Among Friends Spring 2022 by Moorestown Friends School

AMONG FRIENDS Spring 2022

Adventure on the New Playscape

Environmental Stewardship: Alumni Making a Difference

Mission Statement Moorestown Friends School is a community rooted in Quaker values and dedicated to the pursuit of educational excellence for a diverse student body within an academically rigorous and balanced program emphasizing personal, ethical, and spiritual growth. Fall 1987, revised May 2011

Contents

Spring 2022

MOORESTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057 (856) 235-2900, www.mfriends.org Published By The Development Office Editor, Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck Graphic Design Alison Judah ’86, Hypno Design Photography Julia Applegate ‘10, Mike Schlotterbeck, and alumni, student, and parent contributors Head of School Julia de la Torre Director of Development Stephen Zakroff Associate Director of Development Beth Stouffer Assistant Director of Community Outreach Julia Applegate ’10

Scenes from Intensive Learning

From the Head of School

Notes from Pages Lane

Fox Tracks

Honoring Retirees

Virtual Alumni Gatherings

Career Day Features Michael Carter ‘91

Students Find Adventure on New Playscape

Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability: Making a Difference

Class Notes

In Memoriam

Director of Annual Giving Sonia Mixter Guzman ’02 Development Office Staff Roberta Fenska and Sue Giacchetto

Moorestown Friends School admits students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, or sexual orientation. All photos are identified from left to right unless otherwise indicated.

On the Cover... Lower School students enjoy the “Onion Pod” on the new MFS Playscape.

Printed on recycled paper.

Spring 2022

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Scenes from Intensive Learning The popular tradition of Intensive Learning returned this Spring after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Middle and Upper School students visited locations near and far for service and enrichment opportunities. Upper School overnight trip locations included Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Florida, Alaska, and National Parks of the southwestern United States.

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Spring 2022

Message from the Head of School

Dear Friends, In November of this school year, I received a special text message from a Preschool teacher. He shared a photo of an enormous frog that his students had found in the rain garden that is now a central element of our newly designed Playscape. Just three weeks after opening this natural, open-ended play environment for Preschool - Fifth Grade students, the children were watching a new ecosystem emerge before their very eyes. What was once a sparsely populated playground with traditional plastic structures is now nearly an acre of green space with 2,600 new plantings, wood steppers, and play zones that invite collaborative play and direct interactions with nature. As students hop across wooden stumps into the deepest part of the rain garden, they make keen observations about the natural world and are finding the first living creatures to call the MFS Playscape home. When we envisioned this new approach to play and learning, we knew that there was a unique opportunity to not only align outdoor play with our mission and Quaker values, but invite students to learn from nature and to ask big questions about our relationship with the planet. The frog encounter was just the beginning as we continue to watch the back of campus transform with each season and take shape as an inviting outdoor learning space where children can create, grow, and learn. As Moorestown Friends School moves into the future, one of our strategic priorities is to envision a campus and curriculum that ensures all students have a healthy relationship with the planet and its limited natural resources. We hope to inspire students to be agents of change and to think entrepreneurially about how they can act in service of environmental sustainability. As a Quaker institution, we are committed to helping students understand the central role they play in conserving resources, living simply, and leading responsibly in the face of a dire environmental outlook. To advance these objectives, we look to our alumni to inspire us and to our current students to chart the path forward. In this issue of Among Friends, I am delighted to introduce you to some of our alumni who have dedicated their careers to environmental stewardship and bettering the planet. From environmental justice and city planning, to water conservation and policy initiatives, our alumni are building on the skills and guiding principles learned at MFS to make a positive impact on our local and global communities. You’ll also learn about some of the exciting new efforts driven by our students and faculty, including a new beehive on the McShap Path and campus-wide efforts to reduce waste and raise awareness about small changes that can make a big impact. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by these stories. Warmly,

Julia de la Torre Head of School

Spring 2022

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February 11

Notes from Pages Lane This section of Among Friends takes its name from Pages Lane, the road that bisected the Moorestown Friends School campus prior to the construction of Stokes Hall in 1986. The fifth grade hosted a full outdoor arcade. Students put their design skills to the test by crafting games out of cardboard and other household items.

February 9

The Fox surprised students in celebration of Water Wednesday, an initiative to encourage the use of reusable water bottles.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Middle School Diversity Club joined the Upper School Martin Luther King, Jr. Club to collaborate on art for a bulletin board, featuring portraits of black leaders in the health and wellness field.

January 26

December 17

During the month of January, teams of seventh grade science students took on the Paper Ball Run Engineering Challenge. Students were tasked with designing a “ball run” using paper and tape to facilitate a ping pong ball’s descent.

On an unseasonably warm day, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Club hosted the Soul Food Fest fundraiser after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

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December 15

December 13

Several alumni returned to campus to speak on a panel for students about Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Pictured: Calvin Bell ‘20, (Morehouse College), Director of Diversity and Inclusion (Spelman College grad) Dot López, Nneka Hillocks ‘14 (Spelman), Director of College Counseling Damian Long, Andrew Elmore ‘22 (Black Student Union Clerk), Autumn Talley ‘11 (Howard University), and Jalyn Lawrence ‘21 (Howard). Participating virtually was Jasmine Phillips ‘20 (Spelman).

Five MFS students were accepted into All-South Jersey Orchestra/ Ensembles and performed in several All-South Jersey concerts. Front: Middle School students Hanna Xia ’28 (Cello) and Katerina Terez ’27 (Violin). Standing: Upper School students Emmet Kimberly ’22 (Violin), Alexander Kwak ’23 (Cello), and Heera Dalal ’23 (Violin). Of particular note, Alex Kwak was named First Chair Cello.

December 1

November 21

Live music returned to the Auditorium! During Middle School Community Time, three Upper School musical groups performed for Middle School students during the first in-person school concert in nearly two years.

The Thanksgiving Community Food Drive “Food and Fun” Sunday featured music, games, fall treats, and community service activities for over 100 participants.

November 23

October 14

The 30th “Thanksgiving Happening” was held after a year hiatus due to the pandemic. Students, faculty, and staff gathered to create Thanksgiving gifts and crafts to deliver to South Jersey nursing homes and continuing care facilities.

Grades 2-4 students were surprised to find the library transformed into a restaurant with lots of wonderful books on the menu! They discussed the best ways to taste a book, such as looking at the text features, reading the back cover or jacket copy, taking a picture walk, or reading a few pages.

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The Athletics Department celebrated six student-athletes from the Class of 2022 who have committed to continuing their athletic careers in college:

Kendall Borbi - Palm Beach Atlantic University (Lacrosse) Ava Carlson - Dartmouth College (Field Hockey) Colin Cooper - Tufts University (Rowing) Ella Miller - Dickinson College (Golf) Bella Pescatore - Mount Saint Mary’s University (Tennis) Ava Parker - Savannah College of Art & Design (Swimming) 1 The Girls’ Tennis team captured the NJSIAA Non-Public B South championship on October 12 with a 4-1 win over Ranney School. The sectional championship is the tenth in program history. Coach Mike Bodary’s team finished the season with a record of 17-6. In September, they also won the Burlington County Open, a 13-team flighted tournament which matches players from all county schools at similar levels against each other. 2 Bella Pescatore ’22 was named the South Jersey and Burlington County Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year. This past season she finished with a match record of 35-1 and won the South Jersey Interscholastic Singles Tournament. During Bella’s career, the Foxes owned an overall team record of 60-9. She is a four-time South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association all-star and was unbeaten in four years of Friends Schools League play. She completed her scholastic career with a match record of 106-7. She will continue her tennis career at Mount Saint Mary’s University.

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3 Danya Weinstock ’22 was named Second Team All-State Non-Public by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey at a January banquet. The midfielder and two-year captain finished the season with 12 goals and 9 assists to lead the Foxes to a 10-7 record. They advanced to the Friends Schools League playoffs and NJSIAA Non-Public B South quarterfinals. He is pictured with Coach Mike Schlotterbeck.

Spring 2022

Fox Tracks

4 Foluke Balogun ’24 was named Second Team All-State – NonPublic in Girls’ Soccer by NJ.com. She finished the season with 32 goals and 5 assists to set a program record for goals in a season and led the Foxes to a 9-8 record and a berth in the Friends Schools League championship match. 5 Skye Mada ’22 finished in sixth place in Saber at the NJSIAA Individual Championships held at Morris Knolls High School on February 13. In November, she was named to the 2021 AllAcademic First Team by USA Fencing and also was selected as a Second Team High School All-American in Saber. Skye competes with Forward Fencing Academy.

Spring 2022

Two swimmers captured Friends Schools League (FSL) individual championships at the FSL championship meet on February 12 at George School: 6 Peter Xia ’22 won two individual gold medals, both in school record time: he won the 200 freestyle (1:47.56) and 100 backstroke (53.68). 7 Logan Shields ’25 won gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.81.

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Honoring Retirees

Two long-tenured employees will retire at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year:

Rose Frola Administrative Assistant to the Director of Finance and Operations Rose Frola was a stalwart in the Business Office for over two decades. She started at MFS in 1998 after serving as a long-time active parent volunteer. Her daughter Jessie graduated in 2000. Rose was the face of the Business Office, greeting visitors and callers, and providing support for the staff. As part of her role, Rose serves as transportation liaison, coordinating with bus companies and school districts to ensure MFS student and family transportation needs are properly met. She facilitates the process for state aid for transportation and textbooks, making certain that both the school and families submit all necessary paperwork to receive the appropriate state funding assistance. In addition to her core responsibilities, Rose has served on six different faculty/staff committees, including a term as Clerk of the Agenda Committee for Faculty/Staff Meeting for Worship for Business. She is proud of several of her ideas which became reality in some form, including separating Grandparents and Special Friends Days into divisional events and the Faculty/Staff Day of Service. Being a part of community life at MFS has always been a priority for Rose. She was involved in 28 MFS theater productions, serving as producer and lead costumer for many shows. Rose has helped coordinate costumes for eight May Day celebrations, with many costumes created and sewed from scratch. She has been one of the faculty/staff “MFS Stitchers,” who make blankets, baby blankets, and infant hats for retiring employees and those expecting babies. Before the pandemic, Rose was a fixture in her red and blue at MFS basketball and baseball games, and fencing matches, cheering on the Foxes. A Long Beach Island resident, Rose has a large list of activities planned for retirement, most notably writing a book for her family. She is looking forward to spending more time with her daughters and grandchildren. and their families. She also plans to volunteer with highway cleanups, and at facilities which support pediatric cancer patients and geriatric patients.

Steve Shaffer Steve Shaffer has served as an administrator and teacher at MFS for 29 years. He was appointed Middle School Director in 1993, arriving from Friends’ Central School where he had spent nine years as Director of College Guidance while also teaching Upper School English and coaching Varsity Boys’ Basketball. Before that, he spent five years at Columbus Academy (OH) as a teacher and high school baseball and basketball coach. He spent 22 years as the MFS Middle School Director and was well-known for being seen in every nook and cranny of the campus, maintaining the pulse of the Middle School and getting to know all of his students through conversation, mentorship, and fun. Many Middle Schoolers over the years wondered if there was more than one Mr. Shaffer since he often seemed to be in multiple locations at the same time. Steve also annually enjoyed teaching sixth grade English as a way to establish and maintain connections with students. In 2015, Steve returned to the classroom full time and has since taught sixth grade and eighth grade English, along with several Upper School seminar courses such as Sports Literature, Wilderness Literature, Short Stories, The Literature of War, and more. Athletics are a significant passion for Steve. While at MFS, he coached the Middle School “A” Girls’ Basketball team for seven years and also coached Middle School Boys’ “B” soccer for a number of years. Steve has plans to increase his outdoor time - traveling, hiking, skiing, scuba diving, and surfing are among the many activities he enjoys. He looks forward to volunteering and performing service in the local community, and substitute teaching. Steve and his wife Susan live in Mount Laurel and their daughter Ally ‘10 lives in Philadelphia.

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Spring 2022

Virtual Alumni Gatherings In February and March, Head of School Julia de la Torre hosted several virtual regional alumni gatherings along with a faculty/staff member and a senior. Thanks to all who participated in these events:

North Jersey/New York, February 8

Hosted by Christopher Lloyd ’05, Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck, and Roma Jha ’22. Attended by Janice Johnston ‘88, John Klauder ‘66, Julie Laskin ‘08, and Anastasia Pozdniakova ‘96.

New England Region, February 15

Hosted by Dan Zeiberg ‘14, Spanish Teacher Josie Paolello, and Ishaan Shah ’22. Attended by Sonia Ananthakrishnan ‘93, Calum Boone ‘18, David Cerra ‘03, Maurice Collins ‘54, Shelby Deibler ‘20, Aaron Klein ‘20, Kenneth Mayer ‘68, Patricia Metzer ‘59, Simona Munseeney ‘95, Miles Oglesby ‘20, Andrew Searle Pang ‘80, Kevin Schlagle ‘08, James Scott ‘54, Ian Scott ‘98, Perry Silver ‘67, Karlyn Wesley Supple ’84, and Betsey Wood ‘58.

Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Western PA, March 9

Hosted by Simone Hall Wood ‘06, Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dot López, and David Maturo ’22. Attended by Judith Berman ‘78, Gregory Billings ‘84, Deborah Ohler Bowman ‘66, Matthew Granito ’18, Judith Hartman ‘79, Tom Kennedy ‘76, Kenneth Martin ‘82, Helen Pettigrew Partridge ‘95, Surya Reddy ‘18, Mary McAllister Teale ‘58, and Bill Teale ‘58.

Southeast and Central States, March 16

Hosted by Science Teacher Matt Lubicky and Janiah McRae ‘22. Attended by Lorrie Smith Carter ‘72, William Gardiner ‘67, Debbie Miller Hull ‘63, Martin Lehfeldt ‘57, David Martinez ‘00, Jay Novick ‘68, Rebecca Roberts ‘70, and John Scattergood ‘72.

West Coast and Mountain States, March 23

Hosted by Chris Tegley ’88, English Teacher Debra Galler, and Aani Desai ’22. Attended by Naomi Alterman ‘08, Emma Baiada ‘10, David Barber ‘67, John Beyer ‘62, Ann DeCou Cranmer ‘62, Art Evans ‘58, Austin Harris ‘13, Karan Hiremath ‘12, Lisa Kastner ‘90, David Knospe ‘05, Tina DeCou Krutsky ‘63, Mansoor Movaghar ‘87, Nathan Owens ‘11, Nina Samuel ‘09, George Stephan ‘61, Cynthia Thomas ‘86, and Jackiem Wright ‘00.

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Michael Carter ’91 pictured with Alumni Association Clerk Sarah Lynn Geiger ’05 (left) and former faculty member Mary Craig, wife of late former Headmaster Alan Craig, who Michael referenced as one of his three mentors.

Michael Carter ’91 • Founder & CEO, BizEquity • Co-Author of The Mission Corporation • M.S. and B.S. St. Joseph’s University

Career Day Keynote Speaker Michael Carter ’91 Urges Students To Identify Their Purpose Founder and CEO of BizEquity, Michael Carter ’91 provided in-person keynote remarks to juniors and seniors on Career Day on February 11. His remarks took place in the middle of a virtual Career Day program which featured 17 interactive presentations by alumni and friends of the school. Michael covered three key themes as he traced his career path for students: 1) the purpose of your life/career is to figure out your purpose; 2) relationships matter immensely; and 3) you can achieve anything if you work hard enough. At the outset, he detailed learnings from his MFS education that he still uses today: • There is that of God in everyone. • Authenticity matters. • Kindness is strength. • Find your unique talents and strengths and focus on those.

LIFE HACKS SPEAKERS

Michael detailed the rise and growth of BizEquity, a leading financial tech software company created to democratize business valuation knowledge for every business in the world. BizEquity has created the largest online business valuation cloud-based software product and service and the most business valuation data on businesses in the market today. BizEquity’s patented

Erin Chen ‘16

Baltimore, MD The View from Medical School Medical student, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine B.S. Johns Hopkins University

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Ruth Geyer Jurgensen ’91 New York, NY Finding a Career that Aligns with your Values CEO, Prep for Prep M.A. Brown University B.A. Connecticut College

platform is distributed through leading financial services firms such as TD Bank, UBS, PNC, Northwestern Mutual, Equitable, Goldman Sachs, and over 750 other financial services firms and over 4,000 advisors. Michael referred to his journey to build BizEquity as one of persistence and self-belief and urged students to learn from his story. “Your career will be zigs and zags and fraught with challenges,” he said. “Can you find your focus and run with it?” He credited three mentors for his success. This included the late former MFS Headmaster Alan Craig with whom he consulted often as his career progressed. “He would say, ‘It’s all about how you feel on Sunday night,’” said Michael, referring to one’s outlook as they approached the waiting work week. Miles Frost, late founder of Frost Books, who died in 2015, was another key figure in Michael’s professional life. “Miles showed me that you could live a great life of great meaning helping others achieve their dreams and he helped me immensely,” said Michael. Finally, Michael cited the late Chairman of the Musser Group and Founder of Safeguard Scientifics Pete Musser. He worked under Musser for 15 years as Managing Director of the Musser Group. “Pete showed me that you can change lives through business,” said Michael. “He urged me to identify people’s strengths and focus on that. Business is personal.” He concluded his remarks with a fun interactive round of trivia for students which illustrated how various successful entrepreneurs and public figures have faced challenges and obstacles before achieving success. Michael lives in Haverford with his wife Meredith and their son Harrison and daughter Catherine.

Temi Obaisi ‘11

Philadelphia, PA Networking and Your Social Media Profile Product Manager, LinkedIn M.P.A. candidate, Columbia Univ. B.S. Rutgers University

Bridget Wiese

Moorestown, NJ Personal Finance Vice President, Senior Store Manager, Republic Bank

Spring 2022

CAREER DAY GUEST SPEAKERS

Sonia Ananthakrishnan ‘93 Boston, MA MEDICINE Assistant Professor & Director of Student Education, Boston University School of Medicine Endocrinologist, Boston Medical Center M.D., B.A. Northwestern University

Palav Babaria ‘99 San Francisco, CA SOCIAL CHANGE Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management, California Department of Health Care Services M.D., M.S. Yale University B.A. Harvard University

Carolyn Chelius ‘12 Philadelphia, PA NUTRITION POLICY Project Policy Analyst at the Nutrition Policy Institute M.S. Tufts University B.A. Wellesley College

Kari Myers Johnson ‘00 Bethesda, MD SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Director of The Johnson Lab, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University Ph.D. Vanderbilt University B.A. University of Pennsylvania

Katie Loane ‘12 New York, NY SOCIAL WORK Clinical Coordinator, Bowery Residents’ Committee M.S.W., B.S. Rutgers University

Melissa Morrow ‘99 Philadelphia, PA ADVERTISING Partner & Chief People Officer at Calcium B.A. Muhlenberg College

Robert Pineda ‘86 Fort Washington, PA LAW Senior Counsel, Regulatory Law Group, Johnson & Johnson J.D., B.A. Georgetown University

Spring 2022

Whitney Pennington Rodgers ‘03 New York, NY PUBLIC AFFAIRS Current Affairs Curator, TED Conferences M.J. University of California, Berkeley B.A. Rutgers University

Sanjay Bhatt ‘07 New York, NY FINANCE Partner, Consumer and Internet Sector Head, Stony Point Capital B.A. Brown University

Jennielle Jobson ‘07 New York, NY MEDICAL EDUCATION Assistant Medical Director, The Scienomics Group, Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai Ph.D. Mt. Sinai Medical College B.S. University of Pennsylvania

Brian Turner ‘98 Cherry Hill, NJ LAW Attorney, Malamut and Associates LLC J.D., B.A. Rutgers University

Sheryl Huggins Salomon ’83 New York, NY COMMUNICATIONS Chief Communications Officer, New York University, McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research M.A. Columbia University B.A. University of Pennsylvania

Julie Son Valenzuela ‘95 Queens, NY CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE Trauma Surgeon, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center M.D. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School B.S. Emory University

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Students Find Adventure and Explore Nature on New Playscape Moorestown Friends School opened a new outdoor Playscape on November 2 with the entire Lower School and fifth grade in attendance to celebrate. Head of School Julia de la Torre and Lower School Director Jenel Giles greeted students, faculty, staff, and guests, and provided an orientation, with the help of fourth grade students, to the various Playscape elements. The Playscape then officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with a special guest: the Fox mascot! The Playscape is a product of a year-long design process that included students, teachers, and families. Lower School students built 3-D models of their ideal playgrounds, adults provided their favorite memories of play from their childhoods, and teachers prioritized the types of experiences that prompt meaningful outdoor learning. The school collaborated with Studio Ludo, Metcalfe Architecture, ThinkGreen Construction, and Aegis Property Group on the project. The goal was to create a natural play space with opportunities for open-ended play that grows with students as they get older. Children wanted places to perch, hide, be upside down, climb, interact with nature, be alone, and be together. The Playscape achieves all of these things in one, multi-age, immersive natural environment. The outdoor area is referred to as a Playscape instead of a playground because it’s not just about play structures and activity. The space highlights the instructional value of landscape architecture and the desire for children to engage with and learn from nature.

All of this joyous play takes place among over 14 new trees and over 2,600 native plantings featuring 27 different species of plants that were carefully selected to offer children different experiences at different times of year. Many change colors and have seed pods, berries, flowers, buds, and a variety of leaves in different seasons that children will enjoy collecting, sorting, or building into their play experiences. We are grateful to the School Committee, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends who stepped forward to provide valuable philanthropic support for this project. Their investment will impact generations of young people as they play, grow, and learn at MFS.

On pages 14 and 15, enjoy an overhead peek at play and adventure elements found on the Playscape.

Lower School students, fifth graders, faculty, and staff gathered outside on November 2 to celebrate the official opening of the new Moorestown Friends School Playscape.

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PLAYPODS Two custom-designed playpods provide spaces where students can play, hide, and be alone or in small groups. The “onion pod” provides a treehouse effect, while the “clamshell pod” provides an underground/cave-like experience.

LOG AND NET CLIMBER, PENDULUM SWING, AND SLIDES The log and net climber allows children of different ages and abilities to engage with the structure, gain height, gather and socialize, and challenge themselves as they age. The pendulum swing invites collaborative play where students work together to get the swing to move and accelerate to new heights. The custom-built slides include both single and community slides, so students can have choice in the types of experience they want.

SIX TRADITIONAL SWINGS It’s no surprise that children love swings. Students listed swings as the number one thing they wanted on their new Playscape.

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RAIN GARDEN A Rain Garden provides students with an up-close look at plantings and the insects and butterflies it attracts. The wood steppers allow children to walk through the garden, interact with the space, and get a “forest floor” look at nature. The hill on campus presented a stormwater management challenge. The Rain Garden is designed to collect rainwater from different zones on the Playscape and from up campus, routing it to this central space that will feed native plantings.

Spring 2022

PARKOUR SET, MONKEY BARS, AND HAMMOCK This area invites physical challenge and builds upper body strength and is complemented by monkey bars, which were found to be a favorite of students during the design process. Students also requested places where they could socialize and be in small groups. The hammock invites students to spend time alone or in conversation with others. It also serves as another swinging element.

SAND BOX Students love building things and many requested a sand feature. A large, inviting sandbox incorporates natural log elements for multi-dimensional play.

FIELD SPACE Older students were eager for a field space where they could play ball games, tag, and team sports. The field invites group play and incorporates green space where there was none before on the playground.

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Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability: Making a Difference

Responsible stewardship of our planet has long been a resonant theme at Moorestown Friends School. On the following pages, you’ll read about alumni who practice and foster responsible stewardship of the environment as part of their livelihoods. They’ve followed a diverse mix of career paths and provide thoughts about how we all can be more responsible stewards of our planet Earth. What’s Happening Today at MFS Students and faculty engage in environmental stewardship at MFS through activities both inside and outside of the classroom. Environmental stewardship is one of the main areas of focus in the school’s new Strategic Plan. Through numerous initiatives, the vision is for the school campus and programs to clearly communicate a commitment to sustainability and for students to be actively engaged at all grade levels in stewarding a healthy relationship with our planet and its resources.

Current Coursework Topics related to environmental stewardship rise to the surface in many different subject areas, but are most notable within the Science Department. Stewardship and sustainability themes are woven into the curriculum at all levels, but become quite sophisticated as students get older. In the Upper School, several courses tackle these issues head on. Science Teacher Matt Lubicky leads several semester-long courses, including Botany, Nutrition, and Oceanography. In a course such as Oceanography, it is inevitable that climate change is discussed as students learn and discuss the atmosphere and the oceans. “It gives students a barebones overview of climate change science,” said Mr. Lubicky. The same holds true in a course like Nutrition. “You can’t get around talking about what goes into your body without talking about where that stuff comes from, which leads to discussion about corporate agriculture,” said Mr. Lubicky. The Nutrition class also includes a unit on ethical issues in nutrition. “Everybody comes with opinions. I see it as my job to lay out with clarity the science behind what we teach,” reflected Mr. Lubicky. Lower School Science Teacher Becca Dawson weaves environmental stewardship into many lessons. Fourth graders discuss and model how human actions can disturb the equilibrium of ecosystems with devastating effects for the plants and animals. First graders explore the importance of wetlands habitats and build models demonstrating the consequences of building and other human-initiated changes affecting the functions of our wetlands.

