KnightTimes Fall 2023

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the 38th annual Pace Academy Parents Club Auction 2.24.24, 7–11 p.m.

Cocktails, food, dancing, live and silent auctions and more!

Tickets go on sale 1.1.24  www.paceacademy.org/auction

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I LOVE TO TRAVEL, but in college, I opted to pursue an on-campus leadership position rather than spend a semester abroad. It’s a decision I’ve always regretted, and since then, I’ve made it a rule to say “yes” to any opportunity to explore a new part of the world.

Fortunately, I landed at Pace Academy in 2010, and I’ve watched the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) evolve from a big idea into a life-changing reality. I’ve been a benefciary of this growth—not only have I had the privilege of documenting the ICGL’s expansion, but I’ve also traveled to four continents alongside Pace students. From Italy to Vietnam, Chile, South Africa and Lesotho, I’ve observed frsthand the impact of an immersive global education on our citizens of the world—myself included.

Refecting on the past decade while writing Global Leaders, Made in Atlanta (page 42) has made me very proud to be a Pace alumnus, staff member and parent. I’m grateful to the ICGL team and to the entire Pace community for embracing this audacious vision—and, in February, I’ll be ready to board a plane bound for Quebec with 17 Middle School travel buddies. The world awaits!

CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

ON SAFARI, 2020

Just weeks before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES 00 REBECCA RHODES and KRISTA WILHELMSEN led a group of Upper School students on a spring-break ICGL study tour to South Africa and Lesotho in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International.

facebook.com/paceacademy

instagram.com/paceacademy

youtube.com/offcialpaceacademy

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Pace Community,

Welcome to the 10th year of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL)! A decade ago, Pace Academy faculty, staff, students, parents and partners committed to the idea that creating prepared, confdent citizens of the world required a new approach to education: a comprehensive, immersive, hands-on, school-wide program—embedded in the curriculum—that would cultivate global mindedness, cultural appreciation, engaged citizenship and leadership in community members of all ages.

Today, the numbers speak for themselves: 1,557 students have traveled to 55 countries and Antarctica on 115 ICGL study tours. WOW! What’s even more mind-boggling, however, is the way that the ICGL has become part of everything we do at Pace every day—from classroom discussions and visiting experts to community engagement initiatives, research fellowships and minimester courses. Already, we’re seeing the ripple effect of these experiences at Pace and beyond. As you’ll read on page 62, From Atlanta to the World: Our Isdell Global Leaders, students’ studies and travels have shaped college decisions and career paths. Because of the ICGL, Pace graduates are asking hard questions, thinking critically and making a difference.

My thanks to PAMELA and NEVILLE ISDELL , and to CARA ISDELL LEE ’97 and ZAK LEE, for giving generations of Pace students the gift of global leadership. I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON and her globetrotting team, and to the countless members of our faculty and staff who have supported and facilitated learning around global issues. Additionally, we owe tremendous thanks to the Parents Club for its partnership and fnancial commitment to ensuring that every Pace student can travel the world.

Ten years ago we had a bold idea; today we are minting Global Leaders, Made in Atlanta ! Thank you for partnering with us on this life-changing and worthwhile adventure.

Sincerely,

FRED ASSAF HEAD OF SCHOOL

In the summer of 2017, EDEN TRESIZE, TARA HARRIS and Head of School FRED ASSAF led 14 eighth graders on a two-week trek through the Land Down Under. This climate- and adventure-themed study tour journeyed to the Red Centre of Australia, where the iconic Uluru, or Ayers Rock, sits in the middle of the Outback. Students camped, ate authentic bush tucker, hiked with an Aboriginal guide and took a sunrise camel ride to watch the colors of Uluru come to life.

“I learned that being a global citizen isn’t just about trying new foods or even learning about other cultures. It means seeing the world from a new point of view and understanding the differences, similarities and relationships between different places,” said LAURA ROMIG ’21

FU, JIANG & WILHELM REPRESENT PACE AT GHP

Three Pace Academy Knights were among the 650 students from across the state selected to participate in the 2023 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP), a residential summer experience for gifted and talented students.

DAVID FU ’24 (top right), CLAIRE JIANG ’25 (top left) and ISABELLE WILHELM ’24 (bottom right) spent four weeks at Berry College engaging in “the academic, cultural and social enrichment necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators and leaders.”

All GHP participants selected an academic focus for their time on campus: “I wanted to continue learning math over the summer,” Fu reports, “and the content I learned at GHP was different from what I had learned at school. We focused on different branches of math—geometric constructions, creating lines and shapes using a compass and ruler, and the mathematical foundations of computer programming.”

Wilhelm chose to pursue science. “I wanted access to a college lab and feld experts for research in biology, specifcally my passion for plant and fungi genetic engineering,” Wilhelm says. An added bonus? “I had the opportunity to publish my frst scientifc article with an accompanying poster and present my research at a symposium. I also was introduced to MacConkey agar (a culture medium for bacteria), which I plan on using in future experiments to identify contamination.”

For Jiang, GHP provided the opportunity to further explore her love of Latin. “The GHP experience, at its essence, is learning for learning’s sake,” she says. “In just four weeks, I translated the work of a Latin playwright, simulated Julius Caesar's assassination and conducted research. I wore togas every Tuesday, enjoyed bubble tea every Saturday (compliments of the Chinese majors!), and was surrounded by passionate, kind people every day. I learned that I love Latin, and that I want to continue pursuing the Classics beyond high school.” l

LAWRENCE

NAMED GEORGIA HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

“A MASTER TEACHER and school leader” is how Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON described Dean of Student Academics and Upper School history teacher MINDY LAWRENCE when presenting her with the 2023 Kessler Excellence in Teaching Award, Pace Academy’s highest faculty honor.

“Teaching nearly every course offered in her department, she seemingly effortlessly takes on new class preparations,” Gannon said. “It’s not effortless. Steady streams of children stop by her offce daily for a thousand different reasons. She greets them all with a smile and shares time she does not have. Committed to her own professional development, she religiously fnds nerdy summer history programs to advance her own learning. Mindy Lawrence does it all—and she does it at an astonishingly high level.”

Those beyond the Pace community have taken note of Lawrence’s professional prowess. Over the summer, a panel of teachers, administrators and scholars from across the state selected Lawrence as the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History 2023 Georgia History Teacher of the Year, making her one of 53 fnalists for the $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award.

“I feel very lucky that I get to do a job I absolutely love with incredible Pace students,” Lawrence said upon receiving the designation. “I am so honored.” l

SCHOLARLY PURSUITS

SINCE 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has recognized academic excellence through the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP). High-school students across the U.S. enter the NMSP by taking the PSAT test and advance through the competition by meeting program entry and participation requirements, including demonstrated leadership and contributions to school and community activities.

This year, the NMSC named 10 members of the Pace Academy Class of 2024 Commended Scholars: NOAH BENZ [01] , WILL CANNADAY [02] , KATHERINE DAVIS [03] , WELLS HOWE [04] , WILLIAM MCMULLAN [05] , JAKE MILLER [06] , REED MILLNER [07] , PRABHAVH PRADEEP [08] , WILLIAM SOUZA [09] and GEORGE THOMPSON [10] . In addition, 13 seniors were selected as Semifnalists. MARTIN ANDRA-THOMAS [11] , ELLIE CARTER [12] , CLAIRE EASTERLING [13] , ALEX FINN [14] , DAVID FU [15] , HENRY GAUDET [16] , MORGAN GOLDSTROM [17] , AMELIA HONABACH [18] , BRODY MATTHIAS [19] , ELSIE MIDDLETON [20] , AVI NARULA [21] , ELLIE SISKIN [22] and ISABELLE WILHELM [23] placed among the highest-scoring test takers in Georgia and are eligible to apply for National Merit Scholarships, which will be awarded beginning in March 2024. l

RECOGNIZING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

THE COLLEGE BOARD National Recognition Programs award academic honors to sophomores and juniors who take eligible administrations of AP and PSAT exams, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and identify as African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or Native, or attend high school in a rural area or small town. This year, the Board honored fve Knights: National African American Recognition Award winners TYSON DAWSON ’25 [24] , ANSLI HENNINGS ’24 [25] and JOVANA WILLOUGHBY ’24 [26] , and National Hispanic Recognition Award winners COLE BELINFANTE ’24 [27] and JULIA DIAZ ’24 [28] l

S TANDOUT S TUDENTS

PACE ACADEMY STUDENTS OFTE N

SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS BEYOND TH E

SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y . IN THIS ISSUE O F

THE KNIGHTTIME S WE APPLAUD …

Foster with CATHERINEWOODLING ʼ00, COO of the East Lake Foundation

Bank of America named ROLAND FOSTER ’24 as a 2023 Atlanta Bank of America Student Leader, one of fve area high-school students selected to participate in an eight-week paid summer internship with the East Lake Foundation. Student Leaders developed leadership and professional skills while working with local nonprofts and traveled to Washington, D.C., for a week-long, all-expenses-paid, national leadership summit focused on the power of cross-sector collaboration and community advocacy. “The opportunity allowed me to learn about the inner workings of a nonproft, connect with like-minded youth leaders and acquire professional experience,” Foster says. l

KINLEY STEPHENS ’26 was one of only two Georgia high-school students selected to participate in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Offce eight-week summer internship program under Madame District Attorney Fani Willis. In the indictments division, Stephens worked alongside prosecutors, judges, investigators, legal assistants, law students and undergrads while learning the ins and outs of the justice system. The internship culminated in a mock trial competition in which Stephens’ team fnished second. “I’m extremely interested in a career in law,” Stephens reports, “and this amazing experience allowed me to learn a lot about reviewing evidence and what happens in a real trial.” l

 Middle School Learning Specialist JULIA

EGBEBIKE attended and presented at the National Association of Independent Schools Equity Design Lab conference in Nashville, Fla. Featuring educators from schools across the nation, the three-day conference was centered around Grading for Equity, a topic based on a book of the same name. The book’s author, Joe Feldman, also attended and led discussions. Back at Pace, Egbebike shared her learnings about equitable grading with colleagues at faculty lunch-and-learn sessions.

 In June and July, 37 Lower School faculty members participated in the inaugural Lower School Faculty Summer Institute. The three-day program provided professional development that deepened participants’ understanding of mathematical concepts presented in the Math In Focus curriculum; enhanced assessment practices in both reading and math; incorporated a new phonics scope and sequence; and developed an understanding of how Design Thinking informs Lower School STEAM programming. The instruction offered during days one and two of the program culminated on day three with targeted time to develop curriculum for the 2023–2024 school year.

Associate Director of College Counseling PAM visited the University of Sheffeld and the University of Liverpool, two of the six original “red brick universities” and also part of the Russell Group—a class of universities that share a focus on research and a reputation for academic achievement.

