F A L L / W I N T E R 2 018
LUMEN THE
MAGAZINE
OF
NEWARK
ACADEMY
A MOSAIC OF OPPORTUNITIES The Newark Academy Experience Empowers Generations of Leaders
Reunion 2018
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FA L L / W I N T E R 2 018
CONTENTS
F E AT U R E S
15 Decade of Immersion Experiences Leads to Life-Changing Moments
18 Newark Academy: A Mosaic of Opportunities
N A A lum N A e TO WATC H
By Jeff Vinikoor
30 NA Women Making Their Marks on the World By Jessica lubow
IN THIS ISSUE
2 Perspectives
4 NA News
29 Advancement
30
42 Alumni News
54 Class Notes
26 VISIT NA on the web at www.newarka.edu LIKE NA on Facebook @newarkacademy FOLLOW NA on Twitter @newarkacademy FOLLOW NA on Instagram @newarkacademy
LUMEN
PERSPECTIVES
F A L L / W I N T E R 2 018 Donald M. Austin Head of School
FROM DONALD M. AUSTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Lisa Grider Assistant Head of School for External Affairs EDITOR
Hannah Wyrzykowski Director of Communications ASSISTANT EDITORS
David Beckman Matt Sugam CONTRIBUTORS
Garrett Caldwell Jessica Lubow Evan Nisenson ’99 Alexandra Mahoney Jeff Vinikoor BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Executive Committee David D. McGraw ’77 Chairman Lawrence G. Cetrulo ’67 Secretary Marika Alzadon ’89 Donald M. Austin John H. Bess ’69 Patricia Budziak Samuel W. Croll III ’68
Lauren Hedvat ’01 Jeffrey Kaplan Wayne D. Kent ’85 Patrick Wang Larry S. Wieseneck
Empowering Students and Alumni to Lead
Trustees Andrew Kogan ’90 Nino Badridze Steve Madreperla ’77 Maria Rice Bellamy ’85 Robert Marcus Lara Coraci-Basile ’88 Lisa Powers Cuong Do Michael Rockoff ’87 Anjali Gupta Melissa Tassé Karen Guy-Smith Glenn A. Waldorf ’90 Scott L. Hayward
We recently welcomed an enthusiastic group of alumni for our annual Homecoming & Reunion festivities. Beyond the joy of reconnecting with friends and faculty,
Emeriti Louis V. Aronson II ’41 Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 Paul Busse ’38* K. Kelly Marx ’51 Robert Del Tufo ’51* John L. McGraw ’49 William D. Green ’69 Robert S. Puder ’38* William D. Hardin ’44* Gary Rose William T. Wachenfeld ’44
alumni gatherings provide an opportunity to reflect on the enduring influence of formative school experiences. The academic components of a Newark Academy education are extremely important, of course, as they
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS
set our alumni on a course to succeed in college and
Glenn A. Waldorf ’90 President
in their careers. Those outcomes are well-known and
Allison Hyans ’11 Amanda Addison ’06 Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 Rohit Bawa ’93 Gillian Javetski ’07 Michele Chiles-Hickman ’86 Katherine Johnson ’11 Asha Talwar Coco ’99 Lauren Kaplan ’09 Daniel D. Cronheim ’72 Steve Lozowick ’63 Christopher Davis ’12 Jennifer Mandelbaum ’11 Brett Finkelstein ’05 Giulia Mercuri ’10 Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 Ed Pursell ’02 Rebecca Moll Freed ’94 Jed Rosenthal ’93 Justin Garrod ’93 Alex Senchak ’02 Kumar Ghafoor ’10 Evan Sills ’03 Susan Goldberg ’79 Andrew Somberg ’07 Peter Gruenberg ’81 Alexandra Swanson ’09 Shannon Hedvat ’03 Pamela Helfant Vichengrad ’94
much appreciated. But perhaps even more impactful are the self-confidence and the courage our students develop while at NA, which they often recognize only long after graduation.
One memorable reflection came from Denise Jamieson, Class of 1983, who recounted her experience on the cross country team. NA had only a boys’ cross country team when Denise was in ninth grade,
Emeriti Lance Aronson ’74 Leo Gordon ’69 J. Richard Beltram ’41* Jeffrey Silverman ’82 John Bess ’69 William Stroh ’48* Richard Watson ’50
but she approached the coach, who allowed her to join and run that season with the boys. In later seasons, other girls were recruited and a girls’ team was formed. Looking back 35 years later at our Alumni Awards Ceremony, Denise explained that this experience had a pro-
Newark Academy Office of Institutional Advancement 91 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039 Telephone: (973) 992-7000 Email: hwyrzykowski@newarka.edu www.newarka.edu *Deceased
found and lasting impact on her because it showed that regardless
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Empowerment + Opportunity
Success
of her gender or other personal charac-
discover that they are more than
challenges in many different arenas.
teristics she could compete in any set-
capable of succeeding, often at a level
Importantly, empowerment comes not
ting. That realization was an enormous
beyond their expectations. This simple
only from achievement and success
boost to her self-confidence, which she
recognition of their own capacities leads
but also from exposure to novel experi-
has carried with her on her path to a
immediately to greater self-confidence
ences, ideas and interactions with
distinguished career as a groundbreak-
and a clearer understanding of their
people from diverse backgrounds.
ing obstetrician-gynecologist at the Centers for Disease Control. Our school culture asks much of students, but it also affords them significant freedom in their coursework, in their choice of activities, and in leadership opportunities. The intel-
‘‘
…empowerment comes not only from achievement and success but also from exposure to novel experiences, ideas and interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.”
lectual depth and breadth of the NA classroom is reinforced by activities designed to stretch students, including some that may make them uneasy.
strengths, and it can herald the discov-
The alumni featured in this issue of
ery of new interests and talents.
LUMEN are wonderful examples who
Performing in a dance concert, playing
have succeeded in remarkable and
a big game in front of a raucous crowd,
One lasting result of a Newark Academy
making an announcement at morning
education for all graduates should be
meeting, or traveling to a distant coun-
empowerment: the confidence that
try on an immersion experience are for
they have the skills and qualities of
many students big and daunting steps.
character to succeed if they put their
While these challenges can be intimi-
all into a pursuit. This empowerment
dating at first, NA students invariably
is earned because they have met
original ways. They also remind us that our graduates have the imagination and courage to pursue interests that may fall outside of traditional paths.
NEWARK ACADEMY
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NA NEWS
newark aCaDemy CeLebrates its future LeaDers New York University’s Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Thomas Carew delivered an inspiring keynote address to the Class of 2018 at their Commencement ceremony on June 10. Dean Carew is a neurobiologist who has done extensive original research on memory during a lengthy career that has included teaching posts at Yale, Columbia, and the University of California, Irvine, in addition to NYU. He is a distinguished teacher, researcher and educational leader whose research interests center on the behavioral, cellular and molecular analyses of learning and memory. Following the address, the 101 members of the Class of 2018 received their diplomas to enthusiastic applause from family, friends, faculty and staff.
CoLLege Destinations for the CLass of 2018
emmanuel garcia Stevens Institute of Technology
Zoe ades Boston University
benjamin berkowitz New York University
madeline Christmann University of Michigan
adebisi adetoye Muhlenberg College
Jessie bernardo New Jersey Institute of Technology
reid Christmann Case Western Reserve University
anne Capelli Savannah College of Art and Design
nicholas Cicalese Villanova University
william hayward Duke University
amanda Cohen Emory University
nicholas he Cornell University
Veronica Czyzewski Harvard University
samantha ho Emory University
olivia Dehoff Lehigh University
Cynthia huang Gap Year – University of California, Berkeley
JaVon anderson Montclair State University albert anwar University of Michigan maria armas Syracuse University
sarah Chang Bates College
aryana aziz Washington University
Jonathan Charette Gap Year – Princeton University
francesca badalamenti Rutgers University
young se Choi Carnegie Mellon University
John barback Fordham University
Claire Dempsey Wagner College alexander Dion Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute harry echtman Northwestern University natalie edman University of Pennsylvania samuel enweonwu Purdue University Cosimo fabrizio Cornell University ishan gadde Northeastern University ryan gajarawala Harvard University
gregory gavenda University of Notre Dame gregory gilbert Lafayette College
Jennifer huo Emory University thomas ito University of Michigan yusuf Jackson New Jersey Institute of Technology benjamin kany Yale University samantha kany University of Miami katherine kim Middlebury College reshma kopparapu Gap Year – University of Southern California elaina kwiatkowski Boston College
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ezra Lebovitz Harvard University
Jack szlosek Syracuse University
michelle Lee Emory University
Dean tan Northwestern University
benjamin Leit Hamilton College
siddarth tumu University of Pennsylvania
Victoria Li Johns Hopkins University
Julie Phipps Washington & Lee University
hunter schone Boston University
audra wagner-Carlberg Middlebury College
sydney Loh University of Pennsylvania
ellie Pitkowsky Colgate University
mallory shaw Franklin & Marshall College
brahm wieseneck University of Pennsylvania
kayla mackay University of Pennsylvania
reese Puntus Case Western Reserve University
brady sheaffer Washington University
John wright Indiana University
rebecca slater Massachusetts Institute of Technology
andrew wyshner University of Notre Dame
alexa madsen Lafayette College Jarrod maloney University of Miami
Logan rechler Stevens Institute of Technology
megan mcCullough University of Michigan
brian robusto Indiana University
Jake mcevoy University of Southern California
sarah rovit Duke University
aryana mercado Rutgers University
Caroline salemy Gap Year – Northeastern University
alessia mercuri Elon University
Carolyn schachtel Vanderbilt University
rachel miller University of Michigan
Daniele schmidt University of Vermont
Jada smith Washington University isabel snee University of Notre Dame natalie sonkin Syracuse University Durga srivatsan University of Pennsylvania elisabeth stein Columbia University ashley sun Pomona College
melody Xiao Rice University Claire Xu Brandeis University alena Zhang Columbia University abbey Zhu Northwestern University allen Zhu Stanford University elliott Zornitsky Dartmouth College
alicia mirchandani New York University tyler mudge Syracuse University madeline mudrick University of Chicago keri nachtman Indiana University mila nazarali Gap Year – Williams College Lauren oliner Washington University tess ostroff Boston College Charles Pan Stanford University Christine Pan Case Western Reserve University antonia Park Middlebury College samuel Pensiero Washington University
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NA NEWS
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FACULTY FOCUS
What’s Going on Nationally in the World of College Admission • College admission conversations continue to be dominated by standardized testing, and by the continuing trend of colleges and universities dropping certain requirements for the tests. Only 22 colleges and universi-
ties – including Brown, Duke, Harvard, the University of Michigan, Princeton, Stanford and Yale – still require the essay portion of the SAT and ACT exams. Some schools are even making the exams entirely optional, including the University of Chicago, George Washington University, James Madison University, Wake Forest and Wesleyan.
Convocation Sparks Strong Start to School Year On September 5, 2018, current and new Newark Academy students, administrators and faculty came together for the school’s 245th Convocation. The annual ceremony is a time-honored tradition that celebrates the start of a new academic year while also allowing NA to recognize its long-serving faculty.
• the controversy over the scoring of the June 2018 sat tests continues to fuel conversations. Many test
takers for this exam sitting reported that the math section seemed easy. However, the SAT is scored on a curve, and the College Board compensated for the easier test with a shift in scoring, whereby missing a relatively small number of questions resulted in a much lower score than would typically be the case. Newark Academy College Counseling Office staff discussed how colleges will evaluate applicants’ June 2018 SAT scores with the more than 100 college representatives who visited NA this fall.
“As I and everyone in this room embark on the 2018 –2019 school year, we should try to not blindly accept ideas, words and notions around us, but question why things are the way they are,” said Taffi Ayodele ’00 in her keynote speech. “Today, rejuvenated from a long summer vacation I want to encourage all of you, the faculty, and myself to continue to ask ‘why’ and ‘how,’ instead of just understanding ‘what’ and going with what is broadly accepted.”
• a growing number of universities are helping students limit the financial burden of sending official test scores by accepting self-reported scores listed on a student’s application. These “unofficial” scores will be used to determine admission decisions, and students will need to send in their official score reports if they enroll. • the new york university school of medicine recently became the first top-10 medical school to make tuition free for all students regardless of financial need.
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Taffi Ayodele ’00 connected with students after the Convocation ceremony.
faCuLty miLestones Newark Academy’s faculty is noteworthy for its longevity. At Convocation the following faculty were recognized for longevity milestones.
35 years: Scott Johnson 30 years: Cathy Pursell
25 years: Alexandra Mahoney, Nancy Celente, Deb Tavares 20 years: Dr. Richard DiBianca
15 years: Yvette Luxenberg, Kirsti Morin, Neil Stourton 10 years: Lisa Grider, Beth Sparacino, Jayme Kaczanoski, Je Vinikoor
5 years: Moussa Fall, Jessica DeSanta, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, Vanessa Gabb, Alexis Romay
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FACULTY FOCUS
na welcomes keith fischer as Director of admission and enrollment management a seasoned admission professional, keith fischer joined newark academy after serving as the associate director of admission for the past five years at his alma mater, Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. keith began his career at Dickinson in 2011 as assistant director of
Lisa Grider Takes on New Role at NA as Assistant Head of School for External Affairs
admission and before that spent nine years working for the Philadelphia eagles and the national football League. growing up in far hills and graduating from bernardsville high school, keith sees na as a place with a
After 10 years leading Newark Academy’s Office of Institutional Advancement (composed of communications, alumni relations and fundraising), Lisa Grider was named assistant head of school for external affairs on July 1. The expansion of Lisa’s role formalizes the ongoing collaboration among NA’s three most outward-facing departments, the Office of Admission and Enrollment Management, the Department of Athletics, and the Office of Institutional Advancement. As the primary lenses through which the broader community views Newark Academy, these departments have a shared responsibility for communicating and maintaining the school’s brand and reputation.
long history, but also as a “school that is not content to stand on that history and is always looking to how it can improve.”
na welcomes gardy guiteau as Director of equity and inclusion gardy guiteau joined newark academy as the director of equity and inclusion after nearly a decade working at rowan university, where he
“Head of School Don Austin and the Board of Trustees recognize the opportunities for creative synergy among these three departments,” Lisa says. “I am thrilled that Don asked me to lead this group. I share his belief that these three departments have tremendous opportunities to support the NA mission and to strategically communicate the school’s values and accomplishments.”
spent the last four years as
Lisa joined the NA administration in September 2008 and has served as director of institutional advancement for the past 10 years. Under her guidance, the department has significantly expanded alumni programming; produced award-winning print, digital and video materials; and increased annual giving support by 60 percent. She has also served as the primary staff person on Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy, the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in NA history.
community in the school.” Coming from a
the director of social justice, inclusion and conflict resolution initiatives. when asked what drew him to na, he gave a simple response: “the students! they are amazing in how they think about their education as well as how they speak about the large, multi-campus university with more than 17,000 students, gardy says that “working in a close-knit community like na is a breath of fresh air.” his previous work in higher education will benefit him in this new role. “i did a great deal of work facilitating spaces and opportunities for students, faculty and staff to learn about themselves and one another. i look forward to doing likewise with folks here at na, including supporting parents and families.”
