THE BRIDGE A P U B L I C AT I O N O F P H O E N I X C O U N T R Y DAY S C H O O L
Summer 2018
THE BRIDGE Phoenix Country Day School, Summer 2018
Andrew Rodin Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership Roz Bolger Abero ’89 Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Katie Charles Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99 Director of Alumni Relations C. Ryan Joyce Director of Advancement Tina Pitts Advancement Coordinator Lydia Rodin Advancement Events Coordinator and The Bridge Editor Largo Photography Feature Photography Other photography and articles: PCDS students, faculty, and staff
The Bridge is published twice each calendar year—winter and summer. An Annual Report on Philanthropy is also sent each fall. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please email The Bridge at communications@pcds.org. © 2018 Phoenix Country Day School. All rights reserved. This Page: Siddharh Vadnerkar ’26 viewing projects at Arts Walk 2018
Contents ON THE COVER
Board of Trustee Presidents: Jahm Najafi (P’18, ’18, ’19): 2007-2009, 2013-2015, Tracy Brennan (P ’18,’19): 2018-2021, and Taylor Burke (P ’22, ’23, ’25): 2015-2018
ON THE BACK COVER
Sign at 40th Street and Stanford Drive roundabout, one of the new monuments identifying campus
Inside this Issue: All the latest news from PCDS Upper School (US), Middle School (MS), and Lower School (LS), plus alumni features and philanthropy highlights. 2
On Leadership: A Message from the Head of School
4
A Double Header: Launching a Donor Recognition Society and Showcasing a Striking New Front Door to Campus
10 Athletics 14
Spring Musical
16
Student Art
18
Music Highlights
20 Speech & Debate 22 Retirements 24 Faculty News and Notes
29 Faculty and Staff Awards 30 Message from Outgoing Alumni Board President 33 2018 Outstanding Alumni of the Year 35 Sakellariadis Family Alumni Suite Opens 36 College Destinations 38 Commencement Speeches 39 Eagle Athletes 40 Athletic Hall of Fame 43 Class Notes 55 Save the Date: Alumni Events 56 Philanthropy
PCDS MISSION PCDS prepares promising students to become responsible leaders and lifelong learners through an education that emphasizes intellectual engagement, independence, collaboration, creativity, and integrity.
SUMMER 2018 | 1
ON LEADERSHIP: A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
E
veryone should be relieved to hear that I’m fascinated with leadership. Maybe less of a relief to you is that I’m fascinated with sports. But at the intersection of the two, I’ve found some incredibly poignant examples of how to effectively move a school forward. As a long-suffering Washington, D.C. sports fan, it pains me to say how much I respect the approach that highly successful New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has taken on this front. In Kraft’s words, quite simply, “Leadership is about having core values and getting everyone on the same page.” With everyone in their organization subscribing to doing things The Patriot Way, the football team has enjoyed a run of unparalleled success, including nine Super Bowl appearances, since he bought the team in 1994. Without question, PCDS has been on a tremendous run of its own and, to Kraft’s point, it’s largely because the leadership from our Board of Trustees has been so strong, so consistent, and so unified. Fundraising has reached unprecedented levels, admissions applications are through the roof, our bottom line and reserves are as healthy as ever, and, best of all, the smiles on our students’ faces light up even the rare cloudy day. PCDS, indeed, is THRIVE-ing. But, as our Trustees will be the first to attest, this is no time to become self-satisfied. John Wells teaches a course called Strategic IQ at Harvard Business School and has clear thoughts about this position, which he relates back to Kraft and the Patriots. “Just like in business, a quick win is all very fine,” Wells says. “You can borrow from the balance sheet. You can hand out big contracts and bonuses to attract star players. But you mortgage the future. [Coach] Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft don’t want to win once. They want to win over and over again. They know that’s how you build...a legacy.” Together, we are all building that legacy at Phoenix Country Day. Rather than resting on our laurels, we’re pushing the envelope on the stage, on the courts and fields, and certainly in the classroom. And we remain fortunate to have our Trustees lighting the way. I invite all of you to enjoy this edition of The Bridge magazine. Inside, you will find articles and announcements about the extraordinary things taking place every day on campus and around the world. Wherever you may have found yourself this summer, it’s an honor to be back in action and on the same page with you.
Andrew M. Rodin P ’19, ’19, ’25 Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership
2 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tracy Brennan President
“ Since I arrived at PCDS in 2011, I’ve been graced with extraordinary partnership from a host of Board Presidents. No doubt, that dynamic leadership will continue in Tracy Brennan, who brings to the table a razor sharp mind, a knack for strategic planning, and an undeniable sense of grace and compassion.” Head of School Andy Rodin
Facing page: PCDS seal in the new Shepard Welcome Center; Adam Burns ’23, Aiden Miller ’23, Evan Maffi ’23, Miles Sabeeh ’23; US Noyes Courtyard. Above: Najafi Gymnasium; Head of School Andy Rodin (P’19, ’19, ’25) with Board President Tracy Brennan (P ’18, ’19); Founders’ Lawn rock and plaque.
Charlene Whitfill Executive Vice President and Vice President Trusteeship
Ex officio: Andrew Rodin Head of School Tiffany Pondelik ’00 President, Alumni Association Board
Michelle Hosmar Vice President Facilities Planning
Laurie Tutag-Wang President, Parents’ Association
David Lewis Vice President Finance/Operations
Advisory Trustees:
Charles W. Shields Vice President Finance/Investments Lou Werner ’87 Vice President Advancement Darryl Berger Taylor Burke Don Dady Nicholas S. Firestone ’84 Adam Goodman Donna Johnson Mercedes Liljegren Tim Louis ’81 Jordan Rose Margaux Rosen Tracy Schwimmer Kiran Singh
Beverly Bradway Susan J. Bansak Daniel J. Donahoe III Bennett Dorrance Susan Garrity Samuel Garvin Donald R. Loback Nan P. Miller Jahm Najafi Ellie B. Nolan Frederick M. Pakis Nicholas J. Sakellariadis ’69 Jonah Shacknai Shoshana B. Tancer Garth Wieger Gay F. Wray
SUMMER 2018 | 3
A Double Header:
Launching a Donor Recognition Society and Showcasing a Striking New Front Door to Campus By Roz Bolger Abero ’89 and C. Ryan Joyce
Introducing the Honorable Mae Sue Talley Society: On April 19, 2018, PCDS launched a new group that recognizes donors throughout School history whose cumulative giving to PCDS equals $25,000 and above. The new society of donors has been named the Honorable Mae Sue Talley Society, in honor of the visionary leader who spearheaded the creation of the Valley’s premiere independent school in 1961. Mrs. Talley, who passed away in 2017, was a prominent Phoenix philanthropist and Arizona leader who, along with her husband Franz, served among the School’s original founders.
were invited to be the first to tour the Shepard Welcome Center prior to its official opening.
The Talley Society’s inaugural event, which was held outside the new Shepard Welcome Center, featured reflections on education by Head of School Andrew M. Rodin and a panel of students who spoke about their PCDS experiences.
The inaugural Talley Society event was attended by multiple generations of donors who have given $25,000 or more to PCDS over time. Attendees ranged from past parents and alumni who had not been to campus for decades, to new parents who recently gave significant gifts to the THRIVE Campaign or to the Annual Fund. Though members span decades, they are bound together by the common thread of generosity to the School.
Following the breakfast event, the ceremonial ribbon was cut by members of the Shepard Family and PCDS leaders and donors. Following the ribbon cutting, Talley Society members
Talley Society members can look forward to an annual event that celebrates philanthropy and serves as a shareholders’ meeting for our most generous donors over PCDS history.
Above: The Honorable Mae Sue Talley and founders break ground at Phoenix Country Day School in 1960.
4 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Left: Trustee Lou Werner ’87, Trustee Michelle Hosmar, Jeff Katz, Tracy Katz, Head of School Andy Rodin, President of the Board of Trustees Taylor Burke. Right: Amy Louis, Trustee Tim Louis ’81, Carrie Hulburd ’77, Robert Tancer, Advisory Trustee Shoshana Tancer
HONORABLE MAE SUE TALLEY SOCIETY MEMBERS These donors have given at least $25,000 to PCDS over time. Anonymous (3) Carrie & Morris Aaron Helene & Marshall Abrahams Valentina & Anand Acharya Rebecca & Ken Allison Sydney & Robert Anderson Arbon Equipment Corporation A Rite-Hite Company Arizona Community Foundation Susan Sly & Chris Arkeveld Kathleen & Steven Ashby Atlasta Catering & Event Concepts Peter Ax Anna & C. Randall Bain Kathy & Lawrence Bain Susan & Stephen Bansak Edwin Barbey* Jo-Ann & Lowry Barfield Winnie* & Atherton* Bean Wendy & Michael* Beninato Corinne & Darryl Berger Alice Cho & James Bergera Carol & George Biel Betty & Philip Bienert Polly & Scott Bindley Connie & Jim Binns, Jr. Janet & Robert Bohannon Bettina & Philippe Bonnefoy ’79 Fernanda & Ruggero Borletti Linda Jorgensen & Alan Bracher Beverly Bradway The Brandi & Michael Minor Family Charitable Fund Robyn & Steven Brenden
Tracy & William Brennan Hathaway & Galen Brewster Alex Brigham Cynthia & Adam Bronfman Ann Brook Ruth & Walt Brown The Bruce T. Halle Family Foundation Susan Budinger Leslie & Donald Budinger Peyton & William Budinger Burke Family Foundation Richard Burke Julia & Taylor Burke Burlington Northern Sante Fe Foundation Christy & Daryl Burton Genevieve Allison Bush* & William Bush Shelby & Stephen* Butterfield Ketki Patel & Nathan Cabbil Isik* Kubali-Camoglu & Tevhit* Camoglu Campbell Soup Company Shelley & Geoffrey Campbell The Capital Group Companies Ann & Richard Carr Stacy & Timothy Casten Century Foundation Shari & Daniel Charous Peter Clark Carol & Larry Clemmensen Jennifer Mee Cole & Christopher H. Cole
Gloria & Anthony Conyers Maria & Joe Cooper Amanda & David Crisalli Jane & Thomas Crook III Sybil Francis & Michael Crow Donna & Douglas Currault Don Dady Dominique Dady Molly & Nick DeFilippis Melinda & T.J. DeMark ’93 Nancy & Thomas DeMark The DeMark Family Samuel Denmark* The Denver Foundation Shelly & Mark Detmer Paulette & James Dodson Druscilla & Dale* Doehrman Anne & Daniel Donahoe III Dorrance Family Foundation Jacquie & Bennett Dorrance Dreiseszun Family Foundation Michelle & Gregory Drumm Larraine Ho & Pravin Dugel Edward E. Ford Foundation Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Inc. Eli Lilly & Company Stacey & Zachary Elizondo Cheryl & Ken Ellegard Laura & Scott Eller Elizabeth Byrnes & Barton Faber Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund The Firefly Trust
John D. Firestone Lisa Firestone ’85 Nicholas Firestone ’84 Marla & Leslie Fish Fisher Marketing Group Floyd Family Foundation David Fletcher Regina & Robert Flynn Charlotte* Heuser Forward & Robert* Forward Lila Blandford-Francese & Ed Francese Marilyn & Robert Fransway Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Pam & Jordan Gagner Sandra & Tracy Gamble Susan & Thomas Garrity Rita & Samuel Garvin Natalie & E.K. Gaylord Robyn & Thomas Geantil Linda & Steve Geringer Sandy & Bert Getz Geordie & Jamie Hormel Foundation Shirley & Geoffrey Gibbs Carol & Terry Gilbert Howard Ginsburg Globe Foundation Judith & Herbert Gold
* Deceased donor Continued on next page
SUMMER 2018 | 5
Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund Lorelei & David Gonzales Stephanie & Adam Goodman Terri & Steve Greenberg Susan & Mark Greenfield Theresa & Michael Gregory Christine & David Gustafson Ann Stanton & Robert Haddock Betsy & Michael Haenel Stewart Hall* Diane & Bruce* Halle Robin & David Hanna Carolyn & LeRoy Hanneman Mary Lou* & John* Hayden Nancy & Douglas Heltne Barbara & James Hennessy Nancy & William Henze II ’67 Jamie Herzlinger, Sydney ’14 & Alexa ’17 Portigal Judy & Gary* Hewson Shannon & Chris Hinkson Barbara Jones Hirvela ’70 & Henry Hirvela Honeywell, Inc. Lindsay & Jason Hope Melissa & Douglas Horlick Jamie Hormel The Horton Family Michelle & Michael Hosmar Tracey & Jonathan Hott Carrie Louis Hulburd ’77 & Jon Hulburd Kerry & Eric Jackson ’86 Jewish Communal Fund Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia John & Cindy McCain Family Foundation Donna & Stephen Johnson Tracy & Jeffrey Katz Katheryn & Thomas Kempner Jr. ’71 Randy & Ken Kendrick Diana & John Kim Jill & Burt Kohler Pinar Tashman Korzay ’90 & Naci Korzay Barbara & Graham Kretchman Alison Lewis & Craig Krumwiede Molly & James Larkin Kristin & James Lassetter George Leckie* Sally & Richard Lehmann Melissa & Frank Leonesio Robynn & Glen Lerner John Levitz ’79 Brooke & James Levy Leslie & David Lewis Cathy Tancer Lewkowitz ’79 & Herman Lewkowitz ’79
6 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Mercedes & Richard Liljegren Linda F. Noyes Charitable Lead Trust Cynthia & Larry Lippon Toni & Don Loback Eric Lorentzen Louis Foundation, Inc. Julie & Herbert* Louis Amy & Timothy Louis ’81 Betty* & Robert* Luxford Joyce & Dorsey Lynch Bonnie & Terry Maffi Verna & Thomas* Malone Nancy & Daniel Maloney Susan & Marcus Mamolen Susan & Philip Matos Cindy & John McCain Celia & Kent McClelland Catharine & Stephen McConnell Stephanie McGillivray Duncan McGillivray Susan & Patrick McGroder Michael Meath Betsy Ryan Miller ’79 & Doug Miller Nan & Robert* Miller Jude Miller Burke Jeanne & Chad Miraglia Sherry Mischel Jan & Jeffrey Moorad Keely Moran Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Christine & Jeffrey Morgan Michelle & Kevin Moriarty Amy Moyes Melissa & Dave Mullard Cheryl & Jahm Najafi Dionne & Francis Najafi Sallie Najafi Elizabeth & Blair Neller, Jr. Noah’s Family Foundation Ellie & Patrick* Nolan Tara & Andrew Norris ’81 Jonathan Norris ’77 Joan & Carter* Norris Northern Trust, NA Kendall & Louis Novoa-Takara Linda Noyes Bridget O’Brien Arden & Peter O’Connor Elisabeth & Joseph Ori Kris Pagano Pakis Family Foundation Fred Pakis Rose & Harry Papp Terry Switsky & Savas Petrides Jean & David Pettitt
Tam Le & Duc Pham Phelps Dodge Foundation Phoenix Swim Club James Pitre Jean & Warren Platt Jennifer Chase & Laurent Poole Kate Portanova ’96 Barbara & Zeb Portanova ’97 Sabrina & Reed Porter Dana & Peter Powell Wendy Selig-Prieb & Laurel Prieb Melisa & Troy Priem Mary Dell* & John* Pritzlaff, Jr. Joan Ray ’73* Cathy & Thomas Reahard Phyllis & James Rector Rhett Reese ’87 Shirley Michels & Bernard Rethore Marilyn Rethore Rex Allison Education Foundation Mirja & Timothy Riester Rite Hite Foundation Robert & Patricia Dettmer Family Foundation Trust Clarissa Simek Robinson ’88 & Brian Robinson Rodel Charitable Foundation Lydia & Andrew Rodin Roger S. Firestone Foundation The Roland and Dawn Arnall Foundation Leigh & Brent Roland Jordan & Jason Rose Margaux & Joshua Rosen Cyndi & James Rosenthal Amy & Matt Ross Nicole & Lawrence Russo S. Rex and Joan T. Lewis Foundation Julie & Nick Sakellariadis ’69 Janet & Edgar Sands Alpa & Ashesh Sanghvi Natalee & Dwayne Sansone Penny & Robert Sarver Anne Marie & Timothy Schaub Dawn & Jay Schlott Schwab Charitable Fund Tracy & Marc Schwimmer Susan & Daniel Semegen Jonah Shacknai Susan & Charles Shields Kristine & Steven Short Jennet Kirkpatrick & Daniel Silverman Roxane & Robert Simon Edie & Gary Simpson Jennifer & Jason Singer Tanda & Jim Siragusa
Susannah & Leslie Small Mitzi Krockover & Jacque Sokolov Alice & Barry Spack Miriam & Keith Spizzirri Daisy & Bart Steiner Spencer T. & Ann W. Olin Foundation Helen & Matthew Sullivan Mary Louise* & Thomas* Sunderland Susan C. Firestone Foundation Lilla & James Swanson Ann & Fife Symington Marci & Fife Symington Mae Sue Talley* Shoshana & Robert Tancer Nihal & Hal Tashman Gemma & David Tedesco Kathy & Babak Tehranchi Thomas L. Kempner, Jr. Foundation, Inc. William Torrey Renee & Chida Tse Margaret Tse Kathy & Thomas Van Arsdale Vanguard Charitable Linda & Ronald Van Horssen Suzanne Van Sickle* Patricia & Larry Van Tuyl Stephanie & Edmond Vartughian Lenora & Bruce Vinci Denise & Kent Voss Wachovia/Prudential Foundation Matching Gifts Kathleen & Robert Wade Christopher Walker ’65 Watson Charitable Trust Christine & David Watson Bobette & Kevin Weiss Wells Fargo Bank & Foundation Mary Stoner & James Wendt Werner Family ’87, ’88 The Wharton Foundation Ardyce & Steven Whisler Cheri & Brett White Charlene & Jim Whitfill Garth Wieger Kristine & Christopher Williams Jennifer & Frederic Winssinger Mary & Dennis Wise Gay Firestone Wray Laurie Wray ’80 Maryanne Wray ’77 Tim Wray ’84 Cynthia & Stephen Yeargan Sheila & Michael Zuieback * Deceased donor
The Shepard Welcome Center is the fourth and final project of the THRIVE Campaign. Serving as a new front door to campus, it houses several administrative offices, including Head of School, admissions, and advancement.
