“The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. To spread these principles is to build up a strong and more valiant and, above all, more scrupulous and more generous humanity.” — Pierre de Coubertin
Frank Kaley First to Lead
Volleyball Makes History All the Way to the State Finals!
+ Fall Sports
Highlights AND
ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
Pace Academy Parents Club Auction & Gala honoring
John Anderson
APRIL 29, 2017 Georgia Aquarium www.paceacademy.org/auction
Upper School thespians delighted audiences with this year's quirky fall musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Read about it on page 18.
Caitlin Goodrich Jones ’00 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
w F ollo ! Pa c e
facebook.com/ paceacademy
instagram.com/ paceacademy
pinterest.com/ paceacademy
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR History was always one of my favorite subjects. Discovering the struggles and triumphs of past generations and understanding how they shaped our world today continues to captivate my imagination. I thank expert teachers like HELEN SMITH and MIKE GANNON, whose curiosity and energy brought a very relevant past to life. Perhaps that curiosity is contagious, explaining why I’ve so enjoyed reading and editing FRED GLASS’S ’89 series of articles about Pace Academy’s founders. On page 38, Glass introduces us to FRANK KALEY, Pace’s first headmaster, who wrote the Pace motto, established the Knight as our school mascot, and put in motion the programs and practices that define the Pace community today—outstanding academics, arts, athletics and a spirit of service. We know Kaley’s legacy, and Glass’s research reveals the man. Kaley stood firm in his commitment to a well-rounded education and the development of the whole child—a commitment I hope you’ll find reflected in the following pages. Just as Pace Academy’s history begins with the chapter Kaley and his colleagues so carefully crafted, today’s generation of Pace Knights strives for excellence as we write a new chapter in our school’s story. It’s truly a privilege to be part of the process.
PACE CARES When our families and staff are in need, Pace Cares. Contact us to deliver a meal:
twitter.com/ paceacademy
404-926-3727 or pacecares@paceacademy.org
T H E MA G A Z INE OF PACE ACADEMY
CONTRIBUTORS
966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327
KATELYN E. CLOONEY After receiving a bachelor’s in communications/sports journalism, KATELYN E. CLOONEY is now pursuing a master’s in sport administration at Georgia State University. She is a graduate assistant in Pace’s athletics department, where she assists with communications and operations. Clooney is also a member of Georgia Tech’s game-day staff. A proud native of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, Clooney loves few things more than the New England Patriots.
After graduating from Pace, FRED GLASS attended the University of Georgia as a business major and went on to receive his MBA in finance from Georgia State University. He is a college financial planner with Glass Financial in Atlanta. Glass is the husband of ELIZABETH GLASS, a member of the Pace Academy Office of Advancement, and father of MERRITT ANN GLASS ’19 and KATHLEEN GLASS ’22. The Glass family lives in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood.
HANNAH KELLY, a former intern for the Pace communications department, is a sophomore at Duke University studying English and computer science. While at Pace, Kelly was a member of the Barbara and Sanford Orkin Society, the National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running and playing with her cat.
What you need to know
08 AROUND PACE A look at what's happening on campus 08 FALL FAIR 14 MARK DUNAWAY Life Trustee profile
16 ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS 17 HOLIDAY CONCERTS 18 FALL MUSICAL 20 HOLIDAY PROGRAM
22 FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Football cheerleading, water polo, cross-country, softball and football 27 MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY Our lady harriers take state
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Head of School FRED ASSAF
MICHAEL GANNON Head of Upper School JOHN ANDERSON Head of Middle School SYREETA MOSELEY Head of Lower School
Communications Department
HANNAH KELLY ’15
06 NEWS
www.paceacademy.org
Division Heads
FRED GLASS ’89
CONTENTS
KnightTimes
28 ICGL Fall trips and climate activities
34 GLOBAL LEADERS Highlighting students who set the pace outside of school 34 FACULTY PROFILE Meet KATY COWLES 36 PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE 37 SERVICE PROJECTS
38 FRANK KALEY An intimate look at Pace Academy's first headmaster
44 VOLLEYBALL MAKES HISTORY The Knights rocket all the way to the state finals
CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 Director of Communications, Editor RYAN VIHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer LELA WALLACE Digital Communications Manager
Staff Writer LIZ WIEDEMANN Stewardship Manager
Contributing Photographers FRED ASSAF GEMSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHIC www.gemshots.com LAURA INMAN SMAX PHOTOGRAPHY www.smaxart.com
Our Mission To create prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values and legacy of Pace Academy.
48 ALUMNI UPDATES 54 OUT & ABOUT 58 ALUMNI PROFILE CAROLINE GRAY '07: A life of service and adventure
To contribute ideas for the KnightTimes, please email Caitlin Jones at caitlin.jones@paceacademy.org.
The varsity football team opened the season against West Forsyth High School. Read about all fall sports on page 22.
Dear Pace Family, In 1959, the Pace Academy Board of Trustees hired a young man named FRANK KALEY as the school’s first headmaster. Not yet a year old, Pace needed a leader who would prioritize academic excellence while growing the fledgling institution and cultivating a rich, inclusive culture. Kaley was up for the task. In this issue of the KnightTimes, we salute Kaley’s vision for Pace Academy, celebrate the traditions he established and reflect on the lasting impact of the values he so thoughtfully instilled in our school. Kaley penned the phrase To have the courage to strive for excellence, and so we also explore how the Pace community lives into that motto today. We look back at the varsity volleyball team’s historic season (page 44), applaud the Thoroughly Modern Millie cast and crew (page 18), tip our hats to those responsible for this year’s “totally tubular” Fall Fair (page 8), and acknowledge the hard work and determination of the many students, faculty and staff who grace these pages. Pace has come a long way since 1959, yet we remain true to the founding principles Kaley and his contemporaries set forth. I have a feeling that the original Pace Knight would be proud of the school we are today. Thank you, Mr. Kaley… and go, Knights!
ON THE COVER A gift of the Pace Parents Club, this painting of Frank Kaley was unveiled at a special party during the 1968–1969 school year. Originally hung in what is now the Castle Boardroom, the painting now adorns the Castle's Kaley Room. Learn about Kaley on page 38.
FRED ASSAF HEAD OF SCHOOL
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NEWS What you ne ed to know
Baker a Buckhaven Lifestyle All-Star WITH THE DAWN of the New Year, Buckhaven Lifestyle magazine unveiled its inaugural list of All-Stars, young women who “work hard in the classroom, in the community and at practice”—and senior MCKENZIE BAKER made the team. A three-sport athlete for the Knights, Baker led the varsity volleyball team to the Class AAA state championship for the first time in Pace Academy history (see story on page 44). She also captains this year’s varsity basketball squad and played goalie for the 2016 varsity soccer team, which advanced to the state semifinals. “Sports should be fun, not a chore,” Baker told Buckhaven Lifestyle. “Although balancing school and sports is very difficult, it’s more manageable when you communicate and ask for help when you need it.” Baker speaks from experience; she excels in the classroom and, in recognition of her academic and athletic talents, received Pace’s 2016 Wheeler Scholar Athlete Award.
PACE HIGH Q BESTS GALLOWAY
Seniors AVERY HERMAN, WILL MOVSOVITZ, BRIAN SLOAN and MITCHELL ZWECKER may have futures as Jeopardy! contestants. The clever foursome took on the Galloway School in a December episode of WSB-TV Channel 2’s High Q, an academic quiz-bowl competition that poses lightening-fast questions about everything from history and literature to science and current events. The Knights emerged victorious, defeating the Scots 730 to 445 to advance to next round of competition, which will take place this spring.
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Announcing Our
NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS
Trimble
Ross
Leitz
Kumar
Howard
Herman
Duval
NEWS
EACH YEAR, the National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding high-school seniors based on student performance on the PSAT. Seniors KYLE DUVAL, AVERY HERMAN, CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, PRASHANTH KUMAR, KATY LEITZ, JULIA ROSS and WILL TRIMBLE were named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them among the highest-scoring entrants in Georgia. National Merit Finalists will be announced in February 2017.
BLOODWORTH
The Next Big Name in Visual Arts STUDENTS in Upper School visual art teacher DONICE BLOODWORTH’S classes will tell you he encourages them to experiment with new themes and techniques, pushes them beyond their comfort zones and insists they share their work with others—advice Bloodworth also heeds. In December, Bloodworth traveled to Miami Beach, Fla., where works from his Naturally series of paintings were showcased in the 7th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series. Each year, the arts competition “embarks on a North American search for the next big name in visual arts,” and Bloodworth was one of 16 2016 finalists. While Bloodworth did not bring home the grand prize, he enjoyed mingling with the artists, celebrities, musicians, fashion designers and art industry influencers who attended the private event celebrating his work. “The coolest part about this award and the entire experience was the support I received from the Pace Academy community,” Bloodworth says. “So many people wished me luck, voted for my work and spread the word about the competition. The Pace family made it possible. It was a very humbling experience, and I can’t thank [the Pace community] enough for their support.” LEFT: A selection of Bloodworth's paintings from the Naturally series.
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AROUND PACE A look at what's happening at Pace
A TOTALLY TUBULAR FALL FAIR A
wesomeness abounded at the 2016 Parents Club Fall Fair, Pace Academy’s Day Off: A Totally 80s Fall Fair, which welcomed thousands of visitors to campus in late October. Many attendees donned their gnarly 80s garb; the Middle School chorus surprised fairgoers with a Thriller flash mob; and dudes and dudettes of all ages enjoyed inflatables and games, righteous rides, rad shopping and fresh food. It was a party to the max! The event was made possible by Fall Fair Co-Chairs LAUREN HARRIS and TAMMI PARKER, an amazing group of parent and student volunteers and a team of generous sponsors. The funds raised through the Fall Fair benefit the Parents Club, which supports opportunities apart from Pace’s annual operating budget. Past support includes the Parents Club’s innovative Citizens of the World Travel Grant Program, which covers the cost of student airfare for Isdell Center for Global Leadership study tours once in Middle School and once in Upper School.
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There’s Nothing Quite as Grand 10
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ONE NEED look no further than the Lower School cafeteria on Grandparents & Special Friends Day to know that Pace Academy students are a lucky bunch. On Nov. 22, hundreds of special guests gathered for a continental breakfast and a special program, featuring performances by our Lower School musicians. Following the program, guests visited classrooms, participated in all kinds of fun activities and learned about life in the Pace Lower School. The evening before Grandparents & Special Friends Day, all Pace grandparents were invited to a cocktail reception in the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School’s Seaman Family Student Commons.
F
rom Dallas to Chicago to Las Vegas, coach SHUNTÁ JORDAN and Pace Academy’s Upper School debaters spent the first semester crisscrossing the country in pursuit of tournament triumph. The year began with an invitation to the Greenhill Round Robin in Addison, Texas, where seniors JACK MCMILLIN and JAKE MOVSOVITZ, projected to be one of the nation’s top 16 teams, competed in the two-day event. McMillin and Movsovitz went on to finish the Chattahoochee Cougar Classic as co-champions and earn their first qualification for the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association state tournament. Other key players for the Knights this year include seniors MISHA ANDRATHOMAS, GRACE KIERSZNOWSKI and ERICA TASHMA, and sophomores TYLER HENDERSON and BEN NOTTINGHAM. In November, the team of Henderson and Nottingham was named co-champion of the Peach State Classic, qualifying for the state tournament. Middle School debaters, under the leadership of coach ED WILLIAMS, have been equally busy. “Students are engaged and enjoying debate, and we’re gaining more confidence at every tournament,” Williams says. That confidence is evident in medal counts from the Knights’ three firstsemester tournaments. As the season progressed, Pace debaters brought home seven, 11 and 14 individual medals from respective tournaments. “I’m excited about the progress the Middle School debate program is making, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we’re able accomplish this semester,” Williams says.
A DEBATE UPDATE NEED AN OLD YEARBOOK? Was yours lost, damaged or destroyed? We can send you another copy! Contact Pacesetter adviser RYAN VIHLEN for availability. ryan.vihlen@paceacademy.org
Talking Politics at Pace
GINGRICH & GEPHARDT
AROUND PACE
Pace Fund
PRIOR to the 2016 presidential election, Pace Academy welcomed Pace grandparent and former GOP Speaker of the House NEWT GINGRICH and former House Majority and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt for a series of conversations about the electoral process. Bill Nigut of Georgia Public Broadcasting moderated the conversations, which touched on topics such as the current political climate, history, media, race and immigration.
