Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Host Community Panel

Paloma Blandon ’14, Jay Craft ’13 and Alyssa Thomas ’13 hosted an NCCS alumni panel at a communitywide event on Jan. 14. They each shared their personal reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and how it has resonated in their own lives during and after their time at NCCS. The virtual event was facilitated by Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Kojo Clarke.

2014

29 Paloma Blandon earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy with a specialization in education, as well as a minor in Latin American studies from the University of Chicago. In her senior year she wrote a thesis on restorative practices in Chicago public schools, focusing on the implementation of these policies at the individual teacher level. During her time in college, she was the executive director for the University of Chicago chapter of Woman and Youth Supporting Each Other, a mentorship program for middle school girls in Chicago, and a research assistant at the UChicago Consortium on School Research. She is currently a fifth grade English teacher in the South Bronx and pursuing an MA at Relay Graduate School of Education. In her free time she loves to read, rock climb and crochet.

Christopher Jessup attended The Juilliard School for both pre-college and college, graduating with high honors in 2021. Upcoming engagements include solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, album releases and a performance at the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. He is currently managed by Lombardo Associates and is living in Manhattan.

Calling Alumni Artists

To be included in an upcoming Alumni Art Show, please contact Director of Alumni Affairs

Holly Donaldson Casella ’04 at hcasella@countryschool.net.

Music Of Country School

Be sure to check out our NCCS Spotify playlist for new music being released by members of our alumni and school community. To have your music added, please reach out to Holly Donaldson Casella ’04 at hcasella@countryschool.net

Bobby Leonard graduated with a computer engineering degree from the University of Michigan in June 2021. Since then, he has worked as a vehicle security engineer for Nuro, the Californiabased company that develops autonomous delivery vehicles — the first to receive an autonomous exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since its vehicles are designed to carry goods instead of humans.

30 Margaret McManus graduated from Duke University magna cum laude in May, receiving an inter-departmental bachelor’s degree in visual and media studies and sociology.

Lily von Stade graduated with academic distinction from Colby College where she majored in psychology and education, played varsity ice hockey, was named to the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team and was on the executive board of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. Lily spent three summers teaching second grade at Horizons at NCCS and worked a fourth summer at Chelsea Piers as a hockey coach. She currently works as a partnership marketing account executive at the National Hockey League.

2015

31 Emma Alpaugh graduated with academic honors from Trinity College where she was a four-year member of the lacrosse team and was voted MVP her senior year. She was named to the 2022 All-NESCAC First Team, the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III All-American Third Team and the 2022 IWLCA Division III Berkshire All-Region First Team and the 2022 NESCAC All-Academic Team. Emma is currently in the MBA Program at the University of New Hampshire and on the lacrosse team.

Elizabeth Casey graduated with academic honors from Colgate University where she majored in sociology and earned the Academic Excellence in Sociology Award. She is currently working with Dynamics Search Partners in New York City doing executive search for financial services.

Phoebe Casey graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University where she dual-majored in psychological science and art and art history. She is currently working at Merkley & Partners, an advertising agency, as an assistant media planner, in New York City.

32 Jay Parmelee graduated from Southern Methodist University where he majored in economics with a minor in applied sports management, played club lacrosse and was active in the school’s Energy Club.

33 PJ Sensbach graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Georgia. He is now living in Atlanta, working as a functional analyst for Itineris, a technology company.

Carson Teitler graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a dual degree in theoretical mathematics and art history. His thesis on four dimensional symplectic topology received honors distinction from the Mathematics Department. Carson currently works as a risk analyst for Millennium, a global alternative investment management firm.

34 Avery York graduated from Wake Forest University where she majored in environment and sustainability studies and minored in bioethics, humanities and medicine and psychology.

2016

35 Congratulations Sam Bright on completing basic training and becoming a United States Marine on Aug. 20.

36 Cayden Brodnax is a junior locally at Sacred Heart University playing lacrosse, majoring in sports communication and coaching New Canaan youth.

37 Will Byrne earned academic honors at Bowdoin University and received several athletic accolades during his lacrosse season including All-American honorable mention, Second-Team All-NESCAC and the NESCAC Rookie of the Year Award. He finished the 2022 season with 101 points and 68 goals, one goal shy of the school’s all-time single-season record.

2017

38 Alexandra LeBaron was the winner of the 2021 San Miguel Writers’ Contest in Non-fiction for her short story, “Gima.” The contest is affiliated with the Mexico-based annual writer’s conference and selects the best fiction, nonfiction and poetry to publish. In 2017, she received an honorary mention for the National Scholastic Press Association’s Multimedia Story of the Year. Her work has previously appeared in Sundog Lit and 805 Lit + Art magazine, among others. Alexandra currently attends the University of Chicago where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fundamentals: Issues and Texts with a minor in classical studies.

39 Taylor Mitchell attends Colgate University where she was named to the Patriot League’s 2021–2022 Fall Academic Honor Roll, a recognition for scholarathletes earning a 3.20 GPA or above while playing one of seven specified varsity sports. Taylor is a member of the varsity cross-country team, most recently placing in the top 20 in the 3000 meters in the Alan Connie Invitational, held March 19.