Sewickley Speaking Winter 2021 by Sewickley Academy

WINTER 2021

E L B E U U DO SS I The Magazine of Sewickley Academy

THE

ANIMAL ISSUE

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Tatum McKelvey, Isabel Straka, Abby Villella, and Isabel Iwanonkiw gather in front of the Lower School for the iconic class photo on graduation day in 2019.

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WINTER 2021

Features

Dear Readers, I hope this finds you all well during the time of a global pandemic. COVID-19 changed our daily lives last spring, resulting in shutdowns and restrictions that affected how we work, socialize, and interact with one another. We found ourselves feeling alone in this new “normal,” spending more time at home than we ever thought possible. We adapted to working at home, overcoming technical challenges, and reinventing our schedules to achieve a healthy work/life balance. And when we needed support, our pets were there to provide endless snuggles! “The Animal Issue” of Sewickley Speaking is dedicated to our furry friends, family members, and companions. Extremely loyal, animals show us an infinite amount of love and, in turn, teach us how to be compassionate. Actor and activist James Cromwell said, “Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” In this issue, you will read about alumni whose life work is to better the lives of animals and their habitats – from household pets like dogs to wildlife such as horses, birds, and even clams! This issue also features stories from faculty members who are fulfilling the Academy’s Mission to nurture our students’ hearts, minds, and hands by using animals in the classroom to teach important lessons. These interactions strengthen our students’ understanding of empathy and responsibility. Although this publication faced delays due to the pandemic, we did not skimp on content. I’m pleased to note that this issue is a special double issue, featuring multiple reunions, auctions, and graduations. It is my sincere hope that you can relax and read about “the good old days” while staying safe and healthy. Enjoy!

Kaitlin Busch Director of Communications

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04 08 11 14 42 46 50

Habitats and Their Inhabitants: Sustaining the Coast for People and Animals: Michael Piehler ’86 E.R. – Animal Edition: Claire (Lang ’90) Ballantyne Three Dog Bakery is Dog Gone Good: Maggie Kopf ’91 From SA to PBS: My Migration Journey: Emily Mistick ’11 The Class of 2019 Graduates from Sewickley Academy The Class of 2020 Graduates from Sewickley Academy Hansen Library Reinvents Itself for Modern Learners

Contents Auction! Auction! Read All About It!

Reunion Weekend 2018 and 2019

Alumni Celebrate the Holidays with SA

Born to Ride: Emma Pigman ’19

Animals are a Teaching Tool in the Lower School

SA Welcomes Eight New Members to the Board of Trustees

A Bug’s Life: Senior School Students Learn How to Study Insects

Personal Connections and Global Partnerships

Class Notes

Sofia Lynn ’16 Passion for Pups: Training Susquehanna Service Dogs

Monkeying Around: Mackenzie Pryor ’14 and her Pursuit of Primatology

Answering the Call to Serve: Ted Waller ’74

Valerie Gaydos ’85 is Re-Elected as PA State Representative

In Memoriam

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN

Kaitlin Busch

Third Planet Global Creative

Director of Communications

In collaboration with GROUP 2

CONTRIBUTORS

Vicki Bassett

Win Palmer

Director of Special Events

Athletic Director

Kaitlin Busch

Brendan Schneider

Director of Communications

Director of Advancement

Michael-Ann Cerniglia

Jerilyn (Carter ’86) Scott

Senior School History Teacher

Lower School Science Teacher

Annie Gensheimer

Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D.

Annie Gensheimer Photography

Alumni Associate

Ron Kinser, Ph.D.

Brittnea Turner

Senior School Science Teacher

Former Director of Public Relations

Susan Kinser

Michael Williams

Former Director of Alumni Relations

MichaelWill Photography

Ruth Neely

Assistant to the Head of Senior School

Hillary Bruno

Director of Libraries

Kolia O’Connor Head of School

Faculty Emeriti On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, three retiring faculty members were named Faculty Emeriti by Head of School Kolia O’Connor, Board Chair Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, and Vice Chair Brad Busatto ’88. Congratulations, Dr. Joan Cucinotta, Dr. Susan Zawacky, and Mr. Larry Connolly, on a combined 105 years of outstanding service to the school!

Visit us at www.sewickley.org facebook.com/sewickleyacademy twitter.com/sewickley instagram.com/sewickleyacademy pinterest.com/sewickley1838 blog.sewickley.org youtube.com/sewickley

Day of Caring Raises over $30,000 for the Academy! Thank you to everyone who participated in Sewickley Academy’s Day of Caring on Thursday, May 30, 2020. We raised $33,305 from 101 donors. The generosity of our community during a pandemic was much appreciated by the students, faculty, and staff. Please consider making a gift of any amount to the Annual Fund by visiting www.sewickley.org/givenow.

Access the digital issue at www.sewickley.org/ss

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C O

Dear Readers of Sewickley Speaking,

We all know that the strength of any community derives from the connections between the members of that community. This is one of the reasons that our school community is so robust: people care about one another, and that care expresses itself in myriad ways. In the daily life of the school, this idea is expressed through our “relationships for learning.” The strength of our programs and our processes, which are all inextricably intertwined through the connections each student has with his or her fellow students and that students have with their teachers, was evident during the visit to our campus by an accreditation team from the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) last year. Our ecosystem of support, guidance, and challenge was recognized for its overall excellence, and I am proud to report that Sewickley Academy has been re-accredited for the next 10 years as the result of the PAIS team’s visit! This accomplishment is a reflection of the outstanding level of commitment each individual at our school brings to the community. Looking beyond our campus to the wider world, we recognize that understanding and appreciating the connections between humans and those who share the planet with us is clear, especially when we consider the important place of pets in our homes that we often consider a part of our families. The lines become less obvious – although no less important – when we consider bees or even bacteria. When we read about failing bee populations, we understand that this is not merely an interesting scientific phenomenon unconnected to us; rather, we appreciate that the fate of bees is critical to our own existence. In this issue of Sewickley Speaking, we meet a number of alumni who have devoted their educational and professional careers to working with animals and studying the environments in which these animals thrive. From veterinarians who keep our pets healthy, to primatologists who work to understand our connections with our closest living relatives, to marine scientists who study the largest of our planet’s ecosystems, Sewickley Academy alumni have pursued their interests in ways that enhance our daily lives and also make us mindful of the need to care for the world in which we live so that future generations will be able to thrive on earth as we do. While we are all well aware of the environmental and climate challenges we face, we can remain optimistic knowing that schools like ours continue to prepare young people to make a difference in the lives of others, whether those others look like us or not, whether they are, in fact, human or not. Certainly, the PAIS visiting team found a school that inspires, educates, and provides multiple pathways for students to take hold of their learning and follow their interests wherever that might lead. That is at the core of why we say, “For Who You Are. For Who You Will Become!” Happy reading,

Kolia O’Connor Head of School

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Michael Piehler ’86 Habitats and Their Inhabitants:

Sustaining the Coast for People and Animals By: Brittnea Turner

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For decades, and perhaps even now, when people think of Pittsburgh, they often think of the old steel mills and the resulting pollution and thick black smoke that lingered in the air. Being born and raised in the Oakland neighborhood of the Steel City had a profound impact on Michael Piehler ’86. “I grew up during a time when the city was exceptionally polluted. As a kid, I remember there were days we couldn’t play outside because of the air quality advisories,” he recalled. “Growing up in that environment made me aware of the connection between people, their activities, economic success, and the environment. Sometimes those things run opposite of one another, but many times there are opportunities to have both environmental quality and great economic success.” Michael came to Sewickley Academy as a freshman from the Falk Laboratory School in 1982, about the same time when the steel industry was leaving Pittsburgh. “It corresponded with economic challenges, but it also corresponded with the environment becoming an awful lot better,” he reflected. “The water quality improved in the rivers, as did the air quality.” He commuted to the Academy in a van driven by Mr. Finlay McQuade with approximately 10 students from the East End during the week. His parents’ careers – his dad an engineer and his mom a speech pathologist – inclined Michael to the sciences and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. “I valued having access to the breadth of the sciences, a physics class, a chemistry class, and the one that resonated with me the most was biology,” he said of his time at Sewickley Academy. “One of the neat things we did in AP biology was go to Wallops Island in Virginia for a long weekend. It was a remarkable place to see a coastal system and to think about it from a scientific perspective.” That field trip was transformational for Michael and confirmed what he wanted to study in college – environmental science. The environment plays a huge role in the lives of humans and animals and he knew that he wanted to be instrumental in sustaining their habitats. However, the path he took to get there was not direct. A recent discovery reminded Michael that deep down as a sophomore at the Academy, he realized his vocation in life, but forgot about it from time to time along the way. “I recently found my SAT questionnaire. At the time, one of the questions asked, ‘What do you want to do for your career?’ and I said, ‘I want to use biological systems to solve environmental problems’ which is really strange because that’s almost exactly what I do today,” Michael said. He matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) for his undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees, and is now a professor of marine sciences and environmental sciences and engineering. His days at the Academy adeptly prepared him to succeed in university. “I was very, very well prepared. The Academy was a good thing for me. Being surrounded by bright kids who worked really hard and had the presumption that they were going to do great things had an impact on me,” Michael

reflected. He entered college as a biology major and then changed to a political science major for a year before returning back to biology with the intention of going to medical school, forgetting that he had no taste for blood. His senior year, he stuck with biology, but shifted his focus to ecology. Upon graduation, he worked in Washington, D.C., for ASCI, an environmental consulting firm, while considering options for master’s programs with the intention to enroll in law school someday. A friend recommended the environmental science and engineering program at UNC Chapel Hill. He took the friend’s advice, scheduled a visit, and decided the program was a good fit. It felt completely different from his days there as an undergraduate. He enrolled in the program and studied under Hans Paerl, a world-renowned environmental scientist. After earning his master’s degree, he was admitted to law school at UNC and Wake Forest on track to become an environmental attorney. The same week he received the good news from law school, he also found out that the grant funding for him to work on his doctorate degree was approved. “Luckily for me, my parents knew a bunch of people who had advanced degrees in science or engineering who went on to be environmental lawyers. I was able to talk to them to find out what it was really going to be like, and I discovered that what I dreamt of didn’t necessarily exist. Their advice was if you love the science, then stick with it,” Michael said. And that’s what he did. He went back to school to earn his Ph.D. at UNC – the same institution from which he received his other two degrees – a rarity. Today, he is responsible for facilitating research, engaging stakeholders, and conducting innovative educational programs focused on the environment and the animals that live there.

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Michael Piehler, Suzanne Thompson, Olivia Torano, Leslie Arroyo, Mollie Yacano, Peggy Mullin, and Adam Gold pose for a picture by the Newport River in North Carolina during a lab party. Those pictured are students and technicians in Michael’s lab.

His research occurs primarily at the interface between the land and the water and seeks to understand how the natural systems work and what the impacts of people’s activities are on them. For instance, he spends a lot of time studying oyster reefs and possibilities for replenishing their population. “Oysters provide incredible benefit to the environment, including increasing water clarity and quality, providing habitat for fish, and stabilizing sediments. However, people also love to eat them, so balancing that demand for something that’s a harvestable resource and is also an environmental asset has been interesting,” Michael explained. He has encountered a little resistance because some people think oysters should only be harvested, but overall stakeholders have been collaborative and cooperative. “There’s a lot of interest in restoring oysters,” Michael said. “Over 90% of the oyster population and oyster coverage in the United States has been lost, so there’s a lot of need in all sectors to restore them.” Oysters have another predator besides humans – crabs! Michael and his team researched the crab predators to understand how oyster-crab interactions will change with ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Michael has also worked extensively on nutrient cycling in estuaries, a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries house incredibly diverse arrays of fauna, and 75% of commercially harvested fish spend some time in these bodies of water. Shallow lakes are another ecosystem where Michael’s laboratory has focused its efforts. For 15 years, they have conducted research on habitats

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and habitat restoration in Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina, a world-renowned waterfowl stop on the Atlantic Flyway and popular recreational fishing area. Looking back over his career thus far, Michael is very proud of the students he has worked with. “I’m extremely proud of the accomplishments of my graduate and undergraduate students. I have been fortunate to have outstanding people working with me doing incredibly exciting, innovative things, and to have the opportunity to provide an environment for that to happen is a source of pride. They are remarkable and have gone on to be leaders in their fields, and that’s an exciting thing,” Michael stated. In his new roles as the Director of the UNC Institute for the Environment and the Chief Sustainability Officer at UNC – Chapel Hill, Michael sees the opportunity to affect the same kind of change on a broader scale. The institute is a pan-campus research, engagement, and educational organization focused on understanding environmental problems and developing solutions. “Today’s environmental challenges require research and innovation to both sustain the environment and maintain our quality of life. I am excited to think about those challenges in creative ways and be in the position to help steer UNC’s environmental research and sustainability practice to find solutions for the university and beyond,” he said. Michael enjoys spending time with his wife Betsy and their three children – Owen, his oldest son who also graduated from UNC – Chapel Hill and lives in Raleigh; John, another UNC – Chapel Hill graduate who lives in Durham; and Hallie, a sophomore at Appalachian State University – and their Cardigan Corgis, Ellie and Paris.

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Eligible investors who commit to a personal

Did you know? Qualified individuals now have the opportunity to support Sewickley Academy through the tax dollars they will pay to Pennsylvania?

and/or corporate contribution of at least $3,500 each year for two years may receive PA income tax credits of 90% of their investment. Additionally, depending on the nature of the contribution, you can write off 10% to 100% of that donation on your federal income tax return. To learn more about this exciting opportunity please contact Director of Advancement Brendan Schneider at bschneider@sewickley.org or 412-741-2230 ext. 3038.

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Claire (Lang ’90) Ballantyne 8

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ANIMAL EDITION By: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D. Being open to new experiences and following your passions can make a career path anything but a straight line – and enormously fulfilling! Claire (Lang ’90) Ballantyne loved history and followed that passion from Sewickley Academy to Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and on to Brown University for a master’s in history. For the next five years, she worked at museums or historical societies steeped in the people and places of local and national historic and artistic interests. Claire took a long look at what she wanted to do next following an assignment cataloguing the art of LeRoy Neiman, an American artist known for his brilliantly colored expressionist paintings, for inclusion at the Smithsonian exhibit that was concluding in 2000. Always an animal lover, and an equestrian in her youth, Claire had been fostering dogs in New York City. She volunteered to transport animals from kill shelters to rescue organizations and to programs for spaying/ neutering to assist with the animal overpopulation issue. A conversation with a friend in a dog park kindled the thought of turning this avocation into a possible vocation. Her research uncovered the veterinary technology program at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, associated with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). “I was never a science student,” Claire said, “I only took the science classes I had to take to graduate. But, things change as you get older. Becoming a veterinary nurse was something I really wanted to do, and that made me focus on all sorts of science classes – anatomy and physiology, hematology, pharmacology, surgery, radiology – and to my surprise I LOVED it!” Harcum offered an associate degree in veterinary technology (now nursing) with six-month practicums in both small and large animal care at UPenn’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital. Claire found that of all the areas of the hospital where she interned, the emergency room was the best fit. Upon graduation in 2004, Claire was immediately hired to work in their emergency room unit. For the next 10 years, Claire’s life revolved around emergency care. “We worked 12-hour shifts and saw every sort of issue with animals coming through in various stages of trauma – dogs hit by cars, animals who fell out of windows, animals in respiratory arrest, puppies suffering from Parvo (a highly contagious, often fatal virus), situations of abuse or neglect – and all kinds of difficult issues,” Claire recalled. “What made this bearable is that we could ease their suffering, bring comfort to the animals’ conditions, and often to the owners as well. Of course, there were many who could not be saved. And that was really hard to deal with. There were nights I had insomnia, nights I couldn’t seem to leave work behind, especially for the first five years there. Emotional burnout can be a problem in this business.” On the positive side, Claire said, you are never alone at the hospital. “The other staff members are wonderfully supportive of each other. You can talk about what you’re experiencing and someone will help comfort you. There were days when I needed comfort and days when I was strong enough to offer comfort. It was a team effort and that was wonderful.” Even after a decade in this line of work, Claire admits that when it comes to an issue with one of her own pets, her first reaction is still emotional. “I have to give myself time to clear my head and look at the problem more objectively, then take action. We are all so emotionally attached to our pets.”

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Claire also worked for a private veterinary practice in Washington, D.C., that included exotic animals and handled medical issues with animals like birds and snakes from the local nature center that were part of the center’s classes for students. “I remember that we did a nephrectomy (removal of one or both of the kidneys) on a milk snake. It was a very nice snake that children could handle in classes, so they wanted it well enough to come back,” she said. “We even did surgery on a fish. It was a very expensive fish, a kind used for breeding purposes for high-end species. It’s not easy to operate on a fish. You have to move it from tank to tank with increasing levels of anesthetic. Even when you are operating, you have to keep hydrating it, flushing it through water to keep it alive.” Claire had her first child, Annelise, with her husband Todd when she was 43. She took time off from work to focus on having a healthy child, and her training as an emergency room caregiver proved quite useful. “My experience with sleepless nights, 24-hour care, and anxiety coupled with a cool head was helpful to deal with baby stresses that first year!” Starting a family didn’t keep Claire from focusing on animals altogether. Annelise, who goes by “Elise,” is now five, and Claire is an active member of the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team (PASART) whose mission is to provide shelter and assistance to animals in the event of a disaster. It was formed in response to the Pet Evacuation and Transport Standards (PETS) Act of 2006, which is a federal law that was passed shortly after Hurricane Katrina. In order for states, cities, and

counties to receive federal funding for their disaster relief plans, those plans must “account for the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals before, during, and following a major disaster or emergency.” Since then, more than 30 states have amended their disaster relief plans to account for the needs of companion animals and service animals. “Sometimes a livestock trailer containing cows or chickens may overturn on the turnpike and those animals have to be cared for. One time, a trailer transporting pigs overturned on a very hot day, and the pigs could have died because they don’t sweat so they get heat prostration. Severe periods of cold weather can result in animal life and death issues too,” she said of her work. “There is a new law in Pennsylvania that everywhere the Red Cross opens a shelter for humans, there must also be a separate shelter for animals. We train volunteers how to open such shelters and then how to care for the animals who are separated from their homes and families.” Claire also has developed a strong interest in land conservation. Chester County, where she and her family live, like many formerly rural areas of the country, is experiencing a tremendous building boom with resultant shrinkage in open spaces and woodlands. Claire volunteers with Pennsylvania Master Naturalists, taking classes and putting her knowledge to work on local preservation and conservation projects. She is still involved with her county’s branch of the PASART, too. She completed the American Humane Rescue’s “Disaster Sheltering for Companion Animals” course and planned to take the “Large Animal Rescue Training” course at Penn State in the spring of 2019, which has been delayed until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. “The team was recently deployed by a local fire department to assist with the rescue of a horse that walked through an open gate and fell into a swimming pool!” she shared. “I was not personally a part of this rescue, but my colleagues were. Once I complete the large animal course, I will also respond to these types of incidents.” To learn more about the PASART, visit www.pasart.us.

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Maggie Kopf ’91

YUMMY

THREE DOG BAKERY IS

DOG GONE GOOD By: Kaitlin Busch

Sewickley has always been a dog-friendly town. Each day, residents and visitors alike walk their pups through the village on Broad and Beaver Streets, where it is customary for business owners to keep fresh water in doggie bowls outside their shops. Many stores even allow customers to bring their furry friend inside with them while they shop for clothes, home décor, essential oils, and more. However, the shopping experience was always about the human, not the pet. That all changed when Maggie Kopf ’91 opened Three Dog Bakery in 2015, a store where dogs can shop with their owners for toys, treats, accessories, and, most notably, homemade, customized cakes! Maggie, a Sewickley Academy lifer, was always a dog lover (growing up she had litters of puppies at her house!) but never planned on working with them daily, let alone owning and operating her own franchise. She matriculated to Vanderbilt University where she was a political science major and captain of the inaugural Division 1 women’s lacrosse team. Always interested in trying new things, she took an acting class while in Nashville and shortly thereafter, moved to Los Angeles to try her hand at her newfound interest.

“I went in naively, which was in my favor because I didn’t realize how difficult it was to have a career in acting,” she said with a laugh, reflecting on her time taking classes and hiring an agent. After a few months with no calls, she eventually landed in Telluride, Colorado, where she joined the Telluride Repertory Theater Company. When she wasn’t acting in plays like “Medea” or “Nosferatu,” she waitressed for work and learned how to snowboard for fun. She also bought and renovated her first home, an old Victorian from Telluride’s mining heyday.