New Parent Event ON NOV. 1, The Pace Fund New Family Committee welcomed over 50 new parents to the Pace Academy community. This year’s celebration was held at The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, an intimate, speakeasy-style event space located within Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead.Â
AROUND PACE
Celebrating Diversity: Exploring Faith Traditions
LEFT TO RIGHT: Director of Diversity RICK HOLIFIELD, Sundermeier, Abbady, Kamath, Galex and Head of Middle School JOHN ANDERSON
“RESPECT for others and their unique ideas and beliefs” sits at the heart of Pace Academy’s core values. In December, Middle School students practiced respectful inquiry and thoughtful listening when they welcomed representatives from multiple faith traditions to a special assembly. Noor Abbady of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, Audrey Galex of Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, Sucheta Kamath of the Interfaith Speakers Network, and Pace parent REV. DR. TONY SUNDERMEIER of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta participated in the thought-provoking forum. During the assembly, students asked panelists questions such as: “Do you think the government plays a role in how your religion is viewed?” “How does your religion handle racism and sexism in the community?” and “Do you feel like you chose your religion, or that you were born into it?” Panelists’ thoughtful responses highlighted the differences between their respective religions, celebrating diversity and furthering the Pace community’s commitment to creating prepared, confident citizens of the world.
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AROUND PACE
Construction of the Inman Center (seen here in 2000) started while Dunaway was chairman of the Board.
MARK DUNAWAY Life Trustee Spotlight
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“Ultimately, the more inclusive an institution is, the stronger it will become,” says Pace Academy Life Trustee MARK DUNAWAY. Dunaway credits the wisdom of Pace’s early leaders for embracing that principle and weaving a spirit of inclusion into the school’s foundation. By the time their son was of school age, Dunaway and his wife, MARCIA DUNAWAY, already had their eyes on Pace. They weren’t attracted to the school’s prestige or dazzling facilities—in fact, when PATRICK DUNAWAY ’98 enrolled in Pace’s Pre-First in the mid 80s, the school had a relatively weak endowment, with facilities that were in many ways inadequate relative to the academics and campus size, Dunaway says. But something about the school’s character made it different from all the others. “The inclusivity of the [Pace community] set the school apart for Marcia and me— Pace was so forward thinking,” he says. The Dunaways sensed that both Pace students and parents were genuinely happy to be at the school, and they wanted Patrick to be in an equally warm and welcoming environment. Now, almost 20 years since his son’s high-school graduation, Dunaway confirms that his intuition was correct. With a business track record that spans three decades, mostly in the wireless sector, Dunaway has founded multiple startups, acquired several companies and taken national
AROUND PACE
brands public. Still, from the day he and Marcia became Pace parents, the two stood out as avid volunteers and advocates for the school. The Dunaways quickly became chairs of the Booster Club, served as co-presidents of the Parents Club, and supported capital projects like the Fine Arts Center and the Inman Center. Described, perhaps unsurprisingly, as being “full of energy,” Dunaway joined Pace’s Board of Trustees in 1988 and served as chairman of the Board from 1997–1999. “We wanted to participate in areas that we enjoyed. At Pace, so many things were enjoyable,” Dunaway says of his and Marcia’s tireless involvement. “Patrick attended Pace from [Pre-First through 12th grade] and came 30 minutes early to school every single day. He loved it because Pace was a complete environment,” Dunaway says, citing his son’s quality friends and personally invested faculty mentors as key factors. When facing any Board decision, Dunaway posed the same question to Trustees that he applied to his own parenting philosophy: Is this going to be good for the children and ultimately contribute to their happiness? “It was important to ask ourselves why we were doing things as a Board. Are we doing this because we can, or because we know it will be good for [the students]?” Dunaway says. As a leader, Dunaway never forgot what initially attracted him to Pace. He knew that to galvanize an effective Board, every member must feel heard. “We never had a vote that wasn’t unanimous. As parents, it should always be unanimous. If it isn’t, we need to keep talking. That’s the work,” he says. The Board’s habit of working efficiently as a team proved particularly valuable in the summer of 1999. Wheels were well in motion to construct the new Inman Center, the first of two project phases in the Educating for Life (EFL) campaign. Phase two would include the renovation of a 30-yearold swimming pool. Halfway through the campaign, a vigilant project-coordinating committee recognized that the intended renovation could cost as much as, if not more than, building a new swimming pool.
Constructing a new one at the south end of the Inman Center would free the former pool site for additional development. The new plan proposed smarter use of space and funds, promising greater long-term benefits to the institution, but it would require the committee to add another $4.3 million to its fundraising goal. Though the committee had already met its $15.75 million goal ahead of schedule, each member rose to the occasion. Led by EFL Campaign Chairman DON INMAN ’81, Pace’s volunteer leadership remained dedicated to finishing the job and saw the completion of the natatorium Pace uses today. DAVID DREWS, father of ROD DREWS ’00 and JULIA DREWS ALAND ’06, is vice president of Gay Construction Company and oversaw his company’s construction of the Inman Center. In the 1999 case statement for EFL campaign enhancements, Drews says:
We’re reaping the benefit of the team approach. These enhancements are the result of sharing ideas between the administration, Trustees, the architect and engineering team and the construction team. Basically, we’ve saved 23,000 feet that would’ve been buried and lost forever. I’ve been involved with many similar situations in my career—this is how a project should work. The scope of the Board’s decision-making during Dunaway’s tenure was wide-ranging, from administrative tasks and refining internal governance, to balancing Pace’s immediate needs with its strategic goals. For every success, Dunaway credits a group of people he deems extraordinary. “I think of the talents of [Life Trustees] GREG DEXTER, WOODY WHITE and the late JACK MCCUNE. With those amazing friends, any challenges we faced didn’t matter,” says Dunaway. “[Late Life Trustee] CHUCK BRADY was inspirational to me.” Dunaway’s era of Pace leadership grappled with and set strategic standards that would come to define the school’s culture today and for years to come.
“[Life Trustee] MARSHALYN YEARGINALLSOPP knew exactly what we were trying to do in our diversity initiatives, and she knew how to accomplish it. Because of Marshalyn, we institutionalized financial aid in a better way,” Dunaway says, while he credits Life Trustee ED FESTA for generating a formula that would help grow the endowment. Later, when he became a Life Trustee, Dunaway recognized the savvy of his fellow Life Trustees and wanted to see the group making more of an institutional impact than it was at that time. Dunaway and other Life Trustee members worked with the neighborhood association and Pace administrators to acquire the parcel of land that is now the Head of School’s home. "Mark Dunaway led us all through a critical time in Pace's history—and he did so with heart," says Head of School FRED ASSAF. Dunaway believes that everyone has something to give—the key is identifying the right type of gift in the right time. Whether sharing of themselves through time, talent or treasure, the Dunaways, like many Pace families, constantly looked for the next need that, if filled, might strengthen the Pace community even more. “Marcia and I love to garden. Pace is like a garden to us,” says Dunaway.
Mark Dunaway at a 2007 Life Trustees event.
ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS From holiday concerts and main-stage productions to visiting artists and exceptional exhibits, Pace Arts thrived throughout the first semester.
ACTING ACCOLADES WHEN THE CURTAIN fell on A Piece of My Heart, the Upper School’s fall one-act play, the cast and crew took the show on the road and participated in the Georgia High School Association’s One-Act Play Regional Competition. Sophomore RAINA WILLIAMS (above right) received the competition’s Best Actress Award, while freshmen EMERSON BARRETT, ROBERT CUSHMAN, and NIKKI RUBIN and senior EMMA DOWNEY brought home All-Star Cast Awards. The overall production took second place.
Inside the
RECORDING INDUSTRY The Pace Arts Alliance gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the business of making music. IT’S NOT OFTEN that platinum-selling producers, groundbreaking singer/songwriters and GRAMMY Award winners talk shop with high-school students, but in November, students had an all-access backstage pass to a multitude of music-industry insiders thanks to the Pace Academy Arts Alliance. Upper School students interested in the recording industry took a behind-the-scenes tour of Atlanta’s renowned Silent Sound Studios. The tour included discussions with studio leadership, opportunities to get behind the soundboard, and time in the recording booth and at the piano. Then, a panel of industry experts shared their stories during Middle and Upper School assemblies. The panel included three-time GRAMMY Award-winning mixing engineer Phil Tan; platinum-selling music producer, engineer and programmer Ross Lara; musician, singer and songwriter Prisca; Emmy, Telly, BDA and Promax award-winning video editor, compositor, photographer and designer Harold Sellers; business and artist development manager Brian Shenefelt; and entertainment attorney and Pace parent KELLY WHITEHART. “Students often dream of a future in the performing arts, but few know how to go about achieving those dreams,” says Visual and Performing Arts Chair DANNY DOYLE. “Thanks to the Arts Alliance, these opportunities exposed students to the variety of careers available in music and gave them practical steps to take toward working in the field.”
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ARTS
SONGS FOR THE SEASON The Fine Arts Center doesn’t sleep when the holidays roll around. In December, audiences celebrated the season with performances by our chorus, strings and band students.
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SUSAN WALLACE provided musical direction for the show, which included showstoppers such as Not for the Life of Me, Forget About the Boy and Thoroughly Modern Millie. SCOTT SARGENT’S set design and technical direction once again wowed audiences.
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1) Junior IBUM OBU as Muzzy Van Hossmere; 2) Junior COLE MCCORKLE as Trevor Graydon; 3) Freshman MATTHEW QUINTANA, junior WILL NULTY and senior MITCHELL ZWECKER playing Chinese immigrants; 4) Seniors ELLIE DUNCAN and WILLIE LIEBERMAN as Millie Dillmount and Miss Dorothy; 5) EMILY SCHMITT as Miss Flannery; 6) Junior PAIGE DEMBA as Mrs. Meers; 7) Junior JEB CARTER as Jimmy Smith
ARTS
Choreography by EILEEN EDWARDS hearkened back to the iconic moves of the Jazz Age.
A THOROUGHLY MODERN MESSAGE The Upper School fall musical celebrates self-discovery and the resilient spirit of New York City.
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e first meet Millie Dillmount as she arrives in New York City in the midst of the roaring 20s. She’s fresh off the train from Kansas, ready to take on the Big Apple and determined to marry a wealthy businessman. But, as Millie soon learns, even the best-laid plans sometimes fail. Pace Academy’s Upper School production of Thoroughly Modern Millie brought to life Millie’s madcap adventures and conveyed a message that rings true today. “Millie looks at failure as an opportunity,” says Upper School Theatre Director SEAN BRYAN. “As she attempts to tackle her dream, she doesn’t give up or cry foul. Dreams provide courage, and our courage pushes us toward life’s opportunities.” Through captivating performances, dizzying dance numbers and a sparkling set, Pace’s Thoroughly Modern Millie illustrated that perseverance and resilience can manifest a future even more magical than one imagines.
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ARTS
THE LIGHT IS STILL ON The Lower School holiday program celebrates 26 years Hanukkah and Christmas came to life once again through Light One Candle, the Lower School’s holiday program. In the 26th production of this beloved tradition, students displayed their musical and theatrical talents as they shared the classic stories.
NEW ERA FOR
ATHLETICS
FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
T
Students packed the Inman Center to cheer on the varsity volleyball team in the Final Four against the Lovett Lions. Read about the team's historic season on page 44.
he start of the 2016–2017 school year marked another milestone for Pace Academy Athletics—a move from the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Class AA to Class AAA. Pace may have been the smallest school in Class AAA, but our fall student-athletes excelled. Their success is the result of hard work, outstanding coaching, a commitment to excellence and more than a decade of strategic planning. In 2004, Pace’s Strategic Plan mandated a focus on “outstanding co-curricular and extracurricular activities, including athletics.” The 2010–2015 Strategic Plan built on these goals and called for further strengthening of Middle School athletic programs, the creation of an Athletic Advisory Board, and “funding and development for the final stages of our satellite athletic facilities.” We have achieved these strategic goals—and then some. We’ve invested in state-ofthe-art facilities and infrastructure; we’ve attracted and retained excellent coaches; we’ve maintained our identity as an inclusive athletic program while competing at a high level; and we’ve fostered a spirit of community and pride. A comprehensive review of Pace Athletics over the past decade tells a story of gradual and steady improvement born from a sound plan, dedicated students and coaches and a supportive community—and we couldn’t be more proud. Read on to learn how our fall teams fared this season.
FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
VA R S I T Y FOOT B A L L CHEERLEADING
Cameron Russ
Molly Levine, Sally Quiner, JILL RAWLS and ALLY SATISKY
Coached by TALISA SLADE, ERICA HOOD and JOCELYN ROPER
Varsity football cheerleaders danced, flipped and dazzled on Friday nights throughout the season. The 16member team impressed fans at Walsh Field and beyond, as their acrobatics pumped up the crowds. The squad bids farewell to seniors OLIVIA DILLON, LINDSAY FISHER, KATY LEITZ, MOLLY LEVINE, SALLY QUINER and CAMERON RUSS.
HANNAH SCHRAGER
WA T E R PO LO C L U B Coached by JOHN AGUE and ANDY LOPUSZYNSKI
Andrew Jenkins
Avery Herman
McRae Oglesby
The water polo club earned an 8–6 regular-season record and advanced to the state tournament. After an impressive showing, the Knights were eliminated by No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian. Pace finished the tournament No. 3 in Division 2 and tied for No. 9 in state rankings. Senior MITCHELL ZWECKER, sophomore ANDREW JENKINS and freshman HARRIS GREENBAUM represented Pace in the Division 2 AllStar Game. Jenkins and Zwecker were also named to the Division 2 All-State First Team. The team wishes good luck to seniors Zwecker, ALEXIS BENSON, AVERY HERMAN and MCRAE OGLESBY.
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FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS The Knights' state team
Rob Warren Seniors
Max Irvine
Jonathan Boss
VA R S I T Y B OY S CROSS-COUNTRY
VA R S I T Y G I R L S CROSS-COUNTRY
Coached by STEVE CUNNINGHAM, JOLIE CUNNINGHAM and GUS WHYTE
Coached by STEVE CUNNINGHAM, JOLIE CUNNINGHAM and GUS WHYTE
After back-to-back finishes as GHSA Class AA state runners-up, the Knights followed up with a successful 2016 season. The boys were region runners-up in their inaugural AAA campaign. Region 5AAA champion junior JACK DOUGLASS was joined on the medal stand by seniors ROB WARREN and MAX IRVINE, who
The varsity girls cross-country team finished fourth at the 2015 state meet and looked for another strong campaign as they moved up to AAA classification. After placing third in a tough Region 5AAA, the girls traveled to Carrollton, Ga., to compete in the state championships. Freshman PAYTON PAYNE, who placed
finished eighth and ninth, respectively. The boys finished sixth overall at the state meet—just two points out of fourth place. Douglass placed 10th overall, while Irvine, senior JONATHAN BOSS, freshman GEORGE ADAMS, junior JACK WRAY and senior ROSS CEFALU rounded out the Knights’ top finishers. Douglass received All-State honors and also competed in the Footlocker Southeastern Championships, where he placed eighth among Georgia runners. In addition to Boss, Cefalu and Irvine, the team will miss the leadership of seniors JULIAN ALEXANDER, CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, PARKER PAYNE, ENO REYES, WILLIAM ROBBINS, MICK STONE, SETH SWIECICHOWSKI, LEX TREVELINO, WILL TRIMBLE and ROB WARREN.
seventh overall in the region, earned a 10th-place finish at the state meet. Freshman PAULA SANDOVAL, senior JULIA ROSS, freshman JAYLA BROWN, sophomore VERONICA SANDOVAL, freshman ERIN HOOD and sophomore CARLY IRVINE followed for the Knights, as the girls placed third in the state. Payne received All-State honors and competed in the Footlocker Southeastern Championships, where she finished second among Georgia freshmen and 10th among all freshmen. Along with Ross, the team says goodbye to seniors SOPHIE BLASBERG, KEELEY HARRIS, SAMANTHA MORELAND, CARSON MYERS, ANNIE NOTTINGHAM and MARY BROOKS PERKEY.
Carly Irvine
The girls finished third at the state meet.
VA R S I T Y SOF T BALL Coached by COURTNEY MORRISON, BRETT BEASLEY, DESIREE KENDRICK and JEWELL MARABLE The Diamond Knights reached the GHSA state playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, ultimately falling to East Hall High School in the first round. The team finished fourth in the region with a 9–5 record. Five Knights were selected to the All-Region team: sophomore CAITLIN MURPHY, junior PRESLEY MARXMILLER, and seniors LIZABETH FROHWEIN, JULIA ROBISON and LAURA SHELTON. The team says farewell to seniors Frohwein, Robison, Shelton and SARI LEVEN.
MORGAN MARTIN KATIE BROWN and SOPHIE PORSON
Lizabeth Frohwein Jayla Brown Payton Payne
Paula Sandoval
Laura Shelton
Sari Leven
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VA R S I T Y F OOT BAL L
FALL SPORTS
Coached by CHRIS SLADE, GAVIN BRADLEY, TERRENCE EDWARDS, KEVIN JOHNSON, BRANDON JONES, BILL LELLYETT, LAMONT MCPHERSON, CEDRIC OGLESBY, JOE SANDOE and DERRICK TATUM Gunnor Faulk
Trey Blount KEASHAWN PERRYMAN
Deon Jackson squares up against the Thomson defense. Pace defenders converge on a West Forsyth player in the season opener. GUNNOR FAULK and team defeated McNair on Oct. 21.
After capturing the 2015 GHSA Class AA state championship, the Knights faced challenging AAA competition this season. The team finished the regular season with a 6–4 record (3–1 at Walsh Field) and fell to a strong Greater Atlanta Christian team in the first round of the state playoffs. Senior ANDREW THOMAS was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super 11 list and was also a U.S. Army Bowl All-American, one of high-school football’s most prestigious honors. Thomas, fellow senior TREY BLOUNT and junior JAMAREE SALYER were named Region 5AAA First-Team Offense, while junior REALUS GEORGE was recognized as Region 5AAA First-Team Defense. Next year, the team will miss the leadership of seniors Thomas, Blount, DEON JACKSON, JORDAN PAYNE, JUSTIN RAYMAN and MARK ANTHONY SOMMERVILLE.
Tony Addison
The team charges the field before the Homecoming matchup against Redan.
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FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
XC
MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS
BRING HOME
TITLE
Kathryn Hood, Kate Jonas, Elizabeth Feagin, Laura Romig, MAGGIE JENKINS, CAROLINE BROWN and Jordan White with the statechampionship trophy
A
fter a successful 2015 season, members of the Middle School girls cross-country team challenged themselves this year. They ran in the largest invitationals. They raced against the toughest competition. They practiced in the brutal Georgia heat. They wanted to take the next step, and coaches ERIC WILHELM, CASON GIVEN and COURTNEY HARRIS pushed them hard. As the season came to a close, the Knights claimed the Marist Invitational title, upsetting the top-ranked War Eagles on their home turf. Next, the girls toed the line at October’s medium-school state championship and brought home the top prize. Eighth-grader LAURA ROMIG finished ninth at the championship meet, followed by sixth-grader ELIZABETH FEAGIN, and seventh-graders KATE JONAS and JORDAN WHITE. As eighth-grader KATHRYN HOOD crossed the line just 12 seconds in front of Marist’s fifth- and sixth-place girls, the Knights held off the War Eagles, 74–79, to claim first place. “[These runners] were determined and resilient, and they made their coaches and their school proud,” Wilhelm says of the Knights. But the girls were not alone. “It’s important to also recognize the part the boys team played in our team’s success,” Wilhelm says. “The boys and girls train alongside one another, and the spirit, talent and heart of the boys team are invaluable to the positive running culture that made this championship possible.” The boys finished seventh at the state championship in a tough division; five Knights ran their races in under 13 minutes. The future looks bright for Pace cross-country as Romig and Hood, the two fastest runners in the Middle School’s 30 years of records, move to the Upper School. “We’re in the middle of an amazing generation of Pace runners,” Wilhelm says.
SERVING UP SUPPORT FOR PACE ATHLETICS
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n October, the Booster Club hosted its annual Queens of the Court tennis tournament. Thirtytwo Pace moms, led by co-chairs ELIZABETH DANGAR CLEVELAND ’92 and MARY SUSAN COSTANZO, participated to raise funds to support Pace Athletics. KnightTimes | Winter 2017
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ICGL fall study tours take students to Canada and Hungary
Photos by CAITLIN TERRY
ICGL A global education for every graduate
ICGL
MANITOBA, CANADA Oct. 6–16 These days, climate change frequently makes political headlines, but few individuals set aside a year to explore the complicated intricacies and issues involved in the study and science of CLIMATE, the 2016–2017 Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) global theme. This year’s Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs)—a select group of students charged with exploring climate through travel, research and customized learning experiences—sought out the opportunity for intensive investigation for myriad reasons. For sophomore JENNY LUETTERS, an understanding of climate is inextricably linked to her love of the outdoors, while junior MELANIE CRAWFORD’S semester in South America provided exposure to the immediate effects of climate change. Senior MAX IRVINE, not long ago a self-proclaimed “climate-change denier,” became convinced of the phenomenon after reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s Field Notes from a Catastrophe, and senior ROSS CEFALU simply
wanted the opportunity to get out of the classroom and dive deep into a single topic. These students, Pace Academy’s third IGL class, kicked off their year of study in the town of Churchill, located in Canada’s province of Manitoba and known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” With IGL advisors TRISH ANDERSON, KEVIN BALLARD and CAITLIN TERRY, they journeyed by plane, train and automobile to the Hudson Bay seacoast, where three major biomes—marine, northern boreal forest and tundra—intersect. “We wanted to introduce the kids to the two extremes of climate—the arctic and the tropics—and how climate change has affected those areas,” Anderson says. The team partnered with the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC), an independent, non-profit research and education facility that strives to “understand and sustain the North.” The Centre, powered by green technology, opened its labs to the IGL team, and Dr. LeeAnn Fishback, scientific coordinator at CNSC, served as their teacher and guide. Fishback’s research focuses on
freshwater lake and pond water chemistry in arctic and subarctic regions, and the IGLs quite literally jumped into the ephemeral wetlands to help Fishback gather information about the survival of Churchill’s stickleback fish population. Permafrost (permanently frozen soil) sits beneath the wetlands, and as it melts due to rising temperatures, the landscape changes. Fishback wants to know how that changing landscape affects the stickleback. “We tried to catch stickleback in order to count the population so that when things thaw, they can see how many fish stay alive and how fast the populations replenish themselves,” Luetters explains. “We caught just one fish, whereas last year they caught hundreds at the same time of year. This was really troubling to the scientists.” Other hands-on projects included study of the plants and animals that survive and thrive in arctic conditions. Students cored trees to collect growth data, helped monitor a weather sensor recording the temperature and conditions of the permafrost below, and observed rock ptarmigan, short-tailed weasel, silver fox and polar bears in
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ICGL
their natural habitat. IGLs spent their evenings in lectures with Fishback and other members of the CNSC team, and they engaged in conversations with local environmentalists, who provided unique perspectives on the environmental history of the region. While IGLs will no doubt remember Canadian bowling, dogsledding and the Northern Lights, they hope that the lessons learned in Churchill will have an impact beyond their personal experiences. “[Prior to this study tour,] I never thought about climate,” Cefalu says. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve taken away from this. People just don’t think about it because they don’t feel it happening to them. But the point I now want to stress is not that climate change is real, it’s the extent to which it’s happening.” It’s a sentiment Cefalu’s travel companions share. “The one phrase we all have memorized is ‘unprecedented rapid change in the Arctic,’” Luetters says. Terry explains: “Climate change is a natural thing. It’s happened before over periods of tens of thousands of years. But the way humans are affect-
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ing this natural process is what has changed. We’ve pushed it off of its normal, natural course so that it’s no longer a natural process. That’s the struggle.” “According to the Milankovitch cycle, if we were following a normal pattern, the world would be cooling right now,” Cefalu says. “If the planet is supposed to be cooling, and we’re still managing to raise the temperature, that’s a problem.” The group observed the effects of this problem in Churchill’s polar bear population. The bears eat and breed on the sea ice that forms on the bay front, but as temperatures rise and sea ice melts, the time bears spend on the ice decreases. “This impacts females’ capacity to bear more than one cub,” Crawford explains. “It also means that bears have a hard time finding food, so they come into town because they’re starving. That introduces another major issue— human interaction with the bears.” As a result, townspeople and CNSC employees carry rifles wherever they go. “It’s not every day you get into a school bus with a massive rifle hanging up front,” Irvine says. “But it’s better than a run-in with a hungry polar bear.”