SUMMER 2018 | 7
Left to right: Dedication plaque at building entrance; mission of the new Teaching Lab displayed on the glass wall of classroom; Welcome Center lobby
Shepard Welcome Center Opens: Barry Dean Shepard was the father of two PCDS alumni, Morgan ’10 and Cole ’14. After Barry passed away in 2012, the future building was generously named in his honor by friends and long-standing supporters of the School. In addition to administrative offices, the building also features an open-concept classroom called the Teaching Lab that is visible from the lobby through floor-to-ceiling glass. The visibility of the Teaching Lab, which will be used by teachers across disciplines and divisions, ensures that even in our administrative building, education remains front and center for all those who pass through this central hub. The need for a more collaborative administrative facility was identified decades ago, and the Shepard Welcome Center has finally brought together offices that have been
spread across campus. The building meets important functional needs while creating a first impression that matches the excellence of our School. The Shepard Welcome Center is yet another example of how philanthropy continues to push PCDS forward. We invite all parents, alumni, grandparents, and other friends to come visit the new space. n Roz Abero ’89 is Assistant Head of School, and Ryan Joyce is Director of Advancement. Both served as fundraisers for the THRIVE Campaign.
Mae Sue Talley’s son Steve Talley ’69 and grandson Michael were unable to attend the launch of the Society, but they sent a message in their absence:
Message from Steve ’69 and Michael Talley Inaugural Meeting of the Honorable Mae Sue Talley Society Good morning from wintry New Zealand. My son Michael and I send our very best wishes to you all on this joyous occasion, and also our regrets that we are not able to join you today. Michael and I wholeheartedly agree that there could be no more fitting tribute to my mother and Michael’s grandmother, and that there is no better way to memorialize and celebrate her unparalleled role in the creation of PCDS. My mother and father achieved many great things during their lives, but they regarded the founding of PCDS as their proudest accomplishment and their most meaningful contribution to the community they loved. As an early Country Day alumnus, I have been happy and proud to witness the outstanding fulfillment of my parents’ founding vision by the many dedicated and talented fellow-visionaries of the PCDS family. I know how happy my mother was, over her long life, to see Country Day become the superb school it has become, and how proud she was of the PCDS family for its unceasing commitment to excellence in education. There is no more wonderful way of honoring and perpetuating that shared commitment than the creation of the Talley Society. Please accept again our deepest thanks from afar, and our very best wishes. Sincerely yours, Steve ’69 and Michael Talley
8 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Left to right: New reception desk in lobby of Welcome Center; Alex Shepard, Morgan Shepard ’10, and Cole Shepard ’14 at the ribbon cutting for the Shepard Welcome Center opening; Admissions waiting area in Welcome Center
Andy Rodin spoke at the Talley Society Launch and Opening of the Shepard Welcome Center. Read his speech in its entirety at: www.pcds.org/campusnews
Speech Excerpts from Head of School Andy Rodin April 19, 2018 This is a great time to be at PCDS, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t reflect on the backdrop against which we celebrate our success. The reality is that Arizona—and our nation—is in crisis. The tone of public discourse has become frustratingly combative and violence has erupted through our communities at an alarming rate. We’ve witnessed events unfolding in Newtown, CT. In Charleston, SC. In Orlando. In Charlottesville and Las Vegas and now Parkland and who knows where next. To make matters worse, our children are watching it all. I realize that as an educator, I hold a certain bias. But I believe that the issue at the core of our dysfunction is a lack of good education for the vast majority of our young people. And it’s not because there aren’t enough schools available to them. It’s because there aren’t enough great teachers available to them. In America, we don’t value teachers like we should. We don’t trust and support them like we should. And we certainly don’t pay them like we should. Should we be paying PCDS teachers more? Absolutely—but let’s take PCDS out of this for a moment, because though they’re definitely underpaid for their impact, we’re fortunate to be able to take pretty good care of our team. The average salary for charter school teachers is $35,000. That’s about $2,800 per month. Think for a minute about your monthly expenses. What would you have to do to keep your spending under $2,800? What kind of house could you live in? How far from work would it be? Would you have enough to buy—and insure—a car to get you there? How about the electric bill and food and health insurance? It’s not easy, is it? For now, though, the struggle will continue. Arizona public school teachers will get the raise they want of 20%. Is that enough to keep the best of the best teaching? I don’t have the answer to this worrisome situation—at least not yet! But I know that PCDS should play a leadership role in addressing this issue. Since 1961, we’ve been a beacon for what can be accomplished when a small group of determined people sets their sights on a target, and refuse to take “no” for an answer. So while we enjoy a much-deserved moment to take in the measure of our campus-wide success, we must recognize that there are even greater challenges in front of us—challenges that reach far beyond our campus gates. PCDS will continue to examine our ability to address this issue through our next Strategic Plan.
SUMMER 2018 | 9
ATHLETICS
Winter and Spring Athletic Award Recipients Congratulations to the following US students for athletic awards in winter school sports.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Division Recognition:
State Playoff Qualifier
Division Recognition: All Region Defensive Player of the Year: Audrey LeClair ’19 All Region First Team: Audrey LeClair ’19 All Region Second Team: Hannah Miraglia ’19, Natalie Lewis ’20 All Region Honorable Mention: Mira Kaibara ’20, Sanya Mittal ’21, Audrey Novoa ’19
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Audrey LeClair ’19 Most Improved: Natalie Lewis ’20 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Hannah Miraglia ’19
State Playoff Qualifier
All Region First team: Jakob Feng ’19, Ryan Goodman ’18 All Region Second Team: Nirvaan Reddy ’18 All Region Honorable Mention: Daniel Gomez ’20, Ty Rodin ’19
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Ty Rodin ’19 Most Improved: Nirvaan Reddy ’18 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Jakob Feng ’19 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Ryan Goodman ’18, Nirvaan Reddy ’18 Junior Varsity Boys’ Basketball MVP: Will Miraglia ’21
GIRLS’ SOCCER Division Recognition: All Region First Team: Kate Cereghini ’20, Aliya Orenstein ’18 All Region Second Team: Ryan Schumacher ’21 All Region Honorable Mention: Lauren Garvin ’19
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable Offensive Player: Kate Cereghini ’20 Most Valuable Defensive Player: Aliya Orenstein ’18 Coach’s Award: Ava Rossides ’19 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Sophie Ax ’18 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Aliya Orenstein ’18, DJ Hauben ’18, Lindsey Cherilla ’18, Sophie Ax ’18
VARSITY CHEER Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Breanna Price ’18 Most Improved: Jackie Ayers ’19 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Kylie Fisher ’18 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Breanna Price ’18, Carolina Olea Lezama ’18, Kiara Janae ’18
Left: Audrey LeClair ’19: All Region Defensive Player of the Year for basketball, and All Region Player of the Year for softball
10 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
MS Results Mountain Valley League Internal School Awards for Winter Sports:
Internal School Awards for Spring Sports:
6/7/8 Baseball MVP: Cole Sorosky ’22
5/6 Girls’ Blue Basketball MVP: Jesmina deGuzman ’25
Coach’s Award: Theo Priem ’23
Coach’s Award: Ava Goodman ’24
5/6 BOYS’ SOCCER
6/7/8 Softball Coach’s Award: Grace Whalen ’23, Sierra Goldstein ’24
7/8 BOYS’ SOCCER
5/6 Boys’ Blue Basketball MVP: Ayden Madi ’24
Coach’s Award: Sophia Crisalli ’24
Coach’s Award: Logan Rose ’25
7/8 Girls’ Basketball MVP: Mikayla Drewitz ’22
Runner-up
5/6 Boys’ Gold Basketball MVP: Austin Hinkson ’24
Coach’s Award: Jadynn Jones ’23
7/8 GIRLS’ SOCCER
Coach’s Award: Dylan Grossman ’25
7/8 Boys’ Blue Basketball MVP: Josh Lamber ’22
7/8 Boys’ Blue Basketball MVP: Arman Madi ’22
Coach’s Award: Elliot Wessel ’22
Coach’s Award: Kiahn Tehranchi ’22
7/8 Boys’ Gold Basketball MVP: Skylar Florey ’23
7/8 Boys’ Gold Basketball MVP: Speed Gregory ’22
Coach’s Award: Justin Horlick ’22
Coach’s Award: Connor Lloyds ’23
5/6 Boys’ Blue Soccer MVP: Max McCavitt ’24
5/6 Girls’ Soccer MVP: Lanae Schroeder ’24
Coach’s Award: David Ocampo ’24
Coach’s Award: Jesmina deGuzman ’25
7/8 Boys’ Soccer MVP: Devin Bansal ’22
7/8 Girls’ Soccer MVP: Charlotte Sevrain ’22
Coach’s Award: Jayce Huskey ’23
Champions
Champions
5/6 GIRLS’ SOCCER
Champions
5/6 BOYS’ BASKETBALL Champions
7/8 BOYS’ BASKETBALL Runner-Up
BOYS’ & GIRLS’ TENNIS Champions
BOYS’ & GIRLS’ SWIM & DIVE Champions
5/6 Girls’ Gold Basketball MVP: Mikayla Yue ’24
Coach’s Award: Hailey DeMark ’22 Girls’ Tennis MVP: Niamh Campbell ’23 Boys’ Tennis MVP: Tyler Tam ’23
SUMMER 2018 | 11
ATHLETICS Congratulations to the following US students for athletic awards in spring 2018 school sports.
BASEBALL Division Recognition: All Region First Team: Gabe Korer ’19, Cameron Miller ’20, John Moore ’20 All Region Second Team: Daniel Gomez ’20, Justin Racine ’19, Dylan DeFilippis ’20
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: John Moore ’20 Most Improved: Dylan DeFilippis ’20 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Gabe Korer ’19
SOFTBALL Division Recognition: All Region Player of the Year: Audrey LeClair ’19 All Region First Team: Audrey LeClair ’19, Alison Hunter ’19, Natalie Lewis ’20 All Region Second Team: Sophia Bailey ’18, Piper Priem ’21, Jordan Merkel ’18 All Region Honorable Mention: Lindsey Cherilla ’18 All Conference Second Team: Audrey LeClair ’19 All Conference Honorable Mention: Alison Hunter ’19, Natalie Lewis ’20
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Audrey LeClair ’19 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Sophia Bailey ’18 Most Improved: Natalie Lewis ’20 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Sophia Bailey ’18, Lindsey Cherilla ’18, Jordan Merkel ’18, Carolina Olea Lezama ’18
GIRLS’ TENNIS Second in State AIA Division III Section VII State Champion Runner-Up AIA Division III Section VII Coach of the Year: Jerry Keever
Division Recognition: All Section Singles Player of the Year: Fofo de Marneffe ’18 All Section Doubles Player of the Year: Maya Abou-Haidar ’18, Fofo de Marneffe ’18
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Fofo de Marneffe ’18 Most Improved: Katie Bartolino ’21 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Maya Abou-Haidar ’18 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Maya Abou-Haidar ’18, Fofo de Marneffe ’18, Kati Dean ’18, Niala Akhavan ’18
Girls, left to right: Fofo de Marneffe ’18, Maya Abou-Haidar ’18, Kiran Tuli ’21, Katie Bartolino ’21, Cristina Glascock ’20, Kati Dean ’18, Marisa Greenberg ’21, Ryan Schumacher ’21
12 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
BOYS’ TENNIS
GOLF
Semifinalists at State Playoffs AIA Division III Section VII Coach of the Year: Jerry Keever
State Tournament Top 12: Michael Rosenthal ’19
Division Recognition:
Most Valuable: Michael Rosenthal ’19 Most Improved: Will Miraglia ’21 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Benjamin Marsden ’21
Semifinalists at State Playoffs All Section Singles Player of the Year: Eric Emami ’21 All Section Doubles Player of the Year: Bobby Wendt ’19, Alex Tam ’19
Internal School Awards: Most Valuable: Eric Emami ’21 Most Improved: Alex Tam ’19 Pursuing Victory with Honor: Bradley Greenberg ’19 Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Phillip Glascock ’18
Internal School Awards:
TRACK & FIELD State Decathlon Top 6: Ty Rodin ’19
END-OF-THE-YEAR US ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT OVERALL HONORS: Most Outstanding Female Athlete: Lindsey Cherilla ’18 Most Outstanding Male Athlete: Nirvaan Reddy ’18 Male Eagle Award: Tommy Walton ’18 Female Eagle Award: Jordan Merkel ’18
Middle School Eagle Sports Awards: Female Winner: Sabrina Bailey ’22 Male Winner: Devin Bansal ’22
Above: Coach Jerry Keever, Girls and Boys Division III Section VIII Coach of the Year; Boys, left to right: Sam Roland ’19, Oscar McNally ’20, Bobby Wendt ’19, Phillip Glascock ’18, Eric Emami ’21, Alex Tam ’19, Bradley Greenberg ’19, Alex Roland ’18
SUMMER 2018 | 13
STUDENT EVENTS
Godspell: Spring Musical By Sammy Dady ’18
This spring, the US theatre program put on the inventive and creatively conceived production, Godspell. Provoking laughs and tears, excitement and heartache, the audience sure was not prepared for our re-imagination of Stephen Schwartz’s 1971 musical, based on the Gospel of Matthew. With its construction-site setting, its purple-robe clad choir, and its 16-person core cast—including Mehek Khandelwal ’18 as Jesus—PCDS’s spring musical was an undoubted success. Though the show has been interpreted as having a religious undertone, the production followed that of the original Broadway show.
