SUMMER 2019
THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT Pace Academy’s Integration Story
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F PAC E A C A D E M Y
NEW GRADS!
CLASS OF
2019
CHAMPIONS BOYS & G I R L S TEN N IS C ON QU ER T HE C O U RT
THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT Pace Academy’s Integration Story
NEW GRADS!
CLASS OF
2019
CHAMPIONS BOYS & G I R L S TEN N IS C ON QU ER T HE C O U RT
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TOP: Garcia Family Middle School faculty and staff got a jumpstart on the Year of Waste by gathering more than 50 gallons of trash (plus 15 tires, a grill and multiple chairs) at Panola Mountain State Park. Read about this year's ICGL theme on page 38.
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While researching the 2019–2020 Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) theme of Waste, I studied one of our Isdell Global Leaders’ upcoming reading assignments, a 2018 World Bank report entitled What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. The report paints a dire picture of our future, should solidwaste production continue at its current pace (see story on page 38). While I certainly do not doubt the World Bank’s findings, I have to admit that, up to this point, the topic of Waste just hasn’t weighed on me like other global dilemmas—and that’s because I don’t see it. I take my trash to the curb every week and, miraculously, it disappears. I order everything from diapers to dining-room furniture for next-day delivery and feel pretty good when I pop the packaging materials into my recycling bin. I have no idea where the closest dump or landfill might be, and I’ve never encountered an island of floating trash on a trip to the beach. Needless to say, the little I have learned about global waste has been eye-opening and has shed light on my privileged ignorance as a citizen of an industrialized nation. Like much of our country and the world, I have a good deal of catching up to do. I plan to learn more in the coming months and look forward to joining the Pace Academy community as we bring Waste to the forefront in our conversations and our daily lives.
CAI T LI N G O O D R I C H J O N E S ’00 D I R E C TO R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
PACE CARES When our families and staff are in need, Pace Cares.
Contact us to deliver a meal: pacecares@paceacademy.org
KnightTimes 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL FRED ASSAF
DIVISION HEADS MICHAEL GANNON Head of Upper School
GUEST WRITERS K A L I S S A
G R E E N E
Junior KALISSA GREENE is a Pace Admissions Ambassador, online manager/writer for The Knightly News and a member of the back-toback state-champion varsity volleyball team. Greene was named to the 2019 All-State Volleyball Team and was selected Class AAA’s Player of the Year. She received the Jim and Lesley Wheeler Scholar Athlete Award this past spring and has been recognized for her writing and reporting for The Knightly News, the Upper School student newspaper.
GRAHAM ANTHONY Head of Middle School
G E NN A
SYREETA MOSELEY Head of Lower School
CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 Director of Communications, Editor OMAR LÓPEZ THISMÓN Digital Content Producer RYAN VIHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
CONTENTS
FRED ASSAF
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NEWS
GEMSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHIC www.gemshots.com
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AROUND PACE A look at what's happening on campus
LAURA INMAN
10 END-OF-YEAR AWARDS
SMAX PHOTOGRAPHY www.smaxart.com
12 KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE RECEPTION
ASHTON STANISZEWSKI
14 BOARD MEMBERS BID FAREWELL GREG KELLY signs off as chair
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
22 LIFE TRUSTEE PROFILE SYBIL HADLEY
DANA RAWLS 24
OUR MISSION To create prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values and legacy of Pace Academy. To contribute ideas for the KnightTimes, please email Caitlin Jones at caitlin.jones@paceacademy.org.
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ICGL The Isdell Center for Global Leadership 36 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS Studying power in Puerto Rico 38 THE YEAR OF WASTE The ICGL's 2019–2020 theme
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GLOBAL LEADERS Inspiring individuals within the Pace community 44 FACULTY PROFILE KATE HARLAN
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GRADUATION The Class of 2019 says goodbye
24 DISASTER! The Upper School musical
52
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS Boys and girls take the ultimate prize
SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Gymnastics, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field
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INTEGRATING PACE JUDGE CLYDE L. REESE III '76 and the Association of Black Alumni
33 SPOTLIGHT ON COACH LIZ TUTT
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ALUMNI UPDATES
ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS
34 BASEBALL MAKES HISTORY The Knights claim the state runner-up trophy 35 TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL Our newest collegiate-athletes
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18 RETIRING FACULTY & STAFF
MELANIE POPE
HAYLEY SHOJI ’12
S C H WA R Z
Recent graduate GENNA SCHWARZ ’19 will attend the University of Virginia this fall. While at Pace, Schwarz participated in four years of varsity soccer, was co-editor-in-chief of the The Knightly News, volunteered at the Zaban Paradies Center and was a member of the National Honor Society. She is a recipient of the Ralph Lee Newton Literary Award. In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball and Settlers of Catan with her friends and hanging out with her dog, Cody. Over the summer, she interned with Pace’s communications and advancement departments.
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
LELA WALLACE Digital Communications Manager
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64 ALUMNI EVENTS 66 CLASS OF 2019 LEGACIES 68 A LETTER FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
LETTER FROM THE HE A D OF SCHOOL Dear Pace Family, I read junior KALISSA GREENE’S article in our Upper School student newspaper, The Knightly News, this past spring and knew we had to share it with the entire Pace Academy community. In her thoughtfully researched piece, Greene tells the story of JUDGE CLYDE L. REESE III ’76, who enrolled at Pace in 1969 and is one of our first black alumni (page 56). This fall marks 50 years since that milestone, and much has been accomplished in those five decades. As school begins, we welcome 1,113 students and 243 faculty and staff; people of color represent 27% of each of these groups. Our school community is comprised of more diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences than ever before. We engage our students, faculty and staff in important conversations about diversity and social justice—and we encourage them to act as agents of change. We are proud that we have built a globally minded community, and we will continue to live out our motto—To have the courage to strive for excellence—in all areas of school life. I’m grateful to Judge Reese for his willingness to reflect on his Pace experience. His story and the efforts of those like KEVIN LINDER ’94 and the Association of Black Pace Academy Alumni (page 57) remind us that we must continue to strive for excellence in the areas of equity and inclusion because, to truly fulfill our mission, our community must reflect and value the tremendous diversity of the world around us. In this issue of the KnightTimes, we also look back on this past spring’s yearend events such as graduation (page 46) and our varsity tennis teams’ state championships (page 52), and we look forward to the new year in which we dive into the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) 2019–2020 theme of Waste (page 38). Thank you for your partnership as we strive to create prepared, confident citizens of the world.
WHICH COVER DID YOU GET? This issue features two exclusive cover designs celebrating the boys and girls tennis championships. Their acheivement was too big for just one cover! Read about these historic teams on page 52.
TOP OF PAGE The Assaf family: Fred, TOMMY '21, MICK '16, SAM '19, Martha and JACK '13 (not pictured: HANK '15)
Sincerely,
FRED ASSAF HEAD OF SCHOOL
KnightTimes | Summer 2019
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NEWS What you ne ed to know
NATIONAL FRENCH CONTEST WINNERS
NATIONAL L ATIN E X AM WINNERS (MIDDLE SCHOOL)
W I N S
F O R
WORLD LANGUAGES
The spring brought opportunities for French and Latin students to measure their language skills against those of students across the U.S. and the world. Select Middle School students competed in Le Grand Concours, the National French Contest, taken primarily by high-school students. Twelve students received certificates of Honorable Mention, while those in the 80th percentile and above won National Laureate certificates and medals. Seventh-grader ELLIE CARTER and eighth-grader COREY LOCHAN earned bronze medals; seventh-graders EMMY BATTISTA, MORGAN GOLDSTROM and MILLIE GRAY and eighth-graders ELLIE GABRIEL and ELOISE GAUDET brought home silver; and eighth-graders BROOKS NUCKOLS, CHARLOTTE VADNAIS and KATE WEBB missed only two questions to win gold. Not to be outdone by their French-speaking counterparts, students in grades seven through 12 participated in the National Latin Exam (NLE). Nine seventh graders were recognized for outstanding performance on the NLE; eighth-graders ALEX GOODRICH, BRIAN LEE and SOPHIE SHAPIRO earned Magna Cum Laude distinctions; and eighth-grader OWEN ROSS claimed a gold medal, finishing Summa Cum Laude. Eight Upper School students also received NLE gold medals: freshmen SYDNEY FAUX, GIANA KARAMANOLIS and JASON TAPPER; sophomores AMALIE LITTLE and HARLEY RYAN; juniors MAE SHIPPEN and ALAN TAPPER; and senior JACOB SLOMAN. A. Tapper and Sloman earned Book Awards for their fourth- and fifth-consecutive gold medals, respectively. In addition, four Upper School Latin students received Letters of Commendation in the Annual Classical Association of the Midwest and South Latin Translation Exam: Faux, Sloman, and juniors PAUL-LOUIS BIONDI and AUSTIN FULLER scored among the top 20% of entrants in 32 states and three Canadian provinces.
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JONATHAN FERRELL, PRESIDENTELECT Director of College Counseling JONATHAN FERRELL has been named president-elect of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) and will help lead the nonprofit, professional association for a three-year term. SACAC, a chartered affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), includes approximately 1,700 members from secondary schools, colleges and universities, and educational consulting firms and promotes high professional standards in the college admission process. Ferrell has served as a member of the SACAC Board of Directors since 2011 and recently chaired its annual conference. He is an active member of NACAC and is one of 12 individuals on a national committee charged with assessing and reimagining NACAC’s governance structure, policies and procedures. “I feel immensely honored that my industry colleagues trust me in this important leadership role,” Ferrell says. “SACAC has given so much to me, and I am excited to give back.”
NEWS
SPEAKING VOLUMES BeyoncĂŠ Speaks (above), a painting by junior MAYA KAPLAN (right), was one of 91 pieces by Atlanta-area student-artists selected for inclusion in Awoken, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Social Justice Art Series. The program provided students a platform to showcase their work before a diverse audience of educators, artists, parents and peers.
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MASTERS OF LETTERS
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NEWS
IF YOU COULD have a conversation with a favorite author—living or dead— what would you say? That is the question posted by Letters About Literature, a writing contest that asks students to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author about how
SHARMAN
WHITE THE WORDS adept, experienced and world-class describe Associate Director of Athletics SHARMAN WHITE’S abilities and reputation as a basketball coach. As an assistant coach for the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team, White coached his team to an undefeated record at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in June and earned gold in a 94–77 victory against Canada at the Arena Guilherme Paraense in Belém, Brazil. This marked White’s seventh appearance as a USA Basketball coach. He served as a court coach at the 2018 USA Men’s U17 World Cup Team training camp and was a gold-medal-winning assistant coach for USA Basketball during the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He also coached at 2014, 2015 and 2018 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team October minicamps. “I am humbled by every opportunity to serve this great country of ours from the sidelines,” White says. “USA Basketball represents one of the finest cultures in all of basketball, and to be able to assemble a great group of young men to compete for a gold medal is truly exciting.” l — by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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the piece affected them personally. This past spring, sixth-grader CHAS ARNOLD placed first in the statewide competition and sixthgrader ENRIQUE ALVAREZ was third. Arnold’s letter will go on to compete for the national prize against winners from other states. Both Arnold and Alvarez were honored in May at a ceremony at the Georgia Center for the Book. l
THE PACESETTER’S GOT THE LOOK EXCELLENCE, creativity and innovation were among the characteristics that distinguished coverage of the varsity boys basketball team in the 2018 Pacesetter. Jostens, a leading yearbook manufacturer, selected the work of VIRGINIA HALL ’18 and senior CALLA KAMINSKY (above) for inclusion in the 2019 Jostens Look Book, an annual collection of the “best of the best.” A team of experts chose Hall and Kaminsky’s design from more than 2,000 submissions—only 385 yearbooks made the cut. More than 13,000 copies of the Look Book have been distributed to schools in the U.S., Canada and around the world. l
AT THE HEART of Pace Academy’s mission to create prepared, confident citizens of the world lies a firm belief in the school’s core value of respect for others and their unique ideas and beliefs. To ensure that the Pace community continues to strive for excellence in the areas of diversity and inclusion, Director of Diversity and Inclusion JOANNE BROWN traveled to Cambridge, Mass., to participate in the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Race, Equity and Leadership in Schools professional education program. The four-day institute brought together educators from around the country to “offer a historical and cultural context for understanding how inequality plays out in schools and provide educators with the skills and confidence to lead more excellent, equitable schools.” Participants identified concrete strategies to promote courageous and thoughtful conversations around issues of inequity, and to teach, model and practice inclusion. “For four days, I had the privilege of being a student,” Brown says. “I soaked in valuable knowledge from Harvard professors with colleagues from around the country with one goal in mind: to make our schools more equitable and inclusive. It was a fantastic opportunity, and I left with many new tools in my tool belt!” l
NEWS
BROWN GOES TO
HARVARD
AT THE GEORGIA Scholastic Press Association’s annual awards ceremony, the staff of The Knightly News (right) pocketed a slew of awards. Pace Academy’s Upper School newspaper received the top rating of Superior for both its print editions and website, and the publication won General Excellence Awards—the highest statewide honors— in its size category for print and online. Knightly News staffers also brought home individual awards. Senior Sports Editor WILL ZOOK was Superior in the Critical Review category for his music review, ‘Astroworld' Crash Lands into Earth, while sophomore MARY CHILDS HALL earned a Superior rating in the Feature Story category. Sophomore KATHRYN HOOD received the highest statewide honor—AllGeorgia—for her editorial cartoon. l
THE KNIGHTLY NEWS NABS SEVEN GSPA AWARDS KnightTimes | Summer 2019
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YEAR-END AWARDS
UPPER SCHOOL UNDERCLASSMEN
STUDENTS AND FACULTY
RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL
AROUND PACE A look at what's happe ning at Pace
LOWER SCHOOL The Courage to Strive for Excellence Award Bethany Chern & John Hardesty [1]
MIDDLE SCHOOL BJ Hayes Good Citizen Award Alice Gash & Asher Lubin [12]
Daughters of the American Revolution Youth Citizenship Award Barrett Hight & Mary Amelia Weiss [2]
Jim and Lesley Wheeler Scholar Athlete Award SEVENTH GRADE: Henry Levenson & Sydney Vincent [3] EIGHTH GRADE: Brooke Brumfield & Carter Freudenstein [3]
