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
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY
ENDOWMENT
ARTS
HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE
PILLARS OF THE 2020 STRATEGIC PLAN
Winter 2019/2020
THE BRIDGE Phoenix Country Day School, Winter 2019/20
Andrew Rodin Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership Roz Bolger Abero ’89 Assistant Head of School Katie Charles Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99 Director of Alumni Relations Chris Hall Director of Communications & Marketing Tina Pitts Advancement Coordinator Lydia Rodin Advancement Events Coordinator and The Bridge Editor Baird Photography Studios Feature Photography Other photography and articles: Rich Ciro, Ciro Photography; 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. ©2020 Phoenix Country Day School. All rights reserved. This Page: Max Cabianca ’23 in Shakespeare in Love
Contents ON THE COVER
2020 Strategic Plan Positions. See pages 4-9 for details.
ANNUAL FUND
Look for the symbol to the left throughout this issue to identify PCDS Annual Fund dollars at work. Read more about the impact of the Annual Fund and other philanthropy at PCDS on page 30.
ON THE BACK COVER Charlie Newland ’33
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
Message from the Head of School
24 MS Building Community
4
2020 Strategic Plan
26 Faculty News and Notes
10 Louis Family Society for Planned Giving
30 Philanthropy Explained 31
Annual Fund
12
College Counseling Office Welcomes a New Leader
32 Tax Credit
14
US Fall Production
34 Message from the Director of Alumni Relations
16 Athletics 19
Merit Honors
20 A Conversation with Dr. Michelle Hill 21
US Speech & Debate
33 Save the Date: Bridge-the-Gap
35 PCDS in the Family 36 Alumni Fall Events 40 Alumni Profile: Lizzie Vieh ’03 41
Save the Date: Golden Circle
22 Student Art
41
Alumni Weekend
23 MS Robotics
43 Class Notes
COVID-19 UPDATE PCDS is concerned with the well-being of our School as well as the greater community impacted by this global pandemic. The Bridge was scheduled to print on the brink of this rapidly changing situation. Plans and event dates noted in this publication will be affected. We decided to publish the original intentions, but encourage you to visit pcds.org in the coming weeks and months for updates.
WINTER 2019/20 | 1
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Making a Positive Impact on the Lives of Our Students
“ We never shy away from challenging endeavors; if we know it’s good for our students, we’re always game.” Head of School Andy Rodin
T
he opportunity to construct a strategic plan is there for every organization; nothing stops us from crafting a vision for the short- or even long-term. But the reality is that so few actually seize this opportunity. And, truthfully, I can see why. Putting together a smart plan is no easy task, especially if part of the goal is to employ an inclusive process. First of all, it’s difficult to boil down an organization’s needs into a focused vision. Inevitably, big pieces get left on the cutting room floor, and that can be hard to swallow. Conversely, building out a plan that tries to hold on to everything can be equally fraught with challenges. Throw in the desire to have an entire community involved in the decision-making process, and you’ve got a nearly impossible venture—which is why people generally avoid it! And that’s why I’m so proud of our community. We never shy away from challenging endeavors; if we know it’s good 2 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
for our students, we’re always game. As tricky as it was to piece together, the 2020 Strategic Plan is specifically crafted to make a positive impact on the lives of our students. And I can say with great confidence that our final product will achieve just that. I hope that you will enjoy this issue of The Bridge, and that you will take particular interest in reading about our strategic vision for the next five years. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the fruits of our labors. All my best,
Andrew M. Rodin P’19, ’19, ’25 Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tracy Brennan President Charlene Whitfill Executive Vice President and Vice President Trusteeship Michelle Hosmar Vice President Facilities Planning David Lewis Vice President Finance/Operations and Strategic Planning Charles W. Shields Vice President Finance/Investments PCDS Board of Trustees. Back row, from left: Mercedes Liljegren, Dan Silverman, Lou Werner ’87, Charlie Shields, David Lewis, Tim Louis ’81, Head of School Andy Rodin. Middle row: Tracy Schwimmer, Jordan Rose, Margaux Rosen, Donna Johnson, Michelle Hosmar, Tracy Brennan, Adam Goodman. Front row: Charlene Whitfill, Kiran Singh, Taylor Burke, Darryl Berger, Marian Florey, Tiffany Pondelik ’00. Not pictured: Don Dady
Donna Johnson Vice President Advancement Darryl Berger Taylor Burke Don Dady Adam Goodman
Welcome, Dan Silverman P’21, ’24
“ An excellent education requires a lot of difficult work, of many different people. My role is to help make sure every PCDS student, teacher, and staff member gets what they need to do that work.”
Mercedes Liljegren Tim Louis ’81 Jordan Rose Margaux Rosen Tracy Schwimmer
Ex officio: Andrew Rodin Head of School Tiffany Pondelik ’00 President, Alumni Association Board Marian Florey President, Parents’ Association Advisory Trustees: Beverly Bradway Susan J. Bansak Daniel J. Donahoe III Bennett Dorrance Susan Garrity Samuel Garvin Bert Getz 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
Dan Silverman Kiran Singh Lou Werner ’87
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. PCDS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which sets forth guidelines for independent school governing boards. To view the Principles of Good Practice, visit www.pcds.org/admissions/the-independent-school-difference.
WINTER 2019/20 | 3
THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY
FEATURE
ARTS
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE
Strategic Plan 2020
PCDS embarks on its next five-year plan By Roz Bolger Abero ’89 It’s all too common: groups gather enthusiastically to write a strategic plan, but once created, it languishes on a shelf—perhaps because it was uninspired, unrealistic, or simply because there was no time to tackle implementation amid the speed of business. Another common issue occurs when groupthink takes over and yields a plan that misses the mark. But since our School’s launch in 1961, Phoenix Country Day School has avoided these strategic planning pitfalls, taking strategic planning and implementation very seriously. We proudly leverage our thoughtfully crafted plans as our North Star. The PCDS strategic plan gets re-crafted every five years, and now that our next plan has received approval from the Board of Trustees, we are excited to share it with our greater community through this edition of The Bridge. What follows is an introduction that puts this new plan in the context of our position of strength, as well as seven fairly broad position statements—which we’re referring to as pillars—established to underscore the values that are most important to us and to guide our efforts through this next term. The seven pillars are: • Academic Excellence • Professional Development • Endowment • Happy, Healthy, Hardworking Culture • Thought Partner to Greater Phoenix Community • Arts • Diversity, Inclusivity & Acceptance
Introduction to Strategic Plan Since 1961, Phoenix Country Day School has been a trailblazer for educational excellence in Arizona, achieving recognition among the nation’s best independent schools while still forging its own unique path in the Southwest. Our studied and thoughtful approach to education has succeeded by every measure: engaged students and faculty, a nationally recognized academic program, robust co-curricular opportunities that have resulted in state and national championships, and thousands of accomplished graduates near and far. As we embark on the 2020 Strategic Plan, our compelling history empowers us to continue to pour energy into established areas of strength while undertaking additional initiatives that we believe will push our School to new heights. We do so with the ever-present goal of providing the best scholastic experience for the students of today and tomorrow.
The 2020 Strategic Plan reflects nearly two years of hard work and careful consideration by all constituencies involved in its development, including the board, administration, faculty, staff, parents, and students. The plan appropriately combines three key elements: a limited number of important strategic initiatives to guide our actions; concrete goals underlying each initiative against which progress and achievement can be measured and assessed; and “big swings” that, if achieved, have the potential to set PCDS apart for decades into the future. I was personally impressed by the thoughtful participation of all involved in the plan’s development, and I look forward to witnessing the entire PCDS community embark on this path. David Lewis, Chair, Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees
4 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Strategic Positions—Seven Pillars We believe that our ultimate responsibility is to provide for our students the most dynamic academic experience possible. What to this day separates PCDS from what will continue to do ACADEMIC the crowd—andPROFESSIONAL so into the future—is our unyielding dedication to academic EXCELLENCE DEVELOPMENT excellence. This commitment is bolstered by a thoughtfully crafted, ever-evolving curriculum conveyed to students by expert teachers.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Maintain academic program that balances academic fundamentals and facts with creativity, deep thinking, and relevant experiential learning
THOUGHT PARTNER TO
• Complete curriculum guide (by end of 2019-20)—internal THE GREATER ARTS and external versions COMMUNITY
THOUGHT PARTNER TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY
ARTS
• Create accompanying soft skills guide to mirror curriculum guide • Refine and clarify departmental organization and leadership • Identify and strengthen curricular arts integration
We believe that the classroom exchanges between teachers and students are the synapses of our educational nervous system. Much as our teachers ask our students to seek growth, we encourage our teachers to seek growth of their own. To support these endeavors, we offer dynamic professional development opportunities and will add to that a plan for the observation and formal evaluation of all faculty members on campus.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ENDOWMENT
ENDOWMENT
We believe that a first-rate education is a precious investment, and that we have a responsibility as a school to follow sound financial practices for both the short- and long-term.HAPPY, As we enter our seventh decade, HEALTHY, we will deliberately focus on growing the endowment ENDOWMENT HARDWORKINGPCDS CULTURE through philanthropy, planned giving, well-advised investment strategies, and prudent business practices to ensure that the profound impact of a PCDS education will be available for generations to come.
ENDOWMENT
HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE
• Continue conservative and transparent financial policies that enable us to stay true to our core, bolstered in part by aDIVERSITY, strong annualINCLUSIVITY fund and tax credit program
DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE
ACCEPTANCE • EnhanceAND endowment funding through a special focus on planned giving
• Educate all constituents, including faculty and staff, on the endowment’s role in a thriving independent school
We believe that the real magic in the internal PCDS community derives from our deep commitment to people who are happy, healthy, and hardworking. In every employee we hire, every student we accept, every student we support, and every family with whom we partner, we must value and promote these critical traits. We will continue to nurture and evolve a safe environment that brings out the very best in our students.
HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE
• Continue to treasure student-teacher relationships as a key element of student wellness
• Continue to leverage Folio software to deepen culture of collaboration, flexibility, innovation, and feedback among faculty and staff
• Remain vigilant regarding campus security policies and practices
• Examine the longitudinal impact of previous professional development experiences, including former Yellott Grant projects, and explore connections that can be elevated
• Consistently explore opportunities to support programs and practices that nurture self-awareness, balance, and compassion; this includes examining options to promote more sleep
T PARTNER TO DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY TER COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE • Continue to offer an athletic program that balances inARTS • More deliberately share the outcomes of existing profesT PARTNER TOsional development opportunities andDIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITYclusiveness with a competitive spirit broadcast internal professional expertise TER COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE • Retain and strengthen counseling program for PK-12 ARTS
• Commit to more environmentally-friendly campus practices • Prioritize parent education and communication WINTER 2019/20 | 5
ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE DEVELOPMENT
DEMIC LLENCE
PROFESSIONAL HAPPY, ENDOWMENT HEALTHY, DEVELOPMENT ENDOWMENT HARDWORKING CULTURE
HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE
We believe that it is now time for PCDS, We believe that the visual, digital, and at 60 years old, to serve as a thought partperforming arts should be central to the ner to the greater Phoenix community: PCDS experience, as they provide meana knowledgeable, practiced, and steady ingful and engaging connections with the point of association for local schoolsTOwho world around us,INCLUSIVITY while simultaneously THOUGHT PARTNER DIVERSITY, THOUGHT PARTNER DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY are eager to pushTOtheir own programs forward. Building on deepening our understanding of ourselves. Having recently THE GREATER COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE ARTS THE GREATER COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE the model established nearly 30ARTS years ago with Project lent extensive attention to other facets of our co-curricular Excellence, we will move beyond our own campus to make program, including athletics, it is now time to train a conan impact. scious focus on the arts. • Continue offering programs that make PCDS accessible to a broad array of students, including robust financial aid and Project Excellence • Amplify student service experiences that foster ongoing conversation and engagement both on and beyond our campus • Explore opportunities to leverage our relative strength in the arts to enrich arts in local schools at both the faculty and student level • Deepen sustainability efforts through local partnerships/ service
• Continue building on established strengths in the arts, including varied course offerings across disciplines and hiring faculty who are arts professionals • Explore opportunities to embed the arts visually across campus • Build a first-rate performing arts center that supports music education, balancing traditional practices with modern, innovative, and diverse offerings • Harness current arts integration practices and expand more deliberately across the curriculum • Explore the ways the arts nurture balance, compassion, and self-awareness
I found the conversations in the arts strategic planning sessions so inspiring and motivating. It was clear that we, as arts educators, believe in something much deeper than the craft or the subject or the medium of the arts; we all spoke so powerfully of the humanity that our students discover within themselves through the arts. Our optimism for PCDS’s current and future arts program is palpable, and my excitement for the future performing arts building is beyond expression! Keith Burns, Theater Arts Director, 21 years at PCDS
2014
2016
2018
2018
2019
2019
2019
Previous Strategic Plan and Implementation 2014-2019
ISAS Accreditation Visit Yielded Commendations and Recommendations
Board of Trustees Create Strategic Planning Committee
Surveys of Parents, Students, and Faculty & Staff Via Email
Board of Trustees Retreat Yielded Seven Strategic Plan Pillars
Board Approved Plan Framework Submitted by Strategic Planning Committee
Plan Framework Announced Via Welcome Back Email from Andy Rodin
6 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
SPRING
FALL
JANUARY
SPRING
AUGUST
HAPPY, HEALTHY, HARDWORKING CULTURE
NDOWMENT
We believe that the characteristics articulated in the PCDS Portrait of a Graduate must serve as our compass through all we endeavor to accomplish. Central to these core values are deliberate, pedagogically DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY sound, and age-appropriate discussions around diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance. AND ACCEPTANCE
We hope you will see in these position statements the core values that make PCDS so special to you and to our greater community. Our work has only just begun, and we’re excited to see what emerges as we set about executing this plan over the next several years. We’re so fortunate to have such an actively engaged community—let’s keep pushing forward together!