It’s also a visible indicator of the ways climate change affects the daily lives of the Arctic’s human and animal inhabitants. Students left Churchill energized and far more informed about the climate issues facing their generation and those to come. “I’m hopeful in the sense that climate change isn’t impossible to stop,” Cefalu says. “But I’m less hopeful given how irrefutable the data is and how little people actually care about this issue.” Nevertheless, this year’s IGLs are determined to spread the word. They presented their findings to Upper School students upon their return, and they’ve begun their research on tropical ocean eco-systems, the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs, and the ecological and financial effects of coastal erosion for their April trip to Hawaii. “We’re hopeful that we can make change happen,” Crawford says. “We’re learning more about circular economies and different modifications we can make as a society, but the question is to what extent the damage can be reversed. We’re just not sure.”
ICGL
BUDAPEST Nov. 19–Nov. 28
Photos by JONATHAN FERRELL
Ten Upper School students spent Thanksgiving abroad this past year, choosing policy simulation over turkey and stuffing. During the holiday break, the group traveled with Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH and Associate Director of College Counseling JONATHAN FERRELL to Budapest, Hungary, to participate in Yale Model Government Europe (YMGE). The fast-moving simulation of political decision-making and crisis in 21st-century Europe attracts students from around the world in an effort to “raise awareness of and foster debate about international relations and global affairs in the European context.” “One of the plusses of this conference is that students represent a person or a specific role [in the Model],” Smith says. “That means the policies of a real person can be attached to the research.” Juniors ANNA STONE and MAGGIE CUSHMAN, representing the U.S., received Honorable Mention recognition for their work, as did junior JEB CARTER, who acted as a member of the executive board of the European Bank. Freshman ANDREW MILLER won the Outstanding Delegate Award for his representation of the British Minister of Energy. In addition to participating in the Model, students spent several days exploring Budapest, “the pearl of the Danube.” Excursions included tours of Liberty Square, the city’s Jewish quarter and the Hungarian Parliament Building, as well as a performance at the Hungarian State Opera.
Read more about our students' adventures on the ICGL Student Travel Blog at: icgl.paceacademy.org/travel
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ICGL
CURIOUS ABOUT CLIMATE
CLIMATE JEOPARDY!
INTO THE WOODS
Do you know what happens to the water level in a cup of water and ice when the ice melts? Or which U.S. state is most vulnerable to climate-change disaster? Just ask our Globetrotters club! This fall, students in the ICGL-themed group planned a morning of Climate Jeopardy! for their teachers and classmates to increase awareness of climate issues and spark action. Globetrotters also raised $750 for the Alliance for International Reforestation following a visit from the organization’s founder. The club hopes to raise $1,000 to build a Pace tree nursery in Guatemala.
As part of the sixth grade’s study of ecosystems and climate, students spent a day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, an organization that strives to connect people with nature. Students worked in the Nature Center’s garden and used the grounds to dive deeper into habitat, food webs, consumers and producers, with a particular focus on the impact of global warming.
A CONVERSATION WITH NEVILLE ISDELL
REPORTING ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
Early in Head of School FRED ASSAF’S tenure at Pace, he met NEVILLE ISDELL, then chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. Isdell, a Pace Life Trustee (and now a Pace grandparent), asked Assaf what Pace was doing to prepare truly global citizens. From that conversation, the ICGL was eventually born. In November, Isdell met with Pace faculty and staff to share his personal story and recount “the little moments along the way that changed me.” Now chairman of the World Wildlife Foundation’s (WWF) Board of Directors, Isdell discussed his commitment to the WWF’s mission to “save the planet for both man and nature,” addressed current global issues, shared his belief in the importance of travel and education, and encouraged faculty and staff in their work.
Design Thinking and science intertwined during a second-grade project in which students produced special reports for the fictional Knightly News show. Working in teams, students served as sketchnote artists, researchers, news anchors, reporters, directors or camera people. In their special reports, teams explored big ideas related to renewable energy—wind, water, solar, geothermal, plant and biofuel. They wrote scripts, asked and answered “juicy” questions and filmed a newscast. The project also included a lesson in chroma keying, a special-effect technique that allows video editors to layer images based on color hues.
The ICGL’s Year of CLIMATE continues
The Pace Academy community is well into its yearlong study of CLIMATE, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s (ICGL) annual theme. From renewable energy and climate quiz bowls to design challenges and Arctic explorations, here’s how things are heating up in the Year of CLIMATE.
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LEADING BY EXAMPLE
CLIMATE TAKES CENTER STAGE
SHARING EXPERIENCES
To provide a global education, faculty must also engage in global-leadership training, so Middle School teachers recently attended the Where There Be Dragons Rocky Mountain Seminar in Colorado. During the seminar, KATE ECKHARDT, ANDREW HEACOCK, EDNA-MAY HERMOSILLO and EDEN TRESIZE explored best practices in international global education, and they returned home with a toolkit of activities and lessons to share with students.
Singin’ in the Rain may be one of Hollywood’s most-loved films, but it was also the title of this year’s second-grade play, which included weatherthemed songs, poems and jokes. Led by musical director VONDA VRIELAND and choreographer DEBBIE PIERCE, students delighted audiences with songs such as Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, Here Comes the Sun and, of course, Singin’ in the Rain.
Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs) who traveled to Churchill, Manitoba, this past fall (see story on page 28), presented their findings to Upper School students during a special assembly. The IGLs shared their reasons for visiting Churchill, discussed the importance of the Arctic as it relates to climate change, and explained the difference between natural climate change and the climate fluctuations seen in recent decades. To conclude, the IGLs offered ways in which students can become more involved in climate issues and help enact change.
A GENTLEMAN AND A SCHOLAR
COVERING CLIMATE ZONES
CONSUMPTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
In October, the ICGL welcomed polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, OBE, as its 2016 Visiting Scholar. Swan, who would argue that he’s a “survivor” rather than an environmentalist, is the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles. He addressed students in each division, spent time with the ICGL Advisory Board and Upper School Isdell Global Leaders and met with community members during an evening event. Swan works to ensure the preservation of Antarctica, the Earth’s last great wilderness, through the 2041 Foundation. Over spring break, a group of Pace students and faculty, including Head of School FRED ASSAF, will travel with Swan, International Antarctic Expeditions and the Quark Expedition Team, to Antarctica to learn more about climate change and sustainability.
As Pre-First students have “stamped their passports” and studied countries and cultures around the world, they’ve also learned about countries’ climates and climate zones. Students recently “traveled” to Russia, a nation that they discovered straddles multiple climate zones. Later this spring, Pre-First’s virtual globetrotting will lead them to Antarctica, featuring a conversation with Upper School students who visited the Earth’s southernmost continent.
Students in Director of STEAM and Design KIRSTEN BOEHNER’S sixth-grade Design & Climate class were recently tasked with drawing attention to how patterns of human consumption are implicated in climate change. Four design interventions resulted from their brainstorms and were assembled into a larger installation for display in the Middle School rotunda. The installation included a hammock (shown above) made of 800 unused plastic bags retrieved from a dumpster, a video about how the Pace community consumes featuring staff members and current students, a hanging garden of herbs made out of plastic recycled bottles, and a station where individuals can submit climate confessions and pledges on recycled paper.
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India
, 20 1 5
ool Sch e l Midd rt al A Visu
F a c u lt y S p ot light
KATY COWLES
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iddle School visual art teacher KATY COWLES likes to think outside the box. Now in her third year at Pace, she has made her mark by assigning projects that encourage students to engage with Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) themes and creating space for them to think differently about relevant global issues—plus, she’s just fun to be around! In her first two years at Pace, Cowles traveled with students to India, France and Spain, and she will lead a trip to New Zealand this summer. “I love seeing how different other places are from the East Coast and learning about the ways other cultures operate,” she notes. When traveling with students, Cowles makes sure they understand the historical context and stories behind pieces of art, allowing students to form a deeper understanding not only of the art itself but the country as a whole. She considers art to
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be an integral part of any global education. “Art can explain a lot about a culture,” she says. “It helps everyone see outside of what they don’t know, and it challenges us to look at things differently and to use skills we don’t normally use. It teaches us that we are part of a bigger picture.” During the summer of 2015, Cowles traveled to India with fellow faculty members NEIL DEROSA, FRANCE DORMAN, and JANE SIBLEY (now retired) and 22 Upper School students. Riding through the narrow streets of Delhi on a rickshaw gave Cowles and her students an authentic view of India, which helped them engage with the culture. By photographing sites such as the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri, students were able to capture the spirit of the city and the people who lived there. In addition to viewing art and studying history, Cowles enjoyed battling the Indian summer heat and making memories with a group of students she had
not known before: coming as strangers, but leaving as friends. The following year, Cowles accompanied faculty members GRAHAM ANTHONY, DONICE BLOODWORTH and SCOTT SARGENT in leading 12 Middle Schoolers on a spring-break trip to Barcelona and Aix in Provence. This trip also focused on the arts: students sketched and painted the studio of French post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne, toured sites such as the Caumont Centre d’Art and the Dalí Museum and studied the architecture of the Sagrada Familia. At many points during the trip, the group took breaks to illustrate their surroundings, using whatever medium inspired them most. A highlight for Cowles was the chance to use her grade-school French and grow closer to many of her students. This summer, Cowles will lead her third study tour, this time alongside fellow visual art teachers Bloodworth and MARK KNOTT. The trip focuses on art and the current ICGL theme, CLIMATE. Students will study climate change in New Zealand as they travel from the North Island in the Southern Alps to the South Island, as well as the art and culture of the aboriginal Maori people. Cowles is most looking forward to glacier hiking, seeing art from the Maori villages and kayaking to the Mine Bay cliff carving. When she isn’t traveling, Cowles incorporates global education into her classroom by creating assignments based around the year’s ICGL theme. As students learn to paint, draw and sculpt, they also engage with global themes in a different way than they do in other classes, giving them new perspectives on a global issue. Her favorite project so far was based on last year’s ICGL theme, FOOD. Cowles asked her seventhgrade students to create a ceramic plate or bowl of food, and was impressed by the realism in the resulting projects. She is inspired to continue creating these thematic projects because she believes they will help students become citizens of the world. In her time at Pace thus far, Cowles has given her students the chance to examine and create art at home and abroad: she has truly mastered the art of global education. — by HANNAH KELLY ’15
GLOBAL LEADERS
Walking to Fight Suicide Spreading Light STUDENTS SHARE DIWALI TRADITIONS THIS YEAR, the Pace Academy community celebrated Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, with help from student leaders. Third-grader JIYA PATEL performed a traditional Diwali dance for students in each division; seventh-grader PRANAVH PRADEEP shared a presentation on Diwali with his peers; and senior PRASHANTH KUMAR and his family coordinated festivities that included Henna tattoos, homemade samosas, traditional desserts and sparklers. The five-day festival commemorates the triumph of good over evil and includes colorful fireworks and candles, Rangoli artwork, and the exchange of gifts and sweets.
IN NOVEMBER, more than 70 Pace Academy students, faculty and staff participated in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Walk. The event, one of more than 350 held nationwide, unites those affected by suicide, while honoring loved ones lost, increasing awareness of mental-health issues, raising funds for the AFSP and saving lives. Pace’s team exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $5,000, ultimately raising more than $17,000. As the event’s top fundraising team, the Pace contingent led the Atlanta Walk. “We hope to maintain our support of this organization and their prevention efforts for years to come,” says Upper School Counselor SARA EDEN.
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GLOBAL LEADERS
Fulfilling the Dream
TOGETHER
Students, faculty and staff participate in the NAIS People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership conferences. WITH CIVIL RIGHTS legends like Hank Aaron, Congressman John Lewis and Christine King Farris on the agenda, attendees at the National Association of Independent School’s People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership conferences knew they were in for a powerful experience. Twenty-two members of the Pace community—students, faculty and staff—attended the three-day conferences in Atlanta. The People of Color Conference (PoCC) strives to “provide a safe space for leadership and professional development and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools,” while the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) “focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies and building community” among a multiracial, multicultural group of high-school students. Attendees at both conferences heard from speakers such as Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and participated in workshops and affinity groups around the themes of “Advancing Human and Civil Rights: Fulfilling the Dream Together” and “Dreaming Out Loud: Waking Up to a New Era of Civil Rights.” “PoCC was probably the single most impactful experience I have had as an educator in regards to professional development,” says Upper School Academic Coach RYANN SMITH. “It was so empowering to be surrounded by thousands of likeminded individuals—both students and adults—who truly want to change the face of education in America. [The experience] has given me new purpose and drive in the world of education.” The conferences drew a diverse group of attendees of myriad backgrounds, a fact that enriched the experience for Pre-First teacher KAREN SOMMERVILLE. “My biggest take-away was that people in independent schools and at Pace need to realize PoCC is not just for people of color,” she says. Smith agrees. “Every single educator—regardless of race, color or orientation—who is truly passionate about preparing diverse and openminded citizens and making a change in our broken system should attend this conference at least once,” she says. The SDLC was an equally powerful experience for student attendees. “I wish everyone at Pace could have experienced this conference,” says senior ELLIE DUNCAN. “I don’t think it’s possible to experience it and leave with any prejudice or hate in your heart.”