Environmental Stewardship: What’s Happening at MFS 16

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Outside the Classroom Several student and faculty/staff committees help keep environmental stewardship on the school community’s radar beyond the classroom. The Upper School student-led Environmental Committee is currently leading several initiatives. “We are exploring how to properly compost food waste from the Dining Hall,” said Co-Clerk Aidan Short ’23. Other key projects this school year include planning for a Lower School Environmental Day, and continued management of an active beehive. The beehive project was originally launched in 2019, aided by a Friends Council on Education grant on which now-graduates Rachel Liu ’20 and Esha Nittoor ’20 did all the grant writing and planning in collaboration with advisor and Science Teacher Drew Newman. The committee is also actively involved in collaborative discussions surrounding environmental and sustainability issues with students from Friends Select, Germantown Friends, and William Penn Charter. The Middle School Environmental Club has been sewing small cases for reusable utensils and has also made homemade gifts such as salt scrubs, coconut body oil, and organic lip balm. They also visited the MFS Thrift Store to explore the many items people can purchase second hand. The Faculty/Staff Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) has been very active in promoting sustainable practices on campus. Formed three years ago, the committee has been a galvanizing force with students and faculty in promoting sustainable practices around campus, with specific emphasis on the Dining Hall. “We’ve tried to create ways for people to think about their choices and to provide more choices that are environmentally friendly and sustainable,” said ESC Co-Clerk and Coding Teacher Rachel Kaplan. The committee worked with the Business Office and Sage Dining to reduce the amount of plastic and paper packaging, which has been a delicate balance as the pandemic subsides. They set up bins around campus for people to deposit dishware after eating rather than using disposable products. “Tackling this issue has allowed us to increase people’s awareness of being environmental stewards,” said Preschool Assistant and ESC Co-Clerk Pauline Williams. The group has led many other initiatives throughout the school with the most popular being Water Wednesdays and Trashless Tuesdays. Last year, a sticker design contest was held to promote Water Wednesdays, which encourage all students, faculty, and staff to drink from reusable water bottles. On Trashless Tuesdays, community members are challenged to bring a lunch that does not accumulate trash via wrappers, plastic containers, etc. The committee also recently organized an on-campus eWaste Collection and is involved in planning for Lower School Environmental Day this Spring.

Upper left: Seventh grade students recently presented their project findings on a wide variety of environmentally related topics to fellow students, faculty, and staff at a Climate Change Expo. Upper right: The Upper School Environmental Committee manages an active beehive on campus. Above: Water Wednesday encourages all students, faculty, and staff to use reusable bottles.

Needless to say, there are many current students who are passionate about our environment who will follow in the footsteps of the alumni you will read about on the following pages.

Environmental Stewardship: What’s Happening at MFS

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Laura Duffy diving in the Channel Islands’ kelp forests, off the coast of Southern California

Laura Duffy ’05 San Francisco, CA

• Marine Ecologist and Wildlife Biologist, AECOM

Your work in your own words… Anytime a project gets public funding, it has to abide by certain environmental laws (think, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, etc.). My work for both AECOM and Saltwater involves advising clients on the laws that apply to their work, coordinating with local, state, tribal, and federal agencies, as well as doing some of the applied science to gather necessary data for regulatory compliance. At Saltwater, Inc., I’m working directly with federal clients as a policy advisor for sustainable offshore program development in U.S. marine waters. In AECOM’s Natural Resources Department, I work with engineers during the design phase of large infrastructure projects such as bridges, power lines, or highways to minimize potential environmental impacts, advise on new sustainable ideas, and survey ahead of or alongside construction crews for sensitive habitat, protected resources, and other environmental monitoring. I love being at the crossroads between science and policy, and I love being a liaison between conservation and development. Living and working in an urban area (including urbanized waters), it is important to understand how the natural ecosystems interact with business and industry ecosystems. The job brings a lot of variety with it - subject matter and people! I get to work directly with other scientists, economists, fishermen, construction workers, urban planners… Of course, the most exciting part is being out in the wild and getting to interact with the animals. Some days I’m on a boat monitoring marine mammal activity near a busy port, diving to monitor underwater

• National Environmental Resources Act (NEPA) Specialist, Saltwater, Inc. • M.Sc. in Marine Biology, San Francisco State University • B.S. in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, College of Charleston restoration projects, hiking through cattle-grazing lands looking for evidence of endangered species of salamander, bats, and eagle nests. On the not-so-glamorous days I am literally the person stepping in front of a bulldozer to save a frog from getting squished, making sure diesel doesn’t leak into a stream, or surveying the destruction after a natural disaster. There are plenty of days spent in front of a computer, too, but we can all imagine what that is like…

“MFS’s attention to diversity and peer mediation set the stage in my mind to be curious and respectful of others’ ideas.” How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? From a very young age I spent as much time outside as possible. I knew that no matter what I did for work, I wanted it to be outside and with a physical element to it. I definitely attribute my love of outdoor adventures to my dad. We spent

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sees me move a spider instead of killing it and all of a sudden wants to take a closer look and ask questions about it; when a client slows down to review information in more detail because I’ve gotten excited about it.

Laura Duffy removing wildlife (in this case, a California chorus frog) from a construction site in Ohlone Wilderness, east of San Francisco Bay endless hours wandering along streams, beaches, in forests and oceans - sometimes collecting interesting items, but also finding satisfaction in just observing the world and animal behavior. I attribute my discipline for stewardship to my mom (late Fourth Grade Teacher Margaret McKee). She was ahead of her time in her attention to non-plastic products, eating locally and seasonally, and always had a great respect for all people, animals, and cultures. What are some specific ways that current students can prepare for careers/lives that foster environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. (1) Get out there and start volunteering early, and in many different types of activities. It’s not only a resume booster, but stewardship and sustainable practices come, in part, from experiences outside “your bubble” and viewing others’ perspectives. (2) I can hear my mom’s voice saying, “READ!” Read about current events, listen to podcasts. There are many people sharing creative ideas on how to improve our planet, and the fun thing is, not all of it is innovative - some of the best sustainable practices have been in play for thousands of years, but now our access to information has never been easier. You never know where your next inspiration, research idea, or new research partner may arise. (3) Lead by example. Some people don’t want a lecture on recycling or why spiders are awesome (believe me, I’ve found this out by experience). However, there have been some really cool moments when people who see me picking up trash while walking my dog join in to help; when a friend’s kid

What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Renewable energy and food security are the top two issues that I am involved with these days. In the U.S. and other countries, we’re moving from oil to wind, solar, and other energy sources. We’re moving from overfishing to exploring aquaculture, from massive meat to more grain and plant-based diets. The reality is, though, that the newer industries have their environmental impacts, too. The good thing, now, is that new industries have to keep stewardship (e.g, attention to environmental and community impacts) and sustainability (e.g, attention to production scales) in mind, whereas in the past they were more focused on exploration and exploitation. Impact analyses happen not only because they are required by law, but also because of the strong attention and support from the public to do so. It is important that individuals demand responsibility from their governments to oversee sustainable development. Individuals can also demand responsibility from the companies driving these industries by voting with their dollars. Social media is a simple, but super effective way for individuals to get the message out there, gain support, and to explore others’ messaging around these topics. Reflecting on MFS… MFS provided a great education based on science, and solid ground to develop confidence and enthusiasm for what and who I wanted to be. MFS’s attention to diversity and peer mediation set the stage in my mind to be curious and respectful of others’ ideas. Relating to others, whether or not we agree on a subject, has helped me to extract information at times and has helped immensely when things get tense. MFS’s range of electives and extracurricular activities set the stage for teamwork and to explore my range of abilities through life. Last, a quote I heard recently goes, ‘movement is exercise for the body; stillness is exercise for the mind.’ Learning the value of meditation, mindfulness, and situational awareness during Meeting for Worship has definitely been one of the most important life skills I have taken with me by far. Community at MFS was really influential. The students, teachers, coaches came from all walks of life. We lived in many different towns and cities across South Jersey. Coming together at school wasn’t always all “kumbaya;” but if nothing else, we were all forced to come together during a school day, experience that day and school system together - we all recognized one another as participants, serving a role. And we all, for the most part, did it with respect. Respect was taught with intention. We can, of course, extrapolate that out to a workplace, our country, international travel, and to all ecosystems on our planet.

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Dan Brooks ’05

• Senior Planner, Austin Transportation Department

Austin, TX

• M.C.R.P. (Master of City and Regional Planning), Rutgers University

Your work in your own words… I work in the long-range planning group, and our goal is to develop the different transportation systems (our sidewalk system, roadway system, etc.) to work together to support the creation, maintenance, and expansion of Austin’s transportation network. This means each day or week might have a different focus, from working with neighborhood groups to understand how they want and need to move around their community to overseeing large planning processes that help oversee the location and type of major infrastructure, like bike lanes or urban trails.

• B.A., University of Rochester

A lot of people are very skeptical of the government, but it is incredibly rewarding to have a conversation with someone and explain the city processes and thought processes that lead to decisions. It feels good when someone, especially someone who is skeptical of your intentions, realizes that there is a method and reason why the city government does what it does. What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Transportation is a major producer of greenhouse gases; in Austin it comprises over a third of our emissions. That percentage is growing as our city grows rapidly and housing is pushed away from employment centers. People sit in traffic trying to get to the same place at the same time as others. Transportation electrification is an important step towards helping limit these emissions, and the City of Austin is doing a lot of work to build out electric vehicle infrastructure across the city to facilitate this conversion equitably and efficiently.

Reflecting on MFS… MFS taught me a lot of foundational skills that have helped me grow personally and professionally. I frequently rely on my ability to think critically and my ability to convey ideas clearly through both writing and discussion. Being respectful, considerate, and empathetic of others is also critical in my position. At times transportation planning is a zero sum game: a roadway in an established neighborhood may not have room

“I think of my transportation footprint a lot like my vote. On its own one vote or a single person’s commute is unlikely to make a difference, but as each single decision adds up it can have a real impact.” for everything neighbors want from their street (for example, a full sized sidewalk, parking, a bike lane, etc). How one’s neighborhood grows and develops is deeply personal to people, so being able to work with people who have different goals requires a lot of understanding, patience, and communication skills.

Electrifying our cars is just one step of many that is needed. In Austin we’ve found that a majority of trips are fewer than three miles in length, so we do a lot of work to figure out we can help modify behaviors so these trips don’t have to be made in a vehicle. This includes things like subsidies for electric bikes and a current expansion of a public transportation system. How can people be environmental stewards in their everyday lives? Not everyone has the ability to make choices in how they commute to work or travel to the store. You might live right next to a supermarket you can walk to or you may live in a house on a rural road that is only accessible by car. But for others, thinking critically about how we move around and interact with the world, such as using Amazon prime every day to have only one item delivered at a time, can make a big difference. I think of my transportation footprint a lot like my vote. On its own one vote or a single person’s commute is unlikely to make a difference, but as each single decision adds up it can have a real impact.

Dan Brooks at a recent a public event to identify and discuss the City of Austin’s long-range transportation plan goals.

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• Co-Owner, Free Haven Farms, Lawnside, NJ • Adjunct Professor, Rowan University (Environmental Sciences) and West Chester University (Earth and Space Sciences) • Ph.D. in Geochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology • B.S. in Chemistry, Howard University more of an educational farm rather than a commercial farm that just grows food. So with my background as an educator, it made sense for us to get into teaching food education. We now work with a few Philadelphia schools to develop gardens and grow food and run after-school programs. We want to expose more children to growing food in urban communities. We will be running summer camps here at Free Haven for four weeks for kids ages 5-12.

Cynthia Hall ’97 Cherry Hill, NJ After earning your Ph.D., you worked as a professor at West Chester University for 12 years. How did you become involved in your research on soil testing and the mitigation of lead exposure? It really started in my backyard in Philly. I got the job at West Chester and my family moved from Atlanta to Philly and we started to grow food. My department had just gotten a new instrument which allowed you to test for heavy metals. I decided to test in our backyard and I found lead in our soil where our kids were playing and we were growing our vegetables. That moment literally turned my career and research focus. My husband (Micaiah) got really into growing food. That connected me with the urban agriculture community in Philly. The research I did tied in with many of the local urban farms and personal gardens. I began to explore how soil contamination was affecting urban farms and growing spaces. Describe the history and evolution of Free Haven Farms. We lived in Philly for seven years and my husband was working on an urban farm and it got to the point where we wanted to buy a house and he really wanted more land to start his own farm. It was like serendipity. The stars just aligned. When we were looking to buy a house, a property became available in Lawnside, which is my hometown. My family has been there for four generations. We ended up buying this one-acre property and starting our farm.

How was your passion for sustainable practices/ environmental stewardship stoked and were there any moments/experiences that perhaps had an impact on you? To be honest, it started at MFS. I started in sixth grade and remember immediately being exposed to recycling and stewardship in general. In Upper School, we discussed environmental issues and how they related to world problems and I specifically remember writing a paper on deforestation. That was the first time I really understood what it was.

“People can make better choices about where they buy their food, and we’re doing better in this area as a country.” What are some of the leading ways that people can be environmental stewards in their everyday lives? As human beings, we’re all interested in food. We eat every day. The choices that we make around food are very important and have a real impact on the environment. The saying goes that “you vote with your dollar.” Choosing to buy local food and supporting our local farmers has such an impact, of course on the local economy, but also on the environment when you think about the fossil fuels needing to transport foods. People can make better choices about where they buy their food, and we’re doing better in this area as a country.

Free Haven Farms has definitely evolved. We started the farm to grow food for Lawnside and other communities, especially to provide access for people in Camden and Philadelphia. But while we were doing our business with farmer’s markets and direct sales, we saw the need for education. So we turned into

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Cory Colijn ’06 Philadelphia, PA and Little Compton, RI Your work in your own words… My main responsibility is conceiving and implementing our long-term strategy. This involves both integrating energy policy into the top priorities of the University and also connecting Penn’s academic research with real policy outcomes that further the energy transition in an equitable and sustainable way. In practice, I manage the center’s staff, oversee our operations, steward donors, recruit new faculty, and am responsible for our multi-million-dollar annual budget. The debates in energy policy are so complex and change so quickly, which makes it impossible to get bored with the subject matter. Plus, working at a place like Penn means that I’m constantly challenged by people who are a lot smarter than I am. Combined, those two things mean I’m constantly learning, and that keeps things exciting. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? I grew up in a very small and sleepy town in a protected area of the Pine Barrens, a little over an hour away from Moorestown. As a kid, if I wasn’t in school, I was outside with my friends getting into all kinds of trouble. I think we may have been the last generation to really have free rein to explore a place like that. The influence all that time in nature had on my career choice is undeniable. But I think ultimately, it was gentle encouragement from my mother. She always believed I could “do” science and was herself an environmentalist before it was trendy. She saw the prospects for a young woman in this field and really helped me see my own potential.