14 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
As our fearless leader Mr. Burns continuously emphasized, Godspell is not so much about Jesus’s importance religiously, but rather it is about the beautiful and powerful community that he created among his disciples. At the beginning of the musical, as Jesus sings “God save the people,” each of the disciples is given a red sash that they tie on to their bodies in various ways; at the end of the musical, as the cast sings
the reprise of “Day by Day,” Jesus removes every disciple’s sash. We learn, however, that without the sashes, the physical representation of this group of people—the community— is no less of a community. What made this community was the personal connections formed throughout the course of the show. Considering the show’s underlying theme, it is no surprise that the cast became a community in and of itself. The 16-person core cast spent the entire show on stage, which meant hours upon hours of rehearsals. Indeed, this laborious effort only brought all the US actors closer together. As many of us remarked on the Sunday performance of our show, there had been no other production that brought the cast together like this one did. As a senior—who has been involved in the theatre program for the past four years—I can say, undoubtedly, that this was my absolute favorite performance.
Additionally, we were honored by the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards for the fourth year in a row. Though many members of the cast and crew were nominated, we took home three final nominations: Sammy Dady ’18 for Best Supporting Actress, Arthi Macherla ’20 for Best Sound Design, and Kevin Wang ’20 for Best Supporting Actor. These final nominees helped to place PCDS in the top 10 out of 29 other schools in the state. To sum up, PCDS’s Godspell was a huge success! Next fall, our community can look forward to the production of All in Good Timing by David Ives. n
ASU Gammage Awards for Godspell: Kevin Wang ’20: Best Supporting Actor Sammy Dady ’18: Best Supporting Actress Arthi Macherla ’20: Best Sound Design
SUMMER 2018 | 15
STUDENT ART
Scenes from Arts Walk 2018
Top Row: Lhuillier Poole ’26, Musse deGuzman ’26, Christina Keller ’26 on the drums; Sketch, Lauren Yeung ’22; Third grade Liquid Glass project. Middle Row: “Face Time” PK-4 Selfie Station; Hilary Tucker ’23, Jordan Cole ’23, Arielle Troadec ’23; Aaron Bracher ’21 on the violin. Third Row: Caden Nakaji ’26, Jadd Agha ’27, Aaryan Wadwekar ’26, Jacques Sevrain ’24, Carson Flader ’24, Ayden Madi ’24 checking out the robotics robot; Crouching figure, Mary Dover ’18; Soft Pastel Abstract Portrait, Shan Rishi ’28
16 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Top Row: Darwin Harriss ’21 at the mic; PK Collaborative Multi-Media Rainbow Canvases; Alexander Jacobs ’29, Valentino Ori ’29, and Jake Umar ’29. Middle Row: PK Closeup of Multi-Media Rainbow Canvases; Ben Richardson ’21, Neil Patil ’21, Anika Patel ’21, Luca Prozzillo ’21; Bridge Mural, US Art Club. Bottom Row: Lucas Oland ’22 on trombone, Clark Louis ’22 on saxophone; Packing peanuts sculptures by Jake Rodin ’19; US and MS Jazz Band playing at Arts Walk 2018
SUMMER 2018 | 17
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
Let the Music Play MUSICIAN PROFILE PCDS lifer Alex Tam ’19 was recently named first-prize winner of the 2018 Elder Piano Competition and second-prize winner of the Musicfest Piano Competition. In January, he earned the opportunity to perform in a sold-out concert at the MIM featuring top young artists. Alex has been an active and passionate pianist for nearly as long as he has attended PCDS. He has been a prizewinner in numerous solo and concerto competitions, both local and statewide. Alex has performed a solo concert for the MusicaNova Orchestra and has been invited to perform at fundraising events for local music organizations. He is also involved in the musical community, playing in chamber ensembles, at nursing homes, and as an accompanist. In his spare time, Alex volunteers as a piano tutor at Rosie’s House, a music school for underprivileged youth. Alex enjoys playing music from all different periods, and especially likes playing the works of Frederic Chopin and Maurice Ravel. Outside of his musical pursuits, Alex enjoys playing tennis, watching sports, and reading art books and biographies.
Members of the 40th Street Jazz Club were invited to the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives chambers during the reading of the “Proclamation of International Jazz Day” with Doc Jones and Lisa Hightower.
MS Jazz Band received a “Superior with Distinction” rating at the ABODA (Arizona Band and Orchestra Director’s Association) Jazz Festival, the highest designation possible. Kati Dean ’18 made All-State this year for flute.
The US Jazz Ensemble left their mark on the Big Easy while attending the 2018 New Orleans French Quarter Festival.
Alicia Wu ’19 made All-State and Nationals this year for violin.
Left to right: Jazz Club members at the state capitol on Jazz Day with Doc Jones; Elliot Wessel ’22, Addison Wessel ’18, Elle Lazarski ’22 with Doc Jones; Kiahn Tehranchi ’22, Elle Lazarski ’22, Elliot Wessel ’22, Lucas Oland ’22, Clark Louis ’22, Addison Wessel ’18
18 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM
Independent Studies 2018 By Jenny Cherilla, US Dean of Academics
US students interested in pursuing an area of study that is not offered within the current US curriculum have opportunities to design an Independent Study in consultation with a PCDS faculty member. In some cases, this might be a subject that is completely new to the student, such as Social and Political Psychology, while other students delve deeper into topics they are exposed to in the classroom, such as A Study of Modern Literary Themes in Roman Classical Poetry.
Students submit proposals that outline topics to be studied, list texts and readings to be used, and demonstrate the attainment of their goals. This spring, many Independent Study projects were on display at Arts Walk. Other students chose to invite peers and faculty to a presentation of their work. This past school year, there were over 26 independent studies with more than 30 students participating. Below we feature one of those studies.
MY LABORATORY RESEARCH ON POLYETHYLENE BIO-DEGREDATION By Madison Stringer ’18
Early in April of 2017, a team of Spanish scientists published a paper in Current Biology about the ability of the larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, to degrade polyethylene. Polyethylene is one of the most common plastics used worldwide, with humans producing nearly 25 million tons of it per year. While the material is recyclable, most of it ends up in landfills and oceans where it can take centuries to degrade. My research centered around the hypothesis brought up in the Current Biology article: the larvae have the ability to degrade the plastic biotically and efficiently. The first quarter of my independent study was focused on finding the most efficient way to get the worms to eat the plastic. I ran several trials testing different brands and types of polyethylene with the worms as well as different set ups to find where the where the worms were most likely to eat through the plastic. The second quarter mainly focused on getting consistent and reliable results. The plan is to take the byproduct of the worms and analyze it using separation and spectroscopy techniques. These tests determine the compounds that the worms’ gastrointestinal enzymes were breaking the polyethylene into. My ultimate goal is to find a way to commercially produce whatever is inside the worms that breaks down the plastic. Madison will continue her research at The University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2018.
SUMMER 2018 | 19
SPEECH & DEBATE
The Success Continues Team results completing the 2018 Speech & Debate season
UPPER SCHOOL Tournament results between January-June 2018.
Harvard National Tournament
At the National tournament, PCDS received the Speech School of Honor award for placing in the top 21 to 40 schools overall in speech events. This year featured nearly 1,300 schools and more than 7,100 competitors. Eleven students represented PCDS: Sophia Casten ’18, Anika Sanghvi ’18, Ben Steiner ’18, Reed Steiner ’18, Sophia Corridan ’19, Bella de Roos ’19, Max Montrose ’19, Ryan Horlick ’20, Pierce Florey ’21, Darwin Harriss ’21, Ethan Lambert ’21.
Congressional Debate Leadership Award Winner: Ben Steiner ’18
The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament
Duo Interpretation Semifinalists: Bella de Roos ’19, Ryan Horlick ’20 Informative Speaking Semifinalist: Anika Sanghvi ’18
Tournament of Champions Congressional Debate Semifinalists: Ben Steiner ’18, Reed Steiner ’18
National Runner-Up in Expository Speaking: Sophia Corridan ’19
Arizona State University Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Invitational
Final Round Qualifier/19th Overall in Congressional Debate: Reed Steiner ’18
Second Place Team
Semifinalist Round Qualifier/13th Place in Informative Speaking: Anika Sanghvi ’18 Semifinalist Round/Ninth Place in Expository Speaking: Sophia Casten ’18
Duo Interpretation Third Place: Sophia Corridan ’19, Max Montrose ’19 Humorous Interpretation Second Place: Sammy Dady ’18 Prose Interpretation Third Place: Bella de Roos ’19
“Our US students showcase incredible talent and drive year round, but above all else they strive to use Speech & Debate to become the best humans they can be.” Nick Klemp, US Speech & Debate Coach
Left to right: US semi-finalist Anika Sanghvi ’18, US national runner-up Sophia Corridan ’19; US finalist Reed Steiner ’18; MS National Champs: Siena Liljegren ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22, Wade Hunter ’22, Abby Caplan ’23, McKinley Paltzik ’23
20 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
AIA Division 1 State Championship Team: State Runners-Up Duo Interpretation Champions: Bella de Roos ’19, Ryan Horlick ’20 Congressional Debate Champion: Reed Steiner ’18 Informative Speaking Runner-Up: Sophia Casten ’18 Duo Interpretation Runner-Up: Sophia Corridan ’19, Max Montrose ’18 Program Oral Interpretation Runner-Up: Sophia Corridan ’19 Congressional Debate Runner-Up: Darwin Harriss ’21 Humorous Interpretation Runner-Up: Alain Kouchica ’20 Prose Interpretation Runner-Up: Bennett Montrose ’21 Original Oratory Runner-Up: Anika Sanghvi ’18
Arizona NSDA District Tournament Team: Overall Champions & Speech Division Champions Program Oral Interpretation Champion: Sophia Corridan ’19 Duo Interpretation Champions: Bella de Roos ’19, Ryan Horlick ’19
Extemporaneous Speaking National Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Poetry National Champion: Siena Liljegren ’22 Prose Interpretation National Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Impromptu Speaking National Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23
The University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions Team: Second Place Overall, First Place Speech Congressional Debate Second Place: Kiahn Tehranchi ’22 Dramatic Interpretation Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Duo Interpretation Champions: Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Lucas Oland ’22 Oral Interpretation Champion: Siena Liljegren ’22 Humorous Interpretation Second Place: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Original Oratory Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22
Informative Speaking Champion: Anika Sanghvi ’18
The Columbia University Invitational
Bobcat Bonanza at Central High School
Champion in Oral Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22
Second Place Team
Second place in Original Oratory: Alexander Ashman ’22
Program Oral Interpretation Champion: Sophia Corridan ’19 Dramatic Interpretation Champion: Bella de Roos ’19 Duet Acting Champions: Caroline de Marneffe ’18, Reed Steiner ’18 Congressional Debate Champion: Darwin Harriss ’21 Impromptu Speaking Champion: Ben Steiner ’18
(Only MS team invited to attend this prestigious HS tournament)
Arizona Middle School Speech & Debate State Championship Team crowned AZ State Champions for the fourth consecutive year Declamation State Champion: Enzo Acharya ’24 Impromptu Speaking State Champion: Sierra Goldstein ’24
MIDDLE SCHOOL Tournament results between January-June 2018.
Prose Interpretation State Champion: Anaiya Patel ’24 Congressional Debate State Champion: Harrison Whitfill ’24 Storytelling State Champion: Sebastian Brigham ’23
The National Speech & Debate Association
Poetry Interpretation State Champion: Elliot Wessel ’22
National Tournament
Duo Interpretation State Champion: Elliot Wessel ’22, Charlie Nassar ’22
First Place Team National Champions Dramatic Interpretation National Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Duo Interpretation National Champions: Abby Caplan ’23, Yash Wadwekar ’22
Dramatic Interpretation State Champion: Lucas Oland ’22 Humorous Interpretation State Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Original Oratory State Champion: Alexander Ashman ’22 SUMMER 2018 | 21
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Next Chapter: Retirement
Tributes to two beloved teachers: Diane Ingold (29 years) and Linda Drate (20 years) who leave their mark after nearly 50 years of service
Diane Ingold, Second Grade Teacher—29 Years By Cindy Davis, LS teacher
D
iane Ingold has been a member of the Phoenix Country Day School community since 1989. She began her career as a pre-kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Ingold has always said that her students are like little sponges; they absorb everything you, as a teacher, say and do. In 1996, Mrs. Ingold earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on early childhood education. A phrase that has always stayed with her that she learned during her training was, “never give up, no matter how old you are.” She has applied that every day with her students. 1998 marked Mrs. Ingold’s first year in second grade. Over the years, she has taught hundreds of second graders and has worked in three different buildings throughout her tenure. She has seen a lot of exciting changes unfold during her time at PCDS.
Third grade assistant teacher Kat Burrell Glaeseman notes, “Mrs. Ingold cherishes the uniqueness of each child. I will miss her stories of classroom quotes and funny moments, eating lunch with her on Fridays, and watching the look on her face when a conga line breaks out during a classroom dance party. She’s truly a special person and will be missed.” In her retirement, Mrs. Ingold is looking forward to reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. When asked if she has any words of wisdom, she will say, “You can read for the rest of your life and never have to leave your armchair to go places.” Mrs. Ingold has certainly left her imprint on the students and teachers here at Phoenix Country Day School. She will be missed, but we wish her well with her reading, travels, and her next chapter of life.
