St. Andrew's 2024 Spring Magazine

save the date

HOMECOMING & REUNION

OCTOBER 19, 2024

We’re excited to welcome all alumni to campus this fall! We will celebrate alumni in milestone reunion years ending in 4s and 9s.

For more information:

Table of Contents

SPRING 2024

Editor

Richard Coco

Danielle Collins

Designers

Nancy Schwartz

Kelly Sullivan

Photographers

Andrea Joseph Photography

Freed Photography

Joy Asico-Smith

Stone Photography

2023-2024

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chair

Kellie Bickenbach

Vice Chair

Thomas Taylor ‘00

Treasurer

Dinkar Bhatia

Secretary

Rene Augustine

Rana Alarapon

William Amick

Alfredo Antezana

John Asadoorian

Edith Demas ‘83

Catherine Emmerson

Brian Harris

Barry Henderson

Sandy Horowitz

Anthony Izzo, III

Parisa Karaahmet ‘87

Sara O’Keefe

Alex Perdikis

Frederick Scarboro

EX-OFFICIO

Head of School

Robert Kosasky

Alumni Council President

Jennifer Hawkins ‘99

Parents Association President

Karen Schneider

Bishop’s Representative

Rev. Michele Hagans

COVER PHOTO BY Stone Photography 16 SAES.ORG 16

Athletics at St. Andrew’s

A decision in the late 1990s to stop being a big fish in a small pond and instead to swim in the ocean has had a profound and lasting impact on St. Andrew’s athletics.

26 Commencement Speaker

Steven Levenson ‘02 has taken the stage in front of a St. Andrew’s audience many times, but never like this. Twenty-two years after graduation, the Tony-Award winner will speak at this year’s graduation.

28 Alumni Profiles

Whether it’s studying fossils from different epochs or designing tools for the future, St. Andrew’s alumni continue to make their mark on the world.

The mission of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community dedicated to exceptional teaching, learning, and service.

St. Andrew’s is committed to a diverse and inclusive community with respect to race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, family status, economic circumstance, age, and physical disability in its student body, faculty and staff. Pursuant to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, St. Andrew’s does not discriminate in the administration of admission, financial aid or loan practices, educational or other school-sponsored programs and activities, or in the hiring or terms of employment of faculty and staff, except that the Chaplain shall be a member of the clergy of the Episcopal Church.

St. Andrew’s has kept the role of athletics in purposeful and healthy balance

Dear Friends,

Ten years ago this spring, St. Andrew’s broke ground on our new Student Center, which transformed the Postoak Campus with its sparkling new gyms, modern fitness and athletic training centers, spacious dance studio, and vibrant student commons. In the heart of the Student Center, our Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) found its permanent home and the opportunity to deepen its impact on our students, faculty, and worldwide network of partner schools and educators. The creation of the Student Center and CTTL catalyzed a golden age of growth and success for St. Andrew’s.

But not everything in the Student Center is new. Sixty three championship banners fill an entire wall of Holden Court, memorializing the achievements of our athletics teams from 1982 to 2000. Competing then in the Potomac Valley Athletic League and coached by many young teachers who are now veteran faculty, St. Andrew’s established a well-deserved reputation as a small school that cared about team sports as a balanced part of a student’s learning and overall school experience. In those days we began referring to athletics as one of our “four pillars,” along with academics, arts, and spiritual life. When St. Andrew’s moved to the Postoak Campus 25 years ago, our girls and boys teams joined the more competitive Independent School League and MidAtlantic Athletic Conference, respectively. Playing against older, larger schools in the ISL and MAC, several of our teams initially struggled to be competitive. While

we remain one of the smaller schools in the ISL and MAC, we have nonetheless earned 26 championships, including multiyear runs in golf (2007-2010) and boys lacrosse (2018-2023). Our boys varsity basketball team has finished either first or second in the MAC for the past five years, our girls and boys cross country teams have racked up more than a dozen small school state championships, and our equestrian team consistently earns honors at regional competitions. While our boys teams hold a slight edge in total “modern era” league banners, in recent years our girls teams have found a new level of success, winning banners in softball and volleyball in 2023 and finishing second in ISL swim and dive this winter–the best finish by a coed school team in ISL swim history!

Some of our success has been fueled by exceptional individual athletes, and it has

become common for 10% or more of a graduating class to play on Division I, II, or III college teams. In the last five years, we have seen St. Andrew’s alumni break the four-minute mile, win a national championship in lacrosse, and sign with NBA teams.

While school spirit and the competitive level of St. Andrew’s athletics continue to rise, our school remains a place where a novice Middle School athlete can learn a lacrosse cradle or breaststroke, and the cross country team excitedly cheers for a fledging runner who competed the course for the first time. Our mission is to know and inspire our students holistically, not just train and assess them as athletes. Amid the increasing pressure and professionalization of high-school sports, St. Andrew’s has kept the role of athletics in purposeful and healthy balance. Every Lion coach and competitor knows that relationships, character, and academic preparation will last longest and matter most for our alumni.

I look forward to cheering on our Lions to more banners, and celebrating their dedication and teamwork in every facet of their St. Andrew’s education.

Thank you as always for your deep support for our St. Andrew’s students and the faculty, staff, and coaches who inspire them.

Faithfully, Robert Head of School

Excellence happens due to the care and dedication of our teachers and coaches

Welcome to St. Andrew’s Spring 2024 Magazine. As a parent of two athletes, I am particularly excited to see a cover story on St. Andrew’s athletics. When the founding board members envisioned our student body, campus, and academics, they also envisioned a community that, through belonging, creates opportunities for the students to fulfill their athletic passion as well as take chances and explore new sports.

Just as math, history, science, language, or the arts contribute to the development and growth of the student, so do athletics. Athletics are another dimension of the student experience that contributes to their self-esteem, tests them, and subsequently strengthens their ability to manage multiple priorities and above all forge friendships with their teammates.

Over the years, St. Andrew’s and The Center of Transformative Teaching and Learning have shown through Mind, Brain, and Education Science, the critical relationship between athletics, and having healthy and happy students – not to mention the friendships that form among teammates.

Thanks to our generous community, St. Andrew’s has been blessed with Hope Field, Brumbaugh Field, Barnello Baseball Field, Lions Court, and Holden Court. Preschoolers to seniors are inspired by those who have come before them and are led by our gifted athletic director, Kevin Jones, our long-time dedicated athletics trainer Sean Hurney, assistant athletics directors Laura Lo and Dena Saunders, and a legion of teacher-coaches.

Sports at St. Andrew’s is empowering

our female students. As a parent of two St. Andrew’s female student-athletes, I see firsthand the value of inclusive sports as part of their experience. Whether it is track and field, cross country, swim, or the equestrian team, they are met with supportive coaches, teammates who care and support each other in and out of competition, and opportunities to set new goals each season. Through sports they strengthen relationships with teachers, which gives them additional perspective on how committed the faculty are to each student’s experience. Sports supports our mission to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community. Outstanding athletics do not happen all by themselves. They require the care, expertise, and commitment of diverse backgrounds and resources. Sports, as part of a quality education, is not novel, but

merely offering sports versus embracing the process and the positive impact as St. Andrew’s does is quite different. In four years, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary and with that on the horizon, there is no slowing down the school’s commitment to our student-athletes at St. Andrew’s. While the St. Andrew’s campus is beautiful, at our core we are not a school that boasts its buildings, fields, or courts. We are a community that puts people at the center of the mission and the strategy.

Kellie Bickenbach, P ’26 ’28 Chair, Board of Trustees

School News

Class of 2024 National Merit Commended Scholars Named

Five members of the Class of 2024 were recognized by the College Board for their exceptional academic promise, as demonstrated by their performance on the PSAT in the fall of their junior year. Congratulations to Malcolm Cirrito (Clemson), Henry Freytag (William & Mary), Kevin Hallagan (Vanderbilt), Anwen Kelleher (University of St Andrews), and Jake Lehrman (Virginia), who were named National Merit Commended Scholars.

Middle Schoolers Build Community Across the Region

Every school year begins with certain traditions — orientation days, Opening Chapel at Washington National Cathedral, and Back-to-School Nights to name a few. Another tradition is the entire Middle School leaving campus for two days every September to take part in different activities to foster community and team building within each grade. This year, the eighth grade had an overnight excursion at Mountside Education and Enrichment, the seventh grade had an overnight trip at Bretton Woods, and the sixth grade spent one day on the National Mall participating in a scavenger hunt and another day at Sandy Spring Adventure Park.

From TikTok to Amazon

After becoming a TikTok sensation during the pandemic due to her cooking videos with her daughter, Roya Shariat, St. Andrew’s Lower School

Teacher Gita

Sadeh is now an author!

With more than 50 years of culinary experience and more than four decades of teaching experience, Gita and her daughter have gained hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms. Now, they have published a cookbook. “Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family” was released in October and is available on Amazon.

Lower School Students Enjoy Blessing of the (Stuffed) Animals

The Blessing of the Animals is a beloved tradition for our youngest Lions that has evolved over the years as the Lower School has joined the Postoak Campus. Created to celebrate the ministry of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology, students in the Lower School bring in stuffed animals and pictures of their pets to be blessed by our chaplains, the Rev. Sally Slater and the Rev. James Isaacs. This year, they were joined by Rev. Yaa Addison ’09 who was ordained in the summer of 2023.

Postoak Campus is a Packed House for Grandparents Day

For the second year in a row, a record number of visitors came to campus for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. This gathering, which opens the school to family members and friends who rarely get to visit campus, brings visitors into classrooms and to performing arts assemblies for a morning filled with joy and learning. We hope to set another record on November 26, 2024.

Fall Play is a Swashbuckingly Good Time

The St. Andrew’s players took audiences back to 17th-century France this fall as they mounted a production of Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers. Gabriel Martinez ‘24 played the role of D’Artagnan and Kati Ahuja ‘25 was his sister, Sabine. The Musketeers were portrayed by Leah Facciobene ‘24 (Athos), Finn McManus ‘25 (Aramis), and Cameron Best ‘26 (Porthos).

Preschoolers Spread Kindness and Joy Throughout Campus

You may not have heard of World Kindness Day, but students in our preschool have. Each year, to celebrate World Kindness Day, preschool classes highlight acts of kindness. This year, Preschool II students shared cookies, flowers, candy, and popcorn with members of the community as they traveled around the campus.

Koso-Thomas ‘24 Becomes Published Poet

Writing poetry has always been in Zara Koso-Thomas’ ’24 blood. Her grandfather was a poet and now she's a published one as well. Koso-Thomas is a senior but her poem’s roots trace back to a 10th-grade English assignment around “The Merchant of Venice," in which students had to write a poem similar to Shylock's "I am a Jew" speech. For the UK-based Black in White Poetry Competition 2023, Zara submitted a poem entitled "I Am An African American." Her piece was selected to be published in an upcoming book in the 'Guest Poets' section. “I was just trying to think about stuff in my life and then how I display that in a different way and using different words,” Koso-Thomas said. “That was the inspiration – what most African Americans had been through.”

Current and Former Parents Share Their Expertise with Middle Schoolers

There is so much expertise in the St. Andrew’s community and it’s on display throughout the school year with our Middle School Roar Stories. The Roar Stories are a chance for alumni, current parents, and alumni parents to come to campus and speak to students about different professions and what it takes to be successful in their chosen fields. This year, students heard from Kelsi Corkran P’28 about the legal profession, Ella Peters P’21, ‘22, ‘26, ‘27 about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, Christine Elliot Virgin P’26, ‘28, ‘31 about being a writer, and Oliver Carr P’12, ‘18 about commercial real estate. In 20222023, the inaugural year of Roar Stories, students learned about journalism, acting, athletics, and medicine.

Great Works Project Enters Second Decade

The Great Works Project, now in its 11th year, challenges 10th-grade students to advocate for why a book of their choice should be considered a Great Work and why all sophomores should study it in their third-trimester English classes. The project culminates in a public presentation, and this year's winners were announced at a project celebration at the end of the second trimester. Congratulations to Joel Crump '26 (“Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow) and Alex Chalmers ‘26 ("Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand) for their winning efforts. They will now become judges for the project until they depart from St. Andrew’s, helping to select winners in future years.