• Executive Director at Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania • B.A. in Environmental Studies and M.S. in Applied Geoscience (M.S.A.G.), University of Pennsylvania Reflecting on MFS… Moorestown Friends taught me how to think. I was challenged by teachers, mentors, and maybe most importantly by my classmates, in a way that really allowed me to find my voice and become a confident student. Looking at the path my career has taken, it’s helpful to break it down into pieces. Environmentalism, at its core, is a matter of equity and justice. And policy work is about building coalitions to further smart, sustainable public outcomes. When I think about my time at MFS, practicing values like fairness and skills like consensus-building certainly come to mind. I also learned that when you’re in a position of privilege, it’s your responsibility to act on your principles and apply your skills in service of making the world a better place. I remember two trips that I took while at MFS. One was a service trip to Heifer International at a ranch they owned in California and the other was to a program run by the state of New Jersey

“Environmentalism, at its core, is a matter of equity and justice.” called Anytown. At the core, both trips opened my young eyes to issues related to the environment and social justice. I learned so much. But I’m mostly grateful to the friends I made on these trips, many who continue to inspire me to be better and to do more.

What are some of the leading ways that people can be environmental stewards in their everyday lives? Nearly 85% of anthropogenic climate change was caused by greenhouse gas emissions related to the production, transmission, and consumption of fossil fuels in our energy sector. So, to care about the environment is to care about the decarbonization of our energy system. From the perspective of policy choices, the biggest decision we face is how to implement an adequate and appropriate price on carbon. As an individual with everyday choices, simply use less. There are lots of ways to continue to consume in a more efficient or “green” way. But ultimately, we need to break the consumption cycle and just use less. In practice it means choosing to walk, bike, or take public transit when possible. It means eating less meat. It means turning off the lights. When you do need to consume, it means doing so smartly.

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• Student, Johns Hopkins University • Major: Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Dr. Mosher and Math Teacher Mr. Omilian helped me find my passion for engineering the most. Watching their passion for teaching physics, calculus, and robotics demonstrated the lifetime love for STEM I hope to maintain.

Lauren Phillips ’21 Baltimore, MD Your coursework in your own words… I am a mechanical engineering major at Johns Hopkins University. I began as an undecided engineering major; this allowed me to explore the various engineering disciplines and make the best decision for my future career. Being a Mechanical Engineering major at Hopkins requires a depth of knowledge in Physics and Calculus, and the ability to apply those concepts to software languages and hardware design programs. The first semester, my favorite courses were Mechanics I and the Sustainable Energy Systems seminar. Mechanics allowed me to practice a higher level of kinematics and kinetics. Sustainable Energy Systems was useful in understanding the systems currently used to create clean energy and their advantages. After graduation I hope to work on a small team utilizing sustainable methods to design and develop everyday products. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? I’ve had a lifelong interest in environmental issues, but the earliest I can remember is creating a pamphlet about light pollution after not being able to see many stars in elementary school. In high school, I realized I was most interested in engineering energy systems which led me to research what impact manufacturing has on the planet. After understanding the magnitude of the environmental issues attributed to the system of manufacturing, I know sustainable development is the best way for me to pursue my career. In my senior year at MFS, I completed my Capstone Project on water runoff and flooding on campus. I also researched water conservation and efficient rainwater methods for my project. I aimed to improve sustainability within MFS and create a cleaner environment for community members. Reflecting on MFS… There were many MFS teachers and courses that created a significant impact on my path to engineering. Science

Dr. Mosher gave every student exceptional support in Learning Fundamental Physics and Physics 2. Her interactive and collaborative approach to physics gave me the skills to thoroughly understand my current college physics and mechanics courses. Dr. Mosher was also an excellent Capstone Project advisor who gave me the connections and advice to complete a successful rainwater gauge system. Using PVC pipe, waterproof tape, and stakes, I was able to construct affordable rain gauges to catch rainfall throughout campus. Dr. Mosher aided me in monitoring the stability of the gauges during rainfall and deciding the best places to efficiently monitor rainfall. Mr. Omilian is a large part of the reason I chose to become a mechanical engineer. As a student in Mr. Omilian’s electronics and robotics team courses, I saw him generously support students’ interests in the engineering process and provide a bounty of knowledge in robot development and competition. Mr. Omilian, in both his calculus and engineering courses, creates a safe and encouraging space for all students, regardless of initial skill level, to pursue their interests and education. Lastly, Mr. Omilian is such a positive and reliably kind teacher, who makes everyone smile.

“Watching MFS faculty’s passion for teaching physics, calculus, and robotics demonstrated the lifetime love for STEM I hope to maintain.” Moorestown Friends has given me a great academic foundation going into college through a rigorous curriculum. Although I was most drawn to engineering, my other teachers taught me life skills and academic subjects that benefitted me in my overall personal growth. History Department Chair Mr. Thomson taught me to never stop having fun in my passions; Math Department Chair Ms. LuBrant taught me compassion; Math Teacher Mr. Ottman taught me how to apply what I learn to everyday life and appreciate math. The humanities courses have given me sufficient experience in Harkness discussions to contribute to class discussions, in addition to the historical background to understand current events and policies. MFS has taught me lifelong lessons in valuing community and practicing stillness and self-reflection.

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• Director of Sustainability, Daily Harvest • M.E.M. (Master of Environmental Management), Yale School of the Environment • B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience and Women’s Studies, Colgate University

Rebecca Gildiner ’05 Brooklyn, NY

Your work in your own words… I oversee sustainability at Daily Harvest, a frozen plant-based meal delivery service, which means developing strategy, programs, and measurement systems to manage our business’ social and environmental impacts. Internally, because sustainability touches every department, my day-to-day involves collaborating with other teams to build sustainability into their workstreams and measure our impacts based on our targets. Externally, I work with non-profit organizations and other partners to build programs that meet our shared goals for changing the food system. The best part of my work is talking to and learning from farmers. The people who grow our food do some of the most difficult, important, and underappreciated work there is. Our food system is in deep need of repair and it all starts in the soil with farmers, so getting to the farm to understand their challenges, their strategies, their knowledge, and their own values is crucial to building an effective sustainable agriculture program as a business. I’m also a big nerd for agriculture so for me, seeing food grow and learning about soil is exceptionally fun! What are some of the leading ways that people can be environmental stewards in their everyday lives? The most important thing that we can all do is shift our worldview. As humans in the 21st century, we are exceptionally disconnected from the source of everything we interact with on a daily basis. It’s very difficult to create behavior change without that appreciation and cognizance of the natural resources and human labor that give us everything from tables to olive oil to even plastic shampoo bottles. We must shift the way we look at everything we have - it’s the only way we can recognize the importance of taking in balance, a difficult concept for capitalism to embrace. I recommend everyone read the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer as an entryway into the indigenous worldviews to which we must return to secure humanity’s future on this planet - it truly all starts there.

What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? As a food person, I’d be remiss not to remind us that our food has a tremendous impact on the environment, and we’ve come to accept extremely damaging practices as necessary and the norm. For example only 1% of US farmland is organic. While organic food has been given a reputation for being too expensive and not meaningful, the chemicals used to grow food in our country have been accepted as necessary to feed a growing world, while they poison our waters, our soil, our air, our farmworkers, and our bodies. We must start to take a systems approach to environmental problems - we don’t need chemicals to feed us, but for organic to be the norm we do need to reprioritize where our government and personal dollars go, reexamine what research we invest in, waste less food, and think about the costs we’re already taking on to manage the impacts of those chemicals. So if you can afford to, buy more organic food, eat mostly plants and make them diverse, and vote for lawmakers who are advocating for sustainable agriculture! Reflecting on MFS… I had the privilege of transferring to MFS in the middle of high school at a time when I needed a new start. Being at MFS helped me find my light, my confidence, my creativity, and love of learning again. It allowed me to immerse myself in the intellectual reward of classes rather than the competitive metrics I had formerly been taught to value. I’ll never forget the radical coursework I was exposed to, the ways I was asked to think critically, the experiential learning opportunities that were open to me, and the new dimensions of myself I was encouraged to explore. MFS saved me at a time when I was losing my spark for learning and my self-confidence, and I don’t know where I’d be today if I hadn’t made my way there. I’ve been a vegetarian for 19 years, a decision that I believe was the first spark in my journey in a career in sustainable food, and that all began with a service learning trip with MFS when I was 16. I joined a Spring Break trip to the Heifer International farm in Arkansas, where I was part of a working farm and engaged in challenging discussions around the ethics of our food system. It was also a week where, as a new student, I formed deeper relationships with my classmates, some of which would last to this day. This experiential learning opportunity that MFS provided was a pivotal moment that I still reference to this day, as it awoke in me a set of values I was developing as a teenager around my compassion for animals and respect for where our food comes from.

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• Aquatic Biologist, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection • M.E.M. in Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University • B.A. in Biological Sciences, Connecticut College What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Environmental justice is one of the most important issues that we face today. From local to global scales, people have been excluded from the development and implementation of environmental laws in their own communities based on their race, nationality, or income. Working towards equity in environmental decision-making will help create healthier communities and empower people to be stewards of the ecosystems around them.

Rebecca Cope ’07 Philadelphia, PA Your work in your own words… My role at the Department of Environmental Protection is to assess the health of streams, rivers, and lakes in support of the Clean Water Program, which regulates pollution in the state’s waterways. My work varies each day depending on whether I am in the field, in the lab, or in the office. Field work might include collecting water samples or macroinvertebrates from streams, which I then bring back to the lab to analyze. When I’m in the office, I am usually writing reports based on the data I collected or using geospatial analysis to gather information about our region’s watersheds.

In light of current events, I would also like to highlight another environmental issue: war. In addition to the terrible human toll, it also wastes immense amounts of resources, destroys ecosystems, and releases toxic pollution that can take decades to clean up. It threatens energy sources and burns fossil fuels. It spreads fear and hopelessness and diverts our energy away from important work in our communities. As members of the Quaker community, I think it is important to recognize that work towards peace is also work towards environmental justice and a healthy planet.

The most rewarding part of my work is that I get to do science that affects environmental policy in the real world. I love that I can see the progression of my work - from the data we collect in the field, to the analysis, to the changing of a permit or policy - all in real-time. Electrofishing for invasive species, learning to trailer a boat, or spending the day wading in a stream are also pretty exciting.

“Being raised in the Quaker faith and attending Friends School helped foster my passion for science and strengthened my sense of responsibility to my community.”

How was your passion for sustainable practices/ environmental stewardship stoked and were there any moments/experiences that perhaps had an impact on you? My passion for environmental stewardship began when I was a kid growing up on a farm in South Jersey and spending a lot of time exploring nature. Being raised in the Quaker faith and attending Friends School helped foster my passion for science and strengthened my sense of responsibility to my community. Over the course of my undergraduate and graduate education, I had the privilege of conducting field work in amazing places – from banding seabirds in Dry Tortugas National Park to trawling for sea turtles off the coast of South Carolina. My love for adventure and science took me to many spectacular places, but I was happy to eventually come back home and work on the environmental issues facing my community.

Reflecting on MFS… The most important skill I learned at MFS is effective writing. The emphasis on writing throughout the curriculum definitely gave me an advantage in academics and in my career. Community service projects and volunteer opportunities also played a big role in directing my career and life choices. While I know my impact is tiny, I take pride in being a public servant and working towards a healthier environment for my community. One of my favorite experiences at MFS was our service week trip to the Florida Everglades organized by (former Science Department Chair) Dr. Barb Kreider. While it was fun to stay in a hostel with my friends, explore the marshes, and become one with the Florida panther, I also managed to learn a lot. In addition to volunteering in the National Park, we had an eyeopening experience spending the day with migrant farmers in Homestead. This was one of my first exposures to the issue of environmental justice and it has always stuck with me.

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• Applied Ecologist/Environmental Associate, ExxonMobil • Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Northern Arizona University • B.S. in Animal Behavior and Ethology, Franklin & Marshall College

Ben Jaffe ’99 Clinton, NJ Your work in your own words… As an applied ecologist, I try to integrate principles of ecology and environmental science into the company’s sites and operations. My background is in terrestrial ecology, so I support the company on a wide array of plant, animal, and land management issues. On any given day, I can be trying to figure out what native plant species to plant at a site and how to plant them, how to accurately measure biodiversity in really remote areas of the world, or researching how plants can be used to clean-up contaminated material. I also get to steer a lot of different research programs on applying ecological restoration on our sites. I get to work with a wide range of communities from around the U.S. and the world. Getting to know people, being invited into their communities, while working side by side with them has been really humbling, and rewarding. Working to identify science-based opportunities, successfully putting them into action, and having everyone invested in their success is one of the most exciting parts of my job. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? My passion for environmental stewardship stems from thinking about the real world application of my Ph.D. work. The gist of the research was assessing the environmental impact of a specific species of fern. This plant takes arsenic out of the soil and stores it in really high concentrations in its fronds (leaves). Why would a plant take arsenic out of the ground? What was the impact this function had on mobilizing arsenic into the surrounding environment on local biodiversity? Interestingly, people wanted to use this plant as a “green” way to clean up soil; Was that even a good idea? There were so many interesting aspects to this system that I think this project really ignited my passion for trying to understand how our actions impact the environment and finding tractable ways to minimize that impact.