“Mrs. Ingold is so hardworking, her classroom has always run super-efficiently, she is warmhearted, and she tells it like it is!” Kat Burrell Glaeseman, LS Teacher
22 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Linda Drate, First Grade Teacher—20 Years By Mary Kay Meyers, LS teacher
E
ach morning, Linda Drate would walk to her classroom while watching the sun rise over Camelback Mountain. Her students would often arrive early, confident that Mrs. Drate would be anxiously awaiting their arrival. While watching Mrs. Drate over the years, it has been evident that each and every student she has taught has felt a special connection to her. In Mrs. Drate’s 20 years as a PCDS educator, she has touched the lives of countless students. She has experienced the joy of watching so many of her young students grow into young adults and then head off to college. As an international traveler, Mrs. Drate truly had a global perspective on education, which was evident in her teachings. In her early years at PCDS, Mrs. Drate started as the LS Spanish teacher. Although over time she chose to become a first grade teacher, she continued to integrate her love of teaching Spanish into her daily homeroom routine. You could often hear children speaking Spanish in her homeroom, as they echoed Mrs. Drate. Mrs. Drate has always had an intense passion for protecting the environment. She cleverly designed the environmental studies unit as part of the first grade curriculum, and she strove to instill the importance of caring for our Earth in all of her students. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Drate also established the first LS organic garden. Mrs. Drate’s kind and loving nature, as well as her wonderful sense of humor, is reflected in so many of the memories shared by students, at every stage in their lives. Ronan Brown ’21 and Jake Umar ’21 could not contain their laughter as they remembered the times this past year when Mrs. Drate became “Mr. Drat” by simply putting on a mask featuring a mustache, nose, and eyeglasses. They added, “Not only is Mrs. Drate very funny, but she is also very kind.” Although it has been some time since our current MS students were in Mrs. Drate’s first grade class, they still have vivid and heartfelt memories of their beloved first grade teacher. Sedona Korzay ’22 shared, “When I came to PCDS in first grade, I was really nervous. We had just moved back to the United States from Turkey. I had been enrolled in a Spanish speaking school for pre-k and kindergarten while in Turkey,
therefore I primarily spoke Spanish and Turkish. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I immediately felt with Mrs. Drate. She spoke Spanish and worked closely with me to improve my English. Looking back, I was so lucky to have Mrs. Drate at such an important time in my life.” On graduation night this past June, as the sunset illuminated Camelback Mountain, Ryan Goodman ’18, a graduate of Mrs. Drate’s first grade class, processed across the bridge with the rest of his class—ready to make that important transition from PCDS student to alum. As they crested Daley Bridge, he and others gave Mrs. Drate one last hug, as they do with so many of their teachers, before the graduation ceremony. But, this was not a typical good-bye hug. Mrs. Drate will forever live in the hearts and minds of all the students she has touched in her two decades at PCDS. n
“My most distinct memory of Mrs. Drate is that we would always give her hugs. We absolutely loved giving her hugs!” Ryan Goodman ’18, recalling his time with Mrs. Drate in LS SUMMER 2018 | 23
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Familiar Faces, Different Places MS teacher Chris Eriksen performed a reading during a private showing of a world premier musical written by PCDS family member, Jason Rose P ’25, ’27. The musical AMERICANO was performed at Phoenix Theatre this past June. The plan is for a staged workshop of the production in the next year, with the hopes of a full production/world premier to follow. Mr. Eriksen also recently filmed his first national commercial for U-Haul. Look for it to start airing sometime this fall. US teacher Dr. Michael Gordon-Smith was awarded the Sylvia Lyons Render Award for his publication “Approaches to Teaching the Works of Charles W. Chesnutt, a publication of the Modern Language Association.” Past recipients include SallyAnn Ferguson and Werner Sollors, both tremendously influential scholars of African American literature. Dr. GordonSmith’s chapter, which explores the role of eugenics in early twentieth century African American literature, is called, “’To Remove the Disability of Color’: Chesnutt in the Context of the American Eugenics Movement.” This publication has inspired a class he will be teaching on eugenics from a humanistic perspective.
MS faculty members Brian Mensinger, Nicki Barber, and Lisa Zima, as well as US Faculty members Hallie Mueller, Daniel McGill, David Kaye, and Jenny Cherilla ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon in Tempe this past January. Notable achievements include Ms. Mueller’s completion of a full marathon in 3:38:06, Mr. Mensinger running his very first half marathon, and Mr. Kaye completing his first 10k. The race, and even the training leading up to the race, was such a fulfilling experience that many in the group plan on signing up for more events in the coming months.
From left: Faculty members Brian Mensinger, Hallie Mueller, Daniel McGill, Nicki Barber, David Kaye, Lisa Zima, and Jenny Cherilla after they ran the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon in Tempe, AZ
LS teacher Kat Burrell Glaeseman married Kurt Glaeseman in March 2018 at the Phoenix Children’s Museum.
24 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES In May, former Dean of the MS Jackie Ellis returned to campus for the first time in 40 years. Thanks to Advisory Trustee Gay Firestone Wray for coordinating the visit, which included a tour of the campus and a chance to connect with our Director of Advancement Ryan Joyce. Following the tour, Ms. Ellis wrote Mr. Joyce, “Thank you so much for the time you shared with me and Gay Wray to tour the beautiful campus at PCDS. I never could have imagined the changes that have taken place since my time there beginning in 1967. It should be a model for all educational institutions to make note of and implement. Your explanations and clarity of the overall mission and the inter-workings between staff, students, and administration were clear, informative, and beautifully delivered. You and all of those involved do ’make a difference.’ Wish I could turn back time and go for a repeat.”
Ms. Ellis, Mr. Joyce and Advisory Trustee Mrs. Wray in front of the new Shepard Welcome Center
Daphne Paige Goertz was born on January 15, 2018 to US Math Teacher Jacqui Goertz and her husband, Seth.
In April, former Head of School Bob Pearce; his wife, Judy (far left); and Advisory Trustee and former parent, Gay Wray P ’84, ’80, ’79 reconnect at the Outstanding Alumni of the Year lunch held at The Wrigley Mansion, which honored the Louis family.
Elizabeth (Ellie) Blaise Hathaway was born on May 21, 2018 to US College Counselor Meg Hathaway; her husband, Mike; and sister Caroline, age one.
Pearl Lee Hill Klemp was born on June 16, 2018 to US Faculty and Speech & Debate Coach Nick Klemp; his wife, former US Assistant Speech & Debate Coach Michelle Hill; and sister Hattie, age one. SUMMER 2018 | 25
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES On May 20, US Art Teacher Lisa Tolentino and her husband, Rob Esler, along with their daughter, Sofia (age three) doubled their family and welcomed triplets into the world. Epifania “Eppi” Nona Esler was born first, followed by her identical sister Emma Linda Esler, and then their “baby brother” arrived, Royal Holmsen Esler. Born at 31 weeks, Eppi, Emma, and Royal were considered healthy preemies and were lovingly cared for in the Julie and Tim Louis Newborn Intensive Care Unit (The Louis Family is the recipient of the PCDS 2018 Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award) at Banner University Medical Center. This past spring, LS teacher Danny Majeski retired from leading the after school swim program at PCDS—a program he started back in 1981 and has run every year since.
On Memorial Day, LS teacher Andy McKean teamed up with alum Ashley Barnhill ’11 to complete the Murph Challenge. The event consisted of a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and ended with another mile run. Both Mr. McKean and Ms. Barnhill finished in less than 48 minutes.
26 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
US Art teacher Nathan Lewis was featured in a detailed interview from VICE Media regarding his latest series of sculptures called “Little Terrors”. He was also interviewed on NPR’s “The Show” for the same body of work. Most recently, Mr. Lewis was selected by a jury during Phoenix’s “ArtPrize Pitch Night” to receive a grant and a spot at the Grand Rapids Art Museum during ArtPrize in late September. He will also be entered into ArtPrize for a chance to be awarded up to $200,000. When MS Art teacher Carrie Bloomston isn’t teaching, she is engaging in textile design or writing. She is the author of The Little Spark—30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity. Ms. Bloomston reports that her fifth fabric collection Wonder for Windham Fabrics is a bright mix of prints inspired by summery, playful imagery. Newspaper butterflies, collaged bicycles, sparkly stars, and tiny French flags evoke the wonder and awe of your favorite trips, whether to the seashore or the farmer’s market. The collection will be in shops around the world in late August. “My Wonder collection represents the transcendent feeling of joyful awe, the feeling that reminds us how big the world is and inspires us to explore it. Take your sewing with you to the sea, to the woods, under the stars, or wherever you wander,” shares Ms. Bloomston. Ms. Bloomston also has a writing piece due out in the September issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. It is about the importance of unplugging from social media and doing a social media fast for mental and emotional well-being. In the May/June Issue she wrote about the importance of drawing for creative practice. Ms. Bloomston shares that the key to her creativity and a means for taking care of herself has partly to do with this personal strategy: “Unplugging from our online lives seems like the easiest thing to do, but it isn’t for many of us. In our connected, information-driven world, we have become zombie slaves to the web and the thousands of images it wants to show us every time we pick up our phones. For the past five years, I have unplugged from all social media for at least one month. Nothing I do is more nourishing for my soul than my annual social media fast. It is a precious time for me, and I begin to crave it deeply as it approaches. Life is peaceful and quiet when we inhabit it like we did in 1999—only email, nothing else.”
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Turning Retirement on Its Head From the Retirement Journals of Mort Dukehart, former Head of MS
After retiring in 2016 from a wonderful six years at PCDS, my wife Paula and I decided to travel around Europe and parts of the Middle East. One of the stops along our journey was a visit to an independent school in Jordan where we have friends who have been a part of that school since its inception in 2007. King’s Academy (KA) was founded by the current King of Jordan, King Abdullah II, who had been educated through high school at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. King Abdullah had always wanted to create a “Deerfield in the Desert” where students and teachers from all over the Middle East and, in many cases other parts of the world, would live and learn together. We spent 10 days living at King’s Academy, while also touring Jordan and Jerusalem. It was exciting to see this school’s community—with its many cultures represented—learning and thriving together. Both Paula and I were totally inspired. Jordan was just one of our many stops on our 439 day tour, which included 20 states, one Canadian province, 17 European countries , and too many cities and towns to count. We returned to the U.S. in September 2017 and settled in Long Beach, CA, for what, at the time, we thought would be long-term. Remarkably, in February 2017, I received a call from the leadership at King’s asking if I would be interested in teaching eighth grade Humanities in their just-launched middle school for the 2017-1018 school year. Even though I hadn’t taught full-time in 33 years, and I felt woefully behind in classroom technology, I accepted the job immediately. And so, on August 10, 2017, I found myself “setting up camp” in the desert of Jordan and began teaching two weeks later. The students in the MS at KA are mainly Jordanian because their middle school does not have a boarding component. In theory, English is taught in Jordan from elementary school on, but the levels in my classes ranged from workable to
fluent mastery of the English language. Student knowledge of the world outside of the Middle East was reasonably strong, especially concerning American culture. For the boys, technology, teen culture, and sports—particularly soccer and basketball—were paramount. For the girls, emulating European and American cultures appeared most popular. KA is known to be a premier school not only in Jordan, but in the entire Middle Eastern region. With most of the students coming from Jordanian elementary schools—which were a mix of private, religious, and public—the teaching experience was different from any I had ever faced. My biggest challenge was developing a firm enough understanding of how different the various aspects of the Jordanian culture and KA’s culture were from what I had grown so accustomed to in the U.S. and at PCDS. For instance, the KA middle school students do not receive academic grades. And since most students came from Jordanian schools where grades are emphasized, students at KA’s middle school had a difficult time adjusting to this new philosophy. The school itself is 20 miles from Amman. It was built over two years (2004-2006) on former Bedouin land. The nearest town to the school, Madaba, is 10 miles away. No effort has been spared in attempting to mirror the facilities of Deerfield Academy. From dorms, classrooms, an exquisite library and dining hall, to superb athletic facilities, KA is a unique facility in the Middle East. From our Americanized apartment on campus, we could see the Bedouin tents in the surrounding fields and hear the ubiquitous Muslim call to prayer from numerous mosques in the distant hills. It was quite an amazing juxtaposition. Paula and I returned to California richer for having had that experience and fully appreciative of all that we had learned from our Middle Eastern friends and counterparts. n
SUMMER 2018 | 27
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Tag Along with TAG
An update on PCDS’s Teaching Advocacy Group—formerly known as the Master Teacher Program By Dr. Andrea Avery, US Teacher and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Ms. Liz Olson, MS Teacher and TAG Leader
If you have walked through the new Shepard Welcome Center, you have seen the Zatz Family Teaching Lab, the bright and beautiful cornerstone of the lobby and a shining symbol of a new direction in faculty culture at our School. A wall of glass, flexible furniture, and state-of-the-art recording technology will allow for experimentation in our teaching, collaboration with peers, and an atmosphere of openness and transparency. Teachers will use this space to push themselves and their students into new territory. A new lesson could be a great success or an epic fail—a powerful message to send to our students that teachers are willing to take academic risks and learn from them. This classroom also happens to be a powerful metaphor for what the Teaching Advocacy Group (TAG) is working towards. Here’s an update on what we have done this year and where we are headed: • TAG members (formerly Master Teachers) were instrumental this past year in helping to brainstorm and design the Teaching Lab space. Next year, we will move forward with a purposeful plan for teachers to utilize the room fully. • Each TAG member pairs with new teachers at the start of each school year to assist in their transition to a new school. Collaborative conversation and multiple observations help these teachers build a powerful connection to their brand-new school. • This past spring, TAG asked teachers to play “TAG, You’re It.” This activity asked teachers to visit classrooms in their division very informally, attempting to get everyone into someone’s room before the end of the year. Although we ran out of time, teachers loved the quick pop-in that allowed them to appreciate a colleague’s teaching practice. • Conversations this past year included the creation of a new professional development and evaluation system that will work to keep teachers learning and growing throughout their time at PCDS. We hope that TAG can be an important component in supporting professional development for the whole faculty. This will be a particular focus of our work in this next school year. • TAG is focused on remaining as flexible as possible regarding the varying needs of every member of the faculty. Tailoring our work to each individual need will allow for the maximum benefit to teaching practice at PCDS. • As we continue to develop the Teaching Advocacy Group’s role at our School, we embrace a spirit of experimentation in creating something that has not existed before. We hope to shift faculty conversation beyond deadlines and agenda items and provide time for our teachers to actively talk about their teaching practice. Left: Zatz Family Teaching Lab in the new Shepard Welcome Center
28 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
PCDS FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS Each year PCDS recognizes its outstanding faculty and staff for their work within our community. One of the ways our School recognizes excellence is through endowed chair awards.