• Maintain strong racial, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity among our student body and continually seek opportunities to broaden student perspectives • Continue practices to ensure diverse representation on the Board of Trustees and committees • Enhance professional development to help faculty navigate challenges around student diversity, with a special focus on differing ideological viewpoints • Strive to recruit and retain diverse faculty, staff, and administration • Develop diversity mission statement representing commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
The Strategic Planning process was a great opportunity for me to collaborate with colleagues from all divisions and speak to the larger ideas and direction in which PCDS is moving. I love being part of a community that continually reflects on growth and progress, paired with an action plan to create a better work and learning experience for everyone! Kelli Newsome, Pre-k Faculty, nine years at PCDS
I keep thinking how lucky I am to work in a community that seeks grassroots input. There’s an evergrowing exchange of perspectives across divisions, subjects, and departments to shape the overarching goals for this school—so meaningful change feels possible. I am especially excited that we are looking toward a PCDS future that puts a spotlight on our relationship with the earth—what we consume, how we dispose of it, and ways that our routine decisions impact the environment at large. Hallie Mueller, Visual Arts Faculty, eight years at PCDS
2019 FALL
Faculty/Staff Task Forces Created Recommendations Regarding Each Pillar
2019 FALL
Parent Focus Groups and Division Heads Provided Input on the Plan
2020
JANUARY Board of Trustees Approved Full Strategic Plan
2020
CURRENT Full Plan Shared with Parent and Student Community
WHAT’S NEXT 2020-2025
While defining the roadmap that will keep us busy over the next five years was critically important, the real fun is yet to begin. Next, implementation teams will be created, students will become involved, and we’ll share our progress regularly through various school communications (including The Bridge ) and our website beginning in the fall of 2020. Stay tuned! WINTER 2019/20 | 7
Strategic Plan—Big Swings Among the seven strategic plan pillars emerged overlapping connections and larger projects—“bigger swings”—that we are eager to undertake over the next five years.
Curriculum Articulation A sweeping articulation of our academic program of study, pre-k through 12th grade, will allow us to examine the 14-year arc of a PCDS education. Both a detailed internal version and a more concise external version will be made available. The curriculum guide will lay the groundwork for a parallel self-audit of PCDS’s efforts toward whole-student growth and development braided into the learning program (e.g., skills and traits including resilience, confidence, curiosity, generosity, resourcefulness, collaboration, and citizenship, among others).
Arts in Local Schools We believe that the arts are fundamental to an outstanding education, not only as a co-curricular or integrated activity but interwoven with proven pedagogical approaches. We seek partnerships with schools where teachers are applying creative methods to keep the arts alive and where our students and faculty can help enrich arts offerings.
Sustainability PCDS has adopted more sustainable measures over the past several years, but we are eager to enhance this commitment to our environment. We will explore our current practices and establish cultural norms that embrace mindfulness towards our actions and choices and how they impact all living things.
West Campus Campaign There is one side of campus that has been waiting patiently for a master plan that allows us to build a first-rate performing arts center while completing the upgrade of our athletic facilities and fields and improving long-ignored maintenance and staff facilities. In order to build a performing arts center that elevates our programming, we must examine our current performing arts offerings as well as our arts wish-list, and build a facility that supports both current and future needs. n
Folio PCDS recently implemented a software program called Folio that supports ongoing professional development. There is even more that this robust program can support, including departmental, grade-level, and cross-divisional professional groups and collaborations, and classroom observations tailored to different career stages or areas of focus.
Strategic Plan Task Forces performed an exercise prioritizing the many goals and objectives they created for each strategic pillar.
It’s been my honor to help organize the creation and now execution of our next strategic plan. We’re fortunate to be in a position of strength that calls upon us to deepen the roots of what’s working using our strength as a springboard to tackle objectives that will take us to new levels of excellence. I’m inspired by the work of our community daily! Roz Bolger Abero ’89, Assistant Head of School, six years at PCDS
8 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Back row: Mary Kay Meyers, Jenny Cherilla, Lynetta Binger, Kelly Butler, Nick Klemp, Eric Neufer, Brent Root, Kara Harris, Keith Burns. Third row: Kavita Kukunoor, Taylor Nelson, Justin Brooks, Tina Pitts, Head of School Andy Rodin, Jesse Munch, Leslie Feldman, Blake Howard, Maki Fullerton. Second row: Karen Cuculic, Pam Gagner, Kathryn Bucolo, Jaki Ivins, Katie Charles, Jenny Treadway, Kelli Newsome, Roz Abero, Carrie Bloomston, Kelsey Knutson. Front row: Joanna Wisniewska, Anabel Ayala, Jaime Sheridan, Rachel Scarpone, Gabi Ragsdale, Chris Hall, Michele Huskey, Hallie Mueller, Loreta Aguirre, Lydia Rodin. Not pictured: Andrea Avery, Ken Brodel, Michael Gordon-Smith, Kate Halsey, Meg Hathaway, Suzi Pressley, Lisa Tolentino
THANK YOU TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN BOARD AND TASK FORCE MEMBERS Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees:
Professional Development
Happy, Healthy, Hardworking Culture
Arts
David Lewis Chair Tracy Brennan Taylor Burke Michelle Hosmar Donna Johnson
Andrea Avery
Loreta Aguire
Keith Burns
Lynetta Binger
Michele Huskey
Karen Cuculic
Kelly Butler
Hallie Mueller
Kara Harris
Pam Gagner
Suzi Pressley
Jesse Munch
Joanna Wisniewska
Gabi Ragsdale
Lisa Tolentino
Charlene Whitfill
Endowment
Jaime Sheridan
Carrie Bloomston
Diversity, Inclusivity & Acceptance
Anabel Ayala
Partner to Community
Academic Excellence
Ken Brodel
Kathryn Bucolo
Justin Brooks
Jenny Cherilla
Katie Charles
Leslie Feldman
Maki Fullerton
Meg Hathaway
Tina Pitts
Blake Howard
Kate Halsey
Nick Klemp
Michael Gordon-Smith
Mary Kay Meyers
Kelsey Knutson
Kavita Kukunoor Kelli Newsome
Taylor Nelson
Lydia Rodin
Eric Neufer
Jenny Treadway
Brent Root
Rachel Scarpone
WINTER 2019/20 | 9
Louis Family Society FOR
PLANNED
GIVING
You are Invited to Leave a Legacy The Louis Family Society for Planned Giving recognizes members of the extended PCDS community who have included the School in their estate plans in some fashion, ranging from a bequest intention to a trust arrangement. We invite you to consider adding your name to this prestigious list. Special thanks to the following individuals, whose commitment makes them founding members of this new society. Rosalind Bolger Abero ’89 & Inaudi Abero
Amy & Tim Louis ’81
Tracy & Bill Brennan
Carolyn Polson O’Malley ’65 & Mark O’Malley
Hathaway & Galen Brewster
Lydia & Andrew Rodin
Judy Mitchell & Lance Coon
Jordan & Jason Rose
Elaine & John Crabb
Mary & Paul Schweikher
Donna & Stephen Johnson
Tracy & Marc Schwimmer
C. Ryan Joyce
John R. Sewell ’73
Jean & Robert Kosower
Shoshana & Robert Tancer
Dorian Elder Kuper ’73 & Tom Kuper
Lea & Lou Werner ’87
Cristina & Shane Lewis 10 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Ways to Leave a Legacy GIFTS FROM YOUR WILL OR TRUST The most popular way to make a planned gift is with a simple bequest to PCDS. Through your will or other estate plans, you may name PCDS as the beneficiary of a portion of your estate or of particular assets in your estate.
GIFTS FROM A RETIREMENT PLAN Donate assets subject to taxation and leave more to your family.
GIFTS FROM YOUR DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS Make an outright gift from your donor-advised fund or name PCDS as the ultimate beneficiary of the remainder in the fund.
GIFTS OF LIFE INSURANCE Make a significant gift to PCDS even without a large estate by naming PCDS as the beneficiary of your life insurance.
GIFTS OF REAL ESTATE Donate a valuable asset in exchange for powerful tax benefits.
LIFE-INCOME GIFTS There are a variety of tax-advantaged life-income gifts that you may wish to consider, including Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities. Please consult with your tax advisor or estate attorney about tax implications and which options are best for you.
r
For more information or to let us know you have arranged for a planned gift, contact: Roz Abero ’89, roz.abero@pcds.org, 602.955.8200 x2221
WINTER 2019/20 | 11
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
The College Counseling Office Welcomes a New Leader Meet Constance Lumumba-Perez, Director of College Counseling
FACTS: BA, Pitzer College MA, University of New Mexico Former Director of College Counseling, Bosque School Former Assistant Director of Admissions, Pitzer College (Claremont Schools) Former President of the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admission Counseling She has led or presented at multiple conferences throughout the country on issues regarding college admission, financial aid, and diversity.
A
lthough Ms. Perez grew up in and around LA, she has had PCDS and the Valley in her sights ever since she was a Pitzer undergraduate working in their college admissions office. There was always something special she felt about our esteemed PK-12 independent school nestled in a suburb of Phoenix. She was struck by how successfully our School prepared students for life outside of PCDS and—for the majority—for life in competitive out-of-state colleges and universities, particularly since it was contradictory to Arizona’s state trends, with its low graduation rates and the tendency for those who do graduate to remain in state. Upon receiving her BA from Pitzer and becoming an admissions counselor at her alma mater, Ms. Perez was given the Southwest as her recruitment territory. This gave her the opportunity to get to know our School even more intimately, particularly because one of her former colleagues at a fellow Claremont School, Patrick McHonett, was—at the time—working in our US and then moved to the Director of College Counseling position here at PCDS. Fast forward: After spending some quality time as the Director of College Counseling at the Bosque School, Ms. Perez and her husband knew that it was time to make their next professional move. Perhaps it was fate because PCDS happened to be saying goodbye to our own Director of College Counseling, Mr. McHonett, who was moving on to a Head of School position in CA. There had been many independent schools that took interest in Ms. Perez’s candidacy, but when PCDS offered her the job after our own competitive applicant process, Ms. Perez knew that this was meant to be. “For years, I have been watching, visiting, and learning about the PCDS community and its students,” shares Ms. Perez. “PCDS has such a nice mix of students who are not only clearly intelligent, but who are also curious, empathetic, self-confident, passionate, and inquisitive about the greater world. The particularly nice thing about our students is that they are still kids—which is also delightfully recognized and celebrated by our School—despite holding all those mature qualities. I am thrilled that I now have the opportunity to be part of this special place, and that my own son, Mateo (currently in pre-k at PCDS), will be exposed to our School’s culture from a young age.” Ms. Perez recognizes that she brings her own experiences and expertise to PCDS but wants us to know that our college counseling office is already a “phenomenally well-oiled machine.” “We are not rebuilding the office,” she shares, “just working to enhance what we already do so well.”
12 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Below are some highlighted areas that Ms. Perez finds as unique to our college counseling office that serve as a blueprint for other independent school college counseling offices. In the college counseling office at PCDS: • We have the opportunity to meet with every student in the US—through the senior year seminar and the junior year small group sessions—to help them own their personal college process • We are improving on and implementing new ways to build relationships with all US students as early as freshman year
• We are working to help reduce the stress level for both parents and students throughout the college application process • We work to be as present as possible on a daily basis, so that way we can get to know each unique student
• We have—and are creating more—opportunities for parents to learn about the college process before their student’s later US years
• We are traveling and communicating with colleges and universities all over the country and the world on a regular basis to keep current with programs, trends, and to promote our own students
• We have an incredible staff that includes the fortunate and unique support of Dr. Becky Allison, beloved former US English teacher, who works with students on perfecting their applications and essays
Ms. Perez welcomes the opportunity to chat with any and all families interested in discussing the college process either specifically or even more generally. Please do not hesitate to contact her: constance.perez@pcds.org. n
“For years, I have been watching, visiting, and learning about the PCDS community and its students. I am thrilled to be part of this special place.” Ms. Perez
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
Fall Production: Shakespeare in Love by Alain Kouchica ’20 and Kira Liljegren ’20
In the fall, PCDS theatre performed Shakespeare in Love (a play version of the critically acclaimed movie). The story follows Will Shakespeare in his attempt to write the play that will eventually become Romeo and Juliet. The problem is he has run out of inspiration—that is, until he meets Viola, a woman with a passion for his works and a desperate need to be onstage herself. Unbeknownst to Will, Viola auditions for his play disguised as a man and lands the leading role! Hilarity ensues as Will finds his inspiration again through his love for Viola, all while Viola (a.k.a. “Thomas Kent”) plays the male lead in his show under Will’s nose. Our fall production was directed by US Drama teacher Keith Burns, who helped the actors bring the story to life honestly and powerfully with his coaching. The following discussion between Kira Liljegren (Viola De Lesseps) and Alain Kouchica (Will Shakespeare) is about both the performance and rehearsal process.
