Class Notes

Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to…

1999

On February 22, 2022, Augustine Gomez and Rachel Gomez welcomed their first child, A. Joaquin Gierucki Gomez. Both parents report they could not be more excited for this joyous new chapter in their lives.

2000

After graduating from PCDS, Mark Hatch-Miller moved to Connecticut to attend Wesleyan University. At Wesleyan, Mark continued playing drums in rock and jazz groups (for a very short time, Mark was the original drummer for future Grammy nominees MGMT, of “Kids” fame), managed the college radio station, and majored in history. After college, Mark moved to Brooklyn, New York, and spent three years in publishing and media-related jobs, including as the producer of a political talk radio show hosted by comedians Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder. While working on the show, Mark decided to apply to law school. Mark completed his first year of law school at the University of Chicago, then transferred to Yale Law School, where he graduated in 2010. Mark then clerked for two federal judges, and in 2012, joined the New York office of Susman Godfrey LLP, a boutique firm specializing in high-dollar-value civil cases. Mark joined the partnership at Susman Godfrey in 2019, and now works on many different kinds of cases at the firm. Mark reports that his highest-profile current matter is representing Dominion Voting Systems in defamation litigation against Fox News and Newsmax concerning the networks’ false statements about Dominion during the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential Election. Mark also serves on the board of directors of Recess, a Brooklyn-based art education nonprofit. In 2013, he married Emily Ross, the Associate Provost of the School of Visual Arts. Mark and Emily have a six-year-old daughter, Eleanor Hatch, who is currently wrapping up first grade in Brooklyn. Mark and his family split their time between their apartment in Greenpoint and their Hudson Valley house in Beacon, New York—where Mark now keeps his drum set. Mark is still passionate about music and plays drums/ guitar/bass and goes to see live shows whenever he can. He recently took up running and will be running the NYC Marathon for the second time later this year. Mark also (relatively) recently developed a keen interest in golf, which would have made a lot more sense in Arizona as opposed to NYC. Michael Rector teaches piano and music theory at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay. After a pandemic hiatus, he and his wife, Sylvia Hong, are enjoying playing two-piano concerts again. They have two sons: Solon, age seven; Atticus, age one.

Jessica Berch is a senior lecturer at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU, where she has won Professor of the Year three out of the last six years. She has published numerous articles, three textbooks (one of which is forthcoming), and a treatise. She and Jason McClellan, her high school sweetheart turned husband, live in Phoenix with their rescue dog and cat. They spend their free time cooking delicious vegan food, traveling, and playing video games.

Doran Arik Miller attended Georgetown University, earning a BA in American studies. After college, Doran spent two years on Capitol Hill working for Senator Jon Kyl. She then attended Brooklyn Law School, after which she clerked on the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., and then spent three years at the Institute for Justice where she litigated cutting-edge constitutional cases primarily in the areas of property rights and economic liberty. Doran and her husband, Danny, met in Washington, D.C., where he grew up, and in 2014, they moved to Phoenix. Doran now owns her own public policy consulting firm, Miller Policy Consulting, and specializes in water, energy and natural resources. Doran and Danny have one child, Levi, who is a rising first grader at PCDS.

These alumni are registered members of the PCDS Alumni Networking Platform. Visit pcdsconnect.org for more information.

We collect many Class Notes each year and cannot guarantee that all submissions will be printed. Class Notes are written in an individual’s own words.

Sarah Pachtman-Shetty lives in NYC where she practices maternal fetal medicine specializing in obstetrical critical care. In March 2022, she and her husband, Vik Shetty, welcomed their first child, Orion Michael, who is named after his grandfather, Michael Pachtman ’70. Sarah teaches first year medical students at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University and is passionate about educating and empowering pregnant people and those who are trying to conceive via her Instagram page, @healthymamadoc.