Sanford and Barbara Orkin Scholars SIXTH GRADE: Chas Arnold & Harper Auchincloss [9] SEVENTH GRADE: Henry Gaudet & Adair Smith [9] EIGHTH GRADE: Will Delmonte & Marit UyHam [9]
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Alumni Scholar Award Virginia Hobbs
Cara Isdell Service Learning Award CLASS OF 2022: Catherine Crawford CLASS OF 2021: Alexander Swann
Columbia University Book Award
Frances Felicité Thomas Award
Paul-Louis Biondi [13]
Grant Thompson
Computer Science Department Award
Frank Woodling Community Service Award
Anna Jordan [5]
Tyler Kelly & Blake Maner [7]
Crissa Noelle Hawkins Scholarship Award
Georgia Institute of Technology Mathematics Award
Harris Greenbaum & Claire Wierman [15]
Alan Tapper
Dartmouth College Book Award
Georgia Institute of Technology Science Award
Klara Andra-Thomas
Dean's Award for Character
Andrew Neville [6]
CLASS OF 2022: Cole Kaplan & Giana Karamanolis CLASS OF 2021: Jorge Gonzalez-Hernandez & Amalie Little [16]
Harvard University Book Prize Aidan Gannon
History Department Award
English Department Award
Francesca Vaneri
Virginia Heiser [10]
Jefferson Book Award
Eric Hay Henderson Jr. Friendship Award
Sophie Lettes
Jim and Lesley Wheeler Scholar Athlete Award
Sandy Lum & Everett O'Gorman
CLASS OF 2022: Laura Arenth & George Blaha CLASS OF 2021: Kalissa Greene & Steven Morrisroe CLASS OF 2020: Ada Jane Agolli & Quill Healey
Faculty Award for Scholarship CLASS OF 2022: Kargil Behl & Marielle Frooman [18] CLASS OF 2021: Laura Romig & Harley Ryan 1
Lance and Shield Award CLASS OF 2022: Edward Blaha & Megan Hardesty CLASS OF 2021: Elizabeth Kaye & Jayden Thomas CLASS OF 2020: Erin Hood & Jesus Tadeo Pineda 4
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FACULTY Kessler Award for Excellence in Teaching Dianne Wilbur [8] & Paula Pontes
John Anderson Excellence in Teaching Award
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Kate Allegra Tornusciolo ’01
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Board of Trustees Presentation 40 Years of Service
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Marsha Durlin
Cum Laude Society Teaching Award Caitlin Terry
Jane and Herman Hipp English Department Fellowship
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Bailey Player [4]
Jesse C. Crawford Excellence in Teaching Award
Mike Murphy Courage to Strive for Excellence Award
Laura-Agront Hobbs
CLASS OF 2022: Juan Figueroa & Rebecca Kann CLASS OF 2021: Eve Kogon & Anderson Lara CLASS OF 2020: Insha Merchant & Will Rehmert [17]
Knight Capital Investment in Education Award Keith Newman
Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Award
Lolly Hand Schoolkeeper Award
FIRST PLACE: Alexander Swann SECOND PLACE: Jamie Kornheiser, Noah Prout, Laura Romig, Harley Ryan & Olivia Ullmann THIRD PLACE: Dylan Kaminski
Mimi Ann Deas Award Jamie Kornheiser & Anthony Salazar
Renaissance Award for Visual and Performing Arts CLASS OF 2022: Allie Campbell, Eleanor DuPree, Amalia Haviv & Olivia Healey CLASS OF 2021: Logan Baker, Kate Mallard, Amalia Maxa & Alivia Wynn CLASS OF 2020: Emerson Barrett, Mary Lawson Bring, Matthew Quintana & Nikki Rubin
Ryann Smith
Loridans Academic Fellowship Jason Smith
Pacesetter Dedication Erica Barbakow 15
University of Pennsylvania Book Award India Behl
Wellesley College Book Award Rhuna Gibbs [11]
World Languages Department Award
Sewanee Book Award for Excellence
FRENCH: Neil Sashti LATIN: Mae Shippen SPANISH: Zoie Freier
Tyler Kelly
Smith College Book Award Lauren O'Sullivan [14] 8
16
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Yale University Book Award Ryan Kann 13
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D OUN
AR
E PAC
The Georgia Private School Tax Credit Program allows individual and corporate taxpayers to donate a portion of their state tax liability to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). The funds are then used for need-based financial aid at the independent
Put your
school(s) of the taxpayer’s choice. This education credit is better than a tax deduction because it gives you, the taxpayer, a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount you owe in Georgia taxes. You receive a tax credit on your state income taxes for the amount of your contribution and a charitable deduction on your federal income taxes. Pace Academy uses these tax credit dollars to
Deadline to Pre-Apply:
DEC. 15, 2019 www.paceacademy.org/support/tax-credit
enhance its need-based financial aid program. Funds are restricted to students entering Pre-First or transferring from a public school at any grade. By participating in this program, you help make a Pace education and experience available to every qualified child.
to work for Pace Academy.
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We are pleased to offer the official
See samples and find out your finger size in the Pace Campus Store! INMANCIRCLE.COM/PACE
AROUND PACE
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many other and the increase in thoughtful programming people did the around student diversity, led by Director of heavy lifting,” he Diversity and Inclusion JOANNE BROWN, explains. However, who continues to raise understanding and in his years on the support to new heights.” Board, the school’s Other areas of progress, Kelly notes, achievements were “are the expansion and integration of the numerous; Kelly Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) names the 2016– at Pace and plans for its sustainability; new 2021 Strategic Plan efforts to engage parents and alumni, such as one of the most as town hall meetings and surveys; and impactful. strengthened financial security, with the “It is a great thing elimination of all debt and the simultanefor the Pace comous increase in the endowment.” munity to engage School accomplishments aside, what in the creation of a makes Kelly the most grateful is the impact strategic plan,” he of the school on his children. “Pace has says. “With supgiven all four of our very different children port from parents, a great foundation as they soar off in very faculty and staff, different directions,” he says. “Pace has and alumni, we helped them each develop according to launched a bold their unique aspirations and strengths.” five-year plan. It was Kelly adds, “Grant argued with SIMON developed while WU ’12 and JOHN CAROLIN ’12 about I was vice chair, Microsoft versus Apple from fifth grade on, under the leaderso it is no surprise that Grant is now a supship of [Trustee] LIZ ply chain manager at Apple, working on the PRICE, and I’ve had iPhone. Hannah will begin divinity school the honor of serving at Emory next year—answering a calling as chair during the she has felt since high school. Morgan has first three years of one more year at USC (Southern California), its execution. It’s a and, true adventurer that she is, just comprivilege to see that, pleted a semester abroad in Australia. Her working together, we’ve done what we said love of travel and seeing the world were we would do.” kindled by her Pace ICGL experiences.” He “Greg’s understanding of our school continues, “Tyler, with one more year in community, as a Pace parent for the better high school, continues to be a passionate part of two decades, together with his leader of diversity at Pace and in Atlanta. tremendous leadership skills, are outstand- Anne and I could not be more grateful and ing qualifications for a Board chair,” says appreciative of all of their teachers and our Head of School FRED ASSAF. “His steady Pace leaders for helping them know and hand and high ideals spurred our success develop their strengths and aspirations.” in implementing the strategic plan and As Kelly transitions from the role of chair inspired all our Board members to envision and ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS an even more exciting next chapter.” steps into the position, Kelly is confident In particular, Kelly is enthusiastic that Pace will continue to flourish. “I about several recent endeavors. “I’m see Pace evolving as a leading school excited about our new Lower School on a national level. We used to strive for plans, developed in collaboration with excellence in Atlanta and Georgia; with the neighborhood; the creation of a chief our considerable advances—the ICGL in human resources officer position that particular—we have earned the right in our will strengthen teacher recruitment and next strategic plan to strive for excellence development—plus the terrific person we at a national level,” he says. l secured for the role, PAIGE CREASMAN;
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G R E G K E L LY SIG NS OFF
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his summer, GREG KELLY completed his service as chair of the Pace Academy Board of Trustees. Kelly, who has led the Board since 2016, has been part of the Pace community since 2002, when his daughter HANNAH KELLY ’15 enrolled in Pre-First. According to Board protocol, Kelly will serve as vice chair during the 2019–2020 school year, the final year of his nine-year term. In addition, he and his wife, ANNE KELLY, remain engaged Pace parents as senior year gets underway for their youngest child, TYLER KELLY. When the Class of 2020 graduates next spring, the Kellys will be parents to four Pace alumni—MORGAN KELLY ’17 and GRANT KELLY ’12, in addition to Tyler and Hannah. Kelly, who joined the Board in 2011, is not one to take personal credit for Pace’s accomplishments during his tenure. “Too
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D E P A R T I N G TRUSTEES LEAV E PACE A B E T T E R P LAC E In May, the Pace Academy Board of Trustees bid farewell to Board members CHRIS JOHNSON and LIZ PRICE.
C H R I S
JOH N SON Although CHRIS JOHNSON has stepped down from the Board, his engagement with the school will continue for years to come. Johnson and his wife, FARHAT KHAN, have two children who both attend Pace: fifth-grader ZAEEM JOHNSON and thirdgrader ELIZA JOHNSON. Johnson joined the Board in 2016, when Eliza entered Pre-First, bringing to the governing body a background in real estate and business and, as a former Stanford football player, a commitment to student athletics. A Seattle native who graduated from an all-boys independent school, Johnson recognized the value of an independent-school education and saw service on the Board as a way to contribute to Pace. “I had always been very impressed by the culture that Pace created around academics, athletics and the arts,” Johnson says. “As a new family to Pace, we tried to be involved in as many programs as possible. In 2016, [then Board Chair] ROBERT SHEFT asked if I wanted to join the Board, and I happily said yes.” “Chris was a strong member of the Board, sitting on the properties, governance, diversity, and student life and culture committees, as well as the enrollment and admissions subcommittees that support our strategic plan,” says incoming Board Chair ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS. “As a father, Chris understands the power of a Pace education, and I look forward to continuing to work with him as he remains involved in the school through other volunteer opportunities.” Director of Diversity and Inclusion JOANNE BROWN says, “Chris has served on the diversity committee with me for two years. From the moment I stepped into my
role, his support and commitment to the work has been of tremendous value. I have enjoyed getting to know Chris and appreciate his sincere interest in the health and strength of our Pace community.” As the family begins a sixth year at Pace, Johnson feels deeply satisfied with his children’s education. “Pace offers a perfect balance between nurturing and challenging our kids, and the Lower School environment fosters strong character development,” he says. “We are also very thankful that Pace exposes our kids to high-level academics, arts, athletics and global education. It truly has been a perfect fit for our family.”
L I Z
PRICE LIZ PRICE joined the Board in 2012, when her son, DANIEL BLUMEN ’18, was in the sixth grade. But Price’s passion for Pace began long before her Board service; she and her husband, RICK BLUMEN, “had a feeling—even before we visited—that Pace would be a good fit for Daniel and for us,” she says. “Once we took a tour and met the staff and faculty, we were sold.” “Daniel started in Pre-First and is a Lifer,” Price notes. ”In fact [Head of School] FRED ASSAF started at Pace the same year and became a Lifer with Daniel!” During her Board tenure, Price chaired the planning and diversity commit-
C H R I S J O H N S O N & F A M I LY
AROUND PACE
tees, and served on the governance and executive committees. Of particular note, she led the year-long process to develop the 2016–2021 Strategic Plan, now nearing completion. Price’s leadership on the strategic plan involved many different Pace constituents and heightened her appreciation for the school. “Working with the other Board members, faculty, parents and alumni deepened my understanding of all Pace offers on both an academic and extracurricular level, as well as externally,” she says. “I am so impressed by the incredible work being done in each division and the passion and drive for excellence throughout the school.” Board member NATASHA SWANN says, “I’ve loved working with Liz and cannot say enough great things about her. It’s been an honor to serve with her— her leadership on the strategic plan was invaluable, and I know it will positively impact Pace for years to come. I’m continually impressed by her thoughtfulness, intelligence and integrity. She truly sets the standard and will be missed.” Outgoing Board Chair GREG KELLY adds, “Liz’s leadership of the creation of Pace’s strategic plan has set the school on a new course. She was tireless in getting input from the full Pace community—faculty, administration leaders, students, parents, Board members—and turning all that wonderful input into a coherent strategic plan with high aspirations and concrete actions. She has set a terrific precedent for our strategic plans to come.” Price values the deep connection developed between her family and Pace over the years. “Pace was a part of our family, and we were a part of the Pace family,” she says, “I hope it remains a small school that thinks big.” l
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PHYSICS P hlotilla
From class trips and community engagement to field days and senior farewells, year-end activities packed the calendar and provided fun for the entire Pace community. LOWER SCHOOL Field
Days
SIXTH-GRADE Medieval
MIDDLE SCHOOL Team
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Challenge
EIGHTH-GRADE Civil
Banquet
Rights Trip
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P rom
FIFTH-GRADE Charleston
MIDDLE SCHOOL Community
LOWER SCHOOL P rincipal
of the Day
Trip
Engagement Day
Great American Picnic
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Sa lu t i ng ou r r e t i r i ng FAC U LTY ood
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AN D S TA F F
Fa re well and THAN KS 18
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FRANCE DO R M A N
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UPPER SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY & S C U L P T U R E T E AC H E R FRANCE DORMAN exudes excitement at the merest mention of sculpture or photography, and for his 34 years as an Upper School visual arts teacher, Dorman’s infectious enthusiasm and immense passion helped cement Pace Academy as a leader in the arts. After completing graduate school at Georgia State University, Dorman was a substitute teacher at Lovett and Westminster. He arrived at Pace in 1985 and, in addition to teaching visual art, served as the school’s public relations manager and a junior varsity tennis coach. When the Fine Arts Center was constructed in the early 1990s, architects incorporated his sketches into the floor plans to allow for the creation of a traditional darkroom where students could develop blackand-white images. A lifelong learner, Dorman continually incorporated new technologies and alternative techniques into his teaching practices. Over the years, Dorman’s students earned innumerable awards from esteemed arts organizations—Scholastic Art, Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP), the Georgia Ceramic Arts Awards and the Dogwood Festival, to name a few—and many went on to successful careers in photography and other visual arts. Dorman’s list of accolades is equally extensive. He established Pace’s longstanding partnership with ACP, bringing to Pace well-known judges and artists, “the pantheon of photography notables,” he says. Additionally, Dorman hosted the Georgia Photography Awards and Exhibition for 27 years. The exhibit, now a collaboration with ACP, includes outstanding work by Atlantaarea students and is judged by notable professional photographers. Over the years, Dorman brought to Pace National Geographic photographers,
internationally recognized sculptors and acclaimed local artists. He and his students criss-crossed the globe—from India to Georgia’s Golden Isles—in search of the perfect shot. His dedication to his craft, his students and the Pace community was unparalleled, and the 1999 Pacesetter was dedicated in his honor. With a darkroom and ceramics studio in his backyard, Dorman intends to devote all of his time to his art and to focus on incorporating current events into his work. He also plans to channel some of his passion into politics.