What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? I think that one of the most defining questions of our generation is how we, as a society, continue to grow without jeopardizing quality of life or the environment. In the energy sector, this question revolves around how to supply affordable and reliable energy while also minimizing environmental impacts. In agriculture, this question could be how to grow enough food to feed people while minimizing the amount of pesticides needed. Inherently, there are trade-offs to every choice we make, and so what information do we need to make informed choices? It is easy to go down a rabbit hole of important environmental issues, and these issues could be very different depending on where you live in the world. One thing that is universal is the need for broad expertise. Environmental stewardship needs people trained in agriculture, architecture, art, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering, forestry, law, social sciences, amongst others.

“One of the most defining questions of our generation is how we, as a society, continue to grow without jeopardizing quality of life or the environment.” How has your Moorestown Friends education served you in your career and life? I look back fondly on my time at MFS. I don’t know if it is the Quaker philosophy, or the small class sizes, but the MFS community radiates empathy. These days, empathy is needed more than ever. Perhaps more than any individual class, just being able to be a part of the MFS community and being able to grow in safe space, was the most impactful aspect of my MFS education. I have ended up adapting the principles that underpin Meeting for Worship into my life. Every week, I block time to reflect on the week past, what I can do better, and what my goals are for the upcoming week. It’s apparent that this philosophy evolved from my time during Meeting for Worship at MFS, and I am thankful to have had that experience.

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• Environmental Scientist/Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Currently in Doctorate of Public Policy Program at University of Nevada, Las Vegas • M.S. in Environmental Science, Drexel University What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Climate change is obviously the leading concern today. Reducing our use of fossil fuels is the number one issue which needs to be completed by 2050. As a society we should aspire to have zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2040 because it takes about 10 years for the impacts of GHG emissions to dissipate. The second issue I see is environmental degradation of our communities, natural lands, and waterways. Urban environments and pollution are contributing to health concerns like asthma and an increase in cancer rates. Additionally, almost every major river in the U.S. has issues with pollution from hazardous waste and chemicals, from industrial waste, fertilizers and pesticides, and over nitrification from agriculture.

Joe Bundens ’01 Henderson, NV Your work in your own words… I currently work for the U.S. EPA in Las Vegas as part of the Environmental Response Team (ERT) where we assist regional offices across the country with project support for superfund cleanups. We also conduct responses to emergencies including the wildfires in California and hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Prior to that I worked as an EPA contractor with Weston Solutions in Edison, NJ, where I led hazardous assessment and removal of contaminated soil and groundwater.

Reflecting on MFS… MFS was where I took my first Environmental Science class and this sparked my interest during my junior and senior years. I am also thankful I was introduced to Wesley College’s environmental science program. My favorite MFS memory was playing catcher on the varsity baseball team led by Coach Ron Obermeier.

It’s exciting that I get to work in the field that I enjoy and the position I looked towards during my educational and professional career. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? During my master’s program at Drexel University I took several courses in environmental justice and environmental policy. This led me to pursue environmental policy during my career and fueled my passion to consider creating sustainable policies in the future. As long as you have the passion and enjoy the subject, these are the real keys to success. This has pushed me far through my education and career, even during times when things were difficult and work gets tough. Environmental science or engineering are important degrees. However, environmental policy is equally as important to translate the knowledge into legislation and action.

Environmental Stewardship: Alumni Making a Difference

Spring 2022

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• Head of Commercial & Utility Battery Storage Sales for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Tesla • B.A. in Economics, minor in Environmental Studies, University of California, Los Angeles economics class, which led me to realize that working in the field of energy was where I could likely have the most impact on the environment, and at addressing climate change in particular.

Sarah Van Cleve ’07 Amsterdam, Netherlands Your work in your own words… My role is to lead the Tesla team that’s developing the market for large-scale battery storage systems to support the electric grid in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Our focus spans from ensuring that appropriate policies are in place to value battery storage on the electric grid, to working with potential customers to develop the right size and applications of battery storage systems, all the way through signing contracts for the sale of the battery storage systems. The most rewarding part of our work at Tesla is definitely knowing that what we’re doing is accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Every Tesla employee is very motivated by this common mission, and I do think that Tesla is spearheading technologies that will be the standard in a decade. On my scope of work specifically, it’s quite exciting to sign firstof-their-kind battery storage deals, whether that’s the first utility battery system in a new country, biggest battery system in a country, or first of-its-kind application of battery storage - each of these projects feels like an important step towards further decarbonizing electricity. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? There wasn’t a single moment in which I decided I wanted to do work related to the environment but rather many moments over many years. I was privileged to get to do a lot of snowboarding and scuba diving as a teenager which made me appreciate the outdoors. I was part of the Outdoors Club at MFS where (former Science Teacher) Mr. Blatherwick would take us on walks to discover the interesting nature that you can find even just around school. That and (former Science Department Chair) Dr. Kreider inspired me to take three science classes my senior year at MFS, including Environmental Science, which gave me an introduction to environmental science as a real field. That led me to take a year-long environmental science series during my first year at UCLA, which turned the subject into my minor. And perhaps my favorite class at UCLA was an environmental

What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Obviously, there are many environmental issues worth addressing but one I’ve chosen to focus on is climate change given that it is the existential threat of our time. My opinion is that we will only sufficiently mitigate climate change with sweeping policy change, however, individual actions can absolutely help. Personally, I do things like limiting the amount of meat that I eat, cycling and taking public transit, and wearing extra layers instead of heating my house much. They’re small changes but if we all did them, they would add up.

“The most rewarding part of our work at Tesla is definitely knowing that what we’re doing is accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” Reflecting on MFS… Moorestown Friends gave me the foundation of a well-rounded skill set that is extremely useful in business. Having a reasonably high aptitude across many skills from math to writing enables one to take on multifaceted problems, which is key to being successful in business. Interestingly, I also think that learning how to bring a group to consensus - a skill that I developed in part in Meeting for Worship for Business - has helped me quite a bit, as it’s a skill that I use nearly every day in my work. One practice that I’ve carried with me from MFS that I think helps me greatly in both my life and my career is making time to be with only my thoughts. When I joined MFS in sixth grade and was first introduced to Meeting for Worship, the idea of sitting silently for 40 minutes was quite daunting. However, I think I grew to understand how to utilize the time by Upper School, and I still go out of my way to find time to be without distraction for extended periods of time. I seem to have my best ideas about what I should do in life and work during this time, and I don’t think I ever would have known to make this time without having been introduced to Meeting for Worship.

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AMONG FRIENDS

Spring 2022

• Co-Founder and Owner, E-Cycle Environmental • B.S., University of Vermont What are some specific ways that current students can prepare for careers/lives that foster environmental stewardship and sustainable practices? I would say, look out because there is a lot of fluff. A lot of organizations claim to be environmentally friendly when they really aren’t. You really need to dive into all the downstream outlets the environmental company is utilizing. There are a lot of unscrupulous characters in our industry. Many times if they are saying something that is too good to be true, it probably is.

Bryan Alley ’95 Manhattan Beach, CA Bryan Alley and Jason Parr founded E-Cycle Environmental in 2004. E-Cycle Environmental’s mission is to provide businesses with simple turn-key solutions that promote green practices throughout the workplace. As stated on the company website: “Our organization is built and designed around solid business principles focused on supporting the planet. The environment is the driving force behind E-Cycle Environmental, thus the reason we have implemented one of the world’s most environmentally friendly recycling organizations.” Your work in your own words… I spend a lot of time talking to clients, working on our marketing and strategies to generate new business, and finding new environmental solutions for waste streams. The best moments are when I am able to bring unique landfill diversion solutions to my clients. For example, I currently work heavily in the apparel industry, helping them with their product returns. A lot of these returns they don’t want resold because it could taint their brand image. I provide a destruction process that generates clean electricity. For every 2,000 pounds of apparel I destroy, enough electricity is created to power one household for a month. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? In college I took an Environmental Studies class. I read a book by Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce. It really struck a chord with me. It is all about a closed-looped economy, how everything is tied to one another, so there is very little waste. Fast forward six years later I came across the electronic recycling industry and jumped in!

What are important issues related to environmental stewardship facing our country and world? Unfortunately, so many things that are being “recycled” or “reused” get sent to third world countries. That is the biggest problem I see. We think a lot of things are getting recycled. What is really happening is items are put in a container and sent to a third world country. Things are picked through then the rest goes to landfill. The other common practice in third world countries is material gets recycled in a highly unregulated way. So more damage is being done than good. The environment is exploited and so is the labor that is being utilized. My advice is to keep it local. Find smaller companies and businesses that really care and will do the right thing.

“When I think back to MFS, I always felt safe and loved by my teachers and classmates. I think that is really hard to find.” Reflecting on MFS… I think Moorestown Friends really provides you with a good moral compass. I had to walk away from a lot of deals because I do things the right way and really do protect our environment. I always reflect on (late former English Department Chair) “Doc” Lavia standing up in Meeting for Worship saying how special MFS is because nowhere else in life will you have such a large group of people that know each other so intimately. I remember sitting there thinking, ‘what does he know? college is gonna be where it’s at.’ Well Doc was right! Anytime I meet up with someone from MFS, it’s like we never skipped a beat. When I think back to MFS, I always felt safe and loved by my teachers and classmates. I think that is really hard to find.

Environmental Stewardship: Alumni Making a Difference

Spring 2022

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Vanessa Kara ’15

• Environmental Engineer, Brown and Caldwell

Burlington, NJ

• Professional Soccer Player, Dominican Republic National Team

Your work in your own words… Brown and Caldwell (BC) is a dynamic company with a diverse range of expertise. I aid the team’s water distribution models for different projects through software like ArcGIS. I help my team create projections for water consumption, distribution, and water losses with the purpose of creating models and designing water systems that are environmentally and economically efficient.

• M.S. in Sports Management, University of Florida

The most exciting thing about working at BC is that I can learn from a variety of people while also working on a wide spectrum of projects. I am getting exposed to all different components of water resources engineering, which is conducive to a great learning experience. I couldn’t think of a better place to start my engineering career. How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? I fell in love with sustainable practices and water resources during my junior year at Drexel. I was far into my civil engineering degree when I had a simple Hydrology class. On the first day, the professor said something like, “the water on earth is in a closed system” - an intuitive statement that I knew and have heard multiple times, but hearing this on that particular day changed the way I viewed water. Water is an incredibly valuable resource and it’s a closed system – meaning the amount of water on earth stays the same; therefore, I believe we have to take care of it and use it efficiently. Shortly after this class, I picked up a concentration in water resources and have continued running with it.

Editor’s Note: Vanessa, who was recruited to play for the Dominican Republic’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Soccer Team (see Class Note on page 42), is spearheading a campaign during the team’s qualifying campaign to raise awareness and help improve access to clean water.

• B.S. in Civil Engineering - Water Resources Engineering, Drexel University I would implore people to start with themselves by making personal decisions that have better environmental impacts, and once they build up sustainable practices I recommend getting involved with environmentally conscious organizations, charities, and communities to further their practices and hopefully cultivate change. Reflecting on MFS… Moorestown Friends has had such an amazing impact on my career and life because MFS taught me that I could be more than one thing. MFS gave me the confidence to try new things, learn, and grow. I have carried that mentality with me ever since graduating in 2015, and it is precisely what has allowed me to become a professional soccer player, environmental engineer, coach/mentor, and a writer. I feel multifaceted, thanks to my MFS education and experiences.

“MFS gave me the confidence to try new things, learn, and grow. I have carried that mentality with me ever since graduating in 2015, and it is precisely what has allowed me to become a professional soccer player, environmental engineer, coach/mentor, and a writer. I feel multifaceted, thanks to my MFS education and experiences.”

For World Cup Qualifying, I am trying to combine my two passions by creating a campaign for clean water through the organization charity: water. The campaign is called “Calificar Para Agua Limpia.” During qualifying games, we have a platform to be meaningful and support the community. I talked to my teammates and they ran with me in supporting my passion for clean water access. What are some of the leading ways that people can be environmental stewards in their everyday lives? I think people should start by becoming aware of their own tendencies and practices. I believe awareness, change, and progress originate from the inside-out, not the other way around.

Vanessa Kara (bottom center) is a member of the Dominican Republic National Team competing in qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Vanessa is leading a team fundraising campaign to help people gain access to clean water.

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AMONG FRIENDS

Spring 2022

• Student, University of Pittsburgh • Major: Environmental Science

How did your passion for environmental stewardship develop? I have always had a love for the Earth and a passion for environmental issues. Ever since I was little, I loved learning about climate change and watching different climate change and environmental documentaries. I used to read the National Geographic Kids magazines all the time and even had dreams to work there. I also think growing up in the Science Department at MFS made me destined to do something in the STEM field. In May of this year, I get to combine my love and passion for sustainability with my academics. I have the pleasure of going to Amsterdam for a month to learn about sustainability and how Amsterdam became the “Ecocapital of the World.”