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faCuLty aChieVements Jim Coe (Humanities) is training to be a Master Teacher through the Gilder Lehrman Institute. In September, he conducted, alongside a current Master Teacher, a 45-minute pedagogical workshop for the Bayonne High School History Department. The topic was “The 1960s: How Music Reflects a Changing Country.” Jim’s portion was a presentation on “Vietnam in Verse.” Additionally, Jim was named the first prize winner of the Bill of Rights Institution Constitution Day Teacher contest for his dedication to helping students become better citizens in 21st century America.
Alexis Romay’s (Spanish) translation of Margarita Engle’s memoir Enchanted Air (Arie Encantado) won first prize at the International Latino Book Awards for Best Chapter/Young Adult Book Translation in September. It was also selected by the Texas Library Association for the 2018 Tejas Star Reading List in February. Julius Tolentino (Arts) was the recipient of the 2018 Jazz Education Achievement Award for his work with NA students as well as his service to the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education (NJAJE). The award was presented at the NJAJE Jazz Conference in November.
Making an Impact as a Department Chair Dr. Mike Thayer is taking on a new professional responsibility at NA as the Math Department chair. “My goal as Mathematics Department chair is to ensure that students are having a good experience in whatever math class they are taking,” Mike says, “and to help my highly talented Mathematics Department colleagues in whatever ways I can to achieve that end.” Mike plays an active role in the NA community serving as a member of the Equity and Inclusion Team and currently teaching the IB Theory of Knowledge course. “He is a model colleague in that he contributes to the life of the school,” says Dean of Faculty Von Rollenhagen. “He has extensive knowledge of every level in the mathematics program and has earned the respect of students and fellow teachers.”
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NA NEWS
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FACULTY FOCUS
na weLComes new faCuLty members
Jim Coe (humanities) comes to NA from teaching at Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City and previously in the Bayonne school district. He attended Saint Peter’s University, where he earned a B.A. in history with a minor in German and an M.A. in education. Jim has studied in Germany, worked at Ellis Island National Park as part of the Park’s Oral History Project, and is pursuing his second master’s degree through the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. sean Cosgrove (humanities) has been teaching history, economics and politics for 27 years at schools in West Milford Township and Mountain Lakes. He received a B.A. in history from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. in history at New York University. rob Downes (mathematics) comes to NA after spending 26 years as a mathematics teacher and administrator at Mountain Lakes High School. For the past 18 years, he has been a faculty member for NA’s Summer Session. Rob earned a B.S. in mathematics from Moravian College and an M.A. in applied mathematics from California State University, Long Beach. Cori eggert (mathematics) earned a B.A. in mathematical sciences with a minor in
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education from Western New England University and an M.A. in private school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. She previously taught math at Morristown-Beard, where she also directed the community service program and coached swimming, field hockey and softball. felipe Ledezma (spanish) was born in Colombia and grew up in Northern Virginia. He earned a B.A. in music from George Mason University, where he also received a teaching degree. He came to NA in 2017, working part time in the Office of Institutional Advancement, and has taught music lessons locally. nick manfreda (mathematics) earned a B.A. in economics with a minor in mathematics from Bucknell University. He has spent the past three years as a teaching apprentice and coach at the New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, Connecticut, while spending summers as a faculty member at the Taft Summer School in Watertown, Connecticut. rochelle outlaw (humanities) earned a B.A. in history from Rice University and a J.D. with distinction from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law; she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in history from
the University of South Carolina. She has previously taught at Trinity College, the University of South Carolina, Strayer University and Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. Dan Petrillo ’06 (humanities) joins NA after serving as a middle school teacher at Gill St. Bernard’s and Philip’s Academy. He earned a B.A. in history from the University of Rhode Island and an M.A. in education with a concentration in special education from the College of St. Elizabeth. He is a certified teacher of special education in the state of New Jersey. Lou scerra (english) graduated with honors from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in English. He also earned an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College and an M.A. in English from Fordham University. After nine years of teaching and coaching at NA, Lou recently earned his M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. At Duke, he was named a Fuqua Scholar while pursuing concentrations in decision sciences and in leadership and ethics. He also mentored first-year M.B.A. students as a COLE Fellow at the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics and kept his foot in the classroom by teaching review sessions for the core economics course.
Newark Academy Welcomes New Trustees Dr. Nino Badridze has one daughter at NA, Allie ’19, and two younger children, Ewan and Anna. Since 2015, Nino has shared her enthusiasm and talents with the Newark Academy Parents Association (NAPA), serving as co-chair of NAPA’s annual gala, as NAPA vice president and, starting this year, as NAPA president. She holds an undergraduate degree (master’s equivalent) in biology from Tbilisi State University in the Republic of Georgia and a Ph.D. in psychology from Rutgers University.
Andrew (Andy) Kogan ’90 and his wife, Nina, have two children at NA, Elizabeth ’21 and Jason ’23. As a student at NA, Andy was a member of the ice hockey team. He graduated from New York University School of Law in 1997, where he met his wife. He has served as assistant U.S. attorney for the past 10 years, working in that office’s economic crimes and terrorism units.
Dr. Steven (Steve) Madreperla ’77 and his wife, Jeannie Eugenia, have two children at NA, Olivia ’21 and Matt ’23. Steve earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of Vermont; an M.S. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins, and fellowships in vitreoretinal disease and surgery at Duke University Eye Center and in ocular oncology at Moorefield’s Eye Hospital, London. Steve is on the medical staff of most area hospitals.
Michael Rockoff ’87 and his wife, Chi, have three children, David, Matthew and Lily. He is the president of Universal Nutrition, a family-owned company in New Brunswick that manufactures nutritional supplements for bodybuilders and athletes. While at NA, Michael played football. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Karen Guy-Smith and her husband, James, have three children, Jalen ’13, Jada ’18 and Josiah ’25. Karen is the director of operations for J. Anderson & Associates, a firm she and her husband founded that focuses on executive leadership, executive staffing, talent management, organizational development, human resource management and diversity recruiting. She holds a B.A. in journalism from Rutgers University’s Douglass Residential College and is working on an M.P.A. from Kean University.
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NA NEWS
Sarah Fischer, Director of Community Service
Building Community As part of its mission, Newark Academy is committed to fostering students’ generosity of spirit, and so the school’s Community Service Program is an essential part of the NA community.
STUDeNT SPOTLiGhT – KAYA PATeL ’22 kaya developed a passion for community service before coming to newark academy, starting a jewelry business in fourth grade and donating the proceeds to charity. her passion for service only grew when she entered
New Committee-Based Community Service Council In an effort to streamline the Community Service Program and provide more student leadership positions, Director of Community Service Sarah Fischer has implemented a new committee-based structure for the Community Service Council.
the middle school, where she was a member of the Community service Club and co-captain of the Community service team. now, as a freshman, kaya is already emerging as a leader in na’s community service initiatives, having been elected as the publicity representative for the freshman class. “we have so many opportunities at na that it’s good that we can give back to others,” kaya says. “before i came here, i was kind of just doing stuff on my own because i
The Council is now run by four committees – publicity; internal events; external events and education; and training and technology – that are responsible for planning and organizing specific elements of the overall program.
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didn’t really know where else to go. the Community service Council sets up different events and different drives that help get people involved in ways that they wouldn’t have known about.”
With this system, students are now more accountable and have greater influence. “By breaking up into smaller committees, members know what their responsibilities are and it helps us direct them,” Sarah says. “The committee system so far has been great. We have a full social media plan that has been put into effect, and our training and technology committee is giving freshmen a tutorial on the resources, offering more support.”
Sparking Conversations Every year, the Community Service Council chooses an initiative to focus on. This year’s focus is poverty and income inequality. “We really want to spark a conversation community-wide,” Sarah says. “I would love it to be talked about at the dinner table. What does poverty mean? What does income inequality mean? What does it look like?” To raise awareness, the Community Service Council hosted a number of food and clothing drives this fall.
global speaker series sparks Conversations in the classroom and beyond, newark academy strives to expose students to issues that shape the world. since 2008, na’s global speaker series Committee has brought distinguished individuals from around the world to address the na community, enriching students’ understanding and broadening their intellectual horizons. During the fall semester, the na community heard from franklin foer, who is widely respected in contemporary journalism and offers refreshing takes on topics including technology, immigration, economics, liberalism and sports; and from Daryl Davis, the author of Klan-destine Relationships: A Black Man’s Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), who spent a year in close contact with members of the kkk in an attempt to understand the roots of racism. on march 5, 2019, the na community will welcome sonia shah, a science journalist and prize-winning author, for the year’s third global speaker series event.
The NA community welcomed journalist Franklin Foer (center) to campus as part of the Global Speaker Series. Before his school-wide presentation, members of the Global Speaker Series Committee connected with Franklin.
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NA NEWS
Building a Culture of Inclusion in late november, 13 adult members of the newark academy community traveled to nashville, tennessee to attend the national association of independent schools (nais) People of Color Conference (PoCC), while six students attended the associated student Diversity Leadership Conference (sDLC).
PoCC is a fundamental part of NAIS’ commitment to fostering equity and justice in teaching and learning. The theme of this year’s conference was “Equitable Schools and Inclusive Communities: Harmony, Discord, & the Notes in Between.” Through workshops, networking events, seminars, speaker presentations and group work, the conference equipped NA leadership, staff and faculty members with the knowledge, skills and experiences to enhance the school culture. NA students who attended SDLC had ample opportunities to enhance their cross-cultural communications skills and gained a better understanding of the development of effective strategies for social justice. Student and faculty representatives in both Middle and Upper Schools make up the equity and inclusion Team, which promotes diversity, equity, and justice throughout the school community.
Conference Attendees NA Leadership, Staff and Faculty Members Don Austin, Head of School Nancy Celente, Science Teacher and STEM Coordinator Richard DiBianca, Upper School Principal Gardy Guiteau, Director of Equity and Inclusion
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Kerri Speck, Associate Director of College Counseling Carol Spooner, Director of School Counseling Jeff Vinikoor, Chair, Humanities
Students
Kumar Ghafoor ’10, Alumni Board of Governors
Alan Lin ’19
Lisa Grider, Assistant Head of School for External Affairs
Akshay Bhandari ’20
Rochelle Outlaw, Humanities Teacher
Sydeny Fullilove ’20
Lisa Powers, Board of Trustees
Ruqaiyyah Lucas-Caldwell ’20
Rachael Reeves, Science Teacher
Radhika Mohan ’20
Alexis Romay, Spanish Teacher
Monica Zhang ’21
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DECADE OF IMMERSION EXPERIENCES LEADS TO
Life-Changing Moments
t
eN YeARS AGO, the first group of newark academy students went on immersion experiences, discovering new cultures and places; now, the program is a vital part of the na curriculum. the 10- or
16-day trips provide students with opportunities to learn by moving beyond their comfort zones. these experiences range from living with a host family in another country to exploring wilderness areas in the american southwest.
in October 2008, the NA Board of Trustees voted unanimously to require each Upper School student, beginning with the Class of 2013, to engage in at least one cultural/ linguistic, cultural/service-learning or wilderness immersion experience. Since then, students have traveled to Spain, France, india, the White Mountains of New hampshire, the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine, the desert Southwest and other destinations.
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NA NEWS
seLf-DesigneD immersion As a member of the first graduating class required to have an Immersion Experience, Christian Pinto ’13 wanted to go above and beyond what was required, so he created a self-designed experience. Christian went to Senegal, Africa, during the summer before his sophomore year, where he stayed with a local family while using his French skills and doing service work for a humanitarian organization. “At first, I was a bit unsure of going to a third-world African country without anyone I knew, but it forced me to really step outside of my comfort zone,” Christian says. “I met some great people who were incredibly interesting and like-minded, all wanting to experience the culture and people that the beautiful country of Senegal has to offer.” Traveling halfway across the world before getting a driver’s license can be an unnerving experience, but to Christian it was freeing. “For the first time in my life I felt truly independent, and as a young adult, there really is no better feeling,” Christian says. “What was great about Senegal, too, was that I could also practice my French. It was a bit daunting, but the initial fear of conversing with locals goes away after the first few days.”
Christian Pinto ’13 in senegal, africa.
Five years later, Christian’s Immersion Experience at NA has helped mold his future. Since his trip to Senegal, he has lived in the Philippine jungle working at a local bank for two weeks, completed a trek along a portion of the Camino de Santiago, and, most recently, taken a one-month 3,500-kilometer trip through Vietnam on a rickety motorcycle. “That first adventurous trip sparked my love of ‘off the beaten path’ traveling and has really opened my eyes to truly making an effort to understand other cultures.”
aLumni LeaDer Five years after her own Immersion Experience in Spain, Ruby Gould ’15 jumped at the opportunity to be an alumni leader on NA’s 2017 trip to Spain. “I was excited to watch students at the same age that I had been see the country for the first time and navigate the difficulty of communicating solely in a foreign language,” she says.
ruby gould ’15 in spain.
