Santa Catalina School Bulletin Spring 2021

santa catalina

Life is different: Alums reflect on the past year

Student shares global experience

A reunion like no other

2021 SPRING BULLETIN

Crystal Boyd ’89 Director of Communications Jeannie Evers Writer Jen Rocha Graphic Designer Robin Kelly Copy Editor

Shannon Gaughf ’08

Assistant

Director of Alumnae/i Relations

Contributors

Stephanie Forshee, Carolyn Hartwell O’Brien ’74, Robin Kelly

Contributing Photographers

Marc Howard ’93 LS; Santa Catalina School archives; Santa Catalina School parents, faculty, and students; profile photos courtesy of the subject

Correction

The photo caption on page 64 of the spring 2021 issue of the Bulletin was incorrect. The photo depicted Caroline Upton ’88, medical branch director for the Federal Medical Station, preparing to take care of COVID-19 patients in Santa Clara.

On the cover: Wilson Miske flexes his muscles, ready to take on second grade.

Back Cover: Students in a senior history seminar class show their appreciation for their teacher, Mr. Dan Place.

Above: Senate President Clare Watson ’21 shows off her senior status during the filming of her "Welcome Back" video on the deck of C2.

Inside back cover: Ana Leissner ’21, The Hidden Message within the Reds , photograph

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.

FEATURES

Flexibility at Fitbit

As head of user experience research, Lower School alum Brennan Browne ’99 finds new ways to meet people where they are.

Riding the Wave at Zoom

Head of Communications Priscilla McCarthy Barolo ’03 helps Zoom navigate the experience of becoming a household name.

Shining a Light

Passions for teaching and social justice align for community college professor Mzilikazi Koné ’01.

When the World Changes, Just Pivot

Mary Lou Thiercof ’70 lends a hand to small businesses struggling during the pandemic.

Designing for Healthy Living

Architect Cedra Ginsburg Goldman ’93 raises awareness of buildings’ effects on public health.

Message from Head of School

Campus News

Young Alum Q&A

Alumnae News

school

Life is Different

meetings, multiple innovative technical teaching tools, new apps, and hybrid settings. Lesson plans had to be newly designed to accommodate the current and ever-changing learning model. As we transitioned to on-campus learning, every corner of our 36 acres was used to provide for the safe spacing of desks and equipment. Tents were constructed and all classrooms were outfitted with the technology necessary to fully include the students who remained in distance learning.

Dear Friends,

A key question Santa Catalina faculty and staff asked amidst this extraordinary pandemic year was how we could continue to provide the type of education our students and parents have come to expect. By adhering to our mission and core values, we were able to navigate the past year and the challenging demands of distance learning. Christy Pollacci and Julie Lenherr Edson ’88 masterfully led their respective divisions, particularly by emphasizing the importance of relationships, one of our core values.

With the steady release of new county and state directives, our schedules, routines, activities, events, and locations had to be constantly reassessed. These unique circumstances presented us with daily opportunities to demonstrate creativity and care. The value we place on relationships was especially important while our students were physically away from the school. Our teachers embraced a new way of teaching with Zoom

Change wasn’t limited to the academic programs at Catalina. Our conviction that students need time to share in the joy of our traditions and pursue service, athletics, and performing arts opportunities remained a priority. We held Assemblies and advisory, put on innovative productions, and organized service projects including food, toy, and coat drives. When we learned we could not host Mass at the school, we brought prayer and meditation to the community through the Weekly Reflection newsletter. Teachers and administrators checked in on families and students. In all of our efforts, we continually worked to maintain our school’s culture of kindness and respect.

Our remarkable faculty and staff creatively and enthusiastically transformed our school days to ensure students were actively and safely engaged in learning, whether we were in distance learning, in person, or in a hybrid model. We approached change as an opportunity. Faculty supported each other by suggesting and sharing

ideas and methods to expertly deliver a Catalina education and experience to students. When challenged by the variety of issues this year presented, our faculty modeled the leadership skills necessary to problem solve and succeed. They collaborated with their students in the shared journey to learn new technology and adopt new ways of learning. Faculty and students alike shared in the dayto-day joys and frustrations, reminding us that at the heart of the Catalina experience are the relationships we create with one another.

Life has been different for all of us, including the five alumni profiled in this issue. They’ve had to address new challenges presented by the pandemic, unique to each of their professional lives. You will see this theme throughout the Bulletin, but you will also see the resilience, adaptability, and intentionality of our community—both on campus and off—that has been a hallmark of Santa Catalina throughout its history.

In all of this, I have found great comfort in the knowledge that our capable teachers and staff will use lessons learned from this incredible year to inform our work and to propel our students forward into the future, fully equipped to navigate changes and unknowns.

Warmly, Meg Bradley

Nadia Carreno-Aragon ’22 attends an outdoor class in the St. Francis garden.

Head of School Search

UPDATE

Head of School Meg Bradley announced in January that she will retire after the 2021-2022 school year, marking the end of six full and transformational years. The Board of Trustees hired search consultant group RG175 to lead the search for the next head of school, and selected Carolyn Hartwell O’Brien ’74 to chair the Search Committee. Below, Carolyn walks us through the search process.

SEARCH COMMITTEE

Committee Chair

Carolyn Hartwell O'Brien '74 Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees

Members

Laura Lyon ’81 Chair, Board of Trustees

Mike Roffler

Trustee Treasurer; Finance Committee Chair; US past parent

Brett Davis Collins ’93 Trustee; LMS current parent

Tracy Miller Hass ’75 Trustee Vice-Chair; Trustee Committee Chair

Tracy Heubner Trustee; Advancement Committee Chair; US past parent

Kenny Peyton Trustee; LMS current and past parent; US past parent

Liz Hulme

Former Trustee; Director of Health and Wellness; LMS and US past parent

Why did the Search Committee choose to work with RG175? We knew we wanted to work with a firm that specialized in independent school searches. We spoke with several qualified firms that had been recommended to us by other schools and former Search Committee chairs who had recently completed searches. Initially it was RG175’s successful results (described by references) and personal approach that swayed us in their direction. Ultimately it was the consultants themselves. Coreen Hester and Cathy Hunter are each former Heads of School, and between the two of them bring experience leading singlegender and coed schools, boarding and day programs, and lower, middle, and upper school divisions. It was a bonus that they both live in California, and are already familiar with Santa Catalina. We were confident that they would understand and respect Santa Catalina’s unique history and culture.

How did the Search Committee define what they were looking for in a candidate? We asked a lot of questions of ourselves as a board and of our constituents. The most important person in any school, the one who sets the tone and agenda, is the Head of School. We wanted to take the time upfront to articulate as clearly as we could where the school is currently and identify our needs going forward. We were also committed to making the search as inclusive and transparent as possible, so we sought input, both in-person and virtually, from all of our constituents, including the Leadership Team, faculty and staff, parents, and alums. It was striking to us how aligned these constituents were in describing what they valued most about Santa Catalina: A school culture of kindness and respect, academic excellence, and the high quality of faculty and staff.

What are the most important qualities the Search Committee is looking for in a candidate, including experience? The best way to answer that question is to direct you to the Position Statement, which the consultants created with input from the surveys and interviews and guidance from the Search Committee. It includes a description of leadership qualities and a summary of the school’s opportunities and challenges ahead. At the top of the list of attributes that our community desires in our next Head of School is a visionary educational leader who can build on the strong culture and programs in our school and ensure their relevance to our audience. We think strong communication skills as well as the courage to make difficult decisions in the school’s long-term interests are also critically important in our next head.

How did RG175 recruit candidates for the position? The consultants posted the Position Statement in national (and even international) publications and actively reached out to their personal and professional networks. Their efforts were a combination of getting the word out, and of proactively contacting sources to identify and recruit promising candidates. In fact, they continued sourcing and interviewing prospective candidates up until our agreed upon deadline. They kept us posted along the way and we were all pleased by the robust response to the position.

What is the process for the final candidates once they are selected? The committee just selected three finalists. They were invited to campus for two full days of interviews with students, faculty, parents, administrators, trustees, and alums. When this issue of the Bulletin goes to print, the Search Committee will be meeting to evaluate feedback from our community about each of the candidates. We will present our final recommendation to the board for approval. If all goes well, we look forward to making an announcement by early summer!

COUGARS SHOW SPIRIT AS DISTANCE LEARNING RESUMES

On September 8, Lower and Middle School students started the 2020–21 school year in style, dressed in their uniforms to mark the first day, even though they were at home. Photos flooded in from families that wanted to show how excited their children were to get back to learning.

Maintaining our close-knit community was a top priority during distance learning, as it always is. From participating in scavenger hunts to showing off personal possessions they have in common, like stuffed animals and glasses, students spent the first week getting to know their teachers and classmates. One of our favorite ways to come together is in Friday morning assemblies. The first Lower and Middle School assemblies were held via Zoom so students could see all of their schoolmates’ faces. Primary students could be heard greeting friends and teachers as they signed on, and they eagerly participated in reciting the Cougar Creed.

(1) Loren, Sebastian, and Marina Hurtado pose for their first day of school photo.

(2) Bryn Peterson and her dog are uniform perfect on the first day of second grade.

(3) Jameson Nantz is ready for PreK!

(4) Smiling big on his first day of third grade is Justin Russo.

(5) “Happy First Day of School” from Trevor and Audrey Church!

COMPASS SORTING WELCOMES NEW COUGARS INTO THEIR CIRCLES

On October 9, in the year’s first all-school live Zoom event, eighth-grade leaders welcomed new students into the Houses of Service, Spirituality, Responsibility, and Excellence. Each house is made up of students from each grade in Kindergarten to Grade 8; PreK students are all together in the House of Kindness.

The slide presentation featured photos of eighthgraders, each holding a candle—representing the light of leadership. Accompanying the photos were lists of names of students and teachers who are already in their Compass circles. Subsequent slides featured photos of new circle members. At the end of the sorting, everyone “joined hands” in their Zoom boxes by stretching their arms out to either side in a re-creation of the giant circle we form in person.

Compass coordinator Ibi Janko Murphy ’83 noted that this year’s theme is hope. “Hope is in [Grade 8’s] leadership, hope is in each one of you, and hope is in us coming together,” she said. The primary goal of the eighth-grade leaders this year will be finding ways to help the school community come together and connect.

Head of Lower and Middle School Christy Pollacci closed out the ceremony by saying, “We may be 26 Compass circles and four Compass houses, but the truth is we are all in one circle.”

Excited to be back on campus, fourth-grader Lukas Brandt gives thumbs up with classmate Ava Greco.

PREK–GRADE 5 RETURN FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING

Students in PreK to Grade 5 arrived back on campus in October and November. The students returned for in-person learning after the school received approval from the California Department of Public Health and the Monterey County Health Department. They returned in a phased approach, starting with kindergarten on October 16 and concluding with Grade 5 on November 2. PreK had been learning on campus since September, after getting approval from state and local officials.

When students arrived on campus, the first order of business was to check their temperatures. Then students were escorted one by one to their classrooms, where they were shown how to use the touchless handwashing stations just outside the doors. Inside, students found their desks and began unpacking their school supplies, joyfully greeted friends and teachers, and turned in work to be posted on the walls.

The phased reopening gave the school time to “ensure that our carefully developed protocols are effectively put into daily practice,” Head of School Meg Bradley said in a letter to parents. Some measures were most evident in the classrooms, where desks were arranged six feet apart and each desk had a tall, clear plastic shield. Classes were divided into two cohorts and placed in different rooms. DTEN video conference boards beamed one cohort into the classroom of the other; screens also displayed students who opted to continue learning from home—ensuring that everyone felt connected to their class.

Head of Lower and Middle School Christy Pollacci commented: “I cannot begin to tell you the joy I feel to have PreK–Grade 5 back on campus for in-person learning. I smile on lunch duty, as I have the privilege of watching fourth-graders eat and socialize on their yoga mats with physical distancing. They never stop talking. I must say, no one seems to mind masks or physical distancing—everyone is just so happy to be at school.”

Students join hands to virtually recreate the all-school Compass circle.

CAMPUS

PARK LANE RESIDENTS ENJOY CATALINA VETERANS DAY VIDEO

Most years, Lower and Middle School students put on a special program to commemorate Veterans Day. This year, the event was adapted as a video presentation that the school shared with residents of The Park Lane, a senior living community in Monterey.

Student speakers across grade levels took turns talking about the meaning of Veterans Day and the sacrifices of American service members throughout our nation’s history. The video included a montage of photos showing Catalina students’ past community service outings with veterans at The Park Lane, which shared the video with its residents in a special outdoor ceremony. First- and eighth-graders also wrote personalized letters to The Park Lane’s veterans.

The Catalina community enjoyed the video together during the primary and middle school assemblies. To further reflect on the day, seventh-graders drew red poppies in art class as a way to honor fallen service members.

FOURTH-GRADERS VISIT SANTA LUCIA PRESERVE VIRTUALLY

HALLOWEEN SPIRIT STRONG, AT SCHOOL OR AT HOME

Halloween may have looked a little different this year, but the most important element stayed the same: students’ enthusiasm for the spooky holiday. The only thing missing from PreK–Grade 2’s traditional Halloween parade was the candy. Students walked from their classrooms to the Rosary Chapel courtyard, where they were greeted by Head of School Meg Bradley, Sister Claire, and Sister Christine. They walked with zombie arms, both in honor of the holiday and to remind them to maintain distance.

Middle School students dressed in costume for their virtual dance, which was DJ’d by Coach Paul Elliott, dressed as a mad scientist. Some of the students chose Zoom backgrounds that perfectly complemented their costumes. After spending some time together in the main room, students later joined breakout rooms where they could continue listening to music, watch a movie, or play games. Clearly, Catalina’s Halloween spirit was still strong, no matter where the students were.

Fourth-graders took a virtual field trip to the Santa Lucia Preserve. Educators from the Santa Lucia Conservancy, including Julie Brandlin Sigourney ’72, spoke about the Native Americans who used to live in the area. They guided students on a walking tour of the preserve to examine native plants and demonstrate how Native Americans used the plants to weave baskets and stun fish for capture. Students normally take this field trip in person. We are thankful they still got to experience the preserve.

Watercolor poppies by seventh-grader Grace Henrard.

Kindergartners, led by teacher Heather Medina, enjoy the traditional Halloween parade.

Julie Brandlin Sigourney ’72 shares information with Grade 4 about Native Americans and the Santa Lucia Preserve.

lower and middle school

COUGARS SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS

Each year, Lower and Middle School students travel to local assisted living facilities to sing Christmas carols. It’s one of the Cougars’ favorite service projects of the year. The students wanted to continue sharing the gift of music in 2020, so they sent videos of themselves singing Christmas carols, telling jokes, playing instruments, and dancing. The videos, which included 19 different carols—from “Jingle Bells” to “Up on the Rooftop” to “Silent Night”—were combined and shared with residents.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS GO TO THE MOVIES

Students enjoyed a special night out at the movies on December 11 to celebrate the holidays. The school treated the students and their families to a drive-in showing of The Santa Clause at the Monterey Fairgrounds. It was a fun and unique way for the students to see their friends and teachers in person. Religion teacher and Compass coordinator Ibi Janko Murphy ’83 comments, “Between the fair food, watching a movie out of your trunk, and, most important, being near your friends, it felt like Christmas.”

POSTCARDS PILE UP

FOR GRADE 5

> Fifth-grade teacher Bri Slama ’07 does a postcard exchange every year to help students learn about the states. This year looked a little different with virtual learning, so Ms. Slama reached out to friends and family to help, and the responses were amazing.

SNOWFLAKE INSPIRATION

> Second-graders read Snowflake Bentley, a book about the first known photographer of snowflakes, Wilson Bentley, a farmer from Vermont. In January 1885, Bentley photographed a single snow crystal—the first time this had been done. Inspired by Bentley’s photographs, the second-graders made snowflakes of their own.

STUDENTS CODE SECRET MESSAGES

> This fall, primary students worked on coding in Technical Arts class and got creative using secret codes. Some students wrote coded messages to family and friends. Others hid objects for someone to find. A highlight was when Cal Hawley, a first-grader, shared a photo of his grandmother working on a coding machine.

Eighth-graders Selin Sakiz and Savannah Hardy enjoy the drive-in movie.

CAMPUS

lower and middle school

ARTISTS WIN REGIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

Four eighth-graders achieved success in the 2021 Scholastic Art Awards for the California Central Coast Region, the largest and most competitive region in the country, with 25 counties stretching from Monterey County in the south to Napa in the north and across the state. Catalina students submitted works in the categories of photography, design, and film and animation.

Alex Peyton received the Gold Key award for his five-minute short film Friends with Myself, which explores the experiences of a student at home during the pandemic. (The film went on to national judging, and Alex won a Silver Medal.) Israa Saleh (design) and Grace von Schack (photography, right) earned Silver Keys, and Selin Sakiz (photography, far right) received Honorable Mention. Congratulations to teacher Susan Kendall and our students!

FIRST-GRADERS TAKE TEACHERS HOME WITH THEM

First-grade teachers Valerie Humenik and Heidi Pratt sent little Bitmoji cutouts of themselves to their students to let them know they’re always nearby, even if they can’t be together in person. The “Tiny Teachers Project,” inspired by the Flat Stanley Project, incorporated a scavenger hunt; students were encouraged to bring along the Bitmoji cutouts during the activity. At intervals, students shared photos or videos on a virtual bulletin board, where they could also leave notes and comments for other students.

Ms. Humenik explains: “We told them that, since we couldn’t take them on field trips right now, they could take us on some! Our goal was to build a better sense of connection with our students as a classroom family.”

PETS GET THEIR DAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The annual Blessing of the Animals for first- and secondgraders went virtual this year, with the students playing a very important part: they got to sprinkle the holy water. A little bottle of holy water and a prayer card were sent home to each student. The students applied the holy water to their pets as Sister Claire led them in the blessing. The students had been learning about St. Francis, who is known as a peacemaker, a healer, and a celebrator of all God’s creations—including animals.

Students blessed dogs, cats, bunnies, and a bearded dragon, as well as pictures and paintings of past pets or other animals. One girl brought a shell that she found in her backyard so she could bless the snail that was looking for its home. It was wonderful to be able to continue this beloved tradition even from afar.

Sam Brookhouser takes his first-grade teachers boogie boarding at the beach!

Sydney Khalsa blesses her dog during this year’s virtual Blessing of the Animals.

CELEBRATING 100 DAYS OF MORNING WORKOUTS

On February 19, Lower and Middle School marked the 100th day of Wake Up Catalina, a morning exercise routine established for students during distance learning. Coaches Paul Elliott, Debra Burke, and Nicole Cofresi have been leading the Zoom-based workouts as a way to help students start the day. Students continued to take part after they returned to school in person, joining the Zoom sessions as a class.

Coach Elliott, who kept track of the days on the gym scoreboard, commented on the workout program: “It’s changed my life. I've been teaching and coaching for years, and I am so proud of this program and so proud of the way the children have embraced it.” Coach Burke agreed: “I find myself waking up on the weekends and feeling like something’s missing in the morning.”

The daily workouts begin with breathing exercises to help the students become present, then ramp up into warmups and full-blown workouts with burpees, jumping jacks, and the like. The coaches have also taken the opportunity to introduce students to Santa Catalina’s Wheel of Well-being, the centerpiece of a health and wellness program that started in the Upper School and is gradually being rolled out to younger grades.

The coaches aren’t the only ones leading the workouts. Two eighthgraders lead exercises every Monday, and seventh-graders have also had opportunities to take charge. Coach Elliott remarked: “I’m thrilled about the leadership opportunities. The classrooms are begging to

Middle school students participate in a daily workout.

be spotlighted so they can be the ones on the big screen doing the exercises.”

Wake Up Catalina had changed over the first 100 days, but one thing has been consistent: It remains an integral part of the day for students and teachers alike. Coach Elliott added: “It's really important for the students to get moving to get ready for school. Wake Up Catalina is a great way to do it.”

RAISING A FLAG TO HOPE

> The start of school is never officially complete until we hold our annual Flag Raising Ceremony. Mrs. Pollacci, Mrs. Haupt, and our amazing Student Senate created a video of the ceremony that perfectly expressed this year’s theme: Hope.

GRADE 4 GETS A MASCOT

> Grade 4’s mascot for the year is Semper Gumby! At the end of every day, students chant, “I am relentless! I am resolute! I am resilient!” to inspire each other to keep trying their best, even when it’s hard.

KINDERGARTNERS EXPLORE EMOTIONS

> Kindergartners are using the Toolbox program in class and have been learning that there are many more emotions than just happy and sad. When you know what you’re feeling, that knowledge helps you choose the right tool from your toolbox.

“Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky.”

—Sonia Gandhi

Acclaimed Author Speaks to Parents

At an event hosted by Santa Catalina’s Parents Association on January 21, Dr. Damon Korb, clinical director and founder of the Center for Developing Minds, offered advice about parenting during the pandemic. Dr. Korb is a behavioral and developmental pediatrician and the author of Raising an Organized Child. His talk, “Finding Certainty Amongst Uncertainty,” was designed to help families cope with their children’s moods and behaviors during this time. “It is incredible to have the school, the Parents Association, and a generous donor come together to support our families with an educational opportunity like this from a nationally known expert,” said Amy Aldrich-McAfee, director of curriculum and learning in the Lower and Middle School and learning specialist for PreK–Grade 4.

Distance learning lets parents see how their children learn and interact with teachers and classmates. To help parents understand their child’s learning style, Dr. Korb defined different types of students and offered ways for parents to help their child succeed. For example, he suggested that parents try to help anxious students lessen their stress by breaking down tasks, encouraging pauses to reset, and emphasizing completion and effort over grades.

Dr. Korb also addressed concerns of social isolation. Even if children aren’t seeing their friends in person, he said, spending time together as a family can go a long way toward helping children feel connected. He suggests coming up with activities to look forward to, such as hikes, game nights, or cooking together.

Many parents are concerned about how much time their children spend in front of screens, but Dr. Korb acknowledged that screen time may be the only way some students are able to connect with their friends, and he suggested parents allow some leniency.

There are three types of screen time, he said: educational, intentional, and passive. Passive time is what needs to be managed.

Dr. Korb also emphasized the importance of having consistent rules and routines. When children know what to expect, they feel less stressed. To help parents manage their own stress, he gave them permission to take care of themselves first. Not only does this help parents feel better, it also models healthy behavior for their children.

All of the Lower and Middle School faculty attended Dr. Korb’s talk and benefited from his insights. Ms. McAfee remarked: “It was useful to hear as an educator how important it is for students to find success in school at least 80 percent of the time to avoid having them shut down. That is a great benchmark to use to identify when we as the adults need to intervene and support our children in a different way so they can feel engaged and successful."

Celebrate Santa Catalina

For the first time in its 39 years, Celebrate Santa Catalina, previously the Annual Benefit Celebration, was held as a virtual event. Approximately 250 households of Lower, Middle, and Upper School parents, alumnae near and far (including many who were celebrating Reunion), Santa Catalina faculty and staff, and many members of our community tuned in on Saturday, March 13, from the comfort of their homes around the globe. Local families enjoyed dinner party packs prepared by chefs and winemakers who support Santa Catalina.

Legendary sports commentator Jim Nantz played the role of emcee as members of the leadership team, trustees, current parents, and alumni spoke, and as energetic students performed. Gifts totaling $34,000 were made to support the costs of operating the school during the COVID-19 pandemic and the total amount raised from the event was $88,000. Prizes were awarded to lucky winners. An online auction in conjunction with the virtual event featured unique experiences and items that Santa Catalina parents and alums generously donated. One new package was a virtual meetup with alumna and Olympian Brita Sigourney ’08. A yearly favorite among Lower School students and their families is the “Lower School Principal for a Day” package. The party looked different this year, but the celebration was just as big!

Jim Nantz acts as the emcee during the filming of the first virtual Celebrate Santa Catalina event.

Special Celebrate cookies were included with dinner party packs.

The Santa Catalina Board of Trustees • Avila Construction • Louise Diepenbrock Baker ’81 • Sister Claire Barone • Bruno Electric • Meg Bradley and George Choquette • Brett Davis Collins ’93 and James Collins • Hannah and Kevin Comolli • Fran Eastman and Ed Goodstein • Laura Lyon Gaon ’81 and Karine Lyon in honor of the Classes of 1981 and 2021 • Matt and Kathy Gibbs • Tracy Miller Hass ’75 • Tracy Huebner • Charlie and Deborah Kosmont • Kate Brinks Lathen ’96 and Jeremy Lathen • The Little Family from Carmel Insurance • David and Mary Nikssarian • Kenny and Deborah Peyton • SkinHappy MD • Leslie Walker ’81 • Wendy and Bart Walker • Anonymous (4)

catalina

Thank you to our sponsors!

My Experience with The Experiment Digital

By Nicole Munoz ’22

The Experiment Digital Youth Leadership & Community Service program is a free virtual exchange program that connects young people in the United States with peers in the Middle East/ North Africa (MENA) region. The program is supported by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government, and is administered by the Aspen Institute. It builds leadership skills, with the goal of having participants create and engage in service projects that address various needs in their own communities.

Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87 sent an email to students with the information about The Experiment Digital summer program. I received it two or three nights before the deadline. Having just entered into lockdown for COVID-19, I was eager to find something to do over the summer to take my mind off the isolation and lack of personal connections that COVID had caused. I submitted my application the day it was due, frighteningly near the deadline. If I had known how life-changing this opportunity would be, I would have made it a priority.

I was accepted as a participant in The Experiment Digital 2020 in early June. The program took place from June 21 to August 15, 2020, and was conducted on a platform called Canvas. Having launched in 2016, The Experiment Digital had four years of online education experience and was well prepared to offer a virtual program. In fact, it allowed me to be better equipped when school began again at Santa Catalina in August. This was just one of the invaluable gifts that The Experiment Digital gave me, and I can safely say that the main reason I have been able to thrive in the learning environment online is that I had three months to make mistakes and struggle, alongside hundreds of other teens going through the exact same challenges.

The program was divided into neighborhoods of around 50 participants. Each neighborhood consisted of family groups with

8–10 participants. We met with our family groups once a week via Zoom to discuss different topics and the activities that we had been assigned to complete that week. Sam was in my family group, and we quickly became friends.

The first topic of discussion in our weekly breakout session was a challenge that we have had to overcome; the topic was a great icebreaker. We all quickly felt like family, and we began to open up to each other about our true struggles. I got to know Sam better, and he opened my eyes to strategies I can use to understand differences among people and to further my acceptance of others.

My friendships with members of my family group who lived in the MENA region opened my eyes to a whole new world. Throughout my life, it has been easy to insert myself into a bubble, thinking that my small town and my small world within it were the extent of this wide world. Although you learn in school about other countries and their histories, that education is not the same as interacting with the people of those countries, understanding who they truly are, the value of their own country to them, and learning about their lived experiences, which I realized vary considerably from my own. Often, the media portray other countries in a bad light, and I went into The Experiment Digital, for the most part, knowing only of the tragedies that these countries and their people were facing. I hadn’t known about things like the small bookshop with the old man who greets you every morning with “As-salamu alaykum,” meaning “Peace be upon you,” a girl from Yemen told me.

My first mission when I entered the program was to learn about “family members’” favorite memories or favorite places in their country. The answers gave me insight into the wonderful aspects of their countries, which were so much more than the hardships they faced. I met some wonderful people through my journey, including an amazing young woman who has known

Nicole Munoz ’22 connected with students from the MENA region, including Rafik from Iraq.

challenges unimaginable to Americans, due to her gender, but who has persevered every day and pursued opportunities through her community service project. I met young men and women who are inspired to make major change for their countries and communities because of the enthusiasm for active involvement instilled in us by The Experiment Digital.

I have learned the power of listening, even when you can’t understand someone’s situation at all, in order to help the person’s change-making and to better your own community through empathy and compassion. I also learned that language is not a barrier to friendship, and I have maintained connections with eight participants from the United States, Algeria, Iraq, and Yemen, many of whom do not speak English fluently.

The greatest gift that The Experiment Digital has given me is the motivation, encouragement, and resources to create and launch my own organization, Positive I. With Positive I, I aim to develop an understanding of what makes us different, and the importance of who we are, through delving into the many facets that make up a person’s identity. Your identity is who you are. Society has categories for different aspects of our identity. The qualities of identity are both invisible and visible, changing and unchangeable. Understanding each aspect of your identity will allow you to find confidence in who you are and how to make your mark on the world, as only you can do. There are many social stigmas around certain aspects of identity, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. My goal is to help break barriers that society places in front of us in regard to certain facets of our identity, through understanding and accepting the value of our unique qualities. One day there will be no part of an individual’s identity that is not accepted and when speaking from the “I” perspective, it will only be positive, because we will be confident in who we are and the vitality of our differences, in shaping our identity.

