Santa Catalina School Bulletin Spring 2018

santa catalina

SPRING BULLETIN

Catalinians around the world Seniors dig deep into history Brita Sigourney ’08 wins bronze at Olympics

Reunion 2018 in photos

2018

Crystal Boyd ’89 Director of Communications Jeannie Evers Writer

Jen Rocha Graphic Designer Robin Kelly Copy Editor

Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83, ’79 LS

Director of Alumnae/i Relations

Paul Elliott, Janessa Werhane, Erin White

Contributing Photographers

Creative Commons; Jeannie Evers; Marc Howard ’93 LS; Jamie Lemaire; Nick Lovejoy; Mother Lode River Center; Larry Nordwick; Santa Catalina School parents, faculty, and students; Bree Walker; profile photos courtesy of the subject.

On the cover: Roses in bloom in the Hacienda courtyard.

Inside back cover: Seniors get soaked on the annual rafting trip.

Above: Third-graders Henry Figge, Hank Wojtowicz, RJ Skinner, and Blake Jones pose for a photo with John Steinbeck during a visit to the National Steinbeck Center.

Santa Catalina’s Bulletin is published twice a year. We welcome suggestions for topics and news, as well as comments about our publication. Email us at communications@santacatalina.org.

Santa Catalina School, located on the Monterey Peninsula, is an independent, Catholic school. The Upper School is a college-preparatory high school for young women, with boarding and day students in grades 9–12. The Lower and Middle School is coeducational, with day students in PreK–grade 8. A summer camp for girls 8–14 years serves resident and day campers. Santa Catalina School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Santa Catalina School admits students of any race, creed, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, and national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, athletic, or other school-administered programs.

Contributors

The New Historians New research seminars give seniors the chance to dig deep.

Catalina’s foreign language program broadens students’ understanding of other cultures—and their own.

How Tim Hentschel ’93 LS is shaping the future of group travel.

A community of support set Asia Alumnae Chapter chairs on a path to entrepreneurship.

Alumnae News: Reunion 2018 & Distinguished Alumnae

From developing nations to her home in London, Lara Brehmer ’98 looks for ways to give back.

Mexico’s Alumnae Chapter chairs reflect on the lasting impact of a Catalina education.

MESSAGE head of school

The World at Hand

for college and future careers. This is embedded in the language programs of the Lower and Middle School and the Upper School, where students have many opportunities to learn about cultural traditions and customs in and out of class. From the fourth-grader starting out in Spanish to the senior having in-depth discussions of educational systems in her Spanish, Chinese, or French class, learning other languages and understanding the culture of people who speak them is a vital skill for the world in which our students will live and work.

each other about different religions, cultures, and beliefs, they do so with genuine interest and respect, fundamental to our core values.

There is little doubt when entering our campus that you are in a place of beauty. So it was a welcome surprise when Architectural Digest named Santa Catalina as the most beautiful private high school in California. This issue of the Bulletin helps to illustrate that those who benefit from Santa Catalina’s educational and extracurricular programs have an experience equally as beautiful as our campus.

I am delighted to present you with stories from alumnae/i living around the world, as well as news from right here on campus during this fast-moving spring. Whether it is about our graduates making service a centerpiece of their lives, discovering a path to entrepreneurship, or pursuing their passions at home or abroad, there are similar themes that run throughout this issue of the Bulletin. These include the lasting value and global reach of a Santa Catalina education and the deep, enduring relationships created at our school.

As a former international student advisor, I have seen firsthand the powerful connections students make when learning takes place in a diverse, closeknit community. For day and boarding students alike, the opportunity to explore different cultures and develop meaningful friendships with students from around the world provides a solid foundation

The graduates profiled in these pages can attest to the enriching environment of Santa Catalina. The alumnae chapter chairs from Europe, Asia, and Latin America speak to being academically challenged as they gained confidence in their ability to navigate a new country. They also express the lasting impact of being able to study and live with students from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Importantly, as our students learn from

Sincerely yours, Meg Bradley

Meg Bradley talks with student body president Ana León Nuñez.

Kindergartners learned what an ornithologist does for a living and practiced their bird watching skills around campus.

PAW PALS SHOW COMPASSION

The Voices for the Voiceless animal club has been a good friend to cats and dogs this school year.

The club invited representatives of Operation Freedom Paws to speak at Middle School Assembly on December 1. The organization, based in nearby Gilroy, teaches veterans how to train their own service dogs. The group’s president, Mary Cortani, and David, one of the veterans who went through the program, brought dogs CJ and Laddie to demonstrate how service dogs are trained to keep an eye (or nose) on their humans.

The dogs showed off their sense of smell and their ability to find people (in this case, a volunteer who hid behind a group of boxes), as well as how they can create a safe buffer around their human in a crowd. Students also learned the proper way to pet a service dog (Step 1: Ask first!).

The animal club has interacted with other local groups throughout the year. They made blankets for adoptable dogs at Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, which finds homes for dogs whose guardians can no longer care for them, and for senior dogs in shelters. Club members also made cat toys for Golden Oldies Cat Rescue, which re-homes older cats through fostering and adoption. Bags of dog food were also donated to Gathering for Women, an organization that will distribute the food to homeless women with dogs.

Voices for the Voiceless has truly shown a love for animals and the people who care for them.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR CHOIR PERFORMS

Seventeen Santa Catalina students were selected for this year’s Central Coast Section Middle School Honor Choir. The concert took place on January 27 at Cabrillo College in Aptos. The Honor Choir rehearsed together for two and a half days before the concert, but students also worked on their parts in their free time. This year’s choir consisted of 119 students from 17 schools.

Auditions for the Honor Choir were open to students from four counties. The students worked with music teacher Katie Gaggini to record a song and a major scale. This year, 24 students from Santa Catalina auditioned, and all of them scored competitively. In the end, six students from grade 6, five from grade 7, and six from grade 8 were selected. Congratulations to our singers!

GRADE 6

GRADE 8

Riley Barringer Shayna Blatt Emily Diaz Gabrielle Edwards Sophia Gargiulo Sophie Henrard

GRADE 7 Annie Lin Michaela Miller Miriam Riley Phoebe Varjian Anna Yeh

Audrey Avelino Alix Detrait Nicole Munoz Isabella Pierre Jenna Tarallo Nicholas Udwadia

Mary Cortani, president of Operation Freedom Paws, introduces CJ to the students.

MADE WITH LOVE ON VALENTINE’S DAY

> First-graders visited The Park Lane on Valentine’s Day to make cupcakes with a resident buddy. Each student enjoyed a cupcake with their senior friend; the remaining cupcakes were donated to Safe Place, a program for troubled teens who don’t always have a “safe place” to do homework, shower, or sleep.

CRAYFISH CRASH THE CLASSROOM

> Third-graders started a new science unit by observing and investigating crayfish. The classroom had 15 crayfish for students to observe, study, and care for over several weeks. As a bonus, five 4th-graders came to help their younger schoolmates learn how to pick up and handle the crayfish.

FILM CLUB SHOWS LEGO MOVIE AT FESTIVAL

The film club is just getting to work on its Lego movie when suddenly, Batman comes out of nowhere and starts taking out bad guys; a punch here, an attack with a sword there, a swing of a bicycle, and BAM! The hero wins and the class rejoices.

This all plays out in the club’s short stop-motion Lego movie, shown after a screening of The Lego Batman Movie at the Carmel International Film Festival on October 19. The festival’s co-founder wanted to demonstrate how a film like Lego Batman inspires young people to animate. The feature film’s director, Chris McKay, was at the screening and talked with the students about how they made their short.

Guided by English teacher Charlie Dorf, the club’s 15 sixth- and seventh-graders spent two to three weeks developing the concept and writing the script. Then they shot the whole movie in a weekend. “We started out wanting to do something dark, but then we just decided to go with comedy-slash-darkness,” said Owen Green, who directed the short. He said it was all about teamwork: The students took everyone’s ideas for the movie and mashed them all together. “That’s exactly how it works in Hollywood,” McKay laughed.

The students asked McKay about the making of his film, too. How big were the Lego sets? When did he make his first movie? Did he get to fist bump Will Arnett?

McKay also signed autographs for the students before the film, adding quotes from Lego Batman and words of encouragement. It was a big deal for the students to see their work on the big screen. As one of them said, “I feel famous.”

UP CLOSE WITH SEA CREATURES

> Kindergartners visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium in January to explore, observe, and record their findings in the Rocky Shore Discovery Lab. Special thanks to scientist, former Upper School teacher, and current parent Liese Murphree for enriching students' time in the lab.

Dominic Borgomini meets Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay.

COUGARS’ JDRF TEAM SETS RECORD

On October 1, the Lower and Middle School joined together to participate in the JDRF One Walk, a charity event that brings awareness to type 1 diabetes. The local event took place at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove.

Inspired by compelling stories shared by Catalina alumni and friends at a panel discussion just weeks before, the Cougars demonstrated tremendous support. Teachers, students, and parents made generous online donations on the “Cougars Care” team page, and others brought in donations to the classrooms and Lower and Middle School office. Best of all, families, teachers, and even dogs joined together to walk on a beautiful morning.

As a result of everyone’s efforts, Santa Catalina raised $7,000 on the team’s JDRF page alone. Cougars Care also had more than 235 walkers—a new team record! We are so grateful for the caring hearts of our Cougars and the support of all of our families. What a great way to reach out to others with courage!

Second-graders get ready to place thoughtful messages into coats heading to fire victims.

COAT DRIVE BRINGS WARMTH

TO WILDFIRE VICTIMS

Lower and Middle School students and their families donated an estimated three carloads’ worth of coats and socks to wildfire victims in Santa Rosa.

Sonoma County is still recovering from the devastating fires in October. In January, the school community came together for a coat drive to help bring warmth to those affected. The drive was focused on kindergarten through sixth-graders and their families.

In addition to collecting coats and socks, students wrote cards offering prayers and hope. The second-grade Compassion in Action class placed some of those cards in the pockets of the coats. Later, Compass groups created cards thanking the firefighters who helped protect homes and keep people safe.

For Catalina students, the service project reinforced the value of doing an unselfish act for people they don’t know.

CHINESE EMPEROR GOES ON TRIAL IN SEVENTH-GRADE CLASSROOM

Historians have not looked kindly on Chinese Emperor Duzong, believing he could have done something—anything—to prevent the fall of the Song dynasty. But how would this 13th-century leader fare in Santa Catalina’s seventh-grade history classroom, where students brought him to trial on charges of abuse of power and neglect?

As part of a lesson on ancient Chinese history, students in two classes assumed the roles of defense, prosecution, judges, and Emperor Duzong himself to determine whether the emperor had ignored his duties in the face of a growing Mongol threat.

The trials verged on debate at times as the students demonstrated passion and interest in making their points. In the end, they found the emperor guilty on both counts. One class sentenced him to five years in solitary confinement and stripped him of his belongings. The other class took away his title and forced him to pay back a significant portion of money taken in taxes.

The emperor’s behavior was clearly a hot topic in an engaging exercise that made history come alive.

Team Catalina Cougars Care saw a record turnout for the JDRF One Walk.

FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP

The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams made huge strides this year and greatly improved from last year. The boys’ squad finished the season 3–5–1 and was led by seventh-grader Blake Butler and eighth-graders Jasper Dale and Nicholas Udwadia. The girls’ team, led by eighth-grader Isabella Pierre and seventhgraders Elle Leatherberry and Ally Shortes, finished 5–2–1.

The volleyball teams enjoyed another good year. The 22-person sixth-grade team went 6–5 on the season and had the best fan turnout for all of the volleyball teams. Gabrielle Edwards and Andrew Airada led the team. The girls’ grade 7 team beat Pacific Grove in the final match of the season to earn a 3–7 record, and was seeded fourth going into the playoffs. The team lost to San Benancio in the first round, despite great leadership by Sofia Enea and Michaela Miller. The grade 8 girls’ team finished with a 12–2 record and another successful playoff appearance. After beating San Benancio in the first round, the team faced Carmel Middle in the championship game for the second consecutive year. The squad won in two sets to take its second straight Mission Trail Junior Athletic League (MTJAL) volleyball championship. The boys’ volleyball team finished 7–5 and was seeded fourth in the playoffs. The team lost to San Benancio in the first round. Standouts on the court were Maddux Hrepich and Davonn Ngo.

WINTER SPORTS WRAP-UP

This year, only eight grade 8 boys participated in the Mission Trail Junior Athletic League boys’ basketball team, coached by Pat Kosta and Jeff Hrepich. Although the team ended the season 0–13, it was the most improved team on campus. At the beginning of the season, the players were losing by more than 20 points; by the end, they were in each game all the way to the final seconds. This is the toughest basketball league around, and the boys performed well.

The mixed boys’ team of grades 6, 7, and 8 for the Independent and Parochial Athletic League (IPAL) was coached by Paul Elliott and Peter Cofresi. The team mostly consisted of sixth- and seventh-graders, with only one eighth-grader for a total of 14 players. The team lost a nail-biter to Madonna early in the season 41–42, but came back strong to beat San Carlos. The season finished with two wins, four losses, and three ties.

The grade 6 girls’ IPAL basketball squad “was the most spirited team I’ve ever coached,” said Middle School Athletic Director Janessa Werhane. Most of the girls had never played basketball before, and they lost their first game against Sacred Heart 23–4. Learning from the loss, they came back to score 19 points against San Carlos. The team finished 3–3 on the season.

The other IPAL team included eight girls in grade 8 and one in grade 7. This strong team beat Stevenson for the first time at Stevenson’s gym—the biggest highlight of the season! The team also beat Junipero Serra School, Bay View, and San Carlos to finish the season with four wins and four losses.

This year, the boys’ flag football team, coached by Albert Conner, included 11 boys. The squad finished the season 1–4, but all of the losses were within one score. The squad’s win came against Stevenson—the last game of the season.

Mr. Schipper turned into Coach Schipper to lead the girls’ flag football team to a 4–1 season. The girls were phenomenal, playing with heart and soul. Their only loss came to Stevenson in the final few minutes of the last game of the season.

STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHTS

Sydney Craven, Grade 8

Coach’s Award, Grade 8 Girls’ Volleyball; Coach’s Award, Flag Football

“Catalina athletics have taught me so much more than just winning championship games. We’ve learned how to find our inner strength as a team, to persevere through challenging moments, and never give up on your dreams to succeed. The support and guidance I have received from all of the coaches has been invaluable. It has made a tremendous difference in my overall level of playing team sports.”

Maddux Hrepich, Grade 8

Coach’s Award, Boys’ Volleyball; Coach’s Award, Grade 8

Boys’ Basketball

“I like Catalina athletics because it is a time to bond with kids from your class and it’s an opportunity to improve at something that is not academic. I like playing sports because it is a lot of fun and I like competing—even if we aren’t that good.”

New research seminars give seniors the chance to dig deep

by Dan Place

Kari burst into my office bubbling over with excitement. “I struck gold, Mr. Place, I struck gold!” She had been doing something far better than prospecting for gold; she had been on a treasure hunt for just the right article and data to add the final support for the thesis of her semester-long research paper. I was delighted that she found what she needed, but I was far more pleased to see Kari experience the intellectual thrill of good thinking and good researching. Telling kids that the life of the mind is “fun” may be counterproductive; letting them experience it for themselves is always affirming.

Kari and most of her classmates have voluntarily undertaken a new history course at Santa Catalina, the Senior Research Seminar. This yearlong elective is a research-based personal exploration of some aspect of the seminar topic (see sidebar).

The History Department developed the course out of an understanding of how we can best serve students in their senior year. With college admittances all but a certainty, we need to devote time to helping seniors succeed in college. This awareness provided the impetus for a course that achieves several goals:

• To provide a unique forum for Catalina’s “best and brightest,” the seniors

• To provide a platform for in-depth learning and the deep critical thinking and reading that come with it

• To help students build formal research skills, including digital note-taking, footnoting, and bibliography applications

• To help students recognize credible websites, biased websites, and unsubstantiated claims in source material

Dan Place confers with, from left, Caroline Stewart, Kari Jonsson, Carolina Bishop Iglesias and Avery Blanco in a new Senior Research Seminar.

• To teach students to develop an extensive and powerful defense of a thesis by providing a well-written narrative, logical development, and a compelling argument

• To allow each student to study a topic of her choice and spend enough time on it to strive for perfection

The students spend the first weeks of the class receiving a foundation in the course subject and exploring possible research topics. The remainder of the semester is devoted to individual research. During the research phase, the class meets twice a week so students can share their progress and critique each other’s work. Students also meet individually once a week with the instructor for direction. The school librarian, Eileen Schnur, is available for individual sessions. (As many of the girls will attest, one of the great lessons of the course is that your librarian is your new best friend!) At the end of the semester, each seminar participant presents her individual research paper.

Peer review sessions are an important part of the Senior Research Seminar. After completing a rough draft of the research paper, each student provides the entire class with a copy. Classmates read the paper and meet for a session of constructive criticism the

next day. The goal is for students to learn from each other, and they do. The teachers have been greatly impressed with how thoughtful, supportive, and kind the students are to one another as they make observations and suggestions to help each paper move from good to great.

One consequence of peer reviews is that students become more adept at evaluating their own work. When Emma came to talk to me about her research topic, I thought: “She has done so much great work. Dare I tell her that it would be helpful if she did even more and added an international perspective to help the reader evaluate America’s efforts in this area?” Before I reached an answer to my own question, Emma said, “I hope it’s OK, but I really thought it would help to see what some other countries are doing, and I have some great data, particularly from Norway, which seems to be the world leader.” I guess I had underestimated Emma’s ability to read and think critically and to evaluate her own work.

The Senior Research Seminars provide highinterest topics. They are meant to develop skills directly related to college success and teach the value and rewards of both individual and collaborative work. The seniors have succeeded admirably in all of these ways.

The Seminars

The History Department offered three Senior Research Seminars from Broeck Oder, Doug Lumsden, and Dan Place. Each instructor developed two seminar topics, one for each semester.

• Alums will no doubt recognize Mr. Oder’s two choices as areas of his expertise: The Constitution and Government of the United States and The History of African-Americans.

• Dr. Lumsden selected two intriguing topics: From Alexander the Great to Malala: Teenagers Who Changed the World, and It’s the End of the World as We Know It: The History of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements. (Finally he has a chance to teach the topic of his Ph.D.!)

• Mr. Place offered a seminar on Women in America and another on Presidential Leadership.

Seniors Sarina Baratta and Grace Mani enjoy a moment in class.

Peer review sessions are an important part of the seminars.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD STILL RESONATES TODAY

Theatre Arts Department Chair Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 has long had To Kill a Mockingbird on her list of potential plays. After the 2016 presidential election spurred discussions on a range of hot-button issues, including racism, she knew this would be the time to stage the play based on Harper Lee’s novel. But when she announced this year’s production lineup in the spring of 2017, she didn’t realize just how relevant the play would be.

Devlin explains: “I thought it’ll be a great way for me to bring up current political divisions and prejudice and bias with the girls but not have it be quite so in their faces, because it’s history, right? I thought I could bring up these conversations, but in the context of the show. Then over the summer I was watching the news cycle and seeing things like tiki torch rallies, things that I never thought in my lifetime in America we would see again. Now I think the play is even more invaluable. It brings up a lot of uncomfortable conversations, but they’re ones that need to happen—and that the girls really want to happen. So it’s been a nice, safe place to talk about terrible things like racism and prejudice—and, on the other side of that, integrity, kindness, and compassion.”

From day one, Devlin approached the rehearsal process as an open dialogue with students. They sat in circles to discuss the play’s themes, their feelings, which characters they did or did not align with. Because the cast was diverse, some of the discussions turned to the personal experiences of students or their families. Dr. John Murphy—the

assistant head of school for mission and identity, and a philosophy teacher—spoke to the girls about moral integrity as a way to drive home the burden carried by Atticus Finch.

Devlin asked the students to write reflections during Christmas break, focusing on how the play’s themes resonate today. Some of the students read their reflections during Assembly. Here are some of their thoughts:

“I began to realize that today in 2018, African-Americans have the same fears that Tom Robinson had in 1935. . . . The world seems to not understand or want to understand things that are different.” —Lauren Gebreamlak ’21 (Tom Robinson)

“(Racism) affects each of us, whether we are at an advantage or disadvantage, privileged or marginalized, oppressor or oppressed. When we have these discussions, we bridge diverse experiences and help understand one another.” —Fila Oen ’18 (Maudie Atkinson)

“We see in this play something that we continuously look for in people: kindness, a sense of what is right and what is wrong, and an unwillingness to follow the status quo—believing that just because someone has a different skin color, it makes them inferior.” —Sophia Leonard ’18 (Judge Taylor) and Orlinka Mitoko-Kereere ’18 (Reverend Sykes)

“Each of us has a chance every day to make a difference in the lives of those around us, through our own empathy, courage, and integrity.” —Cayleigh Capaldi ’18 (Atticus Finch)

“The world seems to not understand or want to understand things that are different.”

—Lauren Gebreamlak ’21 (Tom Robinson)

Scout (Nicole Korinetz ’21) greets the Rev. Sykes (Orlinka Mitoko-Kereere ’18) as Calpurnia (Sofia Whitley ’19) looks on.

ART STUDENTS EXPLORE A RANGE OF STYLES AT SFMOMA

Art 2 and Art History students visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on January 29 for guided tours of several exhibits. For art teacher Michelle Avery, the field trip was a chance to expose her students to a range of artistic possibilities.

Art 2 sophomores and juniors toured a visiting exhibit of works by Robert Rauschenberg. Among the pieces they examined and discussed were Monogram (part of a series of “combines”—works that blend painting and sculpture), which features a taxidermied goat with a tire around its middle; Mud Muse, a big, burbling vat of mud; and Port of Entry, part of a series called Anagram (A Pun) —a large, three-panel collage of photographs from Rauschenberg’s neighborhood and places around the world.

At one point during the tour, a student was blindfolded and placed with her back toward a painting while her classmates described the painting to her. When she turned around and removed the blindfold, she compared the painting in front of her with what she had pictured in her mind. (It was pretty close!) The exercise was intended to help students learn how to describe works of art and encourage them to notice elements they may have otherwise overlooked.

Meanwhile, students in the Art History class engaged in a series of activities and discussions around highlights of SFMOMA’s holdings in the Bay Area Figurative Movement (in particular, works by artist Joan Brown), pop art (works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol), photorealism (works by Chuck Close), minimalism (works by Richard Serra), and a work by Richard Artschwager that could be classified as conceptual art but that really straddles a few movements. The visit concluded with a discussion of an exhibit of imposing spider sculptures by artist Louise Bourgeois.

TEDXSCS AMPLIFIES GLOBAL VOICES

In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” the 2017 TEDxSantaCatalinaSchool presented a slate of speakers who asked listeners to look outside of themselves. The fifth annual event was held November 9 with the theme “Voices of the World.” This year's co-heads were Kaki Huebner ’19 and Mackenzie Roth ’19.

The event’s first speaker was student body president Ana León Nuñez ’18, who moved to Monterey from Mexico when she was 14. In her talk, “Becoming Who You Are Meant to Be,” Ana shared how she embraces her culture to accept what makes her different. Another Santa Catalina student, Fila Oen ’18, began the second half of the program with an original song in Indonesian called “Merenungkan,” which means “reflect.” Fila described it as a song “about the struggle in honesty and self-contemplation.”

Other speakers in the lineup included the following (with speech titles):

• Melissa Ault Ricci, “My Voice, Your Voice, and Women’s Rights.” Ricci started Women Rising Now, a project that calls on people to promote women’s rights by recording videos of themselves explaining what the notion of women’s rights means to them.

• Maria Giannini, “La Importancia de Ser Bilingue/ The Importance of Being Bilingual.” Giannini talked about her efforts to expand bilingual education in Monterey County.

• Frank Fraone, “What Will You Do During a Disaster: The Right Thing, the Wrong Thing, or Nothing?” Fraone, who has 35 years of experience in fire services and emergency response, made the case for not standing by when the unthinkable happens.

• Rebecca Cafiero, “My Secret to Having It All.” Cafiero, a lifestyle expert, encouraged the audience to make a to-be list instead of a to-do list.

• Ron Johnson, “Leadership Is Sometimes a Duty.” Johnson, a former NFL wide receiver, reflected on the lessons he learned from leaders around him.

To view videos of this year’s event, visit tedxsantacatalinaschool.org.

Art 2 students get a tour of SFMOMA’s Robert Rauschenberg exhibit.

SOPHOMORES STUDY STEELHEAD IN BIG SUR

Sophomores in the Marine Ecology Research Program spent the weekend of October 28–29 studying steelhead on the Big Sur coast. The students went to Big Creek, part of the University of California Natural Reserve System. They donned wetsuits to snorkel in 14°C streams so they could observe endangered and, in the words of teacher Christian Reilly, “poignantly displaced” fish. They also studied insect traps to see how the fish interact with the food web. The trip involved camping— a new experience for some of the students.

Dr. Tommy Williams, a scientist with the National Marine Fisheries Service who has long studied steelhead at Big Creek, worked with the students. His workplace also donated equipment and supplies. This was the fifth year for the Big Creek trip.

MOCK TRIAL TEAM STEPS UP IN A CHALLENGING YEAR

Santa Catalina’s mock trial team finished the 2017–18 season with two awards and a big sense of accomplishment after what turned out to be a challenging year.

Erika Schwerdfeger ’19 won an award for Outstanding Defense Attorney and Olivia Gebreamlak ’19 won Outstanding Defense Witness in the Monterey County Mock Trial competition. Twenty students participated this year in a case in which a political activist was accused of the premeditated murder of a rival activist.

Erika and her fellow co-captain Alyssa Kwon ’18 said the team had a tall order in going through the season without an attorney coach; one of last year’s coaches, a deputy district attorney, was unable to help this year because he began working on a high-profile murder trial. Normally, attorney coaches help students with the ins and outs of case law and trial procedure. This time, the students continued under the guidance of Dr. Doug Lumsden, the history teacher who founded the team and who serves as mentor and coach.

