Jack Merrifield ‘13

CEO, Blue Wave Security

What’s the biggest difference you see at PRS?

What’s stayed the same?

The biggest difference is the infrastructure. We used to launch bottle rockets out in the sticks of what is now the Upper School. It’s cool to see the facilities now. What’s stayed the same is the energy of the campus. It’s still focused around this positivity and excitement for new ideas.

What is a lasting memory from Pacific Ridge?

There are a lot! First, meeting our homestays in Shanghai, winning CIF finals in soccer for the second year in a row, releasing the first issue of Global Vantage – but one memory that encompassed all aspects of Pacific Ridge was the first all school performance in spring of 2008.

Alison Trattner, our theater arts and English teacher at the time, directed and produced a performance with roughly 130 students who knew almost nothing about theater. We designed the plot, the music, the lyrics, and even the staging. The closing song was sung to the tune of "Be our guest" from Beauty and the Beast – "PRS, PRS, Put your knowledge to the test... academics, integration, apple spice it's delicious..." I don't know if I will ever appreciate the logistics and patience Ms. Trattner had for us.

What is something you miss about PRS?

I really like the ability to have a conversation about topics we were having in class. There was this free form discussion and the whole Harkness model was just so unique.

The closeness of my grade was something special, and at sporting events, there was an energy that’s hard to replicate.

Something I think about a lot is the caliber of the people that graduated in my class, they’ve gone on to do some pretty incredible things, and are focusing on their passions. It’s a unique group of people and looking back I can say people really went off and did what they wanted to do.