Presidio Hill School Annual Alumni Magazine | Summer 2022 Roots and Branches
Amy Johnson, www.akfdesign.com
Adrienne Moon, Director of Development
Sarah Gaffney, Director of Marketing and Communications
Roots & Branches is published by Presidio Hill School annually. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us at development@presidiohill.org. Thank you.
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Editorial
Graphic Design
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Presidio Hill School | Summer 2022 | 3 1984 2007 and now! TABLE CONTENTSOF WELCOME 4 | From Head of School Lisa Jeli THE STUDENTS 5 | A Year in Photos 6 | Celebrating the Class of 2022 THE SCHOOL 8 | Did You Know? Fun Facts about PHS 9 | Person in Profile: Climate Activism 10 | Community Traditions: Then and Now 12 | Arts & Poetry THE ALUMNI 14 | Spotlight on the Mission: Julia Collins ‘92 16 | Young Alumni Spotlight: Emily Nguyen ‘19 18 | Make Your Voice Heard 19 | A Year in Photos: 2021/2022 Alumni Events 22 | Get Involved 23 | In Memoriam
And, we will encourage YOU to get involved with our school: tell us who you are and where you are now, join us for events, and give your feedback about PHS and our alumni program.
I am so glad to be writing to you with important updates from PHS, your fellow alumni, and your former teachers! This year’s Roots & Branches Alumni Magazine explores the theme “Rooted in Resilience”; our roots–grown over more than 100 years–are deeply planted in values of respect and inclusion, authentic curiosity and engagement, empathy and care for ourselves and others, and optimism and activism. Our roots are deep, and they are strong, and they are all of you.
This year, Presidio Hill School alumni continued to live our school’s mission and reflect our values throughout the world. The pages within tell of the wonderful ways our alumni students, families, teachers, and community members embody the values of Presidio Hill School. We will showcase what is currently happening at Presidio Hill and welcome the Class of 2022 and their families to the alumni community. We will highlight two alumni who are living the PHS values in unique ways. We will share stories from the reunions and events that PHS hosted this year (and we encourage you all to join us for future events!)
Dear PHS Alumni,
A Word from Lisa Jeli HEAD OF SCHOOL
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I know that the last few years have likely been some of the most challenging ones you have ever experienced–so too for our school. When situations felt impossible and the world became unrecognizable, Presidio Hill School was able to stand on our strong roots of over a century of progressive education. Our roots helped us stay optimistic and grow even more resilient as we continued to support our community through the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for the many ways you have contributed to our strong foundation, and we look forward to growing with you.
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Celebrating the CLASS OF 2022
On a warm and sunny morning in June, the Class of 2022 celebrated their graduation from Presidio Hill School surrounded by loved ones, faculty, and staff. Each graduate received a personal tribute from a beloved teacher which only reinforced the deep connection PHS faculty and staff have with our students.
As each graduate was welcomed to the microphone to share their reflections, it was clear how much each and every one of them cherished their time at PHS. A number of the graduates spoke about their first day at PHS and how a friendly face turned into a lifelong friendship. Others spoke about overnight trips where they forged deeper connections with one another. And while more than a few of them
A deeply musical class since their earliest days at PHS, the Class of 2022 could not resist performing together one more time. Every student picked up an instrument or grabbed the microphone to perform “Time of Your Life” by Green Day.
spoke about the challenges of distance learning and learning in a tent on the roof yard during the 20202021 school year, they all spoke about how that experience made them more resilient and deepened their connections to their friends and teachers.
STUDENTSTHE
We are incredibly proud of our graduates and look forward to hearing about their experiences in high school. To the Class of 2022: we hope you had the time of your life.
Tamalpais High School
The Bay School
“ “ “ “ ” ” ” ”
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San Francisco Girls School
The members of Presidio Hill School’s Class of 2022 will be attending the following high schools:
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory San Domenico School
COVID put us through a tough time, however, we were able to come together and move forward. A large portion of our middle school years were spent online, yet when we finally came in person it wasn’t awkward or weird. Of course, it was strange in the sense that our new classroom was a tent. Though, through all the peculiarities, we found brightness.
International High School
I love this school so much and it saddens me more than you could possibly imagine saying–Davidgoodbye.