14 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
K: I’ve had some people ask me what it was like getting into character. For me, I share a lot of similarities with Viola: our love of Shakespeare’s works, our desire to perform on the stage, and our tendency to speak our minds. My main challenge in portraying her was more around playing her male alter-ego, “Thomas Kent.” It took a lot of time and help from Mr. Burns to figure out how to not only play Thomas Kent, but how to portray Viola playing Thomas Kent. A: For me, I didn’t originally see myself being cast as William Shakespeare—I just wasn’t used to playing that type of character. After getting cast, I found it was a process of getting to know Will on a deeper level. Will goes through a large shift as the show progresses. He starts off as an artist struggling with his craft, but he seems to find his passion once again after he meets Viola. Bringing truth to that in my performance proved to be a difficult but fun challenge. Another arduous task for me was working with and performing the Shakespearean text that was present throughout much of the show.
Right, from top: Kira Liljegren ’20, Alain Kouchica ’20; Alain Kouchica ’20, Kira Liljegren ’20 with Jack Dahl ’23 in background; Sam Tepper ’22 , Elliott Ernster ’22; Allie Dever ’20, Bennett Montrose ’21
K: I hear you. There was a really cool dynamic when we were reciting Shakespeare in that (for the most part) our characters were usually doing so in the context of a conversation with one another. I found that there was a balance I had to strike between reciting Shakespeare’s words with their original intentions and remembering it was Will and Viola saying them, not Romeo and Juliet. A: Totally. It was really interesting since the show’s story is that of Shakespeare constructing Romeo and Juliet based off of his relationship with Viola. So we sort of pulled off this meta situation where we got to tell our story twice: once as Will and Viola, and once as Romeo and Juliet. That was particularly apparent in the last part of the show, where we actually performed the Romeo and Juliet death scene. K: Oh yes, that scene! The dress I wore for that final scene, selected for me by Liz Dever and her costume crew, was quite possibly my most favorite costume ever. My costumes had the added challenge of needing to be easily taken on and off. Throughout the show, I had eleven different quickchanges between Viola and Kent. Therefore, making my entrances on time required a lot of pre-planning (at the top of the show, I was wearing six different layers!), as well as help from three aides backstage. A: I was lucky in that aspect. I was able to wear just one costume throughout the show. I did have to do a lot of climbing up and down our wooden stage set though, which was built to honor Elizabethan-style theatres. The set will actually be kept and used (with some remodeling) for our upcoming spring production of West Side Story, which just so happens to be another retelling of Romeo and Juliet. K: And I couldn’t be more excited for our next show. As seniors, the upcoming production of West Side Story will be both of our final performances on the PCDS stage. I’ll be playing Anita. A: And I’ll be playing Bernardo. The cast is currently hard at work rehearsing for the show, and it’s going to be a knockout! Performances will be in March. n WINTER 2019/20 | 15
16 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Samantha Stein ’20: AIA Division III Diver of the Year
Quinn Murphy ’21: AIA Division III Swimmer of the Year
Coach Kristin Pruett: AIA Division III Girls’ Dive Coach of the Year
Coach Mike Maczuga: AIA Division III Girls’ & Boys’ Swim Coach of the Year
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Swim & Dive at State Boys’ and Girls’ AIA DIII Runner-Up State Champions
Back row: Charlize Szeto, Quinn Murphy, Lucas Oland, Richard Humphreys, Jaxon Gonzales, Tyler Sessler. Middle row: Coach Pruett, Lucas Olschansky, Maya Lewis, Siena Hayes, Eliot Murphy, Brett Miketinac, John Moore, Coach Maczuga. Bottom row: Wade Hunter, Caleb Humphreys, Tatum Horton, Lauren Yeung, Elle Rosenfeld, Samantha Stein
Boys’ and Girls’ AIA DIII Runner-Up State Champions
School Records:
Boys’ Small Schools State Champions
50 Free: Quinn Murphy ’21
Boys’ and Girls’ Small Schools Combined Champions
100 Breast: Jaxon Gonzales ’21
Division III Swimmer of the Year: Quinn Murphy ’21
Division III Diver of the Year: Samantha Stein ’20
Diving: Samantha Stein ’20 Girls’ 400 Free Relay, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay: Siena Hayes ’22, Maya Lewis ’23, Quinn Murphy ’21, Charlize Szeto ’22
Division III Boys’ and Girls’ Swim Coach of the Year: Mike Maczuga
Meet of Champions Medalists:
Division III Girls’ Dive Coach of the Year:
Diving Fourth Place: Samantha Stein ’20
Kristin Pruett
All American Swim Times: 100 Free, 100 Back: Quinn Murphy ’21 Small Schools Champion in Dive: Samantha Stein ’20
Individual State Champions: 100 Free, 100 Back: Quinn Murphy ’21 Diving: Samantha Stein ’20
100 Free First Place: Quinn Murphy ’21
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Max Goldstein ’21, Jaxon Gonzales ’21, Siena Hayes ’22, Brett Miketinac ’20, Quinn Murphy ’21, Lucas Olschansky ’21, Tyler Sessler ’22, Samantha Stein ’20, Charlize Szeto ’22 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Brett Miketinac ’20, John Moore ’20, Samantha Stein ’20
200IM: Charlize Szeto ’22 Girls’ 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay: Siena Hayes ’22, Maya Lewis ’23, Quinn Murphy ’20, Charlize Szeto ’22 WINTER 2019/20 | 17
ANNUAL FUND
ATHLETICS
Additional Fall Athletic Awards Congratulations to the following students for athletic awards in these fall school sports:
GIRLS’ VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
MS Results MOUNTAIN VALLEY LEAGUE 5 GIRLS’ BLUE VOLLEYBALL
State Playoffs Qualifier
Quarterfinalists Coaches’ Awards: Camila Acharya ’27, Jodie Jones ’27
Division Recognition:
6 GIRLS’ BLUE VOLLEYBALL
All Region Second Team: Hannah Drewitz ’21, Lilly Robinson ’22
Quarterfinalists Coaches’ Awards: Josie Robinson ’26, Kiki Soldatos ’26
All Region Honorable Mention: Sydney McCarter ’20, Ellie Rink ’20, Alex Xanthos ’21
6 GIRLS’ GOLD VOLLEYBALL
Internal School Awards:
Semifinalists Coaches’ Awards: Aya El Masry ’26, Alexa Schaefer ’26
Coaches’ Awards: Sydney McCarter ’20, Ellie Rink ’20
7/8 GIRLS’ BLUE VOLLEYBALL
Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Ellie Rink ’20
Champions Coaches’ Awards: Morgan Mamolen ’25, Ellie Robinson ’25
GIRLS’ JV VOLLEYBALL Coaches’ Award: Hannah Perlmutter ’23
BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY Division Recognition:
7/8 GIRLS’ GOLD VOLLEYBALL Quarterfinalists Coaches’ Awards: Tabitha Cohen ’24, Lauren Russo ’25
5/6 BOYS’ FLAG FOOTBALL
26th at AIA Sectionals: Ethan Rosenfeld ’20
Champions Coaches’ Awards: Turner Ashby ’27, Clemente Pappoe ’26
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY
7/8 BOYS’ FLAG FOOTBALL
Third at AIA Sectionals, 10th at AIA State Meet
Division Recognition: Sixth at AIA Sectionals, Eleventh at AIA State Meet: Claire Linos ’21 Eleventh at AIA Sectionals: Ella Brenes ’23
Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Award: Jessie Dady ’20, Claire Linos ’21
BOYS’ VARSITY SOCCER
Note that Boys’ Varsity Soccer moved to Division IIIA and now plays in the winter season. Details on that season will be highlighted in the summer issue of The Bridge. 18 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Champions Coaches’ Awards: Austin Hinkson ’24, Harry Steiner ’24
CACTUS CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS LEAGUE 6/7/8 GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL Quarterfinalists Coaches’ Awards: Quincy Rodin ’25, Anna Santos ’24
GREAT HEARTS LEAGUE GOLF Third Place Top 5 Finish: Jack Lundquist ’24 Coaches’ Awards: Jack Lindquist ’24, Brady Sheridan ’26
STUDENT SECTION
PCDS Seniors Recognized in National Merit Competition 12 Seniors Recognized / 19% of the Senior Class
Twelve members of the Class of 2020 received recognition in the National Merit Scholarship competition. The PCDS senior class is comprised of: 4 Merit Semi-finalists, 7 Commended Scholars, and 1 National Hispanic Recognition student—representing 19% of the 2020 senior class.
Top row: Ethan Cohen (C), Ethan Zimmerman (C). Middle row: Jacob Koster (C), Ethan Rosenfeld (SF), Kira Liljegren (SF), Caden Mikkelsen (C). Bottom row: Ryan Horlick (SF), Isabelle Partovi (C), Natalie Lewis (C), Mira Kaibara (C). Not pictured: Pietro Ori (SF), Cristina Glascock (National Hispanic Recognition) (SF: Semi-Finalist; C: Commended)
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ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
A Conversation with Dr. Michelle Hill MS Speech & Debate Coach and MS Social Studies Teacher
How long have you been involved in Speech & Debate? I joined my own middle school team when I was in the sixth grade. I’m actually a charter member of the Middle School National Speech & Debate Association. From the moment I joined, I was “all in.” I had finally found my people and my activity, and it was hard to think about anything else. After participating in the competitive Texas high school circuit, I earned a scholarship to compete at Illinois State University. We won the National Collegiate Championship in 2005.
You mention the word co-curricular. Can you explain that? Both Nick Klemp (US Director of Speech & Debate) and I believe that speech & debate is truly a co-curricular activity. Anyone who dedicates themselves to the team will see positive effects, not only around their ability to present and argue, but also in their writing, as well as with their critical thinking and analytic skills. Obviously we’re biased, but we also think that speech & debate attracts some of the best students out there, who then tend to further shine in their classes after deploying the skills they learn in speech & debate. Who can benefit most from S&D?
Awesome. The kids faced a lot of change, and I’m so proud— not only of their work but also their attitudes.
Honestly, everyone could probably benefit from participating in this activity at some level. Obviously, not all students are going to be as “all in” as I was so many years ago. But for those that are, we have lots of opportunities to compete at very high levels.
Because many students plan to continue competing in our US, our MS is a great place to be introduced to all facets of the activity. That way they can form a solid foundation that is not only competitive in the MS, but also for the next seven years.
Perhaps surprisingly, I’m even more interested in the student who would prefer to be absent than to be present for a class presentation. The potential for growth and transformation in that type of a student is something that truly excites me.
How was your first semester in this role at PCDS?
This year, instead of cut-based auditions, we started with assignments designed to introduce students to the various events within speech & debate and to give them agency and ownership over their own path in this co-curricular activity. A few students self-selected out and didn’t do the assignment. However, all of those that did start the year with something they were proud of then competed at two on-campus tournaments during the first semester.