In addition to enjoying their welldeserved rest and relaxation, many Pace Academy faculty members dedicate vacation time to their students through travel, research and professional development. From Kessler-granted cross-country tours and international exploration to leadership-bolstering institutes and higher-education classes, here's a look into how a handful of our terrifc teachers spent their summer.

 Five new Lower School associate teachers— BRIAN MCKINLEY, KRISTIN BRASCHLER , JORDAN LEET, AISHA ALI and PAIGE

LEE —completed the Southern Association of Independent Schools Institute for New Teachers from July 11–13, held at The Westminster Schools. “This was extremely helpful going into the new year, and personally, I learned so much!” reports Leet.

Beyond the Syllabus

 Upper School world language teacher DRA. PAULA PONTES dove headfrst into the Isdell Center for Global Leadership annual theme, Water, with visits to Iguaçu Falls and the Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the border of Brazil and Paraguay.

 A 2023 recipient of the Kessler Excellence in Teaching Award, Upper School Dean of Student Academics and history teacher MINDY LAWRENCE used her grant to embark on a tour of presidential museums and libraries, which spanned the libraries of Harry S. Truman through George W. Bush. During her trip, Lawrence stopped in Boston, Kansas City and four Texas cities. Looking for an expert in the best—and worst—of American history museum exhibits? Now you know exactly who to ask.

 Upper School English teacher HOPE ROGERS saw everything from the Parthenon to Delphi on an amazing trip to Greece and returned home feeling more prepared than ever to teach The Odyssey

 Director of Speech and Debate ERIC FORSLUND and Middle School debate teacher WHIT WITMORE worked at the Michigan Debate Institute, which several Pace students attended. The dynamic debate duo was also invited to join the committee tasked with choosing the national debate topic for the 2024–2025 season. “It was a pretty unique experience,” says Forslund.

 Upper School history teacher DR. CHRISTINE CARTER , a 2022 recipient of the Kessler Excellence in Teaching Award, used the associated funds to take a summer trip to Chicago. “I wanted to learn more about the city, as it comes up often in my teaching, but I hadn’t been there—it was very fruitful,” says Carter. From the Jane Addams HullHouse Museum and the Chicago History Museum to the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House and Chicago River Architecture Tour, Carter covered just about every inch of the Windy City.

 Middle School visual art teacher KATY COWLES stepped into her students’ shoes and attended the Penland School of Craft, where she took an art class called Aleatory: Play as Process . “It was fabulous!” she says.

CLASS OF 2024 FIRST-DAY PARADE

MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION

UPPER SCHOOL CONVOCATION

UPPER SCHOOL ORIENTATION

FACULTY PRE-PLANNING

A Spirited Start

Beginning-of-the-year traditions and activities set the tone for the new school year.

SIXTH-GRADE RETREAT

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONVOCATION

NINTH-GRADE RETREAT

SEVENTH-GRADE RETREAT

CLASS OF 2024 RAFTING TRIP

WENDELL CARTER JR. ʼ17, who plays basketball for the Orlando Magic, made a special appearance at Keeping Pace.

FOUNDED IN 2006, Keeping

Pace returned for its 18th run on the Pace Academy campus this past summer. Enrolling 73 students from DeKalb County Schools, Keeping Pace remains a highly sought-after, four-week summer offering that enriches the lives of participating students, known as Pace Scholars.

The Keeping Pace daily schedule includes a combination of academic instruction and extracurricular activities, ensuring each day is wellrounded. Pace Scholars learn in Pace classrooms and enjoy campus facilities such as the cafeteria, the pool and the tennis courts.

A favorite activity is the Keeping Pace tennis program, generously supported by the ALTA Foundation. This year’s funding allowed for fve funloving and knowledgeable coaches to provide 36 hours of tennis instruction, including skill development in the areas of crosscourt forehands and backhands, serving, volleying and doubles strategy. In addition, the ALTA grant enabled Keeping Pace to add agility cones, tennis balls, racquets, water bottles and indoor tennis nets to its inventory.

Associate Director of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership TED WARD polls Keeping Pace students at the end of each summer in an effort to identify “glows” and “grows.” A resounding 85% of students responded that they would like to continue playing tennis after the conclusion of the program; and, when asked how excited they were to play tennis on a scale from 1 to 5, the average response was 4.7, a remarkably positive response and a strong endorsement for this signature community program. l

KEEPING PACE, HITTING AN ACE

CELEBRATING GENEROSITY AT THE

ON SEPT. 21, members of the Knights Circle, the Pace Fund’s highest level of giving, gathered in the Kam Memar Lower School’s Gandhi Hall to enjoy great food and even greater company, a show of thanks from Pace Academy. Attendees made signifcant commitments to Pace with donations of $10,000 or more during the 2022–2023 school year. The evening’s program included familiar faces as well as a special guest speaker.

ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS, chair of the Board of Trustees, welcomed attendees and thanked them for their leadership and generosity. Trustee and Advancement Committee Chair DEREK HARDESTY extended his thanks to Pace Fund Co-Chairs CIARA IRONS and BILL MONROE, as well as the additional 50 parent volunteers who inspired donors to participate in the Pace Fund. Head of School FRED ASSAF echoed Richards’ and Hardesty’s sentiments, provided an update on progress with the strategic plan and introduced Isdell Center for Global Leadership Visiting Scholar DR. KERSEY STURDIVANT (see story on page 53), who refected on this year’s global theme of Water

Special thanks to each and every member of the Knights Circle and to all Pace Fund donors, who together gave nearly $2.3 million during the 2022–2023 school year. l

Under the Sea Fall Fair Brings

Overthe-Top Fun

This year’s Parents Club Fall Fair, themed Under the Sea, was once again a highlight of the autumn calendar for Pace Academy families. Attendees enjoyed Fall Fair favorites including the Box Maze, Candy Castle and the MASH Sideline Tent. New this year, the School of Rock House Band provided live entertainment for kids and adults alike to enjoy, thanks to ÈLAN CHURCH-LOVETT ’01, who brought the talented musical group to campus.

“The 2023 Fall Fair Under the Sea was an event to remember,” says Parents Club President STEPHANIE MCDONALD. “Co-Chairs SARAH FICKE and LANIE MASILAMANI, along with dozens of other parent volunteers, worked tirelessly to imagine and execute a dynamic event for the Pace community. It was great to see friends and families spending time together while enjoying amazing infatables, thrilling rides, interactive games and delicious food. The Fall Fair epitomizes Pace: a school that values connecting and having fun.”

We are grateful to all the volunteers who brought the Fair to life, as well as our generous sponsors (listed on opposite page).

AN UPDATE ON OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

When Chief Equity and Inclusion Offcer JOANNE BEAUVOIR BROWN (pictured above) and Director of Equity and Inclusion BRIA SAMUELS ’13 (pictured bottom right) welcomed faculty and staff back to campus for pre-planning in August, joy took center stage.

Using Dr. Gholdy Muhammah’s Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and Instruction as a framework, Beauvoir Brown and Samuels challenged faculty and staff to “center joy in teaching and learning and to recognize that every student has genius that is yet to be discovered.”

The Offce of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) 2023–2024 theme— Unearthing Joy —builds on the previous year’s theme, which called on the Pace community to amplify the voices of the unheard. “The ultimate goal of teaching and learning is to have joy and to unearth joy, and that’s not always easy,” Beauvoir Brown told faculty and staff. “Particularly in diffcult times, we must elevate beauty and humanity by embracing truthful narratives and representations of people in the world, and we must embrace the joy we see in our students when they see themselves refected in our curriculum and mirrored in us.”

While the task of unearthing joy falls to the entire Pace community, Beauvoir Brown, Samuels and two faculty DEI coordinators in each of the school’s three divisions are leading the charge. Their work is guided by Excellence in Every Endeavor: Pace Academy’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, which prioritizes DEI work, and it centers around the six focus areas detailed in the school’s 2020 Action Plan for Racial Equity : Teaching & Curriculum, Our Community, Listening & Learning, Our People, Joining Our Community and Our Pledge.

Ten years ago, 16% of the Pace student body identifed as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or People of Color); this year, that percentage is 34. “Our community increasingly refects our city and the diverse world in which we live,” says Beauvoir Brown. “We’re heartened by our progress, and we’re dedicated to ensuring that all students—regardless of their race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age or ability—feel welcome at Pace.”

In addition to professional development and support for faculty and staff, the DEI Offce oversees faculty-led student affnity groups in all three divisions of the school, which allow students to refect on their shared experiences. In Lower School Community Time and Middle and Upper School assemblies, students, faculty, staff and families share religious, cultural and ethnic traditions; and Beauvoir Brown and her team host In Our Neighbors’ Shoes (IONS), a monthly gathering in which parents and caregivers engage in guided discussion around specifc topics.

“Our work also involves supporting members of our community in times of hurt and crisis, and providing spaces for students, faculty and staff to process and listen to each other as events unfold that may be beyond our control,” says Beauvoir Brown. “We want Pace Academy to be a safe space—a home—for everyone.” l

GET TO KNOW BRIA SAMUELS

’13

Director of Equity and Inclusion BRIA SAMUELS ’13 may be a new member of the Pace Academy faculty, but she certainly isn’t a stranger to the school. “Once a Knight, always a Knight,” says Samuels, who joined the Offce of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in June 2023. “Pace was one of the biggest catalysts for my character and academic growth. It was a place that challenged me as a scholar, fostered my character development as a person and gave me a chosen family.”

After graduating from Pace in 2013, Samuels earned a degree in human services from Elon University; taught and worked in DEI and curriculum development at Henderson Collegiate High School; and served as achievement director of science, social studies and equity at KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools.

In her role, Samuels works with the DEI team to plan and execute school-wide programs; facilitate professional development for faculty and staff; support students, parents and caregivers, colleagues and alumni; and build systems of belonging in all areas of campus life.

“Pace has both taken a stance and steps toward fulflling its promise of being an inclusive school,” Samuels reports. “When I think about this work, it is imperative to work in an environment where people are truly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Pace has that level of commitment, and it shows.”

Recent programs from the OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION have included:

TEARING DOWN THE WALLS [1 – 2]

Over the summer, HARRISON BROWN ’26, BRAYLON

CAMBOR ’26, ADRIENNE DURR ’24, ROLAND

FOSTER ’24, LEXI GOODMAN ’26, BRITTAIN

MEADOWS ’26, REIGN SHERRELL ’26, JACKSON

WASHBURN ’25, Upper School DEI Coordinator NIKKI

MCCRARY and Chief Equity and Inclusion Offcer

JOANNE BEAUVOIR BROWN traveled to Nashville to participate in Tearing Down the Walls, a conference on race and leadership. Alongside students and faculty from nearly 30 Southeastern independent schools, Pace representatives dove deep into what it means to be bridge builders in the area of race relations. Beauvoir Brown was one of the conference’s speakers.

FAMILY GATHERINGS [3–5]

Families of color in every division were invited to connect, welcome those new to the Pace community and catch up with old friends at casual back-to-school gatherings. Attendees enjoyed sweet treats and good conversation.