Over the course of these three years [at PHS], I’ve really been able to explore my identity and figure out who I really am.
81% of students were accepted to their 1st choice school
–Melannie
100% of students who requested a exible tuition grant for their high school education received it.
[Teachers Ellie and Feli] listened to what I had to say and I hadn’t felt heard in a while. It was the first time I realized I wasn’t alone and I had people who were there for me. I will never forget this moment and I will carry it with me forever.
100% of students were accepted to at least one of their top 3 schools
Lick-Wilmerding High School
Drew ImmaculateFormanSchoolSchoolConception Academy
Urban UniversitySchoolHigh School
2021-2022 PHS High School Placement Facts
fl
–Naomi
–Emma
SCHOOLTHE
An average grant is $28,212.
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PHS co-founder Helen Salz, a staunch advocate of civil liberties, helped found the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union shortly after the 1932 San Francisco General Strike.
Our lead teachers have a total of 350 years teaching experience at PHS with an average PHS tenure of 15 years.
During the 1930s PHS became something of a haven for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an organization that helped refugees from Nazi Germany begin their lives anew in San Francisco. Every week a Newcomer’s Meeting was held on campus which was aimed at helping ease refugee’s transition to American life. During the summer months, the school was used as a hostel for displaced persons awaiting permanent resettlement. By 1942, the school became the site for AFSC strategy meetings on how to resist deportation of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast.
28.6% of our total current student body receives flexible tuition discounts in the amount of $1.75 million!
Teacher Steve Manseau has the 32tenurelongestatPHS:years!
We have 13 Masters degrees among our 24 lead teachers (and learning specialists), with one Ph.D. That’s a percentage of 54.2% of lead teaching staff with advanced degrees.
PHS opened its doors in 1918 with 15 students. This year, we have an enrollment of 220.
On October 15, 1969 Presidio Hill School closed for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, a massive demonstration and teach-in. Teacher Sandy Segal led a group of students and parents to the San Francisco March where he was arrested in front of his students and taken to jail. To this day, many alumni who were in that group mention this as one of their most vivid PHS memories.
DID YOU KNOW?
The traditional PHS “Dragon Dance” was choreographed by renowned dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin
Fun Facts about Presidio Hill School
What is the climate crisis and how is it impacting me and others?
ACTIVISMCLIMATEle:
Then, the 4th grade researchers participated in an extended inquiry process wherein they “met” and profiled key climate justice activists. Activists they selected highlight a broad
coalition of groups who actively and passionately mobilize climate action. Throughout their process, 4th graders were inspired by these models of environmental stewardship and were moved to join collective efforts for climate justice. As young activists, students now see how they can support, join, and even lead efforts to heal our environment and keep it clean for future generations.
Students created visual biographies and timelines of climate justice activists, as well as defined their own environmental pledge and service. Finally, students wrote letters to climate activists and important political figures to encourage policy change. Many recipients wrote back! See below for some examples of student letters and activists’ replies.
My name is Noah, I live in San Francisco, CA. I am a 4th grade student at Presidio Hill School. I’m inspired by your work to pledge to help put out deep sea bottom trawling and other types of offensive fishing, as I have learned from your motto “clear cutting a forest for a few fish.”I also pledge to get my friends and family to do the same, as you have taught me and a whole handful of other people. I have been inspired by your work for at least a month now and I pledge to help you and be loyal to you forever more. As I said earlier, I will try my best to help put a stop to offensive fishing types such as deep sea bottom trawling, which take in so much fish, and most of them are then thrown off the boat because most people don’t want to eat them.Thank you for making time to read my letter. (As you probably have a lot more to read). I appreciate how you inspired people to act up and do the right thing.Sincerely, Noah.
And Claire Nouvian’s response: Thank you for the work you are doing with your student activists! Claire greatly appreciated reading the touching letter Noah wrote, full of humour and conviction.It is wonderful to see students being inspired by teachers such as yourselves to act on social and environmental issues, we need them more than ever!
