurai Dino Warriors. The collection, which dropped on the newly-established ENVOY Network in September 2021, serves as an introduction to the graphic novel series of the same name, which is set to launch in the first half of 2022. The series revolves around a group of teen dinosaurs who defend a modernday Earth through martial arts.

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

Congratulations to Sharif Siddiqui on being named an Institutional Investor Rising Star for 2021. As the Director of Investments at The James Irvine Foundation, he has helped to drive the fund’s 10-year performance, which is in the top 5 percent of all U.S. endowments and foundations.

1998

/ MKA / Ms. Gemma Giantomasi, 80 Avon

Drive, Essex Fells, NJ 07021, gemma. diaco@gmail.com

1999

/ MKA / Mr. Alexander Holz, 217 East 10th St,

Apt 18, New York, NY 10003, alexbhlz@ gmail.com / Ms. Sandra Tritt, sandratritt@gmail.com

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Stadium. Igor comments that this is “the only time Rafa will see a Jets win.”

2000

2002

emilyannesantangelo@gmail.com / Mrs. Melissa Fortunato Slomienski, 58

Cook, 5 Highview Court,

Oldchester Road, Essex Fells, NJ 07021, slomienski@icloud.com

Congratulations to Jonathan Bruno and his father on having their law office Bruno and Ferraro featured in New Jersey Monthly Magazine.

yahoo.com / Mr. John Garippa, 2741 NE 58th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308, oceanhut@aol.com / Mrs. Jaclyn Spedaliere, 60 E. Oak Street, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, jaclynspedaliere@ gmail.com

On December 10, 2021, Kimberly (Marinella) Baker

and husband Billy had their 4th child, Miles Scott Baker.

2001

2003

/ MKA / Ms. Judith Ferreira, 819 Clifton

Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104, jferreir@ pratt.edu / Mrs. Melanie Bieber, 462 Vance Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481, mel. braverman@gmail.com

MKA connections and legacies are alive and strong as our alums continue to partner with each other making huge impacts and contributions to society one project at a time. Paige Cottingham Streater ’79 and Edward Williams partnered to develop a dynamic showcase of 60 years of CULCON that mirror MKA’s core values of understanding human complexity and personal engagement with the world. We are extremely proud of this work: a huge congratulations to both of them in developing a creative solution for CULCON’s 60th Anniversary. CULCON is a binational advisory group to the U.S. and Japanese governments and is composed of two panels. Established in 1961 to build stronger peopleto-people ties between our two countries, CULCON has convened stakeholders in the U.S.-Japan relationship to encourage deeper cooperation in solving shared policy challenges, to develop better business practices, and to deepen the connections between civil society in the U.S. and Japan. Peter Benigno, Jr., father of Peter Benigno III, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 5, 2021.

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Santangelo, 27

Woods Road, Little Falls, NJ 07424,

/ MKA / Ms. Anna

Wayne, NJ 07470, anna_labowsky @

Check out this unbelievable video honoring the Forest Hill neighborhood in Newark, NJ that was written, directed, and edited by Phil Mazo with drone work done by Neil Grabowsky. We are so proud of the creativity of these alumni, and the amazing job Phil did to showcase the neighborhood he grew up in. To see more of his work visit his website at: www.philmazo.com. Tyler DiNapoli was chosen among top entertainment executives to talk about innovation in the new Hollywood Reporter original series Show/Business. The other leaders are from Showtime Networks, Amazon Ads, Neon and Riot Games. Igor Alves, Bryan Ko, Tyler DiNapoli, and Alex Holz celebrate Bryan Ko’s 40th birthday in Jersey City. Igor Alves, son Rafa, Tyler DiNapoli, and Bryan Ko take in the Jets/ Giants preseason game at MetLife

/ MKA / Miss Emily

/ MKA /

Congratulations to Mallory Singer Thau and her husband Barry on the birth of their second child, Otis Asher, on October 29, 2021. Mark Fortunato and his wife Katie are expecting Baby #2 in April 2022.