CELEBRATING THE JEWISH HIGH HOLY DAYS [6–7]

In September, students in all divisions honored Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. Students, faculty and family members educated the Lower School community about the holidays during a dedicated Community Time, and all Lower School students were invited to take part in Tashlich, an atonement ritual performed on Rosh Hashanah in which the previous year’s sins are cast off.

HONORING LATINX HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH [8–10]

The Pace campus came alive during Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month as students across divisions enjoyed performances and workshops with Caló Gitano, a local dance company; chowed down on delicious Latinx foods; participated in student-led assemblies and classroom activities; and crafted papel picado, traditional folk art made of colorful tissue paper, and sugar skulls, symbols used to celebrate Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

In addition, Lower School students took part in The Pulsera Project for the 10th consecutive year and welcomed the participation of Middle and Upper School students. Together, the Pace community raised $3,429.86 through the sale of colorful hand-woven bracelets made by Nicaraguan artisans—bringing the school’s 10-year total to more than $30,000. Funds generated allow the artisans to invest their proceeds in their local communities. The month concluded with a gathering of the Pace Latinx and Hispanic communities in the Kam Memar Lower School’s Gandhi Hall. l

Welcomes

JUSTIN BERMAN joined the Pace community in 2019. He and his wife, MARA BERMAN, have three children: DAVIS BERMAN ’27, AVERY BERMAN ’25 and just-graduated ELLA BERMAN ’23. When choosing a school for their children, the Bermans were attracted to Pace’s well-rounded and diverse student body as well as the opportunities for global study through the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL). During their time at Pace, the Bermans have participated in the Georgia Private School Tax Credit program and served as Pace Fund volunteers. They also support the Booster Club and Arts Alliance.

Professionally, Berman is co-chairman at Cresset Capital and the founder of Berman Capital Advisors where he works with multi-generational entrepreneurial families. He also lends his time and expertise to numerous nonprofts around the city and country, including serving on the boards of The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, the Grady Health Foundation and Leadership Atlanta. In addition, Berman is chair and founder of My Journey Matters, an Atlanta-based program focused on reducing recidivism for young adults with felonies.

Berman is no stranger to academic excellence and the development of the whole child as he graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University while captaining the men’s tennis team. He was recognized as a Rhodes Scholar fnalist before earning his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Berman looks forward to serving as an ambassador for the school during his tenure on the Board and collaborating with fellow Trustees to make Pace “the best place it can be.”

Ne w Members Pace Board of Trust ees

The newly appointed members of the Board bring varied backgrounds and expertise to Pace Academy’s governing body.

Please join us in welcoming JUSTIN BERMAN, RYAN GLOVER, TERRI JANKI, KIM JONES and PALMER PROCTOR.

RYAN GLOVER is a renowned talent in the entertainment industry with projects ranging from TV to music to flm. As chairman of Bounce TV and co-founder, CEO and chairman of Greenwood, a modern banking experience designed for Black and Latino customers, he is an accomplished producer and businessman. In addition, he founded Noontime Records, which has produced numerous Billboard No. 1 hits. Glover graduated from Howard University.

Glover and his wife, MARSHA GLOVER, an entrepreneur, fashion blogger, and president and CEO of Tea Tales and Elmozene, joined the Pace family in 2021 and have two students enrolled at the school: daughter KACI GLOVER ’28 and son ZACH GLOVER ’31. In addition, the Glovers are parents to Ryan, a University of Pennsylvania graduate; Haile, a student at Syracuse University; and Kile, a son who passed away in 2012 and would today be 22 years old.

Outside of Pace and work, Glover has dedicated himself to a variety of nonprofts, including founding Kile’s Beautiful Mind, an organization that helps children explore the arts, receive mentorship from educators and discover their creative talents. Further, he has structured Greenwood to prioritize giving back, and the company directs funds to Goodr, the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

Glover is clear about what drew his family to Pace: “The community that I felt from day one with Head of School FRED ASSAF and other parents.” As a Board member, Glover looks forward to sharing the Pace magic with others: “I want to be able to introduce [Pace] to individuals and families who may not know that Pace is the right place to build their legacies and to contribute to a great culture and community while getting an outstanding education.”

The Glovers are Booster Club supporters, and the entire family looks forward to seeing the Knights’ continued success on and off the feld. 

TERRI JANKI and her husband, DAN JANKI, have been Pace parents since they relocated to Atlanta from Ridgefeld, Conn., in 2008. Daughters MADELINE JANKI ’19 and CAROLINE JANKI ’21 are proud Pace alumni, and son RYAN JANKI ’29 is a seventh-grader.

When examining school options, the Jankis sought a school that offered robust academic programming while focusing on the development of the whole child. The partnership between school and home was also important to Janki; she looked forward to pursuing school-based volunteer opportunities after her retirement from GE Capital following 15 years in various roles within fnance, audit and human resource functions across multiple General Electric and GE Capital businesses. Janki holds a degree in business administration from the University of Vermont and applied the knowledge gained there throughout her professional career.

Over the course of their time at Pace, the Jankis have enthusiastically engaged with the school. During the Aim High campaign, the Jankis served as grade-level leaders, and they were early supporters of the Accelerate Pace campaign. They have participated in the Tax Credit program; sponsored the Fall Fair and the Auction; and been Booster Club members. Janki has also served as a grade representative and Parents Club treasurer, as well as on the Isdell Center for Global Leadership Advisory Board and Booster Club Board, among other volunteer posts.

Janki engages with numerous nonprofts outside of Pace, including leadership roles at National Charity League Buckhead and related mother/daughter volunteerism with Atlanta-based organizations such as Agape, Center of Refuge, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta Community Food Bank and Buckhead Christian Ministries. Over the years, she has also dedicated her time and resources to local youth sports communities, including Buckhead Baseball and Tophat Soccer.

Janki believes Pace’s relationship-frst culture and focus on global citizenship set the school apart. She also values the school’s commitment to diversity, learning support and faculty development.

During her tenure on the Board, Janki looks forward to playing an active role in the execution of the Excellence in Every Endeavor: Pace Academy’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan by leveraging her 15 years of Pace knowledge and experiences. 

KIM JONES has experience galore when it comes to running a business. She has served in numerous corporate leadership roles, including CEO and CFO of SweetWater Brewing Company, and controller, president, CFO and CEO of SPANX over the course of her 15 years with the brand. Most recently, Jones has accepted a position supporting SPANX Founder and Pace Academy parent SARA BLAKELY’s family offce.

Jones’s husband, ADAM JONES, is a former Pace student, having attended for a period of time in the 1980s. The Joneses have two children: EMMA JONES ’22 and JAKE JONES ’25. In choosing Pace, the Jones family affrmed their belief in Pace’s ability to serve a wide range of students and ensure their children’s success in and out of the classroom: “We chose Pace for our family because of the school's balanced commitment to academics and community, and the strength of the teachers and administration. We have two very different students in our household and both have thrived at Pace, becoming confdent, inspired, young adults ready to take on the world.”

Jones has chosen to give back to the school that she feels has given so much to her kids. She supports the Booster Club and the Pace Arts Alliance, participates in the Tax Credit program and is recognized as a member of the Knights of the Round Table. In addition to Jones’s involvement with Pace, she serves as a mentor with Endeavor, an organization committed to supporting and expanding entrepreneurship in underserved and emerging markets worldwide. She is also a contributor to 100 Women at her alma mater, the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. In this role, Jones encourages women to pursue business degrees and grow their leadership skills.

As she begins her time on the Board, Jones envisions “advancing the long-term strategic plan—specifcally around employee programming—to ensure Pace continues to attract and retain a world-class team, as well as expanding and further defning student wellness and mindfulness programs.”

PALMER PROCTOR and his wife, HOLLY PROCTOR, joined the Pace family in 2015 when their oldest child, HOLLAND PROCTOR ’22, enrolled in sixth grade. Two Proctor children are still on campus: SARAH PROCTOR ’24 and PALMER PROCTOR III ’27.

When looking for a middle and high school for their children, the Proctors were drawn to Pace’s outstanding academic offerings as well as the school’s emphasis on character development. Proctor refects, “We wanted a place where our children could grow and be challenged to become strong leaders and purposeful citizens.” The Proctors have been steadfast supporters of Pace through participation in the Tax Credit program; engagement with the Pace Auction; serving as class representatives; maintaining Booster Club membership; and volunteering with the Pace Fund.

A graduate of Auburn University and The ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University, Proctor currently serves as CEO at Ameris Bank and Ameris Bancorp. Additionally, he is a director of Brown & Brown, Inc., Inspire Brands and Choate Construction Company. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Allied Financial and was previously acting chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association.

Proctor has engaged with a wide array of nonproft organizations across the city, including Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Westside Future Fund Campaign, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, Rotary Club of Atlanta and the Buckhead Lions Club. In addition, the Proctors founded the Night of Hope Gala, which benefts research for MDA/ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Proctor believes in Pace’s mission to create prepared, confdent citizens of the world and endeavors to serve and protect the school’s best interest while on the Board.

lll

On w ard & U PWA RD

1 | Lena Andrews

Associate Director of College Counseling

A University of Kansas graduate, Andrews came to Pace from Vanderbilt University’s Offce of Undergraduate Admissions. With a master’s in higher education administration from Vanderbilt and a resume full of professional affliations, Andrews knows the ins and outs of the college admissions process from both sides of the desk.

2 | Dr. Christi Bartolomucci

Consulting Psychologist

Founder and clinical director of Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center, Bartolomucci specializes in working with children, adolescents and families. She received her Ph.D. and M.Ed. from the University of Georgia and completed her post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Emory University School of Medicine. Bartolomucci has been in private practice since 2003 and is available to meet with students, parents and caregivers.

Both fresh and familiar faces assume leadership roles

3 | Sue Errera

Middle School Counselor

Errera’s addition to the Pace counseling team doubles the number of counselors dedicated to supporting Middle School students. A champion of compassion— “for self and others”—Errera holds master’s degrees from West Chester University and Slippery Rock University. Prior to her arrival at Pace, she served as a counselor at Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center.

4 | Dr. Kaylan Haizlip

Upper School Science Department Chair

Haizlip begins her sixth year at Pace by taking the reins of the Upper School science department. She earned her bachelor's degree and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and served as a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder. Haizlip has been an active participant in the Isdell Center for Global Leadership and the Model United Nations programs.

5 | Alexandra Huguelet

Director of Lower School Student Life

Huguelet began her career as an elementary school counselor and later provided support for school counselors at every grade level throughout the Cobb County School District. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Huguelet earned her master’s in school counseling from Georgia State University and her specialist degree in professional counseling and supervision from the University of West Georgia.

6 | Will Lee

Director of Strength and Conditioning

Lee comes to Pace from the University of Central Florida, where he served as director of player development and assistant running back coach for the football program. An All-American running back at Morehouse College, Lee earned a bachelor’s in psychology and holds multiple certifcations in sports performance.