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Person in Profi
A cornerstone of progressive education is having students serve as leaders of their own learning across extended learning formats. At Presidio Hill School, all grades culminate their successful school year with Celebrations of Learning. These important community events shine a spotlight on the learning happening in the classroom and are characterized by public and visible learning, high-quality work embedded in real-life contexts, engaging an authentic audience, active self-reflection throughout the process, and encouraging intrinsic motivation and engagement.
Who are the climate activists organizing toward climate justice?
One example of Celebrations of Learning is the “Person in Profile” project for 3rd and 4th grade students–many of our alumni likely remember this engaging research project and presentation. This year, the 4th grade students chose a person to profile who had used their voice to make a positive change in the world through climate activism. 4th grade students considered the following essential questions:
Dear Claire Nouvian,
How can I support, join, and lead the movement to help heal our environment?
COMMUNITY TRADITIONS
Presidio Hill School celebrates a variety of special events–some are decades-old traditions and others are more recent additions–which contribute to the deep sense of community between our current and alumni community members. As these traditions occur over seasons and across years, they become a measure of the rhythm of our school year and intrinsic to a sense of belonging and connectedness, even after students, families, and staff move on from PHS.
THE WALKATHON
SCHOOLTHE NOWTHEN NOWNOW
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The Walkathon is a fun, childcentered all-school event that helps students understand the importance of giving back to their communities and emphasizes the positive impact of a diverse school environment on academic excellence. Accompanied by their peers or parents, students go out into their communities to raise money for PHS’s Flexible Tuition program, engaging in activities ranging from bake sales, to art sales, to hosting movie nights with tickets for purchase. Then students celebrate their success at Presidio Wall Park by running, walking, or dancing around the track: a truly marvelous thing to witness!
We place great emphasis on providing opportunities for community members to build connections with each other and believe that meaningful connections deepen engagement and partnership between the school and home across years and generations. We intentionally build a variety of events into the school year and encourage alumni community members to join us for some of our most beloved community traditions.
Below are a few beloved PHS community events:
Then and Now
The PHS Multicultural Leadership Team (MLT) hosts an annual affinity event for our community members of color–the PHS Families & Faculty of Color BBQ! The barbeque, our newest annual tradition and one started by a PHS parent, typically takes place at PHS during the Fall and features a delicious dinner, games and activities for children, and community-building for families, staff, and students!
FAMILY & FACULTY OF COLOR BBQ
community.Follies
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MAY FESTIVAL
GRADUATION
Grandparents & Special Friends Day at Presidio Hill School gives students a chance to bring a favorite grownup along for the magical experience of learning at Presidio Hill. Grandparents and Special Friends are welcomed in to our school for a special lesson in their student’s class–after a musical piece performed by the students, of course! After the day’s activities, most grandparents and special friends leave wishing they could go back and repeat whatever grade they just visited—so long as they could attend Presidio Hill the second time around!
GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY
THENTHEN NOW THEN THEN NOW NOW NOW
PHS graduation is a special culminating event for our wonderful 8th grade students and families–many of you likely experienced it! Each year, students have breakfast together one last time, watch a slideshow compiled by 8th grade families, showcase their culminating art pieces, have one final classchosen-and-performed musical piece, and walk together across the roof yard to receive their diplomas. Graduating students offer tributes to each other, their families, their teachers and PHS experiences, and themselves, and teachers offer words of advice and encouragement to each student on stage.
is PHS’s annual musical showcase and one of our longest-running annual traditions! Started in 1974 by PHS teacher Dolores Morris, during Follies every class takes to the stage at the Palace of Fine Arts to sing and play music through a musical extravaganza facilitated by the eighth grade class and the PHS music teachers. Complete with student-created art pieces, this is an integrated arts experience in the tradition of Presidio Hill.
May Festival is PHS’s longest-running annual tradition! Begun in the 1950s and occurring the first Sunday of May, “May Fest” features students reciting original poetry, a festive May Pole dance by eighth graders, impromptu pickup bands and student-led songs, and games and friendships galore! Families are invited to bring a blanket (and maybe an instrument?) and picnic and enjoy the gorgeous May weather together with our
FOLLIES
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Founder and Designer of Heath Ceramics, Edith Heath, taught art at Presidio Hill School from 1942-1945 and is the subject of a special exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California until October 30, 2022.