This year’s recipients were as follows: Mike Swingler, US Science (retired) The Dorrance Family Chair for Science Presented in 2016 and has a three-year term.
Quote on wall inside the new Zatz Family Teaching Lab
A New Role for a Familiar Face This fall, US English teacher and TAG member Andrea Avery will move into a new role at PCDS: Director of Curriculum and Instruction. In this position, working closely with the division heads and the other members of TAG, Dr. Avery will lead the design and implementation of an innovative program for ongoing professional development and evaluation of PCDS’s teaching faculty. “Teachers at PCDS are passionate, ultra-qualified professionals,” Dr. Avery says, “and as such, we acknowledge that thoughtful self-reflection, creative collaboration with colleagues, and constructive feedback are crucial to our continued growth and refinement of our practice. This program, and the stunning new video-equipped Teaching Lab space, will help all of us identify and pursue our goals as individuals and as a faculty.” Dr. Avery will remain a part-time teacher in the US English department, offering senior electives in memoir and editing. n
Kelly Butler, MS History The Loback Family Chair for History Presented in 2016 and has a three-year term. Julie Larrea, MS English The Spence T. and Ann Olin Foundation Chair for English Presented in 2017 and has a three-year term. Michelle Huskey, MS Counselor Rex Allison Chair for Excellence in Teaching Presented in 2018 and is named annually. Pedro Ramos, Groundskeeper Korzay-Tashman Staff Award Presented in 2017 and has a two-year term. Awarded to a staff member who serves the PCDS community in an extraordinary fashion. An embodiment of core values such as integrity, loyalty, and hard work. This staff member works selflessly and tirelessly to ensure our School is the best it can be. Matt Guthrie, US History and English Korzay-Tashman Faculty Award Presented in 2018 and has a two-year term. Awarded to a faculty member(s) who routinely displays a commitment to our School and to our students that extends far beyond the classroom. Whether out on the athletic fields, traveling to foreign countries, or quietly between classes, this outstanding faculty member is someone to whom students feel a deep connection, and someone they will fondly remember for the rest of their lives—a leader among leaders and an inspiration to others.
Dr. Avery speaking at the Shepard Welcome Center groundbreaking
SUMMER 2018 | 29
MESSAGE FROM OUTGOING ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT Fellow Eagles, 2017-2018 was another exciting year for PCDS Alumni. We held a packed schedule of successful events around the country, alumni participation in the Annual Fund continued to increase (and we expect more growth next year!), and the Alumni Board remained proud of the variety of ways in which we offer engagement opportunities for our alumni. Our underlying goal is to make your connection to PCDS valuable and enjoyable. Below are some of the Alumni highlights since the last edition of The Bridge: • Los Angeles Alumni Gathering at Wally’s Wine Bar featuring a fascinating glimpse into entertainment law with attorneys Anamay Melmed Carmel ’98 and Ashley Yeargan ’01. • San Francisco Alumni Gathering hosted by Angaza co-founders Lesley Silverthorn Marincola ’04 and Bryan Silverthorn ’01 whose company makes clean energy affordable throughout the developing world.
campus tours, the beautiful Bridge-the-Gap Celebration, and special nods to our reunion classes. • The five alumni members of the Louis family were honored as Outstanding Alumni of the Year. • Another lovely Golden Circle celebration and induction honoring the PCDS classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968. • PCDS:Connect Networking Program thriving on the Alumnifire platform (register at pcds.alumnifire.com). The PCDS Alumni connection has never been stronger and the highlights reflect our spirit! On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank everyone who continues to show commitment to our alma mater by staying current with our communications, attending events, participating in the Annual Fund, or engaging in PCDS:Connect; we appreciate all of your support. Thank you again for your spirit and enthusiasm, and we hope to see you at another Eagle event soon!
• Our third annual Alumni Masters’ Lecture featured longtime US History teacher Matt Guthrie, who enthralled us with his address entitled “Brexit and Beyond: The rebirth of the right in Western Europe.”
Sincerely,
• Alumni Spring Weekend 2018, featuring a welcome cocktail reception, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, alumni
Augustine H. Gomez ’99 Outgoing Alumni Board President
“Wow! It has been an incredible honor to serve on the PCDS Alumni Board for 14 years and to serve two terms over the last six years as the Alumni Board President. I am so proud of what the Alumni Board has accomplished over these years, and I’m looking forward to the bright future ahead for the newly-elected leaders. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you all. Cheers!” Augustine H. Gomez ’99 30 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
“I am grateful to have been elected by my peers into a position that reflects so many of my passions: building communities, strengthening networks, and, of course, PCDS. Go Eagles!” Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00
Outgoing Alumni Board President Augustine Gomez ’99 with new Alumni Board President Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00
WELCOME TO THE NEW PCDS ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT: TIFFANY WESTLIE PONDELIK ’00 Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00 was a lifer at PCDS, and she has always known that the saying is true, “You can’t really escape the Eagle’s Nest.” She attended Northwestern University, graduating with a degree in Theatre and spent many years in
New York performing and working in the wine and events business. She relocated back to Phoenix with her husband, Miles, in 2014 and joined the Alumni Board that same year. She is a proud parent to her little Eagle, Cassie ’30; and future Eagle, Heidi. SUMMER 2018 | 31
Join PCDS:Connect pcds.alumnifire.com The Network of PCDS Alumni EAGLES HELPING EAGLES Offer career and academic advice Connect with other PCDS alumni Expand your network Find and post jobs
ALUMNI association
Receive feedback Get introduced
Be sure to “like” the Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Facebook Page Stay up to date with alumni events See news and accomplishments from your classmates Get updates from your alma mater www.facebook.com/ PhoenixCountryDaySchoolAlumni
32 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
CLAIM TO
FAME
2018 Outstanding Alumni of the Year:
The Louis Family
Members of the Louis Family at the 2018 Outstanding Alumni of the Year Luncheon
T
he 2018 Outstanding Alumni of the Year award re cognized not just one person, but an important PCDS family, for their generosity to the School and to worthy causes throughout the country.
and by seeding the PCDS endowment. The family has been instrumental in guiding the School over the generations, and PCDS is proud that it will soon count two more members of the Louis family as alumni as well.
At a special ceremony during Alumni Spring Weekend, PCDS honored the five alumni members of the Louis Family: Carrie Louis Hulburd ’77, Steven Louis ’80, Timothy Louis ’81, Madeline Louis ’14, and Curt Louis ’17.
From that initial establishment of the PCDS endowment, to looking ahead to ensure that PCDS remains the top school in the Valley, the Louis Family has also established the Louis Family Society for Planned Giving*, to encourage other families to keep PCDS in mind for legacy giving.
The Louis family has been part of the PCDS community since the 1960s, when their parents and grandparents, Julie and Dr. Herbert J. “Tim” Louis, helped put our young school in a far more solid position through Board of Trustees leadership
Congratulations to all of the members of the Louis family, and many thanks for their continued support of PCDS. n
* To learn more about the Louis Society for Planned Giving, visit pcds.org/giving/alumni-support
SUMMER 2018 | 33
What a Spring!
From Los Angeles to San Francisco, to the 2018 Alumni Masters’ Lecture, Alumni Spring Weekend and Golden Circle...what fun we had seeing all of you!
From left: Los Angeles alumni at Wally’s Wine Bar; Entertainment attorneys Anamay Melmed Carmel ’98 and Ashley Yeargan ’01 speak at the 2018 Los Angeles alumni event
From left: San Francisco event hosts and Founders of Angaza, Lesley Silverthorn Marincola ’04 and Bryan Silverthorn ’01, explaining their company’s innovative products to attendees; Having fun at the San Francisco alumni event; Mr. Matt Guthrie leads discussion at the 2018 Alumni Masters’ Lecture
From left: Members of the Class of 1988 during their 30th reunion weekend; Members of the Class of 1998 at their 20 year reunion; Linda Buck Laws ’68 and Libbie Lawrence Gibson ’65 at the 2018 Golden Circle Induction
34 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Sakellariadis Family Alumni Suite Opens Alumni now have a physical space in which to congregate when they come home to their alma mater! The Sakellariadis Family Alumni Suite inside the new Shepard Welcome Center boasts ample space for alumni mentorship connections, small meetings, and event kick-offs. The focal point of the suite features an enlarged front page of the June 10, 1965 issue of The Arizonian newspaper honoring the pioneering class of Phoenix Country Day School. The suite is named for Julie and Nick Sakellariadis ’69 and family in memory of Nick’s parents and in honor of their decades of generosity to the School.
SUMMER 2018 | 35
COLLEGE DESTINATIONS 2018
Congratulations to the PCDS Class of 2018!
Maya Karine Abou-Haidar École hôtelière de Lausanne
Sophia Rae Casten Smith College
Olivia Elise Ellegard University of Southern California
Niala Akhavan Pitzer College
Raquel Chavez Arizona State University
Grace Nicole Elsie Boston University
Gonzalo Alvarado Landeros Arizona State University
Lindsey Rose Cherilla University of Denver
Kylie Brynn Fisher Southern Connecticut State University
Angela Ngozi Anaeme Duke University
Ryan Chanhee Chung Washington University in St. Louis
Hunter Reine Miller Freedman Chapman University
Sophie Moffitt Ax University of Pennsylvania
Samantha Marie Dady New York University
Brennan Katahdin Cincera Freret University of Wisconsin, Madison
Sophia Lily Bailey Dartmouth College
Benjamin Wesley Davies Colorado College
Decker MacLachlan Cincera Freret University of Maryland, College Park
Samuel S. Baker Arizona State University
Caroline Ross de Marneffe Fordham University
Cambrie T. Gines University of Utah
Elizabeth Wynne Beyersdorfer Indiana University, Bloomington
Francesca Borland de Marneffe Tufts University
Phillip Bonsal Glascock University of Southern California
Daniel Martin Bodney ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Katherine Mary Dean Chapman University
Ryan Isaac Goodman Duke University
Kiara Janae Carswell-Kudlo Berklee College of Music
Mary Dover University of California, Los Angeles
Lindsay Ann Harrison University of Utah
36 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
MIDDLE SCHOOL YEAR IN PHOTOS Deborah Jordan Hauben University of South Carolina
Olivia Lalae Najafi New York University
Joshua Marcel David Sidi IDC Herzliya Raphael Recanati International School
Andrea Louise Robertson Hayden Pepperdine University
Julia Marie Odden Northwestern University
Carina Shing-Yao Ho Emory University
Carolina Olea Lezama Tufts University
Ilana Beryl Hoffer Washington University in St. Louis
Aliya Lyn Orenstein Texas Christian University
Mehek Khandelwal Wellesley College
Bianca Nadia Partovi Simon Fraser University
Cody Kiltz Gonzaga University
Nikasha G. Patel Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sophia Kirkland-Lopez Goucher College
Breanna Alaysia Price Louisiana State University
Ivy Dairiki Leibner The Ohio State University
Nirvaan Anugu Reddy University of Southern California
Mira Kaur Marwah ASU, Barrett, The Honors College
Alexander Keith Roland Southern Methodist University
Celia Louise McNally Connecticut College
Harrison Miles Rooney Northeastern University
Catherine Elizabeth Meng University of California, Los Angeles
Abe J. Rosenthal Northwestern University
Jordan Sechler Merkel Boston College
Anika Sanghvi Georgetown University
Chris Montooth University of Southern California
Jake Aaron Sarver University of Southern California
Jennifer Elise Moore Hillsdale College
David William Schwartz University of Pittsburgh
Bennett John Steiner ASU, Barrett, The Honors College Reed Hutchinson Steiner University of Rochester Jacob M. Stern Pomona College Madison Anne Stringer University of Pennsylvania Sally Landon Tepper Wesleyan University Rhea Kaur Tuli American University Thomas Grau Walton University of California, San Diego Ryan Philip Wang Lake Forest College Addison Keane Wessel Dartmouth College Andrew Frederic Lee Winssinger Claremont McKenna College Dara Shamssedin Zayanderoudi Northeastern University
PCDS LIFERS: CLASS OF 2018 These students attended Phoenix Country Day School from pre-k or kindergarten through their senior year. “ I just want to say thank you to PCDS. For the past 14 years, PCDS has been my home and my happy place. Here, I have made friends for life as well as discovered a passion for learning. I have spent over 75% of my life here, and I have loved every minute of it.”
Chris Montooth ’18, University of Southern California
Back row, left to right: Olivia Najafi, Chris Montooth, Ryan Goodman, Ryan Wang. Middle row: Lindsey Cherilla, Sophie Ax, Harrison Rooney, DJ Hauben, Jem Stern, Jenna Moore. Kneeling: Olivia Ellegard, David Schwartz, Carina Ho. Not pictured: Cody Kiltz
SUMMER SUMMER 2018 2018 | 37
COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES
Bridging Past and Future
Excerpts from the two 2018 student speeches. Watch the full video at: www.pcds.org/campusnews Nikasha G. Patel It should come as no surprise that PCDS is obsessed with Daley Bridge*. Our official desktop screensaver is a beautiful, striking snapshot of Daley. Our School publication is called The Bridge, and Daley has graced its cover many a time over the years. Our senior college t-shirt photos are taken in front of Daley. And on the School’s new website, the very first photo you see is a view of Camelback from—you guessed it—Daley. What better symbol of PCDS is there than Daley? Inspired by this cement celebrity, I came into School last week to conduct a thorough study of Daley, acting like a paparazzo and taking a bunch of photos of the bridge in sweltering heat. Through my research, I’ve discovered three facets of Daley that are emblematic of the core of PCDS and our experiences here: a sound structure, a compelling history, and a rich symbolism. Tonight is not the end. We are the bridges to our future— structurally sound, historically aware, symbolically rich. As we end our time as students at PCDS tonight, as we consider the figurative and literal bridges we’ve crossed to get to this point in our journey, let us embrace the challenge of greatness. Let’s be the best bridges we can be—to our future ideal selves, to our past/present/and future communities, and to the ideas and activities we pursue to transform our world. Congratulations, Class of 2018. I’m so proud of the bridges we’ve already built, and I’m so excited to see, hear about, and perhaps even walk the bridges we’ll be building in our futures.
Samantha Marie Dady and Carolina Olea Lezama This is our world. My world. The only world I have ever known. But, upon arriving to campus and walking through the Walk of Champions, passing by two gyms, we enter the US quad. The quad, whose vegetation aggressively blooms in the spring…the quad, whose beautiful grassy knoll is the universal meeting point for all the students…the quad, whose library and cafe play fixtures in every student’s day-to-day life. This quad, our home for the past four years, is a physical reminder that no matter where you came from, how you got here, or when you got here, you were home. The incredible education that we have had the privilege to receive at PCDS in and out of the classroom has always, and will always, connect us. From the moment we step on this campus, we know we’re not alone. Not alone in our educations and not alone in our lives! Education is the most fundamental human right. Think about what we can do with what we have.