2004

/ MKA / Brendan McCaffrey, 235 West

102nd Street, Apt. 10i, New York, NY 10025, brendan.a.mccaffrey@gmail.com / Ms. Katherine Santoro, 333 River Street, Apt. 539, Hoboken, NJ 07030, kate. santoro@gmail.com

Congratulations to Ashley Booker on her engagement to Dustin O’Dell in August 2021.

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2005

/ MKA / Mr. Edmund

ANDREW KYREJKO ’05

Kozak, e.g.kozak@gmail.

com / Mr. Manav Lalwani, 132 Blue Heron

Tell us about yourself and how you put strategy to work. Hi there! After MKA, I swam for the University of Pittsburgh where I graduated with a BA in cultural anthropology and discovered my interest in marketing. Since then, I’ve spent most of my time in New York partnering as a strategist with brands like Google, PwC, PayPal, Wegmans, Lockheed Martin, and Samsung. As a discipline, “Strategy” has to produce solutions. You’re finding the real way forward. That’s true in any strategy role, within and beyond marketing.

Drive, Riverside Court, Secaucus, NJ 07094, 201-617-5312, manav.lalwani@ gmail.com

Congratulations to Cara Landolfi and her husband Walt on the birth of their son Miles Patrick McNally on November 18, 2021. Congratulations to James Wreschner and his wife Michelle on the birth of their daughter Caroline Mackenzie on November 19, 2021.

2006

/ MKA / Ms. Natalie Azzoli, 8 Spruce

Street, Apt. 50H, New York, NY 10038, nat6888@gmail.com / Ms. Angela McCaffrey, 229 Crescenzi Court, West Orange, NJ 07052, angelamccaffrey@ gmail.com

On September 15, Natalie Azzoli and her husband welcomed another baby girl, Maxine Ellen Sparks. Congratulations to Jamie Silverman Pakett and her husband Drew on the birth of their second child, Owen William. On November 5, Samantha Dana Lief and her husband Elliot welcomed a baby boy into their lives. Alana Sivin is running for New York State Senate District 26, Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Waterfront. A 33-yearold former public defender and educator, she believes that New York should be a place where every single person—no matter what they look like, where they come from, or how much money they have—thrives. Throughout her entire life, Alana has chosen to serve her community to make the world a more equitable place. Now, she is entering a career that is focused on shifting policies in the criminal legal system. We wish Alana the best of luck on her campaign.

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What is your take on collaboration and why is it so important in a team setting? Maintaining a culture of collaboration is one of my most important (and rewarding) responsibilities as a leader. However, I depend on the team for guidance on how collaborative we really are. We’re constantly analyzing how we interact with and push one another in ways that are positive and productive. It’s a collaborative approach to collaboration. As a result, we feel more connected as a team, and that makes the work even better. What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? This is a tough one because I’ve encountered my fair share of failures, and I’m certain that more will come! In no way am I making light of failing (it’s less fun than succeeding), but you might be surprised by how much you can grow from missing the mark. All you have to do is take a look at some of the most important brands in the world and how they carefully use failure to innovate. What is your proudest accomplishment? Over 3 years ago, I quickly grew a long-standing professional connection into a multi-million dollar client that my previous agency continues to work with today. In addition to building out a completely new book of business and team, we showed how this global organization could engage with the world in fundamentally different ways. So many of these clients became my friends over the years; I miss working with them so much! What advice would you give to other young alumni who want to pursue a similar career as a strategist in marketing? There are many types of “strategy” in marketing: brand, above-the-line advertising, media, PR, content, digital, innovation, experiential, etc. You don’t have to select a type right away and stick to it (I’ve held several types of strategy roles over the years). As you explore, try to get a sense for what you enjoy most about each role and where there are common themes. In my case, I realized early-on how passionate I was about creating experiences where people can immerse in brands, communities, and cultures. A bit later in my career (maybe a bit later than I would’ve liked but that’s OK), I discovered that a whole vertical in our industry was devoted to event-based marketing. In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? I won’t sugarcoat this one: MKA was really hard for me. The pace, intensity, dynamism, and caliber of the environment was unlike anything I’d encountered prior to my starting as a 9th grader. Combine all of that with a demanding swimming schedule, coming out as gay, and an undiagnosed learning disability (discovered with MKA’s help). How I worked through that discomfort with support from my peers, teachers, and parents has guided so much of my daily life. I built a new foundation for myself at MKA.