Learn more at edith-heath-life-claywww.museumca.org/exhibit/
SCHOOLTHE
Trailblazer. Rebel. Revolutionary. Discover the story of Edith Heath, founder and designer of Heath Ceramics. Heath transformed the ceramics industry, creating dinnerware from California clay for “Sunday best” and everyday use. Driven by the power of good design, and a commitment to her craft, Heath’s vision continues to live on through her stoneware and tile over 70 years later. Durable, not delicate, simple, yet stylish, Heath Ceramics is an icon of American design. This is not a traditional ceramics or craft exhibition - it combines historic objects, photographs, documentary video and personal memorabilia to showcase Heath’s legacy and story.
EDITH HEATH: A Life in Clay
By Téa Theodosopoulos ‘22
Like how trees burst to flames and there the ocean used to lay The morning was cold and desolate and loud But if the world had been ending, I wouldn’t be too sad You see, I had forgotten those silly regrets from my sixth and seventh and then, eighth grade self
Like a far away landslide repeating its destruction till our world falls apart Or maybe, it really was the end
And this world that was my home No longer could block the cold I thought I needed far away from my soul Maybe it’s natural, a part of getting old But maybe my world was falling apart
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All the hills and cliffs, beaches and dunes, mountains and valleys They were just letting go
The morning was cold Fog obstructed any belief that the sky had once been blue Or maybe, it was an ash cloud From Yellowstone’s super volcano constantly on the brink of eruption My eyes could not see a soul The soaking field had yet to contain a fresh print Or maybe there was a night call For all but one and then I was alone while the others fled I heard a rhythmic crashing
I had lost all the worries I had for what to do when I reached the horizon I was still and ready for this journey I’d been handed If the world could end at dawn Imagine the splendid possibilities for dusk and noon Constant reminders tell me that In the everything, everything is okay But that morning wasn’t the end; it simply was the start of my day ARTS & POETRY
The Morning
PHS: Can you tell me about your time at PHS?
PHS: What was your journey after PHS?
When I learned that 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions came from land use and food systems, I was really shocked and a little bit angry, frankly. As I remembered from elementary biology, there’s this magical thing called photosynthesis which is all about the natural carbon cycle and the power of plants to sequester and trap atmospheric carbon. It just seemed crazy to me that food systems, which are built on agriculture, were emitting such high rates of carbon, methane, nitrous, and all of the greenhouse gasses as opposed to being at balance or in a perfect world, net negative.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE MISSION
Julia Collins ‘92
Julia Collins: I have so many favorite memories from my time at PHS. I loved my experience as a student. It’s really hard to pick a favorite teacher because they were all such a part of my development. I have amazing memories of being in Ann [Meissner]’s class and Patty [Jepson]’s class. In Erainya [Neirro]’s class, what was most exciting to me was to learn about the scientific method and this idea of going from hypothesis to conclusion with all of these discrete steps.
JC: I went to PHS through 6th grade and then I went to Marin Country Day School for 7th and 8th grade. After MCDS, I went to University High School and then off to Harvard College. I worked in New York City for a while, and then came back to Stanford Business School, and then began working in the restaurant industry and then food tech industry. This eventually led to me launching Planet FWD, our software business, and Moonshot Snacks, [our consumer packaged goods company], to use the power of food to help tackle climate change.
I think at that point in my learning journey I was really beginning to get excited about frameworks and structuring my thinking. I loved that even when the answer to these big questions about the world was unclear, that you could always apply this method to knowing how to ask the right questions and to creating experiments. I think that approach to discovery was something that I really kept with me as I continued to grow and evolve as a learner.
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PHS: What inspired you to start these businesses?
JC: Many of us have always been aware of and concerned about the condition of our planet. I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat of an environmentalist in the sense that I’m conscious about the way that I consume. I’m conscious about what I eat. When my first son was born, I went from being concerned to absolutely obsessed with addressing climate change within this decade.
I wondered what it would look like to build a product that was actually climate-friendly instead of destructive to the climate, and that meant wanting to source my ingredients from farmers who were using not only organic but also regenerative agriculture. It meant designing a supply chain that reduced emissions from transportation. It meant packaging.