* The PCDS main bridge is named for former parent, Ann Daley P ’85, ’87, ’89, ’91
38 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
ATHLETICS RECAP 2018
2018 Eagle Athletes Spread Wings
Six graduates from the Class of 2018 will continue playing their sport at the NCAA level
Kylie Fisher, volleyball, Southern Connecticut State University Nikasha Patel, volleyball, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sophia Kirkland-Lopez, lacrosse, Goucher College Addison Wessel, fencing, Dartmouth College Jem Stern, diving, Pomona College Harrison Rooney, swimming, Northeastern University SUMMER 2018 | 39
PCDS Athletic Hall of Fame In April, we were proud to induct three outstanding athletes and one beloved and well-deserving coach into the PCDS Athletic Hall of Fame
Coach Greg Hull, Robert Casselman ’73, and Christopher Sandor ’98 at their Athletic Hall of Fame Induction. (Michele Barnhill was unable to attend the ceremony in person.)
ROBERT CASSELMAN ’73 Below are excerpts from Paul Orme’s ’71 induction of Bob Casselman: “ I met Bob Casselman 51 years ago on a PCDS school bus. Having spent my entire life to that point at Orme Ranch and School, I will never forget how Bob’s was the very first friendly face I saw on my first day of school at Phoenix Country Day. From that day on, even though Bob was two years younger and in seventh grade while I was in ninth, he and I bonded over tormenting his younger brothers on the bus. We have remained good friends for 51 years. With regard to Bob’s PCDS athletic history, we first played 8-man football together when I was a senior and Bob was a sophomore. In our first game against an undefeated State Champion team (comprising 40 players to our 14), Bob replaced me as quarterback when I was injured and nearly led us to victory. He remained 40 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
as quarterback for the duration of his time on the football team and served as captain during his senior year, which also happened to be the final year that PCDS boasted a football team. We also played two years of baseball together. Bob was the starting shortstop as a freshman and immediately became one of our best players. He served as captain senior year and Football quarterback batted .500 until the last Bob Casselman ’73 game of his final season. In addition to baseball and football, Bob played soccer all four years of high school and was All-State as a junior and senior. He also wrestled as a seventh and eighth
grader, competing against high school-age athletes. Bob went undefeated in his eighth grade year winning the independent schools championship and defeating large public high schools and even some college wrestlers in open tournaments. As a result of these numerous accolades and achievements, during Bob’s senior year he was voted Senior Athlete of the Year and Student Body President. Bob’s commitment to athletics continued after he graduated from PCDS. As a college freshman at Occidental College in Los Angeles, he played rugby with me and had the skill set to be a national caliber player if he had stayed with rugby (in later years he also played some club rugby with me in Phoenix). But, soccer was Bob’s first love. At Oxy, and at NAU, Bob played four years of intercollegiate soccer and then in various men’s leagues until his mid-forties. Later, at Duke Law School, he coached a large high school’s soccer team. Bob was a truly exceptional athlete and teammate who is now a highly successful businessman, a wonderful father, and a tremendous lifelong friend.”
CHRISTOPHER SANDOR ’98 Below are excerpts from Associate Athletic Director, Bob Kosower’s, induction of Christopher Sandor: “Back in the early 90s when Chris was participating in our middle school athletic program, we knew he was going to be something special. Chris was an outstanding athlete. No matter what sport he played, his skills, natural ability, work ethic, and love for athletics made his development that much more rewarding. Even then there was no doubt that Chris was going to be one of our all-time great athletes. His performance on the athletic field spoke for itself. But there was more to Chris than that. His unselfish and caring demeanor made his teammates better athletes themselves. Fellow players on his teams respected his athletic ability, but even more than that, they respected him for his leadership qualities. Chris also won some pretty impressive recognition. In soccer he was threetime MVP and First Team All-Region and All-State, and in baseball he was also MVP, and First Team All-Region and All-State.
After PCDS, Chris carried his strong educational and athletic background with him to Scottsdale Community College where he was a star on the baseball team. From there, he transferred to the University of San Diego, majored in finance, and played Division I college baseball. Chris is now a practicing attorney in Phoenix. Athletically, he still takes pride in himself by keeping in shape, and—rumor has it—he is a big time surfer in Indonesia and Fiji.
Chris Sandor ’98 at high school baseball practice
MICHELE BARNHILL ’08 Below are excerpts from Girls’ Varsity Soccer Coach Andy McKean’s induction of Michele Barnhill: “ About 10 years ago, I had the privilege of introducing a senior speech for a student named Michele Barnhill, which I entitled “110%”. It explained the impossibility of an athlete giving more than 100% of one’s effort, and yet, Michele consistently found ways to prove that it was, in fact, possible to do just that. Here we are 10 years later, and I have to, once again, try to explain this phenomenon to an audience of people— some of whom had the distinct pleasure of seeing Michele on the soccer field. Three things I want to discuss as a way for you to get a taste of what it was like to coach Michele are: something she took away from me, something she gave to me, and what she gave to her teammates. I will begin with something that Michele took from me—my pride. You see, for the longest time I took pride in knowing that at any given practice at any given time, I had the ability to beat every one of my players in any physical drill or activity. Sprints, push-ups, endurance runs—you name it. I walked away with my head held high knowing I was, without question, the king of that mountain. And then, in 2004, Michele Barnhill became a freshman at PCDS and gradually and methodically took that away from SUMMER 2018 | 41
PCDS Athletic Hall of Fame (Continued) me. By Michele’s senior year, I would strategically place myself in different heats then her, or suddenly had a “sore hamstring” or “wore the wrong shoes”, or they cut the grass in the wrong direction. Whatever the excuse, my reign was over…and with it my pride. Then comes the gift that will never disappear. Whether she knows it or not, Michele gave me the greatest goal in PCDS women’s soccer history. I don’t remember too many specific goals, but this one was magic. During Michele’s freshman year, we played a state tournament game against a highly favored Higley High School. Michele struck the ball right before the half that I can still see vividly in my mind—35 Michele Barnhill ’08 during yards out, time winding a high school soccer game down....a completely outstretched hand brushes the ball and tips it just enough for my heart to skip-a-beat. Then, with just the right amount of topspin, it brushes the bottom of the crossbar and against the back of the net. PCDS now leads 1-0 at the half. I can still see the exuberance in the coaches’ faces, and in the players as they jump up and down. But what it really brought to the field, to the team, and forever into my coaching… was belief. In a split second, we went from an intimidated underdog (Higley had looked at us as a bump in the road) to a group of 20 believers that ended up defeating a high school four times our size. The end result was 2-1 in overtime. That goal and that win reminds me at the beginning of every game I coach at PCDS—to believe. Finally, what did Michele bring to her teammates? She brought over 100 goals in four years, she brought a physical presence, she brought intimidation, she had a quiet calmness that was infectious, she brought a vocal enthusiasm that sparked emotion, she lead by example, she never let a single player work harder than her (but never let any teammate feel useless), she brought friendship and laughter to practices, and—most importantly—she always gave her teammates 110% of everything I just mentioned above. Michele is currently living in Washington, D.C. and is in residency at Georgetown University Medical Center.” 42 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
COACH GREG HULL Greg Hull has coached volleyball at PCDS for 14 illustrious years. During his tenure, his team has clocked in over 250 wins and, in 2008, he was recognized as the 2A Region Coach of the Year. His PCDS teams have qualified for the state championships 10 out of his 14 years and finished in the top eight teams in five out of those 10 state tournaments. Six of his PCDS players have even gone on to continue playing volleyball at the collegiate level. Outside of Coach Hull’s successes at PCDS, he has had numerous athletic commitments, which have garnered noteworthy accolades. He has coached track and field at the high school and collegiate levels, in which he was named: • Arizona Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame (2009) • USA Track and Field Master Coach (2004) • USA National Pole Vault Coach of the Year (2000, 2003, 2015) • USA National Pole Vault Hall of Fame Induction (2019)
Coach Greg Hull (front) and one of his many PCDS Volleyball teams
Additionally, through his years coaching club volleyball, his teams were named Arizona Region State Champions and USA Volleyball American Division National Champions (2003). The hundreds of PCDS volleyball players who have and continue to benefit from Coach Hull’s guidance, support, and dedication are truly lucky to have a pillar of their sport at the helm. n
Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to… 1967 Fritz Henze is alive and well and still trying to figure out the balance between the world economy’s energy demands and the global consequences to our environment.
husband, Adam, and even got a birdie one time. She is looking forward to the 30th reunion and catching up with her friends from PCDS.
1970 Barney Gonzales reports he is, “Still working, never to retire, at least doing what I like.” 1982 Carolina Lopez tells us, “I have been named United Nations Sports Alliance Economic Ambassador for Energy with my husband.” 1989 Amy Levine Hammer and her family visited the PCDS campus over Spring Break. While on campus, Amy connected with cheerleading pal Roz Bolger Abero ’89 and even ran into retired college counselor Paul Schweikher. Amy and her family live in Westlake Village near LA. Her daughter, Chloe, has some of her mom’s Brass Monkey skills, and then some…lol! She takes classes in hip hop, jazz, ballet, and aerial silks. Her son, Yale, is busy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah this coming August. When she’s not busy shuttling the kids to all their activities, Amy occasionally plays golf with her
Roz Bolger Abero ’89 and Amy Levine Hammer ’89 at PCDS
1995 After graduating from PCDS, Rebecca Moran continued her education at Lewis and Clark, where she graduated in 1999. She then spent two years in the Peace Corps in Kiribati followed by
nine years in Tanzania, where she flew a six-passenger plane bringing medical people and supplies to the Maasai in that country. In 2008, she was named the PCDS Distinguished Alumna of the Year, an award she is most proud of. She now lives in Anchorage, Alaska, with her husband; her eight-year-old son; her four-year-old daughter; a number of laying chickens; and D2— an African dog who came to Alaska with them. Rebecca is currently First Officer with Atlas Air flying Boeing 747s to many countries. 2000 Sasha Pasulka is loving life back at home in Phoenix after 15 years away. She leads product marketing at Integrate, and she enjoys spending time with her fellow PCDS alums. She even organized a reunion dinner for Class of 2000 alumni living in Phoenix.
Members of the Class of 2000 gather for dinner: Beau Roysden, Sasha Pasulka, Tiffany Westlie Pondelik, Gilbert Armenta, Aubrey Wieger Jacobs, Sebastian Millon, and Jessica Berch
Members of the classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969: Please mark your calendars for June 6, 2019 for the next Golden Circle celebration.
SUMMER 2018 | 43
2001
2002
2002
In October, Ali Hicks LeClair and her husband, Ted, welcomed their second daughter, Annabelle. Older sisters Charlotte (three-and-a-half years old) and Audrey ’19 (17 years old) are very excited about their new little sister. Ali is an attorney at the Federal Public Defender’s office in Arizona and represents clients who are on death row in Arizona, California, and Utah in their habeas appeals. Ali is also happy to be a member of the PCDS Alumni Board.
Laura Neller Lanigan and her husband, Kyle, welcomed their baby boy, William Dane Lanigan, into the world on March 11. Willie weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 21 inches. The Lanigans recently relocated from New York to Houston, Texas.
Kat Tomalty is a double doc—PhD in Genetics and a veterinarian in Portland, OR. In May, Orlando Martinez celebrated the third anniversary of his law firm’s inception. Orlando reports that he is, “doing well as a personal injury attorney—not as well as Brian Snyder, Esq. ’01, but probably better than Jeff Sand, Esq. ’01.” 2006 Joel Fineman lives in Manhattan and works at Roku. Cole Geringer and Blake Lewkowitz ’07 caught up with each other at the wedding of Ellie Abraham and Larry Charles on April 7, 2018.
2004 During National Teacher Appreciation Week in May 2018, Mr. Erik Weihenmayer, former PCDS MS teacher (and the first blind person to ever summit Mt. Everest), surprised his former student, The View host Meghan McCain ’04. While they visited with each other, Mr. Weihenmayer gifted Meghan with a large basket of PCDS alumni paraphernalia, and in turn, he received a compilation of video testimonials from other PCDS alumni whom he also inspired. To watch the episode in its entirety, visit: https://erikweihenmayer.com/2018/ 06/19/a-surprise-appearance-on-the-view/.
Cole Geringer ’06, MS teacher Sheila Marks, and Blake Lewkowitz ’07 at the wedding of Ellie Abraham ’06
2007 After graduating from ASU, Danielle Weinberg began working for an advertising agency in LA and is busy planning her wedding.
© ABC/Paula Lobo
44 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Matt Barbey works in large-scale real estate investment in New York City and is getting married this summer.
Hal Cohen is a lawyer in Scottsdale. He and his wife recently had twins.
2008 Abby Abraham Jones works as a therapist at The Meadows, an eating disorder facility in Wickenburg, AZ. After graduation, Kaylie Marsh Medansky earned a BA in Ethnic Studies and Women & Gender Studies, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration & Nonprofit Management from the University of Colorado. In 2014, she returned to Arizona to accept her dream job as Executive Director of Swift Youth Foundation, a local nonprofit organization that fosters positive mentor relationships between at-risk youth and college-bound teens. She lives in Phoenix with her husband David and their dog, Avery.
Ben Shanken graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied economics and computer science. He is now a Director of Product at Lyft. He leads Growth and is most proud of his work on Roundup-and-Donate, which has donated millions to organizations like the ACLU and HRC. He and his girlfriend, Ronnie, have a three-year-old Corgi, Louie Cheesecake, who goes to work with Ben to make sure he gets to all his meetings on time.
2009 In June, Robert Adrian graduated from the Chicago Medical School as a Doctor of Allopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. He has accepted a residency position at the University Hospital of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School to train as an emergency medicine physician. He is excited to be a Scarlet Knight but will always be an Eagle at heart.
Jessica Gordon writes, ”I have had a very different, interesting career path since leaving PCDS! After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis in 2012, I started a PhD program in North Carolina. After completing my first year, I realized that the PhD route was not for me. I found an awesome job at an education company designing reading programs for adults learning to read. After a year and a half with that company, I decided to start my OWN education company! In 2015, I launched Rozzy Learning Company with my best friend from college. Rozzy designs STEM and career readiness programs for elementary and middle schools. Since 2015, Rozzy has grown tremendously. We work with 500+ schools around the country and have won a few awards for female business founders. This year, we were excited to release new product lines and open a fundraising round so we could continue to scale Rozzy. My advice for PCDS students: don’t get discouraged if you are feeling overwhelmed with choosing a major in college or a future career path. Your future career will probably change a few times—just like it did for me! Pick a starting point but always know that you can change your mind at a later time and go down a different career path. A special shout out to my favorite teachers—Dr. Allison, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Martin—for inspiring me to think critically, work hard, and develop intellectual curiosity.” Zach Hitchcock is currently living in New York City and working for Macquarie Capital as an Associate in their telecommunications investment banking practice. In his free time, he enjoys the Big Apple life of great food, nightlife, and friends. He is still as crazy as ever about skiing and is planning his first ski trip to South America this August. SUMMER 2018 | 45
Anna Silverman reports she is thrilled to have matched at her top choice residency program, University of California, San Diego. She will graduate from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences with her MD and will begin her residency in Internal Medicine this summer. Anna looks forward to retiring her winter coats and embracing the famous San Diego sunshine.