Tiffany Westlie Pondelik has been enjoying wearing two hats: one as the President of the Alumni Board, and another as the mother of a rising PCDS first and fifth grader. Moving back to Phoenix has made her an avid tennis player, and she also volunteers her time as a board member for the Women’s Interclub Tennis Association. After performing for many years, she now lends her voice to the choir at Valley Presbyterian and volunteers with Childsplay Theater, assisting with planning their annual gala. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2004, Elizabeth Perla Picciotta has lived in Washington, D.C. She initially worked in client relations for a consulting firm but soon discovered her passion for psychology and attended graduate school at Loyola University Maryland. Liz is now a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children and adolescents. She and her husband, Paul, have two children: Vivien, age three; Paul Matthew III, age one. Stemming from her daughter’s special needs, Liz spends much of her free time researching cortical visual impairment (CVI) and epilepsy, as well as advocating for neurodiverse children. She also enjoys spinning, entertaining, drinking wine, and house hunting on Zillow. If she can ever be of help to any past, present, or future Eagles, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Beau Roysden lives in North Central Phoenix with his wife, Jo, and their three kids, ages three to seven. Beau reports that he serves as the Solicitor General at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, where he leads a group of attorneys that have a very diverse practice. A recent career highlight for Beau was arguing at the Supreme Court of the United States in December. Beau’s main interests outside of work are kid activities and spending time with his family. Beau really enjoyed seeing all of his classmates (virtually) at the 20 year reunion and hopes that the Class of 2000 is able to get together in-person soon.

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2001

After graduating from George Washington University, Caroline McGee Ortiz lived in Guatemala and Nicaragua, where she spent five years working for local nonprofit organizations. In 2012, Caroline returned to the U.S. to attend law school and currently works for the Executive Office for Immigration Review as an attorney advisor. Caroline and her husband, Carlos, live in Phoenix with their two rambunctious boys, ages two and four.

2002

Zach Israel became interested in food service and hospitality during his time at Ithaca College. While there, he ended up owning and operating a Cornell bar called Dinos. He moved directly to NYC after college and continued to work in the sports bar and nightclub world. “I opened up a string of sports bars, including Proof, Village Pourhouse (three locations), and Sidebar. I then opened and managed a nightclub called Hudson Terrace for a number of years. Over time, I sold my interests and moved on and opened up Blank Slate Coffee & Kitchen with my wife. We currently have two locations and a catering company running and thankfully doing well. We have a little boy and still live in the city.”

Orlando Martinez writes, “I am an attorney in Albuquerque, NM, and am fairly sure that I am the most successful attorney to come out of the Class of 2002—second only to the Honorable Claudia M. Gonzalez Jimenez ’02. I have my own law firm, which celebrated its seven year anniversary in May 2022. My wonderful wife, Emily, works at my firm and my kids—Atticus, age 10; and Zada, age eight—attend a Montessori charter school here in Albuquerque. When I’m not getting into trouble or getting people out of trouble, I spend my time hunting, fishing, camping, and mountain biking with my family.”

In June of 2017, Randall Smalley II moved back to Phoenix with his wife, Ursula, and their two kids, Camilla and Randall III (R3). They have since added a son, Theodore, and a puppy to their family. Randall is an executive at CRUISE AMERICA where he runs all global marketing efforts and business development. Camilla is now seven, Randall is five, and they attend All Saints. Randall reports that little Theo will be there before you know it. Their family loves to travel, Randall still plays tennis, loves golf, community outreach, and camping. He misses PCDS and gathered for the recent 20 year reunion with all those who graduated in 2002.

2003

After graduating from PCDS, Emily Charlson attended Barrett, the Honors College at ASU and earned honors in biology. She then attended the seven-year Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania, earning both a PhD in cellular and molecular biology as well as a medical degree. Ready to return to warmer weather, she moved to Newport Beach, CA, to pursue an ophthalmology residency with the University of California, Irvine, where she discovered oculoplastic surgery. Emily reports that she then joined Stanford University for an American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship. Upon completion of her oculoplastic surgical training, she moved to San Francisco and is now a partner at Pacific Eye Associates and is an attending oculoplastic surgeon at California Pacific Medical Center, where she teaches both residents and fellows. She also works on clinical trials, consults for early Bay Area companies, and serves as a mentor to working professionals at Stanford.

After graduating from PCDS, Sabrina Delafield chose to put off college and instead worked as a professional ballet dancer. Most of her career has involved dancing with European companies. She was a soloist with companies in Norway, France, and Germany, where she made many international friends and had an “enjoyable” time. After two knee operations, she decided it was time to follow the more conventional route of a PCDS graduate. Last June, Sabrina graduated summa cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University. She is currently on a Fulbright Scholarship, studying in England.

2004

Jordan Fisher writes, “I am finishing my internal medicine residency then heading to Michigan to complete a two-year fellowship in infectious disease at Beaumont Hospital. I am married with two children and plan to return to the Valley after fellowship to practice.”

Valerie Garagiola works as a strategy director for a fashion tech company called Hespera that specializes in liveselling e-commerce for fashion jewelry. She lives in Playa del Rey with her husband and two dogs.