“It took a lot of extra research and preparation to gain the kind of understanding of the case that an attorney coach could provide,” Erika says. Dr. Lumsden was essential to helping the team rise to the challenge. Alyssa elaborates: “His passion for mock trial kept the team

together. He led us through the difficulties.”

Dr. Lumsden’s guidance extended well beyond the attorney coach gap. “Besides teaching me virtually everything I know about case law and conducting a trial, I’ve learned even more from the example that he’s set for our team—about persistence despite challenges, optimism in the face of adversity, and the importance of supporting each other, all qualities that he’s demonstrated and that I’ve come to realize are essential to good leadership,” Erika says. Adds Alyssa: “Without him, the team wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

In the end, the team performed better than it did last year, finishing with a 1–3 record. The win came against Stevenson School.

Students learned several lessons along the way. For Erika, who has played a defense attorney in all three years that she has participated in mock trial, it was the importance of adaptation. For Alyssa, a four-year member of the team who started with a minor role as a freshman and competed this year as a prosecution attorney, this year’s most valuable lesson was the strength that comes through teamwork. Alyssa concludes: “We learned that we can do anything if we work together and push through hardships.”

Biology teacher Susan Williams watches MERP students survey the river at Big Creek.

LITTLE WOMEN GIVES EVERYONE A SPOTLIGHT

Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel Little Women was brought to musical life on Santa Catalina’s stage from October 13–21.

The story follows the adventures of the four March sisters as they grow up in Civil War America: Meg, the eldest (Anna Baricevic ’18); Jo, the writer (Cayleigh Capaldi ’18); Beth, the sweet musician (Fila Oen ’18); and the young artist Amy (Samantha Scattini ’21). The play follows the tight-knit siblings as they fall in love, experience heartache, explore the world, and discover themselves.

Though the show centers on Jo, the musical numbers gave most actors a chance to shine. In “Here Alone,” the girls’ mother, Marmee (Molly Gilbert ’19), expressed the loneliness she felt with her husband

off at war. In “Could You?” socialite Aunt March (Mackenzie Roth ’19) tried to teach Jo to be a lady. Each of the March sisters’ various suitors—Laurie (Jessica Almos ’18), Mr. Brooke (Sofia Whitley ’19), and Professor Bhaer (Ana León Nuñez ’18)—got to express his love through song. As for Jo herself, Cayleigh turned in a powerhouse performance with the Act 1 finale “Astonishing.”

Some of the most entertaining moments came with the act-opening reenactments of Jo’s “Operatic Tragedy,” in which a story of heroes and villains and sword-fighting was inventively played out to Jo’s narration. Kudos to crew members, who did a masterful job of lighting, shifting versatile sets in plain sight, and making a kite fly on stage.

Clockwise from top left: The cast of Little Women sings a showstopper; Aunt March (Mackenzie Roth ’19) gives a lesson; Uma Sinha ’20 and Fila Oen ’18 enact a story.

SOLVING THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS THROUGH MODEL U.N.

Thirteen Santa Catalina students participated in the Lyceum of Monterey County’s fifth annual High School Model United Nations Conference on October 28. Olivia Gebreamlak ’19 won an Outstanding Representation Award for representing the United States on the Historical Security Council of 1993. The council’s topic was “The Situation in Rwanda.”

Model U.N. simulates the real-life United Nations, with students researching, debating, and setting policies on international issues. The program gives students the opportunity to practice negotiation, public speaking, and research skills, and helps them empathize with other countries.

Students represented various countries on one of three committees: the Historical Security Council; the General Assembly Second Committee (ECOFIN), whose topic was the “Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity”; and the Human Rights Council, which discussed “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity.” The students wrote position papers about their topic, predicting how officials of the country they represented would respond. Coco Wang ’18 and Olivia also participated in the conference-style press debriefing and discussion at the end of the conference.

To prepare, the Catalina team met for 20 minutes every Thursday during September and October, conducting most of their work independently. Coco led the group and mentored the freshmen and first-timers. She and Jane Hoffman ’21 reflected on their position papers during the October 25 Chapel Service.

PARTICIPANTS

Historical Security Council

Julia Bledsoe ’20 (Hungary)

Coco Chai ’18 (China)

Orlinka Mitoko-Kereere ’18 (China)

Oliva Gebreamlak ’19 (U.S.)

General Assembly

Carolina Bishop-Iglesias ’18 (Netherlands)

Kari Johnsson ’18 (Netherlands)

Clio Feng ’19 (Iraq)

Human Rights Council

Jane Hoffman ’21 (Ecuador)

Coco Wang ’18 (Japan)

Ayo Adeyemi ’21 (Nigeria)

Victoria Gorum ’19 (U.K.)

Amira Chou ’19 (U.K.)

Emily Poole ’19 (U.S.)

CATALINA CELEBRATES CHINESE

NEW YEAR

Santa Catalina celebrated Chinese New Year at Community Dinner on February 12 with a range of student performances. The new year began on February 16 (ushering in the Year of the Dog), but Community Dinner was the perfect opportunity for Chinese language students, the Chinese Club, and Catalina’s Chinese community to share this important cultural festival.

Students were treated to fan dances, a piano performance, and a lion dance set to the K-pop hit “Gangnam Style” (the Korean New Year falls on the same day). Language students sang a song in Mandarin called “Friends” while a slideshow played behind them showing activities they’ve done in and out of class over the years. The menu for the evening featured sweet and sour chicken, pork dumplings, veggie egg rolls, veggie fried rice, Chinese broccoli and long beans, fortune cookies, and green tea ice cream.

Festivities continued on February 17, when Chinese language teacher Bo Covington taught students how to make traditional dumplings.

Freshmen Nicole Korinetz (lion) and Sofia Cangas perform a lion dance for Chinese New Year.

ART CLUB STARTS SERVICE ACTIVITY AT SEASIDE SCHOOL

In a bright classroom at Seaside’s Highland Elementary School, about 20 girls became artists for an afternoon as they dipped paintbrushes in water and began painting their own versions of Vincent van Gogh’s iconic work, The Starry Night Their guides, members of Santa Catalina School’s Art and Art History Club, taught the children about the Dutch artist and his style of painting and then helped them explore the colors and swirls of van Gogh’s best-known work.

It was the first event at the school hosted by the club and organized by its head, Maya Pruthi ’19. The club allows Santa Catalina students to bring their knowledge of art and art history to schools where these subjects are not available. At the beginning of the year, the club led a similar activity at the Family Resource Center in Salinas, which has a monthly service partnership with Catalina. That experience focused on Andy Warhol and pop art.

Maya describes how the experience inspired her: “I was able to not only see how the art history lesson and art project influenced the young girls in Salinas, but I also noticed how much the conversations that we had with them and the bonds that we created meant to them. I wanted to bring these experiences to young students at other schools.” Maya approached other schools in the area, and the principal and faculty at Highland expressed excitement and support for the idea. “I knew that their students would appreciate and value learning and spending time bonding with the girls in our club,” Maya says.

The Seaside event certainly reflected that expectation. The young Seaside students, in grades 2–5, were bubbly and engaged as Santa Catalina club members moved from table to table, talking with the girls about their artwork, their favorite activities, and other aspects of their lives. At the end of the afternoon, after everyone had waved their friendly goodbyes, the Santa Catalina students were already looking forward to next time.

STUDENTS MAKE BUNDLES FOR INFANTS IN NEED

Santa Catalina students, faculty, and staff joined members of the Christ Child Society of Monterey Bay on February 17 to assemble “welcome bundles” for infants in need. This was the second year that students helped create bundles of items intended to make the first weeks of life easier for newborns and their families.

Bundles included clothing, diapers, wipes, swaddles, books, toys, handmade blankets, quilts, caps, and burp cloths. Volunteers packed nearly 30 bundles, seven of which were placed into Sleepy Baby Boxes that can double as cribs for infants up to 25 pounds. The bundles were delivered locally to Natividad Medical Center and two residential centers serving at-risk and homeless families.

“We feel it is a special blessing to have been able to work with Santa Catalina students, faculty, and administration . . . to create our bundles of love for two years in a row, and we hope to do so again,” said society president Anne Kelley. Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83, ’79 LS, Santa Catalina’s director of alumnae/i relations, is a founder of Christ Child Society of Monterey Bay and vice president of its board.

Maya Pruthi ’19 works with Highland Elementary School students.

Freshmen Jane Hoffman, Ayo Adeyemi, Ceci Dressler, and Kate Larsen sort through beanies for baby “welcome bundles.”

FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP

As a whole, the Catalina cross country team improved over the course of the season. The growth of individual runners was reflected in their times as they continued to achieve personal records. The Cougars won one dual meet and lost five, but the work will pay dividends in the next few years for this young team.

Field hockey finished the season with an overall record of 3–9–3. Four of the nine losses were by one goal. The young team improved as the season progressed. With the nucleus of the team returning next season, Catalina’s field hockey team will be a contender in the newly formed Pacific Coast Athletic League.

Catalina golf had nine players on the team, with a blend of experienced and new-to-the-game members. Players worked hard to improve their game and gained confidence as the year progressed. Competing in the Monterey Bay League (MBL), the Cougars finished 9–3 and tied for second place overall, missing the Central Coast Section (CCS) championship by one stroke.

Cougar tennis continued its rich tradition with the 61st annual Santa Catalina Tennis Invitational in early September. The team played a tough preseason schedule before entering the Mission Trail Athletic League (MTAL) season. The doubles team of Ava Garafano ’18 and Caroline Stewart ’18 made it to CCS but fell in the quarterfinals to the number-one ranked team. Overall, the tennis team finished third in league, with an 11–3 record.

Catalina volleyball repeated its record-breaking season from 2016. The Cougars went undefeated throughout the section championships and finished third in the state tournament in Division III. The team finished with a 27–1 overall record for the second straight year. Catalina volleyball is the only team in Monterey County history to go undefeated through the CCS championships.

The water polo squad continued its great play, trying for the league title all year long. However, the Cougars could not get past Salinas High. In the MBL Pacific Division playoffs, they had a convincing 11–5 win over Harbor High, moving them into the championship game. They endured a tough 5–13 loss to Gilroy for second place in the league and concluded the season with a 10–6 overall record. Many key players will return next season.

COACH ELLIOTT WINS GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARD

Athletic Director Paul Elliott was honored with KSBW’s Golden Whistle Award. The award is given once per athletic season to a coach who demonstrates the qualities that are most important to transforming players’ lives.

Coach Elliott was presented the award in a surprise ceremony on November 16 in Bedford Gymnasium. The Upper School girls’ and Middle School boys’ volleyball teams were there to cheer him on, along with faculty, staff, and family. “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with such great students and staff at Santa Catalina, and then to be given an award for it is unreal,” he says.

Whether he’s coaching a powerhouse volleyball team or teaching PE to PreK, Elliott approaches his work with enthusiasm, dedication, and a genuine interest in his students’ lives. Congratulations, Coach!

Cross country runners Mia Bennett ’19 and Kacey Konya ’19 crest a ridge at Toro Regional Park.

WINTER SPORTS WRAP-UP

Catalina basketball had a rough year on the scoreboard, going 0–20. However, they may have been one of the most improved teams in recent Cougar memory. Some of their highest scoring games came at the end of the season. Emily Radner ’19 had an excellent shooting year from three-point range, and Kia Shoemaker ’19 recorded multiple double-doubles. The team took a hit when it lost three starters to injuries.

The young Cougar soccer squad won two matches, finishing with an overall record of 2–14–1. Despite its record, the team matched its opponents until deep into the second half of most games. With injuries to several key players, which resulted in having only a few substitutes, it was difficult for the team to sustain energy for the duration of each match. Demonstrating their grit and talent, the Cougars took three league-playoff teams to the closing minutes of the games before those teams pulled away to score one or two goals. With four to six freshmen on the pitch at a time, led by Leona Lind-Aunan and Niamh Burke, the squad looks to be a contender in the near future.

BRITA SIGOURNEY ’08 WINS BRONZE AT WINTER OLYMPICS

Brita Sigourney ’08 is an Olympic bronze medalist. She sealed her place on the podium during the women’s freeski halfpipe competition after she pulled down a score of 91.60 on her third run, edging out teammate Annalisa Drew. Back at Santa Catalina, students watching the games at Community Dinner erupted in cheers. It was Sigourney’s second trip to the Winter Olympics, having finished in sixth place at the 2014 games in Sochi. Although she is a three-time X-Games medalist, winning the bronze medal in Pyeongchang was something special.

“This time I really wanted it,” she told the Bay Area News Group. She added: “I’m still in shock. I didn’t know I could do that. Just to see myself compete under that kind of pressure and pull it off, I’m just so relieved.”

Her parents, Thad and Julie Brandlin Sigourney ’72, drove their daughter from Carmel to Lake Tahoe to go skiing every weekend while she was growing up. They were there in Pyeongchang when she won bronze. Congratulations, Brita!

Zoë Griffith ’18 is part of a soccer team that showed grit this winter.

Brita Sigourney ’08 with sister Elsbeth Sigourney ’01 and mother Julie Brandlin Sigourney ’72 when Brita returned to campus to talk to students about her Olympic experience.

Students make connections in Melissa Sheets' AP Spanish class.

Learning from

Catalina’s foreign language program broadens students’ understanding of other cultures—and their own

Excited voices mingled with the rustle of leaves and the rhythmic whoosh of waves at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve one rainy Tuesday in March. The voices, in a mix of French and English, belonged to Santa Catalina language students and their pen pals from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Separated by nearly 4,000 miles, the students had been corresponding through email and Skype sessions for the past two years. On that March day, they were walking together through one of California’s greatest natural treasures, bridging languages and cultures to share one common experience.

It’s a new adage that technology has made the world smaller, bringing knowledge from distant countries to our fingertips. But that also means the opportunity to learn from one another has expanded. The ability of French language students to build relationships with teenagers from a French territory is the icing on the éclair for those at Santa Catalina, where the international boarding community has long allowed for such connections. The goal of the language program is to teach not just a different way of speaking but a different way of interacting with the world.

There are ample opportunities for Upper School students to practice their language skills with native speakers. Often, these opportunities are built into the lesson plan. Mandarin Chinese teacher Bo Covington sends her students to interview classmates from China about everything from the meaning of their names to how they like living in the dorms.

When Chinese families are visiting, she’ll invite them to her classroom and have her students generate questions to ask in Chinese. Covington, herself a native of China, explains: “Students gain more confidence. They say, ‘Oh yeah, they can understand me. I can speak Chinese with native speakers.’” When Spanish students are learning expressions in Melissa Sheets’ classroom, she has them ask the girls from Mexico whether they actually use those expressions. Spanish teacher Larisa Young says these kinds of interactions were unheard of when she was in high school. “We were just repeating after a tape recorder,” she says. “The closest we got to speaking to somebody else in Spanish was talking to the person sitting next to us.”

Chances to speak the language pop up outside of class assignments, too, especially in the dorms, where students from different countries live side by side. Young, a resident faculty member, has seen students practice writing Chinese jokes, sharing the jokes with the girls from China. Sheets, the language department chair, believes one of her students improved her Spanish in part because she was roommates with a classmate from Mexico and could speak the language in a more casual context.

But it’s not just about the world coming to them. Students also go out into the world to practice the language they’re studying. Covington’s Chinese classes are most active in this area,

participating in cultural festivals, visiting Chinese businesses, and even taking trips to China. Spanish students are encouraged to attend Spanish Masses or to take advantage of everyday interactions in a community where Spanish is common. For example, in the Lower and Middle School, where Spanish is taught as a core class in grades 4–8, seventhgraders visit a Mexican restaurant and order from the Spanish-language menu.

All of these experiences expose students more fully to different cultures and encourage them to take a closer look at their own. This is especially true in the Upper School, where the language program builds on themes such as family and communities, public and personal identities, global challenges, beauty and aesthetics, contemporary life, and technology and science. Through language, students talk about topics they may not otherwise consider. For example, by the time students are taking AP classes, Sheets says, “They’re discussing the economy of another country, comparing it with ours.”

The same goes for evaluating traditions and practices from various cultures. When students from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or mainland China come to talk to Covington’s classes about their different education systems, for instance, it gives the girls a chance to think about how the U.S. system is organized. When a major holiday comes up, like Mexico’s Independence Day, students think about how it

Learning a language allows you to develop a new perspective of the world and to evaluate what you hold to be true.

—Heather Frost, French Teacher

(1) Maddie Imwalle ’18 having a laugh in Heather Frost’s French class.

(2) Nicole Korinetz ’21, Katherine Kim ’18, and Ana Sophia Cangas ’20 exchange ideas in Bo Covington’s Chinese class.

—Larisa Young, Spanish Teacher

The end goal is not just to learn the language, it’s to let students follow their passions at an even greater level.

differs from celebrations of independence in the United States or Haiti. As Sheets points out, other academic classes may not have prompted students to think about traditions before. French teacher Heather Frost notes: “Learning a language allows you to develop a new perspective of the world and to evaluate what you hold to be true.”

In the Lower and Middle School, traditions and holidays are the primary ways to introduce students to the culture of a country. The reason is simple: They’re fun, and one of the main goals of the Spanish program in the lower grades is to instill a love of learning the language. “I feel like that’s really the most important thing—starting them off with a win so they want to keep on learning,” says Kristen Lansdale, the Spanish teacher for grades 4–6. She also takes advantage of online programs such as Quizlet, which turns vocabulary flash cards into games that students can play by themselves or in teams for some friendly competition.

Another way Lansdale keeps students engaged is by guiding them toward the answer to the common question, Why do I need to learn this? She says she has focused this year on teaching students how prevalent Spanish is. She introduced a new project in which fifth- and sixth-graders became experts on one of 22 Spanish-speaking countries. The students spent the first half of the year researching the country and putting together a PowerPoint presentation and a creative component—such as food, games, or crafts—to teach their classmates what they learned. “I want them to understand where the language is spoken beyond Mexico and Spain, and how they can use it in their lives,” Lansdale says.

In grades 7 and 8, Spanish teacher Maria Canteli has been placing more emphasis on speaking the language. “I feel like sometimes in Spanish classes, we all learn how to write very well, but the speaking part—which is the hardest and what you are going to use the most—is a little bit neglected,” she says.

(1) Camilia Notholt Baz ’19 joins students from Guadeloupe on a scavenger hunt around campus. (2) Madrid native Maria Canteli teaches a Middle School Spanish class, where students learn about the diversity of Spanish-speaking countries. (3) Kristen Lansdale leads her sixth-grade Spanish class in a discussion about foods.

This is where technology has helped the most. Using online platforms such as Flipgrid and Padlet, Canteli has been able to assign homework that involves students taking videos of themselves speaking Spanish; previous assignments, by contrast, would have been written.

Spanish is offered as an after-school option for students as young as kindergarten, but in fourth grade it becomes part of the core curriculum just like math and science. At the end of fifth grade, students take a placement test that sets them on regular or advanced tracks in middle school. Taken together, the Lower and Middle School Spanish program puts students on a path toward success in high school, where many of them test into honors classes—and feel comfortable there. “It’s not as if

in fourth grade we’re having a fiesta every day. They’re actually learning," Canteli says. “It’s age appropriate, it’s a vocabulary that they understand and can use, it’s conversations they can have. So actually, once they start, it’s serious.”

When it comes down to it, all of language is a foundation. For the practical-minded, being able to speak a second language translates into more job opportunities. But it runs deeper than that. Language is a way for us to open our eyes to the rest of the world and to think critically about our place in it. “The end goal is not just to learn the language,” says Young, the Upper School Spanish teacher. “It’s to let students follow their passions at an even greater level.”

How Tim Hentschel ‘93 LS is shaping the future of group travel

It has been 15 years since Tim Hentschel ’93 LS co-founded the online group travel provider HotelPlanner.com. The business came onto the scene when travel sites like Expedia and Priceline were gaining popularity, and now those are just two of the companies that partner with HotelPlanner to book blocks of hotel rooms for meetings, sporting events, weddings, festivals, and more. With headquarters in three countries, HotelPlanner claims 10 percent of group bookings around the world, and Hentschel sees nothing but growth opportunities in the next 15 years as the company works to improve its artificial intelligence for services such as rate forecasting and a virtual planner.

That Hentschel commands such an operation is not much of a surprise. He was adopted into a family of hoteliers and tour operators. (His parents own Stonepine Estate in Carmel Valley.) Hentschel was laser focused heading into Cornell University, where he graduated from the hospitality management program. In January, Cornell bestowed him with its 2018 Hospitality Innovator Award.

As HotelPlanner grows, so does its philanthropic efforts. Its two biggest industry events of the year raise money for charity. The American Group Travel Awards in New York counts St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as its official charity partner, and the European Group Travel Awards in Berlin raised money for UNICEF this year. HotelPlanner recently launched a new scholarship program for military veterans and their families who are pursuing degrees in technology-related fields. Hentschel has also recruited his employees to join him in races, marathons, and soccer tournaments for charity. “I always try to give back to children in vulnerable situations, because that’s where I came from,” he says.

Before he was adopted, Hentschel was living out of a car with his mother on the streets of Los Angeles. When his adoptive family moved to Hawaii, he says, he was regularly bullied by the kids at his elementary school because he was haole, or white, and he received little support from his teachers. Then the family moved to Monterey and Hentschel enrolled at

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(1) Tim Hentschel ’93 LS at the 2018 European Group Travel Awards in Berlin.

(2) Tim, left, with siblings Shannon ’00 and Daniel ’92 LS in the 1990-91 yearbook. Two other siblings also attended Santa Catalina: Valentina ’03 LS and Nicholas ’99 LS.

Santa Catalina for middle school. He describes it as a completely different experience, compared to his school in Hawaii, remarking on Catalina’s “small class size and teachers who are very involved with the students on a daily basis.” Hentschel remembers being impressed by Catalina’s campus, too, especially the sports facilities. “You got the facilities of this great boarding school, so it was almost like a college campus environment even though you were just in this small middle school,” he says.

For high school, Hentschel went to Palma School, where he was captain of the tennis team, and then on to Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. Before co-founding HotelPlanner in 2003, he worked as an analyst at a New York investment bank that specialized in tech, giving him the financial and technology experience he would need to start and shape the business. HotelPlanner offers a platform for anyone looking to book a block of hotel rooms—from a bride planning her wedding to the organizers of the Super Bowl—to find the right hotel at the right price. The company combines the technological with the personal, using a rate forecasting model to identify price spikes that might occur around a particular event in a particular city and providing the services of local planners on the ground, at no additional cost. The company is also working on launching a virtual planner that works through Amazon’s Alexa.

Hentschel credits his employees with being a big part of his company’s success, which is why he shifted HotelPlanner to be completely employee-owned. “We’re really a family, [and] we all wanted to be in this together,” he says.

HotelPlanner has offices in Florida, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and London, where Hentschel moved with his wife, Julie, and two sons six years ago. (A third son was born there last year.) It’s quite the expansion for a company that started in a small office in Southern California. “Entrepreneurship is 20 hours a day. That’s how it gets started in the first year,” he told The Cornell Daily Sun. “Everybody expects you to fail. And that’s what makes it even harder. And if you don’t believe in yourself, then you will fail. But any kind of adversity turns into an opportunity if you just fight through it.” Hentschel stresses that those tough early years really are just the beginning. As the company grows, he says, he recognizes more and more the responsibility that comes with the rewards. That’s just one of the reasons he continues to look for ways his company can give back. “How you position your company in terms of its ethos and your mission and all of those things, that’s where it really gets interesting,” he tells the Bulletin. “If you get to that tippity-top, expect not just to make a good product, but to make a difference in the world.”

Photograph by Jean Tsimangas/Juanistyle Photography

In interviews with the three women who chair the Asia Alumnae Chapter, one word kept popping up in their description of Santa Catalina School: nurturing. The sentiment is a worthy summation of a school that prides itself on being a supportive and embracing community. Uttered by Diana Mak ’01, Angelina Yao ’99, and Rene Leung ’99, the word nurturing feels like a point of departure, a sprinkled breadcrumb along a trail they’ve all taken—a path to entrepreneurship.

Mak, who founded her own wedding planning business two years ago, said that Catalina’s nurturing environment gave her the confidence to pursue whatever she wanted. Mak earned a degree in psychology from Wellesley College and an MBA from the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. She started her career in marketing and event planning at Morgan Stanley. After seven years, she was ready to start something of her own. In the summer of 2016, she founded Hong Kong–based Madison Park Weddings, which offers

full planning and styling services for high-profile and destination weddings in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and beyond. The company is named after one of her favorite spots in New York City, a place from which she draws inspiration.

In the process of starting her own business, Mak gained valuable insights. “I learned my strengths don’t always work in my favor and that I do not take enough risks,” she says. “I am a dreamer, an idealist, and a bit too thoughtful, which can get in

Rene Leung ’99, second from left, with seniors Coco Chai, Vivien Yip, and Jessica Cheng.

the way of work and budgeting my time efficiently.” But her time at Catalina gave her important tools that do work in her favor. “My experience gave me a strong foundation and sense of self, which in turn gives me a lot of positive energy. Being positive is invaluable when I am prospecting a client or resolving any last-minute hiccups during an event, but it is especially important when it comes to providing encouragement or support to family and friends around me.”

Yao learned a similar lesson about her strengths when she founded Heels and Yield, a financial education company that empowers women to manage their money through courses and workshops. She calls entrepreneurship “a very humbling experience because you learn very quickly what you’re not naturally gifted at, as well as what you are gifted at.”

Yao started Heels and Yield after working as a money manager and investment analyst for global firms. Her first experience with investing came when she began trading stocks as a student at Stanford University, where she earned a degree in international relations. “Obviously I lost a lot of money in the beginning,” she says with a laugh. “I learned my lesson, and . . . I learned to do more research and to

be more prudent.” Managing money became intuitive for Yao, and she found that clients could easily understand the process when she explained it to them. That’s what planted the seed for Heels and Yield. Yao wanted to target the business toward women because of stigmas she uncovered while launching a similar campaign at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. In the research phase, she discovered several reasons that women may hesitate to manage their own money, including a feeling of lacking adequate math skills, a fear of the risk of investing, and family dynamics in which men typically take care of the finances. “I realized that no matter how successful they are, many women tend to struggle a lot with finances,” she says.