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ZELONY NAMED TO ATLANTA INTOWN’S “20 UNDER 20” Senior SOPHIE ZELONY strives to make a difference every day—at Pace Academy and through nonprofit organizations around Atlanta. In recognition of her dedication to serving others, Atlanta INtown newspaper named Zelony to its 2017 “20 Under 20” list, which honors young people who have “gone above and beyond to give back to the community.” Zelony is active in Creating Connected Communities, a leadership-training program for Jewish teens that serves homeless shelters throughout Atlanta. She has also been involved in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Pace’s Baking for Breast Cancer club and La Amistad, “the premier organization serving Latinos in Atlanta.” For three years, Zelony has acted as Pace’s liaison with La Amistad, organizing volunteers, clothing drives and fundraisers, and tutoring underserved students in core subjects. She worked as a camp counselor and interned with La Amistad this past summer. As one of five executive service leaders at Pace, Zelony oversees eight community service projects with Pace’s partnership organizations and keeps the student body updated regarding service opportunities. Beyond service, Zelony is a two-year captain of the varsity tennis team and a member of the math team. An avid photographer, she received Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Competition.
INSPIRATIONAL INITIATIVE Student-led service projects make an impact
Through the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL), Pace Academy partners with more than 20 organizations in Atlanta and beyond to provide opportunities for service learning, but we also encourage students to identify and respond to unforeseen or personally meaningful needs on their own. Throughout the fall semester, individual students coordinated several service projects, often turning to the Pace community for assistance. In response to the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Matthew, sixth-grader CAMILLE CATON, ninth-grader EMILY CATON and their family organized a collection drive for the town of Lumberton, N.C., and delivered two U-Haul trucks of furniture, clothing and household items to the Southeastern Health Foundation. Sophomores MADELINE ARENTH and LEAH MAUTNER gathered a garage full of clothing donations for Bloom Closet, which gives children in Georgia’s foster care system the chance to “shop” for new clothes. Junior BEN BERNSTEIN, a member of the varsity baseball team, collected nearly 300 pieces of baseball equipment for The Miracle League, an organization that provides children with mental and physical disabilities opportunities to enjoy America’s favorite pastime. And, in preparation for winter temperatures, juniors DANIEL BLUMEN and XION JOHNSON, and seniors ALEXIS WILKINS and MITCHELL ZWECKER collected more than 40 winter coats and distributed them to homeless individuals in downtown Atlanta. “I would like to plan similar projects in the future and involve more and more people in the Pace community,” Blumen says. “I invite anyone who can or wants to be involved in service to participate in the next drive!”
BASKETBALL TEAMS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER Over the holidays, Pace Academy’s junior varsity and varsity girls basketball teams put their gift-wrapping skills to the test at the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church Christmas Kindness Shop. The four-day December event, coordinated by Pace parent and alumna BETH BRIDGES SPENCER ’81, offers a dignified way for Atlantans in need to bring Christmas to their homes. More than 2,000 children and adults “shopped” for toys, coats and household items for the holidays.
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The Father of Pace Academy
PROM, 1966: Students display their adoration for Headmaster Frank Kaley
FRANK KALEY
1969
In the fourth in a series of articles about those who shaped our school, FRED GLASS ’89 shares the story of Pace Academy’s first headmaster, FRANK D. KALEY.
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t’s difficult to overstate the contributions of former Board of Trustees members MILLS B. LANE, JR. and RUSSELL BRIDGES, JR. on the founding of Pace Academy. They, along with other selfless early Trustees, parents and educators were instrumental in establishing Pace on the Atlanta independent-school scene. It was Pace’s first headmaster, however, who set the tone, character and identity of Pace, particularly in the eyes of those who would come to know the school in the most intimate and personal way—the students, faculty and administration. It has been 44 years since FRANK D. KALEY, “the Father of Pace Academy,” left Pace in the capable hands of the school’s second headmaster, GEORGE KIRKPATRICK. Today, Kaley’s portrait hangs above the mantle in the Castle’s Kaley Room, adjacent to the Head of School’s Office, and Pace’s highest senior honor, the Frank D. Kaley Award, bears his name—but few know his story.
While the passage of time has taken a toll on the Pace community’s collective memory of Kaley and his significant contributions to his beloved school, his legacy is very much alive within the spirit of the institution that he endeavored to establish. In fact, it’s fair to say that Pace’s finest present-day attributes are a direct reflection of the type of man Kaley was and the ideals to which he aspired. The institution in effect stands as a living monument to the individual who devoted so much of himself to the establishment, success and identity of Pace Academy.
The Early Years Frank Kaley was born in the small West Georgia town of Bremen in 1922, the fourth of six children. KEVIN KALEY ’80 describes his father’s childhood as “humble” and formative. “He grew up believing in family unity, in hard work, in displaying strength and resilience in the face of challenge, in
remaining true to one’s principles, in the importance of giving one’s personal best at all times, and in the basic, God-given worth of every individual,” Kevin says. This humble, small-town upbringing instilled in Kaley the steadfast values that later shaped his educational philosophy. Answering his country’s call following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kaley dutifully enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to the Italian Theater of Operations. He described the experience as “characterbuilding”; it further solidified his credence that challenge and struggle play a pivotal role in the road to maturity. At the war’s conclusion, the 23-year-old Kaley returned to Bremen to teach highschool English and coach basketball. There he met HELLEN PIERCE, his wife-to-be, whose family had recently moved to Bremen from Tennessee. In 1947, Kaley enrolled at the University of Georgia, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and received a bachelor’s degree in education with honors. Upon his graduation in 1949, the young couple left Georgia for New York City, where Kaley received a master’s from New York University in 1951. During the summers of 1951, 1952 and 1953, he worked toward a Ph.D., but circumstances prevented him from completing his dissertation.
The Path to Pace Kaley returned to the University of Georgia in 1954 to further his study of school administration. He was a standout student and, upon earning a Principal’s Certificate, became principal at The Demonstration School, the university-affiliated teachertraining institute also known as The Normal School, namesake of Athens’ present-day Normaltown neighborhood. Former Pace Upper School Principal BOB CHAMBERS remembers Kaley as a highly regarded leader at The Normal School due to his “strong background in teaching and theoretical aspects of education.” Kaley went on to serve for two years as principal and guidance counselor at Hogansville High School and then accepted the principal position at DeKalb County’s newly
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“Frank Kaley knew that every Pace family was [at the school] for more than an ordinary education. He treated them all with care and respect. He made sure that every student got the help they needed, and took extra time to encourage each student in the subjects they were most interested in. He would never tell someone that their interests were not important, were not practical or might not have any purpose in the future. He would listen to your ideas no mater how strange, bizarre or implausible they might seem.” — MICHAEL JEROME ’66
1964
FRANK KALEY
dissatisfaction that was already beginning to build up inside him,” she recalls. “I cannot be a yes-man,” Kaley told his family. Instead, he would take the helm at a place that offered endless possibilities.
1972
The Pace Family is Born
Coupled with Kaley’s relationship-focused philosophy was a profound belief in the inherent worth of every individual and in the importance of individual expression. established Kittredge Elementary School. Former Pace Headmaster George Kirkpatrick remembers that, despite Kaley’s age and minimal experience, the young educator quickly earned a reputation as a “breakout star” in the DeKalb County School District. Kaley’s time at Kittredge Elementary was brief, but he remained long enough to gain the respect and admiration of Helen Lawson, a Kittredge teacher who saw in Kaley something special. Lawson’s husband was a vice president at C&S Bank, which provided the loan that allowed Pace to open its doors in 1958, and C&S President Mills B. Lane, Jr. served on Pace’s Board of Trustees. By association, Lawson learned of the school’s search for a headmaster. She shared Kaley’s name with Lane, who passed it along to fellow Board member and search committee chair Russell Bridges, Jr. Lawson likely knew that Kaley had grown disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the public-school system, but she observed his talents as an administrator and sensed in him the leadership qualities that would make
him the perfect choice for a school like Pace. When Bridges interviewed Kaley in the spring of 1959, he quickly appreciated Lawson’s keen instincts. Kaley radiated creative energy that captured Bridges’ imagination; he knew that “Pace Academy was a place where Kaley would finally be able to unleash that energy.” During their conversation, Kaley told Bridges that he “longed to work at a school like Pace because he felt it would give him the freedom to create something based on his ideals”—freedom he did not have in the public-school system. “[Kaley] felt certain that because of its size, newness and unique circumstances, Pace Academy had the opportunity to become the area’s finest school.” Bridges immediately grasped Kaley’s extraordinary vision and drive. He hired him on the spot. SHERRY KALEY ROBERTS ’66 remembers her father’s decision to accept the Pace position as easy. “There was something that [one of Kaley’s previous employers] had asked him to do that he was unwilling to do, and that was the final straw in the feeling of
From his first day on the job, Kaley worked to create a culture of family at Pace. The school’s small size certainly lent itself to a close-knit environment, but Kaley’s intentionality in cultivating relationships set the tone—and proved to be contagious. “He made it a point to know all of the students’ names and their siblings’ [names], even if [their siblings] were at different schools,” Kevin Kaley recalls. “Growth and progress were definitive themes in my father’s life, but he did not want progress at the expense of Pace’s integrity as a family school.” Parents and students quickly took notice of their leader’s commitment to each and every member of the Pace family. “Kaley knew every kid in the school backwards and forwards,” CHIP BOYD ’70 recalls. “He knew their history, and he knew their parents. He would give you kudos just because he saw the potential you had, even if you didn’t show it on tests.” For Kaley, the little things made a big difference. When TIM WEISS ’71 won an essay competition, Kaley drove him to the convention in Rome, Ga., to collect his prize, bought him lunch and returned him safely home. Weiss “felt perfectly natural and comfortable riding in the front seat of his headmaster’s car.” Students regarded Kaley as unusually “real” and “human” for a headmaster; he was family. Coupled with Kaley’s relationship-focused philosophy was a profound belief in the inherent worth of every individual and in the importance of individual expression. Kirkpatrick sites as an example Kaley’s willingness to allow students to wear whatever they wanted to school—even in the midst of the often-interesting fashion scene of the 1960s and 70s. Pace’s first headmaster was careful, however, to draw clear lines between himself and the students. His “soft touch” under normal circumstances could quickly turn into a “firm hand,” and he was highly effective as a disciplinarian because he knew every
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With Bob Chambers in 1972
1964
student so well. “You couldn’t put anything over on Mr. Kaley,” Weiss explains. “You just couldn’t outsmart him.” Kaley quickly meted out his punishments, which could be harsh at times but never unfair, usually neatly “doable” and short in duration. “He didn’t hold any grudges,” says VAN COCHRAN ’68. “If you got into trouble, you were dealt with, and that was over, and everything was okay until you got into trouble again.” Boyd agrees: “As long as I knew him, I never heard anyone say that [Kaley] made the wrong call.” Students may have feared Kaley’s punishments, but they didn’t fear him. “I think the thing that was most special about him was that he portrayed authority and discipline, but there was always a sense that he was pulling for you, whatever your pitch was,” Boyd says. The respect students had for their leader was a kind of hero worship, recalls DOUG FORD ’67. “You’d do anything to keep from messing up around Mr. Kaley. You just didn’t want to disappoint him,” he says.
A Teachers’ Teacher Respect for Kaley extended beyond the study body; he also commanded the admiration of his teachers and in return respected them. “If he worked with you, then you were the best” says former Lower School teacher LYNN WOOD. “No matter what anybody said about you, he remained loyal to you.” “If you sat down for a meeting with Frank Kaley, you would walk out feeling like you were the most special person in the world,” another former teacher recalls. “Naturally,
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you’re going to want to work for someone who makes you feel that way. He made you feel like you were competent, and so you became competent.” Even as a student, Sherry Kaley recognized her teachers’ esteem for her father. “Everyone who worked for him wanted to do a great job for him and give him their best,” she remembers. “He had no tolerance for laziness and slothfulness [and wouldn’t accept] anyone doing a poor job in anything. [At the same time, however,] he had a way with people, a way of affecting people that made them want to please him.” Bridges immediately recognized Kaley as an astute and insightful leader and judge of character. “He didn’t necessarily want teachers who were the most highly educated individuals, but rather those who were successful as human beings,” he once said. Kaley understood that teachers’ primary role was to teach children, not subjects. Longtime faculty member CHARLIE OWENS was one of the “successful human beings” Kaley took under his wing. In his early days at Pace, Owens taught math and physics and served as an assistant basketball coach (today he chairs the math department). During a game in Boyd Gym, a fight broke out, and one of the players targeted Owens. As the player began throwing punches, Kaley walked onto the court and “karate chopped the guy, laying him out cold,” Owens remembers. And during the Vietnam War, Kaley wrote a letter to the draft board on Owens’s behalf, explaining Owens’s irreplaceable value to the Pace community. “[Frank Kaley] was a wonderful man,”
Owens says. “He made Pace a safe place that cares for kids.”
