KnightTimes Fall 2021 by Pace Academy

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Homecoming & Reunions Being Reunited Never Felt So Good!

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F PA C E A C A D E M Y

T H E 2 0 21–2 0 2 2 I C G L G LOBA L T H E M E

PEEK IN THE OF SIDE F ADMISS ICE OF IONS

E AC P OR F E TH UB L S, N C I T S JO GH S NT I N E ’ N R O Y K I A T P O EM C D UC S A A PM I C 1 L 1 D A – 7 UA E 2, C N 2 ILL 0 N PA 2 M A 2, N H L I T I TA R 6 R P 3 PU , A AY AT Y ion DR T t A N c S U /a u FO g r E .o TH my e d ca a e c pa D UR

ME CO IN ED S S DR E UR YO ! ES T B s 70

IN OCTOBER 2020, my class, the Pace Academy Class of 2000, should have celebrated our 20th reunion; sadly, COVID had other plans. A year later, we made up for lost time over this fall’s Homecoming & Reunion weekend as we gathered with our families at the Alumni Tailgate and for a Saturday-evening soiree at a local brewery. I loved reconnecting with my classmates, several of whom are now Pace parents, and sharing with them how the school has both changed and stayed very much the same over the past two decades. We watched as our fearless mascot, Sir Winsalot, mesmerized (and terrified) our children, and as a new generation of Knights fans put on their blue and white to cheer the varsity football team—nonexistent during our years at Pace—to a win over Lovett. It was a wonderful weekend filled with great memories and laughter, and it made me grateful that Pace has played such a significant role in my life for the past 25 years. I hope that you feel that same sense of community and pride as you read this issue of the KnightTimes. I hope it’s a reminder that Pace is a special, special place.

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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.

GUES T WRITER 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org

HEAD OF SCHOOL F R ED A S S A F

DIVISION HEADS DOR O T H Y HU T C HE S ON Head of Lower School GR A H A M A N T HON Y Head of Middle School MI C H A EL GA NNON Head of Upper School

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

RYAN VARMA ’22 Senior RYAN VARMA '22 joined the Pace Academy community in the second semester of his sophomore year after his family moved to the U.S. from Singapore. Previously, they resided in other countries including Indonesia, Egypt and Turkey. Varma, one of four 2021– 2022 Upper School Isdell Global Leaders, is a dedicated member of the Model United Nations program and serves on the organization’s executive board. He is also involved with TEDxPaceAcademy and plays tennis for the Knights. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and hanging out with friends and family.

CONTENTS 06 NEWS

C A I T LIN GOODR I C H JONE S ’0 0 Director of Communications, editor DIDIER BR I VA L Digital Content Producer M A R Y S T UA R T GR AY ’16 Communications Associate R YA N V IHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer LEL A WA LL AC E Digital Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS F R ED A S S A F C HR I S BER R Y GEM SHO T S PHO T OGR A PHI C w w w.gemshot s .com SM A X PHO T OGR A PH Y w w w. smaxar t .com

CONTRIBUTING WRITER DA N A JAC K S ON

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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36 ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

09 ELISA AND BOBBY EZOR DONATE HISTORIC PHOTO

36 UPPER SCHOOL THEATRE RETURNS TO THE STAGE

10 DOROTHY HUTCHESON NAMED HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

36 INTRODUCING NEW VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS TEACHERS

AROUND PACE A look at what’s happening on campus

38 THE SEUSSODYSSEY Middle School drama reimagines Homer's epic poem; hilarity ensues

12 AT THE HELM New leaders across campus 14 FACES OF PACE KATHERINE PATRICK, DANIEL PRINCE and MATT WALKER 16 WELCOME, NEW STUDENTS! Greetings to our newest families 18 LET'S GET BACK TO SCHOOL 20 HOMECOMING Knight spirit on full display 22 OUR COMMUNITY Tracking progress on our Action Plan for Racial Equity 24 GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOWSHIP STEM summer internship in partnership with Coca-Cola 26 NEW BOARD MEMBERS KEN CRUMLEY, HEATHER DEXTER, DEREK HARDESTY, LAUREN LINDER ’00, CAREN MERLIN and DOUG SHANLEY-BALYEAT 32 ACCELERATE PACE 32 A FINAL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Faculty, staff and students move into the Kam Memar Lower School 34 DONOR PROFILE A gift in memory of former teacher CAROLYN MCLEAN

40 ICGL The Isdell Center for Global Leadership 40 MICHELLE NUNN VISITS CARE president and CEO talks Education with the Pace community 42 THE YEAR OF EDUCATION The 2021–2022 ICGL Theme 44 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT An update from TED WARD 46 GROWING THE PACE FAMILY An inside look at how the Pace Academy Office of Admissions is navigating this novel era 50 ALUMNI 50 ALUMNI UPDATES 56 HOMECOMING & REUNIONS Being reunited never felt so good 58 OUT & ABOUT 59 ALUMNI BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY 60 WITH LAURA DICKEY COREY ’04 Students learn about The Met’s innovative approach to education 61 GET TO KNOW THE SIX NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS 64 TAKING HIS TALENTS TO TOKYO Doing it all with Olympic hurdler KENNY SELMON ’14

Dear Pace Community, It’s been a fabulous fall at Pace Academy! Thanks to the wonders of science and our collective commitment to health and safety, school has progressed in person this semester— a fact that fills me with gratitude. In this issue, we look back on the events and accomplishments of recent months—from Homecoming and the Middle School play to the Senior Parade and the completion of the beautiful Kam Memar Lower School (page 32). We also highlight new and returning faculty and staff in leadership roles (page 12), cover the launch of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s Year of Education (page 42), and thank those who support our community with their time, talents and treasures. As we’ve welcomed new students and families to Pace this fall (page 16), I’ve been reminded that so much of what we celebrate here on campus begins in the Office of Admissions. Needless to say, the pandemic has altered the ways in which independent schools attract, educate and enroll new families, and I’m proud to report that the Pace process has never been more successful. I hope you’ll take the time to read Growing the Pace Family on page 46 to learn how our nimble, thoughtful and innovative team—aided by an army of student, faculty and parent ambassadors—continues to strive for excellence in admissions. In this season of thanksgiving, I’m grateful that you are part of the Pace family. Thank you for your partnership.

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL THE COVER The World's Greatest Playground, adjacent to the new Kam Memar Lower School, welcomed students back to campus this fall. Learn more about the building and how we Accelerate Play on page 32. Image by DIDIER BRIVAL

Sincerely,

THIS PAGE

FRED ASSAF

Senior varsity football cheerleaders JAYLA WIDEMAN, MADDIE HALE, SAANIKA TOLMARE and EDDI ARONSON get ready for the varsity football team to kickoff against Westminster.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Behl Favero

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has recognized 22 members of the Class of 2022 as Commended Scholars or Semifinalists. The following students received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise and performance on the PSAT: SAMUEL ALKIRE, CARLY APPEL, MADISON AUCHINCLOSS, KARGIL BEHL, GEORGE BLAHA, SAMUEL BREADY, NIKKI BYRNE, AUSTIN CULPEPPER, LEAH FAVERO, KATE JONAS, HENRY LEUSINK, ROBERT MALLIS, PRANAVH PRADEEP, MEGHNA SINGHA, JASON TAPPER, THOMAS WELLS and JAYLA WIDEMAN. Seniors JOHN CATHERMAN, BENJAMIN CHERN, SYDNEY FAUX, MARIELLE FROOMAN and COLE KAPLAN were named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them among the highest-scoring test takers in Georgia. These seniors are now eligible to apply for National Merit Scholarships, which will be awarded beginning in March 2022.

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Tapper

Leusink

Catherman

Auchincloss Faux Singha

Kaplan

Byrne

Appel Culpepper Pradeep Wideman

Jonas

Bready

Alkire Blaha Chern Frooman Mallis Wells

National Merit Honors 22 Seniors

NEWS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Behl, UyHam Make Pace Proud at GHP KARGIL BEHL ’22 (below, left) and MARIT UYHAM ’23 (below, right) were among a select group of students chosen to participate in the 2021 Governor’s Honors Program (GHP), a month-long residential summer program for approximately 650 gifted and talented high-school students from across the state. GHP, which took place at Berry College, aims to “provide students with the academic, cultural and social enrichment necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators and leaders.” UyHam selected Spanish as her academic concentration and researched the influence of demography on Spanish architecture; a drawing elective rounded out her curriculum. Behl focused on mathematics, investigating “a relatively obscure question sur-

rounding rational numbers and factorials” in addition to his math coursework. A social studies elective included a mock Supreme Court trial and a simulation of the Constitutional Convention. “Above all, I learned from my friends and other students,” Behl reports. “I sat in a slam poetry reading, hearing about the communicative arts majors’ life experiences. My hallmate knew everything about the birds and deer surrounding us and taught me about their eating and mating habits. Another hallmate showed me his code for filtering ACT questions, and an engineering major let me try on the glasses he designed to detect the iris.” UyHam feels similarly: “I was so lucky to have the opportunity to be around so many students who love to learn!” she says.

NEWS

Rhythms of Reflection

nge… “Cha n we s whe n.” begin ac tio take

Preserving History If she so desires, RAINA MOSELEY ’22 could have a promising future in journalism. The senior took part in DR. CHRISTINE CARTER’s Oral Histories course this past January, part of the Upper School history department’s minimester offerings. The week of intensive classes allows students to delve deeper into a specific subject matter—this past year, African, African Diaspora and African American history. Students in Carter’s class learned how to conduct interviews using StoryCorps Connect, a new platform that allows for remote audio recording using video conference technology. StoryCorps, a non-profit organization, records, preserves and shares the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. Carter’s pupils specifically focused on the experiences of people of color in 2020, a year in which racial tensions in the U.S. came to a head following the killing of George Floyd. “We have to ask good questions to find extraordinary solutions,” Moseley says. “Change always arises out of painful issues, but it begins when we take action: when we ask one another about our varying past experiences, beliefs and perspectives. For me, curiosity drives my questions; I always want to understand a concept holistically, and so being an active listener is crucial to hearing the truth that comes from whomever is enlightening me.” Soon after Moseley posted the audio recording of her project, StoryCorps notified her that the interview had been selected to be professionally recorded and included in its Signature Series; the subsequent project is now archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and in a special collection at National Museum of African American History & Culture. “I'm beyond excited, humbled and honored knowing that my conversation will live on for so many others to hear,” says Moseley. “I'm looking forward to conversing with even more people and gaining a stronger appreciation for their lived experiences and perspectives.”

SAANIKA TOLMARE ’22 has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember. “If I have a hard time expressing or processing an emotion, I write about it,” she says—and, for Tolmare and so many others, 2020 brought with it a lot of emotions. The result of Tolmare’s ruminations is We Are Still Awake, a self-published book of poems that takes readers through what she calls her “mentalhealth journey.” The poems “reflect the triumphs

and struggles of a high schooler,” Tolmare says. “It was really important for me to publish this for myself, and I hope that everyone who reads these poems can both relate to and be inspired by my words. Reading and writing poetry reminds you to take life one stanza at a time.” We Are Still Awake is available in Pace’s Woodruff Library and on Amazon.com.

one e life “Tak ime.” at a t a z n a st

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NEWS

White Wins USA GOLD Associate Director of Athletics and Varsity Boys Basketball Coach SHARMAN WHITE started the school year in Xalapa, Mexico, where he served as head coach of the USA Men in the FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Under White’s leadership, the team earned its seventh consecutive gold medal with a 90–75 win over Argentina. “It was an incredible experience,” says White, whose team endured daily COVID testing and isolation to compete—nothing compared to “what our servicemen and women are doing to serve and protect our country,” he notes. “However, it’s humbling to be able to honor our nation while doing something I’m passionate about. Hearing The Star Spangled Banner while on the gold medal stand is unforgettable.” l

Austin Represents on National Team

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RJ AUSTIN ’22, a standout member of the varsity baseball team, was selected to USA Baseball’s 2021 18U National Team. The team included 26 of the nation’s top-ranked players and competed against Canada in a seven-game friendship series in September in Florida. “The highlight of the experience was being with and playing against some of the best high-school athletes in the world,” Austin says. “Just seeing how I fit in with a great group of guys was tremendous.”

Austin, who earned Region 6-AA Player of the Year honors and was selected to the 2021 All-Region First Team, plans to share some of the knowledge he gained as part of the national team with his Pace teammates. “I learned that doing the small things in every game makes a big difference,” he says. “I also want to share with them how playing loose and having fun is better than playing uptight and too seriously.” l

NEWS

THE PACE ACADEMY WOODRUFF LIBRARY IS FULL OF STORIES—and the story behind the photograph that now hangs inside its main entrance is a good one. Given by Life Trustee ELISA EZOR and her husband, BOBBY EZOR, the image was taken by renowned photojournalist Scott Cunningham and depicts the late Congressman John Lewis’s funeral procession across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Cunningham shot the photo using a drone, which overheated as it flew above the ceremony. Fortunately, Cunningham managed to avoid disaster and captured a series of images before the drone crashed into the Alabama River. He spent an hour searching for the equipment before a storm forced him out of the water and he resigned himself to the fact that the drone was lost. A week later, Cunningham received a remarkable phone call: a scuba diving class had recovered the drone, and while the water had destroyed the machine itself, the SD card was intact. The final image on the card was breathtaking. “John Lewis spent his entire life looking after other people,” Cunningham told filmmaker WILL FRAMPTON ’99, who documented the story in a short video. “I hope people see that [in this photo].” For the Ezors, who also donated a print to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the message contained in the photograph is an important reminder to the Pace community. “As a Trustee, I served on the Board’s then newly formed diversity committee in 2004,” says Elisa, who is proud of the strides Pace has since made in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. “We feel that it is vitally important for all Pace students—past, present and future—to remember those brave leaders who fought for equality and paved the way.” Bobby adds: “Now, more than ever, our city needs to come together, and education is the key! Scott Cunningham’s photograph is a beautiful work of art. The story behind the photo and the lessons to be learned from it are beautiful as well. Elisa and I believe that Pace understands its responsibility to provide a quality education for all of its students. Pace’s motto, mission statement, Action Plan for Racial Equity and its very location in the heart of Buckhead, where we reside, make an ideal home for this meaningful piece of work.” l

Ezor Family Donates Historic Photo

Learn more at www.paceacademy.org/historic-photo. KnightTimes ||| FALL 2021

HUTCHESON NAMED

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NEWS

ite at t ion s a r c u r t s e c on ool y e e sc h i ng t h h y t e f y o r g Su gi nni n t he be

In t r o du cing st ne w K a ud e n t s m M em t o t he ar L o w er S c ho ol

“Coming to know the extraordinary students, faculty, administrators and parents who make up the Pace community convinced me that it would be a privilege to lead the Lower School into the future.” — DOROTHY HUTCHESON

“Upon getting to know Interim Head of Lower School DOROTHY HUTCHESON, countless members of our community have asked, ‘Can we keep her!?’” Head of School FRED ASSAF wrote in a letter to the Pace Academy community on Oct. 15. “I’m proud to report that the answer is YES! Following a short-lived search, Dorothy has accepted our offer of permanent employment and will continue to lead the Lower School going forward.” Since joining the Pace administration this past June, Hutcheson has led with energy, compassion and joy, keeping students at the center. She brings more than four decades of experience in education to her role—as a classroom teacher, college counselor, dean of students, consultant, executive coach and head of school. Most recently, Hutcheson served as interim director of the Village School at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, Calif. From 1992 to 2012, she was head of the Nightingale-Bamford School in Manhattan. Her resume also includes time at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn and at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. Hutcheson has served on the boards of six independent schools, the National Association of Independent Schools and the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Education at Teachers College, among others; her list of professional honors and affiliations is long. “The past few months have been among the happiest of my career in education,” Hutcheson says. “I knew that being part of Pace Academy would be a wonderful opportunity, and coming to know the extraordinary students, faculty, administrators and parents who make up the Pace community convinced me that it would be a privilege to lead the Lower School into the future. You have welcomed me with open arms and reminded me how much I love school—this school, in particular.” “I’m grateful to Dorothy for jumping so wholeheartedly into our community and embracing all things Pace, and I’m excited to work alongside her in this more long-term capacity,” says Assaf. l

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AT THE HELM This fall, a handful of

familiar faces assumed new responsibilities

AROUND PACE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PACE

Sean BRYAN /// DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS /// A member of the visual and performing arts department since 2015, Bryan now oversees the arts progression from PreFirst through 12th grade, working with members of the faculty to ensure alignment across the arts curriculum. With a bachelor’s degree in acting from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in directing from the University of Iowa, Bryan brings nearly two decades of teaching and administrative experience to his new role.