What’s next for the MS team? Much of the spring semester is dedicated to gearing up for nationals. This year, the National Speech & Debate Association’s national tournament is in Albuquerque, NM, in June. There, MS students will compete in the world’s largest academic competition, alongside our US students who are hoping to have qualified at districts in March. n
“The MS team has been working hard to build a strong foundation that will help students competitively later this season and assist them as students and scholars in future speech & debate and academic pursuits.” Dr. Michelle Hill
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ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
US Speech & Debate
Tournament results between October and December 2019 leading up to the 2020 season Glenbrooks National
Jim Fountain Classic
Fourth Place Team Speech Sweepstakes
Fourth Place Team
Semifinalists Duo Interpretation: Ryan Horlick ’20 & Yash Wadwekar ’22
Champion Prose Interpretation: Isabella Sigalove ’20
Semifinalist Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
Champions Duo Interpretation: Ryan Horlick ’20 & Yash Wadwekar ’22
Third Place Extemporaneous Speaking: Pierce Florey ’21
Champion Congressional Debate: Michael Bendok ’21
Third Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Champion Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Third Place Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21
Champion Original Oratory: Misha Ghafouri ’23
George Mason University Patriot Games
Champion Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Runner-Up Extemporaneous Speaking Round Robin: Arthi Macherla ’20 Semifinalists Congressional Debate: Arthi Macherla ’20 & Pierce Florey ’21 Third Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21 Quarterfinalist Extemporaneous Speaking: Arthi Macherla ’20 Quarterfinalist Humorous Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Runner-Up Informative Speaking: Neil Patil ’21 Runner-Up Extemporaneous Speaking: Samuel Steiner ’21 Runner-Up Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 Runner-Up Impromptu Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Third Place Programmed Oral Interpretation: Emory Murff ’21
ASDCA Division I Winter Trophy Team Squad Efficiency Award
Toro Country Classic
Champions Duet Acting: Devan Amin ’23 & Misha Ghafouri ’23
Fourth Place Team
Champion Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Champion Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Runners-Up Public Forum Debate: Pietro Ori ’20 & Isabella Sigalove ’20
Runner-Up Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Runner-Up Congressional Debate: McKinley Paltzik ’23
Runner-Up Poetry Interpretation: Kirtana Roopan ’22 Third Place Humorous Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21
Runner-Up Impromptu Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Runner-Up Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Third Place Original Oratory: Misha Ghafouri ’23
WINTER 2019/20 | 21
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT ART
A Snapshot of US Art Select final projects from US Painting I
Victoria Moreno ’21
Kori Schwarz ’21
22 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Zoe Sunenshine ’22
Elena D’Avanzo ’20
ANNUAL FUND
STUDENT SECTION
Teaching Real World Skills through the Art of MS Lego Robotics What do you get when you combine a MS science teacher with a love of robotics and a tech specialist who loves to tinker with machines? Well, of course, as you probably could have guessed, you get the dynamic duo MS Lego Robotics coaching squad comprised of Ms. Fullerton and Mr. Munch. Together, they have been training and educating MS minds for years in the art of Lego Robotics and its program’s core values: Discovery, through the exploration of new skills and ideas; Innovation, the use of creativity and persistence in solving problems; Impact, applying what is learned to improve our world; Inclusion, respecting others and embracing differences; Teamwork, recognizing strengths when working together; and Fun, enjoying and celebrating the process and end results. Both Mr. Munch and Ms. Fullerton say that the rewards of coaching and participating in a Lego Robotic competition extend far beyond the creation of a functional robot, as some might believe. Not only do they work with their MS students around creating robots that maneuver different challenges on a table-top playing field, they also strategize with their teams to find a real-world problem that matches the year’s theme and then devise an innovative solution to that problem. The coaches then need to work with their teams on the art of
presenting their research findings in front of judges. If that wasn’t enough to think about in a season, our coaches also work with their teams on demonstrating the Lego Robotics’ Core Values throughout each competition, which culminates in a team building activity that is performed in front of judges. This year’s MS Robotics team was comprised of two squads: Blue Eagles and Gold Eagles. The two squads were divided by their familiarity with robotics and team culture. This season, the Blue Eagles made it to the Regional competition, while the Gold Eagles advanced to the State Championship Tournament at ASU in January 2020 with their sights set on the national tournament. At the Regional tournament, Coach Fullerton was honored with the Coach Mentor Award which is awarded to coaches and mentors that inspire their teams to do their best, both as individuals and as a team, and whose leadership and guidance is clearly evident and best exemplifies the FIRST LEGO League Core Values. The Gold Eagles received the Project Award based on the research portion of the competition. We wish our MS Gold Eagles team all the best in the state competition! n
Top row, from left: Coach Fullerton, Alexis Hernandez Delgado, Shankar Chawla, Siddharth Vadnerkar, Amogh Madala, Sebastian Wesley, Coach Munch. Bottom row: Jack Moriarty, Ethan Ortega, Emery Arkeveld, Aaryan Wadwekar, Kavin Mutyala, Reid Bock
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ANNUAL FUND
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Building Community Inside and Outside of the Classroom I
n the MS, we strive to ask ourselves the hard questions. Whether it pertains to math, literature, or history, for example, we are always evaluating and challenging ourselves to develop the most thoughtful, up-to-date, and dynamic educational road map we can for our students. When it pertains to community partnerships—both inside and outside of our own community—the same rules apply. During this past year, students have been tackling some challenging life questions: “What does empathy look like, what actions build a stronger community, and what does it mean to be a responsible citizen?” With these tough questions in mind, we have been pushing ourselves to try to find some answers. Our objective is to further build student curiosity and awareness in each of these areas which, in turn, helps each student with their own lives and beyond. To do this, building space in the curriculum to discuss the notion of community both locally and more globally is imperative. Specific areas for this are through our longstanding community times that are held each week during morning meetings, advisory, homework help, field trips, and/or just a day set aside to focus on what it means to build a more functional and supportive internal community or to be a more responsible citizen in the larger world. The concepts and practices we are developing together allow for more fluid day-to-day conversations around these ideas. Below is a detailed description of some of the specific programming that we have implemented in the MS that will continue throughout the school year and beyond: • COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS This is a servicelearning project where empathy is the focus through the fostering of authentic connections with people in the greater Phoenix community. The MS is hearing first-hand stories, further developing both inter- and intra-personal skills, building greater awareness, and understanding differing viewpoints. In the MS, we are connecting with individuals and groups who may have different life experiences and perspectives from many of the ones that are more common to our campus. 24 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
In the eighth grade, our students teach English to highly skilled refugees so that they are better equipped for job interviews. Our sixth graders have been building and implementing English and math programs for students who don’t generally have access to educational resources. Our seventh graders have toured Native American boarding schools and have served food and mingled with a group of Native American elderly. Our fifth graders have been hard at work building community gardens that serve marginalized groups who don’t always have access to fresh produce. While engaging in these service learning projects, we push ourselves to be aware of the gifts and strengths of the populations with whom we are working. We strive to have our students understand that these authentic relationships are a give-and-take, and that both sides benefit from learning about the others’ world views. • MORNING MEETINGS On Monday and Thursday mornings each week, we meet as an entire middle school. For some of those meetings we schedule a variety of speakers to visit and share with us about their lives and journeys. Following each speaker’s visit, we then offer small workshops for our students. This may take the form of students practicing West African dance lessons after a Kawambe-Omowale drum group’s visit, a workshop regarding cartoon drawings following a worldrenowned artist’s demonstration, or a stimulating talk regarding interfaith connections after presentations by Jewish and Muslim friends. • FIELD TRIPS AND VISITORS In an effort to bring our curriculum to life and to humanize experiences, we engage in off-campus field trips or invite visitors into the classroom who may elevate our learning. During a sixth grade unit, students are assigned a book about a person who is differently-abled. During that unit, we have had a teacher speak with us about experiences living with rheumatoid arthritis, a coach share about living with a limb difference, and a recent high school graduate tell us about the challenges of living with cerebral palsy. All speakers help us to understand how to separate the situation they are living with from the
actual individual. In other words, each of these individuals reminded us that they were more than their disease or limb difference. These deep and moving discussions were then connected to conversations about the book the students were reading in class, which generated a deeper and richer analysis of the literature. Another group of our MS students has been studying cellular life. That group took a trip to Caris Life, one of the biggest cancer research facilities in the country. With this visit, these students were able to take a deeper dive into their cellular unit. Several music classes have visited or will be visiting, playing music, and singing for seniors living in retirement centers, specifically memory care units. Before these retirement center visits, the music classes prepare in many ways for these experiences. One such way is learning about human memories, and that music— especially music learned as a child—is generally the last memory lost. Through the visits, our students are able to help create an environment where these residents become animated singers who could be seen tapping their feet and moving their bodies to the students’ music. • DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS As is customary and so appreciated, our very own parent community has provided much support in further bolstering our community connection efforts. One such example occurred this past November with our annual Turkey Drive. Over 600 turkeys were donated by PCDS families to other Valley families in need of a Thanksgiving meal. PCDS parents have also helped with our annual holiday party where we collect food, snacks, gifts, and shoes for a local school that serves children without homes. We,
along with our families, have also provided care packages to families at the Somalian Refugee Council and have assisted other local organizations with similar efforts. • ON THE HORIZON We have a variety of communitybased experiences that will also be rolled out to our community. We have a Holocaust survivor speaking to the MS which will be followed up with smaller discussions in the eighth grade to support their studies of the Holocaust. The fifth and sixth grade classes have a plan to see Las Cafetera, a Chicano band that fuses spoken word and folk music with the telling of modernday stories. We will be hosting a voluntary “night school” series where we will be offering a stargazing night, along with a Raku clay firing program. We’ll travel to a digital cadaver lab and to the Anatomage lab at ASU after the sixth graders finish studying the human body’s systems. There will be planned presentations and conversations around Black History month. We have speakers lined up to talk about the coded music of the underground railroad and the connection to the recent Harriet Tubman movie, as well as a speaker who will share about Black female activists. Some of our parents have offered to speak about identifying as Black in the United States, with the intention of helping us to understand the uniqueness around their own cultural experiences. With all these outlined activities and experiences (and more) in the MS, we hope that students and teachers are always asking themselves the tough questions and —with o u r h e lp — coming up with ideas and strategies that make sense to them. If we, as a community, are open to listening, learning, and asking ourselves these hard questions, then we are laying the building blocks for a more functional community for all. n WINTER 2019/20 | 25
FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES
Yellott Faculty Grants 2019-20 faculty research aimed at further engaging students
by Dr. Andrea Avery, US Teacher and Director of Curriculum and Instruction In David Mamet’s 1992 play and movie Glengarry Glen Ross, salesmen live by a simple creed: Always be closing. Great teachers live by a different motto: Always be growing. One of the ways that PCDS encourages its faculty to pursue ongoing growth and learning is through the Yellott program. Yellott grants are available to any full-time faculty member, alone or in collaboration with others, to undertake substantial, self-reflective projects related to curriculum and instruction over the summer. These projects require allotments of time, focus, and material resources beyond what teachers can devote during the school year. During the spring of the previous school year, teachers submit applications for Yellott funding. In the application, they describe the goal of the project, the guiding questions, the method of inquiry, division of responsibilities and timeline, a plan for its implementation, and a discussion of the suggested impact of the project. These proposals are then evaluated by a committee comprised of the Head of School, the division heads, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Yellott funds are not granted to faculty members if the proposed project represents the work all PCDS teachers are expected to do to keep themselves abreast of new texts or ideas in their field; rather, the committee is eager to fund those projects that go beyond surface-level modifications. Yellott projects are intended to be time-intensive deep dives into teaching practice and curriculum, and successful projects are those that have implications not only for the teacher but for our School. Last year, to encourage faculty to make strong, thoughtful, thorough applications, I offered a series of Yellott Proposal Writing Workshops that included information about the requirements, advice for writing compelling applications, and a chance to brainstorm and refine ideas in collaboration with colleagues across all divisions. Those workshops will be offered again this spring. Recipients of Yellott grants share their inquiry, experience, and findings with the assembled all-school faculty at two points during the school year. At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, the Yellott committee approved four projects for summer funding. Here is a little bit about those projects, the faculty members working on them, and some insight into their experience at the midway point of the year.
Helping Students Find Their Own Understanding Eric Heideman (US Math) and Michael Caplan (US Science) are exploring how to use project-based learning to give students as much autonomy and sense of purpose as possible in physics and statistics, two concept- and skill-heavy courses. This spring, Eric and Michael share that students in statistics and physics courses are reporting increased engagement, empowerment, and motivation. In Physics I, for example, “Student-generated applications of concepts were turned around as test questions,” Michael says. “Students have enjoyed seeing their application choices reflected in how their knowledge was assessed.” Eric and Michael are constantly reflecting on and re-evaluating the effectiveness of their course design. They have found that students beginning their study of these concept-heavy courses have needed some initial instruction before even knowing what project choices would be relevant and achievable. However, once this initial instruction was provided, students were highly motivated to apply those concepts to application areas of their choosing.”
26 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Meeting All Students Where They Are Melinda Flores (US Science) is exploring techniques for differentiating instruction in her Conceptual Physics class to increase student engagement and ensure that each student receives individualized instruction suited to where they are in their understanding. This spring, Melinda is finding that when she offers students more time to practice challenging concepts, and multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery, many students take full advantage of the opportunity to develop relearning plans in pursuit of true mastery. That said, Melinda is also discovering more opportunity to help students reflect on their own learning and suggests that going forward she would like to explicitly support students in tailoring study methods to their own styles and preferences.
Connecting to Students’ Lives Outside of School Carla Cose-Giallella (LS Music and Music Department Chair) and Kara Harris (MS and US Music) are creating a general music education curriculum that incorporates and honors the many musics in the world and in children’s lives—one that emphasizes awareness, connectivity, and an understanding of today’s cultural and global society. As the new semester begins, Carla and Kara share that students demonstrate markedly higher levels of engagement and participation when their own musical experiences are reflected and honored in the curriculum. Furthermore, when students see the music of their own lives being incorporated into what they are learning, they also show more curiosity and appreciation for the many styles and forms of music throughout the world. “We have had truly insightful and personal conversations with students,” says Kara. “Some have truly blown us away!”
