2022 - 2023 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT

PACIFIC RIDGE SCHOOL

DEAR PACIFIC RIDGE COMMUNITY,

At Pacific Ridge School, we speak of our robust, mission-driven programs and unparalleled educational experience with great pride. Our community is equally remarkable. Faculty, staff, and students learn, play, serve, and travel together, developing bonds that often last well beyond graduation. Parents choose to get engaged, giving of their time and talent through countless opportunities and events. Every year, grandparents, too, flock to campus for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Our connections to each other transcend classrooms and office hours. I am proud to be a parent of three Firebirds (‘22, ‘24, ‘27) and to serve this community as Board Chair after joining the Board of Trustees more than six years ago.

In this year’s 2022-2023 Annual Report, we celebrate our extraordinary community and your generous support. This year’s Annual Fund is the second-highest in school history, surpassing our goal of $900,000 and propelling our school forward in its march toward financial sustainability. Without your support of the Annual Fund our school would operate at a deficit, as the Annual Fund provides about 5% of the annual operating budget. It also provides an opportunity for a diverse economic demographic of students, as 30% of PRS’s student body receives some amount of financial aid. Your contributions help bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Pacific Ridge education, allow us to keep class sizes small, and ensure the high quality programming for which our school is known. As we’ve raised the bar, you have responded in kind. The overwhelming majority of you, from 100% of faculty and staff, Board of Trustees and Parents Association Board, to 73% of current parents, showed that you are “All In” for PRS by making a gift to this year’s Annual Fund.

Our school is flourishing as we enter our 17th year. In these pages, I hope you will see a reflection of the many life-changing experiences that Pacific Ridge makes possible, and reaffirm the importance of what we can achieve together as a community. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am grateful for your generous and steadfast support. Thank you for being all in.

Brent Rivard Chair, Board of Trustees

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

OPERATING REVENUE *

$ 25,097,147

Excludes Endowment and Opportunity Scholarship gifts and pledges

OPERATING CASH REQUIREMENTS*

$ 25,498,622

Includes annual operating expenses, capital expenses, debt service, and reserve allocation; excludes depreciation

OPERATING REVENUE

Tuition & Fees – 96%

Annual Giving – 4%

Salaries & Benefits – 68 %

• Salaries & Benefits

• Professional Development and Training

Student Programs – 15%

• Arts programs and performances

• Service Learning

• Global Engagement

• Student Life

• College Counseling

• Athletics

• Library/Software

OPERATING EXPENSES

**

Operations/Maintenance – 14%

• Facilities-related expenses

• Information Technology

• Insurance

General Administration – 3 %

• Teacher Recruitment

• Office Expenses

• Professional Services

• Marketing and Events

*Based on audited GAAP financial statements

**Excludes allocation to reserves

Thank You

2022 – 2023 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

100% PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL FUND!

Brent Rivard - Chair, Shari Bard, Nihar Bhakta, Jared Bluestein, Tracey DeLange, Rio Dickens-Celestin, Rashida Dzeketey, Mark Elmore, Derek Footer, Kristin French, Steven Pacelli, Stephanie Sapp, Raghu Saripalli, Michele Saunders, Richard Shen, Maria Simpson, William Stickney, Matt Stoyka, Jeffrey Thacker, Paul Twardowski, Esther van den Boom, Michael Witz

WELCOME

Sheila Gujrathi, M.D.

A biotech entrepreneur, physician executive, translational scientist and drug developer, Sheila Gujrathi, M.D. serves on multiple boards and advises start-up companies and investment groups in the biotech industry. She serves as executive chair of the board of directors of Ventyx Biosciences, Inc., chair of ADARx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., chair of ImmPACT Bio, Inc., and director of Janux Therapeutics, Inc. Gujarati is the co-founder and former CEO of Gossamer Bio, Inc. and formerly served as chief medical officer of Receptos, Inc. She received her M.D. in the accelerated honors program in medical education and her B.S. in biomedical engineering with highest distinction from Northwestern University. She completed her internal medicine internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and additional fellowship training in allergy and immunology at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University.

Eric Iantorno

Born and raised in San Diego, Iantorno is a highly-regarded and award-winning licensed real estate broker, specializing in luxury and waterfront homes. Recognized as the #1 individual agent at Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, Iantorno annually ranks in San Diego's top three individual agents by sales volume. Eric has closed some of the highest-priced San Diego sales ever recorded in San Diego and has repeatedly set records for the highest-priced sales in multiple communities. He was recognized by the San Diego Association of Realtors with their top honor as Realtor of the Year. Iantorno’s eye for marketing, along with his ability to find high-net-worth buyers with local and global advertising sets him apart from his competition. Iantorno prides himself in a “whatever it takes” attitude towards advertising properties excelling at selling San Diego’s most unique and expensive real estate.

NEW TRUSTEES

Dimas Jimenez

Dimas Jimenez is the CFO of Spire Health, a VC-backed virtual care start-up. Previously, Jimenez was Vice President & Corporate Controller at Codex DNA for their IPO. He was also Chief Financial Officer at StemoniX and Orphagen Pharmaceuticals, Vice President Finance and Administration at Spinal Modulation, and Controller at Pearl Therapeutics. Jimenez graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with a concentration in Finance and Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Economics. He has also earned the CFA, Chartered Financial Analyst designation. His philanthropic work includes serving on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Entrepreneur Exchange. Jimenez resides in Carlsbad with his wife, Annika, and their children who attend Pacific Ridge.

Kelly Perez

Kelly Perez is a veteran finance and corporate operations executive with extensive experience in both the biotechnology and semiconductor technology markets. After receiving her B.A. in Economics and Architecture at Yale University, Perez started her career in Silicon Valley working at various semiconductor companies, most notably at Nvidia for many years. After moving to San Diego in 2004, she held multiple executive-level roles at Sequenom, Luxtera, and most recently as the Chief Operating Officer at Omniome prior to the acquisition by Pacific Biosciences. Currently, she is an executive consultant helping biotech start-ups. Perez has one daughter who will be starting high school this year.

Carrie Shen

Carrie Shen has been an active volunteer in local schools over the past two decades, helping in classrooms, organizing after-school enrichment classes, and holding PTA positions in hospitality and fundraising. She currently serves as Vice President of Philanthropy on the board of Teen Volunteers in Action (San Diego Chapter 4) and serves on the host committee for Curebound, a non-profit that raises funds for cancer research for the major research organizations in San Diego. At PRS, Shen has volunteered as a Parent Ambassador and a Parent Buddy, answering questions from prospective parents. She’s also served on the Development Committee and assisted with Annual Fund events for the past three years. Shen holds a B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Master's degree in Public Health in Health Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

1. Opening Day Students were welcomed back from summer break with the Opening Day celebration, filled with school spirit and a BBQ put on by the Parents Association.

The Flock hosted a neon party for Pacific Ridge’s first pep rally of the year. Teams faced off in games like Birdie on the Perch and team dance battles to celebrate.

3. Arts at Salk Institute

Pacific Ridge’s Art History, Architecture, and Photography classes traveled to the Salk Institute, Museum of Photographic Arts, and the San Diego Museum of Art to explore the connections between different forms of art and design.

YEAR IN REVIEW learning,

To celebrate AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month with the school community, Asian Student Union invited performers from Naruwan Taiko, a Japanese drumming group based in San Diego, to share Taiko drumming with PRS. The group performed a wonderful display of traditional Japanese drumming much to the delight of the Firebird crowd and shared the history and meaning of Taiko.

Peer Helpers worked with their fellow students to support mental health and educate peers about the resources available through the Student Support Center. The decompression session offered several mindfulness activities as a way to help teach students about stress management. Seniors were able to choose between yoga, puzzling, chess, coloring, or screen-free outdoor activities.

9. Students from the Politics of Business class traveled to Sacramento to meet with Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, Senator Scott Wiener, Senator Blakespear’s Chief of Staff, and a union representative to advocate for increased community college funding for schools like Mira Costa in the upcoming state budget, while also learning about upcoming legislative priorities.

2. Pep Rally

7. AAPI Drummers

8. Senior Decompression Session

Pacific Ridge Alumna Sofia Hart '20 returned to campus to share her experiences working and studying across the border and with migrant communities on both sides. The former Senior Class President came to campus to participate in this year's first Spark Session. Spark Sessions are lunchtime conversations with guest speakers on building a purposeful life by using your passions to create your career path.