Fourth-Graders Step Into Upper School Classrooms

It isn't often that your guest lecturer is a fourth-grader, but that's what 10thgrade history classes experienced in early March. Both grades were learning about the American Revolution and Boston Massacre in their respective history classes and the fourth-grade students created games to test the 10thgraders knowledge. This annual cross-divisional event often leads to hilarious and educational moments.

Cohen ‘24 Named an Extraordinary Teen

Joshua Cohen ‘24 has been exemplary during his four years at St. Andrew’s and this spring, he became the eighth St. Andrew’s student over the past eight years to be named a Bethesda Magazine Extraordinary Teen. Joshua eschewed study halls in his early years in the Upper School to take a full seven-class course load and as a senior is one of the editorsin-chief of The Mane News. He’s also an accomplished organist who has built and restored the intricate instruments in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Accepted to Harvard University, he plans to study music along with something else he’s yet to determine.

News from the Athletics Department

Gatorade Player of the Year

When Tinoda Matsatsa ‘23 graduated from St. Andrew’s, he did so as a trailblazer. During his senior year, he became the first Black high school student to ever run a sub-four-minute mile. He clocked a 3:58.70 in the mile, won the New Balance indoors in the 800-meters in 1:48.27, and recorded the third-fastest time ever in the indoor 800-meters by a high school student. Matsatsa went on to be named Gatorade Maryland Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. He hasn’t slowed down since. As a freshman at Georgetown University, in his very first collegiate meet, he set a new NCAA record for the indoor 1k with a time of 2:18.05. Just the start of a record-breaking career for a Lion alumni.

Preparing for the Next Generation

Not all of our standout Lion athletes compete on school teams because some of them aren’t old enough. Take Theo L. ‘33. The current third-grader came in second place in the Virginia State Golf Championship for the boy’s eight-year-old Division! Theo also came in 15th in The World Championship in the eight-yearold division, held in Pinehurst, North Carolina during the 2023 summer.

Volleyball Takes Home ISL Tournament Title

In early November, the girls volleyball team won its first ISL banner in eight years, defeating National Cathedral School, 3-1, to take home the ISL Division A tournament title. After finishing second in the regular season with a 5-1 conference record, the Lions were able to avenge their lone conference loss. They had faced NCS in their ISL season opener and suffered a 3-1 defeat. In the rematch, the Lions were the aggressor from the start, putting NCS on their heels and keeping them under constant pressure. The result was a celebration and crowning as ISL co-champions.

Back-to-Back Individual Title for Doulaveris ‘24

The St. Andrew’s golf team had a second-place finish at the MAC Championships in October with three golfers finishing in the top 10 – Vasilious Doulaveris ‘24, who came in first with the low score overall, Cal Hester ‘24 who was seventh, and Jackson Platner ‘24 who was tenth, as all three earned All-MAC honors. By finishing in the top four, Doulaveris qualified for the MAC Tournament of Champions to crown an individual champion. Doulaveris, who in 2022 became the first-ever Tournament of Champions winner, repeated as the individual champion, becoming the first-ever twotime winner!

Sixth-Grader Earns

“All American” Status

Congratulations to sixth-grader Graham W. ’30 for earning All-American status at the AAU Cross Country National Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida in early December. On a muddy course during a rainy day, he was running with his club team, Seven Locks Running Club, against 68 other 11-year-olds across the United States. The top 8 finishers each year are "AAU All-Americans," with Graham coming in fifth. The 11 and 12-year-old boys were also scored together for team scoring, and the Graham’s club finished in third place.

Eleven Seniors Sign to Play College Athletics

Girls Cross Country Takes Home Another Small School State Title

It’s become a November tradition - the girls cross country team competes at the Maryland Small Schools State Championships and comes away with a state title. For the 16th time in the past 23 years, St. Andrew’s walked…er, ran away, with the championship. And the Lions are poised for more success in the years to come with eighth-grader Alice C. ‘28 winning the girls JV race. The boys team finished fourth overall at the meet.

Girls Swim and Dive Has Best-Ever ISL Finish

St. Andrew's Girls Swim & Dive team reached new heights in late January as the team had the best finish in its six-year history in the ISL Championships, finishing in second place. Reagan Phillips ’24, Alice Xiao ’26, Piper Long ’26, and McKenna Carswell ’26 all finished the meet with All-League Honors for a first-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:36.71. Ella Poffenroth ’25 finished in the top five for diving with a new school record.

This fall, four St. Andrew’s student-athletes signed National Letters-ofIntent to compete next year in NCAA Division I sports, the highest level of college competition. Nariah Goldman ‘24 signed to play soccer at American University, Connor Phillips ‘24 will play lacrosse at Boston University, Reagan Phillips will swim at the University of South Carolina, and Joe Umhofer will swim at Southern Methodist University. They will be joined by seven more student-athletes who will play collegiately next year: Xander Alarie (basketball, University of Miami), Lamaria Estridge (basketball, Shepherd University), Cooper Paksima (rowing, University of British Columbia), Holden PierreLouis (basketball, Temple), Jackson Platner (lacrosse, Christopher Newport University), Sammy Somwaru (track and field, Manhattan College), and Jaylah Thompson (basketball, Marymount University).

Goldman

C. Phillips

R. Phillips

Umhofer

News from the DEB Office

New Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging to Start in July

This July, St. Andrew’s is excited to welcome Manuel (Manny) Rodriguez Jr. as the new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging. Rodriguez comes to St. Andrew’s from Friends School in Baltimore where he has spent the past year as their Interim Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is in his third year in their DEI office. Prior to that he served as Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion at McDaniel College. Rodriguez’s thoughtfulness, emotional intelligence, and communication skills made him the clear first choice for this important leadership role, and Manny is equally excited to join our Lion community.

Middle Schoolers Reflect on Intent at Annual Diversity Conference

St. Andrew’s annual Middle School Diversity Conference continued to be a big hit with students in grades 6-8. Held in the winter, the theme in 2023-2024 was Impact vs. Intent: Your Voice Matters. Students participated in a handful of hands-on activities and discussions focusing on the impact that words have and the power they hold.

More than 30 Cultures Represented at Annual Family Heritage Festival

There’s no better way to celebrate the diversity of the St. Andrew’s community than all together! More than 30 different cultures were represented at Family Heritage Festival in early March. Combining the Middle and Upper School’s Taste of St. Andrew’s and the Lower School’s Family Heritage Night, the event celebrated the wonderful diversity of our school community with hundreds of students and families taking part in the event. Needless to say, this reimagined event was a success.

St. Andrew’s Hosts First Iftar Dinner to Celebrate Ramadan

A new tradition began this year as the Muslim Student Association hosted an Iftar dinner for the St. Andrew’s community. The celebration of Ramadan took place on April 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with Dr. Tarek Elgawhary on hand to discuss fasting. Dr. Elgawhary is a scholar of Islam and comparative religions having studied at both Princeton University and al-Azhar Seminary. He is the creator of the Making Sense of Islam platform where he discusses issues related to Islam and mindfulness. He currently serves as the resident scholar at the Islamic Community Center of Potomac (ICCP).

Students Participate in HackBAC Weekend

Under the guidance of chaperone James Roberts, six St. Andrew’s students traveled to Massachusetts for HackBAC 2024: Miles Hayter ’24, Tuuli Kethavath ’27, Jackson Chase ’27, Zain Sy ’25, Joseph Peters ’26, and Joshua Peters ’27. Students had the chance to collectively think, solve, and propose solutions to environmental issues around living, energy, water, food, business, and well-being. HackBAC 2024 aimed to help student teams create solutions and develop their ideas by providing extensive mentor support and advice in the areas of coding, CAD, robotics, and AI. The event was a major success for all participants, including St. Andrew’s students. The three-day event included genius innovations, a trip to Harvard Chan School of Public Health to learn about beauty and injustices, and some keynote speakers. Students learned about environmental justice and sustainability, creating solutions geared toward BIPOC communities.

Students Travel to St. Louis for NAIS Annual Conference

Five Upper School Students participated at an in-person National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference attended by more than 2,000 students from across the country and internationally. Students representing St. Andrew’s this year were Corey Bailey ‘24, Kati Ahuja ‘25, Naomi Jackson ’26, Kamil Owoyemi '26, and Rhian Williams ’25.

Students Practice CommunityBuilding at WE Conference

To celebrate International Women’s Day, St. Andrew’s hosted the Wom-n’’s Empowerment (WE) Conference for students in grades 8-12 in the Student Center. The event featured a keynote speech from Dr. Kati Peditto and a selfdefense seminar in the morning before breakout sessions in the afternoon. The goal of the day was to promote communitybuilding, wellness, and service.

Join Us for a Trip to Stonewall!

The Alumni Council will be hosting a trip July 18 to New York City to visit the Stonewall Inn, a National Historic Landmark and site of the 1969 uprising that served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The tour will be followed by the annual New York City alumni gathering. If you would like more information about this trip, please reach out! We will be sending a separate invitation to all alumni local to the New York City area. If you do not live in the New York City area but would like to attend, scan the QR code and submit the form so we can add you to our invitation list!

News from The CTTL

Summer Academy Returns to St. Andrew’s campus

Since 2017, The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning has conducted the Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy, the most impactful training the Center conducts for educators. Whether in person or online due to COVID-19, the Academy brings together teachers and administrators for an intensive week that shows educators how to take the best insights from research and combine it with their practical wisdom to help transform teaching and learning in their school, district, or program.

Last year, the Academy took part in a hybrid format, with in-person satellite sites hosting attendees while others took part in an online version. While that format will remain in 2024, St. Andrew’s will once again open its doors to host teachers and administrators for the first time since 2019.

The CTTL’s flagship Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) conference will take place July 15-18 and once again have an online option. This summer, St. Andrew’s will host attendees in addition to satellite locations at Breck School (Minnesota), Colegio Merici (Mexico), Detroit Country Day School (Michigan), Frederick County Public Schools (Maryland), Kehillah (California), Kimball Union Academy (New Hampshire), Metairie Park Country Day School (Louisiana), Miami Country Day School (Florida), Vista Peak Preparatory School (Colorado), and Wilson Hall (South Carolina).

While the Academy is the premiere destination to experience the expertise of The CTTL’s translation team, which takes MBE research and translates it into classroom practice, it was far from the only opportunity for educators to learn from The CTTL in 2023-2024.

Glenn Whitman, Dreyfuss Family Director of The CTTL, Dr. Ian Kelleher, Dreyfuss Family Chair of Research, Lorraine Martinez-Hanley, Director of Professional Growth and Studies, Eva Shultis, CTTL Associate Director for Program Development and Research, and Tia Henteleff, Lower School Research Lead all presented at conferences this year, including Learning and the Brain, ResearchEd, Learning Forward, and ASCD’s Annual Conference.

CTTL Featured on NAIS Podcast

This Spring, The CTTL was featured on the National Association of Independent School’s podcast New View EDU. Along with host Tim Fish, Glenn Whitman, Dreyfuss Family Director of The CTTL , reflected on the evolution of The Center, the contributions it has made to the St. Andrew's community, and the key learnings from Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science. Together, Tim and Glenn dove into the practical applications of a schoolwide commitment to MBE and explored how the research can improve teaching and learning.

Neuroteach Global Student Expands

Since September, ninth-grade students in their Guided Study Halls have been using the CTTL-designed Neuroteach Global Student platform to elevate their use of the best researchinformed learning and study strategies in their classes. Each month, students work through one of five modules designed by The CTTL to help students understand how their brains learn and how to utilize that information on their educational journey.

U.S. Festival of Education - More to Come

The inaugural U.S. Festival of Education took place in the fall and it was such a success that plans are already underway for the Second Annual U.S. Festival of Education. The event, which draws hundreds of educators from around the country to Potomac for a festival devoted to professional development, will take place on September 28, 2024.