Ruby stayed with the same host family that she had gotten to know five years before, and she calls it a surreal experience to see how much she had grown and changed since her previous trip. “I was able to communicate with them on a whole new level,” Ruby says. “My favorite part of the experience was forming relationships with the students on the trip and watching them adjust to living with their host families.”
Ruby has continued to use her language skills, and this past summer she interned for the International Rescue Committee in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she worked closely with newly arrived refugees and asylees. She was able to complete important casework for Latin-American refugees by using her Spanish. “My Immersion Experience in high school confirmed my interest in studying the Spanish language, and I am now a Spanish major at Bucknell University,” Ruby says. “After spending a semester studying abroad in Chile, my language skills improved drastically. I credit (Spanish teacher and Director of Immersion Experiences) Ms. McNeilly-Anta ’93 for my continued interest in the study of Spanish. She influenced me greatly during my years at Newark Academy.”
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BY The NUMBeRS – 200 8 – 2018
827 students the transformatiVe Power of an eXPerienCe BY ALExANDRA MAHONEY
In the environs around Antigua, Guatemala, 42 families can now rely on the stability of a lovingly constructed cement-block house thanks to the dedication of more than 100 passionate Newark Academy Upper School students and a team of patient, skilled Guatemalan workers. Working with From Houses to Homes, a nonprofit founded in 2004 to build homes and improve the lives of the rural poor in Guatemala, NA students traveled to Antigua to build houses as part of a servicelearning Immersion Experience for the past seven years. How is it that hauling cement bags and blocks, shoveling sand and rocks, and filling cracks with mortar for six hours a day for two weeks can be so meaningful? The answer is easy: the people. NA students interact directly with the families who will live in the houses that their sweat, muscles and laughter produce. They work alongside Guatemalans who make it their business to show us a good time while we dig foundations, mix cement by hand, and measure and frame out walls, windows, doors and roofs. The open-hearted warmth of the Guatemalans we meet, from the children who hug at the drop of a hat to the workers who playfully mock us as they beat us in soccer on a dirt field, radiates into our hearts and makes a lasting impression.
Richness of Spirit and Community NA students understand what service means and are eager to make an impact in a substantive way. Seth Wilensky ’16 went on the Guatemala Immersion Experience as a sophomore and returned as an alumni leader in 2017. Reflecting on the impact the trips have had on him, Seth says, “The only thing that struck me more than the natural beauty of Antigua was the richness of spirit and community that I experienced working in these communities alongside a dedicated crew of local Guatemalan workers. The joy, compassion and love that these locals extended to us, a group of foreigners, was unbelievable and still strikes me to this day. Returning to Antigua was an incredibly heartfelt experience for me, as I got to see the same workers I worked with as a student, who all still remembered me by name! The connections and memories I gained throughout my time in Antigua truly made me a better person and makes the NA community a better place.”
have completed an immersion experience
45% of students selected cultural/linguistic immersion experiences
37%
of students selected wilderness immersion experiences
18% of students selected cultural/service-learning immersion experiences
230 students went on cultural/linguistic immersion experiences to spain
104 students went on cultural/linguistic immersion experiences to france
119
students went on cultural/service-learning immersion experiences to guatemala
70
students went on wilderness immersion experiences to the american southwest
66 students went on wilderness immersion experiences to the white mountains
33 faculty and 16 alumni have led immersion experiences
14
students have completed self-designed immersion experiences
Overcoming Obstacles On June 3, 2018, the catastrophic eruption of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano affected countless people. A group of NA Upper School students and faculty members were in Antigua, 10 miles from Fuego, when this event occurred. Although the trip was cut short, two groups of NA students were so impacted by the short time they spent in Guatemala that they returned this past summer on a separate trip with From Houses to Homes. Their unusual commitment speaks to all of the joys, challenges, relationships and life-altering experiences that can emerge when we push ourselves and our students to venture off our planned paths and to engage in activities for which we are not expected to excel but rather to show up, roll up our sleeves, open our hearts, feel a little awkward, and offer a bit of what we have to someone who really needs it.
Biggest Takeaway Jack Snyder ’19 traveled to Guatemala for his Immersion Experience in June 2017 and, like all students, kept a required journal of his time there. This excerpt from his Guatemala journal was written on the last day of the trip, June 25, 2017: “My biggest takeaway was that stepping out of your comfort zone allows for physical and emotional growth. Meeting new people, such as the workers, the families, our homestay mom and friends we met along the way, forced us to interact with strangers in another language at practically every moment. This left me with experiences that I could have never imagined – experiences only available in Guatemala. I’ve never wanted to go back to any single place more in my life, and I haven’t even left yet. I’ll remember this experience forever, and hopefully I can return and continue to work with this amazing country. I can’t believe this is over. Wow.” (Left) na students presented the key to the home they helped build and a plaque to the guatemalan family who will live in the house. the plaque names all of the volunteer workers and notes that this house was the 1183 house built.
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NEWARK ACADEMY:
A Mosaic of Opportunities BY JEFF VINIKOOR
you were to conve r s e with a newark academy student at random, you might find yourself talking with a computer programmer who competes in dance competitions, a lacrosse player who volunteers at a local food bank every weekend, or a jazz musician who has already published a paper in a scientific journal.
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indeed, it’s rare to find two na students who are alike; the remarkable mix of talents and interests found among the student body distinguishes each cohort and the school as a whole. na students are encouraged to develop their gifts and to pursue their passions in and out of the classroom: to follow their bliss, as Joseph Campbell put it. they are given choices and opportunities to chart their own paths – to challenge themselves and to flourish in a wide variety of academic, athletic, artistic and service endeavors.
that no two students follow the same path reflects the diversity of the na community, the dynamism of the school’s educational program, and the drive of its faculty and students, who have a deep passion for pursuing excellence in every domain and at every level. guided by the wisdom of teachers, advisors and coaches, all students – from 6th graders to 12th graders – are able to craft a unique educational program from a mosaic of opportunities. here we highlight a few of the pieces of that mosaic.
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as one measure of cognitive readiness for advanced coursework, deep understanding of math concepts often requires a level of intellectual maturity and experience that is rare in younger students, even those who perform well on such tests. Thus, the department seeks to consider what is in the best interest of every student over the course of their entire high school career and beyond, not just in their first course. In this way, placement is an ongoing process.
Creating Community arounD the harkness tabLe math PLaCement: finDing the best fit for eVery stuDent When Sebastian Dias-Sotiriou ’24 came to NA as a 6th grader, he was placed in Algebra 1 Honors 7, a course often taken by Upper School students. “It was a hard but not overwhelming course, definitely the right fit for me,” reflects Sebastian, now a 7th grader taking Geometry Honors 8. While Sebastian’s experience was unusual – almost all 6th graders are placed into either Fundamentals of Mathematics or Topics in Mathematics – it reflects a Mathematics Department policy that seeks to place incoming students in classes that will both meet them at their level of readiness and challenge them. To find the best-fit course, incoming 6th graders take a placement test before the year begins. These initial placements are then reexamined in mid-October, when adjustments are made as appropriate. Students entering 9th grade also take a placement test, and the roster of courses in which they are placed is quite diverse: from Algebra 1 to Algebra 2/Trigonometry Honors and occasionally even Precalculus Honors. “Because of the wide range of mathematics experiences students have had in middle school, 9th graders land in a wide range of courses,” notes Mathematics Department Chair Mike Thayer. Carrying out the math placement policy is as much an art as a science. While a single placement test may serve
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It was a hard but not overwhelming course, definitely the right fit for me.” – SeBASTiAN DiAS-SOTiRiOU ’24
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In the Wilf Middle School, the 8th-grade English experience is anchored by what every student is immediately drawn to upon entering room 407 for the first time: the undeniable beauty of the Harkness table. Its singleness of purpose is symbolized in its construction: one uninterrupted oval slab of wood. “Are we going to be like King Arthur’s knights?” at least a few students inevitably ask upon entering. “I take advantage of this comparison to reinforce the age-old Harkness directive,” says English Department faculty member Dr. Betsy LaPadula. “The teacher, like Arthur, is not the sole voice of wisdom. Sitting around Harkness tables as a student myself, I absorbed what would become a central tenet of my pedagogy: everyone’s voice matters. But who speaks, why and how often can be as complex as the quests Gawain and Galahad pursued.” Eighth graders must come to grips with identifiers that have either been foisted upon them or that rise up out of the fog of adolescence. Finding out what truly defines them is a years-long process. Despite this natural confusion and discomfort, it is a rare day when a student stays silent around the Harkness table. It does not matter what text is up for discussion. The simple act of looking into other students’ eyes – and having Dr. La, as the students call her, either seated with the group or circulating – creates a sense of community, continuity and purpose. Harkness tables grew in significance during the first decades of the 20th century as a way to encourage students to “lean in” to learning. They continue to offer students a way to find their own
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The teacher, like Arthur, is not the sole voice of wisdom.” – DR. BETSY LAPADULA
voices during adolescence. Seated around the table, students can begin to speak confidently, write clearly and, most importantly, inhabit their own skins with pride.
UPPER SCHOOL HUMANITIES: CHOICE AND DEPTH ACROSS DISCIPLINES The Humanities Department at NA takes its name seriously. While helping students become scholars of history is a foundational component of the Humanities program, teachers seek to help students examine the human experience using the tools not only of the historian but also of the anthropologist, the sociologist, the political scientist, the economist, the geographer and the philosopher. “We are in the business of educating individuals,” observes Humanities Department faculty member Benson Hawk, “rather than in delivering any one particular curriculum. Our goal is to meet the students where they are – to recognize that they have particular passions and strengths – and to provide them with a rich, intellectually challenging and interdisciplinary course of study.” Recognizing that developing the skills of critical, reflective thought is more important than the particular content of any given course, the Humanities Department recently changed its graduation requirements: students can now craft a program that reflects the range and depth of their interests. In particular, while juniors and seniors can choose from a range of elective courses, they can also now specialize in one of three fields: history, economics or philosophy. In courses that span two years, students
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Our goal is to meet the students where they are – to recognize that they have particular passions…” – BENSON HAWK
develop a facility with the analytical tools and content germane to the discipline of their choice at a level rarely found in secondary school. At the same time, all courses ensure that students are exposed to relevant themes and content from the 20th and 21st centuries, so that they graduate with a strong foundation in modern world history.
Some students have even opted to specialize in two disciplines. Senior Spencer Glassman took the first-year courses in both history and economics last school year, and he is taking the second-year course in each discipline this year. Having a depth of knowledge in both disciplines has offered him the unique ability to pursue his varied interests at a high level. “I struggle dealing with the limited amount of time I have to acquire knowledge and the infinite amount of knowledge there is to acquire,” reflects Spencer, adding, “I needed to ensure I was absorbing as much information as possible in my last two years at NA.”
MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL WRITING LAB Teaching writing has long been a passion for English Department faculty member David Beckman. Having worked one-on-one with student writers since his sophomore year of college, he is acutely aware of the difficulties developing writers face and how to support their growth. “Every writer has their own process, needs, strengths and weaknesses,” David observes. “Individualized writing instruction, while obviously very time-consuming, is the best way to help students develop their writing skills.” As NA’s writing specialist, David has the opportunity to provide individualized instruction to both Middle and Upper School students. In this role, he offers one-on-one support to students who seek out his expertise in the Writing Lab, and he holds lunchtime writing workshops on specific elements of the writing process that are open to all. Students arrive at the Writing Lab seeking help on assignments they are in the process of completing, and while David offers support on these assignments, he also teaches them strategies and skills that they can apply to future writing tasks. His process is collaborative and holistic. “When I meet with students, the discussion
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Individualized writing instruction… is the best way to help students develop their writing skills.” – DAVID BECKMAN
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component is crucial,” he says. “Any student who expects to come in, hand me a piece of writing and have me ‘fix’ it is bound to be disappointed. The most important thing we do is talk: I ask the student to explain what they’re working on, to sum up the ideas they’re trying to convey, to describe feedback they’ve gotten from their teachers in the past, and to share their experience working on the assignment at hand.” These conversations inform how David guides the student’s efforts. David has found great success and enjoyment working with students in the Writing Lab. “Of all the different types of work I’ve done as a faculty member at several independent schools, working one-on-one with student writers has always been among the most fulfilling,” he says. Equally, David’s work has impacted the young student writers whom he mentors, especially those who regularly seek out his help. Junior Sophia Emanuel first visited the Writing Lab during the spring of her freshman year. “Mr. Beckman was so helpful that I continued to see him several times during my sophomore year and this year, too,” she says. “I can’t imagine not having him as a resource.”
giVing artists VoiCe: the na wam bLog In 2013, author and Advanced Creative Writing teacher Tess James created a blog to share the works-in-progress of two students who had participated in National Novel Writing Month. The online platform enabled the students to receive useful comments on their work – comments that shaped the trajectory of their novels. “I immediately saw the site’s application for art and music as well,” notes Tess, who then launched the Writing, Arts and Music blog, affectionally called WAM. She encouraged faculty, staff and alumni to share their work alongside students. “Soon a popular football player posted his poetry,” recalls Tess, “and gradually the culture around creativity began to shift. Self-expression became a safer, more inviting prospect.” While the in-house, password-protected version of WAM gives space to polished as well as fledgling pieces, some students and alumni sought a larger audience. In 2014, Tess created a sister “Selected Works” site (http://blogs.newarka.edu/nawam) open to the public, which highlights winners of Scholastic Medals, Young Arts scholarships, Essentially Ellington awards, a cappella
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I can’t wait to see where they take WAM next.” – TeSS JAMeS
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competitions and more. Alumni have shared their work as journalists, filmmakers and graphic designers. “I enjoy the chance to celebrate creativity,” says Tess, “from whiteboard doodles to professionally staged plays.” This school year, in her role as WAM editor, Tess has engaged four student interns to work with her, encouraging participation among those in the community and helping curate the blog. The interns, she notes, “bring an explosion of energy and vision to the blog. I can’t wait to see where they take WAM next.”
maPPing the na CurriCuLum During the 2017-18 school year, the NA faculty engaged in a comprehensive curriculum review exercise that involved departmental and grade-level conversations about the experience of students from the first days of 6th grade to Upper School graduation. “We wanted faculty to gain deeper wisdom into the full student experience and a deeper understanding of how they function as a unified whole in creating that experience,” says Dean of Faculty Von Rollenhagen, who spearheaded the initiative.