2005

Alexa Tibshraeny Leonard shared that she attended PCDS for MS and, “Will never forget the tremendous education I received and the incredible friends that I made. In 2009, I graduated summa cum laude from The University of Arizona with a double major in business management and entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management. Following undergrad, I attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. In 2020, after many years of practice, I decided to start my own firm out of West Los Angeles—Alexa Tibshraeny Law Corporation. I work exclusively in family law and enjoy it immensely. On a personal note, in April 2019, I married my husband, an executive producer of documentary content. In June 2021, we had our first child, our son Beck. We all live with our beloved Labrador, Louise, in Brentwood, Los Angeles. I would be thrilled to reconnect with anyone from the PCDS community.”

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In September 2020, Alice Gaston Gibbons and Ryan Gibbons welcomed their son, Hunter William Gibbons. They recently took a trip back to Costa Rica where Alice and Ryan were married in 2018. Alice also joined the PCDS Alumni Board in 2021.

Stephanie Papp Correia lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband, Michael, and two-year-old son, Lucas. She reports that they are looking forward to becoming a family of four with their newest addition expected in July 2022. Stephanie currently works as a senior scientist at Turning Point Therapeutics, a clinical-stage precision oncology company in San Diego.

Kyle Whisler is currently a senior manager of Growth and Operations in a new Kidney Care and Home Health venture at CVS. He was recently married to Amanda and now lives in Denver, Colorado. In their free time, Kyle and Amanda love to be outdoors and are looking forward to an upcoming honeymoon in Austria, Hungary, and Croatia.

2006

Neelu K. Khanuja, Esq. is the Founding Partner of Khanuja Law. Neelu reports that she zealously advocates for injured workers and/or aggressively defends employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in all areas of California state workers’ compensation law. Neelu previously worked at the largest California workers’ compensation defense firm in the state and a local applicant’s attorney firm. Outside of the office, Neelu is a co-founder and currently a board member of a nonprofit organization, 5 Rivers Foundation. As a board member, she is involved in awarding college scholarships and providing financial support for SAT/ ACT preparation courses to students who are motivated to pursue higher education. To date, 5 Rivers Foundation has awarded over 100 scholarships and provided SAT/ACT preparation courses to over 173 students nationwide.

Since her time at PCDS, Brianna Eller-Hughes reports that she has continued her pursuit of academic excellence by receiving a BA in both physics and history as well as a minor in art. After college, she continued her education at ASU and graduated in 2016, with a doctorate in material physics and a master’s in business administration. She then worked closely with the resources available at ASU to start and develop a nextgeneration, semiconductor company, Advent Diamond, which has raised more than one million dollars in government funding. In addition, she is married and is a mother to a fifteenyear-old son, and two little girls. At the start of the pandemic, Joel Fineman moved from NYC to Seattle to take a job at Amazon. He works with partners such as CNN, Fox News, and NPR to distribute their content across Alexa and FireTV devices. Joel reports that he and his Italian greyhound, Martha Pawshington, love the PNW’s hikes and beer gardens.

McGarrett Sutherland went to college, and later dental school, in Portland, Oregon. He received a DMD degree in 2018. The following year, he completed a year-long residency in hospital dentistry in Seattle and has been practicing dentistry in Portland ever since. He and his wife, Maggie, married in 2013. They have recently acquired two black cats, Kevin and Meatball. In his free time, McGarrett likes to cook, read, craft, and hike around Portland.

2007

Danielle Weinberg Gribin earned her MBA in finance and marketing from ASU and is living in Los Angeles. She is VP of Finance at Endeavor (which IPO’d last year) working across their fashion segment globally, including New York Fashion Week and IMG Models. Danielle reports that most importantly, she and her husband, Jason, were thrilled to have welcomed their first child, Jean, into the world in September 2021.

When Ross Bridgeman moved to Montana, he says he was “ready to accept a life as a saloon pianist, dodging the occasional flying bottle. However, Whitefish has had so much more to offer.” He engineers and produces music out of DB Studios, runs a successful 10-piece wedding band, teaches a dozen burgeoning pianists at the local music school, and performs throughout the year with Alpine Theatre Project. Every Halloween, Ross puts on tights for their live production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and he recently mastered “Bohemian Rhapsody” for a Queen tribute show. Every day, he’s grateful for his wife, Jill, and their new furry son, Scout.