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

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2007

/ MKA / Mr. Brian May, bmay88@gmail.

com / Mr. Harry Raymond, raymond. harry@gmail.com / Mr. Stuart Harwood,

stuartmharwood@gmail.com

Congratulations to Kate Clark Thomspon and her husband Neil on the birth of their son William Byron Thompson. Congratulations to Derek Phillips and his wife, Allie Goodchild who welcomed their first child, Ella Elizabeth Phillips on December 16, 2021. Congratulations to Jon Reichstein on his marriage to Payton Kendersky in Saratoga Springs in June 2021. Friends from the Class of 2007 got together at the wedding of classmate Jon Reichstein.

Elise McMullen ’08 married Matt Bitter

Kelly Byrne ’08 married Michael Sweeney

2008

/ MKA / Mr. Matthew Metzger, 235 Elizabeth

Street, Apt #1B, New York, NY 10012, metzgermd@gmail.com

Jon Reichstein ’07 married Payton Kendersky

Above: (left to right) Brian May, Jenn Byrne, Brooke and Roy Sommerhalter, Sarah and Nick Andlinger, Allie and Derek Phillips, Dannyand Melissa Smith, Tim Martone, Jared Kass, Matt Cherchio, and Shannon O’Dell.

Alayjah Watson married Mohamed Traore in July of 2020 at the Cipriani in New York City. Congratulations to Mark Smukler on the launch of his new app, Flow. The app partners with the best workspaces, gyms, and spas to provide real-time availability and 1-click entry at incredible pay-asyou-go prices. He says, “The way we interact with the spaces, places, and experiences around us is changing like never before. Due to an increase in remote and hybrid work policies, people have greater autonomy

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Alayjah Watson married Mohamed Traore

than ever, driving a preference for flexibility, variety, and spontaneity rather than long-term commitment. Flow provides that frictionless discoverability and accessibility that people crave, enabling them to flow through spaces depending on what environment they want or need in that particular moment.” On September 18, 2021, Elise McMullen married Matt Bitter in Bay Head, New Jersey. Sydney Schatz Spargo and husband RJ are expecting their first child in May 2022. Kelly Byrne married Michael Sweeney on January 1, 2022 in Spring Lake, NJ. Congratulations!

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A huge congratulations to Melanie Brady who recently graduated from Yale with a PhD in Neuroscience. She is the third Black student to graduate from the program in Yale’s history and the second female. Her dissertation was awarded Distinction, Yale’s highest achievable academic honor. Melanie’s research on Tourette’s Syndrome led her to the Child Study Center, where she worked with physicians who treat patients with the disorder. Marked by repetitive and involuntary motor and vocal tics, Tourette’s can be debilitating. In the lab, Melanie works with stem cells to tease out the disorder’s underlying causes. Watching physicians at work has led to an expansion in her career path. She aims to combine her research with the ability to help patients more immediately. To that end, she begins her MD this fall. Melanie says, “My goal is to continue stem cell research and do bench-to-bedside work where I can bring discoveries directly back to the patient. That’s the dream.” Outside of the lab, Melanie is sharing her love of science with students from New Haven and nearby towns. She has taught elementary, middle and high school students and has mentored undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. For her outreach she received the 2020 Annie Le Fellowship for Outstanding Leadership and Academic Excellence. We are so proud of Melanie’s extraordinary accomplishments.