Summer Reading from a CTTL Research Lead

Tia Henteleff, Lower School Research Lead for The CTTL, became a published author this year with her book “As We Begin: Dispositions of Mind, Learning, and the Brain in Early Childhood.”

The book offers a scholarly yet energizing perspective on the beautiful complexity of teaching and learning during a child's foundational years. Henteleff brings together insights from big thinkers in education alongside research from Mind, Brain, and Education, and her own experiences in the classroom to explore the important role of early childhood educators and education in a way that is at once, serious, conversational, and inspiring. Explaining and applying important concepts from the science of teaching and learning in practical classroom terms, she examines the role of play, literacy, numeracy, creativity, and imagination as integrated and essential components of developing a child's intellectual curiosity. The book is available on Amazon.

Think Differently and Deeply Returns

In December of 2012, The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) broke new ground when it published Volume 1 of “Think Differently and Deeply.” The publication contained essays from St. Andrew’s teachers about their integration of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science into classroom practice. In the years since, multiple editions have been published. This March, Volume 5 was released and in the coming months an edited volume of selected articles from the first 10 years will be available in a hardcover edition from the John Catt Educational publishing house.

Volume 5 of “Think Differently and Deeply” contains a record 28 articles bringing the total number published in the five volumes to 100. These essays are from more than just St. Andrew’s teachers with current students, alumni, coaches, artists, and others impacted directly by The CTTL penning pieces explaining how MBE has changed their practices and study habits. All volumes of “Think Differently and Deeply” are available for purchase through The CTTL’s website at thecttl.org.

Community Soaks in Gala and Contributes $490,000 for Scholars

We are soaked with pride about how our community came together during the “Seas the Future” Fund-a-Scholar Gala and Auction!

More than 330 parents, alumni, faculty, and staff attended the annual event on March 16, which supports our Fund-a-Scholar Program. We are extremely grateful to report that thanks to our community’s generosity, our community contributed $490,000 to support student financial aid.

As a result of this extraordinary philanthropy, more students will be able to attend St. Andrew’s next year – students who otherwise might not have the opportunity. The classroom experience of all students will be enriched by the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in each class.

The school would like to especially thank our co-chairs, Jackie Chan P ’34 and Radhika Prout P ’30, ’32, for their incredible work and leadership, along with the entire auction committee of parent, alumni, and faculty and staff volunteers.

RAISING THE BAR

Breaking out of its comfort zone changed the game for St. Andrew’s athletics.

BY RICHARD COCO

Once upon a time, St. Andrew’s athletics was a big fish in a small pond. The evidence is there in Holden Court for anyone to see. From 1982 through 1998, St. Andrew’s won 55 titles in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference (PVAC) across nearly every varsity sport, not to mention lacrosse titles in other conferences bringing the championship total to more than 60.

But in the late 1990s, a choice was made to leave the pond and dive into an ocean. Headmaster Jim Cantwell, with the support of the St. Andrew’s coaches, decided to move St. Andrew’s to the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) for boys sports, beginning in 1998, and the Independent School League (ISL) for girls sports, beginning in 2000. Both leagues featured schools with larger enrollments and more established programs.

“The progression of a team to go into a more competitive league, that takes an institution out of its comfort zone,” Cantwell said, reflecting back on a decision made more than 25 years ago. “If part of your philosophy is to take the student out of their comfort zone so they can grow, maybe they fail a little bit but we prob-

ably learn more from our failures than our successes, and here is an institution being taken out of its comfort zone — that’s very important. That’s significant.

“When you compete with someone a few notches better or ahead of you, and you compete with them enough, you get better yourself, I think that’s what happened with us. The kids loved the idea, the coaches were keen and that probably helped me feel more comfortable with it. The coaches wanted it.”

The coaches turned out to be right, although it took some time.

The boys teams had some early success with titles in three different sports in the first five years — lacrosse, soccer, and cross country. But between 2003 and the 2014-2015 season, there were a number of near-misses. Yes, the golf team had an impressive run of four-straight titles from 2007-2010, but other than that, the only other championship came in 2009 in track and field. Competing in the ISL, girls soccer won the title its first year in the league, and then again in 2005. Cross country won a title in 2005 and lacrosse earned backto-back championships in 2006 and 2007. But like the boys in the MAC, the girls ran into a championship dry spell of their own.

Continued on page 18

Continued from page 17

From 2007-2015, the only league title was basketball in 2010.

But a decade ago, a confluence of factors changed the trajectory of the program and, as with all sports, the statistics tell the story.

In the first 16 years in the MAC, boys teams won eight titles, one every 2+ years. In the past 10 years, they have won seven titles, close to one per year. The girls won six championships in the first 15 years in the ISL, one every 2.5 years. In the past nine, they have brought home five, with three of those coming in the past four years. In the first 16 years in the MAC, boys teams won eight titles, one every 2+ years. In the past 10 years, they have won seven titles, close to one per year. And the success hasn’t been just team focused.

St. Andrew’s has always produced exceptional athletes across the board. Alumni have been members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, played professionally both domestic and abroad, and others have gone on to their own coaching careers. Those players were always recognized for their excellence but with improved team success, more players have had their contributions recognized. From 2000 through the 2014-2015 season, there were 62 All-ISL selections, about four per year. In the past nine years, that number has risen to 58, 6.5 per year, with the spring 2024 teams not yet announced. On the boys side, the number of All-MAC selections have risen slightly as well, from a little less than 11 per year to more than 12.

Alex Haight has been coaching the boys soccer team since its final year in the PVAC when it still competed on the Bradmoor Campus. What he sees, across the board, is a change in the caliber of athletes at St. Andrew’s.

“For a while in our school’s history, not every team was focused on winning titles,” Haight said. “We have always had some programs that were serious in seeking success. But I think there are more serious programs now than ever before.”

As Haight pointed out, having a successful program certainly builds school spirit. That’s something Director of Athletics Kevin Jones echoed when speaking about the improvement of the athletics program

over the past decade.

“The sustainability of excellence in our programs is due to community support but also the continuity of coaches in particular programs,” said Jones, who is in his 13th year as varsity boys basketball coach and sixth year as Director of Athletics. “Facility upgrades have certainly contributed to that success in addition to financial commitment to allow us to utilize facilities that we don’t have access to on our campus. Sean Hurney is an exceptional athletic trainer who has been with the school for nearly two decades. Recently, the addition of a strength and conditioning coach, Lothar Frenz, who is here five days a week is another resource for all of our teams that has been a huge component to all of our teams success.”

When Jones mentions the financial commitment to allow the school to utilize facilities, he’s primarily speaking about the swim and dive team. Begun in 2015 as a club sport, it became a varsity sport just one year later. Under the guidance of Will Ferriby the first two years, then Ryan Marklewitz from 2017 through 2024, the team has swiftly grown from a handful of swimmers to one of the strongest programs in the area, especially on the girls side where the team finished second (and first among coed

“I think what makes our St. Andrew’s athletics program special is that we aren’t just looking at the performance part of it ... You’re coming here to compete for each other and that community piece is the most important.”

RYAN MARKLEWITZ

schools) in the ISL this year. This past year, two swimmers signed national letters-ofintent to compete collegiately with NCAA Division I swim programs.

“I came in with a vision of what it could be and what it could mean to our community,” said Marklewitz, who also coaches Middle School swim and dive along with Middle and Upper School boys and girls cross country while assisting with the track teams. “Robert, David, Kevin, and Mark really bought into that vision.”

Marlewitz speaks of Head of School Robert Kosasky, Associate Head of School David Brown, and Chief Financial Officer Mark McKnight who, along with Jones, gave the greenlight to spend the money to use the outdoor pool at Bender JCC, and then later to move the team to Montgomery Square and partner with Nation’s Capital Swim Club, which Marklewitz calls “arguably the highest level swim club in the area.”

For Marklewitz, building the swim program, like shepherding the cross country program which is one of the most well-established programs in the school, it comes down to building community.

“I think what makes our St. Andrew’s athletics program special is that we aren’t just looking at the performance part of it,” Marklewitz said. “We have so many swimmers looking at us now because they get such an intense experience with their club teams and I think they are looking for a purpose for it all. And what we are saying is, ‘it’s for the people you surround yourself with, your community, and not just you. You’re coming here to compete for each other and that community piece is the most important.’”

Lauren (Melvin) Johnson ‘11 has a unique perspective on the changes in the athletics program. She was a volleyball player during her time as a student and she later returned to work at St. Andrew’s in the admission office. After a year away from the Postoak Campus, she returned as the school’s Dean of Students and assistant volleyball coach.

“I loved playing volleyball but I was not a club player or a travel-level player,” Johnson said. “Our entire team currently consists of players who play travel volleyball or attend clinics year round. It’s just the level of commitment that we currently have as a

team is much stronger. And I think it shows on the court.”

The volleyball team is the most recent example of success by a girls team, winning the ISL Division A title this past fall. That came just months after the softball team won its first-ever conference title with an undefeated regular season in conference play. Raising the profile and quality of the girls program was a priority for Jones when he took over in his current role. Aside from the two titles in the 2023 calendar year, the girls basketball team also had an undefeated conference season in 2020 when it swept the regular season and conference tournament titles.

“When taking over the position as Director of Athletics six years ago, one of our initiatives was to put an emphasis on strengthening our girls programs,” Jones said. “Resources, coaching, attracting quality scholar-athletes. It’s something that our athletics department is proud of, seeing this level of excellence among our girls programs.

“In addition to those supports, continuity among coaches, not just head coaches but quality assistant coaches in those programs as well. Ultimately, the student buy-in has increased during this time.”

This year, four female student-athletes

will graduate from St. Andrew’s with collegiate athletics in their future, the most since 2017, the first class to graduate after the Student Center opened. The 43,000 square foot building which houses two gyms, a fitness center, a dance studio, and community gathering space allows 550 spectators to take in contests.

“For all of our programs the facilities have been a game changer and the Student Center and what it provides for athletics is up there with any school in the area,” Jones said. “Multiple gymnasiums, highlevel training facility, state of the art fitness center — it has a multitude of resources for our athletes.”

The Student Center hasn’t solely impacted teams that compete indoors and it isn’t the only improvement to facilities since the school made the Postoak Campus its permanent home. The first step was improving the fields which happened about a decade after relocating with the installation of turf on Brumbaugh and Hope Fields.

“When I think about the Bradmoor Campus, where we played on a soccer field with two dirt baseball and softball infields on the corners of the fields, with not very well kept grass field,” Haight said. “To go from that to really nice grass fields when we first moved to this campus and now turf

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSIE SHAFFER / SHAFFER HOTSHOTS

Continued from page 19

fields where you can almost always train unless there is lightning. I think the investment the school made in the fields and then redoing them a few years ago has had an important impact on our team.”

“We can train more regularly, there are fewer field-issue injuries and I think if you’re a serious athlete who wants to play in college you have the tools here to improve and do that. There isn’t an athlete at St. Andrew’s that can’t get better here using that facility.”

Having competed in the old gym, which Johnson affectionately referred to as “the tin can” because of its metal roof, Johnson can’t say enough about the difference the Student Center has made.

“I love the Student Center,” Johnson said. “I love the camaraderie, the community, the sense of togetherness that it brings. The Student Center is collegiate. It has that feeling and it creates an environment where it feels like you’re really at a high-level sporting event.”

And because it has two gyms and a fitness center and locker rooms for every

in-season sport, it has had an enormous impact on every program. The boys lacrosse program has won the past four MAC titles — 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023.

If the MAC had sponsored spring championships in 2020 and 2021, that number would likely be six straight.

“This dedicated space – the fitness center and the weight room – allows us to implement a year-round program,” said boys lacrosse coach Joey Severns. “In the

fall, we’re in here at least two days a week, if not three days a week as a team in the weight room,” Severns said. “Then from November to the beginning of February, when our season starts, we’re here three days a week. Having a full-time strength coach, Coach Lothar, is a huge impact. So just having that space that our guys can get in here multiple times a week has had a huge impact on our ability to compete at a high level.”