Even though my journey with The Experiment Digital Youth Leadership & Community Service program has come to an end, it is not over. I continue to be involved through the Project Advisory circle, which helps guide like-minded peers in the same state in their community service project creation and implementation. Additionally, I was accepted in October to serve as an Alumni Ambassador. My roles include recruitment webinars, recording videos for The Experiment Digital, and working with their staff. Recently, I have had the great honor of being accepted for the position of Peer Mentor for the pilot program STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Discovery Lab, where I will be leading the participants in the United States and Egypt in creating a STEAM–based community service project. The position was highly competitive, as is a spot in this program.

The Experiment Digital, as well as my fellow participants, taught me a level of empathy and understanding that I had yet to discover before the program. It taught me how to be a true leader, and, most important, how to make the change you want to see in the world because, chances are, no one will do it for you!

Check Out Positive I online: Instagram: @positive__i Website: www.positivei.org

My friendships with members of my family group who lived in the Middle East/North Africa region opened my eyes to a whole new world.

SENIOR NAMED TOP WITNESS IN COUNTY MOCK TRIAL CONTEST

Fatemeh Shahroudi ’21 won the award for Outstanding Prosecution Witness during Monterey County’s 23rd annual Mock Trial competition. Fatemeh also stepped in as the star witness for the defense when a classmate couldn’t compete.

Seventeen students participated in Mock Trial this year, including six new students and seven returning members who took on new roles. The contest, held over four days from March 3 to 13, went virtual for the first time. The case involved a YouTuber who was accused of aiding and abetting a fan who broke in and stole materials from a California official’s home.

Mock Trial advisor Beth Jones explained: “Although we had to hold all of our meetings virtually in less than half the usual time, all of the members of Mock Trial contributed to an enjoyable and successful experience. Each team member demonstrated her commitment by studying the case carefully, creating a unified case theory with her teammates, memorizing her witness statement, writing scripts for the trial, and composing pretrial and opening and closing statements. During competition, each member of the team performed her role confidently and with poise. I am very proud of the dedication and hard work of each team member along with the supportive camaraderie of the team as a whole.”

STUDENTS

If ever there was a time to focus on our health and wellness—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—2020 was it. The Student Health and Wellness Committee made it easier with Weeks of Well-come, eight weeks of tips and practices for nurturing all aspects of health. Each week featured specific activities.

Weeks of Well-come follows the structure of Santa Catalina’s Wheel of Well-being, which is built around the theme of being present and encompasses exercise, sleep, relationships, our physical spaces, and other topics.

Beforehand, the student committee mailed each classmate a care package full of helpful goodies related to the theme of each week. Contents included tea, a jump rope, fairy lights, a journal, stationery, a reusable straw, an angel medal, and more.

Kudos to Health and Wellness Director Liz Hulme and the Student Health and Wellness Committee for putting together a program that helped us all explore what we can do at home to keep motivated and feel good.

Clockwise from top left, seniors Fatemeh Shahroudi, Channing-Jaye Scott, Angelia Shi, and Ashley Liu compete in the virtual Mock Trial competition.

The contents of the Health and Wellness package sent as part of Weeks of Well-come.

SIX STUDENTS WIN REGIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

Six students claimed a total of nine awards in the 2021 Scholastic Art Awards for the California Central Coast Region, the largest and most competitive in the country, with 25 counties stretching from Monterey County in the south to Napa in the north and across the width of the state. Santa Catalina students won in three categories: Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. Gold Key works automatically go on to national judging. Congratulations to art teachers Jaime Ball and Claire Lerner, and the following students:

GOLD KEY

Beatrix Stork ’21—Painting, Sweet Tooth (above) Anna Yeh ’23—Mixed Media, What Happens Next

SILVER KEY

Grace Atkins ’21—Photography, A Message to the World #1 Holly Liu ’22—Painting, At Borough Market Miriam Riley ’23—Digital Art, NYC

Beatrix Stork ’21—Painting, High School

HONORABLE MENTION

Grace Atkins ’21—Photography, A Message to the World #2

Milan Coleman ’22—Painting, Daytime Deck Holly Liu ’22—Painting, The Inside Corner

REPORT CARD ASSEMBLY CELEBRATES DILIGENCE, RESILIENCE, CHARACTER

At a special assembly on January 13, Head of Upper School Julie Lenherr Edson ’88 read aloud the names of students who made honor roll and those who earned Gold Cords at the end of the fall semester. Gold Cord recipients finished with a GPA that put them in the top 15 percent of their class; eight freshmen, seven sophomores, eight juniors, and nine seniors received the honor.

Next, Mrs. Edson recognized recipients of the Courtesy Award, which is given to day and boarding students from each class based on nominations from faculty and peers. The award honors those who exemplify courtesy in the broadest sense—thoughtful and kind, generous with their time, and caring toward the feelings and welfare of others. Recipients were:

Freshmen: Maggie Madden and Norah Elena Ruiz (boarding); Cora Derbin, Emma Kim, and Ceci Yu (day)

Sophomores: Sara Harley and CC Shaw (boarding); Anna Gorman and Tarn Reilly (day)

Juniors: Milan Coleman and Kiska CorriganHoaglin (boarding); Audrey Avelino and Cailin Templeman (day)

Seniors: Ayo Adeyemi, Gracie Gaon, and Jane Hoffman (boarding); MK Barlow and Clare Watson (day)

Head of School Meg Bradley commented: “Developing resilient and confident young women is a hallmark of Santa Catalina, and what you have been able to accomplish during a pandemic is simply to be celebrated. You have dug deep, worked hard, and you have developed new academic prowess in what you’ve been doing, using all of your talents—and most likely developing many new talents in this world we live in right now. ... We are so very proud of you.”

INTERNS CREATE IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ART GALLERY

Emily Oh ’21, Trixie Stork ’21, Caitlin Sullivan ’22, and Ingrid Yu ’21 created a virtual gallery through Artsteps, a web-based environment, to showcase the work of students who submitted black and white photography to last year’s Weston Scholarship Competition. In an email to students, faculty, and staff, they wrote: Our goal as STAR Gallery Interns is to work collectively to install, curate, and present meaningful visual arts exhibitions for our Catalina community. In a typical school year we discuss, organize, and install artwork onto the walls of the Sister Mary Kieran Library Gallery. During our scheduled meeting times we work alongside [Art Department Chair] Ms. Claire Lerner to meet deadlines and plan our future exhibitions. While this year we are not able to install art in-person, or host a gallery opening, we have come up with another

solution in which the gallery can continue to function and serve our Catalina community.

...

With many hours of work, we have been able to translate our duties and responsibilities in order to create a unique, meaningful, and enriching gallery experience for all. ... We are amazed and humbled by our classmates’ talent. We hope that you enjoy this virtual gallery experience as much as we have enjoyed creating it!

Viewers were able to “walk” through four wings of the gallery, which were organized by theme, as well as a main hall. When users clicked a photograph, the artist’s statement popped up, allowing viewers to learn more about the image’s creation. The gallery included outdoor spaces, green plants, and even the traditional plate of cookies.

BIG/LITTLE SISTER TRADITION CONTINUES

> A long-standing Catalina tradition, Big and Little Sisters found new ways to connect this year. Big Sisters created a Kudoboard where they posted personalized messages to their Little Sisters, welcoming them to the school community. In lieu of desk decorating in Study Hall, Big Sisters mailed packages, and all gathered for a fun welcome meeting via Zoom to start the new school year.

MERP VISITS WITH AN ALUMNA

> One benefit of distance learning: More opportunities to bring in guest speakers! We were excited to welcome back Audrey Bennett ’17, currently a senior at Stanford studying biology and education (top left). She spoke to juniors in the Marine Ecology Research Program (MERP) about her experiences working on independent research projects.

MEMOIR INSPIRES STUDENTS

> Beth Jones’ Art of Rhetoric class read the memoir Unfollow, written by Megan Phelps-Roper, who left the Westboro Baptist Church and is now an activist for tolerance and social engagement. After writing rhetorical analysis essays on Unfollow, the students wrote “This I Believe” essays about their own beliefs.

The entrance to the virtual art gallery.

upper school

SERVICE KNOWS NO BOUNDS

A ”Five Weeks of Service” Challenge began on October 12. Dean of Students Katherine Busch and several students shared a daily list of ideas for doing community service “no matter where you are or who you are with.” Each week focused on a different theme.

Week 1: Our environment

Students learned about ways to be conscious consumers and were encouraged to try composting; clean up a beach, park, or neighborhood; and go a day without meat (vegetarian recipes included!).

Week 2: Food security

It's traditional for freshmen to take the lead at Halloween, organizing a special dinner packed with entertainment and prizes. In 2020, an in-person gathering wasn’t possible. Instead, the freshmen hosted a costume contest and curated a Halloween music playlist to put everyone in the spooky spirit. And they developed a quiz on the learning platform Kahoot! for students to flex their knowledge of Halloween trivia; the race for first place was thrilling!

Other Halloween celebrations also took place. Students came together for scary movie watch parties every Friday in October. They joined a virtual pumpkin-carving party and made mulled cider. The Spanish Club created a virtual altar for Dia de los Muertos and hosted a meeting to talk about the Mexican holiday. Finally, the improv club B.U.R.R.I.T.O. shared a Zoom skit, and the music performance club Reverb created a Halloween-themed music video.

A HALLOWEEN SO CREATIVE, IT’S SPOOKY! CLASS OF 2024 JOINS SENATE

Congratulations to the spring semester freshman Senate officers! They are: Cora Derbin, president; Haily Wang, vice president; and Maggie Madden and Evee Propst, secretaries.

Students were taught to reduce food waste through meal planning and freezing and learned what expiration dates really mean. They were also invited to volunteer with or donate to a local food bank or soup kitchen.

Week 3: Comforting others

Ideas this week focused mainly on small acts of kindness: doing extra chores around the house, donating clothes, bringing flowers to senior living facilities, and creating craft kits for kids. Mrs. Busch later led a Zoom demonstration on how to make pocket-sized prayer shawls (right).

Week 4: Animal welfare

Students learned about organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife, Oceana, and the Animal Welfare Institute, and were encouraged to help at a local animal shelter. Physics teacher Paulette Struckman led students in a citizen science project to help giraffes in Kenya and talked about her volunteer work with Wildlife ACT, a conservation organization that assists with endangered species monitoring in South Africa.

Week 5: Reaching out to the isolated Isolation is a common feeling for many of us these days, affecting some populations more than most. Students were encouraged to write cards to residents of retirement homes just to let them know someone is thinking of them. This week also asked students to consider other forms of isolation. They learned of ways to help organizations that support literacy, immigrants, and inmates in solitary confinement.

Through reflection, inspirational stories, and creative expression, students were invited to explore their inner light during the annual Well-being Day on February 11. This year’s theme was “Creating Light Within.” Students heard from two keynote speakers and participated in breakout sessions centered on creativity and movement.

The first speaker was Karen Wright Marsh, director of Theological Horizons at the University of Virginia and author of Vintage Saints and Sinners: 25 Christians Who Transformed My Faith Ms. Marsh based her talk on the words of Santa Catalina’s patron saint, St. Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Ms. Marsh told “5-minute flash biographies” of four women throughout history who “set the world on fire” in their own ways.

The second keynote speaker was Olympic gold medal snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington, who talked about the triumphs and setbacks of her athletic career. Ms. Farrington also talked about dedication, attitude adjustments, pushing limits, knowing what you’re capable of, and never losing sight of what ignites you.

In between the two speakers, students selected from several

breakout sessions. Zooming in from Italy, creative manager, life coach, and artisan Mariangela Mandia led two sessions on the importance of tradition. In one session, she demonstrated how to make pasta in a way passed down through her family, while students followed along in their own kitchens. Alumna Carrie Rodella ’91, a friend of Ms. Mandia’s, served as the interpreter.

Santa Catalina art teacher Claire Lerner led workshops on “slow looking,” a form of mindfulness that teaches us to be present in our lives and to value what is in front of us. Students attempted to sketch a painting as Ms. Lerner described it piece by piece. By the time the final painting was revealed—Claude Monet’s The Lunch —students had a greater appreciation for the artwork and its elements.

The day also offered several opportunities for movement, with a morning stretch and a fiery flow yoga session led by Roxy Rock, and a Pilates and body conditioning session led by Olava Menczkowska ’74.

Overseen by Health and Wellness Director Liz Hulme, Well-being Day was the result of careful planning and hard work by the Student Health and Wellness Committee: Gianna Borges ’22, Kaly De la Vega ’22, Anna Gorman ’23, Spencer Leatherberry ’21, Sam Scattini ’21, Sarah Scheetz ’21, Marissa Schimpf ’22, and CC Shaw ’23.

Olympian Kaitlyn Farrington displays her gold medal.

Carrie Rodella ’91 translates for Mariangela Mandia while Zooming in from Italy.

Mariangela Mandia demonstrates how to make pasta.

STUDENTS EARN HONORS IN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

STUDENT LEADERS GET CREATIVE FOR VIRTUAL CLUB FAIR

In normal times, clubs recruit new members in Sullivan Court, handing out candy and making pitches to students looking to find their next great passion. The big question this year: How do we adapt the Club Fair for distance learning?

These student leaders rose to the challenge. They posted a brief description of their clubs to a Kudoboard that students could browse through, and created webpages with details about their club’s activities. They also talked about their clubs in breakout rooms during the live Club Fair on Zoom on September 4. On January 21, new clubs that formed mid-year held a second Club Fair on Toucan, a program that allowed students to “jump” between virtual meeting rooms to learn more.

In addition to ongoing clubs devoted to social justice, service, performance, and other interests, new clubs focused on filmmaking, baking, Korean culture, and French culture, and clubs tied to existing organizations such as Make-A-Wish and Girls Learn International.

Here is the full list of clubs for 2020–21:

Ashley Liu ’21 estimates the thickness of a sheet of paper for AT Physics.

SCIENCE STUDENTS TAKE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES HOME

The 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program recognized four Santa Catalina students for scholastic achievement. Heidi Hansch ’21 was named a semifinalist, meaning that she placed in the top 1% of students across the country who took the 2019 PSAT; Heidi will continue on for consideration as a finalist. Seniors Anna Cole, Abby Davis, and Nicole Korinetz were named Commended Students, placing in the top 2.5% of students who took the test. More than 1.5 million students took the 2019 PSAT. Accents Alegria

Even though students haven’t had access to onsite science labs, they’ve been getting plenty of hands-on experience. For example, each freshman in Conceptual Physics was mailed a physics kit (like an erector set) at the beginning of the year and made good use of it. Students built lever postal scales and ship’s lanterns for a unit on inertia, force, and Newton's first law of motion.

Seniors in Advanced Topics Physics with Trigonometry worked on their estimation skills, using a variety of tools and techniques to determine measurements—from the length of a car to the thickness of a sheet of paper—and long distances, such as a favorite walk. One common method was to use the length of a stride as a unit of measure. Students posted videos of themselves explaining their method, and classmates responded with helpful suggestions.

In Biology, students learned how to conduct biological surveys. They chose areas near their home, including yards, parks, and the beach, and counted the various species they found. Students used string, jump rope, or similar objects to create their transects—lines along which they observed and recorded plant and animal life.

With everyone in distance learning this year, Theatre Department Chair Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 and her students pivoted from the stage to the screen. On December 11, they presented A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play, prerecorded and shared over Zoom to an audience of nearly 300.

The play told the familiar tale of Dickens’ mean and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Cheryl Mendoza ’21). Scrooge refused a Christmas dinner invitation from his nephew, Fred (MK Barlow ’21); turned away charity workers raising money for the poor; and bullied his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Maddie Mizgorski ’21). The spirit of Jacob Marley (Abby Davis ’21) made his visit and ushered in the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Maddie Elkin ’21), Christmas Present (Jenna Tarallo ’22), and Christmas Yet to Come (special sound effects). Narrators filled in the action between scenes.

The original concept for the virtual play was to do a live reading on Zoom, but the 21 cast members and 10 crew members wanted to go further. The actors, most of whom took on multiple roles, recorded their parts separately from home in front of a green screen. The tech crew found virtual backgrounds—shop and home interiors,

snowy Victorian-era streetscapes—as well as sound effects such as rattling chains, doors opening and closing, and horse hooves on cobblestones. With assistance from the crew, Technical Director Ana Maximoff edited it all together into a 1-hour, 22-minute movie. She had never done anything like it before. “We all learned as we went, with a sense of humor and no expectations,” Ms. Maximoff said.

Some extra flourishes gave the show a true feel of a radio drama. The play was presented by “KSCS Radio,” complete with an original logo and theme song performed by Catalina singers, who also started and ended the show with Christmas carols.

Even though the production was made up of individual pieces, it was still very much a collaborative effort. Mrs. Devlin met with the students three times a week to talk about the characters and to give direction. Seniors gave encouragement to the freshmen. Family and friends helped record the cast and assisted with line readings. For the seniors especially, “it was really important for me to give them a creative outlet where we could still be a community,” Mrs. Devlin said. She added: “It definitely was a unique experience.”

COACH MORTON MARKS 40 INFLUENTIAL YEARS AT CATALINA

Alumnae expressed appreciation for Coach Jim Morton in a profile honoring his 40th year with Santa Catalina. The former student-athletes shared their memories of Coach Morton and his influence on their lives in a January 22 article in The Carmel Pine Cone titled, “In the pool and on the field, Coach Morton makes a big impression.” Here are some excerpts:

“Mort was not only my favorite coach, but also one of the most caring and influential teachers to grace Santa Catalina’s campus.”

—Kelsey Hightower ’08

“He took a shy, skinny kid and gave me confidence to feel like I could do anything on the softball field, and in life.”

—Beth Luttrell Brookhouser ’92

“He had Pink Floyd blaring during every practice.”

—Sarah Clark Woolf ’89

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS HIGHLIGHT ALUMNAE ATHLETES

With high school sports canceled for most of the 2020–21 school year, local sports journalists have had little to report. During this time, The Carmel Pine Cone and The Monterey Herald have instead highlighted enduring athletic legacies and alumnae athletes at several local schools. Catalina alumnae have been featured several times, and we invite our community to read more about them.

Look for the following articles in The Carmel Pine Cone (pineconearchive.com):

“Catalina athlete excelled at two sports—sometimes on the same day” (August 21, 2020, p. 24A)

Lizzy Tardieu ’14 was a powerhouse for Catalina on the volleyball court but found unexpected success on the crosscountry team. A natural athlete, Tardieu now works for the San Diego Padres.

“How a California anteater became a whale and then a shark down under” (November 6, 2020, p. 29A)

Playing elite-level water polo became an attainable goal for Allie Loomis ’14 after finding success in the Cougar pool. Now she’s pursuing her goals in—and out—of the water Down Under.

“Athletic legacy of Fox sisters” (December 18, 2020, p. 29A)

Three Santa Catalina School alumnae athletes—the Fox sisters, Taylor ’10, Madison ’15, and McKinley ’18—were volleyball and basketball standouts for the Cougars from 2006 to 2018, “inflicting mass destruction upon opponents ... and chiseling their names into the school record books.”

Search for the following articles in The Monterey Herald (montereyherald.com):

“Baseball Lives: From local softball to behind the MLB scenes” (August 29, 2020)

Cat Belanger Toffoli ’04 talks about her journey to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office and how her life changed while she was there.

“College softball: Santa Catalina alum Marissa Bruno to close chapter on her terms” (March 4, 2021)

Deciding to continue playing the game she loves, Marisa Bruno ’16 is finishing her final year on the Portland State softball team with passion—and new-found joy.

“College softball: Coaching runs in the veins of Aldrete family” (March 10, 2021)

Former All-American Annie Aldrete Paquin ’13 finds a new passion for coaching at the University of North Carolina.

The article chronicles Coach Morton’s own athletic career and his impact at Catalina. Currently the school’s water polo and swimming coach, he has coached four other varsity sports and collected 19 championships during his tenure. To read the full article, visit pineconearchive.com. The article starts on page 24A.

Life is

The 2020–2021 school year was a momentous one for Santa Catalina. Students, teachers, administrators, and staff were challenged like never before. Life on campus has changed in many ways, but Santa Catalina is not alone in having experienced such change.

Life is different for nearly everyone, even for those who have not been touched firsthand by this virus that has swept the world. Everyone, to some extent, has had to face this scary and littleknown coronavirus disease and navigate long-lasting restrictions—including widespread shutdowns for schools, businesses, medical facilities, houses of worship, and public transportation. In addition, many people have lost their jobs and their homes as a result. Still, even individuals who maintained their livelihoods by shifting workplace to home are affected.

For parents of young children, one consequence of year-long restrictions is having to assume many more roles while also working from home. They help with school activities; keep their children safe, nourished, and entertained; and prop up their children’s fading social lives. It can be exhausting. On the other hand, many parents also marvel at how the pandemic has strengthened the bonds of family relationships, contributing to positive change.

The pandemic isn’t the only change factor these days. Life is different for other reasons, too—at least in the United States. The nation has suffered an unusual period of civil unrest over the past year, with disturbing outbreaks of violence. There’s an undercurrent of concern for democracy, more vocal public dialogue about systemic racism, and a call for more change.

This brings us to some essential questions: What enables us to cope with change? What life skills do we learn from our parents, teachers, and mentors that allow us to adapt? And how can we help the people in our care to prepare for the changes they will face in the future?

Five Santa Catalina alumni speak about their experiences during the past year. They describe how recent changes have affected their professional lives, and comment on crossroads that have influenced new directions. And they discuss the skills and values they gained, and the interests they cultivated, during their time at Santa Catalina that prepared them for their journey.

Flexibility at Fitbit

Apandemic can make things difficult for researchers whose work involves meeting with people face-to-face in their own environments. It has certainly made the past year an interesting one for Brennan Browne ’99 LS, the head of UX (user experience) research at Fitbit.

Brennan leads a team of researchers who help develop new products. As he explains, “It starts with asking, ‘What should we go build?’ or ‘What should this thing actually do?’ and then gets into, ‘Is the thing doing what we intended it to do and can people actually use it without any issues?’”

To answer these questions, Brennan’s team typically sits down with Fitbit users or potential users, visiting people in their homes, spending time with them in their day-to-day lives, or bringing them into a usability lab to test new products and features. Brennan says that, with in-person interaction out of the question during the pandemic, “we had to totally reinvent the way we were doing a lot of our work.” The team turned to simple tools like Zoom to meet with people in real time, or asynchronous research tools like dscout, which allows people to participate in diary studies. For testing a new Fitbit device, instead of having people come into a research lab, the team hired couriers to ferry the device around town, sanitizing the prototype between uses. “In a world where face-to-face interaction is precluded, just the logistics of trying to do the work that we would normally do involved a lot of creativity and changes and workarounds and adaptability,” Brennan says.

The change in approach may actually have lasting benefits. “If we’re doing research in person we have some limitations on who we’re meeting with, who we’re talking with, who we’re including in our research studies,” Brennan says. “Most of the team is based here in the Bay Area, so most of our research includes primarily people from the Bay Area, which is not going to be representative of the country, let alone the world. As we’ve shifted to doing more of the research remotely, we’re able to include a much wider range of people who are participating in the research, which is a benefit and something that we’re probably going to continue doing even once we can do more research in person again.”

Fitbit had a busy year on the development front. The company created a section of the app that helps connect people to COVID-19 resources and launched a feature called the health metrics dashboard to measure respiratory rate, heart rate variability, and relative skin temperature, which Brennan explains “can signal that you might be coming down with a virus such as COVID-19.” Fitbit is also working to help companies use its technologies to help employees return to work safely.

Brennan’s path to Fitbit followed a gradual but natural progression. After graduating from Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School, Brennan attended Stevenson School and then UCLA, where he intended to study engineering. When he discovered the field wasn’t as interdisciplinary as he had hoped, he switched to geography and economics.

In his first job out of college, Brennan was a data analyst for a small company called Equilar, promoting good corporate governance through executive compensation. “I spent a lot of time creating and looking at spreadsheets,” he says. Equilar offered tools and products to companies to help them make decisions, and Brennan became interested in how to improve those products, and in how to better understand and serve Equilar’s customers. “That led me down the path to discovering that the field of UX research even existed,” Brennan says. Next, he found a job at a consulting company called Answer Lab, which specialized in UX research. A few years later, Brennan left to join Facebook, where he worked his way up to research manager. From there, he arrived at Fitbit, which aligned with his interests in health, wellness, fitness, and technology.

Brennan’s favorite part of the work is how interdisciplinary it is; in fact, he frequently returns to that word. His team works with others across the company, from designers and engineers to customer service and sales, and the researchers themselves have a variety of backgrounds and specialties. He notes, “It’s not that UX research is the center of the universe, but the nature of the role puts people at this exciting and rewarding intersection of all these different things.”

In a way, it reminds him of his time at Santa Catalina, which he attended from PreK to Grade 8. He recalls that the environment rewarded curiosity and wellrounded thinking, placing as much emphasis on technology as it did on science, math, English, and history. He has fond memories of “computer class,” where he learned how to use spreadsheets, played “Oregon Trail,” and created art using design programs. “I feel like now, the role I find myself in requires the ability to write, to understand technical details, to talk to people, to understand historical context for things. And it certainly revolves around computers and technology.”

Brennan believes

the breadth of his education at Catalina gave him the foundation for all of those skills.

A new chapter of Brennan’s work draws from another Catalina value—responsibility toward others—as his team spearheads internal efforts around diversity, equity (including health equity), and inclusion. “We’ve started to place a high priority on understanding how racism manifests itself in some subtle and not so subtle ways in the tech industry and how our team, we think, can help play a part in breaking down some of those barriers,” he says. The shift to remote research has already allowed the company to tap into the perspectives, needs, and challenges of a more diverse set of people, bringing more voices into the product development process. Brennan adds: “That’s been another positive outgrowth of the last year, being able to really talk about if Fitbit’s goal is to make everyone in the world healthier, what does that actually mean, and what are some of the barriers, especially when we say ‘everyone’? That whole domain is not necessarily something that’s in our team’s job descriptions, but user researchers care deeply about how we best serve our users, so it has been sort of a natural extension of that. Personally, I’ve just been really proud of the team and humbled by all of their work.”

"

As we’ve shifted to doing more of the research remotely, we’re able to include a much wider range of people who are participating . . .

Brennan Browne '99 LS, right, with his Fitbit UX research team.

Riding the wave at Zoom

Love it or hate it, Zoom has become a part of daily life for many of us. Whether hopping on for business meetings, joining friends for a virtual happy hour, or catching up face-to-face with loved ones, we’ve turned to the video communications platform to stay connected while maintaining safe distance throughout the pandemic.

All of that screen-sharing and virtual glass-clinking has kept Priscilla McCarthy Barolo ’03 pretty busy. As Zoom’s head of communications, she has helped the company ride a tsunami of new users who have made the product a household name. Before the pandemic, she says, “a lot of what we were doing in marketing was around brand awareness. And then suddenly you’re a verb and you don’t need brand awareness anymore.”

Priscilla started at Zoom in 2013, just two years after it was founded. She was finishing her MBA at Santa Clara University when she responded to a job posting on LinkedIn. After a 20-minute interview, she was hired. Priscilla explains: “They had a couple of sales guys and engineers, and that was it. So they needed someone to do trade show tabletops and website copy and a blog ... basic stuff that even I, with no technical marketing experience, could pretty much figure out.”

Her background in nonprofits helped. Before entering the MBA program, and after earning a BA in sociology from Bowdoin College, she worked for four years at two Boston-area nonprofits, one in workforce development and another in education. Among other duties, she helped with marketing, grant writing, and event planning—all experiences that would benefit her at Zoom.

Priscilla also credits the writing skills she gained at Santa Catalina. Communications is all about writing, she says: “It’s writing emails and chats, it’s writing press releases, statements, blogs, and so forth. And to have those really solid writing skills early on that I could just build on is unusual. I mean, that was why I was hired at Zoom, because a lot of people just don’t have those skills.”