Since founding Heels and Yield as a “bespoke” service three years ago in Silicon Valley, Yao has slowly grown the business to a team of five people serving clients in California, London, and Hong Kong, where she’s based. Managing her team has been the hardest struggle, and, unlike Mak, she finds it draining to be a constant force of positive energy. However, Catalina training kicked in. “Catalina women are very good at encouraging each other, so one of the things I very quickly figured out is I need to have a community

Catalina women are very good at encouraging each other, so one of the things I very quickly figured out is I need to have a community of support around me.

—Angelina Yao ’99

Angelina Yao ’99 speaks at Commencement in 2017.

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RENE LEUNG’S TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Google Translate is your best friend. I don’t speak Spanish. In Colombia, very few people speak English. So for the month that I was there, I relied on Google Translate the entire time just to survive and get around.

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Try local foods. Food is such an important part of our lives, especially in Asian cultures. Being able to sample local eateries is a delight in travel journeys.

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of support around me,” she says. The support goes both ways. Yao continues: “You know when someone nurtures you, you know how to nurture someone back? I think maybe that’s why I do what I do today. I empower and nurture other people.”

She’s not the only one who feels that way. As Leung puts it, “Catalina is special because the culture is not about ‘me,’ it’s about ‘us.’ We’re all nurturing to one another. It’s passed down.” For Leung, passing it down means pursuing her passion of fostering young talent. She is an alumni mentor in programs offered at three of the schools she went to: the Chinese International School, which she attended before Catalina; Boston University, where she graduated from the School of Hospitality Administration and was named a 2016 Young Alumni of the Year; and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she earned her executive MBA. At her father’s wealth management company, Hong Kong–based Grandtag Financial Group, she helped create a management trainee program for the top young talent in the firm and she oversees a summer internship program for students. She is also a volunteer director at a Christian NGO that offers educational services for people in China, where her goal is “to develop the next generation of global leaders . . . so they may promote international peace and create transformational changes in their own countries,” according to her LinkedIn profile.

It’s a safe bet that Leung will continue to give young people a boost as she begins to more fully embrace her entrepreneurial spirit. Leung began

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Ask a Catalinian for advice. With the diversity of our school, it is likely there is an alum at the place you are visiting. It’s always good to get local advice when traveling.

Stay hydrated. Long-haul travels are especially taxing for the skin and the body. Remember to drink lots and lots of water on the flight. I always have a skin care routine which includes a hydration paper mask and an intense moisturizer with serum. Often I have to jump into a meeting as soon as I land, so I have to make sure I’m in the best shape possible.

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Go the road less traveled. When I go to a city, I don’t always follow guide books or get too fixated about local tourist spots. I like to wander and walk around with no agenda. More often than not, I will be surprised with pleasant discoveries.

Rene Leung ’99, front and center, joined other volunteers to cook and serve food at a homeless shelter in Bogota, Colombia, last summer.

DIANA MAK’S FAVORITE CITIES IN ASIA

Hong Kong, my current home and the place I grew up, is pretty great.

Bangkok is my absolute favorite for a weekend getaway.

Beijing is where I have experienced true Chinese hospitality.

Taipei is good for cheap eats and affordable spas.

I’ll leave the last spot open for cities in Asia that I have yet to explore.

her career in hotel management, then moved into event marketing at Lehman Brothers before joining Grandtag, where she gained valuable experience in investment and wealth management. For the past two years, she has been in Los Angeles overseeing the company’s real estate investment portfolio in the United States. Most recently serving as chief operating officer, she scaled back to a more advisory role as she works to launch a new venture that “combines the best practices of the East and West to create a new investment platform for global clients.”

Leung notes that having a strong foothold in China and the United States gives her business an advantage. Her first step was deciding to attend Santa Catalina as a boarding student from Hong Kong. At school, she found a community that disarmed her with kindness and friends from all over the world. The bond, she notes, is “universal, global, and eternal.”

All three chapter chairs have benefited from Catalina’s international boarding program. Mak says: “I think international exposure at a young age helped me to quickly learn and easily adapt to any situation. This is especially helpful in troubleshooting and resolving conflicts in my field.” Yao finds value in being able to be friends with anybody and everybody. “You learn so much from each other,” she says. Leung agrees, adding: “Part of learning is learning from the world.”

The three women have enjoyed giving back to the school that nurtured them. Mak has been a chapter chair for a little over a year but has been involved in planning the annual chapter gathering and other unofficial alumnae events for the past three years. Along with her co-chairs, she has also been instrumental in promoting and supporting the school’s admission efforts in Asia. Yao, a chapter chair since 2013, was invited to speak at commencement for the Class of 2017, and has been mentoring a current Catalina student who started a financial club.

Leung, a five-year chapter chair, relishes the opportunities to meet current students and stay up to date with the issues that matter to them. While attending a recent open house on campus, she was impressed by the students’ sense of mission. This particular quality, Leung notes, will serve them well in the long run. “I always believe it doesn’t matter what you pursue,” she says. “Just pursue it with passion and purpose, and do good.”

Diana Mak

Q: What inspired you to come to Catalina?

A: The adventure of experiencing a foreign culture, the challenge of living away from home, and the opportunity to receive a different type of education inspired me to come to Catalina.

Q: What is it like having an American high school experience?

A: Having an American high school experience definitely helped me build a more dynamic worldview. My exposure to a different culture, as well as a different political and social climate, broadened my horizons and allowed me to look at many domestic and global issues from different angles.

Q: How would you describe the benefits of having international students as part of our boarding and school communities?

A: International students make the boarding and school communities a lot more dynamic. They bring diversity into our boarding life and enrich our classrooms with their unique, international perspectives.

Q: What advice would you give to new students— both international and domestic?

A: Enjoy being in this community. Have an open mind toward new things, and learn and grow with the experiences you have here.

Q: What is your favorite Catalina tradition, and why?

A: Class Night is my favorite Catalina tradition because it is full of love and emotions, and it is about community and reflection.

Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your time at Catalina?

A: My experience at Catalina has taught me that you will always be growing and improving yourself if you have an open mind and learn from the people around you.

International Student Profile

Coco Chai ’18 Beijing, China

FROM DEVELOPING

TO HER HOME IN LONDON, LARA BREHMER '98 LOOKS FOR WAYS TO GIVE BACK

Ten years ago, Lara Brehmer ’98 cofounded a U.K.-based social networking platform focused on making volunteering easy and fun for busy people. Called Leap Anywhere, the platform pointed users to events—from community garden restorations to dance marathons to rock concerts—that raised money or awareness for charities. The venture expanded across several European cities and signed up hundreds of charities, including Oxfam, the World Wildlife Fund, and Amnesty International. “My co-founders and I were interested in bringing the ethos of volunteerism we grew up with in the U.S. into a European context, where it wasn’t as big a part of the culture yet,” Brehmer says. Indeed, they may have leapt too soon.

NATIONS

Leap Anywhere wound down after about five years, but the experience taught Brehmer key lessons about what it takes to build a business from scratch. She learned the responsibility of being a boss, how to secure financial investment, the importance of timing, and when to cut your losses. The business also teaches us something about Brehmer: that she believes in technology as a force for good and that she is always looking for ways to give back.

Much of her career has roots in the “ethos of volunteerism” that she grew up with and that Santa Catalina emphasized. “The school was focused on giving back to the less advantaged, and that stuck with me long after graduating,” says Brehmer, who recalls

volunteering to help the homeless at Dorothy’s Kitchen and tutoring kids and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Brehmer has been the chair of Catalina’s European alumnae chapter since 2013. Born in Switzerland and raised in Carmel Valley, she moved to London after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College and working for a couple of years with the United Nations (U.N.) in New York, where she focused on the role of technology in emergency response efforts. The U.N. sent her on missions across Africa and South Asia, and a European base gave her easier access to countries in those regions. She enrolled in a master’s program in conflict resolution at SOAS University of London and continued to

work with technologies in developing countries at Britain’s Department for International Development. She later shifted to the venture capital side of tech, working for a few firms that funded emerging companies before joining a startup herself. She is currently head of commercial at MyDidimo, which developed technology to create personal 3D avatars.

Brehmer has seen the technology sector from several angles, but it’s the social impact of technology that interests her most. Having worked in many developing countries, Brehmer realized that marginalized communities, in particular, can benefit from access to technology. “For example,” she says, “I worked on a project where simple

mobile phones were used to send HIV/ AIDS patients text reminders about their medication to improve compliance and health outcomes in rural Uganda.” An early application of MyDidimo showed benefits for children with severe autism, who according to Brehmer “were able to communicate their emotions for the first time by digitally drawing their emotions onto a virtual representation of their face using a tablet.”

Her passion for helping others extends beyond tech, however. Brehmer also runs a charity called the South Kensington Foundation, which provides underprivileged children with opportunities such as scholarships to boarding schools, mentoring, and improved nutrition in schools.

Having classmates from all over the world exposed me to different backgrounds and cultures and provided me with an international perspective on issues.

Lara Brehmer ’98 in Kano, Nigeria, to distribute mosquito nets.

1

LARA BREHMER'S PLACES TO VISIT IN LONDON

Hampstead Heath is only a few stops on the tube from central London. Wander through the park and have tea at Kenwood House, or explore the village-esque shopping streets.

2

Take a canal boat ride from Little Venice to Camden Town, or the reverse route. Have lunch by the canal in Little Venice at The Waterway pub.

3

The Victoria & Albert Museum offers free entry to its permanent exhibitions, including an amazing clothing collection. Have tea in one of the museum cafe’s circular rooms full of stained glass windows.

4

The Wallace Collection is an eclectic art collection housed in a former townhouse in Marylebone. Have food or drinks in the garden of the nearby Chiltern Firehouse restaurant after your visit.

5

The Chelsea Physic Garden is a small herbal plant garden that has a nice cafe for lunch or tea or a prime picnic spot on the grass in the summertime.

“Although Kensington and Chelsea is a very wealthy borough, if you compare the highest and lowest performing neighborhoods in the borough, we have the largest disparity in child educational outcomes in London. So the foundation is a really rewarding program.”

Brehmer is thriving as a Swiss-born American abroad. As a Catalina student, she had many opportunities to feed her interest in international cultures, including the Junior State of America club, a civics education and leadership program for high school students in which she focused on foreign affairs (perhaps foreshadowing her eventual work with the U.N. and the Department for International Development).

More than that, she learned about the world through Catalina’s boarding school environment—even as a day student. “Having classmates from all over the world exposed me to different backgrounds and cultures and provided me with an international perspective on issues,” she says. “I was always curious about other cultures and loved to travel, but hearing firsthand about life in Manila, Philippines, from a close friend was more interesting and personal.” Her experience at Santa Catalina helped Brehmer with the move to London. “I felt much more confident moving countries, knowing that I was capable of making friends from other cultures and would be able to do so wherever I landed.”

She’s far from the only Catalina graduate to end up in the U.K.; there are at least five alumnae from her class alone. In fact, when she became chapter chair she discovered how many alumnae have migrated to the U.K. and Europe more broadly—77, at last count. The women meet up at least once a year at various venues across London. “It has been amazing to bring together extremely impressive women working in all different fields, from newly graduated to retired, to listen to their career stories and to share work/life advice and news,” Brehmer says. “Through our gatherings, I have seen new connections made that result in job offers, and it can be an excellent networking opportunity for many of the younger alumnae who have moved over recently.”

Though there is still a long way to go, Brehmer sees growing opportunities for women in tech. More women are studying technically oriented subjects and joining or starting their own companies. Importantly, “more women are joining venture capital firms, which completes the cycle, as female investors have a better eye for spotting female-oriented or -founded businesses they think will take off.” The key is to encourage girls to study STEM subjects in school—an opportunity she had at Catalina and one that Catalina continues to foster.

(1) Regent’s Canal in London (2) Brehmer in front of the Palace of Westminster (3) The Wallace Collection in Marylebone

International Student Profile

Ricapito ’18 Taranto, Italy

Q: What inspired you to come to Catalina?

A: Even if at the beginning I was unsure about Catalina, as soon as I visited the school my idea completely changed. Walking around and having the opportunity to talk with other girls made me understand the many opportunities that only an all-girls school can give you. I knew this was the right place for me.

Q: What is it like having an American high school experience?

A: Every time I go back home or just talk with my friends I notice how different the school methods are. I really value the opportunity to choose my own subjects, creating a schedule that challenges me and with subjects that I’m passionate about—something that is not possible to do in Italy. But the thing that I value the most, and it is also the biggest difference between the two schools, is the relationship between student and teacher. Here at Catalina teachers are always there to help us and they even give the opportunity to meet with them during free periods.

Q: How would you describe the benefits of having international students as part of our boarding and school communities?

A: Having an international community is something really important in a boarding school. It really gives you the opportunity to learn about so many different cultures and their traditions. And, being an international student myself, I really value the opportunity to mix with people from all around the world and not only from America. An international community gives you the opportunity to learn not only inside the class but also outside, opening discussion with different points of view.

Q: What advice would you give to new students—both international and domestic?

A: To fully live her experience here at Catalina, to not be scared by this new adventure. What surprised me the most about Catalina is how welcoming the community is. No one judges you, and you are completely free to be who you are.

Q: What is your favorite Catalina tradition, and why?

A: My favorite tradition is Ring Week. I was so surprised by this tradition and I completely fell in love with it. The bond that is created is something incredible and special. It is not just friendship; after Ring Week, you are part of this incredible sisterhood.

Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your time at Catalina?

A: Catalina has taught me many things and I have really grown during these past two years. But the most valuable thing that I have learned is to believe in myself and to stand up for my ideas.

Teresa

MEXICO'S ALUMNAE CHAPTER CHAIRS REFLECT ON THE LASTING IMPACT OF A CATALINA EDUCATION

It didn’t take much time for Annie Coppel ’90 to figure out how special Santa Catalina is. She enrolled here in her senior year and knew almost instantly that her three younger sisters—and, later, two daughters—needed not only to follow in her footsteps, but to stay longer.

Tere Gonzalez ’94 attended for two years, and in that window gained insights that have shaped her confidence as a leader and that guide her daily in her professional life.

Leslie Hulse ’88 spent three years here. Like Coppel and Gonzalez, she found meaning every step of the way, each year building a richer experience. If she could translate her time at Catalina into a formula for students, it would go something like this: “Based on my personal experience, the first year could be a transition stage, a time to develop the abilities that

enable you to adapt to school,” she says. “The second year could be seen as a consolidation phase: friendship, dynamics, traditions, academics, involvement. The third year is a time for fully capitalizing on the Catalina experience, assimilating, and living at your fullest.”

All three women have affirmed their affection for Catalina, serving as the alumnae chapter chairs for Latin America. As boarding students from Mexico, they benefited from the opportunity to improve their English, to learn from faculty members who challenged and cared for them, to open their minds and hearts to people from other cultures, and to forge lasting friendships. The women encourage current students to take full advantage of their time here, however long that lasts.

“Life is like an awesome meal, and the best ones are always made with the best ingredients,” Gonzalez says.

Annie Coppel '90, fourth from left in the top row, joins other alumnae and parents at a chapter gathering in Mazatlan in February 2018. Alumnae include Veronica Madero de Cossio '78, Natalia Madero de Fernandez '80, Cristina Coppel de Gonzalez '02 (Annie's sister), Alejandra Leon Patron de Letamendi '91, Maria Esther Juarez de Letamendi '91, and Gretchen Mueller Burke '83.

TRANSITION

For all three women, the decision to attend Catalina started with their parents. Santa Catalina offered not only a challenging education but also a chance to learn English. Hulse explains that, although she was already bilingual, she considers English to be among the most valuable skills she gained at Catalina. “Throughout my professional experience, I have worked for global firms that require constant communication, written and spoken, in English,” says Hulse, a marketing and public relations director for a real estate investment firm in Mexico City.

Being a boarding student was difficult at first. “I did miss my family. I’m not going to lie about it,” Hulse says. “But Catalina enabled me to build the confidence I needed by being away from my home and my country.”

Living in a community was a different experience for Gonzalez, too, and one that’s had a surprising influence on her professional life. “Being fully immersed in a place where everyone plays an important role has helped me understand organizations and companies as a whole,” says Gonzalez, the managing director of a private business club in Monterrey. “I can see and value what each staff member does as a key piece in the end result. No task is too big or too small. They all matter.”

The feeling of being an international student faded rather quickly for Gonzalez as she made friends, blurring the lines between cultures. Living with students from other countries taught Coppel to be more open-minded and to value those who are different from her. The warmth with which she was welcomed inspires her to do the same when she volunteers

LESLIE HULSE'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS IN MEXICO CITY

in her community in Culiacán. “I try to take care of the people who come to live in my city, or the new children in school, because I remember what I felt at Catalina,” she says.

The exposure to different cultures had a lasting impact on Hulse, too. “Through Catalina, I was exposed to different traditions, nationalities, and ideologies. It felt as if I was really part of a global world when nonglobal was the norm. … Respect for others was vital, and today I only confirm it’s the key to a harmonious coexistence in all aspects of my life.”

CONSOLIDATION

One particular aspect of a Catalina education that stood out to Gonzalez was the dedication of the faculty. “I’m terrible at math, and I remember Dr. J and Mr. Dowson showed me such care and empathy—and some tough love, for sure,” she says. “I had never experienced someone dedicating so much of his or her time on me to help me learn.” For Hulse, it was English teacher Mrs. Buehler. “The lessons learned in her class are a recurring reminder of the importance of impeccable grammar, broadening my vocabulary, and articulating the right sentence compositions. Priceless.” Coppel gained an appreciation for reading and learning that she says her daughters also gained here.

Annie Coppel ’90

Chapter chair since: 2017. She has also been a part of the Welcome Committee for new parents.

Activities at Catalina: Volleyball, community service Education: Monterrey Instituto Technológico y de Estudios Superiores

She recently finished her master’s in family education.

Employment: Coppel has spent most of her life as a volunteer in her community. She currently helps the local school with programs that help the children learn Catholic values. She and her family also take frequent service trips to Africa.

Misc.: Coppel was the first in a long line of women in her family to attend Catalina. Her three sisters— Lucia Coppel ’94, Cecilia Coppel ’95, and Cristina Coppel de Gonzalez ’02—followed in her footsteps. She later sent her two daughters here: Regina Gonzalez Coppel ’14 and Monserrat Gonzalez Coppel ’15.

Leslie Hulse ’88

Chapter chair since: 2014

Activities at Catalina: Swimming, Spanish Club, and crafts

Education: Bachelor of Architecture at Universidad Ibero-Americana

Employment: Hulse is the marketing and public relations director at MMREIT Property Administration, a real estate investment trust in Mexico City. She has been on the marketing side of the industry for much of her career, a “spontaneous evolution” from architecture that allows her to combine her creativity and design skills with a tactical approach to real estate.

Misc.: Hulse practices Vedic meditation.

Leslie Hulse '88, far right, joins other alumnae during a chapter gathering in Mexico City in March 2018. Clockwise from left, they are Andrea Cerisola '85, Melissa Trouyet ’95, Annie Carrillo '95, Gretchen Mueller Burke '83, and Elizabeth Lloyd Rovetta '95.

Annie Coppel '90 with her daughter Regina Gonzalez Coppel '14.

Tere Gonzalez ’94

Chapter chair since: 2014 Activities at Catalina: Student Senate, community service, STAR intern, yearbook, dance, and musicals

Education: Law degrees at Technológico de Monterrey and Northwestern University School of Law; chef training program at Natural Gourmet Institute; Management Development Program at El Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE)

Employment: Gonzalez is the managing director of Club Industrial, a private business club in Monterrey, Mexico. Previously, she was a lawyer and hotel manager.

Misc.: Gonzalez plans to walk the 110-km Camino de Santiago trail in May.

TERE GONZALEZ'S PLACES TO

'94

Another part of Catalina’s culture that had a lasting impact on Coppel is its devotion to service. “My parents started, but Catalina made me feel that we are here for a reason, and we need to help people to be happy,” she says. She recalls donating clothing, writing letters to refugees, and volunteering at the Salvation Army’s daycare center. Since graduating, she’s made volunteering a centerpiece of her life. During college, she taught literacy to senior citizens and visited hospitals. For the past several years, she and her family have taken mission trips during Easter to help poor families improve their houses, and they have visited Malawi with Catholic Relief Services. She also teaches catechism and prepares people for First Communion through Caritas Mexico.

For all three co-chairs, the friendships they forged at Santa Catalina have been something to treasure. “The complicity, the many days of laughter and fun, have been with me since I unpacked in school,” Hulse says. “No matter how many years have passed since I graduated, I am grateful to know it just takes a second to reconnect with the bond that Santa Catalina gives us.” That’s one of the reasons the alumnae chapter has been so valuable. The Catalina community in Mexico—mostly concentrated in Monterrey, Mexico City, and the state of Sinaloa—has gathered consistently for the past five years and shows no signs of slowing down.

THE FULL EXPERIENCE

For Gonzalez, serving as chapter chair has been her way of giving back to a school that shaped her in fundamental ways. “One thing I’m grateful for every day—and I’m sure I didn’t realize it at the time—is that I had a chance to grow into my own shape and not grow to fit whatever the expected shape was for a Mexican woman,” she says. “This has given me the freedom to be who and what I want.”

Tere Gonzalez

Gonzalez gained a lot from being free to try anything and everything at Catalina, and it helped her find the strength that comes from being a woman. “I do think that women make great leaders; there’s something in us that men just don’t have. I’m all about empowering women, and we Catalinians have that in us—we know who we are and what we want. We are compassionate and strong women, and we all share that.”

To her, the whole Catalina experience was transformative. “The amazing thing about it is that it walks with you as the gift that keeps on giving, a week after graduation and 25 years after,” she says. “If you think about it, many of your everyday decisions are probably grounded in the Catalina experience. When you find yourself being dynamic, hungry to learn, comfortable raising your voice and letting your opinions be heard, or caring for the well-being of others, it’s the Catalina experience doing its thing. We have to acknowledge it and be grateful for it.”

International Student Profile

Ana León Nuñez ’18 Acapulco, Mexico

Q: What inspired you to come to Catalina?

A: Everyone here is passionate about something: science, theatre, swimming, you name it. Having such passionate girls around you who are taking advantage of the unique opportunities and who are not afraid of challenges is, for me, the most inspiring aspect of Catalina. I wanted to be a part of the group of passionate and unapologetic girls.

Q: What is it like having an American high school experience?

A: It’s when you go back home for the first time after being away for a while that you realize you’ve changed . . . for the better. I started to analyze the environments I was in— my relationships, my goals and aspirations. It’s not like I’m completely detached from my friends back home, but I just know myself a lot better and therefore have a clearer sense of my future. This is both a result of being a boarding student in general and being a boarding student at Catalina.

Q: How would you describe the benefits of having international students as part of our boarding and school communities?

A: As boarders, we interact with each other quite a lot. We go to breakfast together, see each other while doing our laundry on Saturdays or before going to bed, during snack every Tuesday. But what’s special about all these simple activities is that we all do them and carry ourselves the way we were brought up, which is different.

Q: What advice would you give to new students—both international and domestic?

A: Enjoy every moment! Also, try new things! Audition for a musical, try swimming for a while, join a club (or two). You never know what your true passions are if you don’t expose yourself [to experiences]. In my opinion, Catalina is the best place to do so because of its supportive community. Just have fun and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

Q: What is your favorite Catalina tradition, and why?

A: My favorite Catalina tradition is Class Night. It’s very emotional, and we usually end up using quite a lot of tissues. I love this tradition because it celebrates the friendships we’ve made and shows the connection, respect, and love among classes.

Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your time at Catalina?

A: At Catalina, I learned that I could do hard things. I was actually encouraged by my teachers and friends to do those hard things that I was afraid of. At the end of the day, the worst thing that could happen was that I fail, which would only make me stronger.

No matter how many years have passed since I graduated, I am grateful to know it just takes a second to reconnect with the bond that Santa Catalina gives us.

Leslie Hulse ’88

A Legacy of Friendship

THE CLASS OF 1960 ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FOLLOWING 75TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Members of the Class of 1960 gather in Santa Cruz to kick off their 75th birthday party weekend.

Santa Catalina is known for its traditions, and the Class of 1960 is particularly well known for one of its own: Every five years, members of the class gather to spend a weekend celebrating their birthdays. This past October, they celebrated their 75th, with 30 out of 44 classmates in attendance.

Old friends spent the weekend catching up on their lives, reminiscing about old times, and giving thanks for the lifelong friendships they made while they were students at Santa Catalina. Sister Cathryn deBack hosted dinner on Friday night in Santa Cruz, as is the class tradition.

After the weekend, a few classmates came up with the idea to establish an endowment to honor the Class of 1960 that would fund

a scholarship for a student in every class in perpetuity. Though the class set a high bar for the endowment—$2.5 million—its primary goal was 100 percent participation.

The plan became a reality when one classmate donated $1 million in her estate to kick off the fund. Her commitment was quickly followed by two gifts of $100,000 each to set the class on its way. Gifts of $25 or more followed, demonstrating that maximum participation is at the heart of this project.

“The 75th birthday party was a reminder of what a great class we have, and how fun to think that we are giving the lifelong friendships we have enjoyed to our ‘Class of 1960 scholars’ going forward,” says Joan Stafford Haynes, who organized the 75th

birthday party and helped conceive of the endowment project.

Once the fund was established, six classmates—Mary Pat Reardon Sweetman, Joan Stafford Haynes, Jinx Hack Ring, Judy Botelho Cain, Julie Thomas Obering, and Betsy Helm Hansen—worked with the Development Office to craft a description of the endowment. As “founding members,” they pledged to contact classmates who have supported the annual fund and who might be interested in supporting the scholarship project as well.

To date, the class has raised more than $1.5 million for the endowment, with 16 members of the class contributing.