Striving for Excellence Kaley’s commitment to creating a school that educated the whole child extended into every aspect of life at Pace Academy. He prioritized academic excellence and inclusion and, despite Pace’s small size, insisted on maintaining high standards in the arts and offering robust opportunities in physical education and athletics. Kaley hired faculty and staff like Bob Chambers, individuals who would build programs to perpetuate these values, and he held himself to the same high standards. In every facet of his life, Kaley was highly principled, honest and forthright in his dealings with other people. According to George Kirkpatrick, Kaley “said what he thought”; he was never secretive or underhanded. He believed in the constant pursuit of knowledge, in doing the right thing regardless of public opinion, in the importance of strong character and in the value of hard work. And when it came to work, no task was too small for Kaley. “I don’t think that you find school administrators like [Kaley] anymore,” Van Cochran says. “You couldn’t calculate how many hours he worked. I’m sure the pay was reasonable, but he was there on the weekends, repairing the plumbing and fixing the electrical outlets. How often do you see a headmaster doing that these days?” “He didn’t think anything about manual labor,” says Sherry Kaley. “It was second nature to him. It wasn’t like he said, ‘Oh, I can’t do this because people might see me
FRANK KALEY
down here on the floor.’ He just thought, ‘Get over it, because I’m going to do this.’ He was very unconcerned about what people thought of him, especially when it came to being practical. He wanted things done right, and he knew that if he did them himself, they would be.”
The Kaley Legacy In the summer of 1961, Kaley worked alongside the construction crew pouring mortar and laying brick for Bridges Hall, Pace’s first classroom building. Until construction began on the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School in 2013, Bridges Hall stood as a tribute to Kaley and his colleagues’ influence on Pace; Boyd Gymnasium, constructed in 1966 under Kaley’s leadership, remains an homage to their vision. Expanding the campus footprint lent the young Pace Academy the legitimacy needed to inspire future growth, but Kaley’s most visible and lasting imprint may be his selection of the medieval knight as the school’s mascot. While a convenient choice given the unique architecture of the iconic “Castle,” the school’s lone building at the time, it was more the institution of knighthood that attracted Kaley. He wanted to imbue his students and teachers with the set of values manifest in the Knights Code of Chivalry: courage, honor, courtesy, justice, truth,
Remembering Mr. Kaley In 2014, Pace Academy introduced the Golden Knight Club to celebrate alumni upon the 50th anniversary of their graduation. MARTHA PAFFORD SCHINDHELM ’64, a member of Pace’s first graduating class, shared the following remarks at the Golden Knight Club’s inaugural event: I know that Frank Kaley would be so proud to be here, as the school he loved so much and nourished so well gathers to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2014. I think he would also be happy to see some of his “kids” from 1964 and 1965, when he was not only headmaster, but also our homeroom teacher and biology instructor. I met Frank Kaley in the summer of 1960. Pace was only two years old, and I was 14. Mr. Kaley (I never could call him “Frank” to his face) had hired my mother to teach the second-grade class, and I came with the package. Lucky me. I was 14 and would eventually graduate with 11 others in the
righteousness, readiness to help the weak, championship of the poor, generosity, and love of one’s land, place and people. Flowing from this theme, Kaley devised the school’s crest and a coat of arms, comprised principally of the knight’s battle helmet and accompanied by common symbols of academia: a plume, an inkwell and an open book. Pace Academy’s motto, Summum, Nitens, Confide, or, To have the courage to strive for excellence, also emanated from the theme of knighthood. Kaley carefully crafted the phrase, contemplating the meaning inherent in each word he selected. Medieval knights prized courage above all else, and Kaley believed that the phrase “strive for excellence” acknowledged the value of struggle, challenge and hard work. The Pace Kaley envisioned would be unafraid to try and to fail, an ever-changing institution dedicated to the constant and continual growth of the whole child. Pace’s first headmaster surely agreed with Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, who said, “The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. To spread these principles is to build up a strong and more valiant and, above all, more scrupulous and more generous humanity.”
Bob Chambers describes Kaley’s Pace Academy as a “school with a heart.” Kaley expected much of his students, and they responded because they knew he loved them. It’s an idea that feels very familiar to members of the Pace community today. “We set the bar high, but we help students get over it,” Head of School FRED ASSAF often says. Kaley’s special combination of expectation and compassion continues to shape the Pace culture. Today, as in Kaley’s day, Pace enables students to achieve beyond what they thought possible, and the teacher-student relationships Kaley modeled remain the foundation of the school's success. Pace students continue to strive for excellence, and they are brave because they are beloved. Speaking at Kaley’s funeral in 1997, Karen Kaley called her father a builder. It was a theme that permeated his entire life, she said. He built Pace Academy, but more importantly, he built young people who would go on to fulfill Pace’s mission: To create prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values and legacy of Pace Academy.
Class of 1964, Pace’s first graduating class. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Frank Kaley certainly met challenges at Pace, and no doubt controversy, as he saw the school through its infancy. He chose his team carefully—from teachers, to office staff and service personnel—making sure that he fashioned an atmosphere grounded in the motto he created: To have the courage to strive for excellence. Frank Kaley stood behind those words. My mother, a bit of a taskmaster with tough standards for her beloved second graders, was devoted to her boss. She told me more than once that Mr. Kaley didn’t demand respect; he commanded it. It took courage to be open to new ideas, support different abilities and embrace individual strengths. I believe that Frank Kaley saw excellence in many forms. A few of us—myself not included— were gifted students; others had more potential than we gave ourselves credit for. Some of us were serious, some funny, some eccentric. Some were science-minded; others had a bent for the liberal arts… We all stood out from the crowd in one way
or another—but none were ever left out. And that was—and is—a good thing. It was one for all and all for one as far as Frank Kaley was concerned. Frank Kaley had the unique opportunity to shape the fundamental character of Pace—a huge responsibility that he fully appreciated. His innate kindness and keen sensibilities were reflected in his high standards, his ability to understand and encourage the character and potential of his students (both individually and collectively), his unwavering support of the Pace faculty and staff, and his abiding love and respect for our school. My father, who gave the commencement address for our class, once told me that he never observed Frank Kaley in a bad humor, but always firmly gentle. It was obvious that he was the perfect fit for the job at hand: nurturing and growing Pace with a gentle yet firm hand and a focused, intelligent vision. More than anything, I wish that you who never met him could have had the opportunity. At the same time, I believe that the values and standards he set have remained. This man was exceptional in many respects—qualities he demonstrated every day. They continue to touch those of us who knew him and remain embedded in the very core of our alma mater.
SOURCES: An Unfinished History of Pace Academy by Suzi Zadeh Bob Chambers, Michael Jerome ’66, Kevin Kaley, George Kirkpatrick, Charlie Owens and Sherry Kaley Roberts ’66
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In a season characterized by selfless support and tenacious spirit, varsity volleyball makes history.
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fter winning the first three matches of their 2016 state-tournament run, all in straight sets, Pace Academy’s varsity volleyball team knew the next one—the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Final Four—wasn’t going to be as
easy. The Knights faced the Lovett Lions, a tough team they’d topped just a few weeks before to claim the Area 4-AAA Championship. The winner would advance to the state championship. Though Pace led the season series 3–1, head coach ANNA BUSH preached against being overconfident. “Winning early in the season doesn’t matter,” Bush says. “It’s very difficult to beat a good program like Lovett that many times. Lovett came in with every intention of winning that [Final Four] match.” The Lions won the first set of the Final Four matchup 25–17; the Knights answered with a 25–16 second-set victory. As the teams emerged from their locker rooms to began the third set, no member of the fullcapacity crowd could have anticipated how thrilling the match would become. Lovett won a hard-fought third set 25–20 and looked to wrap up the victory in the fourth game. Trailing late in the fourth set, the Knights remained calm, cool and collected. They battled for a 26–24 victory to force a decisive fifth set. But Lovett was confident and took an early lead before Pace rallied toward a 12–12 tie. The Knights then scored the next three points to secure a spot in the state championship. Pace students stormed the court as the large Lovett fan base watched in disbelief. Though the Knights trailed almost the whole match, the plan was always the same—“keeping calm and playing within ourselves, not trying to do anything special or tricky, just knowing what our game was and playing our game,” Bush says. That mantra propelled the Knights during the entire 2016 season—and well before.
When Bush and assistant coach SCOTT MCEWAN arrived at Pace in 2011, they had a simple philosophy: “We felt that if we came in and provided a good coaching product and did things for the right reasons, success was going to be there,” Bush explains.
Rather than winning or losing, the team focused on executing, learning new skills and cultivating relationships. Bush and McEwan both knew that building a winning program would be a process, but it was one they embraced. The Knights won five matches during the 2011 season. Just two seasons later, the team advanced to the state tournament for the first time since the program’s inception. “Our team made history during each of my four years at Pace,” says senior SUMMER BROWN. After advancing to the 2013 state tournament, the Knights went on to the 2014 Elite Eight and won their firstever area championship in 2015. “Our goal was always to play hard and not focus on how far we got,” says senior MCKENZIE BAKER. Her classmate MEGHAN BOTSCH agrees. “[My fellow senior teammates and I were] focused on leading rather than winning,” she says. “You just have to be in the moment for it all to work out.” Baker, Botsch, and Brown credit the team’s chemistry and friendships as keys to success. Team members supported one another, but also felt comfortable offering constructive criticism. The word “selfless” was a frequent refrain. “We wanted to play for each other,” Botsch explains. “We wanted to play hard and make each other proud.” That sense of pride extended well beyond the court, as the entire Pace community rallied behind the team on its march through the state tournament. While trailing in the Final Four match, “our crowd just gave [the team] so much energy and so much support that [our players] felt there was no way they
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d c t r if ie An ele ed t r o p p su crowd at ig h t s the Kn h ip s n a m p io the Ch
our F in a l F ett v o L . vs
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vs. St a t e er t s st m i n
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could lose,” Bush recalls. “It was an amazing experience. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of such an emotional match.” Ultimately, the Knights fell to the Westminster Wildcats in a well-played statechampionship match. After a slow start in the first set, Pace scored the final two points of the second set, and the teams went into the locker room tied at one set apiece. Pace came out strong after the break and built a six-point lead. The Knights were ahead late in the third, but Westminster’s defense fought off Pace attacks to tie the score at 24 before taking the set 26–24. The Knights trailed 8–7 in the fourth before Westminster slowly extended the lead. Pace never gave in but could not manage a long string of points; they fell short in the final set, 25–18. As the Knights were named state runnerup and received their trophy, Pace students, parents, faculty and staff cheered proudly. Much of the record-setting crowd was still in attendance, supporting the team just as the teammates had supported each other. “I think the girls did that all season long,” Bush says. “Their support for each other was one of the reasons we were as successful as we were.” — by KATELYN E. CLOONEY
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES our F in a l F ett v o L . s v
Following the varsity volleyball team’s march to the state championship, three Knights received individual postseason honors: MEGHAN BOTSCH • GHSA 4-AAA All-Area
SUMMER BROWN • GHSA 4-AAA All-Area Most Valuable Player • Senior All-Star • GHSA Class AAA All-State • GHSA Class AAA Player of the Year
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vs . St a t e er t s e s t m in
DOMINIQUE TURNER • GHSA 4-AAA All-Area
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ALUMNI UPDATES
1–4) Kevin Johnson quarterbacks the Richmond Spiders; 5) Jake Larkins; 6) Tim Coleman, #57; 7) Annie Butler (center) in Heathers: The Musical; 8) Anh Bao Tran-Le; 9) Taylor Esler with her niece, Sadie; 10) Taylor Esler with her sister, Paige Esler Mielnicki
UPDATES JAKE LARKINS ’96 was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, in Atlanta. In May, TAYLOR ESLER ’12 received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in strategic communication from the University of Missouri. After spending the summer as a social media specialist and customer relationship manager for EarthLink under fellow Pace grad JENNIFER KREBS SPINDEL ’92, Taylor accepted an account coordinator position at Cohn & Wolfe, a global public relations firm. “We work with clients such as Hennessey, Barclays, Rolls Royce, Panasonic and many more,” Taylor writes. “As an account coordinator, I work on strategy and pitch media for clients, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and the Georgia Department of Transportation. I just started, but I love it so far!” Taylor reports that she enjoys being back in Atlanta and close to her family, including her sister, PAIGE ESLER MIELNICKI ’09, and Paige’s daughter, Sadie, 2. ANH BAO TRAN-LE ’12 moved to Denver, Colo., to accept an AmeriCorps math fellowship and now teaches at Noel Community Art School, where he provides support for students to build a solid math foundation. In addition, Anh Bao coaches the middle-school Ultimate Frisbee team.
i n m u Al
ANNIE BUTLER ’15, a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, recently played the role of Heather Duke in a student-run production of Heathers: The Musical, based on the 1988 cult classic film. “It was incredibly exciting to get to play a lead in the show alongside some of the most talented people I’ve ever met!” Annie writes. “[The experience reminded me] of the sense of community and excitement I experienced in Pace musicals.”