Of course, as the company grew, she grew as well, noting, “There’s kind of no way around having to learn on the job. You just have to ask a lot of questions, find mentors, and then just execute.” Priscilla found a mentor in Chief Marketing Officer Janine Pelosi, who was hired a couple of years after her and “whose presence in my life has been completely transformative.” The two women worked together, with Priscilla having a front-row seat to the building of a marketing team from scratch. Now, after starting out as a one-woman shop, working on a personal laptop in a two-room office, Priscilla can focus on the bigger picture while overseeing a 30-person team of communications professionals. Here, too, she draws on her time at Santa Catalina, where serving in student government, including as student body president, taught her important lessons about leadership. As she explains, building consensus is a big part of her job. “I need to be able to influence and work with people all across my organization,” she says.

And it’s a big organization. With over 5,000 employees, Zoom is far from the startup it was when Priscilla was hired. “It's the biggest company I’ve ever worked for, and a lot of the things that have happened at Zoom are things that would happen maybe once in a person’s career,” she says, referring to events such as an IPO, an acquisition, and tremendous growth in the company over the past year.

Priscilla was on maternity leave with her second child from December 2019 through March 2020, just as the pandemic was ramping up. She recalls: “I was kind of watching it from the outside. Suddenly everyone I know is talking about Zoom and asking me how to use it.” From the time she went on leave to the time she returned to work in April, the company reported a 30fold increase in daily meeting participants, from 10 million participants to over 300 million. More than the challenge of sheer numbers was the type of user engaged with the product. Large businesses, tech companies, and higher education institutions already used Zoom, but suddenly demand was up from smaller businesses, K-12 schools (including Santa Catalina), and individual consumers. With brand awareness pretty much taken care of, half of the communications strategy went toward informing the public what was happening within Zoom—such as how it was addressing security and privacy concerns—

and half went toward educating users how best to use the platform. Then there were the press inquiries. Priscilla says that when she returned in April, she was fielding more than a hundred requests a day. “It was big. Every single team, every single process—everything we did had to be pivoted toward dealing with this massive demand.”

But that’s exactly what she loves about her job: No two days are the same. Plus, she has a place at the table. “The fun thing about communications is you’re in the mix,” she says. “When there are decisions being made at the company, policies being made, when you get to be head of communications you’re in the room. You’re not just being told, ‘Hey, we’re rolling this out, go do it.’ So I think I've now gotten to that point in my career, and that’s a really fun place to be intellectually.”

Though the demand on the company presented many challenges, Priscilla knows they were good problems to have, and she’s grateful to play a role in a company that became so much a part of people’s lives. “It was extremely rewarding to feel like people were using your product in a time of great need, and it’s something that people really leaned on.”

"

Every single team, every single process— everything we did had to be pivoted toward dealing with this massive demand.

Priscilla McCarthy Barolo ’03 has been part of many major milestones for Zoom, including a stock market launch. Here, Priscilla celebrates the launch with Zoom CEO and founder Eric Yuan in Times Square.

Shining a Light

Somewhere in the newspaper archives there’s a photo of two-year-old Mzilikazi Koné ’01 holding a sign promoting freedom at an anti-apartheid rally. That photo represents the beginning of a lifelong interest in political and social movements for Mzilikazi, who has devoted her academic career to shining a light on the stories and lives of marginalized people. Today, she is an associate professor of political science and global studies at College of the Desert, a community college in Palm Desert, California, where she is also helping develop ethnic studies and social justice programs.

During the summer of 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, California passed a law that makes ethnic studies a graduation requirement for all California State University students. Because community colleges feed into that system, it’s only reasonable that they follow suit, says Mzilikazi. Although the requirement may seem like a response to the historic protests, teachers and organizers have been lobbying for change at the state level for years. This result “didn’t just come out of nowhere,” she says.

Mzilikazi has developed Latinx and Chicano studies classes at College of the Desert, which serves primarily Hispanic students, and she is proud to be part of the ethnic studies team. “Think about the ways in which actually seeing yourself reflected in these studies is potentially foundational, life-shifting, life-altering—knowing that not only are you a part of the story, in some cases you have made and created the story,” she says. In addition to recognizing the impact it will have on students, she is mindful of the lasting impact it will have on the college itself, noting, “In building an ethnic studies department, I’m not just building something because it’s a fad right now. I want it to be here in 25 years. I want it to be here in 50 years.”

Mzilikazi previously taught at UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, and Pomona College, teaching classes with topics from gender and sexuality to African-American politics to the Black experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. But she’s really found a home at College of the Desert, where she feels she can tap into her desire to serve. To Mzilikazi, community colleges are akin to the social movements she holds so dear, addressing questions of equal access and opportunity. “It’s really about examining the purpose of education and who it’s supposed to help,” she says.

Similar questions were asked of her as a student at Santa Catalina, especially in her religious studies classes. As she reflects on her experience and what the classes meant to her, tears unexpectedly come to her eyes. “The classes were really grounded in questions of justice, especially when we were simultaneously learning about religious teachings that were so often rooted and grounded in love. It seemed that if you were addressing love as foundational for faith, justice is the logical next step when you see injustice happening,” she says. “[The classes] really nurtured these questions of what is the purpose of life and who are we supposed to be helping and engaging.”

Mzilikazi focused on community organizers throughout her undergraduate and graduate years, with a particular interest in Latin America. Her studies took her to the Dominican Republic, where she explored the collaboration between women community organizers and academic researchers, the role of community work in HIV prevention among Haitian women, and Black intersectional organizing in the time of AIDS. While earning her doctorate at UCLA, she shifted her attention to Costa Rica and a group of women who organize around politics, sexuality, and labor.

Her interest in Latin America began during her childhood. She set out to emulate her older sister by learning Spanish, and her parents, who were DJs, filled the house with world music. Mzilikazi says the music in particular gave her “a sense of the black diaspora outside of the United States.” She read hip-hop magazines Vibe and The Source and cut out articles about the music in Cuba. Later, as an undergraduate, she studied in Cuba. Mzilikazi recalls, “Within two days I was at these famous places where I was just connecting with the musical scene. That was so fulfilling because I got to explore music, culture, history. Once I had those experiences, it opened up

a whole new world for me of research and studying.”

Music plays heavily into her style of teaching, and she uses it as a natural entry point for exploring politics. “Some music is so directly linked with politics, whether it be music that has been developed in protest movements or music that’s responding to some sort of political occurrence or issue,” she says. “We can go from the song to talking about the implications of what they’re saying in the song to some political lesson.” Art in general is a central component of her classes. One of her favorite projects is to have students make zines out of work they’ve done throughout the term. As she tells her students, “Being creative is central to the whole process. It takes creativity to solve the world’s problems, it takes different kinds of thinkers.”

The past year has been a momentous one for Mzilikazi as a political science professor. The deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the massive protests that followed, have prompted a national reckoning about race and racism in America, and she has carried the discussions into her classes, making sure to ground the underlying issues in historical context. “When I talk about

what it means to be an American, and we get all the canned responses—freedom, democracy, liberty, justice—we have to unpack those things and see who has access to [them],” she says.

Mzilikazi hopes the public awakening lasts. She sees the work she is doing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at the college as an important part of the cause. During the uprising in summer 2020, a group of students reached out to her about how to organize a protest, so she formed a study group and helped them think about their goals. “No one just wakes up knowing how to make social change or how to get their local community to pay attention. For most of us, someone’s got to teach you how to do that,” she says. “I was glad to have a space in that.”

Called to Serve

Mzilikazi Koné says she loves giving back to Santa Catalina, including by serving the school in the following positions:

- Current Los Angeles Chapter Chair

- Member of Alumnae Council, 2006-2014, including a term as vice president

- Class agent, 2006-2008

"

No one just wakes up knowing how to make social change . . . . For most of us, someone’s got to teach you how to do that.

Mary Lou Thiercof

When the World Changes, Just Pivot

Things were going well for Mary Lou Thiercof ’70 in early 2020. Her personal and professional life showed promise for a bright year ahead. Then the COVID-19 crisis that began in March brought unexpected changes to her plans. For one thing, she had been looking forward to her 50th class reunion with classmates from Santa Catalina School. The event was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic, but the friendships and professional foundation she had built during her time at Santa Catalina helped her immeasurably in 2020.

Mary Lou came from a small farming town in the San Joaquin Valley, where, as she says, “everyone knew each other.” She recalls that it had been hard to leave her family and friends when she came to Santa Catalina as a boarding student. But when she arrived at Catalina, she knew she would have to make it her new community. As she puts it: “I had to pivot. I talked to everyone and really believed that every person I met on the campus mattered to me and my new life.”

After graduating from Santa Catalina in 1970, Mary Lou attended college at UCLA and UC Berkeley, where she earned a BA in psychology. For a few years, she worked in public relations at Chevron before deciding that corporate America wasn’t for her. As a sole proprietor, she ran the boutique PR agency Working Images for many years. Then in 2013 she started a business in the tourism industry.

Mary Lou launched San Francisco on the Bay during America’s Cup. The web-based travel hub offers information about local businesses within the Bay Area and links to 12 sister sites. It provides “a curated experience of the community through art, music, food and drink, style and the outdoors.” More than 1,600 businesses are part of its online directory, and the brand also offers tours, events, and listings for locals, visitors, and the sailing community.

According to Mary Lou, the business at the start of 2020 was “forging ahead to produce four more curated tours of cities around San Francisco Bay based on our successful tourism efforts in 2019 and 2018.” That momentum was short-lived as hospitality became “a whispered word.” One client canceled its long-standing four-day event in April. Then in July one of the business’s largest clients, a visitors bureau, folded.

Mary Lou recalls: “The hotels and restaurants on our maps were in distress. So we elected to write stories to help the restaurants around the bay communicate that they were following COIVD-19 protocols and were open for to-go orders only or outdoor dining. Tourism destinations including hotels, museums, and art centers were closed. Some were able to offer virtual events, but they were only bringing in about 10 to 20 percent of their usual income. Businesses had to jumpstart their online capabilities, and communication was essential on all platforms. And everything was digital. Sadly, it will be a long while before the hospitality industry comes back.”

The pandemic forced Mary Lou to pivot, just as she did back in her days at Santa Catalina. “In my business, listening and connecting with people is very important,” Mary Lou says. At Santa Catalina, she learned that relationships matter. She explains: “I knew that when I cared about someone and listened to them, they stayed in touch and cared about me. So, when the pandemic hit and my small-business clients were shut down, I thought I just needed to listen to them and stay in touch and help them however I could. It was a different world.”

Mary Lou found the pandemic to be isolating. “Isolation affects your soul and the soul of my business, too. I’m used to being out in the world, networking with people and sparking creativity. When the world stops, you don’t have that opportunity anymore. I ended up depending on nature for my inspiration.” Mary Lou lives in the Oakland Hills, and one way she found respite was to go on hikes regularly with family and friends, including with her Santa Catalina classmates. “We were a very tight class, so I’m lucky to have a good handful of friends.”

Amid the global economic shutdown, as Mary Lou was attending webinars on available business relief programs, she realized she wanted to relaunch her public

relations firm, Working Images. “Life had changed, the world had changed, and I had changed,” she says.

Mary Lou has been active within the communications field, having served on boards of the Solana Beach and Emeryville Chambers of Commerce and holding leadership positions in business associations such as the Public Relations Society of America. Leadership is a skill she began to hone during her time at Catalina, where she was on the student council and served as class president twice. “I liked creating visions with our class and executing those visions,” she recalls of her time at the school.

Now that she has relaunched her own PR firm and is “in the midst of a restart,” she looks forward to the year ahead “unfolding in a positive light for all the businesses affected so deeply by the pandemic of 2020,” she says. Indeed, Mary Lou is looking forward to a post-pandemic world. She remarks: “For me, virtual networking just didn’t do it. Some of the platforms were not very good, some were really good. But still, I just missed that conversation in person. There’s just something about it.”

At her core, she remains an advocate for small businesses. Summing it up, she declares: “It is what I love.”

"

Life had changed, the world had changed, and I had changed.

Designing for Healthy Living

Until COVID-19 lockdowns forced us all indoors for months on end, few of us realized how much the buildings we occupy affect our health. We weren’t necessarily spending more time indoors. Between work and home life, we spend more than 90 percent of our time surrounded by four walls even in normal circumstances. But when we were told to hunker down and our health was at the center of the narrative, we became much more aware of the importance of fresh air and daylight filling our confined spaces.

Buildings have long been designed to protect occupants from harm and illness. But what if they were also designed to actively promote people’s health and well-being? That’s where architect Cedra Ginsburg Goldman ’93 is taking the next phase of her career. Four years ago, after nearly 20 years in the industry, Cedra returned to school to earn degrees in public health. She now has a master’s degree from the Colorado School of Public Health and is pursuing a doctorate.

Cedra’s path has taken her from traditional architecture to sustainability consulting, and now to focusing on how the design and operation of buildings impact the health and wellness of the people inside. Her goal is to help advance a relatively new field by bringing architects and public health officials into the same conversation. “Architects and public health professionals work in separate silos, and they don’t understand how important combining their goals is to the health of the people occupying these buildings,” she says.

The lockdown has created an opening. “We’re much more aware, especially of the air that we are living in, than we ever have been before,” Cedra says. “... As awful, awful as the pandemic has been, I think it has created a willingness to consider things that are not the status quo, because nothing is the status quo anymore.”

The pandemic also gave her a ready-made opportunity to study how building design, operation, and occupant health align. For her doctorate, Cedra developed a survey of Colorado nursing homes that aimed to identify ways in which the buildings affected staff and residents’ mental and physical health, especially as residents were isolated to help stop the spread of the virus. She hopes the results can help drive improvements of the facilities in case of a similar outbreak, such as by creating “pods” or “neighborhoods” that would allow residents to continue socializing during a time of quarantine. She also hopes the work will translate to other facilities housing vulnerable populations, such as homeless shelters or prisons.

Some lessons already learned show how even small actions can make a big difference. “What we’re seeing at these nursing homes is that the introduction of outside air into the buildings is good for cognitive function and good for infection control,” Cedra says. That could involve installing a new ventilation system or simply opening some windows. Letting in daylight is another factor that has been shown to improve cognitive function. Cedra adds: “You really need to keep that in mind with places where people reside.

You have to have not just a small window that meets code but something that really supports the mental and physical health of the occupants.”

Cedra describes those actions as low-hanging fruit. To get an idea of the adjustment in thinking that would need to happen for building improvements that are more involved, consider how many times you’ve intended to take the stairs in a multistory building but took the elevator instead because you couldn’t find the stairs. As Cedra puts it, “We have designed built environments to discourage active living.” In addition to relocating stairs, design considerations could include making break rooms more inviting to encourage workers to step away from their desks for lunch and be more mindful in their eating, or installing smart lighting that adjusts its color temperature to mimic natural light. “If we just shift how we design a little bit and shift how we occupy these spaces, we really can create some significant changes going forward,” she adds.

Cedra got into architecture because a family member suggested it. She solidified her love of art at Santa Catalina, but she was also good at math, and the family member pointed out that she would be the first architect in the family. As she warmed up to the idea, she settled on Rice University, where she was accepted into an architecture program of just 25 students. “There is no way I would have gotten into Rice had I not had the art portfolio from Catalina,” she says.

In her first job at an architecture office, however, Cedra knew that she wanted more of a “big picture” role. So she got licensed, allowing her to do project management and opening up more career opportunities. Getting a license also afforded her a certain amount of respect, especially when overseeing construction. “If you have a license, suddenly your commitment to the profession is demonstrated,” Cedra says. Looking back, she believes that attending an all-girls school gave her the confidence to stand up for herself in a male-dominated industry. Catalina “really fostered our independence and our value as people,” she says.

Cedra’s career continued to evolve. She joined an engineering company that brought her to Colorado, where she was involved in the construction of a new wing of the Denver Health hospital. Several years later, looking for something different, she joined a consulting firm, where she served as director of sustainability services.

Then, ten years ago, while pregnant with her second child, she decided to strike out on her own, forming the Manya Group. Through the company, she performed property condition assessments for the Department of Housing and Urban Development with an eye toward sustainability

improvements. She also performed LEED certifications, which assess a building’s positive impact on the environment. “We did a LEED certification for the Red Cross headquarters here in Denver, as well as Pinnacol Assurance, which is the major workers’ comp insurance company for Colorado. And, having done both of those, I realized that is not really the direction that I’m passionate about,” she says. A small portion of those certifications was devoted to occupant health, and Cedra wanted to do more. “That was when I realized that I needed to pivot to do something that fulfilled my soul a little bit more because I care a lot about the people in the buildings.”

When it came to sustainability practices, Cedra had to educate herself, but she didn’t want to take the same approach to learning how to design healthy buildings. That’s why she went back to school. “I wanted to really invest myself in understanding the research and the toxicology and the methods of disease,” she says.

For Cedra, one of the most exciting aspects of her new pursuit is that the field is still relatively new. The WELL Building Standard, for which Cedra is an accredited professional, was launched within the past decade. She looks forward to helping the concept of healthy buildings catch on. “It’s been a challenge, but it has been so wonderful to pursue this passion and feel like there’s a possibility for meaningful change associated with it.”

"

If we just shift how we design . . . and occupy these spaces, we really can create some significant changes.

THE CONTINUES Journey

WHAT COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY ARE YOU CURRENTLY ATTENDING, AND WHAT YEAR ARE YOU?

I’m currently a senior at Cal Poly Pomona.

WHAT MAJOR/MINORS WILL YOU GRADUATE WITH?

I’ll be graduating this May with a BS in hospitality management and a minor in Chinese.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO STUDY AND PURSUE THESE AREAS OF INTEREST?

Ever since my junior year at Santa Catalina, I knew I wanted to study hospitality. I didn’t realize that I could study two of my passions at once and was excited to add a minor in Chinese. My love for the Chinese culture began with Mrs. Bo Covington when I was in eighth grade at Santa Catalina. Mrs. Covington continued to spark my passion to learn Mandarin for the five years I studied with her, and I credit her with the achievements I’ve been able to make.

WHAT OTHER EXPERIENCES (ACADEMIC OR OTHERWISE) HAVE YOU ENJOYED IN COLLEGE?

As a freshman, I joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and was bitten by the leadership bug. I started out by chairing a few committees and then served as vice

president my sophomore year. Working as the Collins College of Hospitality Student Government senator my junior year set me up to run for and eventually become president of the student body at Cal Poly Pomona. For the past year, I have led our 29,000 students and helped manage a $30 million nonprofit company, Associated Students Inc.

WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING AFTER GRADUATION?

I am so excited and ready to begin the next chapter of my life. However, that excitement does come with nerves! I got the “entertainment bug” during my senior year at Catalina when I helped out the theatre department by volunteering to open and close the curtain during the spring musical, The Pajama Game. Being backstage was so fun that I’ve continued to volunteer backstage with other theatre productions whenever possible. My hope is to meld my hospitality degree with the entertainment industry, ultimately working on large-scale productions. But graduating after a world-wide pandemic isn’t exactly the best time to find a job, so I’m doing all I can to stay positive, make connections wherever possible, and learn as much as I can along the way.

Something I have learned from this

WHAT DOES A “DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOU” LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW?

"

I’M DOING ALL I CAN TO STAY POSITIVE, MAKE CONNECTIONS WHEREVER POSSIBLE, AND LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN ALONG THE WAY. "

A Q&A WITH LUCY YU ’17

pandemic is how important it is to take care of yourself. Setting some time aside every morning for a walk helps me to power through the rest of the day. Once my school and workday start, I sit in four or five meetings, which usually involve my student government team, my university president, and occasionally state legislators or senators. The latter are typically speaking about how to better our university and support our students. In addition to my many student government Zoom meetings and calls, I have to remember that I am a student, which means logging into a virtual class or two a day. Around six o’clock, I’ll knock out an hour or two of homework, then meet up with a few friends or head out to Los Angeles and maybe treat myself to a nice dinner and dessert. Finally, I head back home and get a good night’s rest to try and conquer the day all over again.

YOU WERE INVOLVED IN MANY CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULARS AT CATALINA. HOW DID THOSE INTERESTS CARRY OVER TO YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE?

I was on the volleyball team for four years, and my best friend and classmate Jessica Oh and I founded the International Culture Club when we were seniors. I didn’t continue with either of those activities in college, but instead joined the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and eventually student government.

WHAT BROADER LIFE LESSONS DID YOU LEARN AT CATALINA THAT HAVE SERVED YOU WELL IN COLLEGE?

Santa Catalina was an academically challenging environment for me. I learned how to study and push hard to achieve my goals. Four years in the Upper School taught me how to be a leader and how to work in a fast-paced environment. People are always amazed at how I can walk into just about any situation with my hand extended for a handshake and look them in the eye (thank you, Mrs. Pollacci!) and introduce myself (thank you, Journey Day Elevator Speech practice!). I think that confidence was deep down inside and Catalina helped “tease” it out of me in a way that I could apply over and over.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO NEW STUDENTS AT SANTA CATALINA?

(1) The amount of effort you put into your extracurriculars, friendships, and classes will be the amount and volume of experiences you get back. (2) Try something new. Even if it scares you, even if you think you won’t like it, try something new. Don’t be closed-minded; life is too short. (3) Be present. High school goes by very quickly, in part because you’re having so much fun but also because you’re always so busy and working hard. Be present and stay present. Enjoy the little moments of dancing in Study Hall but also focus on the lesson that is being taught in front of you so you can perform well on your exam later.

IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE CATALINA IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Empowering, family, competitive.

"

I THINK [MY] CONFIDENCE WAS DEEP DOWN INSIDE AND CATALINA HELPED ‘TEASE’ IT OUT OF ME IN A WAY THAT I COULD APPLY OVER AND OVER. "

2021 Alumnae Reunion

CELEBRATING THE 0 s , 5 s , 1 s , AND 6 s

With their reunion canceled last year due to the global pandemic, the 0s and 5s were invited to join the 1s and 6s for Alumnae Reunion Weekend 2021. Although we were unable to gather in person, Alumnae Reunion Weekend was still a celebration of friendship, sisterhood, and Catalina memories. Alumnae reported that the weekend exceeded their expectations and they look forward to returning to campus in the future.

distinguished alumna awards

Distinguished Alumna Awards

The 2021 recipients of the Distinguished Alumna Awards, Kate Dentoni Mitchell ’76 and Judy McDonald Moses ’86, are recognized for their extraordinary achievements as role models to alumnae and students, and for their dedication and service to their professional endeavors.

Kate Dentoni Mitchell ’76

Kate Dentoni Mitchell graduated from Santa Catalina in 1976. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the evening program at Golden Gate University. Kate has been a trailblazer in venture capital and has a national presence in the field. She is a cofounder of Scale, a Silicon Valley-based firm that invests in startups building software for the intelligent, connected world. She and the Scale team have backed successful, high-growth companies, including HubSpot, DocuSign, and Omniture.

Kate is past chair and board member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and is active in policy matters that impact entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, and inclusion. She coauthored the IPO section of the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which increased access to the public markets for emerging growth companies. In 2014, Kate cofounded an NVCA initiative, VentureForward, which focuses on advancing opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in the venture ecosystem. She received the NVCA Outstanding Service Award in 2013 for her policy work in Washington and the Private Equity Trailblazer Award at the 2018 Women in Private Equity Summit. In March 2021, she received the NVCA’s American Spirit award for service to the community.

Kate currently serves on the boards of SVB Financial Group; Fortive Corporation; Silicon Valley Community Foundation; NVCA’s Venture Forward; Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN), where she is also the co-CEO; Tuck Center for PE & Venture Capital at Dartmouth; and Meals on Wheels San Francisco. She is an advisor and speaker at the Rock Center for Corporate Governance (Stanford Law School). Kate is also an active Kauffman Fellows Mentor and a commentator on technology trends for CNBC Squawk Alley.

Kate often speaks of the critical role Santa Catalina played in her success. She has been generous with her time, sharing her

experience with our students and opening up her home. In 2013, she was one of the first TEDxSantaCatalina School speakers, and in 2018 was the Journey Day keynote speaker. Kate also has hosted chapter gatherings in her home and served as an alumna volunteer.

Judy McDonald Moses ’86

Judy McDonald Moses graduated in 1986. She received a bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Judy is a partner and portfolio manager at Evercore Wealth Management in San Francisco, where she manages investment portfolios for families, endowments, and foundations. Judy’s service to the school has been both generous and inspiring. She has volunteered as a class agent and assisted extensively in reunion planning, serving as reunion ambassador on multiple occasions for her class. She chaired the Envision Fund from 1996 to 2000 and joined the Alumnae Council in 2005. She served as vice president of the Alumnae Council from 2010 to 2011 and became president in 2012, serving for two years. In 2013, she joined the Board of Trustees and is an integral member of the board’s investment committee.

As Alumnae Council president, Judy helped create committees that tapped into the talents and experiences of board and council members and that also aligned with the school’s needs. During her tenure as president, Judy was also responsible for digitizing the school’s yearbooks, a project that was funded completely by Alumnae Council members. Additionally, Judy has hosted chapter gatherings and recently coordinated and hosted a virtual alumnae event on the topic of investing. She has been a consistent supporter of the Santa Catalina Fund since her graduation.

Catalina is a family tradition: sisters Carla McDonald ’76, Frances McDonald Souza ’77, and Lil McDonald Manthoulis ’81, as well her daughter Kylie ’14, are all graduates of Santa Catalina.

Kate Dentoni Mitchell ’76

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN VENTURE CAPITAL? I was exposed to the magic of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship through my husband, who worked at several startups. By the mid-1990s, after having managed large technology and finance teams, I realized venture was a place I might flourish and haven’t looked back since. I have been fortunate to have a front-row seat for some of the most transformative developments of our lifetimes.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK? I have always loved the “aha” moment of grasping something new. This career gave me the chance to learn continually about the latest cutting-edge technology and businesses from passionate entrepreneurs.

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN IN YOUR CAREER FIELD? When I started, there were few female venture capitalists and only a handful of founders. So, yes, it was a challenge, but my focus was to rise above it. The common experience for women and minorities is that you are not “heard” equally around the board table or included in the “boy’s club.” My way around it was to play like a tomboy: get the ball passed to you so you can score. Among other things, I found it impactful to be the trusted call for the CEO when a supportive ear was needed. Now, as a senior female VC, I am working to change the gender, race, and ethnic makeup of venture. Having a proven reputation and gravitas has made it easier to attract support from my male peers.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS? First, founding a successful firm, Scale Venture Partners, that has raised over $2.5 billion from pension funds, endowment, and foundations. We have returned their capital many times over by investing in amazing companies like DocuSign and Bill.com when they were small startups. Second, I wrote a legislative proposal and testified in front of Congress advocating for passage of what became the 2012 JOBS Act. The result was to increase access to private and public capital for emerging growth companies. I watched as the president signed the bill into law in the Rose Garden—a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

WHAT SKILLS, VALUES, OR LESSONS DID YOU LEARN AT SANTA CATALINA THAT HAVE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER OR IN LIFE? I saw the example of female leadership across my class and at school. As a boarding student, I learned firsthand about risk-taking. I learned to embrace the risk of being far from home in exchange for the benefit of personal and academic growth that Catalina gave me. I am in a career that is based on managing high risk in exchange for potential high reward, so this was a meaningful lesson. Last and importantly, by coming together at school with others from such varied backgrounds, it taught me the power of diversity. We collectively benefit from our differences, among other things, allowing us to understand and solve problems more effectively.

WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD MEAN TO YOU? I am proud and thankful to receive this award, but, most importantly, thankful to my parents and the school for providing me this opportunity.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CATALINA TRADITION AND WHY? The first chords of José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” always transport me back to post-final exam, pre-holiday dancing to that joyous song in front of what was then Senior Dorm in our Lanz pajamas. Hearing it always makes me smile and move my feet!

WHAT WORDS OF WISDOM DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS OR YOUNG ALUMNAE?

It is an amazing time for women to be starting their careers. Think big and iterate your way to success. Your path forward will not be a straight line, so be willing to try new things, fail a little, then move forward. Failure is feedback on your path to success.

WHAT IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST, AND WHY?

I have been fortunate to have traveled widely and had some extraordinary experiences. Perhaps I am being influenced by our current pandemic, but the top of my bucket list is more quality time with family and friends. In the end, it is the simple things that matter most.

distinguished alumna awards

Judy McDonald Moses

HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE SANTA CATALINA STUDENTS AND ALUMNAE TO GIVE BACK TO THE SCHOOL? I would suggest students and alumnae make sure that Catalina always has a current email address for them. That way they can receive the alumnae newsletter and stay up to date with events at the school or in the area where they live. There are alumnae chapters in many major cities. Another easy way to stay engaged with the school is to follow Catalina on social media—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. For people who want to be more actively involved, there are opportunities to serve as a class agent, reunion coordinator, or chapter chair, or to serve on the Alumnae Council or the Board of Trustees.