Centering Real-World Problems of Consequence Hallie Mueller (US Visual Arts), Lisa Tolentino (US Media Arts and Sciences and Art Department Chair), and Sarah Vap (US Humanities) are creating a deeply collaborative, crossdisciplinary “think-and-make tank” in which students in design, art, and writing courses will use many ways of knowing how to address the problem of climate change. This multidisciplinary, team-taught approach is certainly a novelty at PCDS—but if Hallie, Lisa, and Sarah thought that they would have to “sell” students on the idea, they were wrong. True to form, PCDS students have embraced the chance to embark on a new, exciting, and somewhat experimental approach to learning. When asked how they felt approaching the new class format, “Students have responded resoundingly with ‘great, no worries!,’” says Sarah.
Yellott projects are supported through the Yellott Faculty Grant Program, funded by an endowment that honors the memory of John I. Yellott, PCDS Headmaster from 1966-72.
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FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES In May of 2019, LS teacher Pam Gagner graduated with distinction from Northern Arizona University with a master’s in early childhood education.
Pam Gagner’s family at her graduation: Landon, Pam, Lexi, Jordan, and Braden
Chris Eriksen has been involved in the four-year creation process of the musical ¡Americano!, which made its world premier at The Phoenix Theatre Company. Chris portrayed Scott Richter, based on a real life Phoenix construction company owner. “It has been such a thrill to be bringing this important, timely piece of art to the stage for the first time. ¡Americano! is something that carries with it the ability to entertain and to spark conversations about such passionate topics as Dreamers, DACA, and most importantly, family.” Over four years in the making, this musical true story follows Tony, the child of immigrants, who discovers his undocumented status when he tries to enlist in the Marines. With his lifelong dream of serving in the military vanishing quickly, Tony must confront his family, his heritage, and a deeply divided country. Featuring a sumptuous original score of new music, ¡Americano! casts a profoundly human light on what it means to be a Dreamer. Did you know? This musical was produced and conceived by PCDS parent Jason Rose P’25, ’27. 28 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Former Associate Head of School Patrick McHonett and his family are settling into living the Southern California life since Patrick took the reins as Head of School at St. John’s Episcopal School this past July. The school has welcomed their family with open arms, Patrick reports, and their kids have each transitioned smoothly. Jack attends the St. John’s preschool twice a week, while Charlotte has been busy making friends as a new first grader. Patrick reports that Charlotte has been diving into some new experiences including joining the school’s track team and acting in the play. As Head of School, Patrick has enjoyed getting to know and support a special community, as St. John’s continues to grow its enrollment (currently 430 students, preschool through grade eight), culture of philanthropy (not quite PCDS levels of annual fund parent participation—but improving!), and academic program. Patrick shares, “There have been so many instances over the course of this year when a challenge or opportunity has arisen and I think, ‘Oh yeah, we handled that at PCDS four years ago, or seven years ago’…that my experiences of being a part of such a special and strong community at PCDS are now coming to bear in service of this new place is truly affirming.” Patrick, Jessica, and the kids often make it out to the beach (it’s only 25 minutes away) and nearby Disneyland, and while they’re settling in nicely, PCDS and the Valley will always hold a special place in their hearts. And, they have a guest room for summer visitors looking for a break from the Phoenix heat!
Wish is MS art teacher Carrie Bloomston’s sixth collection for Windham Fabrics. This collection “tells an open-ended story full of possibilities. It is full of magic and playful mystery,” shares Bloomston. Wish embodies and honors craft and artisans through collaged found papers and painted sheet music. She made prints evoking a handcrafted life. “One print was inspired by a small piece of Gujarati embroidery from India and another was born from my lifelong love of postage stamps. I created one print by cutting up my journal from last summer, and yet another from my grandmother Nanu’s old recipe cards. And, of course, there are triangles… Oh, and elephants full of stars!” Mrs. Bloomston’s fabric is sold and distributed to quilting stores around the world. Her line lands in shops in April 2020.
Left: Ms. Bloomston. Right: The Mod Blossoms quilt pictured here was made by Linda Sullivan with prints from Bloomston’s Wish fabric collection for Windham Fabrics.
In October 2019, US Spanish teacher Antonio Herreria published a chapter titled “Reflections of the United States through the Pages of La Revista Blanca” within the nonfiction book Writing Revolution: Hispanic Anarchism in the United States. US Spanish teacher Antonio Herreria and US history teacher Dr. Colin Reynolds applied and received a grant from the Renaissance Society of America to develop a field trip for PCDS tenth grade students to the Spanish missions. The grant was for funding toward the trip and the chance to present at the Renaissance Society of America’s conference in the spring of 2020. Only two high schools in the country were granted this award.
PCDS sophomores gather for a photo while on their field trip to the Spanish missions.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Natalia Marie Eden was born on June 25, 2019 to LS teacher Sasha Eden; her husband, Tony; and big sister Giana, age three.
Cora Louise Tucker was born on July 27, 2019 to US Science Teacher Allison Tucker and her husband, Justin.
Hayden Martin Sours was born on August 16, 2019 to MS Art Teacher Denise Sours and her husband, John.
Charlie Renee Hoyt was born on November 4, 2019 to Receptionist Jenny Hoyt and her husband, Adam.
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PHILANTHROPY
PCDS: Philanthropy Explained Each school year, Phoenix Country Day School runs two fundraising initiatives: Annual Fund and Tax Credit. In addition to tuition, PCDS relies on each family to support the Annual Fund in order to run a balanced budget— tuition does not cover the full cost of a PCDS education—and the Arizona Private School Tax Credit to help continue to provide scholarships for need-based students to attend our great School. We recognize that each family’s situation is unique, and we remain grateful for support at any level. Participation is key!
$ Below are more details about the two annual fundraising initiatives at PCDS:
THE ANNUAL FUND
AZ PRIVATE SCHOOL TAX CREDIT
• The PCDS Annual Fund is the most critical fundraising effort each year—helping the School bridge the gap between tuition, which covers 91% of the School’s operating budget, and the full cost of each student’s experience at PCDS. The Annual Fund touches every aspect of our students’ lives, from academics, to arts, to athletics.
• Each year, the state of Arizona offers state taxpayers the option to redirect their state tax dollars to their favorite private school—PCDS—through a Student Tuition Organization (AISSF). In return, you receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against your Arizona state taxes, while also helping PCDS students.
• While leadership gifts of $1,000 or more are critical to the success of the Annual Fund, the combined impact of every gift size helps to provide the margin or excellence at PCDS. • PCDS is a non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible, and Annual Fund gifts generally range from $25-$50,000. • Deadline for pledge fulfillment for this school year: June 30, 2020.
• Every dollar is used to support the nearly 25% of PCDS need-based students whose families rely on financial aid to make a PCDS education possible. • Single filers can redirect up to $1,135. Married filers can redirect up to $2,269. • Deadline for the 2019 tax year: April 15, 2020. • Bonus: There’s an additional tax credit, Corporate Tax Credit, which allows any C or S corporation, or LLC to redirect a company’s state tax liability to fund student scholarships.
PCDS asks every family to participate in both important annual initiatives. Please know that we are incredibly appreciative of all contributions you make to PCDS. Everything we do here is targeted toward making the experience for each child one that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. Questions? Please contact Katie Charles, Director of Annual Giving, at 602.955.8200 x2346 or katie.charles@pcds.org 30 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
PCDS
ANNUAL FUND
The PCDS Annual Fund supports everything, including:
THE ARTS
ATHLETICS
CAMPUS SAFETY
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
OFF-CAMPUS EXPERIENCES
“It’s an honor to support the PCDS Annual Fund each school year. As a PCDS math teacher and a parent of two LS Eagles, I feel it’s my duty to invest in my daughters’ education. I am proud that 100% of my colleagues give to the Annual Fund, and I hope that this commitment inspires my fellow parents to do the same.” — Jim Waller P’30, ’33, MS Math Teacher
FACULTY & STAFF
ANNUAL FUND
Look for the symbol to the left throughout this issue to identify PCDS Annual Fund dollars at work.
We ask each community member to support the 2019-2020 Annual Fund with a gift TODAY—pcds.org/give. Gifts range from $25-$50,000 • Deadline: June 30, 2020 Everything you LOVE about PCDS, the ANNUAL FUND helps make it happen! PCDS is a non-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible. WINTER 2019/20 | 31
VOICE WHERE YOUR STATE TAX DOLLARS GO!
PRIVATE SCHOOL $1,135 SINGLE/$2,269 MARRIED CORPORATE TAX CREDIT ALSO AVAILABLE
MAKE A
STATE
MENT 2019 TAX CREDIT
FURTHER THE EDUCATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED.
Arizona offers its taxpayers the opportunity to make contributions that reduce the amount of taxes owed to the state, dollar-for-dollar. THIS DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR TAX CREDIT IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3! 1 MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Redirect your state tax obligation to Arizona Independent Schools Scholarship Foundation. There is a maximum amount for 2019: $2,269 (married filer) and $1,135 (single filer). Give online at www.aissf.org.
2 CLAIM YOUR DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR CREDIT Use Forms 323 and 348, available from ADOR or www.aissf.org, when you file your 2019 state tax return. Arizona law allows taxpayers to claim a state income tax credit for contributions made through April 15, 2020 to count toward the prior tax year. The federal deduction for the contribution will apply in the calendar year it was receipted.
3 REST ASSURED THAT YOU HAVE VOICED YOUR COMMITMENT TO ARIZONA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THANK YOU! DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2020 FOR THE 2019 TAX YEAR An STO cannot award, restrict or reserve scholarships for specific students solely on the basis of donor recommendation. Taxpayers may not swap donations to benefit either taxpayer’s own dependent.
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Join Us in Celebrating Philanthropy as a Community Saturday, April 25, 2020 6:30pm at PCDS Adult-only Culinary Festival and Silent Auction RSVP: pcds.org/btg
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS ALUMNI BOARD Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00 President Elizabeth Reahard Oviedo ’04 Vice President Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ’00 Secretary
Left: Leslie and Tiffany at the 2019 NYC alumni event. Right: 1998-1999 PCDS Varsity Cheer Squad (Leslie back row, far left, Tiffany seated in front)
Dear Fellow Eagle Alumni, I hope that you are enjoying this issue of The Bridge. Throughout the fall of 2019, I was thrilled to see so many of you at our Phoenix Alumni IMPACT Dinner, Blue & Gold Alumni Tent, New York City IMPACT event, and at the fabulous Alumni Holiday Party. The Alumni Board and I work thoughtfully to create diverse, interesting, and entertaining events. Speaking of the Alumni Board, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank them for their generosity—of time, talent, and treasure—to our alma mater. You are such a dedicated, kind, intelligent, and fun group. Working with you under the leadership of Board President Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00 is a true pleasure. Tiffany—I am so grateful for your energy and insight. From cheering together in the 1990s to strategizing our School’s alumni engagement together today, I am so appreciative of your friendship and support. As always, we love to hear feedback on how we are doing. If you would like to host an alumni event in your city, I want to help you make that happen. If you’re looking for assistance navigating our online networking platform, give me a ring, and I’ll walk you through it. If you want to chat about making your first gift to the Alumni Scholarship Fund, I would be happy to get the ball rolling. By engaging, connecting, and giving back to our alma mater, you make a true IMPACT. Thank you, and Go Eagles!
Leslie Kornreich Feldman `99 Director of Alumni Relations alumni@pcds.org 602.955.8200 x2229 34 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Tim Daley ’89 Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ’91 Colby Kant Harris ’95 Jon Corcoran ’98 Sarah Vieh Dworkin ’98 Aylin Tashman Kim ’99 Gilbert Armenta ’00 Sasha Pasulka ’00 Ali Hicks LeClair ’01 Eric Fram ’09 Rachel Chanen ’11 Matthew Prusak ’11 Jacob Koster ’20 Willo Wass ’20
WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS Rachel Chanen ’11
“ PCDS has provided me with a world-class education and many lifelong friendships. I’m excited to give back to the community that gave me so much.” Tim Daley ’89
“ I am proud that I can help the Board with its mission of engaging alumni, in my case specifically reconnecting with old friends, and raising money for the Alumni Scholarship Fund to provide a PCDS quality education to as many young people as possible.”
PCDS in the Family The Kosower and Schweikher legacies continue
Generations of PCDS alumni were fortunate to be taught, coached, advised, and mentored by Bob Kosower and Paul Schweikher. Now, the daughters of Kos and Schweik make their own marks as educators at PCDS. Both have taught scores of children whose parents’ own lives were touched by their two dads. Jaime Kosower Sheridan, PCDS Kindergarten teacher, shared: “This is my 16th year at PCDS. I feel honored and proud to work at the very school to which my dad has dedicated his career for so many years. I love hearing stories from his former students about the incredible impact that he had on them during their time at PCDS. Relationships have been forged through the mutual love and respect for my dad. My hope is that I will make a difference and have a lasting impact on the kindergarten children of PCDS Alumni.