Jones reinforced that while reflecting on how dramatic the difference is from when he began coaching the boys basketball team in 2011-2012.

“Overall, what it has allowed us to do is operate more efficiently,” Jones said.” When I started as a coach, there were a lot of off campus practices, later times and earlier times, There was no flexibility when there was inclement weather. It was just one gym and a tiny training room.

“Now we have a full-time strength and conditioning coach and we have a strength program for all teams. Our outdoor sports get a lot of use out of it as well. Lacrosse and tennis use the gym for wall ball. Soccer teams can play futsal (a type of indoor soccer with a different ball). Track has used the space to work on high jump. We have an exceptional, spacious training room. The ability and opportunity to utilize the building has impacted all of our teams.”

The days when the soccer team would meet in a classroom and change in the bathrooms is a memory reserved for alumni and long-time coaches like Haight. That experience has been traded in for superior facilities and an athletics program more committed than ever to finding that balance between building character, building community, and developing studentathletes who will carry their experience with them whether or not they play beyond St. Andrew’s.

“Over the past two decades we have improved our athletics facilities and programs, and this effort will continue for the sake of our athletes,” Head of School Robert Kosasky said. “Just as importantly, we have kept athletics in balance with our

academic programs and community life. We don’t sacrifice our values to win at all costs. We hire coaches who mentor and teach students with encouragement and high standards, and all of our Lions – from first-time players to stand-out performers – are known and valued as well-rounded members of our community.”

The old saying that success breeds success is clear as the strength of the athletics and academic programs have worked hand-in-hand.

“These commitments to athletics have allowed us to attract quality scholarathletes that are looking for not only a strong community and strong academics but also a strong athletic program,” Jones said. “All of these factors have driven our students and provided a platform for them to contribute beyond St. Andrew’s and into college. We have seen an uptick in our athletes going on to the DI, II and III level. Whether it’s Tinoda Matsatsa becoming the first Black high school athlete to run a four-minute mile and then immediately breaking NCAA records as a freshman at Georgetown, Simone Foreman leading Holy Cross to the NCAA Tournament in her first two years, or Alex Smith winning a national title at Maryland — there are a plethora of St. Andrew’s athletes pursuing their dreams in college and doing big things.”

“These commitments to athletics have allowed us to attract quality scholar-athletes that are looking for not only a strong community and strong academics but also a strong athletic program. All of these factors have driven our students and provided

a platform for them to contribute beyond St. Andrew’s and into college.

KEVIN JONES

PHOTO COURTESY OF UMTERPS.COM

While it was too windy to cross the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge – erected by salmon fisherman more than 250 years ago – students took in the views from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The group still had a coastal walk on a seacoast home to basking sharks, dolphins, and porpoises.

Middle Schoolers Take on Ireland

Over Spring Break, 18 Middle Schoolers ventured to The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom for a week-long exploration of international countries ... and oneself.

BY MATT SUGAM

When sixth-grade Science Teacher Jen Mathiak was getting to know one of her advisees at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the student mentioned that her ancestry traced back to Ireland but that she had never been. Ms. Mathiak had already been to Ireland multiple times and fallen in love with the country. The conversation that started about travel and family roots metamorphosed into an International Middle School Spring Break Trip to Ireland.

This past March, Mathiak, the student, and seventeen of her peers along with two chaperones, were set to go to Ireland and Northern Ireland. But traveling never goes as planned. Case in point - a last-minute flight cancellation that threatened the entire trip.

“It’s not in our control,” Mathiak recalled. “There’s literally nothing that we can do about it at that point. It’s just trust and work the process.”

To overcome the cancellation, the trip was rerouted with a departing flight from Philadelphia rather than out of Dulles.

“I thought it was amazing to see how quickly the parents stepped up,” said Mathiak, who also credited Head of Middle School Candace Gregg and Transportation Coordinator Laura Lo for ensuring that the trip wasn’t cancelled. “Do you need us to drive you to Philly? How can we make this happen? What can we do? So I just really think that that speaks to the community that we’re in. What do we need to do to make this trip happen?”

The group did not need parent rides to Philadelphia and in the end, the group even landed in Dublin a few hours earlier than originally expected.

“The night before I was worried that there was a chance that we wouldn’t be able to travel to Ireland but it taught me that even if something is out of my control I can still stay calm,” Katherine M. ’28, said. “The change of flights was able to show me that I was excited to go on the trip rather than being nervous.”

What first caused angst quickly turned into action and the opportunity to start the trip a bit earlier. From there, led by

Continued on page 24

Continued from page 23

Mathiak, the group zig-zagged the island to take it all in a short span, connecting the sites they visited to both the Middle School earth science curriculum, as well as the history of Ireland and Irish emigration.

In earth science, students have studied rocks, minerals, plate tectonics, the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, and how these processes shape the Earth’s surface. The trip allowed the students to experience and interact with landforms like the wave-cut cliffs and sea stacks at the Cliffs of Moher, the plate tectonic activities that created Giants Causeway, and the topography of the Aillwee Caves created by water erosion.

It was a jam-packed six days with weather best described as rainy with a chance of sunshine – and rainbows. From the blue-collar city of Belfast to the vibrant city streets of Dublin and Galway to the picturesque countryside, and natural beauties like Giant’s Causeway and Cliffs of Moher, the group had an amazing journey filled with life-long memories.

It gave students the ability to immerse themselves in experiences unlike anything on the cozy confines of St. Andrew’s campus.

“I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone but also to visit a new country and be with my friends,” Katherine M. ’28 said. “I was expecting to see Ireland and travel from city to city but I didn’t think that I was going to be seeing so much of Ireland. I had so much fun going from activity to activity and loving everything that I saw.”

Along with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Ireland and Northern Ireland, a week away from home and their parents was also a test of maturity. Without phones for the night, they’d have to call the front desk for a wake-up call. They needed to repack their bags nearly every morning as hotels were moved frequently as the group hopped from city to city. The time management of being awake, present for breakfast, and ready to leave right after and keeping track of their things are self-responsibility tools they brought back home with them.

“An experience like this helps you mature and learn to be more independent because it feels like you’re traveling independently,”

The weather broke in County Antrim, at The Giant’s Causeway, leading to rainbows overlooking one of Northern Island’s iconic natural beauties.

Students hiked through part of Glendalough, located in the Wicklows Mountain National Park, and on the way passed scenic, mountain-side farms.

Katherine said. “The teachers are there to support you along the way but it is up to you to know where your stuff is, wake up on time, and pack up your belongings. One thing I learned how to do was call reception about a wake-up call. Something students could learn on an international trip is how to be independent with their belongings and finances.”

And how to deal with your peers. Especially when you’re with them 24/7 – which was the case for roommates. Thus, learning to communicate with them is key.

“It taught me a lot about how to keep track of stuff and plan my time and when to get up, “ Daniel C. ’29 said. “It also taught me that when you spend a lot of time with people you might start to get annoyed at them about some little things. And you have to bring those things up and talk about them so you can change and try and make it better.”

Old friends grew stronger relationships while people seen in passing became new friends,” Katherine said. “I enjoyed bonding with people I had passed in the hallway and thought I was never going to meet. I was able to talk with others whom I now consider people I can trust. The Ireland trip caused the people on the trip to grow close together with shared experiences.”

The bonds went beyond peer-to-peer relationships. For the chaperones, it was a way to bond with their students beyond the classroom. And for an extended time.

“It solidified relationships or encouraged new relationships,” Mathiak said. “Our mission is ‘to know and inspire,’ and I think that’s where it really hit. I know my kids that much better now and I was thankful for the opportunity to continue to connect with them.”

For veteran teacher Tracey Goodrich P ’12 ’13, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience in her nearly four decades at St. Andrew’s.

“While I have been blessed and traveled with St. Andrew’s to Haiti twice and many times to Chicago for summer service trips, this trip was unique in that it had every minute of every day planned and organized,” Goodrich said. “Yes, we had free time for hot chocolate at Butlers Chocolate Café and ice cream at Murphy’s and opportunities to listen to street musicians, to see street art, and to shop in local boutiques, but the two-to-four planned activities for each day were incredible! It was a great balance of castles, churches, universities, and architecture mixed with a sheep farm, the Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway, Glendalough, and much more!”

Students had the opportunity to bottle feed at Killary Sheep, a traditional working mountain farm with about 200 ewes and lambs that roam freely on the mountain with spectacular scenery overlooking Killary Fjord. The group also experienced a sheepdog demonstration.

A bike ride on the island of Inis Oirr, one of the Aran Islands, was followed by an afternoon at the Cliffs of Moher.

Ms. Mathiak and a student warm up with hot chocolate at Butlers Chocolate Café in Dublin, Ireland.

Students went on a self-guided tour of Christ of Church Cathedral and Crypt in Dublin, Ireland.

GRADUATION SPEAKER

STEVEN LEVENSON ‘02

Writer and producer

Steven Levenson ’02 to give the Commencement address in June at Washington National Cathedral.

Steven Levenson ’02 has been very busy the past seven years. Whether it’s writing screenplays or stage plays, or creating and executive producing Emmy Awardwinning television shows, the St. Andrew’s alumnus has been working at a breakneck pace for the better part of a decade.

On June 7, Levenson will undertake an entirely new venture when he gives the commencement address at St. Andrew’s graduation at Washington National Cathedral, nearly seven years to the day that he won his Tony Award and everything changed.

“I knock on wood to even say it, but I’ve been very fortunate to be able to choose what I want to work on,” Levenson said. “And that’s something I don’t take for granted. Because as an artist, that’s probably the greatest gift you can have, is the ability to choose what you want to do. And it’s a rare one. So I’ve really been fortunate in general to be able to choose where I would like to focus my energy and attention.”

These days, Levenson is focusing his attention on a number of projects, which has often been the case for him. “Probably the most prominent thing on my desk is that I’m working on a screenplay for a film adaptation of a book called ‘Dawn Patrol,’ by the author Don Winslow,” Levenson said. The 2008 novel by private investigator turned best-selling author is nothing like Levenson’s past work. “It’s a real departure for me. It’s like a surfer noir set in San Diego. It’s really kind of fun.”

The ability to be selective about his work is one major change for Levenson in

Alumni, Join Us at Graduation!

Each June, we invite our alumni to attend Commencement. This year’s ceremony takes place at 10 a.m., Friday, June 7, at Washington National Cathedral. Alumni are invited to participate in graduation by processing down the aisle wearing distinguished alumni gowns. If you would like to participate, email alumni@saes.org.

the past seven years. Another is the growth (and location) of his family. Since winning the Tony Award, he and his wife Whitney and their child Astrid (now eight-years-old) were able to relocate to New York City and since then they welcomed a second child, Zelda, who is now four. Levenson has also been learning to embrace the differences between working on the stage, his first love, with working in TV and film.

“The production process is totally different, and fascinating in its own right,” Levenson said. ”And within that, there are so many gradations – working in TV is very different from working in film as a writer. In TV, as a writer, if you’re the creator of the show, you are the person who has authority over the show, and the person who makes the decisions, and the final say

“I knock on wood to even say it, but I’ve been very fortunate to be able to choose what I want to work on. And that’s something I don’t take for granted. Because as an artist, that’s probably the greatest gift you can have, is the ability to choose what you want to do.”

on things. And you’re there leading the production process.

“On film, there’s a huge range of experiences, but in general, the screenwriter sort of turns in the script, and then says goodbye, which has its obvious drawbacks and can be disappointing, but it’s also, it’s liberating in some ways because, depending on the project, it’s ultimately not your baby. And so you don’t always have to invest 110% of your soul into everything that you do.”

Needless to say, stage productions, whether they are plays or musical theater,

“In theater, there’s a feeling of everybody being in the same room, literally and figuratively, where you’re where you’re actually in the rehearsal room, with the actors, with the director, with the designers often making this thing together. And making a musical is different, too. It’s so collaborative. As someone who doesn’t write music and lyrics, it’s really exciting to have the opportunity to collaborate with songwriters.”