5. Alumni Day PRS alumni visited campus to answer questions and share their experiences.

6. Gingerbread Breakfast Winter comes to campus! Students and alumni enjoyed a holiday breakfast hosted by the Parents Association. The festivities included performances from the arts, bands and dance classes.

growing, connecting

10. We celebrated an amazing first season for the new PRS Swim & Dive Team which launched this year and finished with several individuals competing in the CIF Finals.

11. The Engineering Design class took their study of civil engineering and earthquake-safe designs to UCSD’s Large High Performance Outdoor Shake Table - the largest in the world! They were treated to a lecture on the history and uses of the shake table and led on a tour of the shake table both above and below ground.

12. From the Wizard of Oz and Spongebob to Chicago and the Three Musketeers, this was a standout year of impressive, engaging performances by our talented students.

4. Spark Sessions

Meet the

NEW 9 TH AND 12 TH GRADE DEANS

Grade-level deans provide an added level of contact, continuity, and support for students, families, and faculty. Each dean helps cultivate the culture of the grade, serving as advocates for all students in the grade, driving grade-level events, and often serving as a point of contact for students and parents about social and academic supports.

History teacher and member of the 9 th grade team, Heather Veit will serve as the new 9 th Grade Dean, and math teacher Diane Sage who has been an integral member of the 11 th and 12 th grade teams over the past several years will serve as the new 12 th Grade Dean.

Q&A WITH HEATHER VEIT, 9 TH GRADE DEAN

WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS EXPECT FROM 9TH GRADE THIS YEAR?

Ninth grade is all about new experiences. Whether you are a returning PRS student or you are new to the school, you can expect to be challenged in new ways, both inside your classroom and out.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH AS DEAN THIS YEAR?

I want to create a supportive and welcoming environment for all of our students, both new and returning. I also want to focus on supporting the 9 th grade experience at PRS. With the influx of new students, this grade is for many their first entry point to our school. I would like to utilize our time together to include 9 th grade academic and social-emotional skills, such as how to navigate the learning management systems, how to communicate with teachers, how to advocate for oneself, and how to utilize the library and technology effectively.

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A 9TH GRADER?

As a 9th grader, I definitely felt like a little fish in a big pond. However, I enjoyed making new friends, taking new classes and trying new extracurriculars, and started to explore my passion for history.

Q&A WITH DIANE SAGE, 12 TH GRADE DEAN

WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS EXPECT FROM 12TH GRADE THIS YEAR?

The 12th grade students should expect for me to be respectful and consistent.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH AS DEAN THIS YEAR?

As the 12th grade dean I hope to provide support and guidance to the 12th grade class as they navigate their year, ensuring they establish and obtain goals so they may finish the year strong. I look forward to providing them with opportunities to bond as a class, so they become leaders in the community, and value their responsibilities as seniors on campus.

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF 12TH GRADE AT PRS?

Twelfth grade is a great year where a predetermined goal has been set and is within reach. This is a year of transition with each moment becoming the last; last first day of high school, last homecoming dance, last gingerbread breakfast, all the traditions and events that are characteristic of the PRS community. Each step moving closer to becoming an adult and making big decisions starting with college applications, college commitments, and finalizing plans for the following school year. In the meantime, students need to stay present at school, be involved in classes, their studies, and the community. The push and pull of the present and the future becomes the cadence of the year.

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF 9TH GRADE AT PRS?

It’s hard to pick just one part! The community building and sense of belonging that happens this year is a highlight. From core classes to grade level projects to global travel, all of the 9th grade students share a similar experience and learn to support each other through it all. These experiences create deep bonds that students carry throughout the rest of their high school experience.

WHAT IS A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?

I have a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Chester! He loves meeting new people, going on walks and sharing bananas.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR 9TH GRADERS?

Lean into the discomfort! This is the best time of your life to try something new, to fail, and to grow from the experience. Don’t worry about what your friends are doing – take the time to find out what you are passionate about.

TELL US ABOUT 12TH GRADE YOU!

As a 12th grader I was very excited to be the leader on campus. I was involved in many clubs from student leadership council, math club president, pep squad, and swim team. I was awkward and shy but was optimistic that this was going to be my year because seniors ruled the school!

WHAT IS A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?

I love baking and have baked desserts for three weddings.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE 12TH GRADE DEAN?

I am excited to help guide and support our senior class as they tackle one of the best and hardest years of high school. My five year experience at Pacific Ridge has provided me the opportunity to be on the 11th/12th grade team. I want to do my part to develop the advisory program and develop a strong 12th grade team.

Reflections and the Future of RSDS

PRS hosts 4th Annual Regional Diversity Summit – January 27, 2024

The Regional Student Diversity Summit (RSDS) is a one-day student-organized conference that brings together students and faculty from Southern California's independent high schools. The planning committee for RSDS includes students from four San Diego independent schools: The Bishop's School, Francis Parker School, La Jolla Country Day, and Pacific Ridge School. This school consortium has come together annually for four years to plan and sponsor the conference, rotating hosting responsibility every two years.

For the 2023 conference, four Pacific Ridge School students served on the planning committee. Ben Vu, Sarah Lieu, Neelan Patel, and Naia Riggenbach volunteered countless hours to ensure the success of RSDS. Determined to create a conference that would leave a lasting impact on all who attended, the students met weekly for planning sessions. The theme they chose, "Introspection: Reflecting on the Past, Evolving Through the Present to Change the Future," embraced the importance of examining one's beliefs and experiences and their role in shaping the future.

On the day of the conference, students and faculty participated in workshops and heard from keynote speakers from around the country who shared their knowledge and experiences on social justice and institutional equity. Participants also have the opportunity to connect with one another in affinity spaces, where they can share their thoughts and perspectives with others who share similar experiences.

The Regional Student Diversity Summit is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of addressing equity, inclusion, and diversity issues. It continues to be a powerful event that brings students and faculty across Southern California to engage in meaningful conversations about social justice and institutional equity. With the leadership of Susan Woods, Head of Community Experience and Inclusion, and the hard work of the planning committee, this conference has become a valuable resource for the independent school community in Southern California and a model for others to follow.

The Bishop's School hosted the RSDS this year, and Pacific Ridge School will have that honor in 2024 and 2025.

As a former attendee and member on the planning committee, RSDS became a crucial part of my personal development in terms of community building and support. It provided the platform for others to hear my voice, to share my unique stories, and to form profound connections that go beyond the conference day. It allowed me to understand other people’s perspectives while affirming that I was not alone. I would love to see RSDS grow to be a tightly knit community of students who share this incredible experience.

Laura Zhou ‘22

GLOBAL ADVENTURES 2023

6TH GRADE ADVENTURES IN PALI MOUNTAIN

Sixth graders developed interpersonal and leadership skills while camping at Pali Institute in the San Bernardino National Forest for four days. Students hiked through the mountains, conquered the rope courses, cheered each other on at the rock climbing wall, paddled kayaks and stargazed, overcoming challenges and preparing themselves for more adventures to come.

TH GRADE MARINE BIOLOGY AND STEWARDSHIP IN CATALINA

Seventh graders practiced their leadership, collaboration, and problem solving skills during four days of camping on Catalina Island. Students bonded through adventures like kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling, while relishing in group games and campfire skits. They learned about marine biology and sought amethysts on the shore. They collectively created unique and inspirational memories to share as they advance to 8th grade and into their new roles as leaders in the middle school.

8TH GRADE WASHINGTON, D.C.: AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP

Eighth graders explored their roles as citizens throughout this six day visit to our nation’s capital. Students reflected on impactful moments in America’s history at the WWII, Vietnam and Korean War memorials and learned about change-makers in American history at the Lincoln, FDR, and MLK memorials.

9TH GRADETEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP

IN ARIZONA

Due to the record snowpack in Yosemite this year, our 9 th grade wilderness trip moved to Arizona’s Coconino National Forest , where diverse landscapes include the famous red rocks of Sedona as well as Ponderosa pine forests. Students cultivated collaboration and leadership while camping in the backcountry amidst this geological wonderland.

Navigating challenging hikes and activities during the day, the ninth graders also planned and cooked meals together, explored creeks and swimming holes, fished, and discovered ways to engage and entertain each other – keeping positive spirits up throughout a journey that asks students to step outside of their comfort zone. Many students experienced backpacking for the first time, learning and practicing the principles of “Leave No Trace.” Trip highlights included rock climbing and hiking down to the famous “Crack” swimming hole on Wet Beaver Creek.

10TH GRADE BELIZE AND COSTA RICA

10 th grade students traveled to Belize and Costa Rica for an immersive Central American exploration.