WHAT SKILLS, VALUES, OR LESSONS DID YOU LEARN AT CATALINA THAT HAVE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER OR IN LIFE? The Sisters, faculty, and administration set high standards for us. I was expected to try my best in whatever endeavor I was pursuing—academics, athletics, etc.—and therefore I was motivated to work hard. My experience at Catalina, where female students held all leadership positions, shaped my view of what I could achieve in college and beyond. I never felt there was a position or role that I couldn’t have because I was a woman. I believed that if I worked hard and acquired the right skills then I could achieve anything I wanted to.

WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT YOUR CATALINA EXPERIENCE? I don’t think it is one aspect but the collective of having engaged teachers, a faithbased community, long-held traditions, and [an all-girls learning environment] that made my experience at Catalina special and unique.

WHAT HAS THE SCHOOL MEANT TO YOU SINCE GRADUATION? I had such a great experience as a student at Catalina that I wanted to stay involved with the community. Volunteering was a fun way to stay connected to the school and to other alumnae. I loved meeting other women who shared the experience of being a student at Catalina.

WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF SUPPORTING CATALINA OVER THE YEARS?

Catalina really is a special community. For a relatively small school, we have a large footprint. I am constantly meeting people who have some type of connection to Catalina. I’ll hear “my aunt went there” or “my cousin went there.”

I have also met and become friends with some very talented women who were Catalina students. I am very proud of what women from Catalina have achieved in their personal and professional lives.

WHAT DOES RECEIVING THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD MEAN TO YOU? I am incredibly honored to have received the Distinguished Alumna Award. I was actually quite surprised to receive it, because I never thought of my work with Catalina as noteworthy. Volunteering for Catalina was just something I always did and really enjoyed.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST MEMORABLE CATALINA TRADITION AND WHY? I think my favorite tradition is Ring Dinner. When you finally get your ring, it means that you made it past your underclassman years and that senior year is right around the corner. I also love the white gowns and red roses the seniors have for graduation!

WHAT WORDS OF WISDOM DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS OR YOUNG ALUMNAE? Set high standards for yourself. If you do, then the most important achievements in your personal and professional life will require hard work, but it will be worth it.

WHAT IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST, AND WHY? To visit Lake Louise in Banff National Park. The photos look spectacular, but I bet it is even more beautiful to experience it in person.

ALUMNAE CLASS NOTES 53

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

Executive Committee

Kathy Trafton ’74

President

Jalynne Tobias Redman ’72

Priya Kumar Raju ’00

Katie Carnazzo Larsen ’02

Vice Presidents

Zach VanHarn

Director of Annual Giving and School Engagement

Members

Carol Speegle Lannon ’55

Sandy Hollenbeck Schnieder ’62

Pat Allen Sparacino ’65

Sally Fay ’74

Helene de Baubigny ’85

Annie Coppel ’90

Lindsay Heller ’95

Brogiin Keeton ’01

Kai Romero ’01

Anna Lopez Mourlam ’06

Kristina Flathers ’11

Chapter Chairs

Boston Position vacant

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 Position vacant

San Diego Taylor Griffon ’11

San Francisco Yvette Merchant Nichols ’96

Natalie Burke ’99

Anna Lopez Mourlam ’06

Seattle Madeleine Lynch Greathouse ’85

Washington, D.C. Position vacant

International Chapters

Asia Rene Leung ’99

Angelina Yao ’99

Diana Mak ’01

Europe Lara Brehmer ’98

Latin America Annie Coppel ’90*

Tere Gonzalez ’94

*Designates Alumnae Association Board member

Beezie Leyden Moore beeziem3@aol.com

Although we're all struggling with a difficult time, we are making the most of it and enjoying our lives for the most part. We lost Gloria Donnelly last year quite unexpectedly and now there are only three of us left. Fleana Giglio Snapp and her husband, John, are still in their family home in Carmel with one of their daughters. Fleana is having some health issues but is getting excellent care and hopes to be back on her feet soon. John is there for her and she's handling it with her usual great sense of humor. Gray Burnham Hynes is still enjoying her home in Orinda and spends time in her Carmel home with her children. Her granddaughter gave her the biggest gift of all when she gave birth to twin girls in February. Gray and I compared notes of what it's like remodeling a kitchen during COVID. We both replaced our kitchens in 2020 and learned how to live without appliances. I think we came to realize you can survive if you have a refrigerator and a microwave. Beezie Leyden Moore: In October, I moved into a tiny Julia Morgan house in Cambria. It's been challenging but rewarding restoring it and yet modernizing it. I'm still working on it, but enjoying it at the same time. I have one granddaughter, Ellie, who will graduate from University High School in Fresno in May. I'm hoping restrictions will ease up and that she will have a traditional graduation.

54

Gloria 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!

55

Mary Nevin Henderson Pat Kelly Phillips

plwa2@sbcglobal.net 56

The Class of 1956 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Assistant Director of Alumnae/i Engagement, 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!

57

The Class of 1957 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Assistant Director of Alumnae/i Engagement, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Diane Dickerson wishes all of us peace, faith, love, and abiding good health during this unusual time. Mary Hunt Cano: Due to this crazy COVID-19 world we are living in at present, there is virtually nothing for me to report! I did drive 28 miles north from La Jolla to Oceanside where my half-sister, Anne, and her younger daughter are living. I went for two nights at Thanksgiving and for three nights over Christmas. Apart from that, my outings have been confined to basically grocery shopping—how exciting! Thank goodness neither me nor anyone I know has contracted COVID. Here in San Diego County, our doctors and pharmacies are still waiting for vaccine supplies so that they can do their job! All I can hope for is that by next March the travel restrictions will have been eased and that the Class of 1957 can hold their 65th reunion. I hope so for one main reason. God willing, it will be the last one that I shall be attending! I shall be 82 and frankly, cannot envisage myself making the drive up in another five years. Also, it is more than likely that I shall be moving back to London sometime next year. In the meantime, I wish you and everyone connected with Santa Catalina all the best. And particularly my fellow Class of 1957 classmates.

58

Anne McCullough Griffin frankanneg@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!

59

Bobbie O’Connell Munson

bobbiemunson@sbcglobal.net Kristan Jacobson O’Neill kristan.wildflower@comcast.net

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

Lynne Wildman Chapman: I was in Seattle to visit with my daughter, Ashley, and my new granddaughter, Sophie. Sanity during the quarantine are videos of Sophie, puzzles, clearing out my huge yard, and walks. The peace and quiet is delicious. I am very happy to just receive my first COVID vaccine injection. Rene May Lawler: I

received our class award for being the first great-grandma to two wonderful children, Aiden (5), and now, Hailey (9 months). I usually see them by video because of the pandemic, and I am still playing golf and pickleball when I can. I also received the first COVID vaccine injection, and plan to go to New Zealand in October, if possible.

Barclay Braden: It is a wonderful year for a writer! I am back in Ocala, with Richard, at work on my original manuscript, Thank You Notes, from which emerged my first book, Faith At Hand . It feels significant that the first chapter I wrote, to begin this ongoing endeavor, took place in Courtesy Class at school. You will no doubt recall that we were offered very specific guidance in the art of writing a good thank you note—plus further instruction in making our words look beautiful with proper manuscript. Please send prayers and wishes for my efforts to weave it all together.

Betty Blak Okie: I have seven grandchildren and am presently sharing a place with my daughter, Jennifer, and her family. My older daughter and three of my grandchildren live in Minnesota. I broke my wrist at Thanksgiving and have been one-handed ever since. I am very happy where I am and feel lucky for the life we share. Mary Denman: There has been a lot of virus in my area, and I was lucky enough to get an injection early. I am looking forward to an early spring, but I am under huge snow now. My saddest moment was having to put my dog, Mickey (19+ years), to sleep in mid-October. After several weeks, I adopted a cat, Toby (8). He is very social, often comes when called, tabby-tiger, and enjoys being in charge of everything! Have you felt that even though we have been restrained in many ways the time has passed extremely quickly? The good Lord has truly been my refuge and companion throughout this ordeal. France de Sugny Bark : Dennis and I are healthy and remaining active with our life at the Sequoias. We walk a lot on the nearby trails and roads in beautiful, rural Portola Valley. The pool here is open again so I will resume swimming weekly. We are extremely well taken care of with three meals a day delivered to our apartment. We have a lovely small garden with roses, camellias, and orchids, which keep me happy and occupied. We got our first vaccine several weeks ago, and will soon get our second one. We hope this enables us to go to France this coming fall to take care of our family property and timber business. We were not able to go last fall, which was the first time in 46 years that we were not there in the fall. Fortunately, we have capable caretakers. We keep up with our three sons and their families on Zoom. It is the next best thing to seeing one another, and for the moment is the best we can do. Christina McCormick Merrill: Please give my love to everyone. I talk regularly with France and meet for a picnic lunch now and then at a local park, either in San Francisco or Portola Valley, and have a marvelous time. Debby McCann: Tim and I are fine. We had a close call with Tim’s employees and COVID but Tim was negative. Our oldest son and his wife live and work in D.C. They are just exhausted from all the demonstrations, riots, COVID restrictions, kids at

home, parents working from home, etc. The younger generation seems to be dealing with a very challenging life experience. The hardest thing for us is not getting to see our grandchildren while they are still small. It has been a year since we saw our youngest, Gus (3), in person. We do FaceTime, but that is not as much fun as having him in my lap while I read to him. Happily, my sisters and brother are all well. I hope all in the Class of 1959 are doing well. Marilyn Brown Wykoff: I turned 80 in September. I know I am a year older than most of you. A month later, I missed one step on my stairs and broke my ankle and foot, which needed surgery. Bless my husband, Vic, as he pushed me around in a wheelchair for seven weeks. I thought I would mention this for all of you who are going to be 80 this coming year: slow down! My big news is we are gaining another residence. We are taking a place in Carmel Valley Manor, a senior facility, and I hope some of you join us. We still own our beautiful property in Clements, but slowly we will have to phase away from it. We are also keeping our Carmel home in the hopes our grandkids come and visit. We have missed seeing our whole family and friends this last year. Take care. Vic and I think of you often. Kathy Mailliard Rende: My typical day now consists of walking Maxi, our Papillon mix; keeping up with the news; sitting down at the computer for a bridge game with friends; dinner and watching a good series on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Good weather brings family to outside celebrations for birthdays, etc. We're healthy, happy, and looking forward to more get-togethers with family and friends. John has his golf games and lots of reading. Hugs to everyone. Christy Belvail Baguio: I am approaching one year on the trial drugs, with very odd consequences. I had three blood transfusions and stayed stable for three months. I had some scans recently and found the two tumors in my lungs had shrunk (which was great) but now I have blood clots. Welcome to the world of blood thinners. My doctors worry about my falling, but I've gotten pretty good at landing. Alfred and I are getting our COVID vaccine shots and are celebrating our 57th anniversary. I am starting to feel pretty well and continuing with physical therapy, and can now walk. I drive and do limited gardening. I have a wild turkey that has moved into my garden, fleeing the wildfires here. My grandchildren are both in distance learning. Tyler is a 9th grader, who has not ever been to his high school, and Isabel is a freshman at Hartnell College in Salinas. They bring lots of joy into our lives, especially since Isabel has taken up cooking! All three of our kids work mostly from home. Nate lives in L.A. and works for Lion Electric, based in Montreal. Nick works in Sacramento for Lexis-Nexis, based in England." (Note from Bobbie: Christy has helped me so much in reaching out to our classmates in the Central Valley to gather information for this Bulletin Many thanks!) Wendy Burnham Kuhn: Bobbie and Kristan, your starring and sturdy support for our class has meant so much to me, in this year of non touching. Remember every time you see someone, not necessarily a friend but fellow

villager or acquaintance in France, you used to kiss at least once on each cheek? I often think of my confinement, of what it takes to be there for someone, and again and again I think of our class, and pulling together, praying for one another, writing to one another, and thinking about their traumas or concerns, and I am proud of us for growing the way we have. Here’s to the Class of ’59! Julie Hutcheson: Wendy is wise to remind us of the friendships we share, and the strong bonds we can lean on when times are tough. Caring thoughts are like prayers, and, more than ever, we are all thinking of them. I am leading a very small life in the guest house behind my son's home. Once he and his wife discovered they could work full days remotely from their country cottage, they jumped at the chance to do so, while I have been caretaking their house in town. I rely more and more on the internet for supplies, groceries, and staying in touch with friends and family. The good news is that the internet has allowed me to continue online with art history classes I had been attending at the school affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. I have expanded my reading, particularly artist biographies, which has given me other worlds, albeit mostly Parisian, French, and Italian, to live in, but that's a pretty good deal, especially when travel is not presently an option. I am homesick for the Central Coast and all of you who live there. I hope to return some time this summer. Love and prayers.

Marie-Therese Poniatowska de Maigret: We are not only in the middle of a bleak, black, freezing, wet, snowy, and windy winter, but also completely confined for the last four months. We have been wearing masks since February 2020. Now we are having many social attacks on the street. Despite the virus, and end-of-the-world atmosphere, all is well with children and grandchildren, each working hard, doing exciting things, and well. Loads of forbidden hugs to all our great class. Teresa Annotti Rogers: It is always lovely to learn that classmates are thriving and as dynamic as ever. A retired nurse friend of mine, who lives in Maine, used this local phrase to describe her current lifestyle: Staying off the streets and out of pubs! That's a fairly accurate description of my life and the lives of my friends. Hearing about the activities of my children, who are all out in the world, and hearing the adventures of all of my adult grandchildren keep me somewhat up to date on what is happening. They are my guardian angels through this difficult time. May you and your families stay safe and well. With remembrances of things past. Hansi de Petra Rigney: We have been busy dealing with family and financial issues with the help of our kids. (At a distance, of course!) I am ever so grateful. Daughter Katie sent a beautiful letter to her dad, in which she says that a particular photo of them on her mantle piece brings back memories of her happy high school days and the fun times when we visited for Parents’ Weekend and Father-Daughter Weekend. I, too, am so grateful for having received such a great education at Santa Catalina, and to have been in close touch with so many beautiful, kind, and intelligent girls and wonderful teachers.

I have such great memories of teachers like Sister Kieran, Sister Carlotta, Sister Matthew, and Sister Grazia. I am very busy at home, and in my free time I try to keep fit by running. All marathons were canceled for 2020, and who knows when things will be back to normal. In the meantime, I get out on our beautiful coast as much as possible. I can hardly wait to see my five grandchildren before they grow up! Missing my whole family and classmates. Lila Desmond French: With COVID around, I am lucky to live in a gated community, where I do not have to venture out into the real world. I play tennis and we have two restaurants where I can get food to go. I mostly stay home with Zoey and watch T.V. I did take a week long trip in January to Cabo San Lucas, and had a wonderful time. I found a place that I would have moved into but they had already accepted another offer. Still looking to get out of California and the USA. Hate the politics! My two daughters are coming to visit me, at independent times, this February, so I will be entertaining them. Fortunately, all of our families have remained healthy. My oldest grandson will be attending the Air Force Academy, and will be playing lacrosse for them. His brother is at Taft in Connecticut, and loves boarding school. My two granddaughters are in high school (virtually) and are cross-country runners. I hope everyone is staying safe, and taking the vaccine. Maybe we can see the light at the end of the pandemic. Didi Dwyer Schreiber: My daughter, Lisa, has started her own college counseling service. She works with freshmen through seniors in high school. The parents of these students have very high expectations and are pushing for their children to get into the Ivy League universities, etc. Sometimes the parents need more counseling than the students, according to my daughter. Lisa and Todd, her husband, have my two grandchildren: Trevor (27), who lives in Fort Worth, TX, and is working with a real estate company that deals with both residential and commercial real estate. Most of our contact lately has been either through FaceTime or Zoom. I am very close to him and have missed him so very much this year. Taylor (25) lives in San Francisco. She is a CPA and just recently left the PWC accounting firm and is now working for a smaller company. I have seen Lisa, Trevor, and Taylor a few times when the weather has permitted and we have been able to socially distance together. Still no hugs or human contact for months! My youngest daughter, Dana, and her husband, Rich, have no children. Dana underwent a second brain surgery this year for hydrocephalus. She has multiple complications from diabetes, which she has had since she was two. She is now almost totally blind, which has been one of the most difficult challenges. However, she is a teacher, and, despite her severe vision impairment, she has been able to continue teaching, remotely. Of course, her husband helps her with the technology, and, with some modifications to her computer, she is managing. I have been amazed. We stay in touch by phone, because of her medically fragile condition. Living in the COVID era has been challenging for all of us. How blessed I am to have

my faith, family, and friends. Despite being apart I consider each of you a part of my extended family. You are, and always will be, sisters to me. Shelley LeBlanc Duke: Phil and I have completed our downsizing move from our 150-acre farm to a 50-acre mountaintop retreat in the horse country of Middleburg, VA. I am still working on recovering from the stroke that hit me almost 10 years ago. So instead of horses, bridge, and yoga, I am attacking the challenges through therapies and hard work. I still maintain a strong positive attitude. Phil is a wonderful blessing in my life, and we are so lucky to have one another. Hopefully, we will all be together again after the pandemic. Kristan Jacobson O'Neill: A few years ago, Ed and I sold our family home of 43 years in Fresno and built a new home in Shaver Lake, about 50 miles northeast of Fresno. While we maintain a tiny home in a gated community in Fresno, Shaver has become our primary residence. In September last year, we were evacuated because a fire had started 20 miles north of us. I didn't want to go, but finally grabbed my computer and checkbook, thinking I would be back shortly. I was wrong! Days passed and we watched in horror as we saw the fire gulp up mile after mile. Thanks to the valiant first responders and firefighters, our community center was saved, along with our neighborhood. Over 600 homes and 300,000 acres were lost. We were evacuated for two months. Otherwise, my life has been pretty humdrum, which is another way of saying it is blessed! My kids, their spouses, and "grands" are healthy and employed. Four of the grands are in college, studying from home. Ed and I celebrated 56 years of wedded bliss this May. For two old codgers in their 80s, we are doing pretty well. I send heartfelt greetings to each of you, and as I typed your emails, I was flooded with memories. Louise (Weezie) Grant Garland: It did my heart so much good to talk with you! Our recollections are always pure pleasure—66 years, what a beautiful friendship! My life for the last 11 months has been about the same as it has been for all of us. I spend a lot of time fussing in the garden. My children and darling grandchildren live close by so we can have frequent socially distanced meals. I also have two new dachshund puppies, Hilde and Franz. They are the perfect project for me. They are so much fun and such good company. My prayer for all of us is that we remain in reasonably good health and happy. We are or are about to be octogenarians— good for us! Margaret Rosenburg Duflock : I hope everyone is surviving COVID and that their families are well. I am still the same—on the ranch, enjoying life, and keeping busy. I have 12 grandchildren, six boys and six girls. Everyone is healthy. I am very fortunate to also have very good health. I eat beef every day, just like my aunt, who lived to 104 years. Blake Anderson: Julie Hutcheson was able to talk with Blake and reports that she has escaped COVID so far, and is in the process of going for her first vaccination. She is well and still can drive. She sends her love to all. Bernadette Requiro Peavey: Besides keeping the books for my husband's business partnerships, my life is pretty carefree. I hung up

my tennis racquet several years ago. My exercise now is to walk my dog. She is a Jack Russell mix so she is pretty small and getting along in age. I try to keep in touch with Hansi and Christy. I still carefully meet with friends for a glass of wine, but life has become very simple. My son lives in Carmel Valley, so I get to see my grandchildren. My daughter lives in Santa Barbara and owns a garden center called TerraSol. Her daughter is interested in cooking. Bobbie O'Connell Munson: It has been a joy being in touch with all of my former classmates. We have had a response of 100% of all members that are currently known to the class. Everyone sounds wonderful, and for the most part, considering most of us are just turning 80 years old, we are a pretty active and healthy group. My life revolves around our businesses, which have been operated by my wonderful daughter-in-law, Sandra Munson. Without her, I would be in big trouble. My greatest joy is life with my boys, and my five terrific grandchildren. My eldest, Andrea Munson ’03, has been an event planner/producer/designer for Google, Salesforce, and various high-end destination events. My granddaughter, Reagan, will receive her Master of Science in physician assistant studies this year, and is currently on rotation in general surgery. She is loving surgery. Her sister, Erica, graduated from UC Berkeley in public health and public policy. She will be attending graduate school at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health this fall in NY. She is presently a consultant at Cloudmed in San Francisco. My granddaughter, Kaila, graduated in graphic design and marketing, is doing freelance design work, and will be studying for a master’s in clinical mental health counseling this fall. And my only grandson, Christian, graduated from UCSB in accounting, and is currently studying for his CPA. I am living vicariously through each of them. My love and prayers to all of you, my dearest friends and sisters at Santa Catalina.

61

Penelope Corey Arango pcarango@bellsouth.net

Penelope Corey Arango: Since we are isolated, and especially because of our age and medical issues, I have decided to turn this into a spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual retreat! I live on a beautiful 30-acre lake, surrounded by beautiful homes, tennis courts, swimming pools, gardens, children's park, unbelievable trees, plants, multiple animals—all of which are coming out and enjoying nature. I walk around the lake twice every day. I go to Mass with social distancing, then to a support group on Zoom. I also attend many Zoom classes at the University of Miami as well as a daily mindfulness meditation Zoom class. I communicate with my family in CA, France, Spain, Colombia, and Mexico, thanks to technology. What can I say, I live totally in the present, and I agree with Eleanor Roosevelt: "The past is history. The future is a mystery. Today is a gift, and that's why it's called the present!"

Nini Richardson Hart: This year started out as a celebration for Jim and me—50 years of marriage! We were introduced by the brother of Fyfe Irvine Lavin who is married to Jim’s sister. Although quarantined for four months during COVID, I spent time talking to Sara Fargo, Lissa Gahagan Nicolaus, Mary-Allen MacNeil, and Judi Musto Hachman. I also spent time talking with Sharon Gless, Fyfe Irvine Lavin, Judy Nagel Cox, Kathy Ryan Foy, and many others for long conversations. I can’t believe it’s been 60 years since we graduated. I recently saw Mary Pat Reardon Sweetman ’60 and we were able to relive the wonderful moments and good times at Santa Catalina. We now live in the same town in South Dakota. God bless you all.

62

Mary Foley 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 rolando@cox.net

Mary-Ellen Bowlin Briel: I was traveling with my Hong Kong-based daughter in January 2020, and as we left Barcelona for our own cities, Elizabeth

decided it was time to start a family Zoom. She has hosted it since February, every Sunday morning. It’s not everybody’s coping method, but for my five children, nine grandchildren, and me, it’s been good, and at times salvific. My Melissa Network ESL classes for migrant women in Athens went to Zoom in early February, and I will again say, for them and for me: salvific! For me personally, frequent visits on the phone or FaceTime with Jansie Stephens Farris have replaced our in-person visits. She continues to amaze me with her changes—and of course, her laughter! Jans and I have had a few four-way WhatsApp calls with Ghislaine de Give and Pat Daugherty Shallenberger as well. Kathleen Brown: In 2020, I managed to fulfill my New Year's resolution for the first time ever. First, I resolved to cook more meals at home since our usual MO is dining out 21 meals a week. And, second, I resolved to slow down and spend more time at home with my husband, Van Sauter. COVID took care of everything. We have been hunkering down, close to home, counting our blessings, and finding joy in the simple things in life. A good meal. A good book. A good conversation. A good walk. And discovering Zoom. Can’t wait for our shots and a better and brighter 2021. Lynn Gates: Things are strange this year. My NYC. daughter fled to California with her boyfriend and they bought a house in Encinitas. My other daughter is a vet with two rambunctious children who sleep poorly. They live in Long Beach. I am slugging along as a lawyer in Buffalo. I hope everyone is well. Maria Remenyi Cantrell: Here’s my last 19 years in a nutshell. In September 2001, I moved after 30 years in Vermont to Southern California to care for aging, ailing parents. I lost my dad two years later. But we celebrated Mom’s 100th birthday last November! I had a job as sole, full-charge bookkeeper for a large HOA for 10 years, then for more than two years for a landscape company. I was forced into semi-retirement by companies downsizing. However, the lack of a full-time job gave me plenty of time to pursue my love of music by playing violin (which I took up for the first time in my late 50s!) in several community orchestras. I became the treasurer for one of them, a post I still hold even though we cannot have live concerts. To keep the music alive in my heart and dexterity in my fingers, I play duets and trios with another violinist and cellist from the orchestra every week in my home. I love my pool and I spend many pleasant hours swimming laps and exercising in it every summer. The low point has been losing one of our three inseparable friends throughout our years at Santa Catalina: Melody Rodriguez Stewart , who passed so suddenly and unexpectedly in 2019 after I talked with her a few days prior. Our third member, Ashley Swan New Liberty (Consuelo “Tinker” Taylor), and I are still in touch regularly and she comes to visit from Arizona with her husband. I am pleased to report that she is well and happy, as am I. Overall, I look forward to every day with true thanksgiving for all of us still here to grace one another with love, friendship, music, and the Lord’s unfailing mercy to give us hope for the future. Jansie Stephens

Farris: The high point this year was moving to Atria Foster Square last December. It was a challenge but the experience has been positive for the most part. I am one of the youngest ones here so I am able to help out a lot. I have been able to stay active and healthy during this pandemic. The low point was having to give up my car earlier in the year because it was no longer safe for me to drive. My feet would not work correctly with the brake pedal. I have learned how to take public transportation and Ready Wheels to get around.