Levenson won’t have a collaborator for his next challenge, as he writes and deliv-

ers a commencement address for the Class of 2024.

“I was incredibly moved and I am really excited and looking forward to it,” Levenson said. “It gives me an opportunity to reflect on what I’ve learned over the past 22 years and what I wish I’d known at 18. Or what I wish I’d heard which is a big, heavy responsibility.

“There are so many, mostly very bad, commencement speeches. But then there are a couple of incredible ones. I’m not aspiring to write a classic commencement

speech. But it is a lot of pressure. Sometimes I find these things the hardest of all. I’ve gone into a genre where I get to write in other people’s voices on purpose. And so writing in my own voice is often the hardest thing for me.”

On June 7, Levenson’s voice will echo throughout Washington National Cathedral creating a lasting memory for he and his family, as well as the 96 members of the Class of 2024.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN LEVENSON

Chief Operating Officer Spline

CAROLINE MACK ‘11

Caroline (Huskey) Mack ’11 did not have your typical childhood. Prior to coming to St. Andrew’s for her junior year, she lived in India, Kenya, China, and Taiwan. Since leaving Postoak for college and a professional career she has also lived in South Africa (inspired by the Bokamoso exchange), Singapore, France, and Australia.

That experience of living internationally has had an enormous impact on her personally and professionally at stops as varied as TripAdvisor, Google, DocuSign, Canva, and now as Chief Operating Officer of Spline.

Take, for instance, her time at Wake Forest where she had dual majors of Mathematical Economics and Chinese. She was co-captain of the Wake Forest Business School Ethics Debate Team, which was a 3x state champion for North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.

“Coming from that international background with a different view on the world than a lot of my peers at Wake Forest, I was always looking for a way to constructively debate issues and find a way to speak my mind without getting into a debate that wasn’t friendly,” Mack said. “That’s how I was drawn to the debate team. I think in terms of business ethics, growing up in Kenya might have been a time that really influenced that. I lived there in the 1990s and my dad (who was a US diplomat in the Foreign Service) was involved in trying to help Kenya run elections fairly. I heard

a lot at home about corruption and how much of a toll that can take on a country and its people if money in business practices are being siphoned towards those in political power.”

While at Wake Forest, Mack had a number of summer internships, from venture capital to non-profit to working as an intern for Chris Van Hollen, then a member of the House of Representatives. During her senior year and then after graduation, she worked for TripAdvisor, primarily as a Digital Marketing Associate at Viator. Her next stop was working at Google as an Apps Revenue Growth Associate, then at DocuSign as Mobile Revenue Growth Manager. In September of 2018, she relocated to a relatively familiar placeSouth Africa where she worked as Product Manager at Tencent Africa. Then it was back to business school, earning an MBA from INSEAD, spending time in Singapore, then at their campus in Fontainebleau, France, which is where she was when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

After finishing business school, she went to work for Canva, first remotely because of Australia’s lockdown, then later in Sydney. She spent more than two and a half years with Canva rising to Group Product Lead for Subscription Growth.

“Canva is an amazing company,” Mack said. “I joined it when it was around $100 million ARR (annualized run rate - current month’s revenue multiplied by 12) and a few hundred people. I led subscription rev-

enue growth and the growth experiments we were doing in the beginning had a huge impact. When I left, we were a little closer to around $1.5 billion in ARR and more than 4,000 people. Once you reach that stage of a company’s growth, the growth experiment piece changes completely.”

Mack made the decision to leave Canva in January of 2023 and made the move to Spline, first as Vice President and now as COO. She and her husband split their time between Aspen, Colorado and Naples, Florida.

“I saw that the design industry was missing a piece of the pie.,” Mack said “I think there’s room for a multi-dimensional 3D design platform to grow into the size of players like Canva and Figma. That’s what inspired me about Spline. We also have an incredible team that’s global, it’s 25 people in 14 countries. The founder is based in Santiago, Chile and then we have some great investors in Silicon Valley. So it’s kind of this cool mix of things that are my

perfect recipe for me for the right company to join.”

Spline markets itself as democratizing access to 3D design, which traditionally has been something that niche professionals are needed to create using CAD, Autodesk, Blender, or other tools. That changed with WebGL’s stable release several years ago. It already boasts a client list that already includes Amazon, Google, Snapchat, Meta, and Microsoft to name a few.

“Now you can render 3D assets in real time on web browsers, which was not possible even three or four years ago,” Mack said. “Spline, which is leading innovation in this space, enabling people to publish interactive 3D scenes directly to any website, mobile app, or VR device. The platform is browser-based and enables real-time 3D rendering using the cloud. The user interface of the editor will feel familiar to designers that have a background in 2D design tools so that they can come into this

3D design space and suddenly feel familiar with the product and get started designing rather than spending those years learning how to use the product.

“And so the exciting thing about that is that we’re seeing for the first time, large companies around the world introducing 3D design to their workflows and their existing teams. They don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars building out a 3D team, or outsourcing the work to an agency. Overall, the user base for 3D is growing very fast.”

Mack’s time at St. Andrew’s was short, but impactful - a word she used to describe, among other things, Gary Wyatt as a cross country coach and Alex Haight as a teacher. And that’s not to mention her lifelong connection with South Africa thanks to Bokamoso. It’s safe to say that Mack has had an impact of her own on every one of her personal and professional stops along her journey.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINE MACK

Assistant Professor of Biology

DR. EUGENIA GOLD ‘03

Suffolk University

We all have known a kid who was obsessed with dinosaurs. Some of us even were that kid who was obsessed with dinosaurs. Few people decide to take that obsession, and make it a lifetime pursuit and career.

Dr. Eugenia (Leone) Gold ’03 was that kid. “I always knew I wanted to be a paleontologist and my academic career was focused on that goal,” Gold said. “I knew I’d need an advanced degree in order to be eligible for competitive positions.” The first of her degrees came at the same time, as she earned concurrent bachelors of science degrees in Geology and Biology. She then earned her Master’s in Geoscience from the University of Iowa.

“This step taught me how to juggle teaching, taking classes, and conducting independent research on my own and prepared me for the final step,” Gold said. “When I completed my MS, I went on to earn a PhD in Comparative Biology from the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Graduate School.”

Gold completed her academic studies in 2015 culminating in her dissertation research which sought to answer the

question of how the evolution of flight in theropod dinosaurs changed the morphology and function of the brain.

“When I say I’ve always wanted to be a paleontologist, what I mean is that I’ve always wanted to study dinosaurs, even from my earliest memories,” Gold said. That love of paleontology wasn’t lost on Phyllis Robinson, who was Gold’s AP Biology teacher and wrote her college recommendation. In that letter, she said “She is besotted with paleontology in general and dinosaurs in particular. She brings up examples of how they fit into our discussion whenever she can.”

Gold’s senior thesis at St. Andrew’s was on the evolution of birds from dinosaurs.

“That’s where I got the focus on Theropods and the evolution of flight,” Gold said. “As I went through my academic career, that focus was honed further into understanding how the brain changed as flight evolved. We are really only starting to understand how brains work and bringing that information into the fossil record was fascinating. My research combined Computed Tomography (CT) scanning and statistical analyses with PET scanning

and work on living, flying birds. From this work, I quantified how the brain expanded with the evolution of flight, and discovered which areas of the brain birds use as they fly.”

During those decades of learning, Gold managed to squeeze in a wedding to fellow St. Andrew’s alumnus Josh Gold ’03 who works as a cybersecurity consultant. The pair started dating the summer before their ninth-grade year and this summer, they will celebrate 25 years as a couple (16 of them as husband and wife).

Gold is now on the other side of the classroom, teaching anatomy to both undergraduate college students and medical students. Inspired by programs like the Daily Show on Comedy Central, she has launched her own YouTube serieses “Science on the Street” and “Dr. Neurosaurus.”

“Ever since the beginning of comedy news, I had the realization that if science was presented in a similar way, it could reach more people. I was finally given the chance to try it out with my YouTube

series Science on the Street. I involve undergraduates in the research, filming, and editing of each episode. I also make sure to highlight and demystify the scientists behind the research by interviewing diverse experts in each field.

“In a similar way, I started DrNeurosaurus (Blog and YouTube), which highlights a different woman paleontologist each week and presents novel paleontological research in short, approachable videos.”

The Golds, and their 6-year-old daughter, live in the Boston area.

Scan the QR code to visit the Dr. Neurosaurus YouTube channel.

— RC

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EUGENIA GOLD

Senior Product Designer

REHAN BUTT ‘12

Walt Disney Animation Studios

For those who knew Rehan Butt ’12 when he was a student, it was clear that he was going to chart his own path. While at St. Andrew’s he was equally drawn to the arts as he was to technology – the perfect student for a nascent design program.

“Art and technology were always a part of my life from a very early age,” Butt said. “In elementary school I remember robotics being part of one of my classes where we would program Roomba style robots to travel around the school. And later at St. Andrew’s, through the many art classes, the programming course, and the wonderful teachers I continued to develop these skills.”

Those skills have led Butt to a life that has allowed him to be creative in both the arts and technology. He recently earned his first film credit for the Disney movie “Wish” after joining Walt Disney Animation Studio as a Senior Product Designer in the summer of 2022.

“It was incredibly meaningful,” Butt said. “I always wanted to work in the animation industry and there is no better place than with Disney. It was incredible that my first credit was for “Wish” celebrating Walt Disney Animation Studio’s 100th Anniversary.”

While at St. Andrew’s, Butt’s talents were obvious, and even as early as Middle School. “Rehan always got motivated when the learning was on his terms,” said Chuck James who taught him in eighth grade. “The design of an electric game, making a solar race car or creating a 50’

“He was constantly pushing boundaries with his art and design projects, and in my mind was the model of an autodidactic learner. His natural eye for composition was a huge asset, but so was the out-of-the-box thinking that he brought to every effort.”

VISUAL ARTS TEACHER LAUREN COOK ON REHAN AS A STUDENT

roller coaster for a marble - problem-solving was instinctual for him.”

“Rehan is one of the only St. Andrew’s students who took two years of AP Art and Design, completing a 2D portfolio and a 3D portfolio, so I feel we got to know each other well,” said Visual Arts Teacher Lauren Cook. “He was constantly pushing boundaries with his art and design projects, and in my mind was the model of an autodidactic learner. His natural eye for composition was a huge asset, but so

was the out-of-the-box thinking that he brought to every effort. More than any of this, though, I remember Rehan as the person who could make me laugh until tears came to my eyes, and this happened often.”

Butt’s path led from St. Andrew’s to Carnegie Mellon University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Physical and Digital Media Studies and then a master’s in Tangible Interaction Design. But he was more than just a student while there. He worked as a designer and developer in the Human Behavior Computing Lab, lab manager in the IDeATe Digital Fabrication Lab, and, like many master’s students, as a Teaching Assistant. After finishing his degrees, he remained in Pittsburgh, working with YinzCam in

sports tech and UPMC Enterprises in healthcare tech, and co-founding a pair of startups – DzgnIO, which seeks to deliver design services incorporating holistic values of esthetics, experience, and communication, and Processly, a web application “making it easy for students to document, discuss, and reflect upon their work. It allows teachers to work alongside students as they foster a collaborative learning environment.”

As Butt has worked to bridge the space that connects design and development, he has faced the challenge of educating prospective clients as well.

“I guess the biggest challenge is getting people across different departments and disciplines within each company to understand what I do and the added value I

bring to the project in a hybrid role,” Butt said. “When it clicks with folks it propels us all forward!”

As far as his work on “Wish,” Butt’s role as a Senior Product Designer allowed him to create tools for animators and artists to use in creating the film. For Butt, it was a wish come true.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REHAN BUTT / THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Oh, the Places We’ll Go ...