7 | Bria Samuels ’13

Director of Equity and Inclusion

A graduate of Elon University and Stanford University’s Hollyhock Fellowship Program, Samuels returns to her high-school alma mater from KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools, where she served as achievement director of science, social studies and equity, collaborating with a national network of equity practitioners to participate in research and development around diversity, equity and inclusion practices (see story on page 16).

8 | Sarah Stewart

Associate Director of Middle School Admissions

Stewart comes to Pace from Brandon Hall School’s admissions department and brings several years of experience in various admissions roles at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, Penn. Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and Chinese from Drew University and studied abroad in China.

9 | Lela Wallace

Associate Director of Communications

After 10 years as digital communications manager, Wallace moves into a new role leading the Pace Offce of Communications’ digital strategy. Experience at The Coca-Cola Company and Engage Marketing informs her work—as does a deep knowledge of the Pace community. Wallace holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. l

FACES of PACE

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

De’ire FOXX

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

How did you come to work at Pace?

Following an enriching year at a different institution, my journey led me to Pace. What immediately captivated my attention about Pace was the school’s unwavering commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion. This dedication resonates profoundly with me, as it mirrors my own deeply held personal and professional values.

Why is Pace a special place to work?

Pace as a workplace is distinguished by its genuine sense of community. Every day when I step into this remarkable environment, I’m aware of the profound opportunity to make a positive impact on someone’s life. It’s this ability to contribute meaningfully to the lives of others that makes me hold Pace in the highest regard. Plus, outside of my day-to-day job, I get to coach the seventh-grade boys basketball team and serve as an advisor for BAAAD, the Black, African-American, African Diaspora affnity group.

Is there a memory or experience that defnes Pace for you?

I love observing our community come together. Working in admissions, there’s nothing better than seeing a newcomer immediately welcomed and treated as an integral member of an extended family. To me, that exemplifes the very essence of “community,” and it’s a testament to the unique and profound nature of Pace. I’m immensely fortunate to be a part of it. Truly, my gratitude knows no bounds. l

MayMay Bentley

LELLYETT ’81 LOWER SCHOOL RECEPTIONIST

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

My job is so much more than clerical—I love on our Lower School kiddos every chance that I can!

As the face at the front desk, I’m fortunate to connect on a personal level with both our students and Pace parents.

Why is Pace such a special place to work?

I have such history with Pace Academy. I graduated in 1981, and both of my children are Pace grads: BENTLEY LELLYETT ’12 and EMMA LELLYETT ’18. I truly love this place!

Is there a memory or experience that defnes Pace for you?

I just returned from a summer girls trip to Italy to celebrate several 60th birthdays, and all of the ladies I traveled with are Pace graduates. What does that say about this school?! I’ve made friendships for life! l

Debra MANN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

How did you come to work at Pace?

I worked in the corporate travel industry for more than 20 years and really wanted a career change to something more community focused, so I accepted a two-year fundraising position at an independent school in Atlanta. It was a terrifc learning experience in the nonproft sector and led me to Pace’s Offce of Advancement at the beginning of the Aim High campaign for the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School.

Why is Pace a special place to work?

After 13 years at Pace, I enjoy immersing myself in all areas of student life. The children give me so much energy, and it is such a joy to see them thrive in the new spaces we have worked to help build. Pace truly is a community of care and respect—the students, teachers, administration, parents and so many others have such a positive and profound impact on the school.

Is there a memory or experience that defnes Pace for you?

At the recent opening of the Kam Memar Lower School, I asked a fourth-grade student what she liked best about the new building, and she was absolutely giggly when she said, "Everything! I wish I could stay here all day and sleep in the library!" That kind of joy makes coming to work every day an absolute pleasure. l

Excellence in Every Endeavor

In the most recent issue of the KnightTimes, we introduced you to the Offce of Advancement team. Within that group, you may have noticed two individuals who have recently joined the staff but are not exactly new to Pace Academy. TED JEFFRIES is the father of GAVIN JEFFRIES ’25, and HAYNES ROBERTS ’96 is a Pace alumnus. Jeffries and Roberts serve as principal gift offcers, and each is here to help donors tie their passions to Excellence in Every Endeavor: Pace Academy’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, which supports six essential focus areas: Academic & Institutional Excellence; Community & Communications; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Enrollment; Global Citizenship; and Student Life & School Culture.

Read on to get to know Jeffries and Roberts and then reach out to learn more about how they can help you make an impact at Pace now and in the future.

In his own words, Jeffries is “easygoing, competitive and passionate.” Those who have spent time with him know this self-assessment is pretty spot-on. Jeffries, sometimes called “Teddy Bear” by his friends, is just about the kindest person you will ever meet, and he also likes to get the job done.

Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Jeffries was a formidable opponent when he played college basketball for the University of Virginia from 1989 to 1993. After trying out for the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls as an undrafted free agent, he enjoyed an 8-year professional career in Europe, South America and Asia. Following his time on the court as both a player and a Division I assistant basketball coach, Jeffries transitioned to major gift fundraising with a focus on supporting educational nonprofts. To date, Jeffries has helped raise more than $50 million for the Virginia Athletics Foundation, the Ridley Scholarship Program at the University of Virginia, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and the United Negro College Fund. Given Jeffries’ natural ability to connect with donors and help them link their philanthropic goals to institutional needs, this degree of success comes as no surprise.

Now, Jeffries leverages his passion and expertise to support Pace. Jeffries sees the value of the Pace education through the eyes of a parent, and he looks forward to helping raise funds to support the school’s strategic initiatives. According to Jeffries, a principal gift facilitates “transformative experiences for students and faculty,” and he believes that principal giving in line with the strategic plan will allow Pace to build on its greatness to become “the national example for doing everything well in the independent school space.”

Roberts frst arrived at Pace in Pre-First. After 13 years as a student, he appreciates the positive effects of his time at the school: “I credit Pace for many of my fondest friends and memories. Pace was formative intellectually and socially.” Surely Roberts’ early experiences as part of the Pace community contributed to who he is today: someone who sees himself as “loyal, approachable and curious.”

After graduation, Roberts attended Sewanee: The University of the South, which is also where he launched his nonproft career. He found passion and meaning in fundraising, especially for organizations focusing on educational outcomes. He notes, “As an alumnus, I am thrilled with the opportunity to give back and help sustain the Pace legacy for future generations.”

Roberts looks forward to partnering with alumni, parents and friends to further the Pace mission and “ensure an exceptional, nurturing student experience; empower frst-rate faculty and staff; increase tuition accessibility; fund facilities that complement institutional needs; and provide opportunities for growth beyond the classroom, both domestically and abroad.” l

TED JEFFRIES

Principal Gift Offcer

ted.jeffries@paceacademy.org

404-926-3725

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A radio DJ. I was always fascinated by the great music they played.

Jeffries and Roberts are passionate about transforming the lives of children through their work as principal gifts offcers. When they were kids themselves, however, they did not anticipate doing this kind of work.

HAYNES ROBERTS ’96

Principal Gift Offcer

haynes.roberts@paceacademy.org

404-926-3708

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A professional baseball player or manager for the Atlanta Braves or the St. Louis Cardinals.

Meet theKnights here to helpyou make an impact.

WELCOMING THIS YEAR’S PARENT ORGANIZATION LEADERS

The start of another new school year ushers in new leadership for Pace Academy’s parent organizations. This year, we welcome Booster Club Co-Presidents WHITNEY PAULOWSKY and RYAN PAULOWSKY; Pace Arts Alliance Co-Presidents ANN MCLEAN NAGLE ’87 and GINGER FAY; and Parents Club President STEPHANIE MCDONALD For more information on how to get involved in parent organizations on campus, check out the Get Involved tab in the Support section of www.paceacademy.org

BOOSTER CLUB LEADERSHIP

CO-PRESIDENTS: Whitney & Ryan Paulowsky

VICE PRESIDENTS: Ashley & David Grice

SECRETARY: Sara Blackwood

TREASURER: Buddy Blaha

PACE ARTS ALLIANCE LEADERSHIP

CO-PRESIDENTS: Ann McLean Nagle ’87 & Ginger Fay

PAST PRESIDENT: Christy Smith

SECRETARY: Julia Kaufman

TREASURER: Suzanne White

PARENTS CLUB LEADERSHIP

PRESIDENT: Stephanie McDonald

PAST PRESIDENT: Cara Lubin

SECRETARY: Sylvia Gies

TREASURER: Oliver Bell

IT’S TIME TO PRE-APPLY FOR THE Tax credit limits have increased!

2024 GEORGIA PRIVATE SCHOOL

TAX

CREDIT PROGRAM

This education credit is better than a tax deduction because it gives you, the Georgia taxpayer, a dollarfor-dollar reduction in the amount you owe in Georgia taxes while supporting need-based nancial aid at Pace. You receive 100% credit on your state tax return for the amount of your contribution.

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

Contact the Of ce of Advancement at advancement@paceacademy.org or call Debra Mann at 404-240-9103

“Pace Academy has established a profound foundation for our children, nurturing their success far beyond the classroom.

Contributing to the Pace Fund holds deep meaning for my family, as we recognize that our support directly impacts the education and growth of students, lling us with a tremendous sense of joy and purpose.”

MICHELLE EDWARDS

Parent

“As both a parent and a faculty member, I see Pace Fund dollars at work every day. From the classroom to the library to the stage and the eld, the generosity of Pace Fund participants is evident.”

STEWART TARVIN

Eighth-Grade Dean and Middle School Latin Teacher

PACE FUND VOLUNTEER LEADERS

CIARA IRONS

Pace Fund Co-Chair

chesire16@gmail.com

BILL MONROE

Pace Fund Co-Chair

wgmonroe4@yahoo.com

HANAN & SAMIR IDRIS

New Family & Inclusion Co-Chairs

onehanan@gmail.com

sidris01@gmail.com

WHITNEY & RYAN PAULOWSKY

New Family & Inclusion Co-Chairs

whitneypaulowsky@gmail.com

ryan_paulowsky@mckinsey.com

FLASH: PACE FUND Timeline Condensed for 2023–2024

The Offce of Advancement and the Board of Trustees continue to build clarity around the many fundraising opportunities at Pace Academy. The Pace Fund is our #1 annual-giving priority and serves to support the current school year's operating budget by providing vital resources that beneft every student and bolster all aspects of the Pace experience.

This year, the campaign will run from OCT. 2, 2023, to JAN. 1, 2024, with pledge payments due by MAY 15, 2024. This new shortened time frame will accentuate the importance of Pace’s most critical fundraising need. While this abbreviated timeline is a new initiative, we hope Pace families will come to anticipate and appreciate the compressed approach and that Pace Fund volunteers and participants will have a more rewarding experience as a result.