In Belize, students learned about Mayan history and culture while visiting the Xunantunich ruins. They spent several days partnering with researchers and conservationists at the BFree Nature Reserve, where students learned about Hicatec turtles, an endangered species that specialists are working to save.

While in the Caribbean coastal town of Placencia, students practiced Garifuna drumming and dancing with local musicians and enjoyed snorkeling in clear blue fish-filled waters.

“ We tasted fresh cardamon, ate pineapple from the tree, held natural rubber, smelled lemongrass, pulled our own bananas for snacks, drank from a water vine and so much more that the forest had to offer,” 10th grade Belize blog post.

GHANA & TOGO

PRS students immersed themselves in a cultural voyage of discovery in two West African countries that were among the first to achieve independence from colonial rule.

Traveling to the highest mountain in Togo, Mount Agou, students met the chief who taught them about the traditions, history, and roles of the Agou people. They engaged with local artists who showed them their unique work processes, as well as leaders, farmers, and historians who broadened their world views and challenged preconceived notions about African cultures.

Students saw amazing wildlife while learning about the history of Fort William during a boat ride down the Volta River. While exploring issues like social justice and climate change, students drew connections between their own studies and the experiences of people in another part of the world. Students were immersed in incredibly varied green spaces, rich cultural traditions, and delicious food.

Students in 11TH & 12 TH GRADE were able to choose their learning adventure from a variety of Global Travel destinations including CROATIA, GHANA AND TOGO, GREECE, FRENCH POLYNESIA, NAMIBIA, NEW ZEALAND, PORTUGAL AND THE AZORES, AND SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA. Above are highlights from two of these impactful journeys.

GREECE: SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL SHIFTS

Students experienced modern Greek island life, learning about Greece and the people who live there, and explored Greece’s stewardship of the planet. Greece is considered one of the most sustainable destinations, with some islands powered completely by renewable energy, and some others entirely plastic-free.

They explored the acropolis and ancient ruins in Athens while understanding how ancient societies adapted to their surroundings and preserved cultural traditions. Students also engaged in hands-on activities such as using a loom to make lace and fabric, pressing olive oil, and making fresh bread and cheese.

In Crete, students went on the Silent Walk in Rethymnon’s Old Town and visited the Filo Bakery, which is the last of its kind, creating the iconic Greek phyllo dough by hand. Thousands of years of history lent helpful perspectives about issues like climate change, sustainable farming and food systems, economic stability, and their intersection with culture and community.

The Arts are Essential

If you tune into the academic programs at Pacific Ridge School, you will often hear the phrase “Arts are Essential” – a reminder that the most effective kinds of 21st century education include visual and performing experiences at their core, not simply as “extra” or occasional activities. Studying the arts is one of the best ways to encourage kids to build problem solving and critical thinking skills, develop confidence, and express who they are.

Most traditional academic programs focus on input: students are absorbing information, gathering data, and being taught how to perform. In areas of art, students are asked to show up in hands-on learning. They experiment, make mistakes, and discover their own voice through their work. The arts are essential because they provide spaces where students are able to focus on output, on exploring and refining how they wish to share their values and vision.

Pacific Ridge incorporates the arts into its curriculum so each student can explore subjects and media that they may never have tried before. In middle school, students rotate through various visual and performing arts classes each trimester. After this sampling of experiences, students can better appreciate the joys and challenges of everything from welding to acting to filmmaking. Choosing a year-long arts experience for high school and perhaps discovering a new passion also becomes easier after trying a little bit of everything.

The arts program centers around creative risk-taking and experimentation, often collaborating with other departments in the Innovation Center and Arts Center.

PRS values the arts as vital to our academic program because they allow students to cultivate indispensable skills in critical thinking, creative problem solving, and personal expression. The careers of the present and future will demand these kinds of skills, and the arts can help prepare students for challenges ahead, whether they are in biotech or urban planning or education or civil rights

Alison Behr, PRS Arts Program Chair

At PRS, the arts and sciences integrate with each other naturally, allowing students to extend and connect their creativity across the traditional boundaries of “science” and “art.”

In addition to the central curricula, Upper School students can combine their interests by taking trimesterlong SHTEAM electives, which stands for science, humanities, technology, engineering, arts, and math. One such course is Surf & Skate in which students design and build custom, eco-friendly boards, integrating sports, physics, chemistry,

and visual art. Some students created skateboards using designs they made in their year-long studio art class. Through these unique academic experiences, students learn that projects are more than just assignments — they are opportunities to explore passions, connect a range of subjects they study, and test out real-world applications and future careers.

The arts program at Pacific Ridge also extends beyond the academic realm. Recent research shows that participating in arts can help relieve stress and anxiety, and many of the clubs and service learning groups at PRS integrate arts into their missions. Groups collaborated with the Apparel and Graphic Design Club to create custom t-shirts, building a greater sense of community among students. Decompression sessions hosted by Peer Helpers featured a coloring section outdoors to promote stress-relief and downtime for their fellow students. Students are empowered by faculty and peers to challenge themselves and step out of their comfort zones, often by submitting their work in exhibitions off campus. A number of PRS students won significant arts awards this past school year, and some highlights include: Ethan Heck ’23 placed first in the Congressional Art Competition for the 49 th District, and his painting entitled “Churn” is on display in the U.S.

“The PRS arts program heightened my creativity and time management by balancing art projects, classes, college application, and even extracurriculars! Through my involvement in Showcase of the Arts and Open Arts Club, I honed the skill of innovative thinking and exploring unconventional approaches to my projects. The arts program has played a role in developing my self-confidence with public speaking as I led a team of inspiring artists in our new ceramics club. PRS has cultivated a vibrant atmosphere of community and collaboration, with the program and teachers actively fostering teamwork and encouraging joint efforts.”

Capitol for the next year. Other students, Kennedy DiFiore ’23, Jaida McCullough ’23, Darcy Seaton ’25, and Lucia Michel ’25 received awards in visual arts and their works were displayed at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Jack Dodson ‘23 and Nathan French ‘23 won first and second place in Southern California for their photography in the Youth Art Month competition. Jack, Bella Miller ’23, and Julia Bluestein ’24 also were selected for the San Diego Museum of Art’s juried student show this spring. David Landis ‘25 was recognized by the San Diego Broadway Awards after his outstanding performance in “Chicago,” this year’s upper school musical.

HEAR FROM OUR STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR ARTS

Danna Bundogji '23

FIREBIRD ATHLETES BRING THE HEAT

Firebird Athletics finished strong with 90% of our eligible varsity teams making playoffs this year! The PRS Girls Volleyball and Boys Soccer varsity teams both had great seasons in which they made exciting runs to the CIF semifinals. In addition, the Cross Country and our brand-new Swim and Dive Team stood out with individuals from both programs making it to the CIF and State Finals, Track and Field also had individuals compete in the CIF Finals. Congratulations to all our Firebird athletes!

SOLEIL DIMRY ’23 PRS SOCCER

WHAT HAS BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR PRS ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE?

Beating a Division 1 team during preseason this year!

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE?

I have learned how to be a leader to underclassmen, but to also remind myself and everyone else that we are a team and above all else, have fun.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF PLAYING SPORTS AT PRS?

My favorite part about playing a PRS sport is the energy that is brought to home games and that athletes are constantly being recognized.

WHAT IS YOUR ATHLETIC AND ACADEMIC PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR?

I will be playing Division 1 soccer at UC Berkeley and studying nutritional science.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PRS FOR TEAM SPORTS? Play sports because it offers you a chance to make connections with people you might not normally meet.

IF YOU HAD A LIFE MOTTO, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Have fun; be awesome.

REY DICKEY ’26

PRS BASKETBALL & LACROSSE

WHAT HAS BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR PRS ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE?

My highlight this year was a basketball game in which we were down, in the end we were able to win. The highlight was seeing everyone come together putting everything we learned from our coach onto the court.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE?

I have learned about the impact of attitude and energy toward your teammates. Personally, I can see how bringing energy to the court or field rubs off on your teammates and grows their desire to win.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF PLAYING SPORTS AT PRS?

My favorite part about playing sports at PRS is making connections with not only people in your grade but older than you. Having people you know throughout the entire student body is a very rewarding experience that you only get from playing sports.

WHAT IS YOUR ATHLETIC AND ACADEMIC PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR?

I plan to continue to play basketball and lacrosse in the coming years. As far as academics I will take the 10 th grade core classes and better prepare for junior year. Overall, I want to grow in both areas and continue to improve.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PRS FOR TEAM SPORTS?