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While ambitious, the undertaking was healthy and productive.” – DeAN OF FACULTY VON ROLLeNhAGeN
At the start of the year, faculty wrote course maps that served as springboards for detailed analysis of the NA program. During subsequent conversations, faculty used the maps to identify areas where skills and content in one realm reinforce work done in others, as well as areas where programs could more fully complement each other. “While ambitious, the undertaking was healthy and productive,” notes Von. The conversations have continued this school year and will drive changes to NA’s dynamic educational program in years to come.
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Day-in-resiDenCe with PhotograPher JorDan matter The David Teiger ’47 Gallery for Studio Arts at Newark Academy featured the work of Jordan Matter, portrait and dance photographer and author of the New York Times bestseller Dancers Among Us. Jordan shared many of the pieces from this collection in the form of large, luminous prints that capture professional dancers leaping, spinning and kicking in the context of daily life. The exhibit also includes a number of pieces from his new book, Born to Dance.
Photo by Jordan Matter
Jordan spent a day with dance, photography and film students, working with them on the skills involved in capturing motion on camera. His energy, passion and excitement fueled the day’s lessons as he went around the NA campus with the group and explored new ways for students to put his teachings into action.
artist-in-resiDenCe Trumpeter Kenny Rampton spent time with Newark Academy students in October as this year’s Artist-in-Residence. The annual Artist-in-Residence Program provides students with opportunities to practice creativity and artistic expression through extended interaction with a professional in the visual or performing arts. Kenny was truly immersed in the daily life of NA: visiting students in the Advanced Jazz/Chameleon, Middle School Orchestra and Sixth-Grade Sectionals classes; working with students in private lessons; attending evening rehearsals for NA Big Band and Chameleon; and performing for the NA community. His friendly and positive attitude was contagious and left NA’s student musicians inspired.
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eighth graDers witness the birth of a moVement By Garrett Caldwell In early October, Newark Academy hosted the art exhibit
The works displayed in the Teiger Gallery were exquisite
PAX Rwanda: Embroideries of Savane Rutongo-Kabuye in
and have, at first glance, the look of shimmering oil paint-
the David Teiger ’47 Gallery for Studio Arts. This unique
ings. Upon closer inspection, the viewer finds that these
display of embroidered works was created by survivors of
images of the landscapes, animals and people of Rwanda
the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The artists, all women, come
are actually embroideries. The message of reconciliation
from both the Hutu and Tutsi groups. Their craft movement
and hope, observable throughout the exhibit, resonated
is part of the post-genocide reconstruction and provides
with the Newark Academy community. The gallery was
common ground and healing. This “workshop,” as they
rarely empty of curious and appreciative viewers.
call it, is one of many collectives of artists that reflect the broad national movement for reconstruction, reconciliation
Creating a Cross-Curricular Lesson
and peace. NA Arts Department Chair Elaine Brodie worked with the Humanities Department to coordinate cross-curricular instruction for eighth-grade students. After learning about African colonialism and independence and viewing the film Hotel Rwanda, the students were treated to a presentation of the exhibit by its curator, Juliana Meehan. In the presentation, Juliana, who teaches reading and writing to sixth graders at Tenafly Middle School, provided the students with a comprehensive and visual tour of the history, society and wildlife of Rwanda. She spoke about a wide range of topics: the Rwandan Genocide, current environmental policies such as reforestation and wild life conservation, governmental efforts to become a regional leader in technology, traditional Rwandan culture, and, of course, the embroideries of the Hutu and Tutsi women.
“it’s amazing to think that these women from the two groups came together in the aftermath of the genocide to build new relationships through art.” – Danny sChwarZ-ruso ’23
“i thought it was really interesting to learn that these women have actually begun what surely will be a rwandan artistic tradition. i’m witnessing the birth of a movement.” – JoLene wang ’23
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open to Possibilities While first visiting Rwanda as a tourist in 2010, Juliana bought a few of the pieces, which she thought were “beautiful and rare.” The creators showed Juliana their workshop and, through talking to them, she learned their story. Juliana posed a question to the women – one that would lead her on a new and exciting journey: “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yes,” one of the artists replied. “Get us a show.” And Juliana said she would. “I had no idea how to get started, but I thought I’d just say yes and then figure it out,” she says. Not letting her lack of experience or behind-the-scenes knowledge of the art world hold her back, she dove right into the process. “Life is like that – we don’t know how to do things, but by saying yes, we open possibilities, we meet new people, we drive away fear.”
sPeCiaL guest JoineD newark aCaDemy faLL Drama Cast members at rehearsaL As this year’s fall drama, Newark
Laramie, Wyoming. In the weeks
On October 16, nearly 20 years later,
Academy’s Art Department pre-
and months after the incident,
Cathy Renna, a longtime media
sented The Laramie Project, based
the play’s original director, Moisés
activist and communications expert
on the true story of Matthew
Kaufman, and members of his
on LGBTQ issues who continues
Shepard, a gay University of
Tectonic Theater Project interviewed
to work closely with the Shepard
Wyoming student who, in October
the people of Laramie to gather
family and the Matthew Shepard
1998, was beaten and left to die in
material for their play.
Foundation, joined NA students at one of their rehearsals to discuss their presentation of the play’s characters. In 1998, Cathy was an advocate working for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and played a central role in shaping the media coverage in the aftermath of the horrific event. She was in Laramie immediately after the public was made aware of Matthew’s death, as well as for the events that followed, including the trials of the perpetrators.
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What’s New in the Athletic Department: technological innovation improves safety measures newark academy has taken the guesswork out of determining when weather might pose a safety risk for our student-athletes.
Two years ago, NA purchased a lightning detection system to let us know when we should leave an outdoor competition venue and when it is safe to return. This year, NA has made a similar commitment to using technology to determine when heat-related conditions could make it unsafe for teams to compete or practice. For many years, the Athletic Department has used the publicly available heat index to determine whether it was safe to practice, based on guidelines provided by the New Jersey State Athletic Association. Now, thanks to the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WGTB) monitor, we can precisely determine what modifications need to be made to ensure the safety of athletic practices and events.
nathan Drogin ’22 to Play national finals at augusta nathan Drogin ’22 has been playing golf since he could walk and, this spring, he’ll get to walk one of golf’s most famed courses. nathan qualified to play in the national finals of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at the augusta national golf Club in augusta, georgia, on april 7, 2019. “This was my first year making it past the second stage, and then I actually won the third stage, so that was pretty cool,” Nathan says. Now, he will be one of 10 boys in the oldest age group (14–15) for the event, which will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel. For Nathan, it’s an exciting way to start his high school golf career. “I played in a lot of tournaments over the summer that will help me because, in the competition, all you really have to do is hit
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three putts, three chips and three drives. It’s not a full round of golf,” says Nathan, who hopes he can eventually have a collegiate golf career. Because his mother, Shani, is a PGA professional, Nathan grew up on golf courses, and he is looking forward to playing on one of the world’s most exclusive courses the week before the Masters. “I’ve seen the course on TV plenty of times. I know it will be awesome. Just to see it in real life will be really cool.”
WBGT is a measurement of ambient temperature, relative humidity, radiant heat from the sun, and wind speed. When the Wet Bulb reaches certain stages (91 degrees, 92-103, 104-125, and above 125) the state mandates different levels of modified activity, such as adjustments in the number of water breaks per hour or in the percentage of practice that football players can participate in while wearing full pads. This year, the Athletic Department strictly monitored the heat conditions during the sweltering preseason weeks and modified activity based on the Wet Bulb readings. As a result, Minuteman teams made it through the end of summer in great shape.
newark academy welcomes new head Varsity Coaches KeiTh FiSheR (football) comes to NA with an accomplished football background, both as a college player and from working for the Philadelphia Eagles. Most recently, Coach Fisher was the defensive line and linebacker coach at his alma mater, Dickinson College, coaching three players to All-Conference honors. LOU SCeRRA (tennis) returns to the NA coaching ranks, serving as an assistant coach for the girls' team and head coach for the boys' team. He spent his first nine years at NA as the assistant coach for the boys' and girls' tennis teams and, in 2016, he served as the interim head coach for most of the season. During this time, he lead the team to an undefeated record, a number one state ranking and an elusive Tournament of Champions crown. JOhN STeRNLiChT ’08 (wrestling) won 140 matches while a student at NA and set the school records for wins in a season (44) and pins in a season (34). His 111 career pins ranked him second in New Jersey wrestling history at the time. He was also a three-time District 14 champion, a two-time Essex County champion, and a member of the football and track teams. He wrestled at his undergraduate alma mater Muhlenberg College.
NA PROUDLY hAS eiGhT ALUMNi CURReNTLY COAChiNG MiNUTeMAN TeAMS: genevieve gramatica ’00 – Head Girls’ Tennis Coach ed Pursell ’02 – Head Middle School Football and Wrestling Coach, and Assistant Middle School Track Coach Dan Petrillo ’06 – Assistant Middle School Boys’ Soccer Coach andrew goldberg ’08 – Assistant Boys’ Lacrosse Coach John sternlicht ’08 – Head Wrestling Coach Jordyn richardson-norris ’14 – Assistant Middle School Cross Country Coach ahlia bethea ’13 – Assistant Volleyball Coach Catherine Celente ’16 – Assistant Volleyball Coach
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na’s successful fall athletic season included some exciting victories, including a state Championship for the boys’ cross country team! get the full rundown of athletic news, scores and game schedules for the winter season at www.newarka.edu Join the conversation! twitter: @naminutemen instagram: @naathletics facebook: @gonaminutemen
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A DVA N C E M E N T
Put your mark on Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy! Since 2010 you’ve been hearing about Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy. You’ve watched with pride as the total amount raised has climbed, with alumni, parents and friends of NA donating more than $30 million to transform the campus and prepare the school for the next 50 years.
The final project of Rise & Flourish is the renovation and expansion of NA’s auditorium. The place you walked into on your very first day of school, the place where you stood behind a lectern or took the stage for the first time, and perhaps the place where you first felt a part of this very special community will be undergoing a major transformation beginning in June 2019. As NA comes to the close of Rise & Flourish, now is the time to make your mark on the school through a very special gift program! For a gift of just $200 per year for five years, you can support the renovation and have your name placed permanently on one seat in the new NA Auditorium. When you make your five-year pledge (totaling $1,000), your name will be inscribed on a seat plaque, expressing enduring appreciation for the role the Academy has played in your life. Should you prefer, you can also use the plaque to express appreciation to supportive parents, an inspiring teacher, or that group of friends who got you through the ups and downs of your NA years.
For more information, please contact Associate Director of Donor Relations and Special events Melissa Miller at mmiller@newarka.edu or (973) 992-7000, ext. 324.
mark your CaLenDar for na’s fifth annuaL
DAY OF GiViNG march 6, 2019 Last year, the entire NA community came together and helped us set a new record for the greatest amount raised in a 24-hour period! NA’s Day of Giving is the perfect way to celebrate your NA pride while supporting the Annual Fund. imagine the potential of alumni coming together to celebrate their experiences at NA and imagine the power of uniting once again for a cause worth supporting.
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NA WomeN
Making Their Marks on the World IN September 1971, Newark Academy became a fully co-educational institution, opening its doors to 49 female students. This transformation marked an important part of NA’s history and further demonstrated the school’s ability to empower global citizens, preparing them for a diverse world. We are honored to share with you these glimpses of just a few of the many inspiring women in our ranks who are making their marks both on and off campus. »
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NA A lu m N A e TO WATC H
Taffi Ayodele ’00 Trailblazer, Entrepreneur
F
or those Newark Academy students and faculty fortunate enough to have heard Taffi Ayodele kick off the 2018 – 19 academic year with her inspiring Convocation speech, it became clear that the path of a talented and courageous young alumna does not
necessarily follow a straight line. Taffi came to NA through a scholarship from
New Jersey SEEDS (an organization she now serves as a trustee) and showed herself to be a leader in the community at a young age.
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partners grew from two percent to 20 percent. Taffi considers presiding over this growth to be a highlight of her career, and she is thrilled to note that the current governor has increased DASNY’s mandate to 30 percent.
The Inspiration of Folding Flats
Taffi Ayodele ’00 (left) presented a micro loan of the 100,000 Niara gift that her company, Thando’s, gave to SeSOr, a nonprofit organization that provides relief supplies and micro loans to displaced families in Nigeria.
Taffi looks back on her four years at NA as truly transformative. “There is no doubt in my mind that being a part of SEEDS and then joining the NA community changed the trajectory of my academic and professional life,” she says. Taffi recalls teachers who were invested in her development, both as a student and as a person, holding her to high standards while making themselves available for extra help, as well as peers and upperclassmen who offered support, both academic and personal. After spending time in such a close-knit community, Taffi thought she wanted more of the same for college, but she soon found herself swept up in the energy and opportunities available to her at New York University (NYU), from which she graduated in 2004 with a degree in economics.
Leading a Groundbreaking Diversity Initiative Upon graduation from NYU, Taffi embarked on a career in finance, starting at Blaylock Van, LLC, a boutique,
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Taffi decided that the best way to further her career goals would be to return to school for her M.B.A. “The work I was doing at DASNY was entrepreneurial in nature,” she says. “The challenge thrilled me and I wanted more, so I decided to specialize in entrepreneurship, global business and innovation at NYU’s Stern School of Business. The idea of working in footwear never crossed my mind!”