Mya Corsey ’19 Pittsburgh, PA Your coursework in your own words… At the University of Pittsburgh, I am an environmental science major studying in the Environmental Science and Geology Department, and I am on track to get a certificate in sustainability. At the foundation of my major, there is biology, chemistry, and physics, but what I learn and participate in presently are ecology and environmental classes. In this more specific part of my major, I learn about environmental issues, environmental policy, and the climate crisis. In my sustainability certificate classes, I learn how to contribute quickly and effectively to the use of sustainable technologies, sciences, and practices. I have enjoyed all the classes I have taken so far but my two favorite have been “Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate” and “Environmental Issues.” In my Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate class, it was fascinating to study climate change projections and policy while also learning about the past and future of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. The Environmental Issues class is a writing-intensive course that requires a fulllength policy paper written about environmental issues of our choosing in a specific state. The end goal of this course is to send our policy paper to the government of that state and evoke a response back. What’s Next? After college, I want to attend graduate school to participate in research and learn more about environmental science and sustainability, or go to a sustainable business master’s degree program where I can combine business with sustainability. I am leaning more towards sustainable business because I can learn about management, environmental studies, business operations, economics, and politics combined, and I think that would be very interesting. If I don’t go to graduate school, I hope to go directly into the environmental science field - consulting, policy, or research.

“There is no way I would have the drive to study and participate in STEM or sustainability without MFS.” Reflecting on MFS… The whole Science Department had a significant impact on me and my career path. My mom (Science Teacher Tina Corsey), Mr. Newman, Mr. Aviles, Ms. Bruvik, and Dr. Mosher all gave me the skills and drive that I needed to be able to do well in the classes I am taking in college, but also the skills I need in life. I don’t think I would have been as successful in my STEM or environmental classes without the MFS Science Department. I also don’t think I would have been able to feel confident in my problem-solving abilities and science skills like I am now. I feel like overall, MFS really shaped me to be the person I am now and directly and indirectly led me into the sustainable career path and journey that I am currently on. I owe everything to MFS. Without that environment, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Not only did I find amazing friends and relationships with people in my class, but I also created a lot of amazing relationships with my teachers. These teachers guided me and laid down a perfect foundation for me to succeed in college. I went to MFS from the age of 3 to 18 years old. MFS wasn’t just my school, but it was my home, a place where I grew up and became me. If I didn’t have MFS, I wouldn’t be the fullest extent of the person I am today. There is no way I would have the drive to study and participate in STEM or sustainability without it.

Environmental Stewardship: Alumni Making a Difference

Spring 2022

AMONG FRIENDS

Class Notes

1961

1964

Peter Reagan’s family crew of volunteers, including his son-in-law and three teenagers, working on the restoration of a wildfire-damaged trail near Triple Falls in the Columbia Gorge near Portland, OR. Meteorologist Kathy Orr, from the Philadelphia Fox 29 Weather Authority team, with Town Crier, Bill Archer, on Thanksgiving Weekend 2021, as Moorestown ushered in the winter holidays. Photographs of alumni are indicated with . If you see this symbol, a photo featuring a class member is either on the page or nearby!

1946

George Krusen writes from Boxborough, MA that he is still raising white pine on his 130-acre property. He is a proud greatgrandfather of Grace Reinhardt Heliette Lucas (age 2½) of St. Denis, France.

1952

Wesley Manuel writes, “Finally retired about five years ago. Had a good run trying over 450 jury trials for General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Rohm and Haas, and a host of insurance companies, some of which were the defense of medical professionals. Proud to watch

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daughter and sons’ children become teachers, economists, journalists, and television reporters. Finally sold our boat, after many days of fun fishing off New Jersey and exploring the Bahamas and east and west coasts of Florida. Now enjoying our sixth German shepherd who is both playmate and guardian.”

1958

From Cleveland, Brenda Kumf Donahue, writes that she and Charles Herbruck moved in early December to a lovely senior living community, Judson Manor. “Change is painful, but the location, perfect.”

1959

Margaret Hess Johnson wrote to wish all a Happy New Year, and added, “Having moved to Wynnewood, PA, I have been delighted to meet with Pat Tobias Metzger, Wanda Jean James Abdollahian, and Catharine Magee Karsten for occasional get-togethers. Once COVID is under control, we’d love to see others in the area.”

1961

Bill Archer

1963

Whitty Ransome shared that she and her sister Susie Ransome ’71 enjoy seeing each other in Florida every winter and being with family members whenever they can. They were able to celebrate Thanksgiving 2021 together.

1964

Since retirement from practicing medicine, Peter Reagan’s volunteer work has been to restore trails in the Columbia Gorge near Portland, OR. Many were heavily damaged or destroyed in a 2017 wildfire. His most recent project was to lead efforts to help reopen the Oneonta Trail, whose crown jewel is Triple Falls, a rugged two-mile hike from the road.

1967

Tom Hedges had a great sailing season with family, as well as, on September 25, with classmates Bob Stevenson,

Spring 2022

Class Notes

1967

Brother Jeff Miller ’71 reported that his publishing company, Milbrown Press, released Eric Miller’s debut novel, Hula Girls, on November 18. The book has already received great notices from Kirkus Reviews and the US Review of Books. Kirkus stated: “Though it covers only three decades, this story has the feel of a saga, and is as satisfying as one. A wonderful evocation of a time and a place and a woman’s indomitable spirit.” It’s available on Amazon in paperback and as an ebook. See the Class of 2006 for a photo and note about the wedding of Janet Sawyer Thomas’s daughter Rachel.

1968 The cover of the new novel, Hula Girls, by Eric B. Miller.

1972

Paul Pinsky and his daughters Sarah and Laura have set up a scholarship at the University of Maryland, College Park in memory of his wife, their mother, Joan Rothgeb, who died in March 2020. Joan was a leader in the field of special education. To learn more, you can Google the Joan Marie Rothgeb ’79 Endowed Scholarship in Special Education. A celebration of Joan’s life was held in October 2021 at the University Chapel.

1970

Larry Hinds writes that he is now working as a flight instructor out of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, on the island of O’ahu. He says that there are “many young minds pursuing careers in aviation.”

1971

See Class of 1967 and Class of 1973 for items about his siblings submitted by Jeff Miller. See Class of 1963 for a note about Susie Ransome. Steven Benner at the Grand Canyon in December. Jim Taylor, and Betty Hagstoz (sadly without Frank). Matt Harman joined them for dinner to remember Haggie. In other Hedges news, Tom and his wife

Spring 2022

1972

Steven Benner

Gail welcomed a new granddaughter, Abbie Ann, born November 22, joining her two-year-old sister Maia Mae; they live in Georgetown, TX.

AMONG FRIENDS

Class Notes

1973

Karen Kozarsky ’77 Recognized As Woman of Distinction by Philadelphia Business Journal Karen Kozarsky ‘77 was recently named a 2021 Philadelphia Business Journal Woman of Distinction. She is Founder & Chief Scientific Officer at SwanBio Therapeutics, a four-year old gene therapy company focused on developing gene therapies for neurological disorders. The company has grown quickly to over 50 employees with lab space in Philadelphia. Karen drives the firm’s scientific strategy. “We’ve built our company around using a gene therapy to treat an inherited neurological disorder called Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN),” she said. “AMN is X-linked which means it primarily affects young men, but it does also affect women.”

The cover of the new poetry collection, Searching for Clarity, by Gene Zimmerman, husband of the late Claire Miller Zimmerman.

1973

The late Claire Miller Zimmerman’s husband, Gene Zimmerman, has selfpublished a book of poetry, Searching for Clarity. Claire’s brother, Jeff Miller ’71, shared this news, and was the project manager for the book, through Snow Capped Consulting. Gene’s poems chart the difficult four-and-a-half year journey that Gene and Claire took as they battled unsuccessfully against her spinal tumor. The book has received great reviews, including from Kirkus, which wrote: “While the intense focus on morose themes may be uncomfortable to explore for some, readers who have experienced similar life events will find hope and understanding amid the sadness. A poetry collection clearly cathartic for the writer - that could very well be therapeutic for readers.” It is available on Amazon in paperback and as an ebook.

1977

Karen Kozarsky

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People with AMN develop weakness and loss of balance in their lower limbs and most eventually end up in a wheelchair. They also experience many other lifechanging symptoms. “What we are doing is delivering a normal copy of the gene to the important tissues of the body to treat this disorder so those cells can make the normal protein to halt or delay the course of this disease,” said Karen. “For this particular disease, the main target is the spinal cord.” SwanBio hopes that they will be able to apply learnings from this work to disorders in other parts of the body. Karen, who grew up in Cinnaminson, enjoyed her time at MFS on the field hockey and tennis teams and, not surprisingly, fondly recalls biology courses, specifically her 11th grade Genetics class (taught by Donna Goodwin) - a course that spurred her interest in biology. She also expressed great appreciation for English class with the late Louise Morgan who “helped her understand and enjoy Shakespeare.” Karen earned a B.S. in Biology from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After 10 years of postdoctoral research work at Penn and the University of Michigan, Karen served in senior roles with GlaxoSmithKline and then REGENXBIO Inc. before establishing Vector BioPartners, a consultancy that was a resource for gene therapy expertise, specializing in preclinical and translational development. When recalling her MFS experience Karen points to the “moral center” provided by the school. “Respecting that people are different and honoring those differences is something that I’ve taken with me throughout my life,” she said. “Nothing was discouraged, ever. I was able to work on the assumption that males and females were on equal footing and that hasn’t always been true in later stages in life. It wasn’t until I left that I fully appreciated the experience I had at Moorestown Friends.”

Spring 2022

Class Notes

1982

Sincere condolences to Sheri Kapel Herzberg and her family. We have learned that Sheri’s father, Donald Kapel, passed away on December 15, 2019.

1986

1983

In October, Steve Walsh spent two weeks at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, serving as a “Subject Matter Expert,” converting a 5,000-person Afghan refugee camp from depending on 105 generators to being supported by the local power grid. Steve was able to finish ahead of schedule, enabling him to visit White Sands National Park, before heading home and back to his regular job at the FAA Tech Center.

In the Historic District of Salamanca, Spain are: Julia Graham Slater, Haley Coles Driscoll, Joan Hohweiler Herzog and Nicole Edmund. Behind them are their husbands Craig Slater, Gene Sloan, Will Herzog, and Ad Driscoll.

1986

Classmates Haley Coles Driscoll, Nicole Edmund, Joan Hohweiler Herzog, and Julia Graham Slater started planning a vacation in the summer of 2018 for summer 2020, which then was postponed due to COVID. In late summer 2021 (PCR test results in hand) they were able to fly to Portugal, with their husbands, to take a cruise on the Douro River. G. Shawn Wells, Jr., Ret. Colonel, after over 30 years in the U.S. Army, thoroughly enjoyed his first year of retirement fishing, hiking, and traveling. He recently returned from a two-week trip to San Diego, CA, and especially enjoyed Joshua Tree National Park. Another favorite spot to visit is Syracuse, NY where daughter Katie (20) is a sophomore at the University, taking a dual major in Forensic Science and Archeology.

1992

In November 2021, Takashi Moriuchi was the featured speaker at the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Friends in Business group. Takashi is the co-founder and managing director of Estancia Capital Management. His talk was entitled “A Quaker Private Equity Investor Looks at the Post-COVID Marketplace.” Takashi currently serves on the Germantown Friends School and Friends Fiduciary

Spring 2022

Mercy Romero ’92 Receives Duke Scholars of Color Award for Recently Published Toward Camden Mercy Romero ’92 received the Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award for her collection of poetic essays, Toward Camden, which was released in December 2021. She characterizes the book as thinking about “landscape, dispossession and the making of public memory in Camden, New Jersey.” Mercy is an Assistant Professor of American Literature and American Studies at Sonoma State University, where her teaching and research interests include comparative American literatures, poverty, cultural history, and urban humanities. The book was cited in the October issue of Publishers Weekly: “Romero combines incisive political commentary, cultural criticism, and memoir in her vibrant debut, a collection of essays about her hometown She considers the city’s long history, from being a stop along the middle passage during the Atlantic slave trade to contemporary waterfront revitalization projects, as well as the effects of displacement, gentrification, urban renewal, and policing in a city beset with poverty, blight, and violence. In ‘Demolition Futures,’ she visits her childhood home and reflects on the changing landscape, wondering what it would ‘mean to dwell at a different meaning of Camden’s unthinkable, its vacant lands.’ In ‘Halfway Houses,’ she visits the Walt Whitman House and considers the life and work of Eleanor Ray, a woman who lived next door and curated it… Elegiac yet hopeful, this meditation is full of power.”

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Class Notes

1995

Laini Sykes Bennett with her husband Randey Bennett on their September wedding day.

1996

1997

Valerie Orth and her students at Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she is an Assistant Professor in the Songwriting Department.

1995

Mark Dann and his husband Shakir Sultan traveled to the Galapagos in the fall. surgeons to not only be interested in patient care, but in improving trauma care locally, nationally, and globally, as well as in engaging in advocacy.