Christal CALDWELL /// ATHLETICS OPERATIONS MANAGER, HEAD GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH /// A graduate of West Virginia University (WVU) with a degree in psychology, Caldwell played professional basketball in Romania before coaching and working in team operations at La Salle University, WVU and Virginia Tech. Her experience as a college athlete informs her work; she led the WVU Mountaineers to the 2014 Big 12 Conference title and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors.

within the Pace community, and several individuals joined our community in leadership positions.

Ellye MILLAWAY /// UPPER SCHOOL COUNSELOR /// Prior to arriving at Pace, Millaway lived in New Orleans for 10 years and served as a school social worker in Jefferson Parish Schools. She returned to her hometown of Atlanta and worked as a primary counselor at Skyland Trail’s adolescent residential treatment program. Millaway received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and early childhood education, a master’s degree in social work and accolades in leadership, teaching and social work, all from Tulane University.

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Amy RUFF /// ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING /// Ruff comes to Pace from the University of Michigan’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions, where she served as a regional recruitment coordinator. Prior to her time at Michigan, Ruff was associate director of admissions for Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and worked in multiple roles within Florida State University’s Office of Admissions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Assumption College and a master’s degree in strategic communication from Purdue University.

AROUND PACE

Ashley CLAY /// MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR ///

Courtney SCHAEFER DEVEAU ’07 /// ALUMNI DIRECTOR ///

Judith INNISS /// DIRECTOR OF THE LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER ///

Clay, a certified counselor, joined the Middle School faculty in 2019 and taught study strategies before assuming her current role. Prior to her arrival at Pace, she served as a counselor at Centennial Academy Charter School and worked in special education in Fulton County Schools. Clay holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Emory University, a master’s in teaching from Bellarmine University and a master’s in professional counseling from the University of Georgia. She earned Pace’s 2021 John Anderson Excellence in Teaching Award.

Deveau returns to her alma mater following an extended stint as associate director of membership and affiliate programs at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Deveau earned her bachelor’s degrees in art history and French language and literature from the University of Virginia, and she managed alumni programming and engagement for The Virginia Club of New York prior to her time at MoMA.

As Lower School Academic Resource Center (ARC) director, a new position, Inniss oversees the Lower School ARC’s programming and learning specialists and collaborates with administrators and ARC staff to ensure a seamless, schoolwide approach to academic support. Inniss comes to Pace from Queens, N.Y., where she worked in special education, supporting teachers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University and a master’s degree in special education from the City College of New York.

Nirvana KELLY SCOTT

Jasmine WAKEEL

Patrice WRIGHT-LEWIS

/// DIRECTOR OF EQUIT Y AND INCLUSION /// A magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy, Scott joined the Pace faculty as a Lower School strings instructor in 2015, became an active member of the Faculty Diversity Committee in 2016 and took on the additional role of Lower School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion coordinator in 2019. She is working toward a master’s in educational psychology with a concentration in applied cognition and development at the University of Georgia.

/// DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY PROGRAMS /// Wakeel oversees Pace Summer Programs and Knight Crew, the Lower School after-school program, after spending seven years leading similar initiatives at Woodward Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Samford University and earned her master’s in business administration from the University of North Alabama.

/// DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL GLOBAL LEADERSHIP /// A member of the Lower School faculty since 2019, Wright-Lewis now oversees Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) programming in the Middle School and teaches seventh-grade history. An Atlanta native, Wright-Lewis earned her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and her master’s in secondary education from Vanderbilt University. She has more than a decade of classroom teaching experience spanning elementary education through high school.

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AROUND PACE

Matt Walker /// COMPUTER SPECIALIST ///

Daniel Prince /// MAINTENANCE AND GROUNDS STAFF ///

I started at Pace as the assistant director of Summer Programs and a Middle School teacher before taking the obvious next step into IT. What do you do at Pace that falls beyond the scope of your job description?

I was working as the assistant sport turf manager at Georgia Tech when a contractor informed me that Pace was trying to do all of their own field maintenance instead of subcontracting it out. I met with Director of Facilities DAVE FORTIER and Director of Maintenance WES FORTIER, and I've been here ever since.

Over the years, my job description has evolved a great deal. I ran around with a clipboard when I did Summer Programs; I’ve taught and coached in the Middle and Upper Schools; I plug things in as an IT guy—but my favorite is being a Pace parent. When I pop into a Lower School classroom to help with a misbehaving laptop, it’s not Mr. Walker the computer guy that gets the shout out from kids, it’s my sons’ dad who gets the greetings, which is a blast!

What do you do at Pace that falls beyond the scope of your job description?

Is there one particular memory or experience that defines Pace for you?

My job description is fairly broad, but I feel like the work we do out at Riverview Sports Complex is much more than that. We maintain the playing surfaces that our student-athletes play on every day, but also we act as game-day operation managers, set-up and break-down crew, parking assistants and, every now and then, we provide an open ear for a venting coach, player or parent.

I’ve had a ton of memorable moments over the years teaching video classes and coaching soccer, but back in 2007, I was teaching a Middle School life skills class with a group of incredible sixth graders. These young ladies tore through the course material so adroitly that we were able to take on a fundraising project. The girls took the lead on promoting, executing and then tallying the results for the inaugural Middle School Penny War—an event that was run every subsequent year until the pandemic—and managed to raise a lot of money to donate to a local school in need. The entire experience was a great example of Pace students embodying the school’s motto as genuinely as possible.

How did you come to work at Pace?

Why is Pace a special place to work? Pace is an excellent place to work because everyone here strives to be the best. Whether it's sports, academics or even, in our case, growing grass, Pace employees shoot for greatness in every aspect of their jobs. I feel that being held to that higher standard pushes me to be the best I can be.

How did you come to work at Pace?

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AROUND PACE

What do you do that falls beyond the scope of your job description? To work at Pace is to be “all-in.” Prior to joining the Office of Admissions in 2015, I was Head of School FRED ASSAF’s assistant for nine years. My unofficial duties then simply included helping out, as they do today. I have many people to thank for the helping hands they’ve lent to me, and I help whenever I can—it’s just what we do around here! I’ve cleaned windows and set up tables and chairs. My favorite “extras” have been creating bulletin boards with teachers, assisting new Pre-Firsters as they get their lunches and anything else involving the kids! Why is Pace a special place to work? I think of Pace as a “Live, Work, Play” community. I spend a lot of time here, and it’s because I’m in good company. There have literally been days when I’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus, and while it makes for a long day, I enjoy the people I’m with. Of course, the musicals, exhibits and sporting events are second to none, and my family wants to come along. Pace has it all— I have to break away simply for a change of scenery! All that to say, Pace is special because we are here to invest in people, young and old. Is there one particular memory or experience that defines Pace for you? If I have to pick just one, it has to be when a Pace community member, a doctor, took exceptional care of me during a time of personal need. We speak so much of the “Pace family,” and it’s real. He didn’t know much about me other than my work at Pace, and he treated me as if I were his most special patient. My heart is full every time I see our school leadership bend over backward to help another Pace family member in need. It is a defining quality of our community.

Get to know the Pace Academy staff members who make the business of school happen.

Katherine Patrick /// ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF LOWER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ///

PACE

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THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES JOINED THE PACE COMMUNITY THIS YEAR.