JOHNNY BORBONE ’08 (pictured page 62) Tell us about yourself. I recently moved from the bustling town of Belmar, New Jersey to America’s oldest city, Saint Augustine, Florida. After graduating MKA in 2008, I attended college in New London, Connecticut where I graduated in December 2011 to take a role at a tech company in Manhattan. I moved from the Montclair area to Belmar so that I could surf before and after my commute into the city. Were you always active? What inspired you to create Borbone Wavecraft? I snowboarded competitively across the country while at MKA and in college, so surfing was a mere warm-weather afterthought when I didn’t have the means to snowboard. After a life-threatening accident at East Coast Regionals, I lost my sponsors and withdrew from competition permanently. Surfing became my low-impact outlet that filled the snowboarding void. I had been collecting vintage surfboards for many years and eventually wanted to retire many of the vintage boards from the ocean to retain their historic value. In an effort to continue surfing similar style boards to that of my vintage collection that were no longer easily found at surf shops, I started building my own. Fast forward 5 years: I have scaled up from making five surfboards per year to 100 boards per year. I started building out of my garage and selling only in Belmar, and now I own my own production factory and sell across the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe. What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? There’s a new challenge every day. Any business owner who won’t admit to that isn’t pushing themselves hard enough. Having said that, last year was definitely a perfect storm. Moving from NJ to FL during a pandemic while managing a rapidly growing volume was no easy task. Chemicals required to create foam for our

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boards couldn’t be imported to the US, so we were severely under-resourced. Concurrently, I was adjusting to working with new vendors and contractors in a new state where I was just a small fish in a large sea. The most significant lesson learned was that you should only bite off as much as you can chew; there are only 24 usable hours in a day. What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment to date has certainly been receiving my first shop order from Japan. Japanese customers are highly selective and only associate with the most coveted boards in the world. Most surfboard builders strive for their entire careers to penetrate the Japanese market and the vast majority of them never end up having the opportunity to sell overseas. I’m honored to have 8 board orders for Japanese customers at the moment, and I look forward to continuing to build momentum in that market. My second proudest accomplishment would definitely be buying my own factory, but that definitely falls short of the Japanese market penetration. What advice would you give to other young alumni who want to start their own business? A new business venture should never be your only source of income, even if you have seed funding or Series A funding. You have to spend money to make money, and I’ve seen some of my peers fail because they aren’t able to put enough money into aiding the success of their business. All good startups have developed as side projects that grow into full scale ventures when the demand exists. In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? Attending MKA didn’t just prepare me to develop professionally, but more importantly it prepared me to coexist as a responsible and respectful young adult in society, agnostic of my professional path. Attending Montclair Kimberley exposed me to open-mindedness and progressive thinking, providing me with the ability to practice integrity and humility on a daily basis.

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

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2009

/ MKA / Mr. Brian Purcell, 63 Wall Street, Apt 1509,

New York, NY 10005, bnpurcell14@ gmail.com / Ms. Jane Stanton, 240 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042, janestanton18@gmail.com

Michael Ruzich accepted the “NJBIZ Best Places to Work NJ” award in

September 2021 on behalf of his company, Atrium. Congratulations to Paige Barrett on her marriage to Brandon Degar in October 2021. Congratulations to Morgan Booker on her marriage to Philip Gertner on October 30, 2021.

LINDSAY KASS ’09 Tell us about yourself and your career. I’ve always been interested in strong brands and how they evolve with consumer preferences. More specifically, I’m incredibly passionate about how new technologies connect communities, creating opportunities for discovering new brands and empowering new businesses. I’ve channeled my interests with each step in my career thus far, whether that is in fashion, media, commerce, or technology. When I began my career at Vogue, I had the opportunity to accelerate an iconic brand’s vitality during the rise of social platforms and content creation. The early exposure to an industry shift taught me the importance of data-led decision making and gave me a critical foundation for building both product and business strategies. During this time, Snapchat was trying to push the industry to embrace consumer engagement with products like vertical video and AR lenses. I took a chance on this excitement and joined Snap to pilot their Client Education and Market Development program. I then returned to Condé Nast for the opportunity to lead a more globally-focused team as the domestic business merged with our international markets under one organization. Now as the Executive Director of Strategy for Fashion & Beauty, I have the opportunity to drive growth for our partners and brands simultaneously at the pace of the technological innovation that surrounds our industries alike. What do you believe are the most important characteristics a Director should have when trying to drive innovation, launch new products, and accelerate growth at their company? The director role is unique in that you’re in a position to report directly into executive leadership while also managing your own team. Either at a legacy media business or a six year old technology startup, navigating industry disruption is the existential norm. I’ve always been really fortunate to have great teams at the companies I’ve worked for. Regardless of any title, I think it’s so important to establish cultures of curiosity and cultivate professional growth.