Since earning his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in May 2020, Chris Opila has been clerking for the Honorable Gregory B. Wormuth at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces. After his clerkship ends, he plans to move to NYC to bring court challenges to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services refugee resettlement adjudications as a Justice Catalyst Fellow at the International Refugee Assistance Project. He reports that he is excited to return to the refugee and humanitarian issues that initially brought him to law school but will miss the dry heat and the borderlands. US students in Coding as Art I class had the opportunity to visit with PCDS alum Ben Shanken ’07, VP of Product at Discord. They discussed coding, entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley, the tech industry’s future, and the importance of learning computer science in high school. Ben’s advice to future computer science majors is, “Find a problem you really care about, then solve it. What do you want to do for the next ten years, and how will that help others? The world?” Thanks, Ben, for returning to PCDS and spending time with the next generation of coders!

2008

Jay Fielder reports that he and his wife, Vanessa, are enjoying the company of their first child, Cassidy, born in May 2021. Jay has continued his career at Pepsi and is now a continuous improvement manager for the Arizona production facility, while Vanessa is a research manager with the County Supervisors Association of Arizona. Jay says that when not at work, they enjoy fostering a love for the outdoors within their daughter by exploring Arizona’s awesome natural environment. Lauren Motzkin graduated from Yale with an MBA in 2019, and then moved to Los Angeles where she currently works as a management consultant with Deloitte. She spent much of 2020 exploring LA’s hiking trails and feeling grateful for the year-round sunshine. 2021 brought a bit more variety, including a few months spent on the East Coast with her partner Kayvon’s family and a cross-country road trip. Lauren and Kayvon recently moved to the Silver Lake neighborhood and would love to reconnect with any other alumni in the area.

Alexa Cohn (right) shares, “My boyfriend and I relocated to Austin last year from Miami. I am working as Creative Director for a company I co-founded, called SortJoy. We make sustainable home organization products (featured in the photo behind my co-founder and I) that can be found at The Container Store, Lulu & Georgia, or on our website. I was lucky enough to cross paths with Katelyn Pascavis ’08 and Emily Gogolak ’08 recently.”

2009

Rebecca Wax is a resident physician at Mount Sinai Hospital In NYC. She is about to start her final year of radiology residency and then will go on to fellowship at Cornell/New YorkPresbyterian Hospital for further specialization in abdominal imaging. Rebecca lives in Manhattan with her fiancé, Brooks, and their Bernese mountain dog, Truffles.

Michael Misner attended Barrett, The Honors College at ASU, where he majored in Supply Chain Management. He then went to work for Amazon (where he’s worked to this day) in several different roles starting as an area manager and operations manager in fulfillment centers and delivery stations across the Rocky Mountain states. Last summer, Michael moved to the Upper West Side of NYC with his fiancée. He currently works as a senior program manager in the NYC Amazon office responsible for Whole Foods Market delivery planning nationwide. After being in school for 25 years, Stephanie Kost reports that she finally decided she was smart enough and graduated from medical school last year. She currently lives in Scottsdale with her daughter, Maggie, who loves the outdoors.

2010

Christopher Jackson shares, “I started my medical residency in NYC at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I am training in radiation oncology, the treatment of cancer with high-dose radiation. I am really liking it. My fiancée, Kat Hanlon, went to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix for med school. She is now a psychiatry resident in New York at Cornell. Outside of residency, Kat and I enjoy: spending time with our two cats (Reese and Curie) and our dog (Rivers), running, and exploring the city. We miss the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and the hiking options in Phoenix.”

Diana Schron graduated from the orthodontics residency program at UCSF and is currently practicing as an orthodontist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recently, she and her husband, Ted, welcomed their first child, Charles, into the world and are learning on the job as first-time parents. Alex Diones is currently completing his PhD in Political Science at UCLA and is working as an editor at the journal Political Theory.

Devika Soni delayed her wedding to her fiancé, Joe Kelly, due to COVID, and was wondering if they would ever get to celebrate with their family and friends. They have been together since their junior year at USC, so it has “been a long time coming”. They ended up having two different wedding celebrations—a vow exchange on a beach and a traditional Hindu wedding. They report that they had a wonderful time surrounded by the people they love, and they are really excited for what’s next in their lives. They plan to honeymoon in the French Riviera.

Morgan Shepard shares, “This spring, I made the big move from Arizona to downtown Chicago. I know most people would make the opposite move, but I can’t wait to explore this new city. I am currently working at Rush University Medical Center as an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and absolutely love it. If anyone is in Chicago, I would love to connect.”