, E M O C L E W

AROUND PACE

PRE-FIRST Ishia Abang

Madhavi Vajani & Jay Patel

Bryce Freeman

Lane Paulowsky

Aria Abel

Jennifer & Adam Freeman

Davis Friedman

Victoria Przybyl

Rani Ghaiy

Gayathri & Karthik Puttaparthi

Makazi Mtingwa & Amih Abang Bella & Matt Abel

Soni Arora

Rosalia & Sal Arora

Lucas Arshid

Kaley & Farshid Arshid

Jack Basille

Amanda & Michael Basille

Riley Bates

Heather & ELLIOTT FRIEDMAN ’96 Shivani & Raj Ghaiy

Lydia Glasgow

Rebecca & Stephen Glasgow

Lauren Graff

Whitney & Ryan Paulowsky

Ely & Art Przybyl

Sloka Puttaparthi

Morgan Roecker

Jill & Nicholas Roecker

Aria Sawhney

Crystal & Tyler Graff

Neha & Gagan Sawhney

Tessa Greenbaum

Kalla Sebastian

Emeline Ha

Juliet Sebel

Sara & Steven Blackwood

Elle Hertz

Nayyab Shaikh

Deuce Brown

Ashley Hirsekorn

Alexandra & Lamont Bates

Henry Belnick

Sabrina & Sean Belnick

Elizabeth Blackwood William Blackwood

Reagan Brown

Taylor & Ronnie Brown

Jennifer & GREG GREENBAUM ’83 Andrea & Ian Ha

Emily & Michael Hertz

Kay Nguyen & Harindra Sebastian Melissa & Tim Sebel

Bhavna Chaudhary & Abdul Wahab Shaikh

Mary & Andrew Hirsekorn

Finn Shea

Mac Hyman

Leyla Shearer

Natalie & Paul Shea

Enzo Caiafa

Hillary Shaw & John Hyman

Mahsa Soltani & Jordan Shearer

Leela Chandra

Hanan & Samir Idris

Dalia Idris

Sofia Shuja

Meredith & Jay Caiafa

Alpa & Kapil Chandra

Maci Chin Yee

Marisa & David Chin Yee

Dylan Cierny

JILL TANENBAUM CIERNY ’00 & Bennett Cierny

Lucas Coloma

Amanda & Paul Coloma

Wells Crane

Jessica & David Crane

Dax DeDeyn

Tepper Itzler

Sophie Johan

Abigail Stevens

Lila Kaye

Julie & Huston Stewart

Kayan Khalil

Allison & Brian Timberlake

Hillary Farrah Herad Johanbakhshnik KAREN MARGOLIS KAYE ’00 & Ian Kaye

Karma Sleiman & Christian Khalil

Eloise Krull

Savannah Ficke

Claire Linder

Sarah & BROOKS FICKE ’03

Jill Euteneuer & Adam Linder

Grace Fisher

Lia Loftis

Ryan Flaum

Clayton Skeean

Corinne Erickson & Will Skeean

Kate Iannuzzi & Matthew Krull

Abbey Flaum Doug Flaum

Lizet & Usman Shuja

Sara Blakely & Jesse Itzler

Pia & Ross DeDeyn

Danielle & Douglas Fisher

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Kian Patel

Kelsey & WES FORTIER

Lana & Yomand Brown

Knox Fortier

Andria & Rob Loftis

Daylen Martin

Amanda Cusick & Dewayne Martin

Laura & Logan Stevens

Lily Stewart

Isabelle Timberlake

Corinne Yu

Roberta Leu & David Yu

FIRST GRADE Charlie Itzler Lincoln Itzler

Sara Blakely & Jesse Itzler

Mattie Margine

ADRIENNE MARGINE & Greg Margine

AROUND PACE

Sally O'Bryan

SIXTH GRADE

Emeline Perkins

Berry & Will Perkins

Jennifer & Steven Bodner

Rohan Sapre

Hallie & Yogesh Sapre

Stefanie Agusta & Steve Albert

Jayden Peterson

Tyler Campbell

Campbell Smith

Caden Austin

Andi & Doug O'Bryan

Nicole & James Peterson

Lillie Stern

Kate & David Stern

SECOND GRADE Whitman Lumpkin Christin & Michael Lumpkin

Raehan Sawhney

Neha & Gagan Sawhney

Danyl Shuja

Lizet & Usman Shuja

Sarina Soni

Powlimi & Vipul Soni

THIRD GRADE William Davis

Victoria & Ryan Davis

Mercer DeDeyn

Pia & Ross DeDeyn

Zach Glover

Marsha & Ryan Glover

Caroline Stewart

Julie & Huston Stewart

Hanson Torbert

LAURA RIDALL TORBERT ’03 & WALT TORBERT ’97

FOURTH GRADE Preston Barnette

Anne & Will Barnette

Jake McMurtry

Riley Bodner

Susan & PATRICK CAMPBELL

Ann Cole Canova

Dea & Brian Canova

Brielen Craft

Keisha Hines-Craft & Brien Craft

Kiel Culpepper

Tricia Kinney & Gardner Culpepper

Meredith Shaw

Tiffany & Alan Shaw

Lori Bibb & David Smith

Erika Godfrey & Swed Austin

Annika Soni

Langston Baptiste

Powlimi & Vipul Soni

Jonathan Stephens Kia & Jeff Stephens

Jack Stone

Shelly & MATT STONE ’99

Walter Torbert

Avery Berman

Mara & Justin Berman

TJ Boakye

Nate Fogarty

Caroline Wilbert Tony Wilbert

KIM SZUROVY FOGARTY ’97 & Sean Fogarty

Arden Forrester

MEREDITH WINITT FORRESTER ’95 & Jeremy Forrester

Randall Foster

Naqui & Roland Foster

Kaci Glover

Marsha & Ryan Glover

JK Hasson

Betsy & KEITH HASSON ’90

Blair Highsmith Kristi & Robert Highsmith

Dean Hindman

Marion & Jeff Hindman

Molly Ingram

Taryn & Glenn Kirbo

Jonathan Massey Rachel & Michael Massey

Dino Meadows

Rebecca Wilbert

SEVENTH GRADE

Darcie & Marvin Boakye

Kelly Chadwick

Claire & Ben Chadwick

Eric Chatfield

René & Eric Chatfield

Aj Conduah

Kate & Brian Jaspon

Shawntay & Augustine Conduah

Evan Kirby

Chris Cortez

Tanneshia & Collis Kirby

Yury Bonilla

Ann Rosengren

Jennifer & J'Air Cotton

London Salter

Erica & Fernandas Salter

Victoria Vasquez

Alexandra Galindez & Juan Pablo Vasquez

EIGHTH GRADE Teah Charkawi

Shereen Timani & Zack Charkawi

Lexi Goodman

Courtney & Jason Goodman

Wande OkunorenMeadows & Dino Meadows

Jen & Christopher Hurd

Trey Peterson

Eva Swales

Nicole & James Peterson

Stephanie & Felipe Bernal

Drew Jaspon Taylor Jaspon

KATIE LAMB ROSENGREN ’97 & Brent Rosengren

Hayes Hurd

Jennifer & David Swales

Alexandra Galindez & Juan Pablo Vasquez

Xueyu Cheng & Xiaomo Jiang

Jolie Kessler

Valerie & Randy Kessler

Hannah Klein

Helena Levings

Walker Webb

Lindley & Jeff Webb

Claire Jiang

Nailah Beachem Lylah Anderson

Kai Cotton

Cassidy Davis

Cindy & Craig Davis

Tyson Dawson

Priscilla & Ty Dawson

Nicholas Demba

Jennifer & Don Demba

Jackson Dickert Rachel Derr & Neal Dickert

Etan Gerber

Civia & Benjamin Gerber

Kaitlyn Goldberg

Susan & David Goldberg

Christian GomezMendoza

Maria & Ricardo Gomez

Gabby Haviv

Miriam & Haim Haviv

Bryson Tiller

Tiffany & Tony Tiller

Amy Birnbaum & Adam Klein

Jonathan Emmerich Meredith & Harry Emmerich

Gavin Jeffries

Jonella Gavin Ted Jeffries

Deana ManassaramBaptiste & Philip Baptiste

Zahara Bernal

William Stern

AMY SCHULTZ RODBELL ’93 & Philip Rodbell

Zoe Albert

LAURA RIDALL TORBERT ’03 & WALT TORBERT ’97

Casey & Jon Ingram

Millie Rodbell

NINTH GRADE

Laurice & ROD DREWS ’00

Ansley Kirbo

FIFTH GRADE

Dayna & Jeremy Royal

Braylen Drews

Rick McMurtry & Randall Kilpatrick Kate & David Stern

Jacob Royal

JANE SHIPPEN LEVINGS ’90 Sanford Levings

Miles Mador

Jennifer & Jeremy Mador

Drew Martin

Laura Martin Darren Martin

Ryan Merlin

Caren & Michael Merlin

Aalia Mirza

Julie & Yasir Mirza

Leah Negero

Sara Kassahun & Negero Debero

Olivia Nelson

Hilary & Stuart Nelson

Terry Noh

Sunny & Mark Noh

Tate O'Leary

Jennifer & Tim O'Leary

Mary Oyefuga Nerice & Dayo Oyefuga

Eric Pan

Rachel Hua & Patrick Pan

Drew Park

Sofia Vasquez

Audrey Welch

Lori & Jim Welch

TENTH GRADE Deyo Bourne

EMERY DEYO BOURNE ’89 & Bray Bourne

Maddox Crawford Natalie Crawford

Kyle Greene

Charmane FreemanGreene & Kyle Greene

Sidney Keys

Winnie Caldwell

Terrence Kiel

Stacy Muckleroy

Jayden Mock Jenay Sermon Steve Mock

Kahil Shankar

Lisa & Sharat Shankar

Wyatt Shaw

Tiffany & Alan Shaw

ELEVENTH GRADE Lucy Bybee

Cally & David Bybee

TWELFTH GRADE Grant Shaw

Tiffany & Alan Shaw

Lauren & Mike Park

Caileigh Pinsker

Stacy & Brian Pinsker

Abigail Richman

Kelly & Craig Richman

Sam Rosetti

Victoria & Mike Rosetti

Nola Shapiro

Kimberly & Steak Shapiro

Gabriella Slezinger

Gabriella Yanez & Henri Slezinger

KnightTimes ||| FALL 2021

AROUND PACE

Keeping PACE

Summer PROGRAMS

Seventh-Grade RETREAT

Sixth-Grade FUN DAY

Senior RETREAT

CLASS OF 2022 PARADE

Middle School CONVOCATION

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AROUND PACE

sy A bu akes er m m m su for a y a w le orab ol! m e m scho o t rn retu

Middle School FIRST DAY

back in the

SWING of THINGS

Ninth-Grade RETREAT

Upper School CONVOCATION

Upper School ORIENTATION

Lower School FIRST DAY

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Pace Spirit

Reigns Supreme

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AROUND PACE

ACE COVERINGS COULDN’T MASK THE EXCITEMENT at a Fridaymorning pep rally in early October, the first held on campus since early 2020. The festivities kicked off a Homecoming & Reunion Weekend filled with Pace pride. As graduates gathered at Riverview Sports Complex for an alumni tailgate (see page 56), enthusiastic students and parents packed the stands at Walsh Field and cheered the Knights to a 17–14 victory over Lovett. Upper Schoolers then saluted their classmates elected to the Homecoming Court at a Saturdayevening dance, held under a tent in the Gardens, where NILE BENNETT ’22 and HOLLAND PROCTOR ’22 were crowned Homecoming king and queen. Other members of the 2021 Homecoming Court included CASSIDY DAVIS ’25, JOLIE KESSLER ’25, JACK MALLARD ’25, HARRISON SILVER ’25, KENNEDI EVANS ’24, JOVANA WILLOUGHBY ’24, LANE CANOVA ’24, TERRENCE KIEL ’24, BROOKE BRUMFIELD ’23, SOPHIA MADOR ’23, CHARLIE FLEMING ’23, CONNER PHELAN ’23, TAYLOR KNOWLTON ’22, SAANIKA TOLMARE ’22, XAVIER AGOSTINO ’22 and RJ AUSTIN ’22.

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O U R AC T I O N P L A N F O R R AC I A L E Q U I T Y :

TRACKING OUR PROGRESS MA K I N G S T R I D E S IN THE ARE A OF JOI N I N G OU R COM M U N I T Y ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRESS IS AVAILABLE AT www.paceacademy.org/diversity-inclusion.

A campus tour in early November

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RIGHT: Upper School student ambassadors selected by the Office of Admissions. Ambassadors lead prospective students on campus tours throughout admissions season.

PUBLISHED IN JULY 2020, Pace Academy’s Action Plan for Racial Equity strives to “eradicate racism and its legacy, and to dismantle any racial hierarchies within our school community.” A living document, the plan calls for an examination of institutional practices, policies and procedures in an effort to foster true racial equity and ensure that every community member feels supported, valued and safe. Since the plan’s publication, the Board of Trustees, Head of School FRED ASSAF, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN and Director of Equity and Inclusion NIRVANA KELLY SCOTT have worked alongside dedicated students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents and alumni to realize the school’s goals, building upon a strategic vision put in place years ago. The plan focuses on six areas: Teaching & Curriculum, Our Community, Listening & Learning, Our People, Joining Our Community and Our Pledge. In each issue of this magazine, we report on strides made in one of these areas. Up next? Joining Our Community.

“We strive to be a community reflective of the city and world in which we live,” the Action Plan for Racial Equity states. “This concept isn’t new to Pace,” Brown says. “If we are truly living out our mission to create prepared, confident citizens of the world, our school must embody the diversity of our global society. If it doesn’t, we are doing a disservice to the children in our care.” To foster a diverse, inclusive and equitable school family, community members must understand and take seriously their commitment to cultivating that environment—and that starts with the admissions process. Eight years ago, 16% of the Pace student body identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or People of Color). Today, students of color make up 31% of our overall student body: 34% of Lower School students, 26% of Middle School students and 30% of Upper School students. To build on these recent strides, Brown and her team have partnered with the Office of Admissions to expand outreach efforts to historically underrepresented populations, increasing the school's participation in events and school fairs coordinated by organizations such as A Better Chance, The Kindezi Schools

AROUND PACE

S POT L I G H T ON

MINDY LAWRENCE

and the Black Parents Forum. In addition, Molina Consulting provided training courses—Anti-Bias in the Admissions Process and Understanding the Racial Context of Admissions Testing—to the Admissions team and Pace faculty serving on admissions committees. “It is also important that the families choosing Pace understand our foundational commitment to racial equity and to culturally responsive pedagogy, and how we live out that commitment day in and day out,” Brown says. To that end, the Admissions team, aided by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, strives to clearly communicate to prospective families Pace’s values, standards and expectations through virtual information sessions, tours and other programming. “This year, our DEI theme is Affirm the work. Acknowledge the growth. Advance the Mission,” Brown says. “I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made when it comes to joining our community, and I’m excited about advancing our commitment to creating a community in which our differences are embraced, and all students, parents, faculty and staff have a sense of belonging.” l

Upper School history teacher MINDY LAWRENCE was one of 24 educators from across the country selected to participate in Slavery in the Colonial North, part of the Landmarks of American History and Culture program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. To lead the program, Northwestern University Professor of History Dr. Leslie Harris partnered with a team from Historic Hudson Valley, a nonprofit education organization that interprets and promotes historic landmarks of national significance in the Hudson Valley. “The goal of the seminar was to continue to shed light on the history of enslavement in the northern colonies and the ways in which the institution of slavery differed geographically,” Lawrence reports. “Each day, I studied under leading scholars from across the country, including Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara from the University of WisconsinMadison and Dr. Myra Young Armstead of Bard College.” Slavery in the Colonial North was initially scheduled to take place on site at the Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., but, due to COVID restrictions, coordinators reconfigured the experience, taking participants on virtual tours to the locations they would have experienced in person. “While it wasn’t the same as being directly in those historic spaces, I realized that the same technology that helped me explore locations hundreds of miles away could benefit my students as well,” says Lawrence. “This winter, I plan to take my minimester students on virtual field trips to locations such as the Schuyler Mansion—Eliza Hamilton’s family home—and Philipsburg Manor to help them better understand the experience of the enslaved in northern colonies such as New York. Dr. Harris will guest lecture my Advanced Placement U.S. History class to fully contextualize this period for my students, and I’m excited to bring my learning from the seminar into my daily teaching and my new club, Young Academic Historians.” l

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BENZ & PACE COHORT LAUNCH GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOWSHIP

AROUND PACE

2021 GLOBAL INNOVATION FELLOWS ELLIE ARENTH ’24 NOAH BENZ ’24 BENJAMIN CHERN ’22 K AT H E R I N E DAV I S ’ 2 4 CL AIRE EASTERLING ’24 DAV I D FU ’24

When NOAH BENZ ’24 moved from Michigan to Atlanta and enrolled at Pace Academy in 2020, he brought with him a desire to learn more about entrepreneurship and corporate innovation—as well as experience flexing his own entrepreneurial muscles. As a middle-school student, Benz and his mother, JULIA BENZ, previously global director of People Analytics Platform and Strategy for The Coca-Cola Company, had launched the Global Innovation Fellowship, a program for students that combines corporate experience with entrepreneurship and community building. In the spring of 2021, with COVID rates decreasing and vaccination rates rising, the dynamic duo decided to test a similar iteration of the program in their new city. They partnered with Coca-Cola’s Director of Package R&D and Innovation Alejandro Santamaria and Dr. Roxanne Moore from Georgia Institute of Technology to create a three-week slate of activities that would allow high-school students to engineer their own companies and community programs, attend classes at Georgia Tech and participate in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) internship at CocaCola. Thirteen Pace students piloted Atlanta’s inaugural Global Innovation Fellowship program over the summer of 2021. During the program’s first two weeks, students worked in small groups to develop concepts for their own companies based on their interests and passions. They carried what they learned throughout that process into their week at Coca-Cola, where they observed how a Fortune 100 company innovates and develops products. At Coke, Global Innovation Fellows split into three teams to produce their own brands of lemonade. Working with company leaders in the areas of sustainability, product development, packaging and supply chain, the teams developed recipes, determined how to manufacture their products, designed packaging and created plans for pricing, marketing and delivery. Then, on the final day of the internship, students pitched the companies they had created earlier in the program to Coke executives à la Shark Tank and received thoughtful feedback and critiques. “I learned a lot of valuable information regarding corporate life and got to work with awesome people,” LIBBY JONAS ’24 reports. SAANIKA TOLMARE ’22 agrees: “As a result of our behind-the-scenes quick dip into the world of Coca-Cola, we were able to apply the skills and knowledge we

Students pilot STEM summer internship in partnership with Coca-Cola 24

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CAROLINE HOOD ’24 LIBBY JONAS ’24 COLE K APL AN ’22 EMMA LOWRY ’24 AV I NARUL A ’24 BEN SCHIFFER ’22 SA ANIK A TOLMARE ’22

learned to our own initiatives and companies,” she says. “Personally, the most valuable part of this experience was presenting our initiatives to the Coke gurus. The team was supportive, kind and witty, which made the last day [of our internship] a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Several students in the inaugural cohort of Global Innovation Fellows are continuing to develop the companies conceived during the program; others are working on related projects; and some are creating a new summer entrepreneurship program for middle schoolers. Students plan to donate a significant portion of any proceeds to Pace and to underserved schools in Atlanta and Berlin. All are members of the Global Innovation Fellowship Alumni Club and will remain in touch with their mentors at Coca-Cola.* The Benzes hope to expand the program in the years to come and welcome input from the Pace community at highschoolglobalinnovation@gmail.com. l * Special thanks to Chris Vallette, Alejandro Santamaria, Neeraj Tolmare, Kelsey Belenko, Dr. Roxanne Moore and their amazing teams at Coca-Cola.

“The Global Innovation Fellowship

introduced me to an entire industry I

had never seen before —one dedicat-

ed to caring about the environment

and the consumer and to bringing joy

to the world.”

COLE K APL AN ’22

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AROUND PACE

Six new members join the Pace Academy Board of Trustees

Welcome Aboard KEN

Crumley

New Pace Academy Trustee KEN CRUMLEY and his wife, STACY CRUMLEY, have four children who are all Pace Knights: DREW CRUMLEY ’24, CAMERON CRUMLEY ’25, KINSEY CRUMLEY ’31 and KAYLEE CRUMLEY ’32. The couple’s career as Pace parents began in 2011 when their oldest enrolled in Pre-First, and will continue through 2032, when their youngest graduates. “Pace is a central part of our life,” Crumley states. He adds, “We chose the school because we wanted a welcoming, diverse community where we could build deep friendships and share life experiences. We found that at Pace.” Accepting the invitation to join the Board was a decision that came naturally to him. “After 10 years at Pace—experiencing 24 school years across our four children—Stacy and I have a deep appreciation for the school,” Crumley says. “I am happy to help in any capacity where I can be of assistance.”’ “Running a school like Pace is a complex task that requires excellence on so

many dimensions—and parent and community involvement is crucial,” he says. Crumley has served on the Pace Fund Parent Committee and Pace’s Cub Scout & Boy Scout Leadership Committee. He has also volunteered during the Fall Fair where his “specialty is the Box Maze,” he laughs. “Stacy has also been an active volunteer across Pace,” Crumley reports. “She has been a Grade Rep multiple times, served on the Pace Fund Committee, and volunteered for Pace events including the Fall Fair and Auction.” Head of strategy for Koch Industries, Crumley received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1997, he moved to Atlanta to help grow Boston Consulting Group's new office. Crumley hopes to align his work on the Board with his “passion for helping individuals and organizations to identify and unlock their unique gifts, while assisting them in achieving their goals of making a positive difference in the world.” He thinks of Pace as a family school that is always striving to improve. “If the entire community works together, we can look back in five, 10 and 20 years and feel proud

that we all had a part in building an even better institution for those who come in the future.”

H E AT H E R

Dexter

New Board member HEATHER DEXTER’s professional life and her personal interests share as a common denominator her passion for health. Dexter, who holds an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and master’s degrees in healthcare and business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is the CEO of Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital. “I have had the honor of serving the mission of Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital in a variety of roles for 23 years,” Dexter notes. A Pace Academy parent since 2017, Dexter joined Pace’s COVID-19 medical advisory group, consisting of experienced healthcare professionals, after the pandemic’s onset to help Pace leadership operate school safely. While pandemic response has also consumed most of her time and effort at Saint Joseph’s in recent months, Dexter’s most fervent interests

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AROUND PACE

surround youth mental health and addressing the shortage of care. “As a nation, we face child and adolescent mental health challenges, and the Atlanta community is wildly underserved,” she says. “The resources that are available are difficult to navigate, causing frustration and distress for the families facing mental health issues.” She explains that early identification of issues and assistance in navigating the system are critical steps to improving this crisis. “I see the work that Pace does to support our children’s health and mental health, and would love to find a way to connect my passion for improving mental health resources available to children to my involvement with Pace.” Dexter and her husband, BLAKE DEXTER ’90, have two children, TRACE DEXTER ’30 and Sumner Dexter, who attended Pace in the fourth and fifth grades and is now in eighth grade at Saint Francis School. “In our four years at Pace, each of our children has experienced some personal and learning challenges,” Dexter shares. “The responses we received from the teachers, other Pace parents and children, and the leadership team made it feel like we were embraced and supported by a true community.” She adds, “With our incredible support system, we are fortunate to have been able to work through these challenges, and Blake and I are passionate about giving back to this community. Serving on the Board of Trustees is just one way I hope I can make a difference for the children, parents and Pace Academy team.”

DER EK

Hardesty

“Before coming to Pace Academy, we were told that Pace can only do what it does if parents get involved,” new Trustee DEREK HARDESTY shares. Taking this message to heart, Hardesty and his wife, JANE HARDESTY, have volunteered in multiple capacities for the school since enrolling their children, MEGAN

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HARDESTY ’22 in fifth grade and JOHN velop leadership skills they can use for the HARDESTY ’26 in Pre-First. rest of their lives.” “Over the years, I have primarily been involved in fundraising,” Hardesty says. “I began as a member of the New Parent Committee for the Pace Fund and later served as the co-chair. The past two years, I have had the honor of co-chairing the “I attended Pace Academy for 11 years—accommittee of parent volunteers solicittually spanning three decades—and had an ing donations for the Pace Fund and the incredible experience,” shares new Board Accelerate Pace campaign.” member LAUREN LINDER ’00, whose first Hardesty, who holds a bachelor of arts days at Pace Academy were as a second from Duke University and a law degree grader in the fall of 1989. from Harvard University, brings his experiNow, 33 years since that first day, Linder ence as chief operating officer at King & returns to Pace in a new capacity, ready Spalding to the Board. He is excited for the to share her expertise as an attorney, curopportunity to serve the school in a new rently deputy general counsel for Surterra capacity: “I know how hard the faculty and Holdings, and her experience as a commuadministration work to help each and every nity volunteer with a passion for education kid develop and grow,” he reflects. “With and the arts, engaged with organizations that in mind, I was honored to be asked to such as the Alliance Theatre and Atlanta be on the Board so that I can continue to Urban Debate League. be involved.” Linder stands out among the Trustees— Hardesty’s passion for all things Pace is current and previous—as a Board member unmistakable. “Pace has been a huge part who is an alumnus but not also the parent of our lives for almost 10 years. It has been of an enrolled Pace student. Being the first everything we thought it would be and Black alumnus to join the Board distinthen some,” he says. guishes her further. From the outset, the Hardestys were Standing apart from the crowd is an “blown away by the maturity and talent of experience familiar to Linder, as she has the students at Pace,” he explains. “We received professional distinctions such loved the learning approach focused on as inclusion on the Atlanta Business helping each student find the joy in learnChronicle’s “40 Under 40” and Savoy ing. And we loved the size of the school, Magazine’s “Top Black Lawyers” lists (both and the opportunity that size provided for in 2018), as well as the Daily Report’s “On students and parents to be involved.” He adds, “Jane is also involved at Pace— the Rise” list (2019). With degrees from Brown University she is currently on the Booster Club board and Duke University School of Law, serving as membership chair and is one of two team parents for the volleyball team. In Linder reflects, “I really cherish the holistic education Pace gave me.” She the past, she has served as a room parent acknowledges that while “there were and volunteered for the Auction, Fall Fair definitely difficult moments, I credit my and Prom. time as significant in molding me into the Hardesty continues, “I am passionate about parents being engaged in the school, person that I am today.” As a student, Linder was on the deincluding by donating their time and bate and track and field teams, winning money as they are able. I have seen what a state-level awards for both, as well as a tremendous difference the engagement of Model United Nations and Model Arab Pace families makes, and I hope to be able League participant. Today she is active in to continue to foster that as a member of the Association of Black Alumni, an affinity the Board.” group for interested Black alumni. Looking ahead, Hardesty hopes “that “Over the past year, I've worked with Pace continues to help its students grow other leaders from my Pace class to have academically and personally and to de-

L AU R E N

Linder ’00

AROUND PACE

some reparative conversations about our own struggles with racial equity.” She adds, “These conversations evolved into active discussions on how to support the current students and administration. As a Trustee, I hope to have a role in furthering Pace’s pursuit of excellence in this and all areas.” Linder is enthusiastic about the Pace of today and of the future. “Pace does a phenomenal job of supporting the whole student,” she says. “I am excited to see how the school evolves and continues to build on its reputation for graduating wellrounded, confident global leaders.” Linder is married to Jonathan Grunberg, a fellow attorney and graduate of Duke Law School. The couple has twins, Grady and Gabriela, who will turn 4 in December. Linder’s older brother KEVIN LINDER ’94, also an attorney, lives in Smyrna and has remained involved with Pace as well through various alumni endeavors.