To participate in the Pace Fund, visit the Pace website at www. paceacademy.org/support/the-pace-fund. When making your Pace Fund gift, you may indicate a specifc giving priority. Area of Greatest Need is the priority our donors choose most often.

The Knights of the Round Table (KORT) celebrates generous donors making annual gifts of $2,500 or more, and this year’s KORT party is scheduled for APRIL 30, 2024. We hope to see you there!

346

Faculty and staff who are grateful for your Pace Fund gift

$2.3M

Dollars raised through your generosity last year

1,150

Students who beneft from your Pace Fund gift every day

100%

Percentage of gifts that make a transformative impact on the Pace experience

JURIED ART EXHIBIT FEATURES UPPER SCHOOL WORK

For the second consecutive year, the Upper School visual arts department hosted its Juried Art Exhibit. The showcase, open to all Upper School students, included a wide array of artistic masterpieces and underwent careful evaluation by faculty members and members of the Advanced Studio Art class, resulting in awards for MAKAYLI

ANOCHIE ’24 (Faculty Award) and KATE

CUNNINGHAM ’25 (Advanced Studio Award). Honorable Mentions went to ANGELIKA

AVDYEYEVA ’26 ,

GRIFFIN BRYAN ’25 and AMELIA

HONABACH ’24 l

HONABACH  

SAVE THESE DATES

FEB. 22–23: Middle School

Drama presents High School Musical

MARCH 15: Knight of Jazz

APRIL 18–19: Mean Girls , the Upper School spring musical

NOT EVEN THE MOST EVIL OF SUPERVILLAINS COULD RESIST WILL YOU BE MY NEMESIS?, THE 2023 MIDDLE SCHOOL FALL PLAY.

-- “A quickfre comedy sure to capture your heart and maybe lower it slowly into a volcano,” according to Director PATRICK CAMPBELL , this show treated audiences to a spectacular display of wit, rivalry and colorful costuming. What’s more, Pace made state history, as the Knights’ production marked the Georgia premiere of the play.

THE UPPER SCHOOL kicked off its 2023–2024 theater season with a heartwarming and hilarious production of Puffs (or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic), by Matt Cox. The show reimagines the well-known fantasy saga and explores what it means to be a hero and a friend.

After a delightful two-day run in the Zalik Theater, the Pace Academy troupe took the show on the road—literally—to the regional GHSA One-Act Competition, where the Knights claimed the region title and earned several well-deserved individual accolades. Puffs was awarded Best Set; seniors JACKSON ALLEGRA ’24 and HANNAH WHITE ’24 were named to the All-Star Cast; and juniors NICHOLAS DEMBA ’25 and JULIA GOODE ’25 earned Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. From there, the Knights were state-bound.

Just a few weeks later, the cast and crew tweaked their production with an exclusive encore send-off performance in the Zalik Theater before heading to Tifton, Ga., for the GHSA State One-Act Competition. When all was said and done, Puffs placed ffth in the state, and White and Demba earned spots on the All-Star Cast list. l

INTO THE DEEP

he solution to any problem… is to go fshing,” author John Gierach has said—and when COVID shut down the world, SPENCER WILHELMSEN ’26 did just that. “My mom and I started fshing during the pandemic, and I’ve been fshing whenever I can since then,” Wilhelmsen says. “It’s my thing.”

A 2022 Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) study tour to the Everglades and the Florida Keys further ignited Wilhelmsen’s interest in ecology and marine life, a passion he has continued to pursue. “Spencer is curious about all things underwater,” says science teacher BEN EWING ’06 “Outside of school, much of his time and attention are spent learning about fsh and underwater ecosystems.”

So when longtime ICGL partner ENVOYS—an educational travel provider committed to using immersive study tours to examine complex global issues—secured funding from Dalio Philanthropies to support travel scholarships for students passionate about research and ocean life, Wilhelmsen was at the top of the science department’s list of candidates. Dalio operates OceanX, an organization committed to creating a “global community of explorers, scientists and storytellers dedicated to educating, inspiring and protecting the oceans in order to drive positive change.” OceanX conducts its research using a feet of deep-sea vehicles and OceanXplorer, the most advanced exploration, research and media vessel in the world.

“As a result of our shared work over the years and our current ICGL annual theme of Water, ENVOYS reached out to see if we had a student who might be interested in being part of the frst-ever high-school expedition aboard OceanXplorer,” says ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON “Spencer was our guy.”

In June, Wilhelmsen packed his passport and few to Norway, where he convened with four other students, two chaperones and a National Geographic videographer. “We spent the frst few days in Oslo getting to know each other and learning more about OceanX,” he reports. “Then we went to Bergen.” A city on Norway’s southwestern coast, Bergen is known as “the heart of the fjords.” Mountains surround the picturesque metropolis, which overlooks the sea, providing easy access to nearby islands and natural wonders; OceanXplorer docks in its port.

For fve days, Wilhelmsen and his cohort lived aboard the research vessel, exploring its labs, media room and underwater technology, and working alongside university students conducting “crazy research.”

“We learned about marine science, exploration, ocean mapping, the use of remotely operated vehicles, conservation, and the importance of media and communications,” Wilhelmsen says. In addition, the group took a helicopter ride from the boat into the mountains to hike, and each student had the opportunity to journey to the bottom of the fjords in a submarine. “I spent four hours in a glass bubble surrounded by shipwrecks, all kinds of fsh, sea urchins, sea stars and barnacles. It was incredible.”

Wilhelmsen left Norway with new friends and a newfound sense of wonder for all that lies below the ocean’s surface. “For a while, I’ve known that, in the future, I want to do something related to water,” he says. “Being exposed to the people it takes to run OceanXplorer—a sub team, a science team, a media team, a sample team—really opened my eyes to the different possibilities that are out there. I could see myself in a related feld, and that’s really exciting.” l

SPENCER WILHELMSEN ’26 MAKES WAVES ABOARD THE WORLD’S PREMIER RESEARCH VESSEL

ICGL FACULTY PROFILE

BEN EWING ’06

OPPOSITE PAGE:

[01 – 03] Along with Science Department Chair DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP, Ewing led a 2023 spring-break study tour to the Galápagos Islands.

[04] Ewing during the 2005 – 2006 school year.

[05] Ewing delivers his farewell address to the Class of 2022.

[06 – 07] In 2022, Ewing partnered with Outward Bound and led recent Pace graduates through the Boundary Waters of northeastern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest.

For BEN EWING ’06, a junior biology class at Pace Academy sparked a lifelong love of science. “It was the frst subject I was good at and truly interested in—and it instantly changed my entire approach to school and learning,” Ewing remembers. “The course piqued my curiosity in totally new ways. There was no question as to what I would pursue after Pace.”

Fast forward 20 years. Ewing now teaches honors biology in the Pace Upper School and strives to ignite in his students the same passion he discovered as a teenager.

Before fnding his way back to Pace, Ewing majored in biology and minored in English at Presbyterian College. He launched his career as a jack of all trades at The Asheville School—for fve years, he taught science, coached lacrosse, served as a dorm parent and, in his fnal year at the school, joined the admissions team. Ewing left Asheville for New York City, where he earned a master’s in independent school leadership at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center. Then he hightailed it to Fiji for a two-year term as a Peace Corps community development volunteer. While in Fiji, he accepted the position at his alma mater, and he returned to Atlanta two weeks before the start of the 2018–2019 school year. “In hindsight, that transition was insane,” Ewing says with a laugh.

As a member of the Pace faculty, Ewing jumped into life on campus, coaching lacrosse and serving as dean of the Class of 2022 in addition to his teaching duties. He also embraced the mission of the school’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL), conceived in 2014, nine years following Ewing’s high-school graduation (see story on page 42). The program strives to cultivate cultural competency and leadership capabilities among students, connecting them with people and issues around the world in an effort to create

prepared, confdent global citizens. Relationships—with classmates, teachers, international partners, the environment—are the heart of the ICGL, and they are central to Ewing’s ethos.

“Relationships feed growth,” Ewing says. “And nothing fosters relationships like extracting kids from day-to-day life and fully immersing them in unfamiliar situations. It provides students opportunities to gain independence and to navigate challenges with the people around them in ways that are hard to fnd during the course of a normal school day.”

Ewing speaks from experience. “My time in the Peace Corps taught me cultural humility,” he says. “I learned how to be comfortable having no idea what was going on around me most of the time. It taught me to trust and truly value people, which was refreshing.” It’s a lesson he wants to share with his students.

While COVID canceled Ewing’s planned ICGL study tour to Fiji in 2020, when ICGL travel resumed, he hit the road in partnership with Outward Bound and led members of the Class of 2022 through the Boundary Waters of northeastern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest, a federally designated wilderness. The study tour group went off the grid, hiking, camping and canoeing through the rugged and remote terrain. “I took six recentlygraduated seniors who weren’t necessarily close on that trip,” Ewing recalls. “By the end, they were a functional unit; they relied on each other. That’s the goal.”

“I REALLY VALUE THE PEOPLE HERE AT PACE. WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUALLY REMIND ME HOW TO BE BETTER AS A PERSON AND AS AN EDUCATOR IS REALLY VALUABLE.”

A 2023 spring-break study tour to the Galápagos Islands along with Science Department Chair DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP kicked off a year of ICGL-related travel for Ewing. After giving his fnal exam in May, Ewing hopped on a plane to Boston and traveled from there to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Mass., the world’s leading independent nonproft organization dedicated to ocean research, exploration and education. Alongside high-school science teachers, college professors and university auxiliary program staff, Ewing observed Woods Hole’s SEA Education Association’s educational programming in action with potential Pace programming in mind, and he spent several days aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, a 134-foot steel brigantine sailing vessel.

Then, over the summer, Ewing and ICGL Associate Director TED WARD conducted a similar scouting mission to Ecuador, where they established a partnership with Kingue Adventure School and its founder, Jorge Ignacio Anhalzer. They will return with Upper School students in the spring of 2024 and embark on a 40-mile backpacking trip high into the Ecuadorian Andes. From there, the group will follow mountain water as it travels down 8,000 feet into the Río San Pedro and, ultimately, to the Amazon Rainforest.

Pace is the frst high school to join forces with Kingue, and it’s a partnership Ewing hopes will continue for many years. “Kingue’s motto is ‘Wisdom through wilderness,’ and that so aligns with everything the ICGL and Pace community believe is important: knowing how the world around us works, understanding the implications of our actions and valuing depth over breadth when it comes to the student experience.”

As Ewing, now dean of the Class of 2026, embarks on his sixth year at Pace, he’s grateful for the opportunities afforded to him through the ICGL and for the role he plays in his students’ lives. “The work we do isn’t easy,” he says, “but it’s good work. At the end of the day, it matters.” l

Alaska

Exploring everything from the Kenai Peninsula to Denali, Middle School students experienced extraordinary outdoor adventures in Alaska as they learned about conservation and climate under the leadership of Middle School faculty members DECLAN TRAQUAIR and JULIE HAMPTON .