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After a couple of years, Maggie moved back to Pittsburgh and got a job in the sports department of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, where she gathered box scores and wrote articles on local athletes and sports programs. By 2003, she was on the move again, this time to New York City to see where her various experiences would take her. She worked as an administrative assistant for the Greater New York Hospital Association while considering different graduate programs, ultimately enrolling at Parsons School of Design to study interior design. “I realized acting and sports reporting were pipe dreams for me. I had minimal experience in those fields,” she said. “I believe design is part imagination and creative thinking and part practical application, and that sort of pulled all of my experiences together.” Maggie was hired at J.D. Bell, a small design firm in SoHo, where she worked in residential design throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. She enjoyed the work and appreciated the sense of accomplishment upon finishing each project, one of which was featured in Architectural Digest. Wanting a work-life balance, Maggie moved back to Pittsburgh in 2007. She worked for Jay Miller ’77, owner of Antiquarian in Sewickley, before opening her own business, Square One Interior Design, in 2009. Living in the Strip District with her new puppy Zoe, a coonhound mix, Maggie took on projects all over the city. After finishing a fullhome renovation for a client, she started looking at “fixer-uppers” in the Sewickley area for herself. She bought former faculty member Mr. Alden Sector’s house in 2012, assuring him that his house was in good hands prior to his passing. Maggie originally planned to design the house as a spec house, but she kept it as her own and moved from the Strip District back to Sewickley in 2014. Once back in Sewickley, Maggie connected with former Panthers, joining Suzanne (Genter ’76) Friday’s design firm, Friday and Genter Interior Design, and coaching Middle School girls lacrosse with Susie (Humphrey ’88) Keller. 12

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Maggie’s busy work schedule had her frequently dropping off Zoe at her parents’ house for doggie daycare. One day, her father told her about a business venture with parent of alumni Ken Linge (POA ’88, ’91). She started looking for retail space in town, connecting with Chris Standish ’82 about a building he owned on Beaver Street. “We met at Crazy Mocha, then we went to look at the space and I told him I’d take it. The space needed a lot of work, as it was Sewickley Traditions for 50 years,” she said. Before she knew it, Maggie was in the retail dog business. “Retail is appealing to me. There is no proposal going into it. You walk in and buy what you want. With design, you come up with options that the client may or may not buy. It can take a lot of time and compromise, which I understand given the high value of the products. Items in my store generally don’t require much deliberation. Come in, look around, take it or leave it. That was appealing to me after working in design for a while.” In October of 2015, Maggie flew out to Three Dog Bakery headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, for a weeklong boot camp to learn the ins and outs of the franchise. They taught her about different types of dog food; how to bake dog treats; how to store, present, and wrap the treats; and they recommended her opening inventory. Upon her return, she incorporated her interior design skills by figuring out the layout of the store and picking out the fixtures. She purchased the necessary kitchen equipment and ordered tons of inventory. Maggie and Chris overhauled the space and had it ready in less than four months. On December 12, 2015, Three Dog Bakery Sewickley made its official debut. As the only pet store in the Sewickley business district, Three Dog sees a lot of foot traffic. The store essentially serves two purposes – to sell pet products like leashes, collars, dog food, and dog toys, and to sell homemade baked goodies for pups. The latter is what sets the store apart from other local retail pet stores, earning more and more loyal customers each visit.

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Three Dog Bakery uses human ingredients when baking; the baked products contain no salt, no sugar (honey is used as a substitute), and no animal protein. Everything that looks like chocolate is carob, a bean that does not contain theobromine, a harmful chemical to dogs, or caffeine. Each day, Maggie melts carob so it can be used to decorate, dip, and write on dog treats. Since dogs are a lot like humans, she bakes different treats for dogs who may have food allergies. There are wheat-based, gluten-free (made with rice flour), and grain-free options. Gluten makes the treats a little softer and fluffier, so grain-free treats tend to be a little bit harder, but are just as good for pups who are on strict diets. “There is a big debate on grain-free food right now. One of the advantages of being part of a franchise is the network we have. All of the Three Dog owners use a Facebook page to talk to one another about issues, concerns, and best practices,” she said. “It’s great to share our knowledge and opinions with one another. Whether it’s discussing something important like dog food or something less significant like a baking technique, it’s nice to have them as a sounding board.” Over the past five years, Maggie has received quite a few special requests for dog cakes. One pup parent requested a Doritos-themed birthday cake for her dog, Rito. “In order to make it look like a nacho cheese Dorito, I tinted the frosting with turmeric and tomato powder and added tinted coconut for the nacho cheese bits,” Maggie recalled. She also had a customer order a small dog birthday cake in carob and then call back 20 minutes later to switch to a large bone cake. “She told me her mother loved carob and the entire family was going to eat the dog’s birthday cake.” Thanks to social media, especially Instagram, these custom cakes promote Maggie’s business. Dog owners love to post pictures with their dogs and their cakes. Sometimes the dog is in a birthday hat or has a birthday balloon, and some pups even get a candle on their cake. Customers tag Three Dog Bakery in their posts, exposing the business to all of the customer’s followers, ultimately giving the store a ton of publicity. So much so that one customer messaged Maggie at 8:30 in the evening to say she missed her dog’s birthday and wanted to know if the bakery was on Uber Eats. Maggie hosts events at the store throughout the year to build community and provide entertainment for dogs and their owners. She has had a photo booth, caricature drawings, and an ice cream bar for dogs. “I read about Kim (Stuart ’91) Disque in an issue of Sewickley Speaking and messaged her about coordinating a caricature event. It was so popular – the line was out the door. People were really upset when the artist had to leave,” Maggie said. “Last year, I had a holiday party with refreshments for humans and a Lickety Split bar for the dogs – that’s our dog-friendly soft ice cream with lots of topping options.” She also likes to give back. Last February, she baked heart-shaped cakes and sold them for $20, donating $10 from each sale to Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary in Wexford. She raised $500 for the nonprofit organization that rescues farm animals. Periodically, she and her staff go through the store, pulling food and treats to take to Beaver County Humane Society. Running the store is a labor of love for Maggie. The store, which is open seven days a week, has taken most of her time over the past four years. From baking treats and cakes to stocking inventory and fitting dogs for harnesses, Maggie can be consumed by her work. However, a few wet noses, sloppy kisses, and excited barks from satisfied customers make it all worthwhile. Plus, Zoe gets to join her mom at work from time to time. “The store is a lot of work and can be physically exhausting, but every day the cutest dogs walk in. I love dogs – they are amazing, even the shy ones. Like humans, they all have their own personalities. If you want to come in and be rambunctious – shake, drool, and roll around on the floor, you can. If you want to spit out treats and ignore me, you can do that, too. Dogs are straightforward in communication and I love that.” TO SEE MORE CREATIONS FROM THREE DOG BAKERY, AND SOME OF THE CUTEST PUPS AROUND, FOLLOW THE STORE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM AT @THREEDOGSEWICKLEY.

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From SA to PBS:

MY MIGRATION

Journey

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By: Emily Mistick ’11

A lifer at Sewickley Academy, Emily Mistick ’11 shares her journey from 315 Academy Avenue to Harvard, Canada, California, and even PBS! I grew up in Sewickley, attending Sewickley Academy from Pre-Kindergarten through graduation. Through my time at the Academy, I was privileged to learn from wonderful teachers, peers, and community members. I remember my days there fondly, and appreciate the ways that the school prepared me for college and beyond. I attended Harvard University where I studied evolutionary biology, a fascination that started at Sewickley Academy. The summer prior to my senior year, I read “Your Inner Fish” by Neil Shubin as a summer assignment for AP Biology with Mr. Andrew Travis. I was captivated to learn how evolution creates the diversity of the natural world, how we are related to all other living beings, and how human physiology still bears resemblances to organisms from long ago. The book details Dr. Shubin’s discovery of the Tiktaalik fossil that is a “missing link” between fish and the first land-dwelling animals, which I got to see when I arrived at Harvard as it is housed in the natural history museum there. At Harvard, I got involved with animal flight biomechanics research. In my second year, I studied raptor wing shapes with a lab at the University of Montana, then in my last two university years I worked on my own project on bumblebee wings. I have always liked bugs. I remember, also in Mr. Travis’ class, collecting pill bugs for a class project and then keeping them in my bedroom at home afterwards. My first year of college I would catch bugs in our dorm room and keep them in cups on my desk instead of killing them. My roommates loved me. For my bumblebee project, I tested the effects of wing flexibility on bee flight by gluing teeny tiny pieces of glitter precisely onto the joints of the wings, then recording bees flying in a wind tunnel to see how it affected their flight paths. Did you know that you can train a bee to fly to a target? By starving them for a few hours and then introducing them to a feeder and pulling them away from it, you can get a bee to fly through a wind tunnel in front of a camera. Pretty neat. After finishing up with the bees, I went back to the birds when I started a job at the University of California Riverside. There, I studied hummingbird courtship displays. Many species of hummingbirds have specialized tail feathers that make a loud whistling sound when they dive. The sound produced depends on the speed and angle of the dive, so a male hummingbird can play his tail like a musical instrument to show the female how fast he can fly. I filmed dive displays with multiple cameras and microphones to compare the sounds and the 3D motions, which reminded me of class with Mr. John Basinger when I was working through the geometry/trigonometry equations. Trig is one of those things that you don’t think you’ll use in the real world, but you do, especially if you’re working in a STEM field. You just never know when your high school math problems might pop up. It can happen!

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Photo: Thia Konig Family Fun! Evan Bouchier (Emily’s boyfriend), Emily Mistick ’11, Muffin (the small dog), Amy Mistick, Tom Mistick, Katherine Mistick ’14, Alex Edwards ’11, William Edwards ’11, Nicki Edwards, and pups Penny and Stanley in Hailey, Idaho, in August 2018.

As my job in Riverside was coming to a close, I had to decide if I wanted to apply for another job or go back to school. Should I start a Ph.D.? Or a master’s? And in what? Or go into the job market? This was a difficult personal decision, but I decided that although I did love the flight dynamics and animal behavior research, I wanted to work on something that applied more to real-world issues and problems. Basic science is incredibly important and interesting to me, but I wanted to learn something totally new. I wanted a chance to work on something with direct applications to society, and especially our changing climate. There are important problems that we need people to solve if we want to still have bees and hummingbirds to share with our grandchildren. So, I moved to Vancouver, Canada, where I completed a master’s in resources, environment, and sustainability. I applied my research background to new and exciting challenges, researching the effects of logging on water quality. This was a big pivot from what I was working on previously, but I think that serves as an example not to be afraid of making a change. The key, I think, is to develop the core skills that will serve you everywhere: critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills. Since graduating in the fall of 2019, I have been working as a data analyst for a Seattle-based water sensor startup, StormSensor Inc. While in Vancouver, I was contacted by PBS to work on a nature show relating to my past work with birds. PBS hosts an annual three-day live event that showcases the science of spring by talking to scientists across the country and showing off the beauty of spring from pregnant lambs to caves full of bats.

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They were keen to represent young female scientists, and liked the idea of talking about bird migration while going paragliding. Of course, I wanted to do this! At first, they wanted me to do a live segment, but that just didn’t make sense given that paragliding is very sensitive to weather conditions, and it would be a lot of pressure on me. So, we agreed to pre-tape the segment a week before the show. I traveled to Bishop, California, and worked with a film crew over three days. I took six paragliding flights that were stitched together to include different angles and talking points. Luckily, I got most of the speaking points in one take. The only performing art experience I’d ever had was back at Sewickley Academy. I was in the Middle School musical, The Fabulous Fable Factory, likely because the whole class had to be in the production. I was too shy to be drawn to performing, but dance teacher Mr. Kurt Cerny gave me one line – “A letter, for Mrs. Grasshopper!” I practiced the line like it was a huge deal and was proud to deliver it. Funny, but I still remember it. I have a very clear memory of practicing the line with Mrs. Judith Patrick after school, and I thought of her when I was practicing my handful of lines for PBS. I’ve always loved animals, and though I don’t have a pet of my own right now, my parents have continued to grow the family herd of dogs, cats, chickens, and horses! I get outside and see wildlife as often as I can, and hope you will, too. Check out the migration episode of American Spring LIVE featuring Emily on PBS: https://www.sewickley.org/pbs.

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FLAT PANTHER

SNIP IT, SNAP IT, & SUBMIT IT Cut out Flat Panther and take him along with you as you travel around the globe, taking pictures of yourself as you go to show your Sewickley Academy pride. Submit your pictures via email to Alumni Relations at alumni@sewickley.org. Follow the Panther as he travels around with alumni, students, parents, and friends of the Academy on the Alumni Facebook page.

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Auction! Auction! Read All About It! By: Vicki Bassett

. . . 2019 : The Red and Black Masquerade Ball . . .

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The Red and Black Masquerade Ball The Fund-A-Need portion of the 32nd Annual Auction raised a total of $97,900. Breakthrough Pittsburgh received $69,150 in donations, professional development received $18,450, and the Lower School science lab metamorphosis into a 21st century learning lab received $10,300. The Black and Gold Raffle winners, which included tickets to home games of Pittsburgh’s sports teams, were Marne and Brad Busatto ’88; the Bourbon raffle grand prize winners were Rodney and Kristene Smith; and the 50/50 raffle winners were Kate (Poppenberg ’82) and Paul Pigman, who generously donated their portion of the winnings back to the school. With the help of our sponsors, advertisers, donors, parent underwriters, and participating businesses, the Auction grossed over $257,000 for the Academy!

World of Pure Imagination The Fund-a-Need portion of the 33rd Annual Auction raised a total of $86,600 which was donated to Breakthrough Pittsburgh ($65,450), wireless microphones for Rea Auditorium ($14,100), and robotics supplies ($7,050). With the help of our sponsors, advertisers, donors, parent underwriters, and participating businesses, the Auction grossed over $206,000 to support educational excellence at Sewickley Academy!

We would like to thank the members of the Auction Committees – Aisha Gunter, Ngozi Okorafor, Jenna Stevenson, and Jayme Thompson in 2019 and Shannon Burns, Aisha Gunter, Gina Hutton, Susan Kinser, Tom Kristo, Ngozi Maduka-Okorafor, Naomi Marshall, Dominic Odom, Rebecca Plaza-Ponte, Mollie Rea, Holly Seifert ’01, Divya Thadani, Jayme Thompson, and Erika Zeranski in 2020 – for their efforts and creativity in making the Auctions successful. We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generosity and support of the Academy. The Bachelor Boys Band entertained the audience two years in a row, playing familiar tunes while guests enjoyed browsing Silent Auction items. With more than 150 guests in attendance each year, Head of School Mr. Kolia O’Connor opened each evening’s Live Auction with remarks on the importance of giving and why fundraising events like these are so important year after year. He then welcomed our auctioneer, Mr. Quig Bruning, who engaged the audience with his quick wit and professional style.

. . . 2020 : World of Pure Imagination . . .

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REUNION WEEKEND

RE WIND TO 201 8

Reunion weekend kicked off on Friday, October 5, 2018, with the Arts Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Henry Chalfant ’55 and David Hollander ’86 were the 2018 honorees. Henry, who was introduced by Sam Brown ’05, shared his experience as an artist with the audience, first as a sculptor then as a photographer and filmmaker, explaining the relationship between photographer and street artists. He showed examples of his photography of hip-hop culture and graffiti art in the 1980s. His collection expanded through the decades to encompass thousands of examples reflective of urban youth culture, many of which continue to be shown in exhibitions internationally. David, a television creator, show-runner, screenwriter, producer, and director, was introduced by his father, Tom Hollander. He spoke to the students in the audience about his time at Sewickley Academy, stressing the importance of being kind. His work includes television shows Ray Donovan, Showtime’s Golden Globe winning drama, The Guardian, Heartland, and The Cleaner as well as the 2008 feature film Personal Effects.

Friday evening, members of the Sewickley Academy community, including past and present faculty, joined alumni for an evening of laughter, friendship, and nostalgia on campus in the tented Melodia Plaza and Gregg Family Theater. Attendees looked through old yearbooks, nibbled on bites from the Chop Shop food truck by Kimberley Ashlee Catering and mini desserts from Happy Camper Cakes, and enjoyed cocktails, conversations, and one another’s company. The fun continued Saturday afternoon with tours of campus and a gallery walk featuring music by faculty members Vanessa Candreva and Tim Heavner. Attendees enjoyed the Campbell Art Gallery Exhibit, “Sewickley Academy through the Years,” which featured photos of and work by former faculty member Jamie Wardrop ’57. Later that evening, alumni classes ending in ’3 and ’8 gathered at homes and restaurants in the area to celebrate their individual class reunions. Top: The Class of 1983 celebrates their reunion on the rooftop of Smith Brothers Agency. Pictured: [Front Row] Jennifer (Otto) Giotto, Petie (Gordon) Cooklin, Kathy Atwood, Lisa Suatoni, Elizabeth Wright, Sandy (Mack) Cook, Alix (McGinnis) Giometti; [Back Row] Dan Scioscia, John Rudolf, Lindsey Smith, Bill Goehring, Tad Coburn, Ruthie Thomas-Suh, Mike Fitzgerald, and Sarah Baldwin-Beneich. Bottom: The Class of 1978 celebrates during their class party at Claire (Kendrick) Stanton’s home in Sewickley. Pictured [top to bottom]: David Volk, Sean Behun, Natalie (Hansen) Weinsz, Claire (Kendrick) Stanton, Heather Semple, Jim Sawyer, Kathy (Walker) Bantleon, Ted Stevenson, Steve Hills, Frank Stoner, Ken Kendrick, Bob Morrison, Peter Doyle, Bridget (Scioscia) Scherder, Trip Hoffman, Len Briggs, and Eric Taylor.

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Left: Members of the Class of 1968 reminisce on their Sewickley Academy days Friday evening in NicholsSnyder School Center. Pictured: Steve Partenheimer, Beth (Lyon) Copenhaver, Robert Sacco, Lucy Amerman, Sara Moffly, and Jean Roberts. Below: Members of the Class of 1983 enjoy one another’s company on campus on Friday. Pictured: Ruth Thomas-Suh, Bill Goehring, Lindsey Smith, Petie (Gordon) Cooklin, Mike Fitzgerald, Kathy Atwood, Tad Coburn, Lisa Suatoni, Dan Scioscia, and Brian Nicotero.

Left: Claire (Kendrick ’78) Stanton, Ken Kendrick, Heather Semple ’78, Frank Stoner ’78, and Elizabeth Stoner pose with Flat Panther. Below: Cheers to 50 years! The Class of 1968 celebrates their 50th Reunion at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. Pictured: Susan Dallain, John Dallain ’68, Robert Sacco ’68, Lucy Amerman ’68, Jean Roberts ’68, Nancy Chalfant-Walker ’68, Sarah Moffly ’68, Beth (Lyon ’68) Copenhaver, Steve Partenheimer ’68, and Linda Partenheimer.

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REUNION WEEKEND 2019 ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS FOR REUNION IN OCTOBER Sewickley Academy inducted Robertson Parkman ’53, M.D. into its Science & Technology Hall of Fame on Friday, October 11, 2019, in Rea Auditorium. Dr. Parkman is renowned for his worldwide contributions to children’s health through pediatric medical research and practice in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. The ceremony, which kicked off Reunion Weekend, opened with those in attendance singing “America the Beautiful.” Susan (Ratcliffe) Sour ’55, Ph.D. greeted the crowd and, in keeping with tradition, shared a few slides and interesting facts about the school’s history. Following Dr. Sour’s presentation, Head of School Mr. Kolia O’Connor introduced the inductee. “Today we have the honor and privilege of inducting a remarkable alumnus into our Science & Technology Hall of Fame. This is something that we do only occasionally when the professional accomplishments and standing of an alumnus or alumna merit such recognition,” he said.

“We talk at Sewickley Academy about character, educational vigor, and service for the greater good. Long before we articulated that as our Mission for this school, Robby Parkman was living those core values in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and California,” Mr. O’Connor said prior to handing Dr. Parkman a commemorative framed photo plaque. “His contributions to medical science, his research, and its application to real lives have had enormous impact all over the world. It is therefore, with great pleasure, that I formally induct Dr. Robby Parkman into Sewickley Academy’s Science & Technology Hall of Fame.” Dr. Parkman took the podium and reflected on his classmates’ career trajectory and achievements that led him to this moment in life. “My career has been colored by both serendipity and decisions that in retrospect seemed like good decisions to make then,” he said. He gave an overview of his work in regard to bone marrow and stem cell transplants. At the end of his presentation, students had the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session. While on campus, Dr. Parkman also visited Middle and Senior School science classes to speak to current students and answer questions about his field and areas of expertise. Alumni reunited Friday evening at Allegheny Country Club for the all alumni reunion celebration. Those in attendance enjoyed reminiscing on their time at SA. Many returned to campus Saturday morning for a Q-and-A with Dr. Parkman and a memorial dedication for former Head of Senior School Joyce Ferris. After lunch, former Panthers, along with current and former faculty and staff, visited the Jamie Wardrop ‘57 Memorial Exhibit in Campbell Art Gallery and toured campus – either by foot or on Jamie’s iconic fire truck! Later that evening, alumni classes ending in ‘4 and ‘9 gathered at homes and restaurants in the area to celebrate their individual class reunions.