Judy Haig Hansen: In New Zealand, the late March COVID-19 outbreak saw an abrupt end to our seven months of travel, which included Europe and South America, including Easter Island. Neal and I are goal setting to complete our travels to New Zealand and Australia in 2022. We were lucky enough to have a family rent our home in Santa Fe, NM, for nine months which financed our trip. We stayed the summer in our cabin and supervised a selective logging operation. Returning to Santa Fe in the fall involved connecting with our new friends, taking a watercolor painting class at the community college, hiking, skiing, golf, and continuing my executive coaching. Our three children and four grandchildren live on the East Coast (Boston, Westport, Chapel Hill) so we have visited virtually this year. Our son from Boston has been working remotely and decided to relocate to Santa Fe for six months. It’s been wonderful having one of our children in town for the holidays. As I watch our grandchildren start college and apply for college, our era seems so easy and carefree. I’m looking forward to a much calmer 2021. Mary Malcolm Ford: Life in Sun Valley is a bit better than many of you are experiencing in California. We move about freely with restaurants, movie theatres, and shops open—with social distancing protocols in place. Lots of outdoor activity, as you can imagine, with the ski resort open for business. The hospital is open for biz and not overwhelmed with COVID. I am so happy to be in this small community. I’m doing a lot of reading, baking, and dog walking. I flew out to Tahoe for a week this past fall and that’s about it for travel and adventure. Health is great, but I didn’t take the flu shot this year since I haven’t volunteered at the hospital since last March. I always seem to get really sick each year that I’ve taken it (for preventative measures that haven’t prevented anything). Not going to take the vaccine either. And life goes on as transformed as it has become. Pat Coonan Hackett: During the summer we spent some time masked and social distanced with our girls and their families, and discovered that our grandkids (13 and 9) were super strict about masking and hugging, frequently reminding us to stay away and to pull up our masks! Their visits were truly a gift. We have also Zoomed with them and our son several times. It seems like the technology anticipated the pandemic. This “time off” provided an opportunity to binge read and watch many stories and shows, both high and low brow, that entertained and educated. Distance learning was a bonus for me. Worcester has a senior education program through Assumption University that offers video courses on subjects like Renaissance

painters, mosses and mushrooms, WW II, and local geology, to name a few. It has been fun to pick and choose from the variety, and all of the classes I attended opened my eyes to the world around me and the factors affecting our country today. Although I did not sign up for the series on growing old! My tutoring gig at the local community college was mostly curtailed and ushering at the local theater was canceled. We are looking forward to the next chapter. Hopefully the immunizations will lead to festive and ordinary family gatherings, the easy camaraderie of dinners with friends, live music, and the freedom to travel. Bonnie McWhorter Bertelsen: Like everyone else, I am staying at home and waiting for the pandemic to be over. I miss my friends and family and can’t wait to go to a restaurant. We didn’t travel at all in 2020 (not even one night). Luckily, I have been able to see my grandson and daughter who live nearby and fingers crossed that I will be able to go to Denver in June for my granddaughter’s eighth grade graduation and my son’s 50th birthday. Ghislaine de Give: Despite advancing cases of COVID-19 in the UK, I am free and because I’m over75, I'm now in level three for receiving the vaccine. I'm taking two art courses online: one in landscape drawing, another in painting. I've been exploring new reading— poetry and Hannah Arendt on the Eichmann trial. I don't see my grandchildren at all. From the videos I've seen, they are changing dramatically and somehow for the better without having contact with their grandmother. I have been calling friends I haven't contacted for many years and this has been enormously rewarding, even to the point of developing relationships I never had before. Ellie Hutcheson: I still live in Austin in my 1920s cottage, and over the years, I have added peach trees to the yard, thus creating a miniorchard that makes for a joyful spring scene and a fun June crop. I have served as a resolution editor for the Texas Senate for 35 years, and my daughter, May, who lives nearby, also has a career at the Capitol as a constituent director for a state senator. My latest studies have been focused on learning about the beginnings of the universe and the amazing lives of our early scientists. I heartily recommend Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything and Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. I haven't seen any classmates in decades, but I have been off and on in contact with Ghislaine de Give. My sister Bettie Hutcheson Carrell ’65 and I are lucky to be graced with visits by M. F. Flynn ’65 on Thanksgiving holidays. Veegee Glod Gorman: I’m living in the Rocky Mountains, far from the maddening crowd and biding my time until I can get out and about more. My three children are grown up and married and have given me seven grandchildren who are absolutely amazing. We are all growing and staying cheerful during this difficult time. As for myself, I’ve been reading a lot and now am reading the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett! Recently, I found a couple of copies of our old vocabulary book on eBay! Sally Rorick Orlando: My high point was getting an old copy of Lamplighter. The news included the senior recital of Eden Clarke, choral group recording "Ceremony of Carols," and

Jane Albert Willens getting a trophy from Governor Brown. Low point of 2020 has been the pandemic, political insanity, and racial inequality. My daughter, Julia, shops for us, and our son, Matt, a winemaker, made a surprise visit. My husband, Rick, is sculpting and I’ve learned the joys of Zoom for spiritual direction and my music appreciation class. Kathleen Hynes: An emergency room failed to diagnose my T12 compression fracture and broken rib in October 2019. In April 2020, I had an MRI that identified the problem. Following surgery in June 2020, I’ve been recovering my strength slowly. Jansie Stephens Farris has been a big support sending daily photos of her granddaughter, Charlotte. Roxanne Spieker Morse: I’ve tried to venture out to safe places but too much variety in Southern California enforcement so I’m home for the month of January. I feel lucky to take in fresh air most days. Thank you to all our classmates who have given to the Annual Fund. Donna Hollenbeck Ramos: Despite tragedy and frustration, I have found some interesting challenges. I continue to work on influencing Congress to get a carbon fee and dividend passed. I work with Citizens Climate Lobby to accomplish legislative change—a lesson in patience and relationship building. I have taken some classes to learn to bridge the gap between reds and blues. I am motivated to learn to listen more effectively and really try to understand how others see things. I am patiently waiting for grandchildren's hugs to happen safely. Trish Scott Williams: We have managed through the isolation with window visits and no travel challenges until my beloved husband, Bruce, passed away in December after 13 years with Alzheimer's. I was allowed to be at his side the last four hours. I am now living on memories of our wonderful, adventure-filled 52 years of marriage. Didi Ditz Stauffer: I thought my daughter, Anne, would be married to Brad Bowery in August 2020, but it is postponed until August 2021. Son John has returned from the northwest to find legal work in CA. My Zoom meetings and exercise classes are some high points, but I miss personal connections. Our 60th Reunion will be in March 2023! Hope we'll have a good group in attendance.

64

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!

65

Pat Allen Sparacino

pat.sparacino@gmail.com Wendy Wilson Snell wendywsnell@gmail.com

Bonnie Bray: In many ways this last year under the threat of COVID didn't change much for me. In February my husband and I went to L.A. to see my older brother and, while there, I had a lovely dinner and visit with MF Flynn. After February, we didn't travel anywhere at all, but spent time at home doing all the things we normally do: reading, cooking, tackling overdue projects, gardening, taking long walks, and working on community food issues. One thing I haven't quite gotten to that other people talk about is organizing my house, though if this goes on for much longer I just may get there. What I've missed most is contact with my family living out of town and grandchildren who are only getting older with the rest of us. Without Zoom, I might not even recognize them. I'm so grateful that the internet, Zoom, and phones help us to stay connected, even though I sorely lack tech expertise. During the year I've been able to connect with Molly Helm Lynch, Cathy Clancy Wells, and Kathy Toy Grandemange by phone; emailed with Margery Bobbs Johnson, Ann Sullivan Wray, and Susan Durney Mickelson; and Zoomed with Ann Seamster, Bettie Hutcheson Carrell, Kathy McEnerny Harper, and MF Flynn. I miss seeing everyone in our class, and wonder if it might be possible to establish some kind of a blog that we could all contribute to. I know I'd love to hear about everyone's interests, involvements, passions, what they're reading, etc. Bettie Hutcheson Carrell: I can report a triumph over both COVID and time zones when I mention a very gratifying Zoom call that captured Anna Seamster (Assisi, Italy), Bonnie Bray (Portland), Kathy McEnerney Harper (Woodside), MF Flynn (Los Angeles), and myself (Houston). We touched base shortly before Christmas. What was morning on the West Coast and noon on the Gulf Coast, was seven o’clock in the evening for Anna. We shared recollections of teachers, classmates, and the events that marked our high school years. A distant lens, for sure, but our memories remain vibrant!

Michele Clark : Retirement is good. I am now living in sunny Tucson, AZ. I am still teaching a few online classes for the University of Nevada. I am also trying to pay it forward by staying involved with Nevada Hand (affordable housing) and the team-based learning collaborative. I feel blessed that I have remained healthy despite Arizona being the number one hot spot for COVID. Hope everyone and their families are staying well. Susan Corey: We have all had quite a year. I finally retired in July after working 55 years. Very happy with that decision. I spend days in a lovely condo in L.A. and waiting for a vaccine—as we all are. Stay positive and test negative. Tammy Dougherty: There's not much

to say these days. We, my family and I, are well, working remotely, schooling remotely, and waiting for 2021 to get us back to some kind of normal. MF Flynn: I like when Bettie Hutcheson Carrell, Tammy Dougherty, Kathy McEnerney Harper, Sheila Johnson or Evie Lindeman include me in their updates. More than that I LOVE hearing news about the other 66 of you. If it had been a normal year, I'd include what exotic trip I've taken, how rewarding it was to be with Eli (98), a hospice patient in the last months of her life, or in which little short film I played a little old lady. But this year I didn't get to go to Bhutan, or to Houston to visit Bettie and her extended family at Thanksgiving. In January, I spent a week in Asheville helping Evie unpack boxes in her new house and met her partner; some time in D.C. with Tammy who visits me regularly in SoCal; dinner with Bonnie when she was in L.A.; phone calls with Kathy Mac. I've also put acting aside in favor of writing and performing my own stories on Zoom. I play mahjong online with my “new” best friends at least three afternoons a week, read more than ever, do crossword puzzles and play board games with my pandemic housemate. I'm well in body, mind, and spirit, but can't wait to see everyone and give them a big hug. Let's plan a reunion in Santa Fe or Asheville or Bellville, TX, when the bluebonnets are in bloom; or somewhere else where we can drink sparkling apple cider or champagne together and eat Red's doughnuts to celebrate our new normal lives together. I'll be on the planning committee, as long as I don't have to chair it! I don't want to wait to see everyone at our next reunion in Monterey. Julia Anderson Frankel: I have not one thing to add. No pic, nada. All nostalgia about high school now seems really, really off to me as some are fighting for their lives. Kathy Toy Grandemange: Last year was not a year of grand adventures. We managed a short trip to Yosemite in March, just before the shutdown hit. Our 50th anniversary in June was small but lovely, with just our children, at an outdoor restaurant where we had celebrated many family occasions. Trips were postponed, but the important thing was to be together, as we have all learned over this strange year. Kathie Hayes: I'm living in Walnut Creek. My mother is 97 and not terrifically well, so I'm here for a while to help her out. I'm hoping that I can pull things together in the next six months and then think about moving to the East Coast, which is where my children are. It's been a very quiet year which I haven't minded but, like most everyone else, I'm looking forward to 2021 and having a bit more freedom. Sheila Johnson: I was ill with COVID in late 2020 but am grateful I recovered—slowly. Last year was a mix of blessings and a few repairs; I earned all of the aches and pains. I am not a fan of the Democratic platform. I am pro-life now and forever. My daughter, Carter, is fine. She has invented a gizmo that opens pill packets, to be used by patients or by providers. She has the patent, license, and a manufacturer. Who knew? She is also studying to be a licensed professional counselor. Elizabeth and her husband live just outside Austin. They are in the remodeling business and doing well. She is learning how to

garden like the other three generations—she who never considered herself one with flowers and vegetables. And my grandchildren: Josie (24) has found her niche and is fabulous at her job. I bought the house across the street from me for her. She is having a great time with remodeling and learning how to put a house back together. Edward (21) is a senior at University of Texas, graduating in May. I hope that he can walk and we can attend. Then he will be off to law school. I hope all our classmates are well and free of the wretched virus. I hope I have done all the needed punishment for my misspent youth so I make it to heaven. Evie Lindeman: My life has been in motion since December 2019, when I "retired" from my position as an art therapy professor in a graduate program in New Haven and moved to Asheville, NC, where I have many friends, and which is only two hours from my son, Brad, his wife, and three darling grandchildren (7, 5, and 2). MF Flynn came to help me move in early January 2020, and that is the last we have seen of one another. My 1927 arts and crafts style home is only a five minute walk from forested land, and I am now a self taught tree hugger and practice what the Japanese call "forest bathing." I joined a printmaking studio here, have participated in four art shows, and joined a board of directors aligned with my spiritual values. Among other meaningful activities was a worldwide women's stories project that I launched a month ago, with MF's help as an acting coach for the storytellers. I send you all love and abiding optimism, and safety as we navigate these tumultuous times. Lola Hogan: I have an expert witness practice that is going very well. Putting my many years as a property casualty claim executive to lucrative use instead of retiring! Had dinner with Caroline Lord McKenzie and Leticia Gascoin in March 2020, the day before the world closed. I am very much looking forward to the vaccine and having cocktails and dinner inside a restaurant with pals! Caroline Lord Mackenzie: Aloha. If you have to pick a place to live during a pandemic, Hawaii is okay! My children are well, I am well, and we hope it stays that way! When travel picks up, come visit. Leslie Baldwin Power: I am well and thriving. Anne Kernwein Schafer: I am responding just to check in and let you know that I do remain healthy in mind (mostly), body (thankfully), and spirit (definitely). The strange new world that was foisted upon us in the last year is simply beyond anything that any of us could have imagined. We are so very fortunate to live on a beautiful barrier island off the coast of southern Georgia—so that even in the very worst of times we were able to be outside and walk, play golf, and eat at any of our club's several outdoor venues. For the past 19 years, I have been a superior/family court mediator. Our courts shut down for six weeks and then transferred to a Zoom world. Initially, I had no interest, but once it became clear that COVID would be with us for quite some time, I went through the training and went back to work—once again proving that you can teach old dogs new tricks. Family violence and tensions are simply off the charts. So these Zoom mediations have been an important vehicle for moving people to safety and trying to lower the temperature in

high conflict homes. While at times these efforts have been heartbreaking, I'm not sure that I have ever felt that my work was having a greater impact on peoples' lives. My husband (now in his 80s) is very healthy and enjoys several rounds of golf each week. Our sons are both healthy and doing well. The birth of our new granddaughter, Camille Anne, in February of last year was the one true bright spot of 2020! We were able to fly up and back to meet her before the pandemic fully hit, and then drove up to share the Thanksgiving holiday with them. Kathy Ramos Sharp: Well, it has been a year like no other that is for sure. I had a Beethoven-themed river cruise booked for late 2020 touring the Rhine but, of course, that had to be canceled. My work with the San Jose Symphonic Choir has continued with us delivering virtual choir performances and practicing via Zoom. Lots of challenges with that new model, but at least we are still working together as a group. Our latest work was a virtual choir performance of Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” I also have taken this time to try to learn a bit of Korean. I thought it would be interesting to learn Hangul and keep my brain active. Since my family members are scattered in different states and different parts of California, I have not seen them in person for many months, but am looking forward to family visits and travel later in 2021 and 2022. Praying for peace and good health to all as we all move forward. Pat Allen Sparacino: Bob and I have kept sane these many months because of our small cul-de-sac social bubble. We had weekly meals, with one family cooking for everyone else each weekend and delivering it to the doorstep. It was an incredible success and an extraordinary culinary experience. We also had “Wine on Wednesday," rotating our weekly gatherings in backyards. Alas, we suspended our social gatherings in December when the virus-variant cases spiked. But a group of us continues to be committed to an hour walk most days, and Bob and I refurbished our bicycles and use them. The upside of this tragedy has been a healthier lifestyle, enjoyed with neighbors with whom we previously had spent little time. Ann Hodges Strickland: Jim and I will be celebrating our 55th wedding anniversary this April. Our family has avoided serious COVID complications; only the granddaughters and my oldest brother, John, were infected. I think of Pat Allen Sparacino, Claire Barker Stewart , and Carola “Lola” Hogan when I reminisce about Catalina. Clare Albert is also in my thoughts—we traded uniform jackets from time to time. Take care and blessings to all. Kathy Durkin Webster: As I write during the eleventh month of COVID times, my sister, Terry Durkin Wilkinson ’68, and I are surrounded by piles of old photos, slides, and documents. We are putting together two family history books. Cousins Sheila Johnson, Karen Hixon ’69, and Kate Johnson ’72 have contributed documents and photos as well. We hope to finish the books by spring. Meanwhile, I have written a children’s book, which should arrive in a few weeks. Wishing y’all a better and safer 2021 and beyond.

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

Vicki MacLean Gourlay: It's very quiet on the farm up in Langley, British Columbia. My new best friend is Netflix. We continue to train jumping horses at our farm. My daughter built a gorgeous indoor arena last year, which we love (especially in the rain and snow). I imported a horse from Ireland to show and she has been my godsend in this pandemic. She keeps me on my toes! I have seven grandchildren (two are steps) and none of whom I have seen since well before Christmas. We FaceTime and Zoom but it just isn't the same as the real thing. Carolyn Layton Garner-Reagan: During the pandemic, I have become an Instacart guru for grocery orders; learned to do Target drive up orders; and am running “Grandma School” for my oldest grandson, Logan (6). As long as the math doesn’t get harder (I should be good there since he’s just in first grade) and Logan continues his mastery of his Chromebook, we’re good. Grandma School also

includes his younger brother Henry (4) from time to time, and most days their mother, my daughter Caryn, works from our home! Sometimes her husband does, too. So it’s great to be in our family pod. Now if I can just find the right bubble wrap for my husband, Michael, to keep him completely safe, all will be well! Basically, we are just staying home pretty much all of the time. I’d be happy if the anxiety dreams of being somewhere without a mask would cease! We are thankful to be healthy. Here’s my hope and prayer that all of you and your dear ones are staying safe and healthy and finding bits of joy and happiness in this weird and crazy time.

Mary Whitney Kenney: I didn't send Christmas cards this year because there was nothing to say! Otto (11 months) is training to be an assistance dog at Mule Creek State Prison. The prison had to go into lockdown due to COVID, and the program had to find homes for 22 dogs on less than 24 hours notice. We will have Otto until the prison is safe enough to come out of lockdown. Otto knows 30 commands, including a command to go get his own leash—very handy! We have turned our house into a preschool for our granddaughter Violet (3), and we have her every Wednesday. Her mother is busy trying to cope with virtual school for Violet's older siblings (5, 7, and 8). Violet's playground and her preschool are closed. The libraries are also closed. So she is just as happy to see us as we are to see her! I keep busy daydreaming about all the trips I'm going to take when this is over. I think we need another San Francisco mini-reunion! Susan Lloyd: Greetings from the little northeast Florida town where hubby Glenn and I settled seven years ago. I play the piano now, trying to reach the apogee of my earlier skill in lessons given up to sixth grade. I recommend a favorite book on science and religious faith that I recently pondered: Language of God , authored by Francis Collins. Collins runs the National Institutes of Health. Roz Boswell Seysse: Well, with COVID-19 raging, it’s hard to write a sunny account of grandchildren, travels, or get-togethers with classmates. While Jacques and I have gone to the Alps and Brittany in the period we were allowed to move, we haven’t left the country since last February, which for us is unheard of. We see our children, who work in the building we live in; grandchildren once a week; and friends when the COVID curve was flattened. I haven’t seen relatives or U.S. friends for more than a year. France’s vaccination program is picking up speed. A few more months, a few more months. Hope that our classmates are being prudent, but not too prudent. Mo Ragan Rafael: My life has taken

on new dimensions of late and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it’s going to unfold over the course of 2021 and beyond. Wally and I decided to part ways after a 12-year relationship, and he moved out a few weeks ago. Serendipitously, I received an email in December about an online workshop with Katherine Woodward Thomas entitled "Relationships as a Spiritual Path." It was nothing short of brilliant, and the timing could NOT have been better! Among other things, I've been inspired to follow my heart and "zen" the interior of my home after 20 years of residence. It's a slog, for sure, because I'm such a pack rat, but I'm loving the new look and the resultant breathing room! Thanks to COVID-19, I was inspired to devote the entire spring, summer, and fall renovating my front and backyards. And now I get to glory in the effects. Also, with the PVC of my beloved hydroponic system heavily degraded, I'd been looking for the perfect hydroponic unit to replace it. I was totally delighted when I discovered "The Farmstand" by LettuceGrow.com, and with a footprint of just two feet in diameter I had room for two of them. They're a kick in the pants. When I finally came inside and got the dirt out from under my fingernails after all those months, I started crafting up a storm, completing six 24-inch floral and Christmas wreaths to give away as birthday and Christmas gifts. (Holy schmoly, it costs a frigging fortune to ship a wreath across the country these days!) Then it was on to baby blankets and some other fun projects. (One of the unforeseen benefits about Wally's moving out is that I've got lots more room for my art and craft supplies. But I don't understand why, like rabbits, they keep reproducing!) Like many of you, I am really looking forward to traveling again when the coast is clear. So consider this fair warning, my friends: I may be appearing at your door when you least suspect it! Juicy peas, much love, and abundant blessings to all of you. Nan Peletz: The only news worth sharing is that I got the first vaccine (live in a 65+ county). And I might add, this is one of the few, if only, examples when being old beats being young! I love reading about the meaningful ways we’re contributing to our communities and to rescuing the country from a black period. I think it’s an extension of the values

Melissa Smith Ribner ’67 with Mo Ragan Rafael ’67 at La Jolla Shores Beach prior to the pandemic

Anne Neill ’67 and Susan Lloyd ’67

we learned from each other in high school. During COVID, my nonprofit work kept me focused and sane. I’m on the board of Turnaround Arts, a program that supplies training for teachers and principals to integrate the arts (music, visual arts, dance, etc.) in the 24 worst performing schools in California. It makes a tremendous difference in the lives of the students and the success of the schools. I also continue to support a program that I founded at Stanford. It provides free diagnosis and treatment by Stanford psychiatrists to community college students with limited resources, who show up at their student health services with mental health issues, specifically focusing on bipolar illness. My two favorite activities are painting and reading, so the pandemic has given me infinitely more time to spend doing these things. I also published a book of my art and architecture work of the last 40 years, which was a really gratifying project. With all the death and pain of the last year, I’ve gotten a much stronger visceral feel for how frail we humans are. This brings an increasing determination to live each day as fully as possible and to give extra love and attention to my friends and family. My granddaughters (5, 3) are a constant source of glee. Chris Von Drachenfels: I am still in Spokane, WA. My daughter, Eline, remarried last October in a small ceremony. Her new hubby and my four grandchildren are very close, and I am thrilled for all of them. I had the same year we all had. As a recluse, I happen to love being alone (with lots of pets) so it hasn’t been as hard on me. I have rearranged my entire house, and as I finish this winter indoor work up, I look forward to focusing on my yard for the majority of 2021. I turned 70 at the beginning of December, retired at the end of December, and in between those days, I developed and was diagnosed with shingles. This is the sickest I’ve ever been. I am still sick over a month later and still on pain meds. I can be called an anti-vaxxer normally preferring to let my body fight off the flu and such, however, I will be taking the shingles vaccine as soon as I am able. And so of course, I will take the COVID vaccine as soon as it is medically advisable. Otherwise, I will continue to evolve as a spiritual

creature; being alone helps with that. I am thrilled that my son, Mike, previously residing in Ukiah, CA, will be moving here this coming weekend and will help his sister manage the family business of residential rentals. And I will continue to relish the freedom of retirement, doing whatever I can manage. Wishing us all a better 2021. At least I am happy to be an American again. As a first generation American with immigrant parents, the last four years have been difficult. Laurie Hammonds Hall-Schultz: This has been a really challenging year for everyone but hopefully will start to turn around. We have had a much quieter life this year, as I’m sure everyone has, but still were able to create a new normal which has been interesting. Living in the desert has provided lots of opportunities for outdoor living and lots of golf, for which I am very grateful. We’ve used some of the down time to take care of long postponed medical issues so that’s been good. In May, I had open heart surgery at Stanford to repair a heart valve. It turned out to be not as bad as it sounds and I had an easy recovery. We spent the summer in Sun Valley where my husband, Norman, had an unanticipated pacemaker put in. He also had an easy recovery and we are now a family of bionic hearts with far more energy than we ever had. We should have both done it years ago, so I guess COVID was a blessing in disguise in some ways. I’ve been able to spend some time with my children and grandchildren this year but not nearly enough. We missed the holidays with them because of the risk, which was sad, but thanks to Zoom we are still able to keep in touch. It’s interesting to see how much we have adapted to the restrictions we have and change our expectations accordingly. I am very thankful for our health and that of our families and I hope this new year sees us all safe and as free again as we once were. Claudia Shepheard: Mike and I have had the same kind of year that all of you have had—no travel, no visitors. Well, almost no visitors. Our daughter, Andrea, came from San Jose over the Christmas holiday with her new boyfriend. They were here for an hour or so and it was a nice, short visit. He seems very nice and they seem happy which is great for her for a change. We had planned a nice visit with them and granddaughter Jennifer, as well as Brian and his partner but that all got canceled. Brian was coming from Canada and the border was closed. We were very disappointed but they are already planning for 2021 Christmas and I have my fingers crossed. I had knee replacement in February, after it had been scheduled and canceled twice because of hospital closures for surgery. All went well and now I have two new knees. Our Del Webb community has COVID shots scheduled to start February 1 and I am really looking forward to it. It will be nice to get back to some sort of normalcy by the end of the year! I am very pleased to have a new president and hope we can put "the other" far behind us. Yolanda Scaccia

Members of the Class of 1967 caught up in Cabo prior to the pandemic: Louise Vessey Edwards, Anne Neill, and Wynn Woodward. They were joined by Catherine Topham, parent of Farrel Topham ’06 (left).

Manuel: It's been such a different year to say the least. Never expected to have COVID last so long. I work in a grammar school and last March the Archdiocese of San Francisco instructed us to go home for two weeks. Well, two weeks turned into four weeks and soon we were home until the end of the school year! The grandchildren participated in distance learning and loved being home, at first, but didn't like the resulting isolation. The 7th grade twins finally began in-person learning in November, with daily temperatures, social distancing, small cohorts, and masks. The 9th grader is still waiting for Mercy Burlingame to open and plans are underway when we advance to the red tier. I've found that being flexible is the key to survival. Summer was a good time to reorganize drawers and closets, and I finally completed two sequined Christmas stockings that have been in the works for several years. (The kids were afraid I'd die before they were done!) I also completed a family cookbook that includes all my special Christmas cookies and other family recipes. I'd been meaning to document the recipes for about nine years now, but never got started. Life always gets in the way and then procrastination sets in. But now, it's 200 pages and a history of my family's favorite things for me to cook! I'm currently proofreading the manuscript, La La's Christmas, and hope to have several copies printed for my family soon. Sister Ignatius would be proud! My family remains healthy and we stay close to home except for school, the grocery store, Mass in the parking lot, and walks to the post office. I'm tested once a week at school and hope to get the vaccine when it's available. Can't wait for normalcy to return; however, one good thing:

Susan Lloyd ’67 with her classmates, Anne Neill and Margie Helm

masks cover some of the wrinkles! Katy Bates Kreitler: What an emotional roller coaster we have all been experiencing this past year. Wrapping my brain around protecting myself and my husband from contracting COVID and following all of the recommended protocols has challenged me beyond what I ever thought I was capable of. Substituting celery sticks and carrots with pasta, ice cream, and cookies; introducing Zoom for our business meetings and family and social life; binge-watching TV series and the “news”; early morning daily hikes in our neighborhood, and daily cooking and housekeeping is my new normal. We never made it to Cape Cod this past summer so instead of swimming in Nantucket Sound, I resorted to attaching a bungee cord stacked on the grass around my ankle and swam in our pool, hit golf balls into a net in our side yard, and exercised to an old Jane Fonda workout tape from the 1980s! I continue to sell homes even through this pandemic and find the new COVID protocols refreshing— potential buyers have to show actual proof of funds to purchase before showings, which weeds out the lookers. If all goes well, I will be vaccinated this week and my husband, Peter, as well. I hope all of you will be vaccinated soon and that we will once again be able to get back to dancing and singing together. Ann Kuchins: If nothing else, I have been very busy, mostly with the Red Cross. I had a two-week virtual deployment to work on the tornadoes in Mississippi that took place over Easter. We communicated with victims by setting up a video phone link with FaceTime or Google Duo. It was nice to sleep in my own bed instead of a cot in a Red Cross staff shelter but I missed meeting and talking with people in person. Then there were the lightning fires in my own backyard in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties in September. I was deployed for five weeks. People were put up in hotels for the most part as very few congregate shelters were set up because of COVID. We had spent the summer training and learning the new COVID protocols. We had thousands of people in hotels in my area and the Sonoma area. The state paid for the hotels. The Red Cross provided wrap-around services: 3 meals a day, health services, disaster care, spiritual counseling, and a little financial assistance to cover emergency needs. For two weeks, I managed a couple of hotel shelters and then coordinated a program that was designed to help people transition out of the shelters. At this writing, I am back doing hotel sheltering as people in the region of the fires were evacuated because of the rains and the danger of flooding and mudslides. It’s like old home week as we all experienced the fire evacuations and I have even reconnected with a couple of the victims I met back in September! In March, I had to cancel a South African trip, and in May, a trip to Australia to visit my sister Jane Kuchins ’70. As soon as I can, I will head to Australia. I was able to get an early vaccine shot as I work in Red Cross blood banks and am considered a front line volunteer. So relieved and optimistic with the changing of the guard on January 20! Melinda Bowman Manlin: Despite what we’ve given up, my life has been full of blessings. I split my time

between working at Robinson Jeffers Tor House in Carmel and taking care of my grandson, Lucas (2). In addition, I enjoy Zoom church, opportunities to learn about Robinson and Una Jeffers, and a bit of dancing around the house with my partner, John. No gatherings this year, but son David did come from Bend, OR, for a brief visit, and slept in the garage! Sandy MacGregor Mack : I have really enjoyed reading my classmates' responses and am reflecting fondly on our reunion in Carmel. Yes, the pandemic has been a time of adjustment and above all, patience. I have been practicing yoga remotely (virtual classes are available from our athletic club) and watching the hummingbirds come and go. We do a lot of walking and golfing in our ski clothes. Fortunately, my family members are all in Portland and present in our socially distanced bubble. I envy those of you who have received the vaccine. Distribution in Oregon is very cumbersome. I patiently send everyone my best wishes and look forward to better days ahead. Cece Morken Gadda: Last year sure changed my daily life. I used to hit the gym five mornings a week, plus two yoga and two line dance classes. Now, I have a rowing machine in my attic, and in the warmer months ride my bike daily. With all six of our grandkids living out of state (Idaho), we have depended on frequent FaceTime calls and Zoom to stay in touch with them. In March I had surgery, so I didn’t mind the lockdown at all during my recovery. In September, one family (who had tested negative and been staying home) came to visit for a week. What a joy it was to be able to see and hug them! I have high hopes that after getting the vaccine we can do a lot more of that. My husband became the chief cook when he retired 10 years ago, and during the past 11 months his culinary skills have become amazing— my extra five pounds being a testament to it. We finished building our guest cottage and garage in late spring and spent the summer months re-landscaping the entire yard. Having to spend much of the past year at home led to me spending a lot of pleasant hours in my basement workshop building miniature rooms, painting watercolors, and weaving. We have been able to safely socialize with three couples on patios at considerable distance, and even this winter, all bundled up in ski clothes and blankets. We bring our own beverages, snacks, and glassware, and don’t go inside each other’s homes. It has been good to have this one bit of normalcy. We feel very optimistic that 2021 is going to bring a lot of positive change for all of us. Mary Sweetland Laver: As for all of us, the pandemic year has brought immense longing to see my whole family—most of them, including my mother (94), are 3,000 miles away. But it also gave me the opportunity to do the hardest work I’ve ever done. Soon after the killing of George Floyd in May, I felt challenged to do something about racism in a community I know well. So I formed an interracial team of priests and laywomen to do small online racial healing workshops for white Catholics in the Philadelphia area. It’s been both daunting and encouraging to have priests, elder lay folks, and young adults respond. Also, I’m sure many of us were involved

in election-related work in the fall. My husband and I did voter-access work by phone to historically under-represented areas of Philadelphia and its suburbs, through the interfaith community organization where I was on staff in past years. Thinking back to our first year in college, we were plunged into the tough side of adulthood with the death of MLK, as our class honoree, Laurie Bechtel Dachs, reminded us in her inspiring speech at our 50th reunion four years ago. Now many of us are the parents (and even grandparents!) of young adults living with the many-layered shocks we’re living with now. So it feels like time for our generation to step up again—health permitting! All of that said, a friend reminds me that we are human beings, not human doings ! So taking time for exercise, meditative prayer, Netflix, and romps with our two little granddaughters who live nearby keeps me going! In the last few months, I also had the fun of corresponding a bit with Mo Ragan Rafael, Rose Teichert Grimm, and Mary Kiely. Sending love to you all, and sincere wishes for your good health! Renata Engler: Suffice to say, that we are doing okay and feel very blessed for many reasons but we are heartbroken by the pain and suffering all around us and the resurgence of behavior and actions that bring back memories of Nazi Germany propaganda and hateful tribalism. This history is not just a remote history but an acutely felt past that shaped our families and left lifelong scars and suffering. This has been an especially hard year but has also pushed us to embrace the "Cosmic Egg" (from Richard Rohr's meditations). The larger story rather than just narcissistic perspectives trapped in "my story" or tribalism/ dualistic thinking of "our story" (versus other group stories). Embracing the Universal God of Love and all of his creation, in all of its diversity, gives comfort and supports a healing hopeful perspective. We pray for all the world with special prayers to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and to embrace and try to always practice love in action, thought, word, and deed. I trust in The Plan and The Story that are ultimately good despite the fact that bad things happen to good people all the time on this plane of existence. I have relistened to the audiobook, The Shack, and found so much comfort and relevance in the book. The work for healing is huge in our world. I pray that I may always be a healer for those around me and thereby for myself. If I can be of help to anyone who is confused about vaccines or the science (what is real and what is not), feel free to write to me and I will try to respond in a helpful way. Bless you all my dearest sisters in the Spirit. Thank you for being who you are because you all give me hope for the future. Margie Helm: We appreciated the opportunity to catch up with Anne Neill this summer, very socially-distanced and masked, and for a visit with Sue Lloyd and Glenn! What a treat to hear what each of you are up to and thinking about. This year, as many of you have expressed, has been a wake-up call. We started 2020 with a delightful month in Guatemala working with a Quaker program to support young indigenous leaders and studying Spanish. We returned home as the pandemic was

settling into the U.S. During the initial shelter in place order, Chip and I began to volunteer with Sonoma County Public Health to do contact tracing and daily phone support for those who were in quarantine as a result of exposure to someone positive for the virus. The disproportionate impact of the virus on communities of color became apparent quickly. Adding insult to injury, the North Bay wildfires provided another difficult layer with the challenge of safely sheltering evacuees. We were able to offer our studio to evacuated friends and diligently provided masked and distanced support. Throughout this time, Chip and I have stayed healthy, walking daily, and coordinating family, friends, and political Zoom meetings to stay in touch. We were able to revitalize a local community group, Petaluma Tomorrow, and help get two Progressive members elected to our city council in part by facilitating opportunities for Spanish speakers to be heard by candidates. Our work with national campaigns and local demonstrations was an antidote to the horror we felt at the murder of Black Americans. With a clear (and relieving) victory in the presidential election and the pandemic’s reminder of our huge privilege, we are even more committed to advancing anti-racist policies in our community and beyond. Joan Seamster: Our emails to each other tell a story of finding meaning and connection during this pandemic. I love reading them. I continue to consult and have spent this time taking online classes, joining virtual networking and marketing groups, and working with clients remotely. All our children are in California for now and we catch up with them through Zoom. My last travel was to N.Y.C. for a conference in March where I had a chance to catch up with Joanne Bosche Ehrlich and walk the skyline over to Hudson Yards. I volunteer and fundraise for immigrant families separated at the border, working with a couple of organizations that provide food, clothing, and rent for families—most of whom cannot work because of COVID. Let me know if you are interested in learning more about this effort. I am so glad our class was able to connect in San Francisco when we did. In retrospect, what an innocent time that was! Janette Coustette Moody: I retired from my life as an elementary level teacher, noted for my art in the classroom: high-quality art experiences I provided students, while aligning with the Common Core. I now spend time with my granddaughter, paint in beautiful watercolors, travel (pre-COVID), and actively support an African Maasai community.

MaryAnn

Vasconcellos: My husband, Dave, and I lived outside San Luis Obispo, where we raised our four children in the currently acceptable yours-mineours family constellation. Thankful for productive years in SLO, we nevertheless decided to move back to the Monterey area and we both found our niches in Big Sur. Currently, I work with our local fire department (Big Sur Fire), while Dave serves on a land use advisory board. We’re entrenched. Family and friends occasionally visit and we travel as migratory grandparents to our five remarkable grandchildren! Life continues to challenge us in these difficult times; still, we work towards a

future that will prove both healthy and sustainable for our world. Anne Neill: My news is pretty much similar to everyone else’s—staying home in San Francisco, avoiding crowded places. During the warmer months, I was fortunate to be able to attend outdoor ballet classes in the park. The railing around the closed children’s playground served as the barre; no jumping, since the floor was cement, but at least it was good to be outdoors and get a bit of exercise. Joanne Bosche Ehrlich and I are “studying” art history! Okay, maybe that’s not exactly how to put it, but Joanne and I are taking a Zoom art history course together, although we’re on opposite coasts. I enjoy the weekly lectures immensely and the follow-up chats to discuss the material are great fun! Full confession: I did have one travel adventure and drove to Colorado. My younger daughter started graduate school (online for now) in Boulder; she’s getting her master’s in psychology at Naropa University to become a therapist. We bought a small condo, and she will live in it during her time there, which means I have a bed available anytime! My other daughter lives in Berlin, Germany, so like many, we have not seen one another for over a year. Glimmers of hope were Inauguration Day and my first vaccine injection! (I wore pearls for both events because Kamala wore hers.) Laurie Bechtel Dachs: On December 31, the Foundation officially closed, a plan that we have been working on since the decision to sunset it in 2009. Not sure about next steps other than a move to Marin this summer (closer to three of our four kids and a smaller house). Will set up a new office there to run my own foundation which will close down in 10 years, spend time with grandkids (eight live within five miles of each other and us), serve on a few boards, and finally just smell the roses! Lyn Wyman: I wish that I didn’t have sad news to share, but as some of you know, my husband, Dennis, died in March 2019. His death was completely unexpected, and the first year or so of being without him was a painful blur, exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions being imposed at almost exactly the one-year anniversary of his passing. I’m so grateful to my daughters, who, despite their own grief, have been such a source of support to me. Molly graduated from Columbia with her MPA in May 2019 and now lives in San Francisco. Annie moved back to CA in March 2020 after being in New York City for 10 years and is living with me in Los Altos. I’m glad to have them both close. They are gainfully employed, which has me even more in awe of them given our current state of affairs. Individual counseling and a “moving forward” bereavement group that I joined have been very helpful, even though the group went virtual soon after I found it. And wonderful friends continue to provide support and comfort. I spent most of my spare time in 2020 tracking political news and working on electing a new president and flipping the Senate. Success on both fronts has provided me with such a sense of relief, although the challenges our democracy still faces are daunting. I’ll certainly remain engaged as we look to the 2022 elections. Stay-at-home orders suit me quite well, introvert that I am, but like many of us, I’m very

much looking forward to being able to travel again, whenever that can happen safely. Cathy Quarre Alexander: On the day I received this email, my darling husband passed away very peacefully at home. His final battle with Parkinson’s was won. We were able to say goodbye at home before he had to leave. Such special hours. During these COVID times we took our time saying goodbye and grieving. Thank God we were allowed. Please all take care.

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, Assistant Director of Alumnae/i Engagement, to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Marna Sweeney Haley: Still summer in Durango, CO, and winter in Sun City, AZ. This was a quiet year. Lots of reading, bible study, walking, weight lifting, outdoor eating with small groups of family and friends. Grateful for health and for the aforementioned. Lorna MacKay Smith: I retired four years ago and Don just retired last year so we are adjusting to life together during COVID. We started the process of buying a new house and a new puppy back in January of

MaryBeth Neill ’69 with her sister, Anne Neill ’67

last year so both processes were a bit strange once the virus arrived. We have finally settled in and are enjoying the house, Lucy the labradoodle, and each other. Our daughter, Katie, and her family are also here in Livermore and in our germpool so we see them frequently—thank heavens! I stay sane by taking a drive every morning and trying to explore at least one new area a week. I am also helping granddaughters with in-home school once a week, quilting, and watching a lot of TV! Hope everyone is staying healthy and finding things to enjoy!

Terry Whitney Baganz: Traveling this year was curtailed to going to Maine this summer, where Mary Barger came to visit. We had a good time taking the ferry over to Monhegan Island, watching seals catch fish as they jumped in the air, and sea kayaking. The rest of the year was spent working from home. Lindsay Fitch Pettit: I am still working more than three days a week as an OB/GYN nurse practitioner and since I am still having fun and love what I do, I will keep working for a few more years. Because I work for Stanford, I was able to get my two COVID vaccines, and I feel blessed to have those onboard. I come home from work to two senior labradors and enjoy the tail wagging. My son and his family have moved to Austin, TX, so I haven't seen them much over the last year, and miss them terribly. My daughter, Amy Bacon Clausing ’91, lives a few blocks from me with her husband and son, PJ, and we have spent a lot of time together in 2020, because we are in the same bubble. Grace

McLaughlin: I was named Lecturer of the Year for the University of California Irvine for 2020-2021. This is a tremendous honor as it is given to only one instructor each year out of about 4,000. This is particularly wonderful as I am retiring this year in June—a great way to go out! I’ve been spending time, as so many have, remodeling my home. I’ll be completely finished by Valentine’s Day. It’s only taken me 16 years to get it all done, but now it’s finished! I’ve also been brushing up on my crocheting. I had made granny square blankets for almost 50 years but just realized I really don’t know how to crochet! I only knew one stitch and one pattern. I’m working on mastering new stitches and trying some new patterns. It’s fun and challenging! Any advice would be appreciated.

70

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!

71

DeDe Rogers

dede.rogers@comcast.net

Patty Lee Schminke patricia.schminke@gmail.com

Katherine Blair Rible: Justin and I have been blessed with staying well throughout this pandemic. I am lucky to be busy serving on the board of Friends of Dangberg Home Ranch. Last spring, our neighborhood began meeting on Fridays (appropriately distanced) to share laughs, music, and pizza for a few hours until the winter weather put it on hold. Marty-Jo Demetras and I have been sharing funnies, pictures, and news of each other throughout this time of sequestration. Have plans for a 120-day cruise in 2022 and 143 days in 2023! Joanne May White: In a nutshell, I recently retired from Monterey Public Library after 22 years. These days I am living in Monterey with my three little rescue dogs, managing my family’s property in Salinas, and doing some volunteer work for Peace of Mind Dog Rescue. I regularly take walks and hikes in Monterey and Big Sur. My two daughters, Noelle and Diana, are in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, employed and making the best of the COVID life. Feeling hopeful about 2021. Debra Rosenberg Compton: Even with COVID looming, life has been pretty exciting for us. My husband, Dave, retired a year and a half ago. We took our dog for a five-week trip in our

travel trailer visiting five national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Bryce, and Canyonlands. It reminded me of how big and beautiful the USA really is, but I also felt like a grain of sand in a very large ocean. We welcomed two new grandbabies. Joining Cali (3) was her sister, Summer, born in June to my youngest son, David. Fred was born in December to my oldest son, Bryan. David opened a meditation supply store in Ocean Beach during quarantine and Bryan is a partner in Dash Marshall, an architect firm in New York and Detroit. I was lucky enough to have them design and implement a remodel of the house I built in 1983. The remodel has been featured in a few well-known design magazines. I did take offense to one magazine calling us elderly but come to find out anyone 65 and older is considered elderly. I think we should start a movement to raise that age to at least 75! We were also lucky in that our cabin in the woods survived the Creek Fire when many structures in our little subdivision in the middle of the Sierra National Forest didn’t. My dad turned 95 last week and is in pretty darn good shape. He still on occasion will ride his electricassist bike two miles to town to get the mail. Oh, and I guess I retired from farming. We removed 135 acres of walnut trees. That was a big project and even though it was time I was sad to see them go. Air hugs to all in this time of social distancing. Ariane Berthoin Antal: I retired as professor emerita from my research institution in Berlin, Germany in January 2020, which was perfect timing to allow me to help my daughters with the grandchildren during COVID homeschooling in Seattle and Darmstadt. Thanks to Zoom, no matter where I am based, I can continue to mentor doctoral students in France and Germany and serve as ombudsperson for Good Scientific Practice. Erica Sullivan Fuller: Life certainly has been different over the past year. My older son and his wife have moved permanently from San Francisco to Sun Valley. Walter and I are doing lots of long road trips. Our younger son is based in London, but spent six weeks at home in the spring, and returned a second time starting at the beginning of November. Compared to most, we’re blessed to have space along with being safe and healthy! Who knew FaceTime and Zoom would become such an important part of staying connected and keeping up our spirits? At this time, my husband has gotten his first Moderna vaccine and is waiting for his second next month. I’m waiting patiently! Kathleen Charles: I have been fortunate to remain in France, and to work from a distance on key projects on the African continent, helping small and medium enterprises access credit and prepare their profiles to potential financiers across the globe. I have projects ongoing in Togo, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire. I have been nominated to the boards of several foundations, including the African Agribusiness Association based in Ghana and the AIM X Foundation providing PPE equipment and supplies, especially to third world countries. We attended World Peace Day in Berlin where I was, fortunately, able to meet Ariane Berthoin Antal and her husband for a wonderful lunch. I hope to keep in touch with other classmates and it is fun

Lindsay Fitch Pettit ’69 with her grandchildren, including the son of Amy Bacon Clausing ’91

to share our different life experiences. Let us hope for a more joyous and prosperous 2021 and my best wishes to all of you. Julie Garcia: I sold my health club business in Redding four years ago and have been hard at work developing 51 homes in a subdivision adjacent to the club. This has been a long process due to the fire situation, PG&E, and me being a rookie in property development. We now have homes under construction which should keep me busy for five or more years. As with everyone, life has been interrupted due to COVID, but very healthy and happy. Dede Rogers: Well, like everyone else in the world, 2020 has lots of descriptive phrases. What a horrible year. Both my husband and son came down with COVID, but have recovered nicely. I have not contracted it. It’s been catastrophic for Stay Home Connected, my little company, but hopefully we will recover after this pandemic is under control and we are all vaccinated. But something wonderful did come out of 2020. Our daughter, Sammie, and her partner, Nate, had a girl, Grace Sophia, in December. She’s our first grandchild and we are over the moon about her. We were lucky to be able to go to San Diego and see her right after Christmas. Masked up, and super careful, everything went beautifully. It is difficult to not be able to see her as often as we’d like. We are living in interesting times. We are looking forward to resuming our very full lives when this is all over. Steve and I are looking forward to our daughter’s wedding, gathering with family and friends, and traveling again. I hope everyone is staying safe, happy, and healthy. Patricia Lee Schminke: Staying home, safe here on a mountainside overlooking Salt Lake City. Luckily, we are both retired but worried about everyone on this planet and hoping it is over as soon as possible. Of course we miss our family and friends. One passion that has helped distract us is all of the rocket launches around the world that are live streamed at all

hours! I got this passion from my dad who was a physicist with Bell Labs and tracked satellites. So I have watched launches forever. Cheers all, I’m sure our virtual reunion was great!

72

Suzanne Scoville Sederholt 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!

73

Barbara Smith O’Brien beob2110@gmail.com

The Class of ’73 was supposed to celebrate our 65th birthdays at the beautiful vineyard of Suki Bryan in May of 2020. Like the world has done, we have had to put these plans on hold for the time being; Suki wants us to be thinking of October 2021. People seem to be busy though and thankful for their loved ones. I heard from only six classmates (not like us) but I hope that means people are saving their stories for when we are together again. Tracy McDonald: The best news of 2020 is that I am a grandmother for the first time. My daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Nick, brought baby Maeve into the world in December. As soon as I can be vaccinated, I will be able to go see them in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, lots of texts, Zoom, and FaceTime. Love to you all and stay safe. Suki Bryan: I welcome 2021! Thinking of all of you and hoping you are healthy and in great spirits! Looking forward to seeing each one of you in Napa in October of this year. Hopefully this virus will be behind us by then. The only travel I did this past summer was go to Lake Tahoe in July. It was beautiful and a nice change. Megan got to show in a couple of horse shows that were in the Sonoma-Petaluma area. I continue to paint, garden, cook, and read. Missing all of you and sending hugs!

Diane Hull Gansauer: I continued working full-time in 2020. Helping families with funerals during the pandemic was a soul-deepening experience. Immediately before the pandemic began, I completed my doctorate in ministry. My hopes are

to scale back ceremony work during the spring, switch to teaching new funeral celebrants, and begin hiking again in the summer. I continue to make progress on the Continental Divide Trail, Mexico to Canada! Deb Humm-Bremser: All of my four kids are safely wed. Leaving the safety of our home peninsula for the mountain forests of the Gold Country has been an eye opener. Running into friends when out and about used to be a given. Now Tom and I are sheltering in place, just the two of us in the empty nest we never knew existed. Soon I’ll be back on my own private swim team where I swim against a current in a short lap pool. Wonder if my legs will still float now that they’re six inches shorter. I’ll let you know!

Teresa Barger: Last year was devastating. I knew 10 people who died, none from COVID. The worst is that two of the 28 staff in my investment management firm died—ages 28 and 41. Our team was pulled together in the solidarity of grief. The many touch points we put in place to keep our culture together since March were a godsend during those periods. I did not know George Floyd, but I was devastated that I did not. His death ripped wide open my endless ignorance about race in America and showed me how my infatuation of the ideals of liberty and justice for all had blinded me to another reality of an America built on stolen lands on the backs of enslaved people who were beaten, whipped, had molten lead poured in their ears, were regularly raped, and had children torn from them, and every other horror. I am now trying to get educated and face up to another set of truths that are not always selfevident. On the positive side, my husband and two daughters are well though disrupted. And our fund was up 45% for the year because our investment team is working beautifully. Gotta be grateful even while we mourn. Mary Weisz Burgess: We have had a good year considering quarantines and other challenges shared by all of us. Isolating has been easy here in West Virginia. Our general store remains open for neighbors and travelers, with no crowding, distancing, masking, etc. Our only family member who had COVID is my sister in California, but it was a light case. Tom and I had just finished months of road trips here and there, when things shut down. We drove a friend's car to San Francisco in November 2019, visited friends in Panama City Beach, FL, for a few days in February and visited Arizona, California, and Washington in late February. We flew home from Seattle on March 8, and haven't been anywhere but mandatory appointments and the necessary stores since. We have enjoyed lots of nice local drives and walks. Hopefully, we will be vaccinated soon so we can get out west again for visits in March. Being almost 66, I feel I am finally learning more patience. We feel grateful that we are at a stage in life where we can comfortably isolate, so no complaints here. Our daughter, Sarah, is living in L.A. temporarily, writing for FX American Crime Story; fortunately her partner, Kristina, has been able to work remotely and be with her. Paul lives in Baltimore with his wife, Payne. Nathan turned 30 in November and lives in Yelm, WA, with his wife, Kata; they got married January 2020 in Las Vegas. Everyone has stayed safe and healthy and we are

Jane Dyer Cook ’71 with her family

very grateful for that. Tom and I are enjoying our house by the river and our three dogs and three outdoor cats. Two are adopted kittens to keep our old bachelor company; we lost his littermate brother in June. I love to garden, so look forward to starting seeds soon. Barbara Smith O’Brien: The O’Briens are well and extremely fortunate to have stayed healthy. We don’t know anyone who has tested positive let alone had the virus. We did have to postpone the wedding of our daughter, Nora. But we will reschedule when the world is safer. We can’t, however, postpone the arrival of our first grandchild, expected in April. Life is good. Love to all. 74

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

Whew! What a year to remember! Class of ’75—in predictable fashion—didn’t prevent a pesky virus from getting in our way. Nearly 30 brave souls made the trek to Pebble Beach for our 45th Reunion Weekend, exchanging elbow bumps and donning bottles of sanitizer; a time we will always remember as the last days before masks, social distancing, and lockdowns. The festivities began on Friday night with a chili fest at the family home of Florine Clark . On Saturday evening, Christine Blom Gomez and Cecily Marble Hintzen threw a lovely dinner party at Il Fornaio. The majestic

oaks in Flo’s backyard were draped with party lights, and the tables were festively set for an evening of fun. Three varieties of chili were served, along with flautas, Mexican salad, and plenty of wine. And, of course, in our planning, we couldn’t resist bringing a tub of Baskin-Robbins thin mint ice cream as tribute to memorable days gone by—riding the dumbwaiter down from infirmary to the kitchen and raiding the freezer. An old photo featuring Lori Fitler Nugent , Diana Oliver Bartley, and Jeannie Jagels Vaughn participating in this dastardly deed was resurrected from the past and enlarged, framed, and placed on the counter in the kitchen for old times sake. In the corner of the living room, a memory box was set out for gathering memories from classmates of our time at Catalina. It was such fun going through the messages today. One of the questions we asked was “What did you gain from your time at Catalina?” The responses will be sprinkled throughout the class notes. Dryden Branson Bordin had designed a touching legacy table, with framed photos and angel candles in remembrance of classmates who have passed on. As 2020 offered for many of us plenty of downtime at home, coupled with many “new normal” experiences, this year’s class notes will include some of our classmates’ funniest mask moments, favorite new culinary discoveries, new hobbies explored, and more. To begin with, we’re all very grateful that Florine Clark opened up her home to us. She writes that “the highlight of the reunion was moving dinner from the porch to indoors when it started raining.” Flo adds, “It was so nice to reconnect with Robin Nielsen.” Her favorite lockdown recipe last year was elk steak soup. Florine’s newest addition to the family is Hazel, an adorable 14-week old Rottweiler. Sarah “Sarita” Bryant: I was delighted to reconnect with Robin Nielsen. The highlight of Reunion was doing the dishes. The perfect vantage point to see and hear guests and strike up conversations. During lockdown, I used my stimulus check to relandscape my garden, build a party deck, and erect a shed. Plus, I collected scores of books on every topic conceivable, and have already finished reading most of them. My favorite cooking method these days is anything that can be made in a multicooker. I've been folding and stringing hundreds of origami cranes and Zooming French lessons in exchange for pilates lessons every week. Sadly, my youngest brother, John, passed in December after big fight with cancer. Then my mother went into the hospital two days later for emergency gallbladder surgery. What did I gain from my time at Catalina? “An operative sense of self and the notion of agency. Lisa Barry: The best part of 2020? The Reunion! It all went downhill from there. On the bright side, my husband and I have our jobs, home, and health (despite contracting COVID in December). We have much to be grateful for. What did I gain from my time at Catalina? Friendships—no question! Adelaide Tietje Crosby: Our family is well and spending more days at home with the COVID quarantine! Robert is home from New Jersey and working remotely. We love having him here. Liz is teaching yoga online and David is working with Bob. David

and Sevelyn (Sev) are engaged and hope to marry soon! Baba and family were fortunate to celebrate Bob’s 65th birthday dinner at a restaurant, inside no less! I am sending everyone best wishes for a healthy, safe, and happy 2021! Stella Sinner Lauerman: We have been blessed in that COVID has not affected us as severely as it has so many people. My husband and I have been able to work from home. I am working independently as a parent educator and Spanish interpreter/translator so I am pretty much set up to work from home anyway. It has been hard on my son since his day program and swimming have been forced to close. Fortunately, he has speech therapy over Zoom and his aide takes him out. He’s bored a lot of the time but he is hanging in there. My daughter, Emily Lauerman ’06, received her B.A. in library science, but with the library closures, she has gone back to teaching school for the time being. My older daughter is a pediatric OT, doing a combination of telehealth and in-person treatment. Annette Leach Alcocer: The highlight of the reunion was getting together with everyone before the Peninsula shut down! I’ve been busy with our new Labrador named Colton, who came into our lives in April. I am working on needlepoint projects and Zoom regularly with friends. What did I gain from my time at Catalina? “Friendships and a great education! Dryden Branson Bordin: “Who did you reconnect with because of the reunion?” Over the last 20 years, I have tried to search out members of our class. Having attended Santa Catalina for 12 years gives me a large number of alumni to search for. I was so thrilled to reconnect with Robin Nielsen at our class reunion last March. We now communicate and will continue to do so. From Robin, I unexpectedly received a gift of a long, long, long lost friend. Since March, I have spoken several times a week to, and have met with, my first grade best friend Maureen Bodo. During the worst of this last year with the lockdowns, craziness, and misinformation, we navigated the worst of it together. Our renewed friendship has truly become a blessing. It just proves that we can pick up with friendships formed so long ago at our alma mater. Katy MooreKozachik : My funniest mask moment was diving into a pool and forgetting that I was wearing a mask! My husband and I moved to be closer to family so now we live in Carmel. Christine Blom Gomez and Joan Artz had both been to our house prior to COVID. But, to deal with COVID, we have been gardening and I have learned to make really good sourdough bread! Dede Duoos Davis gave me some great tips! (Editor’s note: Truth be told, I only really knuckled down and learned the finer nuances of sourdough breadmaking after a decade of abysmal failures. That’s the bonus of free time during lockdown!) Christine Blom Gomez: My fondest Catalina memory is sneaking off campus and riding bikes to Pebble Beach for RLS rugby games—foggy, misty rides through the forest with Maria Kistler Thurman and Joanne Smith. What did I gain from my time at Catalina? The most wonderful, long lasting friendships! Adrienne Morphy Ladd: The highlight of 2020 was going to our reunion the night before we experienced what a lockdown

Deb Humm-Bremser ’73 with her family

would be like. Thank you to Florine Clark for hosting Friday night and thanks to those who contributed to the weekend activities and made it all happen; Dryden Branson Borden for all her work decorating and furnishing supplies; Joan Artz for her pots of daisies to grace the front entryway; and Christine Blom Gomez for her tray of delectable appetizers. Thankfully, the virus had not reached us, and with all the hugging and social non-distancing we did not get sick. While I was ready to become a weekly golf and tennis player in my newly retired status, I instead became a vegetable gardener and home chef while sequestering in Bolinas. I am back to more tennis and golf and looking forward to traveling anywhere in 2021! My fondest memory at Catalina was Father-Daughter Weekend. What did I gain from my time at Catalina? Changing roommates three times a year made me figure out how to be adaptable to changing conditions, be more patient, and tolerable. Rene Maratos Patterson: My fondest memory at Catalina was the many close friendships I made. The close friendships and how to study really well were the greatest gifts from my time at Catalina. Prepared me very well for college. Franny Hartwell: My highlight from Reunion was staying with you guys at the big house in Carmel, having Joan Artz take us on a tour of the garden she tended, and hanging out on a rainy day and eating popcorn. I’ve been working at the social services agency and really loving it. Pretty quiet but that’s okay. I appreciated the hard work everyone put into making the reunion weekend a success. It was fantastic, so many wonderful details. Best wishes for 2021! Karrie Schreiner Barnett: My fondest memory at Catalina was sneaking out of Mass and hiding in the basement of the Yellow Parlor with Christine Blom Gomez and raiding the kitchen. And I definitely gained an appreciation for friends and for cultures different from the one I was raised in. Gretta Lenahan Ryan: Shortly after I saw you and everyone at Reunion 2020 in March, we sold our home, and after a search, ended up with a home in Newport Beach, CA. I enjoyed seeing everyone and appreciated all the hard work that went into the event. I have six grandchildren with lucky number seven arriving this May—pure joy! Mary McGuire Alessini: We have a new granddaughter—a bright spot of 2020! I am making sourdough bread and my new pastime is babysitting! Diana Oliver Bartley: My fondest memory at Catalina was a particularly charming one when seeing Sisters Clare, Christine, and Aaron on Carmel Beach in their habits wearing Keds tennis shoes, followed with a bus ride home, three to a seat in the yellow school bus. I learned that I was very good at breaking and entering. I set myself the challenge of breaking into the kitchen every night and I was mostly successful. Maybe I should run for president? As for me (Deanna “Dede” Duoos Davis), Dryden Branson Bordin and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of planning the reunion, and exchanging daily messages and phone calls. One of the highlights of the reunion was finally enjoying some downtime. I hit the award-winning Refuge Spa in Carmel Valley with Molly Drake. What a lovely indulgence. I highly

recommend a visit if you’re in the area. The best part of Reunion Weekend was spending time with a gaggle of gals at a wonderful house, one block from Carmel beach, organized by Christine Blom Gomez . Over a glass of champagne, we watched The Big Chill . On the home front, I am over the moon that my first born, Rhys, is engaged to marry his sweetheart. She hails from Colorado, so one crisp, sunny day in December, Rhys surprised her with a horse-drawn sleigh ride in Winter Park, CO. He got down on his knee and asked for her hand in marriage. My younger son, Beau, the proverbial student, switched majors again after attending Gonzaga and SBCC, and is now attending Cal Poly Pomona. One of the questions on our reunion memory sheet was, “What was the most hilarious moment at Catalina?” A repetitive theme throughout these adventures of mischief included verbs like “sneaking,” “streaking,” and “smoking.” I’ll save these priceless gems for our next reunion where we can share these naughty pranks over a glass of wine! What the year 2021 brings us is anybody’s guess, but by the time you read this, one thing is certain—we’ll still be holding our friends dear to our hearts, friendships nurtured long ago during our carefree days when the most pressing concern on our minds was, “Who wants to order from Denny’s?”