One piece of advice I would give to another student is to try. Participating in any sport at any level will reward you with so many things aside from being on a team and winning but you won't benefit from them if you don't try.

PARENTS ASSOCIATION

Thank You

100% PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL FUND

Thank you for building connections throughout our community with engaging events and activities that support the Pacific Ridge mission. We are grateful for your dedication and support.

FACULTY & STAFF

Thank You

100% PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL FUND EACH AND EVERY YEAR

SINCE 2007

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

2022-2023

PARENTS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Executive Director: Michelle Twardowski

Assistant Executive Director: Anne Iverson-Peltier

Melanie Adams

Laura Desjean

Sarah Epstein

Annemarie Ferrara

Jen Goswami

Alison Haberstroh

Karen Kinsley

Jaclyn Labovitch

Vivian Lee

Alison McDonald

Brandi Miller

Roco Nasirpour

Leigh Needham

Dhara Patel

Stephanie Piccirelli

Jacqueline Rossow

Elise Shahabe

Katrina Stainton

Katey Stullich

Welcome, Priyanka Singh

COLLEGE GUIDANCE ADDS

FOURTH FULL-TIME COUNSELOR

The PRS College Guidance department expands this year with the addition of a fourth full-time counselor. With this increased expertise, our College Guidance team provides a 35 to 1 student-to-counselor ratio, ensuring PRS students and families have exceptional access and support whenever needed throughout the college admissions process.

Priyanka Singh joins Pacific Ridge from Shalhevet High School, a modern Orthodox Jewish high school in Los Angeles, where she served as the Associate Director of College Counseling and Academic Guidance for the past two years. Prior to Shalhevet, Priyanka spent six years on the college admissions side of the desk at Scripps College in Claremont, CA and Ramapo College of New Jersey.

“I enjoy empowering every student to be intentional with their choices and to reflect on their core values throughout the college process,” says Singh. “I encourage each student to stay true to themselves and lean into their individuality — it's difficult when you're on the same journey as others, and it's easy to fall into the habit of comparing your success to others, but one of the most rewarding aspects of the work I do is seeing students recognize that their path is solely their own and thus, they should embrace what the journey has in store for THEM, not how their outcomes stack up against others.”

As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of South Asian immigrants, Singh recognizes the importance of being a reliable point of contact for students and families who have the exciting yet difficult task of navigating the college admissions process and identifying their ideal fit. Throughout her career in college admissions, she enjoyed engaging in thoughtful conversations with college counselors on how to best support students and families, further inspiring her to make the switch from college admissions to college guidance.

“Working in college guidance is very personal to me because I'm a first-generation college graduate and so is my younger sister. I was the first in my family to navigate the college search and application process and I did so with minimal guidance. There was so much I was unfamiliar with and I often felt stuck wondering if I was on the right track, if I was asking the right questions, or if college would even be financially feasible for my family.

When my sister applied to college, I was happy to be a source of support for her through a very complicated process and also include my family more in these conversations. Being her pseudo-college counselor and seeing how even just a bit more help can go a long way really inspired me to consider working in college guidance long-term. I appreciate that I can leverage my admission experience to better inform students and bring awareness to families who often have many questions about how the process really works.”

Originally from a small town in upstate New York, Singh attended Hofstra University where she earned a B.A. and M.A. in Journalism. In her free time, Singh enjoys singing pop ballads loudly in the car, painting with acrylics for fun, playing tennis with friends, cooking with her husband, and playing with her dog, Leia, who is in fact named after Princess Leia from Star Wars!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: PRS STUDENTS REACH FOR THE STARS, WINNING NASA COMPETITION

judges, who recognized the students' ingenuity and commitment to addressing a real-world problem faced by astronauts.

At the Johnson Space Center, the Pacific Ridge students showcased their prototype and findings to NASA officials and fellow NASA Hunch competitors. “I almost couldn’t believe how many people were interested in our idea of a microgravity dice roller,” says Kim. “I felt like my own contribution to problem solving in the real world had a real impact.”

Four PRS classmates from the class of 2025 took on a unique challenge this year and won big.

The students' journey began when David Leschensky discovered the NASA Hunch program while on a family trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He learned that qualifying teams of high school students from across the country could take on engineering projects proposed by astronauts through the NASA Hunch competition. After a series of design reviews with NASA engineers and astronauts, finalists would be selected to present their prototypes in person at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

David brought the concept back to his PRS robotics teammates Chloe Kim, Selina Carandang, and Jaden Cohen and the group got to work last summer. Their first task was selecting a project from the list of challenges proposed by astronauts. One, in particular, piqued their interest.

It turns out astronauts miss playing board games with traditional dice while on missions. Electronic dice lack the tactile satisfaction of standard dice and astronauts returning from space wondered if dice could be designed to work in zero gravity. They felt having access to more realistic dice would improve their gaming experience and camaraderie with fellow astronauts while on missions.

The PRS students felt confident they could create a practical solution.

Their winning design, developed with multiple rounds of feedback from astronauts and NASA engineers, features a spacecraft-shaped container that utilizes a plunger mechanism to immobilize the dice. Transparent materials allow for easy dice reading, ensuring a seamless gaming experience in a gravity-free environment. This innovative approach impressed the NASA

The final presentation not only impressed the judges with its technical prowess but also highlighted the positive impact of dice games on astronauts' well-being in space.

It was incredible! Presenting our project at NASA really gave me a feel for different engineering fields and gave me lots of opportunities to connect with students from across the nation.

David Leschensky ‘25

The Pacific Ridge team's triumph demonstrates the power of curiosity and the transformative potential of passion projects. “The biggest takeaway for me is how difficult design truly is,” says Cohen. “Building once you have the design is trivial but the design itself is crucial. It requires creativity and is much harder than it looks.”

Looking ahead, the Pacific Ridge students are committed to competing in the challenge again and hope to inspire additional high school teams from Pacific Ridge and other peer schools in Southern California.

Leschensky plans to lead a NASA Hunch Club for Upper School students interested in participating in the competition during the 2023-2024 school year.

The Pacific Ridge community eagerly anticipates the next chapter in the students' extraordinary journey and we commend this team for their dedication, resourcefulness, and collaboration.

COLLEGE BOUND

The list of matriculations below for the 428 graduates in the classes of 2020 to 2023 gives a 4-year snapshot of the colleges and universities that have welcomed our students. *An asterisk signifies a school lucky enough to enroll more than one Firebird.

CALIFORNIA

Art Center College of Design

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo *

CSU Long Beach *

Chapman University *

Claremont McKenna College

Harvey Mudd College

Loyola Marymount University *

MiraCosta College *

Occidental College

Palomar College *

Pepperdine University *

Pitzer College

Pomona College *

Saint Mary’s College of California

San Diego State University *

Santa Clara University *

Santa Monica College *

Scripps College *

Stanford University *

UC Berkeley *

UC Davis *

UC Irvine *

UC Los Angeles *

UC San Diego *

UC Santa Barbara *

UC Santa Cruz *

University of Redlands

University of San Diego *

University of San Francisco *

University of Southern California *

Westmont College

MID-ATLANTIC

American University *

Bryn Mawr College

Carnegie Mellon University *

The College of William and Mary

Drexel University

George Washington

University *

Georgetown University *

Johns Hopkins University *

Penn State University

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh *

Villanova University

Washington and Lee University

MIDWEST

Bradley University

Carleton College

Indiana University

Lake Forest College

Loyola University Chicago

Marquette University

Miami University of Ohio *

Northwestern University *

The Ohio State University *

Purdue University *

St. Olaf College *

University of Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign *

University of Michigan *

University of Notre Dame

Washington University in St. Louis *

NORTHEAST

Babson College

Bard College

Barnard College

Bentley University *

Berklee College of Music *

Boston College *

Boston University *

Brown University *

Colgate University

College of the Holy Cross

Columbia University *

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Emerson College

Fordham University *

Harvard University *

Ithaca College

Mannes School of Music

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

The New School *

New York University *

Northeastern University *

Pace University

Parsons School of Design *

Princeton University

Sarah Lawrence College

Skidmore College

Smith College

Southern Connecticut

State University

Springfield College

St. John’s University

Syracuse University *

Tufts University *

University of Massachusetts *

University of Rhode Island

Utica University

Vassar College

Wesleyan University

Worcester Polytechnic

Institute *

Yale University

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Gonzaga University

Lewis & Clark College

Reed College

Seattle University

University of Oregon *

University of Washington *

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST

Auburn University *

Belmont University

Clemson University

College of Charleston

Duke University

Elon University

Emory University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Louisiana State University

Rice University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Southern Methodist University *

Texas Christian University *

Tulane University of Louisiana *

The University of Alabama

University of Miami *

Vanderbilt University *

Wake Forest University

WEST / MOUNTAIN

Arizona Christian University

Arizona State University *

Brigham Young

University, Idaho

Brigham Young

University, Provo

Chaminade University of Honolulu

Colorado College

Colorado School of Mines *

Montana State University

Regis University

University of Arizona *

University of Colorado, Boulder *

University of Denver *

University of Hawaii at Manoa

University of Utah *

INTERNATIONAL

NYU Shanghai

Science Po/Columbia University

Trinity College/

Columbia University

University of British

Columbia *

The University of Edinburgh

University of Toronto

University of Westminster

Congratulations TO THE CLASS OF 2023

On June 15, Pacific Ridge celebrated the commencement of the 117 members of the Class of 2023 in a joyful ceremony attended by family, faculty, classmates, and friends. To view the Commencement video and hear some of the speeches, scan the QR code below.