BECK MCRAE LOWER SCHOOL A S S O C I AT E T E AC H E R BECK MCRAE retired from Pace following an impressive and impactful 11-year tenure as a Lower School associate
teacher. A veteran in the classroom, McRae worked in education for 20 years and was known for her passion for teaching, selfless attitude and willingness to improve every day. McRae was born in Dothan, Ala., and graduated from Agnes Scott College. For many years, she combined stay-athome motherhood with professional floral arranging. Her son, JIM MCRAE ’85, and daughter, ELIZABETH MCRAE LIETZ ’86, graduated from Pace. McRae began her career in education as an assistant teacher at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, where her experience inspired her to pursue teacher certification at Mercer University. Prior to her arrival at Pace, McRae taught third grade at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. For many years, she served as an associate teacher to JO NOVY, now retired, and was most recently partnered with third-grade teacher SAMANTHA MEISELMAN.
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skill set and a reflective, quiet passion for literature to her work. Teague’s Pace career began in “the old library,” located in the sincedemolished Bridges Hall, where she dealt with overhead and slide projectors, as well as VCRs and DVD players. Over the course of her career, technology and library science evolved, and Teague embraced and kept pace with those changes. In addition to the day-to-day duties inherent in operating the Woodruff Library, Teague taught middle schoolers, helping them hone their online research skills and find their way around the library. She established a reputation as a consummate professional and a thoughtful listener with a special place in her heart for students. “I will greatly miss Linda’s thoroughness and attention to detail, her institutional knowledge and her
ae R c M
“Beck is the true definition of a lifelong, compassionate and dedicated teacher,” says fifth-grade teacher SALLY FORB. “Nothing gave her more pleasure than a child experiencing success at school.”
L I N DA T E AG U E UPPER SCHOOL LIBRARIAN Over her 23 years at Pace, Middle and Upper School Librarian LINDA TEAGUE helped generations of students understand the power of a good book, locate the perfect primary source and discover the depth of library databases. After nearly 20 years in the corporate world, Teague returned to her early love of library service, fostered during brief employment in a public library after high school. Searching for a job that allowed for more free time in the afternoons, Teague arrived at Pace in 1996. With a master’s degree in library science and experience at the Atlanta History Center, she brought a unique
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Te a g
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willingness to ride along with me as I tried out new ideas," says Director of Libraries MATT BALL. In retirement, Teague plans to spend more time with her three grandchildren and to travel with her family.
TIM WALS H
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A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R O F AT H L E T I C S In his four years at Pace, Associate Director of Athletics TIM WALSH’S caring, calm demeanor made a significant impact on Pace Athletics. Walsh brought four decades of experience to his role and fostered positivity and a genuine desire to improve among the studentathletes under his tutelage. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Walsh earned a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degrees in kinesiology and educational leadership from Georgia State University. He worked for 22 years in public schools and for 22 years in independent schools, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant athletics director, athletics director and varsity sports coach. Outside of his career in education, Walsh was employed by the United States Air Force and spent time in the USAF Reserves. “Tim brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to Pace Athletics,” says Director of Athletics DR. TROY BAKER. “His attention to detail and tireless work ethic will be missed.” Working in 10 schools, Walsh formed innumerable friendships. He attended former students’ bar and bat mitzvahs, first communions, confirmations, marriages and graduations, and he watched as many pursued their own coaching careers. Additionally, Walsh coached athletes who competed in the Olympics, Super Bowl, Wimbledon and several professional leagues. “Coach Walsh is everyone’s biggest supporter and genuinely cares that his players and colleagues are taken care of, and he will do whatever it takes to help them succeed,” says ALEKS GOLDE ’19.
“I am thankful that Pace was my final school,” Walsh says. “I saved the best for last.”
ROB E R T WOO D D I R E C TO R O F MAINTENANCE For 15 years, ROBERT WOOD made the pre-dawn, 100-mile drive to Pace from his home in Blue Ridge, Ga., a sign of his unwavering commitment to the school community. As director of maintenance, Wood maintained the physical environment of Pace’s 34-acre campus, but his impact on the Pace community extended far beyond his job description. With his
characteristic calm and quick sense of humor, Wood was unflappable when receiving innumerable requests from faculty, students and parents. “Robert was the quintessential team player, and his distinctive whistle and good-natured greetings brightened many a day,” says Head of School FRED ASSAF. Originally from St. Clair, Mo., Wood loved the close-knit atmosphere at Pace. “It's like one big happy family," he says. In his retirement, he looks forward to “just living life,” watching NASCAR and listening to his favorite band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. — with contributions from GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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P
ace Academy Life Trustee SYBIL HADLEY spent her childhood in small-town Texas—a “really small town,” she says. “The population was 644.” Growing up, she could not have predicted As a newly minted lawyer, Hadley acwhat her future would hold: that she cepted a position at a firm in Atlanta, and would be a University of Virginia School ultimately met Atlanta native ROY HADLEY, of Law alumna practicing in Atlanta, a a recent graduate of the University of mother to two sets of twins, and integrally Georgia School of Law, who was working involved at her children’s small, indeat another Atlanta firm. The young lawyers pendent school—as a parent, volunteer, began dating and eventually married, refriend, member of the Board of Trustees maining in Atlanta to establish their careers and, now, Life Trustee. and raise their four children. “I’ve been here Hadley first experienced life outside now for 30 years,” Hadley explains. of Texas as a University of Houston junior, Both Hadleys have been dedicated clerking on Capitol Hill for a Massachusetts to Pace Academy since their older twins, congressman. “I got broader exposure to DUSTIN HADLEY ’15 and LAUREN the country and different ideas, and met HADLEY ’15, began Pre-First in 2003. Their so many bright and educated people,” she younger children, MADISON HADLEY and explains. “That began my love of governVICTORIA HADLEY, will join their older ment and politics, and I knew I wanted to siblings as Pace Lifers when the Class of go to law school.” 2023 graduates. While Hadley relished the new experi“I fell in love with the Castle while driving ences and ideas she encountered on the down West Paces Ferry,” Hadley recalls. east coast, she always planned to return to her home state. But the distractions of third- Years later, visiting area schools for her five-year-olds, she noticed marked differyear law school at UVA changed her life’s ences at Pace, including its smaller size course: “I missed the deadline for the Texas and “[former Head of Lower School] ANNA bar—it was six months before the exam! So VALERIUS’ philosophy of encouraging I took Georgia’s instead,” she says. parents’ presence at school,” she explains. “I remember her saying ‘We want you at the school as long as your children do!’” It wasn’t long before Hadley’s engagement grew beyond that of parent and classroom volunteer, and in 2004, at the urging of her friend, then a Pace Trustee and now a fellow Life Trustee, RICK MILLER, she became a member of the Board. In addition to Board service, Hadley’s talents as a Pace parent-volunteer are renowned and include expertise in cookie baking; year after year she organizes parent assembly lines that produce vast quantities of professionallydecorated goodies to commemorate milestones for her children’s grade levels, like prom and graduation. Hadley enjoyed her nine years of Board of service, a time of growth and change for the school. “I am so proud of all we accomplished,” she says. “When I joined, there was only one lead teacher and a floating aid per class in the third, fourth
LI FE TRUSTE E PROF I L E
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and fifth grades—now we have two. There was no ARC [Academic Resource Center] in any division, nor were there any formal learning specialists.” All those things changed as the Board focused on improving the Pace experience for all students, and on transforming the school’s facilities. “I'm also proud that while implementing the 2010–2015 Strategic Plan, we discovered [Director of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership] TRISH ANDERSON’S passion for global education and the ICGL was born,” she says. In addition, Hadley’s Board tenure included service on the search committees that hired Head of School FRED ASSAF, Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON and Head of Lower School SYREETA MOSELEY. The search experience for Assaf was especially memorable: “It was my first opportunity to really get to know some of the amazing faculty and staff, and I was truly humbled by the intelligence and thoughtfulness of everyone who was involved, and if I didn’t know how special Pace was before then, I certainly did after that experience,” she says. Hadley, who continues to practice law as senior legal counsel for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, is the only Life Trustee parent with both current students and Pace alumni. These circumstances heighten her passion for the school. “I love Pace so much. Each experience has been wonderful—I’ve enjoyed making an impact, but truly, it’s what the school has done for my kids that has made such a difference in our lives” she says. “What’s most meaningful is seeing how much the teachers truly care about all of the kids, not just the ones who are accomplished and easy to teach.” She notes that her four children have different gifts and learning styles, and that Pace teachers have cared deeply about encouraging the best from each one. A recent event demonstrates Hadley’s point. “I was in Croatia with the older kids, and got both a call and an email from a teacher who was so proud of one of the girls’ efforts that she had to tell me right away,” she says. “Pace is all about the teachers and administration—there is no comparison.” l
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“I love Pace so much. Each experience has been wonderful—I’ve enjoyed making an impact, but truly, it’s what the school has done for my kids that has made such a difference in our lives.”
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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS
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pper School performers broke out their bell bottoms and threw on some tie dye to bring the musical Disaster! to the Pace Academy Fine Arts Center this past spring. Directed by Upper School Theatre Director SEAN BRYAN, with musical direction by SUSAN WALLACE, the hilarious homage to disaster films and music of the 1970s chronicled the ill-fated opening of a floating casino and discotheque, where anything that might go wrong—earthquakes, tidal waves and infernos!—does.
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C a ts !
MMM
The lives of Paris’s most elite felines and resourceful alley cats took center stage as the fourth grade presented the classic Disney comedy The Aristocats as its class play.
Th e Fi na l C u rt a i n STUDENTS in the Lower, Middle and Upper School strings ensembles, as well as the Middle and Upper School choruses and bands, closed out the year with spring concerts.
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M I D D LE L SCH OO S ST R I N G
U PPER SCH OO L BAN D
ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS
F RIDAY, OCTOBE R 4 H O M E CO M I N G TA I LG AT E PA R T Y
6 P.M. AT RIVERVIEW SPORTS COMPLEX (5700 Riverview Road, Mableton) Bring your family and join the Alumni Association for a tailgate cookout with food from Low Country BBQ!
HOMECOMING FOOT BALL GAME VS. STONE MOUN TAIN HIGH SCHOOL
7:30 P.M. AT RIVERVIEW SPORTS COMPLEX (5700 Riverview Road, Mableton)
S AT UR D AY, OCTOBE R 5 ALUMNI COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SHOWCAS I N G O U R SE N I O R S SENIOR visual artists put the finishing touches on their Pace Academy careers at the Advanced Studio Art and Independent Study Exhibit. The exhibition celebrated the work of seniors KYLIE BLANK, CATHERINE BRENNAN, SIOFRA CASEY, CONOR HARTMAN, ALONDRA JUAREZ, CHASE KARAMANOLIS, ANDREW KONRADT, ANN RAFEEDIE, ABBY RAY, JARED RAYMAN, KAYLA ROSS, LAWSON STRICKER, PATRICK THURMAN and LILY WAGONER.
COLLEGE A RT I STS TWO members of the Class of 2019 plan to major in the visual or performing arts in college. Congratulations to these artists!
C AT H E R I
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10 A.M. IN THE INMAN CENTER All alumni and their families are invited to join the Alumni Association for a morning of community and service benefiting The Perfect Love Foundation, founded by Taos Wynn ’04.
CLASS REUNION GATHERINGS
The Classes of ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ’99, ’04, ’09 and ’14 celebrate their reunions.
REGISTER BY OCTOBER 1
www.paceacademy.org/alumni/reunion
HAVE QUES TIONS?
Contact Hayley Shoji ’12 hayley.shoji@paceacademy.org or 404-240-9106
VA R S I T Y GYMNASTICS
IGHLIGHT
Coached by STEVE CUNNINGHAM
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After an impressive 9–4 season, the varsity girls gymnastics team gave a solid performance at the state preliminary meet—the team’s first prelim appearance since a GHSA change to the qualifying rules. The Knights qualified with a seventh-place ranking out of 33 teams. At the meet, cleanly executed routines on all four events allowed the team to hold on to its seventh-place ranking, even with the top two allaround scorers, sophomore CASEY SHOULBERG and junior HAYDEN SAMPLE, out due to injuries. Freshman KATE GRABOWSKI led the team on bars, placing 16th overall. Sophomores EVE KOGON, HAYLEY CAVINDER and MAGGIE JENKINS, and senior JILL RAWLS rounded out the Knights’ squad. Shoulberg and Sample consistently contributed to the team’s season accomplishments, including a first-place finish at the OLA Invitational. For the second year, Shoulberg was the team’s top all-around scorer; when Sample’s season ended, she ranked as the second all-around scorer. Both girls qualified for the preliminary meet as individuals. The team will miss Rawls, its lone senior, who qualified as an individual for preliminaries each of her four years on the team.
VA R S I T Y G I R L S G O L F Coached by TIM WALSH and KEVIN BALLARD This 2019 varsity girls golf team was small but mighty. The nine golfers traveled to tournaments near and far before wrapping up the season at the area tournament. Unlike previous years, only the top three—rather than five—teams in the area advanced to the state competition, and the Knights finished in fifth place, failing to qualify as a team. Senior ALEKS GOLDE placed second overall with a score of 71 and qualified for state as an individual. Golde received All-State honors. The team bids farewell to seniors ADARA ANTHONYJONES, SOPHIE BECK, Golde, LEAH JONES and KATHRYN REISNER.
VA R S I T Y B O Y S G O L F Coached by SCOTT SHUPE The 12 members of the varsity boys golf team put in strong and steady effort over the course of the season and into the area tournament, but tough breaks and difficulty closing holes left the Knights in sixth place in the area and out of statechampionship qualification. The team hopes to build on its solid season next spring, when it will miss the leadership of seniors CARTER FERGUSON and NATE ROBINSON.
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VA R S I T Y G I R L S L A C R O S S E Coached by SYDNEY HOLMAN and MOLLY MILLARD For the first time in the young program’s history, the varsity girls lacrosse team earned a spot in the state tournament. With strong senior leadership from MADELINE ARENTH, CAELAN CORBALLY, ALONDRA JUAREZ, EDEN KERKER, MORGAN MARTIN and VERONICA SANDOVAL, the Knights triumphed over teams like Sequoyah and Darlington to garner a playoff berth. Despite a valiant effort, the team fell to Kell High School in the first round of state-tournament play. The Knights look to build on this season’s success and return to postseason play next spring. Congratulations to junior CLAIRE WIERMAN, who received First Team All-State honors for her contributions on the field.