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Sarah Attaway is the owner of Sea to City Travels, a boutique travel consultancy specializing in crafting tailor-made itineraries anywhere her clients’ passports take them. She particularly loves planning honeymoons and African safaris but will send clients all over the world. After two years of disruption, travel is back and her business is busier than ever. Sarah currently resides in Newport Beach, California, with her fiancé, Blake Bunte, and their new golden retriever, Jackson. In November, Sarah and Blake will be tying the knot in Charleston, South Carolina, where she went to college and where the remainder of her family currently lives.

David Linder shares, “Since graduating from PCDS, I completed both a BS and an MS at ASU in biological sciences and science of health care delivery, respectively. Immediately after, I worked for two years at an executive search firm based in Scottsdale, where I helped recruit and place senior leaders in a variety of healthcare organizations. From December of 2017 through December of 2022, I worked for Banner Health as a quality improvement specialist and program manager in the Insurance Division. I recently joined TGen in early 2022, as Program Manager to support research involving detection of tiny amounts of circulating cancer DNA in blood. Working to support world-class researchers at an organization like TGen has been very rewarding. I soon plan to wed my wonderful fiancée, Sydney Mamus.”

2011

Matt Prusak graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. After helping scale a COVID-19 diagnostics business during the pandemic, he is now focused on building out a large, privately-held Bitcoin mine powered by sustainable energy.

Alexandra Blandford reports that she lives in Phoenix and is a junior landscape architect, working on projects like Gilbert Regional Park, Norfolk Botanical Garden’s ‘Garden of Tomorrow,’ and the private residence of a certain Cardinals player. On New Year’s Eve 2021, Alex got engaged to the love of her life, Brian, while staying in a cozy cabin in the vineyards of Page Springs. They are planning their wedding and are soaking in all the excitement of this next chapter.

(Christopher) Taylor White has moved to Dallas, Texas, and is the in-house attorney for the Dallas Stars’ group of companies, where Rachael Lopez ’11 will soon be joining the legal department. Taylor is also an entrepreneur and active investor. He still plays hockey, travels often to visit family and friends, and escapes to the lake in Northern Michigan each summer.

Kelly Lin graduated from Fordham University in 2015, and Fordham Law in 2021. Prior to law school, She was a paralegal at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, in its Public Integrity section. As a paralegal, she assisted with investigations and prosecutions involving public corruption. Currently, she is an associate in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Regulation, Investigations, Securities, and Compliance group in the New York office. Her practice focuses on regulatory and government investigations, white-collar defense, and compliance.

Alex Kost continues to toil away in Big Tech in the Bay Area in CA. Sometimes, he says, he looks up at the sky from his computer and wonders if he’ll ever be able to explore the stars. “Probably not,” he whispers to himself as he looks back at the blue screen.

2012

Danielle Lee just moved to the Golden State of California, where she will be starting her internship year as a foot and ankle surgery resident at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. She also recently got engaged to her college boyfriend in Hawaii.

After getting his MBA at Northwestern University during the pandemic, JB Stockslager recently moved to Portland and is CEO of a private equity owned company, Alliance Services, that provides caregivers to intellectually and developmentally challenged individuals. He reports that he is beyond excited to be leading a company where growth and helping to provide care to people in need are aligned. In his free time, he is involved at his local church and spends time running a faith-based giving group with his business school classmates. He still makes his way back to Phoenix (from time to time to see his parents) and is often found in his home away from home of Dallas, TX. “If you are in one of these cities or, just want to chat, be sure to reach out,” says JB.

Since graduating from Boston University in 2016, where she studied economics and business management, Rachel Underhill has focused on her career in fixed income trading across multiple firms, including Capital Group in Los Angeles, and Citigroup in NYC. Most recently, she joined BlackRock and is the VP, Head of iShares U.S. Fixed Income Primary Markets. Rachel currently lives in Sausalito, CA, with her fiancé, Blake. Rachel reports that she spends her free time outside in the sun whenever possible. She enjoys road cycling, road/trail running, hiking, and spending time with close friends.

Ben Mattinson graduated from MIT in 2016, with a BS in computer science and joined Google later that year to build software used to manage Google’s computational resources. After two years at Google, Ben rediscovered his interest in robotics and picked up machine learning in order to work on software for autonomous vehicles. He ultimately accepted a position at an autonomous vehicle company, Zoox, which at the time was a startup spun out of Stanford’s autonomous vehicle research. Today, Ben continues to work on the Prediction team at Zoox, where he builds machine learning models to predict how other vehicles on the roads will behave. He still enjoys playing guitar and composing music in his spare time.