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Congratulations to Kelly Froelich on the launch of her company, Balanced. Balanced is a digital fitness platform built for older adults, offering evidence-based classes designed for healthy aging. Members input their state of health and their wellbeing goals to receive

What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? Due to the nature of the media industry, I’ve faced a lot of organizational re-alignments and the challenges of navigating cultures of change. This was particularly challenging during my time at Snapchat while the company was transitioning into the public market. I was tasked to influence the media industry to embrace Snapchat’s unconventional design while public markets speculated the vitality of the company’s vision overall. As the team and company were both becoming responsible for market reception, it felt like a constant uphill battle. The experience taught me a lot about managing expectations and the strength it takes to maintain conviction of your vision in the face of skeptics. What is your proudest accomplishment? I have always been drawn to companies that are tied to pivotal inflection points in their industries’ future. It’s exciting to feel the impact you can make on a company’s growth whether it is at a startup or mature business. The pandemic placed a spotlight on the importance of eCommerce for our partners as well as for our own brands. It’s been exciting to build out these systems from both ends and create revenue generating solutions in the process. I have enormous pride in what my teams have accomplished at Condé Nast, particularly the impact they’ve had in driving the transformation of a traditional publisher into a data-driven media company. What advice would you give to other young alumni who want to pursue a similar career as yourself? I’m a big believer in the importance of maintaining relationships and continuous learning. No matter the industry or area you’re passionate about, my advice would be to always remain curious about opportunities within it and to approach it with a critical eye for what opportunities a new trend could create. I also believe in the importance of maintaining relationships. We wouldn’t be where we are without the people we come into contact with, and you never know when you may run into each other again – I even ran into a former MKA classmate in my program at Columbia Business School! In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? Not only did MKA introduce me to some of my closest friends to this day, but it also taught me the importance of a strong work ethic. It’s played a major part throughout my professional and academic career, most recently in the pursuit of my MBA.

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Paige Barrett ’09 married Brandon Degar

Kelly Froelich ’09 launched her company, Balanced

personalized, on-demand fitness plans to help keep them engaged with the life they want to live. Members can also join others for live daily Zoom classes broadcasted from the Balanced studio in NYC. With a background in technology and fitness, Kelly was training her grandparents over FaceTime during pandemic quarantines and, alongside her co-founder Katie Reed, began to see a gap in the market for fitness catered to older adults.

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Morgan Booker ’09 married Philip Gertner

Amelia Ahlborn Nechev was born on October 16, 2021. She joins her dad Yavor, mom Elizabeth (formerly known as Betsy Ahlborn) and big brother Christopher. JT Todd and wife Kourtney welcomed their second child in November 2021. Pictured are Annabelle “Annie” Ryan and big sister Isla. Katherine Phillips Bergstrom and husband Erik are expecting their first child in May!

2010

James Connell ’10 is engaged to Jen Cookingham

/ MKA / Ms. Devon Barrett, 109 Llewellyn

Road, Montclair, NJ 07042, dlb792@ aim.com / Mr. Matthew Palmisano, 2812 39th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, matt.r.palmisano@gmail.com

Congratulations to James Connell on his engagement to Jen Cookingham in Stowe, Vermont in August 2021. Congratulations to Mark Bylancik and his wife Rachel on getting

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

Mark Bylancik ’10 and his wife Rachel

married on October 25, 2021. When Marion Nammack started at Braze in 2015, she was the 19th employee. Now she is the Director of Product Management and was front and center for Braze’s IPO on November 17, 2021. Congratulations!