VA R S I T Y B O Y S L A C R O S S E Coached by GRADY STEVENS, BRYAN COLE, BEN EWING '06, SHANE JACKSON and NICK VERELLI
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Wins over the likes of Woodward, Marist and St. Pius marked high points in an outstanding regular season in which the varsity boys lacrosse team went 12–4. The Knights faced Kell High School in the first round of state-tournament competition and came away with a 13–4 victory. The team’s postseason run ended with a 7–5 loss to Buford High School in the Sweet 16. Following the season, seniors SAM ASSAF and CHARLIE WARREN were named 2019 US Lacrosse All-Academic honorees; Assaf received First Team All-State recognition, while Warren made Second Team All-State. Senior PATRICK THURMAN, junior MBITI WILLIAMS and sophomore TRIPP TRIMBLE received All-State Honorable Mention. Next spring, the Knights will take the field without seniors Assaf, ANDREW KONRADT, ANDREW LADDEN, BROGAN SMITH, KIRK SPINELLI, Thurman, CHARLIE TRIMBLE, Warren and WILL ZOOK.
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VA R S I T Y B O Y S T R A C K & F I E L D ADAMS TWINS FINISH FIRST, SECOND AT STATE Coached by JOLIE CUNNINGHAM, WHITNEY MORRIS, JESSE RAPPOLE and TERRANCE TRAMMELL Junior brothers GEORGE ADAMS and SAM ADAMS quite literally set the pace for the 2019 varsity boys track-and-field team. Sam, the region champion in the 800 meters, claimed second place in the event at the state meet—fractions of a second behind George, who earned the Class AAA state title. George also landed on the state podium with a third-place finish in the 1600 meters, and freshman EDWARD BLAHA placed fifth in the state in the 3200 meters, setting a school record. Out of the 34 teams competing at the state meet, the Knights finished ninth overall. At the Meet of Champions, a post-state invitational, the Adams brothers again ran the 800 meters and dropped their respective state times. Their outstanding performances earned All-American recognition. Next year, the Knights will miss their lone senior, JACOB SLOMAN.
VA R S I T Y G I R L S T R A C K & F I E L D Coached by JOLIE CUNNINGHAM, WHITNEY MORRIS, JESSE RAPPOLE, TERRANCE TRAMMELL and LAPORSCHA WELLS The varsity girls track-and-field team’s performance at the region meet set the stage for a successful outing at the state competition. Freshman GABBY HUDSON claimed the region long-jump title; the team’s only senior, JUSTICE JACKSON, earned region gold in the 400 meters; and junior PAYTON PAYNE was the region champion in the 3200 meters, setting a new school record. Payne also landed on the state podium in the 3200 meters, finishing in fourth place, just ahead of junior PAULA SANDOVAL, who was fifth. Jackson concluded her Pace track career with a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters, and sophomore LAURA ROMIG was fourth in the state in the 800 meters. The Pace girls finished in eighth place out of 32 teams. At the Meet of Champions, Payne placed sixth in the 1600 meters and tied her personal record.
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VA R S I T Y B OYS SO CCE R Coached by LUCAS MORENO, JUAN BONILLA, CHARLIE BRYANT, MIKE FIORELLO and RICARDO PINNOCH This 2019 varsity boys soccer team proved that the future is bright for Pace’s program. The young group of Knights defied the odds in the first round of state-tournament play, upsetting No. 2 seed Morgan County High School 8–1 in what the Atlanta JournalConstitution termed “a statement win.” The Knights went on to upset Greater Atlanta Christian School, ranked second in the state, 4–2 to advance to the Elite Eight, where the team’s season ended with a 2–1 loss to Benedictine Military School. Next year, the team will miss the leadership of seniors MAX CREASMAN, COLM PELLETIER and LAWSON STRICKER.
VA R S I T Y G I R L S S O C C E R Coached by LIZ TUTT, KIMBERLY GOODSTADT, CAITLIN TERRY, DECLAN TRAQUAIR and GRAHAM TUTT The 2019 varsity girls soccer team worked hard to put together another strong season, finishing third in the region and advancing to the first round of the state tournament, where they fell by one goal to Jefferson High School. The Knights bid a fond farewell to seniors REGAN BATES, LUCY GASH, CONOR HARTMAN, MADELINE JANKI, DEVAN JOHNSON, ABIGAIL MEYEROWITZ, KAYLA ROSS and GENNA SCHWARZ—and to head coach LIZ TUTT, who has retired from coaching the varsity girls soccer team (see story on next page).
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for middle schoolers. Tutt was young and eager to head the new initiative, which included travel with the rambunctious age group to destinations ranging from parks to swamps. Developing the girls soccer program was a demanding and challenging task. Practice locations were limited: along the Chattahoochee River, where athletes had to simultaneously avoid defenders and snakes, and on the Tophat Soccer Club’s back fields, known as “the swamp.” The players wore used polyester uniforms, forcing them to pioneer their own identities, costumes and traditions. Tutt repeatedly improvised transportation to practice and away games. Soccer gear invaded personal space as players squeezed into small buses and the backs of pickup trucks. “In the early years, Liz did not have assistant coaches or a trainer,” says her husband and fellow coach, GRAHAM TUTT (below, left). “She did it all
tioned state tournament for girls soccer in the early 1990s. Considering the initial conditions, Tutt accomplished the impossible. Of the 572 games played during her tenure, the Knights won 345 and tied 23. With accolades from the Georgia Coaches Association such as All-Star Coach and Coach of the Year, Tutt accumulated numerous titles: six-time region runner-up, nine-time region champ, six-time state runner-up and fivetime state champion. She coached many distinguished players, several of whom went on to become college players, professional athletes and coaches. Pace has left an incredible impact on Tutt’s life: meeting her husband through the school was among the top benefits. Previously a professional soccer player in England, Graham was named the 1970s Goalkeeper of the Decade by Charlton Athletic in London. The two soccer enthusiasts met when he tried to persuade Tutt to send her Pace team to his summer soccer camp at Auburn University. They immediately hit it off and talked long after his presentation had ended. The romance began at the Auburn camp that summer, and the rest is history.
herself: coached the team, drove the bus, taped up the girls’ ankles and drove back to Pace. She really pioneered female highschool soccer.” Over time, the team gained notoriety and became a consistent successful force in Pace Athletics. In response in part to the program’s growth, Pace constructed the upper field on Pace Mountain in the late 1990s. Pace was originally a member of the Atlanta league, in which varied division levels did not exist—Tutt and the Knights beat teams equivalent to those of today’s 4A and 5A schools. Her team participated in the first Georgia
Tutt spent years deliberating the timing of her retirement, but held onto personal relationships, not wanting to leave before certain players graduated. When Lower School teacher and soccer coach DECLAN TRAQUAIR (below, right) joined the program, Tutt felt confident she had found “the perfect person to take over.” As for her future, Tutt looks forward to spending time with her family in Texas and finding a new passion. “Over the span of things, I tried to identify markers in my life and what I’ve wanted to accomplish,” she says. “Currently, I am healthy, strong and ready to try something new.”
Varsity girls soccer head coach LIZ TUTT turns in her jersey. FOR 30 YEARS, varsity girls soccer head coach LIZ TUTT’S drive and determination led to unprecedented success for the Knights. The spring soccer season was Tutt's final, although she will continue to teach PE at Pace. As she departs the program, she holds status as the longesttenured female coach in Pace history, an accomplishment that warrants thanks and celebration. Tutt’s Pace journey began in 1982, when former Athletics Director BOB CHAMBERS recognized her talents and requested an interview. Tutt willingly agreed to coach Pace's varsity girls soccer team after a tragic season end due to the untimely passing of its coach, RAY BUCKLEY. Additionally, Chambers decided to expand the curriculum by launching an outdoor education program
High School Association-sanc-
— by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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SPRING SPORTS
BASEBALL BRINGS HOME STATE RUNNER-UP TITLE Not since 1995 has a Pace Academy varsity baseball team seen such success. Under the leadership of coaches DONICE BLOODWORTH, SETH LAFERA, SHANE MCGILL and JASE WRIGLEY ’94, the 2019 squad topped off a 20-game winning streak with a region title and a trip to the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class AAA state championship. Led by seniors DARIAN HOWARD, ANDREW JENKINS, MITCHELL O’BERRY, ROSS OGLESBY, TJ RAFEEDIE, BENNETT TREADWAY and BRIAN ZELDIN, the Knights began their postseason run with home wins over East Jackson and Calhoun before besting Crisp High School in the Elite Eight. As the playoffs progressed, the crowds of Pace fans at Charlie Owens Field grew, with students cheering from beyond the outfield wall and setting up yard games and travel grills in the parking lot. In the semifinals, North Hall High School proved no match for the electric atmosphere or Pace’s bats; the Knights dispatched the Trojans 9–1, 8–4 in a best-of-three series to earn a berth in the title games. On May 21, the team traveled to historic Luther Williams Stadium, home of the Macon Bacon, to face Pike County High School in a doubleheader for the crown. While both games went into extra innings, Pace fell to Pike County 5–4, 7–4 and claimed the Class AAA state runner-up title. Several Knights received post-season honors: Jenkins, Rafeedie, Zeldin and sophomore JAYDEN THOMAS were named to the All-Region and All-State First Teams; Howard and O’Berry received All-Region and All-State Second Team honors; and freshman JAE WILLIAMS was selected to the All-Region Second Team. In addition, Atlanta 400 Baseball Fan Club honored Jenkins as one of 18 2019 Metro-Atlanta High School All-Stars from across the state.
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Knights Commit to COLLEGE ATHLETICS SPRING SPORTS
SAM ASSAF
TJ RAFEEDIE
ALEKS GOLDE
JARED RAYMAN
AMHERST COLLEGE LACROSSE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL GOLF
AHSAN HENNINGS RHODES COLLEGE FOOTBALL
DARIAN HOWARD WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL
JUSTICE JACKSON
COLLEGE OF WOOSTER BASEBALL
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA FOOTBALL
KAYLA ROSS BOSTON UNIVERSITY SOCCER
PARKER SPILLERS
CHARLIE WARREN SEWANEE: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH LACROSSE
HANNAH WHITE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SOCCER
BRIAN ZELDIN
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BASEBALL
CHILTON TOLLIVER
JOELLE ZELONY
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
TUFTS UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY TRACK
ANDREW JENKINS GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BASEBALL
DEVAN JOHNSON WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY CHEERLEADING
CHARLIE KAYE SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY SWIMMING
ANDREW KONRADT TRINITY COLLEGE LACROSSE
PATRICK MARKWALTER AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
MITCHELL O’BERRY RHODES COLLEGE BASEBALL
KEASHAWN PERRYMAN BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
EMILY PULVER UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SOCCER
ANN RAFEEDIE
THIS FALL, 23 members of the Pace Academy Class of 2019 representing nine sports will join athletics teams at their respective colleges and universities— more than in any previous graduating class. Congratulations and good luck, Pace Knights!
DENISON UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL
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ICGL
IN SEARCH OF POWER IN
PUERTO RICO
AFTER A YEAR OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ACTIVISM, AS WELL AS TRIPS TO WEST VIRGINIA AND VERMONT, OUR ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS CONCLUDED THEIR STUDY OF ENERGY IN HURRICANERAVAGED PUERTO RICO.
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n Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico, decimating homes, infrastructure and the lives of the U.S. territory’s citizens, 44% of whom live in poverty, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. According to Puerto Rican officials, nearly 3,000 individuals died as a result of the storm; all residents lost power in the largest blackout in U.S. history; clean food and water were in short supply; a majority of the island’s agricultural crops were destroyed; and tourism, a vital source of income, came to a halt. It took nearly a year for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to restore electricity to all customers affected by hurricane-related outages. Eight months after power returned, Pace Academy’s 2018–2019 Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs)—senior VERONICA SANDOVAL and juniors VIRGINIA HOBBS and SANDY LUM—arrived to undertake their final IGL research expedition, the culmination of a year of intensive study of Energy, the 2018–2019 Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) annual theme. Led by ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON and Upper School science teacher DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP, the group met with local political leaders, educators, journalists and activists to better understand Maria’s impact on the island, its communities’ responses and the path forward. “We came to Puerto Rico expecting to learn more about energy and how the island was affected after Hurricane Maria,” says Hobbs, “but not long into our trip, we realized that the relationship between Puerto Rico and the mainland U.S., as well as other underlying themes such as poverty and discrimination, were crucial parts to understanding the environmental themes of Puerto Rico.” Conversations with professors at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez and leaders with nonprofit organizations such as ReImagina Puerto Rico and Para La Naturaleza revealed the island’s vulnerability in the face of natural disasters, its reliance on fossil fuels and other non-renewables, as well as the startling energy-justice issues that plague rural and impoverished communities. “For Puerto Rico to become more renewable, it will take much more than a few protests,” Hobbs continues. “We [IGLs] are often overly optimistic and cannot understand why the government doesn’t wave a magic wand and make what needs to happen happen. However, we were given a realistic depiction of how the government approaches environmental issues, which in turn motivated us to become more educated about policy.” The experience was similarly life-changing for Sandoval. “The biggest thing I learned in Puerto Rico—and over the course of this past year—is how much energy is intertwined with politics,” she reports. “When we went on our first IGL research trip to Vermont and West Virginia, we realized that there would be no change in our current system if policy didn't change. As a result of all of this, I have decided to major in business and political economy at [NYU Stern School of Business]. I hope to apply more sustainable ways of managing big companies—to benefit people, profit and planet.” l
SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTS, TAKE NOTE /// N O T U S W I N S 2 0 1 9 PA C E A C A D E M Y E N T RE P RENEUR SHIP C H A L L E N G E /// Energy was the name of the game in the sixth annual Pace Academy Social Entrepreneurship Challenge (PASEC), a competition in which Upper School students design and implement solutions to problems related to a given year’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) theme. Purpose, people, planet and profit— the quadruple bottom line—guide participating individuals and teams as they work with community mentors to refine their business plans and ultimately pitch their projects to a panel of experts. Wind energy powered sophomore ALEXANDER SWANN’S (pictured) 2019 winning concept, a web-based app called Notus. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that since 2014, the global wind market’s growth has been stable, and it expects significant increases in wind-energy production in Asia, Europe and the U.S. As demand for the sustainable, renewable energy source grows, determining where to build wind turbines to generate this power will be key. That’s where Notus comes in. “Notus provides power forecasts for new and existing wind turbines,” Swann explains. “It also takes into account the cost of land and electricity, as well as average wind speeds, to provide the best locations to build wind turbines.” ///
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THE YEAR OF WASTE 2019-2020
THE ISDELL CENTER FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP’S
THEME
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n 2018, the World Bank published What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050, an alarming report that details the effects of rapid urbanization and population growth on the world’s production of waste. The report predicts that without immediate action, global waste will grow by 70% by 2050—to 3.4 billion tons of waste annually—harming human health, contaminating local environments, creating economic uncertainty and exacerbating climate change. It’s hard to wrap one’s head around 3.4 billion tons of food, plastic, paper, metal, glass, rubber, electronics, medical supplies, construction materials, clothing and chemicals—never mind the actions required to reduce that number. And it doesn’t help that efficient removal systems keep waste out of sight and out of mind in industrialized nations while countries with fewer resources bear the brunt of the global trash problem. Americans may not see or fully comprehend the scope of the world’s waste predicament, but, quite frankly, it’s a mess. The World Bank’s report is not all doom and gloom, however. Solutions exist, it concludes, but governments and individuals around the world must take seriously the threats presented by global waste and work together to implement change. So, during the 2019–2020 school year, Pace Academy’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) will ask the school community to get on board the change bandwagon and think critically about Waste, the sixth annual ICGL global theme. Using as a framework the ICGL’s five organizational centers—Science & Technology, Culture & Arts, Social Entrepreneurship & Business, Community Engagement & Environmental Sustainability, and Public Policy & International Relations—students, faculty and families will explore Waste from a variety of age-appropriate angles. Previous years’ themes of Water, Food, Climate, Conservation and Energy will serve as the foundation as we read and research; unplug and upcycle; hear from scholars, experts and advocates; travel the world; and attempt to clean up our lives, our city and our global community.