Classmates expressed several motivations for supporting the fund, from wanting to create a class legacy at the school to ensuring that Santa Catalina remains positioned to accept the strongest students now and in the future. “I applaud all that Santa Catalina is doing to challenge students to perform at their best while also holding them to a standard of graciousness, respect, and consideration,” Julie says.

Others were motivated by a sense of giving back. Betsy explains: “My time at Santa Catalina was so precious and invaluable to me that I want to help provide this special experience for other young women. Without the benefit of a scholarship, my sisters and I would not have been able to attend Santa Catalina.”

Jinx, a former trustee and lifelong champion of tuition assistance at Santa Catalina, was grateful for the flexible giving options for the fund. “Peter and I wanted to make a once-in-a-lifetime stretch gift to the Class of 1960 scholarship. We were able to do this by putting the endowment fund in our will, and we have made a pledge over five years so that the fund can grow in the immediate future.”

The class was so excited by the effort that a few came together to raise an additional $9,500 to provide a scholarship for a student in the 2018–19 school year. (Per school policy, endowment gifts are held for one fiscal year before harvesting to allow for growth; thus, the Class of 1960 endowment will not produce scholarships until 2019–20.)

The admission and tuition assistance teams are currently evaluating the applicant pool to award the Class of 1960 scholar for next year.

“It’s really exciting to think that we’ll be able to fund a scholar as early as next year,” says Joan. “More than anything, I hope the Class of 1960 scholars have as much fun with their classmates as our class has had over the years. Our friendships have been our greatest gift from Santa Catalina.”

Annual Giving vs. Endowment Giving: What’s the Difference?

With increased interest in class projects for scholarships and other endowments, many alumnae ask, “Where should I give first? And what’s the difference?”

We are blessed to have an alumnae and parent community that supports the annual giving program—The Santa Catalina Fund—every year. This fund is the first priority at school, and we ask our community to make it theirs as well. The Santa Catalina Fund provides $1.9 million every year to be spent in that school year. Professional development for teachers, field trips, athletics programs, the arts, and new technologies are all made possible by your contributions to the Santa Catalina Fund.

If you wish to help the school over and above your annual giving, we

encourage you to consider a gift to endowment. The endowment comprises gifts and bequests that have been designated to provide a permanent funding source for Santa Catalina. The original gift or bequest is invested by the school and remains intact. The investment returns are applied according to the donor’s wishes or to the school’s greatest need. Scholarships, endowed chairs for faculty, and special programs like the health and wellness program are funded by the endowment.

For more information about the outcomes of your philanthropy at Santa Catalina or to establish an endowment fund at school, please contact a member of the Development Office at 831.655.9379.

The Class of 1960 on their graduation day.

2018 Alumnae Reunion

REUNION GIVING 2018

BY THE NUMBERS

1953

celebrated their 65th reunion

1968

celebrated their 50th reunion

15

alumnae in attendance

sets of sisters celebrated their reunions this year

Katherine Harrington ’58 and Candace Harrington ’68 Dana Hees ’73* and Jennifer Hees ’88*

Barbara Bon Lundstrum ’73 and Alicia Bon Martin ’78

Tricia Gardiner McKnight ’73 and Tenise Gardiner Kyger ’78

Connie Childs ’78 and McKenzie Childs McKee ’88

Kristin Johnson Dean ’78 and Molly Johnson Grimmett ’83*

Michelle Oberle Odle ’88* and Stephanie Oberle ’88* Olga Diaz-Brown ’93* and Marcela Diaz-Brown ’03

Laurie Zimmerman Koran ’93 and Heather Zimmerman Walsh ’98 Langley Kreuze ’98* and Jeannette Kreuze ’03*

Tedra Bates ’03 and Samantha Bates ’08*

Ashley Hightower Tower ’03*, Kelsey Hightower ’08, and Tierney Hightower ’13*

Jessica Wasserman ’03 and Kristina Wasserman ’08

Courtney Bates ’08 and Kendall Bates ’08

Kaitlin Avalos-Feehan ’08 and Mikayla Avalos-Feehan ’13

*Attended Reunion Weekend 2018

7,428

total Reunion giving donors out of 668

5 CLASSES

won the Catalina Award for reaching or exceeding their fundraising goal (1968, 1978, 1988, 2003, 2008)

4 CLASSES

won the Top Class Award for reaching or exceeding their participation goal (1953, 1968, 1988, 2008)

total Reunion giving dollars raised 25%

total Reunion giving participation

members of the Class of 1973 were registered attendees, the most of any class

miles traveled from Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia by Cynthia Nadai ’73 to attend Reunion

Distinguished Alumna Awards

The 2018 recipients of the Distinguished Alumna Awards, Elizabeth Robin Hatcher ’68 and Teresa Barger ’73, are recognized for their extraordinary achievements as role models to alumnae and students, and for their dedication and service to their professional endeavors.

Elizabeth Robin Hatcher ’68 is a board-certified psychiatrist, a graduate psychoanalyst, and an experienced psychopharmacologist in Topeka, Kansas, and a Life Fellow with the American Psychiatric Association. She specializes in treating adults with attention, eating, mood, personality, and self-perception issues.

A 15-year-long career as a professor of English preceded her current career. Hatcher earned a B.A. in English and French from Dominican University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English and medieval literature from Johns Hopkins University. She taught college-level English until 1983. Then she returned to school to earn a medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed a residency in adult psychiatry at the Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences in Topeka.

Hatcher is affiliated with numerous professional societies, including the American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, Greater Kansas City and Topeka Psychoanalytic Society, Kansas Medical Society, Kansas Psychiatric Society, and the Shawnee County Medical Society.

Teresa Barger ’73 is the CEO and co-founder of Cartica, an investment advisor firm focused on active ownership of emerging-market companies. The majority of Cartica is owned by women, and the firm is dedicated to activism in emerging markets. Prior to founding Cartica, Barger held various executive positions for 21 years at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she invested in emerging-market companies in nearly all regions of the world. Before joining IFC, she was with McKinsey and Company.

Barger serves on the boards of the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), American University in Cairo, Gazelle Finance, and Center for Faith and Common Good. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Advisory Councils for the Pacific Pension and Investment Institute and the Global Corporate Governance Forum.

Barger graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management. She did post-graduate work at the American University in Cairo and speaks Arabic and French.

Robin Hatcher ’68

YOU STARTED YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER AS A LITERATURE AND WRITING PROFESSOR. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER PATH? I first sought out therapy for myself, for help dealing with the failure of my marriage. That led to a general retooling. I recaptured a childhood ambition to study medicine. Talks with wise people led to the conclusion, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I chose psychiatry as my specialty because people and their experiences and feelings are the very stuff of both literature and psychiatry. The two approaches interdigitate. And in psychiatry I get to see how medical interventions such as medications can improve lives.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE IN MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND TREATMENT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS? I expect to see exponential growth in the biological knowledge base. I’m a longtime fan of the work of Eric R. Kandel. Starting from a basis in psychoanalysis, he went on to do pioneering work in slime molds (yes, slime molds!), which, in turn, taught us a great deal about how the brain and its networks develop. Computer science is both contributing to and drawing upon such work. That will lead to smarter workarounds—for instance, in the design of prosthetic limbs. The tough part is that, although the knowledge base grows at seemingly warp speed, getting its fruits into the clinical setting takes a long time.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK? I enjoy when people say at the end of a session, “Gee, I feel better,” and seem a little puzzled. And when after five or more years, they look back and see how far they’ve come.

WHAT SKILLS, VALUES, OR LESSONS DID YOU LEARN AT CATALINA THAT HAVE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREERS OR IN LIFE? One thing I learned at Santa Catalina was to smile at people. My default mode is intense shyness. Santa Catalina helped me start working on that.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST MEMORABLE CATALINA TRADITION, AND WHY? My most memorable Santa Catalina tradition is the tradition of courtesy. I already knew about “manners,” to be sure; it was built into both the family ethos and the culture of the Navy for generations. But there was something welcoming about Santa Catalina that went above and beyond. There’s a shared courtesy of helping people feel at ease—and not just when they first arrive.

(It certainly helped a shy person like me. I just hope I could give back in turn.) That generated a sense of inclusiveness. The fact that some of us were day students and some were boarders didn’t seem like a big deal. I still keep a couple of courtesy books on my office shelves and use them in treatment at times.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AT SANTA CATALINA IMPACT YOUR LIFE? Santa Catalina nurtured my love of learning and study. I was struggling to retain that when I started there in the middle of freshman year.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? Learning to read, and surviving medical school.

Teresa Barger

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something valuable and therefore giving jobs to people, allowing them to feed, clothe, and educate their families. I knew then that supporting financially sustainable businesses was the major avenue to making poor countries less poor. That has inspired most of my professional work.

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN IN YOUR FIELD? Very few. I entered McKinsey in New York when it was trying to recruit and keep more women. And I entered IFC in Washington just as it was starting to consider recruiting women. It is true that the first person who hired me at IFC was called in by his boss, who asked why my boss had just hired two women. And, later, when I was made a manager, the director for Middle East North Africa said it would be better for me not to be in that region because I was a woman, despite the fact that I spoke Arabic and French. So the director for Africa said, “Good, I will take her.” I did not know about either of these incidents until many years later. I found the companies that my firm has invested in to be equally open to me or a man. In some ways, being a woman has been an advantage because people might remember the only woman in the room at a negotiation or a conference, just as they might remember the only man who was 7 feet tall.

WHAT DOES CARTICA DO, AND WHAT IS YOUR ROLE THERE? Cartica is an investment manager that invests in publicly listed companies in emerging countries using an “active ownership” strategy. We manage money on behalf of institutional investors, such as pension funds, endowments, and foundations. We seek to have a concentrated portfolio of around 20 stocks, which allows us to do deep research and to engage with the companies to add value. I’m the CEO and chief investment officer. I work very closely with two other partners and a team of about 30 employees.

WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE YOUR CAREER? I grew up in a very poor country as the daughter of an executive of the Arabian American Oil Company. When I was 9 years old, I took a walk in the desert behind my house. I thought to myself that it was a good thing there was a company that was producing

WHAT SKILLS, VALUES, OR LESSONS DID YOU LEARN AT CATALINA THAT HAVE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER OR IN LIFE? I think I learned in a specific way the importance of kindness. Catalina was very far from being a “mean girls” school. The spiritual component of school life kept it grounded in the belief that each person was important and, in a sense, sacred. Also, most of the body of actual knowledge I have, I learned at Catalina. Although I have spent a career in finance and know the techniques of that discipline, the subject area I really know the best is art history. I took two years of art history from the beloved Laurie Boone ’58, and I still read on the subject, visit museums, and engage with art.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AT SANTA CATALINA IMPACT YOUR LIFE? Besides the learning, which was life-changing and has stuck with me to this day, I would say nothing is more important than the friendships I made. They are deeper and more profound than most friendships in life. The shared experience of boarding school, with a bit of the “den of thieves” atmosphere, is not replicable.

ALUMNAE CLASS NOTES

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

Fleana Giglio Snapp brorat1955@comcast.net

Laurie

Angel McGuinness lambo10@aol.com

Gloria Donnelly Anderson says, “I’m keeping on, keeping on.” She sounded wonderful and continues to have her fabulous sense of humor. We look forward to seeing her at the Reunion luncheon. Peggy Carpenter Gelke will not be able to attend the Reunion but sends her “hellos” to all. She hopes she will be able to make it to our next Reunion in 2023. Laurie Angel McGuinness says she has spent an enormous amount of time in medical offices. And now she has great news: She will get a new hip replacement very soon and hopefully walk again. Laurie turned 83 last October and she says it shocked her terribly. She has expressed great sorrow that she will not be able to attend our 65th reunion. Debbie Kneedler Berggren continues to live in the Washington, D.C., area and is enjoying all that it has to offer. She often takes yoga and knitting classes at her local care support group. Christmas was wonderful, she says, because her children and grandchildren were with her. She hopes to meet her great grandchild this spring. She wishes health and happiness to all. (Editor’s note: We are sad to report that Debbie Kneedler Berggren passed away shortly after submitting these notes. Our thoughts and prayers are with Debbie’s family and with you, her classmates.) Gray Burnham Hynes has retired from her home staging business after 25 years. She says that the leisure time she has now is wonderful. She is looking forward to our 65th reunion. Fleana Giglio Snapp: Can you remember the carefree

days not so long ago when we laughed and played? When we see each other at our 65th reunion, we should continue where we left off. I wish we all lived in the same neighborhood. That would be something! John and I are healthy at 85 and 83. Catherine, Susan, and Rachel are well. Ellen’s cancer has returned but she has the will of a giant and will defeat it again. Stay well. Beezie Leyden Moore: While reflecting over the past 65 years since our graduation, I realize that we have had lives full of varied experiences. We have had amazingly wonderful periods while also having many traumatic and life-changing experiences. That’s what comes with living to the ripe old age of 83. I feel fortunate that I have come this far and still have some very special times in my life. I love living in the tiny community of Cambria, where I back up to a forest full of wildlife and watch the sun set over the ocean. I feel fortunate that I can follow my passion and design homes and remodels for special people. I am especially fortunate to have three children who actually like spending time with me. I’m also so fortunate to talk on the phone almost daily with Laurie Angel McGuinness What special memories we have! Soon we will celebrate 65 years since our graduation. We are all products of those amazing years together at Santa Catalina and the three or four of us who are able to attend will have many memories to share.

54Gloria Felice gloriafelice@cox.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Executive Committee

Kathy Trafton ’74

President

Jalynne Tobias Redman '72

Katie Carnazzo Larsen ’02

Priya Kumar Raju '00

Vice Presidents

Gretchen Mueller Burke ’83

Director of Alumnae Relations

Members

Pat Allen Sparacino ’65

Marie Cantin '70

Sally Fay '74

Jennifer Moulton-Post '82

Helene de Baubigny '85

Stefanie Post Pollard '85

Christina Nalchajian Whitley '85

Annie Coppel '90

Lindsay Heller '95

Brogiin Keeton '01

Kai Romero '01

Kristina Flathers ’11

Chapter Chairs

Boston Kate Myers Brizius ’88

Chicago Lisa Cavanaugh Wiese ’74 Kristina Flathers ’11*

Dallas Joanne Van der Plas Viola '84 Hope Morgan ’90

Denver Laura Stenovec ’99

Houston Diana Kendrick Untermeyer ’80

Los Angeles Leslie Hunt Johnson ’92 Paige Finster Greenspan ’96 Mzilikazi Kone ’01

Monterey Liz Holt Protell ’64

New York Priya Kumar Raju ’00*

Phoenix Gloria Felice ’54 Becky Hays-Rovey ’92

Portland, OR Virginia Sewell ’69

Ann Carter ’71

Brigid Flanigan ’73

Sacramento Laura Lyon Gaon ’81

San Diego Ann Frasse Stowe ’82

San Francisco Yvette Merchant Nichols ’96 Natalie Burke '99

Anna Lopez Mourlam '06

Seattle Madeleine Lynch Greathouse ’85 Washington, D.C. Kerri Robinson Johnson ’92

International Chapters

Asia

Rene Leung ’99

Angelina Yao ’99 Diana Mak ’01

Europe Lara Brehmer ’98

Latin America Leslie Hulse ’88

Annie Coppel ’90* Tere Gonzalez ’94

*Designates Alumnae Association Council member

The Class of 1953 at Reunion 2018

Mary Nevin Henderson Pat Kelly Phillips plwa2@sbcglobal.net

I had a couple of calls from Sister Lois Silva during the fires. She is at Lourdes at Dominican University in San Rafael. She sees Sister Jeremy every day. Pat Kelly Phillips has begun cutting back on her volunteering efforts to make more time for sewing, cleaning, and organizing her life. She also is trying to do more family history to leave for her family. Her family is all doing fine and keeping busy. Sue Barsi Scurich and her daughter, Mimi, took an amazing trip last summer. They traveled for two weeks through Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia. The building Julie Work Beck has been working on is complete. She is not only running her family business but is now the bookkeeper! Mary Nevin Henderson: I hope everyone had happy 80th birthdays in 2017. My two oldest children gave me a very fun party. Thank heavens our families were safe during the fires in Sonoma. My sister and brother were told to evacuate, but both their houses were saved. 56

Sheila Godwin Peavey sheilapeavey@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue! 57

Carole Lusignan Buttner wmbclb@aol.com

Sue Clowes Mayhugh: I really enjoyed visiting with classmates at our March reunion! I am done with international traveling. In my early years, I traveled the world from the Bering Sea in Alaska to Antarctica and the South (Mexico, South America, Central America and all of the U.S.). I later was able to travel to Spain, Portugal, and Greece. I married in 1970 and had twins in 1971. I did not travel out of the U.S. until the girls were grown. In 2005, I started traveling to Russia, Antarctica, most of Europe, China, Africa, and the British Isles. Last year, I turned my needlepoint business over to one of my daughters. I have five grandchildren, and both my daughters live close by. My first husband, Dennis, died in 2008, and I married Chuck in 2009. We have traveled to Israel, Machu Picchu, and all through Germany. I attend church daily and am a Eucharistic minister and reader. I am enjoying my retirement.

Maribeth Conway Steiner: We are well up here in the North, but the Earth has flipped: snowing in Florida, but not much here in Alaska! We spend time here in Anchorage as well as in Bend, OR, where we are closer to family. Lots of time this year has been spent with our two little grandsons—and another one is due in June. Our only granddaughter was accepted to Columbia and is over the moon about that. I’m a proud grandma! Love to you all with fond memories! Denise Le Blanc Hellier: Last year was a good year filled with adventure, but also with quiet recollection and pondering what aging means for me. I have gone twice to Connecticut to celebrate birthdays and Christmas with my daughter and three growing granddaughters. We spent Christmas week together in Cartagena, Colombia. Fortunately, long plane trips are still easy for me. I spent August hiking in the French Alps for 10 days, on to the Loire Valley, speaking only French, and finally walking for 10 days in the Lakes District in England. My bucket list is getting smaller! Nancy Gregg Hatch: We’re fortunate to have our two daughters situated in places we love to visit. Nannie is in Portland, OR, where we like to visit the magnificent Columbia River Gorge. Since one of Chip’s ancestors was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, we find it especially intriguing to visit sites which, even now, are little changed from what those early 19th century explorers encountered. Having Katie and her family live in San Rafael means that while there, we wallow in the satisfactions of grandparenthood and also spend time with Sister Jeremy Carmody in the Dominican convent, right down the street from Katie’s house, and Sue Crane (our Sister Matthew) who lives nearby as well. Two splendid examples of how mentally agile and compassionate we humans can be no matter our age. Camille Annotti Stevens: So many things have transpired: Raising three great kids; enjoying two amazing grandchildren; being rewarded with a scholarship at the age of 60 to go to Italy and live with a family and go to school for a month to study the language, and then to be able to travel for a month on my own; a 27-year position with the same company, where I became an actual accountant; and then going to Santa Catalina Reunions with my wonderful classmates sharing our joys and losses. Now, I think perhaps I have settled into the “not so exciting and remarkable season” of my life: cleaning out the garage, drawers, and cabinets to downsize. I’ll bet a lot of my lovely classmates are experiencing some of these same things. Carole Lusignan Buttner: All your wonderful news keeps me abreast of our class all the way back here in Connecticut. The Buttner family is thankfully thriving, and we treasure our time together. Our seven grandchildren (ages 9-23) are leading full, busy lives. Murray and I have now been living at Essex Meadows for over one year. We are really delighted with the whole experience of “communal living” with fascinating fellow residents. Never did we expect these years to be so stimulating, worthwhile, and fun. Our children love visiting our apartment, which reminds them so much of the house which we all loved. The interconnectedness of this lifestyle is so familiar

and delightfully reassuring—very much like our years together at Santa Catalina. Much love to you all, stay healthy, and thank you for writing! Mary Cano: The highlight for this year was our 60th reunion in March. It was such fun catching up in person with our classmates. Reading about them is one thing, but chatting over meals is quite another. In July, I went to Europe to attend a graduation and had a lovely time in London and Lucca, Tuscany. In August, I had a family reunion with my half-sister, Anne, and my cousins from my father’s side of the family. Anne was most impressed with Santa Catalina, the Hacienda, and the grounds. I have enjoyed getting together with Nancy Gregg Hatch whenever we can!

58

Kathy Howard Loparco kathyloparco@comcast.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

The Class of 1958 at Reunion 2018

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Bobbie O’Connell Munson bobbiemunson@sbcglobal.net

Penny Fletcher has successfully made the move from Honolulu back to Florida—just in time for the hurricanes and violent weather. Her entire family has returned, and, though the move almost finished her off, she is glad to be settled again in Aventura in Miami. Rene May Lawler and her golf partner won 1st Net over a field of 88 participants in their two-day invitational in October 2017. She said it was a great surprise but lots of fun. In December, she went on a trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel and through the Suez Canal. Anne Waligora Boyd is still riding her horse and going to the gym, but had to have the

upper left lobe removed from her left lung. The doctors said they felt it was safe enough for her not to have to do the chemo. She says she is active in her church and has invested in some property in Nashville, but with no plans to move now. Her husband, Dick, is having problems with his sight, but she says they are both busy and active.

Margaret Rosenburg Duflock is still living in the same family home she was raised in, and her grandkids are running their original ranch in San Ardo. Patty Falk Feeley has had some health problems with a serious fall on ice, which resulted in head and back issues. She said they are having such a cold winter. Kristan Jacobson O'Neill has come out of retirement and returned to her former business to put on one more wedding for old times’ sake. It was a huge undertaking, and she said it made her realize she was not 50 anymore. Not willing to accept retirement, she proceeded to build (from scratch) a new home at Shaver Lake where she, Ed, and the kids spend much time. They are going to sell their beautiful, big home in Fresno and find something smaller and then spend more time at the lake. Lila Desmond French is another traveler that puts the rest of us to shame. She was in Cabo for a month; went from Paris to Normandy on a Uniworld River Cruise; Boston to Stowe, VT, to watch her grandson play lacrosse; Portland to Whitefish, MT, to Vancouver to visit friends; and to San Francisco to get out of the heat of the desert. She is planning on going to Malta, Sicily, and the Amalfi Coast, and ending up in Rome on a Tauck Small Ship Cruise in August. Her dog, Zoey, travels with her! She is still playing tennis and has discovered pickleball, which she loves. Kathy Mailliard Rende and hubby, Gian, children, and grandchildren are all well. Kathy and Gian travel and enjoy opera in both New York and Santa Fe. They fill their time with plenty of tennis, golf, and grandkids. She is looking forward to our big reunion in 2019. France de Sugny Bark and her husband, Dennis, love living at the Sequoias in Portola Valley. They like the people there, and France is volunteering in the library and the community gardens. The kids are well and they now have two grandchildren: Emma (16), who lives in Sun Valley, and Axel (6) in San Francisco. She sees Crissy McCormick Merrill regularly in San Francisco. Mary Denman: I have directed the adult spiritual formation program for my parish with the excellent help of five team members for the past 10 years. A few medical issues have left much of the presenting duties of our events in their capable hands. Teresa Annotti Rogers: During the Santa Catalina years, I was blessed to meet some of the most wonderful girls who would become some of the most wonderful women. I have two granddaughters who graduated from Santa Catalina (Sophia White ’14 and Colette White ’16). The immutable sense of ethics, good manners, and the "Blue Courtesy Book" live on in the education they received so many decades later. Marie-Thérèse “M.T.” Poniatowska Maigret writes that all her children and grandchildren are wonderful and well. She says this last year has been calm, and quiet has swept over Brussels. But she was alarmed about all of the wildfires in California. She has a son in Napa, who

was evacuated because of the fires there. Marilyn Brown Wykoff and her husband, Vic, are still traveling. They spend time in Kauai with their kids and six grandkids. The three oldest grandkids are football players, and Marilyn and Vic are preparing to take a Disney Star Wars cruise with the three youngest. Besides their home in Clements, they spend time in San Francisco and their home in Carmel. Julie Hutcheson has moved back to Houston after 22 years in California. Her son, David, and his wife have asked her to live in an apartment behind their home, which was built by her grandfather in 1913. Dorothy “Didi” Dwyer Schreiber sold her home and made a move to the Villages, a senior home location. It is much smaller without all of the upkeep, and now she has become actively involved in ministering to homebound persons. She also coordinates a project which provides food for the poor and homeless in downtown San Jose. She and her late husband, Paul, started this about 10 years ago and they now have a huge number of volunteers who actively keep the program going. She has also become involved with a group at Santa Clara University for daily exercise, readings, and monthly meetings with a spiritual advisor. Since she moved to the Villages, she joined the Senior Academy, which has lectures, classes, and field trips to San Francisco. Barclay Braden recently completed a final draft of the book she has been working on for a number of years, Faith at Hand: Finding My Way to Depth Journaling. She shares that it is a memoir of her own mid-life spiritual reawakening, an unexpected period during which she discovered a profound self-inquiry tool: writing with the non-dominant hand. She will let us know as soon as it is published. Lynne Wildman Chapman is very happy and busy. Her daughter, Ashley, will be getting married in May in Bermuda. Lynne saw Blake Anderson several times when she was in Houston. Blake has had two bad falls and is recovering from them but enjoyed her visits with Lynne. Elizabeth “Betty” Blak Okie is planning

a trip this summer with her children and grandchildren to Denmark. She says, "We are going to visit relatives there and tromp the old family farm. It will be a family trip, which is always a kick with all the youngsters around. We will be flash-mobbing our family connections in Copenhagen and then steaming south to the ancestral seat." Unfortunately, Christy Belvail Baguio’s melanoma has returned. She has had two surgeries and many trips to UCSF Mount Zion Hospital. She says her cancer is not curable but the hope is that the off-label treatment will give her more time. She says the kids and grandkids are great, and have been so supportive. Keep her in your prayers. Debby McCann manages to get back to Washington, D.C., to see her two grandchildren several times a year. She went to Salem, OR, to watch the 2017 eclipse, and stayed with her sister, Margaret McCann Grant ’57. Margaret has had some serious health problems, with a brain tumor, but Deb says she is doing much better. Please keep Margaret in your prayers. This is the first we have heard of Katherine “Susie” Hammond Morey since graduation! She was a teacher for 30 years and loved it and is now a well-known female golfer. She has two kids: Clement "Trip," who graduated from UC Berkeley, worked on movies and TV shows, and became an antiquarian book dealer; and daughter Katherine "Annie" Finch, who went into the cosmetics business and became V.P. of sales and marketing for Estée Lauder for North America. She now has started her own company, Katherine Cosmetics. Many of you asked about Shelley Le Blanc Duke Shel is still dealing with her stroke and its aftermath, but moving forward like a steamroller

Irene “Rene” May Lawler '59 on a camel during her recent travels

Katherine “Susie” Hammond Morey '59

with the help of her husband, Phil. She is running the farm and is on every board known to man in the Virginia area. She has been very involved with academics and medical schools and research. They have barely survived the cold winter in that region. With any luck, we might actually see the two of them back in California, where they belong! I think we need to demote Hansi de Petra Rigney to a class around the year 2000 instead of 1959. The December 17, 2017, edition of the Monterey Herald newspaper published that she had just completed her 104th marathon and had won her division. She trains by running 50 miles a week. Hansi has always been a real star in our class and nothing has changed, obviously! Wendy Burnham Kuhn: Things are good here. We now have not only ducks and geese but chickens as well. They are not herd animals and go all over the place when you try to get them to do one thing, and are horrible to one another, but everyone lives in harmony in the barnyard. Check out my son, Toby, and his music group, The Wild Strings Trio, at wildstringstrio.wordpress.com. My love to you all! Bobbi O’Connell Munson: I have lost all of my grandkids to their busy and wonderful lives. I can no longer get all five of them in the same country at the same time! My granddaughter (Andrea Munson ’03) is in Argentina and South America and Erica, who was at UC Berkeley, is off to Cape Town, South Africa, for a study in public health. Christian is at UC Santa Barbara and is president of his fraternity, and Reagan graduated from UC Santa Barbara last summer and is going on to get her M.D. Kaila just graduated from University of Pacific and is in marketing, headed for Europe. I do miss them but live through each of their fabulous experiences. I hope each of you will circle your calendars for our 60th Reunion at Santa Catalina next year in March of 2019!