ALUMNITHE
When we thought about spotlighting an alumnus who truly embodies PHS’s mission, Julia Collins ‘92 was the very first person who came to our minds. Her work combating climate change through her company Planet FWD, her commitment to amplifying BIPOC voices, and her leadership as a Black female entrepreneur is inspiring. We chatted with Julia over Zoom about climate justice as social justice, her time at PHS, and how she stays optimistic about the future.
Just one example of this is the rates of asthma in inner city communities, proximity to infrastructure and how that causes emissions to be much more prevalent in inner city neighborhoods. The fact that inner city neighborhoods are often 5 to 10 degrees warmer than elsewhere in the same metropolitan areas.
What I would also say is that a perspective that I lean on very heavily is borrowed from indigenous wisdom and indigenous principles of being connected to and part of natural systems. Maybe the best thing that we could do from a climate justice perspective would be to return to those indigenous principles since indigenous people are holding only 5% of the land but also holding 85% of the biodiversity on the planet. Certainly, we have a lot to learn from the ways that indigenous people have been stewards of our land and connected to land for thousands of years.
It meant being carbon neutral. I did all of that, and I launched this brand called Moonshot. It was very hard. It was hard to understand my carbon footprint. It was hard to understand how to reduce my footprint. It was hard to source offsets. I realized that if it was that hard for me, that it was probably hard for everyone. Because I have my background in Food Tech, including software development, I decided to build a scalable software solution to solving the problem.
PHS: You are doing such important work in climate justice but I also know you are deeply committed to social justice. Do you see these two things as being linked?
I know not everyone has the opportunity to get up and go work for a climate tech company or a climate-friendly CPG brand, but we all have this opportunity to do something every day. Whether that is choosing to convert to a more plant-based or plant-forward lifestyle, or choosing to walk to work, or better yet, DMing your favorite brand and asking them to go carbon neutral, writing a letter to a congressperson or a senator, attending a rally, reading about climate change, sharing it with
your children. There’s something that you can do every day to be active. Then the framing that I always give is that it really is a privilege to be alive during this narrow window of time when it’s still possible to make a big difference and to stave off the worst of what happens within the context of a rapidly warming planet. Imagine being born a decade too late. It’s a privilege for everyone who is alive and in a body right now to be able to do something when it matters the most.
PHS: One of the parts of the PHS mission that I find so unique but also, frankly, very difficult to live into as an adult is “empowering learners who are optimistic about the future”. How do you stay optimistic?
PHS: That is a really lovely thought to end on, Julia. Thank you so much for your time.
Julia celebrating Halloween at PHS
JC: I am fundamentally optimistic. It is my choice to be optimistic. I guess what I would say, just to be very frank, is that the alternative is just unthinkable for me. To wake up every day, while I am still on the planet with my children, in a state of dread or fear, panic or anxiety, I don’t choose that. The way that I’m able to fuel my optimism is through activism and the daily practice of going to work and building a scalable solution to the climate crisis.
JC: This idea that the responsibility that I feel to stand up for people and the planet, that was foundational to the way that we thought about life at PHS. I remember early, early, early in [my time at PHS] the [emphasis on] composting, and recycling, and reducing food waste, and reusing things, and making structures out of milk cartons, or learning how to compost in the soil, growing things. I hadn’t really considered that until I was just sitting with you, but I wonder if the origins for what I’m building at Planet FWD really can be traced back to those early years at PHS in many ways.
What we do at Planet FWD on the software side of things is we help consumer companies to measure, reduce, and offset their own carbon emissions. It’s a very unique business in the sense that we have two arms, a CPG (consumer packaged goods) business and also a software business.
PHS: Do you have any parting thoughts to share with us?
JC: Yes. I think there is no social justice without climate justice, and there is no climate justice without really considering the degree to which communities of color are globally already facing the worst of what happens as our planet continues to rapidly warm. I really do believe that one of the most important things that we can do from the perspective of creating more equity is to fix climate change.
EN: Yes, I was really close with Jen [Bamesberger], my math teacher. I really liked math in Middle School. My friends and I would literally just go into Jen’s office during lunch to talk to her about our problems and about how we felt about the lessons she was teaching and about how we felt about our classroom partners and everything. It was really great to have someone like that for me, because I felt she really cared about me and she cared about how I felt within the PHS community, not only just within her classroom.