INTRODUCING ICGL VISITING SCHOLAR
TOM SZAKY Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and our ICGL visiting scholar, will kick off the Pace community’s conversation about Waste during a three-day visit in September. TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, operates in 21 countries, working with some of the world’s largest brands, retailers and manufacturers to create national platforms to recycle products and packaging that currently go to landfills or incinerators—things like cigarette butts, dirty diapers and used chewing gum. TerraCycle runs the world’s largest supply chain for ocean plastic and recently announced Loop, a new e-commerce platform that will enable consumers to shop for many of their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging—a step toward ending the epidemic of singleuse consumption.
FASTFACTS • Every year, humans generate 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste. • High-income countries account for only 16% of the world’s population but generate approximately 34% of its waste. • In the U.S., paper and paperboard products are the largest percentage—26%—of municipal solid waste; plastic products account for 13%, or 34.5 million tons. • Solid-waste management makes up 20% of municipal budgets in low-income countries; in high-income nations that number is 4%. • In 2015, 137.7 million tons of solid waste went to U.S. landfills—22% of that was food.
SOURCES Kaza, Silpa; Yao, Lisa C.; Bhada-Tata, Perinaz; Van Woerden, Frank. 2018. What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development, Washington, DC, World Bank. Ann M. Simmons, April 22, 2016. The World’s Trash Crisis, and Why Many Americans are Oblivious. Los Angeles Times. United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling, 2015.
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BROWN SASHTI
ANDERSON ELSTER
DEMBA
The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling by Alison Inches The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters by Rose George Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash by Edward Humes The Waste Crisis: Landfills, Incinerators, and the Search for a Sustainable Future by Hans Y. Tammemagi
HOWELL
LETTES
I. MERCHANT
ROSING
SROK A
ULLMAN
EXAMPLE
HOOD 40
Outsmart Waste: The Modern Idea of Garbage and How to Think Our Way Out of It by Tom Szaky, 2019–2020 ICGL Visiting Scholar
LEADING BY
S. MERCHANT
CR AW FORD
and experiences to inform their work on campus as they help educate the Pace community regarding the waste-related issues facing the world today.
RECOMMENDED READING
WA RD
MEET OUR ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS
ASSAF
AS THE PACE ACADEMY community embarks on an exploration of the issues surrounding the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s (ICGL) 2019–2020 global theme of Waste, seniors SOPHIE LETTES and REKHA SASHTI and juniors TOMMY ASSAF and JACK BROWN will lead the charge. Selected as this year’s Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs) after an in-depth application process, the cohort of upperclassmen has committed to a year-long study of Waste that will include coursework, research and two travel opportunities. Led by Director of the ICGL TRISH ANDERSON and Associate Director of the ICGL TED WARD, the IGLs will use their insights
LETTES
ICGL
Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste by Bea Johnson
THE 2019-2020 STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD
IN THE COMING YEAR, 11 Upper School students will partner with Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) faculty to bring the topic of Waste to life for the school community through events, educational initiatives and outreach. The 2019–2020 ICGL Student Advisory Board includes seniors BEN CRAWFORD, ERIN HOOD, SOPHIE LETTES and INSHA MERCHANT; juniors GRACE DEMBA, EVAN ELSTER, CLAIRE HOWELL, DARREN ROSING, ABBY SROKA and OLIVIA ULLMAN; and freshman SHEZA MERCHANT.
ICGL
“I’m grateful to have had the wondrous opportunity [to visit Japan] and to have many stories to share with our curious Pre-Firsters. By the end of the year, they will feel as though they have traveled to Japan themselves.” PATTI ALEXANDER PRE-FIRST TEACHER
WEIGHING WASTE IN JAPAN
THE ISDELL CENTER for Global Leadership (ICGL) strives to create prepared, confident citizens of the world through the implementation of an annual, school-wide global theme and curricular, co-curricular and hands-on activities. For older students, domestic and international study tours bring global learning to life—but taking 5-year-olds halfway around the world just isn’t doable. So, for the past four years, Lower and Middle School faculty have traveled abroad to dive deep into the coming year’s ICGL theme and bring that knowledge back to our younger learners. This past May, 12 faculty members explored Japan to better understand the 2019–2020 ICGL theme of Waste. From the bustling streets of Tokyo and the Shin Koto incinerator to fish markets, a zero-waste town and Yumenoshima—an artificial island made of waste—the group’s destinations offered fascinating insights into the ways the East Asian island nation manages waste. “Our visit to the zero-waste town of Kamikatsu provided remarkable evidence that we have some catching up to do regarding our environment,” says Pre-First teacher PATTI ALEXANDER. “Americans are fairly adept at recycling, but the citizens of this small community are world leaders in waste management, sorting discarded items into more than 40 recyclable categories, and swapping out working, but unwanted, items at facilities provided for this purpose.” Faculty also enjoyed traveling on the Tokaido Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train, from Tokyo to Kyoto. “As we rode, we marveled at the unique countryside, including small towns, rice paddies and beautiful mountains,” Alexander recalls. “Japan’s electric bullet trains provide societal benefits by significantly reducing traffic congestion and lessening the country’s reliance on imported fuel.” In addition to examining waste, the study tour offered faculty opportunities to practice modeling the openmindedness they require of their students. “Spending a length of time immersed in a culture that is so different from our own allowed me to examine how culture affects how we decide to treat the world around us,” says fifth-grade teacher HAYLEY HARDWICK.
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Learning FROM THE PROS
GANN
Pace Entrepreneur Mentor Day is a unique opportunity for students to spend time outside the classroom networking with some of the most influential entrepreneurs and CEOs in the city. This past spring, senior LILY RECKFORD and junior AIDAN GANNON partnered with seven companies started by distinguished entrepreneurs: The Shepherd Center, Bennett Thrasher, Habitat for Humanity, Goza Tequila, N Baby Braithwaite, Crown and Caliber, Treehouse Holdings and Gridquire Labs. In its third year, the program faced initial challenges. Some previously partnered companies were unable to participate, providing fewer shadowing spots for students. Despite the limited space, 14 juniors and seniors experienced a typical day in the lives of seasoned entrepreneurs. “Our goal is to have students learn some of the successes and obstacles a growing company can face daily, as well as to inspire and encourage students to act on their own ideas,” Gannon says. “It is K a unique experience that really opens up REC students' eyes to the world of entrepreneurship and how they can make an impact.” Next year, Gannon intends to expand the number of partner companies and open the program to younger students. Overall, he strives “to grow the program and bring it more into the fold of Pace culture, so that everyone at Pace has the opportunity to participate.” F
OR
D
O
ng Celebrati D A RT A N CULTURE Five Pace Academy students participated in Kruti Dance Academy’s annual dance recital at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in May. The organization strives to create Indian cultural awareness among Indian American youth. First-graders SHRIYA MUKKAMALA and JUHI PATEL, secondgrader ARYA LAUNGANI, third-grader SANIA DESAI and incoming sixth-grader RAINA DESAI took the stage to showcase their culture in front of nearly 3,000 spectators. “I have learned to balance my Indian heritage with an American lifestyle,” says Raina. “I am grateful to attend Pace Academy and partake in sports, such as cross-country during the week, and also spend hours every Sunday at Kruti Dance Academy learning an ancient art from of dance.”
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— by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
GLOBAL LEADERS
s k o o B n e h W D N E C S N A TR ES I R A D N U O B Pace Academy fifth graders combined creativity, empathy, teamwork and technology when developing unique books for students at the Ellis Center, a nonprofit special-needs school, this past spring. The fifth graders created adaptations of their favorite childhood books for Ellis Center students with Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI), a decreased visual response due to a neurological impairment. The Ellis Center has been a life-changing organization for Pre-First teacher RHONDA PECK O’GORMAN ’88 and a vital component of Pace’s fifth graders’ development as leaders and servers. O’Gorman’s daughter, Adair, attends the Ellis Center. “Children, as well as adults, need to be exposed to children with differences,” says O’Gorman. “With no service projects directly relating to the disabled, Pace originally lacked this exposure.” About five years ago, the fifth-grade Community Engagement program, through O’Gorman’s leadership, partnered with the center. A CVI specialist taught Pace students that specially adapted books are required for Ellis Center students and that Ellis Center teachers make them by hand. Immediately, fifthgrade teacher SALLY FORB contacted an Ellis Center staff member. She believed Pace students could and would love to make adapted books. From there, long-term Design Thinking substitute MOLLY HURD (who joins the faculty as a Lower School visual arts teacher this fall), fifth-grade teacher DIANNE WILBUR and Forb formulated a plan. Every Wednesday for six weeks, students rewrote the narratives of their favorite books; used iPad Pros and pencils to photograph and minimize illustrations; typed succinct narratives in the appropriate colors; binded the books into their final adaptations; and wrote personal dedications. According to Forb, Hurd was “the force behind demonstrating to and teaching the fifth-graders not only the process of bookmaking, but the importance of seeing our audience as children, not with handicaps, but with special needs.” Pace students designed 15 books for the Ellis Center and volunteered at a gathering for parents interested in learning about CVI. In addition, Christine Roman-Lantzy, a world-renowned specialist in CVI, interacted with and taught activities to Pace students. She was intrigued and impressed by their immense knowledge and maturity. “This was perhaps one of the very best experiences I have had at Pace,” says Forb. “It involved not only teaching and learning new skills, but collaborating, problem-solving, empathizing and making a difference. It will stay in my heart, and in the hearts of our students, as well.” Ellis Center Executive Director ALISON CAPUTO finds that her students more easily engage in storytelling and language arts with their new books. The positive impact was definite, and Caputo says she “is grateful and appreciates the Center’s partnership with Pace.” — by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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GLOBAL LEADERS
F A C U L T Y
S P O T L I G H T
Kate Harlan 44
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GLOBAL LEADERS
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ighth-grade history teacher KATE (ECKHARDT) HARLAN incorporates a T.S. Eliot quote into her everyday mindset: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know where we are for the first time." It’s a mantra that undergirds classroom conversations focused on the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries in Asia, Africa and Europe—and that directly connects to
bilt University, when she studied abroad in Berlin. After visiting several World War II concentration camps, her perspectives on global issues and how to address persecution around the world shifted. The most influential time in her life was traveling to China in 2011. “I was suddenly viscerally aware of how many people there are on the earth,” Harlan says. “They lived such different lives from me and dealt with very different problems, but every single person mattered.” She realized how
Harlan’s passion for travel, world history and her students. In concert with Pace Academy and the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) mission to “create prepared, confident citizens of the world,” Harlan seeks to expand students’ minds and horizons by teaching them about other cultures, nations and perspectives. “I try to emphasize whatever the ICGL theme is in a given year,” she says. “In order to understand our ICGL themes of Food, Water, Climate, Conservation and Energy, students need to have a grasp of the historical contexts that have brought us to where we are today.” Harlan joined the Pace faculty in 2015 and has since led ICGL study tours to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Montreal and Quebec, and China. In Haiti, Harlan witnessed Pace and Haitian students conversing in French, Spanish Creole and English, an experience she believes perfectly epitomized the mission of ICGL. “It was amazing to see kids’ lives being changed the more they interacted with others from different cultures,” she says. “It’s why I became a teacher in the first place.” On her trip to Canada, Harlan explored the ICGL theme of Climate by learning how people live when faced with different extremes. She sledded through snowy woods, ziplined over a Montreal festival at night and slept in an ice hotel, recognizing the importance of adventure on ICGL trips. Harlan’s passion for global learning began during her undergraduate years at Vander-
important it was for her, and her students, to continue learning about different people around the world. In 2017, Harlan, supported by Hermosillo, began developing a Middle School study tour with meaningful elements from her trips to the Caribbean and Canada, but to a place less familiar: Asia. In addition to teaching Asian history, Harlan was inspired by her own transformation in China. With support from her colleagues and after a 20-day scouting trip where she and Systems Administrator GEORGE SOLKOLSKY explored Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, Kunming and Chengdu, Harlan led 39 students on two trips to China. The study tour she developed isn’t about ease and comfort, Harlan explains. Students explore the juxtaposition of cities and small towns in Asia, and how each place connects to modern culture, history and society. She feels passionately about “opening students’ minds to all the unique cultures around the world” and believes it is vitally important “to recognize the common humanity and worth in people halfway across the world who speak, worship and live differently than we do.” Harlan hopes to continue leading students on study tours that encourage them to ask questions, be brave and experience new things. Next summer, she looks forward to a Middle School ICGL trip to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. — by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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GRADUATION
Farewell,
Class of
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GRADUATION
“Today, when you gather with your family and proudly hold your Pace Academy diploma, it is certain that your smile will tell a story of both pride and accomplishment— but behind that smile is the work that you’ve put in to get to this moment, to earn this degree. You’ve readied yourself to be worthy of the title ‘Pace alumnus.’ You are a person of purpose and high moral character, a global citizen.” FRED ASSAF, Head of School
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THE CLASS OF 2019
GRADUATION
O
n Saturday, May 18, 119 prepared, confident citizens of the world crossed the stage at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and became Pace Academy alumni. The new venue—for decades, graduation took place at Peachtree Presbyterian Church—didn’t faze the Class of 2019. During their time at Pace, these students, confident in their abilities and able to navigate both success and failure, embraced change and accepted challenge after challenge. The first to spend all four Upper School years in the new Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School, the class claimed more state championships and traveled to more destinations—20-plus countries on six continents—through the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) than any other in Pace history. “You are winners because you are not afraid to take chances, and you have left Pace better for it,” Head of School FRED ASSAF told graduates during commencement. It was fitting, then, that commencement speaker Colin O’Brady presented a final challenge to the members of the Class of 2019 before they embarked on their next adventures. O’Brady, a Yale University graduate and professional endurance athlete, became the fastest person to complete the Explorers Grand Slam—a mountaineering challenge that requires summiting the tallest peak on each continent and skiing the last degree to the North and South Poles. He also founded Beyond 7/2, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds to inspire children and their communities to lead active, healthy lives and pursue their dreams. “Life is hard,” O’Brady said. “Inevitably, you are going to face setbacks and great obstacles… and, in those moments, there’s only one question that matters: ‘How will you respond?’ You have a choice. Are you going to choose fear or love? Is this an insurmountable obstacle or a huge opportunity for growth?” O’Brady continued: “Achievement is not for the select few. Achievement is simply for those who never quit, for those who set goals and for those who can overcome the greatest obstacle of all, which is your own mind. In those dark moments, when you
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By the Numbers
switch your mindset toward the positive, you will quickly realize there is a reservoir of untapped potential inside all of you to achieve extraordinary things… Put your boots back on. Let go of fear, and know that growth happens outside of your comfort zone.” O’Brady’s message marked the culmination of a weekend of graduation-related celebrations. The festivities began on Friday, May 17, as students and their families gathered in the Fine Arts Center for Senior Honors Day, where Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON bid farewell to the class, and seniors ABIGAIL LUND and JACOB SLOMAN received the Frank D. Kaley Award, Pace’s highest honor. Later, during the Baccalaureate service, Class Dean ERICA BARBAKOW, at home with week-old twins, addressed students via video message, and JONATHON RECKFORD, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International and a Pace parent, delivered the Baccalaureate address. Reckford asked graduates three questions: “Whose voices will you allow to speak into your life?”; “How will you define ‘rich’?”; and “What are you uniquely wired to do?” “The next season of life is your time to learn as much about the world as you can, to gain experience and to struggle with the things that you can’t get out of your mind,” Reckford said. “This is also a time for making decisions about who you will become. I am an adamant believer in strength of character. Ultimately, your success will be measured not by what you have achieved, but by who you are.”