THE ISDELL CENTER FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP REDEFINES “SUMMER SCHOOL” AND CROSSES OCEANS IN EVERY DIRECTION ON SUMMER STUDY TOURS

Costa Rica

What do you get when you mix 28 rising sixth graders and Lower School faculty dream team

REBECCA RHODES, LAURIE ELLIOTT, DIANNE WILBUR, LAUREN TAYLOR, EMMA

GILMORE and MEGAN

MINDEL? Only the best study tour to Costa Rica, ever! These Knights capped off their time in the Lower School by experiencing life in the rainforest—from studying ethnobotany and spotting poison dart frogs to enjoying the real-life soundtrack of howler monkeys and toucans.

Middle School students and chaperones KELLY COLQUITT and JULIA EGBEBIKE knew their summer study tour in the Galápagos Islands was going to be good when the breathtaking views and thrilling wildlife sightings started before the gang even got off the plane. From giant tortoises to famingos, lava tunnels to clear turquoise beaches, this crew saw their science classes come to life on a study tour for the books.

STUDENTS WITHOUT BORDERS

Netherlands

Water and innovation were the name of the game for Middle School travelers and TAYLOR BERRY, JASON MILLER and PATRICE WRIGHT-LEWIS, who made their mark in the Netherlands this summer. Windmills, bicycles for miles and foating farms were just a few of their favorite sights.

Bolivia

Despite a missed connection, Upper School students and faculty chaperones LAURA AGRONT-HOBBS, DONICE BLOODWORTH and ALLISON TARVIN made the most of their adventures, both planned and unplanned, in Bolivia (and Bogotá, Colombia)! From salt-fats sunsets to textile weaving, these Knights certainly beheld Bolivian beauty.

England & France

Upper School students were in for a treat as they traveled to England and France with Pace study tour pros TIM HORNOR, JASON SMITH and KRISTA WILHELMSEN. A trip to Normandy Beach and a last-minute, spontaneous detour to the Eiffel Tower were among the highlights of the journey. At Normandy, the Knights walked through German bunkers at Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach, locations where American forces came ashore on D-Day. Students also visited the Normandy American Cemetery—an emotional experience to be sure. They returned home having witnessed European and American history come to life before their eyes.

Greece

Alongside Upper School teachers MINDY LAWRENCE and DR. TAHZEEN KAZI, students dove into important global issues like migration and democracy in Greece. From Athens to Lesvos, the group enjoyed the best of Mediterranean cuisine and had a blast trekking through ancient landmarks. Profound takeaways included pondering the meaning of “home,” refecting on patterns of migration and brainstorming ways to make a difference in even just one life.

Iceland

Chaperone pair extraordinaire CHARLIE BRYANT and PAM AMBLER were off once again, this time to Iceland with a great group of Upper School explorers! Focusing on Icelandic sagas, climate and energy innovations, the group unearthed new passions and explored natural beauty at the intersection of the humanities and science.

SUMMER STUDY TOURS [MORE]

THE YEAR OF WATER, 2.0

MINIMESTERS, STUDY TOURS AND MORE

As the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) turns 10, the Pace Academy community is once again tackling Water, the annual theme in 2014–2015, the ICGL’s inaugural year. “This time, our exploration of Water is more complex and more informed,” says ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON. “We’re able to dive deeper because we’ve spent the past decade analyzing related themes like Conservation, Energy and Climate. The students who studied Water in Pre-First are now, as freshmen in our Upper School, equipped with the skills and experiences necessary to enhance their understanding in a different context. It’s exciting to see things come full circle.”

ICGL Visiting Scholar DR. KERSEY STURDIVANT set the tone during his two-day visit to campus in September. A marine ecologist who studies the effects of human disturbance on the seafoor and develops marine technology to enhance human understanding of the ocean, Sturdivant shared his work with students across all divisions during special assemblies; spent time in science classrooms; and met with the Upper School ICGL Council, Isdell Global Leaders, the BAAAD (Black, African-American, African Diaspora) Affnity Group, faculty members and Knights Circle donors.

“As we think about the global ocean ecosystem, its importance to life on this planet, and our role in the harm that we’ve caused, it’s imperative that we recognize this precious body of water for what it is: the reason for our continued existence on this planet,” Sturdivant told students. “If we don’t start acting like that, well, that’s it.”

The ICGL continues to thrive and develop with this year’s addition of a Middle School Minimester program, offered to every Middle School student as part of their academic program. Going forward, week-long minimesters will take place annually in February and will focus on developing students’ global mindedness, cultural awareness, engaged citizenship and leadership skills by taking students out of their familiar classroom environments and allowing them to learn about global issues in real-world settings in and around Atlanta. The program's emphasis on immersive and experiential learning focused around socially relevant topics will support the growth and development of all of students' global competency. Minimester courses—for example, Effective Leadership in a Complex World and Art & Activism: Addressing Global Issues —will take place during the school day.

To accommodate the new week-long program, the ICGL has shifted the timing of spring study tours to coincide with minimesters—which means that every Middle School student will either participate in an ICGL study tour or enroll in a minimester. Students may take advantage of summer study tour opportunities as well.

“This year, Pace students and faculty in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools will travel to 15 countries on 20 study tours,” Anderson reports. “From Baja to Basque Country and Thailand to Morocco, students’ travels will highlight focus areas including sustainability, marine biology, education, technology, history and leadership development.”

With the world facing complex challenges that demand innovative and compassionate leadership, the ICGL will continue to nurture a diverse community of students who are not only academically equipped but also culturally aware, ethically grounded and committed to positive change. l

MEET ICGL VISITING SCHOLAR DR. KERSEY STURDIVANT

Marine ecologist DR. KERSEY STURDIVANT is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the College of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. An adjunct professor at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, Sturdivant helped launch INSPIRE Environmental, an environmental consulting company, where he serves as a principal scientist. In addition, Sturdivant is the author of Getting into Graduate School in the Sciences, a senior correspondent at SouthernFriedScience.com and a co-creator of Oceanography for Everyone. He recently received a twoyear appointment to the National Academy of Sciences.

INTRODUCING OUR 2023–2024 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS

UMA GRAZ ’24, EMMA LOWRY ’24, ASHER

LUBIN ’24 and MARY OYEFUGA ’25 are making a splash as the members of the 2023–2024 Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs) cohort. This year’s IGLs, selected following an intensive application process, have committed to a year-long study of Water that includes coursework, research and two travel opportunities.

This fall, the IGLs, alongside Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Director TRISH ANDERSON and Associate Director TED WARD, traveled to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Mass., to meet with educators, scientists and explorers while learning about ocean ecology, coastal environments, climate change and conservation (look for more in our winter issue). In the spring, the group will turn its focus to fresh water in a yet-to-be-determined destination.

“Our goal in the coming semester is to look at issues related to fresh water in terms of access and sustainability,” Anderson says. “The group is very interested in looking at communities—both urban and rural—that are implementing various strategies and policies to address water shortages and trying to mitigate water scarcity.” l

WATER’S WONDER ON DISPLAY

Every year, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Poster Competition challenges Upper School stu dents to explore the ICGL’s annual global theme through art. Pieces of all mediums are accepted, and the winning piece must accurately represent the ICGL’s annual theme—this year Water —in a creative and inspiring way. This year, artwork by KATELYN SOUZA ’24 emerged victorious. Souza’s vision is inspired by the many ways in which water supports society, cultivates life and fosters beauty.

THE

BRINGING CLEAN WATER CLOSER TO HOME

In October, the Pace Academy community welcomed charity:water founder and CEO Scott Harrison back to campus. Harrison frst visited the school in 2014, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s (ICGL) inaugural year, during which students, faculty and staff explored Water, also this year’s global theme.

Harrison spoke to students in grades four through 12 and shared the charity:water story. The organization strives to end the global water crisis and, since 2006, has funded 137,015 water projects in 29 countries, providing clean water to more than 17 million individuals. Because private donors cover charity:water’s operating costs, 100% of public donations go to fund clean water projects.

“We know how to solve global water issues, and we know that access to clean water changes everything—it impacts education, health and economic stability, particularly for women and children,” Harrison told students. “We just have to do it.”

Harrison urged students to become involved in ending the water crisis, or to fnd another global issue that they are passionate about solving.

Families interested in learning more can fnd resources and additional information at www.charitywater.org/getinvolved/kids l

ALUMNI UPDATES

[01] TINA BRICKLEY ENGBERG ’86 received the 2023 Outstanding Service Award from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Georgia Branch. The award recognizes an individual who has exhibited dedicated service in pursuing IDA’s mission throughout the state.

“As the state leader for Decoding Dyslexia Georgia, I worked on Georgia's 2019 dyslexia law and followed its implementation from the State Board of Education to the Department of Education, to our regional educational service agencies and to the seven pilot districts whose work will inform other districts across the state,” Tina reports. “This year, Georgia's legislature passed two major bills, which were signed into law, mandating changes in instructional practices regarding reading.”

In addition, Tina is pursuing a master’s in reading science at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati. “I've been studying reading science for 12 years now, and I’m excited about the challenges going back to school will present,” she writes.

[02] LAUREN LINDER ’00 was one of three honorees at the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) 26th Annual Jurisprudence Luncheon at Atlanta’s Whitley Hotel on Sept. 7. The ADL’s Jurisprudence Awards pay tribute to lawyers who have, throughout their careers, dedicated themselves to securing justice and fair treatment for all people. This year’s event attracted lawyers and civic leaders from across the Southeast and amplifed the ADL’s mission to fght all forms of hate, to expose extremism, and to educate people about the corrosive effects of bias and discrimination. Linder, vice president and assistant general counsel at Curaleaf at the time of the event, received the Emerging Leader Award. She has since been appointed vice president and group counsel at Equifax.

[03] ERIC RIDDELL ’06 was hired as assistant professor in global change biology

BIRTHS

[06] ASHLEY DAWSON WILLE ’83 welcomed a granddaughter, Estelle Hollingsworth Perry.

in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Biology. Eric’s lab uses physiology to understand how animals respond to environmental change. His research blends experimental biology with simulation-based computer models to identify the physiological processes driving species’ distributions, extinction and adaptation. The approach requires insight from behavior, physiology and physics, providing an integrative perspective into organismal biology. Through the synthesis of these disciplines, the lab provides a comprehensive understanding of organisms, from genes to geographic ranges, while improving its capacity to predict the impact of climate change.

[04] SAMANTHA MORELAND ’17 joined JP Morgan Chase in 2021 as a rotational analyst in the Chase Leadership and Development Program, working in the New York offce. Upon completion of the program in 2023, she joined the Consumer and Community Bank strategy team as an associate. The strategy team functions as an internal consulting group and works on a project basis, addressing topics at the top of senior management agendas and at the forefront of the industry. “If you have a Chase credit card, home loan, checking account, etc., then I work on the team that strives to make your banking experience the best,” Samantha reports.