CAREN

Merlin

CAREN MERLIN brings to the Board years of experience in the investment banking sector and a deep-seated ethos for giving back to the community through volunteerism. Merlin, who holds a degree in economics from Northwestern University, became involved as a volunteer in the Atlanta community after relocating from Chicago in 1998 “to give my long-distance relationship with MICHAEL MERLIN one year in Atlanta,” she laughs. The one-year experiment was a success, as the couple married and Atlanta became her permanent home—one that offered many opportunities to put her passion for volunteering to work. Merlin says, “My first big project was building Mitzvah Day, modeled after Hands On Atlanta, through Jewish Family & Career Services.” Next she became involved in young leadership for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta—balancing all with life as a new mother. The couple’s children, JONATHAN MERLIN ’22 and RYAN MERLIN ’25, entered school at the Epstein School in

Sandy Springs, where Merlin found new sibilities as parents is to ensure our children opportunities for involvement. There she are educated to the best of our ability,” he chaired the school’s Annual Celebration explains. and was responsible for implementing Shanley-Balyeat, who serves as general a mentor program for new families. She counsel, vice president and secretary for contributed to task forces and sat on the Pratt Industries, Inc., is committed to “a Executive Committee for the Board of learning environment that is diverse, equiTrustees, serving as both vice president table and inclusive.” He and his husband, and secretary. The list of additional orgaEDDIE SHANLEY-BALYEAT, found this at nizations for which Merlin has volunteered Pace in 2018 when selecting a school for is extensive, ranging from MJCCA Day their son, BRANTLEY SHANLEY-BALYEAT Camps to Camp Twin Lakes to Second ’31, who enrolled as a Pre-First student. Helpings Atlanta. The couple hopes their daughter, Ashlyn When the family came to Pace in 2018, Shanley-Balyeat, 2, will one day join her Merlin was eager to become involved, brother as a Pace Knight. signing up immediately to be a Snack Bar The couple was impressed during the volunteer and also becoming a Parent admissions process—feeling that Pace’s Ambassador. In 2020, she joined the environment would foster cultural fluency Board’s Advancement Committee. She reand compassion and offer the diversity, flects, “It’s always been important to me to equity and inclusion they considered key to volunteer at our boys’ schools. It’s my way a quality education. “The diverse learning of giving back to the places that give so environment and Pace’s focus on building much to my greatest treasure, my children.” character were visible in its student body Excited to expand her Pace roles to and distinguishable from other schools,” include Trustee, Merlin’s enthusiasm for the Shanley-Balyeat explains. school is palpable. “The thing that sticks “Now [as Pace parents] we see this out most to me is the amount of school culture reflected in the overall community. spirit and pride students, parents and Differences are embraced and students, alumni have for Pace. I think it’s contaparents and faculty have a sense of belonggious!” she says. ing.” In particular, the Shanley-Balyeats love “I am honored to serve on the Board—I “the feeling of community you get while truly believe in the Pace mission and want walking on Pace’s campus.” He adds, “The to help lead Pace for the next generation commitment of the teachers, administrators of future leaders.” She adds, “Michael is and staff shows, each and every day.” also involved at Pace and will continue to An alumnus of Western Kentucky mentor Pace’s Upper School investment University and Wake Forest University club, Knight Capital, in the coming year.” School of Law, Shanley-Balyeat looks forward to participating in the work of the Board. “Budgets and budget trajectory are key areas of importance to me, and I would enjoy getting involved with the ‘numbers,’” he says. As an attorney, Shanley-Balyeat also values “well-thoughtout planning, procedures and governance” and hopes to contribute to these funcPace’s Board of Trustees can call on Trustee tions as well. DOUG SHANLEY-BALYEAT for expertise “The Pace community is more than on two fronts: legal and financial. Shanleywe could have ever expected,” ShanleyBalyeat is a lawyer as well as a formerly Balyeat says. “I am honored to serve on practicing CPA; he also brings to the Board the Board of Trustees and look forward to a passion for education that complements working to further this amazing school in his professional qualifications. its mission.” l “I grew up in a family of educators and believe one of our most important respon-

DOUG

Shanley- 6 Balyeat

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AROUND PACE

a circle of

SUPPORTERS ARE YOU A CASTLE CIRCLE MEMBER?

CIARA IRONS and EDDIE IRONS

Have you included Pace in your will or

RYAN PAULOWSKY, LEE LOUGHRAN and TREY LOUGHRAN

estate plan? If so, you are a Castle Circle member, and we hope you’ll let us know! If you’d like to confirm—or explore— Castle Circle membership, please contact DANA JACKSON in the Office of Advancement at 404-262-3534 or dana.jackson@paceacademy.org, or visit www.paceacademy.org/support-pace/ planned-giving for information.

Photos by CHRIS BERRY

AROUND PACE

ace parents ANN MARIE GOVIC and MARIO GOVIC hosted the 2021 Knights Circle reception at their home in October. Each year, the event provides Pace an opportunity to express appreciation to members of the Knights Circle, which recognizes Pace Fund donors who have contributed $5,000 or more during the school year. This year’s attendees enjoyed beautiful fall weather, delicious food and beverages, and perhaps most of all, the chance to gather together and socialize in person. The occasion held a particular air of celebration, perhaps due to a year missed because of the COVID precautions in place in late 2020. Board Chair ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS, Head of School FRED ASSAF and Pace parent KAVITA KOTTE made remarks during the evening. Pace parent CIARA IRONS, who attended with her husband, EDDIE IRONS, shares, “The evening was a great chance to visit with other Pace parents in person. It also reminded us how very generous the Pace community is and of the tremendous impact giving has in making Pace such an outstanding school.”

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS

Meet our 2021–2022 parent organization leaders PA R E N T S CL UB PRESIDENT ELENORE KLINGLER VICE PRESIDENT CARA LUBIN SEC RE TARY K EIT H EVA NS TREASURER OLIVER BELL PA ST PRE SIDENT NICOLE KING ALLEN

A R T S A L L I A N C E CO-PRESIDENT W ENDY SCHMIT T & CHRISTY SMITH ANDREA HA, PUJA SINGH and MICHALENA SUKENIK

SEC RE TARY BO BYRNE TREASURER SUZANNE WHITE PA ST C O-PRE SIDENTS M ARY KELLY CUNNINGHA M & ANGIE HOWELL

BOO S T E R CL UB

LAUREN LORBERBAUM CAREN MERLIN

PRESIDENT GABRIEL A CARROLL VICE PRESIDENT VA L ER IE AUSB A N D SEC RE TARY M A RY BR E A DY TREASURER BU DDY BL A H A PA ST C O-PRE SIDENTS M ARY & ED HOL MES

GARDINER THOMPSON KnightTimes ||| FALL 2021

ACCELERATE PACE

September 23

Pre-Function Lobby

Parent Meeting in the Cafeteria

Design Lab

Academic Resource Center

Music Room

Gymnasium

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ACCELERATE PACE

MOVING IN THE LOWER SCHOOL C AFE TERIA GE TS A NE W LOOK , AND THE K AM MEMAR LOWER SCHOOL WELCOMES STUDENTS

liding into a new school year has never been so fun! When Lower School students returned to campus in August, the Kam Memar Lower School was still very much under construction, but the fencing on the building’s east side had been moved back, revealing half of what the Pace community has come to call “The World’s Greatest Playground.” Towering play structures, swing sets and seven twisting slides occupied energetic students in the first weeks of school, and the excitement only intensified as the remainder of the playground opened in late September. A renovated and expanded Lower School cafeteria also greeted students upon their return to school. A commercial kitchen now stands in the space occupied by the former music room, and new finishes, windows and lighting make the reconfigured cafeteria a more comfortable and functional place to dine. Work on the Kam Memar Lower School’s 36,500-square-foot addition concluded on Oct. 13, and students, faculty and staff moved into the new space immediately. Science, STEAM and design classes now find their homes in state-of-the-art makerspaces, while an expanded Academic Resource Center provides individualized support for all students. Music and strings programs enjoy large, soundproof spaces with accessible storage, and an indoor gymnasium with direct access to the playground accommodates PE classes and community events and offers shelter during recess on rainy days. Administrative offices and meeting spaces throughout the building ensure that school operates smoothly. “We’re looking forward to officially celebrating the opening of the Kam Memar Lower School and the generosity of the Pace community once we’ve reached our $35-million goal,” says Director of Advancement HEATHER WHITE. “We need all members of the Pace community—current parents, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, alumni, grandparents and friends—to participate in the Accelerate Pace campaign. If you haven’t made your gift or pledge, now is the time!” l

Presentation Room

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OUR PROGRESS As of Oct. 15, 2021, Accelerate Pace gifts and pledges totaled $26,553,294—76% of our $35 million goal. Help us pick up the pace by making your gift or pledge today at accelerate.paceacademy.org.

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ACCELERATE PACE

Carolyn McLean reads with a firstgrade student during the 1991– 1992 school year.

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ACCELERATE PACE

REMEMBERING CAROLYN MCLEAN

Pictured left to right: Andy McLean, Liam Nagle ’25, Ann McLean Nagle ’87, Elsa Nagle ’25, Tripp Nagle

N 2019, as plans were unfolding for the Accelerate Pace capital campaign soon to transform Pace Academy’s Lower School, former Pace parent ANDY MCLEAN and his daughter, ANN MCLEAN NAGLE ’87, were in the midst of a difficult time. That January, CAROLYN MCLEAN, Andy’s wife of 55 years and Ann’s mother, had lost a long battle with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia. Known for her warmth, creativity and loving heart, Carolyn McLean has been deeply missed by her husband and daughter, as well as the countless others with whom she had special relationships. She was a mother-in-law to Ann's husband, TRIPP NAGLE; “Gran” to the couple’s children, ELSA NAGLE ’25 and LIAM NAGLE ’25; and beloved “Mrs. McLean” to the hundreds of Pace students she taught and nurtured during her 24-year career as an assistant firstgrade teacher, from 1976 until her retirement in 2000. In the months following her passing, the father and daughter pair learned more about Accelerate Pace and came to realize that the campaign offered an opportunity they had been seeking. “We wanted to do something substantial in Carolyn’s memory. A gift in her name to the campaign for the Lower School felt like the natural thing to do,” McLean explains.

Together they contributed a campaign gift to name a bay window seat in the new Soni Family Library, a setting that “seems to really connect with the spirit of Carolyn’s work,” McLean says. “She loved reading to groups of children as well as coaching them one-on-one. We zeroed in on [the window seat] because it looked like a niche where Carolyn would have enjoyed reading aloud to the children as they gathered around her.” “My mother was a strong advocate for reading development,” Nagle notes. “She believed that it was the foundation to a thriving educational future and wanted to remove obstacles [to reading] so that children could fully enjoy the experience.” Nagle’s son and daughter, now freshmen, fondly recall their grandmother’s devotion to reading and the ways she shared her passion with them. They remember that “she read to us every day from a wall [of bookshelves] filled with

books”—children’s stories that she had curated to inspire their love of reading. Nagle is pleased that their gift in her mother’s memory benefits a place that has meant so much to her family. “Pace is very special to us. Even with growth and change through the years, it has retained its sense of community and family,” she says. “Our children have had the same support and encouragement I had, and it has provided an environment where they can feel confident and thrive.” She adds, “The Lower School has always understood the importance of ensuring each student acquires the necessary skills to be successful; it is where children truly learn to have the courage to strive for excellence.” Carolyn McLean understood this and relished the opportunity to make a difference in her young students’ lives. “Each one was special to her. She loved their enthusiasm and that first-grade teachers were their heroes,” McLean says. “She would have been super pleased with Accelerate Pace.” l

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s, hose morp ht g Meta rou lay, b p fe ll li a the f ths to k my e e r G

Next to NORMAL

UPPER SCHOOL THE ATRE RETURNS TO THE STAGE

KI RK PAT RIC K

TAY LOR

F A I T H K I R K PA T R I C K Middle and Upper School Associate Band Director Associate Middle and Upper School Band Director FAITH KIRKPATRICK started playing the clarinet at 11, the same age as many of her Middle School students, who have already impressed her with their aptitude and progress. In her first months on the job, Kirkpatrick says she has appreciated the trust that the Pace administration gives its faculty as well as her ability to work with individual students, providing more personalized instruction. “When considering the position at Pace, I loved the idea of the professional, creative freedom Pace allows and of its smaller class sizes," she says. With a total of 113 students in the Middle and Upper School bands this year, Kirkpatrick has the opportunity to get to know each one well. She feels confident and excited to showcase the students’ work at their first concerts: the Upper School’s Knight of Jazz in November and the Middle School holiday concert in December. Kirkpatrick, who graduated summa cum laude from Kennesaw State University’s music education program, hopes that as a result of her teaching, each of her students discovers what music has to offer them, regardless of their skill level. “I never want my students to feel discouraged; I want them to feel motivated and to know that they can get better, even if it's at a different pace than everyone else,” she says. “It's not about getting it on the first

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fter a year of parking-lot performances and manipulating microphones around masks, Director of Fine Arts SEAN BRYAN is thrilled to usher the Upper School theatre program back onto the Fine Arts Center stage for the 2021–2022 season. Though circumstances and protocols continue to evolve, Bryan’s motivation from last year to the present remains the same: to give students the experience they deserve. “Last year, we filmed a movie rather than staging our fall play,” Bryan reflects, pondering his biggest takeaways from the 2020– 2021 school year. “This year, we’re fully back to live performance. I’m excited to return to celebrating students in the moment, rather than through the editing room.” Despite the many challenges related to COVID-19, the 2020– 2021 season did happen: one production was filmed and released online; another took place live outside; both turned out to be major successes. “The pandemic taught us to touch on things that we don't get an opportunity to touch on—things that are new to us, but that have always existed,” says Bryan. “Theatre outside

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MEE T THE NE WES T MEMBERS OF OUR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS FACULT Y

try, because you have an unlimited amount of tries to get it right. I love that the band program brings together a lot of different people who might not normally hang out. Every student has a place here.”