60

Marilyn Ramos Ospina maospina305@hotmail.com

Karen Swanson Crummey kcrum1@sbcglobal.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

61

Penelope Corey Arango pcarango@bellsouth.net

Leigh Curran: I’ve written a new play about love, aging, loyalty, and gender confusion that had its first public reading in February at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, and I’m politically active,

turning some red districts in CA blue and making waves for our shared humanity! Judi Musto Hachman: The Hachman clan spent Christmas in London with our daughter, Carter Hachman Jackson ’87, and her fabulous family. The kids are 7 and 9 and are just adorable. Tim and I were very happy to donate to the Class of 1961 scholarship fund. It won't be long before there will be a 14-year-old girl holding that scholarship. It would be wonderful if all of our classmates could donate to the fund—any amount! Please consider it now and again in the future. Theresa Lowe Hall: All is well in our world. My husband, Robby, is challenged by Parkinson’s disease but maintains a positive attitude and is able to continue with all his activities. My life is filled with mostly outdoor fun like paddle tennis, swimming, gardening, and gym classes. It might sound trite to say but honestly, every day we feel blessed and grateful for today. Caroline Harris Henderson flew down to L.A. for a visit with Margaret Brackenridge Dalis and me. We spent the night with Margs and had a wonderful time. Of course, we all agreed that we haven’t changed a bit. Fyfe Irvine Lavin: Still married for 54 years to my husband, Ben. We still live in Pacific Palisades. We have five grandsons. Our son, Thomas, has a showroom in the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Our daughter is his CEO and I am in charge of the fabric department. Thomas opened another showroom last year in Laguna and my sister, Jane, is in sales and is the manager of the Laguna showroom. Her husband, Kent, and their son, Garrett, also work there. Thomas and Mary have a fabric line called Lavinder. When time permits, we love to travel with and without family. If anyone is ever in the area, please call. Maria Hart McNichol: My husband and I continue to live in Philadelphia in a big, old house with lots of room, so please visit! We started a nonprofit some years ago to help deserving kids with limited resources. The McNamee Scholars Program provides tuition assistance and a mentor for high school and college. It’s been a terrific experience. On that note, I am so proud of the work being done by members of the Class of ’61 to provide scholarships and enable deserving girls to attend Santa Catalina. I have seen how transformative education can be and how destructive poor education is. No grandchildren yet so I still volunteer at Overbrook High School, the school I retired from in 2004. It’s good to be with teenagers as it keeps me humble. I think it would be great fun to have a Class of ’61 book club and I hope I can make it to our 60th. Sara Fargo: Reporting from downtown Santa Barbara where the fire and the flood were experienced from a distance with much adrenaline flowing through the body, with fear, horror, compassion, and survivor’s guilt. This experience has changed us all—and the landscape, as well—forever. On the other side of the coin, last year was a year of fun and heartwarming reconnection with former classmates, old friends, and family members. Yoga continues to be a major part of my life. Penelope Corey Arango: Fifty-six years since we all graduated from Santa Catalina! I have kept up with many of you, even from as far away as Miami. Still have many happy

memories! As for me, I am semi-retired, still own Arango Press and publish several books (children's and art books) as well as teach English as a second language and Spanish as a second language—and I love every minute of it. I belong to several book clubs and ministries at St. Augustine Church and take four courses a week at the University of Miami, where I graduated in 1965. Life is good!

62 Mary Bitterman

mbitterman@osherfoundation.org

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

63

DiDi Ditz Stauffer dditzs45@gmail.com Sally Rorick-Orlando rorlando@cox.net

Kathleen Brown: My work at the law firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips continues to be rewarding and interesting with my clients trying to navigate through the intersection of law, business, and government. On a personal level, lots of fun travel this year: Uruguay for a bike ride with girlfriends; an ocean cruise from London to Amsterdam; a river cruise on the Rhine with my husband, Van; and a trip to Australia to see kids and grandkids. Lynn Gates: I am still working as a lawyer and mediator in Buffalo, NY. My daughter, who is a vet in Long Beach, CA, gave birth to Addalynn, a girl, last February; she is a delight. My other daughter has changed jobs. She was at Warby Parker for over four years and is now working at another startup, Faherty, which is a casual clothing outfit. She is working on the technical side of Faherty, developing a more coordinated online presence. Sally RorickOrlando: The high point of the year was my 50th reunion at Stanford! Rick bravely accompanied me and we had dinner on the Quad and I got to see Kathleen Brown and Jane Albert Willens! Holidays brought a heart episode for Rick, and a stent placed in his “widow maker” artery, but it also brought a visit from winemaker son, Matthew, who is still very busy with Forlorn Hope and Rorick Heritage Vineyard. Daughter Julia is getting re-established in Oceanside. We saw Hamilton, too! Sorry to miss the reunion this year but will see you all at our 60th! DiDi Ditz Stauffer: I took a wonderful trip to Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston with Road Scholar in October. Beautiful architecture, wonderful food, and such hospitality. Ghislaine de Give: A low point this year was a fall down the stairs in May, which resulted in two broken spine bones, broken shoulder and jaw, and five cracked teeth plus three

weeks in hospital. This followed a January fall in the garden, which caused a broken arm and wrist. But good news, I am all cured and I’m busy full time in an art program I started in September at Putney School of Art. It is a two-year program: Art History since 1800, drawing, and a specialism that changes each term. We are only nine students from around the globe. It is exhilarating and hard work but so good to be finally doing what I thought I would at the age of 19. My other good news is that my second grandson arrived in December. I am pleased with my health challenges to be in a country with a national health system. Vicki McCallum Waddell: The best part about 2017 was going home to Carmel. Initially my trips south from Marin were troublesome because I was looking after my sister who became gravely ill after the loss of her husband. Thankfully, she recovered and then we sisters took to the road. We went to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival; to Steamboat Inn on the Umpqua River for gorgeous hikes and fabulous food; to Paradise for our cousin’s 60th wedding anniversary; to Canyon Ranch in Tucson aboard a friend’s private jet to lift the mind, body, and spirit; and then to Vegas to visit with my family. We saw O and fantastic Christmas decorations at the Bellagio. All the time I’m away, my Ed supported me, and I’m so grateful for his support, to my sister for recovering, and to my fantastic granddaughter, Kaylan (6), who waited until I got to Vegas to witness the loss of all her teeth! Oh, and lest I forget, one of my

trips to Carmel was with my best bud Danielle Varlay Heilala. We talked for four hours all the way down to Carmel and another four hours back up to Marin and we still could have talked some more. Lastly, after 62 years, I was able to give Pete Bartowich a big hug. I found him lunching at Bechler’s Bakery in Pacific Grove. Some of you might recall, Pete was our grammar school bus driver! Patricia Daugherty Shallenberger: I am alive and well, living in Palo Alto. I spend two days a week in Santa Cruz so I can visit with my one and only grandchild, Ruby (15), and volunteer at the animal shelter. Photography is one of my hobbies so I currently photograph various animals for their website. Looking forward to seeing folks at the reunion.

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Antoinette Ziegler Hubbard joyfuleclectic@icloud.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Pat Allen Sparacino pat.sparacino@gmail.com

Eleanor “Tammy” Dougherty: I have slowed down my work after decades in education practice and policy and am enjoying being “Nana” to two energetic boys here in the outskirts of D.C. Julia Anderson Frankel: My husband, Russell, and I moved into our new home that we built, bringing with us our two cats, Arthur and James. We are still in central Houston and thankfully did not flood during Hurricane Harvey. We are now spending our summer months in Pebble Beach at our home of over 20 years. Each year, we spend more time there than the year before, and Santa Catalina is re-entering my life there bit by bit. I lunched with Bettie Hutcheson Carrell and Meredith “M.F.” Flynn shortly after Thanksgiving. It was a great visit and I look forward to more interludes with my classmates of 1965. Letitia “Tita” Gascoin-Ruffie: I work as a caregiver/home health aid and the weeks fly by. There is a lot of work, and I enjoy making my patients comfortable and their days as interesting as possible. The work is varied, as are the patients for whom I care. In June, I went back to Toulouse to see my daughters and two grandsons. Then, I spent several days in Spain with an old-time friend in a region with beautiful castle ruins and breathtaking cliffs. Kathy Toy Grandemange: It has been a crazy California year, between the deluge last winter and the fires in the autumn. We live just south of the Sonoma County line, and had a lot of smoke drifting down from their fires. We did help with donations and collecting goods for the folks up there. We were able to take trips to Washington, D.C., and New York City in September. We enjoyed the newer scenes and museums we hadn’t seen before, especially the 9/11 Memorial. My husband and I have fully retired now, so we have more time for family gatherings. We were in Yosemite over Thanksgiving, and I celebrated my birthday in style with the whole family. Lola Hogan: All is well here in Pacific Grove. I am still working with no thoughts of retiring. I am part of a large loss team for commercial casualty claims with a value of $1 million and up. It’s interesting work and sometimes just plain tragic. Fritz now has three patents that we are working to commercialize. Grandkids are now 15 and 12 and family are in Los Angeles, after four years in Scotland. Happy to meet with anyone traveling to the Monterey area! Peggy Hudson: I am volunteering as the educational rights holder for a foster child. I enjoy using the skills and experience I got as a teacher, and I don’t have to do the paperwork! Between my horses and my dogs, I don’t have the time to do more volunteering right now. I continue to ride dressage on my mare, which gives me good exercise three times a week. I continue to be amazed at how busy I am in retirement. I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy it and look forward to doing more. Evie Lindemann: The

The Class of 1963 at Reunion 2018

writing of this update intersects with my annual pilgrimage to India. My teacher, Meher Baba, emphasized the importance of being active in the world, and on this trip I will take my art therapy skills to an orphanage of children with HIV/ AIDS. I continue to teach full time in a graduate program of art therapy in New Haven, CT, and continue to be active in my life as a printmaking artist. I’m grateful that I have a wonderful son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren! I’m also grateful for the strength of my friendships with my classmates from Santa Catalina. Meredith “M.F.” Flynn and I see each other often and if it’s not India where we visit, it might be Mexico. Sheila Johnson: This past year has not been a good one for our little family. Daughter Elizabeth Johnson Hornsey ’90 was diagnosed with uterine cancer but she had a successful surgery, and they have cleared her—no more cancer. As I approached my 70th birthday, I fell twice and sustained two concussions. Between those events and a few others, I have been homebound with an inherited family lung condition. There are some good things, too. I believe I will make it to Monterey by summer. Can’t wait to see everyone. Maisie de Sugny MacDonald: I am very grateful to have good health, a wonderful family, and great friends! We live near our grandchildren and are lucky to see them regularly. Claire is a freshman in high school and Christopher is almost 12. Wishing everyone all the best. Caroline Lord Mackenzie: I volunteer with the Citizen Forester program and Master Gardeners, hike with an amazing group of friends, play golf twice a week, and am the current president of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers here on the islands. I enjoy hearing from so many classmates via Facebook! Keep enjoying life and come visit! Aloha! Kathy Ramos Sharp: This past summer, I traveled to England and Wales on a concert tour with the San Jose Symphonic Choir. It was great fun traveling with a group of people I know and singing in inspiring locations. A few years ago, I held informal voice classes for students in my home and that initial class of four girls has now grown to over 16 boys and girls, taking place in my music room. In addition, I was recently asked to direct the adult choir in my parish in San Jose. So music is quickly filling my days and also seems to be carried forward in the family genes as many of my children and grandchildren are active in local musical theater groups in their respective locales. Retirement for me is rich with family, music, and fun vacations and I feel very blessed. Wendy Wilson Snell: My husband, Steve, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. It was particularly stellar (pun intended) as the total eclipse of the sun occurred just five days before our anniversary. We have been living in Durham, NC, for the past nine years. Since total eclipse was traveling directly through South Carolina, we rented a lakeside house on Lake Murray, which allowed us to see the entire event through a telescope sun filter. Unbelievable! Perfect timing for us. Pat Allen Sparacino: This past year, Bob and I traveled less than planned due to health issues (now corrected and resolved), but we continue to thrive. Our test trip was to the

East Coast in October when we visited cousins in Virginia and Washington, D.C., and then to see our son and his family in New York. We returned to New York to spend Christmas with Peter, Danielle, and Fia (3). Bob remains busy with his editing business, and I try to give back to the nursing profession and our community through a variety of activities.

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Lorri Ditz McCarthy lorditz@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

67

Ann Kuchins kuchinsa@yahoo.com Anne Neill anneneill@yahoo.com

Our hearts are saddened by the death of Mary Louise “ML” Frawley. She was a kind and gentle soul in a hard world. We had an amazing 50th reunion last year. The school made us feel special. And who can forget the coffee crunch cake baked by Shannon McClennahan Mozes ’87 who introduced our class? In past years, we had outstanding speeches by Joan Seamster and

Renata Engler, and Laurie Bechtel Dachs did not disappoint as she hit hers out of the park. She challenged us to harness the idealism and activism of our youth “to stand up again with the same energy and commitment we took with us when we left Santa Catalina in 1967 but now with the added wisdom garnered over the years. Yes, we must stand up again, to do all we can to make the world a better place, for our children and their children, for all children. From a famous Native American proverb, ‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.’ Therefore, I ask us today…what world will we leave them? We must decide.” Mary Whitney Kenney: Well, I don't have a philosophy of life to share, but I guess my past year can be summed up by saying, "There's nothing like a puppy!" We are raising a puppy for Guide Dogs of America, and she's quite a character. I also have a new granddaughter, Violet, who arrived in May. I now have six grandchildren, and the oldest is 7. Between the grandchildren and the puppy, things are pretty busy. Rose Teichert Grimm: I am in gratitude mode all the time these days: The Thomas fire came within 100 feet of our property on two sides but did not reach us. We evacuated to Carmel, and when we pulled out of the smoke and into the clear, fresh air, it was like being reborn. I loved seeing you all at our reunion. God bless you all. Vicki MacLean Gourlay: I am sure most of you have heard that my dear sister, Dewey MacLean Parker ’64, passed away in September. We are all feeling adrift without her. Time heals all wounds and we are hoping for a better year in 2018. Looking forward to seeing my classmates very soon. With lots of love. Yolanda Scaccia Manuel: So happy to have visited with everyone at

Mary Whitney Kenney '67, husband Leonard, and seeing-eye puppy trainee Greta Garbo celebrating Christmas

Joanne Bosche Ehrlich ’67, Gay Callan '67, and Elizabeth Wynn Woodward '67 enjoying time together

our 50th reunion. I loved seeing old (not literally old) friends and enjoyed hearing about your current life activities. Many thanks to Wynn for letting us use her home as our gathering place again; she's been ever so generous for our many reunions! Also thanks to Melinda Bowman Manlin, a great friend and hostess. I so enjoyed her warm hospitality in her lovely home during Reunion Weekend. Retirement doesn't suit me yet, so I work for the Archdiocese of San Francisco as the extended care supervisor at St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School in Burlingame. Work keeps me active and gives me the opportunity to enjoy the growing up process of the little ones I care for. And since my granddaughter (6th grade) and twin grandsons (4th grade) attend school there, and my son, Nicholas, is the parish center supervisor, I see them regularly. My daughter, Noel, lives close by and is the controller at the Jewish High School in San Francisco. Such a change from political accounting, but she enjoys the high school environment and learning about the Jewish religion. Claudia Jones Shepheard: My year has been great and terrible in waves. Reunion was so much fun seeing everyone. Then, I lost my youngest brother in May to complications from pancreatic cancer. He was only 56 and a wonderful person, so it has been a great loss. I finally had my knee replaced in June and anyone who saw me at Reunion knows how much I needed that. Anyway, it went perfectly and I feel like a whole new person. The rest of the year has been uneventful and I like it that way. Hope to see you all again soon. Carolyn Layton GarnerReagan: After that spectacular reunion and the fun of seeing you all and being with you all, I can hardly wait for the next one! In late May, Michael and I took a wonderful cruise in the Baltic. The highlight for me was the three days we had in St. Petersburg. Taking Miss Hoetmer’s Russian history class during junior year filled me with a longing to see this place. Because of Michael’s

mobility issues, we hired a private driver and tour guide and she got us efficiently in and out of every place on our wish list (including Michael’s desire to go to a hardware store) and kept us enthralled with her deep knowledge of the history of Saint St. Petersburg. The low was that Michael had to have back surgery in September and is now in the recovery phase. We also moved out of our house for nearly six months while all of the floors in our 1926 house were replaced and the original bathroom was made as accessible as possible. I continue to be co-coordinator of our church’s lay visitation ministry and take communion to those who are hospitalized or homebound. Michael and I have been helping my daughter and son-in-law as much as we can by taking care of our two darling grandsons (3 and 18 months) and running errands. So here’s to love, life, joy, and good health!

Renata Engler: Husband JD has had a year of many challenges, working his way back toward functional healing. After more than 22 procedure days over the summer and fall (at Vein Clinics of America in Columbia), he is seeing improvement that enables him to walk again, even if still challenged by his hip and nerve pain radiating from his back. I am on a healing journey for my right hip compression fracture that, while improved, is not normal in terms of tolerating walking very far. I need the cane for any distance. In the fall, despite the challenges, I was so excited that JD and I were able to travel to Boston for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting and actually do an outing that we could both enjoy. Certainly the blessings of our friendship and long history together represent a highlight for this year. Thank you all for being such wonderful human beings and reinforcing my optimism about the future despite the struggles so many face in our world today. Only love is real and that precious gift we have all shared in abundance. All the rest is illusion. Ann Kuchins: Am I really retired? With four volunteer

jobs, I sometimes wonder. I am the president of the League of Women Voters of North and Central San Mateo. That in itself can be a fulltime job as “making democracy work” is no easy task. I am the production manager for the Pear Theatre. I am a vocabulary instructor at the San Mateo County jail in the women’s section. On the whole, they are quite delightful, but on rare occasions you see or hear about the dark side. But the one new thing that I really love is working for the Red Cross. I’m on the Disaster Action Team (DAT). When there is a local fire, usually at night, we get a call to go out and help the victims. I am also a caseworker, so we do follow-up with the victims until all their emergency needs are met. I was in the play The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl and enjoyed playing a comic role. Nan Peletz had an art benefit fundraiser of her works and the works of other artists for the Fair Start Program of the Stanford Bipolar Disorders Clinic. Brenda Beckett organized a dinner with Lyn Wyman and her husband, David; Laurie Bechtel Dachs and her husband, Steve; Liz Moffitt ’68; and myself. Melissa King joined us at the gallery. Sandy MacGregor Mack is alive and well in Portland, OR: My husband, Wake, and I feel fortunate to have two married daughters and four grandchildren (two 12s and two 10s) living nearby. We are blessed with health and are doing our best to keep up with them on the ski hill, golf course, and tennis courts. The absolute highlight of 2017 was the 1967 Class Reunion. It was an unforgettable experience. I'll be back! Lyn Wyman: I’m so happy to be making new memories with the Class of 1967. You inspire me, and I’m grateful. Dennis and I took a river cruise through the Netherlands and Belgium last April, especially wonderful since it was at the height of tulip season. We also had our annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to take in delicious theater, excellent food, and, unexpectedly, some gorgeous fall color. As of last August, both of our girls are in N.Y.C., so there will be much visiting there in 2018. (Maybe we’ll finally see Hamilton!) Molly is well into the second semester of her two-year MPA program at Columbia with a concentration in urban and social policy. She’s happily adjusting to being in student mode again after five years of working in nonprofits. Annie has been in N.Y.C. eight years now and feels right at home in Brooklyn. She continues to audition for films and plays and does the requisite bartending to make the rent. (The short film she made in 2016, The Minimalist, has been accepted to several indie film festivals.) Back on the West Coast, Dennis and I are finalizing travel plans for 2018 both in and out of the country, and I am getting involved in efforts to “flip the house” this fall. That should keep me busy! Kay Sparolini and Sue Lloyd wished to pass on that they could be quoted as simply "hanging on" and "truly delighted to have been with fellow Class of 1967 returnees to Monterey last March.”

Ann Kuchins '67, Anne Neill '67, and Lisa Dollar Buehler '67

Renata Engler ’67 and husband JD during a visit to Boston

68

Eugenie Schlueter emschl@sbcglobal.net

Daphne Macneil daphnemacneil@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

69

The Class of 1969 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Coordinator of Alumnae Relations, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Criss Rusher Hughes: I retired a couple of years ago from teaching little ones. As for my time, I find myself joyfully busy with our five—soon to be six—grandkids, ages 18 months to nearly 5. As our grown kids live nearby, I enjoy weekly outings with each of them. Other than that, I love long walks, reading, making the odd quilt. My husband, Rod, is still working, but we enjoy our travels. We recently traveled to the Grand Canyon area and up to northern Washington, but mostly stay close to home or at our place in

the foothills. Olive “Terry” Whitney Baganz: I have yet to retire. It is hard to stop working when you are completely enthralled with your work. I am currently working on the regional tectonics of Eastern Canada. This is turning out to be a most interesting puzzle. I still live in Houston and every now and then I will show up in Washington, D.C., where we have a second home. For fun, I keep trying to play golf. Marna Sweeney Haley: I’m still splitting time in Sun City, AZ, and Durango, CO. I spend my time gardening, plotting a patio remodel here in Sun City, reading, participating in community Bible study, and hanging out with family and friends. I feel grateful for good health and a healthy family.