Our Alumni Office enjoyed catching up with fellow Lions across the country this past year. We hosted events in three states, and the District of Columbia. We loved hearing what our alumni are up to and we hope to see you soon at one of our events next year. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and you’ll be the first to hear about where we’re headed — and let us know if you want us to come to your city!

Young Alumni Day

New York City Gathering Manhattan

Boston Gathering Boston, Massachusetts

UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS

Process at Graduation

June 7, 2024

Alumni are invited to process at Washington National Cathedral during graduation. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Please email alumni@saes.org to reserve your distinguished alumni stole.

New York City

July 18, 2024

Join the Alumni Council for a visit to the Stonewall Inn, a National Historic Landmark and site of the 1969 uprising that served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement. The tour will be followed by the annual New York City alumni gathering.

Return to Bokamoso Summer 2025

A call to all alumni who took part in the Bokamoso Exchange Program - we are looking at the feasibility of a trip for alumni to travel Bokamoso in the summer of 2025. If you would be interested in participating, scan the QR code below and let us know!

Alumni, former faculty walk down memory lane at Bradmoor Campus

The Bradmoor Campus holds a special place in the hearts of nearly two decades worth of St. Andrew’s alumni. Every student who attended the school between September of 1981 and June of 1998 spent time on the school’s third campus. In April, for the first time since St. Andrew’s moved to its permanent home in Potomac, the doors of the Bradmoor Campus, now North Bethesda Middle School, was opened to St. Andrew’s alumni.

More than 80 alumni, their families, and teachers attended the Bradmoor Reunion which allowed former students to walk the halls, attend a Morning Meeting in the gym, swing by the cafeteria, and share lunch in the courtyard. The literal walk down memory lane was replete with alumni swapping stories and reminiscing about their high school days.

Thank you to all the alumni and former faculty and staff for attending this event and sharing your stories about our former campus.

Ted Cage ‘85, Irene Walsh, Dona Weingarten and Jennifer Lynch

never know who you’ll see at a

Faculty and alumni made announcements at Morning Meeting, a tradition which is still in place each morning for Middle and Upper School students.

Pamela Saunders ‘93, Dimple Modi ‘93, Carmody Daman ‘93, Kate Ivcevich ‘93, and Dorothy Prats

Moina Banerjee ‘99 enjoyed catching up with her former teachers Irene Walsh and Kurt Sinclair.

Jennifer Lynch, Sigrid Knuti and Nancy Young

Paul Galvin ‘00 and his family enjoyed looking through old yearbooks.

You

reunion! Nancy Young greets Terri Beach, Joanne Beach’s daughter-in-law.

After Morning Meeting, alumni enjoyed lunch and catching up in the Bradmoor courtyard.

Some of the members of the Class of 1986: Brad Bennett, Katie Yehl, Ken Reed, Mark Otto, and Mark Livingstone

Graham Johnston ‘90, Ruth Faison, and Priscilla Williams ‘91

Chris Lofft ‘91, Stacey Smith ‘91, and Hallie Sherard ‘96

Bronwyn Craley ‘91, Paige Holladay ‘91, Francesca Gerken ‘91, and Warren Marcus

Dorothy Prats, Tracey Goodrich, Charmonte Watkins ‘97, Andrea Huldtgren ‘97, Kurt Sinclair, Ginger Cobb and Doug Cobb

Sydney White ‘89, Kendall White ‘94, and Phyllis Robinson

Charmonte Watkins ‘97, Andrea Huldtgren ‘97, Emily Swineheart ‘97, and Lauren McLaughlin ‘98

Clayboy’s anyone? James Corbin ‘94, Brooke Kenny ‘96, Anne Linder ‘96, and David Shirey ‘96 enjoyed shaved ice while reminiscing about all the trips they took on the St. Andrew’s buses.

Council helps alumni maintain bonds with classmates and teachers

Dear Fellow Alumni, I am writing this letter prior to our reunion on the Bradmoor Campus but I can’t tell you how excited I am to see so many of you at this special gathering. If you’re like me, you spent time on both campuses and lived through a demarcation point in the school’s history. While the Bradmoor Campus was St. Andrew’s third location, it was the place every graduate to that point called home. The move to the Postoak Campus brought with it many changes, but a constant was the extraordinary teachers.

To this day, many of the teachers started on the Bradmoor Campus, remain at the school, teaching a new generation of future alumni – Tracey Goodrich, Kurt Sinclair, John McMillen, Ginger Cobb, David Brown, Alex Haight, and Glenn Whitman just to name a few. In the not-too-distant future they will join Irene Walsh, Gary Wyatt, and Phyllis Robinson, all of whom retired from teaching in the past 5-6 years.

We are excited and grateful for a new generation of faculty who are just as committed to providing excellent teaching to St. Andrew’s students. This younger generation receives regular training from The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning and will benefit from the school’s newly created, first-of-its-kind Professional Growth Pathways which gives faculty and staff realistic and measurable ways to grow and improve their craft.

As President of the Alumni Council, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to interact with so many fellow alumni. And I am excited that in June, we will add 96 new alumni to our schools history. Whether it’s connecting at reunion, staying in touch over a group text, or reading class notes in the spring magazine, I am always thrilled to see what my fellow alumni are up to in the world.

Last March, alumni, teachers, and even

parents of alumni joined me on our first ever Alumni Council Trip. The Diversity, Equity, and Belonging committee in the council organized a trip to Alabama to visit historic sites from the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery and Selma. This July, Alumni Relations Director Jen Mohr is organizing a second Alumni Trip for a tour of the Stonewall Inn, the site where the LGBTQ+ movement began in earnest in 1969. Later that same day, we will reunite with fellow Lions in the NY tristate area for an alumni cocktail party. This year alone, there have been gatherings in Florida and Boston with more to come in other alumni hotbeds across the country.

Whether you live close to campus or half a world away, I hope those of you that graduated in years ending in 4s and 9s will save the date for Reunion on October 19.

The on-campus Alumni Awards Brunch, afternoon Homecoming soccer games, and evening Class Parties make for a wonderful day of catching up with former teachers and old classmates. A special shout out to the Class of 1993, which last year won the Alumni Class Cup competition for reunion-year giving!

With summer on the horizon I hope every one of you gets the opportunity to relax, travel, and most importantly, connect with family and old friends, and maintain those St. Andrew’s bonds that we formed years or decades ago. I hope to see many of you at an Alumni event or at Homecoming this year.

Yours,

Jennifer Hawkins ’99 President, Alumni Council

Adeyela Bennett, Almeta Hawkins, Jennifer Hawkins ‘99, and Moina Banerjee ‘99 at the Bradmoor Campus Reunion in April.

Alumni Class Notes

New email, phone number or mailing address? Submit your updated information here: www.saes.org/classnotes.

1983

Beth Leach is currently living in Redlands, California and had a great time visiting with old friends at their 40th year reunion at St. Andrew’s. She currently owns two marketing firms specializing in healthcare marketing with clients throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Jeff & Leigh Palmer are living in Dallas with their two French Bulldogs, as their two grown children left the nest long ago. Leigh is a court-appointed special advocate (CASA), working with neglected children. Jeff is a Senior Attorney with the Department of Homeland Security. They loved their alumni visit to St. A’s!

Steve Meima was thrilled to come back for Homecoming and Reunion. He turned 60 in January ’24, and he is excited that 50% of his kids are out of college. He looks forward to keeping in touch with St. A’s and his classmates.

Edie Demas and her family happily hosted the Class of 1983’s 40th reunion during Homecoming. She says, “It was a very special evening catching up with folks near and far. We missed those of you who couldn’t make it very much. We were especially glad to host as our big news is that we are moving back to Los Angeles at the end of the school year. We have loved our time back in Bethesda, most especially at St. Andrew’s. I’m pleased to be able to stay on the Board and am excited to host an LA alumni gathering once we’re settled.”

Reunion

members

community members for a day of fun on the water, professional networking, and fundraising to support a collection of community organizations related to the NYC waterfront. We look for ways to make a difference with organizations that utilize the waterfront as a recreational and educational opportunity.

Charles Prettyman was recently named President of the New York Architects Regatta Foundation. The NY Architects Regatta is an annual event that brings together design and construction

Bill Daisley is a Social Studies teacher at Jamestown High School in Williamsburg,

40 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Charles Prettyman was recently named President of the New York Architects Regatta Foundation and enjoyed the annual event.

The Class of 1983 celebrates their 40th reunion at the home of Edie Demas.

Bill Daisley met up with Mr. Marcus and they had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing about the good old days!

Edie Demas received the Thomas Shaw at this year’s

and celebrated with other

of the Class of 1983.

Melissa d’Arabian just had her Off-Broadway producing debut as a Lead Producer of “White Rose The Musical.”

Virginia. He is a proud dad of two boys and proudly Pop Pop to two grandchildren as well. Bill recently met up with Mr. Marcus and they had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing about the good old days!

Melissa d’Arabian is at Columbia University in New York City studying for an MFA in Theatre Producing and Management. She just had her OffBroadway producing debut as a Lead Producer of “White Rose The Musical,” a powerful story about allyship and resisting oppression in Munich during the Holocaust. She’s co-producing her second Off-Broadway show, opening later this month called “The Life & Slimes of Marc Summers,” starring the beloved Double Dare host. If any St. Andrew’s folks come to NYC, she would love to connect!

1987

Laura Galliher and her husband Bruce just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and are now empty nesters. Their daughter is finishing her junior year of college on her way to becoming an elementary education teacher, and their son has a budding music career and will be going to LA to pursue it!

Hank Israel is grateful for the journey he has enjoyed both professionally and personally. His last child (of five) just started his second semester in college and

he is now learning who he is after kids, taking welding and other trade classes to spark his creative side. Professionally, he is turning from being a producer to a mentor of the next generation of bankers and loves working with young, brilliant people.

1988

Geoff Dye, Mark Portner, his wife Alex Portner, Nik Fisken, and Nick Denby all got together at the Washington Commanders season opener on Sept. 10, 2023. Mark and Alex came in from NY, Nik came in from Little Rock, Ark. (his wife Leslie could not make it), and Nick and Brooke Denby traveled from Columbus, Ohio. They all went to dinner

at Cactus Cantina the night before the game and Greg Portner and Alex Fisken joined them.

1989

35 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the

Sydney White joined Wiley Rein LLP as Special Counsel in November working on cybersecurity public policy and legislation.

1990

Megan Harris Boucher is still living in one of the most beautiful areas! Twenty-

The Class of 1988 celebrated their 35th reunion this past fall.

Geoff Dye, Mark Portner, his wife Alex Portner, Nik Fisken, Nick Denby, Greg Portner, and Alex Fisken enjoyed dinner at Cactus Cantina the night before a Washington Commanders game.

reunion committee.

five years and counting calling Aspen/ Snowmass home. Currently navigating the empty-nest era with kids in their freerange era. Visitors welcome!

1991

Dan Anixt is the General Counsel of Dedrone, a provider of airspace security solutions to protect critical infrastructure against harmful drones. Dan and his wife Steph live in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Carolyn Kopf is still in Atlanta and spending time with local St. A alumni. She is continuing to work at C.E.K. & Partners. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, biking, hiking, and playing golf. If you’re in Atlanta, let her know!

Chris Lofft P’27 works in television production and recently produced and wrote for the Puppy Bowl pregame show. The one-hour lead-in program to the Puppy Bowl aired on February 11 on Animal Planet.

1992

Jon Bruskin’s company Sprightbulb is in its seventh year, and has grown from two co-founders to 13 people working for seven

91

different clients currently. His 18-yearold son is getting ready to head to college or take a gap year next year, and he has recently started drumming in a new tribute band called Siamese Dreamers. They’re “doing their best to harness the majesty of the Smashing Pumpkins, circa 19911997” and have started playing locally in the DMV.

1993

Alison Dodd enjoys having her three children attending St. Andrew’s.