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1. Dr. Robby Parkman ’53 is inducted into Sewickley Academy’s Science & Technology Hall of Fame in 2019. 2. Jay Brown drives Bill and Ann Barnes around campus on the Sewickley Academy fire truck. 3. Former and current faculty and staff as well as alumni attend the Joyce Ferris Memorial in Hansen Library. Pictured (left to right): Anne Hutchinson ’84, Jim Cavalier, Dr. Susan Zawacky, Vicki Polinko, Reza Beighi, Joan Cucinotta, Lori Sherry, Jayne Parker, Anne Barnes, Ralph DeStefano ’82, Bill Barnes, Philip Coburn ‘89, and Head of School Kolia O’Connor. 4. Members of the Class of 1969 celebrate their 50th reunion. 5. Dana Mathews ’04, Derek Chimner ’04, Brendan Lepore ’04, David Quinn ’04, and Diana (Solomon ’04) Valji reminisce on their days at the Academy. 6. Kyri (Greenleaf) Jacobs, Mimi (Dameron) Thompson, Lisa (Aufman) Gaffey, Philip Coburn, and Josh Szabo, members of the Class of 1989, celebrate their 30th reunion. 7. Mimi (Dameron ’89) Thompson, Josh Szabo ’89, Kyri (Greenleaf ‘89) Jacobs, Jim Cavalier, and Lisa (Aufman ’89) Gaffey talk about their memories from the Senior School. 8. Dr. Robby Parkman ’53 and his wife Dr. Virdette Brumm are all smiles after Robby’s induction into the Science & Technology Hall of Fame.

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10 12 9. Clay Deutsch, Melissa (Park) Brooks, Julie (Bevevino) Fulesday, Brett Fulesday, Katie (O’Hara) Susco, and Cyra Contractor, members of the Class of 1999, celebrate their 20th reunion. 10. Divya (Kaushik ‘02) Dua and her husband Amit Dua pose for a picture at Allegheny Country Club. 11. Diana (Solomon ‘04) Valji reunites with her science teacher Dr. Susan Zawacky during the reunion celebration on Friday evening. 12. Kelly Gary, Holly Seifert ‘01, and Jayme Thompson, all employees of the Academy, celebrate their love of SA! 13. Cherry (Semple ‘69) White, Margaretta (Oliver ‘69) Caesar, and Valerie Gaydos ‘85 look through former class photos. 14. Members of the Class of 1984 celebrate their 25th reunion.

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Alumni On Friday, December 20, 2019, Sewickley Academy alumni joined SA friends, family, and faculty to celebrate the season at the annual Alumni Holiday Party. A highlight was the reuniting of the Classes of 2009 and 2014 who celebrated their tenth and fifth reunions!

1. John Zimmerman ‘85, Ellen (Goehring ‘85) Skirpan, Tom Jones ‘85, Chris (Failla ‘86) Van Winkle, Jim Cavalier, Rodney Skirpan ‘85, Jennifer (Clement ‘86) Kelley, and Elena (Foster ‘85) Dryden discuss memories from their days in the Senior School.

2. George Raftis ‘05, Derek Chimner ‘04, Neema Jahdi ‘03, Alex Mahfood ‘05, David Quinn ‘04, and Brendan Lepore ‘04 reunite at the Edgeworth Club. 3. The Class of 2019 attends their first alumni event. Pictured: Cole Karlik, Alina Mattson, Maeve Donohue, Simi Shetty, Sarina Sandhu, Emma Pigman, Lekha Amin, Autumn Menzock, and Henry Meakem. 4. Members of the Class of 2016 celebrate their days at SA during the Alumni Holiday Party. Pictured: Evan Ragoowansi, Max Gillespie, Ryder MacDougall, Adam Snyder, Scott Brown, Kate Busatto, John Nagel, Willie Paul, Stephen Klemash, Martin Tancer, and Nik Goebel.

5. Young alums Michael Bartholic ‘18, Henry Meakem ‘19, Autumn Menzock ‘19, Lekha Amin ‘19, Sarina Sandhu ‘19, Simi Shetty ‘19, and Jayvir Monga ‘19 are happy to be back in Sewickley over the holidays. 6. Tom Jones ‘85, Beth Ragoowansi, Ashwin Ragoowansi, and Evan Raggowansi ‘16 enjoy cocktails and conversation at the holiday party. 7. The Dietrichs attend the holiday party as a family. Pictured: Carolyn, Dwight, and Elizabeth ‘11.

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the Holidays with SA

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Born to Ride By: Brittnea Turner

Imagine you are a small child standing beside one of the most majestic creatures on earth – you instantly fall in love. That’s what happened to Emma Pigman ’19 when she saw her first horse. “I’ve always loved animals, and for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to ride,” Emma stated. However, her passion for horses did not ride well with her family due to her mother’s, Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, severe allergy to horses. Years later, her parents found a way to make their daughter’s horse dreams come true. Emma began her journey into the saddle and competition arenas in third grade. Emma, who has been riding for a decade and has owned four ponies – Scarlet, Rosie, Summer, and Winnie – a small horse named Zuriel, and her current horse, Elwood, a Dutch warmblood, she knows the road to competitive riding is not easy. Emma encountered a series of setbacks with her animals early on in her riding career and as a result has grown resilient. “It was a lot of hard work. You have to be dedicated and persevere through many things because horses are very unpredictable animals,” she said.

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When Emma was in fifth grade, Scarlet, the pony she owned for a little over a year, was kicked brutally by another horse, which severed bones in her leg. Scarlet had to be put down later that day and surprisingly Emma returned to school after saying goodbye to her. “It was one of the hardest days of my life,” Emma said. After Scarlet passed away, her family bought a pony named Rosie that looked similar to Scarlet. The Pigmans took Rosie home and began showing her and working towards their collective goals. Four months later, Rosie coliced. “Colicing is when a horse’s organs twist and all they want to do is lay down to try and make themselves feel better,” Emma explained. “We rushed Rosie to the Cleveland Equine Clinic where she underwent surgery. They did everything they could, but the colic was too severe. I said goodbye to her only six months after Scarlet died.” A year and a half later, Emma received Zuriel as a Christmas gift. Unknowingly, she had been riding her for several months before she found out the horse was hers. “I cried when I was told she was officially mine,” she shared. “My tears of joy quickly turned to tears of sadness a few days after Christmas when Zuriel developed colic-like symptoms.” An examination at the Cleveland Equine Clinic found a very rare form of spleen cancer in Zuriel. “They kept her comfortable in a stall, she was clearly in pain. I went into her stall and she put her head into my lap. I did not want to leave the clinic. I wanted to stay with her all night but I couldn’t,” Emma remembered. “We went home and my mom woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me Zuriel passed away.”

Throughout all of the heartbreaks, Emma never wanted to quit; she never wanted to stop riding. Elwood has been a true blessing. “He has a puppy dog-like personality. I can have a terrible day and then go and see him and my day will be completely turned around because he’s always so full of life and happy to see me,” Emma said of her horse. Emma is very dedicated to her sport and Elwood, of course, whom she saw often at Willow Brook Stables, LLC, the barn where she boards Elwood and trains with him under the instruction of owner and head trainer Kristi Airgood. During high school, her routine was about four hours long and included a 45-minute commute each way along with an hour or two of training, which varied from day to day. This regimen prepared her for riding competitions, which she started in fifth grade. Emma participates in two categories, hunters and jumpers, and typically competes in Pennsylvania and Ohio and even as far away as Florida. “In the hunters category, there are usually three jumping rounds and a flat class. The flat class is when horses are being judged by their movement and all the horses in the division go around the ring trotting and cantering and the judge judges the horses on how they move,” Emma explained. “With jumping, in hunters, you are judged on how you and the horse perform, so everything has to be smooth and collected. Everything has to look perfect. You have to make it look like you are not doing anything [giving cues to the animal] even though you are doing a lot. You just don’t want it to be obvious.”

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In December 2018, she started participating in the jumpers category, which she described as different from hunters. “The goal is to move quickly and make really tight turns, and you’re timed. You’re not timed in hunters,” Emma said. “Even though it’s different, I think I like it more than I like hunters. In hunters, if you don’t have a big name or the judge isn’t familiar with you, you won’t place as well at the bigger horse shows. With jumpers, they can’t do that because it’s based on time, so if you mess up that’s on you. You can have a perfect round in the hunters and still get fifth place, for instance, which can be frustrating at times.” Despite her frustrations, Emma has excelled in hunters by winning numerous competitions. There are three jumping classes and one flat class within a division and contestants can earn overall points for the division. The top prizes are awarded to either the champion overall or reserve champion. “I went to pony finals with my Winnie, which is huge in the pony world. There were 183 people in the division, and we were 15th overall, 14th in jumping, and third in owner-rider, which was crazy to me! I’m still shocked,” Emma recalled of one of her favorite victories. “It was a very cool experience. You get big ribbons and get to canter around the ring alone in front of a huge crowd.” Even as an award-winning rider with natural talent, Emma has had to overcome a few obstacles in her equestrian career. In the classic competition, the jump height increased from three feet to three feet, nine inches, a significant difference. “At the beginning it came pretty naturally to me until I started showing at three feet, three inches. Then I had to work harder,” she said. “I had to think about my pace, if I was leaning forward too much, and if my horse had enough room to get over the jump. There were a lot more technical things that came naturally to me at the lower heights, but I have to be more proactive at the bigger heights.”

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Balancing her athletic and academic endeavors has been challenging, but has improved over the years as she became more organized and learned to manage her time. As an upperclassman, she missed quite a bit of school since she started competing on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday mornings; she used to show on the weekends only. Her teachers at the Academy were accommodating, working with her to turn in assignments before her shows and to schedule tests. “Sewickley Academy teaches you time management at a pretty young age, how to persevere through difficult times, and when you don’t understand something to ask for help or try again, and that can coexist with riding because horses are unpredictable,” Emma, a lifer, said. Through the ups and downs, including five concussions and several broken bones, Emma has a stick-to-itiveness for her lifelong passion that she wants to pursue further in college. In her college selection process, she looked at schools with equestrian programs and equestrian or equine studies to learn how to manage a barn, be a trainer, promote magazines, or produce a clothing line. There are many different aspects of the sport to pursue, but her goal is to own a barn in Virginia, Kentucky, or Florida, and import warmblood horses, a breed of horses from Europe. Another goal of hers is to participate in the Olympics. “I would love to go to the Olympics one day. Who knows?!” she said. Emma looks up to Reed Kessler, a U.S. Olympic equestrian jumper. “She went to the Olympics when she was 18 years old. Most people are in their 30s or 40s. She is amazing!” Becoming an equestrian is not for the faint of heart. However, if you love it, hard work and dedication will go a long way. Emma encourages others to try it and push through the difficult times. “The biggest thing for me is even if there are challenging situations or things that I don’t get right away, I can’t quit. You have to keep going or you never will improve your skills,” she said of her sport. “Persevering through challenging situations is what makes someone a good equestrian and treating their horse with respect. It is never really the horse’s fault. You’re the one on it telling it what to do and how to behave.”

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ANIMALS are a Teaching Tool in the Lower School By: Jerilyn (Carter ’86) Scott

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Animals, and the lessons learned from them, are an integral part of fulfilling Sewickley Academy’s Mission to nurture the hearts, minds, and hands of our Lower School students. Research abounds about the benefits of animal care in the development of empathy, responsibility, and self-esteem in children. With intentional teaching across the curriculum, however, the lessons our students receive go far beyond those learned from caring for a typical classroom pet. The most important lessons our young students learn from immersion in animal care transcend science and speak to their broader understanding of the world. They learn three important principles that provide the foundation for the interpersonal and global competencies that all Academy students develop: 1. All living things have certain universal needs in common. Everyone requires food, shelter, and care to survive. This understanding helps even the youngest students appreciate the commonalities and connectedness shared by humans and animals across the globe. Whether caring for a millipede, a fish, or a rat, the children learn that every animal, like humans, has fundamental needs in common. 2. Every animal’s – and human’s – needs are unique. While every creature in our care requires food and shelter, the specifics of the diets and habitats that allow them to thrive are very different. Even their preferences for interactions are different. The rats in the Kindergarten classroom thrive on physical affection, cuddles, and handling; they become despondent without enough human contact. The turtle in the Lower School science lab, while he swims eagerly to the glass to greet children entering the room, prefers not to be picked up; he feels safest in his tank, and being handled causes stress. The children learn to read nonverbal cues and adjust their behaviors accordingly, becoming aware and responsive to individual differences. 3. We have the power to make a difference in the lives of others. Children develop a sense of agency and power by discovering that they can be helpers for other creatures. They learn that they can discern what others need, and then be the person who provides for those needs and cares for another being. This sense of power to take action and provide for others quickly translates to humans. When our students see themselves as capable of understanding and then meeting the needs of others, they naturally extend that care to people and society.

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Children begin absorbing these understandings from the youngest grades. Our Pre-Kindergarten students, in being introduced to Tuck, the classroom’s tortoise, list ways that Tuck needs them to care for him using their hearts (“treat him with kindness”), minds (“take him to the doctor”), and hands (“clean his home”). Kindergarten students used a pair of pet rats named Pierre and Remy, who, unfortunately, passed away, to promote critical thinking and to enliven their academic learning. They engaged in team projects to design and build mazes, using food treats to train the rats to complete them. They used math to calculate the size of the cage needed to provide adequate living space, or the amount of food that will need to be sent home with the rats’ caretaker over winter and spring breaks. Reading to the rats, or writing stories for them to enjoy, was a popular activity in Kindergarten. Last year, one of the rats went on vacation to the Lower School science lab for several weeks allowing the older students to study and enjoy him. Students in Grades 1-4 helped write a “journal” of Pierre’s visit to their building, which was presented to the Kindergarteners upon his return. It became a favorite in the classroom library and a wonderful cross-age connection among the students. The animals served as a comforting and calming presence for the students, too. Often a child who was feeling upset or overwhelmed would request some cuddle time with Pierre the rat or ask to spend some time in the lab just watching the turtle swim back and forth, knowing it will calm him or her. Through the science curriculum for Grades 1-5, all students are engaged in learning about and caring for a variety of creatures. During the course of a school year, the lab is home to ladybugs, butterflies, beetles, mealworms, millipedes, fish, and frogs. A “rescue turtle” and a colony of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are permanent residents. A small flock of chickens spends a month or two each spring in the Secret Garden, under the care of the Grade 2 students. The students are actively involved in hands-on animal care, research, and observation. They learn about the classification and characteristics of animals, and about the environmental interdependence of species. Students raise butterflies to release in the garden, they collect and eat fresh eggs from the chickens, and they delight in witnessing the birth and growth of a new batch of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. This winter they were especially invested in the rehabilitation of a yellow-bellied slider turtle who was adopted from a home in which he was not being well cared for.

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The students researched appropriate care, planned a healthy diet, designed a spacious habitat, and joyfully watched as his health improved under their nurturing attention. The inclusion of animals in the curriculum goes beyond science. Lower School Spanish students have enjoyed an ongoing relationship with teacher Moñica Lynn’s daughter Sofia ’16 and her service dog in training, Trail. Sofia raised Trail for a year and a half, socializing and preparing him for life as a service dog. Students used their Spanish language skills to ask Sofia questions and learn about Trail’s mission over the course of several visits. Señora Lynn helped the students understand how Sofia was using her heart, mind, and hands to serve others by raising, and then surrendering, Trail for the benefit of the person who will eventually be paired with him. As Señora Lynn says, the multi-year relationship between her class and Sofia was an amazing way for an Academy alumna to share “how she extends Sewickley Academy’s Mission into her adult life, and for bilingual visitors to create opportunities for our Spanish students to practice a target language around topics close to their hearts.” Perhaps some of our students will choose careers that involve animals because of the interest and passion developed in the Lower School. Without a doubt, though, our students’ involvement with animals will give all of them the tools to be more empathetic, more sensitive to the global connectedness of all beings, and more empowered to make a difference in the lives of others. Nurturing a connection with the natural world unlocks powerful learning, both cognitive and emotional, that equips our students to carry out Sewickley Academy’s Mission in the world.

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Pillars Society Member: Henriette Emilie “Fifi” Rougraff ’45 Fifi was the only child of French-born Emile and Marguerite (DeSaulles) Rougraff and a lifelong resident of Sewickley. She attended the Academy for elementary and middle school then went on to Penn Hall Preparatory School for Girls in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which ultimately closed its doors in 1973. Fifi graduated from Chatham College in 1952 and then trained as a physical therapist at the D.T. Watson School of Physiatrics in 1953. She was a mainstay of the D.T. Watson Home for Crippled Children staff for 37 years, many of them through the era when children with polio were confined to an “iron lung,” a large respirator that helped them breathe. She was on staff during the groundbreaking years of clinical trials for the Salk vaccine that was pioneered at Watson in 1955, where it was given to many young Sewickley Academy students. Fifi had a keen curiosity about the world around her and loved to read and to travel. Always modest about her own accomplishments, her interests included the American Physical Therapy Association, the Sewickley Valley Historical Association, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. We are indeed fortunate to be the recipient of a wonderful legacy gift from this generous and unassuming alumna.

PILLARS SOCIETY

To learn more about the Pillars Society, contact Susan Sour at 412-741-2230 ext. 3047 or ssour@sewickley.org, or visit our website for Planned Giving at www.sewickley.org/giving.

PILLARS SOCIETY 2019 James J. Angel ’77 Claire (Lang ’90) Ballantyne Josephine (Gilmore ’54) Bell R. Britton Colbert ’62 Winifred Farin John K. ’51* and Doris Foster Yale* and Louise Frame Ronald E.* & C.A. Gebhardt Deborah Gray ’68 Larry E. Hall John O. Heard ’60

Dan & Joan Hilson Nancy (Crowley ’84) Inman Albert F. and L. Gail Knight Jeffrey A. Lenchner ’77 Dr. John S. Liggett, Jr. ’66 George J. & Jaimie Magovern John & Dolores Mahoney Jennifer L. Markus ’89 David and Ellen Martin Robert A. McKean III ’52 Maureen and Jack McKnight

Wm. John ’70 and Kathryn Powell Robert W. Riordan Elizabeth (Standish ’83) Sackson Henry Z. Shenk ’74 Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour Billie Spencer ’67 Lee (Jackson ’78) Warner Richard and Audrey Weinzierl Missy (Ratcliffe ’60) Zimmerman

We are grateful to these past benefactors: Edward B. Blue ’10 William Boyd, Jr. ’29 Constance (Irwin ’53) Bray Robert B. Egan Gerta Engstrom family Katherine C. Galbraith Josephine “Bobbie” Gilmore William R. Harper, Jr. Mary Clause Heard B.F. III and Katharine H. Jones

John P. Levis, Jr. E. Thorne McKallip ’29 Otto and Maude Meinhardt Anne (McKnight ’37) Murdock Martha (Anderson ’37) Nash Constance (Hillman ’30) O’Neil George P. O’Neil ’30 Laura (Liggett ’33) Oliver Henry Oliver

John C. Oliver, Jr. ’26 Virginia Rose Rea Henriette E. Rougraff ’45 Lucy K. Schoonmaker Frank C. Schroeder ’28 Alden H.J. Sector Harton S. Semple ’36 G. Whitney Snyder Judge William L. Standish ’44

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NEW HIRES 1. Robert “Bob” Allison

2. Brian Bornes

3. Douglas Leek, Ed.D.

Bob came to Sewickley Academy from Washington & Jefferson College, where he served as the Director of Human Resources since 2013 and as a Human Resources Specialist for seven years prior to that. As a complement to his extensive experience working at the college level, Bob also has corporate experience from his time at Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., where he served in the local Pittsburgh office as a Human Resources Clerk and Recruiter. Bob earned his B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University and an M.S. in Human Resources Management at La Roche College. He also has his Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institution.