L A U R E N T AY L O R Lower School Strings Teacher LAUREN TAYLOR brings musical expertise and passion to her new role as Lower School strings teacher. The accomplished University of Georgia music education grad, who previously taught orchestra at Twin Rivers Middle School, will also continue to work on her master’s at the University of West Georgia and to serve as an accompanist for a church choir. Remarkably, Taylor plays 18 different instruments, from piano to violin. A consummate performer, Taylor’s heart is in teaching. “One of my goals is to instill my love of music in my students and to help them become accomplished musicians while learning valuable life skills through the study of music,” she says. “I love the nonmusical things you can learn from participating in an ensemble, like self discipline, time management and teamwork.” Taylor incorporates these skills and lessons into her teaching and enjoys seeing students discover that they can transfer them to other facets of life. She hopes that students learn that music is a powerful and effective form of expression. “I strive to create an environment in which [students] can reflect

ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS has always existed, thanks to the Greeks, so for us, it was simply a matter of how to afford the scaffolding.” Mamma Mia, the 2021 spring musical, was a celebratory show: “big and fun and without a need for nuance,” describes Bryan. “It worked for our biggest need, which was to give the students the opportunity.” Stepping back onto the stage allows this year’s casts to reunite with the up-close and minute details of performing. Bryan chose this year’s Upper School shows aiming for that reintegration while keeping in mind the ever-uncertain status of mask mandates and capacity restrictions. Based on Ovid’s classic stories, Metamorphoses, the fall play, brought Greek myths to life through narration and imaginative shadow work (look for coverage in our winter issue). With much of the choreography happening behind a cyclorama, the audience could not tell if the actors were masked—helpful given unpredictable protocols. The 2022 Upper School spring musical, to the drama club’s delight, will be Shrek the Musical, based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film. In selecting this particular show, Bryan thought about its extreme—even animalistic—costumes and realized that, if needed, masks could easily be incorporated into the actors’ attire. “We decided to select shows where masks

don't hinder the storytelling; instead, they can enhance and be an element of the storytelling,” he says. “We aren’t telling the audience to ignore the fact that Donkey is in a mask, we're telling them to see Donkey.” In addition to the fall play and spring musical, this year’s Upper School theatre season will include an annual Winter Showcase, as well as another trip to the Georgia Thespian Conference (ThesCon), which is back in person in Columbus, Ga., after being held virtually last year. Pace’s Upper School troupe will partake in workshops and present eight pieces at the 2022 conference, from spotlit solos to melodramatic monologues to showstopping ensemble numbers. Over the years, Pace theatre has accumulated many ThesCon titles, but Bryan continually emphasizes that Pace’s participation in the conference is all about the student experience. “It’s not about getting ribbons or accolades,” he comments. “It is about creating this bountiful experience that sends kids off into the world to explore what they want to do and what they're capable of. Now, our work is being adjudicated and given fair accolades, but still, the goal is always to give the students that experience.” l

GETTING ARTSY all of the emotions they feel through their instruments,” she says. From a formative professor and her studies of Beethoven, Taylor learned that music is about interpretation and innovation, so her goal is to convey that lesson to her students. “I want them to be able to see music and know, ‘This is what we play,’ but to ask themselves, ‘How am I going to play it? What am I feeling to bring it to life?’” In her classroom, Taylor wants students to feel accomplished and successful. “I want to challenge and stretch them so that they work hard, but more than that, I want them to realize that they are reaching goals and making purposeful progress.”

R AC H E L N I C H O L SO N Lower School Visual Arts Teacher Lower School Art Teacher RACHEL NICHOLSON is a master of multiple mediums: she studied ceramics, art education and music at Appalachian State University and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from Georgia State University. Her professional accolades are equally varied; she is a recipient of the NCECA Retired Professors Award and of a Regional Artist Project of Northwestern North Carolina grant, and she has completed residencies at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Nicholson’s original career goal was to be a professional artist, and she developed “moxie and the tenacity” to reach out to the internationally renowned artists she admired to ask to learn

from them. Being a learner shifted Nicholson’s perspective and passion, allowing her to realize her ultimate goal: “Teaching is what I’m supposed to do,” she says. “I thought I wanted to be a professional artist, but I realized it was lonely and lacked the purpose I find in teaching.” Nicholson, who taught middle-school students in her previous school, has found teaching in Pace's Lower School to be a joyful transition. “There is definitely a shift in the energy,” she notes. “[The younger students] are just so excited to be present and to learn. Their energy is infectious, and I leave each day feeling happier than when I arrived.” Nicholson has been delighted by her students’ capabilities— she has discovered that their foundational skills, ability to follow directions and sophistication as learners have far exceeded her initial expectations. From her experience teaching middle school, Nicholson sees it as a priority to offer her students a coordinated curriculum that advances as they move through the Lower School and equips them with a foundation of tools and skills for Middle School and beyond. Nicholson hopes her classroom will be a place where students feel relaxed, encouraged, supported and curious. In fact, curiosity is one of her favorite words, and she believes that it is a vital element of any art class. “Curiosity is about so much more than the end product or a piece of art. It’s about being curious about the meaning, the materials and the life of the artist.” l

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

ace Academy would like to apologize to Homer and the entire Ancient Greek civilization,” Director PATRICK CAMPBELL joked prior to the Middle School’s production of The SeussOdyssey, a hilarious reimagining of Homer’s classic epic poem. The play, brought to life by masked actors in front of a masked audience, combined the stylings of Dr. Seuss with one of the staples of Greek mythology. Narrator 1 and 2 and Narrator Red and Narrator Blue took audiences on a laughable literary journey—from a cyclops (“Oh the sights you can spy with only one eye!”) to sirens and sea monsters. l

A TIME FOR

MANY WORDS

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

Photography by CHRIS BERRY

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ICGL Isdell Center for Global Leadership

A VISIT FROM

MICHELLE NUNN CARE PRESIDENT AND CEO TALKS EDUCATION WITH THE PACE COMMUNITY

“How can we increase access to education in the world today?” tops of the list of questions that Pace Academy students, faculty and staff are asking as they explore Education, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) 2021–2022 annual global theme. To kick-start the conversation, Pace wel-

comed 2021 ICGL Visiting Scholar Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of the nongovernmental humanitarian organization CARE USA, to campus in October. With a presence in 100+ countries, CARE estimates that it reaches more than 90 million individuals through 1,300 communitybased projects focused on fighting poverty and world hunger. The success of many of those projects hinges on access to education, particularly for women and girls living in fragile and conflict-affected settings. “By 2030, our goal is to ensure that 50 million people have more equitable access to and control over economic resources and opportunities,” Nunn told students, “and education plays a huge role in achieving that goal.” In addition to its work in the areas of crisis, food and water, health, climate and equality, CARE strives to increase marginalized girls’ learning outcomes, retention and wellbeing by providing tailored educational solutions—building academic competencies within supportive communities, working with parents and community leaders to shift negative gender and social norms, and increasing support for girls’ education and active participation in school. During assemblies for Middle and Upper School students, Nunn discussed the complicated challenges CARE faces and the importance of collaboration between NGOs, governments and local leadership in finding solutions and effecting systemic change. “We’ve learned that you have to start locally to have a global impact,” Nunn said. “It’s all about creating scalable solutions.”

CARE Technical Advisor Shoaib Danish and Senior Program Officer Tanna Krewson brought the organization’s work to life for all Lower School students by sharing personal experiences and highlighting CARE’s impact on individuals in Cambodia and Afghanistan. “[Danish], a refugee from Afghanistan,

told students about attending school in a tent with more than 60 students of all ages and one teacher,” says Director of Lower School Global Leadership REBECCA RHODES. “His personal story was impactful, and students asked questions until the bell rang,” To conclude the day’s discussions, Coca-Cola Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships Officer BEA PEREZ, a Pace parent and Trustee, moderated a conversation with Nunn and Pace faculty and staff. “Eight years ago when we launched the ICGL, we knew that the program would succeed if the faculty were inspired and believed, as much as we did, in the importance of teaching our students how to think about and tackle real global challenges,” says TRISH ANDERSON, director of the ICGL. “Seeing so many of our faculty come out to engage with Michelle about the challenges and opportunities in education for girls around the world, and to connect with the issue at a very personal level, was incredible." l

FAS T FA C T S • 131 million girls around the world do not attend school • Girls are 50% more likely to lose the opportunity for education than boys • The World Bank shows that gender inequality in the workplace alone could cost the world $160 trillion—twice the value of the entire global economy • 72 countries forbid women from opening bank accounts or accessing credit SOURCE: WWW.CARE.ORG

“The most interesting thing that I learned [during our time with the CARE team] is that it is really dangerous for children in some countries to walk to school, especially girls. They might face challenges along the way such as being pickpocketed or receiving hate based on their identities.” — ANSLEY COCHRAN ’29 KnightTimes ||| FALL 2021

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THE YEAR OF EDUCATION From books and buses to assemblies and documentaries, here are some of the ways in which the Pace community is learning more about the 2021–2022 Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) theme of Education .

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ICGL Isdell Center for Global Leadership [1/2] PLAY ON! The unveiling of the World’s Greatest Playground adjacent to the new Kam Memar Lower School motivated first graders to explore the role of playgrounds as powerful learning spaces. Students created their own playground models, taking into account the user experience and the versatility of their various structures. [3/4] IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT The shortage of bus drivers across the nation has our fourth graders thinking about its impact on students, families and schools. After interpreting headlines and articles, soliciting firsthand accounts and estimating the number of Atlantans affected, students engineered a map to more clearly illustrate the reach of the shortage. Their next steps? Empathy mapping, storyboarding and ideating solutions that meet the needs of all involved—no easy task! [5] CUSTOMIZED CLASSROOMS Want to know what constitutes the perfect classroom? Just ask our fifth graders. As part of their year-long study of the essential question “How do children learn best?,” students created their perfect classrooms. As their learning grows, students will research and redesign their classroom spaces based on their needs and interests, as well as their knowledge of the work of leaders in education from around the world, featured on posters throughout the school. [6/7] LÍDERES EN EDUCACIÓN Fifth graders’ celebration of Latin American and Hispanic Heritage Month included study of Latino and Hispanic leaders in education. Using the graphic-design program Canva, students created colorful infographics to tell the stories of those who have shaped the educational landscape— in Spanish, of course! [8] LEARNING SPRINTS As part of their exploration into the connection between education as an institution and learning as a process, Middle School students engaged in a day of self-directed learning, identifying topics of importance and interest that should be covered in school but currently are not. Students conducted a learning sprint before translating their learning into 3-minute videos to share with their peers.

Student-selected learning topics included: The Science of Magic, Girls in Education, The Physics of Paper Airplanes, The History of Weapons and Financial Literacy, to name a few. Students now have the opportunity to turn their ideas into spring-semester Learning Clubs. “One of the most important skills for our students to develop is the ability to quickly identify areas of interest and to learn on the fly,” says Director of STEAM and Design DR. KIRSTEN BOEHNER. “This ability to take ownership of one’s learning is obviously a goal of all our education experiences, but this year’s global theme gives us the opportunity to experiment with different formats for enabling this critical practice.”

issues of and responses for equity and inclusion in our local community. [12/13] DECONSTRUCTING CURIOSITY Middle School students in CHRIS BERRY’s Curiosity Through Technology elective course examined how technology affects curiosity by augmenting or inhibiting the senses. Building and deconstructing visual systems such as microscopes and camera obscuras taught students about the items’ mechanics and construction. They then took inspiration from photographer Todd McLellan’s book Things Come Apart: A Teardown Manual for Modern Living to create beautiful compositions of parts housed in shadow boxes they engineered themselves.

[9] GIRL RISING Middle Schoolers are using portions of the [14/15] EMPATHY IN ANIMALaward-winning documentary Girl Rising as CENTERED ENGINEERING an entree into their conversations about the Inspired by First Day Critter Jitters, Pre-First ICGL theme of Education. The film follows Design Thinkers invented solutions to help nine young women in countries such as the book’s anxious animals overcome their Cambodia, Haiti, Nepal, India and Peru as first-day-of-school fears. For a slow sloth they struggle for everyday freedoms, in paragitated by the prospect of arriving late, ticular access to education. “Viewing and students devised a set of skates; a kangaroo discussing the personal narratives reprewith separation anxiety received a portable sented will provide our students with a more pouch; and a slippery snake was the proud nuanced understanding of the difficulties recipient of a belted backpack on wheels. that many young girls around the world face “While thinking about the needs of each as it relates to receiving a formal education,” character and proposing solutions, we exsays Middle School ICGL Director PATRICE plored how each character was navigating WRIGHT-LEWIS. “They will also begin to the same experience—going to school—in understand some of the ways in which girls' entirely different ways,” says Director of education can be supported.” Design Thinking NATALIE CATLETT. [10/11] ENGAGED CITIZENSHIP & EQUITY IN EDUCATION In Engaged Citizenship, a required course for all sixth graders, students have conducted a case study on equity in education, incorporating both global and local issues. They began with an overview of the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and a review of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with a particular emphasis on Goal 4: To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Students discussed where barriers exist in realizing this aspiration and considered their role as design activists to enact change. For example, students discussed how issues of equity in education were highlighted and exacerbated during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students ended the unit by identifying

[16/17] ICGL COUNCIL UNPACKS EDUCATION To help the Upper School student body better understand the ICGL theme, the ICGL Council, a group of 13 students, spotlights an Education-related topic each month. In September, students focused on curriculum, while in October, they dove into issues of learning and equity in education, related in particular to gender, race and socio-economic status. The Council partnered with the Upper School film club to host a viewing of HBO's Walkout, the story of Chicano students advocating for inclusive curriculum and practices in the Los Angeles Unified School District. They closed the month with a screening of and discussion around He Named Me Malala, a film about Pakistani advocate Malala Yousafzai’s fight for female education. l

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Students in KIM PETERSON’s Middle School Latin classes combined their historical and cultural study of Homer’s Odyssey with science and design in a two-week educational odyssey of their own. After learning about the challenges legendary hero Odysseus faced, students brainstormed ways to animate those obstacles through learning experiences created for an interactive exhibit. For example, understanding how Aeolus’s bag of wind affected the Greek sailors’ journey allowed students to design sailing ships for staged races. To animate Odysseus’s encounter with the Laestrygonians, students 3D modeled ships and built catapults to launch projectiles at the sailing vessels. Sea monsters Scylla and Charibdys came to life as a six-headed electronic Scylla monster and a whirlpool demonstration. A deep dive into wind, force and sail design, as well as study of the physics of whirlpools, ancient ship and catapult design, polygonal modeling, electronic circuitry and the science of sound allowed students to create the interactive exhibit, visited by Middle and Upper School students. “Myths are often used to explain natural phenomena,” says Director of STEAM and Design DR. KIRSTEN BOEHNER, “and students concluded that, along with many other inventions, the ancient Greeks invented STEAM!” l

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AN UPDATE FROM ICGL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR TED WARD

INTERACTIVE EDITION

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORNER

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ODYSSEY:

ICGL Isdell Center for Global Leadership FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, service to the greater community has been a pillar of the Pace Academy experience. The service learning program, started in 1972, connected students, faculty and families to organizations throughout Atlanta with the goal of serving others. With the launch of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) in 2014, leaders of Pace’s service learning program, now part of the ICGL, began to shift the lens through which they viewed service learning, putting the focus on global competency. Referring to the skill sets and qualities required for leadership in our diverse and interconnected world, global competency aligns closely with the ICGL's mission. This shift motivated a name change, and the Community Engagement program as we know it today was born, broadening the Pace community's traditional approach to service. Through Community Engagement opportunities, students learn to look outside their “bubbles” and engage with the local community with the lenses they acquire in the classroom and on domestic and international study tours. At the Community Engagement program’s core, the original service learning program still exists, “but the way we’re delving into local communities is far more than volunteering,” says ICGL Associate Director TED WARD, who has strategically endeavored to build students’ leadership capabilities over the course of the program’s evolution. One outcome of Ward and his predecessors’ efforts has been the Upper School ICGL Community Engagement Board, a team whose initiatives have grown monumentally over the past two years. These students work with Ward to pilot and oversee Pace’s 38 Community Engagement clubs and strategize as to how to broaden program partnerships, both

in terms of numbers and geography. This gives students ownership of their clubs and allows for the development of leadership opportunities throughout their time in the Upper School. “Tentpole events” are another growing element of the Community Engagement program. Parent Partner Weekends, Fall Engagement Week and Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service offer opportunities for all members of the Pace community to engage with the school’s partner organizations. “We invite parents to take part in Parent Partner Weekends to build relationships with local partners in ways that increasingly engage a greater percentage of the school community,” says Ward. “We want community engagement to be an authentically fundamental aspect of being a member of the Pace community, and we hope to one day have a partnership in every zip code in Atlanta.” The program’s evolution is also taking place cross-divisionally on campus. “This year, we’re encouraging greater connectivity between Community Engagement and different departments,” reports Ward. For example, this fall, he has collaborated with the Office of Athletics to integrate community engagement into the studentathlete experience. “The hope is that these connections will serve as a mutual support mechanism between these programs,” says Ward. Additionally, the collaboration

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encourages student-athletes to “develop social competencies within their teams and discover personal value.” Ward reflects on takeaways from the past year, when Community Engagement, a very personal, relational program, was halted by the COVID pandemic and stay-at-home orders: “Last year, we just had to figure out some way to activate.” Looking on campus, he realized there was a student appetite to learn about different forms of engagement, so the ICGL team held election primers, from voter registration to letter-writing, “to show [students] that there’s a way to involve [themselves] in these processes, and it led to powerful educational content for faculty.” In the Pace community, Ward believes the lesson learned was that partnerships have to be genuine relationships, not transactions. “The community discovered that social challenges are incredibly complex, and digging past surface level, into a relational approach, is far more meaningful, not only for our community’s understanding, but also in terms of being able to make an impact,” he states. “The interdisciplinary, global competency aspect comes in when we realize that these are multi-dimensional issues. The better we understand that, the better we know the people that we’re serving.” l

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HEATHER ALLEN BERNES ’05

MAC MCCALLUM

JENNIFER MCGURN

Associate Director of Middle School/Upper School Admissions

Associate Director of Middle School/ Upper School Admissions, Director of Financial Aid

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

KATHERINE PATRICK

CHRIS SLADE

ASHLEY STAFFORD

Associate Director of Lower School Admissions

Admissions Associate, Athletics Coach

Admissions Database Manager

Growing

THE PACE

FAMILY

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“Our community understands the value of the work that we do in Admissions. That strong culture of support is genuine and helps prospective families understand our school as they navigate the process.”