Claire Schweikher Stephens, PCDS Pre-k teacher, shared: “I have been teaching pre-k at PCDS since 2012—time flies! PCDS has played an important role in my life since early childhood, and I’m honored to be a teacher and a member of the PCDS community now. My father’s legacy will continue to have a lasting impression on me, and I have enjoyed forging new relationships with alums and their children since I began teaching at PCDS. It is a privilege to welcome the children of my dad’s former students to pre-k each year.”
Left: Bob Kosower (Associate Director of Athletics), Jaime Kosower Sheridan (Kindergarten teacher), Claire Schweikher Stephens (Pre-k teacher), Paul Schweikher (Former Director of College Counseling) Right: Bob Kosower and Paul Schweikher featured with their former students alongside Jaime Kosower Sheridan and Claire Schweikher Stephens and their current and former students (who are the children of the alumni whom their dads taught!): Top row, from left: Eric Jackson ’86, Elsa Jackson ’22, Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ’91, Emme Kate Hackett ’22, Jaime Kosower Sheridan, Bob Kosower, Claire Schweikher Stephens, Matthew Linhart ’21, Clarissa Simek Robinson ’88. Middle row: Lou Werner ’87, Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99, Tyler Feldman ’31, Thea Hackett ’31, Jim Hornaday ’86, Hendrex Hornaday ’32, Chloe DeMark ’24, Morgan DeMark ’27, Lily Robinson ’22, Josie Robinson ’26, Hailey DeMark ’22, Ellie Robinson ’25, Eleanor Abraham ’06. Bottom row: Louis Werner ’28, Shiloh McDonough ’32, Tabi Stern ’32, Lily McDonough ’29, Vivienne Wolfswinkel ’32, Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ’00, Cassie Pondelik ’30, Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ’00, Mya Abraham ’28
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Fall 2019 Alumni Events Rewind In the fall of 2019, the PCDS Alumni Association hosted:
• The New York City IMPACT Event at Scandinavia House allowed NYC Eagles to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Alumni IMPACT Initiative
• The Phoenix Alumni IMPACT Dinner where Maricopa County alumni came together to support the PCDS Alumni Scholarship Fund
• The annual Alumni Holiday Party attracted hundreds of alumni who, together, toasted the holiday season at The Saguaro Hotel in Old Town Scottsdale
• The Blue & Gold Alumni Tent—food trucks, fireworks, carnival rides, and lots of fun for young and old alike
To view full event photo galleries, please visit pcds.org/alumni/engage/photo-gallery. 1 1) Claudia Gonzalez ’02 speaking at the Phoenix IMPACT Dinner 2) Ashley Waters Gundersen ’96 speaking to fellow NYC alumni about how a scholarship to PCDS changed the trajectory of her life 3) Sarah Palestrant ’98, Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ’00, and Jasmine Tashman ’97 at the Phoenix IMPACT Dinner 4) Nora and Eric ’91 Schaefer, Stephanie ’91 and Jason ’88 Hackett, Jessica and Greg ’91 Lehmann, Janet ’91 and Norman Castner pose at the Phoenix IMPACT Dinner 2
3
4
5
6 7
8 9
10 5) Monica Malhotra ’05, Kristen Oelze ’04 and a guest in the Blue & Gold Alumni Tent 6) Stacey Piccinati Woods ’95, Kristin Brook Durchslag ’95 and Brent Fraser ’95 celebrate Blue & Gold with Mr. Coon 7) Head of School Andy Rodin with Nancy Henze and Fritz Henze ’67 in New York 8) Alumni from the classes of 1996-2001 at the New York City IMPACT Event 9) Alumni from the classes of 2010-2014 at the NYC IMPACT Event 10-12) Parents of alumni who graduated in 2016-2019 help the Alumni Association pack care packages for finals week that are shipped annually to all of our college-age alumni around the world 11
12
2019 Alumni Holiday Party
38 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Thank you to all of these Alumni Scholarship Fund donors who joined us for the 2019 Alumni Holiday Party!
WINTER 2019/20 | 39
Alumni Profile
Shining a Light on Playwright Lizzie Vieh ’03 L
izzie Vieh ’03 was delighted to have a group of PCDS alumni attend the NYC premiere of her new play Monsoon Season at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater this past October. Set in Phoenix during a particularly stormy July, Lizzie’s play is a dark comedy and crime thriller surrounding a recently divorced couple who are slowly losing their grip on reality. The PCDS audience caught on to the play’s many Arizona-insider references to things like saguaros, Del Taco, and the 101. Lizzie’s love of drama began in our US. She took Ms. Keller’s drama classes her junior and senior years at PCDS, acted in a variety of school plays and musicals, (including a memorable turn as a horse-whip brandishing Lysistrata), and co-wrote and produced two plays on PCDS stages with classmate Alexa Binns ’03. Lizzie pursued her passion for theater at Brown University, majoring in theater arts. She then earned an MFA in acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep Graduate Program and moved to New York City soon afterward. Though she initially pursued a career in acting, Lizzie continued to write plays and gradually shifted lanes into becoming predominantly a playwright. Lizzie has had a variety of plays produced: An earlier, one-act version of Monsoon Season was a finalist in the 2016 Samuel French OOB Festival; her play The Loneliest Number premiered in 2018 in a production directed by Maria Dizzia; and Monsoon Season was produced this past summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. A variety of her plays have been published, and Monsoon Season will be available in late 2020 through publisher Samuel French.
PCDS alumni attending Lizzie’s Vieh’s Monsoon Season in New York City
40 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Lizzie is currently working on several new plays and is interested in writing for television as well. More information about her work is available on her website, lizzievieh.com. Lizzie looks back fondly at her time at PCDS as the period when her love of theater and writing began. She credits Ms. Keller with encouraging her acting pursuits and inspiring in her a love of theater. And from Dr. Allison, Ms. Thompson, and Mr. Coon, Lizzie reports she developed her passion for literature, and her respect for the written word. n
Golden Circle 2020 Phoenix Country Day School Class of 1970: The classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969 look forward to welcoming you into the Golden Circle In honor of your 50th high school reunion, Head of School Andrew Rodin cordially invites you to your Golden Circle Induction Thursday, June 4, 2020 4:30 PM State of the School with Head of School Andrew Rodin The Gladly Restaurant 2201 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix 5:00 PM Dinner 7:30 PM Graduation Exercises and Golden Circle Induction PCDS Founders’ Lawn RSVP to Leslie Feldman by May 21 Leslie.Feldman@pcds.org, 602.955.8200 x2229
Class of 1970 photos
Golden Circle 2019
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Phoenix Country Day School Reunion Alumni Spring Weekend April 24 - 25, 2020 2010 | 2005 | 2000 | 1995 | 1990 | 1985 | 1980 | 1975
This is YOUR reunion year! SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Friday, April 24: 5:30 - 7:30 pm: Welcome Cocktail Reception PITCH Restaurant Saturday, April 25: 5:00 pm: Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Celebrating: Courtney Berg '00, Christina Spetzler Chambers '95, Cliff Smith '85, Coach Paul Yardley 6:00 pm: Student-led Alumni Campus Tours 6:30 pm: The Annual Bridge-the-Gap Celebration Including: Open Bar, Dinner Provided by the Valley’s Premier Restaurants, Music, Special Reunion Gifts, and More! Dressy casual attire.
RSVP for all events at www.pcds.org/alumniweekend2020
Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to… 1988
2003
Maggie Biancaniello Meyers (left) visited campus from Pennsylvania when dropping off her son for his freshman year at Embry-Riddle. She got a personal tour of campus by classmate and current parent Clarissa Simek Robinson (right).
Michael Scullin reports that after graduating from PCDS he attended Furman University where he fell in love twice: once with his future wife and once with his future career path. In 2007, he graduated and moved to St. Louis where he earned his PhD in psychological science at Washington University. In 2011, he moved to Atlanta where he completed a research fellowship on sleep and dementia at Emory University School of Medicine. Since 2015, he has been a tenure-track professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and the Director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory. His research investigates the cognitive consequences of sleep deprivation and what people can do to sleep better. He has been fortunate to receive continuous grant funding of over $2 million from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health to investigate the role of sleep in educational settings and in influencing how well we age. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, BBC, Fox & Friends, Huffington Post, and Reddit’s frontpage, among others. Michael and his wife recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary and have a three-year-old son, Jack.“
1999 Augustine Gomez was proud to be in the audience to hear Jay Kahn ’98 (center) participate in invisionAZ’s 2020 CONVERGE Tech Summit at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Jay, a Partner at Light Street Capital, was one of several prestigious business leaders featured at the summit, which brought together the nation’s leading innovators, business executives, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and investors for a day of candid conversations.
Martin Naradikian shares, “Ever since I took Ms. Dann’s ninth grade biology class at PCDS, I knew I wanted to do something related to biomedicine. To that end, I began college at UPenn and finished with a major in biological physics. Throughout my time there, I was lucky enough to be a work study student at the Wistar Institute. This molecular immunology lab was where I first learned how to use a micropipette and was told to take Professor Michael Cancro’s Advanced Immunology class in order to understand the basic concepts that the lab was investigating. Little did I know that this class would be the foundation of my future career. Mike became my informal mentor and advised me to work as a lab technician before committing to graduate school. Consequently, I worked as a laboratory technician at UCSF’s Department of Pediatrics for two years and later applied to graduate school. Ultimately, I was accepted to UPenn’s Immunology Graduate Program, and Mike actually became my thesis advisor. I defended my thesis in 2016 and have been a postdoctoral fellow ever since. I currently live in San Diego and investigate cancer immunotherapy in Stephen Schoenberger’s lab at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Broadly, my research aims to understand how the immune system specifically recognizes and kills cancer cells without resulting in collateral damage of normal tissue. Although our studies are preclinical at the moment, we hope to genetically engineer patients’ immune cells to seek out and eradicate cancerous cells in the near future.“
We collect many Class Notes each year and cannot guarantee that all submissions will be printed. Class Notes are written in an individual’s own words.
WINTER 2019/20 | 43
Alexa Binns splits her time between Los Angeles and San Francisco. She is a venture capitalist at Jesse Draper’s fund Halogen Ventures which invests in consumer tech startups with female founders. Yuki Kondo-Shah joined the Foreign Service post earning an MA at Harvard University. She served as a diplomat overseas representing the people of the U.S. in Bolivia, China, and now Japan, where she is a Public Affairs Officer. She reportedly works to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Japan on a political, military, and citizen-to-citizen level. “It’s my dream job and an honor of a lifetime to be in my current role. I’m forever grateful for my education at PCDS and the support I received from teachers, like Mr. Schweikher, who always took my dreams seriously. I’m married to another diplomat and we have two daughters (three and one). My parents are still in Scottsdale, so I try to make it home once a year! Reach out to me if you have questions about careers in international affairs!”
Rachael Casselman Carrico is an assistant district attorney in Texas. Kate Luciano is a coastal geologist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Her role is to conduct scientific research on coastal physical processes that can be used to support decision making in South Carolina’s coastal zone. Alison Matthews is the owner of Ali & Ariel, one of the largest collegiate Greek apparel companies in the U.S. and Canada. “We specialize in custom apparel for group orders, along with our online store for individual purchase. We are clothing with a mission of empowerment and have a fierce girl power stance. Our mission is to inspire in young people the bravery and creativity it takes to be themselves. We are proud to be a woman owned & operated business! I have been in this business since 2008 (11 years), when I graduated from Arizona State University.”
After graduating from PCDS, Jennifer Lewkowitz Abelson attended Amherst College. There she double majored in sociology and Spanish, graduating magna cum laude. She swam varsity all four years and “firmly believes that the teachers at PCDS and my swim coach, Mike Maczuga, prepared me for all-things Amherst!” She met her now-husband, Ben Abelson, during a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They moved to Cleveland, Ohio for her husband’s medical school and urology residency. They are now a family of five: Gabi, age seven; Eliana, age five; and Sam, age three. “We will have a few adventurous years ahead of us in Nashville for Ben’s pediatric urology fellowship starting in June. Throughout all of these wonderfully crazy years, I’ve continued to work in marketing and communications as a consultant via my own small firm, Ingenia Consulting, LLC. Life is busy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!” Claire Brandon lives in Madrid, Spain, where she is an editor and curator at Ivorypress. Last year, she and her husband, Alejandro, welcomed a baby girl, Rita.
2004 In 2018, Alex Brey received his PhD in art history from Bryn Mawr College, and from 2018 to 2019 he worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 2019, Alex moved to the Boston area where he began a new job as Assistant Professor of Art History at Wellesley College.
Did you graduate in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, 1980, or 1975? If so, we can’t wait to see you during your reunion weekend April 24-25, 2020!
44 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
For the past three years, Cameron Warner has worked for an educational software company supporting K-12 schools in Arizona. He lives in Scottsdale with his husband, Ben. Kyle Malhotra is a clinical pharmacist in Utah.