There is no doubt in my mind that being a part of SEEDS and then joining the NA community changed the trajectory of my academic and professional life.”
minority-owned investment bank, and moving in 2008 to the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), the country’s second largest issuer of municipal debt had been charged with a mandate to increase the percentage of female and minorityowned businesses with which the state worked, specifically in the professional services (legal, financial and insurance). Taffi was appointed to lead this groundbreaking diversity initiative. “After my experience at Blaylock, I was uniquely poised, despite my young age of 27, to understand the challenges facing women- and minority-owned businesses, and the initiative spoke to me on both a personal and a political level,” she says. Within three years, the number of the state’s women- and minority-owned
In fact, the footwear that would come to define Taffi’s next professional chapter was neatly folded in her carry-on bag as she flew to South Africa for an internship after her first year of graduate school. Taffi had connected with an NYU alumna running a gourmet tea company in Johannesburg and spent the summer working at this start-up. Although Taffi brought her interesting and diverse work experience to this new challenge, along with her deepening interest in Africa, “it was my folding flats that really caught the attention of my colleagues!” she recalls. Taffi,
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a seasoned New York commuter, was in the habit of throwing on her “train shoes” at the end of the work day. The women at the tea company loved the idea of carrying comfortable walking shoes to wear home after a long day of work or a big night out. “I went to Dis-Chem, a South African version of Walgreens, to pick up a pair for my boss almost as a gag gift, but it turns out there was no similar product on the market.” This got Taffi’s wheels turning. She immediately reached out to her favorite business school collaborator (now her husband), J.G. Ayodele, and they realized the idea had great potential. Back in New York, the couple developed a business plan for what would become Thando’s Footwear. Soon, with Taffi still in New York and her fiancé at a new job in Nigeria, they launched their operation in the latter location, using locally designed and sourced textiles. Their shoes caught on quickly, and they began receiving orders from both Nigerian and American customers. “It was always our mission to provide a useful product to African women,” says Taffi, “but equally important to me was employing African designers and involving them in all aspects of product development.” Soon after graduating from Stern (where she was the first black woman president of the student government, as well as vice president of the Stern Women in Business Club), Taffi finished third in the She Leads Africa start-up competition and landed on Forbes’ list of 10 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch. Thando’s customer base is now 4,000 and growing. But what makes Taffi most proud are the delight with which their shoes are received by the women who wear them and the impact the company’s success is having on the Nigerian designers it employs, who receive significant royalties for their work.
SAMANTHA POWELL ’19 is a senior at NA, co-president of umojaa club, and a leader of two on-campus singing groups. LUMEN MAGAZINE: Now that you are a senior, can you reflect on the changes you’ve seen in yourself since entering NA in sixth grade? Samantha Powell ’19 shared
SAMANTHA POWELL: A lot of people her experiences as a Newark on campus have heard my voice as a Academy student with singer with NA’s jazz band, Chameleon; members of the NA the a cappella group, lumeNAtion; and community at the Alumni of color Breakfast at NA’s Advanced Choir. but, believe it or not, reunion in October. I barely had a voice at all before coming to NA. I was so painfully shy in elementary school – I hardly spoke, let alone sang. I used to confide in one of the cafeteria workers in my old school and she encouraged me to try out for the fifth-grade talent show. I gained confidence and made friends, but once I came to NA the shy girl returned as I acclimated to my new school. It was on the last class trip in sixth grade when mr. t (Jazz Director Julius tolentino) heard me singing on the bus. He asked me to sing with Chameleon when school resumed in the fall, and that’s when I really started to break out of my shell. LM: Since that fateful day in sixth grade, how has music played a role in your educational experience, both at NA and elsewhere? SP: At NA, singing has introduced me to new forms of music (choral, jazz, a cappella, musical theater), new people and new experiences. performing at school functions, I’ve met many parents and alumni, and performing for a huge audience with Chameleon at the essentially ellington competition last spring was something I never imagined I would do. I am also involved in music outside of school, where I lead my church’s new youth choir. LM: How do you use your platform as a leader in NA’s African-American community to speak about diversity? SP: last winter, I attended the Student Diversity leadership Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. We learned how to facilitate conversations about diversity and how to respond to questions and opinions that might be in opposition to our own thoughts or experiences. the conference helped me understand how important it is to use my voice to advocate for and inspire others, and to empower other students of color to keep the dialogue going themselves. LM: What are you looking forward to in your college experience? SP: Academically, I am interested in African-American studies, sociology and public policy. However, music will definitely play a role in my college experience and long after. LM: When you come back to NA in 25 years for your reunion, what do you hope to see? SP: First, I hope my classmates are all thriving, and that they all come back for reunion! but as far as changes I’d like to see at NA, I hope the number of students of color will continue to grow, and that their faces will be reflected even more fully in ranks of the honored students and alumni leaders.
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Asha Talwar Coco ’99 traveled to the flower fields in Grasse, France and took in the beautiful scents, including the roses.
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Asha Talwar Coco ’99 Creativity Redefined
In
the spring of 1999, with her NA graduation in sight, Asha Talwar Coco embarked on her senior project, a stint in the beauty products department at Ralph Lauren. It promised to be an interesting way to pass the brief time remaining in high school, but what she soon discovered was that
the internship would set her on a path toward her future career.
“After my internship,” Asha recalls, “I knew I wanted to continue to explore this industry.” She crafted a cover letter and sent it to all the beauty companies in New York for which she wanted to work, and she soon secured a four-year internship at Estee Lauder, returning each summer during her college years at New York University (NYU). While at NYU, Asha carved out an interdisciplinary course of study in marketing and communications at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, taking classes in business and the liberal arts along the way. After working for the iconic cosmetics companies Estee Lauder and Coty, Asha segued into the world of fragrance and joined the Swiss company Givaudan, a large fragrance house that formulates scents and flavors for use in a wide variety of foods, beverages, consumer goods, fragrances and cosmetic products. Asha has always been a trend seeker, which made her a perfect fit for her newly created position at Givaudan, vice president of sales and business development. She loves to hunt out the “next big thing”
in beauty, fashion and lifestyle products. “There are many indicators a brand may be on the rise,” says Asha. “A big part of my job is to see how a brand’s quantitative metrics, such as sales, combine with more subjective elements like the brand’s visual aesthetic, its social media presence and the retail experience it has created, and to use this data to identify potential partners for Givaudan.” She seeks out companies that align with Givaudan’s capabilities in fragrance and cosmetics, helping them realize their visions for their products.
An Invaluable Link At Givaudan, Asha leads a team of younger professionals, thinking of herself as the “Elder Millenial” – with her finger
‘‘
on the pulse of popular culture, but with additional business and life experience (including recent motherhood) also under her belt. “I have a team of five women who report to me,” she says. “I believe that one of the best ways to inspire them in their careers is to be very transparent about what has worked for me in the past and where I have stumbled. My willingness to share stories helps to create trust among us, and in that environment I know we can all do our best work.” Asha considers herself lucky to have on her team some true “Instagram Gurus” whose passion for social media aligns perfectly with her goal of inspiring consumers through the visual power of this platform. As a student at NA, Asha’s passions ran toward art and dance. Looking back now,
Parfumerie is a creative endeavor. It requires one to make connections between art, beauty and daily life.”
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she sees a logical path that led her to express her creativity in new ways. “Parfumerie is a creative endeavor,” she explains. “It requires one to make connections between art, beauty and daily life. It’s also filled with French terminology, so there is yet another aspect of my studies at NA that I am still putting to good use!” As Asha has learned first-hand, one never knows which of one’s life experiences will
turn out to be truly defining. She takes great pleasure in hosting NA seniors in their own senior projects and values her role as a mentor to the younger professionals on her team. “The beauty industry contains many examples of women in top leadership positions,” she notes. In fact, Asha was drawn to Givaudan largely by the significant number of women in senior management – one of whom, her current
boss, she had worked with at a different company shortly after college. “My career is a great example of the importance of maintaining and nurturing your connections, whether they are with classmates, teachers or colleagues you meet along the way.” NA is delighted to welcome Asha to its Alumni Board of Governors, where her voice will be invaluable as a link between NA’s current student body and the working world they will soon inhabit.
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SOPHIA LUDTKE ’20 is a junior at NA, co-president of NA’s Green and Blue committee and president of the class of 2020. LUMEN MAGAZINE: How did you become interested in environmental issues, and how are you exploring this passion both at school and beyond? SOPHIA LUDTKE: I have always been passionate about the outdoors and I love being in nature. last summer, I had the opportunity to do climate change research in Acadia National park in maine. I want to do more research in this area, and I hope to combine my environmental studies with biology and health sciences to better understand how climate change affects human health. LM: As a co-president of NA’s Green and Blue committee how are you bringing your passion for the environment to the NA community? SL: our goal on the green and blue Committee is to help NA students and teachers find ways to make small lifestyle changes that will decrease our harmful impact on the environment and lead us to make more conscious decisions. So far, we have worked with the maintenance and cafeteria staff to bring composting to campus and to make the switch to reusable frozen yogurt cups. We’ve also sponsored a reusable water bottle competition and are trying to raise awareness about living sustainably. LM: describe your experience conducting research through the rockefeller Summer Science research Program this past summer. SL: I conducted research in the Harold and margaret milliken Hatch laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, comparing the effects of environmental stress on the
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Sophia Ludtke ’20 presented information to her peers about environmental justice at a Green and Blue committee meeting. male and female dorsal dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus. It was fascinating to learn how the infinitesimally small neurons in our brain can be changed by large-scale, global forces ranging from the stress associated with poverty to the amount of green space in a city. I also participated in weekly classes on science communication, laboratory skills and the ethics of scientific research, and I presented my research findings at a program-wide poster session at the conclusion of the seven-week program. It was a very meaningful and eye-opening experience! LM: When you come back to NA in 25 years for your reunion, what do you hope to see? SL: I hope to see the school continue to develop its conservation mindset, maybe with an expanded garden and a transition to renewable energy sources. I also hope that NA will continue to develop its relationship with the city of Newark. there’s currently a housing complex on the site of NA’s original school building, and I think it would be great to support the residents there in some way and stay committed to the school’s socially conscious values.
After receiving the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award at Reunion, Dr. Denise Jamieson ’83, a champion of women’s health, reflected on how Newark Academy gave her many gifts and shaped her life and career.
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Denise Jamieson ’83 Advocate for Women’s Health
D
octor Denise Jamieson’s distinguished career as an advocate for women’s reproductive health has led her all over the world, and in October it led
her back to New Jersey for NA’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, at which she received this year’s Alumni Achievement Award.
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In April 2018, Denise was named James Robert McCord Professor & Vice Chair for Population Health and Division Director for Gynecologic Specialties at Emory University School of Medicine. Previously, she served for 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, most recently as a captain in the United States Public Health Service and chief of the Women’s Health and Fertility Branch in the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health.
A Nurturing Community Inspires While it may be hard to imagine that such an accomplished physician and epidemiologist was once a shy middle school student, Denise recalls feeling lost and overwhelmed in her large public middle school. “My mother recognized that the more nurturing culture at NA would make a huge difference. She couldn’t have been more correct.” Denise entered NA in seventh grade and soon set out on a new course. “I gained tremendous confi-
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics experiences in NA’s classrooms and beyond light the fire of intellectual engagement, compelling students to grapple with ideas and seek ways to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems in our world.
dence at NA. I remember feeling for the first time that there were absolutely no limits on what I could do,”she says. “Once, I was running in a big track meet, the Newark Academy Invitational, in fact – there was no girls’ team but Mr. Blaskopf had no problem with me running with the boys – and I realized I was the only female runner in a field of hundreds. Knowing I could compete there gave me the feeling that I could do anything, and I carried this with me through college, medical school and beyond.” At NA, Denise discovered a passion for science – but also for writing and journalism. She would go on to combine these disciplines in her career as a frequently published researcher in the public health arena. Most of all, she cultivated her lifelong love of learning while at NA. “Although I loved medical school, I wanted to dive deeper and understand the real-world applications for what I was learning in the
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classroom, so I took some time off to pursue a master’s degree in maternal and child health.” During her master’s program, Denise interned at the CDC, where she had hands-on experience combining public health with gynecology and obstetrics. This period in her studies set the stage for her post-graduate work with the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the United States, where she researched global disease outbreaks such as HIV and, later, Zika virus, working to mitigate these diseases’ effects on pregnant women.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling In the early 1990’s Denise found the medical field to be quite inhospitable to women, especially those with leadership aspirations. “It was such a contrast to everything I had learned at NA, where gender had never been an obstacle and where I never encountered barriers to (continued on page 41)
My mother recognized that the more nurturing culture at NA would make a huge difference. She couldn’t have been more correct. I gained tremendous confidence at NA. I remember feeling for the first time that there were absolutely no limits on what I could do.”
NA GAVE ME MANY GIFTS Denise Jamieson ’83 received the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award for her work and contributions to women’s health at Reunion in October. We are honored to share her speech below.
thank you for this award. It means a lot to me and I am very touched. n n
I would like to thank all the faculty and staff who are here now and all those who came before them. I would like to thank all the alumni who continue to support NA with their many gifts of time, talent, generous resources and enthusiasm.
n
I would also like to thank those of you who have chosen NA for your children and trust them to educate our next generation of bright leaders.
I would like to just briefly share with you a little bit about how my six years at NA shaped my life and my career. When I was in 9th grade, I wanted to go out for the cross country team. the only problem was there was no girls’ team, but there was a boys’ team. I wasn’t particularly fast, but wanted to run. mr. blaskopf, the cross country coach at that time, welcomed me onto the boys’ team. I ran that first season in 9th grade, we recruited more girls, and eventually formed a girls’ team. being on that team taught me a critical lesson – that I could compete in any setting. In the fall of that first season, NA held a large cross country invitational meet for boys. I was the only girl among hundreds of competitors. I remember the uniform included a red sleeveless mesh jersey and I had to wear a white t-shirt under it for modesty. that day I happily ran among a sea of hundreds of boys. It is a feeling I have never forgotten and I frequently draw on – that regardless of my gender or any other personal characteristics, that I can compete. It was the faculty and staff here who helped me gain and build that confidence. teachers here at NA also helped me develop a lifelong love of learning. I remember things like: n
studying greek mythology for the first time in 7th grade
n
reading a book about sea turtles in marine biology that captured my imagination
n
dissecting a fetal pig in biology class
n
and laughing about Holden Caulfield’s misadventures. I recently reread “Catcher in the rye” for my book club and was delighted to find out that he was just as funny as I had remembered.
the teachers here challenged us to think critically. they kept us interested and engaged. I now have 12-year old twin boys and can appreciate how difficult that can be. For the NA faculty, teaching was not simply a job or career, it was truly a passion and a calling. Newark Academy also provided a safe social environment. middle school and high school can be hard. NA allowed me to think and grow in a safe environment where it was oK to be different. NA nurtured my uniqueness and laid the foundation for me to be comfortable choosing alternative paths throughout my personal and professional life. that may have been the very greatest gift I received from my time at NA. NA has a long, distinguished tradition of academic excellence that seems to be alive and well. I am so very proud to be an alumna of NA. thank you for this great honor.