SCAN TO SEE MORE:

ANNUAL FUND LEADERSHIP

Annual Fund 2022-2023 GIVING BY DONOR LEVEL

LEADERSHIP IN ANNUAL FUND GIVING

SCHOLARS CIRCLE | $50,000 +

Jesse and Justin MacLaurin

The Pacelli Family

FOUNDERS FELLOW |

$25,000 - $49,999

Sheila Gujrathi and Jordan Cohen

The Stickney Family

HARKNESS

SOCIETY |

$10,000 - $24,999

Holly Ocampo-Baltera and Robert Baltera

The Bard Family

Mayte and Jared Bluestein

The Dickey Family

Kevin Dills

Sanae Laghzali and Samir Elamrani

The Gottfried Family

The Horton Family

Melissa and Patrick Kieran

Laura and Chris Maloney

Ruth and Attila Mekis

Brandi Miller

Paula and Brian Neel

The Rivard Family

Shari and Richard Sapp

Carrie and Richard Shen

Jie He and Huaigen Sun

Bonnie and Jeffrey Thacker

The Twardowski Family

The Vernier Family

The Witz Family

Liyan Xu and Kent Wu

Qing Chen and Guosheng Xu

GLOBAL ADVOCATE | $5,000 - $9,999

The Berson Family

The Bhakta Family

Heidi and Greg Bisconti

Stephanie Piccirelli and Drew Collins

Joan Marie and Mike Coward

Lita Eells and Patrick Crane

Joanna and Nick Duffield

Cristina and Mark Elmore

The Footer Family

Kristin and Steven French

The Germain Family

Heather and Eric Iantorno

Annika and Dimas Jimenez

Carrie and Jay Kelley

Andrea and Datis Kharrazian

Jennifer and Chad Kinzelberg

Debra and Ian Kirkwood

Jessica and Dan Krems

Kathryn and Kaare Larson

The Lau Family

Tina Patel and William Leschensky

Natalia and Evan McAvoy

Alison and Angus McDonald

Ruth and Steve Netzley

Samantha Goldstein and David Newman

April Flak and Joseph Oliva

The Paulsen Family

Saundra Pelletier

Marisela Stahl and David Penaloza

The Simpson Family

Jessica and David Socks

Jillian Ellis and Betsy Stephenson

Rachel and Howard Tung

Esther and Dirk van den Boom

Carol and Thomas Waldman

Wei Du and Zhenglin Wang

2007 CLUB | $2,000 - $4,999

PURPOSEFUL LIFE SOCIETY

Recognizing Consecutive Years of Giving

15+ years of giving 10-14 years of giving 5-9 years of giving

Natalie and Robert Muth

Lydia and Scott Neuberger

Alix and Matthew Norton

Rebecca and Gregory Arnold

Laura and Ric Basanese

Fiona and Scott Bechtler-Levin

Wendy and Adam Belt

Allison and David Borts

Joan and Melvin Burman

Rio Dickens-Celestin and Joel Celestin

Wenyi and Wei Chang

The Connor Family

Tracey and Timothy DeLange

Erin and Charles Dimry

Kathryn and Thomas Dodson

Debi and Mike Doyle

Claire and Ryan Egli

Sandra Bartsch and Jeano Erforth

Reena and Seth Evenson

Tatiana Fayruzova and Timur Fayruzov

Rachel and Brian Fernald

Aileen and Aaron Gallegos

Alicia and Joseph Gaudio

The Gilliam Family

Tristan and Steve Green

Jacqueline Sherman and Bennett Gross

The Haapanen Family

Christine and Anthony Hamel

The Hamlet Family

Jeremy Hayden

Anne and Christopher Holland

Heidi and Peter Hong

Mary and Mike Kovalchik

Melissa and Peter Kuhn

The Laats Family

Priscilla Chan and David Li

Jiyue Ma and Hexin Li

Gigi and Vince Long

Alison and Tyson Lowery

Doreen Young and Edwin Luwa

Constance and Kirk Malloy

Leslie and Tony Martindale

Laura Lee and Curtis McConnell

Naureen Ansari and Muhammad Arif Munif

Chaela Pastore and Bob Ogle

Yeliz and Mehmet Okur

Angie and Ed Omata

The O'Shea Family

Dhara and Tarak Patel

Jori Potiker

Yunling Bai and Qinghua Qin

The Qiu Family

The Radic Family

Evgenia Kalashnikova and Alexey Revenko

Christy and Luke Rosenberg

Shamala and Raghu Saripalli

Michele and Chris Saunders

Mumtaz and Kevin Schneider

Lauren Shanahan

Kathy Witmeyer and Lance Smith

Alison and Gerry Soderstrom

Katrina and David Stainton

Jennifer and Jason Stein

Sarah and Joshua Super

Ani Oksayan and Gregory Swiat

Melissa Dennis and Jeff Swiecki

Missy and Mike Szymanski

Karen Dittrich and James Tilton

Whitnie Rasmussen and Matthew Titlow

Teenah and Kevin Tracy

Cheryl Broom and Christopher Walker

Janel Walters

Holly Xie and Jun Wang

The Wernig Family

Aiqing Li and Lixin Xu

Carol Yetter and Kathleen Rapp

Suhong Wang and Jun Yi

Vivian Lee and Jay Yu

Daia Guo and Lianggang Yu

Qian Liu and Weiming Zhang

Ting Tan and Duoming Zhao

Zejin Zhu and Tiesong Zhao

TRUSTEES

Shari Bard

Nihar Bhakta

Jared Bluestein

Tracey DeLange

Rio Dickens-Celestin

Rashida Dzeketey

Mark Elmore

Derek Footer

Kristin French

Steven Pacelli

Brent Rivard

Stephanie Sapp

Raghu Saripalli

Michele Saunders

Richard Shen

Maria Simpson

William Stickney

Matthew Stoyka

Jeffrey Thacker

Paul Twardowski

Esther van den Boom

Michael Witz

Thank You

ALL DONORS/ALL FUNDS (ALPHABETICAL LISTING)

Kristina and Eyad Abudawas

Leila and Raul Acevedo

Melanie and Randy Adams

Debi and Mark Adelman

The Agresti Family

Marianne Agudo

Suman Dwarakanath and Adam Agundes

Ghiya Ali

Sara Allard

Esther Alleman

Ruth and Leonardo Alvarez

Joan Sullivan and Jerry Archbold

Maria Kassolis-Ardantz and Jeffrey Ardantz

Amy and Kevin Armstrong

Rebecca and Gregory Arnold

Olivia and Roger Avats

Gina and Vincent Axelson

Jose Ayala

Kelsey Babin

Annie and Jerry Balikian

Nora and Philip Balikian

Holly Ocampo-Baltera and Robert Baltera

Joy and Hugh Bancroft

The Bard Family

Helen and Curt Barker

Laura and Ric Basanese

Armando Batista

The Beauchamp Family

Fiona and Scott Bechtler-Levin

Alison Behr and Russell Brown

Wendy and Adam Belt

Suzy and Ted Benedict

Haleigh Benjamin

Monique and Tim Benjamin

Marilyn and Vince Benstead

The Berson Family

Jessica Bertken

Renee Bertken

Timothy Betzala

I contribute to the Annual Fund for the same reason I came to PRS: the community. Over the past eight years, I have grown as a teacher, as a learner, and as a person because of this school and the people in it. Giving back to PRS is about holding up my end of the bargain and doing my part to make certain this community is able to keep doing for others what it does for me.