Anne Faber-Inkpen writes, “After spending the last year in Singapore— me as a consultant and him completing his MBA—my husband and I took three months off to, firstly, get married, and secondly, drive from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of St. Lawrence via the scenic route—8,000 miles in total. Now, we’re back in Munich, Germany, where we lived before Singapore, and we are about to move into our first house and adopt another kitten.”
Vice Magazine recently highlighted Sophia Carter-Kahn’s podcast “She’s All Fat”. 2010 Diana Schron tells us, “I am in my third year at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. This is a really exciting year because we started our clinical training. I have been seeing my own patients in our Columbia clinic, and most recently I participated in a Global Health Externship to Cambodia. In one week, our team of dentists and volunteers saw 2,500 children and provided them all with fluoride treatment and toothbrushes. It was an amazing trip, and I hope to be able to go back one day! On the way back to the states, I stopped by Hong Kong and visited Danni Lin ’08, who is loving her work at Davis Polk and Wardwell, where she practices corporate law. Danni spends her free time traveling and eating dim sum.”
Diana Schron ’10 and Danni Lin ’08
Did you graduate in 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979, or 1974? Want to help plan your April 2019 reunion? If so, please email alumni@pcds.org to get started.
46 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Sarah Attaway currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is working as a Luxury Travel Advisor at boutique consultancy Currie & Company Travels Unlimited. She discovered her career while she was teaching English in Vietnam—her parents visited her and took her on a two-week trip to Vietnam with the help of another advisor. Before planning luxury vacations around the world for her clients and living in Vietnam, Sarah studied Business Administration at College of Charleston. Feel free to reach out to Sarah to plan your next vacation, at either sarah@curriecotravels.com or @saraheattaway. After PCDS, Salona Patel graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Marketing, Accounting, and International Affairs. Post-grad, she spent three years at Bloomingdale’s working on the Men’s Buying Teams, and later in the Marketing Department. Salona is currently a MBA candidate focusing on Strategy at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Max Leonesio writes, “Hello PCDS! In 2006, I left you, but post-eighth grade graduation has been a time. For high school, I went to Brophy. A little football and a little studying led me to Princeton University where I rowed and studied international relations theory. I graduated in 2014, moved to LA, then two years later I ended up back on the east coast, settling in NYC. I worked at Amazon for some time and now lead Amazon eCommerce for AnheuserBusch merchandise and non-beer brands (Teavana and Hiball Energy). I don’t think it’s a coincidence life has led me from being a PCDS Eagle to being an Anheuser-Busch Eagle. I live in Manhattan with my girlfriend, Daniela, and don’t get to visit the Valley enough. I would not be where I am today without the foundation PCDS set for me. For that, I am forever grateful.”
Emily Morazan works as a Victim Assistance Specialist in Washington, D.C. Margaret McCain reports, “After PCDS, I attended Vanderbilt University where I majored in History (shout out to Mr. Martin) and minored in Corporate Strategy and Spanish. I’ve been in Nashville since. After college, I spent two-and-a-half years at a creative start-up where I managed client accounts, produced video content, and wrote the occasional script. Although I no longer work in video, I gained an affinity for production and film and love to see new movies as they come out. Since September, I’ve been working for HCA Healthcare as a project manager in clinical application development. While dealing with data is less glamorous than production, I’m learning a lot about healthcare and how a successful large company functions. In my free time, I love walking in my neighborhood, looking through cookbooks, and sometimes cooking from them. I can’t believe I get to have the friends I do. They make me better.” Hannah Keogh is currently completing her fourth rotation as a Customer Manager supporting the Quaker portfolio within PepsiCo’s Sales Associate Rotational Program. She is also earning her MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Outside of work, she serves on the Associate Board of Girls On The Run and volunteers through the Junior League of Chicago.
2011 Rachel Epstein lives in Brooklyn and works at Creative Artists Agency in New York City in the Music Touring Department, booking concerts for clients of all genres and sizes. Ashley Sylvester is still working for Congressman David Schweikert in Washington, D.C., as an Office Manager/Press Secretary, in addition to working towards a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. She also joined the Daughters of the American Revolution. If anyone is in D.C., from PCDS, please let her know, and she would be happy to arrange a Capitol tour. After working for Amazon, Conor Cathey will start law school at Cornell University in the fall of 2018. Alex Blandford graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Landscape Architecture from ASU. She now lives and works in downtown Phoenix, designing innovative parks at Dig Studio while soaking up arts and culture and drinking too much coffee. She won the David R. Russell Poetry Prize in college and is still constantly writing (first novel in progress)! Alex was elected Arizona’s American Society of Landscape Architects Central Section Chair and looks forward to serving her community next year. Dylan McAdam graduated with a degree in Biology from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2015. He is a photographer focused on human-animal conflict, conservation, and sustainability projects. Since college he has volunteered, interned, and worked odd jobs in three states and four countries. He is currently traveling through India and is based out of New Hampshire.
Andrew Fennessy works for a cyber security company in Phoenix. Kelly Lin writes, “I graduated from Fordham University in the spring of 2015 and currently live in Brooklyn. I work as a paralegal within the Public Integrity Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. My section investigates and prosecutes elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. Some of the tasks I do include: organizing and producing hearing and trial materials, preparing subpoenas, and assisting attorneys with witness interviews. Recently, I worked on U.S. v. Napout et al., which was part of the FIFA corruption scandal. We tried three FIFA officials for racketeering and accepting bribes. I just finished my law school applications and will hopefully hear back soon with good news!” After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 2015, Connor Genta settled in San Francisco, working for one of the Bay Area’s most well-respected general contractors, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction. Connor specializes in managing the schedule, budget, and day-to-day jobsite activities of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. He recently assisted with the final testing and inspection of San Francisco’s newest, tallest building, the 63-story Salesforce Tower. Connor’s current endeavor is a four-building, one million-square-foot project in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, which was recently leased to Dropbox. Connor is intrigued by the booming commercial real estate market in the Bay Area and hopes to work in estimating and pre-construction more in the future. In his free time, Connor enjoys playing basketball, golf, seeing live music, trying new restaurants, and making hip-hop music. SUMMER 2018 | 47
2011 We are happy to share this exchange between MS English teacher Chris Eriksen and alumna Sofia Sweeney ’11, which took place during 2018 Teacher Appreciation Week. Dear Mr. Eriksen, I was one of your former students many years ago at PCDS. I wanted to reach out to you to say hello and to update you on what I’m doing now. I am 25 years old, I graduated with my Master’s degree a year ago, and I am currently working as a Middle School Spanish teacher in Tucson. Your class was always one of my favorites, and I will never forget the deserted island activity, the “Shadow” project, or the clown-school application. My mom still has mine, and it’s HILARIOUS. I loved your positivity, energy, and the way you cared so much for students. You stand out in my mind as one of the most amazing teachers ever, and you continue to inspire me to this day. Your creativity as a teacher motivates me to be the same in my classroom. So, in honor of teacher appreciation week, thank you so much for being my teacher. I will never forget you or the impact you had! Sincerely, Sofia Sweeney ’11 Spanish Teacher Mansfeld Magnet Middle School Sofi, You just made my day, week, year, career! I totally remember you. You have no idea what your note means to me. You soon will, as you start having former students get back in touch with you. I attached the picture of you I took on the first day of fifth grade. If you recall, I take every student’s picture and use them to learn names at the beginning of the year. I keep them in scrapbooks that I keep on my desk. I can look back at all of you, and often do. I showed your note and pictures to my current crop of students. They loved your pictures and the fact that they are currently working on their Shadow Radio Plays and Clown Applications— small world! I am so happy you are teaching. Love it and pass on your joy of life. Mr. E
48 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Sofia Sweeney, second from left
After attending PCDS, Sofi Sweeney graduated from Shadow Mountain High School, then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at Northern Arizona University. She graduated summa cum laude in 2014 and shortly after returned to Phoenix for her first teaching job at Shadow Mountain High School. She returned to Northern Arizona University to pursue her Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish. Sofi was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship that allowed her to instruct Spanish 101 and 102 at the university for two years. During this time, she wrote her graduate thesis on using Instagram to engage language learners and to develop vocabulary in Spanish. Her research findings presentations won multiple competitions. She also received an award as a distinguished graduate teaching assistant at NAU prior to graduating with distinction in 2017. Today Sofi teaches Spanish to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at Mansfeld Magnet Middle School, a STEM+ and A+ school in Tucson. She tells us, “I love my job, my school, and my community with all my heart. I live with my gorgeous partner and our three dogs, and I spend my free time exploring Tucson, hiking, taking dance classes, hula hooping, and doing aerial acrobatics. The education I received at PCDS was the foundation for my entire academic and professional career. I am so grateful for the educators who had such a huge impact on my life, and who continue to inspire me to this day.” Sybil Rose graduated from Texas Christian University in 2015. She currently works for Too Faced Cosmetics on the eCommerce team while maintaining a competitive equestrian career.
Save the Date for the Annual Alumni Holiday Party! December 21, 2018. Visit www.pcds.org/alumnievents for more details.
Christine Stockslager writes, “Since beginning my education in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Emory University in 2015, I have been blessed with many amazing career opportunities, new life experiences, and new friendships. In January of 2017, I was accepted to the dual degree program at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. Currently, I am completing my coursework toward a Master’s of Public Health with a focus in healthcare management. This summer, I will be transitioning back to my physical therapy coursework by completing my final clinical rotation in Orthopedics Outpatient Physical Therapy. I look forward to returning to clinical work, as physical therapy is truly my passion, and I have been lucky to have already completed clinical rotations at facilities such as the Cleveland Clinic and Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to furthering my education and career aspirations, I have been able to explore the country, complete my first Spartan Race, become involved at a local church, and nanny regularly for a family in Atlanta. I am thankful for everything I have experienced thus far as a result of moving to Atlanta, and I am excited to see what is in store for me once I graduate in May 2019.”
Zahid Pasha reports, “To make up for a less than stellar high school GPA, it took a finessed portfolio, personalitydriven college essays, and a wave of hand-written letters for my acceptance into the #1 Architecture Program at Cornell University. Because I was spending more time maneuvering into the music school’s piano rooms than working on building code and structures assignments, I decided to pursue a music career instead. In 2016, I moved to Newport, California, to work with an online marketing company as their Director of Operations & Chief of Social Media Management while continuing to work on my music. Last year Jeremy Abdo and Nabeer Khan both moved out to Los Angeles to pursue entertainment careers as well. I’d spend any spare time I had working with them on music and film projects such as the big Redbone Music Video (song by Childish Gambino)—which I helped produce and for which I provided some of the marketing. At the end of 2017, I felt I learned more than enough about leveraging the internet to run an enterprise, so I made the executive decision to part ways with the company so I could go all-in with my music. Within the last eight months, I’ve released four mixtapes, a full album, and three music videos. And for the rest of 2018, I’m releasing a new single every week, as well as music videos and other collaborative projects.”
Kathie Zhang reports, “I graduated summa cum laude from the Honors College at Arizona State University with degrees in Biochemistry and Spanish in 2015. I started medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson in 2016. When not in the library, I volunteer with the Commitment for Underserved People (CUP) program, attend supplemental Spanish classes as part of the Bilingual Medical Spanish Program, and explore Tucson.” 2012 Kathleen Larkin went to Phillips Andover and then Brown. After working on documentaries in LA, she will be attending the University of Chicago Law School in the fall of 2018. Devra Hock graduated magna cum laude from Montana State University in December of 2015, getting her BS in Earth Sciences with a concentration in Paleontology and a minor in Museum Studies. She is now finishing up her Master of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying paleoecology. Specifically, she is working on combining modern mammalian proxies into one model to interpret habitat from the fossil record. She will be continuing this research as well as researching museum education as it pertains to paleontology as she continues with her PhD at UNL in the fall. She has also taken up aerial arts, starting with a studio in Tempe, AZ, and continuing with a gym in Lincoln, NE. As of last September, she also teaches lyra (aerial hoop) and has performed with the gym’s performance troop. When she is not at school or at the gym, she is home with her two cats or hanging out with her fellow graduate students. SUMMER 2018 | 49
Danika Worthington tells us, “I’m currently living in Denver and working as a breaking news and general assignment reporter for the Denver Post. My days range from chasing wildfires and digging through data to covering a very important giraffe birthday at the Denver Zoo. I completed a dual bachelor’s and master’s journalism program while studying at Arizona State University’s honors college. And if you’re wondering, yes, a Master’s degree in Journalism is largely viewed as useless, but it meant I had achieved a higher level of education than my three older siblings. At least that was the case until all of them also decided to pursue post-graduate degrees, so thanks a lot, family.” After graduating from Bowdoin College in 2016, Claire Schollaert moved to Boston, MA, and began working as a research assistant in the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health looking at indoor and outdoor sources of air pollution. While working as a full-time research assistant, Claire is also completing her Master of Public Health at BUSPH. After PCDS, Rachel Rummel studied Sociology in Boston, Indonesia, Ireland, and Italy via Northeastern University. Outside of class, she got her yoga teacher certification, interned at Fox Restaurant Concepts, and became a foraging apprentice in British Columbia. Upon completing her thesis on social cohesion in a secular soup kitchen, she ventured to the Pacific to freelance as an editor. Currently, she lives in Brooklyn, where she writes the food and drink database for Atlas Obscura. It’s being adapted into a book called Gastro Obscura, out in 2020. After this project, Rachel wants to eat Kalakukko in Karelia, wind-dry grapes in Turpan, and hang out with her family in the mystical desert of Arizona. 50 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Nimra Khan writes, “I moved to Los Angeles in May of 2017 to work as a merchandiser for the Disney Store. In this role, I helped launch the Disney Store’s completely revamped online platform, shopDisney.com. In November, I began working for Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media in franchise and retail communications. I currently help manage the external public relations for the Star Wars and Disney Classics (Mickey & Minnie, Disney Junior, Disney Channel, Live Action, etc.) businesses.” Rachel Franks reports, “Fresh out of high school, I went to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to pursue a degree in Photojournalism. After a while, I decided that RIT wasn’t the right place for me, and that I wasn’t ready for college. I decided to take time off to explore the country and gain real-world experience. I have driven cross-country countless times and lived in New York, Kentucky, Maine, and Oregon. I eventually moved back to Arizona. I am currently living in Scottsdale and am working as a veterinary receptionist. I am pursuing a degree at a community college with the intention of transferring to ASU for a bachelor’s degree.” Chris Misner tells us, “I went to Arizona State University where I majored in Interdisciplinary Studies with focuses in business and communication. I currently work for a company called Snapbooth Entertainment. We provide
photo-booths to weddings, parties, businesses, etc. My job allows me a lot of time for travel. I love travel because I am extremely passionate about outdoor activities—especially snowboarding. Lately, I have been spending much of the winter months in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, snowboarding as much as possible and enjoying the beautiful terrain there. I plan to continue to pursue snowboarding for the foreseeable future in the northwest, but Arizona will always be home.” After graduating from PCDS, Tianna Sheih went to Scripps College in Southern California. During her second year of undergrad, she was accepted into the early selection MD program at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Tianna graduated with a BA in Biology and a minor in Psychology and went straight to medical school. She joined the Health Equity Program within the Global Health Scholarly Concentration, and she spent this past summer in Uganda working with an NGO on medical education. She is now a third year, recently started her hospital rotations, and is still trying to decide what kind of specialty she wants to pursue. Elliot Goldberg writes, “I just got a job with Raytheon as a systems engineer in LA. My work includes assembling, low-level programming, and testing of fighter-jet sensors such as radar. I’m liking the job so far and am so happy to be back on the west coast.”