Tianna Sheih shared, “I went to Scripps College in Claremont, CA, where I majored in biology and minored in psychology. I was accepted into the early linkage program at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and for four years, lived in Washington, D.C. I graduated from medical school in 2020, and am now a family medicine resident physician in Santa Rosa, CA. I also adopted my dog, Leo, two years ago, and he is such a good boy.”

2013

Philip Rody recently finished his studies at The University of Arizona, graduating with a JD and certificate in Immigration Law & Policy from the James E. Rogers College of Law, along with a MA from the Center for Latin American Studies. He is working at the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to detained adults and children throughout Arizona. Philip became engaged to his fianceé, Olivia, in July 2021, and they plan to be married in Flagstaff. Jessica Cohen currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, where she completed a master’s degree in social work at the UMN and is now a Licensed Generalist Social Worker (LGSW). Professionally, she is a hospital social worker at a level 1 trauma center and safety net hospital in downtown Minneapolis, where she serves individuals with complex medical issues and psychosocial factors. Jessica also provides therapy to kids and teens at an outpatient clinic on a part-time basis. Outside of work, Jessica spends her time traveling, hiking, attending concerts, and studying for her LICSW exam. She is also excited to be celebrating the engagement of India Grasso ’13 this year.

In 2017, Leila Noghrehchi graduated from The University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern and North African studies and then received her MD with distinctions in rural health, community service, and integrative medicine from The University of Arizona College of Medicine in May 2022. After nine years in Tucson, she will be moving to Salt Lake City to join the University of Utah Health Family Medicine Residency Program. She plans to pursue her professional interests in rural health, tribal health, gender-affirming care, and public/community outreach.

Arielle Lee is in her final year at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She is preparing her applications for anesthesia residency programs.

Jacob Feder currently lives in Chicago, and is in his third year of a PhD program at UChicago. “My research

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is focused on using solid-state and molecular quantum spin sensors for biological applications like disease diagnostics and imaging. Even though it’s my third year, I feel like I’m just getting started…time flies when you’re having fun. I’m currently excited about a recent discovery that I’m hoping will eventually lead to my first paper. Outside of the lab, I’ve been trying to get up to the city more and am looking forward to the summer and biking along the lake.”

Kaddie Stephens graduated cum laude from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication at ASU. She worked in the private sector of financial services as a communications manager for four and a half years, and she now works at Honeywell Aerospace. Kaddie still owns horses and competes on the national circuit and currently lives in Chandler with her boyfriend, Coby. Kaddie helps Coby run and operate his own carpet cleaning business, and they enjoy traveling and hitting the gym together in their free time.

Henry Roden has been living in the Phoenix area the last two years (during the pandemic) but has recently moved back to New York, where he works for La Gorce Capital, a private equity firm focused on growth capital in the lowermiddle market. Current projects he has worked on have mostly been in the healthcare sector on the West Coast. Henry is focused on building out the firm’s presence in the Northeast, while working to expand the portfolio. Henry is beginning his MBA at NYU this fall, where he expects to specialize in finance and markets. He currently lives with his girlfriend, Catherine, and their rescue German shepherd, Quinn, who just turned ten. Since graduating from the University of San Francisco in 2017 with a BA in International Studies, Claire Rose has remained in San Francisco initially working for two nonprofit organizations before transitioning into the tech industry as a sales executive. Claire has worked for two FinTech startups that focus on reinventing consumer debt collection and assisting consumers who are victims of predatory lending practices. Presently, Claire is a senior account executive at OpenComp, a software company that provides a compensation benchmarking tool for pre-IPO companies to address pay equity, the gender-wage gap, and pay transparency. Claire enjoys working for companies that are mission driven and disruptive, and she plans to remain with OpenComp for the foreseeable future, as pay transparency continues to be a growing issue in the remote workforce. In her free time, Claire enjoys all that the Bay Area has to offer, often spending time with friends outside at music shows or on the golf course. She is always happy to welcome new PCDS alumni that find their way to San Francisco.

2014

Margaret Loncki graduated from Claremont McKenna College with dual degrees in economics and organismal biology. She played varsity soccer and golf all four years at Claremont. In her senior year, she won the Division III golf National Championship both individually and as a team. After graduation, Margaret began working for Certis Capital Management, a small multi-family office in Santa Barbara, California. Certis Capital specializes in alternative investments and aims to source strategies with returns that are not correlated to equity markets and that fit their core mandate of wealth preservation and income generation. As the Director of Operations, Margaret oversees all aspects of operations and provides support to Certis’ investment research and client service functions. In addition to her efforts at Certis, Margaret also manages multiple investment real estate properties in Santa Barbara.