Brian joins the Advancement Office, where he serves as the Marketing Specialist, in charge of coordinating the school’s marketing efforts. He comes to us from Westminster College, where he held a similar position. Brian has also worked for the Beaver County Times and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber handling all aspects of their digital marketing efforts. Brian graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in journalism specializing in public relations. Additionally, Brian is a successful professional photographer and videographer and is excited to bring his talent in telling stories through photos and videos to Sewickley Academy.

Douglas began his independent school career at the prestigious Lakeside School in Seattle, where he served as Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for six years before being appointed Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at The Northwest School in Seattle.

Director of Human Resources

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Marketing Specialist

Director of Admissions & Financial Aid

During his six years at The Northwest School, Douglas instituted significant department and institutional changes, which stabilized enrollment and increased the population of students of color by 9% to bring the total to 33%. He also worked closely with the Head of School and CFO to develop annual and multiyear predictive models to ensure congruence with budgets, net tuition goals, and financial aid.

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Douglas holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Western Washington University, where he also earned a Master of Education in Student Personnel Administration. He subsequently went on to earn his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University. A “gifted facilitator,” Douglas supports a process of “collaborative decision-making” driven by a thoughtful and sensitive consideration of all relevant issues.

4. James Miller

Director of Buildings & Grounds

Jim Miller joined the leadership team of Sewickley Academy as our Director of Buildings & Grounds. Bringing 30 years of experience in facilities management, Jim comes to us most recently from Washington & Jefferson College, where he served as Associate Vice President for Facilities & Planning. In addition to overseeing a team of 61 people, Jim also supervised all campus planning and construction projects, including the management of a $5 million annual facilities budget. Jim earned his B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Pennsylvania State University and began his career with a landscape architecture firm before moving into planning, operations, and facilities management.

5. Lisa Plassio

Accounting Manager

We are very pleased to welcome Lisa Plassio, who served in the Business Office as our Controller from 2002 to 2009, back to Sewickley Academy. Since her departure in 2009, Lisa has run a family business, taking responsibility for all aspects of operations. Now ready to turn the leadership over to other members of the family, Lisa is eager to rejoin the team, bringing with her not only her knowledge of Sewickley Academy’s Business Office practices, but her experience as an entrepreneur. Lisa is an accountant with a B.S. from the College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

6. Ben Scoville

Director of Teaching & Learning

Ben comes to us from the Cheongna Dalton School (CDS) in Incheon, South Korea, where he served as CDS’s Director of Middle School, having previously held the post of Dean of Students.

Annual Giving Officer

Ben earned his B.A. in English from the University of Utah, returning some years later to Salt Lake City to complete his M.A. in Teaching at Westminster College. With his solid grounding in the best practices of 21st century education, a leadership style that recognizes and supports the amazing accomplishments of teachers even as it seeks to promote growth, and a worldview that has been nurtured over a decade overseas, Ben is excited to continue his own personal and professional journey at Sewickley Academy.

Brittani has joined the Advancement Office, where she serves as our Annual Giving Officer, in charge of coordinating and leading the support for our annual philanthropic efforts. Brittani comes to us from Nashville, Tennessee, where she served as the Director of Development at St. Bernard Academy. Previously, she held several positions with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), rising through the ranks from being a Development Associate, to a Senior Development Associate, to a Major Gifts Officer. A graduate of Slippery Rock University with a B.S. in Communications and Public Relations, Brittani also has a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of Pittsburgh. She is pleased to be continuing her career supporting education here at Sewickley Academy.

WELCOME BACK, ALUMNI! Sewickley Academy is very pleased to welcome home two alumni who joined our outstanding faculty – Mary (Harbist ’06) Brayer, who teaches Senior School science, and Holly Seifert ’01, who joins our Early Childhood team.

8. Mary (Harbist ’06) Brayer

9. Holly Seifert ’01

Mary went on from Sewickley Academy, where she was a star athlete and member of the Cum Laude Society, to the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in History magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

A lifer member of the Sewickley Academy Class of 2001, Holly went on to earn her B.S. in Early Childhood Education at the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Education at Nova Southeastern University.

After serving as a Summer Science Teaching Fellow at Phillips Andover, Mary was awarded a Science Teaching Fellowship at St. Paul’s School (NH), where she taught biology. Subsequently, Mary was a member of the science faculty for seven years at the Pingree School in Hamilton, MA, where she taught biology, chemistry, and AP environmental science. In addition, Mary coached varsity field hockey and was the head coach of junior varsity lacrosse. She was also regularly recognized by her colleagues, who routinely nominated her to mentor faculty new to Pingree. Mary is delighted to be returning to Pittsburgh and her alma mater!

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7. Brittani Spencer

Ben’s career has been characterized by a profound commitment to children and to supporting classroom practices that promote student voice. Ben believes in the importance of culture in schools and has made a centerpiece of his leadership the development of a culture that supports teaching and learning, and student and faculty engagement. He understands that change only happens when we appeal to hearts and not just minds.

Since 2008, Holly has taught kindergarten at theGulf Stream School in Florida, serving as a lead teacher, and also coached middle and high school lacrosse. Holly began her career at the University of Vermont Children’s Campus Center and subsequently worked at the Burlington Children’s space as a head preschool teacher. Holly is committed to a hands-on, multi-sensory approach to learning that integrates ideas from Reggio Emilia and supports independence and autonomy with the support and guidance of highly skilled teachers. She is partnering with Crista Pryor to teach Pre-Kindergarten.

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l e W

SA Welcomes Eight New Members to the Board of Trustees

W E L

Ashley (Brown ’00) Birtwell, Ph.D.

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Ashley attended Sewickley Academy from seventh grade through her sophomore year of high school (1994-1998). The tight-knit community and close relationships between students and faculty shaped her view of what an ideal educational environment looks like. She strives to instill those same ideals in her classroom today as a professor. Graduating from Western Reserve Academy in 2000, Ashley matriculated to Middlebury College as an economics major and mathematics minor graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. After completing a national fellowship in public policy and then working for a large hospital system in India for a year, she completed the Masters of Science Program in Public Policy and Management at the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University in 2007. She went on to complete her Ph.D. at MIT in organizational behavior, graduating in 2013. Over the years, Ashley has taught classes on power and negotiation, managerial psychology, and leadership at both undergraduate and graduate student levels, while her research has focused on negotiations and group dynamics. Ashley moved back to Sewickley in 2018 from San Francisco with her husband, Ryan, and their baby. She is a member of the Board of Directors at the Laughlin Children’s Center in Sewickley, where she primarily assists with strategic planning initiatives.

Michael Brocks Michael is the sole shareholder of a Sewickley-based accounting and business valuation firm, Michael Brocks & Associates PC (MB- PC). In addition to routine accounting and tax matters, his firm specializes in forensic accounting and appraisal issues. Michael is a CPA and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in both Business Valuation and Financial Forensics. Accordingly, he has the ABV and CFF certification, both of which require extensive experience in valuation and forensics. He has more than 25 years of professional experience in the business valuation and litigation support areas, and he has served as an expert witness for courts, Boards of Review, and arbitration panels. Michael has also served as guest instructor for the Internal Revenue Service as well as the University of Pittsburgh and University of California-Hastings law schools. Currently, Michael serves as an instructor on valuation and forensic issues for the Continuing Legal Education for the Bars of Pennsylvania, California, Florida, New York, and Ohio. Michael and his wife Gretchen are residents of Moon Township and are parents of Mary Beth, an attorney; Emily, a schoolteacher; and Luke ’06, an attorney. Michael and Gretchen are active ballroom dancers.

Ngozi Maduka-Okorafor Ngozi Maduka-Okorafor has over 18 years of progressive experience in the financial services industry. She is currently serving as the Director of USAA’s Property and Casualty Insurance Competitive Intelligence and Analysis Group. Her leadership brings data and analytical disciplines to further accelerate the delivery of advanced analytics capabilities, enabling USAA to achieve its strategic mission of providing highly competitive financial products and services. She was a member of the Advisory Board for St. Mary’s University Computer Science Department from 2013 to 2017, and was a symposium judge for the School of Engineering since 2008. Ngozi holds a M.S. in Computer Information System from St. Mary’s University and a B.S. in Finance and Banking from Abia State University, Nigeria. She is married to Mr. Chinedu Okorafor, and their son, Joshua, is a freshman at the Academy. She and her family relocated to the Sewickley area from Texas. Ngozi enjoys getting to know the SA community, spending time with her family, and traveling. 36

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! e m eE lLcCo O M E Stephanie Menzock

Stephanie Menzock has been part of the Sewickley Academy community since 2006. Stephanie has three daughters, all of whom started at SA in Kindergarten: Autumn ’19, Brooke ’22, and Bella ’27. Stephanie has served in various Home & School volunteer roles at Sewickley Academy, including Lower School Representative and Logo Wear Founder and Chair. She also served on the Above & Beyond Committee, By-laws Committee, Clothesline Sale Committee. She is currently the Vice President of the Home & School Association. Stephanie also participated in the Envision SA 2024 Conference. Stephanie’s professional background is in human resources, payroll, and office management. She has worked for various companies in the Pittsburgh area, including Affiliated Building Services, ARC-Allegheny, and Three Rivers Recycling.

Ryan T. Purpura Ryan represents oil and gas companies, private equity and hedge funds, and other financial institutions in mergers and acquisitions, project finance and development, and other transactions related to the energy industry as a partner at Reed Smith, LLP, in Pittsburgh. A recognized practitioner in Pennsylvania and across the United States, Ryan also frequently lectures on topics related to oil and gas and has served as an adjunct professor teaching Energy Law at Duquesne University’s School of Law. He has served as in-house counsel to two publicly traded natural gas companies (including the first-ever exploration and production master limited partnership), where he advised on a range of commercial and operations issues, including oil and gas marketing arrangements, land acquisition and development, employment matters, and litigation. Ryan currently serves as outside general counsel to several E&P and midstream companies, advising them on all aspects of their operations. Ryan is an advisory board member for Pennsylvania State University’s energy land management program and the Institute for Energy Law. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation. As an active member of his community, Ryan co-founded and provided legal oversight to Operation Troop Appreciation, a Pittsburgh nonprofit corporation supporting U.S. military personnel overseas. He has three children at the Academy: Matthew, Kindergarten, Caroline, Grade 4, and Lauren, Grade 5.

Pamela R. Schlosser Pamela R. Schlosser (Pam) serves as a partner in PwC’s Assurance Pittsburgh practice and has nearly 30 years leading the audits of public companies for PwC, including PPG Industries, U.S. Steel, Owens Corning, DuPont, and Parker Hannifin. In her client service role, Pam leads large, multi-national teams comprised of professionals from assurance, tax, and advisory lines of service. Pam has also worked collaboratively with executive management and her clients’ audit committees. Pam has held several leadership positions in the firm, including the U.S. Chemicals Leader and Managing Office Partner of Toledo and Harrisburg. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from John Carroll University in Ohio. Pam moved to Sewickley with her husband Tom and son Andrew, Grade 7, in March 2018. She has become engrained in the community since her arrival. She is an active member of the Sewickley Academy family, including serving as a homeroom mother, volunteering, and a member of the Finance Committee. Pam has been involved in prior community-based organizations and served as a board member for the United Way of Greater Toledo, the United Way of the Capital Region, and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Pennsylvania.

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Divya Thadani Divya moved to Sewickley a few years ago when she was recruited to join PPG Industries. She is currently the General Manager of PPG Services, a digitally-enabled paint and paint service platform for businesses with multiple locations across the United States. Divya also leads Paintzen, an online paint and paint service company based in New York that was acquired by PPG in 2018. Before this, Divya was a Director in PPG’s Corporate Strategic Planning team where she supported several PPG business units on key strategic initiatives and M&A activities. Before joining PPG, Divya spent 13 years at J.M. Huber Corporation (a privately owned $2B engineered materials and specialty chemicals company) in various strategy roles. Previously, she worked in strategy consulting at KPMG, LLP, and the Mitchell Madison Group. Divya earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and International Relations from The College of Wooster and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She lives in Sewickley with her husband, Barry, and two young sons, Neel, Pre-Kindergarten, and Narayan, Grade 2.

Richard Ward Richard began his career working for KPMG LLP, a Big Four accounting firm in Washington, D.C. During his time at KPMG, he was one of a few new hires specially selected to attend and represent KPMG USA at the 2008 Global Audit Training in Athens, Greece, along with new hires from 12 other countries. Richard worked for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management for two years before pursuing the opportunity to provide his clients with more value-added service and establishing Capital Configuration, LLC, in July of 2014. Richard earned the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in 2011. In addition to his CPA, Richard earned the designation of Personal Financial Specialist in December 2018 after completing the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) examination in November 2018. A Pennsylvania native, Richard is the first in his family to graduate from college. He is a proud alumnus of Penn State University, where he graduated from the Smeal College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He is an active life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and both the American (AICPA) and Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). He formerly served as an inaugural Board Member for PA CPA Foundation as well as a Board Member for the PICPA. Richard is currently a new member of AICPA’s National CPA Financial Literacy Commission and Vice President of the PICPA Greater Pittsburgh Chapter. Over the years, Richard has been acknowledged for Five Star Wealth Manager and the PICPA Young Leader award. He was recognized in 2015 as one of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Richard is a graduate of AISPA’s Leadership Academy Class of 2016 and the recipient of AICPA’s 2019 P. Thomas Austin Scholarship. He was also selected as one of the 2019 40 under 40 in the accounting profession by CPA Practice Advisor. During his free time, Richard enjoys traveling, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends.

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FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES Ryan Baxter

Head of Lower School

Ryan took on the leadership of Sewickley Academy’s Lower School last fall. Since his arrival at Sewickley Academy four years ago, Ryan has served with distinction as our Director of Support Services for two years, working closely with faculty and families in all three divisions. He has distinguished himself as a child-focused, collaborative leader, who seeks to support faculty in their daily work with students and support students in the journey to become their best selves. Prior to joining our team here at Sewickley Academy, Ryan was the Director of District Support and a School Development Coach with New Tech Network, where he designed and facilitated professional learning for school leaders and teachers in primary, elementary, middle, and high schools from across the country. Previously, Ryan served as the founding Assistant Principal of a small New York City high school.

Christine Herring, Ph.D. Director of Support Services

After completing two years as a member of the Early Childhood team, teaching Kindergarten, Christine has assumed the duties of Director of Support Services. An educational leader who has devoted much of her professional career to growing the relationships for learning that led to improved student outcomes, Christine has consulted with schools and organizations in a variety of areas, including creating equitable experiences in the K-12 classroom, building cultural competencies, sustaining student-centered classrooms, and managing student behavior. She has extensive experience in coaching and supporting faculty, staff, students, and families to develop problem-solving frameworks in order to guide students towards maximizing their potential.

Kait Long

Alumni Relations Coordinator

Kait Long, who served as Assistant Director of College Guidance for the past three years, has moved to our Advancement Office to assume the duties of Alumni Relations Coordinator. This move aligns nicely with Kait’s desire to contribute to the Academy’s ongoing support of our alumni network. From this position, Kait will also be able to support the Academy’s strategic priority to develop partnerships beyond campus in support of experiential learning opportunities for our students, including internships and externships. By connecting alumni with current students, she will be supporting the relationships that are at the heart of any great education. While Kait’s new duties began on July 1, 2020, she continued to support the Class of 2021 through the fall.

Andrew McMillen

Assistant Director of College Guidance

Andrew McMillen, who has served as our Director of Admissions for the past three years, is excited to take on a new role as Associate Director of College Guidance. This change moves him closer to his professional roots as a college admissions officer. Before arriving at Sewickley Academy, Andrew served as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Allegheny College. Previously, he was the Associate Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper MBA Online-Hybrid program. He began his career at CMU as an Assistant Director of Admissions. As a former Division I athlete at Penn, Andrew is familiar with the requirements and expectations for studentathletes. Knowing the college and university landscape as well as he does, Andrew is excited to join Andrea Satariano in the College Office in support of our students.

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A BUG’S LIFE:

Senior School Students Learn How to Study Insects By: Ron Kinser, Ph.D. Renowned evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky once stated, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Accordingly, life science education at Sewickley Academy is rooted in the study of this unifying theory. Academy students are quick to see that evolution explains the amazing diversity, as well as the underlying commonalities, between all living things. To prepare students for professions in all areas of life science, the Academy emphasizes the interconnectedness of nature throughout the science curriculum. Senior School life science students use animals (mostly insects) as model organisms for biological experimentation in their first year of study. These open-inquiry activities and labs help to lay down a conceptual framework for experimentation. Students work with animals to help solidify their understanding of experimental variables. Students must first perform research to learn about their organism of interest. Where do antlions live? What do hissing cockroaches prefer to eat? How do pill bugs normally behave? These are key questions that must be addressed prior to experimental design. Students then consider one aspect of the animal’s 40

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environment or lifestyle that they would like to investigate. “What happens if I change the food?” or “What happens if I increase the temperature two degrees?” are common questions at this stage in experimental design. From this, students learn that scientists manipulate independent variables, like food options and temperature, in an attempt to learn about the natural world. Life science students must also consider a way of measuring the impact the independent variable has on animals. Students use creativity in designing ways to measure this impact, commonly known as the dependent variable. Experiments have explored changes in millipede and cockroach food preference, antlion hole digging behavior, and pill bug exploration behavior in relation to the manipulation of the independent variables like light intensity, temperature, or food choice. These experiences teach students how to see through an evolutionary lens. For example, learning that millipedes prefer rotten apples to fresh ones encourages students to make similar predictions about other unknown detritivore arthropods. Knowledge of evolution helps students make sense of the data they collect as well as guide their conclusions.

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The manipulation of environmental variables in the context of biological experimentation is often a difficult idea to grasp for young scientists. We have found that giving students the power to take the lead on experimental design enhances student understanding and enthusiasm for the process of biological experimentation. This process requires repetition and patience, thereby helping our young scientists build up the perseverance and determination necessary for success in life. Indeed, we owe a great debt to our arthropod friends. In addition to establishing a foundation of scientific and 21st century skills, animals play a key role in exposing our students to advanced academic content that they will encounter in college. This exposure is available in many forms, including anatomy and physiology as well as AP life sciences like environmental science and biology. Anatomy and physiology students learn about the structure and function of all systems of the body in detail, sometimes through dissection. This critical knowledge base helps students as they prepare for careers in the competitive field of medicine. AP biology students gain exposure to advanced genetics by using fruit flies to perform crosses (breeding), similar to many research labs across the country. Humans and fruit flies share many of the same genes and biochemical pathways. Many of these genes and pathways are implicated in human diseases. Thus, knowledge of fruit fly genetics is a great way to study human disease. In addition to helping build empathy in our students, modeling and discussing diseases in life science classes teaches our students essential analytical and reasoning skills. Such applied thinking is critical for many professions, especially medicine and research. While the Senior School life sciences program prepares students for challenging STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) college majors, it does so much more. It also prepares them for challenging 21st century professions by developing essential skills like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. Lastly, the use of animals in life science education helps students live out the Mission of our school. Performing experiments with model organisms engages our students’ hearts, minds, and hands on a regular basis. Our students engage their hearts when considering biological problems such as climate change and disease. The minds of our students are engaged by a modern, research-based curriculum that asks students to challenge themselves. Lastly, our student’s hands are at work when we make activities and labs open-inquiry and interactive. Education in the life sciences teaches students how to uncover the truths of nature, but it also pushes students to examine themselves and their place in the world. In his poem, “The Fly,” William Blake ponders:

I “AAmflynot like thee?

Or art not thou A man like me?

At its best, our approach will teach students to question their relationship with other living things in the world. It begs them to examine their actions and honestly reflect on the consequences of these actions, which requires a great deal of empathy and self-reflection. Furthermore, it teaches them to ask deep and meaningful questions. Our Mission-centered approach to life science education will prepare our students for a fulfilling career ahead, no matter the field they choose to pursue.