1996

Julie Son Valenzuela was recently honored by the American College of Surgeons Boards, as well as serving on the Haverford College Corporation. He previously volunteered on the Board of The Philadelphia School, and on the MFS School Committee’s Assets Committee. Mercy Romero p.35

1995

Laini Sykes writes that “She said ‘Yes!’ On September 25 two hearts became one when Laini Sykes married Randey

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Bennett at the Park Chateau Estate in East Brunswick, NJ.” Julie Son Valenzuela has been selected for the Future Trauma Leaders Program sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and The Committee on Trauma. She is currently a trauma surgeon at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, NY. She hopes that this prestigious award will help her serve her local community as well as inspire future

Valerie Orth, now in Boston, became an Assistant Professor in the Songwriting Department at Berklee College of Music in the fall. She currently teaches technology and music production. Valerie shared, “In other words, I teach songwriters how to translate their songs into professional recordings. It’s amazing to be surrounded by such talent all the time, especially as a long-time songwriter and music producer. It’s an honor to teach these students how to take their work to the next level.”

1997

Mark Dann

Sarah Weiss Domis and Meg Parrington Hollingworth p. 37

Spring 2022

Class Notes

1997

Gathering in memory of MJ Conrad were, back row: Ryan McAleer ’93, Mara Cutler Katsikis ’99, Ryan Winkelspecht ’98, Dave Levinsky ’93, Mike Belfiore, Abhay Sudhindra ’97, and Ryan Rutherford ’99. Middle row: Lee Porter ’95, Courtney McAleer, Gigio Longo ’94, Anthony Hollingworth, Adam Serlin ’02, Kristen Conrad, Nikki Sudhindra, Caroline Conrad Meeker, Tara Winkelspecht, Bree Rutherford, and Kristin Bromley Fitzgerald ’97. Front row: Sarah Messenger, Shane McAleer ’92, Meg Parrington Hollingworth ’97, Barry Koen ’98, Naoko Nishitani Koen, and John Campisi ’99.

1997

Spring 2022

Congratulations to David Martinez, who has recently both finished a degree and joined Deloitte. complications. MJ is survived by his wife Kristen, young twins Brody and Addison, and a baby on the way, as well as by his parents Michael and Virginia, and sister Caroline. They met at the Longo family’s Center City Philadelphia restaurant, Gran Caffe L’Aquila.

1999

Sarah Weiss Domis and Meg Parrington Hollingworth remain close friends 24 years after graduation, and report that the next generation are too. On a late summer 2021 trip to Long Beach Island, they captured a photo of all their children, from oldest to youngest: Carter Domis, Emma Hollingworth, Nash Domis, Ruby Hollingworth, Levi Domis, and Emerson Domis. Congratulations to Shani Evans, now an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rice University, who has a book under contract with the University of Chicago Press. Entitled The World Was Ours: Race, Memory and Resistance in the Gentrified City, it “draws on 50 in-depth interviews and participant observation, examining “the experiences of long-term residents

2000

of a recently gentrified, historically Black neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.” On October 16, Abhay Sudhindra and Meg Parrington Hollingworth, with the assistance of Gigio Longo ’94, hosted a memorial gathering for friends and family of Michael (“MJ”) Conrad, who died in September of COVID-related

In the run-up to the 2021 NFL season, Lincoln Financial, in partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles, ran a series of Salutes to Hometown Heroes. Click on QR code to Mikel Pride was view video. featured, honoring her for her contributions during the pandemic as a family physician – and recognizing her as an Eagles superfan. The Eagles’ Connnor Barwin is shown presenting Mikel with field passes for the season.

2000

David Martinez finished his B.S. in Business Analytics at American Military University in August. He writes: “I started work as a data analyst/solution analyst with Deloitte at the end of that month. In that time, I have also been brought onto the firm’s national People with Disabilities and Allies management board. I am

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Class Notes heavily involved with their Neurodiversity at Work Program. (I’ve also realized I’m autistic over the last few years.) I am also on their recruiting and retention teams for veterans and am the team lead for the Hispanic/Latinx recruiting and retention team. I am proud of the work I have done in such a short time.”

2001

This past September, the 2020 Tony Award for Best Play went to The Inheritance, a show in which Jordan Barbour made his Broadway debut, originating the role of Tristan. Jordan was in Australia touring with the company of Come from Away when the award was presented, so he missed out on celebrating with his castmates in New York City.

2003

Twins Amarey and Ammeir Ratliff, with their big sister Jayli, children of Terrell and Johari Sykes-Ratliff.

2004

2006

2003

Terrell Ratliff and Johari SykesRatliff are excited to share the news of the birth of their twin boys, Amarey and Ammeir, on March 27, 2021. Big sister Jayli also shared in the joy of welcoming her baby brothers home.

2004

Kristi Hunter-Ryan and her husband Kyle are delighted to announce that they are expecting their first child in June 2022, after an over three-year process of working with their doctors and fertility clinic. In January, Kristi was a featured guest on a statewide virtual panel presented by the New Jersey Education Association, entitled “Helping Members Navigate the IVF Process,” part of a series of workshops and conversations on building a family.

Kristi Hunter-Ryan and her husband Kyle Ryan celebrated their successful IVF and forthcoming parenthood with this announcement.

Madeline Rose Nagy was welcomed by proud parents Maura Burk and Keith Nagy in October.

2006

Maura Burk

Rachel Thomas was married to Bryan Horvath on August 20 in Collingswood, NJ. Rachel is the daughter of Janet Sawyer Thomas ’67. There were many MFS-related participants in the festivities, from alumni parent and former faculty member Barbara Kreider, who was an Overseer of the Quaker ceremony,

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Mother of the bride Janet Sawyer Thomas ’67, bride Rachel Thomas Horvath, groom Bryan Horvath, and father of the bride John Thomas at Rachel and Bryan’s August wedding at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom.

Spring 2022

Class Notes

Kyle Nocho ’07 Helps Secure Large Settlement for Abused Sisters Attorney Kyle Nocho ’07, along with a colleague at Kline & Specter, made October headlines in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Legal Intelligencer, when they secured a $10.6 million settlement for three sisters. A Philadelphia child placement agency and a residential care facility reunited the girls with their father, who then sexually and physically abused them. The girls, ages 9 to 14 at the time, were placed with him despite his lack of stable housing or employment; he was also facing outstanding sexual assault charges at the time. Now convicted of abusing his daughters, he is serving a minimum of 37 years in prison. Kyle focuses his practice mainly on child sexual abuse and human trafficking cases. “Working on child sex abuse cases,” he said, “gives me the chance to make a difference in children’s lives by getting them the justice they deserve and by helping to make institutional changes to organizations’ behavior to prevent this type of abuse from happening to other children.” Kyle graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University. Kyle’s mother, Debra Hammock-Nocho, who tipped MFS off about Kyle’s achievement, said that “MFS helped shape who he is today.” to attendees aunt Martha Sawyer DeLuca ’66 and uncle Steve Sawyer ’75. The bridal party included matron of honor Rachel Behm Kirk, and bridesmaid Maura Burk. Rachel’s mother reports that “the happy couple is settled locally in Morrisville, PA, while Rachel finishes up her master’s degree, and plans to be employed as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner in 2022.”

2007

Congratulations to Kara Brown, who completed nursing school, earning her BSN at Holy Family University in June. She is now working as a medical surgical nurse at Exeter Hospital and living in Portsmouth, NH. Kyle Nocho

2008

p. 40 Ariel Aguiar married Gregory Bernstein in June 2021 in Avalon, after over a year of delays due to the pandemic. They met in college, and celebrated 10 years of dating in February. Numerous MFS Class of 2008 alums were present at the wedding. Greg and Ariel are living in Chicago with their two cats, where Ariel is working as a small animal veterinarian.

Spring 2022

Paige Martin p. 40 was married to John Henderson on September 11 in Riverton.

2009

Maeve Kelly p.41

Rachael Samaroo-Lojek ’12 and her husband Christopher Lojek welcomed their son Gryffin Christopher Lojek on November 25, 2021. In August, Chris also began a new position as a transplant nurse at Virtua.

2012

Rachael Samaroo-Lojek ’12, see Class of 2009.

2013

Big congrats to Austin Harris, who has been accepted into the highly selective 2022 Disney Writing Program, sponsored by its General Entertainment Content Division, as a comedy writer. The prestigious opportunity offers advanced professional development, with the primary goal of helping its participants secure their first staffing assignments in a Disney series. Now in its 32nd year, the program has had a nearly 100% hiring

Chris Lojek and Rachael Samaroo-Lojek ’12 with their son Gryffin, who arrived in November. rate for more than a decade. Austin was one of 12 writers selected. Austin got his start in television as an Executive Assistant at 20/20 on ABC News, and most recently has been a Current Programming Assistant at Walt Disney TV.

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Class Notes

2008

MFS alums in attendance at Paige Martin Henderson’s wedding included (from left to right): Julie Martin ’08, Lauren Hawkins ’08, Rachel Martin ’18, Morgan Burgess ’08, Tommy Martin ’15, Sean Denson ’08, Andrew Smyth ’10, Ryan Simone ’08, Jack Kinzler ’23, Ariel Aguiar ’08, Will Kinzler ’20, Vicki Martin ’11, Darcy Berenberg ’08, Cliff Burgess ’12, Kayla Fox ’08, Kailey Burgess ’13, Andrea Kinzler ’16, Bobby Martin ’04, Janet Stevens ’77, Leola Williams Denson ’75, Judy Benner Cope ’70, Sarah Martin ’09, Billy Martin ’06, and George Bader ’11.

2008

2008 At the Aguiar-Bernstein nuptials are: classmates Alicia Link, bridesmaid Paige Martin Henderson, Kayla Fox, Morgan Burgess, bride Ariel Aguiar, Ryan Simone, Darcy Berenberg, Julie Martin, and Sean Denson, with groom Gregory Bernstein in the foreground.

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The newly minted Mr. and Mrs. John Henderson (formerly Paige Martin)

Spring 2022

Class Notes

2009

Maeve Kelly and Michael Herb, married in 2020, were finally able to celebrate with family and friends in September 2021. Maeve’s bridesmaids included four MFS alumnae from the Class of 2009: Rebecca Salowe, Hannah Spielberg, Kelly Barna, and Katie Stutz.

2015

Scott Strickland and Lincoln Ballew married in Houston, TX on December 19.

2016

Vanessa Kara p. 42

2016

Peter Beard and Justin Dorsey, with Jack Beard ‘19.

2017

Spencer Dennis is making waves in the recording business, with an album that went to #1 on Billboard in October, “Sincerely, Kentrell,” by Young Boy NBA. Spencer recorded track 14 “Forgiato,” which notched over 2.6 million views/ listens on YouTube in the first week since launch. The album is also notable since Young Boy NBA is one of the few artists to release a #1 album while incarcerated. Another trending musician Spencer records for is Fousheé. Newlyweds Scott Strickland and Lincoln Ballew.

Spring 2022

Bandmates Peter Beard, Jack Beard ’19 and Justin Dorsey, with Luke Knobloch, performing together as Slide, at The Pharmacy in the Point Breeze section of Philadelphia, in October.

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Class Notes

Vanessa Kara ’15 Selected To Play for Dominican Republic National Team for FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Vanessa Kara ’15 (pictured at right in navy) was selected to the Dominican Republic (DR) roster for CONCACAF qualifying matches for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. After starring at Drexel and the University of Florida, Vanessa played professionally in Finland for one year with Tikkurila Palloseura and followed that by returning to the U.S. for a one-year stint with Racing Louisville FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). For those not familiar with international soccer, players are often recruited to play based on connections to countries. In this case, Vanessa was recruited to play for the DR since her grandmother Rosa Mejia was a Dominican citizen. Vanessa’s mother, Grace, also lived in the DR for ten years. Vanessa became a dual U.S./ Dominican citizen in January to become eligible for international competition. “I am overwhelmed with joy and excitement,” said Vanessa. “It’s every kid’s dream to play internationally and I’m proud to represent the Dominican Republic, a country that has given me so much.” The DR defeated Grenada (9-0) and the Cayman Islands (4-0) in February. Their two other group qualifying matches will take place in April against Bermuda and Jamaica. The winners of each of the six five-team groups will advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualification where the six group winners will join the U.S. and Canada, (who received automatic berths into the continental championship tournament). The top four teams in the continental championship will advance to the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Vanessa also works as an environmental engineer for Brown and Caldwell. Read about her work and efforts to raise funds and awareness for access to clean water in a profile on page 28.

2018

Amanda Cooper, a field hockey player at Brown University, was elected copresident of the Student Athletic Advisory Council there, representing the nearly 1,100 student athletes at the University. Hamilton College senior Anna Goula was recently profiled on the college website. After graduation, she will attend Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies to work toward a master of science in nonprofit management. Majoring in Philosophy and World Politics, Anna gained nonprofit experience as a project

AMONG FRIENDS

coordinator for the international network at United Way Worldwide. Her campus activities at Hamilton have included working as a lead tutor at the Oral Communications Center, and serving as a docent at the Wellin Museum.

2019

See Class of 2016 for note and photo about Jack Beard. p. 43 Amanda Fisher and Kyle Eiffes became engaged over this past Winter Break. They met at MFS as ninth graders, and have been dating ever since. The

wedding is planned for the summer of 2023. Blythe Salamone has been admitted to a fast track veterinary medicine program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. She will begin her study there in September, one year early.