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Matt Wetzel ’11 is engaged to Tori Langsdorf

Congratulations to Kelsey Taylor on being included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Media 2022. She is the Senior Sports Partnerships Manager at Twitter, where she works with sports leagues and teams to up their Twitter game. Taylor’s impressive clientele includes 2020 Olympics, NBC, NBA, and most recently the WNBA, where she is an activist for female athletes and athletes of color.

2011

Stephen Bezer ’11 married Alexa Alhout

Sal Guccione ’11 and his new wife Carolyn

/ MKA / Mr. Seth Bynum, 23-43 35th Street, Long

Island City, NY 11105, seth.bynum1@ gmail.com / Ms. Carina Wong, 9 Deer

Trail Road, North Caldwell, NJ 07006, carinamwong@gmail.com

Congratulations to Matt Wetzel on his engagement to Tori Langsdorf in August 2021. MKA Alumni Council Senior VP Stephen Bezer married Alexa Alhout on July 10, 2021 in Caldwell, NJ. Gianna-Carli

and her husband Joseph welcomed their baby boy, Vincent Alexander, to the world on September 22, 2021. Congratulations to Kheri Freeman who was promoted to the role of Principal in Residence and is currently the Acting Principal at Foundation Academies Charter Bruno Dunn

Best friends from the Class of 2011 at Sal Guccione’s wedding. Pictured are Salvatore Guccione, Jonathan Weng, Kevin Goode, Amar Patel, Matthew Staples, and Michael High.

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Tri-Campus Director of Orchestras Dimitri Hadjipetkov plays in a string quartet at the wedding of former student Stephen Bezer. Pictured left to right: Power Lawrence ’12, David Bezer ’14, Mr. Hadjipetkov, Stephen Bezer and Seth Bynum.

Barrie Holtz ’11 is engaged to Zachary Edelsberg

2012

/ MKA / Ms. Casey Holden, 573 Farmdale

Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, casey. musicant@gmail.com / Mr. Ed Rosini, 32 Edgemont Road, Montclair, NJ 07042, erosini32@gmail.com

Congratulations to MKA high school sweethearts Paige Pacifico ’14 and Nick Masterson on their engagement. The two said, “Yes” to beginning their life together on August 13, 2021 in Seabrook Island, South Carolina. Congratulations to Christian Palmisano on marrying Bethany Sherwood on September 25, 2021 in West Orange. Savannah Freed ’11 married Noah Simon

School in Trenton, NJ. With this promotion, Kheri is one of the youngest principals/ administrative leaders in education in the State of New Jersey. We wish her the best of luck. Congratulations to Sal Guccione and his new wife Carolyn on tying the knot in October 2021. Savannah Freed married Noah Simon in Mexico on October 21. Congratulations to Rebecca Smith on marrying Caleb Clark in August 2021. Congratulations to Barrie Holtz on her engagement to Zachary Edelsberg.

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Rebecca Smith ’11 married Caleb Clark

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

Paige Pacifico ’14 is engaged to Nick Masterson ’12

C L AS S N OT ES

Destroy, has been officially added to the SNL writing team for this season.

2015

/ MKA / Ms. Korinne “Kori” Durando, koridurando@

gmail.com

2016

/ MKA / Ms. Zoe Bieler, zoe.bieler@gmail.com

/ Mr. Charles Rilli, crilli33@gmail.com / Lily Andres, lily.andres@gmail.com

In the summer of 2021, Rama Bikkina began med school at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Jennifer Brunner ’12 is engaged to Kyle Chartier

Congratulations to Jennifer Brunner on her engagement to Kyle Chartier! Congratulations to Max Herrmann on his marriage to Erica Sousa in November 2021.

Robert Pannullo ’13 is engaged to Nicole Batti

Alan Bond ’13 is engaged to Callie Prince

Congratulations to Alan Bond in his engagement to his girlfriend Callie Prince.