76

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

Sandi Fleishhacker Randall: It has been a year and we are doing our best to stay safe and healthy. My daughter, Becca, had a mild case and has already received her first vaccine through her school district. I have been keeping myself busy by volunteering at Jewish Family Services in their food bank. It’s drive through so fairly safe. I am looking forward to this summer when the lunch program goes back to providing lunches to students in person. I am also planning the weddings of Becca and Jeremy, which has been quite a challenge during COVID. Camilla La Mer: I am living in the mountains above Boulder, CO, in a beautiful log house. I am surrounded by pine trees and an abundance of wildlife. I love waking up each day to familiar red foxes on my porch and visits from deer and many other creatures. Although I’m not enjoying the pandemic, it has brought me back to my daily yoga and meditation practices and I am loving being

able to take so many classes online! I also play the Celtic harp and belong to a harp circle with members from around the world, although my teacher is based in Berkeley, CA. These passions along with my art keep me busy and connected both to my soul and to the world in general. I have a son and two little granddaughters who live in Tucson, AZ. My daughter and her husband live in Vermont. I can’t wait until the pandemic is over so I can travel and see them again. Velquita Payne: I am retiring soon and relocating to Montana to be closer to my older son, Jordan, and his family. Looking forward to hanging out with my granddaughters, breathing clean air, doing more yoga, and eventually finding a groovy, drama-free, little job to keep me out of trouble. Joy Franich Maze: Wow, 2020 was quite a year, maybe best now observed with “rear view” retrospect. To date, the family is healthy and well, and we are very thankful for that! Though COVID weary, we are definitely ready for some new horizons, both literally and figuratively. A bright spot of this past year was crossing paths while walking on two different occasions, though almost in the same place on Scenic Drive at the Carmel point. One time seeing Kimberly Martin McMorrow and a couple weeks/months later, Jameen Wesson Jacoby. Those wonderful moments of serendipity helped make the time melt as we had a chance to catch up on life despite these unusual times. My son, Steve, has been living in Manhattan’s East Village and working in Midtown, enjoying time in N.Y.C. but with COVID, he is sorry to not be experiencing all the Big Apple has to offer. They are fortunate as his company is CA-based so he has been able to visit and when here relishes time golfing, and as a result we are all “swinging away.”

Stephanie Leach Decker: I am enjoying married life in Reno-Tahoe with snowshoeing, creative writing, and visits from sons who reside in Denver and Orlando. My Goldendoodle puppies deliver a lot of humor while we all have limited travel options. Paula Opperman Mackintosh: It has taken a couple of years to adjust to being semiretired from accounting. I continue as treasurer and grant manager for my church. I'm meditating, and love working in my garden. I am working up the courage to write a book, probably fiction with a spiritual message. Peace, love, and joy to all. Please keep our fellow classmates and Catalinians in our prayers during these challenging times.

Lorena Farias de la Garza: It surely has been a very different year. However, it was great for our family when we welcomed our second grandson, David, in March; celebrated my mom’s 92nd birthday in January; and this coming April, will be welcoming our third grandson! I spend my days playing golf and enjoying my family. I do miss traveling and hugging all the people that I love!

Frances McDonald DeSouza: Pat and I continue to live in Darien, CT, the town we've called home for the past 22 years. Enduring the pandemic has been made easier for our family as our new home was in the final stages of construction in early 2020. This was timely and we are grateful there is plenty of room for our three children who have been returning periodically to work or attend online classes in our new digs. Our

oldest son works in Chicago and is preparing for a company transfer to London once pandemic conditions improve. Our middle son graduated from Columbia in the spring of 2020 and has been working and applying to graduate programs, and his sister is a sophomore, also at Columbia. I am keeping busy with some consulting work that also allows me time to play lots of tennis, a real passion for the past decade. Anne Bryan: I have a small ice cream and antique business in the summers on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire. I still love telling jokes and serving ice cream. I invite all of you to come see me! I miss all of you and especially the singing—so many great times! Love to all! Nene Amachree Piltoff: I am still living in Delray Beach, FL. My son, Preston, plays football for Concordia St. Paul in Minneapolis. He will graduate this year with a degree in criminal justice. My daughter, Karis, is an echocardiogram sonographer and resides in Boca Raton, FL. Until recently, I worked as a manager at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, Waldorf Astoria. I am keeping myself busy as a board member and treasurer for the board of the Nigerian American Public Affairs Foundation. I am also in the process of assisting my cousin in creating an NGO called The African Youth Project Initiative, where I will serve as a trustee and serve on the advisory board. Julie Power Pantiskas: I continue to stay overcommitted and need to slow down. I bought Bob’s Big Boy Salad Dressing brand two years ago. The company keeps me extremely busy. Additionally, I continue to mentor at USC’s School of Engineering Start-up Garage. I am always amazed at their innovation. In my spare time, I am passionate about giving back to my community, so I volunteer as a board member, co-chair strategic planning committee, and as treasurer for American Women for International Understanding; sponsorship chair for Pasadena Angels; judge for various start-up competitions across Los Angeles; and was a judge for the City of Pasadena small business micro-grants for COVID relief. Gary and the girls are good, but I’ve missed seeing Lauren and her new husband during the pandemic. 78

Elizabeth Stelow DiNunzio liz@dinunzio.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!

Deirdre Smith dsmith7123@sbcglobal.net

On March 10 of last year, I attended an intimate gathering of about seven Catalina alumnae from the San Diego area. As it was a cold, rainy

evening, I almost didn’t attend. It was dark, I was tired, and I was tempted to stay home. I’m glad I didn’t. I wanted to connect with those who share a common denominator—our Catalina experience. And, for most, or all, of those who made the brave trek in inclement weather, it was our last social event of any kind for almost a year. It is a pleasure to reach out to my 1979 classmates and feel connected by our past during this time of social isolation. Rose Wilson Parvaz: We have fared well during the pandemic. My older daughter, Alexandra, got her dream job teaching PreK ESE, which falls right in line with her undergraduate and master’s degrees. My youngest, Cassandra, is on track to complete college in four years this May despite a hurricane, a broken foot, and a pandemic. She and I have been one hundred percent holed up at home since mid-March due to underlying health concerns. Staying home, saving lives—including our own! I have thrown myself into my Amazon reviewing hobby (odd, I know), and am a top 20 reviewer. I’ve also dropped 15 pounds during the pandemic. I can’t wait until we can get back out there again and safely make our way to Disney World! Diane Ryan Adams: I am busier with work than ever, but working from home has allowed me to play massive amounts of tennis, pickle ball, and now golf. So all in all, 2020 was a year of adapting and learning new things. My boys, Jack (25) and Charlie (24), both live in Danville and work together in Oakland so I'm very lucky to see them often. It’s an absolute joy to experience them as adults—finally! Tova Wiley: I’m still in Seattle but with a new twist. I’m one of the 30 million unemployed in the country due to COVID, but hopefully that will turn around soon.

I’m also going through a divorce after realizing I married someone from an episode of Dateline. My intent is to hopefully move to southern Portugal if their COVID rate declines by November, when my divorce is final. I will have to leave my chickens behind, but I will take my dog. I’m tired of the lockdown and being alone, but I’m happy and glad I’m not taking care of anyone that isn’t worthy of my attention!

Leeanne Chappell: I still live up in Novato, in north Marin. Last year, I finally had both of my sons leave the nest. I was also laid off so I celebrated my new freedom with a long road trip to southern Utah, where I pretended I was Georgia O’Keefe for a few weeks. My family has been very blessed through these times. My fellow classmates who have not fared well in COVID have my love, prayers, and support. Anne-Marie Saxton-Tedeschi: All is well (and quiet) with us in Geneva. At the moment, the nonessential shops and restaurants are closed. I’ve made several trips to the Alps. Road trips are easy, as Geneva is very central. The ski resorts are open in Switzerland, although neighboring countries such as France and Italy have remained closed. My daughter, Alessia (23), graduated from university in Switzerland in February (just prior to first lockdown, luckily) and will start her master’s in Milan in April. Chiara (28) moved back to Geneva from London as the situation in the UK was/is very messy. She returns tonight from the Maldives; nothing will stop her from traveling! I miss my parents in Vancouver, but as Canada has imposed a two-week quarantine for all, among other strict regulations, this complicates things. I hope to get there as soon as possible. Sara Cheverton Delach: I am extremely excited to finally move back to San Diego in June. I have been working in Chicago in marketing forever. I have two kids in college (Tulane and CSU), and one in eighth grade. I am looking to reconnect with people when I move back this summer, so please reach out to me.

Tova Wiley ’79 with one of her chickens in Seattle

Anne-Marie SaxtonTedeschi ’79 in Gstaad, Switzerland

80Dana 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!

Manthoulis: Monica Stewart Baker and I have been looking forward to resuming our regular visits to Carmel and maybe even to Greece again this summer. My oldest spent the summer and fall in Greece with her aunt and cousins, found a women's soccer team, and had a great experience there. Our youngest, Iasonas, is in eighth grade and looking toward high school, and my middle child, Paris, took a gap year between high school and college. We have had a lot of family time since Thanksgiving, with all five of us at home, and I am sure I will look back on this time with appreciation of the time together.

87

Susan Smith Nixon snixon@starbucks.com

Lil

81McDonald Manthoulis maria.manthoulis@gmail.com

Monica Stewart Baker moniker1963@aol.com

Paula Tunstall Barker: I retired from a 35-year nursing career in May for a variety of reasons, but it was long overdue. I haven't prescribed to Western medicine in decades and it got too hard to compartmentalize my personal beliefs with my career! So now I am working part time in library services/circulation at our wonderful public library system and volunteering at my acupuncture clinic, which I love! Two of my children had to move home from college in March; my son graduated in May, which was bittersweet, and my youngest has done her sophomore year at home … online. So hard to watch as they are all struggling so much— not what we planned for them for sure! My oldest in Alaska is doing well given the circumstances. We were able to go see her in March of last year for the Iditarod—fabulous! My husband and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in April and are prepping the family home for sale so we can downsize. Tiny house living here we come! Hoping for a peaceful summer of paddle boarding around our beautiful state of Colorado. DeeDee Moore-Gollin: We are currently living up in the Pacific Northwest, about as far north as you can go without being in Canada! We are residing in beautiful Lynden, WA, 4 miles south of the Canadian border. We were so happy to get back to the West Coast after living in the Midwest for about five years. It's been a tough couple of years for our family. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was located inside the pituitary stalk. I had it removed in 2019. It was not malignant, however due to its location, I no longer have a functioning pituitary or hypothalamus gland. It has been quite a change to get used to my "new normal." My husband was laid off in April due to COVID-19 and has been searching for work ever since. It is not an easy time to be looking for work. On a brighter note, our son Noah (16) is a sophomore at Lynden Christian School. I am currently self-employed running my own skin care business, DeeDee Gollin Essential Skincare. My husband's educational background is in biochemistry so he has been helping me develop a line that is made in small batches using the best organic ingredients available. If you would like to visit, my Etsy site is DDGEssentialSkincare.etsy.com. Lil McDonald

82

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

84

Julie Moore Delany julie@bushwire.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!

85

Krysia Belza Logsdon

86

Katharine Folger Yeager yeagerkbf@gmail.com

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

Susan Smith Nixon: Howdy and Aloha! I moved to Austin, TX, in September 2019. I continue to work with Starbucks and was moved to Austin to support the downtown Austin portfolio. I love Austin! Last year was a year of joy and sadness. Following the 2019 graduation of my daughter, Audrey ’19, we traveled to South Africa for a month! Audrey attended University of Utah for the year, completing a year of honors. She received a full scholarship to study Japanese in Japan, but it became a virtual education summer with me in Austin. Sadly, Audrey’s father passed away in May losing his battles with cancer and leukemia. While

Adalyn, daughter of Illa Amerson ’87

Shannon McClennahan Mozes ’87 with her family at The Louvre, prior to the pandemic

Audrey and I love Utah, we decided to change directions and Audrey received a scholarship to Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, concentration in motion design. She is thriving and has now received an internship and scholarship in New York. Laura Evans Manatos: Sometimes it takes a crisis to connect with old friends in ways we haven't in a long time. COVID did this for a few of us for the first several months of the pandemic. Starting in March of 2020, I was enjoying weekly Zooms with Amanda Berman Pires, Monique Chamlian Wright , Katie Graham Devine, Erica Olin Giannini, Ingrid Mueller Angier, and Sylvia Estrada Hellmund Then pandemic life got crazy for all of us and the Zooms tapered off but it was a nice weekly Friday Happy Hour reunion for a while. Something we'd never done previously. It was a huge year for me personally and professionally. My business grew exponentially. I expanded Laura Evans Media from a two-person operation to a company of nine people and growing. My client load is increasing steadily and the incredible stories we are telling are reaching huge local, national, and international audiences. Personally, however, it was a tough year for the kids—so I'm thankful I was not tied to the anchor desk, but rather working from home and present for them when they needed their mom. I hope everyone has stayed sane and healthy through this time. Sending love and looking forward to our next in-person reunion! China Flanigan: All is well here in Omaha for the last stretch of my sentence. I have been in Nebraska for 18 years but by the time this goes to press, I will be a very happy resident of Colorado. I’ll be living in the Loveland area with my second-act sweetheart and would love to connect with anyone who may live nearby. Like many of you, I will be embarking on the journey of empty nest syndrome. Hope everyone has managed to make it through this strange time of global pandemic, civil unrest, and uncertain financial future. It’s been a struggle for so many. Miss my Catalina sisters and I wish everyone love. Illa Amerson: I think in last year's notes I was about eight months pregnant and still

didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl. Our daughter, Adalyn Mabel, was born in February 2020. She's walking us all over the house now and exploring everything she can get her hands on. Although COVID-19 altered most of our plans last year, the upside is that we were both at home and got to watch all of Adalyn's milestones, big and small. Shannon McClennahan Mozes: We moved to downtown Chicago and are enjoying being in the city. My son is in sixth grade at Latin School and my daughter Maddie is in ninth grade at Wolcott School. She wanted to attend Santa Catalina, however, due to her learning challenges, it’s not a fit right now. We hope Catalina is a possibility for junior year. We will be in Vail again this summer in case any classmates will be in the area! Sending everyone love and wishes for good health. Diana Papini Warren: I still live on the island of Maui with my husband and two children. My career in education continues strong. I am working on a Harvard certificate in school leadership and management. I’m also currently growing my non profit, Learning Endeavors, providing innovative education programs in Hawai’i. COVID-19 has shifted our lives, and we are all working, teaching, and learning from home, though we are some of the very lucky ones, for sure. Maui without tourists for several months was spectacular! Thankfully they never closed the ocean during lockdown. Sylvia Estrada Hellmund: Last year was quite an unusual year, but I'm grateful for the time I had with my family. We were in Key Biscayne during the beginning of the pandemic and were thankful to be there with the perfect weather through May. We were able to leave Florida at the end of July and spent two amazing summer months in Vail, CO. We were so happy to be able to enjoy the outdoors and the mountain air. The kids did online learning through the beginning of October, and then we came back to Key Biscayne so they could go back to school. This fall was quite busy for both Natasha and Sebastian. Natasha is in the process of applying to middle schools and Sebastian to college. I am proud to say he got into his first choice, Northeastern University, and is going to study architecture. For now, we are taking care of ourselves, and the family has been able to stay healthy. I send good wishes to all, many blessings and good health for 2021.

88

Jennifer Pratt curgie@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!

89Kim Meek kmeekfi@gmail.com

Jana Enos Henderson: In 2020, I left my beloved design role at The North Face, following the company's decision to relocate to Colorado. This provided the opportunity to pursue my other passions, specifically coaching others in their career development and serving as an advisor for CSUEB Women in Leadership program. I Iove this work and find it super rewarding! The best part of the year was having Abbi Smith back in California during her traveling nurse contract. We connected with Crystal Boyd and Stacey Adams Montoya for a socially distanced evening at the Dust Bowl Brewery. So fun! Rebecca Khamneipur Morrison: I struggled to write about 2020 and all the good, bad, and ugly of it. I lost a job I loved. I gained a lot of weight. I had a health scare. We lost a friend. I had kids learning in front of a screen 8-10 hours a day, which was awful, and lived almost a year of being isolated, afraid of a potentially life-threatening virus. But there was a lot of good, too, and I will choose to see those: precious time with my husband and kids, doing an outdoor art show with support from friends and neighbors, writing again and getting a few things published in newspapers and magazines, and best of all becoming even closer to dear friends and family. Erica Bailey Loma: We got a bunch of home projects done this year. My daughter, Avery, is a sophomore at Princeton, and they did not have kids on campus after spring break last year. She spent the last nine months rehabilitating her back after a diagnosis of bulging discs. Apparently that is fairly common in volleyball players. She's feeling much better now and has spent this time retooling her swing so she doesn't

Susan Smith Nixon ’87 with daughter Audrey Nixon ’19 in Austin, TX

Kim Meek ’89 with daughter Hadley

do further damage to her back. She's playing her best volleyball now and couldn't be happier. She gets to return to campus this year and we are all so happy for her. My husband and I both have PTO days to burn in 2021 due to not traveling in 2020. We are having fun deciding where we want to spend some down time. My son, Matthew, got his driver's license after some tough COVID-19 delays with all our DMVs shut down. He's a junior in high school and is trying to follow his sister's footsteps and play volleyball in college. He wasn't able to help with the girls volleyball team in the fall due to COVID-19 so he joined the swim team and made it to the state meet as an alternate to our relay team. I have been catching up with all my cousins around the country and we all laugh at how COVID-19 got us to do virtual gatherings that we really could have done before. The most important thing is that we have all been safe and healthy and we are looking forward to leaving the house more. Francesca Cerisola: I am well, and still in Basel, Switzerland. Two of my four daughters are at Catalina: Marina (17) and Lucia (15). Before the lockdown they were pampered by Ninive Clements Calegari and Ceci Marihart . I am super grateful to both of them. COVID-19 time has thankfully been easy on us. Having the girls back home for distance learning has been busier but more than anything we’ve had some very special family times. The lockdown also made it easier in a way because we could enjoy our home rather than spend time and effort on travel for vacations. I am hopeful that Catalina will open before the year ends so that I can come back for Marina’s graduation. Ninive Clements Calegari: Right before COVID, my family had the pleasure of spending a weekend with the daughters of Francesca Cerisola who were en route to Catalina. Both Lucia and Marina are terrific. The Calegari kids are 17 (Ninive) and 13 (Jean-Paul)

and are also well. The silver lining of COVID was that my mom sheltered in place with us from March to August and she taught us all how to play bridge. She is sheltering in Mexico now and will return for her vaccine and my 50th. Happy 50th to all of you (except those who skipped one or two grades and are staying in your 40s!) Kim Meek : As for me, indeed a whirlwind year. After 21 years at Fisher Investments made the move to Fidelity. I was incredibly hesitant to make the jump and am so happy to say Fidelity has exceeded my expectations. Not only with innovative solutions (it is not the old mutual fund house of the past), but the company culture, depth of resources, and talent. It’s pretty awesome. Oh, and my office is now 10 minutes from my house—bonus! Hadley will be four this summer. Her little personality continues to grow which is so fun and fulfilling. All in all, I am grateful for the blessings I have and excited about the road ahead. There is so much to look forward to! Love you ladies and sending you big hugs!

90

The Class of 1990 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Assistant Director of Alumnae/i Engagement, 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!

91

Amy Bacon Clausing amyclausing@me.com 92

Amy Paulsen apindc@yahoo.com

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

93 Galen Johnson galen.a.johnson@gmail.com

94

Heather Wasser Tabacco 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!

95

Catie Ryan Balagtas catieryan@gmail.com

Catie Ryan Balagtas: Our 25th reunion was small but notable—a pivotal point in 2020. It was wonderful to see Chelsea Shofner Dow, Tanisha West , Lindsay Heller, Meg Heister, Olivia Wright Darzell-Karp, and Jaime Chandler. It marked the last time many of us would give or receive a hug for months. Since then, I’ve been a world away from my husband, moved several times, published a book, and spent more time in nature and with family. My mind runs wild with all that could possibly come next. Caroline Barkan Wilkinson: Despite all of the pandemic craziness, we are plugging along. Bary and I just celebrated 21 years of marriage and our kids are getting enormous. Our boys are 16 and 14, and our daughter is 11. As our kids say, “We have had a lot of togetherness lately!” But that is the best thing that has come out of the pandemic for me and Bary. I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to traveling and eating out again!

Cecilia Coppel: Hola amigas! On my side, I have been very blessed to stay healthy during these hard times and enjoying my family. I live in Puerto Vallarta with my husband and our boys (3 and 4)!.

Members of the Class of 1989 gathered for a catch-up in Monterey: Jana Enos Henderson, Stacey Adams Montoya, Abbi Smith, and Crystal Boyd

We treasure every moment and experience with them; we live a life full of adventure and nature and we all enjoy it very much! The Mexicans from our generation are still very much in touch and meet for dinners or trips every once in a while. The bond we created at Catalina is very strong and we still have a very special connection. Big hugs to you all and hope we can gather soon! Chelsea Shofner Dow: I'm still living in Colorado and raising four kids (15, 14, 14, and 12). I also own a business selling my art and I am about to coach soccer for the ninth season. Hope everyone is doing well! Danielle Huthart: We began 2020 with a wedding! My partner Andrew and I married in a simple ceremony in our farmhouse, attended by our son, Alexander, and other family. We spent the summer upstate, learning to garden and adapting to a slower pace of life. Over Thanksgiving, I took Alex back to Hong Kong to meet the rest of my family. It wasn’t the year we planned, but we are grateful for every moment of it! Dian Krishna Elias: No one prepared me for 2020. I was in utter disbelief at how COVID-19 changed everything. Through this semi-hermit lifestyle, I figured out that I am a closeted introvert. I fully indulge myself in fruitful distractions, like meditation, cooking, and online shopping. This pandemic has granted me what I always wished for, more family time. But relatives will have to wait. Gretchen Carter Christensen: I was sorry to miss the Reunion Weekend last year, but hope to connect when we have the next one. We have had a busy year at home with school and church. We have four growing kids: Carter (10), John (8), Sophia (6), and William (3). They all have birthdays soon, so we are looking forward to celebrating them. I hope everyone is doing well. Have a safe and healthy 2021! Jaime Chandler: I’m living near the Mogollon Rim in northern AZ with my partner, Daniel. I moved three years ago after a month-long float trip down the Colorado River where I realized that it was time to leave the city. I continue to teach stretch classes at the local senior center and spend time hiking, riding my mountain bike, and studying the I Ching. Jennifer Cryan-Ulgade: During the unprecedented 2020 year, I experienced some of my own unprecedented challenges at my place of work in USFS fuels management for communities at risk of catastrophic fire in the Lake Tahoe Basin. For the first time ever, we closed our national forests to all visitors for about two months due to the extreme risk of fire. This made for an incredibly challenging environment in which to work. We’re all hoping for a safer 2021, despite knowing tourism on our recreation lands has swelled to numbers never seen. Pray for rain this summer! Leah Kinsella: I am happily married and expecting my first child—a boy!—in March 2021. My husband, Francisco, and I spent 2020 getting ready for parenthood. I continue to teach meditation and yoga, live in Miami, and am in the process of creating an intention card deck for pregnant women. Staying zen and busy at the same time. Lloyd Dollar: I have just finished my first semesters of teaching after earning my

master’s degree in teaching in June 2020, having to jump-start virtual distance teaching while being a student-teacher. I was quite impressed watching how adaptive and creative educators are to meeting the needs and conditions of our society during a pandemic. I am busy raising my two kids, Liam (9) and Avery (4). We usually love traveling, but we have been taking advantage of Oregon’s scenic beauty. We explored rivers, mountain trails, and ocean beaches all while wearing our masks. Thank goodness for those nature treats to prevent cabin fever. Marcia Coppel: After three years in San Diego, we moved back to Mexico (Culiacan) last year. The school year started going great and then March came and the pandemic took hold of our lives. I tested positive in July but had only minor symptoms. I can't believe we have been living this new normality for almost a year. My kids are 13, 12, and 8 and are doing school online. Some days are more fun than others. We are spending a lot of time on the beach in Cabo, and taking things slowly as there is nowhere to go. I hope you are all doing great, staying healthy and active to keep sane. Nicole Neary Hasheminejad: I'm learning how to alpine ski in my 40s and getting a puppy. What could go wrong? Nicole Nasser: What a year to be working in medicine! It’s been heartbreaking and challenging. I fell in love with an old friend, briefly moved to north Texas, and then back to Sacramento due to COVID. I am back at UC Davis Medical Center as a senior trauma nurse practitioner, working between the emergency department and ICU, and intermittently helping our hospital medicine team. My now-husband, Jonathan, and I eloped in Tahoe during the pandemic. We have also volunteered as bike patrollers/medical staff on the American River bike trail. I have not developed any superpowers besides antibodies from my COVID vaccines. Hoping for more outside time, especially hiking and rafting this year. Miss you all. Simone Sachs Hubbard Hollander: I can’t bear to let down Catie Ryan Balagtas, so I’ll just say, in response to an outrageous period of time filled with horrendous but not unpredictable events, that I’m still alive, and although this is statistically reasonable, it is also very much appreciated. I wish everyone well, sovereignty over their bodies, their pronouns, their hearts and minds. Lindsay Heller: Wow! Last year was a year like no other! The pandemic seemed to have officially swooped in on my drive heading up the California coast with Megan Heister on our way to Reunion when we were suddenly notified that it was canceled due to the spread of COVID! We decided to make the best of it and continue on our way and we were able to connect with Chelsea Shofner Dow, Olivia Wright Darzell-Karp, Catie Ryan Balagtas, Tanisha West , and Jaime Chandler for wine tasting and dinner out as well as brunch the next day. Little did we know at the time it would be our "last hurrah" for a long time! I'm still living in L.A. and working as a psychologist in private practice as well as at a skilled nursing facility with severely mentally ill elderly patients. Last year in particular was incredibly challenging

for working on the frontlines with the elderly; however, our facility has done a great job of containing as much as possible. I have also continued my nanny consulting work, The Nanny Doctor, which is always fun! My daughters (9, 10) are looking forward to getting to be able to return to summer camp at Catalina! I'm looking forward to seeing you all in person sooner than later!