2020

Miles Oglesby, a sophomore at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Patti Grace Smith Fellowship,

Spring 2022

Class Notes

2019

2021

Kyle Eiffes proposing to Amanda Fisher

Two-time Centennial Conference champion Lauren Phillips.

an award-winning program that connects the leading aerospace companies with talented Black students. Miles is majoring in Aerospace Engineering and this summer will work at Astranis, a private American communications satellite operator and manufacturer. The fellowship, in addition to providing a summer internship, includes a scholarship, and personalized mentorship. The fellowship was established to address underrepresentation in the U.S. aerospace workforce. It is named after an aerospace industry leader who overcame legalized racial segregation, as one of the students who integrated Tuskegee High School, and went on to lead the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

Lindsay Perr has been cast in Bright Star, a musical written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, at Maryland’s outdoor Annapolis Summer Garden Theater, a stone’s throw from the US Naval Academy. The show runs June 30-July 23; tickets are available online. Lindsay is a rising sophomore in the University of Evansville’s BFA theatre performance program.

Bella Runyan p. 44

2021 Allison Fenska was a member of the Ohio State women’s swimming team which captured their third consecutive Big Ten championship in February.

Spring 2022

2021

Evan Schlotterbeck with the 2021 ECAC Division III Men’s Soccer championship trophy.

2021

Johns Hopkins Blue Jay Lauren Phillips captured two gold medals at the Centennial Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. She won the 200 meters and was on the winning 4 x 400 relay team. This season Lauren set the JHU indoor program record in the 200 meters with a time of 25.70. Evan Schlotterbeck played 90 minutes at center back for the Muhlenberg College Mules when they captured the Eastern States Athletic Conference men’s soccer tournament championship with a 3-1 victory at Rutgers-Newark on November 20.

Allison Fenska with the 2022 Big Ten Women’s Swimming championship trophy.

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Class Notes

The Girls’ Basketball team visited Bella Runyan ’20 at Finneran Pavilion prior to her Villanova Wildcats’ victory over Xavier. Afterwards the Foxes faced off against Delsea High School. The Wildcats finished 24-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They also snapped the University of Connecticut’s 169-game Big East Conference winning streak with a 72-69 victory on February 9.

Alumni Soccer Match

Many alumni braved cold temperatures to participate in the annual Alumni Soccer Match on Saturday, November 27. Front: Jackson Fox ’20, Menarsh Patel ’18, Michael Le ’18, Jon Devlin ’19, Liam Schenk ’19, Brad Devlin ’17, Adam Quaranta ’15, Matt Grahn ’19, and Brent Cohen ’21. Back: Varsity Boys’ Soccer Coach Mike Schlotterbeck, Tyler Patton ’21, Dan Richards ’14, Ethan Carilli ’13, Mitchell Mullock ’16, Matthew Mullock ’16, Tommy Martin ’15, Ollie Frank ’19, Larry Miles ’18, Evan Schlotterbeck ’21, David Howarth ’15, and Mikey Paznokas ’21.

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Spring 2022

Class Notes Alumni Basketball Game

Former players and a number of fans attended the Alumni Basketball Game held on December 17.

Navy Team Front: Rushabh Thosani ’09, Michael Cramer ’18, Cory Dennis ’20, and Marcel Nelson ’18. Middle: Assistant Athletic Director Ron Obermeier, Dan Richards ’14, Ryan Winklespecht ’98, Mike Catlett ’79, and Seth Garcia ’78. Top: Brian Turner ’98, Calvin Bell ’20, and Adam Belsky ’78.

Gray Team Front: Christian Parsi ’21, Harrison Kelly ’21, and Chase Eni ’21. Middle: Devin Johnson ’19, Rebecca Benjamin ’21, Madison Bouggess ’21, and Eric Harkaway ’13. Top: Jack Stern ’19, Joenathan Barnes ’83, Raj Singh ’87, David Williams ’85, and Matt Tom ’21.

Spring 2022

AMONG FRIENDS

Class Notes

Fans

Front: Zachary Fox ’20, Alyssa Runyan ’18, Jessica Richards ’16, Charlotte Stern ’18, Lizzie Carter ’20, and Sabrina Burrows ’20. Middle: Jackson Fox ’20, Bella Runyan ’20, Cassidy Kennedy ‘20, and Micaela Coll ’19. Top: Andrew Shah ‘19, Mark Johnson ’20, Rachel Williams ’91, Chris Eni ’74, Tom Blanchard ’20, Francesca Mazzotta ‘21, Abigail Bischoff ’21, and Kat Johnson ’21.

Share Your News with Friends

Moorestown Friends School encourages all alumni to share their news for Class Notes. To contribute, please email communications@ mfriends.org with updates on your life and any high resolution photos you would like to submit for publication. If you prefer, you can also write to Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck, Moorestown Friends School, 110 E. Main St., Moorestown, NJ 08057.

Class Notes received after March 1 will be printed in the next issue of Among Friends.

Former Upper School Director Mary Williams was surrounded by family and alumni at the Alumni Basketball Game. Pictured: Rachel Williams ’91, David Williams ’85, Mary Williams, Joenathan Barnes ’83, Brian Turner ’98, Mike Catlett ’79, Adam Belsky ’78, and Seth Garcia ’78. Adam traveled from Texas and Seth from Georgia for the game.

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Spring 2022

In Memoriam Edwin F. Begg former School Committee member Deborah M. Binder former faculty member Edith Mapp Brimm mother of Charles Brimm, Jr. ’75 Walter C. Brod ’61 Margaret A. (“Peggy”) Strickland Cunane ‘63 Anthony A. DeCrosta father of Alec DeCrosta ’06 Kenneth Dorsey father of Ryan Dorsey ‘15, Justin Dorsey ‘16, and Kristina Dorsey, stepfather of Kendra Whitfield ’09 Alfred T. Driscoll ‘55 father of alumni parent Alfred C. Driscoll, father-in-law of Haley Coles Driscoll ‘86, father-in-law of Ceramics Teacher David Gamber, grandfather of Coles Driscoll ‘14, Robie Driscoll ‘18 and Eli Gamber ‘19 Prudence P. Haines wife of Bruce S. Haines ‘73 Liem Huynh father of Marcella Thanh-Guyet ’20 Donald Kapel father of Sheri Kapel Herzberg ’82 E. Kenneth Kemple husband of former faculty member Linda Kemple, father of Keith Kemple ‘98

Gordon Krusen ‘49 brother of Leslie (“Pete”) Krusen ‘43 and cousin of George Krusen ‘46 Rebecca Broomell Gatchell McIlvain mother of Joan McIlvain Bradley ’68 Robert H. McGonigle father of Chandler Hart-McGonigle ‘11 and Taylor Hart-McGonigle ‘13 Rex Adam McWilliams ‘03 son of former School Committee Member Rex McWilliams, Sr. and his wife Carol Pate-McWIlliams, cousin of Ryan McWilliams ‘05, Richard Rinaldi ‘08, Robert Rinaldi ‘10 and Jennifer McWilliams Sherwin ‘03 Louise Morgan former faculty member (known also as Louise Morgan Geary), mother of Jill Geary Patterson ’86 and Jan Geary Michaeleree ’87 Sarah Jo “Jody” Pomeroy former faculty member, wife of the late staff member Richard Pomeroy, and mother of Linda Pomeroy Giardinelli ’81 William C. Probsting former faculty and former Head of School at Westfield Friends (1974-2013) Terri Sedlacek mother of Lori Sedlacek ’05 Irving Willard “Pete” Tallman brother of Carol Tallman Crawford ‘61 Eugene Towers husband of Shelly Lario Towers ’58

Editor’s Note: Full obituaries are found on the MFS website. “In Memoriam” lists the passing of the following: alumni; immediate family of alumni (father, mother, child, spouse, sibling); current parents; current and past faculty and staff; spouses, partners and children of current faculty, staff and administration; current and former trustees; and spouses and children of current trustees. Notices will include any of the deceased’s relatives who are MFS alumni. To locate full obituaries on the MFS website, navigate to “News” in the top menu of www.mfriends.org and then select “Among Friends Magazine.” Alumni who do not have access to the Internet may contact Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck at (856) 914-4434 to request a hard copy of an obituary.

Spring 2022

AMONG FRIENDS

Friday, May 6 7 p.m. The Dessert Among Friends and Alumni Awards Program, Baiada Field House Gym. Hosted by Sarah Lynn Geiger ’05, Alumni Association Clerk. Meet classmates, applaud the 2022 Alumni Association Award recipients, and honor retiring faculty and staff. Saturday, May 7 11:30 a.m. Meeting for Worship, Meeting House

2:30 p.m. Alumni of Color Meet-Up, Baiada Field House Commons. Hosted by Dot López, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Trustees Braheim Knight ’92, and Kennette Banks ’02, as well as Eliezer Cartegena ‘14, Odeymarys Garrido ‘13, and Trinh Son ‘13. Alumni are invited to visit with current Upper School leaders from the Black Student Union, East Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and South Asian Affinity Groups.

12:15 p.m. Lunch and Learn, Baiada Field House Gym. A free, kid-friendly lunch program for alumni and their families to experience several interactive activities hosted by faculty, staff, and student presenters. Programs on offer TBA. 1:15 p.m. Welcome from Julia de la Torre, Baiada Field House Gym. Meet our Head of School and hear about what’s happening at MFS. Hosted by the Alumni Association. 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Student-Guided Tours depart from Baiada Field House Commons. 2 p.m. Explore the Playscape, Lower School Playscape. Check out all the features of the newest addition to campus.

The annual Former Faculty and Staff Gathering will take place on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. via Zoom. Event will be hosted by Lynne Brick and Marge Dawson. Visit mfriends. org/AW22 to register and receive the Zoom link. 48 AMONG FRIENDS

4 p.m. All-Alumni Reception with Head of School Julia de la Torre, Van Meter Hall Back Lawn. At this outdoor gathering for all alumni, enjoy wine, soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres and connect with alumni and classmates. Class Reunion Photos. Activities for kids hosted by student volunteers. MFS apparel on sale. 6 p.m. Class Reunion Gatherings, off-campus

Visit mfriends.org/AW22 for the latest information on Alumni Weekend and to register for events. Plus, check out the plans for individual Class Reunions for the 2’s and 7’s.

Spring 2022

The 2022 Alumni Association Award Recipients Come to the Dessert Among Friends on Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. to learn more about these talented people who have contributed so much to MFS and beyond. Sarah R. Feyerherm ’82 Alice Stokes Paul 1901 Merit Award Sarah is being recognized for her career of fostering community and inclusion in the world of athletics and higher education. She is the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Washington College (MD) and an active member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, where she has been a voice for LGBTQ+ athletes. An alumna of Hamilton College, she also holds an MS in Sports Management (University of Massachusetts Amherst) and a Ed.D. in Innovation and Leadership (Wilmington University). A member of the MFS Head’s Council, she is also a co-founder of the Floss Brudon Endowment for Coaching, and is the daughter of Alice Stokes Paul 1901 Merit Award recipient Miriam Feyerherm. Lynne Brick and Marge Dawson Service Award Former faculty members Lynne and Marge are being recognized for their leadership and dedication to keeping the retired faculty and staff at MFS better connected to one another and to the school. In 2014, they started a new, popular Alumni Weekend tradition, a reunion for former faculty and staff. Lynne served as the Lower/Middle School Quaker educator from 1994 to 2013. Marge taught Second Grade from 1988 to 2009. Together, they have strengthened former faculty and staff ties to the community.

Young Alumni Award is being given to two deserving members of the Class of 2007, whose work resonates with important Quaker testimonies: Andrew Bernard’s speaks to the urgency of the stewardship of the earth and its inhabitants; Briana Ellerbe’s, to the importance of equality, through better representation in children’s media. Andrew Bernard ’07 is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan, whose interests include primatology, conservation biology, tropical ecology, and biological anthropology. An alumnus of Bates College, his adventurous field work has taken him around the world, from Uganda to Borneo, and he has published on the impact of climate change on the populations he studies.

Briana Pressey Ellerbe ’07 is a Ph.D. candidate at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Her focus is children’s media and community-engaged research. She earned her M.Ed. at Harvard University, worked at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center (Sesame Street’s independent research and innovation lab), and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.

Retirements Steve Shaffer Steve is retiring after 29 years at MFS. He served generations of students as the Middle School Director for 22 years. He also taught English for Middle and Upper School students, and coached Middle School boys’ soccer and girls’ basketball teams.

Rose Frola Rose is retiring after 24 years at MFS. She has served as the Administrative Assistant for the Business Office and to the Director of Finance & Operations, and has lent her costuming skills to countless theatrical productions and special events.

Visit mfriends.org/AW22 for everything about Alumni Weekend 2022!

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110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949

It’s back! Visit www.mfriends.org/AW22 for information on events and class reunions on Alumni Weekend, May 6-7.

Among Friends Spring 2022

Articles inside

Fox Tracks

From the Head of School

Students Find Adventure on New Playscape

Notes from Pages Lane

Career Day Features Michael Carter ‘91

Honoring Retirees

Virtual Alumni Gatherings

Scenes from Intensive Learning