1994

1995

Mari McDonald loved her time working back at St. Andrew’s but has embarked on a new career as a private college counselor. Her daughters, Maggie (16) and Meadow (7) and her husband of 23 years, Terry, live in beautiful Brookmont overlooking the Potomac River. “We enjoy getting outside as a family walking our dog, Caddis, along the canal. We love to travel and recently spent six weeks in Ireland in 2023.”

Mariah Bibby is an Activities Coordinator at Charles E. Smith Life

When Carolyn Kopf is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling, biking, hiking, and playing golf.

The Class of 1993 celebrated their 30th reunion this past fall.

Allison Dodd enjoys having her three children attending St. Andrew’s.

30 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Mari McDonald’s daughter, Meadow, on the beach in Marble Hill, Ireland.

Communities in Rockville working with senior citizens with varying stages of dementia.

After nearly 25 years working with and supporting St. Andrew’s students, Samantha Speier has made her own “fresh start,” moving to Florida where she is one of the Upper School Learning Specialists at Palm Beach’s The Benjamin School, a pre-K through grade 12 school with more than 1,300 students.

1996

Jessica North Macie is enjoying her new role as Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid at National Cathedral

School. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and daughter, who is now in high school! Jessica is looking forward to connecting with alumni at the Bradmoor campus reunion in April!

1997

Kevin Wells, Laura (Cole) Shipley, Jimmy Hutchinson (in town from London), and Ben Stein, along with their families, got together over the summer at Kingsmill resort in Williamsburg to enjoy some family time together.

1999

2000

Tom Taylor has had a busy few years. After leaving Minneapolis in 2020, he returned to NYC where he was the Head of Upper School at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, N.Y. While there, he completed his PhD in education policy and leadership at the University of Minnesota, and accepted a job as Head of School at the Paideia School in Atlanta. Tom, his wife Sara, their children Linus (13) and Elsie (9), and their two dogs live in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta.

25 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

The Class of 1998 celebrated their 25th reunion this past fall.

Jessica North Macie is enjoying her new role as Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid at National Cathedral School.

Tom Taylor completed his PhD at the University of Minnesota and is now the Head of School at the Paideia School in Atlanta.

Kevin Wells, Laura (Cole) Shipley, Jimmy Hutchinson and Ben Stein, along with their families, got together over the summer at Kingsmill resort in Williamsburg to enjoy some family time together.

2003

Sarah & Doug Bower had a blast with their kids at their 20th high school reunion! Sarah played in the alumni soccer game with friends and then needed a nap! They had a blast being back on campus with their family!

2004

2005

Whitney Delphos graduated in 2023 with a PhD in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University in New York.

David Saunders’ family of five continues to live in Munich, Germany. Henry (7) started first grade and plays on baseball and soccer clubs, Otto (5) is in a forest kindergarten and loves to build things and play board games, and Eve (2) lights up their world with a beaming smile and affectionate personality. He continues to work in mergers & acquisitions for Deloitte, and Jana captains the family ship with love, tact, and enduring strength.

Alisa Kaswell had a mini St. Andrew’s reunion with Anjalee Sewpaul ’05 while visiting London in early 2024.

Nick Phelps and his wife, Allison, and their 2.5 year old son, Harrison, are living in Denver. Nick is Partner and Sr. Director at Cultivate Advisors, which is a small business advisor firm.

The St. Andrew’s banner was put to great use in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Alex Ioannidis’ wedding in November. There were a dozen St. Andrew’s faces at the wedding celebrating Alex and his beautiful bride, Estefania “Stefy” Rodriguez.

2006

Joe Sparks married Gillian Bailey on October 6, 2023, in Bend, Oregon. Larissa Levin had the honor of officiating his wedding and by his side were his brothers, Matt and Charlie Sparks!

20 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

The Class of 2003 celebrated their 20 reunion this past fall.

Sarah & Doug Bower had a blast with their kids at the 20th reunion in October!

Alex Ioannidis enjoyed having so many St. Andrew’s classmates (and teachers!) at his wedding.

Alex Ioannidis married Estefania “Stefy” Rodriguez in November 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2007

Tim Rogan’s newest film, “Maestro” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Rogan portrays the actor Dick Hart in the film, which Bradley Cooper directed. “Maestro,” now streaming on Netflix, is the love story that chronicles the complicated lifelong relationship between music legend Leonard Bernstein (played by Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan).

2008

Ella Pailey Fernandez got married last year in Saint Lucia.

Bryn (Whiteley) Seabrook welcomed Edward Fallon Seabrook in June 2023, joining big brother Robert Gordon Seabrook. Professionally, Bryn is still an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. She is teaching courses to both undergraduate and graduate students about engineering ethics, and how engineering impacts diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Leili Doerr married Paul Riegel in the presence of friends and family in Chevy Chase, Maryland on Sunday, September 3, 2023. They spent their honeymoon in Thailand and Cambodia. Leili currently resides in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with her husband and their dog, Roger. She is a brand manager on the New Business Ventures team at Nestlé and teaches yoga at PureFire Yoga & Flow Yoga Center.

Andy Brown, founder and proprietor of Andy’s Pizza, recently visited St. Andrew’s Principles of Entrepreneurship class, where students are working on a project to rethink the Student Center Cafe to create more business. Andy shared his journey from St. Andrew’s to opening his selfowned, continually growing business with students before meeting with each group about their projects. With feedback from Andy, the groups presented their ideas to other St. Andrew’s alumni in a “Shark Tank” style sales pitch!

Vesna Harasic-Yaksic and her husband, David Van Voorhees, welcomed their first son, Sawyer Luka Van Voorhees on April 6, 2023.

The Class of 2008 celebrated their 15th reunion in October.

Tim Rogan’s newest film, “Maestro” was nominated for an Academy Award.

Leili Doerr married Paul Riegel in the presence of friends and family in Chevy Chase, Maryland on Sunday, September 3, 2023.

Bryn (Whiteley) Seabrook welcomed Edward Fallon Seabrook in June 2023, joining big brother Robert Gordon Seabrook.

Andy Brown shared his journey from St. Andrew’s to opening his self-owned, continually growing business with students.

2009

The Rev. Yaa Addison spoke to St. Andrew’s K-5 students at a chapel in February as part of Black History Month. She spoke about Pauli Murray, a civil right activist who became the first Black women in the U.S. to become and Episcopal priest.

2010

Donte Taylor is in the process of starting a new job with the government.

In November, Cassandra Glass-Royal was selected to be part of the BD 18 Class of 2023 by Boutique Design Magazine. Every year out of hundreds of nominees throughout the country they select and recognize the Top 18 rising designers in the hospitality industry leading the way. The award ceremony is held at Cipriani’s in New York, New York.

Elliott Silverman and his wife, Emily, had their first child this year. Keener Robert Silverman was born on November 4, 2023, and is loving life with his two Siberian husky brothers!

2011

Margaret Kenworthy is living in New York City and is a lead Pre-K teacher at the New Amsterdam School in Manhattan. Margaret finds so much joy in teaching and working with this age group and values the Waldorf pedagogy and the importance of this type of education, especially in the current world we live in.

Trais Cowan made a career transition this past year from working in HR to commercial real estate with a focus on land investments in North Texas. His team at Texas Republic Management is a family-office venture and is continuing to grow in 2024.

Lauren Johnson and her husband Steven, welcomed their first son, Jaxon, this past November.

2012

You’ll find a familiar name in the credits of Disney’s new film, Wish! Working as Senior Product Designer for the film, Rehan Butt led the design for a broad range of tools used by artists and filmmakers, bringing cutting-edge computer graphics technology to intuitive and artist-focused tools. Look for the film on select streaming services now.

09

Vesna Harasic-Yaksic and her husband, David Van Voorhees, welcomed their first son, Sawyer Luka Van Voorhees on April 6, 2023.

15 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

The Rev. Yaa Addison came to speak to our K-5th grade students at chapel in February during black history month.

In November, Cassandra Glass-Royal was selected to be part of the BD 18 Class of 2023 by Boutique Design Magazine.

Elliott Silverman and his wife Emily had their first child this year who is loving life with his two Siberian husky brothers!

Rehan Butt led the design for a broad range of tools used by artists and filmmakers for Disney’s new film, Wish!

Delonte Egwuatu continues to be a strong leader of the St. Andrew’s Black Alumni Collective, and works at Beaver Country Day School in Massachusetts. 12

Janice Freeman and her husband Ben moved to Portland, Oregon in 2022 for Janice’s current position as the Global Public Policy & Engagement Lead at Nike. They bought their first house in North Portland last spring and are enjoying exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Jamee Williams recently graduated from PA school. She recently started working at a primary clinic in Washington, D.C. Jamee also got engaged this past summer!

Delonte Egwuatu recently began his tenure as the Chief Engagement & Inclusion Officer (CEIO) at Beaver Country Day School located in Massachusetts. He continues to be a strong leader of the St. Andrew’s Black Alumni Collective.

2013

Alex Lubin is spending 2024 traveling around the world. Along the way he’s highlighting Jewish sites for history, culture, and community on Instagram @wanderingjewtravel.

Robert Blume moved from Florida to Northern California to work as a flight systems engineer for NASA at the Ames Research Center.

Jared Kassoff is engaged to Jamie Creighton. Their wedding will take place this upcoming June.

Starting in the fall, Alexia Jacoby will

attend the New School in New York City for her MFA in fiction writing. She’s also recently engaged and will get married in June 2024!

Alexa Tsintolas moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland this past summer. She has been working at Data Lab USA in Germantown, Maryland for almost five years. She is the manager of Data Lab USA’s third-party data and is starting to build data models for her clients!

Diana Chung flew all the way from Korea for Reunion! She is back in Korea, so if anyone is visiting Korea, let her know.

Jared Kassoff ‘13 is engaged to Jamie Creighton.

Jamee Williams recently graduated from PA school and also got engaged this past summer!

The Class of 2013 celebrated their 10th reunion this past fall.

She recently traveled to Finland and Norway, while living in Sweden for three months.

2014

Drew Singleton is currently teaching Middle School English at St. Andrew’s as well as serving as the Academic Dean for the Class of 2028. While it definitely took some adjusting to become part of the faculty here, he loves seeing his old teachers every day and feeling the same love and support they gave him as a student. He has also learned that some of his 8th-grade students were actually in preschool when he was a senior, which was so cool to find out. Being back at St. Andrew’s every day has made him even more excited for his class’s 10-year reunion this fall. He is looking forward to catching up with good friends!

Mike McShane got married this past fall.

Chris Quintero is living in New York working at Morgan Stanley as an Equity Research Senior Associate. Last December he was featured in NextGen Collective’s NextGen to Watch series.

Andrew Davis is living in Washington State where he has founded and operates a mushroom genetics company. Andrew’s company focuses on providing specialized genetics to farms and hobby mushroom growers around the world. Andrew stays in touch with many of his St. Andrew’s friends and teachers, and is looking forward to seeing classmates at his 10th reunion in the fall.

Brian Bies is the Head of Publishing at Manuscripts (B-Corp certified). Manuscripts has published more than 2,100 authors (279+ national book award winners or finalists) over the last nine years. Brian and Jasmine Leewong, both Georgetown graduates, married in Fall 2020 and held their wedding celebration with their families at Dahlgren Chapel in Georgetown in March 2023. At the end of May, they moved from Bethesda to just outside of Seattle, Washington. Just three

10 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Drew Singleton is currently teaching Middle School English at St. Andrew’s as well as serving as the Academic Dean for the Class of 2028. He enjoyed catching up with other alumni at Reunion.

Mike McShane got married this past fall.

Chris Quintero is living in New York working at Morgan Stanley as an Equity Research Senior Associate.

Brian Bies and his wife recently moved to Seattle, Washington.

days later, Brian flew back to speak at the Senior Banquet for the St. Andrew’s Class of 2023. As they begin to build their life together on a different coast, Brian and Jasmine have plans to travel to the east coast, as Brian’s parents and sister still live in the Washington, D.C., area.

William Weber is a history teacher at Quad Preparatory School in New York.