119
MEMBERS
60
COLLEGES IN 25 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
31
PACE ACADEMY LIFERS
30
ACT AVERAGE
23
COLLEGE ATHLETES
8 4 1
EAGLE SCOUTS
NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL MOREHEADCAIN SCHOLAR
“While this is the end of high school, it is very much the launching point for the rest of our lives. In fact, every day is. Each day will provide opportunities for growth and success, along with its own unique challenges, which may prove to be temporary obstacles. However, your education and experiences at Pace have equipped you with the determination and resilience to persevere.” 1
JACOB SLOMAN, Valedictorian “I say this unapologetically to the Class of 2019—I love you guys. Each and every one of you. Pace Academy is better for you having been here and shared your gifts with us. From my heart to this class, congratulations.” MIKE GANNON, Head of Upper School
“One of the most valuable things I have learned in my time at Pace is that when you can’t find the words to explain something, a wise author can. Terry Pratchett said it best: ‘Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see 2 3
you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.’” 1) Commencement speaker Colin O’Brady
ABIGAIL LUND, Salutatorian “To the best class, I miss you already. In many ways, you are my family. I am not afraid to send you 4
5
out into the world. You are ready. You are remarkable. You will light it on fire.” ERICA BARBAKOW, Dean of the Class of 2019
2) Valedictorian Jacob Sloman with Latin teacher Elizabeth Kann 3) Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, our new graduation venue 4) Baccalaureate speaker Jonathon Reckford 5) Salutatorian Abigail Lund
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GRADUATION
Senior Awards ARTS ALLIANCE GEORGE MENGERT LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Margaret Bethel, Catherine Brennan, Ania Briscoe, Annabelle Critz, Harrison Husk, Jeremy Levin, Abigail Lund, Chloe Nelson, Grace Pottorff, Abby Ray, Emily Schmitt, Jacob Sloman, Henry Todd, Charlie Trimble, Raina Williams & Kendall Willis
FRANK D. KALEY AWARD Abigail Lund & Jacob Sloman GEORGE G. KIRKPATRICK PACE KNIGHT AWARD Sam Assaf & Emily Schmitt
ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION CUP Gillian Weitzner
GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD RECOGNITION Emily Schmitt
CHARLIE OWENS LETTER BLANKET AWARD Alex Allen, Madeline Arenth, Avi Arora, Sam Assaf, Alexandra Baker, Sophie Beck, Bay Brickley, Cole Campbell, Caelan Corbally, Paige Fleming, Carter Frooman, Will Funston, Merritt Ann Glass, Aleks Golde, Cameron Hamilton, Conor Hartman, Ahsan Hennings, Charlie Hirsch, Carly Irvine, Justice Jackson, Madeline Janki, Andrew Jenkins, Devan Johnson, Leah Jones, Alondra Juarez, Chase Karamanolis, Charlie Kaye, Eden Kerker, Andrew Konradt, Patrick Markwalter, Morgan Martin, Davis Mathis, Leah Mautner, Deron Moore, Blair Myers, Mitchell O'Berry, Ross Oglesby, Emily Payne, Keashawn Perryman, Ann Rafeedie, TJ Rafeedie, Jill Rawls, Jared Rayman, Kathryn Reisner, Kayla Ross, Veronica Sandoval, Genna Scharwz, Jacob Sloman, Brogan
GLADYS JOHNSON AWARD Blake Rodriguez & Genna Schwarz
Smith, Parker Spillers, Kirk Spinelli, Patrick Thurman, Charlie Warren, Luisa Whitney, Kendall Willis, Brian Zeldin & Joelle Zelony COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AWARD Sophie Beck DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION CITIZENSHIP AWARD Alexandra Baker EAGLE SCOUT RECOGNITION Sam Assaf, Carter Ferguson, Jack Ferguson, Charlie Kaye, Larry Simpson, Michael Starr, Jack Thomson & Will Zook
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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AWARD Davis Mathis
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HEADMASTER'S AWARD Margaret Bethel, Merritt Ann Glass, Charlie Hirsch & Jared Rayman HILTON AND PHILIPPA KORT SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD Caroline Singleton JAMES DE LA FUENTE AWARD Grace Pottorff & Raina Williams JIM AND LESLEY WHEELER SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD Alexandra Baker & Charlie Hirsch KENT C. TAYLOR JR. AWARD Ania Briscoe, Max Creasman, Ahsan Hennings, Blair Myers, Jack Thomson & Raina Williams LANCE AND SHIELD AWARD Aleks Golde, Charlie Kaye & Joelle Zelony MARGERY RUSSELL WILMOT SPIRIT AWARD Alex Allen, Carter Ferguson, Carly Irvine, Jill Rawls, Brogan Smith & Clay Swiecichowski MIKE GANNON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORY Lily Reckford
MIKE MURPHY COURAGE TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AWARD Holland Carlton & Chilton Tolliver PACE SENIOR CITIZEN Max Appel, Sam Assaf, Cole Campbell, Holland Carlton, Annabelle Critz, Carter Frooman, Merritt Ann Glass, Lane Goldman, Conor Hartman, Charlie Hirsch, Joseph Hirsch, Harrison Husk, Chase Karamanolis, Tase Karamanolis, Andrew Konradt, Abigail Lund, Davis Mathis, Blair Myers, Ben Nottingham, Aaron Pascaner, Emily Payne, Nicole Petrosky, Lily Reckford, Kathryn Reisner, Kayla Ross, Genna Schwarz, Cooper Selig, Jacob Sloman, Clay Swiecichowski, Lily Wagoner & Gillian Weitzner PETER F. HOFFMAN HONOR SCHOLARSHIP Paige Fleming & Deron Moore RALPH LEE NEWTON LITERARY AWARD Charlie Hirsch, Jill Rawls & Genna Schwarz RAYMOND BUCKLEY AWARD Sam Assaf, Andrew Jenkins & Kayla Ross RICKS CARSON PACE LITERARY PRIZE Catherine Brennan ROBERT A. YELLOWLEES AWARD Abby Ray & Lawson Stricker SALUTATORIAN Abigail Lund VALEDICTORIAN Jacob Sloman SYDNEY RUSHIN MATHEMATICS PRIZE Henry Todd SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AWARD Cole Campbell
GRADUATION
THE CLASS OF 2019 WILL MATRICULATE AT THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
Amherst College (1) Auburn University (6) Birmingham-Southern College (1) Boston College (2) Boston University (2) Brown University (1) Clemson University (2) College of Charleston (1) College of Wooster (1) Cornell University (1) Davidson College (2) Denison University (1) Duke University (1) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1) Emory University (1) Fordham University (2) Furman University (1) George C. Wallace Community College (1) Georgetown University (1) Georgia Institute of Technology (4) Howard University (3)
They’re off and away!
Loyola University New Orleans (1) Mercer University (1) New York University (1) Northeastern University (2) Northwestern University (1) Pepperdine University (1) Randolph College (1) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1) Rhodes College (4) Sarah Lawrence College (1) Sewanee: The University of the South (3) Southeast Missouri State University (1) Southern Methodist University (5) Syracuse University (1) Texas Christian University (1) Trinity College Hartford (1) Tufts University (2) Tulane University (3) University of Alabama (2) University of California, Davis (1) University of Colorado at Boulder (1)
University of Denver (1) University of Georgia (7) University of Kentucky (1) University of Miami (2) University of Michigan (2) University of Mississippi (1) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (3) University of North Georgia (1) University of Notre Dame (1) University of Pennsylvania (2) University of Southern California, Los Angeles (3) University of Tennessee, Knoxville (3) University of Texas, Austin (3) University of Vermont (1) University of Virginia (5) University of Wisconsin (2) Wake Forest University (6) Washington University in St. Louis (3) Wofford College (1)
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CLEAN SWEEP 52
KnightTimes | Summer 2019
T
OUR STATECHAMPION TENNIS TEAMS CEMENT THEIR PLACES IN PACE HISTORY.
he forecast called for storms the day of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Tennis State Championships at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College. Pace Academy’s girls and boys varsity teams, both Region 5-AAA champions, had advanced through the playoffs to the gold-medal matches, and that day hoped to defeat Lovett and claim state-championship titles. The girls were set to face the Lions at 10 a.m. in a rematch of the region final in which they prevailed. Competition began on time, and the Lovett girls jumped to an early lead when senior BAY BRICKLEY dropped a hardfought match at No. 2 singles. At No. 1 singles, senior AVI ARORA trailed her opponent out of the gate, and Pace’s No. 1 doubles team of senior LEAH MAUTNER and sophomore SIDNEY FUNSTON fell behind. Then, just as Mautner and Funston tied the match, the skies opened. A 90-minute rain delay halted the matches; the players waited with bated breath. But as the storms settled in over the courts, the GHSA called play for the day. With the clouds came a silver lining for the Knights. As region champions, both Pace teams entered the state tournament as the No. 1 seeds. According to GHSA rules, in the event of a statefinals rainout, play resumes at the higher seed’s home court—which meant Pace would host both the girls and boys teams’ state finals at home. The skies were clear when the boys took the courts on May 6. The Knights had a slow start as senior WILL FUNSTON at No. 1 singles and junior FINN LAMASTRA at No. 2 singles fell to Lovett, but the team began gaining momentum as junior NEIL SASHTI emerged victorious and put Pace on the board. It was up to junior ROHAN JATAR and senior CHARLIE HIRSCH, and sophomores MATT GENSER and JORDY ELSTER at No. 1 and 2 doubles, respectively, to bring home the crown. In front of stands packed with Pace supporters, the teams battled back and forth—with Pace pulling through in dramatic fashion. The Knights’ teammates rushed the courts, just ahead of
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53
HEROES OF THE HARDCOURT
the euphoric Pace fans—all eager to
Arora’s signature backhand sealed the deal for
the win signified a redemption of sorts—
congratulate the GHSA Class AAA
the Knights. The girls were state champs.
Marsico had twice previously led the team to
2019 boys tennis state champions. The following day, the girls resumed
the championship, coming up short. For this Not since 1979 had Pace girls and boys tennis
squad, the final stretch of the season was
where they had left off: behind Lovett
teams swept the GHSA state finals. A great
all about chemistry. Results improved when
0–1 and in play, with Arora trailing
deal has happened over that 40-year span,
players focused less on the prospect of a
and Mautner and Funston tied. Arora
but there has been one constant: varsity
championship and more on the process of
came back to win her first set, but KATE
boys head coach NEIL DEROSA. Ask DeRosa
being great teammates.
