class notes

This page (left to right): Liam Thor ‘13 on the medal podium this past spring and Quin Chaiken-Hamilton ‘19 working on a new piece. Opposite page (clockwise from top): Urban— and SFFS Class of 2018—graduates Dora Newman, Nathan Rockman, Nick Miller, Felix Feldman, and Talia Harrison (missing Keanne Davis and Quin Ryan); SFFS alums Rylan Waterman ‘19 and Etienne Wilson ‘19 and Middle School faculty Annie Gwynne-Vaughan and Ester Azucena at the Young Alumni Reunion in May; Sofia Arnest at her recent high school graduation with her family; and Director of Admissions Yvette Bonaparte in her SFFS office.

class of 2013:

Liam Thor ’13 had a great senior cycling season at Cal, winning key races and, in true Quaker fashion, inviting his entire team up to the podium to share the spotlight and applause. He will graduate this summer.

Whit Urdan ’13, who attended UHS for high school, graduated from college last year, is living in Chicago, and is working as a management consultant.

––––––––––class of 2015:

Katie Urdan ’15 attended Lick-Wilmerding and recently returned from Amsterdam, where she had been studying during a semester abroad. She is majoring in Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology, at WashU, and was working on her minor in Anthropology while in Amsterdam.

––––––––––class of 2018:

Sofia Arnest ’18 is working for former SFFS Dance Instructor and International Museum of Dance Founder Hilary Palanza this summer, helping her prepare digital and social media communications for the Moving Southwest Festival that will be held in Santa Fe this summer. Specifically, Sofia created a Museum of Dance TikTok account in an effort to reach a new audience. She graduated from HeadRoyce School in May and will be attending the University of Virgina in the fall.

Nathan Rockman ’18 graduated from the Urban School of San Francisco on Friday, June 10, with seven fellow alumni from the Class of 2018! Urban was such a natural fit and wonderful experience for each of them after SFFS. In fact, Nathan and Nick Miller ’18 have been in school together since they started Kindergarten at Friends! Nathan is headed to the University of Oregon in the fall, and Nick will be attending Vassar College.

––––––––––class of 2019:

Emma Chongo ’19 and some fellow SFFS alumni have created a recycled goods and second-hand crafts business called Meyer Lemon Crafts. You can check out their

beautiful wares at meyerlemoncrafts.square.site and follow them on Instagram @meyerlemoncrafts (you can read more about Meyer Lemon Crafts on page 15).

Quin Chaiken Hamilton ’19

shares “I graduated from SFFS in 2019, where most people knew me as Ocean. This spring I attended an art-based semester school called The Oxbow School, and I just graduated from The Academy of Thought and Industry with the class of 2022. Aside from art and school, I’ve been working on a business with a couple other SFFS friends (Micah, Annika, Aila, and Emma) selling items made using repurposed materials online and occasionally at markets around the Bay Area. I plan to spend the next year volunteering with farms, animal rescues, and art groups, creating and learning new things. I’d love to reconnect with people from the Friends School community! My email is yourfriendquin@ gmail.com and I’m @tomorrows. wasteland on Instagram.”

––––––––––young alumni reunion:

From Donor & Alumni Engagement Coordinator Dan Sullivan: “We had around 60 alumni show up for our pizza party/young alum reunion. It was a casual event on the yard, and a great chance for alums to reconnect with their former classmates in person and to see faculty again (Kristen, Sabrina, Jennifer S., Ester, and Annie were all in attendance). For many of the alums there, this was their first time back on campus since graduating, and for the Class of 2020, this was extra special since their final year at Friends was cut short by COVID and lockdowns!” faculty:

We are thrilled to share that the one and only Yvette Bonaparte P’13 & ’25:, SFFS Director of Admissions and part of our professional community since Day 1(!), has been elected to the Friends Council on Education Board of Directors. This is an incredible honor and we are so proud of the many contributions that Yvette has made—and will continue to make—to both our school and the wider Friends education community. Congrats, Yvette! Do you have news to share with your fellow SFFS alums? Please send in a Class Note to Alissa at akinney-moe@ sffriendsschool.org— and thank you!