[05] RACHEL HALL ’18 is a junior formulation chemist at Salvona Technologies, where she creates skincare, body care, sunscreen and haircare products for various beauty brands, hospitality chains and celebrities. “I love what I do because I get to merge my love of chemistry and my creative side on a daily basis,” she says. In addition, Rachel, a graduate of Pomona College, is pursuing a master’s in business and science with a concentration in personal care science at Rutgers University.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

[07] Saskia Pownall-Gray and JACK HARRIS ’10 welcomed son Wesley Theodore on March 15, 2023. He joins big brother Johnny. The family lives in Cedar Grove, NJ.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle has named two Pace Academy alumni to its 40 Under 40 class of 2023. The awards program draws hundreds of nominations of young, rising leaders within the city's business community—“the future CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, founders of the next unicorns, and advocates for a greater and more equitable city.”

MARRIAGES

[10 –11]

JACK ASSAF ’13 and Katie Schneider were married on July 15, 2023, in Wayne, Penn. JACOB WAWRO ’13 served as the best man; HANK ASSAF ’15, MICK ASSAF ’16, SAM ASSAF ’19 and TOMMY ASSAF ’21 were groomsmen. Head of School FRED ASSAF and MARTHA DOWNER-ASSAF are the proud parents of the groom.

Jack and Katie met while participating in the Alliance for Catholic Education Teaching Fellows program at the University Notre Dame, where they both earned Master of Education degrees. Jack teaches sixth-grade math and is the athletic director at Aspen Academy in Denver, Colo. Katie teaches computer science and engineering at Colorado Academy.

[12–13]

KATHERINE MERRITT ALLEN ’14 married Griffen Allen on June 10, 2023, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. A reception followed at the Buckhead Club. Attendees included KATIE BREWSTER

CLARK ’14, KATIE WILLIAMSON ’14, MADISON HOFF ’14 and SARAH JACOBSON ’14

[14 –15] ANNA HOFFMAN IMPERIAL ’15 married Jonathan Imperial on Sept. 2, 2023, in Cambridge, England. JOHN HOFFMAN ’12, MORGAN BAKER ’15, MARIA GRENADER ’15, HANNAH

KELLY ’15, LACEY O’SULLIVAN ’15 and SARAH THOMSON ’15 attended. Lacey served as maid of honor.

[16 –17]

JACK DWYER ’16 and PAIGE

WILLIAMS ’16 married on Aug. 26, 2023, at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta. A reception at Cherokee Town Club followed. LIAN SHEPHERD ’16 was Paige’s maid of honor; MADISON GRAHAM ’16 and GRACE DWYER ’18 were bridesmaids; and JOHN WILLIAMS ’19 was a groomsman. The couple has been together since their junior year at Pace— almost 9 years!

IN MEMORIAM

[18]

MICHAEL VANCE “VAN” COCHRAN ’68 passed away peacefully on Oct. 2, 2023. One of seven children, Van attended Pace with his brother, CASEY COCHRAN ’72, and sister, BRONWYN COCHRAN RANDEL ’70. He was an exceptional student-athlete—an All-American athlete in four sports—and caught the eye and heart of MARILYN MOORE COCHRAN ’68, who would become his soulmate for life and his wife for 56 years.

His freshman year of college, Van played basketball at Georgia Tech while beginning his family. He fnished his undergraduate degree at Georgia State University while working full time and attending classes at night. He went on to earn a master’s in fnance and launched his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, quickly becoming an assistant controller.

The family moved to North Carolina, where Van had a long and successful career selling HVAC systems. Later, he started his own business as a manufacturer’s representative for Liebert Corporation. Van was known by his colleagues, friends and family as being devoted to his spiritual life. He and Marilyn served their church diligently; Van taught several Bible studies and served in various leadership roles.

“Van lived a full life appreciating the simple pleasures like playing golf, dancing in the kitchen with Marilyn to their favorite songs, holding sleeping babies, looking for shells on the beach with his grandchildren, cooking whatever Ina Garten told him to, sharing his colored pencil drawings and enjoying the beauty of the mountains overlooking the Blue Ridge Parkway,” his family writes. “And no matter where he was, he made people laugh.”

In addition to Marilyn, Van is survived by daughters Kelly Swanson (Bill), Christy Dunn (Jeff) and Rebecca Sharpe (Ryan),

[19]

DOUGLAS ’21

tragically killed in a car acci

dent on Sept. 4, 2023. Hugh enrolled at Pace in 2016, his eighthgrade year, and went on to participate in multiple sports and to serve as a peer leader and a Keeping Pace counselor.

At the time of his death, Hugh had just begun his junior year at Morehouse College, where he was pursuing a degree in business administration with a concentration in fnance. He was the treasurer and CFO of the Morehouse Business Association, an AltFinance Fellow and a Goldman Sachs Fellow, demonstrating his commitment to excellence in his feld. In addition, he was the founder of the 404 Club, an affnity group designed to create community and connection among students from Atlanta and the surrounding areas. During the summer of 2023, he interned at Ares Management Corporation in Los Angeles.

20

18

“From a young age, Hugh was seen as kind, loving and respectful by anyone that he encountered,” his family writes. “It was instilled in him to value family and friendships, and he embodied those values by sharing his time, heart and beautiful smile with so many. Hugh loved the Lord and had a deep faith. His faith anchored him and propelled him to be a steward of what was right, courageously facing anything that stood in opposition to that.”

Hugh is survived by his mother, SIMONA his siblings, Kayla, Brianna and Harper; and a host of extended family and close friends.

[20] ISAAC

HARMON died on Aug. 26, 2023. Isaac was a member of the Pace maintenance and grounds staff from 1999 to 2009; father of former Pace employee KAREN SOMMERVILLE; fatherin-law of Assistant Head of Middle School for Student MARK SOMMERVILLE; and grandfather of SYMONE

SOMMERVILLE JONES ’14, SYDNEY SOMMERVILLE ’16 and MARK

ANTHONY SOMMERVILLE ’17

A Florida native and a basketball and football star—he signed with the Atlanta Falcons shortly before an injury ended his professional career—Isaac married his high-school sweetheart, PATRICIA JACOBS HARMON. The couple moved from Florida to Atlanta, where Isaac worked in restaurant refrigeration for Coastal States Equipment Company before joining the Pace staff.

Isaac was a faithful member of West Side Community C.M.E. Church for more than 40 years, serving as a trustee and member of the Male Choir. He chartered Boy Scout Troop 329 and remained a leader and mentor to many of the scouts long after they entered adulthood. His be loved wife preceded him in death.

[21] WARREN

HATFIELD, hus band of former faculty member

ANNE-LOUISE

HATFIELD and father of THOMPSON

HATFIELD ’95

19

HATFIELD ’90

21

Together, Warren and Anne-Louise volunteered with the American Foundation for the Blind, performed in A Chorus Line with the Junior League of Atlanta and hosted numerous international students at their home. Warren enjoyed photography and riding motorcycles and was devoted to his two grandchildren. l

ALUMNI BOARD Welcomes New Members

As the school year commenced, fve alumni joined the ranks of the Pace Academy Alumni Board.

1. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a master’s in public health from the University of Georgia, ROSS BROWN ’07 works as a program manager within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Diabetes Translation. He’s also chair of the Pace Academy Association of Black Alumni, a Pace Middle School soccer coach and an active member of the Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club.

2. BRANNON COOK ’96 graduated from Washington and Lee University and, after a stint at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., now serves as managing director at Jennison Associates, a carbon solutions fund focused on investing in companies with technologies to reduce global carbon emissions. Brannon proudly represents Pace Knights in New York City.

3. An alumnus of Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business, DYLAN STEINFELD ’15 is a manager in The Home Depot’s Pro Strategy organization, which provides products, tools and services to professional contractors. He served on the 2023 Alumni Knight Cap committee and captains his two Atlanta softball teams.

4. JONATHAN WEBSTER ’12 earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and worked in sports business and hospitality before earning his MBA at the University of New Hampshire and his master’s in hospitality and real estate at Cornell University. He works in hotel investment sales for CBRE Hotels and is an avid Pace football and lacrosse fan.

5. STACEY COHEN WEITZNER ’01 attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where she majored in biology. She went on to graduate from the Medical College of Georgia’s College of Dental Medicine and, for more than 10 years, has enjoyed a career as a private practice dentist in the Atlanta area. Stacey and her husband, JORDAN WEITZNER, have two children: IVY WEITZNER ’33 and Reid Weitzner.

Alumni Board Members

MEREDITH WINITT

FORRESTER ’95 - PRESIDENT

JASON LEE ’96 - VICE PRESIDENT

SAMANTHA MOVSOVITZ

GELMAN ’08 - SECRETARY

STREETER NOLAN ’09 - SECRETARY

ROSS BROWN ’07 - CHAIR, PACE ACADEMY ASSOCIATION OF BLACK ALUMNI

HEATHER ALLEN BERNES ’05

KRISTIN CHICK CARPENTER ’07

BRANNON COOK ’96

JASON COX ’92

ROD DREWS ’00

BROOKS FICKE ’03

MEGAN FOX FORD ’01

FRED GLASS ’89

CAL HARRIS ’12

DAVID LIEBMAN ’87

SARA WORTH MULLALLY ’13

DYLAN STEINFELD ’15

JONATHAN WEBSTER ’12

STACEY COHEN WEITZNER ’01

VICTORIA WILSON ’10

Have you liked or joined us yet?

www.facebook.com /paceacademyalumniassociation

www.instagram.com

/pace_alumknights

www.linkedin.com/in/pace-academy -alumni-association-a997a230/

[1–2] CARY RIPLEY CALHOUN ’81, MARY MCCUNE DILLON ’81, MAYMAY BENTLEY LELLYETT ’81, ELLA SMITH TYLER ’81 and TORY DUNCAN WINN ’81 celebrated their 60th birthdays with an Italian reunion. Over the summer, the group traveled throughout Tuscany and visited Rome and Florence.

[3] Piper Morelli, daughter of HAILEY HEBEBRAND MORELLI ’12, and Jackson and Austin Bernes, sons of HEATHER ALLEN BERNES ’05, got together for a fall playdate. All three children attend Dunwoody Prep, where JULIE NEWMAN ’96 serves as administrative director.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?

EMAIL US!

alumni@paceacademy.org

[4–6] Following their respective college graduations, MAX CREASMAN ’19, PAIGE FLEMING ’19, ALEKS GOLDE ’19 and COLM PELLETIER ’19 embarked on a month-long, cross-country adventure together. From tree hugging in Redwood National Park to skydiving in Yosemite, the group spent their June appreciating both nature and the longevity of Pace friendships. l

Lum SandovalArenth

FROM ATLANTA TO THE WORLD

With the advent of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) in 2014, Pace Academy launched the Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs) program, a selective, year-long independent study endeavor related to the annual ICGL theme.