The Bhakta Family

Heidi and Greg Bisconti

Jenny and Mike Bjornstad

Molly and Tadd Blanchard

Heather and Steve Blank

Mayte and Jared Bluestein

Wendy and Steve Blumberg

Kaydee and David Bork

Allison and David Borts

Marion and Rick Bowen

Sally Bowen

Meredith Brady and Hans Paino

Ellen Cothran and Peyton Bray

Amy and Luke Bremner

Margaret Brick

Alex and Matt Brown

Susan and Robert Brownhill

Elizabeth Gala and Andre Bruckner

Stacey and Brian Buchholtz

Ani and Alan Bunce

Abdullah Bundogji

Eman Abu Samra and Khalid Bundogji

Amy Wasserman and Todd Burckin

Mary and Gary Burdick

Drew Burges

Jannies and Justin Burlingame

Joan and Melvin Burman

Natalie and Chris Burman

Spencer Burrows

The Burstin Family

Samuel Canseco

Kristopher Captanis

Mirelle and Patrick Carmichael

Abby Adams and Thomas Carney

Caitlin Cataldo

Rio Dickens-Celestin and Joel Celestin

The Williams Chaffin Family

Wenyi and Wei Chang

Luchia Cuevas Maciel and Frank Chavez Chacon

The Chapman Family

Katie and Eugene Chen

Gracie Wan and Zhoutao Chen

Anna Chimowicz

Michael Chirgwin

Jennifer Christensen

Michelle Clark

Diane Wong and Michael Clark

Iryna and Nathaniel Clark

Jennifer and Matthew Cobb

Melissa and James Cochran

Rachelle and Brett Cohen

Sheila Gujrathi and Jordan Cohen

Nicole and Don Collins

Stephanie Piccirelli and Drew Collins

John Comforto

The Connor Family

Jodi and Thomas Conti

Cosmo Cothran-Bray

Tricia and Anthony Cotts

Joan Marie and Mike Coward

Lita Eells and Patrick Crane

Carol and Steve Cross

Mary Crotty

Valerie and Adam Cummings

Peggy and Perrin Curran

Nicole Hershman-Daniels and Brian Daniels

Dash Daniels

Patty and Mark Davidowski

Cindy and Rhys De Callier

Jenn and Mario De la Cruz

The Decker Family

Hans Decrop

Carrie and Blake Dederich

Christine DeHaven

Tracey and Timothy DeLange

Jim Dennis

Ami Shah and Nirav Desai

Laura and Brian Desjean

Mariel and Pete DeYoung

Kristen and Marc Di Zinno

The Dickey Family

Kemisha and Marcus DiFiore

Kevin Dills

Erin and Charles Dimry

Paola Incisa and Chad DiNenna

Melanie Xu and Wei Ding

Michelle and Philip Dixon

Kathryn and Thomas Dodson

Lisa and Thomas Dolan

Jennifer and Sean Donahue

Francis Donald

Sheila Hartley Downs and Travis Downs

Debi and Mike Doyle

Kim and Cody Dresser

Jennifer Dreyer

Jamie Drobnick

Joanna and Nick Duffield

Debbie and Rich Durina

Rashida and Kuassi Dzeketey

Melissa Castro-Ebner and Phil Ebner

Claire and Ryan Egli

Alisa and Todd Eichelberger

Nancy and Marty Eichelberger

Sanae Laghzali and Samir Elamrani

Natalie and Eric Ellingsen

Noel Ellis

Tracy and Gary Elmer

Cristina and Mark Elmore

Ashley and Graham Elsdon

The Enge Family

Sarah and Josh Epstein

Preston Peeden, Interim Dean of Faculty

ALL DONORS

Sandra Bartsch and Jeano Erforth

Andrea and Thomas Esbeck

Bea Liao and Sergio Espinoza

Reena and Seth Evenson

Mary and Tom Evers

Emily and Christopher Fawcett

Tatiana Fayruzova and Timur Fayruzov

Jennifer and Read Fenner

The Ferayorni Family

Rachel and Brian Fernald

Annemarie Ferrara

Becca and Dax Fletcher

The Footer Family

The Fredericks Family

Elaine and Ray French

Kristin and Steven French

Alexandra and Matthew Frumovitz

Amy Fu

The Gahr Family

Linda and Mike Gallagher

Aileen and Aaron Gallegos

Kevin Garcia-Cruz

Ryan Garrett

Nancy Garrett

Alicia and Joseph Gaudio

Chloe Ge

Cindy and Jason Gentile

Jason Gentile

The Germain Family

Aaron Gillego

The Gilliam Family

Brandy and Joshua Goldman

Joanna Gonda

Jing Liu and Wei Gong

Jen and Joydeep Goswami

The Gottfried Family

Morgan and Chad Green

Tristan and Steve Green

Kelli and Eric Griffis

Natasha Griffith-Shapiro

Margaret and Greg Griffitts

Jacqueline Sherman and Bennett Gross

Liz Grossman and Jeffra Becknell

Melissa Guney-Fryan

Julie Gunther

Rachel and Allan Gutierrez

The Haapanen Family

Alison and Erik Haberstroh

Elaine Hahaj

Caroline and Adrian Hall

Celee and Christopher Hall

Penny and Gary Hall

Holly and Stu Hamel

Christie and Tony Hamel

The Hamlet Family

Kilim Lee and Kyung Soo Han

Heidi Handelsman

Olivia and Steven Hansen

Cora and Mark Harriman

Magan and Andy Hartman

Kristin and Russell Havranek

Catherine Goodman and Tony Hawk

Jeremy Hayden

Carolyn and Matthew Healy

Errolyn and John Healy

Nellie and Wade Hedegard

Hallie and Bill Henle

Sunny Hill

Katie and Ed Ho

Payton and Alfie Hobbs

Lisa and Mike Hoeck

Anne and Christopher Holland

Steph and Jeremy Holly

E'Lan Holman

Heidi and Peter Hong

The Horton Family

The Hradnansky Family

Rita and Phil Hua

Kelley and Wes Huggett

Erin and Jonathan Hughes

Kate and Dustin Hunter

Mai Vo and Hieu Huynh

Heather and Eric Iantorno

Deanna Imfeld

Danny Irving

Nancy and Peter Iverson

Germaine Jackson

Annika and Dimas Jimenez

Julian Jones

Michele and Geoff Jones

Krishna and Ashish Kabra

Bruce Kaldor

Asha Nuthi and Christos Karanikkis

Jackie and Stefan Karnavas

Carrie and Jay Kelley

Quade Kelley

Christine and Jamie Kelso

Andrea and Datis Kharrazian

Tara Kheradyar

Melissa and Pat Kieran

Patty Kilburn

Eunsuk Ha and Jaemin Kim

Judy Kwon and John Kim

Megan King

Martha and Charles King

Karen and Josh Kinsley

Jennifer and Chad Kinzelberg

Debra and Ian Kirkwood

Phillip Korth

Mary and Mike Kovalchik

Jessica and Dan Krems

Amanda Krone

Marian and John Kroon

Misty and Andrew Krystkowiak

Melissa and Peter Kuhn

Teresa and Walter Kuhns

Genelle and Eric Kunst

As an active member of the PRS community, I wholeheartedly support the Annual Fund. It's my way of giving back to a school that has enriched my life in countless ways. By contributing to the Annual Fund, it ensures that current and future students can experience the same exceptional education, supportive environment, and lifelong connections that have made PRS truly special.