I also organized a Students of Color Club. I really bonded with everyone who showed up there and everyone who wanted to talk about their experiences as a student of color at PHS. We did things like go on field trips to Chinatown and have discussions about how we felt. It really opened my eyes to what it felt like to develop my leadership skills so early, and not even realize that I was [doing it].
PHS: Please tell me a little bit about your time at PHS.
PHS: You are a member of the San Francisco Youth Commission. What does that entail?
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YOUNG
ALUMNITHE
PHS: Did you have a favorite class or a favorite teacher?
EN: Throughout Middle School, I was a pretty shy person in classroom settings. I know that all of my teachers saw a lot of potential in me. Specifically, I remember Brian [Johnson] and Jen really believed in me. At graduation, every teacher gives a tribute speech about one of the graduating students. I remember there was a line in [Brian’s] speech about me that was something along the lines of, “Don’t be afraid to be the smartest kid in the room.”
Emily Nguyen: PHS was a very formative experience for me because everyone there really wanted to see me grow. The classroom learning environments were so small, so I was really able to form those bonds with my teachers. Everyone around me really wanted to see me succeed. They didn’t push me to succeed by assigning me this many tests and telling me that I had to get this grade. They pushed me to grow by highlighting the areas where I needed to look within myself. I’d say that my time at PHS was pretty introspective because of the close-knit community and the amount of mentors that were available to me.
EmilySPOTLIGHTALUMNINguyen‘19
PHS: I know you’re very active in service work and social justice work. What sparked your interest in this work?
PHS: We were speaking with [Former Head of School] Susan Andrews and [Head of School] Lisa Jeli about you. They mentioned that you were always working on a service project when you were at PHS. Can you tell me about those?
EN: I remember that at PHS, if I had an idea, I could really push forward with it. I think that helped me with seeing that I could really do anything I wanted, not [just] at PHS, but outside of PHS as well. I remember starting in seventh grade, every season of middle school I’d organize some kind of drive with [my classmate] Katherine Hansen. We organized a hygiene drive, a Halloween costume drive, and a food drive.
That stuck with me for so many years, because in class, he would always ask, “Emily, why aren’t you raising your hand? I know you know the answer to this,” or “Why aren’t you sharing your insights?” They saw this potential in me that I had yet to see in myself.
EN: The Youth Commission is a body of 17 youth that advise the mayor and the board of supervisors on issues related to youth. I was appointed by my district supervisor Ahsha Safai to advocate on what youth need within District 11 of San Francisco. We research issues within San Francisco and then we take policy action in order to make change in those issues. As a youth commissioner, I’ve worked on campaigns like Free Muni for All Youth and Car Free JFK.
When I came into high school, I realized that them having that belief in me was really important because I really felt like someone knew that I could do this. It was really hard, in the beginning, to just go to Lick and be surrounded by so many smart people and people who are super involved in their communities. But I remembered the people that believed in me, so I began putting myself out there and got involved with local government in San Francisco.
I’m also on the California Department of Education’s Youth Advisory Council. That’s a youth advisory council in the office of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. We work with California policy makers or people who work in nonprofits in California, and we advise them on education policy. I just started that this year, but so far, I’ve been able to speak on panels about students’ experiences with COVID and schools.
PHS: We teach our students to be optimistic about the future and care about the environment and social justice issues. What advice would you give current middle school students about staying optimistic and fighting for the things that they believe in?
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PHS: Tell me more about the youth organization you recently EN:founded.
PHS: Do you think you want to work in politics after college?
I started San Francisco Ignite Leadership in Youth (SFILY) where we plan leadership programs for Middle School students to teach them about social justice, civic issues within San Francisco, and socialemotional skills like public speaking, interpersonal communication, and collaboration. We’ve hosted three leadership programs in the past year and worked with over 120 middle school students.
I understand how you can create limitations for yourself by not believing in yourself enough. I was able to create this organization because I really believe that everyone should have a chance to grow into their best selves, no matter what background they come from. I’m just really grateful to be able to provide that opportunity for other students to grow into leaders like I did.