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JENNIFER MCGURN

An inside look at how the Pace Academy Office of Admissions is navigating the pandemic, increasing access and capitalizing on our unique community.

“THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL admission process is undergoing immense change,” Heather Hoerle, executive director and chief executive officer of The Enrollment Management Association, writes in the summer 2021 issue of Independent School, the National Association of Independent School’s (NAIS) quarterly magazine. “Spring of 2020 revealed dramatic shifts in independent school enrollment patterns and… the downstream consequences of this disruption could reshape what historically has been a predictable, seasonal process for new student admission to our schools.” Hoerle is referring, of course, to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down schools around the country in March 2020 during the height of the independentschool admissions season. As students, parents, faculty and staff scrambled to adapt to the move to virtual learning, admissions counselors nationwide scrambled to meet enrollment goals and showcase their respective communities—in spite of the fact that campuses were shuttered. At Pace Academy, March is the month of admissions committee meetings. Prospective families submit applications by Feb. 1, and all supplemental materials—teacher recommendations, feedback from interviews and academic assessments, transcripts and standardized test scores— must be received by Feb. 15. It’s then up to committees composed of faculty, staff and administrators at each division level to review applicants’ files and make determi-

INSIDE THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS

nations by the notification date of April 2. In addition, the team recognized that With talk of a shutdown looming large, the pandemic would likely affect families’ the Pace Office of Admissions, led by financial situations, so McCallum worked Director of Admissions and Enrollment with Chief Financial Officer AJ LASHLEY to Management JENNIFER MCGURN, raced establish a COVID relief fund to guarantee to review files and schedule in-person that all new and returning students were committee meetings. The final session able to attend Pace. took place on March 12, 2020, one day As they endeavored to provide a before Pace students, faculty and staff left seamless transition for new students and campus, not to return until August, five parents, the Admissions team and the months later. larger Pace community joined the rest of “It was hard for us to know what our next the country in grappling with the heightsteps should be,” reports McGurn. “Our ened calls for racial equity and national team felt this physical and emotional disunrest that followed the killing of George tance from families and each other that was Floyd on May 25, 2020. Many families new so rare. Admissions decisions went out, but to Pace joined Pace parents, students, we weren’t sure how we would welcome faculty and alumni, as well as those from the new students and families we were so other Atlanta-area independent schools, excited to enroll.” for a march up West Paces Ferry Road to From home-based virtual offices, the Governor’s Mansion, a peaceful protest McGurn and her team—Associate Director organized by Buckhead4BlackLives to highof Lower School Admissions KATHERINE light racial disparities in private schools. PATRICK, Associate Director of Middle Amid these dual pandemics and a mid& Upper School Admissions HEATHER summer spike in applications (due in part to ALLEN BERNES ’05, Associate Director of many public schools’ plans for continued virMiddle & Upper School Admissions and tual learning), the Admissions team looked Director of Financial Aid MAC MCCALLUM, ahead to the start of the 2021–2022 season. Admissions Associate CHRIS SLADE and Admissions Database Manager ASHLEY While Pace conducted school in person STAFFORD—got to work. during the 2020–2021 school year, COVID They quickly assembled personalized protocols called for strictly limiting visitors boxes packed with Pace gear and handon campus, putting an end to in-person addelivered them to newly enrolled students. missions tours. For the foreseeable future, Since hosting the new student and parent admissions events and activities would take orientations scheduled for May was off the place virtually. table, they coordinated with division and "We started the planning process keeping department heads to kick off beginningequity and access at the front of all of our of-the-year programming over the summer: discussions,” McGurn reports. “We wanted sixth-grade student/faculty advisory groups our revised approach to work for every met virtually, as did ninth-grade Transitions family that applied. We thought we would classes; class deans Zoomed in to parent be able to assess academics in a similar way, meetings; Lower School teachers conand we wanted to develop the same deep ducted virtual homeroom gatherings; and relationships [with prospective families] that new students were encouraged to attend we had developed in the past." Community Connections programs led by McCallum chimes in: “Our goal did 60 faculty and staff who, over the course not change: at every step of the way, our of six weeks, offered division-specific, ageprocess is about allowing people to conappropriate sessions to ensure both new nect on a human level,” he says. “It’s about and returning students remained socially understanding the really special personalconnected and intellectually engaged. ity of our school and the people here.” “While we couldn’t do anything in person, With that in mind, a strategy took shape. we wanted to provide programming to “We surveyed current parents about their allow kids to connect with each other and willingness to be involved in the admiswith our faculty,” McGurn says. sions process and were blown away by our

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ADMISSIONS BY THE NUMBERS For the 2021–2022 school year, Pace saw... • $3.7 million in need-based financial aid awarded • 15% increase in applications over 2019–2020, an all-time high • 25% increase in admissions over the past 10 years • 41% students of color among new enrollees • 31% students of color enrolled overall • 67 zip codes represented within our student body • 75% yield for Middle and Upper School • 87% of applicants were qualified (either accepted or waitlisted)

response rate,” McGurn says. “Parents were eager to volunteer their time because they love our school, and they were excited to be proactive about connecting with families. Our students were equally enthusiastic.” Supported by an army of volunteers, the Admissions team began to fill the calendar with virtual events. Throughout the fall and into early 2021, prospective sixth graders Zoomed in for conversations with eighthgrade ambassadors; Upper School students shared their experiences with parents and students alike; a 10-part Leadership Series consisting of evening sessions spotlighting various departments, school leaders and alumni offered parents detailed glimpses into school life; faculty interviewed Middle and Upper School applicants via Zoom. In addition, partnerships with CircleScapes, a creator of virtual campus tours, and PeerPal, an online forum that connects prospective families with current parents and alumni, had been in the works and launched in early fall. The team reimagined its annual Open Houses as interactive, online experiences complete with student speeches, question-andanswer sessions, academic overviews with faculty, and a parent panel. “In some ways, we were able to create a more intimate, more informative experience,” Bernes reports. “When you have

large groups on campus, it can be hard to make those really personal connections. In this case, we were in people’s living rooms and kitchens. It brought us together.” As the admissions season progressed, applications rolled in, particularly as prospective families observed Pace’s response to both COVID and calls for racial equity. “You can judge a school based on how it handles challenges,” says McCallum. “We were working through two storms, and the ways in which we approached those challenges said a lot about our community.” Heightened emotions and general unpredictability also increased the Admissions team’s workload. “We are admissions counselors,” says McGurn. “Counseling is a big part of what we do, and that was never more important than last year as families faced unexpected changes in their educational plans. Many were concerned about how their children would be affected long term; many were new to independent schools and somewhat daunted by the admissions process. We let parents know that, at the end of the day, our goal was to get to know them, and we were confident in our plan.” Beyond coordinating virtual programs, Pace admissions counselors grappled with the question of student evaluations.

NEW FAMILY GATHERING, MAY 2021

NEW STUDENT WELCOME PACKAGES

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“Our students, faculty, staff and parents deserve a

INSIDE THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS

substantial nod of gratitude for their assistance with our reimagined admissions process. We put plans in place and then got out of the way. The enthusiasm, hours and energ y that our community puts into showing off the school is our biggest selling point.”

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MAC MCCALLUM

Typically, applicants to the Lower School spend a morning on campus during which teachers evaluate their academic and social-emotional readiness for Pace. In the spring of 2020, anticipating that in-person assessments would be implausible, members of the Atlanta Association of Independent Schools (AAAIS), including Pace, began researching and brainstorming alternative ways to assess elementary applicants. “We knew that a complete redesign would be necessary,” Patrick says. “We started with a collaborative discussion around each individual school’s assessments, where the schools’ assessments overlapped and the portions of the assessments that were essential for admission.” The result of the collaboration was a series of video assessments, recorded by the applicants’ parents, and submitted to 11 participating schools that, in addition to Pace, included Lovett, Wesminster, Trinity, Galloway and Holy Innocents’. Each school designed a rubric and feedback form to suit its needs. In total, Pace received and reviewed 1,534 videos from Lower School applicants. “It was a huge success,” McGurn reports. “Parents appreciated the streamlined approach, and children were comfortable in their homes or wherever they were recorded. We found a great deal of value in having a lasting recording that faculty and admissions committees could go back and review. What we designed as a result of a required shift to a virtual setting might con-

MIDDLE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS AMBASSADORS

tinue to have value in the coming years.” As spring approached and COVID vaccines became available, the Admissions team began to offer self-guided campus tours on select weekends. And by the time May rolled around, the environment seemed safe enough to host outdoor gatherings to welcome the 170 newly enrolled students and their families to Pace. “The spring [of 2021] felt like a predictable year for us,” McGurn says. “While strict protocols remained in place, the excitement of being able to get together safely helped unite our new and returning families. The fact that that continued throughout the summer enabled us to have a smooth start to the school year.” While the Admissions team had hoped that the springtime decline in COVID cases and the availability of vaccines would translate into a more normal process for the 2021–2022 school year, the Delta variant had other ideas. At print time, Pace’s on-campus mask mandate and strict visitor policies remain, once again complicating the team’s plans. “The 2020–2021 school year was tough because we had to reinvent the wheel,” says McCallum. “This year is tougher because we have to recalibrate the wheel

while moving forward.” Fortunately, there’s not much to fix—Pace’s wide range of reimagined admissions programs earned rave reviews; the school received a record number of applications from its most diverse applicant pool to date; yield was incredibly high; and the school funded 100% of demonstrated financial need for all qualified families. As a result, what has emerged for the 2021–2022 school year—and likely going forward—is a hybrid admissions process. Pace will continue to offer a robust slate of virtual programs, including virtual tours and the popular Leadership Series, while welcoming small groups of fully vaccinated prospective students and parents to campus for school-day tours and information sessions. Weekend tours will accommodate prospective parents and children, although large gatherings will be limited. “We’re distilling the best of both worlds and making a process that showcases our school in the best ways possible,” McCallum reports. McGurn agrees: “Regardless of the format, facilitating connections will always be the heart of the Pace admissions process; it’s a reflection of who we are as a school community—we’re all about building deep, lasting relationships.” •

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UPDATES [1] DIANE COLLINS HISHTA ’75 and her husband, Kevin, recently relocated to Amelia Island, Fla., where Kevin continues as a senior partner with Ogletree Deakins, practicing specialty law from their new residence. Diane spends her time attending to all family-related matters and raising their new golden retriever puppy, Nilla. She is also “Didi” to four grandchildren: Charlie, Bobby and Patrick Birkenhauer, children of KELLY HISHTA BIRKENHAUER ’03, and Rose Cohen, daughter of EMILY HISHTA COHEN ’06 and JOEL COHEN ’06. “We are loving our new home and environment,” Diane reports. [2] MEREDITH WINITT FORRESTER ’95 has joined Synovus Financial Corporation as executive vice president and chief audit executive, following 21 years of leadership in risk management and audit at SunTrust

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and Truist. She serves as vice president of the Pace Alumni Board. Meredith and her husband, Jeremy, have two daughters at Pace, BROOKE FORRESTER ’26 and ARDEN FORRESTER ’28. [3] HAYNES ROBERTS, JR. ’96 recently started as senior development officer at the Southern Environmental Law Center and lives with his family in Athens, Ga. He joined the Pace Alumni Board this fall. LAUREN GODFREY ’01 and a former colleague have opened C3 Village, a coworking space in historic Stone Mountain Village where entrepreneurs and small business owners can learn from each other. “Our overall goal is to support the community of Stone Mountain by providing needed tools, coaching, and the basic marketing and sales support people need to be successful in their business ventures,” Lauren says.

[4] BRAD HUNTER ’03 moved from Google—his professional home for nearly eight years—to TikTok where he leads the North America Industry Relations team, focused on amplifying TikTok's presence across the advertising landscape via industry trade association partnerships. Brad lives in New York City with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, Hadley, 3, and Elle, 2. He would love to connect with fellow Pace alumni and provide guidance on the digital advertising ecosystem or offer career advice. [5] After 11 years as a staff member of former Congressman Tom Graves, BUD WHITMIRE ’05 joined Waffle House, Inc. in January 2021. Bud began in operations as a manager trainee, was then a unit manager and now works on Waffle House’s Support Team in advocacy and external affairs. [6] GEORGIA EVERT O'DONOGHUE ’07 was promoted to vice president of business

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

operations at Atlanta United FC. She and her husband, Brendan, are enjoying their time with son Brendan Michael Jr., born in December 2020. [7] REID ROGERS ’07 started a new job as vice president and market manager at RoadSync, one of the fastest-growing financial technology companies in Atlanta. Previously, Reid was at Nolan Transportation Group for nearly 10 years. He and his wife, MARY HIPP ROGERS ’06, have a daughter, Palmer, and a dog, Charlie. [8] ELAYNE BECKER ’10 recently published her first young adult fantasy novel, Forestborn, with Tor Teen, a division of Macmillan. Forestborn is now available wherever books are sold. The sequel, Wildbound, will be released in the summer of 2022. Elayne, who was co-editor-in-chief of The Knightly News and Knight Gallery at Pace, earned a bachelor’s degree in clas-

sics and history from Vassar College. She also studied at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where she received a master’s in professional communication in 2020. She worked as an editor in the New York publishing industry for several years between earning her degrees. [9] LINDSEY PETERSON ’10 started a new job as vice president of merchandising at VIOLET GREY in Los Angeles. VIOLET GREY is a venture-backed content and commerce beauty company with a readership base in more than 170 countries. [10] VICTORIA WILSON ’10 was promoted to director of operations at The Taproom Agency in Atlanta. Outside of work, she helps lead young alumni efforts on the Pace Alumni Board and also serves on the Association of Black Pace Alumni. [11] CAROLYN SCHAEFER MCNERNEY ’11 and her husband, Conor McNerney,

recently moved from Denver to Darien, Conn. Carolyn has started her own interior design business, Carolyn Kelly Interiors, which focuses on creating fresh and refined interiors that are layered in texture and rich with pattern. [12] MITCHELL NEMETH ’13 recently began a new advisory role for KPMG United States. Based in Atlanta, Mitchell works in KPMG’s Financial Services Regulatory Compliance Risk department. [13] REBECCA HUSK ’15 graduated from the University of Chicago with a master's degree in the digital studies of language, culture and history. She lives in Chicago where she works for Luci Creative, an experiential design agency specializing in museum exhibits. Rebecca is also a collaborating artist and show writer with Cabinet of Curiosity, and has acted in professional productions for Possibilities Theatre and The Accidental Shakespeare Company.

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[14] LAUREN ARCHER ’16 spent the past year at Cranfield University earning her master’s degree in strategic marketing. She is currently finishing her masters thesis—“13,000–16,000 words and the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she says—on augmented and virtual reality in customer experience. In July, Lauren joined Wismettac Group in London as a marketing and insight executive. Wismettac is a wholesale exporting business that exports and sells Japanese and Pan-Asian foods to overseas restaurants and supermarkets from locations worldwide. Lauren helps the company’s UK and European branches with consumer insights and brand development as they look to become more innovative and competitive in the marketplace. Lauren, a graduate of the University of St Andrews, is excited for another new chapter abroad. “Moving abroad is always a big adventure, filled with both excitement and anxiety, but coming to the UK has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I’m really excited to see what the next few years bring me in London,” she says. [15] JEAN-LUC BROWN ’16 was promoted to membership services consultant with the Atlanta Hawks. In addition to selling tickets, he now serves current and new season ticket holders, ensuring that they have a great experience and become longtime supporters. [16] JULIA ROSS ’17 recently joined Altman Solon as an analyst. Altman Solon, the largest global strategy consulting firm, focuses exclusively on telecommunications, media and technology.