Samuel Canseco ‘17, Admissions Officer

The Laats Family

Caren and Jerry Labovitch

Jaclyn and Jeffrey Labovitch

Kate and Dwayne Lafleur

Allison Lahl

The Landis Family

Lisa Fyfe and Roger Lane

Reese Lao

Marie Champagne and Etienne Lapointe

Kathryn and Kaare Larson

The Lau Family

Christine and Matt Lee

The Leong Family

Tina King and Sanford Leong

Tina Patel and William Leschensky

Priscilla Chan and David Li

Mary Ma and Hexin Li

Wanchun Zhang and Yongtao Li

Michelle and Jonathan Liew

Gigi and Vince Long

Christine French and Art Lopez

Alison and Tyson Lowery

Craig Lowry

Erika and Rob Lozuk

Doreen Young and Ed Luwa

Johnnie Lyman

Scott Lyman

Juli and Troy Lyon

Jesse and Justin MacLaurin

Maganda Family

Azmaira Maker and Zia Agha

Connie and Kirk Malloy

Laura and Chris Maloney

Julie and Domenic Manente

France and Frank Manning

Matt Marasciullo

Katie Mark

Mindi and Nathan Marlow

Corrie and Graham Martin

Leslie and Tony Martindale

Alison and Branko Matich

Amy and Joel Mattix

Viviana Maulit

Fran Day and Tony Maung

Joanne and Bill Maynard

Natalia and Evan McAvoy

Justin McCabe

Laura Lee and Curtis McConnell

Courtney and Eric McCue

Reiko and Melvin McCullough

Alison and Angus McDonald

Soyoung and Cameron McFarland

Brandon McLaughlin

Karen and Ken McLoughlin

The McMahon Family

Dina and Brian McQueen

Rodney McRoberts

Ruth and Attila Mekis

Joyce Raffo and Peter Meringolo

Maria Leal and Roman Merlin

Kate and Luke Michel

Deborah and Graham Miles

Brandi Miller

Jessica and Andrew Mills

Amy and Vince Monteparte

Bella Monteparte

Claudina and Cesar Morales

Sherry and William Morrison

Emily and Sol Moscol

Pattida and A.J. Moul

Nancy Schillig and Steven Muck

Naureen Ansari and Arif Munif

Holly Murphy

Natalie and Robert Muth

Sabine and George Naber

Gita and Roco Nasirpour

Claire Nassif

Grant Nassif

Jean and David Nassif

Gabriela Nava-Carpizo

Kate and Omar Nazif

Leigh and Tim Needham

Paula and Brian Neel

Nicole and Joe Negrey

Liza Neptune

Ruth and Steve Netzley

Libby and Scott Neuberger

Samantha Goldstein and David Newman

Jully and Douglas Nguyen

Ai-Lien Nielsen

Michelle Noriega

Angela and Jason Northrup

Alix and Matt Norton

Liz and Sean O'Brien

Chaela Pastore and Bob Ogle

Mia Ogle

Sue and Jim Ogle

Mary Pham and Steven Ogus

Hilaire O'Hallaron

Yeliz and Mehmet Okur

Jane and Mike O'Laughlin

Shannon Conroy and Jake Olefsky

April Flak and Joseph Oliva

Angie and Ed Omata

The O'Shea Family

The Pacelli Family

Jami DeBrango-Palumbo and Joe Palumbo

Jackie and Erik Pampel

Junying Zhou and Patrick Pan

Brooks Park

Hamida and Tim Parker

Karen Germain and James Parsons

Jennifer and Hunter Pashkow

Dhara and Tarak Patel

Minita and Raj Patel

Christina and Joe Patterson

The Paulsen Family

Teresa and Trent Peabody

Preston Peeden

Saundra Pelletier

Anne Iverson-Peltier and Alan Peltier

Marisela Stahl and David Penaloza

Abigail Perelman

Kari and Mike Perry

Kati Perry

Joan and Paul Petelin

Marci Peterson

Yasmin and Greg Petree

Rachel Petrella

Shanell and Jerome Pierce

Jerome Pierce

Anna Pietrowski

Erika and Cris Pike

Bonnie and Dan Platt

Stacy and Owen Pollard

Tiffany and Brian Pond

Laurie and Bruce Poole

Jori Potiker

Kim and Ron Pulvers

Yunling Bai and Qinghua Qin

The Qiu Family

The Radic Family

Connie and Hector Ramirez

Wendy Ramos-Abbo

Sandy Choe and David Ramsay

Laura and Robert Randolph

Eva and Josh Rayburn

Finn Reid

The Reid Family

Evgenia Kalashnikova and Alexey Revenko

Trisha Reyes

Sandra and Rod Reynolds

Diana Rice-Quito and Chris Rice

Jennifer and Hans Richter

The Ridge Family

Haley Rietman

The Riggenbach Family

Laing and John Rikkers

Rachel Riley

Robert Rios

The Rivard Family

Matt Rivera

Lara Vaccar and Rod Robinson

Lisa and Vinnie Robotti

Alex Rodrigues

Chavalit and Sirilax Rojan

Nicole Rooney

The Roselle Family

Christy and Luke Rosenberg

Anna and Tim Rosenwong

Sandra Carpenter and Alfred Rossow

Jacqueline and Christopher Rossow

Stephanie and Michele Rubino

Maggy Ryan

Diane Sage

Jake Sager

Ayo Salih

Sue and Duff Sanderson

Mia and Gary Sandvoll

Pamela and John Sanford

Manni and Bal Sanghera

Sonali Master and Daniel Santiago

Shari and Richard Sapp

Stephanie Sapp

Shamala and Raghu Saripalli

Linda and Dean Sauer

Michele and Chris Saunders

Tara Verkuil and Dave Saxton

Tiffany Schell

Saskia Schimmelpennink-Van Alphen and Eef Schimmelpennink

Eva Schmidt and Daniel Seidel

Margaret Lee and Stephen Schmitter

Michelle and Alan Schneider

Taz and Kevin Schneider

Danica and Jesse Schuveiller

Carissa and Jonathan Seaton

Rekha and Kishore Seendripu

Laura and Jeff Segall

Lauren Segovia

Chastity and Steven Seibert

Eileen Mullady and Mike Seidel

Jamie and Jerry Serafini

Lynne Talley and Jeffrey Severinghaus

Thank You

Elise and Alex Shahabe

Lauren Shanahan

Sheryl Kamacho and Ronnell Shaw

Kim Shea

Carrie and Richard Shen

Erika and Shawn Sherwood

Li Ma and Dawei Shi

Silke and Jason Shidler

Cecilia and Apoorva Shrivastava

Karin and Scott Silk

Christopher Simon

The Simpson Family

Jill and Randy Simpson

Gabriela and John Sipe

Zoe Sipe

Laurie and Rob Skawinski

Natalia and Herman Skorobogaty

Laura Huston and Henkel Smith

Kathy Witmeyer and Lance Smith

Olga Koroleva and Andrey Smyshlyaev

Jessica and David Socks

Alison and Gerry Soderstrom

The Spengler Family

Katrina and David Stainton

Barbara Steer

Rebecca Plant and Rand Steiger

Jennifer and Jason Stein

Deborah Steinberg

Mark Stenson

Betsy Stephenson and Jill Ellis

Amy and Michael Stern

The Stickney Family

Jeffrey Stier

Elisa and Michael Stollmeyer

Carrie Gonell and William Stolpe

Jed Stotsenberg

The Stoyka Family

Shawna and Jerry Straw

Katey and Larry Stullich

Roseane and Tim Sullivan

Jie He and Huaigen Sun

Sabrina Shan and Shifang Sun

Sarah and Josh Super

Ani Oksayan and Gregory Swiat

Melissa Dennis and Jeffrey Swiecki

Christie and Tim Swiss

Melissa and Justin Symington

Missy and Mike Szymanski

Susan and Timothy Tadder

Christa and Brad Tallman

Clarissa Tan

Victoria Tao

Joan and George Thacker

Bonnie and Jeffrey Thacker

Gigi Theberge

Jocelyne Thesee-Le Bars

Johnny Thieken

Karin Greene-Thomas and Chris Thomas

Allissa Thompson

Jill Beck Thomson and Karl Thomson

Karen Dittrich and James Tilton

Deborah and Sumner Tison

Whitnie Rasmussen and Matthew Titlow

Miriam Tivar

Krista Tokarz

Lorraine and Cole Torino

Teenah and Kevin Tracy

Amber and Jaimie Trueblood

Rachel and Howard Tung

The Twardowski Family

Piper and Chris Underwood

Esther and Dirk van den Boom

Justin Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn

Heather and Michael Veit

Vilasini Bennabhaktula and Madhu Venkata

David Verde

The Vernier Family

Carrie and John Vieceli

Cristina and Jaime Villalobos

Christian Vonalt

Ami Goradia and Sudhir Vora

Chung Do and Chau Vu

Carol and Thomas Waldman

Cheryl Broom and Christopher Walker

Janel Walters

Peng Xia and Feng Wan

Holly Xie and Jun Wang

Yijia Hu and Liang Wang

Ivy Zhu and Paul Wang

Wei Du and Zhenglin Wang

Kelly and Douglas Way

Patricia and Joseph Webber

The Wernig Family

Ivy West

Casey Wheel

Nina White

Beth and Chris Whyley

Jen and Matt Wiedemeier

Nancy and Caleb Willis

Denise Wilson

Ginger and N.C. Winters

The Witz Family

Susan Woods

Liyan Xu and Kent Wu

Qing Chen and Guosheng Xu

Aiqing Li and Lixin Xu

Haiyan Tao and Rui Xu

Jessica Lee and Jan Yang

Carol Yetter and Kathleen Rapp

Suhong Wang and Jun Yi

Vivian Lee and Jay Yu

Daia Guo and Lianggang Yu

Michelle and Scott Zaret

Ann and Mark Zerlaut

Qian Liu and Weiming Zhang

Ting Tan and Duoming Zhao

Zejin Zhu and Tiesong Zhao

Chenfei Li and Jianbin Zhu

ALL DONORS

We have three grandchildren at PRS: Avery in her Junior year, Paige entering high school, and Colin moving into 7th grade. PRS offers a combination of a positive, nurturing culture along with a dynamic life experience education. Our grandchildren are excited with each new day at PRS.