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students, facilitating a critique in 11th- and 12th-grade Ib Art, collaborating with an Arts Department colleague, overseeing set construction for the middle School play, and attending an evening dance performance. In addition to these responsibilities, elaine is charged with fulfilling a mandate from the estate of David teiger ’47 to create a world-class visual arts department at NA. “We were so fortunate to receive this gift, and fulfilling mr. teiger’s wishes has been a career highlight for me personally.” elaine oversaw the physical renovation of the David teiger ’47 gallery for Studio Arts and has designed an ongoing program interspersing the work of artists-inresidence with student exhibits. “It was essential to me that the artists we bring to campus will spend some time connecting with students in addition to sharing
A LEADER, MENTOR AND FRIEND
their work.” the fall program included two exhibits: PAX Rwanda: Embroideries of the Women of Savane
Arts department chair elaine Brodie is a tireless supporter of the arts – and especially of the artists of Newark Academy. “Art is innately human,” says elaine. “It’s a pursuit that comes from the heart and involves great vulnerability and risk-taking. I have the privilege to observe and support our young artists in this pursuit every day, which makes me feel incredible lucky.” Working across all the artistic disciplines, teaching, managing a large budget and leading the Arts
Rutongo-Kabuye, an exhibit of vibrant embroideries created by rwandan artists from previously warring tribes, who have collaborated and connected through their art; and Dancers Among Us, works by the celebrated photographer Jordan matter. elaine is constantly amazed by the talent and depth of NA’s arts faculty. “they are committed to selecting choral arrangements, instrumental pieces, dances, plays
Department, elaine’s charge
day might include a morning check-in with her advisees, teaching ceramics and sculpture to middle School
NA Arts department chair elaine Brodie.
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SAVe THe dATe
is far-reaching. A typical
Pottery and sculpture exhibit of award-winning artist Bruce dehner April 2019 The david Teiger ’47 Gallery for Studio Arts more details will be available in early 2019 at www.newarka.edu/arts
Elaine firmly believes that NA’s arts faculty must feel they are on a team with a common purpose. By publicly acknowledging her teachers’ successes and thanking them regularly for their dedication, she hopes to build an environment in which creativity can flourish. NA’s commitment to a world-class arts program is ongoing, with plans well underway for the renovation and expansion of the auditorium (see page 29 for more information). Groundbreaking is anticipated in June 2019, and Elaine has gathered and art projects that stretch NA
to support and appreciate their work.
her ideas and those of her colleagues,
students – and themselves – in new
Equally as important, I connect with
to ensure that they make their mark
directions,” she says. “My first priority
them on a human level and do my
on this premiere space for the arts
regarding the members of my
best to understand what is going on
and the NA community for many
department is to show up for them –
in their lives outside of NA.” Finally,
years to come.
Denise Jamieson (continued from page 38)
anything I wanted to pursue.” Denise feels that working for women’s health and being an inspiration to the next generation of female leaders in the field are personal obligations. She has also made a point to be a strong female role model to her own twin boys, who are in seventh grade, demonstrating through her daily practice that devotion to her work both has great value for the larger community and brings her great satisfaction. She knew they were absorbing her lessons when, at a young age, one of her boys commented with great admiration, “I don’t know exactly what you do in the hospital, but I know it has something to do with tools and blood and stuff!”
Denise has enjoyed the transition from government service to academia. She loves the variety she experiences on any given work day – from teaching in Emory’s medical school, to working with residents at Grady Memorial Hospital, to serving patients directly while caring for pregnant women and delivering babies. “Grady Memorial actually has quite a rich history,” Denise notes. It is a local landmark as the birthplace of many notable Atlanteans, including former presidential advisor Vernon Jordan, Outkast’s Andre 3000, Indigo Girl Amy Ray, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis Sullivan, and rapper T.I., to name a few. “Around here, being a ‘Grady Baby’ is the ultimate pedigree for a native son or daughter of the city,” says Denise.
Denise was excited to return to NA in October and recalls visiting campus once in the early 2000’s, when she was so impressed by the confidence of the young people who spoke at Morning Meeting. “Students stood up to deliver the scores from the prior day’s games or to make announcements about upcoming events, and then a young man got up and recited a poem to kick off National Poetry Month. It was a moment that said so much about the community and its support for all kinds of voices.” It was NA’s nurturing of Denise’s own voice that helped her achieve so much in her career, and she was thrilled to be honored at the Alumni Awards Recognition Ceremony by a community that still holds true to this essential part of its character.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Message from Glenn Waldorf ’90 President, Alumni Board of Governors
How NA Shaped us into Citizens of the World When I started my freshman year at Newark Academy, my list of classes included English, Biology, Ancient World, Geometry, Latin 3, Pottery and Phys Ed. There wasn’t a specific class in empowerment. That’s because empowerment – the process of becoming stronger and more confident – was a theme that was embedded in everything that we did at NA. The school’s expert faculty instructed us in small classes and helped us master our coursework, ensuring we had a strong base of knowledge and a framework for processing information beyond graduation. They shaped us into citizens who are able to, and care to, elevate others in our world. The NA experience outside the classroom was as important as our studies. Overcoming day-to-day challenges – such as navigating a six-day schedule, determining the best extracurriculars to join, presenting before the Student Council and forming intramural teams for the Stanley Cone – were continuous confidence-building exercises. Our schedules included study halls and ultimately free periods during which we learned to get our work done without parental prodding and supervision. We opened our eyes to local and global environmental priorities and injustices that we wanted to remedy. But perhaps the biggest challenge on the hero’s journey that all students made and gained strength from was overcoming the monster named Morning Meeting.
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“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” – BILL GATES
Every morning we sat in the auditorium’s red seats and listened to announcements and updates from Mr. Parlin and other faculty members. Speaking at Morning Meeting was a rite of passage for students, by which we demonstrated that we had gained the confidence to stand before the assembled student body and share our voices. Whether it was to announce a sports team’s win or tough loss, encourage peers to support a new endeavor, promote a bake sale, perform a musical composition, read a short story, or extend birthday wishes, students did more than share important information: we grew right before our peers’ eyes. I was grateful for the friends and faculty who encouraged and prepared me to surpass this milestone.
At the end of each Morning Meeting, our genteel headmaster, Dr. Strand, read the quotation of the day. I remember him at different times quoting T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou and even a Chinese fortune cookie to inspire students before classes and to help us frame our perspectives. I can’t remember him citing then businessman, now philanthropist, Bill Gates, but I believe that Dr. Strand would have shared this quotation, had it been available: “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” I am honored to be the President of Newark Academy’s Alumni Board of Governors. The Board is a dedicated team of 30 alumni from several decades who continue to empower NA alumni and students. Together, we work to provide alumni with a welcoming community, career assistance and connections to the institution that had such an impact on us all. n
Empowering Alumni at Reunion – The Board gathers the NA community each year to recognize alumni for their achievements and for serving the
institution at our Alumni Awards and Recognition Ceremony. We celebrate the Women of NA to highlight the accomplishments of our alumnae, faculty and trustees. The Alumni of Color Breakfast provides a space for alumni and current students to share experiences and consider how their years at NA had challenges that were distinct from those of others on campus. n
n
n
Empowering NA Class Ambassadors – The Board helps ambassadors in their greatly appreciated roles of linking alumni to events on campus, class news, and the school’s continued improvements. Empowering Current NA Students – Alumni volunteers conduct mock interviews for juniors to prepare them for their upcoming college interviews. Empowering Alumni through Career-Focused Programming – Our NYC Networking Night, LinkedIn groups, free alumni directory, and other efforts to promote networking and career assistance are all ways we help alumni in their current positions and as they prepare for future career steps.
I returned to my yearbooks to reflect before writing this letter, and as I reviewed my time at NA and marveled at the big hair, one of the well-wishes written in the margin of my senior yearbook struck me. Seeing this kind message from a favorite teacher was a surprise that made me realize how I had learned and was already as a student paying forward the school’s lessons of empowerment. This teacher, who started at NA during my sophomore year, demonstrated a warmth, patience, candor and sense of humor that immediately made him a student favorite. He pushed me and many others to exceed our boundaries and to dig deeper into our school work and other pursuits. I stay in touch with him to this day. He wrote, “Glenn, you introduced me to NA and more than anyone else made me feel at home. For that I’m eternally grateful and, for the duration, a friend.” If, while I was still a student, I was able to help my NA mentor, just as I gained from him and others, then I’m really pleased – and inspired to continue the Alumni Board of Governors’ work to empower our NA community.
NA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS OF THE ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS Rohit (Ro) Bawa ’93 As a student at NA, Ro served as editor-in-chief of the Minuteman newspaper and graduated cum laude. After attending Williams College, he began his 19-year career on Wall Street at D.E. Shaw and Deutsche Bank. He now runs his own private investment company in Hoboken. Ro has attended many alumni events and career networking nights in New York and has volunteered on the Minuteman Golf Committee.
Christopher (Chris) Davis ’12 Chris was an NA lifer who graduated cum laude with an IB Diploma. He earned a B.A. in 2015 from Columbia University, where he studied political science, economics and business management. He now works as an investment analyst. Chris is a very active NA volunteer, having served as a class ambassador and chaperoned recent student Model Congress trips to the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.
Asha Talwar Coco ’99 Asha earned her B.A. from New York University and her M.B.A. in global management from Fordham University. She served on the Alumni Board of Governors’ 2015 –2017 Career and Networking Task Force, which led to the creation of the Career Committee. Asha was honored as Woman of Distinction at the 2014 Women of NA Luncheon. She is currently the vice president of sales and business development for Givaudan, the world’s largest company in the flavor and fragrance industries (see page 34).
Pamela (Pam) Helfant Vichengrad ’94 Pam has been an active class ambassador since graduating from NA and has enjoyed keeping in touch with her classmates over the years. She served on the Alumni Board of Governors from 2004 to 2008, and she is excited to rejoin the Board now. Pam is currently the director of human resources for Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) business and serves as the human resources business partner for Honeywell PMT’s finance, legal, IT, and mergers and acquisitions functions globally.
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ALUMNI NEWS
BELONGING AND CONNECTING AT NA: AN ALUMNI OF COLOR BREAKFAST GATHERING The breakfast gathering provided generations of alumni of color an opportunity to hear from six current students as they shared their NA experiences, while providing attendees with the space to reflect on their own years at NA. Guided by Director of Equity and Inclusion Gardy Guiteau, the students facilitated this engaging and powerful dialogue about belonging and connection within our school community, and the future of diversity and inclusion at NA.
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left to right: Joshua Cruz ’19, Samantha Powell ’19, Jordan McCray-Robinson ’21, Sophie Licostie ’19, Taylor Ghee ’23 (Missing from photo: Lucy Alaeto ’22)
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ALUMNI NEWS
TEN YEARS OF CELEBRATING THE WOMEN OF NA Alumni, trustees, faculty and students celebrated and recognized a group of alumnae who are making
“
As we come together to honor the women of our community and to celebrate all that our alumnae
their mark on Newark Academy, their professions
contribute to their communities
and our global community at the 10th Annual
and professions, I am reminded that
Women of NA Luncheon. The honorees epitomize the mission of NA. Individually they are inspiring and collectively they are integral parts of the fabric of this school.
diversity – in all its forms – provides enormous benefits for all organizations, including Newark Academy.” – DON AUSTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL
CONGRATULATIONS TO NA’S HONOREES left to right: Kim Hirsh ’80 (Former Trustee Honoree), Cathy Pursell (Faculty Honoree), Jenna Smith Schwerdt ’98 (Alumna Honoree and Keynote Speaker), Head of School Don Austin
CONGRATULATIONS TO NA’S WOMEN OF DISTINCTION (back row) Dana Chernock ’08, Lisa Melone Cloughen ’78, Head of School Don Austin, Mei Hong ’88, Katharine Fuzesi ’13 (front row) Julia Kaye ’03, Rima Shah ’98, Suzanne Kecmer ’93, Sandy Asirvatham ’83
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ALUMNI NEWS
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS RECEPTION Honored for their lasting contributions to the NA community through their generosity and dedication.
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left to right: Glenn Waldorf ’90 (President of the Alumni Board of Governors), Sam Croll ’68 (Fulton H. MacArthur Award), Dr. Denise Jamieson ’83 (Alumni Achievement Award), Don Austin (Head of School), John Sternlicht ’08 (Athletic Hall of Fame Award), Luis Gomez (Distinguished Faculty Award), Thomas Bradshaw ’98 (Artistic Achievement Award)
NEWARK ACADEMY
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ALUMNI NEWS
REUNION 2018 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2018
CELEBRATING 3S AND 8S Alumni of all ages enjoyed cocktails and dinner while reconnecting and reminiscing with classmates, friends and favorite faculty members!
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NEWARK ACADEMY
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Come back to NA on Saturday, October 19, 2019 to celebrate the Reunion classes ending in 4 and 9! Details provided soon at newarka.edu/alumni.
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WHERE WE’RE GOING… For current information about upcoming alumni events, visit www.newarka.edu/alumni.
Here are some highlights!
December 28 Alumni Cabaret Join us for the first ever Alumni Cabaret. Alumni will have an opportunity to perform at NA once again or for the first time. We will provide the accompanist, food and beverage.
Alumni Networking Night The Harvard Club of New York City THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 6:30 – 8:30 P.M.
January 10 NYC Networking Night Don’t miss this year’s Networking Night, a great opportunity for alumni to network with each other at the Harvard Club in New York. Alumni currently in college will have a special career workshop preceding the main event.
January 31 NA Alumni in San Francisco Join alumni in the San Francisco area for a night of food, drinks and fun!