”

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THE CLASS OF 2019 G R A D U AT E S F R O M S E W I C K L E Y A C A D E M Y

By: Brittnea Turner On Thursday, June 6, 2019, the Sewickley Academy community, along with family and friends, celebrated the Class of 2019 during its annual graduation ceremony. To kick-off the festivities, students gathered on the steps of the Lower School to have their photos taken. The “lifers,” students who have attended SA since Pre-K, Kindergarten, or Grade 1, had the chance to pose for their picture first, followed by the legacy photo of seniors with their parents who are alumni, and the iconic class photo that will be displayed along with other class pictures in the Senior School. This year, members of the student government’s administrative branch worked with school administrators to address concerns with the existing graduation dress code. It was a deliberative process that involved all Senior School students and was intended to ensure an inclusive experience on graduation day. The class showed up in style and in alignment with the new dress code with boys in navy blue blazers, gray pants, white shirts, the Sewickley Academy tie that is gifted by the school, and dress shoes. The women wore an array of formal, floor-length white clothing, including dresses, jumpsuits, and ethnic attire. Girls also received a Sewickley Academy silver charm bracelet, which replaced the antiquated Academy scarves from years past. The ceremony began with a greeting from Head of School Kolia O’Connor who introduced Senior School President Henry Meakem who led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and then addressed his peers. Henry reminisced about the Class of 2019’s time in the Senior School. “We were wide-eyed freshmen ready to take on the exciting, new world of high school while avoiding the Commons like the plague,” he said. He also noted that, together, the students learned practical skills like surviving the weekend trip to Outdoor Odyssey, how to ask someone to a dance, how to study for AP exams, who to rely on, and how to grow up, all of which made for priceless memories.

2019 Graduation Awards The Cavalier Cup The Cavalier Cup was given in June 1966 in honor of and to commemorate the graduation of the first senior class. This trophy was designated first to Mr. Cavalier for his leadership, guidance, and inspiration and is awarded each year to a student in the senior class who in the estimation of the faculty has achieved a record of combined excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, and citizenship, thereby bringing credit to the Academy and distinguishing oneself as the best all-around graduate.

Awardee: Henry Meakem

The Head of School’s Award The Head of School’s Award is given to a member of the senior class whose service and accomplishments in academic, athletic, and/or extracurricular activities have made a significant contribution to the life of the school and who best exemplifies the ideals and spirit of Sewickley Academy.

Awardee: Alina Mattson

Henry thanked the room, full of supporters of the graduating seniors. “The incredible people in this room that are here to support us – our families, our teachers, our coaches, and so many more people – have raised, taught, guided, mentored, and loved and supported us in the hope that they could proudly see us walk across this stage,” he said. “And on behalf of the Class or 2019, I want to sincerely say ‘thank you.’”

The Faculty Award

He wrapped up his remarks by speaking directly to his classmates, “In the coming months, most of us will take on many new challenges: moving to new cities, making new friends, doing our own laundry, and much more. However, when we have those moments of self-doubt or uncertainty, it is good to know that we can fall back on what we have come from. The community of people in this room have given us a solid foundation, and I think we should feel confident moving forward. To the Sewickley Academy Class of 2019, thank you for letting me be a part of your story.”

Awardee: James Grosz

Mr. O’Connor, accompanied by Chair of the Board of Trustees Mrs. Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, presented students with the Cavalier Cup, the Head of School’s Award, the Faculty Award, and the Academy Award.

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The Faculty Award is given to the graduating student who has consistently displayed, with a cheerful and mature attitude, unselfish service to the entire school community and a sincere concern for others.

The Academy Award Given by the Board of Trustees, The Academy Award is presented at graduation to a deserving student who displays the distinguishing qualities of moral goodness, perseverance, and dedication to the Academy, and who, above all, is sincere in his or her academic pursuits.

Awardee: Lekha Amin

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1. Katie Jones poses with her family (Courtney, Jack ’22, Tom ’85, and Mary ’17) minutes before the graduation ceremony begins. 2. Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, Chair of the Board of Trustees, congratulates Lekha Amin on winning the Academy Award. 3. Henry Meakem, Senior Class President, gives the student address. 4. Head of School, Kolia O’Connor, addresses the Class of 2019. 5. Grade 3 teacher, Dania Paul, embraces her son, Jackson, while presenting him with his diploma. 6. Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, hugs her daughter, Emma, as she receives her dipolma. 7. Alina Mattson and Sarina Sandhu process out of the Events Center after the graduation ceremony. 8. Yeni Abakah poses with family members on the green space. 9. Former Director of Teaching & Learning Dr. Bevan Koch congratulates Simreen Singh. 10. Graduates say goodbye to their advisor, longtime chemistry teacher, Dr. Susan Zawacky, who retired after 35 years at the Academy.

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11. James Grosz accepts the Faculty Award from Dr. Susan Zawacky. 12. Abby Villella and Bobo Liang are all smiles after receiving their diplomas. 13. Jackson Paul and Charlie Muse stand on the steps of the Lower School. 14. Twenty-five students graduate from Sewickley Academy as lifers, who came to the Academy in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or Grade 1.

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Congratulations, Class of 2019!

Mrs. Pigman, the National Human Capital Managing Director in the Assurance Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), gave the keynote address. Kate gave tips to the students about how to thrive while being busy by focusing on four points – perfection, positivity, resourcefulness, and caring. Perfection – “So often the idea of having it all equates with perfection: the perfect image, title, and a Facebook or Instagram-perfect outward appearance. Chasing perfection will keep you very busy. But it does not necessarily lead to happiness,” Kate shared. She asked listeners to aim for high standards versus perfection. “This means you do the very best with what you have, and move on to the next thing,” she said. Positivity – Being positive and having an optimistic view of the world is a choice, so she encouraged the Class of 2019 to see the good. “In situations or in people, even the ones you find difficult have something valuable to offer. Instead, if you choose to see the bad – that’s all you’ll ever see,” she advised. Resourcefulness – A skill that will help you tackle pressure in life. Kate, speaking from experience, said, “Being a problem solver will land you new opportunities and growth.” She pointed out that you do not always have the answer to every question, but it is important to figure out how to figure it out. Caring – Kate’s last and most crucial point was to care for others. “Service to others is a strong value for me,” she said. “I encourage you to care for those around you. Moreover, I encourage you to find the values that make the effort you put forth – the hard work and the pressure – worth it.” In closing, Kate said, “Graduates of the Class of 2019, look around. Everyone here is at the ready to care for you. Your families, your teachers, and your friends: we all know it has been a stressful year, and there is a lot of pressure coming in college. You need to know that we are here for you.” She continued, “And as you head off to college, know these two things: You have an excellent education and that your families will answer your call.” Then came the moment the crowd was waiting for the – the presentation of diplomas. Head of Senior School Dr. Peter Lau announced each of the graduates as Mr. O’Connor and Mrs. Pigman presented each student with his or her diploma.

Mr. O’Connor thanked everyone for attending and supporting the Class of 2019 and the Academy. In tune with the times, he reminded the audience that our graduation day was also the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy, France, which signaled the beginning of the end of World War II. Similarly to how the planners of D-Day had to imagine what the day after D-Day might look like, he suggested that students recognize the importance of preparing for tomorrow by spending time imagining exactly what they want their tomorrow to look like today. Referring to “The Mantle of Command” by Nigel Hamilton, who examines Franklin D. Roosevelt’s role as a wartime leader, Mr. O’Connor found it interesting that prior to the United States’ involvement in the war, Roosevelt insisted Churchill agree to the Atlantic Charter, a joint statement released on August 14, 1941, outlining the United States’ and Great Britain’s goals for the war. Roosevelt wanted to know what sort of a world the Allies would be fighting to create. “It is just that sort of a leap of imagination that I invite each of the members of the Class of 2019 to make. What do you imagine for yourselves – not just next year but at the end of college when you graduate? What dreams do you have for yourself, and what will it take to achieve them?” Mr. O’Connor continued. “It is important to consider, even before you get [to college], how you will use your time and take advantage of your opportunities. What will you want to get out of your college experience? By the way, there is research on how to do this, and it boils down to one thing: get involved!” Mr. O’Connor concluded the ceremony by reflecting on the class as a whole. “You are a remarkable group. Individually and collectively, you have made an enormous and positive impact on your alma mater, and you have been generous and included others along the way,” he said. “Thank you for all the many ways in which you have supported one another and contributed to the success of this school year. Class of 2019, Good luck and farewell.” The Class of 2019 recessed from the platform to the Senior School orchestra playing “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors. After a very wet and rainy week, it turned out to be a lovely evening for the graduates to gather on the green space in front of the Events Center for refreshments provided by the Home and School Association, to take pictures, and greet their guests. Congratulations, Class of 2019!

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THE CLASS OF 2020 Graduates Vir tually By: Vicki Bassett and Hillary Bruno Every year, the senior class looks forward to their senior year – one full of celebrations, milestones, and memories commencing in a graduation ceremony in June. This year was not what they envisioned; in fact, it was one unlike any other. They finished the school year in Virtual School, and when allowed to return to campus for an unprecedented graduation ceremony, physical distancing and masking guidelines were in place. Planning for the event began in January before the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduation committee, composed of administration, faculty, and staff, had to quickly pivot when it became apparent the pandemic had no end in sight, and the Academy would be unable to hold its typical ceremony. The committee worked to keep events for the senior class as traditional and memorable as they could while following guidelines from national, state, and regional agencies to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of our community. The committee planned an in-person ceremony that would follow physical distancing and other health guidelines set forth by the state. Three weeks before the ceremony, local authorities released stricter guidelines stating that no more than 25 people could gather indoors for any event, and no more than 50 people could gather outdoors. With a graduating class of 52, the committee regrouped and created a plan for an individual graduation ceremony. On August 8, 2020, the Academy celebrated the senior class virtually. A graduation program was released via email, and seniors had a scheduled time slot to come to campus to receive their diplomas. Upon arrival, each senior, who could be accompanied by up to four guests, was greeted and cheered on by a handful of faculty and staff members. They then processed along the colonnade in front of the Events Center and Middle School, entering the Wise Courtyard to receive their diplomas from Head of School Kolia O’Connor, Head of Senior School Peter Lau, Chair of the Board Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman, and Vice Chair of the Board Brad Busatto ’88. This year’s graduation speaker was Vivien Luk, Executive Director of WORK, whose organization’s mission is to accompany families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified jobs. Under Vivien’s direction, the organization has gone from accompanying five families to accompanying over 700 families on their journey to independence. She specializes in creating and implementing programming that directly and practically aligns philanthropic and business strategy with job preparation and placement.

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Congratulations to In 2015, Vivien started the “Run Across Haiti,” a 200-mile footrace that has raised over one million dollars to support WORK’s mission. She is a proud alumna of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California Los Angeles. She is an avid runner, much sought after speaker, and is tremendously grateful for the many strong women mentors she has had throughout her career. Vivien opened her remarks with a thank you to the Academy’s trustees, faculty, and parents for allowing her to be the speaker for the ceremony. She reminisced about a trip to Haiti she took with several members of the graduating class, and she thanked the students on the nominating committee for thinking of her. She spoke of how she started WORK with only $2,000 in her bank account but knew she had to take a chance and keep going. She told a story about one of the first fathers in the program that she was accompanying on their journey and how impactful it was to see him after his first full day of work and watching his family get to eat without worry of where their next meal would come from. Vivien spoke about the needs of healthcare and education for all of the program’s children and job counseling and training for adults. She talked about the triumphs and challenges she and her team have faced, then highlighted the importance of never giving up and the need to keep going. Vivien left our graduations with these closing thoughts: “No matter what the situation is, do the right thing. Challenge yourself to make the right and difficult decisions. Life’s too short for regrets for mistakes that you didn’t need to make, for doubts when you know better than to let them drive you. Trust your training here at Sewickley Academy, trust your upbringing, and follow your intuition.”

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ns to the Class of 2020!

Seventeen students graduate from Sewickley Academy as lifers, who came to the Academy in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or Grade 1.

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Mr. O’Connor spoke about the resilience and adaptability of the graduates. When it was evident in the early spring when a “normal” closing to the school year would not be possible, the determination of the class prevailed, and they maintained their drive to succeed in completing their end of school goals. He noted that these characteristics would serve them well in the future. He spoke of the recent passing of Civil Rights activist and Congressman John Lewis and quoted part of his last words, which included this passage: “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.” Mr. O’Connor concluded his address to the graduates with these inspiring words, “I hope the lessons you have learned here are ones that you will use to help make the world a better place. To rid the world of disease and contagion and to eradicate the scourge of racism and the ignorance that allows it to flourish.” He continued, “You have so much to be proud of, and I know that everyone gathered to celebrate your graduation today shares my pride in all that you have accomplished and my excitement to see all that you will achieve.” Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

2020 Graduation Awards The Cavalier Cup The Cavalier Cup was given in June 1966 in honor of and to commemorate the graduation of the first senior class. This trophy was designated first to Mr. Cavalier for his leadership, guidance, and inspiration and is awarded each year to a student in the senior class who in the estimation of the faculty has achieved a record of combined excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, and citizenship, thereby bringing credit to the Academy and distinguishing oneself as the best all-around graduate.

Awardee: Zofia Luther

Awardee: Mishon Levine

“ When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”

The Faculty Award The Faculty Award is given to the graduating student who has consistently displayed, with a cheerful and mature attitude, unselfish service to the entire school community and a sincere concern for others.

Awardee: Eirnin Mahoney

Awardee: Morgan Martin

- John Lewis, Civil Rights activist and Congressman

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1. Living legacies! These students and one of their family members graduated from Sewickley Academy. Pictured: Ted ‘78 and Will Stevenson, Eiley and Meredith ‘12 Doyle, and Haley and Joe ‘89 Nocito. 2. Robin Wang and Sam Rampelt celebrate graduation by posing with their diplomas. 3. Jackson Coles takes a picture with his parents, Cornelia and Reggie. 4. Mira Bhatia receives her diploma from Head of School Kolia O’Connor, accompanied by Vice Chair of the Board Brad Busatto ‘88 and Chair of the Board of Trustees Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman. 5. Zoe Luther accepts the Cavalier Cup from Head of School Kolia O’Connor, who is accompanied by Vice Chair of the Board Brad Busatto ‘88 and Chair of the Board of Trustees Kate (Poppenberg ’82) Pigman.

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Hansen Library

By: Ruth Neely When construction finished on Hansen Library in 1999, learning looked very different than it does today. While the space is gorgeous – the high ceilings, hardwood shelves, table lighting, and windows all encourage students to critically ponder the questions of academic coursework and world issues – the initial priorities were to host as large a collection of books as could be stored, and to have tables at which to sit and spend hours with large books. The library was a place to study, which at that time mostly meant working quietly and independently. Quite a lot has changed in the past 20 years, and the strategies in education and library science are no exception. If you were to enter a Sewickley Academy classroom today, it is highly unlikely that you would see a teacher lecturing to students in rows, taking notes on paper in preparation for a multiple-choice test. Educational best practices have shifted to engaging students in problem solving, collaborating, and digging in to find answers for themselves. The transition to guiding students to understand the causes and effects of an event, rather than memorizing information and facts, has changed both the ways our students learn and our teachers teach. Since the Middle and Senior School adopted a Bring Your Own Device program in 2016, students consistently have access to a laptop to develop their technology, organizational, and research skills that will suit them in their future endeavors. The transition into 21st century learning was in full swing, and it became evident that the space was not meeting students’ needs. From a library perspective, our space was still reflective of teaching practices and learning styles from the 1990s.

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With more collaborative assignments and more laptop-based work becoming the norm, the goal to support student learning and access to information required a shift in the way we were using our physical space. The entrance to Hansen Library is a gorgeous gem, and iconic to the aesthetic of the school. The front tables are still popular for studying, so that space continues to serve students well. However, we began brainstorming how to transition the Cavalier Room and Middle School Reading Room to support student needs in the 21st century. Who knows best what students need, from a physical library space, to succeed at Sewickley Academy? Students. The redesign started with an informal check-in by hanging large sheets of paper around the library that asked students to answer questions such as “What’s working for you in this space?” and “What would you like to see in your library?” After curating the answers, the same questions were asked to other stakeholders in more targeted sessions including frequent faculty library users, faculty that don’t interact much with the library, and members of student government and the senior class. Astonishingly, almost everyone was on the same page, making the need for these upgrades even more evident. Repeatedly, our stakeholders asked for:

• • • • • •

Places to charge their devices More spaces for private meetings Whiteboards Movable/flexible furniture Comfortable seating Different volume zones for conversations

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E INVENTS Itself for Modern Learners To offer access to information in the most efficient and productive way, with an eye toward developing the hearts, minds, and hands of our students, I developed a floor plan that merged stakeholder input with best practices.

Public Together

Quiet Secluded

SPACE NEEDS Public Together The new floor plan for the Cavalier Room in the back of the library incorporates more small clusters of seating at both tables and in lounge chairs. These seating nooks are the perfect place for welcoming other students to join a study session or for teachers to give extra review time. These seating clusters encourage more collaborative work.

Private Together

Quiet Together

Private Together The study rooms offer a space for students to work together in a more private setting with whiteboards available. This space is also valuable for activities such as recording an interview or tutoring. Quiet Secluded

With the needs of our community in mind, we also studied national trends and best practices in librarianship while recognizing what was the right fit for Middle and Senior School students, rather than a public library. When thinking about the different kinds of work students do in Hansen, and their ability to access information within it, it is most accurate to think of a school library as an intersection of technology, information, and people. This need, at the crux of the transition away from the silent library, is at the root of our library redesign. When considering the role of the library and use, from clay tablets in 2600 B.C., to video conferencing with an expert in Egypt in 2019, the tools for accessing information have changed, but the principle has not. A core tenet of libraries is still access to information. To that end, most needs for space can fall into four categories.

Sometimes earbuds just don’t cut it for creating an atmosphere to focus, and thus the Boyd Room remains an untouched, and still highly valued, silent study space for students. By student request, the new library also retained popular study carrel desks where students can minimize distractions when working independently. Quiet Together A lot of schoolwork these days requires simultaneous focus and digital collaboration. The front of the library is maintained as a mostly quiet working space throughout the day, where students might collaborate on a Google Doc, for example, consulting quietly as they type.

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NEW SHELVING

COLLABORATION STATIONS

Gone are the days of large, overbearing, seemingly endless rows of shelving. In their place are low, curving shelves that create different pockets for sitting and browsing. This new style of shelving is the product of a psychologist who worked with retail bookstores to help develop floor plans and furniture that encourage lingering. The way you feel in a bookstore – we want more of that in libraries. These shelves also incorporate tilted angle shelving. By tilting the shelves on an angle, the spine or cover of the book is always pointed toward the eye, making the books more accessible and tempting.

More often than not these days, classroom collaboration involves a digital component. Hansen now offers two collaboration stations. A large screen sits above an oblong table, where students can gather around and plug in multiple laptops. With the push of a button, students are able to share the screens of their personal devices with a larger group.

With the removal of the tall, parallel stacks, it looks like we have a lot fewer books. While it may be tempting to be concerned that books are being thrown out and that they are losing their place of prominence, that is not the case. Our print collection still remains of interest to students and is highly used.

FLEXIBLE FURNITURE All of the new furniture and shelving in the library is on wheels. With minimal effort, everything can be moved to create an open space for large gatherings or be rearranged for groups of any size. This feature is an essential component in making sure our design remains relevant.

CHARGING STATIONS New high-top tables feature built-in outlets for convenient charging. A large ottoman in one of the seating areas offers both a comfortable place to work and collaborate while also charging. (This is a favorite spot for freshmen!)

LAPTOP-FRIENDLY FURNITURE We researched the height of all new tables and chairs to offer the highest level of ergonomic design for laptop use. While students requested more comfortable seating options, half of the lounge furniture also features a swiveling laptop table, with some on the right and some on the left to accommodate handwriting preferences.

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RESULT After two years of planning, researching, and vendor and stakeholder meetings, we implemented the library redesign in the summer of 2018. At this point, I would be remiss not to point out how incredibly lucky I am to be at a school where I had the opportunity to share my vision for the future of the library with the administration, and receive their support and blessing in moving forward. I’d like to say a special thanks to Head of School Kolia O’Connor for the trust and support, former Director of Buildings & Grounds Tim Hastings ’77 for the brilliant lighting design that pulled it all together and pointers in the process, and all the students, faculty, and volunteers who helped with both insight and sweat equity (there were a lot of books to move!). This was certainly a group effort. We have had two years in the space and have nothing but positive feedback to report. An increased feeling of productivity is in the air, and the library remains a popular destination for student learning in many forms. Hansen Library has become a popular destination for other regional schools that are thinking of revamping their own spaces. We are proud to show off our space, and the library team is looking forward to collecting reflections from juniors and seniors at the end of the year about what improvements we can make to complete the process. We are so thankful for the first year we have spent in such a stunning, functional space.

Works Cited Lippincott, Joan. “The Link to Content in 21st-Century Libraries.” Educause Review, Educause, 29 Jan. 2018, er.educause.edu/ articles/2018/1/the-link-to-content-in-21st-century-libraries. Accessed 7 June 2018.

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Personal Connections and

Global Partnerships

By: Michael-Ann Cerniglia

Ahabik, ‘ anti ukhti.‘Irja3i tazoorina. in sha Allah.