Tyler Dial shared, “Hey PCDS! It’s been about 12-13 years since I got my start at the MS talent show, where I sang the John Mayer version of ‘Free Fallin’,’ and I’m so excited to give y’all a little update on where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. After spending four years in college and playing music in Austin, I moved to Nashville to pursue a full-time singer/songwriter career. For the first few years, I worked side jobs on the weekends while writing songs during the week and recently completed my album, Electric West. A few months ago, I started releasing songs from my upcoming project, ‘Way Back When,’ and announced my deals with Virgin Music, Make Wake Artist Management, William Morris Endeavor, and Top 5 Entertainment. I can’t wait for my friends in Arizona to hear what I’ve been working on because a lot of my inspiration came from where I grew up, and who I was back in the day. The ‘Way Back When’ EP will be out soon, and I’m so grateful for the support from the PCDS community!”

In 2018, Brennen Lee graduated from UPenn with four majors (biochemistry, biophysics, biology, math) and a master’s in chemistry. He is currently living on the Upper West Side of NYC and is finishing up his second year of law school at Columbia University. Over the summer, he will be working at Cravath Swaine and Moore and hopes to check out the myriad of food experiences the city has to offer.

In the spring of 2021, Alexa Lewis graduated from UCSD with an MS in bioengineering and moved to Atlanta that August. She is now working for LifeQ, a biotech startup that collects and interprets health and wellness data from smart watches and other wearable devices. She shared that it’s been fun to explore her new city, and she is looking forward to more outdoor adventures this summer.

Madeline Louis reports, “After graduating from PCDS, I left to study musical theater in NYC. While I loved the hustle and bustle of the city, I realized I wanted the “textbook” college experience that the concrete jungle just wasn’t giving me (okay, and maybe I didn’t totally foresee myself making it to Broadway, but I had fun!). I ended up transferring to Indiana University after my first semester, where I earned a degree in tourism, hospitality, and event management. I had planned to work as an event coordinator until I took a class focused on events/ service provider law, during my senior year at IU. My professor noticed my enthusiasm and encouraged me to think about going to law school—and I did! In May of 2022, I received my JD from the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where I was also able to get back into singing and performing as part of the law school’s a cappella group, LawCappella. I plan to work in the public sector as a criminal prosecutor, after I take the bar exam. I am engaged to be married in November of 2022, and will soon be moving up to Flagstaff with my fiancé, Tyler, and our two miniature Australian shepherds, Indy and Luca.”

2015 Jorge Manzanares graduated from St. Mary’s University in Austin, TX, in May 2019, with a BA in political science as well as a BA in international relations. Upon graduation, he immediately pursued a master’s in science in student affairs at Illinois State University. After graduating from Illinois State, Jorge accepted his current job at The University of Arizona as a coordinator in the office of fraternity and sorority programs. After having been away from Arizona for six years, Jorge is happy to be back in his home state to begin his career and reconnect with family and friends.

Grace Gilberg has been living in London, UK, for almost three years now. After graduating from Wellesley College in 2019, she began working as an equity research analyst covering European retail companies. With no immediate plans to move back across the pond, she has been enjoying traveling around Europe on weekends as lockdowns have eased.

2016

Sarah Humphrey attended the University of San Diego and received degrees in both international business and communication studies. After graduating from college, Sarah went on to write her first book, Pretty Young, which was published in September 2021. She currently lives in NYC and is a copywriter for VaynerX.

Ellie Reynoso shares, “I am a proud mom of a son who is turning two in October. After living in San Diego with my husband for the past three years, I recently moved back to Phoenix, and it feels good to be here. Currently, I’m working for a dietitian specializing in kids’ nutrition, and it is so fulfilling to help and watch people make healthy, educated choices. I am also in pursuit of receiving a degree in interior design which will help me to start my own interior design firm (with the help of my sister-in-law, Jennie). For fun these days, I enjoy: Hiking, going on long distance runs, assisting in various creative projects, and reading nonfiction novels (whenever I get the chance).”

Did you graduate in 2013, 2008, 2003, 1998, 1993, 1988, 1983 or 1978?

If so, we can’t wait to see you for your Reunion Weekend! Friday, April 28-Saturday, April 29, 2023

Save the date for Alumni Spring Weekend and Reunions.

Network with PCDS alumni around the globe at pcdsconnect.org

2017

After graduating from PCDS, Calvin Hamilton moved to NYC to work for the CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk. Two years later, Calvin left VaynerMedia and founded a boutique ad agency called Engineer Influence, which he still runs today. In March of 2021, Engineer Influence launched its first subsidiary, createcontent.io, a content marketing platform for real estate agents, consultants, and small businesses. In his free time, Calvin enjoys traveling with friends and playing chess in Washington Square Park.