Network with PCDS alumni around the globe at pcdsconnect.org Peter Curzon and his wife, Caroline, live in San Francisco with their boys: Brody, age two; and Archer, not yet one. Peter works at Yelp in business development, where he’s worked for the last eight years. When not changing diapers or pleading with toddlers to eat something besides carbs, Peter and Caroline like to cheer for their alma mater (the Kansas Jayhawks), play golf, exercise, and enjoy Northern California wineries.
Tara Wieger (right) is a teacher currently living in Gilbert, AZ. She reports, “I am waiting to attend nursing school here in the Valley. I am engaged to my partner (Jen) of five years. I asked her to marry me in December 2018, on the beach of Lake Ontario, just minutes from her parents’ house. We plan to wed in October of 2020, in Upstate New York. Our eight-year-old son, Jace, is very excited!”
Erika Levin Needleman currently resides in Atlanta with her husband, Matt, and their four children: Binah, age eight; Mindy, age seven; Chaim, age four; and Joseph, age one. She is the CEO and COO of her household and, in her spare time, teaches yoga to preschoolers, college students, and senior citizens. She is also working with a Jewish organization at Emory to teach Jewish law, practice, and philosophy. Michael Reinbold reports, “After graduating from PCDS in 2004, I attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where I graduated with a BS in economics with financial applications and a BA in psychology. I am now a partner on a private wealth management team at UBS Financial Services in Dallas, and I was recently named to the Forbes next generation wealth advisor list. I was introduced to my wife, Margaret, through mutual friends, and we married in 2018. I still enjoy playing golf and basketball. With this next stage of life, I have begun the process of finding a school like PCDS in Dallas, so that I can offer the incredible educational opportunity I received to my own children.
Michael Vrla graduated from Williams College where he played four years on the varsity lacrosse team. He helped lead the team to its first conference championship and first NCAA tournament appearance in the school’s history. He completed his medical degree at the University of Southern California and is now a fourth year orthopaedic surgery resident at the University of California, Irvine. He has plans to pursue further fellowship training in surgical sports medicine. He currently lives in Huntington Beach, CA, with his wife, Heather.
After passing the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Exam, Elizabeth Smith embarked on a new career. This year, and two jobs later, she started a new position as European Brand Manager at a fine wine distributor in New York. She focuses on Burgundy and boutique Spanish & Italian wines. Elizabeth is working toward her WSET diploma and aspires to one day become a Master of Wine. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two cats. In 2009, Chris Cameron received a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University. The following year, after a short-lived career as a tech blogger, Chris took what he thought would be a short-term gig as a digital content producer for a small tech startup in Amsterdam. That was nine years ago. “Turns out that Amsterdam is pretty great, and once it gets its hooks in you, it doesn’t let go. I currently work as a UX writer for Booking.com and live with my wife, Joana, and our newborn son, Thomas.” Lindsey McCaleb attended Miami University of Ohio where she received a BS in early childhood education. She taught third grade on the Navajo Reservation, and then she moved back to Phoenix to attend ASU for a master’s in educational administration and supervision, while also receiving a principal’s license from ADE. She is now working in the Balsz School District as a District Technology Mentor. She serves at a preschool, three elementary schools, and one middle school. WINTER 2019/20 | 45
Elizabeth Dias joined The New York Times in 2018 as a National Correspondent covering religion and politics. She reports on the cultural, religious, and political values shaping the nation ahead of the 2020 presidential election. She lives in Washington, D.C., not far from the White House. 2006 Katie Senzig and Stephanie Furniss ’05 both work at ASU’s College of Health Solutions and crossed paths in April at an ASU event. Katie was attending in her role as a Senior Recruitment Coordinator and Stephanie was attending in her role as a Research Professional for ASU’s Biomedical Informatics program. Stephanie shares, “Since April, Katie and I have connected several times to support prospective graduate students in finding the degree program that best fits their learning and career goals. It is refreshing to work with someone as passionate as I am in supporting student success! I’m happy to share that Katie’s work and enthusiasm is known throughout the college—in the spring, Katie was recognized at the ASU President’s Award ceremony as the college’s top SUN Award recipient. Faculty and staff give SUN Awards to co-workers who demonstrate excellence in supporting university goals.” After graduating from Yale in 2010, Scott Griffen moved to Vienna, Austria, as part of the Fulbright program. He then lived in London where he completed a master’s degree. He is now back in Vienna, where he is a deputy director of an international
NGO that campaigns to protect press freedom and freedom of expression. Since graduating from Scripps College, Rebecca Dias has lived in Los Angeles and Shanghai, before returning back to Arizona for several years. During her time in AZ, “I worked in marketing, consulting, and education. Currently, I am an Artist-in-Residence in Navasota, Texas, where I have been pursuing my interests in painting and illustration. My first illustrated work, A Month of Mindful Moments: A guidebook and journal for girls (a collaboration with Canadian author and guidance counselor Laura D’Angelo) is now available in U.S. markets. I am also a 200-hr Hatha Yoga certified instructor, and I have been pursuing my MA in business design and arts leadership through Savannah College of Art and Design.”
Dathan Hamann finished medical school at The University of Arizona and completed his dermatology residency at The Ohio State University. He has moved back to Phoenix where
We have PCDS Alumni gear for sale! Email alumni@pcds.org to order hooded sweatshirts, tank tops, or hats!
46 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
he is the Medical Director of the Contact Dermatitis Institute. He recently opened his private dermatology practice, Saguaro Dermatology. He lives in Paradise Valley with his wife, Liza, and son, Leo. Dominic DeMark shared, “I’m a self-taught computer programmer. My love for programming led me to become the lead web developer at DeMark Analytics. I currently live in Scottsdale with my girlfriend, our one-year-old son, and our rescue chiweenie. In our free time, we like to keep active by playing friendly games of squash and basketball.” Fowler Brown reports that he was crazy enough to imagine that fiction might be a good career path ever since taking creative writing classes at PCDS. He attended Pomona College for his undergraduate degree, taking a detour into ancient and medieval history and then into law. He is now back to writing science fiction and fantasy full-time. His debut novel, Death by Miracle, was published in November 2019. Fowler lives in Cambridge, MA, with his wife, Meg, and an unreasonable amount of snow.
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Julie Bauer and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their first child, Jack Ryder Marshall, into the world in August 2019. Fellow PCDS 2006 alumni Sophie Kennel, Grady Ban, Brittany Bonfield, and Alexandra Reinbold helped celebrate his arrival at Julie’s baby shower this past summer. Julie is a dermatology physician assistant and joined Valley of the Sun Dermatology in 2014.
2007 After PCDS, Jameson Cumsky studied psychology at The University of Arizona and then pursued his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. There, he met his wife, Helen. “We were both fortunate enough to return to AZ for our residencies. We are both completing our intern years in medicine in separate programs, but next year we will be together at The Mayo Clinic in Arizona. I am going into radiology, and my wife is going into dermatology. We hope to stay in Phoenix!” Carsten Hamann reports that his wife, Kaylee, and their two young sons, Castor and Atlas, moved back to the U.S. last year. After finishing his PhD in epidemiology at the University of Copenhagen, Carsten started a dermatology residency at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center in New
Hampshire. He will finish in the summer of 2021 and has plans to move back to the Valley thereafter. After graduating from PCDS, Scott Bixby attended Hamilton College in Upstate New York—alongside fellow PCDS alumna Abby Seadler Wulf. While at Hamilton, where he majored in history, Scott was a news editor at the Hamilton Spectator, a coxswain on Hamilton’s varsity crew team, and a member of the fencing team. Scott spent his junior year as a visiting student at Columbia University in New York City, where he interned at GQ, Esquire and OUT magazines. After graduating, Scott moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a social media fellow at The New Republic, before returning to New York to run social media operations at Bloomberg News. Following stints on the news staffs of The Daily Beast and Mic, Scott joined the Guardian to report on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. After the campaign’s conclusion, Scott returned to The Daily Beast, where he covers immigration and politics. In October 2018, Scott married long-time boyfriend Andrew Keenan-Bolger, an actor. They reside in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood with their dog, Archie.
Abigail Abraham Jones lives in Phoenix with her husband, Robert; and two kids, Nora and Jack. Jack arrived in July 2019, joining his almost-twoyear-old sister, Nora. Abigail works as a therapist at Doorways—an outpatient counseling center in Central Phoenix —providing counseling services to adolescents and young adults focusing on coping skills, eating disorders, mood disorders, and addiction.
Gary Gold lives with his wife, Shana, in northeast Phoenix. The two enjoy swimming together, spending time at the Jewish Community Center, and discovering new combinations of cereal. Gary and Shana are also active dogsitters and have taken care of breeds ranging from whippets to golden doodles. Gary works full-time as a policy advisor to Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Manasi Soni shares, “I got married in Napa in May to James Parrish! We honeymooned in Kauai, took our second set of medical boards, and completed our third year of medical school at the University of Miami. In July, we moved to Chicago for a gap year to research at Rush Medical Center. When we plan to return to Miami next year, I’ll be applying to psychiatry residency programs, and James will be applying to orthopedic surgery.”
2008 Tel Lake-Laubach graduated from ASU in 2012 with degrees in finance and supply chain management, and he later earned his master’s from ASU in 2019. He lives in downtown Phoenix and works as an analyst at Intel and hosts Airbnb rentals on the side. WINTER 2019/20 | 47
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2009 Janey Zitomer recently moved to Chicago after spending ten years in Boston. After receiving a master’s degree in emerging media studies from Boston University, she started work as a staff writer for Built In Chicago, an online community for tech recruiting and news. While she will miss Boston, she’s looking forward to discovering a new city with long-time resident Sara Paull ’09. She also plans to visit Isabel Hines ’09 and Richie Zitomer ’09 in San Francisco this year.
Charlie. She reports, “Our wedding was beautiful and intimate, and we had an incredible time celebrating with our closest friends and family. One of my bridesmaids was Hannah Keogh, a fellow PCDS alumna, whom I met in first grade when she toured me around PCDS before my family had moved to Arizona! After the wedding, Charlie and I took a trip to Bermuda, where we boated and explored the island’s many amazing beaches. It was an unforgettable experience!”
Arianna Rose recently became a vice president at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City.
Elizabeth Rodie spent the first half of 2019 backpacking through South America and Australia after completing her MPH in epidemiology from The University of Arizona. She is now living in Denver and is in dental school at The University of Colorado.
Ben Murphy recently finished his PhD in geophysics at Oregon State University and began a post doc with the United States Geological Survey in Golden/Lakewood, Colorado. He reports, “I’m working on geophysical imaging for mineral resource exploration and on hazards due to ground electrical currents associated with geomagnetic storms.“ Alexandra Favier works at Mary Kay in their new state of the art manufacturing facility in Lewisville, Texas, as the Manager of the Material Planning team. While she greatly misses Arizona, Texas is home for now! 2010 Madeleine Evans Donner got married in May 2019 at Lafayette (a restaurant in Manhattan) to her husband, 48 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Rachel Chanen is working as a Strategic Campaign Manager at The Trevor Project, the nation’s largest organization for crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ young people. She reports that she is “thrilled to be a part of an amazing team doing such important work.” Rachel has been living in New York City since her graduation in 2015, and she recently became engaged in Central Park to her partner of eight years. Fellow PCDS alumni Arianne Price and Rachel Epstein were a part of the special day!
Since graduating in 2014 from Wellesley College with a math degree, Erica Dohring has spent the last four years working in technology. She is excited to start her new position as Senior Software Engineer at Pivotal Labs, while continuing to spend her free time trying to defy gravity by building as much muscle as possible.
Arianne Price graduated from Georgetown University in 2015 and has spent the four years since working in democratic politics. In 2018, she moved home to Phoenix to help elect Kyrsten Sinema to the U.S. Senate, “serving as Scheduling Director for the (winning!) campaign”. Currently, she lives in Washington, D.C. and just returned to Georgetown to pursue her MBA at the McDonough School of Business with a focus on entrepreneurship and venture capital. In her free time, Arianne enjoys seeing plays, taking yoga classes, hanging out with PCDS friends, and, as a good millennial, watering her succulents and walking her black cat, Luna.
Kylin Hamann Chen is happy to be back in Arizona after completing dental school in Southern California at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. She enjoys working alongside her husband at their dental practice in Scottsdale. When she’s not in the dental office, you might find her hiking with her two pups or hanging with the rest of the Hamann clan in the neighborhood. 2012 Eden Shuster shares, “Although I only went to PCDS for my senior year of high school, it changed the course of my life. It was my PCDS teachers who sparked my interest in physics and mathematics—subjects in which I previously had no interest. I went on to get a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering followed by a master’s in electronics and computer engineering. I am now living my dream on the beach in San Diego while working as an engineer in the defense industry. I will be forever grateful to the PCDS teachers who pushed me to succeed and to my parents who made it possible for me to attend.” After wrapping up the first season of Amazon Prime Video’s Utopia as a set designer, Lindsay Coda moved to Sherman Oaks, CA, and then she headed straight to Bartlesville, OK, and the Osage Nation to work as an assistant art director on Martin Scorsese’s next film, Killers of the Flower Moon. “I am extremely excited to be working under the incredible designer Dante Ferretti and supervising art director Beat Frutiger. Learning about the Osage Nation’s history and culture is such an eye opening experience, and I am so happy to be a part of this project.”