‘

‘ ‘

“I love you, you are my sister. Come back to visit, God willing.” My host sister said these words to me before I left my homestay family in Tweisi, Jordan, at the end of March 2019. After only three days with Nadia and her beautiful children, they had become like family to me. It is remarkable how quickly relationships can form. Ten years ago, after nine days in Syria together, I nervously clung to my husband as he left to fly back to the United States and I embarked on a five-day tour of Jordan with two strangers – my driver and my guide, Hasan. Little did I know how comfortable my time in Jordan would be, and, that after leaving Jordan, my friendship with Hasan would continue to grow; he would text me at Christmas and Easter, congratulate me on the birth of my second daughter, and eventually welcome me to his home for dinner when I returned to Jordan seven years later. It is the boundless hospitality of the Jordanian people and the relationships I develop during my stays that call me back. I have long since wanted to share the Levant with students, and, after traveling a second time to Jordan with Where There Be Dragons in 2016, I knew that I had found a way to make this a reality. Where There Be Dragons offers short term and gap year experiential travel and cultural engagement that connects students and educators with organizations and local people in the country to optimize transformative and authentic learning. One of the six educators I traveled with was Josh Emmott, an upper school history teacher at Milton Academy in Massachusetts. Josh served in Jordan in the Peace Corps and also desired to return with students to share the Amman Citadel, dabke (traditional Levantine dancing), zarb (a traditional Bedouin barbeque slow-cooked under the sand), and kanafeh (a traditional Arab dessert made with pastry, cheese, and sweet syrup). Josh ran student trips in 2017 and 2018, and then we decided to partner together and run a Milton-Sewickley Academy trip to the home of Petra, the Dead Sea, and Wadi Rum desert in March 2019. While a school trip to Jordan – the Middle East! – may sound daunting, it was the partnerships I built with Josh, Where There Be Dragons, and our Dragons instructors Elley Cannon and James Bowker, and the relationships they built with organizations on the ground in Jordan that made this trip successful and seem so effortless.

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Two Sewickley Academy students joined me on this trip, Jill Pollon ’20 and Caroline Cox ’20. Both students are enrolled in the Senior School’s Global Studies program, which also sponsored this trip to support our students’ requirements towards certificate completion. We combined with 10 students from Milton Academy in Boston and as far as Canada, Ukraine, Ecuador, and Shanghai. Many of the people and organizations we connected with in Jordan serve local, national, and international populations. One of Sewickley Academy’s four Core Values is community, which “seeks to foster a deep understanding and appreciation of our connections with one another and those beyond our borders, as well as our obligation and responsibility to serve and lead inherent in these bonds.” Learning to serve is vital for students to develop a lifelong investment in service to a community. To do this, students must develop an understanding of the needs of specific communities so they may decide to commit to serving them for the longer term. In Amman, the capital city, we spent five days visiting organizations that work with refugees, while students were able to study various approaches to the refugee crisis facing the region. Students were given the opportunity to speak with representatives from the international Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on one day, and with Sawiyan, a small local organization that works with minority refugees from Africa, on another. “When I first arrived at the Sawiyan skate park, I was concerned about us, as Americans, sticking out and becoming the stereotype of privileged travelers seeking a ‘third world country experience.’ I wanted this activity to be as genuine and authentic as possible,” Caroline explained. “I helped a couple little kids on skateboards and walked with them to help them balance. After the first 10 minutes of awkwardness, we were able to fully immerse ourselves and the interest in each other was reciprocal.” Students also had the opportunity to visit a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) School for Palestinian girls, where they attended an English class and had time to hang out with the English club. None of our students had their cell phones, nor did the UNRWA students. They crowded around five large tables – old school style – shoulder-to-shoulder talking and giggling with each other for an hour and a half, drinking tea, and eating cookies. The students talked about school, families, and dreams. One of the Palestinian girls shared that she hoped to work for NASA someday. Every few minutes, someone would wave their hands wildly and say, “Hey! Do you know…?” and burst into song, at which the rest of the group would explode into chorus with them. Sometimes a few would get the words wrong or stall out on the lyrics, at which time the whole group would be reduced to hysterical laughter. Standing at the back of the room, 56

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the Palestinian and American teachers stood together glowing over the opportunity to witness bonding that required little grammatical finesse and a lot of intuition and “street cred.” When it was time for the girls to go back to their classrooms and the American students to take their tour, the students collectively protested. Initially, they earned an extra half hour but that, too, ended. Ultimately, we could hardly break them apart as they hugged each other repeatedly while saying goodbye. We were almost two hours past our time at the school that day and it was worth every second. After a beautiful, albeit touristy, visit to Petra, we took time at our desert campsite to deconstruct the incongruencies of traditional Bedouin culture and globalization, while also preparing for the next three and a half days at our homestays in Tweisi, on the edge of Wadi Rum. Our Dragons instructor, Elley, has a personal connection with Khawla, the homestay coordinator in the village and they have worked together many times to bring students and families together for this transformative experience. While the students were trepidatious, they all stepped out of their comfort zone, applying their Arabic and cultural lessons from the previous week. Each student was assigned their own family and formed their own unique bonds. One of our students spent a lot of time connecting with her host father while exploring the desert, rock hopping, and meeting other Bedouin friends and families along the way. Another student helped her host sister prepare for and celebrate her engagement party. On this trip, every student connected with their family and had difficulty saying Ma’a asalama (goodbye) on their last day. No matter how challenging that first day was in a home where they did not speak the language, they all found common ground, methods to communicate, and ways to keep in touch. Each student had their own homestay experience and spent four days with their families, conferring with our instructors and group intermittently throughout their visit. Caroline is still talking to her host family on WhatsApp and said, “In the short time I spent with them, I developed a strong connection, particularly with the youngest girl, Mysa. I hope that I can see them again next year.” As for Jill, she commented, “My homestay experience is something I will cherish forever. Going into it, I was really nervous and scared but once I met my family all of that went away and I learned so much about community and family. I learned that I don’t have to be doing something 24/7 to have a memorable experience; sometimes its better just to sit, drink tea, and talk with the people I care about.”

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As for me, I had my own homestay experience. I am a mother of two girls and lived with a family with five small children. Nadia opened her home and shared her children with me, who loved me quickly and completely. So completely that we all slept in the same room because they didn’t want to say goodnight (in Bedouin homes, the cushions that line the walls of a room can serve as both a sofa and a bed). Nadia and her sister cooked for me, let me help them around the house, and taught me to dance to Arabic music. I also had the opportunity to dance with the women in the village at an engagement party, which was such a special opportunity since it is a space reserved only for the women. In my short time with her, I learned that Nadia is a fun and loving woman, who is also a strong leader; she recently ran for office and is an elected official in her village. Khawla also ran for office and, while she did not win, she had worked hard to run her own campaign for a very competitive seat. Both Nadia and Khawla gave a talk to our students about women in the village and their thoughts on cultural norms. This led to a conversation I had with Khawla at her house, on my last evening in Tweisi. Khawla and I had some different perspectives about gender norms, which allowed us to have an engaging discussion that opened both our minds to more nuanced cultural views. I am looking forward to returning to Tweisi and picking up that conversation where we left off.

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Before leaving, throughout our journey, and as we re-root ourselves here at home, we need to remind ourselves how important personal connections are to building global partnerships. All the meetings and conversations we had with individuals throughout our journey were contingent upon deep and trusting relationships with our partners in Jordan. One of the conversations our students remember most was of a man who runs a cultural center in Amman and shared his personal stories and political perspectives. Our students were able to have these meaningful and thought-provoking conversations because of the rapport that our partner organizations build with Jordanians in Amman and Tweisi. I am grateful for the exchanges I had, which my students were able to build upon. As Jill reminisces about her time in Jordan, she shared that “since I have returned to the U.S., I now see how everyone here has their view of Jordan and the Middle East completely wrong. It is not this war-ridden place but in reality a beautiful country that has some of the nicest people I have ever met.” I hope that they will continue to value these connections and understand them to be the basis for continued, meaningful, and sustained global interaction, wherever in the world they may find themselves.

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ALUMNI Hockey Game 2019

They still got it! Alumni from the past few decades gathered the day before Thanksgiving to play in the Academy’s annual alumni hockey game. Puck drop! The light team battles the dark team for the lead.

Sewickley Academy alumni spent the afternoon reliving past glories and triumphs during the annual alumni hockey game on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. Nearly 30 alumni from 2000 to 2019 took to the ice to battle it out for bragging rights. The game followed Sewickley hockey tradition with a lot of goals and not much defense or goaltending. The young guns brought speed and prowl, and the veteran players looked like they hadn’t skated since the last alumni game. Goaltenders Matt Solter ’06 and Nick Batyko ’00 achieved a respective 9.00 and 10.00 GAA. Lou Pessolano ’97 clocked 25 minutes on defense, achieving a plus/minus of -6. After the game, alumni headed across the street to Paradise Island for refreshments and cheered on the Pittsburgh Penguins as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 8-6. It was great to see so many of our alumni at the game. We love that these guys keep this tradition going strong! Thank you to all those who participated and came to support their fellow Panthers!

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FORE!

Golfers Hit the Links for the Annual Hansen Cup Tournament

2019 Best Ball

The 14th and 15th Annual W. Gregg Hansen Cup Memorial Golf Tournaments were held on September 16, 2019, and September 14, 2020. Over the past two years, more than 100 supporters have gathered for a day of golf with friends and colleagues in memory of Wm. Gregg Hansen ’77. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the outing ran a little bit differently than in years past. Instead of the typical shotgun start, each group was assigned a tee time for their chance to compete for the Hansen Cup.

2019 Scramble

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HANSEN CUP CHAMPIONS! 2019 Best Ball Champions Colin Checkan, Don Checkan, Shane Checkan, and Joe McCallaster

2019 Scramble Champions Pete Holway, Bill Kiefer, David Lendt, and Greg Needler

2020 Best Ball Champions Dan Grealish, Ryan Thompson ’98, Brad Busatto ’88, and Jordan Miller

2020 Best Ball

2020 Scramble Champions Furman South IV, Jeff Lenchner ’77, Rusty Scioscia ’77

All proceeds from the outing directly benefit a current Sewickley Academy student by awarding them the Wm. Gregg Hansen Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception, the fund has amassed nearly $400,000. This event’s success is only made possible by the generosity of our sponsors, advertisers, and participants. Thank you for your continued support!

2020 Scramble

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Sewickley Academy Congratulates Eight Student-Athletes Over the past two years, eight student-athletes committed to continue their sport in college. Congratulations, Panthers!

(L) Alex Gordon ’19 – Northwestern University – Soccer (R) Tatum McKelvey ’19 – Bucknell University – Golf

(L) Lexi Bosetti ’19 – Wake Forest – Cheerleading (R) Sydney Larsen ’19 – Amherst University – Lacrosse

J.F. Aber ’20 – Wittenberg University – Golf

Arjan Bedi ’20 – Carnegie Mellon University – Tennis

Alexis Barlock ’20 – Mount Union University – Softball

Dimitri Gary ’20 – Saint Vincent College – Baseball

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Farewell, Friends! A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our faculty and staff who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to making Sewickley Academy the prestigious institution it is today. The Academy will not be the same without you, but will continue to thrive because of you. We wish you the best on your next adventure! Vanessa Candreva Band Teacher When the music began playing in the band room this school year, a familiar face was missing. After 16 years at Sewickley Academy, Vanessa Candreva retired before the 2020-2021 school year. Vanessa’s impact on the music program has been felt not only in the number of children continuing to play an instrument through their Senior School experience but also in the quality of the concert performances each year. One of her favorite memories is the Jazz Ensemble playing at Sewickley’s Light-Up Night. When asked what she will miss most about her time at Sewickley Academy, Mrs. Candreva shared “the special bond that teachers had with each other.” Her parting words of advice are, “Do everything you can to help each other, whether students or teachers. Learn from each other, and take advantage of every opportunity that SA offers.”

Larry Connolly Senior School English Teacher Larry Connolly feels that his 30 years at the Academy are being appropriately “book-ended,” combining his writing life beyond school with his teaching life in school. While he had sold stories to magazines, his first story, Traumatic Descent, published in an anthology shortly before he came to SA, is coming full circle. It was adapted into a feature film directed by David Slade and starring Mickey Rourke entitled Nightmare Cinema. Mr. Connolly enjoyed working with teacher Vicki Polinko on Ephemera when he arrived at the Academy and he continued to support student writing for this award-winning publication all the years since. He is also well known for Ephemera Live!, showcasing students’ work and his own talents on guitar in annual reviews for the Academy community. Panther Palooza, a yearly student-based rock concert open to the public, has also been a source of pride and success. Opportunities to work on global experiences have been highlights of his time here. In 1990, he loved the opportunity to accompany 129 students, teachers, and parents on a cultural exchange with Russia. Student singers, musicians, poets, and writers all participated in performances in Leningrad and St. Petersburg that wowed their audiences. In 2007, when Dr. Joan Cucinotta was teaching in China, they partnered in a global classroom uniting her Chinese students with his Academy students in a series of cultural experiences on live video (a new concept at the time, when Skype was in its infancy). The Chinese students were still in school at 7:00 p.m. and the American students came to school at 7:00 a.m. to share Poetry Day, Music Day, and other conversations related to food and culture. Beyond the experience of such special events, Mr. Connolly’s influence on his students reverberates with praise from the students of 2018-2019 back to students in 1988-1989. He moves on to an active life in writing and filmmaking, starting with the release of Nightmare Cinema in June 2019.

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Dr. Joan Cucinotta Senior School English Teacher Joan Cucinotta, Ph.D., started her career at Sewickley Academy 39 years ago. “I thought it was a huge step up. I admired the standard of teaching here – it was what I wanted to grow into,” she said of her hiring. “I thought, ‘I found the right place for me.’” She appreciated the early support of colleague Vicki Polinko and administrators Jim Cavalier and Cliff Nichols. Almost four decades later, she sets the bar for teaching English that someone else will now have to “grow into.” Through the years, she loved the opportunity to teach so many different courses and explore intellectual thought in many directions. Dr. Cucinotta felt very lucky to go to China on an exchange trip organized by Karen Coleman, for whom she took over as trip coordinator. This led to an opportunity to teach in China for three months in 2007. “The experience made me really appreciate the basics of teaching – to speak clearly, to write things on the board, to make sure each student understood,” Joan said. “You like to be the best teacher you can be, to hope you have impacted some of these kids and maybe to light a spark in someone,” she said. “The point of education is to develop good character and become a good citizen, not to make the most money. I like to see kids explore, play math games and puzzles, and create. It has also been a pleasure to teach the children of children I taught before. It gives me an incredible sense of time. I feel that I’ve come full circle.” What’s next? A trip to Scotland and trips to see her grandchildren in California and Virginia. Joan finds volunteering for the League of Women Voters at their naturalization ceremonies very rewarding. She also volunteers for Planned Parenthood. She plans to study and possibly to teach at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon.

Eva Kidwai Senior School Spanish Teacher For the first time in 16 years, the halls of the language department will be without Eva Kidwai. Vanessa Villalobos, her colleague in the language department, will remember Eva for her “infinite amount of energy and fast-paced movement around campus, [her] collaborative spirit, [her] caring and nurturing leadership, and [her] endless support to [her] students and colleagues.” A former student shared, “I will truly miss you, Senora Kidwai. You’re the most kind and understanding teacher I’ve ever met. The information and knowledge you’ve given me is something no one can learn through a textbook. I am honored to have had you as my teacher for two years, and I will never forget about you.” Mrs. Kidwai made an impression on her students, her colleagues, and the rest of the Sewickley Academy community. Thank you for your positive contributions to the community; you have made SA a better place.

Sarah Lyon Lower School Art Teacher For 31 years, Sarah Lyon has inspired students to engage their hearts, minds, and hands to learn how to use their curiosity and imagination to render artworks, the essence of their creative thinking. Over the years, Sarah has supported her students’ artistic growth, creating myriad ways for them to learn, grow, explore, and discover what they think about the world. A student once wrote about Sarah, “Ms. Lyon is my new hero. I got the joy of working with her for my senior project, and I do not think I’ve met a harder worker. Her relaxed, not easily phased attitude is one in a million. When I mosey into her room, I often get jealous that I did not have such an awesome supportive spontaneous open-minded loving teacher as a child. I am so lucky to have been able to work with her, and her effect on me will stay a part of me forever.” Wow, not many of us are lucky enough to have a student say that about us. Fortunately, students for 31 years have had the benefit of Sarah’s inspiring teaching. Congratulations on an amazing career at Sewickley Academy.

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Lee McGinn Senior School History and Economics Teacher Lee McGinn’s first connection to the Academy was through coach Whitney Snyder ’79 as an assistant with the tennis team. A history teaching position opened in 2001, jumpstarting Mr. McGinn’s 18-year career at SA. Traveling with Dr. Cucinotta to China with students in 2007 was a highlight of his time here, as was the opportunity to work on a daily basis with students from so many different backgrounds and cultures from all over the world. Attending a European Union conference for teachers at NATO in Brussels, Belgium, while the World Cup was being played was also a terrific opportunity that few teachers have had. Such international exposure “enriched both my teaching and my life,” he said gratefully. Mr. McGinn’s special contributions to the school included his course on economics, which had previously been linked to a course in accounting. His many years in business helped move this class to a real-world, problem-solving experience for students. Similarly, his skill in teaching critical analysis regarding our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) provided an important platform not only for future work in the business world but for a citizen’s enhanced understanding of our nation’s economy. Another major highlight he emphasized was working with coach James Boone and the 2015 PIAA Champion soccer team. What’s next? “I’m looking forward to getting off a schedule,” he said. “Both our daughters are getting married – Chrissie ’12 in October and Lindsay in June. I plan to spend time in North Carolina, at Lake Chautauqua, and doing some traveling with my wife, and I will probably be doing some accounting and banking for our real estate business.”

Ann Russell Senior School English Teacher When Ann Russell began teaching Senior School English in the Fall of 2000, it was hard to predict the impact she would have on hundreds of students. When asked about her favorite memory, Ann shared, “Identifying a single best memory is a challenge because there were so many rewarding interactions with students, advisees, and colleagues. Probably, though, the common thread in all of my fondest memories of the Academy is the shared sense of purpose that characterized planning, teaching, and advising at its best.” For 20 years, Ann has embodied teaching and advising at its best and was a quiet force in the Senior School English department. As she enters retirement, Ann reminisced on what she enjoyed most about her time at Sewickley Academy, which was “the opportunity to work with dedicated colleagues and engage students in a supportive and encouraging environment where I continued to learn and grow.”

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Dr. Susan Zawacky Senior School Chemistry Teacher “I feel very lucky to have had a chance to teach here,” said Dr. Zawacky who retired after 35 years of teaching chemistry. “Lucky” would also describe her students’ experiences in the classroom. Alumni in the varied fields of science continually report Dr. Zawacky’s influence on their choices, including NASA astronaut Mike Fincke ’85, among the notables. “Through all these years,” she said, “I have really enjoyed thinking about chemistry and how to teach it.” She also taught physics the first few years she was here, “which helped with the interface of physics and chemistry.” “There have been many “aha!” moments watching students finally get it, which have been very satisfying, especially if science is not their best subject,” she shared. “I find enormous satisfaction watching them improve as students.” Dr. Zawacky has especially enjoyed her relationship with the Breakthrough Pittsburgh program (formerly called Summerbridge Pittsburgh). As a mentor to many Breakthrough teachers, she has encouraged them with teaching methods and enthusiasm – “You’re going to be dynamite!” She has loved watching middle school students in their charge “grow and change and mature” in a program that has challenged many lives in such a positive way. Dodgeball games between faculty and students may never be the same. Dr. Z has been the last person standing on the faculty side repeatedly. Any student who has the audacity to try to hit her is booed. Triumphing once again this winter, she was awarded the Golden Goggles, a singular accomplishment in the annals of Academy dodgeball during the annual Bizarre and Extreme Day celebration on Halloween, for which she now has the affectionate moniker “Goggle Woman.” Dr. Zawacky is an energizer bunny type. She plans to focus on a field of science she has not yet had the time to study in depth – geology. She will read widely on the subject and look for professors who are interesting from whom she will take courses. She also plans to spend time with her sisters in New Hampshire and Minneapolis, and her aging parents and family in Ames, Iowa, where she grew up.

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On the Road Again By: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D.