Max Johnson reports, “After graduating from PCDS, I attended UChicago and spent four great years there. I switched interests a few times, starting with chemistry, moving to economics, and finally settling on pure mathematics. I graduated with a bachelor’s in math in 2021. At UChicago, I fell in love with what I did and decided to dedicate myself to becoming a professor. The next fall, I started my PhD at the University of California, San Diego. I will remain here for probably the next five years, as I learn mathematics under my mentors and start my own research projects. I hope to have finished and published a few papers by the time I graduate, alongside my thesis. I specialize in a highly-abstract field known as algebraic topology. Broadly speaking, I apply algebraic techniques to classify and understand complicated geometric objects. Part of my role at UCSD involves teaching. This year I have mostly taught calculus, and I have enjoyed using my knowledge to help students achieve Bryton still bleeds purple and gold and is still fired up about LSU’s National Championship win during the 2019 football season. Geaux Tigers!

Alexa Portigal reports, “Within the past year, I graduated from Northeastern University (with a BA in a combined major of art history and cultural anthropology, and a minor in global fashion studies), moved to NYC for my first job, and recently was promoted. I started as a gallery assistant at David Zwirner Gallery, an international mega-gallery focusing on mainly modern and contemporary art. With my recent promotion, I will now be a sales assistant to one of our senior partners. I live a short walk from my sister, Sydney ’14, which is one of the best parts about living in the city. There are many PCDS alums in NYC which has been very fun, and I’m looking forward to living and working here for at least the next few years.”

After graduating from PCDS, Tisa Tehranchi attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she studied public health and minored in biology. While in college, Tisa was heavily involved in public health-related research, including her senior project which focused on menstrual hygiene management. Postgraduation, Tisa worked for Genentech (a biotechnology company in South San Francisco) as a root cause analysis intern and a project coordinator on the design and construction team. After her year-long internship completed, Tisa more recently began a new role as an environmental health and safety specialist at TGen, a local medical research institute.

their goals in the courses in which I assist. It’s a bit unclear whether the university considers my real job to be research or teaching, but I am enjoying both, and I am glad that for once a school is paying me rather than the other way around.”

Matt Corsillo shared, “I graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2021, with a bachelor’s in computer animation. Since then, I’ve moved to NYC to work as an animator for a studio called Hornet. We create 2D and 3D animated commercials for clients such as Facebook, Kroger, and McDonald’s. I really enjoy the fast-paced, creative environment and finding all these new experiences in the city.”

Alexander Reaves has been traveling around the world since graduating from PCDS. He graduated from YaleNUS College in Singapore in 2021, and is currently enrolled in a combined master’s and PhD program in aerospace engineering at the University of Cambridge in the UK. His PhD research focuses on zero-carbon aviation and improving the range of electric airplanes.

In May 2021, Bryton Neck graduated summa cum laude from LSU with a BS in sports management. He is currently finishing his first year of a PhD program in management-organizational behavior at West Virginia University. He has already published research in various journals, including the Journal of Leadership and Management and Administrative Sciences. Professionally, Bryton reports that he aspires to be a professor at a top business school upon completion of his doctorate.

2022

Six members of the Class of 2022 have parents who are also alumni—the largest group of legacy Eagles ever in the same graduating class! From left are Jason Hackett ’88, Emme Kate Hackett ’22, Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ’91, Lilly Robinson ’22, Clarissa Simek Robinson ’88, Eric Jackson ’86, Elsa Jackson ’22, Sedona Korzay ’22, Pinar Tashman ’90, Hailey DeMark ’22, T.J. DeMark ’93, Connor Levitz ’22, and John Levitz ’79.

During the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, Speed Gregory ’22 had the opportunity to meet Chuck Bain ’86. This year, Speed became our School’s new all-time leading scorer in Boys’ Varsity Soccer—with 135 goals—breaking Chuck’s previous record of 114 goals—which stood for 36 years! Here, they are pictured in front of Billy DuMone’s letterman jacket. Billy ’90 is now the School’s third all-time leading scorer with 111 goals.

Do you have news to share? We are always excited to hear from you. Send details about a graduation, a new job, a birth, engagement, marriage announcement, a recent trip, a new hobby, or a visit with another alumnus/a (and email accompanying photos) to alumni@pcds.org. We look forward to learning what you have been up to!