EN: I would say, don’t get too fixated on the present moment, because I think for everyone, there was so much ahead of them, whether they’re anticipating it or not. There’s going to be so many teachers and so many friends and so many mentors who will love you and who will believe in you and who will guide you in your formative years of high school. There are so many new experiences and so many opportunities that are going to shape you into who you want to be. Don’t think that the present is forever. There’s so much change ahead of you. Whether you like it or not, change is inevitable, and that change will ultimately make you into a better person. Don’t get so stuck in the present moment and be excited for all of the change that there is to come.
EN: I think in order to make change, you really have to know yourself. You have to have really clear intentions on everything that you do. If you know yourself, you’ll be able to be really intentional with what you do. You’ll be able to know why you’re doing a certain thing, and that can take you so far. People will be drawn to you and want to help you because they will know that you’re doing this for a reason and you’re clearly passionate about what you do.
EN: I don’t know. People always ask me that. There’s a lot of drama in politics. I may be more interested in the nonprofit field or just policy research and teaching about policy maybe, but I don’t think I want to be a politician at this moment.
PHS: I have just one last question. For people of your generation, what do you think is the biggest opportunity that you have to make change in the world?
The Youth Commission has been a really empowering experience for me because it shows that even though I don’t come from this abundant background of politics and money, I can still use my voice and my perspectives and make change in our community.
Make VOICEYourHEARD!
We love hearing from our alumni! Send your news and contact information updates to Niharika Patel, Development Manager, at niharika@presidiohill.org or 415-213-8622.
KEEP IN TOUCH
ALUMNITHE
Join PHS’s Alumni Facebook group! www.facebook.com/ Seegroups/presidiohillalumni/whatweareuptoand
As always, all responses are confidential. If you would like to provide more in-depth feedback than the survey allows, please feel free to contact Director of Development Adrienne Moon at adrienne@ presidiohill.org or 415-213-8606.
Please take a few minutes to complete a short PHS Alumni Survey. As we grow our alumni engagement program, this survey is an important tool for us to understand how our alumni want to interact with PHS and how we can best serve you.
Plus, if you complete the survey by October 1, you will be entered into a raffle for a special prize!
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT SURVEY
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share your throwback photos with us on Instagram! www.instagram.com/presidiohillschool
Join the Presidio Hill School Alumni Network on LinkedIn! When you list Presidio Hill School as your alma mater, you unlock a wealth of networking opportunities and resources!
JOIN US ONLINE
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ALUMNI2021/2022EVENTS
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving we invited alumni (21+, of course) to join us for a Holiday Happy Hour at Madrone Art Bar. Alumni from the 1970s all the way through the 2000s joined us for some preholiday cheer.
While we could not recreate in-person end-of-year events that were missed because of the pandemic, we were happy to invite our Class of 2020 alumni and their families to join us in person to share in one another’s company and say “until we meet again!”
MAYFEST ALUMNI FAMILY PICNIC - May 1, 2022
Mary Ellen Petrich ‘81 and Wei Ming Dariotis ‘83 at the MayFest Alumni Family Picnic.
Members of the Class of 2022 dancing the maypole
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HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR - November 22, 2021
We enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day in Golden Gate Park for our first MayFest since 2019. Alumni, parents of alumni, and their families joined the festivities and re-lived a number of beloved PHS traditions including the Maypole, Dragon Dance, and lemons with candy “straws”. Alumnus Cole Kanter ‘20 twisted balloons for the students and we also had a cake walk, gardening activities, and lawn games.
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CLASS OF 2020 FAMILY FAREWELL - August 18, 2021
Class of 2017 and 2018 Senior Send Offs
Members of the Class of 2017 then (below) and now (above).
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At our Class of 2017 Senior Send Off in August 2021 and our Class of 2018 Senior Send Off in June 2022, we welcomed our alumni and their families back to campus to catch up with classmates and former teachers, celebrate their high school graduations, and share their exciting plans for the future.