71

DeDe Rogers

dede.rogers@comcast.net

Patty Lee Schminke patricia.schminke@gmail.com

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Marie Cantin

rapideye1@aol.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Ariane Berthoin Antal: I visited with Erica Sullivan Fuller and Walter in Berlin, and they caught me up on the lives of many of you with whom they are in regular contact! David and I now have four grandchildren and another on the way. Unfortunately none live nearby, so we travel periodically to see them in Seattle and Darmstadt, as well as visiting our son in New York City. The personal engagement that we started in 2015 with refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran fills our lives outside work with relaxing evenings at concerts and meaningful conversations over dinners here at home. At work, my research focus has shifted from "artistic interventions in organizations" to "paths into and out of academia," because I am truly puzzled: Academic life is tough, so why do we do it? It turns out that satisfying my curiosity is giving me great satisfaction, although I do not yet have the answer to my question. Each interview I conduct in France, Germany, and the U.S. across three generations of academics feels like a privileged moment, a great gift that I am

The Class of 1968 at Reunion 2018

receiving, as well as giving, by listening with true interest. The other enriching aspect of life is that David is making more time to play the piano again, and I get to hear all the practicing as well as the concerts themselves. Best wishes from Berlin. Kathleen Charles: I am still based in Paris, so please come visit! Still working on numerous agriculture finance and renewable energy projects in East and West Africa, although development funding has dropped dramatically. I am also associated with a very young, dynamic company that is helping to set up social and impact investment funds dedicated to Africa. As an associate, I will be helping the CEO design and structure such financial schemes, hopefully to expand lending and finance options. I recently attended the big Planet One event as a follow-up to COP23 in Paris, where President Macron was chairing the morning panel—and it was really a thrill to be invited! My nieces and nephews are now very happily married, and this is truly a wonderful development. I was out in Lake Tahoe in August for Redgie's wedding; the ceremony took place on the banks of the Truckee River at my sister's house, and it was quite the event. This coupled with a lovely lunch hosted by Janet Abbott where we had a nice time to catch up! Jane Dyer Cook : I am so grateful I was able to transition to part-time work nine years ago, as my calendar fills up quickly and I never get bored. I took on a bigger-than-anticipated work project in March and it seemed I was almost working full time again. Coordinating and supporting all the California library literacy programs was rewarding but exhausting, as I was managing other library grant projects as well. I continue to be so impressed with all the public librarians I meet. My joy really comes from the long walks I try to take every day, singing in choir (how I loved Mrs. Farlinger), and of course, time with friends and family. We have been in a Gourmet Group for 37 years, having monthly dinners with the same friends. This year those same friends, family, and many others came to a surprise party coordinated by our son, daughter, and son-in-law to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Most of the members of our wedding party were there, including Cri Cri Solak-Eastin. It was a wonderful party and a complete surprise as we thought we were going to our granddaughter’s first birthday party. Our anniversary gift to our children will be an adults-only trip to New Orleans this April. It's a treat to have Katherine, her husband, and the four boys close enough that I can drive to help her once a week, and to have David in the Bay Area close at hand, too. We were honored to attend the 60th jubilee for Sister Lois Silva ’54 as a Dominican in June in San Rafael. We met her when she hired Alan to teach at a school here in Stockton over 30 years ago. A bonus of attending her celebration was seeing and visiting with Sister Aaron, whose English classes challenged and inspired me. I will always remember her lessons on the symbolism of the gyre in William Yeats' poetry. Debra Rosenberg

Compton: After 30 years of being walnut farmers, we decided to take the walnut trees out and lease the land to a grape grower. This past year also included eight yellow lab puppies and my first grand baby! We did a bit of traveling in the U.S. My husband, Dave, reduced working to three days a week and will be retiring in 2019. Erica Sullivan Fuller: Walter and I are well and are thrilled that we have both of our sons in San Francisco. I am blessed that there are several of our classmates living close by, so we try to get together regularly. We are more than lucky to be able to travel a couple of times a year; we managed to get all five Fullers on a bareboat catamaran charter to the Bahamas over Thanksgiving. Carol Hamerly Moses: I filed papers last month to run for Judge of the Superior Court in Madera County. The election is June 5, and I have a lot of work to do! I am excited about this opportunity and am enjoying every second of strategic planning. If any of you have experience in running a campaign or wish to help (even if you have never worked on a campaign) please let me know. Any work will include lots of laughs and fun, I promise! I continue to work on the boards for the San Joaquin River Parkway and Trust and the Madera County Arts Council. Both organizations contribute greatly to our community, and giant steps have been made to lengthen the parkway along the San Joaquin River from Friant to Highway 99, as well as educate children about the importance of the river to our community. The Arts Council provides art scholarships, afterschool programs, and adult art classes. We are building a Cultural Arts Center that will serve the entire San Joaquin Valley. It’s all very exciting! My backpack trip this year was to the Eastern Sierra to the top of Italy Pass. There was snow even at the end of August. The country was beautiful, and I don't think I have ever seen so many wildflowers at high elevation. Angela Nomellini: In addition to the excellent New Year’s Eve we spent with DeDe Rogers and Steve Hutzler and our NYE group of 30 years, the four of us had a very fun trip to Australia. Sydney has now replaced Vancouver as my favorite non-U.S., English-speaking city. I had another excellent fishing trip to Alaska. I continue to be involved in The Nature Conservancy, serving on the California board, the North American advisory group, and the gift planning committee for the Our World campaign. Stanford is another major volunteer effort with my work on the Graduate School of Education advisory committee, though I have finally passed on the chair baton. I managed to make the most of the home football games, which were fun this year as Stanford won all the games I went to. My other volunteer service is on the board of the East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, which raises money for the school, a dependent charter of the Sequoia Unified School District. Lucy Harding Schumer: In 2017, we celebrated the graduation of our daughter, Amy, from University of Vermont (UVM) medical school and the graduation of our son, Andrew, from UVM with a master’s in

teaching. Amy is now living in Minneapolis for her OB-GYN residency and Andrew is a math teacher at Montpelier High School, only a couple of hours away. It feels great to have written the last tuition check and to have both children launched. We are beginning to think about retirement but are both still enjoying working. We had no big trips this year other than long weekends in Montreal and Acadia National Park. Cri Cri Solak-Eastin: I'm in my 10th year on the board of directors for the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles. It has grown to a four-day music festival featuring a wide range of music and events, including jazz, classical, a youth piano competition, and a winners’ recital. In July, we decided to go bi-coastal and bought a home in Charlotte, NC, as our daughters are in Houston and Charlotte. It should give us a lovely base from which to explore the South and East Coast, and revisit memories of my time in Washington, D.C. Jodi Ehrlich Kroening: My husband, Keith, survived being laid-off at work and remains employed at L.A. Air Force Base. I worked hard on a diversity working group for the director’s team at the Directors Guild of America. I am now my Dell Neighborhood Association representative to the Hollywood Bowl. I spent time with Kathleen Charles in San Francisco last August. We had a mini-Santa Catalina reunion lunch hosted by Janet Miller Abbott in her honor. I saw Nonie Bechtel

Ramsay both in Los Angeles and in Woodside for lunch and we visited Christmas Day.

Angela Nomellini '71, husband Ken Olivier, DeDe Rogers '71, and husband Steve Hutzler at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia

I spent a week with Anne O’Leary in Woodside last summer and she was my gracious host in October at her home in Arlington for two weeks. I also attended a lovely celebration of life for Anne's dad in Marin County. I have spoken to Beth Reeves. She safely evacuated the fire in Montecito and returned home. I have spoken to Kathleen Sullivan multiple times and she is doing great. Leslie Fancher Rodman: Ken and I are still in San Luis Obispo. I continue to play as much golf as I can, and in between rounds and tournaments, I am involved in a nonprofit that raises money for children in need in our county. Then in my spare time, I work at a local winery. Fortunately, we are only open Thursday through Sunday. This past summer, we took a river cruise on the Columbia River. The food was excellent and always paired with local wines of the area. Katherine Blair Rible: We are enjoying our new home in Carson Valley, NV. Retirement is agreeing with me, and I love the freedom to plan trips! Marty Jo Demetras: Last year was mostly a year of travel and spending time with families and friends. A friend and I went to Paris, then Greece with facutly from the University of Arizona to study every kind of rock, ruin, and shard we could find. For John's 65th birthday, we took off four weeks before Christmas to go to Australia, New Zealand, and back to L.A. to stay with family. Our son, Trevor, and Brittany are still in Chicago and are expecting in June. Jenn, our daughter, and Erica are doing great here in Tucson. In 2018, I want to see more old friends and extend my reach to groups who need help. Julie Garcia: Now that I have one year of retirement under my belt, I'm starting to figure out how to relax, have less pressure, and find a new pace. Last year, I went to Peru and to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I didn't know there were people even more "nerdy" about baseball than me. In order to fund all this great travel, I own and manage a mini-storage complex and am rehabbing an apartment building. DeDe Rogers: Last year was a mixed year for us. On the down side, my brother, John, passed away, the first of the six of us. My dear friend, Jill Wiley Lee (mother of Patty Lee Schminke), also passed last year. Steve and I greatly miss her. On the upside, Steve and I had a fantastic trip with Angela Nomellini and her husband, Ken Olivier, to Australia. We toured the Blue Mountains, Uluru National Park, and Kangaroo Island. The kids are doing great. Sammie is in San Diego working at ShareCare Inc. in strategic marketing, and Derek is in San Francisco working for OpSwat as director of North American sales. I’m still running Stay Home Connected; it’s very small, but very rewarding and a much-needed option for the elderly to connect with technology.

72Suzanne Scoville suzanne.scoville@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

73Barbara Smith O’Brien beob2110@gmail.com

Basia Belza: I completed a year as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Washington School of Nursing. It was an incredible opportunity and one that gave me additional insights into our school’s strengths and challenges. I continue to conduct research on healthy aging and our sitting epidemic! I was fortunate to be a visiting faculty at University of Freiburg, Germany and Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China, and the first nurse to speak at the Global Health Forum in Taiwan. I accompanied my dad to the 73rd anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw. My dad was a combatant in the Polish resistance Home Army in 1944. My husband, Martin, and I called Munich home for a month and enjoyed Weihnachtsmarkts and immersing ourselves in the Bavarian culture and German language. Teresa Barger had an eventful 2017. Her daughter, Medora, returned from two years in Nairobi and started a combined MBA and MA at Wharton Business School and the Lauder Institute. She remarks that it is so lovely to be on the same continent again. Her daughter, Amelia, is a fashion designer in New York and married Jaser Faruq, an engineer for Tesla in Palo Alto. Their three weddings on three consecutive Saturdays in three countries began the couple’s long-distance marriage in style. All ceremonies were a blast and all wedding dresses plus about 10 others were designed by the bride. Diane Hull Gansauer writes that she is still working full-time running a celebrant program for the Dignity Funeral Homes in Denver but retirement is on the horizon. She's also running a small business, Lyrical Life Ceremonies, primarily for wedding ceremonies. And she's still feeding her hiking habit, completing another 300 miles on the Continental Divide in 2017! Tracy McDonald: I am working, working, working. By the time I commute from the mountains to work to the gym and back it’s 12 hours a day, but I don’t mind it. Working with younger people is fascinating and baffling. My daughters are all doing well. My oldest retired from roller derby and coaching and my youngest graduated and has moved into an artist loft space. My boyfriend and I are riding our RZRs through the mud and snow on the weekends when we can.

Celebrating the Class of 1973 reunion in Carmel are Mary Biaggi McEachern, Stella Blackwell Casillas, Suki Bryan, and Anne Cochran Frischkorn

I am so grateful for the blessings of friendship and practicing a spiritual way of life. Tina Tomlinson Del Piero: I’m in my 14th year with the VNA and Hospice as director of fund development. I spend a lot of my free time with my fellow alum Lisa Morel Suibielski. She has just welcomed her fifth grand baby, Mateo. I’m awaiting my first from my son, Paul Del Piero ’03 LS. My youngest, John Del Piero ’06 LS, took me on my first trip to New York for my birthday present. We had so much fun and I averaged 22,000 steps a day. When I’m not with my boys I’m with my god daughters, Sara Mohsin Grondahl ’03, Hana Mohsin ’11, and Kristine Cosgrove ’06. They definitely keep me on my toes. Surround yourself with Catalina people and you will have a happy and busy life! Lucia Blair Webster: Our daughter, Jessie, graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign in May. We all went to David's 45th Williams College reunion in June. And on August 21, David and I viewed the total solar eclipse with friends at the Glendale State Park near Casper, WY, under perfect conditions. As we watched the moon cross the face of the sun, the temperature dropped 15 degrees, and the day went to twilight and back all in two and a half minutes. What a humbling and awesome experience that was! Last fall, I wrote a 20-page paper on World’s Fairs for the Winnetka Fortnightly Club, a group that has been around for nearly 90 years. I did this while holding down my full-time job as a banker at PNC Bank. David starred as the Second Gentlemen in A Christmas Carol at the Winnetka Community House. Barbara Smith O’Brien: Three of our four children are currently residing in California: JB is in wine in St. Helena; Nora is a special education teacher in San Jose: and Edward is studying at the Park Service Law Enforcement Academy in Santa Rosa. Thankfully Caitlyn seems happy to stay East for now. We moved full-time to Annapolis, MD last March but may have to rethink our retirement residence if our children stay in California.

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Sally Fay calgal75@aol.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

75

Deanna (Dede) Duoos Davis deanna.davis@yahoo.com

What stands out above all in 2017 is the connection we have for one another. This was no more apparent than over a lovely, warm May weekend in Napa spent with 25 of our classmates at the family home of Amanda Bryan. To say that it was enjoyable is an understatement. It was simply a blast! Amanda Bryan: It was such a special time and meant so much to me that so many came to the Napa 60th Birthday Getaway Weekend. I can’t thank each of you enough for making the effort, as it was all of you that made it so memorable. I am especially grateful to Dede Davis and Dryden Branson Bordin, who helped me from the beginning and throughout the festivities. I could not have done it without you!

Also, a special thanks to Christine Blom Gomez , Joan Artz , and Diana Oliver Bartley for all their contributions. From Colorado, we hear news from Florine Clark : Sarah told me I missed a whale of a party and clearly, she was right! The reason I missed the Big 60th Birthday Bash at

Amanda's was that during that time I was a wrangler for the Sombrero Ranch Great American Horse Drive! We helped 40 guests drive more than 500 horses over 75 miles of open country. It was a blast, and I hope to be able to do it again. I invite all my classmates to come and ride with me in Colorado! From Southern California, Jeannie Jagels Vaughn: That video of our Napa party made me so happy. There were some that clearly stood out on that dance floor. Christine Blom Gomez and Lucy Lewis-Dreyer come to mind. Also, I remember how I loved watching Adrienne Morphy Ladd dance all night. It was such a great weekend. Clear across the pond, Diana Oliver Bartley writes: What a roller coaster year 2017 was, but what a charmed and charming weekend we had at Amanda’s to celebrate our collective 60th. It was wonderful seeing so many of you there. I am still enjoying being a learning support tutor, rowing on the Thames, and generally enjoying life in London. In September, I went to Paris with the London Rowing Club and we rowed 30 kilometers along the Seine—a special experience. The ukulele still entertains. Our daughter is working in the city and our son is working in Vancouver. My husband is very busy with his archiving and writing. As always, I would love to see any of you if you are passing through London. From Idaho, Meggan Laxalt Mackey: We have had our share of life's challenges in 2017, including the passing of another of my brothers, Steve. My remaining sibling, Rick, recently moved to outside the Basque Country to take a breather from all the sadness. It has proved to be wonderful for him, and for us! It turns out my decision to retire from federal service and rewire was a good one. By finishing my graduate school, writing a

book, and working at Boise State University teaching freshman how to communicate and innovate, I have been both humbled and inspired by many. I continue to dedicate a good portion of my energy to the Basque community in Boise and beyond, supporting my amazing cultural heritage throughout the diaspora. My husband, Dennis, retired from his 35-year U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service career this year, and is happy managing dogs rather than issues! Daughter Erin is doing well, finishing up her grad degree in public administration while continuing to work at Portland State University. I continue to operate my little "Studio M" publications and design business and love the creativity, flexibility, and variety of projects I am working on! My seed catalogs are already arriving, and I look forward to a year of "growing peace" in 2018. Liz Walker Rudinica shares sad news, but fortunately with a happy outcome: Our son (34) overdosed on heroin recently. Lucky for him, the paramedics brought him back as he was technically dead. He is now in a 30-day in-house program at Hoag Hospital. As you can imagine, our family is devastated and working on dealing and coping and trying to understand. One day at a time! Hope your life is going well and family is good. It was a great party. Thanks again for all your hard work! From Portland, OR, we hear from Elizabeth Leach, our world traveler: Bert and I went to Europe twice and Asia once, so three times abroad, along with travel to New York City, San Francisco, and lots of other places in the U.S. This year, I am trying to stay home a little more and enjoy my adorable grandchild, Evelyn (20 months). She is the best! Michele Bozzo Mahi writes of her busy

Florine Clark ’75 was a wrangler for the Sombrero Ranch Great American Horse Drive in Colorado

The Class of 1973 at Reunion 2018

life: It's been quite a year. My younger brother, Andy, is a fire captain in the Contra Costa area and was fighting the big fire the Napa area, and my husband is in Houston helping with the Hurricane Harvey relief. Many people lost their homes and his company is putting temporary trailers on their properties until they can rebuild. I've been busy with my HR consulting business, running back and forth between Pacific Grove and L.A. to visit the kids. Stay well and safe. Lisa Barry has retired from her management position in nursing after nearly 17 years. She is an occasional worker bee at two surgery centers and grateful that so many classmates are safe after the devastating California fires and mudslides. First-time grandma Yolanda Mitchell West writes: My husband and I are proud new grandparents! We have the most adorable grandson: Kasen Giovanni West born in July. I am still singing professionally and was presented in a pre-holiday recital with the theme “Songs of Gratitude” last November in L.A., performing songs by Handel, Mascagni, Bach-Gounod, Rorem, and Brodszky. Katy Moore-Kozachik : I think my last job for the movie industry was for 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight—a very short gig. I am transitioning to doing my own art. Speaking of such, I went down to Santa Barbara and saw Christine Blom Gomez Joan Artz and I have been hanging out a lot more in Carmel when I get down there. Annette Leach Alcocer: We did a trip to Kauai this past summer. My

husband, Rick, has been the chairman of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) for a year so we travel to many fun places within Canada. And we enjoy our two little grandsons, Andrew and Matthew! Stella Sinner Lauerman: Our older daughter, Mary Claire, married in April amidst the gorgeous redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was a glorious wedding and a four-day family reunion all in one! She and her husband, Phil, are living in Northwest Arkansas and she is doing splendidly as a pediatric occupational therapist. Our second daughter, Emily Lauerman ’06, is about to start her master’s degree in library science, and Mike is doing well in his day program and activities. My husband, Dave, is still commuting to San Jose to his job as a workers’ comp judge. I left Easter Seals at the end of 2016, and I am now working for several different agencies all relating to serving people with disabilities and freelance Spanish interpreting. It’s not boring, I’ll say that! Sarah Bryant: I love living here across the water from Seattle. One of my brothers and his family, my mother, two uncles, and a cousin and her family live nearby. I’ve joined a hiking group and walk with them three times a week. Renovations on my house are very nearly done. I can’t wait! In September, I spent time in Brittany, Germany, and Poland. I’m still working on my artwork and traveling to Mexico for a printmaking course in February. Good excuse to work on my Spanish. Dryden Branson Bordin, partner in crime and

soirée aficionado, writes: Our son graduated from college, following in our footsteps with a degree in business. He is opening his own business at the age of 25 and we couldn’t be prouder of him. Craig and I celebrated 35 years of marriage and as native Californians took the uplifting leap out of NorCal and into the verdant Cason Valley at the eastern base of the South Lake Tahoe mountain range. We are thrilled with our new community. It was a pleasure to help Dede Davis and Amanda Bryan with our reunion in Napa last summer. All those who attended were so gracious and appreciative. I felt blessed to be surrounded by such an incredible group of women. My thanks to those of you who could not attend in person, but did so in spirit by sending precious gifts and memories. And from me, Deanna (Dede) Duoos Davis: Our class really is special. It was such a surprise to see my very first, sophomore-year roommate, Frances Hartwell, at the Napa party. What a treat! Like Frannie, even Kathy Flanigan, who I have not seen since sophomore year, was in attendance. And while sleuthing the internet, looking for long-lost Catalina classmates so they could receive an invitation to the party, I was able to find Hillary Kilduff living on the outskirts of San Diego. I reached out to check on Sarah Colmery Preston and Christine Blom Gomez , who both live in the area of the Montecito mudslide. Back in December the Ventura fire narrowly missed Chris’ house, so she’s been beset by more than one calamity. Sarah emailed me to say she was OK but without electricity and other services, yet had enough charge in her cellphone to say that Carpinteria was OK despite the flooding. In September, a forest fire claimed our house and a lifetime of possessions, so I’ve set up camp here at “command central,” the family ranch in California. Over Christmas, we spent a fabulous week in Whitefish with the boys, and together with their girlfriends got some fresh powder snowboarding in. Here’s wishing you all a great rest of the year!

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Margaret Ganz

itstartsat50@hotmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

77

Julie Power Pantiskas

Juliepantiskas@gmail.com

I can still hear Diona Devincenzi Douglas playing her guitar while singing in Senior Dorm, so it was good to hear that she is still doing her music thing. She splits her time between Nashville and San Diego these days writing for film, TV,

Members of the Class of 1975 celebrating their 60th birthdays in Napa

and advertising. She is starting a new album, and I hope she lets us all know when it’s released. Many of my classmates and I were saddened to hear the devastating news from Leslie Person Ryan, who was impacted by the fires and then the mudslides in Santa Barbara. Luckily she is safe. For the past 32 years, Leslie has owned businesses on Coast Village Road, which was one of the most impacted areas. Leslie’s three children have kept her grounded to the community over the years. She asked if everyone could pray for them, pray for their families, and pray for their community.

Camilla Woodward Woods had just returned to Boulder, CO, when the devastation in Santa Barbara occurred. Camilla is now a psychotherapist and an artist. She had a surprise trip to Santa Barbara on Christmas Day to meet her two granddaughters (2½ and 3½ years old) for the first time. They belong to her son, R.J. She also got to spend some time with her daughter, Carolina. And for those of our classmates far away, Lorena Farias de la Garza wrote that she “is still living in Monterrey, Mexico, and will be celebrating her 33rd wedding anniversary this year.” She and her husband are grandparents to a wonderful baby boy. Her youngest son has graduated from Suffolk University in Boston. All four of her boys have graduated college now! Two of her boys are living in Dallas, with one working for Coca-Cola Comany and the other Softek. Her second son is getting married in March. Since her husband retired two years ago, she is spending most of her time playing golf and traveling. In November, they made a visit to Santa Catalina and were very impressed with how much has changed. Jane Saunders Johnston retired from the CFA (volunteer firefighters) a few years ago but keeps in contact with the crew. Rupert and Jane are very happy living in Australia and will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year. She writes, “Life here is simpler and we are starting to prepare for retirement in the next five to ten years and we plan to spend time traveling the length and breadth of Australia by seeing all those places you

only read about.” It was delightful to hear from Corinne Renshaw. She is still living in Northern Utah. Corinne keeps herself busy with cross-stitch projects and is very involved in a quilt guild. As the keeper of her family ancestry records for both sides of the family, she has been trying to keep up with the family history. She misses everyone and hopes life is treating everyone well. Elizabeth Lungren Bloom has been living in Castaic, CA, for the past 28 years and is still working for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She lost her eldest sibling and big brother, John Jr., in November 2016 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. She misses him deeply every day. Her sister, Loretta, bravely fought her second battle with breast cancer. She is grateful that she has remained in remission since 2016. Elizabeth’s son, John Robert (J.R.), graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in May. She is one proud mother with all his accomplishments. She and her sister, Tricia Lungren Partridge ’74, along with other family members attended his graduation. Paula Opperman Mackintosh is in the process of becoming a fiduciary, a trustee, conservator, and/or guardian for people who need help managing their funds, property, or need an advocate for their day-to-day needs or medical decisions. She is pleased to be of service to those who don’t have family or friends to whom they can turn. Her daughter, Alyssa, is now a physician assistant in Phoenix, AZ. In September, Rob and Paula bought a new house in the country outside of Escondido. They enjoy having fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and beautiful plants. She says, “The property came with hawks, bunnies, a bat, and a squirrel! It’s a lot of fun getting out of the city.” It was so wonderful to hear from Amy Callery Davidson after all these years. She is teaching fourth grade at the prestigious Polytechnic School in Pasadena. All her kids are grown and living in the area. Her youngest is married. Stephanie Leach Decker retired from policy work at Kaiser Permanente and now is pursuing an MFA in fiction. Stephanie and her

husband have relocated to Reno and would love to hear from anyone who is visiting the Tahoe area. One of her three sons is getting married in Denver this summer. She hopes to find time to see classmates! Andrea Kingsley: It was way fun seeing everyone at the 40th reunion and we missed so many other classmates. Hopefully, a bigger gathering will be sooner rather than later. I continue to live in Eugene, OR, and feel fortunate that I am able to travel so much. My recent travels took me to Cuba many times; I fell in love with the people so much that I started a nonprofit to benefit the community of Sancti Spiritus. My next adventure is another Global Volunteers trip to St. Lucia. Wendy Richardson Ardrey has been working for Aberdeen Standard Investments for the past 10 years, which allows her to travel a lot. Wendy and her husband, Jamie, are still living in Connecticut and will celebrate their 30th anniversary in June. Her daughter (26) is living in Chicago as a management consultant and her son (24) is working as an investment banker in NYC. Another classmate on the East Coast is Hope Waterbury. She is splitting her time between NYC and East Hampton, Long Island, where she can be close to the beach. She is still working as a personal trainer both on land and in the pool. She recently picked up a new certification specializing in working with elderly people. She finished renovating a house in East Hampton this past fall and is now trying to sell it. Jimmy is still the love of her life and they are celebrating seven years together. They hope to continue buying, renovating, and selling homes. Her golden retrievers are their children. She was devastated when she suddenly lost her 4-year-old dog in April. Since neither Jimmy nor Hope are fans of the cold weather, they are looking into spending a few months in the South or somewhere where it’s warm. Nene Amachree Piltoff is working at Boca Raton Resort and Club, Waldorf Astoria. She started two years ago as a seasonal golf tee time coordinator and was quickly promoted to activities supervisor, where she continues to succeed. This

Lorena Farias de la Garza ’77, third from left, with her family

Members of the Class of 1977 enjoying time together: Joy Franich Maze, Wendy Richardson Ardrey, Dagmar Sullivan, and Andrea Kingsley

all happened after 18 years of being a stay-at-home mom. She volunteers and raises funds for Nat King Cole’s Generation Hope Foundation. His daughters are her dearest friends. Both of Nene’s children are studying in Southern California. She is a proud mother and grateful for her wonderful life. Jameen Wesson Jacoby wrote from Aspen, where the snow is quite thin so she has been hiking: “Please know how special each of you are and please let’s all make an effort to get to Catalina’s next reunion.” Gina Jansheski is back in India after working for five months in Ukiah, CA, where she reconnected with Ellen Barbieri Rollins after 35 years. She continues to work with children and animals in a volunteer capacity and plans to remain in India until March. The next step will be a “cow internship” at The Gentle Barn, a wonderful sanctuary in Santa Clarita, CA, this spring. Ellen Barbieri Rollins retired to Windsor in Sonoma County with her husband, Peter. They have been spending lots of time with family in Sonoma County, Marin, and Tahoe. She loves being back in the Bay Area and reconnecting with so many people! She shared that living in Sonoma County has been quite interesting. The fires were within a mile of her house but luckily, there wasn’t any damage. Her sister, Leslie Barbieri Rea ’74, and her husband fought the fire on their property for five hours and saved their home! Kate Donlin Ferguson is still living in Denver working in commercial real estate banking. Her daughter, Ellen, is a junior in film school in L.A. Kate writes, “You would never know that she was raised in Colorado because she loves L.A. and will probably stay for the near future.” Kate, like so many of our classmates, wrote what a great time they had at our 40th reunion and hopes to see

more of us at the next one. Gary and I (Julie Power Pantiskas) will be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary this coming December. It is hard to believe we have been married for so long. We have been making quick trips to Dallas, TX, to see our daughter, Lauren. Our youngest daughter, Megan, is taking classes at Art Center College for Design here in Pasadena. It was great to hear from so many of you!