ALUMNI
Annie’s voice teacher and friend, CAROLINE CLEMENTS KULINSKI ’00, traveled to St. Louis to see her perform. “Playing Heather Duke was definitely a challenge because she’s viciously mean and a bully, but playing Little Red Riding Hood in Pace’s production of Into the Woods helped me,” Annie writes. “The knife and cape were just replaced by a croquet mallet and shoulder pads!” “It doesn’t matter what sport it is, the postseason is a time when new stars emerge,” Richmond Athletics wrote on its website. “That new star for the University of Richmond football team came in the form of sophomore KEVIN JOHNSON [’15].” When the Richmond Spiders found themselves without their top two quarterbacks heading into the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, Kevin volunteered to take off his redshirt to lead the Spiders against North Carolina A&T State University, costing him a season of eligibility. Kevin said his decision came down to “playing for the seniors, getting an opportunity to play in the playoffs and win and advance. I just thought that was the best thing for me to do for the team.” In the Spiders’ first-round game against North Carolina A&T, Kevin threw for 315 yards and a touchdown, added 22 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown to lead Richmond to a 39–10 victory.
Kevin was back on the field in a secondround matchup against North Dakota State in which the Spiders overcame a 17-point deficit to advance to the quarterfinals. Kevin tossed for 260 yards on 12-of-19 passing with two touchdowns. The Spiders ultimately fell to Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals. TIM COLEMAN ’16, a freshman at Furman University, was selected to the 2016 HERO Sports Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-Freshman Team. Tim, who plays offensive tackle for the
Paladins, started at left tackle in all 11 games and logged 728 plays, including 42 knockdowns. He also was named to the 2016 Southern Conference All-Freshman Team and became the first Furman true freshman offensive lineman to register a season-opening start since the 1970s.
MARRIAGES JARED PAUL ’90 and KELLEY HARRIS ’00 were married on Oct. 15, 2016, at Muscadine Manor, their country house in Palmetto, Ga. Pace Knights in attendance were REID HARRIS ’98, CATHERINE PHILIPS ’91, SHARON WEBSTER TATE ’91, CHRISTINE DONATO STURM ’90, MARGARET POPE WITHERS ’90, LYNN SMITH GUYTON ’90, ERIN FLEMING EVANS ’90, CLARE PITTMAN PAYNE ’91, MATT PAYNE ’92, SCOTT RIDDELL ’00, KRISTEN MILAM
WEINSTEIN ’00, CHRISSY BROOKER MCWATTERS ’00, ASHLEY MORRISON SOLDAN ’00, ALAINA BEACH ’00, ALISON WOOD MEYER ’00, KATHERINE COLBATH BISHOP ’00, GREGORY SIMMONS LEMOS ’00, JAMIE WALDRON MCWILLIAMS ’93,
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LACY WESTERLUND ’98 and retired faculty member JANE SIBLEY. The VW Beatle pictured is the same car Jared drove in high school. Her name is Doris Merle, affectionately named after his beloved grandmother. ANNE MARIE HOFFMAN ’96 married Aditya Rao in October 2016 during a joyous ceremony at Lake Rabun in Lakemont, Ga. Pace alumni in attendance included ANDREW HOFFMAN ’01, AMANDA HOFFMAN ’98 and CARTER PHILLIPS ’96. The Hoffman family remains connected to Pace through the Peter F. Hoffman Honor Scholarship, given annually to seniors who exemplify strength of character, outstanding citizenship, honor, enthusiasm and acceptance of others. The award honors Anne Marie’s late father, PETER F. HOFFMAN. HEATHER ZANTZINGER ’98 married Kyle Lamberson on Nov. 12, 2016, at Atlanta’s Northside United Methodist Church. A reception at The Stave Room followed. Pace alumni in attendance included the bride’s sister and maid of honor, SHELBY ZANTZINGER BENKO ’96, LILA THWAITE MCALPIN ’74, LILA MCALPIN RETNASABA ’98 and TOM HOOVER ’86. KRISTI ODOM ’98 photographed the event. Heather is the midday host at Atlanta's Star 94.1 FM—listen to her Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kyle is the preconstruction manager for Leapley Construction. Amidst wedding planning, the couple bought, renovated and moved into a home in Marietta, Ga. CATHERINE WOODLING ’00 and Evan Strange were married on Oct. 22, 2016, at East Lake Golf Club. The Honorable MARY GRACE DIEHL, a former Pace parent, officiated the ceremony, and former faculty member EDITH WOODLING, Catherine’s stepmother, offered a reading. The wedding party included CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00, MARY LIEBMAN ’00, WHITNEY WHITE ’00 and FRANK WOODLING ’05. WILSON COVINGTON ’97, BEN THORPE ’00, LIZ TOWNSEND ’00, TYLER WHEELER ’00, LARA GOODRICH EZOR ’06, ZACK EZOR ’06, Middle School Counselor KACY BRUBAKER and former faculty
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1) Hoffman/Rao; 2) Gaddy/Nemes; 3) O'Haire/Zischke; 4) Lohmann/Hanson; 5) Woodling/Strange; 6) Pace friends at the Woodling/Strange reception; 7) Harris/Paul; 8) Zantzinger/Lamberson; 9) Hipp/Rogers; 10) Roberts/Knapp
Have something to share? email alumni@paceacademy.org
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ALUMNI
member KATHLEEN LIEBMAN attended. Catherine is director of communications and marketing for the East Lake Foundation, and Evan is a territory manager for United Distributors. The couple lives in Atlanta’s Reynoldstown neighborhood. MAGGIE O’HAIRE ’04 married Mitchell Zischke on June 4, 2016, in Cinque Terre, Italy. Sisters of the bride MCCREA O’HAIRE ’08 and Chelsea O’Haire were maids of honor. MAGGIE STEVENS ’04 and STEWART BARBOUR ’04 were bridesmaids. Maggie’s bridesmaids wore Lise Libby jewelry, artfully created by mother-of-the-bride LISE O’HAIRE, a member of the Pace staff. Maggie met Mitch in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia. “After six years in Australia, I moved back to the U.S. and brought along my Aussie souvenir, Mitch,” Maggie writes. They both work as professors at Purdue University, and Maggie’s family is happy to have them on this side of the globe.
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CLAIRE ROBERTS KNAPP ’04 married Christopher Knapp on Oct. 8, 2016. HAYNES ROBERTS, JR. ’97, KATIE ROBERTS MORRIS ’99 and LAURA ADILMAN ’99 attended. Chris is an automotive painter at Caliber Collision repair center and a custom car builder. Claire is a branch manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The couple recently purchased their first home in Pflugerville, Texas. Claire now has two stepchildren, Christian, 14, and Alex, 12, and the family has two dogs, Peanut and Lucy, and two cats, Ferris and Buster.
The couple lives in Berkeley, Calif., where Ashley runs a startup called Joey, an online platform that connects travelers with locals over coffee or drinks. “We aim to empower travelers to go off the beaten path and get in touch with local communities,” Ashley writes. Chris is a film producer. His most recent major motion picture was The Revenant, for which he worked on the visual effects team at Industrial Light and Magic. He is currently producing and directing his first independent feature-length film, set in his hometown of Panama City, Fla.
ASHLEY LOHMANN ’06 and Christopher Michael Hanson were married on August 27, 2016, at her family’s home in Frisco, Colo., a small mountain town where Ashley’s family has spent summers and winters for three generations. Pace classmates in attendance included ELIZABETH CASON ’06, KELSEY JONES PRATT ’06, LINDSAY FORD ’06, MCKINSEY BOND ’06, LARA GOODRICH EZOR ’06, ZACK EZOR ’06, EMILY HISHTA COHEN ’06, JOEL COHEN ’06, ANNA RHODES ’06, VICTORIA FOXGROVER ’06, JONATHAN RIX ’06 and ELIZABETH RUEBUSH ’06.
SARAH GADDY NEMES ’06 married Luke Nemes on Oct. 8, 2016, at the Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, S.C. Pace alumni in attendance were the bride’s sister, GENNA GADDY FRANCONI ’02, brother ALEX GADDY ’03 and KATHERINE RANKIN MADDUX ’06. The couple met as freshmen at Washington University in St. Louis and dated nearly 10 years before tying the knot. They live in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood with their cat, Milo. Sarah works as an account supervisor in Edelman’s digital department. Luke is director of pricing, commodity for IntelliGEN Resources.
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MARY HIPP ROGERS ’06 and REID ROGERS ’07 were married Oct. 22, 2016, at Fenwick Plantation on Johns Island, just outside of Charleston, S.C. Pace alumni in attendance included Mary and Reid’s siblings, HEATHER HIPP BYRNES ’99, AMANDA ROGERS INMAN ’00, SARAH HIPP ’02 and ADAIR ROGERS VILELLA ’02. JACQUI JAMES ’06, EMMA LATTOUF ’06, TASNEEM AHMED ’06, MAGGIE REYNOLDS ’06, JACKI GLASS THOMAS ’06, ALLISON KESSLER ’06, KATHERINE RANKIN MADDUX ’06, ERIC RIDDELL ’06, JAKE HARRIS ’07, JOHN BENTLEY ’07, PEARSON MATHEWS ’07, LAUREN KRAVITZ ’07, MOLLY DALY ’07, COURTNEY SCHAEFER ’07, JEFFREY MARX ’07, RYAN MANDRELL ’07, KATE HEYER MANDRELL ’08 and JOSH NELSON ’07 also attended. After several years in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, the couple returned to Atlanta in 2015 and lives in the Peachtree Park neighborhood. Reid is general manager of accounting for Nolan Transportation Group, and Mary is a web developer for Charleston-based Cobble Hill, a web-design and marketing agency.
1) Theodore "Teddy" August Newcamp; 2) The Newcamp family; 3) Carolina Reeves Morris and big sister Betsy; 4) Orly Rose Levy; 5) Eloise Todd Brittingham-Muir with her proud parents; 6) Eloise Todd BrittinghamMuir; 7) Julia Bernthal Anderson with big brother Jimmy; 8) The Anderson family; 9) The Frampton family; 10) Lenore Silby
BIRTHS Sarah and WILL FRAMPTON ’99 welcomed a son, William “Liam” McLeod, V, on Nov. 7, 2016. He joins big sister Rebecca, 2. SHAYNA WALTER LEVY ’99 and her husband, Adam, welcomed daughter Orly Rose on Nov. 15, 2016. She was 6 pounds, 1 ounce and 19.25 inches. Adam and Shayna recently moved to a condo in New York City. Shayna is associate director of marketing and communications at Israel Bonds, and Adam is the owner of a third-generation retail clothing store in Manhattan. KATIE ROBERTS MORRIS ’99 and her husband, Whit, celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Carolina Reeves, on Nov. 14, 2016. She joins big sister Betsy, 4.
SARAH BRITTINGHAM ’00 and Scott Muir welcomed Eloise Todd Brittingham-Muir into the world on Aug. 30, 2016. “Mama and baby are happy and healthy,” Sarah reports. The family lives in Durham, N.C. ELIZABETH JABLONSKI-DIEHL NEWCAMP ’00 and her husband, Jeff, welcomed their third son, Theodore “Teddy” August, on Oct. 5, 2016, in The Hague, Netherlands. “Henry and Oliver are thrilled to be big brothers,” Elizabeth writes. The family has lived in the Netherlands for nearly two years and enjoys traveling—they’ve visited 13 countries since their arrival! Elizabeth documents their adventures through freelance travel writing and her blog, www.dutchdutchgoose.com.