2014

/ MKA / Ms. Kassandra Fotiadis, kassandra.

fotiadis@gmail.com

Max Herrmann ’12 married Erica Sousa

2013

/ MKA / Ms. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Amato,

Liz.J.amato@gmail.com / Mr. Edward

Bozik, bozik@me.com

Congratulations to Emma Layton, who got married on June 5, 2021 at the Historic Rosemont Manor. Robert Pannullo got engaged to Nicole Batti on October 16, 2021 in Gramercy Park (NYC).

Congratulations to MKA high school sweethearts Paige Pacifico and Nick Masterson ’12 on their engagement. The two said, “Yes” to beginning their life together on August 13, 2021 in Seabrook Island, South Carolina. Hayley Morris was engaged to Scott Toresco on October 4, 2020 in Malibu, California. Congratulations to John Higgins, who made his debut on Saturday Night Live on October 9. John’s sketch writing team, Please Don’t

MKA review / Mon tc l ai r K i mb e r l e y Ac ade my

Congratulations to Izzy Mendez, who has been named the “Interim” MKA Girls’ Varsity Head Basketball Coach for the 2021-2022 season. Coach Mendez earned 11 Varsity letters during her time at MKA in field hockey, basketball, and softball and finished her career as a 2x 1st Team Super Essex Conference and 2x 1st Team NJ All-Prep player, Captain, MVP, and 1,000 point scorer in basketball for the Cougars. We are excited to have her back at MKA!

2017

/ MKA / Ms. Jenna Donatiello, jdonatiello12@

aol.com / Mr. Matthew ‘Matt’ Rubenstein, mattrubenstein98@gmail.com

2018

/ MKA / Ms. Lailanni Lucien, llucien05@gmail.

com / Mr. Keenan McAuliffe, keenan.

cavenaugh13@gmail.com / Ms. Kerri McGuire, kerrimcg11@yahoo.com

2019, who Congratulations to completed two / MKA /

Caitlin Ladda

C L ASS N OT ES

weeks at Manhattan Film Institute! She took acting for the camera and audition technique classes with industry professionals, acting in three short films and working on film crew. Her work was showcased at a film festival at the end of July has been nominated 2020 for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s

/ MKA / Shea Hammond

Social Impact Award.

MIRSADA ABDOOL RAMAN ’12 Tell us about yourself and your work. I grew up in Lodi, NJ and joined MKA in the 6th grade before attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts where I graduated with a BFA in Film and TV. In Los Angeles, I started my career at the talent agency, CAA, then moved over to Netflix. At Netflix I oversaw many US and UK television shows, but my favorites were YOU, Locke & Key, and Ginny and Georgia. In 2019, I was offered the opportunity to move to Mumbai and set up Netflix’s India division. I trained executives, bought content for the television slate, and built the team’s strategy. It was through that experience that I met Sri Rao and bonded over our mutual dream of starting a production company. Two years later, we decided to just do it. At Sri & Company, my job is two pronged; as Head of Development I am responsible for creating a strategy, building relationships with Hollywood executives and talent, and I am looking for content to develop. As an Executive Producer (the title I take on once I start working on a specific project), I oversee the project from start to finish. I develop the idea with the writer, help pitch it to network executives, and once sold, put together the rest of the creative team. I give notes on all scripts and cuts, approve casting, budgets, locations, key crew members, and visit the set. What inspires you? I grew up in a family of people who have always affected change. My grandmother traveled the world in the 60s educating other countries about women’s rights and protesting things like female infanticide, ritual sacrifice, and raising awareness of the benefits of women’s education. Both my parents work for the UN and Unicef, so I spent my childhood watching them build infrastructure to combat poverty, disease, violence, and increase education. I knew I wanted to make a difference but via my own avenue. In all our travels, the one universal thing was the effect television and movies could have on people, regardless of race, religion, or culture. I thought, if all these people could relate to characters who didn’t look like them, imagine how they would feel if they did see themselves reflected on screen.