78

The Class of 1978 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Coordinator of Alumnae Relations, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

79

Deirdre Smith dsmith7123@sbcglobal.net

Julie Jones Breitfuss: Curt and I are empty nesters, living back in Carmel. I am filling my time with occasional classes at the local colleges and working with a friend’s floral design company. Curt has been a huge support to Catalina, rounding out his 10th year on the board and coaching varsity basketball. Thankfully, all of our kids and family are on the West Coast so we are

able to travel quite a bit to see them. Thankful we are in good health and able to enjoy this time in our lives and spend time with the family. Melina Eversole Montoya: I am a busy volunteer and keep myself occupied with fundraising for Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles and the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena. My son, Phillip, is grown, graduated from college, and does not live with us—a huge accomplishment in this day and age. My husband moved to a big law firm downtown two years ago and is busy and happy. I see Diane Ryan Adams at least once a year and now I see Grace Bruns, as her mom lives in a retirement community here in Pasadena. I am planning a trip to Oregon to visit Deborah Thomason Arline Smith Haun: We live in Geyserville, in Alexander Valley, just north of Healdsburg. The Pocket Fire was in our backyard and we had to evacuate. Fortunately, the firefighters and first responders were able to keep it away from our area, but we spent four days watching and praying. I am still teaching special education and am currently at Healdsburg High School. I am married (33 years) with four children—three boys and a girl. My oldest (31) is married and lives in San Jose and is finishing up at UC Santa Cruz, majoring in chemistry. He wants to be a winemaker (perfect job for moving back home to the wine country). My second son (27) is also married and lives in Maryland, where he is finishing his Ph.D. in physics. He went to UC Merced, and his graduate work is through Tulane University in New Orleans. Our third son (25) works construction here in Healdsburg and is active in coaching basketball at high school. My daughter (23) just graduated from Oregon State, where she majored in bioengineering and was on their track team as a

The Class of 1978 at Reunion 2018

Cindy Hewitt '79 with daughter Lizzie

pole vaulter. She has a job in Seattle, closer to her boyfriend. We are all happy, healthy, and moving right along with the tide. Francine “Francie” Balestrieri Hoffmire: My husband, Steve, and I continue to enjoy life in Marin County. Our two children live and work in San Francisco so we are blessed to see them often. Aside from work (he is a contractor, and I am a personal trainer) we can be found recreating on Mount Tamalpais, cycling, and frequenting local live music shows. I have the occasional Dianne Peebles Roach sighting (now a fellow empty nester), which is always a hoot. Hope to see everyone at the next reunion. We need more East Coast representation! Cynthia "Cindy" Hewitt: I am still living in Rye, NY, and I am almost an empty nester. My eldest son lives and works in New York City. My daughter is a senior at Northwestern, while my youngest is a junior at Cal. I am aiming to get to our 40th reunion and hope to see you all there. Deirdre Smith: I have one child, but my planner scribbles are a testament to a flurry of activity. Lily plays viola in a youth symphony and my dream is for her to attend college on a viola scholarship. She loves to sing in the church choir and sometimes plays viola or violin in worship. We are both active in community theater. On occasion, Lily lands national work in Los Angeles. I have worked part-time for a San Diego County school district for some years (I enjoy the children and staff so much) and write and publish HOA newsletters. Looking forward to hearing from more of you in the next round. I asked Katherine McGregor if I may share that she has been an executive producer for the movie Walking Out. She reported on her Facebook page that it left theaters in the U.S. and was released in the U.K. on February 5. You can see the movie on demand with multiple providers. Katie provided the following link for reviews and the trailer: rottentomatoes.com/m/walking_out. Congratulations, Katie!

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Dana DePuy Morgan danamorgan@mac.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue! 81

The Class of 1981 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Coordinator of Alumnae Relations, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Mindy

Malisoff

Baggett mbaggett@cox.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue! 83

Kellen Flanigan

kellen@kellenflanigan.com

Jessica Girard: Ingrid (21) is in her senior year at Washington University in St. Louis and she is excited to graduate but sad that her time in college is coming to end; she has loved her time in St. Louis. She will spend next year working for Green Corps, traveling around the U.S. doing environmental campaigning. Brian is working at Barry's Tickets, and I am still teaching at a local elementary school. Mary Sutton Pinkus: We are in Woodside, with two girls still in high school. We also have one at Wake Forest, and one college grad doing Teach For America in San Francisco. We now have four dogs because we were fostering puppies and failed. I’m still running and doing volunteer work and hope to make it to the reunion!

Kim Ward: I am happy to share that my daughter, Katie Karpenko ’17, graduated from Catalina in June 2017. She is loving her freshman year at Cal

Poly San Luis Obispo. She is majoring in animal science and hoping to pursue her passion for horses as a large animal vet. We are empty nesters! My work in software continues to keep me busy. I was able to catch up with Daniela Perez Fayer twice last year, once for our Georgetown reunion and once in Monterey when she and her family were in town for a wedding. Connie Speed Erickson and I have regular weekends up in the Bay Area, lunching, shopping, etc. Ibi Janko Murphy: I am still happily and serendipitously at Catalina, teaching religion in the Lower and Middle School to Kindergarten-grade 4 and helping to coordinate the Compass character education program. I am so grateful for this work that offers me the opportunity to connect with little ones’ hearts to reach out to others. School still holds the same graced beauty that it did when we all were here, and my husband, John, has to keep reminding me that I am not a young student running around in a kilt anymore. But I do often go “right back.” John still keeps us all grounded, peaceful, and together and is serving here in administration and in the classroom, teaching philosophy. Our son, George ’22 LS, just celebrated his first doubledigit birthday and is very busy with basketball, soccer, music, and buddies. Michelle Rutherford Aslin: We are still living in Los Alamos, NM, and are empty nesters. We are missing the kids but love it. Work is super busy as we are undergoing a contract change later this year. Things are stressful, busy, and uncertain, but I still love my job. My kids are doing great. Lynne is living in San Diego and loves it. Kyle is in Albuquerque going to college, and when he is done he hopes to move

The Class of 1983 at Reunion 2018

to Colorado so he can snowboard more months than not. Austin, my stepson, is working at the laboratory while working on his master’s and lives up here during the week and in Albuquerque on the weekends. Haley, my stepdaughter, is going to college in Albuquerque as well. My husband, Jamie, is doing well and my mom has been living in Los Alamos for three years now. I love having her so close so we can spend time together and get on each other’s nerves. Tara Davey-Rosa: I am still living in Westfield, NJ, managing nonprofits and associations. My oldest son, Christian (22), received his associate’s degree in history in December. He is in Bela Bela, South Africa, volunteering on a monkey preserve and wildlife rehabilitation center, which has been an amazing opportunity for him. Next he is going to volunteer on an organic farm, taking a gap semester to do volunteer work and figure out what’s next. My daughter, Noelle, is a junior at Notre Dame and has an internship in NYC next summer so she will also be out of the house, leaving Timmy, my junior in high school, the only one left at home. My husband, Joe, is a securities lawyer at Stifel Nicolas here in New Jersey. I made it to a Catalina gathering at the home of Patty Cerisola-Mansi a few months ago, which was great. It was nice to catch up with a few Catalina classmates and meet some other alumnae. Maria Pope: I am the CEO of Portland General Electric, providing most of Oregon's 4.5 million people with electricity—the largest renewable energy program in the country. I have three kids. Peter is at Georgetown; MacGregor is at the University of Chicago; and Grace is in sixth grade. My husband, Peter Beatty, is a doctor. Stephanie Burns: My husband and I are living in the Santa Rosa area with our dog, a Belgian malinois, Kona. We had a bit of excitement with the big fires in October and evacuated for two weeks, but our house was still here when we got home. I am a professor of biology at the Napa Valley Community College and my husband, Pat Henderson, is the head winemaker at Kenwood Vineyards winery. In my spare time, I train my dog for environmental detection work and dog sports including agility and nose work. My sister, Jennifer Burns ’81, also teaches in Napa so we see each other frequently. I have recently visited another alum, Michelle Bradley-Chittano ’81, in Switzerland, where she is now living and teaching at an international school.

Virginia Harris Gable: In May, we opened Cultivar San Francisco, an intimate restaurant and wine bar featuring a menu inspired by locally sourced seasonal ingredients and boutique wines from Napa and Sonoma. It is located in the far west side of the Marina and Cow-Hollow neighborhood, open for lunch and dinner, and offers a flexible menu that is ideal for shared plates or a full dining experience. My son, Bo, is in the sixth grade and enjoys Boy Scouts. My husband is working on making sure that the next generation is able to communicate and has a website called AllSides. He has launched a school program and did a TEDWomen talk with Living Room Conversations. Kellen Flanigan: We made a big move last March. My husband, Rob Stinnett, and

I moved to Reno, NV. This is our hometown and we have family here. Another factor in our decision is the demand for housing in this amazing city. Rob is a general contractor in CA and NV, and I am a real estate broker in CA and NV. This allows us to build homes and to try filling the 33,000 housing void. My daughter, Madison Shaffer, will be 27 in July and she lives in Venice and has gotten the “fix and flip” bug like her mom. My son, Nico Shaffer, will be 26 in August and is traveling the continent seeking rocks to climb and mountains to ski. He is living out of the camper he made on the back of his truck. Our doors are open to anyone wanting to visit the Reno/Tahoe area!

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Victoria Manassero Maat junebugjump@icloud.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Krysia Belza Logsdon catalina@krysiabelza.com

On January 6, 2018, we lost our beautiful classmate, Casey Ricciardi-Yeager. The heartache experienced by her family and friends is testament to the impact she had on so many. And in the spirit of our Catalina family, many of our classmates returned to Carmel to celebrate her life. Her dazzling smile, infectious laugh, and

kind heart remain with me forever. Casey, you will be in our hearts, always. I (Krysia) have been in Ketchum, ID, for 17 years now, embracing the seasons year-round from snowboarding in the winter to paddling in the summer. I see Carolyn Kimble Larsen when she’s in town and we can’t help but talk Catalina when we’re together, especially since her daughter is now a boarder as well (Kate Larsen ’21). Working with Smith Optics in global helmet purchasing has taken me to Asia and Italy this past year. This year was also the collective 50th birthday of the Class of ’85, which led Kari McDermott and I to Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, spending our days horseback riding and evenings swimming in hot springs under a full moon. It was perfection. Elizabeth Logan-Baravalle: I am mourning Casey and often thinking of the family she left behind, especially her daughter, whom she so obviously adored. I was fortunate to have several days with Kari McDermott in the city before she headed back to California for the paddle out and memorial service. Over those days together, so many friends reached out. A time filled with both sadness and love. Working hard at de.MO branding and design. I even have some Catalina client projects underway! I am still located in the 19th century carriage house horse stalls we converted into a studio 18 years ago when we moved the office from Milan back to the Hudson Valley. Morgan now plays soccer as a freshman at Trinity College. My son, Cameron, also plays soccer as well as squash, and rows as a sophomore at Kent School. I am so grateful for my Catalina family. Christina Nalchajian Whitley: I am working as an estate planner and doing probate litigation, and I just finished a graduate law degree in estate planning. My son, Chaz, is a ninth-grader, and my girls Julia ’18 and Sofia

Kari McDermott ’85, Jennifer Leaper ’84, Kirsten Kendrick ’85, Krysia Belza Logsdon ’85, Erica Snook ’85, and Jamie Buffington Browne ’85 have fun taking a selfie.

’19 are senior and junior boarders at Catalina. Marshall and I will toil away until we get these kids through college! Karin "Kari" McDermott: I am enjoying my open weekends now that my youngest, Colin, has graduated from Stanford and is adulting in Silicon Valley. Eldest son, Connor, is prepping to be a student again and going for his MBA this time. The empty nest is beginning to allow more time for Catalina friends on both coasts—including a fabulous yet unexpected encounter at an L.A. restaurant with Kim Fay and Jenny Evenson McClure. I had a lovely birthday brunch with Krysia Belza Logsdon and Kirsten Ritzau in Sun Valley that was laughter filled, as always. I live in the creative pulse of the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, and would love a visit if work/life/travel brings you my way. The sudden loss of Casey proffered a painfully poignant reminder that time truly is precious. Love. Moments. Passions. Friendship. These are everything. Sending love, health, and peace to our phenomenal Class of ’85. I look forward to our continued adventures!

86Katharine Folger Yeager yeagerkbf@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

was wonderful to go together to see the movie produced by Cressey Belden Janko! Sylvia Estrada Hellmund: We moved to Vail, CO, for the 2017-18 school year! We wanted a change of pace and a different experience to share with our kids, so decided on Vail. Life here is amazing and very different from our Miami routine! For now, we have experienced the beautiful fall months, and now we are excited for the skiing and other winter activities. Natasha (8) took up ice skating and won two first place medals in her level in the Aspen Invitational. Her next big competition will be in Denver in March. Sebastian, a freshman in high school, is enjoying everything the mountains have to offer, especially the skiing. Carlos, myself, and the kids are loving and welcoming this great change in our lives! Carter Hachman Jackson: I’m still happily living in London. Coming up on 15 years! I’ve been with the same company (many name and regime changes) for 17 years now, and after 12 of those being three days a week, I have taken a senior job and decided to “lean in” to a full four days. My ever-adoring husband, Jacko, finds my wide-eyed panic about working a four-day week slightly melodramatic. Our kids, Imogen (9) and James (7), are terrific and regularly get to play with the kids of their aunt Amy Smith Ainscough ’94, Lauren Meek Jarrett ’94, and Missy Mulvihill Roberts ’95—a double-whammy Stockton and Catalina connection. I have had a terrific time reconnecting with Kate Hunt Smith, who lives in Cambridge, and is just as fabulous as always. A highlight of 2017 was going to the wedding of Jennifer Lazar to Greg Wenderski in Austin at Easter and then having them come stay this summer. Greg is a professional sword caster, and I’m trying to convince them to come for a month and offer classes to every single one of my friends in London!

Susan Smith Nixon snixon@starbucks.com

Laura Evans Manatos made the bold move recently and walked away from the anchor desk at Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., into the world of social impact and entrepreneurship. Tired of telling bad news day after day, she launched Laura Evans Media, a media consulting firm focused on telling the stories of those who are working to make us better, our communities healthier, our world kinder. It also means she can now put the kids to bed and enjoy family dinners each night.

Kassandra Thompson Brenot: François and I were overjoyed to see our daughter, Loleï ’17, graduate from Catalina last spring, and to start college this year at USC, where she is studying international relations and aiming to eventually go into counter-terrorism work. Our son, Jean-Pierre ’20 LS, is in sixth grade at Santa Catalina and has François' wit and charm. I am keeping very busy as the head of Upper School. I love seeing alumnae and especially classmates who come to school or to town, so please make sure to say hello when you do! Elisa Lehr Hughes: I loved connecting with everyone last year at Reunion. Catalina connections are everything. At Reunion, I realized Susan Smith Nixon and I are neighbors! It’s been so much fun to connect with her. It

88Jennifer Pratt

curgie615@earthlink.net

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

87

Susan Smith Nixon '87 with Kassandra Thompson Brenot '87 at Candlelight Mass

The Class of 1988 at Reunion 2018

89Elizabeth Maher Purdum elizabethpurdum@hotmail.com

Greetings, ladies! It has been great to hear from so many of you. The fact that I had to practically light myself on fire and threaten to make stuff up to get a response from you all is a different matter. Carol Ann Browning is cancer free! Mary Fleischer Baum declares this to be “the best update ever.” Kim Meek gave birth to the cutest baby girl. Hadley was born in June 2017. Congratulations, Kim! Jana Enos Henderson is a newlywed. She married Jeff Henderson on a yacht in San Francisco Bay last July. Both Bridget Callaghan Zaro and Abbi Smith were there to celebrate this joyous occasion. Jeff is a commander in the Coast Guard. Jana is still with The North Face and is currently their global color design director setting color and trend direction for the brand. She lives in Alameda, where she gets to bike to work every day. Last November, she went to Santa Fe to visit with Abbi Smith and her dad. Sally Evenson Lopez is also newly married. She is sharing her life with “the man of her dreams.” She splits her time between San Diego and Monterey. Tracy Taylor Everett is a restaurateur! After 11 years of being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to shake things up and has opened The Toss in San Carlos. She couldn’t be happier with her new career and is truly in awe at the path her life has taken. Francesca Cerisola has been living in the Basel area of Switzerland for nearly 10 years. She has four daughters. Marina ’21, her second eldest, started at Catalina this year as a freshman. Fran had fun running into Sarah Clark Woolf at Parents’ Weekend. Sarah’s daughter, Margaret ’21, is also a freshman boarder. Beth Russo Tarallo shared that her son, Johnny ’10 LS, is graduating from SDSU in the fall and then he is off to graduate school, where he will study psychology. Her daughter, Juliana ’17, is a freshman at Chapman University and loving every minute of it! She is an English major with a desire to write screenplays. Her younger daughter, Jenna ’18 LS, is an eighth-grader at Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School and was just recently accepted into the Upper School! Beth and her kids consider Santa Catalina a huge part of their lives. Erica Bailey Luoma is still in Phoenix and loving it. Her daughter, Avery (16), is driving and looking at colleges where she can play volleyball. Erica is still doing National Charity League, where she has finally turned over the reins as webmaster after four years of service. But of course she filled up that free time by picking up a position for her son Matthew’s Boys Service Club. Matthew is busy in eighth grade and playing soccer. Rebecca Khamneipur Morrison loves watching her two boys grow up. They are 11 and 12. She keeps busy painting, doing some legal work, and volunteering. She loved seeing Kim Rudas Goerlitz and Bridget Callaghan Zaro during their annual trip to Bainbridge, and also Ninive Clements Calegari at the baby shower for Kim Meek Amy Bowman is recently married and lives in Redondo Beach. She works with NOAA’s Office

of Ocean Exploration and Research. She went to sea for work on a 23-day deep ocean exploration expedition from American Samoa to Hawaii, by way of the Cook Islands, Jarvis Island, and the Line Islands (first equator crossing on a boat) last spring. Her husband is an officer in the Air Force. Melissa Davis Rozsa has twin boys (4) and she and her husband are busy raising them. She reports that “living in Monterey is getting easier after 17 years in New York City. Ian and Mason are enjoying preschool part time, and they are the best beings in my world.” Her husband, Shawn, was asked to return to Telluride, CO, to direct the 25th Anniversary AIDS Benefit, a fashion theatrical show. On her own career front, Marchesa Jewelry in Pebble Beach is growing. She is taking on more responsibility and working to grow the family business by expanding into social media, adding new jewelry lines, and making some of her own designs. Her jewelry is amazing and we all get a special Catalina discount. The daughter of Julia Abajian Kirvan will be a freshman at Vanderbilt University in the fall, while the daughter of Heidi Cohen Cook is at University of Nevada, Reno. She and Quinn Bernal ’12 LS, daughter of Maureen Duflock , are sorority sisters. Maureen is finally on Facebook and Ina Batinovitch is living in Colorado and has a cat. I (Elizabeth Purdum) am busy. I’ve started my consultation practice back up part time. My girls Willow (9) and Chloe (6) are at the same school, where, according to Willow, I am “there all the time” volunteering. Can’t wait to see you all in a year for our 30th reunion.

90 Augustina Stevens

augustinastevens@icloud.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

91 Marita Quint Bruni marita.quint@gmail.com

It sounds like there was cause for many celebrations in 2017. I had the opportunity to see Yvonne Simon ’92 in action behind the scenes when I was invited into the kitchen during a dinner at Quince before seeing a performance of Hamilton in San Francisco. I also spent some quality time with Tiffany Breckenridge ’92 and her adorable daughter, Skylar, on our last trip to Orange County. They helped celebrate my daughter Addison’s birthday at the Great Wolf Lodge. In addition to seeing some of the lovely ladies from the Class of ’92, I was able to arrange a dinner with some members of our class: Maria Juarez Letamendi, Alejandra Leon Letamendi, and Yolanda Orrantia Tessada while traveling to San Diego. All three

Melanie Ryan Meador ’91, Michelle Lynch Strauss ’91, Marita Quint Bruni ’91, and Lisa LeGros Knupp ’91 at Michelle’s wedding

are doing well and are just as beautiful as ever. Congratulations to Kirsten Silvey, Yolanda Orrantia Tessada, and Michelle Lynch Strauss, who all celebrated weddings in 2017! It was wonderful to see Michelle and her husband, Brian, tie the knot, and to catch up with former classmates Melanie Ryan Meador and Lisa LeGros Knupp, who were bridesmaids. Speaking of upcoming weddings, Katherine “Jeannie” Clancy got engaged to her boyfriend, Dave, over the Christmas holidays and is planning a summer wedding! Monica Duflock writes, “Life is good here in Marin. This past summer I spontaneously bought the house five doors down. So, after doing a remodeling project almost eight years ago, we are set to start another one at our new house later this year. I love the remodeling process! The boys continue to stay busy with sports and I continue to stay busy competing in horse shows. I just finished out the year leading the national standings for the NRCHA and look forward to the start of the new show season in January. This past holiday season, I ran into Mr. and Mrs. Jimenez, parents of our former classmate Veronica Jimenez , in Union Square. Twenty-plus years later and it was so amazing to see them again. They both looked wonderful and currently have a granddaughter at Catalina (Camila Nothalt Baz ’19)!” Katherine Hambleton Movalson says that she is happy to report no news after several tough years. She says she is grateful for a “healthy family and a happy life in Oregon! We traveled to Las Vegas in November. Brian had work and the kids had no school. We then traveled to Maui and Honolulu for Thanksgiving, which was a combo work trip and family deal. Hobs (10) skis on a ski team at Mt. Bachelor so we head over to Bend virtually every Friday between December and April! Full, happy life.”

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Amy Paulsen apindc@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Galen Johnson galen.a.johns@gmail.com

Corinne Quinn: For the past four years, I have managed a nutrition education program directed toward fourth- and fifth-graders with Vallejo City Unified School District. I enjoy educating and empowering children and their families toward healthy lifestyles. My mother passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in November 2017 after a 40-plus year battle with multiple sclerosis. Catherine MacDonald Christian: Tony and I are busy running our general contracting firm. We build and maintain restaurants and retail stores. Our oldest daughter, Corinne ’20, is a sophomore at Santa Catalina and is doing really well there. Our youngest, Isabelle (12), is enjoying life as a mostly-only child at home. I homeschool her, so between my actual full-time job and that, I’m too busy to get into any trouble. Pamela Brown: Life is as hectic as it can be. I am now a solo practitioner after having practiced criminal defense law for over 12 years with the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office. Every day is both a reward and a challenge as you learn an awful lot about yourself when you’re both your

boss and your employee. My husband, Horace, continues his work as a plumbing pro at Lowe’s. The kids are thriving. Darren is in third grade and discovering the joy of both the trumpet and multiplication tables. The twins, Sophia and Olivia, are taking their preschool by storm and we’re all looking forward to kinder in the fall.

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Heather Wasser Tobacco heatherwasser@hotmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

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Catie Ryan catieryan@gmail.com

Catie Ryan is thrilled to share news of her engagement to Charlie Versoza Balagtas. They will be celebrating their marriage in both NYC and the Philippines. Catie is also excited for the January 2018 publication of the Springer Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, for which she has co-authored the first-ever entry on biophilic design. Catie sees Danielle Huthart , Nicole Ziomek , and Airlie Anderson ’96 regularly.

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Jenny Noble jnoble78@hotmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

97

Jasmin Reate jlreate@gmail.com

This past year, Morgan Rogers McMillan went out on her own, leaving the foundation where she had worked since graduating from Georgetown. She is currently managing a health access project, seeking to connect Medicaid and uninsured patients to much needed specialty care. She still serves on the board of a local organization connecting adult immigrants to their community through language lessons and social activities. On the personal side, Morgan helped celebrate the wedding of her sister, Cameron Rogers ’02, this fall in Maui, and her two toddlers, Else and Herbie, continue to keep her and Gavin on their

The Class of 1993 at Reunion 2018

toes! Morgan writes, “I loved seeing everyone at our 20-year reunion and hope to enjoy several visits with Catalina girls in the coming year!”

Amanda Smith Burke and her family are doing well. She and her husband, Damian, have an elementary school child, Elizabeth (5), who started transitional kindergarten in September 2017. She met up with her sister, Amy Smith Ainscough ’94, and had dinner with Charlotte Richardson Snyder in December. This year marks Damian’s three-year anniversary from his double lung transplant. He is amazing, and completely in the full swing of work and family. Jenny McClendon Schaible and husband, Adam, are in Sebastopol, where she continues to grow JenniFlora, her flower farmer-florist business in Sonoma County, where she brings her creative florals from farm to table. She is also working for the Center for Well-Being, a healthcare nonprofit. Most importantly, she is venturing into the unknown of raising two teenage girls: Alexa (13) and Sophia (12)! Sarah McClendon relocated in the fall to Minneapolis, MN, with her wife, Melanie, and their two girls, Hazel (2) and Violet (6 months). While Sarah may have been freezing this winter, they are enjoying being closer to Melanie’s family. Speaking of cold, I (Jasmin Reate) was in Reno right before Christmas on a business trip. My professional organizing business continues to grow every year. It is a dream job which hardly feels like work! I love organizing wardrobes and walk-in closets, offices, and moving people into their houses in order to make them homes. I have been so blessed to work with a lot of Santa Catalina family members all over the country. When I’m not

organizing homes and offices, I still produce and plan events for The Hollywood Reporter. When I was in Reno, I made time to see Sarah Forysthe Grant , who is absolutely thriving in Reno with her husband, T, and their four boys: Teson (12), Previn (10), Sebastian (8), and Ryker (6). Sarah is busy growing her photography business, Sarah Ann Grant Photography. She also started a nonprofit organization, A New Song International, which benefits an orphanage in Uganda. Teson and she went on a trip to visit an orphanage, Happy Times, in Uganda last fall. Stephanie Masica-Brawley is still living in Merced with her two daughters, Piper (8) and Mary (6), and her wonderful husband, Mason. They will celebrate 12 years of marriage in July! She continues to work in sales for a national recruiting company, and feels so lucky to be able to work from home. Mason’s law practice is doing very well. She ran her sixth half-marathon, The Monterey Bay Half, in November in honor of her dad who passed away in 2016. Piper will be attending Summer at Santa Catalina this year, and they could not be more excited for her! In January 2017, P. Samantha Lewis married Jeffrey Rohwer at the California Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. Shortly after their return from a two-week honeymoon in Chile, Samantha and Jeff started the process of consolidating their households to her family farm in Chico. In August, Jeff and his two boys, TJ (13) and Nate (11), completed their move in time for the school year, and in November they were joined by their new brother, Samuel George. Congratulations, Samantha!