96

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

Jenny McClendon Schaible: I’m taking refuge in my roses at our Sebastopol mini-farm, adding new plants and planning for the upcoming flower and wedding season. (I’m looking at you, recently engaged Catalina alumnae!) You can take a look at our offerings at JenniFlora.com. I’m also keeping my toes in the public health world, working on COVID testing and vaccination as a consultant. My two girls are about to be a senior and a junior in high school, and I can’t believe we’re already talking about college! Lindsey Willen Fox: I am still living in Manhattan Beach with my husband, two boys (13, 9), and three dogs. Being in the hotbed of COVID, we haven't done much in a while, including seeing Lisa Walgenbach Cornehl who lives around the corner. This summer and fall we were very active in the BLM movement. I was appointed to the City Council

Angel Cabral Osborn ’97 with her family

Task Force, our school board panel on equity and social justice, and have been featured in several articles about my social justice education in our community. Jennifer Patton Wundrow: I am trying to manage being a school teacher, mom, and business owner through this crazy time. After participating in the San Francisco Decorator Showcase House in August 2020, I have rebranded my interior design company and am now recognized as Jennifer Wundrow Interior Design. I’ve been thrilled to be working with some Catalina alumnae (it’s been so fun to reconnect!) and am looking forward to what the future holds. I’m still in close touch with Darcie Goodman Collins. We have recently been binge-watching Netflix shows together via text to pass all of the time at home. Diana Guillermo: We moved to a better school district in 2019 and I had to give up my little organic farm. I do miss it. Last year, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that affects my joints, so that put an end to my career in rehabbing houses. This winter, I've switched gears a little bit and returned to doing pottery instead and have set up a little studio in the basement. Our family really hasn't done much this past year (who has?), but so far we've been lucky to avoid much of 2020's fallout and we're keeping our spirits up by planning a trip for this coming year to go see the aurora borealis in Norway! Stephanie Masica Brawley: My daughters, Piper and Mary, attended Summer at Santa Catalina’s virtual camp this past summer, and while they were disappointed to miss out on in-person summer fun, the counselors and camp directors did a wonderful job! I transitioned to a new role focused on sales transformation for a national recruiting firm, which continues to keep me busy and fulfilled. This past fall, our family participated in a virtual heart walk and raised over $6,500 for the American Heart Association (thanks again to all of you fabulous friends for supporting me!). We

did get to visit with Angel Cabral Osborn over Labor Day weekend when we were both visiting home; really fun to introduce our kids! Marlyne Haryono: Nothing much going on here. Life has been divided between work, kitchen creativity, and stables. I’m looking forward to being able to travel again. I have a camino planned this year and I’m really hoping I’ll be able to go. In the meantime, living precariously through my friends’ Instagram photos, so please post more! Andrea Hanel Cahill: My daughter Audrey and I moved to Carmel in 2019. In the last non-normal year, we have taken up lots of new activities to keep us busy like pickleball, acrylic pour painting, and boogie boarding. We also fell in love with horses and horseback riding and one of my favorite things to do while she rides bareback is to jog alongside her and our horse in Garland Park (like he’s a giant dog). Monika Pataye Watkins: It’s been fun to enjoy a mini-Catalina reunion here in Mill Valley regularly since four alumnae have kids going to the same local elementary school: myself, Casey Costello Ferrarone ’98, Carolyn Mulloy Schwartz ’98, and Julie Rathman Fenton ’99. Since our school is super small, our kids make up three percent of the school! Sarah McClendon: My wife, Melanie, and I along with our daughters, Hazel (5) and Violet (3.5), are currently living in Hudson, WI, but yearning to return to California. My gym, ProAction Athletics, has pivoted to virtual workouts until it reopens in Oakland. You are welcome to join me every morning for a good sweat! Angelique “Angel” Cabral Osborn: I’m still acting up a storm. I’m starring in the new ABC comedy Work Wife, set to premiere on ABC in the fall. During quarantine, I was lucky enough to be able to shoot

season two of my Amazon show, Undone, and my Netflix animated show, New Dragons. I live in Los Angeles with my hubby, Jason; our son Alden (1); our daughter, Adelaide (3); and our pup, Oscar. Morgan Rogers McMillan: I’ve spent much of the last year reflecting on my deep privilege and my role in the fight against racial, economic, and health disparities in my community and in our country. My work role allowed me to support some of the tremendous efforts led by BIPOC women in state-based organizing and I’m heading into 2021 feeling more optimistic than I have in a number of years. Our family enjoyed several road trips last summer including socially distanced visits with Jasmin Reate, Sarah Forsythe Grant , and Sarah McClendon, and I’m impatiently waiting for when I can safely visit my sister, Cameron Rogers Magnotto ’02 and her newborn twins on Maui!

98

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!

Will, son of Lindsey Willen Fox ’97

Sarah McClendon ’97 and Morgan Rogers McMillan ’97 and their families

99Laura Stenovec laurastenovec@gmail.com

Gina Anderson: I married my longtime partner Ken Bukoski in August 2020 on the Longfellow Bridge in Boston, the city where we met during college and where we now live! The N.Y.C. wedding we originally planned was unfortunately postponed due to COVID, so we decided to do the ceremony with just the two of us and our best friend who officiated. We really missed our families and friends and hope to have our N.Y.C. celebration this coming October! Natalie Burke Hayes: After two wonderful years working at Catalina, I met and fell for one of those Naval Post Graduate boys down the road. My husband, Billy

Joe Hayes, is a major in the Marine Corps and I moved with him and his two boys to Korea. We welcomed our first child together in late January, Charles. I miss Monterey and Catalina very much but have been enjoying getting to know the Korean Peninsula as much as this pandemic will allow. Seoul is a fabulous city, rural Korea a gem of natural beauty, and the food has been to die for. We will be here for two to three years.

Marissa Anschutz Hermer: What a weird time! In January 2020, we opened Olivetta, our Mediterranean restaurant on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. For three months, it was an L.A. hotspot before we were shut down due to COVID. We then opened a pop-up Olivetta restaurant in an outdoor space which was an alfresco escape and was another hit until we were shut down again. To keep our teams working, and also to nourish the L.A. frontline workers and first responders, we set up a give-back meal donation program (You give. We cook. They eat.) where contributors donate meals and we deliver. We are hoping we can get back to school and work soon when it is safe, and until then, I am thankful that Justine Carroll Campbell is in my bubble and giving me essential levity during this wacky time. Rochelle “Elle” DeCastro Jones: I moved to Colorado! Also, I recently started a voice-over business under my nickname “Elle.” I can be found on my website (ellejonesvoice.com), Facebook, and Instagram. Kitty Lyons: Dylan and I just moved to Cardiff by the Sea. The warmer weather is the best and we are psyched to be able to walk to the beach every day! Henry (19 months) is so funny and such a cutie. Grateful for my life and for the sweet time I get to spend with my awesome guys! Sending hugs and lots of love to my Catalina friends! ChristinaLauren Pollack : After spending the past decade

as a digital entrepreneur and the pro lifestyle blogger and influencer behind Inspirations & Celebrations, I'm excited to launch a new online course in early Spring 2021 called Inspiring Brands Academy. Having watched several girlfriends go through major business challenges (including one company closure) due to the pandemic, it inspired me to share my knowledge and experience to help them elevate their brands and grow their companies. As a result, my 10-week online course educates and empowers female small business owners with digital branding, marketing, advertising, and publicity strategies. I love inspiring women to follow their dreams, so this is another way for me to help my fellow gals become boss babes. Wishing you all a healthy, happy, and successful 2021! Lili Romero-Riddell: My family and I have been doing well and virus free in Los Angeles, in spite of working from home (me) and being furloughed (my husband) for almost a year now. We welcomed a new daughter, Mayahuel, in June 2020. Giving birth during the pandemic was quite an experience, but we were lucky to have my sister, Marisol Romero ’03, in our bubble to help watch my older daughter, Itzel (2 ½), while we were in the hospital. Luckily we were able to visit my parents and my sister, Kaija-Leena Romero ’01, in Salinas twice last fall before the pandemic got worse. Looking forward to a brighter 2021!

Fagan katepfagan@gmail.com

Gina Anderson ’99 with new husband Ken

Natalie Burke Hayes ’99 with new son Charles and husband Billy

Allison McFaddan Mesina ’01 with her family

01Kai Romero kai.romero@gmail.com

Kristie Hoyt Cloos: After adopting our son, Augustine, in 2019, Christopher and I moved back to Stockton to be close to family. I got a new job as the clinical laboratory director for a group of community clinics serving the most vulnerable populations here in the San Joaquin Valley. After years of infertility, we discovered we were pregnant—surprise! I found myself starting my new job as the laboratory director for over 20 clinics, six weeks pregnant, in the middle of a global pandemic. Suddenly, what was supposed to be a nice relaxing job supervising simple point-of-care laboratory testing became the craziest whirlwind I have yet to experience (and I worked in an ER for six years!). In late October, we welcomed our second son, Soren. And because 2020 decided we couldn’t have anything nice, he entered the world via a crash C-section. But here we are weeks later, a new family of four, healthy and (mostly) happy, ready to start 2021. Astri Rahardja: This has been a crazy year for me too, but in a surprisingly good way. I met a guy (whom I later got engaged to) this year in the middle of a raging pandemic in Jakarta, at a time when we are pretty much banned from other countries and are stuck in our own country (until now!). My friend was looking for a medicine that she usually sourced from Singapore but since COVID-19 took over the world by storm, Singapore closed its borders in March. As fate had it, I helped my friend look for the medicine and another friend of mine suggested that I contact this guy for help. An awkward phone conversation between strangers about medicine somehow turned into a dinner invitation from his side. The rest is history. Oh, and my friend got the medicines as well based on his recommendations. We got engaged in December and are planning to have our wedding in late March next year. How the pandemic brought us together is an unexpected surprise from life. I am just most grateful that life has brought me this happiness in the midst of uncertainties and the gloomy atmosphere of 2020.

Allison McFaddan Mesina: The Mesina family is still enjoying living abroad, outside of Tokyo. After a long wait, I finally secured a teaching position in my own classroom at Yokota Air Base, and I'm enjoying everyday face-to-face classes with my third-graders. My own kids and I took remote schooling at home in the spring a day at a time, and we are all super happy to be back in our own classrooms. We took advantage of the extra opportunities to spend some quality family time together and according to Facebook, we did a lot more cooking and enjoying outdoor adventures camping, hiking, finding remote beaches, and visiting open air museums in Japan. Emily Elrod Cardenas: I have a girl , Julia (17 months), but possibly my even more exciting Catalina news is that I teach alongside none other than David Wells at Pinewood, a small school up the peninsula.

He is exactly the same and still consumes vast quantities of yogurt. David—yes I call him that now—also does stand up comedy. Post-pandemic, we should all go out and support him. Just imagine his face. Amy Udelson: I have accepted a new position at Twitter as their director of marketing. Liz Kidney Cook : I am currently fostering five kids, and I adopted one of them back in August. Life is a wild ride as I’ve had three one-year-olds since the end of October and I am still working! Never a dull moment around my house! Kai Romero: I just want my update to be that you are a group of wildly talented risk takers and moms and businesswomen and educators and healthcare providers. And please go back and read Emily Elrod Cardenas’ update. I can totally get behind a group trip to heckle.

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!

03

The Class of 2003 is without a class correspondent. Please contact Shannon Gaughf ’08, Assistant Director of Alumnae/i Engagement to volunteer to serve your class in this meaningful way.

Sabine Korting Carl: In 2020, I moved positions and am now working for the German Ministry

of Education and Research in the unit overseeing large research infrastructures. I strive to ensure societal benefits by allocating funds, e.g. to COVID-19 research. The European lockdown has made me infinitely grateful for my family, friendships, and overgrown balcony. Chatting with Christina Korting ’05 and Bryna Lieberman still makes me smile every time. Priscilla McCarthy Barolo: I moved with my husband, Joe, and sons, Owen (4.5) and Aidan (1), from San Mateo to Carmel-by-the-Sea in August. We've been settling in with a few minor home projects (including an interminable re-roofing). I'm still at Zoom, running the communications team. Between that and the boys, not much time for hobbies other than a weekly hike and occasional Netflix binge.

04

Katie 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!

05

Madeline Callander madeline.callander@gmail.com

Lyndsay Pedan McAmis mcamislc@gmail.com

Justyna Maslowska Lenowska: I married Chelsea in September 2020. While we had to cancel our wedding due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to be able to celebrate the moment with our parents in an intimate ceremony on the beach in San Diego, masks included! Casey Sedlack : This year was weird, obviously, but we capped it off by bringing the next Sedlack Catalinian

Astri Rahardja ’01 with her fiance

Tillie, daughter of Casey Sedlack ’05

into the world on New Year’s Eve day. Please welcome Tillie to the world! Her older brothers, Levi (3.5) and Charlie (2), are in love, and so are we! Kristen Clark Kolumbic: My husband, George, and I relocated to Virginia in the summer of 2019 as he is an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. We gave birth to our second daughter, Abigail, in April 2020 and have enjoyed the quarantine time as a family together since then. I earned my LCSW in August 2020 and have recently started a telehealth psychotherapy practice part-time while continuing to enjoy “momming hard.” We look forward to togetherness with our dear family and friends in the near future back in California!

Olivia Hussman Ramsey: I am still living in Little Rock with my husband and two kids, Wright (4) and Annie (2), and we are expecting another daughter in May. I continue to volunteer at the Junior League, working specifically on a literacy committee, and am also on the board at a local special needs school. Eliza Hussman Gaines: I was promoted to managing editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in March 2020. I reside in my hometown of Little Rock, AR, with my husband and three children.

07Natalie Kocekian nkocek@gmail.com

Class of ’07 can you believe we are only one year away from our 15-year reunion? I can hardly wait to catch up with each of you! As we start a new year and reflect on the one past, thank you for sharing all that you have been up to. A special thank you to all of our friends, family, and classmates who are first responders and have been a critical part of the COVD-19 response. Sending a big hug to each of you, and cheers to a healthy and happy 2021! I (Natalie Kocekian) moved to Los Angeles, where I purchased my first townhome and am working at YouTube. I look forward to returning to the office, hopefully, this year!

Jennifer Williams: I graduated from the Somatic Psychotherapy program at CIIS in May 2020 and continue to work part-time as a high school-based therapist at Holden High School. I started my own private practice with Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center. For the pandemic, I have been living in the Sierras while working remotely, but plan to return to the Bay Area in spring 2021.

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!

Kathleen Seccombe: I am living in San Francisco where I've been working for CBS News for the last three years. I cover all sorts of topics but have recently focused on the health of the ocean and climate change. I am very thankful for California parks and beaches where I have been able to take walks and catch up with all my favorite Catalina gals! Meredith Evans Bell: I welcomed my first child, Taylor, in December 2020. I can’t wait to see everyone else’s updates and hope to see everyone in person at the next reunion!

Ashley Anderson Avilla: I had a second baby boy (Dalton), started a new job as an account executive for iFoodDS, and hope to

see everyone soon, too! Congratulations to Kate Carruba and her husband Mike who are still living in S.F. and expecting a baby girl in May. Kate has transitioned to working full time from home (managing the website and email marketing for Janie and Jack, a division of Gap, Inc.) Anna Martinelli: I live in San Francisco with my husband, Janson Wigo. We're enjoying city life (and trips up to wine country) for now, but we hope to be homeowners in Santa Cruz very soon! I work on the people team at Pinterest, and have been running the company's COVID-19 response.

Justyna Maslowska Lenowska ’05 with new wife Chelsea on their wedding day

Kristen Clark Kolumbic ’05 with her family

Kathleen Seccombe ’07 hiking with classmate Miki Fukushima and Miki's daughter, Akira.

08Shannon 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!

May, and held a ceremony at our original venue in August, with a fraction of our original guest count. I never expected having two weddings, but they were absolutely perfect in their own quirky, 2020 way. Yvonne Chin was going to be my maid of honor, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic prevented her from traveling. I was, however, lucky to see her on a visit she made to California during the summer of 2019. Wishing my Catalina network a happy and healthy 2021!

were down, I was able to refocus on my upcoming nuptials. My fiance and I made the extremely difficult yet heartbreakingly necessary decision to downsize the wedding and have it at my grandparents’ house instead of our dream venue. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With the money we saved, we were able to purchase our first home and still had an intimate, love-filled wedding. We actually went to Carmel for our "mini-moon" and drove by Santa Catalina! I am hopeful that the end of this pandemic is near so we can all get back to normal soon!

10

Maeko 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

09Mary Bolt

mar.e.bolt@gmail.com Megan McCaffrey mccaffrey.mf@gmail.com

Sarah Bellingham: I am a documentary maker and adjunct professor at the Columbia Journalism School. I am currently in post-production on my first feature documentary, in which I and my co-director follow a Pennsylvania Trump group for the entire four and a half years of the Trump campaigns and presidency. I have filmed for outlets ranging from The Washington Post to Bloomberg, and appeared on BBC News to report on the 2018 U.S. midterms. I have worked in the field wearing a bullet-proof vest, a ballgown, and holy water—though not all at the same time.

Heather Souza: In 2020, I got engaged to Cory Logan and gave birth to our second son, Oliver Maxwell. I graduated from the University of Denver with a Master of Science in organizational leadership with a concentration in project management. I’m looking forward to getting married in 2021 and growing professionally.

Megan McCaffrey: I took the plunge last year to switch careers and am currently pursuing my dream in a master’s entry program for nursing at UC Davis. I will graduate in December with my Master’s of Science in nursing and leadership and cannot wait to be a nurse. In 2020, my partner and I also bought a house in Sacramento, CA, and adopted our dog, Parker. Andrea Kohatsu Raskop: I married my partner, Ryan Raskop, twice this year! We held a very small ceremony in our backyard in Berkeley on our original date in

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

Rae Gregory: I am currently in my second year teaching second grade and third year as a teacher at Stratford School in San Francisco. I spent MarchNovember 2020 in distance learning and have been teaching in person since then. I am also enrolled in a one-year program through CSUF to earn my California CLEAR teaching credential.

My sister, Claire Gregory ’14, moved to Sacramento, so it has been nice having her nearby! Emily Grunwald Campbell: Last year was a crazy year for me. It started out great! I was engaged, loving life. Then March came. I work in an acute care hospital in Roseville, CA. When COVID hit, it was very traumatic. I will never forget the fear I had. I would cry brushing my teeth before work. But as a nurse, you wipe your tears, take a deep breath, and tackle the challenges that come. Over the summer when numbers

Lotonna Obodozie: I've been living in Washington, D.C., since graduating from Catalina, and as you can imagine, things have been pretty exciting around these parts lately! I recently moved in together with my partner, and we adopted two beautiful cats in quarantine, which has really brightened our days (on Instagram at @palomaandmochi). In the meantime, I've been working in climate policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress. If any other Catalinians are in the D.C. area, I'd love to connect! Christina Quisno: I have recently accepted a job in Vevey, Switzerland, with Nestlé, as part of the global sales and customer team. I am enjoying the challenges of the new role as well as living in Europe. I look forward to continued travels in 2021 and much more skiing! Taylor Griffon: I am still living in San Diego and loving it more and more every day, especially after the year we’ve all had. My year consisted of many long walks, an evolving love of coffee beverages, and some much-needed downtime. I work for Naval Facilities Engineering Command and I recently accepted a position as the operations support officer. My new office building looks over the

Taylor, son of Meredith Evans Bell ’07

Members of the Class of 2011 catch up: Kyra Morrissey, Taylor Griffon, and Kelsey Player

San Diego Bay from the 17th floor. My Catalina friends have been a vital source of connection during the 2020 uncertainty. Thankfully, I had Kelsey Player close by, and Rae Gregory and Kyra Morrissey both had the opportunity to visit. In March, due to our reunion being canceled, Kelsey, Rae, Kyra, and I decided to responsibly celebrate 10 years with a COVID-friendly girls’ weekend! Three days before the COVID shutdown, the San Diego Alumni Chapter had a meetup and we can’t wait to get together again soon!

12

Katharine Garcia katharine.garcia8@yahoo.com Chloe Dlott ccdlott@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! 13

Caitlin Dullanty caitlindullanty@gmail.com Annie Haueter anniehaueter@gmail.com 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

Shaden Beltran: I am currently working at Campos EPC. I am happy to report it has been an amazing year with this company and I am truly grateful for every single person on my team! Ellie Browne: I adopted a kitten named Suvivre and am looking into buying a house in Kentucky this year! I enjoyed a couple of trips to Tennessee and visited California twice as well to see family and

close friends. Anna Burks: This past August, my husband, Ben, and I celebrated the birth of our first child, Milo. It has been incredible getting to watch him grow and change so much in such a short amount of time. I am looking forward to getting to experience Hawaii through his eyes as he gets older. Madilyn Fisher: After relocating to the Bay Area from Chicago last year, I am enjoying the benefits of a warmer climate by taking work calls from the patio, painting in the sun, running on the beach with my dog, and going on socially distant coastal walks with my Catalina friends. Lauren Mendoza: I am a successful non-binary cinematographer, pushing the boundaries of a space traditionally occupied by cishet white folks. My struggle as an Indigenous queer person appears in my work and makes this feat all the more impressive. Recently, I have worked on shows for major networks, such as HBO’s Murder on Middle Beach, Vox’s Glad You Asked , and Travel Channel’s Destination Fear. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as my career develops! Daniella Wilson: In 2020, I opened two companies in Paris (A Creative Studio and One Plus One Studio) working in fashion. I work closely with Dior Perfumes and Y Project as well as a Photo Studio with new technology (E-do Studio). It's been a crazy year, but I have found a way to still work and do what I love during these hard times. Daphne Wilson: I just finished my first semester of law school at Santa Clara University. I am currently pursuing a career in family law and am working as a law clerk. I have spent quarantine learning to make sushi and moving into a new home with my Alaskan Malamute, Bubbles! 16

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

Eliot Sandbach (previously called Elsa): Rainey Baker ’19 and I became engaged this past October! Rainey popped the question on a birthday hike in the Marin headlands. But no actual date yet, we’re waiting until we finish our respective MFA and BFA programs.

18

Sylvan Free sylvanfree@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!

19 Kacey Konya

kaceykonya8@comcast.net

Victoria Gorum: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, some friends and I started Diversify Our Narrative, a campaign to incorporate diverse and anti-racist texts into high school curriculums across the country. Also, this past summer, I was a research fellow for one of the largest sociology projects in the U.S., where I conducted intensive interviews with participants to better understand how people were doing, and hopefully inspire future policy change. I got a taste of life outside of CA when I moved to Dallas, TX, for my fall quarter, and I fulfilled my dream of living in San Francisco my winter quarter.

Simone Brown: Back in August, I made the hard decision to postpone my education at USC for a year. I found online learning in the spring of 2020 difficult, and decided I didn't want to take classes until I could be in a classroom again. I have spent my time off learning lots of new skills and finding new hobbies, as well as working full-time. I am employed as the food and beverage coordinator and hostess at Lucia Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge and Spa! I miss all my Catalina and USC classmates dearly and look forward to seeing friends in person again. Maya Pruthi: I am a second-semester sophomore at USC majoring in art history and minoring in both communication policy and law and American popular culture. I joined the USC Society of Women in Law which sparked my interest in the field and encouraged me to add my current minor. I am a part of several outreach clubs; one of these organizations focuses on teaching second and third grade students science lessons paired with engaging experiments, similar to the Art and Art History Club that I formed at Catalina where we taught students at Highland Elementary School. Kacey Konya: I am

Anna Burks ’15 with husband Ben and son Milo

living in Los Angeles, majoring in business and absolutely loving the entire USC experience—even on Zoom! Since early in my freshman year, I have been a member of Smart Woman Securities, an organization focused on educating undergraduate women on finance and investments. Last year, I also participated in USC’s Joint Educational Project where my team had the incredible honor of teaching history to local elementary students. In addition, I joined Pi Beta Phi sorority where I am now a member of our Executive Board as the Vice President of Risk Management. While juggling myriad activities at USC, I am always grateful for my Santa Catalina foundation! Emily Hayes: I am planning on studying abroad in Tokyo this fall to learn more about my Japanese side and become fluent in Japanese!

20Taylor Ford tnford@usc.edu

CLASS NOTES INFORMATION

PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

We welcome your photos for inclusion in Class Notes. Due to space restrictions, we are unable to publish all of the photos we receive. Photos meeting the requirements listed below will take priority.

Please note the technical requirements for photos:

• Images need to be 3” x 5” or larger

• Images need to be a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (or at least 800KB)

Priority is given to the following types of photos:

• Photos with groups of alumnae

• Photos with one alumna

• Photos without an alumna will only be included if space allows.

Please provide the names of all alumnae in the photo, including class year, and the location of the occasion.

SPACE LIMITATIONS

We do our best to include all of the updates that are sent in. Due to space limitations, the Communications and Alumnae Relations offices of Santa Catalina School may edit content in order to fit the space allotted. Thank you for your submissions.

To submit photos electronically, please send them as attachments to: shannon.gaughf@santacatalina.org.

Please do not include photos in the body of the email or in Word files. If you email a photo from your phone, please choose the largest file size possible. To submit a hard copy photo, please mail to:

Santa Catalina School

Office of Alumnae Relations 1500 Mark Thomas Drive Monterey, CA 93940

SCHEDULE

We publish notes for each class once a year—odd-numbered class years in the spring and even-numbered in the fall.

Victoria Gorum ’19

Maya Pruthi ’19 with classmate Kacey Konya

COMMUNITY TRANSITIONS

Alumnae

Marriages

Gina Anderson ’99 to Ken Bukoski

Lauren Darnell ’03 to Ryan Gillette

Justyna Maslowska ’05 to Chelsea Lenowska

Births and Adoptions

Illa Amerson ’87, daughter Adalyn

Natalie Burke Hayes ’99, son Charles

Kristie Hoyt Cloos ’01, son Soren

Chelsea Swank Rossman ’02, daughter Charlotte

Samantha Ho Conley ’05, daughter Isla Kristen Clark Kolumbic ’05, daughter Abigail

Casey Sedlack ’05, daughter Tillie Allison Armstrong ’06, son Boden

Ashley Anderson Avilla ’07, son Dalton

Meredith Evans Bell ’07, son Taylor

Sabrina Frank Allard ’08, daughter Olivia Paige Whitmore Posladek ’08, daughter Charlotte

Anna Burks ’15, son Milo

In Memory

Our love and prayers to:

The family of Patricia Brady ’55

Judy Nagel Cox ’61 on the death of her husband

Trish Scott Williams ’63 on the death of her husband

Flo Nixon ’64 on the death of her brother

The family of Margery Bobbs Johnson ’65

Cathy Quarre Alexander ’67 on the death of her husband

Laurie Bechtel Dachs ’67 and Nonie Bechtel Ramsay ’71 on the death of their father

Lyn Wyman ’67 on the death of her husband

Sugar Franich Felice ’69 and Joy Franich Maze ’77 on the death of their mother

The family of Gabrielle Bemis Batzer ’70

The family of Sandi Royce ’70

Mary Reilly ’72 on the death of her husband

Julie Hobbs Bryan ’72 and Tracy Hobbs Jones ’75 on the death of their mother

Karen List Letendre ’72 and Kim List Caneer ’72 on the death of their father

Sarah Bryant ’75 on the death of her brother

The family of Maria Sanders ’80

Kristen Ritzau ’85 on the death of her mother

Christina Nalchajian Whitley ’85 on the death of her father

Karen Holley ’86 on the death of her mother

Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 on the death of her father

Chloe Corriveau ’15 on the death of her father

Faculty & Staff

Births

Susanna Wilcox and Peter Myers, son James

In Memory

Jon Christensen on the death of his father

Teresa Christensen on the death of her brother

Lara Wheeler Devlin ’02 on the death of her father

Zach VanHarn on the death of his father

Kevin Wasbauer on the death of his father

Items in Transitions reflect communications received between October 20, 2020 and April 23, 2021.

Andrea Kohatsu Raskop '09 with new husband Ryan on their wedding day

Chelsea Swank Rossman '02 with her family

Board of Trustees

School Administration

1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey, CA 93940

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Monterey, CA 93940 Permit No. 93