JOIN US FOR
Newark Academy’s Annual
Minuteman Golf and Tennis Invitational Cedar Hill Country Club MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2019
February 8 NA Alumni in Los Angeles We’re heading back to LA after a wonderful event last year and look forward to seeing everyone there.
May 30 NYC Alumni Meet-Up Our annual New York City social returns. Sun, fun and friends. Hope to see you there!
June 3 Minuteman Golf and Tennis Invitational A beautiful and fun day of golf, tennis and other activities with NA alumni, parents and friends at our new location, Cedar Hill Country Club in Livingston, New Jersey.
June 9 Commencement & Old Guard Luncheon Just before we celebrate the newest alumni, we honor our alumni of 50+ years.
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In the first week of October, Roger Lowenstein traveled to Rwanda to trek after mountain gorillas, accompanied by his brother, John Lowenstein ’58.
1944 CONTACT:
Robert Lee (561) 747-4331
1946
1961 CONTACT:
Curtis Cetrulo Curt.cetrulo@gmail.com MacKinnon Simpson MacKinnon96816@gmail.com
This past January, Vincent Fietti, Jr., retired from his private practice in orthopedic surgery, based in New York, after 40 years. He recalls his enrollment at NA in 1960 in the Upper Intermediate, under the tutelage of Catherine D. Lynham, as the beginning of a long road that led him to where he is today. He sends greetings to his classmates from 1966 and to all who remember those amazing days and years back on First Street.
CONTACT:
Robert Cronheim rdc@cronheim.com
Bernard J. D’Avella, Jr. bud@davellafamily business.com
To celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary Warren “Skip” Soare and his wife took a two week trip to Vancouver and a cruise to Alaska.
1963
1967
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
Charles A. Fischbein cafpac@Earthlink.net
Matthew Leone mleone@colgate.edu
1962 CONTACT:
1951 CONTACT:
K. Kelly Marx (973) 376-0777
1952 CONTACT:
William Van Winkle billvw7334@aol.com
1955 CONTACT:
Edward L. Levitt eezyed@comcast.net
1958 CONTACT:
Stephen Knee shknee@hotmail.com
1959 CONTACT:
Douglas B. Slade Dslade542@aol.com
1960 CONTACT:
Frederick Katz, Jr. katzjr@optonline.net
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1964 CONTACT:
Michael R. Yogg michaelyogg@gmail.com
1965 CONTACT:
Van S. Stevens drvanstevens@gmail.com Van Stevens is looking forward to his 55th Reunion in 2020! Information on time and place will be forthcoming over the next year from Scott Russell and Van Stevens.
1966 CONTACT:
Warren G. Soare wsoare@optonline.net
Larry Cetrulo’s daughter, Kate, got married on June 16, 2018.
1968 CONTACT:
Stephan G. Kravitz sgkravitz@gmail.com Franklin C. Phifer, Jr. fphifer@hecht.com Frank Phifer, and his wife, Laor, attended the Old Guard Luncheon at Commencement in June. Classmates Ben Clark, Steve Kravitz, John Scagnelli, Hal Baille, and Joel Glucksman also attended. “We were honored to lead the processional walk during the graduation ceremony for the class of 2018,” Frank says. After 50 years of intense study and work, Peter Schwartz, M.D., is getting accustomed to the idea of doing less. In July, he
reduced his work to one day a week at a free clinic. Still committed to various volunteer activities and hobbies, Peter is enjoying his time off. He also anticipates enjoying more time with his extended family and hopes to travel. He still lives north of Philadelphia and enjoys the city and surrounding area.
1969 CONTACT:
John H. Bess bessjh@gmail.com Leo M. Gordon gordon43b@gmail.com Leo Gordon became a grandfather this past May when his grandson, Wyatt Nash, was born.
1971 CONTACT:
William D. Hardin, Jr. whardin@ptd.net Mark Menza menza613ha1@aol.com
1972 CONTACT:
Daniel D. Cronheim ddc@cronheim.com Harry Hazelwood III drhazelwood@massmed.org
1974 CONTACT:
Lance T. Aronson lancetrezevant@aol.com
1975 CONTACT:
William J. York wyork@smallfeat.org
1976 CONTACT:
Donald C. DeFabio drdefabio@aol.com Robin Lechter Frank ontheqt1231@aol.com Kate Solisti saw My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center with high school friends who performed in the play with her in 1976 at NA, including Justin Larkman (Col. Pickering), anna Stefanelli (Mrs. Higgins), Peter Marx (Henry Higgins), Gary Grant (Alfred Doolittle) and Louise Klebanoff (Best Audience Member Ever!). They had the best time!
1978
Brad Winters, M.D., recently assumed the role of division director and ICU co-director in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Michael Banks is a colleague in his division. Brad has a daughter, Callie, who is currently a junior studying microbiology at the University of Rochester and a son, Ian, who is a junior in high school. Brad spends his free time cycling, fishing, kayaking and, when the weather is right, ice climbing.
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1981 CONTACT:
nancy Chilton has been named chief external relations officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
Arthur (Artie) Williams IV artiekid@aol.com
anne Herbst’s Far Out Gallery was selected to be in Art Market San Francisco, an international art forum held every April. Anne was the featured artist representing the gallery. As a result of her participation, one of Anne's paintings has been chosen as a semi-finalist in a juried contest that concluded at the Miami Exhibition in December 2018.
Stacey Kent’s first orchestral album I Know I Dream (Sony) includes Brazilian, French and American classics and, most notably, original songs composed by her husband/ producer/saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, with lyrics by Kazuo Ishiguro, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for literature. Tomlinson and Ishiguro have been collaborating on songs for Stacey since her 2007 album Breakfast on the Morning Tram (Blue Note/Warner).
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1983
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CONTACT:
Michael Schneck Mschneck@schnecklaw.com Lori Gitow visited with Dr. Allen Strand and his wife and daughter in Selma, AL.
1980 CONTACT:
Kim S. Hirsh KHirsh@jfedgmw.org
1984 CONTACT:
William E. Markstein WEMarkstein@gmail.com Jamie Silverman is celebrating her 18th year in real estate in Livingston and Short Hills! She is in the top 1 percent of all Weichert Realtors and would love to help you with all your real estate needs.
1. Bruce ’52 and Diane Van Vliet, Beverly and Bill Van Winkle ’52 after dinner at Navesink Country Club in July 2018 2. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, leadership consultant and filmmaker Dr. Roger Flax ’61 with sons (from left) Charlie Flax, owner of Propeller Communications in Summit, NJ; Jonathan Flax, commercial real estate entrepreneur; and Dr. Kenny Flax, a new anesthesiologist at Weill Cornell 3. Isaac Stevens, the 10-month-old grandson of Van Stevens ’65 4. Larry Cetrulo ’67, his wife, Lynn, and their daughter, Kate, on her wedding day, June 16, 2018
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and encourage anyone passing through to look them up.
Devika Daga ’06
enJoyinG StaRtuP SuCCeSS
1990
Devika Daga ’06 continues her career in start-ups, most recently joining Element, which develops and distributes a mobilebased, software-only platform for biometric identity. Devika first joined a start-up last year, after leaving Google, and she credits her time at Newark Academy with preparing her for success in the tech and start-up world. “My NA experience made me aware of the nonWestern world and cemented my desire to be a global citizen. Specifically, the IB program introduced me to East and South Asian history and literature, and some of my closest friends had roots in Nigeria, Algeria and South Africa. NA was also a place where we openly discussed politics and international news, celebrated international holidays, and were encouraged to study abroad. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I honestly don’t think my career trajectory would have been the same without the foundational experiences I had at NA.”
adam Weiss is very happy to be living in Santa Barbara, a nice contrast to Jersey City, where he had been for the previous 15 years. He is always glad to connect with classmates who live in the region or are passing through.
1985 CONTACT:
Kimberley Griffinger Wachtel kgwachtel@gmail.com
1986 CONTACT:
Betsy Dollinger Bernstein bdb1@mac.com James C. Schachtel Jschachtel@verizon.net Daniel Case’s annual summertime trip to the Wikimedia Foundation conference, Wikimania, took him to Cape Town, South
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Africa, this year, the first time he has ever visited the Southern Hemisphere. Since it was winter in Cape Town, the days were short but the weather was fair and mild. He saw Table Mountain and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
1987 Lisa Rayman Goldfarb and her family are currently living in Hong Kong for a threeyear work/life adventure. They spent the previous seven years in Maplewood, where they plan to return. Before Maplewood, they lived for six years in London, where both of Lisa’s children (now 12 and 10) were born. Lisa is a natural-light portrait and lifestyle photographer and also sells her “inspiration” fine art photography for display. See www.lisaraymangoldfarb.com for more details.
1988 CONTACT:
Lara Coraci Basile ljc@norpak.net Matthew McTamaney mattheynow@yahoo.com Melissa Dollinger Shein msheinus@yahoo.com
1989 CONTACT:
Stacey Bradford stacey.bradford@gmail.com Kia Calhoun Grundy and her daughter, nia Grundy ’19, visited Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during Nia’s spring break last year. After living in London for the past three years, Donald Stroh and his family have moved to Singapore for his wife, Tracy’s, job. They plan to live there for two years
CONTACT:
Glenn A. Waldorf gwaldorf@bellenvironmental.com Raj Butani appeared on the television show New Day Northwest on Seattle-Tacoma station NBC KING-5, where he discussed colon cancer screening as well as recent merger efforts to create the largest comprehensive gastroenterology group practice in the state of Washington. Chuck Gault is starting his third year as a statistician for the Memphis Grizzlies. He can often be seen during broadcasts sitting at the stats desk at center court in the second row. He is also starting his third year as an engineer for Medtronic and has traveled to South America, Asia and Europe for work. Chuck has a wife and two daughters (his oldest is looking at colleges), who keep him very busy. He hopes everyone is doing well.
1991 CONTACT:
Richard L. Worth richardworth2001@ yahoo.com adam Dunetz owns two restaurants in Northampton, MA. The Green Bean serves breakfast and lunch and The Roost is an all-day café serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, tea, beer, wine and dessert. Adam is also a prolific musician and made a record in 2015 called The Backup Plan (available on all the main online sites). He will record a follow-up album in March 2019. Adam’s wife makes custom furniture in her shop, Sticks and Bricks,
also in Northampton. Their daughter turned 16 in October and is in her sophomore year of high school. Beth Ritter nydick, founder of Blue Barn Kitchen, published her first cookbook Clean Cocktails, Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist, which was featured in Oprah Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, New Jersey Monthly, The Star-Ledger, Forbes and more. The book brings a clean-living mindset to craft mixology and the recipes use nothing but naturally low-calorie spirits, offering the perfect alternative to drinks that are typically loaded with refined sugars, artificial flavors, and dyes. Catch Beth on TV on The Dr. Oz Show. Learn more at www.bluebarnkitchen.com and follow her on social media at @bethnydick and @bluebarnkitchen.
1993 CONTACT:
Timothy E. Herburger burgermac@mac.com Jed S. Rosenthal jedrosenthal@gmail.com Liz Maccie Chbosky started her second season writing for the television show Siren on Freeform and is writing an animated feature for Dreamworks based on the Netflix show Spirit: Riding Free.
1994
nicole Dispenziere Pitcher, her husband, Robbie, and their daughter, Ella, spent the summer traveling to Singapore, Australia and Indonesia. They had a lot of fun, and Ella turned out to be a very resilient and enthusiastic traveler!
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1996 CONTACT:
Jason S. Granet grizo1222@yahoo.com Andrew Slutzky andrewzky@gmail.com ami Sheth appeared on the AMC series Dietland, in the role of Sana.
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1997 CONTACT:
Amanda Rubinstein Black amandahblack@gmail.com Special Advisor Peteranthony Pappas attended the signing ceremony and celebration of the issuance of the 10 millionth patent at George Washington’s Gristmill near Mount Vernon, VA, along with Andrei Iancu, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Joseph Marron, principal engineering fellow at Raytheon and inventor of the 10 millionth patent; and Lisa Jorgenson, executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.
1998
CONTACT:
Pamela Helfant Vichengrad pamelavich@hotmail.com
1995
CONTACT:
Jack A. Hyman jahyman@gmail.com Lauren Jacobs-Lazer laurenjacobslazer@gmail.com
5. Alumni at the Old Guard Luncheon at the 2018 Commencement. (Back row) Leslie Johnson ’48, Mitchell Spingarn ’61, Bernie Leroe ’61, Warren Soare ’66, Van Stevens ’65, Austin Hoffman ’46, Albert Del Negro ’61, Whitney Russell ’62, Scott Russell ’65; (Front row) Ben Clark ’68, Hal Baillie ’68, Steve Kravitz ’68, John Scagnelli ’68, Frank Phifer ’68 and Joel Glucksman ’68 6. Leo Gordon ’69 and his grandson, Wyatt Nash
CONTACT:
Kathleen Mangunay Pergament katmango@aol.com
Jenna Smith Schwerdt jenna@smithdesign.com
7. Members of the Class of 1976 at My Fair Lady: Justin Larkman, Anna Stefanelli, Peter Marx, Kate Solisti, Gary Grant and Louise Klebanoff 8. Anne Herbst ’78, Peter Munks and Carmen (dog) in the Far Out Gallery booth at Art Market San Francisco, April 2018
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We Fondly Remember Jay I. Kislak ’39 October 3, 2018 John Vogt Peterson, Jr. Former NA Faculty Member October 1, 2018 Theodore Allen Keith ’59 September 8, 2018 Theodore A. Hagios ’45 September 3, 2018
C L A S S N OT E S
1999
Annette Tomaino May 15, 2018 18-year tenure at NA, French teacher, Director of Admissions, Director of Guidance, Dean of Women, received Distinguished Faculty Award
Henry Titus Folsom ’46 May 8, 2018 George H. Carleu ’49 April 21, 2018 Arthur Ferguson Mead, Jr. ’54 March 26, 2018 Rudolph Eberstadt ’41 February 1, 2018 Donald S. Knight ’59 December 29, 2017 John Roy ’46 May 30, 2017
John Gregory Jcg681@gmail.com Asha K. Coco asha.talwar@gmail.com adam Kaswiner, Jay Jones, Mike Kay and Stan Hsiung ’00 took an amazing trip to the Grand Canyon.