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Natalia Woodhall Chappelow nataliawoodhall@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

99

Laura Stenovec laurastenovec@gmail.com

We are looking forward to celebrating our 20th reunion next March. Ariana Ebrahimian: I successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2017, reaching Uhuru Peak at 19,341 feet after a six-day trek through the park. Two weeks later, my boyfriend, Connor, proposed in the Rosary Chapel at Catalina. (A huge thank you to Natalie Burke for helping him pull it off!) We are excited to return to campus this September with our family and friends to be married at the same place he popped the question.” Natalie Burke lives in San Francisco and enjoys teaching children how to cook through various after-school programs throughout the city. The highlight of her year is coming back to campus to teach a cooking class for Summer at Santa Catalina. When she isn’t in the kitchen, she is busy organizing fun events for the San Francisco chapter of the

P. Samantha Lewis '97 at her wedding to Jeffrey Rohwer

The Class of 1998 at Reunion 2018

Alumnae Association. Justine Carroll Campbell writes, “We are still in L.A. and had a baby girl, Mary-Larkin, who arrived in September. Will (3) loves his baby sister. Sending love to you girls.” Cate Craft Muir and her family (husband, Brad, and son, Gibson (2 1/2)) are enjoying living in Bellevue, WA. It’s been two years since they left San Francisco and though they miss the city, Bellevue is treating them well. They’re excited to be growing their little family with a girl due in May. Gibson loves lately to announce to his preschool class that he’s “so excited for my baby sister!” He’s a bit on the outgoing and performance side, surprising no one. Claudia De La Fuente: We've been living in Cambodia for over two years now and Kristof, the kids, and I are really enjoying it. We've traveled a bit in the region and love the Asian hospitality, friendliness, and especially the food. Whitney MacDonald Gough: The big news is that Chris and I welcomed our second son, Grayson, into the world in June. I went into labor when I was getting my hair cut, which was great for pictures! Big brother Will turns 3 this year and is still working on sharing his toys. Meanwhile, I am still working in PR and running around madly trying to balance everything. Dena Kolb: In August, I gave birth to a little red-headed girl, Seba Hart. My heart has grown exponentially and she has changed my world. The two of us are so very lucky to have my parents just a few blocks away, and while it’s difficult having Auntie Leah Kolb ’02 across the country in Oregon, she has been able to visit twice since the birth. In addition, Seba had a chance to meet our dear friend, Katie Fruzynski ’04, before she moved from D.C. I look forward to making a trip back to California next year so she can meet more family and friends!

Trish Nugent Lingamfelter: Last August, Bronson and I welcomed our son, Ames, in New York City. Wells is a big fan and very serious about

his role as big brother (or "pacifier super hero," as he says). I enjoyed a few months at home with the boys, and now I'm back to work with Eric Mower and Associates in the PR group, still specializing in travel and tourism. Alaina McDonald Sylvester: I am currently living on a ranch in rural Nevada expecting my second son in March. I have been blessed to spend quite a bit of time with Katie Maloof Alden and Elizabeth Poett-Campbell this year. My family joined Elizabeth's family at Santa Barbara's fiesta this year in August. Good times were had by all.

00Susie Bokermann susiebokermann@gmail.com Elizabeth Belanger McGarvey ej.belanger@icloud.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

01Kai Romero kai.romero@gmail.com

Astri Rahardja: My dad passed away in November 2017 due to a sudden heart attack. My sister, Aniela Rahardja ’02, and I are still coping with the loss, but our Catalina sisters Citra Soedarsono, Amanda Walujo, Brogiin Keeton, Kiren Rizvi, Michelle Schneider, Natalie Hall, Annie Hilby, Clarissa Nurimba ’00, Grace Lim ’00, and Elaine Hambali ’03 have given us a lot of love and support. It reminds me how blessed I am to have gone to Catalina and made such lasting bonds. Brogiin Keeton was married and I was honored to be a part of it. She was glowing and just so blissfully happy. Kiren Rizvi, Michelle Schneider, Natalie Hall, Annie Hilby, and I performed a skit during Brogiin’s rehearsal dinner—Catalina style! Before her wedding, I went to Monterey and met up with a lot of people. I had dinner with Julia Christopher at L’Auberge. It was nice to catch up with a former classmate. I also went to Dr. Kapolka’s house for dinner. His wife used to teach me AP Physics at the Naval Postgraduate School. I met up with Mrs. Howell many times, enjoying her baked goodies. I visited the school and got a tour of the new math and science building and the new marine biology classroom by Ms. Struckman. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Amy Azevedo Mulgrew ’02 and Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 at school! Sister Claire

and Sister Christine are as warm and friendly as ever. I even got a ride to the airport by Sister Christine! Coming back to Catalina felt like coming home. Diana Mak also got married this year, but with the passing of my father, I could not attend her beautiful wedding in Europe. Stefanie Salyer Gallegly: We’ve added another boy to our brood. Jack was born in September, and our Costco rebate check will be huge in a few years because boys are bottomless pits. Matt and I have been busy expanding our tech consulting and marketing business. Amanda LeVett and I still hang out as much as possible (no surprise there!) and I get to see Sarah Talbott Hawthorne often. Brogiin Keeton: I married Benjamin Robert Nagin in August 2017. We were married at my parents’ ranch in Santa Ynez, CA, and my father was a co-officiant. We were married under the stars with 300 people in attendance. Kiren Rizvi, Astri Rahardja, Michelle Schneider, Emily Olson Spitzer, Elisabeth “Lisa” Lee, Diana Mak , Annie Hilby, and Natalie Hall attended from Catalina.

Amy Walgenbach Udelson: After a wonderful and wanderlust-filled two and a half years living in Luxembourg and traveling around Europe, we—meaning me and my husband, Steve, and son, Wyatt (2)—have decided to move to the Seattle area where I am returning to work at Google in marketing. We are totally new to the area so any Catalina connections or tips for toddler activities are welcome! Liz Kidney: I am in charge of training all staff at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in New York and New Jersey, and the biggest change this year is I am a foster mom. I’ve had a placement of three little girls with me for about a year and we are riding the roller coaster of the foster care system and healing in their little lives. They are currently 2, 4, and 6. Life as a single, working, full-time foster mom

Alaina McDonald Sylvester '99 and Elizabeth Poett-Campbell '99 in Santa Barbara

Catching up are members of the Class of 2001: Diana Mak, Lisa Lee, Brogiin Keeton, Michelle Schneider, and Astri Rahardja

has its challenges yet major blessings as I get to see first-hand what healing is possible in their lives. Kristie Hoyt Cloos and I continue to connect regularly. Wishing I could get back to California to see everyone, but alas, travel is challenging with three littles. Brandy Maloney Wickham: I finished my five-year veterinary degree in New Zealand with distinction—a gargantuan accomplishment! The add-on only really serves as a bragging point about my nerdiness and in no way represents my caliber as a newly fledged vet. I moved up to Whangamata, a beach town in New Zealand, to work alongside James (also a vet), who bought a practice here a few years back while I finished my degree. We were married in February in a very small ceremony. We are now due to have a baby girl in April. Ultimately, I’ve spent the last year trying to navigate the various relationship dynamics of being a new vet, working with my husband, co-owning a clinic while I’m still learning, and anticipating motherhood. If anyone makes it down to New Zealand, they should definitely get in touch!

02 Sasha Irving sasha.irving@gmail.com Olivia Nilsson olivianilsson@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

but am happy to still be in contact with Bryna Lieberman, Lucrezia Scarampi, Delia Lai, and Siena Rauskolb. Visitors are always welcome.

04Katie Fruzynski katie.fruzynski@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

05Madeline Callander madeline.callander@gmail.com Lyndsay Peden McAmis mcamislc@gmail.com

Samantha Ho Conley: I am currently living in New York City working as a digital strategist for the Shiseido Americas Corporation. I was married in June 2017 in Napa Valley, CA, and had my lovely Catalina girls Maddie Callander, Allie Reed, Cece Fourchy Quinn, Eliza Hussman Gaines, Olivia Hussman Ramsey, and Cristina Carnazzo toast me with glass of champagne before I walked down the aisle. I love to go to yoga or try new restaurants in the city. Olivia Hussman

Ramsey: My husband, Joe, and I are having so much fun with our son (16 months), and can’t wait for our little girl to arrive in March. I really enjoy being a stay-at-home mom and have stayed involved in our community through volunteer work, mostly working with schools and children. I recently joined the board of directors of Access, a wonderful school here in Little Rock for children with special needs. Cece Fourchy Quinn: I’m living in Fresno with my husband, Paul, and our two little girls, Lulu (2) and Birdie (1). I work as a freelance copywriter and brand strategist.

Kendall Asmuth Williams: I was married in May 2017 at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, CA!

Katelynn Duffel Heil and Sammi Ho Conley were both in attendance. Miyabi Yu Leu: We were happy to welcome our second son, Evan, in July 2017. Jaclyn Applegate: In August, Kat Kennifer and I traveled to Washington state to run the Wonderland Trail, a 94-mile trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier. It was an adventure I will never forget, and I was so thankful to have Kat by my side, even though she didn't seem to appreciate me singing classic Catalina chapel songs during the long hours on trail.

Kristen Clark: I am a palliative care social worker and absolutely love my work. In December 2017, I became engaged to the love of my life and we are having our wedding in February 2018! We have big and exciting plans to take a trip to Ireland and Scotland and can’t wait to see what other exciting things the future will hold for us!

03The Class of 2003 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Coordinator of Alumnae Relations, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Priscilla McCarthy Barolo: I am still living in our little ranch house in San Mateo, CA, with my husband, Joe, and toddler, Owen. I manage communications for Zoom, a San Jose-based SaaS company. Lesley McGurk Gordon: I still work as a mechanical engineer in the Bay Area and now live in Dublin, CA. My husband, Ryan, and I married in April 2017 in front of our family and friends, including Amy Hamilton Vailea, Monica Johnson Steiner, and Jeanette Kreuze Thu-Anh Le Nguyen: My husband, Bryan, and I welcomed our first baby, Bryson, in October 2017. Sabine Korting Carl: I recently moved to Bonn, Germany, where I am now working in the international relations department of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. I will miss the opportunity of an official reunion,

The Class of 2003 at Reunion 2018

06Lauren Kristich lekristich@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Natalie

07Kocekian nkocek@gmail.com

Congratulations to Ashley Anderson Avilla on her pregnancy and welcoming a healthy baby boy into this world in mid-March! Over the past year, Stephanie Weber moved to Littleton, CO, and started working at Lockheed Martin Space as a systems integration test engineer. She helps test circuits and systems that will be going on multiple and different satellites and space modules. She makes sure that they are manufactured correctly and will survive leaving the atmosphere and the vacuum of space. After living in Germany for one year, Sabrina Brett decided to ditch her apartment and start traveling the world! She just launched a travel blog, moonhoneytravel.com, to chronicle her travels and help independent travelers plan their trips! Lisa Mulligan is now the well-being coordinator at the International Rescue Committee in the U.S. She’s been jumpstarting their women's programming and

psychosocial support programs for refugees at their largest resettlement location. Jennifer Williams started grad school at CIIS, studying somatic psychotherapy; published a book of poetry in December with Adult Punk Press; made a new workbook for group discussion called We Need Emotional Labor, and is shopping around her first novel! Kathleen Seccombe recently moved to San Francisco in December and started working for CBS News. She is covering a range of stories from tech and agriculture to fires and floods. Before CBS, she had been working on investigative documentaries for UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program, one of which is expected to air nationally in 2018. She says, “I’m always looking for a good story! Ping me if you got any!” Anna Martinelli is also living in S.F. now, getting married in August to Janson Wigo (he was a year ahead of her at Stanford), and running People Operations at Omada Health. I (Natalie Kocekian) am also living in San Francisco with my boyfriend, and recently started a new job at Google!

09Mary Bolt mar.e.bolt@gmail.com Megan McCaffrey mccaffrey.mf@gmail.com

08Shannon L. Gaughf slgaughf@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

Katie Adams: I am working for Summer at Santa Catalina as assistant director and love being a part of the resident faculty of Hills Dorm. Mary Bolt: I’ve been living in New York City since college, but started rooming with Brittany Ulshafer this past August. (Oh, the memories!) Last year, I created, performed, and produced a cabaret show, In the Boys’ Club, that aimed to challenge the limited definitions of womanhood given to us by men in the music world. I am currently enrolled in the William Esper Acting Studio and recently adopted a French bulldog puppy! Clare Bolton: I've been living in San Diego for the last four years, playing a lot of beach volleyball and enjoying all that San Diego has to offer. In the last year, I made a big career change and became a computer programmer for a local credit union. Anne Brown: I have lived in New York since May 2014 in the Chelsea neighborhood. I've worked for Christie's in the marketing department for more than three years and I help coordinate sales and events for the postwar and contemporary art department, photographs department, decorative arts department, and many more. I have plans to travel to Ireland and Scotland later this year. Shelby Carroll: In August, I started the two-year executive master’s in business administration program at the University of Notre Dame. While in school, I continue my full-time

The Class of 2008 at Reunion 2018

Samantha Ho Conley '05 at her wedding with classmates Maddie Callander, Cristina Carnazzo, Allie Reed, Samantha Ho Conley, Eliza Hussman Gaines, Cece Fourchy Quinn, Olivia Hussman Ramsey

role as the associate director of the President's Circle, in which I fundraise for the most critical and urgent needs at the university. I have been in this role for over three years. Andrina Chaffin: I have been with the Pebble Beach Company for four years and was recently promoted to club pro manager. I specialize in group golf outings and small corporate group outings. In addition, I manage the Pebble Beach Resorts program for golf professionals (international and domestic). I reside in Marina with my boyfriend and have a cute little dog named Rocky. Kenly Flanigan: I will be graduating with a master’s in public health, global health policy from George Washington University in May 2018. I worked for Project HOPE for three years as a medical volunteer coordinator, military coordinator, and a member of the disaster response team. I responded to the Nepal Earthquake and will build a career in trying to bring together the military and civilian organizations during a natural or man-made disaster. I live in Washington, D.C., with my dog, Mina, and am looking forward to working in different disaster zones! I am no longer working for Project HOPE and will be looking for a job once I graduate. Camille Massaro-Menz: Tim and I moved to Long Island last summer—it has been really nice to have more than one room. I'm going on four years at Christie's and have spent the last two years in our post-sale department as a supervisor. Every day is different, challenging, and interesting. We are looking forward to a year of traveling, continuing renovations on our new place, and hanging out with our cats! Niki Ranchhod: I recently got engaged! I am living in England, working at a pharmacy, and am so excited to have a niece. Clare Riley Al-Witri: I was married in 2015 and changed my name to Clare Al-Witri. I'm living in San Francisco now and gardening. I really enjoy working at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley as a horticulturist, where I take care of plants from California, Australia, and New Zealand. Mariana Rubio: I’m living in Boston, doing my graduate degree in sustainable urban environments. Sarah Rudolph: I moved to San Francisco after college. I have spent my time after school working for BlackRock, first in the iShares division, and for the past three years at a subsidiary called FutureAdvisor, which focuses on digital wealth management. Outside of work, I am eating at new restaurants in San Francisco, going to see live music, taking yoga classes, and spending time outside on my bike or hiking. Heather Souza: I’m happily living in sunny Florida, working for the company I’ve always wanted to work for and the place where dreams come true: Walt Disney World. But nothing beats being a mom to my son, Lucas. I’ve been so lucky and blessed so far and I’m very excited for the opportunities to come, including pursuing my MBA. Ryan Tuttle: I am living in Monterey and working as a freelance photographer. I just finished up shooting the REI 2018 spring campaign in Atlanta, the Olympic coast, and Southern California. The photos are now starting to roll out in stores and online, and will continue to be released throughout the spring! Brittany Ulshafer: I have been living in NYC since graduating from Boston University and am currently residing with

fellow Catalina alum, Mary Bolt . I am working as a recruiter in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Bank and when not at work, I enjoy playing with our French bulldog puppy, Graham; traveling the country/world; and exploring new, local restaurants and activities in NYC. Emma Wells: I have been living in New York City since graduation. I am a graphic designer working in magazine publishing. In my spare time, when I’m not playing with my two dogs, I write and illustrate comics and graphic novels.

and I went on our first girls’ trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! We met up with Barbie Avalos Garcia ’17 while we were there. In the fall of 2017, I had the opportunity to travel more for admission. I went to the East Coast, Chicago, and throughout California. While I was on the road, I was able to see some of my college friends and family, as well as catch up with several Catalina alums, such as Kyra Morrissey, Kat Garcia ’12, Agnès Ames ’16, and Ivy Armijo ’17. I have loved being able to connect with families all over the world and reconnect with my Catalina sisters.

10Maeko Bradshaw maeko.bradshaw@gmail.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

11

Kelsey Player kelsey.player93@gmail.com Kelsey Riordan kelseyriordan11@aol.com

Taylor Griffon: I am starting my fourth year in San Diego and love every minute of it. I started a new job in January 2018 with the Department of the Navy and I am an urban planner at Naval Base, Point Loma. I frequently go back to the East Coast to visit with friends and cheer on Penn State football! Go Nittany Lions! I have had the opportunity to catch up with a couple of Catalina alumnae this year. I had dinner with Katie Goodson ’10 in D.C. in December 2017 and rang in my 24th birthday with my old roomie, Kyra Morrissey, in Mission Bay, San Diego, in August 2017! Olivia Di Chiara: After graduating college in 2015, I moved to New York City and worked in sales for two years. Since June 2017, I have been in Australia working on a thoroughbred racehorse ranch, training and raising foals. I have been fortunate enough to travel all throughout Australia in the short time that I have been here. I am looking forward to traveling around Thailand in the upcoming year with some girls from college. Rae Gregory: I am in my third year working in the Santa Catalina admission office and as a member of the resident faculty in Hills Dorm. Earlier last year my sister, Claire Gregory ’14, and I welcomed a new member to our family: a Landseer Newfoundland puppy named Riggs. He often comes to campus, and the girls love having him in the dorms. Last summer, Kelsey Player

Christina Quisno: I am about to complete my second rotation in trade finance and will move to Arlington, VA, to complete my final rotation in the Nestlé USA finance development program, working in the global foods division. I have enjoyed many travels this year, both domestic and international, and had the opportunity to connect with many Catalina friends. Kelsey Player: I am in my third year working at our alma mater in the admission office and as a member of the resident faculty. I was lucky enough to have my admission travels take me to Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and all over California. Throughout my travels, I was also able to attend a number of alumnae gatherings and connect with fellow Catalina graduates. Kelsey Riordan: Last year was one of the best years to date! In addition to exploring more of my new home, Portland, and enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest, I also began work at All God’s Children International as part of their business services team. I’ve been able to support AGCI’s mission of international orphan care (education sponsorships, poverty alleviation, family preservation) and international adoption. It’s been exciting to join a team so passionate about helping others and it reminds me so much of our Catalina community. Clementine Yost: Last year saw a lot of personal growth for me. I finally landed my first proper job in television development at Blueprint Pictures in London. There I helped make A Very English Scandal. My stint across the pond has come to an end after six years and I now live in Los Angeles, working in international creative television development at Apple. I’m still as close as ever with Anna Viviani and Allison Fithian. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings!

13Caitlin Dullanty caitlindullanty@gmail.com

Annie Haueter anniehaueter@gmail.com

Paisley Piasecki: After graduating from Boston University, I spent the summer at home and started a freelance web design and marketing business while working at a local café. I moved to Manhattan in August and have turned the library into my second home as a 1L at New York Law School. I will be concentrating my studies in intellectual property and hope to work with entertainment or tech companies until I become my own CEO. I will most likely be spending part of the summer in London, while taking courses in data privacy and cybercrime, and I am looking forward to returning to Paris during my travels.

14

Kylie Moses kyliemoses14@gmail.com Emma Russell emmarussellpg@yahoo.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

15

Julia Clark julicclark09@gmail.com Mackenzie Fisher kenzieayn7@gmail.com

Tamara Attica just finished her first quarter at UC Irvine after transferring from Saddleback, a community college. She is majoring in international studies and is very passionate about all her classes! She wants to help those who suffer from political conflict and lack of opportunity. She wants to defend and fight for the political, social, economic, and human rights of the marginalized and underrepresented. Madeline Bennett is majoring in human biology at Stanford. She enjoyed her quarter abroad in Madrid, Spain. Julia Clark is at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and she is studying marketing, sustainability, and communications. She recently visited Chicago, where she met up with Catalina classmates Maddy Fisher, Katherine Kamel, and Christine Marella. Maddy Fisher is currently at Northwestern University and is living with her longtime Catalina friend, Christine Marella. Leslie Gobel studied abroad for four months in Madrid, Spain, and traveled to a number of other countries in Europe during that time. Now, she is continuing school at University of San Diego studying environmental science and Spanish. Katherine Kamel is studying at University of Chicago, but is currently abroad in Morocco. Christine Marella is at Northwestern University and is studying creative writing. Eleanor Stork is at Georgetown University, majoring in math and studying abroad in Paris. Willow Wallace Vogt is

majoring in communications at Westmont College and is looking forward to graduating in May 2018. On June 24 of this past summer she tied the knot with Kameron Vogt and is enjoying the adventure of this stage in life.

16

Lucy Stowe

Lucystowe@me.com

We publish notes for each class once a year—oddnumbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall. Look for your class notes in the fall issue!

17

Annarose Hunt

annarosyrosy@gmail.com

Annarose Hunt is in her first year at Scripps College and has declared her double major in theatre and politics with a minor in feminist, gender, and sexuality studies.

alumnae@ santacatalina.org

The Class of 2013 at Reunion 2018

Maddy Fisher '15 and Rachel Davison '14 at the Northwestern University Dance Marathon

COMMUNITY TRANSITIONS

Alumnae

Marriages

Jennifer Lazar ’87 to Greg Wenderski

Jana Enos ’89 to Jeff Henderson

Sally Evenson ’89 to James Lopez

Michelle Lynch ’91 to Brian Strauss

Yolanda Orrantia ’91 to Silverio Tessada P. Samantha Lewis ’97 to Jeff Rohwer

Brandy Maloney ’01 to James Wickham

Diana Mak ’01 to Alex Yu

Katherine Carnazzo ’02 to William Larsen

Lesley McGurk ’03 to Ryan Gordon

Becky McKibben ’04 to Sam Brusca

Samantha Ho ’05 to Tai Conley

Kendall Asmuth ’05 to Jackson Williams

Candace Brekka ’06 to Greg Bennett

Lola Torney ’06 to Jason King

Births and Adoptions

Nancy Kennedy Major ’96, son Andrew P. Samantha Lewis ’97, son Samuel Justine Carroll Campbell ’99, daughter Mary-Larkin

Whitney McDonald Gough ’99, son Grayson

Trish Nugent Lingamfelter ’99, son Ames Dena Kolb ’99, daughter Seba Hart Priya Raju Kumar ’00, daughter Sarina Stefanie Salyer Gallegly ’01, son Jack Thu-Anh Le Nguyen ’03, son Bryson Alana Young ’04, daughter Quinn Margaret Miyabi Yu Leu ’05, son Evan Maria Tarriba Villa ’06, son Cesáreo Paige Whitmore Posladek ’08, daughter Jane

In Memory

Our love and prayers to:

The family of Deborah Kneedler Berggren ’53

The family of Sandra Shaw Egan ’60 Catherine O'Hara Willmott ’60 on the death of her husband

Florence Nixon ’64 on the death of her sister

The family of Katherine “Kay” Strub Reed ’66

Claudia Jones Shepheard ’67 on the death of her brother

DeDe Rogers ’71 on the death of her brother Patricia Schminke ’71 on the death of her mother

Tina Hansen McEnroe ’70 and Sally Hansen Blackburn ’72 on the death of their mother

Elizabeth Brown-Housel ’73 on the deaths of her stepmother and father

Meggan Laxalt Mackey ’75 on the death of her brother

Michele Bozzo Mahi ’75, Lisa Bozzo Orlandi ’77, Suzanne Bozzo ’79, and Chrissy Bozzo Daily ’82 on the death of their father

Elizabeth Lungren Bloom ’77 on the death of her brother

Deborah Thomason ’79 on the death of her husband

Grace Bruns ’79 and Denise Bruns ’82 on the death of their father

Marisa D'Amico ’81 on the death of her brother

Elizabeth O'Neill ’85 on the death of her sister

The family of Casey Ricciardi-Yeager ’85

Elisa Lehr Hughes ’87 and Vanessa Lehr ’95 on the death of their father

Corinne Quinn ’93 on the death of her mother

Astri Rahardja ’01 and Aniela Rahardja ’02 on the death of their father

Faculty & Staff

In Memory

Our love and prayers to: Meg Bradley on the death of her mother Abigail Jimenez on the death of her sister

Items in Transitions reflect communications received between September 26, 2017 and March 23, 2018.

Katie Carnazzo '02 with husband William Larsen

Celebrating the marriage of Lola Torney '06 to Jason King are classmates Anna Lopez Mourlam, Lindsey Sedlack Berkowitz, Courtney Nichols, Allison Armstrong, Candace Brekka Bennett, Dana Armstrong, and Hillary Leeb Mitchell

Amy McAfee