“By focusing on areas of critical concern, we hope that our Isdell Global Leaders will become more intellectually attuned to the issues that face us all, more able to envision multiple methods for addressing complex challenges and more engaged as global citizens in stewardship of our shared resources,” ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON, an IGL adviser, said in 2014.

Since then, 33 alumni and two soon-to-be graduates have completed the program (learn more about this year’s IGLs on page 54), and their in-depth studies of global issues have taken them, alongside their faculty advisers, all over the world—from Africa’s Okavango River Delta to the Antarctic Peninsula. Here, we catch up with several IGL alumni to learn how their experiences have impacted their lives post Pace.

environmental feldwork with three other like-minded students and then sharing the information we learned with our peers. It was great getting close to the other IGLs and our mentors. Not only did we learn a lot from our studies, but we also learned a lot from each other.”

MADELINE ARENTH ’19 pediatric medical assistant

“My experiences as an IGL impacted my choice to attend the NYU Stern School of Business—I wanted to continue a global education. There, I took classes like How to Change the World and Politics of Public Policy, delving into my interests within the renewable energy feld through a business lens. I also helped establish the Bridges for Enterprise New York Chapter, a nonproft that offers pro-bono advice to social entrepreneurs around the world. My passion for sustainability and global experience gained through the ICGL has been invaluable in countless projects and discus sions, and it shaped the direction of my college career.”

VERONICA SANDOVAL ’19

customer success analyst at NielsenIQ

“My time as an IGL inspired me to pursue a global environmental career. UVA recently implemented a global environments and sustainability major, and I applied as a sophomore. Something I experienced during a study tour in West Virginia that really stuck with me was the huge role politics and public policy play in fostering change—or pro hibiting it. So, I coupled the global sustainability major with a minor in public policy and leadership. The ICGL was also the reason I decided to go to Portugal to complete a sustainability and environmental justice program through the School for International Training. The program was centered around experiential learning, independent research and travel—things I learned to value after my IGL experience.”

SANDY LUM ’20 senior at the University of Virginia

2018–2019 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Madeline Arenth ’19, Virginia Hobbs ’20, Sandy Lum ’20 and Veronica Sandoval ’19

“The travel component of the IGL program and the ability, as high schoolers, to engage with experts from so many different backgrounds was truly incredible. What really stuck with me during our study of Climate was the need for profound technological advancements, a realization that pushed me to pursue my education and career in engineering/technology—a feld where you really can change what is possible and confront hard problems by creating solutions that work for everyone.”

ROSS CEFALU ’17 software engineer at Microsoft

“My IGL highlight was spending time in Churchill, Manitoba, learning about climate change from expert scholars. It was incredibly eye-opening and reframed my previous skepticism. Overall, participating in the IGL program made me more openminded in thought and action. Both of these traits have served me incredibly well.”

MAX IRVINE ’17 technical lead at Zinnia

2016–2017 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

“My IGL experience has had a tremendous infuence on my academic choices. At Georgetown, I am pursuing another experiential learning-style cohort: the joint degree program between the School of Foreign Service and the McDonough School of Business. My decision to pursue a degree in business and global affairs

Catching Up with Our Isdell Global Leaders

Cefalu IrvineFavero White

“My time as an IGL greatly infuenced my educational choices. Throughout our yearlong study of Global Health, I became increasingly interested in the interconnections between nutrition and health. Thus, I chose to major in nutrition on the pre-health track so that I can help integrate nutrition into our healthcare in the future.”

JORDAN WHITE ’22 sophomore at Texas Christian University

2020–2021 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Ross Cefalu ’17, Melanie Crawford ’18, Max Irvine ’17 and Jenny Luetters

Evan Elster ’21, Madison Martin ’21, Pranhavh Pradeep ’22 and Jordan White ’22

HowardLettes Boddie Assaf

An IGL Love Story

Eight years after traveling the world together as Isdell Global Leaders, THOMAS HOOVER ’17 and ANNIE NOTTINGHAM ’17 decided to embark on a new adventure: marriage!

“My IGL experience opened my eyes to exploring problems without inherent structure. It’s a diffcult transition to move from a structured, academic framework to something without bounds, but it’s exhilarating to be able to defne your own rules and frameworks on how to wrangle a problem—something I now have to do every day as a business founder.”

CHRISTOPHER HOWARD ’17 co-founder at Ekho Dealer

“My experiences as an IGL got me fred up about sustainability, so I worked on environmental issues as a transportation planner for three years. Recently, I've entered the world of experiential education. The IGL program was one of my frst dips into experiential education; it showed me that education can be hands-on and involve meaningful dialogue and co-learning between teachers and students. I'm so excited to be able to help create some of those perspective-shifting, leadership skill-building experiences for students at the Outdoor Academy.”

SARAH LETTES ’15 resident wilderness educator at the Outdoor Academy

2014–2015 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Christopher Howard ’17, Sarah Lettes ’15, Alec Rogers ’16 and Julia Ross ’17

“While I studied fnance at the University of Pennsylvania, I couldn’t turn my creative eye away from the people and planet piece of the triple bottom line—proft, people and planet—so I became involved with an accelerator program on campus that worked to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Now, I continue to bridge these interests with my professional goals by volunteering on an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) committee and by helping Ares Management’s portfolio companies focus on sustainability as a value-creation lever.”

DONN BODDIE ’18 private equity analyst at Ares Management

2017–2018 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

“The ability to gain experience and a worldview on issues that are of the utmost importance was the highlight of my time as an IGL. As a result of our study of Waste, I now have a deeper interest in global issues and in my involvement in them, and I’m fully prepared to study abroad in Italy.”

TOMMY ASSAF ’21 junior at the University of Notre Dame

2019–2020 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Donn Boddie ’18, Abby Ray ’19 and Molly Richardson ’18

Tommy Assaf ’21, Sophie Lettes ’20 and Rekha Sashti ’20

“The highlight of my IGL experience was our trip to Boston during The Year of Technology. Meeting so many insightful professionals helped me develop as a leader. After the Boston study tour, which focused on biotechnology, I decided that I wanted to pursue bioengineering as a degree because of its capacity for innovation and positive change.”

ELOISE GAUDET ’23

freshman at the University of Pennsylvania

“As an IGL, I loved meeting with and learning from various experts and having the opportunity to interview CISCO CEO CHUCK ROBBINS. I decided to major in human and organizational development, so I’m currently taking a course for my major that is centered on research through participatory models. The IGL program prepared me for the research I’m immersed in now, and it helped me understand the value of assisting individuals suffering oppression in designing their own technological solutions.

HooverNotting-ham Trevelino

CAITLYN PINSKER ’23

freshman at Vanderbilt University

2022–2023 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Pradeep ’24

GaudetPinsker

“From exploring the expansive large-scale farms of California to planting hundreds of seeds in the nurturing environment of South Paw Farm to delving deep into the intricacies of sustainable agriculture in the vibrant landscapes of Ghana and Malawi, my IGL experiences have become invaluable memories in my life. Within the IGL program, there was an emphasis on conducting research and creating a written report of our discoveries. The process planted the love of research in me, which persisted throughout my studies at Penn State, where I completed my honors thesis. My research aimed to accurately date Monet’s water lily paintings through brushstroke segmentation analysis, a project unrelated to food but rooted in the research skills honed during my tenure as an IGL.”

THOMAS HOOVER ’17 team lead at RevPartners

“The frst time I engaged in social science research was as an IGL. I was enamored with the investigative process, and while I did not know at the time exactly what I wanted to spend my career researching, I understood that the process of research was a journey in which I wanted to be involved. Now I engage in social science research on a daily basis, and I attribute my passion for research to the IGL program.”

ANNIE NOTTINGHAM ’17

Ph.D. student in industrial-organizational psychology at George Mason University

“Growing up, I was always passionate about food. Getting to learn experientially about diverse food systems and the impacts of agriculture through the IGL program, I knew I wanted to help improve those systems, so I chose to study agricultural engineering at Penn State University. Being an IGL also gave me the confdence to study agriculture and sustainability in Belize and Bhutan during undergrad and helped pave my path to the Peace Corps in Zambia, working in agroforestry. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t applied for the IGL program in The Year of Food. I credit my achievements and aspirations to my IGL experience and the opportunity Pace afforded me to explore my passions in an unconventional learning environment.”

LEX TREVELINO ’17

Linking Income Food and Environment (LIFE) volunteer at the Peace Corps

2015–2016 ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS:

Thomas Hoover ’17, Annie Nottingham ’17, Emma St. Amand ’16 and Lex Trevelino ’17

Eloise Gaudet ’23, Caitlyn Pinsker ’23, Henry Levenson ’24 and Pradhavh

AN EXPLOSION OF CHEERS erupted in the Pace Academy Lower School as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch stood at a podium in Tokyo’s New Takanawa Prince Hotel to deliver these words: “The International Olympic Committee has awarded the 1996 Olympic Games to the city of… Atlanta.” In the ffth round of voting, the 96th session of the IOC had fnally decided between the cities of Athens, Greece, and Atlanta. What started as a dream of Atlanta Organizing Committee (AOC) President Billy Payne in 1987 had become reality thanks to passionate leadership, innumerable volunteers and overwhelming public support in Atlanta.

At 966 W. Paces Ferry Road, students and teachers had gathered around two small tube TVs on the east cafeteria wall to watch the live broadcast. This dynamic image captures the immediate aftermath of the announcement: then-Head of Lower School MIKE MURPHY shouts with joy; teachers embrace in jubilation; Pre-First teacher DEB COOK , second-grade teacher JO NOVY and third-grade teacher NANCY PERRY clap and smile with delight while then-Head of School GEORGE KIRKPATRICK raises his fsts in the air. Atlanta Olympic posters and banners are mounted on the walls. Teachers and students wear Olympic T-shirts and stickers. Overwhelmed by the noise, students can be seen covering their ears while others contribute to the wild uproar.

When asked about the historic announcement, ffth-grade student MEG TYLER FOSTER ’98 said, “When the president of the IOC said, ‘Atlanta,’ I felt a shock wave run up my spine.” Fellow ffth grader KATHRYN DAVENPORT ’98 remarked: “It makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. [I am] so excited and happy and proud to be an Atlantan.” — by RYAN VIHLEN

SOURCES: (1) 1991 Pacesetter (2) The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Sept. 18, 1990

FROM THE ARCHIVES

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS !

NEW TIMELINE FOR 2023 – 2024:

Make your commitment by JANUARY 1

PLEDGES PAID BY MAY 15, 2024

The Pace Fund—Pace Academy’s #1 annual giving priority—provides vital resources that bolster every aspect of the exceptional Pace education and beneft every student. That’s why we ask every family to give where it counts and support the Pace Fund. Your annual Pace Fund gift is the most important way you can support the school!

For more information or to make a gift, visit www.paceacademy.org/ support/the-pace-fund