2002 CONTACT:
Joshua Jacobs joshua.s.jacobs@gmail.com Marcelo C. Porto mark.c.porto@gmail.com Alexander C. Senchak alex.senchak@gmail.com
2000 CONTACT:
Alison Poole Lasher alisonklasher@gmail.com
2001 CONTACT:
Colin R. Griggs cgriggs13@yahoo.com Brian McGaughan bmcgaughan@gmail.com After several years in Salem, MA, elizabeth Pagos decided she needed a change and took a year off from work to study herbalism and to found the Babylon Candle Company in southern Vermont. Having completed her year of adventure, Elizabeth is now fixing up an antique farmhouse on Cape Cod and recently became the
After spending the first part of her career with a Fortune 100 company, Zoe Feldman moved over to venture capital in 2015. Since then, she has acted as the managing director for two different funds, most recently a $30 million fund focused on consumer food and beverage, agriculture, and hospitality technology. She also sits on the board of directors for a major foundation and is a member of the Alumnae Association of Smith College. She still lives in the East Village with her partner, Arielle, and they are starting to think about the next big step – getting a dog! andrew Martino is opening a new restaurant in downtown Jersey City later this year called Ghost Truck Kitchen. The restaurant, inspired by
Meet youR CLaSS aMBaSSaDoR: Jordan Jett ’11 Jordan Jett ’11 decided to become a class ambassador “because na opened so many doors for me. the experiences i had there, and the lifelong friends i met, were incredibly valuable. i wanted to make sure i stayed connected to the place and people that were so impactful to me.” Among Jordan’s favorite memories are those of playing on the NA sports teams, where he made best friends through athletic challenges and triumphs. One of the latter that stands out most to him was when the NA varsity basketball team was playing against West Orange in the Essex County Tournament, and, near the end of a hard-fought game, NA hit a gamewinning three-pointer to advance the Minutemen to the next round. “Some of my best friends at NA were on that team,” Jordan says, “so it was a huge moment for all of us.”
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food trucks, will offer only take-out and delivery.
CONTACT:
W. James Walsh ’38 July 13, 2018 William Kanengiser ’65 July 6, 2018
director of the West Dennis Free Public Library.
Michelle Park, M.D., completed her dermatology residency at Einstein/ Montefiore Medical Center and started working at Washington Square Dermatology in New York. She’d be happy to see any NA alumni!
2003 CONTACT:
Lauren H. Anderson lauren.h.anderson@gmail.com David R. Mazzuca david.mazzuca@gmail.com David N. Rattner drattner07@gmail.com Evan P. Sills evan.sills@gmail.com aja nisenson’s short play Slap was one of six plays in the Theater Masters’ National MFA Playwright Festival. Aja is a MacDowell Colony Fellow, a Eugene O’Neill Cabaret Conference Fellow and an Iowa Playwrights Workshop MFA candidate. Symon Perriman continues to run FanWide, the world’s largest network of sports fan clubs. FanWide has
recently added former Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Cliff Avril as a brand ambassador, advisor and investor. This past summer, Rahul Bendre ’19 and Zachary Burd ’19 had marketing internships with FanWide, and the company plans to continue its internship program with NA juniors throughout the school year.
2004 CONTACT:
Danielle Grunebaum White dlsimon85@gmail.com Kathryn Pagos katie.pagos@gmail.com Stephanie Reingold simma.reingold@gmail.com Louise Ball Schutte louisehira@gmail.com eric Carnoil, M.D., completed his fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto in June. He recently started a practice in Milford, MA. He and his wife, Aliza, live in Newton with their beagle Marty.
2005 CONTACT:
Jonathan Allocca jonathan.allocca@gmail.com Gabriel Gaviola gabe.c.gaviola@gmail.com Molly McGaughan molly.mcgaughan@gmail.com
Joe Longthorne Produces
tony-WinninG BRoaDWay MuSiCaL Joe Longthorne ’08 continues his success on Broadway as the producer of The Band’s Visit, which won a 2018 tony award for Best Musical. Joe’s accomplishments are rooted in his time at NA. “Newark Academy instilled in me a global perspective that has informed my taste in art and theater every step of the way,” he says. “For instance, a show like The Band’s Visit tells a unique story of what happens when two completely different cultures are brought together to co-habit in the same space – even if just for a night – and the goodness and compassion of the human spirit that can surround such an event. NA taught me that everyone has a story worth telling and highlighting.” While Joe pursued a performance degree at Berklee School of Music, he now finds himself more “on the business side of ‘the business,’’’ and he credits his time at NA for his current success. “Newark Academy gave me the toolbox I’d need to succeed in this realm,” Joe says. “At NA, I learned responsibility, thoroughness and leadership – which are all skills vital to my success now as a producer.” As for NA students looking to pursue a career on Broadway or in the arts, Joe has some simple advice: “Take risks! If I had tried to play things safe, I never would be where I am today. Especially in a business like theater or the arts, where the primary function of the business is to evoke emotion, sometimes you need to look beyond the graphs or numbers on the page and just trust your gut.”
Bridget Duffy Raines Bridgetpraines@gmail.com Brett Rubin Finkelstein got married on May 5, 2015, in Hudson, NY. Joining in the celebration were classmates Christine Werner Connelly, Christina Capatides Vollmayer, Cassie Coggeshall, Molly McGaughan Westall, ashley Cyburt Fisher, Kim Goldfarb, Stephen Wentz, Doug Vollmayer and Dan urban.
2006 CONTACT:
Julia Appel appel.julie@gmail.com Sarah Marcus Hansen sarahmarcushansen @gmail.com Brandon Hedvat bhedvat@gmail.com
Ilana Mandelbaum Sterling ilana.mandelbaum @gmail.com Asia Stewart asiamstewart@gmail.com Jennifer errico married Jonathan Olivera on June 22, 2018, at Oheka Castle in Huntington, NY. Jennifer’s siblings, Caroline errico ’09 and Chris errico ’03, were
in the wedding party. Both Jennifer and Jonathan work in education in New York, Jennifer as an educational technologist at the Hewitt School and Jonathan as the STEAM coordinator at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. The two live together in Gramercy.
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2007 CONTACT:
hosted by the International FOP Association in 2014 and 2016.
David Doobin doobind@gmail.com Catherine Pfeffer catherine.pfeffer@gmail.com
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2009 CONTACT:
Emily Simon emily.c.simon@me.com
Andrew S. Binger abinger1990@gmail.com
Andrew Somberg asomberg@gmail.com
Christina A. Colizza christina.colizza@gmail.com
Justin Chan was an editor of the film Monsters and Men, which won the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding First Feature at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and made its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Rebecca Curwin rebecca.curwin@gmail.com
alison Kruvant recently earned an MFA in painting at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where she now teaches undergraduates. She spent the first year of her MFA program studying in Rome.
Shannon Lam Webster shannonrlam@gmail.com Brian L. Silver briansilver0711@gmail.com Samantha Lara got engaged last September and will be getting married in November in New Jersey with classmate Danielle Seltzer as her maid of honor.
2010 CONTACT:
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andrew Somberg married Nicole Chiu on August 11, 2018, in Sonoma, CA. Joining in the celebration were classmates David Hardin, Jeffrey Hau, Doug Milanes, eric Rattner and Chris Russo, as well as Whitney Dardik ’06, Ryan Keur ’08 and best man adam Somberg ’10.
Lisa Fischer lisasuefischer@gmail.com Patrick Kelly patrick.o.d.kelly@gmail.com Brian McHugh mchugh.brian10@gmail.com
2011 CONTACT:
2008 CONTACT:
David Frank david.frank44@gmail.com
Jennifer Mandelbaum jmande15@bu.edu
9. Lori Gitow ’79 visited former NA Head of School Dr. Allan Strand; his wife, Anne; and his daughter, Anne Catharine Strand Reeves ’83 in Selma, AL.
Alexa Gruber Kitchin alexa.gruber@richmond.edu
Jourdan McGhee jourdan.mcghee@gmail.com
10. Kia Grundy ’89 and Nia Grundy ’19 explored Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in March 2018
Maximilian C. Staiger mstaiger41@me.com
11. Nicole Dispenziere Pitcher’s ’95 daughter, Ella 12. Peter-Anthony Pappas ’97 (center), special advisor; Andrei Iancu, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Joseph Marron, principal engineering fellow at Raytheon and inventor of the 10 millionth patent; and Lisa Jorgenson, executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Photo courtesy of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 13. Eric Carniol ’04 with his wife, Aliza Alter Carniol, and Andy Pursell ’04 with his wife, Pessica Pursell, on the Boston Duck Tour
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Jordan I. Jett jordanjett13@gmail.com
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ian Cali published a personal essay in the scientific journal Bone, sharing his perspective on living with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). The essay was adapted from opening comments Ian delivered at the first and second Drug Development Forums
2012 CONTACT:
Christopher P. Davis davis.cp@gmail.com Shane S. Neibart ssneibart@gmail.com Carissa E. Szlosek szlosek@wisc.edu
2013
Cosimo Fabrizio ’18
CONTACT:
ReCiPient oF 2018 DaViDSon FeLLoW SCHoLaRSHiP
SaVonne Anderson savonneanderson@gmail.com
the Davidson Fellow Scholarship offers monetary awards to extraordinary young people who have completed a significant piece of work in one of a variety of fields, including the arts. one of this year’s recipients was Cosimo Fabrizio ’18, who was awarded a $25,000 scholarship for his portfolio project “21st Century Jazz Music – the Search for authenticity.”
Matt Cowen mcowen95@gmail.com Dillon Denehy is the author of Play by Heart: Mastering Music Without the Major, which he was inspired to write from his observations of fellow students at Georgetown University, many of whom abandoned their passion for music while embracing the college academic life. Dillon is the founder of Denehy Producing and Consulting, which provides production and consulting services to musicians. Grace thompson currently works as the business development manager at Owl’s Brew, a creator of tea-based radlers (beer and tea double-brews) and cocktail mixers to add some fun and unique drinks to your Saturday nights. Owl’s Brew products are available in local supermarkets. Outside of work, Grace hosts her own dinner parties with her closest classmates as they drink Owl’s Brew and share amazing memories from their years at NA.
Cosimo says that being named a Davidson Fellow and joining this community of great young thinkers “motivates me to raise questions and seek ways to solve problems, in all aspects of my life.” As a student at NA, Cosimo was very involved in school life. In addition to playing in NA’s jazz band Chameleon (which was named second in the nation at the 2018 Essentially Ellington Competition), he served as a captain of the varsity boys’ soccer team, as a member of the Equity and Inclusion Team’s executive board, and as a Peer Leader. He was one of four Ad Lumen Award winners from the Class of 2018. Outside of school, Cosimo was named a National Young Arts Foundation award winner, assisted at Grenada’s Ministry of Health during the Zika epidemic, worked at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s corporate office, and has been mentored by jazz great Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s artistic director. “My time at NA, specifically my interactions and relationships with the faculty members, has played an indescribable role in shaping my thought process and the type of leader I want to be in the future,” says Cosimo. “I knew that their doors were always open for me, and that makes a world of a difference.” Cosimo is a freshman at Cornell University, where he is a Cornell Tradition Fellow. He plans to pursue a career in politics and has a particular interest in the intersections between government and the arts.
2014 CONTACT:
Jai Ghose jghose@andrew.cmu.edu Thomas Pan tpan14@gmail.com Lauren Whelan lmw025@bucknell.edu Jacob Wieseneck jwieseneck@gmail.com
2015 CONTACT:
Madeline DeLamielleure
maddydelamielleure15 @gmail.com
2016
Samuel Vazir samvazir@gmail.com
CONTACT:
Jasmine Gamboa jgamboa19@amherst.edu Nicholas Murray nsm407@gmail.com Zachary Persing zcpersing@gmail.com Matthew Thekkethala matt@learnforlife foundation.org
Courtney Cooperman courtneycooperman @comcast.net Jacob Furst Jacobfurst20@gmail.com Joshua Martin Martinjoshua029@gmail.com Elizabeth Merrigan Elizabeth.merrigan16 @gmail.com
Bryan Wilensky bryanwsemail@gmail.com Mackenna Woods Mackennavalle@gmail.com Sam Goldenring qualified for and played in the 116th New Jersey State Golf Association Amateur Championship.
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Greg Gilbert ’18
FiRSt eLeCteD oFFiCiaL FRoM tHe CLaSS oF 2018 17
18 even before his graduation from newark academy, Greg Gilbert ’18 became the first member of his class to hold an elected office. Greg was elected to a position on the Chatham Democratic town Committee a few days before Commencement. Greg is excited to help out his community in any way he can, and he views his role on the town committee as an opportunity to learn about local politics and gain insight into the inner workings of the Democratic Party. Now a
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freshman at Lafayette College, Greg plans to major in government and law. He also plans to get involved in some of Lafayette’s numerous community service organizations as well as some political action groups.
14. Members of the Class of 2005 at Brett Finkelstein Rubin’s wedding: Christine Werner Connelly, Christina Capatides Vollmayer, Cassie Coggeshall, Brett Finkelstein Rubin, Molly McGaughan Westall, Ashley Cyburt Fisher, Kim Goldfarb, Stephen Wentz, Doug Vollmayer, Dan Urban 15. The beautiful bride Jennifer Errico ’06 and her husband, Jonathan Olivera 16. Adam Somberg ’10, Ryan Keur ’08, Jeffrey Hau ’07, Eric Rattner ’07, Chris Russo ’07, Whitney Dardik ’06, David Hardin ’07, Doug Milanes ’07 17. Jay Jones ’99, Adam Kaswiner ’99, Mike Kay '99, Stan Hsiung ’00 18. Warren ’66 and Mary Ann Soare 19. Jocelyn Willoughby ’16 and Karina Mehta ’16 with their former basketball coach, Liz Bona-Beach
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Greg credits his time at NA for his ability to take on such responsibilities at the start of his college career. “NA has taught me, through years of rigorous academics combined with multi-season athletics and various extracurriculars, to be able to budget my time, and to optimize my experience being a part of both the Lafayette community and Chatham's Democratic Town Committee.”
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