2021/2022 ALUMNI EVENTS
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Members of the Class of 2018 then (below) and now (above). Class of 2017 and Class of 2018 Matriculations Alumni from the Classes of 2017 and 2018 are enrolled at the following colleges and CityCarletonBostonuniversities:CollegeCollegeCollegeofSan Francisco Claremont McKenna College Colgate WillamettePreparatoryU.S.UniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityUniversityUCUCLAUCStanfordScrippsSantaPfiOberlinNorthwesternNortheasternNewMiddleburyMenloLewisJohnsColoradoUniversityStateUniversityHopkinsUniversity&ClarkCollegeCollegeCollegeYorkUniversityUniversityUniversityCollegezerCollegeClaraUniversityCollegeUniversityBerkeleySanDiegoofDenverofIdahoofMichiganofOregonofPennsylvaniaofPortlandofWashingtonAirForceAcademySchoolUniversity ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Presidio Hill School | Summer 2022 | 21
I currently live in San Diego with my wife Alyssa (a psychotherapist) and two boys, Hayden (6) and Skyler (3). I run my own investment firm which invests based on global macro trends and geopolitical themes.
I am Lick-Wilmerding High School ‘99 and Georgetown University ‘03. I graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2009. I also attended the University of Cape Town (South Africa) for one year while in college and the University of Nairobi School of Law for a summer while in law school.
It’s hard to choose a favorite memory; PHS is an idyllic place to spend your early formative years. Rick [Riordan]’s re-telling of the Greek myths is up there for me. Also the tarot readings he did in our class. Or threatening to confiscate my books if I didn’t go out and play during recess. Lots of Rick Riordan memories basically.
What do you like about being a PHS Class Representative?
VOLUNTEER
What do you do for a living and where do you live?
Based on your feedback to the Alumni Survey on page 18, we will be building out a robust calendar of alumni events. Please join PHS’s Alumni Facebook group or visit www. presidiohill.org/alumni for the most up-to-date alumni event listings and RSVP information.
There are a variety of ways for you to volunteer your time to support current PHS students or our alumni community. We are always looking for alumni to inspire our students by speaking at an assembly, volunteering at a school event, or mentoring our students. You can help support your fellow alumni by becoming a Class Representative, or planning an event or activity for alumni in your area. If you’d like to volunteer, contact us
REPRESENTATIVECLASSSPOTLIGHTGabrielMass‘95
Class Representatives are an important link between PHS and their classmates. They help build a sense of community among their classmates and serve as a key communication liaison between PHS and the alumni community. Gabriel attended PHS from 1986-1995 and is the Class Representative for the Classes of 1995-1999.
Alumni are the custodians of Presidio Hill School’s history, invaluable contributors to the School’s future, dedicated mentors to students and one another, and ambassadors to the world at large. There are many ways to get involved no matter your age, stage in life, or geographic location.
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Who was the PHS teacher who had the biggest impact on your life and why? Many PHS teachers had an important and lasting impact on me. The time spent at PHS was ultimately the basis for my values and what I think is important in life. If I had to pick one, it would be Karen Angier. I spent two years with Karen (“K-1” as well as 1st grade) because kindergarten was full the year I entered PHS. Karen was an extraordinary teacher and I am lucky to have had her guiding me through my first years of school. Her patient and nurturing, yet firm character gave me the confidence I needed to be successful at PHS and beyond.
I have enjoyed being a Class Representative because it’s given me an excuse to get back in touch with the PHS community and find a way to connect even though I don’t live in SF.
EVENTS
Where did you go to high school and college?
INVOLVEDGetdevelopment@presidiohill.org.atALUMNITHE
What is your favorite PHS memory and why?
IN MEMORIAM
Anthony Colonnese P’98, father of Francesca Colonnese ‘98, in September 2021
CLASS NOTES will now be housed on our brand new PHS website! To read current Class Notes or submit your own, visit www.presidiohill.org/alumni/news.
PHS would like to share the news of the passing of the following members of our community:
And while you are there check out our brand new Alumni News feed, events calendar, and more!
Joan Levy Zentner ‘39 in May 2022
Beth Perry, beloved PHS teacher, in February 2022
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Maude Fiscus ‘19, daughter of Kim and Bruce Fiscus P’19 and sister of Addie Fiscus ‘19, in August 2022
Every effort was made to capture a complete list of PHS community members who passed prior to our magazine print deadline. If you are aware of someone who was not included, please accept our condolences and notify us at development@ presidiohill.org.
www.presidiohill.org