Have you “liked” the Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Facebook page? www.facebook.com/PhoenixCountryDaySchoolAlumni
2013 Saira Malhotra reports, ”I went to PCDS from third grade through eighth grade, between 2003 and 2009. I attended Boston University for college, where I was able to pursue degrees in Psychology and Sociology. As a BU student, I was lucky enough to engage in publishing research about how educators can help marginalized youth navigate racial and economic inequality through sociopolitical and positive youth development. This research helped me grow my passion for social justice and ultimately led me to pursue a career in social work. To that end, I am currently working towards my Master’s in Social Work at the University of Denver. I live, study, and work in Denver as both a therapist and researcher to apply my interests in both mental health and social justice. I will be graduating from this program in 2019, after which I plan to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.” Christine Owens went to Northern Arizona and is working on her art, which she has in several galleries. Henry Roden writes, “Since graduating from the University of Arizona this past spring, I have moved to NYC and have been working as a Financial Planner for Macy’s Inc. It has been a thrill living and working in New York, and even though I have been spoiled by our warm winters in Arizona, the past year has been absolutely incredible. Outside of working, I spend much of my time seeing my family out here and volunteering around the city. I have also connected with quite a few University of Arizona and PCDS alums who have made their way to the area. If anyone is in the NYC area and wants to connect, please do not hesitate to reach out!” Charlie Sturr went to Brown and is now working in San Francisco in a technology, telecommunications firm.
Interested in serving as a Class Agent? If so, contact alumni@pcds.org to receive more information.
Since high school, Cole Novatt has been taking part in a five-year BA/MA program. He attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for undergrad, majoring in International and East Asian Studies. The summer after his junior year, the university sponsored him to conduct independent research in China, focusing on Chinese ethnic minorities and the concept of Chinese national identity. Following this research, as a replacement for his senior year, Cole began the MA portion of the program at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies, in Nanjing, China. During his time in Nanjing, he took International Relations-related courses in Chinese, taught by Chinese professors. He is now in the fifth and final year of the BA/MA program, studying at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C. He will graduate in May of 2018, earning his MA in International Relations with a concentration in China Studies. Cole’s ultimate career goal is to work for the State Department as a diplomat. Erin Sheffield studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she graduated from the honors program with a degree in Studio Art. Focusing primarily on sculpture, Erin has had the opportunity to work with many local artists and apprentice with an architectural leaded glass studio. She currently lives and works in San Luis Obispo and is pursuing her art career with plans to work toward an MFA.
Aaron Witt graduated from Arizona State with a Construction Engineering degree. After managing construction projects in four states, he started his own marketing firm for the construction industry. Beyond the marketing firm, his construction-related photos and videos reach over a half a million people weekly through social media.
Elana Leifer is living in Phoenix and recently accepted a job as a Junior UI/UX Designer at the University of Phoenix. She is involved in the tech community and frequents Ladies that UX events around the Valley. She completed an internship with the Scottsdale company Tallwave after graduating from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Painting. Immediately post-grad, Elana spent her summer traveling throughout China and Japan, a last hoorah before hitting the ground running. SUMMER 2018 | 51
Colton Siddle went to Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, got his pilot’s license, and is now a First Officer for SkyWest Airlines. Jacob Feder writes, ”I just completed a B.S. in Computer Engineering this past December and am taking some time off to figure out what my next steps are. After doing a few internships, I’ve realized that the corporate world, although it has its benefits, can often suck out any passion for your work you might have. With that in mind, I’m tentatively planning to apply to PhD programs this coming fall. In the meantime, I spend a few hours a week working on a project with researcher Jeffrey Morgan, who is trying to understand the mechanics of tissues so that, one day, we can grow transplantable organs in a lab. I’ve also been continuing work on a small sub-component of a larger project with researcher Jacob Rosenstein, with the goal of detecting and localizing trace amounts of chemicals in the air. I just started a part-time job at Hexagon Metrology working on various projects. Finally, I’ve been attending a graduate course on ultrafast optics (Life-long learner here! Thanks, PCDS!). Overall things are great, and I’m enjoying a break from the normal schedule of work/school. I’m hoping that I’ve experienced my last New England winter and will be back to the warmth soon.” Since graduating from PCDS, Kaddie Stephens received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State. During her four years at Cronkite, Kaddie held various internships including an SEO and copywriting internship, a magazine-writing internship for a trade company, and a digital reporter internship for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. She currently lives in Arizona and works as a communications specialist at Advisor Group, a 52 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Did you know that we’ve digitized all PCDS yearbooks? Check them out at http://www.pcds.org/about/looking-back wealth management company with more than $180 billion in company assets. She still loves to ride horses and currently owns three, and she still competes on the national hunter/ jumper circuit when time allows. After PCDS, Pallavi Warharkar moved to Philly and began her studies at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, she double-majored in English and Political Science with concentrations in both creative writing and international relations. Her undergraduate thesis was a short story collection that won her department’s Most Outstanding Thesis prize. She graduated with honors in 2017 and has since moved to New York City for her first job. She recently received an Emerging Writer Fellowship by the Aspen Institute for her work in fiction. She hopes to attend graduate school in the next couple years and pursue writing. Her family moved from Arizona several years ago, so she misses home a lot! After high school, Paige Thomas attended Scottsdale Community College, where she pursued a degree in Elementary Education. Along the way, she discovered her passion for volunteering and community service. She was president of the Women’s Rising club as well as a community service club on campus. Paige received a full-ride scholarship to ASU and transferred to the Tempe campus this past fall. She recently moved to Scottsdale and works as a nanny on her off days. Paige is set to graduate in the spring of 2019.
Pauline Shongov graduated from a fiveyear program at Cornell University this past May as a Hunter R. Rawlings III Presidential Research Scholar with a concurrent degree in Fine Arts from the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, and as a College Scholar in Film with a minor in English from the College of Arts and Sciences. She received a summa cum laude for her honors thesis work on early cinema and new media, which included both a written and creative portion that culminated in a series of exhibitions. She begins her PhD track in Film and Visual Studies at Harvard in the fall of 2018. Claire Rose attended the University of San Francisco where she majored in International Studies with a focus in Global Politics. Claire also graduated with a minor in African Studies and is passionate about exploring avenues for international development. While at USF, Claire interned at World Affairs, a Bay Area nonprofit that serves as a forum for bringing together agents of change to discuss international relations and global issues. Post-graduation, Claire worked briefly with Amnesty International to spread awareness about the Syrian Refugee crisis and other human rights campaigns. Claire is currently working at Kiva Microfunds, an international nonprofit that combines technology and microfinance to connect people through lending and alleviate poverty around the world. While at Kiva, Claire has discovered the importance of creating economic opportunity for the poor and will continue to pursue this mission.
Daniel Onofryton graduated from the University of North Dakota in May 2017, with a degree in Aviation Management. He is currently an Airline Transport licensed pilot and works for ’Ohana by Hawaiian Airlines. He lives in Honolulu, HI, and flies interisland routes. Kevin Lynch is working as a venture capital investor at MGV. He focuses on technology investments in infrastructure, insurtech, blockchain, enterprise SaaS, and deep tech. Previously he worked at CrunchFund, a top San Francisco seed fund started by the founder of TechCrunch and a VC from Morgan Stanley Venture Partners. While there, Kevin handled due diligence, co-managed LP relations for the fund, and helped source new deals. After graduating from PCDS, Jackson Murphy attended Miami University of Ohio and graduated with a degree in Engineering Management. Upon graduation from Miami, Jackson commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy. He later married his wife, Kate, and they moved to the Charleston, South Carolina area, where Jackson attended the Navy’s Nuclear Power School. Jackson and his wife will soon be moving to Newport, Rhode Island, where Jackson will go on to attend the Navy’s Supply Corps School. After Supply School, Jackson hopes to be assigned to a submarine where he will be in charge of the submarine’s fiscal matters, supply chain, and logistics. Jessica Cohen tells us, “In December 2016, I graduated from ASU Barrett, The Honors College, with a BSW. I currently live in Charleston, SC, and work as a family grief counselor for an organ procurement organization. I support families of patients in the hospital who have died and become organ donors. In the fall I am moving to Minneapolis, MN, to pursue my Master’s degree in Social Work.”
Maddie Stern reports that she attended Wellesley College and double majored in Mathematics and Economics. She competed on the varsity swim and dive team for all four years while there and was lucky enough to have studied abroad in Denmark for a semester. She graduated in May 2017 in the presence of Hillary Clinton (herself a Wellesley alum), who gave their commencement address. Maddie currently works at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Medical Practice Evaluation Center where she does cost-effectiveness analysis for HIV treatment and prevention. “I plan to move forward in my career to focus more on social policy,” Maddie states. 2014
minor in Ethics. She is starting work at Thomson Reuters as a Go To Market Associate in New York City. Kristine Forster earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, on April 28, 2018. Kristine graduated summa cum laude in three and a half years. At Pepperdine, Kristine was part of the student newspaper staff and, during her senior year, served as the research and teaching assistant for Dr. Connie James, becoming the first student to substitute teach for Dr. James in the capstone business course, Business Policy, Strategy, and Ethics. Kristine plans to pursue a career in finance and accounting.
Nikhita Sachdeva reports, “I will be attending medical school at New York Institute of Technology College of Ostheopathic Medicine in the fall of 2018.” Margaret Loncki recently took home the individual national title at the 2018 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship. Her team, ClaremontMudd-Scripps, also won its first-ever national championship after defeating Williams College in a two-hole playoff. Sydney Portigal just graduated from Emory College of Arts and Sciences with a BA in a Political Science and a
There are a lot of new buildings on the PCDS campus (including an alumni suite!). Want a tour? Email alumni@pcds.org to make arrangements!
SUMMER 2018 | 53
2015 Jorge Manzanares is presently VP for student government at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. He was recently chosen as Homecoming King. Jorge plans to graduate next year.
Are you in? Network with PCDS alumni around the globe. pcds.alumnifire.com
ultra-competitive and focused. Each time I caddy for her, I become more and more impressed by her talent, grit, and poise.”
Jorge Manzanares ’15 is on the right with the 2017 St. Mary’s Homecoming King on left
Morgan Gonzales attends the University of Virginia, where she plays on the women’s golf team. Morgan plays a full college golf schedule during the school year. When her school year ends in May of 2018, she plans to travel to the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, SC, to work with golf instructor, Tim Cooke, to fine-tune her swing. Morgan will also play in several national golf tournaments during the course of the summer. The highlight of summer 2017 was her play at the Canadian Women’s Amateur at Cutten Fields Golf Club in Guelph, Ontario, where her caddy was none other than PCDS MS Head Ben Sullivan! He tells us, “I coached Morgan her senior year on the golf team here at PCDS and have caddied for her four or five times during the past two years, including at this event in Canada. It rained periodically during the tournament and the conditions were harsh. Morgan, however, was undeterred. She remained
During the 2018 summer, Rhea Tuli will be interning at the Welcome to America project. Carolina Olea Lezama is planning to work at PCDS summer camp 2018 and will also hold an internship with LD28 helping Kelli Butler, Christine Marsh, and Aaron Lieberman’s campaigns. In June 2018, Sophia Bailey traveled to Italy (Venice, Florence, and Rome) to admire beautiful art & culture. Angie Anaeme tells us, “During the summer of 2018, I will be working at an urgent care clinic and traveling to Chicago and Mexico.”
Morgan Gonzales ’15 with Head of MS Ben Sullivan
2018 Olivia Najafi is spending the 2018 summer biking from Denmark to Sweden, then visiting the monks in Tibet. Phillip Glascock writes, “During the 2018 summer, I will be continuing to conduct research at Barrow Neurological Institute and visiting Africa for a couple of weeks in July.”
Ilana Hoffer is going to Thailand during the summer of 2018 to tour and volunteer. For their senior class gift, the class of 2018 purchased two custom charging stations for the US Student Center. How cool and useful is that?! Special thanks to 2018 Class Agents Christopher Montooth and Angie Anaeme for facilitating the gift.
Jake Sarver will be a freshman at USC in the fall of 2018 majoring in Business Administration.
Do you have news to share? We are always excited to hear from you. Use the enclosed postage-paid postcard to send details about a graduation, a new job, a birth, engagement or marriage announcement, a recent trip, a new hobby, or a visit with another alumnus/a. Email your photos to alumni@pcds.org. We look forward to learning what you have been up to!
54 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Save the Date for These Upcoming 2018 Alumni Events Friday, October 19 The 51st Annual PCDS Blue + Gold Celebration The Alumni Tent Will be Back!
Saturday, October 27 Denver Alumni Gathering The Goods
Saturday, November 3 New York City Alumni Dinner The Harvard Club
Friday, December 21: Annual PCDS Alumni Holiday Party Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
We look forward to seeing fellow Eagles close to home and around the country! More information at www.pcds.org/alumni For more information regarding our alumni programs, please contact Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99, Director of Alumni Relations, at 602.955.8200 or alumni@pcds.org
SUMMER 2018 | 55
We Did It!
Thank you to our incredible families, alumni, faculty, and staff for supporting PCDS during fiscal year July 2017-June 2018.
Annual Fund $819,719
Total Dollars Raised
PCDS Individual Tax Credit
PCDS Corporate Tax Credit
$693,129
$2,909,333
1,925
Total Dollars Raised
78%
Total Donations
Total Donations Parent Participation
100% Board of Trustees, Faculty & Staff Participation
56 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
418
Total Dollars Raised (during 2017)
19
Total Donors
Learn more about PCDS philanthropy and the transformational impact of these donations at www.pcds.org/giving
Stay Connected to PCDS!
www.facebook.com/ phoenixcountryday www.instagram.com/ phoenix_country_day_school www.twitter.com/ PCDS_Eagles
www.pcds.org
Fun and games for James Jones ’26 during Arts Walk 2018
3901 East Stanford Drive Paradise Valley, Arizona 85253
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Phoenix, AZ Permit No. 1213
PARENTS OF ALUMNI: If this magazine is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of his or her new mailing address at alumni@pcds.org. Thank you!