2015

Kendall Kynoch is engaged and will have her wedding next year. Kendall and Mackenzie Kynoch traveled to Phoenix this past November with their mom, Dale Kynoch, to cheer on their brother in his first Iron Man. He finished in third place in his age group and 33rd overall. Mackenzie received an award in February for Technology Excellence at Chewy. It is a quarterly peer-nominated tech award by committee.

Claire Gregory recently earned her PhD in psychology from the University of Surrey, England. Her research on human cognition and decision making has been presented at various international conferences and published by the British Psychological Society.

Husam Shabazz recently moved to Cheshire, Connecticut, where he is working at Cheshire Academy as an Assistant Director of Admission and Boys Varsity Lacrosse Coach. Husam makes history not only as one of the youngest head coaches in the program but the first black lacrosse coach in the school’s 230-year history. Husam continues to serve the St. Andrew’s community as a leadership team member of St. Andrew’s Black Alumni Collective, which he also helped to form back in 2020. Husam misses his family, friends, and community in Maryland, but has made an intentional effort to stay up to date with all St. Andrew’s news and events. Once a Lion, forever a Lion!

Danny Knauss is working as a space vehicle systems engineer at The Aerospace Corporation. He recently got engaged to Avena Patel and they will be getting married this June.

Shabazz recently moved to Cheshire, Connecticut, where

Cheshire Academy as an Assistant Director of Admission and Boys Varsity

2016

Olivia Spaccasi received her Master of Public Policy degree from American University in December of 2023. She continues to work at the ACLU of Maryland where she’s a Policy Program Associate, focusing on criminal legal system reform, police accountability, and anti-racism efforts.

Grace Ashworth is currently working remotely doing graphic design & digital marketing from her home in New Jersey! She has recently taken up boxing as a hobby which has been tough, but a lot of

Kendall Kynoch is engaged and will have her wedding next year.

Danny Knauss recently got engaged and plans to get married this June.

Husam

he is working at

Lacrosse Coach.

Grace Ashworth has recently taken up boxing as a hobby with a record of 2-0, both bouts having taken place in Ohio.

massive cathedral with a small tour group, they arrived on the rooftop at sunset, and someone said “Hey, are you from Maryland?” It was Ethan Dinitz, a St. Andrew’s student several grades below her who had recognized her when they overlapped at St. Andrew’s! They both freaked out at the “small world” moment of bumping into another St. Andrew’s alumnus on top of the Seville Cathedral. The Lion family goes global! Joy is continuing graduate school at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. She recently traveled to COP28 in Dubai this past December, and thankfully just got a job as an Associate of Policy, Programs, and Special Projects at the Rachel Carson Council (environmental advocacy organization) in Washington, D.C.

2019

Noah Lee completed Officer Candidate School and accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps; he will commence further training before being assigned to front line forces.

Katie Olin has had many new life updates since her time on campus at St. Andrew’s. In May of 2023, she graduated from Salisbury University cum laude after majoring in business management, environmental studies and urban and regional planning along with a minor in outdoor education and leadership. While she was at Salisbury she worked with a local small business to increase sales and expand the company by using e-commerce and marketing strategies. She also interned with a local real estate agent and entrepreneur to build her rental business and create her own grouping of Airbnb properties and built plans for future expansion. Shortly after graduation she was hired to work for the US Navy on the F-35 program, where she works as a financial analyst. In her time there she has worked with many different groups in the program, and currently is working with international partners to build fleet readiness around the globe. On December 16, 2023, she

married Jacob Rollins in Laytonsville, Maryland. Surrounded by friends and family, including two of her bridesmaids who are alumna of St. Andrew’s, her sister Caroline Olin ’21 and Caitlin Jacobs ’19. Most recently Katie and Jacob bought a home in Northern Virginia, where they live with their dog, Rosy.

2020

Nick Tsintolas is a senior at Duke University studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Economics. At Duke, he is completing an independent study in the Bursac Lab on how satellite cell overexpression impacts muscle regeneration in engineered skeletal muscle. Nick is still involved in the Duke University Stand Up Troupe and has performed in its semester showcase every semester he has been at Duke. This year, Nick serves as Head Line Monitor for Duke Men’s Basketball. Responsibilities include overseeing all student traditions in Krzyzewskiville including tenting for the Duke-UNC game. He also made Dean’s List for Fall 2023! Nick is looking forward to the end of his senior year and his inperson graduation in May!

2021

Joseph Anillo will be a production/ news intern this summer at

affiliate station in South Florida, WPLG 10. He is honored and humbled to be able to grow, learn, experience, and work with some of the best in the business.

Caleb Egan is studying Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech where he made it on the Presidents list! He has an internship with Boeing this summer in Dallas where he will be working on Supply Chain management.

Neeve Izadi is in his junior year at Virginia Tech where he is the Vice President of his Fraternity.

his local ABC

5 Please contact Jen Mohr if you would like to join the reunion committee.

Noah Lee completed Officer Candidate School and accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Katie Olin married Jacob Rollins in Laytonsville, Maryland on December 16, 2023.

Joseph Anillo will be a production/news intern this summer at his local ABC affiliate station in South Florida, WPLG 10.

2022

Lily Nordheimer is in her Sophomore year at Elon University and is enjoying working as a Hillel Engagement Intern.

Aaron Lobsenz is in his sophomore year at Carleton College. He is enjoying being a Lab TA as well as playing on the Club Hockey team. He is currently working with Alzheimer’s patients and worked with a nonprofit called Concussion Alliance where he was writing a newsletter and updating a section of their website.

A sophomore at Wesleyan, Julian Hass is a teaching assistant for Introductory Econometrics and Econometrics Lab. He is also a tutor in the university’s Quantitative Analysis Center. He is providing research assistance on the effects of large shocks on Mexico’s informal labor market for an article which may appear in the Journal of Human Resources.

Will Kaine recently completed an internship for the Maine Indigent Defense Center. He attended arraignments and collected data as part of an audit to protect the right to counsel of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Mason Jones is in his freshman year playing Basketball at Stevenson College. He was thrilled to see Mr. Ponitch and Ms. Goodrich when they came to watch him play this past season.

2023

Drew Levine is currently gearing up for his first semester this spring at NYU. He spent his fall integrating into the city and working a sales associate job. He is really excited for classes to start as well as baseball season. One class he is taking that peaks his interest is “The Science of Happiness.” He first learned about this course last year when the concept of it was discussed in Mr. Dahlke’s philosophy class. He is really excited to start this chapter of his life and is grateful for the opportunities NYU has to offer academically and athletically.

Mason Jones is in his freshman year playing Basketball at Stevenson college. He was thrilled to see Mr. Ponitch and Ms. Goodrich when they came to watch him play this past season.

Tinoda Matsatsa, currently a freshman at Georgetown University, set a new

Tinoda Matsatsa, currently a freshman at Georgetown University, set a new NCAA record for the Indoor 1K with a 2:18.05 finish at the Hokie Invitational recently!

NCAA record for the Indoor 1K with a 2:18.05 finish at the Hokie Invitational recently! In his first year at Georgetown, Matsatsa has won all three of his races in three different events: the 1k at Virginia Tech, the 600m at Penn State, and the 800m at Boston University.

A sophomore at Wesleyan, Julian Hass is a teaching assistant for Introductory Econometrics and Econometrics Lab.

The Jess Borg Society

If you have decided to include St. Andrew’s in your estate plans, we would like to show you our appreciation by including you as a member of The Jess Borg Society, an honorary designation named for our founding Head of School. Members are invited to the annual spring Lions Pride dinner with the Head of School and Chair of the Board, and are recognized in school publications.

In Memoriam

Liz Avila Class of 1982

Liz Avila died August 29, 2020. Liz was a member of the first graduating class at St. Andrew’s in 1982. While a student, she was on the girls basketball team and in the Yearbook Club. After graduation, she attended Dickinson College and Boston University.

Liz is survived by her son, Daniil; her parents; a stepmother; a brother; a sister; and a niece.

Barbara Beatty Former Faculty

Barbara Beatty died July 5, 2023. Barbara was St. Andrew’s first art teacher, joining the faculty during the first school year in 1978. She continued in this role until 1982.

Barbara is survived by her three children and their families. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick, her brother Dickie, a granddaughter, and her parents.

A memorial service was held in August at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

Michael Clarke Founding Trustee

Michael Clarke died December 22, 2023, at the age of 80. Michael was one of St. Andrew’s founding trustees, and served the school until 1984.

Michael is survived by his lifelong partner Dorothy “Dottie” Fitzgerald; his three children, Amy Maull, Jeffrey Clarke, and Katy Wiley; seven grandchildren; and a halfbrother.

Evan Lovell Class of 1988

Evan Lovell died June 20, 2023 in Stowe, Vermont. While at St. Andrew’s, Evan was on the boys varsity tennis and soccer teams. After St. graduating from St. Andrew’s, Evan attended the University of Vermont.

Evan is survived by his wife, Kristi; and three daughters, Lucia, Isabel, and Evelyn. A private memorial service was held last year.

Isabelle Schuessler, St. Andrew’s founder, devoted her life to education

St. Andrew’s founder Isabelle Schuessler died November 16, 2023, at the age of 89.

A native of Ohio and Washington, D.C., she was a graduate of George Washington University where she earned a degree in elementary and early childhood education. Isabelle immediately went to work out of college teaching at St. Patrick’s Episcopal School. After just four years teaching and then serving as Assistant Director of the school, she became St. Patrick’s Director in 1966, leading the school’s expansion from a nursery through kindergarten school to become a preschool through sixth grade school.

By the mid-1970s, Isabelle identified the need for a co-ed Episcopal School in Montgomery County that served students in grades 7-12, including graduates of St. Patrick’s, Grace Episcopal Day School, and Christ Episcopal Day School. She worked with Jane Wood, then Head of Grace, Pauline McKinstry, Head of Christ Episcopal School, and leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington to build momentum for the founding of a new school. On a legendary plane flight home from a heads’ conference in 1976, Isabelle sketched out her vision for what became St. Andrew’s on a yellow pad, with help from her peer school heads. That vision helped to guide St. Andrew’s founding Board of Trustees, to which

Flynn (first English teacher), Jess Borg (founding headmaster), Isabelle Schuessler, and Irene Walsh (first Chemistry teacher) at the groundbreaking of the Postoak Campus in April 1997.

Isabelle served as an advisor and guide for several years. In addition to helping to shape the inclusive, supportive Episcopal identity and culture of St. Andrew’s, Isabelle is widely credited with suggesting that the new school be named St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. After leading St. Patrick’s for 20 years and helping to found St. Andrew’s in 1978, Isabelle then served as the founding head of Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda until 2001.

John Kingsley, a founding St. Andrew’s board member and a former St. Patrick’s parent as well, had this to say about Isabelle when reflecting back for St. Andrew’s 30th anniversary: “Isabelle

Schuessler is one of the most effective managers I have ever met in Washington ... partially because she really thinks things out well ahead of time.”

Isabelle had an abiding care and love for St. Andrew’s, and was so glad that her grandchildren, Jake ’05, Sam ’07, and A.J. ’08 are St. Andrew’s alumni.

Isabelle is predeceased by her husband, Don. She is survived by her four children, 11 grandchildren (three of whom attended St. Andrew’s) and four greatgrandchildren.

A service commemorating Isabelle’s life was held in November at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Potomac.

Dottie

Isabelle Schuessler

Victory on the Greens

MAC CHAMPIONS

The 2000s were banner years for the St. Andrew’s varsity golf team - quite literally. The team swept the MAC Championships four consecutive years, from 2007 through 2010. Coach Tim Rose and Tim Gregg ‘11 saw the team through all four wins, with Gregg serving as captain his senior year. Gregg was also a three-time All-MAC selection, and was inducted into the St. Andrew’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ST. ANDREW’S MEMORY?

Email us at alumni@saes.org, and we may publish your story in a future newsletter or magazine!

2007 — First MAC Banner

2010 — Fourth MAC Banner

2009 — Third MAC Banner

8804