In March 2019, I had a special visit with Maria Gaydos ’84, who is a physician with Family Healthcare Associates in Dallas, Texas. Maria earned her M.D. at Temple University and has worked in Family Medicine, treating patients with a wide variety of medical issues for the past 25 years. In 2015, she received a prestigious award for outstanding service to her patients. Maria, who was a backyard neighbor of mine during her time at the Academy, stays in touch with me and with the school. She helped to organize the 35th reunion for the Class of 1984 in October 2019. Despite the constant demands on her busy life, Maria makes time to stay connected to friends and family through the decades. She truly lives her mantra, “It’s all about relationships.”

Special guests at the dinner were founding Head of Senior School Jim Cavalier and his wife Patty. Jim was thrilled to spend time with Colleen Carr ’73 and Ted Waller ’74 learning about their lives and careers. Colleen is a licensed psychologist in practice at Associates in Counseling and Health Psychology in Naples, where she works with adults, adolescents, and elders addressing problems of depression, anxiety, and life transitions. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University (where she met her husband, Earl Rectanus) and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi. Earl is also a licensed psychologist and the two have been in practice together for close to thirty years. They have two grown daughters.

In Naples, Florida, later that month, I had a delightful lunch with Karen Coleman, former French teacher and department chair at the Academy for 36 years. Karen and I discussed the language program at the Academy through those decades – what languages were added or subtracted, the languages that were “popular” nationally and locally during those times, and how the exchange programs were initiated and continued throughout her years at the school.

Ted Waller and his wife Judy have carved out a life of helping others, particularly children in the foster care system. (See alumni profile on page 78.) They live on a 55-acre farm in Lacoochee, Florida, with 14 goats, 14 chickens, four cows, two dogs, two cats, and a bull. They have two grown sons who work in the entertainment industry in L.A.

Karen retired to Florida to care for her mother who died three years later. Afterward, Karen began a job at a local French bakery where she had a wonderful time interacting with French and other international patrons who frequented the bakery. Later she worked at Publix for over 10 years, mostly in the bakery department. “You wouldn’t expect that job to be fun, but it really was,” she said. “I met so many interesting people there.” Karen has an infectious zest for life and currently remains very involved with her local church in a variety of capacities. Hugh ’61 and Eliza Nevin sponsored a small dinner at the Royal Poinciana Golf Club for some of our local alumni. Hugh, in addition to being an alum, has a long and valued history with the Academy as a former Board Chair and trustee during the capital campaign for the expansion of the school in the mid- to late-90s.

Susan Craig, Eliza Nevin, and Nancy Hansen at a small dinner party at the Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Florida in March 2019.

Also enjoying the evening and the trip down Memory Lane were George ’59 and Susan Craig, parents of Nancy (Craig ’84) Garvey and Jim ’86; Susan (Nevin ’67) Cockrell, mother of Peter ’02; and Nancy Hansen, mother of Gregg ’77 and Natalie (Hansen ’78) Weinsz and grandmother of Gregg and Gretchen’s four Academy graduates. I had the privilege of staying with the Cavaliers at their winter condominium. At age 93, Jim’s mind is still as active as can be. He told story after story of events in the early days of the Senior School, and quickly recalled particular students and teachers as well. Jim thinks his mind is not what it used to be at remembering, but I would say that whatever small difference there might be from the ravages of time, we should all be so mentally capable at 93.

Colleen Carr ’73 and her husband Earl Rectanus chat with Susan (Nevin ’67) Cockrell.

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Wynne (Paffard ’55) and Arthur Delmhorst spend time with their grandchildren Ian and Millie in Connecticut.

Leslie (Lascheid ’77) Heryford and her husband Steve Foss in Naples, Florida.

Karen Muse, mother of Amy (Muse ’80) Lang, Chip ’83, and Jay ’85, and grandmother of Charlie Muse ’19 and Griffin ’12 and Lucas ’17 Lang (plus several additional grandchildren), hosted a beautiful luncheon at the Audubon Country Club where Mary (formerly Edson) Nichols was the special guest. I presented a short slide show of photos from the 180 years of Sewickley Academy history and then a “This Is Your Life, Mary Nichols” presentation with information and photos from her 34-year teaching career and her time as First Lady of Sewickley Academy. Mary (could anyone be more of a “doll” than Mary?) at age 88 was beautiful as always, with her stylish manner and signature hot pink lipstick.

Neighborhood Health Clinic as the CEO after a long, successful career in the corporate world. She is very proud of her children Ryan Heryford ’02, a professor at San Francisco State University, her daughter Kate (Heryford ’04) Williams, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and her daughter Erin, who lives in the Naples area.

Guests at the luncheon included Mary’s daughter Trinity (Edson ’83) Crawford and her husband Reagan, Gwynn Wardwell, mother of Jim ’88 and a former president of the Academy’s Home and School Association, Nancy Hansen, and the Cavaliers. Our deepest appreciation to Karen for hosting this warm-hearted event. I spent my final evening in Naples with Leslie (Lascheid ’77) Heryford and her husband Steve Foss. Leslie works for a clinic established by her father that serves indigent residents of the area’s medical needs. Her father, Dr. Richard Lascheid, retired from medical practice here in Pittsburgh and moved with his wife Nancy to Florida. After a few months of golf and leisure, he was anxious to be busy again. Seeing the need for medical care for those who had no health insurance, Dr. Lascheid opened a clinic in 1999 offering free care for the working poor in the area. The clinic has grown tremendously (I’ll save that story for another day) and Leslie now continues to run the

Mary Nichols, Karen Muse (hostess), Trini (Edson ’83) Crawford and Reagan Crawford at Audubon Country Club in Florida.

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I traveled to Greenwich, Connecticut, in early April and had a wonderful visit with Wynne (Paffard ’55) Delmhorst. We caught up on news from our class and shared news of our present lives. Wynne retired as the manager of information services at Greenwich Library after 35 years, but found that retirement wasn’t to her liking. She went back to work part time at the library and is happy as can be. Wynne and her husband Arthur delight in their two grandchildren, Millie and Ian, who live nearby in Larchmont, New York, and spend time in Stonington, Connecticut. Wynne is a board member of the Stonington Historical Society. Arthur remains active on three boards, including one with the New York City Fire Department, where he serves as a trustee of the honor emergency fund that provides support for firefighters who have suffered injuries and other debilitating conditions. Traveling to see our alumni, parents of alumni, and former faculty and staff is truly a treat. If you would like me to come your way with a short history of the school and photos of your particular era, send a note or give me a call. I would love to see you! Email ssour@sewickley.org or call 412 741-2230 ext. 3047 and I will plan to get on the road again.

Gwynn Wardwell, Nancy Hansen, Jim Cavalier, and Pat Cavalier reunite at the luncheon.

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CLASS NOTES

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Mimi (Brooks ’53) Woodbridge and Flat Panther travel to Korea in 2019.

Jay Brooks ’56, Madison Miller ’23, and Derek Chimner ’04 stand outside Rea Auditorium after the Middle School’s award ceremony in the spring of 2019. Jay and Derek presented Madison with the Isobel Brooks Sportsmanship Award.

Globetrotting Mimi (Brooks) Woodbridge traveled to Korea and Vietnam. Regarding her trip to Vietnam, Mimi reported, “We were treated to most of the famous sites as well as intimate moments which we could never have discovered for ourselves. After the war, Vietnam went through an awful 20 odd years under communism. Thought nominally communist, Vietnam is now really an oligarchy, with the military and industrialists on top. The lower classes have enough, but never enough to get ahead, and there is simmering unrest. In the fall of 2019, my daughter, Margaret, and I spent two weeks in Turkey. I then went on to Almaty to join a 27-day tour of the “Stans” of Central Asia with Elder Treks. It was an adventure. It is a part of the world that I have always wanted to visit.”

Carol (Ranson ’62) O’Keefe and Liz (Fleming ’62) Frost visit Victoria Falls in Zambia.

Margaret Adams reported, “After almost 20 years of Key West-Sewickley living, I sold my ‘island cottage’ and plan to retire to Sewickley on Henry Avenue. At the same time, unfortunately, my younger daughter Holly Moraca and family moved to Bellingham, Washington, for her husband Bob’s new position in a cardiac practice out there. I will surely miss them, but am already planning my first visit. My grandson, Lucas Moraca, attended SA for two years, and I was thrilled to have him there. All three Moraca children now attend Bellingham schools. My older daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Bill Kenny, live close by in the North Hills with their

two sons, Jack and Liam. Jack graduated from Central Catholic in May and is attending John Carroll University. Liam plays basketball at North Allegheny High School. Jennifer is a special education teacher in the Pittsburgh Public School system. My son Stuart is an attorney for an engineering company in Denver, Colorado. He loves it out there, and I love to visit Colorado, especially the mountains. His son Miller graduated from Washington & Lee in May.” Sadly, Margaret lost her partner of 19 years, Jon Hur, whom she met in the Florida Keys long ago.

56 Jay Brooks attended the Sewickley Academy Middle School’s awards ceremony where he participated in presenting the Isobel Brooks Sportsmanship Award. Isobel ’58 was an outstanding athlete who enjoyed all aspects of team sports and the life lessons they presented.

62 Carol (Ranson) O’Keefe reported on a trip with Liz (Fleming) Frost: “Liz and I went to Zambia in March 2019 to work at the Esther School near Chongwe, Zambia. My church supports this school, and this is our second trip there. I taught the students about malaria, clean water, and hygiene and handed out booklets for each student to take home. Liz and I enjoyed getting to see the classrooms and teachers at work while the school was in session. We made many friends and the students loved touching our hair and white skin! We also organized a sale of gently used clothes and shoes for the local

Carol (Ranson ’62) O’Keefe teaches students about clean water at the Esther School in Zambia.

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community. After the work at the school, Liz and I took off and toured Victoria Falls and went on a photographic safari. I hope that we will be able to return and work there next school year!”

68 D’Arcy (Wilkinson) Achziger lost her partner and best guy, David Muchnick, on September 15, 2019. “Although he was a double amputee for over 22 years, there was simply nothing he could not do. He will be missed.”

69 Jenny Heard was named Attorney of the Year 2019 in Snohomish County, Washington. For the past 15 years, she has represented the best interests of children in custody cases and adults in guardianships as their guardian ad litem. She was the director of the county’s Legal Aid organization prior. Very modest about her accomplishments, Jenny said, “I have always done and continue to do pro bono work. It has been a good and rewarding career.”

71 Joanne Groshardt has retired. She remains a volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul and donates jewelry she makes to silent auction galas in the United States. If you can use jewelry for your nonprofit, silent auction, or gala, please reach out to her via email at bigheart353@yahoo.com.

away, and my family moved to Wisconsin where he was raised. I wanted to reach out to some of my old friends and classmates from SA. I was a social worker for the state of Minnesota, now retired, and hope to connect with some friends from the past.” Hugh welcomes your contact at hughseverson@gmail.com. Robert Thaw is an avid biker and takes several arduous trips a year with friends, including a trip in Italy in 2019. In 2018, he rode the famous Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) and C&O Canal Rail Trail, a 300-mile trip that passes through four national parks – C&O Canal, Antietam Battlefield, Harpers Ferry, and Rock Creek Park. Robert and Barbara’s daughter Rachel works for the start-up ANDIE, an online women’s bathing suit company. She and her fiancée, Jose, love New York City and all the opportunities it offers. While their son Marcus, a mechanical engineer, is working in Washington, D.C., he also spends numerous hours in the kitchen, perfecting his baking and mealprep skills. When not biking trails or traveling to watch Marcus play Ultimate Frisbee around the midAtlantic states, Robert is president and CEO of Littell Steel. Meghan (Fawcett), John Wise and other family members visited the circle dedicated to Colin Wise ’07 on the anniversary of his death (9/3/2009). The circle is in the courtyard between the Hansen Library and the Simmons Family Middle School on campus.

Robert Thaw ’72 takes a strenuous bike trip through the beautiful countryside of Italy.

Robert ’72 and his wife Barbara (Cooley) Thaw relax between bike trips.

Katie, Tim ’70, Adele, and Caroline Wise join Meghan (Fawcett ’72), John ’72, and Chris ’09 Wise at Colin’s Circle on Sewickley Academy’s campus.

Hugh Severson wrote, “I attended Sewickley Academy Middle School and would have graduated with the Class of ’72. My father passed

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Sofia Lynn ’16

Passion for Pups: Training Susquehanna Service Dogs By: Brendan Schneider

Could you do it? Could you make a commitment to a pet through daily feedings and walks and taking them literally everywhere you go for 18 months to know that a day will come when your pet leaves you never to be seen again? Could you do it? Sofia Lynn ’16 did, and continues to do so today.

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Sofia, a graduate of Penn State main campus with degrees in psychology and bio-behavioral health and a minor in sexuality and gender studies, first got involved in Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), a program under Keystone Human Services, in April of 2017. “Initially, I took a few classes to learn and get trained on the skills and responsibilities it takes to raise a service dog,” Sofia said. “Just a few months later, in August 2017, SSD called me saying they had a puppy available for me to raise. A few days later, I drove to Harrisburg and picked up Trail, an eight-week-old yellow lab that changed my life forever.” Susquehanna Service Dogs raises, trains, and prepares service dogs for work in many different occupations. The training process begins when they are about eight weeks old. Volunteers, like Sofia, raise and train the puppies for approximately 18-20 months. Sofia was responsible for taking the puppy to class every week, keeping up with cues that the animal must learn, and taking Trail with her essentially anywhere she went including all of her classes, doctor appointments, restaurants, grocery stores, haircuts, long road trips, and even to a baseball game. The purpose of this type of training is to expose him to as many different public settings as possible, so he could learn self-control and focus on Sofia in any environment. Trail moved on to advanced training, where he worked with professional trainers for an additional four to six months. Not all dogs make the SSD cut. Through regular evaluations, it is noticeable when some puppies may be better suited as pets than as service dogs, and they are discharged. The puppies that pass all of their assessments in basic training and show that they want to work go on to advanced training. The dogs that graduate from advanced training will find work as a facility dog, hearing dog, balance dog, or even as a CIA K-9.

The work can be difficult from never-ending house training, embarrassing moments in public, and frustrations when learning the cues, but Sofia could not be more proud of Trail. “Whether SSD Trail makes it through advanced training or not, I’m extremely proud of absolutely everything he’s done so far,” she said. Because Trail had made it to the next level of training, Sofia had to give up her furry friend this in March 2019. Knowing she successfully trained Trail did not make it any easier for her to let him go. “Ever since the first time I took him out in public, at eight weeks old, people would say, ‘How are you going to give him up? I could never do what you’re doing!’ The number of times that puppy raisers hear this exact phrase is insane. But it’s also true,” she reflected. “The toughest part of raising Trail was giving him up, but the best part was seeing him succeed and inspire people around him on a daily basis.” Their work together became easier and more relevant when people would stop Sofia during training to share that they had a personal connection with service dogs. One example was a woman whose son had epilepsy and was on the waitlist for a seizure dog. Another time, a man whose brother was a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) shared that the service dog saved his brother’s life. “Anytime people would share these stories, it made our work so much more meaningful to me.”

Sofia and Trail visit a Lower School Spanish class at the Academy. Trail showed off a few of his tricks, and all students had an opportunity to personally meet and pet him.

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Bill McKeever’s ’73 book, “Emperors of the Deep,” was published by Harper- Collins.

The Trau Family – Duncan, Debra (Snow ’77), Griffin, and Peter ’75 – celebrates after Griffin delivered the University of Richmond’s 2019 graduate school commencement speech.

Jim Caruso ’76 with Anna Singer ’76 and Tom Tiernan ’77 in Pittsburgh.

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Tim Appleton has researched and presented a series of lectures for the Sewickley Heights History Center during the past two years. Tim has done his research through publications from the past and interviews with current family members. His topics have included several of the wellknown families who settled in Sewickley Heights in the late 1800s through the early 1920s, many of whom were the iron and steel barons of their day. His lectures speak of the careers that enabled the families to build huge homes and beautiful gardens in the Heights and of the philanthropy that many engaged in to help make Pittsburgh a premier city. Tim said, “Having always loved the city of Pittsburgh and having been afforded the opportunity to attend Sewickley Academy, I wanted to better understand what makes the Pittsburgh area so special. Doing this research on the early families of Sewickley Heights has given me a better perspective on what makes our area such a wonderful place to live. Pittsburgh had a remarkable past and I am ever more optimistic that our future will be even brighter.” “One of the luckiest things” in William McKeever’s life has been getting to write a book on his passion, protecting sharks and the oceans. “Emperors of the Deep” explains the new discoveries about sharks and exposes how 100 million are killed every year. Written over two years, Bill traveled the world and met with scientists, dove with sharks (no cage), and chronicled how they are in serious danger. The book was published by HarperCollins and released to bookstores nation-wide on June 23, 2019,

and is available on Amazon. Bill is thankful for all the great English teachers he had at the Academy. Their lessons live on!

74 Kurt Ligo retired after teaching elementary school for 27 years!

Peter and Debra (Snow ’77) Trau’s son, Griffin, was the University of Richmond’s 2019 graduate school commencement speaker and the Colonial Athletic Association’s Football Scholar Athlete of the Year. A Fulbright recipient, Griffin spent the 20192020 year in the Czech Republic. During his Richmond career, Griffin was honored as 1st Team All-America in 2016 and 1st Team All-Conference in 2016 and 2017; he graduated as Richmond’s #2 all-time scorer. Their younger son, Duncan, also plays football for the Spiders. Duncan graduated from Episcopal High School in Virginia where he broke the all-time/career scoring record for the Maroon. Both Episcopal (v. Woodberry Forest – 119 years) and Richmond (v. William & Mary – 128 years) play in the longest-standing prep and college football rivalry games south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

76 Jim Caruso and his popular show “Cast Party” came back to Pittsburgh after a very successful debut at the CLO Cabaret a year earlier. Jim’s special brand of showmanship, talent, and zest for life headline a delightful evening of audience participants of all ages and all types – song, dance, and instrumental – who are invited onstage to show their talents to a wildly appreciative

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audience. Our own Anna Singer was among the stars who performed, on her birthday as it turned out. Numerous SA alums and friends were in attendance and enjoyed an evening of good music and good cheer.

78 Chip Carton spoke to legislators on behalf of the ALS Foundation (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in Washington, D.C. Chip, who has ALS and lives at the Masonic Village in Sewickley, is an activist seeking support for research and development to find solutions in the treatment and cure of this disease. Chip wrote, “I am very lucky to still be here after almost 11 years fighting ALS, because it is 100% fatal and many people last less than three years.” Chip welcomes support for this cause, including contacting senators and congressional representatives at this address: http://bndfr.com/93R3Q. Heather Semple accompanied a group of 15 travelers with serious health issues to the city of Lourdes, France, famous for its healing waters and miracles, particularly the 1858 visitation by the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous. Heather stayed in a convent, helped with meals, and accompanied the patients to the sacred shrine. Their bus from the U.K. was equipped with hospital beds so that the patients could be comfortable on the journey. Heather described her experience as “life-changing.” “I served as an assistant to several terminally ill cancer patients and physically challenged pilgrims who had more joy, kindness, and gratitude for their lives and faith than I have ever seen,” she said.

81 Carolee Bull, head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology at Penn State, is part of a multiuniversity team that is exploring bacterial pathogens. Their research will have real-world impacts. The team was awarded a $4 million grant to aid in their efforts.

82 PJ Freshwater writes, “After five years of retirement, I have returned to Pennsylvania to care for my mother who is in nursing care. I am the security coordinator for Pine-Richland School in Gibsonia, and am homeschooling my twin daughters, who are high school seniors early enrolled at Geneva College. My other children have graduated from high school and are in college, one in Colorado and the other in Oklahoma. I am trying to adjust to the weirdness of living in my childhood home again for this season of life, having “inherited” it with the onset of my mother’s care. I see John Pitts often and am grateful for lifelong friendships. Pennsylvania has certainly changed in the 30 years I was away!”

Heather Semple ’78 assists patients from the U.K. at the healing shrine in Lourdes.

Turn Yourself In! Here’s your chance to submit a class note for the next issue of Sewickley Speaking. Help us share your milestones and achievements with your Sewickley Academy network! Please submit your story today by visiting our website. If you have a digital photo you’d like to share, please send it to alumni@sewickley.org with a note identifying the people in the photo.

Stay tuned for more details! Would you like to have an alumni event in your city? Contact alumni@sewickley.org. Have you moved or changed jobs? Be sure to update your contact information at www.sewickley.org so we don’t miss you!