IN MEMORIAM KATHY GLENN, mother of ALLEN GLENN ’87 and CHRIS GLENN ’86, passed away on Nov. 4, 2016. A memorial service took place Nov. 12 at Glenn’s Chapel Cemetery in Stoneville, N.C. Former faculty member LENORE BUNDY SILBY passed away on Nov. 3, 2016. Lenore, a graduate of The Julliard School and an opera singer, taught music at Pace from 1966 until 1969. She and her husband, Reginald, were married for 48 years and have three daughters and seven grandchildren.
JAMIE BERNTHAL ANDERSEN ’01 and her husband, James, had a second child, Julia Bernthal, on Sept. 19, 2016. “Our son, Jimmy, loves his baby sister, and the two kids are keeping us on our toes!” Jamie writes. The family lives in Naples, Fla., where Jamie is a senior vice president at U.S. Trust and vice chair of the board of the area’s four-county American Red Cross. James is a director of client analytics at Bank of America.
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ALUMNI
Lunch n Learns: Arts & Athletics Photo by Joan Marcus
Throughout the fall semester, alumni panelists visited Pace Academy to provide Upper School students insight into their respective professional fields. Sports was the theme for October’s Alumni Lunch n Learn. DR. TYLER WHEELER ’00 of Atlanta’s Family Practice Center, P.C., CHIP WILE ’98 of Daytona International Speedway, ROGER MANIS ’83 of Big Dog Productions, Inc. and BO HEINER ’84 of Octagon shared their experiences. In November, DR. MEGAN MCSWAIN MANN ’00 of Peachtree Art Therapy and Counseling, abstract artist MAGGIE MATHEWS ’05, and LUNASOUL owner and founder PAIGE DAWKINS ’10 discussed careers in artsrelated fields.
Talking Theatre with Actor Randy Harrison ’96 In November, RANDY HARRISON ’96 returned to Pace to share with students his experiences as a professional actor. Harrison, who was in Atlanta headlining the national Broadway tour of Cabaret, is best known for his five-year stint as Justin Taylor on the Showtime drama Queer as Folk. He also appeared on Broadway in Wicked and is a founding member of New York’s QWAN Company. Harrison called Pace theatre his “home” and met with performing-arts students, answering questions that ranged from, “What is life like on the road?” and “Do you prefer working in television or theatre?” to “What’s next in your career?” Later, Upper School students attended Cabaret at the Fox Theatre, where Harrison gave them a backstage tour.
Alumni Out & About
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1–4) College counselors GAVIN BRADLEY and AMY SECOR crisscrossed the country over the fall semester for conferences and college visits. Along the way, they caught up with DENZEL FRANKLIN ’14 and ANTHONY TRINH ’16 at Stanford University, RYAN CHRISTIANSON ’13 at Carnegie Mellon University, KELLIANN HAIDET ’14 at the University of California, Berkeley and JORDAN BROWN ’14 at the University of Pittsburgh. 5–6) The Woodruff Library welcomed KIMBERLY COBURN ’02, founder of The Homestead Atlanta, back to Pace this past fall. Kimberly coordinated the library’s first bookmaking class for a handful of crafty attendees. The Homestead Atlanta offers workshops in “the heritage skills of yesterday and the sustainability innovations of tomorrow.” The organization
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strives to “build regenerative communities by reacquainting people with their capacity to create through education and resource availability.” 7)
DAVE WOOD, who served as Head of Upper School from 1991 to 1996, returned to Pace in December and shared his children’s book, The Crooked Tree, with Pre-First students.
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Over the winter holiday, young alumni and their spouses gathered for an informal reunion at Argosy Bar & Pub in East Atlanta. Pictured left to right are Megan Gaddy, Kelly Goodrich, ALEX GADDY ’03, PETE GOODRICH ’03, CAROLINE FAULKNER SHIRLEY ’04, WALT TORBERT ’97, LAURA RIDALL TORBERT ’03, Will Hogan, BLYTHE O’BRIEN HOGAN ’03, JON BIRDSONG ’03, STEVE SHIRLEY ’03, ANDREW ALEXANDER ’04, Lesley
Alexander, Ben Johnson and KATIE DALY JOHNSON ’03. 9)
Author ANNE CORBITT ’00 visited Upper School English teacher RICKS CARSON’S creative writing class in November, where she workshopped students’ work. Anne’s debut novel, Rules for Lying, was released on Sept. 1, 2016.
10) While attending Homecoming festivities at Furman University, Upper School English teacher BAILEY PLAYER ran into fellow Paladin JORDAN HARRIS ’16. 11) JARED PAUL ’90 enjoyed an unexpected encounter with former visual art teacher JANE SIBLEY at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “It’s hard to believe I had [Mrs. Sibley] for art history in 1989,” Jared wrote.
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CLASS OF 2006 Members of the Class of 2006 gathered at Fado Irish Pub in Midtown to celebrate their 10th reunion. TASNEEM AHMED, EMILY ALEXANDER, LINDSAY FORD, SARAH GADDY NEMES, MARY HIPP ROGERS, HARRISON KAUFMAN, ALLISON KESSLER, EMMA LATTOUF, DANNY LOWENTHAL, KATHERINE RANKIN MADDUX, MAGGIE REYNOLDS, JASON ROBINSON and JULIE SCHAETZEL served on the planning committee.
REUNION Celebrations
Several classes celebrated reunion weekends throughout the fall. *The Classes of 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001 celebrated earlier in the year. Coverage of those events can be found in the fall 2016 issue.
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CLASS OF 2011
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Orpheus Brewing played host to the Class of 2011’s fiveyear reunion, organized by CLAIRE DILLON and HURST WILLIAMSON.
CLASS OF 1976 EMILY NEILL BAZZEL and BILL BAZZEL opened their home to host the Class of 1976’s 40th reunion. KATHY ARNOLD EVENSON, BETSY BRAVMAN HALPERN and LAURA AKIN KIRKPATRICK coordinated the evening.
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ALUMNI
SAVE THE DATE for the 4th Annual Alumni Knight Cap! SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 7 p.m.–11 p.m. Chastain Horse Park
A Celebration of Pace Basketball: On Jan. 21, alumni of all ages celebrated more than half a century of Friday nights spent cheering on the home team at Alumni Basketball Night. The evening included a pre-game party for alumni and parents of alumni, a salute to coaches and players past and present, and varsity matchups between the Knights and the Lovett Lions.
Home for the Holidays College-aged alumni returned to campus on Dec. 16 to ring in the holidays with their former classmates and teachers. At the annual Young Alumni Holiday Lunch, alumni and faculty caught up in the Seaman Family Commons while enjoying food from Willy’s Mexicana Grill—a favorite of all Pace Academy graduates.
Benefiting need-based student financial aid, The Pace Alumni Fund’s dedicated cause, the evening will include a bourbon tasting and delicious fare from Avenue Catering Concepts. If you are interested in contributing or want to learn more about the event, please email alumni@paceacademy.org.
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ALUMNI
CAROLINE GRAY ’07 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Gray as a Pre-First student
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hen CAROLINE GRAY ’07 was a student at Pace Academy, studyabroad opportunities represented just a fraction of today’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) study-tour menu. Still, Gray graduated with a surplus of service hours and a trip to France (one of Pace’s earliest international tours) under her belt. Pace’s mission of global citizenship resonated with Gray then and continues to inform her course in life today. “[The range of student travel opportunities then] was nowhere near what Pace is offering today, but [service learning and the trip to France] absolutely planted the early seeds of service and adventure in my heart,” Gray says. At Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON’S suggestion, Gray agreed to visit James Madison University (JMU) when the time came to get serious about her college search. “I have Mr. Gannon to thank for my deci-
Gray at the Villa Soleada Bilingual School in Honduras
sion to apply to JMU—a school I had never heard of and was certain I wouldn’t attend. When I visited the school, I felt the pull,” Gray says. While touring the campus, Gray had a clear sense that it was a place where she could be who she wanted to be. She applied and was accepted and, through JMU’s strong emphasis on service learning, she found her home there in community service. Gray graduated in 2011 with a double major in psychology and fine arts, with a focus in photography. Active involvement with a service-based organization during college led Gray to an opportunity with Teach for America (TFA). Upon her acceptance to the competitive program, Gray was assigned to a school in the impoverished Connecticut city of Bridgeport, which neighbors Fairfield and Greenwich, two of the wealthiest cities in the country. In the ensuing three years, Gray would be transferred four times within the
“The magic of our lives happens outside of our comfort zones, so we need to leave them—often. The personal growth that occurs is unmatchable by any other life experience,” Gray says. She illustrates her philosophy with this graphic.
district and was often expected to teach a new subject mid-year. Despite its per capita income ranking Connecticut among the country’s wealthiest states, Connecticut also features one of the largest wealth divides in the U.S. Additionally, the achievement gap between the state's highest and lowest-performing students is the highest in the nation. “My time in TFA was very unconventional,” Gray says. In her first year, Gray served in a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade literacy role, in which she taught reading, writing and computer-literacy skills to more than 600 students. When a sixth-grade math and science teacher stopped showing up for work, Gray was asked to take over the classroom mid-year to prepare students for the state exam. She taught the sixth-grade class for 12 weeks and then returned to her previous position teaching literacy to finish the year. Despite the inevitable challenges of being a new teacher—and in Gray’s case, countless unexpected hurdles—Gray ultimately extended her contract with the school district for a third year, exceeding her required commitment to TFA. “My students made tremendous academic gains and taught me so much. When I was little, I never thought of myself working in education. Not once did I go home and say, ‘When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.’ But now, I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Gray says.
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Where the ns magic happe
fort m o C Your ne Zo By 2014, Gray was ready for a new teaching challenge and heard of an opportunity with a bilingual school in Honduras. The opportunity combined two elements Gray found particularly compelling—an occasion to immerse herself in the Spanish language and an avenue to pursue social justice through education. She applied for a oneyear teaching position. “I knew I wanted to continue working with [students from low-income families], fighting for equal and quality education regardless of background or life circumstances,” Gray says. Sure that she would only be outside of the U.S. for one year, Gray requested a leave of absence from her Bridgeport employer and was granted permission to resume teaching when she returned the following year—a fairly rare scenario. But shortly after arriving in the Honduran town of Villa Soleada, she knew she belonged there. “The work that the organization is doing is so important, and I wanted to be a part of it. There are lots of people and organizations fighting for equal education opportunities for all students in the U.S., but there are very few fighting for that same right in Honduras,” Gray says. She joined The Villa Soleada Bilingual School as a third-grade teacher and was offered the position of academic program director a year later. Now approaching the end of her third year in Honduras, Gray has helped students in grades Pre-K through six
achieve 1.6-years’ worth of growth in their reading skills every year, alongside her staff of eight Americans and four Hondurans. Serving an average of 30 students per grade level, the school provides onsite housing for approximately 35 to 40 students. Before experiencing Honduras for herself, Gray’s impressions of the country relied on the media’s reductive portrayal of a culture riddled with gangs, drugs and violence—a murder capital of the world. She acknowledges that while there’s truth in many of the statistics, those are not the images she encounters in her day-to-day life. “Instead, I see kids buying ice cream in the town's central park. I see small cafes full of people. I see people loving their neighbors, protecting their families and working hard to improve their country,” Gray says. She has learned not to judge a book by its cover. Understanding cultural values different from one’s own often means resisting the temptation to diagnose and prescribe. For example, Gray quickly learned that routine money saving is not something that Hondurans practice, or even strive to practice. Instead of projecting American ideals about savings and fiscal responsibility, Gray appreciates a completely different context in her Honduran village. The Hondurans she knows tend to focus far less on acquiring material possessions, Gray says. And in stark contrast to many Americans, Hondurans are more concerned with living in and enjoying each moment they have. As Gray considers the next adventure on her horizon, she will also be studying to complete a Doctorate of Education through the University of Southern California, with an expected graduation year of 2020. Gray credits her Pace Lower School teachers for laying the foundation of reading and critical thinking that she always applies to learning. Later, history classes with Upper School History Chair TIM HORNOR and Gannon, and English class with former faculty member TIM PLAEHN shaped her as a scholar, leader and lifelong learner, she says. To any Pace student or recent graduate, Gray gives the following advice: “Do it. Find your passion, take risks, push boundaries, learn a new language… fall in love with who you become. Everything else will follow.” ●
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