MARRIAGES [17] BRECK ROCHOW ’05 married Scottie Lichtenstein of Atlanta on May 1, 2021, at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The couple was surrounded by friends and loved ones, including bridesmaid MAGGIE MATHEWS WINGO ’05, JODI SHEFFIELD COHEN ’05, PATRICK DEVEAU ’05, COURTNEY SCHAEFER DEVEAU ’07,

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ANDREW GARCIA ’05, CASEY SHUSTER ’05, CHRISTINA MORRISON ’05, LIA MORAITAKIS HOOFF '05, JENNI RIDALL LATA '05, MCKENZIE LEONARD BLANCHARD ’05, HENRY MCALPIN ’05, CHARLIE BUTLER ’05 and former Pace student BEN LOWENTHAL. [18 & 19] After a year-long delay due to the pandemic, LINDSEY DEROSA ’07 and Jimmy Goodrick celebrated their marriage on Sept. 18, 2021 (the couple was legally married last year). The festivities took place at the Fernbank Natural History Museum in Decatur, Ga. Pace alumni in attendance were classmates SARAH BUTLER ’07, ROSS BROWN ’07 and FULTON BYRNE ’07, as well as Lindsey’s aunt, LINDSEY ENRIGHT ’82, and her father, longtime Pace faculty member NEIL DEROSA. To complement the dinosaurs at the museum, Lindsey walked down the aisle to a cellist playing the Jurassic Park theme song. [20 & 21] MCCREA O’HAIRE ’08 married Jason Stern on Aug. 14, 2021 at Wequassett Resort in Cape Cod, Mass. Pace alumni in attendance included MAGGIE O’HAIRE ’04, CALLY PIRRUNG ’08, SAMANTHA MOVSOVITZ GELMAN ’08, KATE HEYER MANDRELL ’08, JUDSON HILL ’08, FENWAY MERLINO ’08, HAMILTON REYNOLDS ’08, SAM BIRDSONG ’08, CAMERON KENNELLY ’08, ALEXANDER MORRIS ’09 and former Pace student CHRIS GARCIA. Bridesmaid LUCY SCHAEFER AYRES ’08 was expecting her second child and attended virtually. Former Pace staff member LISE O’HAIRE is the proud mother of the bride. [22 & 23] SYMONE SOMMERVILLE JONES ’14 married Jeremy Jones on Oct. 4, 2021, at the Royalton Riviera Resort & Spa in Cancun, Mexico. SYDNEY SOMMERVILLE ’16, BRITTANY ALLEN ’15, ALEX BUSSEY ’14 and JAYLA ELLIS ‘15 were bridesmaids; MARK SOMMERVILLE ’17 was a groomsman. SHABREA DUFFY ’14, KENNY SELMON ’14, ALEX WOODS ’14, TAYLOR DOUCET ’20, former student HERBERT DOUCET IV and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN attended. Symone is the daughter of Assistant

Head of Middle School for Student Life MARK SOMMERVILLE and KAREN SOMMERVILLE, a former member of the Pace staff. [24] JAKE JENKINS ’16 married Olivia Manning on May 29, 2021, at Naylor Hall in Roswell, Ga. Olivia and Jake met at a tailgate prior to the 2017 University of Georgia versus Georgia Tech football game. “I was a fraternity brother of Olivia’s brother, who was initially reluctant to introduce us, but we fell for each other and started dating the following summer,” Jake says. Jake graduated from Georgia Tech in December 2020 and is now in dental school at the Dental College of Georgia. Olivia graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2020 and is a business analyst in the IT department at Augusta National Golf Club.

BIRTHS [25] DAVID IBSEN ’95 and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their first child, daughter Caroline Linda, on Sept. 7, 2021. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. [26] Katy and WHEELER BRYAN, JR. ’98 had a son, William Wheeler, III, on Sept. 7, 2021. Wheeler is the historian and VIP program host at the Sea Island Company, spending his time around the resort conducting tours for guests and members and speaking to groups about Georgia history and all things Sea Island. He recently completed a Master Certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University and wrapped up a term on the Limestone College Board of Trustees. Wheeler and his family reside in St. Simons, Ga., and they love welcoming fellow alumni who visit the island. [27] ERICA PETROSKY DELANEY ’01 and her husband, former Pace student EVAN DELANEY, welcomed Christopher Peter on April 4, 2021. He joins three older siblings: Connor, 6, Emily, 4, and Daniel, 2. Erica works as a physician assistant in the Emergency Department at Emory St.

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Joseph’s Hospital, and Evan is a mobile enterprise architect at Capgemini. [28 & 29] Ashlie and BRADLEY GANTT ’01 welcomed their second daughter, Rubyanne, who joins big sister Adalynn, 6. Bradley recently began working as a flight medic with AirEvac and received his flight wings atop Navicent Hospital in Macon, Ga., following his first patient flight. CAITLIN FEARING FARMER ’05 and her husband, Austin, had a baby girl, Elliott “Ellie” Rae, on Aug. 6, 2021. [30] LUCY SCHAEFER AYRES ’08 and her husband, Drake, welcomed son Thomas Drakeford, "Ford,” on Sept. 7, 2021. Ford joins big brother Jack, 2. The family lives in Newport Beach, Calif. [31] Annie and SAM BIRDSONG ’08 welcomed son George Allan on Oct. 7, 2020. Among George’s favorite things are Eggo waffles, smiling and The Itsy-Bitsy Spider. Alumni who share news of new arrivals with the Alumni Office receive a Pace Academy bib. Submit photos of your little Knights wearing their Pace gear to alumni@paceacademy.org, and we’ll run them in a future issue of the KnightTimes.

FACULTY & STAFF

MILESTONES

[32] Fifth-grade lead teacher HAYLEY HARDWICK and her husband, Matthew, welcomed Charles Baer on Aug. 27, 2021. Charlie weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. [33] Longtime faculty and staff members PAM TISDALE, BJ HAYES and NANCY QUINTRELL returned to Pace for a VIP tour of the new Kam Memar Lower School prior to the building’s opening. Nancy returned to Pace this year as a part-time teacher in the Middle School.

IN MEMORIAM Pace parent RAMIRO JUAREZ passed away on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, from complications related to COVID-19. Ramiro was the beloved father of MARQUITO JUAREZ ’25, ALONDRA JUAREZ ’19 and RAMIRO JUAREZ ’17. He also leaves behind Marquito, Alondra and Ramiro’s mother, Pace parent GABRIELA ORTIZ. The Juarez family joined the Pace community in 2013, and Ramiro had been an active participant in school life. He had a long career in the construction industry and was known as a hard worker and a devoted member of his church. Travel was a passion. [34] DR. MARTHA KASILUS died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2021, surrounded by her family. Known to her devoted students as “Dr. K,” Martha taught math at Pace for 29 years, retiring in 2015 after 46 years in education. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, KAS KASILUS, and is survived by her sons, DAVID KASILUS ’00 and Mark Kasilus, her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren. Before her teaching career began, Martha earned four degrees from Georgia State University, including a bachelor’s in mathematics, a Master of Arts in Teaching, an education specialist degree, and a Ph.D. with a certification in mathematics and gifted education. She felt at home in the academic community and found her niche with high-school students after 16 years of teaching at Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia State University. She was the chair of the math department and high-school dean at the Arlington School before arriving at Pace in 1985, bringing with her high

expectations for students and a love for the beauty of mathematics. At Pace, Martha was named STAR Teacher 13 times and received the Richard Smith Pope Scholarship twice. She was fully dedicated to Pace and passionate about her career, even teaching while undergoing cancer treatment. She cared about students’ understanding of mathematics as a whole and taught beyond what her own class required. Martha pioneered Pace’s first math team and brought the classroom to life with creative teaching methods. A memorial service took place on Oct. 15 at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. [35] SUZANNE KOHN passed away at her home on Oct. 3, 2021, at the age of 95. Until her final days, Suzanne had been studying Spanish, walking her neighborhood and largely taking care of herself, aided only by visits from home health aides. Suzanne was born on Nov. 4, 1925, in Le Puy, France. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, teacher, neighbor and friend. She was known as “Madame Kohn” to hundreds of French students at St. Pius X High School and Pace and became lifelong friends with many of her colleagues, students and their families. She taught at Pace from 1959 until her retirement in 2004 at the age of 79. Survivors include her daughter, Annette Kohn-Lau, and son-in-law, Norman; grandchildren Robert Kohn (Jenna), Jordan Lau (fiancée Christine Marsh), Patrick Lau (Laura Hardin) and David Lau; and great grandchildren Cleo and Nova. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Kohn, and sons Daniel Kohn and George Kohn. A celebration of life will be planned for the spring of 2022. Those wishing to honor Suzanne may contribute to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) or the Brookhaven Police Department K-9 Unit. •

H AV E S OME T HING T O S H A R E ? E M A IL U S! alumni@paceacademy.org

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HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND IN REVIEW

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UPCOMING

REUNIONS

Several classes plan to celebrate reunions this spring. Email alumni@paceacademy.org for more information.

MORE THAN 175 ALUMNI, alumni families, faculty and staff gathered for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend Oct. 1–2. The weekend included a successful tailgate capped off with a football win over Lovett, a tour of the new Kam Memar Lower School and an all-alumni happy hour at UrbanTree Cidery. Additionally, several class reunion parties took place: [1] JAMES WILSON ’76, SHERRY WINDSOR KNOCHEL ’76 and BETSY BRAVEMAN [2 ] HALPERN ’76 reunited for a tour of the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School, including visits with longtime history teacher HELEN SMITH and Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON.

SAVE THE DATES!

The Classes of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are invited to reunite with faculty and former classmates at the College Alumni Holiday Lunch on Friday, Dec. 17, at 11:45 a.m. in the Kam Memar Lower School. All alumni are welcome back at our Alumni Basketball Game on Friday, Jan. 7. Cheer on the Knights as they host rival Lovett. Invitation to follow.

[ 3] ELIZABETH SIKES MCRAE ’86 and CHRIS PAYNE ’86 coordinated the Class of 1986’s 35th reunion, which took place on Sept. 30 at Cross Creek Cafe. [4] The Class of 2000 celebrated its reunion on Oct. 2 at Bold Monk Brewing Company. [ 5 ] BRITT JACKSON GRIFFIN ’00, CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 and CATHERINE WOODLING ’00 organized the gathering. [6] RETTA CAROLIN ’16 chaired the Class of 2016’s five-year reunion on Oct. 2 at Ormsby's, owned by fellow Pace alumnus MICHAEL GOOT ’98. Several members of the class came to town for the weekend and participated in Friday night's football tailgate. [ 7 ] The Class of 1991 celebrated its reunion on Oct. 2 at the home of TOM WIMBERLY ’91. SHEP MALLORY GALLAGHER ’91 helped organize the event.

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OUT & ABOUT

[01] LINDSAY MULLIN ’94, WHITNEY ALLSOPP JACKSON ’98 and MARK JOHNSON ’94 ran into each other at the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

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[02] BEN TORBERT ’05, former Pace student BEN LOWENTHAL, ANDREW GARCIA ’05, CASEY SHUSTER ’05 and PATRICK DEVEAU ’05 recently reunited with their sons (and dog) in Atlanta. [03] LIA MORAITAKIS HOOFF ’05, VANESSA

PETROSKY ’05, MCKENZIE LEONARD BLANCHARD ’05, BRECK ROCHOW ’05 and JENNI RIDALL LATA ’05 celebrated CHRISTINA MORRISON ’05, who lives in England and recently spent a few weeks in Atlanta.

[04] MARY STUART GRAY ’16 met up with MOLLY JACOBY ’17 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where Molly is the new assistant director of on-campus recruiting for UNC Football. [05] Upper and Middle School Band Director DANNY DOYLE went to see HARRIS GREENBAUM ’20, a member of the University of Georgia’s Redcoat Marching Band, perform at the Cobb County Invitational. [06] EVERETT O’GORMAN ’20, a student at the University of Georgia, cheered on LUCY FERRY ’20 when Emory University’s club volleyball team traveled to Athens, Ga.

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ALUMNI HEAD

The Alumni Association kicked off the year on Aug. 9 at its annual Back-to-School Party. Nearly 60 alumni, faculty and staff gathered in the Pace Gardens, enjoying beverages, light bites and pizza.

Throughout the Isdell Center

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Laura Corey A L U M N I

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S P O T L I G H T

for Global Leadership’s Year of Education, we’re highlighting Pace Academy alumni making an impact in education-related fields. Here senior RYAN VARMA ’22, a 2021– 2022 Isdell Global Leader,

LAURA DICKEY COREY ’04 has always been fond of French culture, a passion that quickly developed into a profession. As project manager for Curatorial, Conservation, and Science Initiatives and senior researcher in the Director’s Office at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Corey traces her journey to the Big Apple back to

work there as a specialist in 19th-century French art, but her responsibilities grew and she soon found herself working across collections. Most recently, Corey co-curated The Met’s 150th-anniversary exhibition, Making The Met, 1870–2020, her biggest project yet. In October, Corey met in New York with this year’s cohort of Upper School Isdell

Pace Academy, where she first fell in love with art history. A Lifer, Corey enrolled at Pace in 1990 as a Pre-First student. She began taking French at a young age and soon developed an affinity for the language and culture. Corey recalls the influence of former Upper School French teacher SUZANNE KOHN. “I spent four years studying French with Madame Kohn and had the privilege of traveling with her to France as well,” she says. “Those experiences were transformational for me." In high school, Corey also took AP European History with Upper School teacher HELEN SMITH, and later, AP Art History with JANE SIBLEY, now retired. The classes helped cement her decision to pursue art history as a career. “I remember telling my friends after my first art history class that this was what I wanted to major in,” she says. While never an artist herself, Corey has since developed a deep appreciation for the skills and stories of those who dedicate their lives to creating art. Corey attended Duke University where she received a bachelor’s in art history and French. She later moved to New York City to attend New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts for a master’s in art history followed by a Ph.D. in 19th-century French art. “Having spent 13 years at Pace getting an incredibly well-rounded education, college was an easy next step for me," she says. During her time at Duke, Corey began interning in museums; she landed her first internship at Atlanta’s High Museum and later, The Museum of Modern Art. Her final internship was at The Met, a place she would later choose to work full time. She began her

Global Leaders (IGLs) to aid in their research on the Isdell Center for Global Leadership 2021–2022 theme, Education. The four students were selected as IGLs following an in-depth application process and have committed to a year-long study of Education, which includes coursework, research and two travel opportunities. The Met, a beacon of education since its opening, welcomes the public to its premises with the hopes of educating people about global history. With a variety of exhibits and a multitude of artwork and artifacts, The Met democratizes public education in unconventional ways that transcend the classroom. At the center of its mission are educators like Corey, who prioritize the perspectives of the museum’s diverse audiences to ensure that the space remains a place of learning for all those engaged with it. For example, one of Corey's latest endeavors entailed expanding The Met’s digital offerings during the pandemic. Recognizing the evolving digital environment, she aims to extend her passion for art to others by making it more accessible via social media. The IGLs spent time learning from Corey about the qualities required to be a true educator in the field and took back with them a concrete understanding of both the role of educators and The Met’s innovative approach to education, ideas they plan to share with the rest of the Upper School later in the year. •

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Learn more about the IGLs educational adventures in New York in our winter issue.

profiles LAURA DICKEY COREY ’04.

WELCOME TO THE BOARD!

1. Fred GLASS ’89

As a senior partner at Strategic Planning Group, a financial planning and services company, Fred Glass prides himself on his ability to continually improve the quality of the planning process—a skill set he brings to his role on the Alumni Board. For Glass, a graduate of the University of Georgia with a master’s in finance from Georgia State University, the concept of the Pace family runs deep: he takes great pleasure in sharing the Pace experience with his daughters, MERRITT ANN GLASS ’19 and KATHLEEN GLASS ’22, and his wife, ELIZABETH GLASS, a member of the Office of Advancement. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? Pace’s strength is that it invests in creating well-rounded students and citizens of the world. So many alumni, like me, were shaped as students both in and far beyond the classroom walls. I believe that alumni who have been changed for the better by this school have the privilege and responsibility to return the investment and engage to support future generations of Pace students. I look forward to serving on the Alumni Board and helping to connect past, current and future members of the community. How did your time as a Pace student impact your life? Pace fostered my enthusiasm for art history, love of crosscountry and countless meaningful relationships, but I think the greatest impact was that because I was a Pace alumnus, my wife and I chose Pace for our daughters. Being a Pace alumnus has also created many opportunities for our family to be involved in the school community. What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience or community? Pace teachers are the most remarkable piece of the Pace experience. My teachers inspired in me a love of learning, helped me discover unknown passions, and motivated me to reach my full potential everywhere from the classroom to the cross-country trails. My daughters have had the opportunity to learn from some of the same educators who taught me, as well as new ones who have likewise shaped their respective experiences.