JONAS at No. 3 singles fell, raising the
about his decades-long commitment to
Knights’ deficit to 2. That’s when junior
coaching and his teams’ track records, and he
nity moments that we will never forget,”
“Both teams gave the Pace commu-
REKHA SASHTI and sophomore GRACE
responds, “It’s not about me. It’s about the
says Director of Athletics DR. TROY
FUNSTON at No. 2 doubles increased the
kids.” DeRosa’s selfless spirit has rubbed off
BAKER when reflecting on the season.
intensity—putting the Knights back in the
on his players, particularly the members of
“In the midst of year-end ceremonies
competition. Funston and Mautner, ener-
this year’s squad, many of whom took on roles
and preparations for final exams, the
gized by the raucous crowd, rallied to tie
that forced them to sacrifice personal glory
Pace community showed up when it
the match at 2 all. Meanwhile, Arora, who
for the benefit of the team.
mattered most. As with all state-cham-
had dropped her second set, began fighting
For varsity girls head coach MATT
pionship events, the wins are great,
through a marathon tie-breaker. All eyes
MARSICO and assistant coach ZEENA
but the evidence of our bond as a
watched as the No. 1 singles players battled
LATTOUF ’12, the victory was just as sweet.
school is what makes all the differ-
point for point, and the crowd erupted when
Not only did the Knights claim the title, but
ence. Some things never change.” l
GIRLS MATT MARSICO
HEAD COACH
ZEENA LATTOUF ’12
A S S I S TA N T C O A C H
AVI ARORA BAY BRICKLEY GRACE FUNSTON SIDNEY FUNSTON KATE JONAS LILY KAHN LEAH MAUTNER REKHA SASHTI SIDNEY SILVER
BOYS NEIL DEROSA
HEAD COACH
JAY HIRSCH
A S S I S TA N T C O A C H
JORDY ELSTER WILL FUNSTON MATT GENSER CHARLIE HIRSCH JOSEPH HIRSCH ROHAN JATAR FINN LAMASTRA NEIL SASHTI KnightTimes | Summer 2019
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THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT
T S R I F T H G THE I N K K BL AC EMY’S C AD A OR Y T E S C N PA ATIO R G E T IN E ’21 by K A
LISSA
G R EEN
’s Greene a w s ar ticle blished first pu eb. 8, in the F dition 2019, e ly K night of T h e e h t , N ew s l o o h Sc Upper t n e d s tu r. e p a new s p
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THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT
R EE S E 'S SENIO R PICTU RE
STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY KEVIN LINDER ’94 HELPS LAUNCH THE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK ALUMNI AND THE CLYDE L. REESE III ’76 BOOK AWARD
W
here were you in 1969? Many were watching the Apollo 11 launch, while others were enjoying Woodstock. In 1969, JUDGE CLYDE L. REESE ’76 was just 10 years old and starting sixth grade at Pace Academy. This fall marks the 50th anniversary of the enrollment of Reese, his cousin MARSHA REESE ’76 and her cousin ALONZO BROWN ’76 at Pace. They were the first black students to graduate from Pace. “There weren’t any other black students at Pace for us to interact with,” says Reese. “Except for my family, there were no other people who looked like us.” He recalls having to “get used to” the only black people on West Paces Ferry Road being maids getting on the bus at the end of the day. He remained one of only a handful of black students up until his graduation in 1976. Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case declaring that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional, was decided in 1954. The integration of Atlanta Public Schools began in August 1961 with the enrollment of nine black students at four all-white high schools.
Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON’S 2004 master’s thesis, From White Flight to Open Admissions: The Founding and Integration of Private Schools in the City of Atlanta 1951–1967, offers insight into Reese’s integration story. It examines how Atlanta’s private schools dealt with the societal changes during this era. Gannon chose this topic because of his observations of the complicated and slow public school integration process in Atlanta. In terms of private schools, Westminster was founded in 1951 and Pace opened in 1958. Although founded much earlier, in 1926, Lovett denied admission to Martin Luther King III in 1963. All three schools were marked as “segregationist whiteflight schools” that were “really slow and really late in the integration process,” according to Gannon. Pace first integrated in 1966 with a kindergarten student. According to Gannon’s thesis, in July 1966 while Headmaster FRANK KALEY was on vacation, an application for admission was submitted for the young African-American boy. He arrived at the school with his parents, and Upper School Principal BOB CHAMBERS, who was in charge during
The love affair between KEVIN LINDER ’94 and Pace Academy began with a doughnut. The Linders relocated to Atlanta in 1989, and the family looked at several independent schools in the area, but when DR. GEORGE MENGERT, then director of admissions, gave 13-year-old Kevin a doughnut, the deal was sealed. Today, Linder knows that there are other benefits to being a Pace student—and now, an alumnus. “When looking for a job, saying I went to Pace means a great deal because potential employers know it's a great school and that I have a solid education,” he says. Linder's Pace education led to his success at Princeton University, then at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Pace no doubt provided a foundation for college, law school and now Linder's professional life as a lawyer, but he believes his personal life has been enriched as well by opportunities to return to campus and interact with students. “Pace’s Sunday Supper was the most interesting interaction that I’ve had with current students,” Linder says. The annual potluck dinner, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of beloved community, brings together Pace students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends for an evening of engaging
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THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT
conversation around issues of social and economic equality. “Hearing students’ thoughts and perceptions on race in general and at Pace was really thought provoking.” Inspired by his participation in Leadership Pace, a Pace program designed to foster the next generation of school leadership, Linder decided to create the Association of Black Pace Academy Alumni. Launched in the fall of 2018, the group supports students of color at Pace and helps black alumni engage with the school and fully enjoy the benefits of alumni status. “I really hope that the Association of Black Alumni will be an integral part of the alumni network,” Linder says. “As Pace continues to increase diversity in all of its shapes and forms, we will continue to partner with [Director of Diversity and Inclusion] JOANNE BROWN to interact with students and to be a support for black students before and after graduation. Our shared experience is very powerful.” Under the leadership of Linder, JASON LEE ’96 and ROSS BROWN ’07, the Association of Black Alumni has established the Clyde L. Reese III ’76 Award, in honor of one of the first Pace graduates of color. The award, which will be presented for the first time in the spring of 2020, will promote a Pace culture that supports and values students who represent diversity in its many shapes and forms. Awarded to a sophomore or junior, the recipient will demonstrate a commitment to a diverse and inclusive community. “Not only will this award help build a bridge between students and alumni,” Linder says, “but it will show African-American students how the strength of the Pace community continues after graduation. Pace has come a long way in how it celebrates and acknowledges diversity, and we want to honor the students who continue to work to promote diversity within our community.”
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JUDGE R E ESE RK AT WO
Kaley’s absence, conducted an interview and administered an entrance exam. Chambers then called Board of Trustees Chairman RUSSELL BRIDGES to notify him that the boy had passed his entrance exam. The Board met that afternoon and, with Kaley's support, within 20 minutes, voted 13–0 in favor of admission. Gannon writes that the Board members “then spent the next three hours listing which families would stay and which families would leave to determine if the move would sink the school [financially].” The school had previously budgeted and hired staff for an expected increase in enrollment that year. While most of the families did decide to stay, the enrollment increase did not materialize, leaving the school on shaky financial footing. Pace’s leadership was also worried about “backlash and violence” from the school community when integrating, according to Gannon. He describes Atlanta private school integration as having “lots of resistance, and then people suddenly thought, maybe we should do this.” Gannon’s research has helped him appreciate “how far Pace has come in our 60 years” with his long lens of the history of the school. “Some of what I learned informs my decision making today,” he says. The story of Reese and Pace starts with cousin Marsha Reese, who lived in Atlanta with her family. Reese’s father decided he would move his family from Florence, S.C., and join his brother, Marsha’s father, in the real estate business. His family operated Brown and Reese Realty, one of the first African-American-owned residential brokerage firms in Atlanta. Young Clyde Reese arrived in Atlanta three weeks before
school started, not knowing where he would go to school. While Reese’s older sister was allowed to go to public school, Westlake High School in Southwest Atlanta, he was encouraged to join his cousin at Pace. “When they told me they didn’t have football, I didn’t want to go,” he says. In high school, Reese played every type of sport there was, including soccer, basketball, baseball and track. “There were a couple of times when I wanted to go to public school, mainly because I wanted to play football and there was no Pace football team back then,” he says. His involvement in sports meant he spent most of his time at school, making “Sunday the only day [he] got some different type of activity.” For the most part, Reese only saw other black people at church. Even when facing opposing teams from schools like Westminster and Lovett, he says he “never saw anybody who was black.” Reese says that when going to games at other schools, sometimes he would “get stuff coming back at [him] from opposing teams and their fans, being the only black person on the team.” Still, he truly enjoyed the sports he played and his supportive teammates. Beyond race, another factor that separated Reese from other students was money. “We were not a financially well-off family,” he says. He was in an environment where the majority of students were
THE FIRST BLACK KNIGHT
wealthy. “We might go out after a basketWhen Reese got into the professional ball game, and I might’ve had $10 while world, he was ready because he learned others had $200,” he says. at Pace “how to be very comfortable in a During spring break and summer, Reese diverse environment.” For those who ever recalls students going to their houses on feel like an outsider, Reese advises, “grind St. Simons Island. They would invite their away every day and get to the finish line other classmates, but never him. “When because having that is going to help you you’re little, you don’t really realize why, going forward.” and you get older and you figure out that Reese spent more than 20 years in ‘we’ don’t get invited to those types of a variety of legal positions prior to his things,” he says. appointment to the Court of Appeals of When asked if he would go back and Georgia on Nov. 1, 2016, by Governor go to Pace again, Reese has two reasons Nathan Deal. He earned a Bachelor for answering “no:” “One, I wanted to play of Arts degree from Georgia State football,” he says. “And as I look back on it, University in 1980 with a major in world I think Pace was financially kind of a burden history and a minor in economics. In for my family, and I didn’t even realize they 1993, Reese entered law school at the sacrificed a lot for me to go there.” Walter F. George School of Law at However, Reese says that his experience Mercer University and graduated in 1996 at Pace was very good from an educational with a Juris Doctor degree. standpoint. “[It was] a top-notch education; He has served as assistant attorney there is no question about that,” he says. general in the Georgia Department of Law; Academically it gave him a good start for a partner at the law firm Reese & Hopkins; college and what he did after. In dark times, and general counsel, and later commiswhen he wanted to quit and go to a public sioner, of the Georgia Department of school, he is glad he stuck it out. “AcaCommunity Health, the largest health care demically, it prepared me for anything, and agency in the executive branch in Georgia. socially, I learned how to deal with all types He also served as commissioner of the of cultures different from mine,” he says. Georgia Department of Human Services. Socially, however, Reese didn’t get to He was elected to his new term of six participate in all of the school events like years on the Court of Appeals in 2019, a prom because, as he puts it, there were “good way to end his career,” he says. “no black girls except for [his] family and Much has changed since Reese no interracial relationships.” At the time, went to Pace. He is delighted to see interracial dating was taboo. But overall, he more ethnicities represented in Pace’s remembers the Pace community as being magazines, a football team and a student very nice, with “no outward racial incidents [WENDELL CARTER JR .’17] who went to at all.” He does recall one intense situation the NBA. “It’s just nice to see that knowing in middle school, however. “One guy in where I started,” he says. sixth or seventh grade called me a name In 1969, social unrest marked the times. and we got into a little scuffle,” he says. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been asReese says that the faculty and adminsassinated the year before. The Voting istration at Pace treated him well. Favorite Rights Act was signed into law just three teachers included CHARLIE OWENS, years prior to Dr. King’s death, in August HELEN SMITH, DR. GEORGE MENGERT 1965. Reese says that with this backdrop, and Chambers, who coached basketball “for some reason [Pace] decided that the in addition to serving as principal. Owens school would integrate.” From a societal taught math, was the baseball coach and standpoint, he “commend[s] Pace for that.” the assistant basketball coach. He was the Still, there are no heroes in the story, only person who lived where Reese lived Gannon says. While it’s true that Pace was and sometimes gave him a ride to school. one of the first Atlanta private schools to Smith’s history class was Reese’s favorite. integrate, “no one gets a trophy for how “I can’t believe she is still teaching they behaved in that era.” l [at Pace],” he says.
To establish the Clyde L. Reese III ’76 Award, the association hopes to raise $50,000 to endow the award and to celebrate trailblazers in the Pace community while ensuring their legacy. “This isn’t a black award or a latino award or a white award, this is an award for someone who celebrates diversity in all forms,” Linder says. “We’ve never had an award like this at Pace, and it is a big way to tell people that Pace is an inclusive community and that the alumni are here for the students.” To learn more about the Association of Black Pace Academy Alumni or the Clyde L. Reese III ’76 Award, please visit www.paceacademy.org/alumni.
JASON L EE
R O SS N B ROW
KEVIN LINDE R
59
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
M NI U L A S ATE D P U
SUSAN MCLESTER KEMMERLIN ’78 graduated from the University of South Carolina with a master's degree in social work and a post-graduate certificate in drug and addiction studies. Susan works for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health in Charleston. SETH GERSON ’91 will be honored at the 2019 Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators Summit as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. Seth is chief executive officer of Survios, a Los Angeles-based virtual reality studio focused on building connected virtual reality experiences with emergent interactivity, social multiplayer and visceral play. He lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Vivi. In her 11th year coaching the University of Florida’s women’s water polo club team, KATIE MAYER LARSON ’97 and her players won the National Collegiate Club Championship—the first team outside California to claim the title in 13 years and the first team east of Michigan ever to win. Katie’s father, former Pace faculty member JOHN MAYER, who recently retired from
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KnightTimes | Summer 2019
education, attended the tournament to cheer the team to victory. Following the championship, Katie was named Collegiate Water Polo Association Club (CWPA) Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and recognized as CWPA Southeast Coach of the Year. She shares both honors with her husband, Tim, who serves as the team’s goalie coach. Katie and Tim welcomed their second child, Sybil Blaize, on Oct. 20, 2016. CAROLINA ABDULLAH ’15 graduated from the University of Miami and will begin coursework at New York Law School in the fall. Over the summer, NORA HARLIN ’15 interned at Clutch Technologies, an Atlantabased technology company that provides subscription services for car dealers and original equipment manufacturers. Nora will begin the University of Georgia’s STEM MBA program in the fall. The specialized program is designed for high-achieving students who want a broad base of foundational business courses and the business skills needed for professional advancement and career success.
ERIN RAWLS ’15 graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rice University in Houston and will spend the coming year working for City Year in a Washington, D.C.-city school in a support role helping students build social-emotional and academic skills. Erin’s interest in engaging with vulnerable youth developed through an internship evaluating prison inmate files while working with the Texas Innocence Network, a nonprofit that seeks to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals facing life sentences or capital punishment. Erin also worked as a barista at Rice Coffeehouse, Houston’s highest-volume independent coffee shop, where she learned to create latte art, perfecting milk foam designs like swans and tulips. A hiking and travel enthusiast, she was a repeat visitor to Texas’ Big Bend National Park while in college; post graduation, she journeyed with other Rice alumni to India, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. She has eventual plans to attend law school and pursue public policy and social justice. MOLLY JACOBY ’17 spent the month of June in Peru participating in a medical study
ALUMNI
SP O T L IGH T
ON
ALEX ROSS ’17
“Mr. 57” program through the University of Georgia. On the first half of the trip, Molly toured the city of Cusco, as well as Machu Picchu and other ancient ruins. Molly spent the remainder of her time in the city of Trujillo, where she shadowed professionals in local hospitals and took a medical Spanish class. “The whole experience was very humbling,” Molly writes. “Learning firsthand from the doctors and nurses was an experience that I will never forget.” MOLLY LEVINE ’17 recently returned from three weeks in Barcelona, where she participated in a hospital shadow program through the Atlantic Global Fellowship. The program involved rotations in pneumology, general surgery and gynecology. This fall, Molly will travel to England with UGA at Oxford, an initiative of the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. As a member of Keble College, Oxford, Molly will study psychology, cell biology, upper-level statistics and genetics. The program requires students to take two intensive seminars and two Oxford tutorials, in which the student-teacher ratio is 1:1. Molly is also working toward her medical
assistant certification and plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant. BRIAN ZELDIN ’19 threw out the first pitch when the Atlanta Braves took on the Washington Nationals at Nationals Stadium on June 22. Brian, who will play baseball for the University of Pennsylvania this year, applied for the opportunity and was selected based on his academic record and his Perfect Game and travel baseball accomplishments.