James Barranco is living in New York City with fellow PCDS alumni Cory Pitt and Ryan Pitt. “Our apartment is full of plants and I consider myself a green thumb. I’m enjoying my work as a banker in the technology, media, and telecommunications sector. Prepare for 5G! The world is about to look a lot different,” reports James. Nicole Burke shares that she recently moved back to Arizona from New York City to be closer to her family. She reports that her partner in crime, Thomas Raccuia, has followed her out to AZ from New York. They have bought a “charming” house together in Scottsdale and plan to adopt a puppy soon! Nicole is following in her father’s footsteps and has joined the family business selling stone, brick, and pavers. She is now a residential specification rep for Solstice Stone, assisting interior designers and architects with material selections. 2013 After graduating from the University of San Diego in 2017, Tyler Humphrey took a gap year to work as a medical scribe in the emergency department at Abrazo Health System in AZ. In 2018, he started medical school at Hofstra University and is currently in his second year. After graduating from PCDS, Alison Loretta attended New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in film and television. She currently lives in Brooklyn and has been working at unscripted television production companies for the past three years.
She loves her job and spends her days developing, casting, and pitching new documentary and reality TV projects. She has helped develop programs for Hulu, CNN, MSNBC, National Geographic, A&E, Food Network, Science Channel, VH1, and more. In 2019, Derek Chan graduated from The University of Chicago with a degree in psychology. Following graduation, he worked on The Parasite, UChicago’s orientation alternate reality game, designed to orient incoming freshmen to college life. Derek is currently pursuing a master’s degree in entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon University with the goal of working in the games industry as a game designer. Since graduating from Indiana University in 2017, Emma Pappas has lived in four cities—Dallas, Washington, D.C., New York, and most recently, London. She began her career in Washington, D.C., working for Rep. Ruben Gallego before moving to New York to work in public relations. She spent two years working in the corporate practice at a global PR agency, driving communications strategies and plans for major corporate, health, and consumer brands. With the Brexit deadline fast approaching, Emma finally became a dual-citizen and relocated to London this past summer to work at a leading international public relations and financial communications consultancy. There, she services clients in financial and professional services, insurance, technology, B2B, and ESG sectors. Emma hopes to continue traveling the world, becoming a global citizen, and collecting stamps one city at a time.
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2014 In 2018, Rachael Stottlemyre graduated with a BS degree from Barrett, The Honors College at ASU. During her time as an undergraduate, she worked as a medical scribe in the Emergency Department at HonorHealth and volunteered at Maricopa Integrated Health Systems. She is currently studying for the Medical College Admission Test and working at Phoenix Children’s Hospital as a Trauma and Surgery Research Assistant. Sydnee Schwartz reports, “Last November, I started my own media production company, Good Eye! Media, where I provide photography, videography, editing, graphic design, and social media services to local organizations in the Phoenix area. I also work as a Social Media Specialist at First Place AZ, a residential community that provides independent living opportunities for adults on the spectrum. I help create content and manage their social media networks.”
Chris Mattinson is currently living in downtown Los Angeles working as a Forensic Litigation Consultant at FTI Consulting with a focus on data and analytics. This past summer, he toured Europe for two weeks with Stephen Marquis. They visited Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. While in college at SMU, Tyler Kowalske started a viral marketing firm that specialized in social media marketing. PSY Multimedia is now a multinational business working with the likes of OVO, Preme, Tiesto, Lil Wayne, and Post Malone to name a few. After graduating from SMU, Tyler reports, “I took on a client in London where I 50 | PCDS THE BRIDGE
Classes of 1965-1970: We look forward to seeing you at Golden Circle 2020 on Thursday, June 4! Visit pcds.org/goldencircle to RSVP.
lived for seven months while helping their business launch in Europe. In February of 2019, I moved back to the U.S. where I co-founded Nectris Labs, a large scale CBD processing facility. We currently have locations in Daytona Beach and Miami. Nectris Labs has recently been acquired by a large company out of California called Loudpack, and we are now their CBD/ hemp division.” Sam Ax is currently working in NYC as an investment banking analyst covering healthcare at Goldman Sachs. 2015 After graduating from the University of Denver in June of 2019, Meryl Ax moved to New York City to pursue a career as a beauty publicist. She currently works at BPCM—a Strategic Consulting & Communications Agency—coordinating PR efforts for various mass and prestige beauty brands including Maybelline, Lancôme, Christian Louboutin Beauty, and Prada Fragrances. After graduating from Claremont McKenna College, Remi Edwards moved to Los Angeles where she works at United Talent Agency as an agent trainee. Kyle Money graduated from Vanderbilt University in May with a degree in education & cognitive studies. He is now teaching English at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., while pursuing a master’s in education at UPenn through the Independent School Teaching Residency.
Kyle Kinnie shared, “After leaving PCDS in 2015, I spent my undergrad years at Stanford. I made many lifelong friends and had the immense honor and privilege of studying under my favorite living historian, Niall Ferguson. I graduated in 2019 with a BA with Honors in international relations and a minor in German. Now I work as a graduate research assistant at the on-campus Hoover Institution and hope to continue my studies at Oxford or Harvard.” After graduating from PCDS, Gabe Hamilton attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. While at McGill, “I pursued studies in economics and geography, helped lead the school’s baseball team to two consecutive national championship titles, conducted research on global capital markets, and spent a semester in Paris, France. I have been fortunate enough to lead educational workshops internationally, travel to over 30 countries, and consult at multi-million dollar organizations on strategic planning and expansion initiatives. I recently graduated from McGill and have since moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where I work as a management consultant. I currently help businesses and governments improve their operational effectiveness. Looking back, I can confidently say that I would not be who I am without my experiences at PCDS. The students, teachers, and the community that PCDS fosters caused me to place a higher value on relationship building, quality work, and leadership principles that have helped to take me to where I am today.”
After spending sixth through twelfth grades at PCDS, Grace Gilberg went on to attend Wellesley College where she graduated in May 2019 with degrees in political science and religion. She is now working as an Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs International in their London office— her favorite city. Emma Watson reports, “While I only spent two years at PCDS (eighth and ninth grades), the academic support I received from teachers, and the incredible friendships I formed helped to create a lasting impact on my life. After finishing high school in Columbus, Ohio, I attended Emory University where I double-majored in international relations and Spanish. Upon graduation, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to work as an English teaching assistant at a secondary school in Madrid, Spain, for the 20192020 school year. During my Fulbright grant, I have served as an English teacher in bilingual classrooms. The most rewarding part of my Fulbright experience so far has been teaching Global Classrooms (Model UN for English language learners), where I am able to combine my passion for international affairs and diplomacy with my experience and knowledge of English education. In the future, I plan to go to law school to study international law and continue my work representing refugee and immigrant communities in legal and policy arenas.” Lexi Nelson writes, “I loved my time at PCDS. It taught me many skills that I have taken with me along my career path. After graduation, I attended Texas Christian University where I studied strategic communications and learned my passion for marketing and public relations. Currently, I work at a PR firm in Dallas. I have to say that any time I run into former PCDS students with whom I went to school, it makes me smile!”
Carlos Alvarado graduated from ASU with majors in finance and business data analytics. After college, he decided to stay in the Phoenix area and is currently working at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group as a Financial Analyst.
She mainly focuses on the redesign of legacy castings into new parts for Honeywell’s product line. In the future, she hopes to pursue further education in the field of technical design.
Emma Newton shares, “I recently graduated from Colgate University with a BA in peace and conflict studies and a minor in museum studies. My thesis project entitled “The Aesthetics of Trauma in Post-Memory Exhibition: An Exploration of Soviet Holocaust Photography in the 20th Century” was supported by archival research completed in conjunction with Colgate’s Picker Art Gallery. Following my graduation last May, I immediately began working on my MS in human resources and labor relations at the University of Rhode Island, and I am happily living in Providence. I am supporting my master’s program with a variety of internships targeted at the vast functions of human resources and labor relations.”
Staley Lane graduated from ASU in May and now works at the Phoenix Zoo as a Wildlife Research Technician. “I have had the amazing experience of learning about endangered species and working with camera trapping. I am currently in my first year of my master’s and hope to complete my thesis on finding new ways to integrate species conservation into society. I am passionate about how we discuss scientific endeavors (concentrating on our sustainability) and how to bring them to the every day conversation.”
After traveling around Europe last summer, Cassidy Server is settling down to start up her professional organizing business—Cassidy Quinn Uncluttered, LLC. She specializes in office and residential organizing. Check out www.cquncluttered.com to learn more about her business. Allison Winter graduated from Boston University with magna cum laude honors while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After completing four years as a member of the BU swim team, she officially retired and became a “swammer”. However, she does enjoy a morning swim at the PCDS pool with the Phoenix Swim Club master’s program from time to time. She is currently residing in Phoenix and recently started a position at Honeywell Aerospace. She is working as a design engineer in the additive manufacturing department.
Andre Roidl reports, “After leaving PCDS midway through my freshman year, I continued my education in a British high school in Singapore. I then did two years of national service in the Singapore Armed Forces, where I specialized as a combat engineer. I am now continuing my education in London, where I am studying biotechnology/ biochemistry at Imperial College. It was quite hard adjusting back to studying after having served in the army for two years, but I am surviving.” Sophie Hill attends the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she is earning an honor’s degree in film studies. She reports, “I spend a lot of my time writing and running an online/ print publication called ST.ART Magazine. Here, I write a column called “Closet Confidential” about personal style. This past summer, I spent some time in South Africa doing a film internship about eco-conservation. Interestingly, my best friend (PCDS alumna Rana Roudi) was with me too! I will graduate from St. Andrews this June and plan to spend a little time traveling before the ‘real world’”. WINTER 2019/20 | 51
Amelia Montooth graduated from the University of Southern California with a joint major in international relations and global business, and a minor in consumer behavior. She is now working at a Democratic political organization doing digital advertising in Washington, D.C. She plans to pursue a master’s in public policy in the coming years.
Were you a part of Project Excellence? If so, let us know if you are interested in being a resource to current Project Excellence students by emailing alumni@pcds.org.
Natalie Prieb spent last summer interning at CNN in NYC and will be graduating from George Washington University this May.
2016 After a summer internship in solar development with Community Energy, Inc. in Philadelphia, Oliver Marsden returned to Tufts University for his fourth and penultimate year in Boston. He will remain at Tufts in the fall of 2020 to complete a master’s in electrical engineering with a focus on solar energy and grid-scale energy storage. Oliver shared, “Reading Infinite Jest and growing my vinyl collection—Mr. Guthrie would be proud of the expeditions into so-dusty-you-can-taste-it antique shops—have been occupying my free hours, but I will still find time to take advantage of Dave’s Fresh Pasta down the street by cooking their freshly made linguini. I spend lots of time with Will Porter ’17 on the mock trial team, and now we see even more of each other as we live a block apart in off-campus houses. The PCDS bond will always be strong! If any PCDS students are looking for a tour of Tufts University, just shoot me an email at oliver.marsden@tufts.edu. More updates to come in future years!
2017 Alexa Portigal is in her third year at Northeastern University. She is almost complete with her process of creating a combined major of cultural anthropology and art history. In the spring semester of this year, she will be moving to NYC to start her co-op at Gagosian Gallery for six to nine months. Mina Rodriguez reports that she is currently a junior organizational communication major and sociology minor studying at the “illustrious” Howard University in Washington, D.C. It is her goal to go into the growing field of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). She has high hopes of working in an independent school one day— possibly PCDS! 2018 In October, Kati Dean—along with nine other students selected from the Chapman University Orchestra— performed at an event highlighting
the 20th anniversary of the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics. Former President George W. Bush was the featured guest. Madison Stringer is currently a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania in the Vagelos Scholars in Molecular Life Sciences program. She is working in Dr. Ivan Dmowchowski’s lab studying genetically encoded biosensors for xenon imaging. This past summer, Carolina Olea Lezama interned for the national non-profit Hispanic Federation in New York City. She was re-elected to the Tufts Senate and this year also serves on the Executive Board of Senate as the Diversity Officer. Additionally, this semester she is interning at the Massachusetts Voter Table doing census work with marginalized communities. 2019 Max Lerner is studying film and marketing at NYU Gallatin while making short films and exploring urban life.
Do you have news to share? We are always excited to hear from you. Send details about a graduation, a new job, a birth, engagement, or marriage announcement, a recent trip, a new hobby, or a visit with another alumnus/a (and email accompanying photos) to alumni@pcds.org. We look forward to learning what you have been up to!
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