Linda and Mike Gallagher, Grandparents ‘29, ‘27, ‘25

GRANDPARENTS GIVING CIRCLE

Leila and Raul Acevedo

Isabelle Connor ‘28

Marianne Agudo

Cole Burstin ‘27

Alia Burstin ‘25

Jerry and Annie Balikian

Isabella Balikian '23

Alexander Balikian '21

Marilyn and Vince Benstead

Evie Spengler ‘26

Mila Spengler '20

Wendy and Steve Blumberg

Aster McQueen ‘26

Joan and Melvin Burman

Brielle Burman ‘27

Brisa Burman ‘24

Brady Burman '22

Carol and Steve Cross

Chuck Fenner ‘27

Mary Crotty

Isaac Davison ‘29

Jim Dennis

Naya Dixon ‘24

Nancy and Marty Eichelberger

Sienna Eichelberger ‘28

Elaine and Ray French

Katherine French ‘26

Nathan French ‘23

Linda and Mike Gallagher

Colin Paulsen ‘29

Paige Paulsen ‘27

Avery Paulsen ‘25

ALUMNI AND STUDENT DONORS

CLASS OF 2011

Grant Nassif

Alex Rodrigues

CLASS OF 2012

Abigail Perelman

Maggy Ryan

CLASS OF 2013

Abdullah Bundogji

Joanna Gonda

Claire Nassif

CLASS OF 2014

Jessica Bertken

Elaine Hahaj

Matthew Saunders ‘25

Michael Saunders '21

Penny and Gary Hall

Teagan Hall ‘25

Tannen Hall '23

Hallie and Bill Henle

Natalie Lozuk ‘28

Zaky Lozuk ‘27

Nancy and Peter Iverson

Charlie Peltier ‘27

Olivia Peltier ‘25

Bruce Kaldor

Ady Bremner ‘25

Mary and Mike Kovalchik

Annabele Cotts ‘29

Aiden Cotts '23

Marian and John Kroon

Max Leong ‘25

Caren and Jerry Labovitch

Miles Labovitch ‘27

Hayden Labovitch ‘25

France and Frank Manning

Ashlyn Esbeck ‘26

Haley Esbeck ‘24

Deborah and Graham Miles

Sydney Miles ‘25

Nancy Schillig and Steven Muck

Getty Schillig ‘30

Harlan Schillig ‘26

Soren Schillig '23

Sue and Jim Ogle

Wyatt Ogle ‘24

Mia Ogle ‘21

Karen Germain and James Parsons

Grace Beck ‘25

Jack Beck '16

Joan and Paul Petelin

Nick Axelson ‘25

Jerome Pierce

Lucas Pierce ‘25

Sebastian Pierce ‘24

Sandra and Rod Reynolds

Ezra Haberstroh ‘27

Chavalit and Sirilax Rojan

Jackson Bush ‘27

Sandra Carpenter and

Alfred Rossow

Colette Rossow ‘25

Jill and Randy Simpson

Beckett Simpson ‘27

Carter Simpson ‘25

Jeffrey Stier

Gabe Stier ‘24

Joan and George Thacker

David Thacker ‘28

Melissa Thacker ‘28

Elizabeth Thacker ‘23

Miriam Tivar

Riley Carmichael ‘28

Signe and Jan Twardowski

Tess Twardowski ‘25

Jocelyn Twardowski ‘23

Kati Perry

Rachel Riley

Haleigh Benjamin

CLASS OF 2015

Matthew Vaughn

CLASS OF 2016

Cosmo Cothran-Bray

CLASS OF 2017

Samuel Canseco

Justin Vaughn*

CLASS OF 2018

Tiffany Schell

CLASS OF 2019

Margaret Brick

Bella Monteparte

Finn Reid

Zoe Sipe

CLASS OF 2020

Reese Lao

Jake Sager

CLASS OF 2021

Mia Ogle

CLASS OF 2022

Dash Daniels

CLASS OF 2027

Quade Kelley

TRIBUTES

In Honor of Bob Ogle

Kim Shea

In Honor of Cindy Kaldor

Bruce Kaldor

In Honor of Robert Lozuk

Hallie and Bill Henle

In Honor of Solange Dzeketey

Rashida and Kuassi Dzeketey

In Memory of Kevin Rooney, NYPD 9/11

Hiromi Oda and Kieran Ridge

CORPORATE DONORS AND SPONSORS

Apple

Tisbest Philanthropy

UKOGF

YPO Rancho Santa Fe Gold

MATCHING PARTNERS

Artisan Partners

Boeing Company

Broadcom

Caterpillar Foundation

Cisco Systems

Cox Charities Fund

Illumina Foundation

Intuit

LPL Financial

Northrop Grumman Foundation

Oath

Oracle Corporation

PlayStation Cares

Qualcomm

Sony Electronics

Thermo Fisher Scientific

US Bank

Viasat

Thank You

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP

Joy and Hugh Bancroft

Laura and Ric Basanese

Fiona and Scott Bechtler-Levin

Mayte and Jared Bluestein

Alex and Matt Brown

Sheila Gujrathi and Jordan Cohen

Stephanie Piccirelli and Drew Collins

Lita Eells and Patrick Crane

Karen Dittrich and James Tilton

Kristin and Steven French

Linda and Mike Gallagher

The Germain Family

The Horton Family

Kate and Dustin Hunter

Heather and Eric Iantorno

Annika and Dimas Jimenez

Melissa and Pat Kieran

Melissa and Peter Kuhn

Genelle and Eric Kunst

Leslie and Tony Martindale

Brandi Miller

Amy and Vince Monteparte

Jean and David Nassif

Paula and Brian Neel

Stacey Hollenbeck and Nicolas Nguyen

Sue and Jim Ogle

Marci Peterson

Rachel Petrella

Bonnie and Dan Platt

Jori Potiker

Sandy Choe and David Ramsay

Laing and John Rikkers

Sue and Duff

Sanderson

Shari and Richard Sapp

Laura and Jeff Segall

Carrie and Richard Shen

The Simpson Family

The Stoyka Family

Bonnie and Jeffrey Thacker

The Twardowski Family

Kelly and Douglas Way

The Witz Family

Liyan Xu and Kent Wu

Qing Chen and Guosheng Xu

Carol Yetter and Kathleen Rapp

As with all our efforts to thank and recognize donors, every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy of our information. If your records differ from this report, please contact Lauren Shanahan in the Philanthropy Office at 760-448-9849.

We believe our family's support of Pacific Ridge School's Annual Fund and Opportunity Scholarship is an important investment in the future. We've always believed education to be the greatest gift we can bestow upon our children, and Pacific Ridge is more than a school — it's a special community that truly lives up to its mission. Supporting this mission to instill ethical responsibility, foster academic excellence, and promote global engagement, we are privileged to be a part of the Pacific Ridge family, a place where our children are not only prepared for college, but also learn how to lead a purposeful life. Pacific Ridge is not just about teaching, but about nurturing diverse perspectives and creating a collaborative world. The Opportunity Scholarship underscores this belief, giving first-generation students with academic excellence and financial need a chance to experience this transformative education. We give because we have been given so much.

Daniele and Andrew Horton, Parents ‘28

Pacific Ridge is a nonprofit school. Our financial model is based on fulfilling the year-to-year needs of the school and not on generating revenue. All donations directly support student needs. These gifts are tax deductible. The Annual Fund, which runs each year from July 1 to June 30, provides the foundation for fundraising at Pacific Ridge. Annual Fund gifts cover all aspects of education. Donations provide unrestricted support to be used where funds are needed most. This reliable base helps cover yearly expenses.

6269 El Fuerte Street Carlsbad, CA 92009