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What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it? When I first interviewed at Netflix, I went through 10 rounds over the course of 6 months. Eventually, another candidate was chosen over me. It was extremely discouraging, and I had even said “No” to other offers because working at Netflix was my dream. Two days later, HR called me: they were impressed with how I handled the situation and asked me to interview for another role. Within 2 weeks, I had an offer. At the end of the day, handling difficult situations with patience and grace shows a lot more about your character than any interview or resume. Those impressions can lead further than you realize. What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment would have to be putting together the writers’ room for The Henna Artist. From the moment I started my career, I’d been collecting these writers - scouring agency rosters for their names, tracking down their samples, reading their work, building relationships, and waiting for the right opportunity to finally work with them. This room is almost entirely South Asian, and seeing all their faces on the first day was especially emotional because it really felt like the culmination of years and years of work. It was groundbreaking for everyone. Sri & Company’s mission is to tell the stories that center on South Asian characters and artists, with a particular focus on women and the LGBTQ community. What advice would you give to other young alumni who want to raise awareness for what they are passionate about? Find what you love doing and figure out a way to raise awareness through that. It is very easy to feel like you’re shouting into a void and burn out, especially with social media. You can make an impact through so many other ways, from food, to dance, music, fashion, sports, an app, to a business plan. The ones that stand out the most always come from a very personal place. In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken? There are so many ways MKA prepared me, but my experiences at the Upper School were essentially the beginning of my career. I was heavily involved in theater, but it wasn’t until I produced the Spring Movie in 2010 (Baker’s Dozen) that things really clicked into place. JC Svec sat me down, and we built out a roadmap for the next few years: continue producing all the plays, the next spring movie, attend NYU, move to LA, become a producer... Eleven years later, we did it and more!

MA Montclair Academy / TKS The Kimberley School / MKA Montclair Kimberley Academy

MKA is an Exceptional School

Gifts to MKA ensure the school can

Why doesn’t tuition cover the fullcost of an MKA education?

deliver our mission and guide our

MKA strives to limit tuition increases to remain

students as individual learners on their

accessible to a broad range of families. The

unique journeys to becoming ethical

annual cost of operating MKA is over $40

beings, critical thinkers, honorable

million, but tuition revenue only supplies 92

leaders, and responsible citizens.

percent of that budget. We rely on contributions

You and others provide important

to ensure that we are not dependent on tuition

resources to offer this education to a

alone. MKA’s tradition of philanthropy helps

diverse student body, help us recruit

to fund each student’s education, even those

and retain excellent faculty, and

who pay full tuition, and allows us to make

provide the very best education to

improvements to our campuses, enhancements

each of our students in a technology-

to programs, and investments in a robust

rich, entrepreneurial environment.

financial assistance program.

Why should I give to MKA?

How do I make a gift?

Scan to visit www.mka.org/qrgiving and donate today.

Those who believe in and support our mission ensure that MKA has the resources to provide the very best education to our students.

How can I learn more about making an impact with my annual gift to MKA?

How much should I give?

What is the MKA Fund?

Giving is a personal decision, but

The MKA Fund, our annual giving

we ask you to make MKA an annual

program, provides critical unrestricted

philanthropic priority and to make

support that is used immediately

Contact Jenn Baratta,

a gift today that is meaningful to

during the school year and directly

Director of Annual Giving

you. We know that everyone’s gift

supports our students and faculty.

jbaratta@mka.org

will be different, so please give

MKA Fund donors provide necessary

(973) 509-7932

what you can. We are grateful

resources to support financial

for every dollar you invest in our

aid, faculty development and

students! Last year, 94% of our

compensation, academic programs,

philanthropic support came from

diversity, equity, and belonging,

gifts over $1,000, but we also raised

student activities, the arts, and

close to $40,000 from gifts of $250

athletics. This annual fundraising

or less. Every gift matters.

effort concludes on June 30 each year.

Montclair Kimberley Academy is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity as identified by the Internal Revenue Service. Our tax ID number is 23-7365263.

MON TC L AIR K IM B E R L E Y AC ADE MY 20 1 VALLEY ROAD, M O NTCLAIR, N J 07042

Spring 2022 Review Magazine

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