1. Carolina Abdullah 2. Seth Gerson and family 3. Susan McLester Kemmerlin ’78 and her mother, former Lower School teacher ANGELA MCLESTER 4. Katie Mayer Larson with her championship team 5. Molly Jacoby in Peru 6. Nora Harlin 7. Molly Levine 8. Erin Rawls in Big Bend National Park 9. Brian Zeldin throws out the first pitch at Nationals Park
ON JUNE 6 at the Dogwood Invitational, an amateur golf tournament at Atlanta’s Druid Hill Golf Club, ALEX ROSS ’17 did something unheard of: he shot a 57, going 15-under on the par-72 course with 13 birdies and one eagle and tying the lowest round in competitive golf history (the PGA Tour record is 58). Alex’s performance—which broke pro golfer Webb Simpson’s course record by three strokes—made headlines throughout the golf world, garnering coverage in outlets such as Golfweek, Golf Digest, Golf Channel and ESPN. Alex, a rising junior at Davidson College named First-Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference his sophomore season, placed fourth for the Knights at the 2017 Georgia High School Association Golf State Championship. “Yeah, this is by far my best accomplishment,” Alex told Golf Channel. “Not even close.”
VIDEO E XTR A See Ross reflect on his record-setting performance and his time at Pace at www.paceacademy.org/athletics/ notable-pace-athletes.
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ALUMNI
MARRIAGES LEEANN INMAN HANCOCK ’01 married Craig Hancock on May 4, 2019, at Chota Falls in Clayton, Ga. The couple met in the fourth grade but lost touch after LeeAnn transferred to Pace for high school. They reconnected in the fall of 2017. LeeAnn and Craig recently moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. ERIN MAZURSKY ’03 and Megan McGowan were married on May 26, 2019, in Dawsonville, Ga. Pace attendees included CLAIRE GRAVES '03, JULIANNA RUE CAGLE '03, BLYTHE O’BRIEN HOGAN '03, WILLIAM WATTERS '03, BROOKS FICKE
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE? email alumni@paceacademy.org
1. The Inman/Hancock wedding 2. The Griffith/Mair wedding
'03 and ASA FLYNN '03. The couple lives in Brooklyn, where Megan teaches English literature at a high school for students from low-income communities and Erin serves as executive director of Rhize, a nonprofit she founded five years ago to train and coach social justice activists around the world. BRANDON MAIR ’04 married Desiree Griffith on April 12, 2019, in the Dominican Republic. Brandon’s brother, DORIAN MAIR ’04, attended. The couple lives in Dallas, where Brandon is a probe technology manager at Texas Instruments and Desiree is a psychometrist at Baylor NeuroScience Center. “We have been enjoying the past couple of months as newlyweds,” Brandon writes. “We love traveling around the world and experiencing new cultures. Our next big trip will likely be to Seychelles or the Maldives. We also recently added a new addition to our family, a puppy named Zoe!”
3. The Mazursky/McGowan wedding 4. The Dinkins/Kincaid wedding 5. The Merritt/Hill wedding 6. The Barbakow twins with their mother 7. Henry Clay Rowe with his parents 8. Chapel Mae Greer 9. The Eckhardt/Harlan wedding
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KAITLYN DINKINS KINCAID ’11 married Josh Kincaid on April 27, 2019, at Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, Ga. MADISON GALLANT DAVIES ’10 and MARY ELIZABETH MORSE DAVIS ’11 served as bridesmaids. JAY PATTERSON ’00, MOLLY PATTERSON ’03, BRENDAN DAVIES ’09, MICHELLE ROSENBAUM ’11, ALLISON ROSENBAUM ’11 and MORGAN KIMBEL HUCKER ’11 attended. The couple recently moved to Birmingham, Ala., where Kaitlyn will spend the next four years completing a residency in obstetrics
and gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Josh is an account executive at Cintas and a photojournalist in the United States Air Force Reserves.
FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES Upper School English teacher ERICA BARBAKOW welcomed twin girls, Harper Grace and Charlie Lane, on May 10—just 2 minutes apart. Harper was 5 pounds, 3 ounces and 17.6 inches. Charlie was 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 19.25 inches. First-grade teacher BAILEY GREER and her husband, Brent, welcomed daughter Chapel Mae on April 24, 2019. Chapel weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and joins big brother Connor, 3. Middle School history teacher KATE ECKHARDT HARLAN married Ryan Harlan on July 6, 2019, at King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta. The wedding party included Lower School Director of Design Thinking JANIE ROWE. Faculty members KIRSTEN BOEHNER, KELLY COLQUITT, EDNA-MAY HERMOSILLO and KATHIE LARKIN attended. Ryan is a project manager at Home Depot and co-owns Firelight Coffee Roasters. The couple lives in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood. Upper School English teacher SELBY MERRITT HILL married Alex Hill on June 15, 2019, in Athens, Ga. The wedding took place on the University of Georgia’s Herty Field. The couple honeymooned in South Africa. Lower School Director of Design Thinking JANIE ROWE and her husband, Coston, welcomed son Henry Clay on March 24, 2019. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. “Henry is precious and smiley and loving life,” Janie reports.
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ALUMNI
SCOR E ON E FOR TH E
Old Guys Alumni lacrosse players, coached by former varsity lacrosse coach and Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON, overcame the varsity squad with a 7–6 win at the second annual alumni lacrosse game on June 1 at Riverview Sports Complex.
M U LT I C U LT U R A L
Connections The Alumni Association and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion celebrated the multicultural members of the Class of 2019 and their families at a gathering in May. At the event, MARK JOHNSON ’94, ROSS BROWN ’07 and JEAN-LUC BROWN ’16 welcomed seniors to the Alumni Association, emphasized the value of remaining connected to Pace and discussed the transition to college.
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ALUMNI
A TOAST TO TH E
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Big Apple Pace alumni—from summer interns to seasoned New Yorkers—gathered at Harding’s in the Flatiron District on June 5 for the annual New York City Alumni Happy Hour.
1) Recent graduates came out to cheer on the varsity baseball team as the Knights defeated North Hall High School in the Final Four and advanced to the state championship (see story on page 34). Pictured left to right are BOBBY MILLS ’18, DAVID ROOS ’18, MCRAE OGLESBY ’17, JOHN PROPST ’17, BEN SIEGEL ’17, BRIAN SLOAN ’17, ALEX RAFEEDIE ’16, SAMMY LETTES ’17, JACK RUBENSTEIN ’17 and BARRETT BAKER ’17.
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2) DUSTIN HADLEY ’15, GINNY REYNOLDS ’15 and LAUREN HADLEY ’15 ran into each other while traveling with their families in Croatia over the summer. 3) KAMRAN SADIQ ’15 recently caught up with Upper School Spanish teacher PAULA PONTES, who passed along several boxes of Portugeuse literature. Kamran is studying Portugeuse at Kennesaw State University. 3
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The Legacy Continues
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With the graduation of the Class of 2019, the Alumni Association welcomed 13 legacies to its ranks. JULIE HORNSTEIN APPEL ’81, MAX APPEL ’19 and BRENNER APPEL ’16 [1]
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BOB BRENNAN ’88 and CATHERINE BRENNAN ’19 [2] CHARLEY BRICKLEY ’88 and BAY BRICKLEY ’19 [8] JOHN CRITZ ’91 and ANNABELLE CRITZ ’19 [3] FRED GLASS ’89 and MERRITT ANN GLASS ’19 [4] JAY MYERS ’86 and BLAIR MYERS ’19 [5]
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CHRIS PAYNE ’86 and EMILY PAYNE ’19 [6] STEPHEN REISNER ’16, SUSAN CANTER REISNER ’79 and KATHRYN REISNER ’19 [11]
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CALLA KAMINSKY ’19, KELLY KLUMOK SCHIFFER ’87 and DREW SCHIFFER ’19 [7] RENA ANN PECK STRICKER ’87 and LAWSON STRICKER ’19 [9] 7
LEE BARRY SHEPARD ’90 and HENRY TODD ’19 [12] (not pictured: MARCUS TODD ’89) DEBORAH CELECIA WAGONER ’84 and LILY WAGONER ’19 [13]
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CAROLYN SINGLETON WILLIAMS ’80, JOHN WILLIAMS ’19 and PAIGE WILLIAMS '16 [10]
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ALUMNI BE N COCO
Need an old yearbook?
CALL A
Was yours lost, damaged or destroyed?
KELLY
CA D I E
A Pace Family Tree
We can send you a new copy!
MA X
Contact Pacesetter adviser Ryan Vihlen for availability.
DRE W
ryan.vihlen@paceacademy.org Z ACK
“Pace Academy has always meant ‘family’ for a number of reasons,” says COCO SCHIFFER ’14. “When I was a student, I literally had family all over the place—turn a corner and there was another cousin. But I also had family amongst my teachers, classmates and the administration.” Coco is one of three siblings to attend Pace. Her sister, CADIE SCHIFFER ’16, and cousin ZACK KAMINSKY ’16 were classmates. Younger brother DREW SCHIFFER ’19 graduated with cousin CALLA KAMINSKY ’19 in May. And the story doesn’t stop there. KELLY KLUMOK SCHIFFER ’87—Coco, Cadie and Drew’s mother—and two other cousins, brothers MAX SCHIFFER ’20 and BEN SCHIFFER ’22, are also Pace family. “Pace isn’t a one-size-fits-all school,” Cadie says. “I feel like our family has done everything—from soccer, basketball, wrestling and cross-country to ceramics, theatre, yearbook, chorus and peer leadership. At a time in life when you need to experience success and failure, there are endless opportunities to attempt everything.” Kelly has enjoyed watching her children thrive in the environment that so shaped her life. “Our kids were all so happy at Pace, and we saw them become more confident and wellrounded every year,” she says. “It was also fun for me to watch them take classes with some of my former Pace teachers. It's such a special place, and we're all grateful to be part of the Pace family!” l
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ALUMNI
THE YEAR IN REVIEW An update from Alumni Association President BRYAN CHITWOOD ’93
SAVE THESE DATES OCTOBER 4–5 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend
• ALUMNI TO ALUMNI — Explore more regional events to connect alumni outside of Atlanta. Re-examine local alumni events and determine the best format in which to connect alumni with shared interests. • ALUMNI TO YOUNG ALUMNI — Build the Alumni Association’s network on LinkedIn. Launch an alumni Instagram account. Explore mentoring programs that match young alumni with seasoned alumni in a given career path. • ALUMNI TO FUTURE ALUMNI — Work with the Office of College Counseling to host lunchtime alumni career panels. Build a database of alumni experts for faculty use. Create affinity groups to build additional opportunities for alumnistudent interaction. • ALUMNI TO PACE — Reach our Alumni Fund participation goal once again. Move The Alumni Challenge to the fall to coincide with Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. Increase the number of alumni volunteers in leadership positions. If you are interested in helping with any of these committees, please let us know! Join a committee or simply submit ideas. I look forward to sharing updates as we continue our progress.
Parents Club 56th Annual Pace Fall Fair
Sincerely, BRYAN CHITWOOD ’93 President, Pace Academy Alumni Association
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To become involved or submit suggestions, please contact Alumni Relations Manager HAYLEY SHOJI ’12 at hayley.shoji@paceacademy.org.
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s I reflect on the 2018–2019 school year, I am enthusiastic about what we have accomplished and excited to share some changes in progress. The goal of the Alumni Board is to serve as a liaison between the alumni base and the school. Your input regarding topics that affect Pace alumni is not only important, it is critical to achieving our objectives. Please continue to share your ideas and suggestions, particularly as they apply to the topics below. At the beginning of the school year, we rolled out a five-year Alumni Strategic Plan to formalize the Alumni Association’s objectives. As part of this process, we created committees aligned with the first four objectives of our plan. These committees have been hard at work, and I have highlighted some of their goals below.
ALUMNI
Hobbs Receives 2019 Alumni Scholar Award
Golden Knights While the Class of 2019 celebrated its entrance into the Alumni Association in May, members of the Class of 1969 gathered for their 50th reunion and induction into the Golden Knights Club. Representatives from the Classes of 1967, 1968 and 1970 joined the festivities and helped welcome the newest Golden Knights to the group.
A Lifetime of Service • • • • • • • • The 2019 Alumni Engagement Award Launched in 2018, the Alumni Engagement Award recognizes an alumnus who has served as an active partner with Pace Academy, giving gifts of time and talent to help further its mission. JOHN INMAN ’83 received this year’s award. “[John] sets the bar high for what it means to be a truly engaged and involved alum,” said Life Trustee DON INMAN ’81, John’s brother, while presenting the award. “He has served the school in a multitude of leadership roles—as a member of the Board of Trustees and as Alumni Board Chair, cochair of the Alumni Challenge for the Aim High campaign and chair of the Alumni Scholar Award Committee.” In addition to accepting the Alumni Engagement Award, John was invited to continue his Pace legacy by joining the Pace Life Trustees. Don Inman, Betty Ann Inman and John Inman
Junior VIRGINIA HOBBS was the proud recipient of the 2019 Alumni Scholar Award. Presented by Life Trustee and Alumni Scholar Award Committee Chair JOHN INMAN ‘83, the award recognizes a junior student who embodies Pace Academy’s values of high moral character, academic achievement, leadership and service, thereby enriching the school community as a whole. In addition to Virginia’s longtime involvement in the varsity basketball and soccer programs, she is a National Honor Society member and an Orkin Scholar. She served on the Isdell Center for Global Leadership Student Advisory Council as a sophomore and junior, and was selected as one of four Isdell Global Leaders for the 2018–2019 school year. Outside of school, Virginia has volunteered as a counselor at Camp Seafarer and coached an NYO girls basketball rookie team. She also backpacked for 28 days with the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming. After saying goodbye to her three-year commitment to the Pace band, Virginia looks forward to serving as a peer leader her senior year. As a recipient of one of Pace’s most prestigious awards, Virginia receives a scholarship of $10,000 toward senior-year tuition, funded by the Pace Academy Alumni Association and the Alumni Scholar Committee. — by GENNA SCHWARZ ’19
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WE NEED YOU! Which area is most meaningful to you? Pace Academy is a vibrant community composed of many parts, and we treasure the diverse passions represented within our school family. To ensure that your Pace Fund gift aligns with your Pace priority, you may elect to support one of seven areas of need. In other words, uchoose. For more information or to make a gift, visit www.paceacademy.org/support/uknight-the-pace-fund.