GET TO KNOW THE SIX NEW MEMBERS OF THE PACE ACADEMY ALUMNI BOARD. The Alumni Board sets the Alumni Association’s vision and goals, supporting its mission to provide ongoing alumni engagement opportunities. The Board works closely with the Alumni Office to foster an active and involved alumni community by coordinating special events and activities and facilitating connections.

2. Haynes ROBERTS, Jr. ’96 Haynes Roberts is a senior development officer at the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental protection, conservation and public health, but he’s no stranger to the world of education. He spent a decade in advancement at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Sewanee: The University of the South. His professional experience also includes time as an investment adviser at Credit Suisse and as a political consultant to multinational U.S. corporations at the National Foreign Trade Council. Roberts earned a B.A. in political science from Sewanee and an M.B.A. in finance from UGA’s Terry College. He resides in Athens, Ga., with his wife, Megan, and daughters, Millie, 10, and Jane, 7. In his spare time, he coaches and serves on the board of Athens Little League, and he enjoys live music and cooking. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? During my service on the Alumni Board, I aspire to help Pace increase its level of alumni participation in annual giving, and to promote Pace in the greater Atlanta community, including admissions outreach. How did your time as a Pace student impact your life? Pace allowed me to explore my interests and skills academically, artistically and athletically in an environment that was equal parts challenging, nurturing and competitive. This culture of experimentation helped to shape my future educational, professional and personal pursuits through opportunities for both success and failure. What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience or community? My friends from Pace remain many of my closest to this day. Our shared experience in a close-knit community fostered deep respect for one another and our various personalities and talents. I consider my Pace cohort the most interesting and gifted group of people that I have had the pleasure of getting to know.

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3. Rod DREWS ’00 Pace has been home to Rod Drews since the first grade, and to his sister, JULIA DREWS ALAND ’06, since Pre-First. Drews attended Georgia Tech, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master's in electrical engineering. For the past 15 years, he has served as a principal engineer at Broadcom Inc., where he leads the DevOps software development team. Drews and his wife, LAURICE DREWS, who teaches kindergarten at Trinity School, have three daughters: BRAYLEN DREWS ’28, Ella Drews and Charlotte Drews, both Trinity students. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? I hope to support the continued implementation of the Alumni Strategic Plan via fundraising and outreach efforts. I also hope to bring creative ideas for mentoring solutions between our many successful alumni and exceptionally talented young alumni and Upper School students. As a Pace parent, I hope to offer perspective to the Board from those of us fortunate to have our children attend this school. What made your time at Pace memorable or unique? Pace is the only school my sister and I ever knew. The remarkably close community, combined with the exceptional faculty and administration, offers such a unique environment for a child to grow academically and emotionally. The warm and nurturing Lower School faculty fostered my passion for learning and instilled confidence in me to truly explore all the academic, artistic and athletics opportunities in the Upper School. From the Fall Fair to school musicals to athletics events to the Isdell Center for Global Leadership, Pace truly offers so many opportunities for a child to explore and grow into a well-rounded, insightful adult. What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience/community? My favorite thing about Pace is the teachers. They are the heart of the school and are such incredibly talented educators who inspire and challenge their students to be the best version of themselves. It is a blessing to know that Braylen will get to learn from some of my favorite mentors and Pace educators like KATHIE LARKIN, SCOTT SARGENT, MIKE GANNON and HELEN SMITH.

“I’m eager to give back to the community that made me who I am today, and to encourage other passionate alumni to do the same.” SAMANTHA MOVSOVITZ GELMAN ’08

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4. Samantha Movsovitz GELMAN ’08 A Pace Lifer and Tulane University graduate, Samantha Movsovitz Gelman has built a career in public relations—she worked for Gucci for four years in New York City and returned to Atlanta to work for Jackson Spalding, a marketing communications agency where her clients include Chick-fil-A. Gelman lives in Sandy Springs with her husband, Preston; her daughter, Charlotte, 2; and an English bulldog named Manning. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her Pace friends, being outdoors and having fun with her family. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? As one of three Pace graduates in my family—my brothers JAKE MOVSOVITZ ’17 and WILL MOVSOVITZ ’17 are alumni—Pace is ingrained in my heart. I’m eager to give back to the community that made me who I am today, and to encourage other passionate alumni to do the same. I look forward to using my marketing and communications skills to advance the school. What made your time at Pace memorable or unique? Pace is such an incredible environment— from the teachers to athletics, the arts and enriching academics—and I can’t think of a more special educational experience in Atlanta. The everlasting friendships and amazing teachers are what shaped my experience and allow me to remember my 13 years at Pace so fondly. What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience/community? When I’m at Pace or with friends from Pace, it feels like home.

5. Streeter NOLAN ’09 Streeter Nolan, a Pace Lifer and the 2008 recipient of the Alumni Scholar Award, is a public relations professional at Jackson Spalding, an Atlanta-based marketing communications agency, where she supports brand campaigns, new ventures, innovation and sustainability. Prior to returning to Atlanta in 2020, Nolan split her career between two coasts; she worked in celebrity public relations at Ralph Lauren in New York City and in celebrity and brand partnerships at Bird in Los Angeles. Nolan received a B.A. in communication studies from Vanderbilt University. She lives with her rescue dog, Ralphie, and enjoys running, exploring new restaurants, traveling and binging true crime documentaries. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? I'm excited to bring a new perspective to the Alumni Board based on my experiences living and working on both sides of the country. I hope to be a voice for my class and to bridge the gap between alumni, the school and current students as we work to continue making Pace an even more amazing school, one that embraces as many different students as possible. What made your time at Pace memorable or unique? As a Lifer, I loved the intimate community Pace created. It allowed me to really get to know every teacher and student, and also enabled me to try so many different classes and activities without fear. What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience/community? The people! It sounds cheesy, but the friends I met in my 13 years at Pace really are extraordinary. Pace encouraged us to leave the nest, try new cities and pursue incredible careers, and through all of these life changes, we have stayed connected. I moved home during the pandemic, and my Pace friends are the reason I decided to stay in Atlanta and build the next phase of my life here. We picked up where we left off and are creating an amazing community.

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“I can’t wait to dive back into the Pace community and find opportunities to further engage alumni, locally and across the country.” CAL HARRIS ’12

6. Cal HARRIS ’12 In joining the Alumni Board, Cal Harris continues a family tradition of involvement at Pace—his brother, JACK HARRIS ’10, and sister, KEELEY HARRIS ’17, are alumni, and his mother, BONNIE HARRIS, is a former Trustee. A Pace Lifer and Vanderbilt University graduate, Harris works on the expansion team at Capsule, a health tech startup. He lives in East Atlanta Village with his wife, Frances, who is a fifth-grade teacher at Trinity School, and their daughter, Søren, 3. Outside of work, Harris loves music—his favorite artist is Prince—as well as concerts, cooking, golfing and settling into a good book. How do you hope to contribute to the Alumni Board? I can’t wait to dive back into the Pace community and find opportunities to further engage alumni, locally and across the country. Pace alumni are doing exciting things professionally and otherwise, and these compelling stories should make their way back to the Pace community to foster pride and excitement. I want to help find and tell these stories and, in turn, tell alumni exciting stories from the world of Pace today! How did your time as a Pace student impact your life? Pace was memorable in that I’ve never been more engaged in so many activities. The

exciting pace of life (no pun intended) is something to be treasured. Where else can you have football practice, run to orchestra rehearsal for the musical and try to finish that English paper on Catcher in the Rye before bed—and realize that it’s only Tuesday?! I look back fondly on that time; only in retrospect do you realize how singular it is.

What is your favorite thing about the Pace experience or community? There’s a sense of curiosity and intentionality about the Pace experience—kids don’t just “go to high school.” They engage and ask questions about their subjects, their peers and their world. After spending so many formative years in that environment, that quality has never left me, and every time I run into a Pace grad, I see it revealed again.

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SELMON BRINGS A NEW MEANING TO

“CITIZEN OF

THE WORLD” 64

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ome people are said to “do it all.” There are many names for these types: overachiever, renaissance person, well-rounded individual. Pace Academy is proud to have many students and alumni who fit into this category. But KENNY SELMON ’14 takes it to a whole other level. Not only do these titles fit Selmon, who joined the Pace family as a sixth grader in 2007, but his list of designations also includes Division I athlete, entrepreneur and Olympian. Back when the Olympics were just a dream for the talented high-school student-athlete, Selmon had a hand in nearly every facet of Pace. In addition to track and field, he wrestled, played lacrosse, and contributed to the basketball team as both a team member and manager. He participated in various clubs, managed the varsity girls volleyball team and was even a ball boy for the football team. What may be most surprising, however, is that Selmon’s favorite extracurricular was in the performing arts. From 2007 to 2014, Selmon could be found behind the scenes of countless plays and musicals. Though not on stage, Selmon played an integral role in Pace’s theatre program, whether running the lights and soundboard or managing the stage. He even won the Technical Director’s Award for stage managing. All of this, and Selmon still progressed as a committed athlete on the track; whether or not he knew it at the time, he’d one day journey to Tokyo for the 2021 Olympics. Selmon is steadfast in his belief that attending Pace had a role in this journey. Though first and foremost he credits his parents and their foresight, he says that his time at Pace helped him become well-rounded and shaped his unique perspective on life. Although Pace at the time had fewer students of color, Selmon, who is Black, felt at home in his new school. “I was grounded in my own culture… and at Pace, I always felt welcomed and loved.” Yet being part of the Pace community “opened up an entire new world that I didn’t know existed,” he shares, one in which he encountered “differences in affluence and people who grew up differently from me.”

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He adds, “Pace allowed me to see many different perspectives and to be loved by those with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and that shaped my outlook on race and life. I carry those lessons with me. They have allowed me to be a leader in many groups and for many missions. At the Olympics, I felt able to see people [and circumstances] through the values of patience and understanding.” After Pace, Selmon attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he remained well-rounded: involved on campus and pursuing rigorous academics in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, all while competing in indoor and outdoor track and field. In these years, Selmon’s athletic prowess, especially in track, accelerated. He earned three individual ACC Championships in the 400-meter hurdles, and in the 2017 NCAA Finals, broke a 22-year-old school record in the 400-meter hurdles with a 48.60-second run. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he placed fourth, third and second in the NCAA Division I National Championships, respectively. His college personal record of 48.12, which he ran at the NCAA Division I Championships in 2018, is the fastest in UNC history, and he beat his own personal record in consecutive years. Selmon advanced through higher-level competitions, making his way from the World Youth Championship to the Pan American Junior Championship. Then, at the Athletics World Cup, he earned bronze, silver and gold, in succession. Selmon competed in the 2016 Olympic team trials where he placed seventh and returned five years later to claim second place in the nation, along with a ticket to Tokyo. “My progression on the track has been very linear. My times have been linear... but the journey has been anything but linear,” notes Selmon. After graduating from UNC, Selmon didn’t slow down. In 2018, he won the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 400 meter hurdles, and also represented the United States at the London Athletics World cup, which he won. The next year, he signed a professional contract with Spyder Korea. Some athletes would consider this the pinnacle of athletic success. But Selmon’s eyes

were on the 2020 Olympic trials. However, his gold-paved road took a sudden turn. “After the World Cup in London, everything was falling in line,” reflects Selmon. “But then, in 2019, I got hurt. I ran less and missed going for the USA team in a world championship year.” So, he moved back to Atlanta where he found Georgia Tech Assistant Track and Field Coach Nat Page, who would go on to coach and mentor Selmon through his Olympic career. “[Page] is awesome. He has such vast knowledge in the sport, an incredible coaching record, and Olympic and worldclass hurdling recognition of his own; he’s a beast!” says Selmon. “From 2019 to 2020, training was unreal. Everything was going well; I was adapting to a new training system, but it felt within my range, and the 2020 Olympics were coming into view… then COVID hit. I had to decide if I was going to keep training; we got a plan together and decided to end training early and resume in 2021, which was very frustrating because I knew that mentally and physically, I was ready.” COVID brought Selmon a silver lining: the chance to get "back to his roots" as he returned to train in many of his former communities. He was overwhelmed by the love and support he found there. During the height of the pandemic, he trained at Pace’s Riverview Sports Complex and at Georgia Tech. Selmon values the encouragement he received from the Pace community: “I felt like I had the best support team of everyone at the whole Olympics,” he states. “[Others] ran better than me, but when the conversation came down to support, no one had the kind of love I felt from Pace, Atlanta, UNC, Barry’s Bootcamp (where Selmon is a fitness coach), friends and family.” As the Olympic trials approached, Selmon felt prepared. Then, three weeks before the competition, his agent passed away. “He was a really good guy and a great agent, so that was tough, and I had to refocus again for trials,” he says. “But I got my mind back and I made it.” “Made it” is an understatement. The trials came next and then, the Olympics. In Tokyo, Selmon placed second in his heat of the 400-meter hurdles and advanced to

the semifinals, taking fourth and missing a place in the Olympic finals by just seconds. “I’ve always tried to be a very wellrounded person—my parents taught me to never put all my eggs in one basket, so I never felt that if I didn’t make the team I’d be devastated.” Selmon says. “It was just something that I wanted to do, and when it came to training, I put everything into it. The trials were the toughest part of the journey, both mentally and physically. I had to get faster every race, and the rounds were back to back. My biggest goal was to make the team—to me, that is the pinnacle of the sport. Once I was past trials, the pressure shifted from internal to external, and the weight of the Olympics was heavier than anything I’ve ever carried. To be one of three Americans chosen to represent the country was a lot. It was less for myself and more for the country.” So what’s next for Selmon? Though he claims to be taking a post-Olympic break, this renaissance man has yet to slow down. He recently created and launched an app, Stoke, with longtime friend, fellow Pace and UNC alumnus, and roommate CARTER DRAUGHON ’14. Stoke, which went live in the App Store as Selmon touched down in Tokyo, is a social network centered around live-event chat rooms. “From sports to news to television shows—anything live— there’s no one channel that’s dedicated to such a space for conversation,” says Selmon. The app is available on Google Play and the App Store, and Selmon and Draughon are working on growing awareness and raising capital. Whether it’s digital technology, track and field or a yet-to-be-discovered passion, there’s no doubt Selmon will continue to “do it all.” •

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THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO I remember it as if it were yesterday. We were studying woodland animals. Our students hiked through the woods to learn about owls, trees and reptiles. At that stage in my life, I was terrified of snakes, and it took all of my courage to reach out and touch that one, but I wanted to show my students that they didn’t need to be afraid. As teachers, we always find a way to do what is best for our students—it's the Pace way! —by Rhonda Peck O’Gorman ’88

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

During the 1992–1993 school year, her first year as a member of the Pace Academy faculty, Pre-First associate teacher RHONDA PECK O’GORMAN ’88 traveled with students on a field trip to the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

Y O U R S U P P O R T MAT T E R S ! The Pace Fund—Pace Academy’s highest giving priority—provides vital resources that directly support ALL students, faculty members and programs at Pace. We rely on the generous support of our parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to maintain the exceptional student experience so valued by our entire community. In this unusual school year, your support makes a difference like never before. We are so grateful for your partnership in keeping Pace strong and prepared for the future. For more information or to make a gift, visit www.paceacademy.org/support/the-pace-fund.

Pre-apply now for the

2022 TAX YEAR

 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR FORM IS DEC. 15, 2021.

he 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 school(s) of the taxpayer’s choice. This program plays a critical role in Pace Academy’s overall financial aid program.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Debra Mann in the Office of Advancement at debra.mann@paceacademy.org or call 404-240-9103.

PARTICIPATION IS EASY!

Visit www.paceacademy.org/ tax-credit to submit your form electronically, or print and mail the paper form.

966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org

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NOW IS THE TIME TO ACCELERATE GIVING! With more than 70% of the Accelerate Pace

Visit www.accelerate.paceacademy.org for

approaching completion...but still have work

Or call the Office of Advancement at

campaign’s $35-million goal raised, we are

to do. YOUR SUPPORT today will accelerate the campaign to the finish!

information and to make your gift or pledge. 404-240-9103.

AC C E L E R AT E J OY / AC C E L E R AT E W E L L N E S S / ACC E L E R AT E CO M M U N I T Y / AC C E L E R AT E I N N OVAT I O N / A C C E L E R AT E P L AY / A C C E L E R AT E C R E AT I V I T Y / A C C E L E R AT E G I V I N G / A C C E L E R AT E PA C E !