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Monkeying Around: Mackenzie Pryor ’14 and her Pursuit of Primatology By: Susan Kinser Ever since Mackenzie Pryor ’14 was a little girl, she has had a passion for animals. She grew up with a variety of pets: dogs, cats, hamsters, bunnies, turtles, and geckos. “Mackenzie was always nursing animals back to health, even a dying mole,” Crista Pryor, her mother and Sewickley Academy Early Childhood teacher, shared. “In school, she always loved science, especially biology.” Therefore, it came as no surprise that Mackenzie would pursue an undergraduate degree in wildlife biology. However, it did seem odd that she would continue her studies in anthropology, the study of humans. “I never thought I would get into anthropology, but, in America, most primatology programs are within anthropology due to evolution,” Mackenzie said. Mackenzie matriculated at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia, where she earned her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology and anthropology. She was working toward her Ph.D. in biological anthropology with a focus in primatology at Texas A&M University (TAMU). In order to start to form her dissertation, she spent part of the summer of 2019 in Peru studying primates’ interaction with bats. From June 1 through July 15, she collected population density data on owl monkeys from three different sites along the Madre de Dios River in the Peruvian Amazon. Her pilot study on owl monkeys, the only nocturnal species of primates in South America, helped her to scope out locations for when she planned to return to Peru the following year year to continue her research for an extended period.

“Anthropology demands the openmindedness with which one must look and listen, record in astonishment and wonder that which one would not have been able to guess.” – Margaret Mead

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Mackenzie credits Sewickley Academy for her work ethic, time management, and study skills when looking at her academic journey and success. She thrived in science at the Academy and enjoyed forming questions and then answering them through experiments and data collection. Senior School biology teacher Dr. Ron Kinser reflected on Mackenzie’s senior year, when she took his AP Biology course, and remembered her passion and curiosity for animals. “After a trip to Bolivia with the Academy, Mackenzie discovered a specific interest in monkeys,” he recalled.

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“I first saw primates in the wild in Bolivia. Looking at the spider monkeys, I could see how their hands, facial expressions, and behavior was similar to humans. I thought that nonhuman primates would be interesting to study because of these commonalities,” Mackenzie said. “Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they are all cute!” She returned to Sewickley Academy as a UGA student and taught numerous grade levels to complete an outreach project. Mackenzie visited Pre-K, Grades 4 and 5, and Dr. Kinser’s freshman biology class to engage students in the study of mammals. “I really enjoyed talking to students about something that I love so much. I know not everyone is as interested in wildlife as I am, but if one of those kids takes an interest in what I am teaching them, it can help them get into wildlife as well. Not many people realize that this is something they can actually study in school, so being able to inspire even just one student is really cool,” Mackenzie said.

she taught. Mackenzie’s knowledge of the specimens was equally impressive and showed her clear passion for the field of zoology, and, in this case, mammals.” Mackenzie reevaluated her career goals, and upon earning her masters in the spring, ultimately decided to leave grad school to pursue teaching. “I look forward to becoming an educator,” she said.

“She was phenomenal! It always brings me a great deal of joy to have alumni come back and share how they are growing academically. It is especially exciting for those that have chosen a field in life science,” Dr. Kinser said. “She was a natural teacher – articulate, informative, and adaptive over the course of the multiple classes in which

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Valerie Gaydos ’85 presents a citation to the principal of Ivo Andric Middle School in the town of Pranjani (the site of Operation Halyard in 1944) and President of the National Assembly of Serbia Maja Gojkovi on behalf of the State of Pennsylvania and Moon Township resident Carl Walpusk, who was one of the rescued 500 airmen.

Bill Goehring reports from Wexford, Pennsylvania, that he’s finally turning the corner with his start-up business, Shelf Advance, Inc., after more years in development than he’ll admit. He and his classmate Mike Fitzgerald “got the band back together” 20 years ago and rehearse weekly, hoping quixotically for groupies to materialize and a record label to come calling (no luck yet with either). And, speaking of the band, Bill, Mike, Lindsey Smith, and Tad Coburn reprised their rolls as high school teen rock idols and played a few songs at their 35th reunion in October 2018. “Our 35th reunion was a big success owing largely to Lindsey’s generosity in hosting the big party and Mike’s donation of fine wine,” he shared. “There were even calls for a 36th reunion! I’m also in touch regularly with Dan Scioscia, John Straka, and Alix (McGinnis) Giometti, who is rumored to be moving back to the village.

State Representative Valerie Gaydos visited Serbia in September 2019 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Operation Halyard, the largest rescue of the 500 Allied airman from behind Axis lines during World War II. Valerie presented a citation to the principal of Ivo Andric Middle School in the town of Pranjani (the site of Operation Halyard in 1944) and President of the National Assembly of Serbia Maja Gojkovi on behalf of the State of Pennsylvania and Moon Township resident Carl Walpusk who was one of the rescued 500 airmen. The story is memorialized in the book “The Forgotten 500.”

84 Bobby Gordon ’86 and daughter Elsa ’20 enjoy the Swiss Alps while Elsa was on Swiss Semester 2018.

Kym (Stephan ’84) Rambo, who is in the private aviation business, is featured in the Summer/Fall 2018 Issue of “JHStyle Magazine.”

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“No day is ever the same, ever,” Kimberly (Stephan) Rambo writes. Her Jackson-based company arranges private jet transport for a wide range of clientele, including royalty, movie stars, corporate executives, ’80s hair bands, and even one small marine mammal. Over the holidays, she often flies families who realize flying in a private aircraft can be quite affordable compared with the number of commercial tickets they need to buy. Her services are not membership-based, so people can select just what they need. Sometimes, she even coordinates with prisons to transport inmates to court alongside armed guards, which she said the industry dubs “cuff and gun” charters.

86 Bobby Gordon visited daughter Elsa ’20 when she attended Swiss Semester in 2018. Swiss Semester began in 1986 in cooperation with a Swiss school that attracts students from all over the world. The program is designed for sophomores to spend the fall term in Zermatt in academic, personal, and physical challenges including six academic classes a day, plus climbing, hiking, geology lab, and skiing in the mountains. His other daughter Mary Grace ’22 also attended Swiss Semester in 2020.

89 Brian Hutchison and the cast of The Boys in the Band won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. The show premiered on Broadway in 2018 and tells the story of a group of gay men who convene in a New York City apartment for a friend’s birthday party.

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As the evening continues, the cracks beneath their friendships begin to show, bringing to light self-inflicted heartache and identity crisis. The show ended several months prior to the awards show, and the entire cast was able to reunite at the Tony’s. “It was a thrill to win and celebrate together the rest of the night. It’s the first time we’d all seen each other since we closed, so there was a lot of laughter and catching up,” Brian said. And, if winning a Tony isn’t exciting enough, Brian and the entire original cast reprised their roles for a film produced by Ryan Murphy and Netflix! “We brought this story to a whole new audience. It’s a funny, dark, bracing, and brutal script written 50 years ago about a group of gay men in New York City. The original production in 1968 was such a curiosity because it was the first play ever written about gay people and what their lives were like. They risked everything by living openly – the loss of friends, family, jobs, social standing – let alone the constant real fear of harassment, violence, or being arrested – all of which is addressed in The Boys in the Band,” he said. “The Broadway production was a blast and a wonderful memory, but theater is just that – it is ephemeral so we are just left with a memory of what we saw or, for me, what my experience was doing it,” Brian reflected. “It’s a great opportunity to share this story on film now and celebrate how far we’ve come and also how much work there is still to do in this country and around the world in terms of acceptance, inclusion, and empathy.”

90 John Michael was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. A Center Township native, John went on to Notre Dame after SA. He is a former attorney who left his law career to become a sports broadcaster. Since the 2010-11 season, he’s been the play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the NBA title in 2016.

Brian Hutchison ’89 and the cast of The Boys in the Band win the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Kristina (Fausti) Broumand is living in Las Vegas and working at Zappos.com as senior corporate counsel. She and her husband, Shahriar, adopted their daughter and son, Destany and Kendall, from foster care. “They have brought so much joy to our family,” she wrote.

01 Allie Gilkey ’01 married Phillip Perry at the Fairmont Hotel on April 21, 2018, in Washington, D.C. where Allie has lived for the past nine years. A large group of Academy friends helped her celebrate this very happy occasion.

Kristina (Fausti ’93) and Shahriar Broumand are filled with joy after adopting their children, Destany and Kendall.

02 On February 13, 2019, Mary (Markvan) Patterson and her husband, John, joyfully welcomed their first daughter, Juliet Jane.

Allie (Gilkey ’01) Perry’s wedding guests included Rebecca Oliver ’01, Chelsey (Champ ’02) Trieu, Elizabeth Ruscitti, Annie (Ruscitti ’01) O’Leary, Mark O’Leary ’01, Allie (Gilkey ’01) Perry, Phillip Perry, Kacey (Wells ’03) McAleer, Holly Seifert ’01, Allison (Theis ’01) Dolan, and Fraser Seifert ’02.

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A N S W E R I N G

THE CALL TO SERVE: T E D WA L L E R ’74

By: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D. Edward “Ted” Waller ’74 is very modest about the important work he has been doing with children over the past three decades. It remains very personal with him, despite the much broader impact this work has had on others. At Marietta College, Ted earned a degree in comparative religious studies. He had a brief stint in the restaurant business before relocating to Naples, Florida, to try his hand in real estate, and although he was successful at this venture, he found he was spending a lot of time providing emotional support to the clients he was selling real estate to. He decided to go to graduate school, enrolling at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, to earn his master’s in human development counseling. After graduating in 1991, Ted and his wife Judy moved back to Naples where he began working as a supervisor for a locked residential program for adolescents. “At this point, I became convinced that I wanted to have an impact on kids with whom I may have shared some emotional simpatico,” Ted recalled. “I had life experience that might teach them survival skills that would allow them to have a life of purpose.” In 1995, the Wallers created Foster America, Inc., a behavioral healthcare company that provided deep end foster care services to at-risk kids. They were providers of specialized therapeutic foster care (STFC) for many years, growing it to the largest “mom and pop” therapeutic foster care company in the state of Florida with 10 offices throughout the state. In 2004, the Wallers sold that company and spent the next few years focusing on their two boys, Ben and Max, who were in their last years of high school and first years of college. In February 2012, Ted and Judy founded Healing Educational Alternatives for Deserving Students (HEADS) with the belief that all children and families at risk in the state of Florida deserve an opportunity to make the most out of their lives. According to its website, HEADS provides clinical support services that impact every area of clients’ lives, whether they are traumatized by abuse or victims of their own choices. The organization works with children and families daily in schools and at their homes

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to achieve goals that support life mastery and promote emotional and social well-being. Ted serves as the president, and his wife as the chief operating officer. The model they have developed for serving this marginalized youth population is being adopted in new clinics in other parts of Florida. “We work with children mostly, even though a lot of our time is spent teaching adults how to care for children,” Ted said. “Despite how powerless you may feel in certain cases, children always manage somehow to convey hope. I feel as though they deserve someone working on their behalf to give them the tools to have a life of value.” Ted described his path from SA to today this way, “I had the pleasure of reminiscing with Mr. Cav recently in Naples, Florida, and realized that I have been living a life of helping others since my high school days that I turned into a career in my 30s.” Founding Head of Senior School Jim Cavalier recalled that, “Ted was really terrific at helping others during his years in the Senior School. I remember very personally that I could count on him to assist any student who needed help – he was always very willing and totally dependable.”

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Maddie Georgino ’07, Paul Kappel ’06, Casey (Martin ’06) Brandy, Brandon Behun ’06, Jacquelyn Gibbons ‘06, Meredith Gottschalk ’06, Kevin Navikas ’06, and Allison Quinn ’06 celebrate the marriage of Jacquelyn and Brendan Byrne.

Lt. Joshua Otto ’09 serves with the Information Warfare Training Command Virginia Beach in Groton, Connecticut. “The Times” published an article on his work in May 2019.

Lauren Tancer ‘12 and Joshua Yauch tie the knot in Cleveland in 2018.

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Luke Brocks was selected to receive the highest award presented to an employee of Capital One – the Circle of Excellence. He devised a very innovative solution to a problem that had plagued Capital One (and many other credit card companies and banks) for years. He then worked with a team of software developers from India and Russia to get it to market. His family credits SA with “encouraging Luke to think outside the box, have confidence in his own ideas, and work collaboratively with team members around the world.”

Mac Means was named one of Commercial Observer’s 30 Under 30 Top Leasing and Sales Professionals of 2018. Mac joined Transwestern in 2015, and less than three years later became the youngest vice president in Transwestern’s New York office.

Jacquelyn Gibbons married Brendan Byrne on August 10, 2018, at the Palmer House in Chicago. Jacquelyn is the daughter of former first grade teacher, Vickie Gibbons. Friends from Sewickley Academy shared her special day. Brandon Behun, Casey (Martin) Brandy, Meredith Gottschalk, Paul Kappel, Kevin Navikas, Allison Quinn, and Maddie Georgino ’07.

08 Vaughn Wallace a graduate of University of Pittsburgh, is a senior photo editor at National Geographic in Washington D.C., where he directs the magazine’s photography coverage of climate change and environmental issues. He is the host of National Geographic’s first podcast, which launched this past summer. Taking four years of photography classes with former faculty member Jamie Wardrop ’57 prepared him for the career he has today.

The Times published an article in May 2019 on Lt. Joshua Otto, a Navy submarine warfare officer who was stationed with a command responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world. Joshua served with the Information Warfare Training Command Virginia Beach in Groton, Connecticut, and was responsible for managing military and civilian instructors who are teaching new sailors how to be information systems technicians for submarines, as well as more senior sailors in advanced courses involving cyber security. Otto credits his success in his career to his time at Sewickley Academy. “Besides my parents, who were great leaders for me, I’ve learned a lot of useful lessons from the sports teams I played on back home,” Otto told writer Kayla Turnbow. “Playing lacrosse at Quaker Valley and Sewickley Academy taught me how to work hard, lead by example, and learn from my mistakes. I would not be as successful as I am now as a naval officer without that foundation.”

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Lauren Tancer married Joshua Yauch on December 29, 2018, in Cleveland, Ohio. Cate Howes was Lauren’s maid of honor, and Lauren’s brother, Martin ’16, was a groomsman. Lauren and Josh met halfway through their freshman year at Miami University of Ohio, and are proud to be Miami Mergers. Lauren graduated in 2016 with a B.A. in zoology and a minor in entrepreneurship. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in May 2018 with her MBA. Josh graduated with a B.S. in management information systems from Miami’s Farmer School of Business. He is currently a senior consultant at Deloitte in cyber risk practice. Lauren reports, “After graduation, we moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I am working full time for Root, Inc. as an associate consultant. Root is a management consulting firm that helps the world’s most respected organizations master disruption, activate change, and realize positive results.”

Ryder MacDougall, Madeline Braksick, Kelsey Milo, Jackson O’Neill, and Michael Foley reconnected at Oktoberfest 2018 in Munich, Germany, with their respective groups of friends from their universities. Ryder (Wake Forest) studied in Florence, Italy; Maddie (Duke) studied in Geneva, Switzerland; Kelsey (Elon) studied in Copenhagen, Denmark; Jackson (Franklin & Marshall) studied abroad in Aix en Provence, France; and Michael (Wake Forest) spent the semester in Barcelona, Spain.

15 Ariel Richter acted in her third musical with the Virginia Repertory Theatre Company, in Richmond, Virginia. She said she has been so fortunate to be cast in these three professional shows while she is completing her B.A. in theater performance at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ariel was in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as an ensemble member and was also the understudy to Charlotte, one of the two stepsisters.

PJ Winters was featured in Duquesne University’s Bluff Stories. A classically trained musician and passionate mentor enrolled in the Mary Pappert School of Music, PJ originally planned to be a performance major in piano at Duquesne but decided the day of his audition to change to music education. “I entered the program on the leap of faith,” he said. PJ’s teaching career begin his sophomore year of high school at SA, when he began giving private lessons to a variety of clients. He is still involved with the Urban Impact Foundation, and had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the Penguins game, and perform backup vocals for Josh Groban at PPG Paints Arena as part of the Urban Impact Choir.

Ariel Richter ’15 performs in the Virginia Repertory Theatre Company’s rendition of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Ryder MacDougall ’16, Madeline Braksick ’16, Kelsey Milo ’16, Jackson O’Neill ’16, and Michael Foley ’16 reconnect during Oktoberfest 2018 in Munich, Germany.

PJ Winters ’16 is studying music education at Duquesne University. He was featured as one of the school’s Bluff Stories.

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Valerie Gaydos ’85 is Re-Elected as PA State Representative By: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D.

Valerie Gaydos ’85 was first sworn into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on January 1, 2019. A tireless campaigner, Valerie knocked on close to 8,000 doors in the 44th District, which encompasses 14 municipalities including Aleppo Township, Bell Acres, Crescent Township, Edgeworth, Findlay Township, Glen Osborne, Glenfield, Haysville, Moon Township, North Fayette Township, Ohio Township, Sewickley, Sewickley Heights, and Sewickley Hills. “While introducing myself to prospective voters and seeking their support, I treated each household as a job interview, not a sales pitch,” Valerie said of her campaign experience. “Being a good listener and learning how I could use my personal and business experiences to make the greatest positive impact for my community was paramount.” Valerie said she always had an interest in the success of our country, even as a child. “I read many biographies growing up and remember fondly reading the book “Meet Mr. Lincoln” which my sister, Maria ’84, picked out at one of the book fairs. There was a whole list of presidents in that series, and I think I read them all,” she reflected. While at Sewickley Academy, Valerie and Maria became certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and volunteered for Valley Ambulance with former Assistant Head of Senior School and paramedic Scott Carter. Valerie credits the Academy with teaching her how to write, and, more importantly, that she should strive to do well in whatever she chose to do. “Headmaster Mr. Cliff Nichols taught us to have pride in our work and to understand how our actions affect others both positively and negatively,” she said. “This was a strong foundation that can be used and valued in every career.” During her undergraduate years at Dickinson College and after graduating in 1989, Valerie worked for U.S. Senator John Heinz and then in the Pennsylvania Senate for Majority Whip Mike Fisher, who served as Senator from the 37th District. She started her own business, Capital Growth, Inc., in 1994, an information publishing company that sold financial data to subscribers including PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

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With a few years of business success behind her, she went on to invest in other successful start-up companies including one company that sold to Intel. Guiding other entrepreneurs and start up investors, she served as director of the Pennsylvania Private Investors Network and president of the Pennsylvania Angel Network, an association of startup investors across Pennsylvania, and founded Entrepreneurs for Growth, an advocacy group for inventors and founders. Today, Valerie works closely with veteran-owned startup companies through Hivers and Strivers. She is also a board member of Standing Firm, an organization aimed at ending partner violence, and a guardian and advisor for the Pittsburgh Honor Flight Network, which helps take veterans to Washington, D.C., to tour war memorials. She is also an active dog rescue volunteer. In addition to a robust business career, Valerie experienced many of life’s personal challenges, including losing her husband, Bruce Johnson, to lung cancer in 2002 and caring for her mother who suffered from Parkinson’s disease prior to her death. Although the timing may not have been perfect, Valerie knew she needed to run for office. “I saw a shortage of political candidates with real-world business experience which made me most interested in re-entering public service and running for this open house seat,” she said. “Over the years, I learned that while national politics often sets the tone, real change happens on the local level, in local government and in our communities. That is why I decided to run for the State House of Representatives.”

Valerie adjusted well to the fast-paced lifestyle of a representative, as her career as an entrepreneur often included a lot of travel and an unpredictable schedule. “Being a public official often means there is little to no downtime. The legislature is generally in session in Harrisburg on Monday through Wednesday of each week, so [the job] requires a lot of travel across the state. Saturdays and Sundays are often spent with constituents at social events or ceremonies, such as Eagle Scout Awards,” she explained. “Seeing what people are doing to make a difference in their community and knowing that there are ways that I, as a State Representative, can help them is very rewarding.” In addition to representing more than 62,000 residents of the 44th District, Representative Gaydos’ legislative responsibilities include serving on the Committees on Commerce, Education, Health, and Liquor Control. She also received the honor of being asked to chair the Commerce Subcommittee on Economic Development. Valerie was re-elected in November 2020 for a second term. For more information, contact Valerie at 412-262-3780.

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Former science teacher Dolly Paul and husband Bill, parents of Joe ’82 and Greg ’88 and grandparents of Hilary ’15, Willie ’16, Jackson ’19, and Maggie ’19 visited with Sally and Joe Zaluski, parents of Zack ’00 and Katelin ’02, in Delray, Florida, where Joe retired as Head of School at the Gulf Stream School.

Millen Schuchert recorded an album with original music titled, “My Box.” The album features nine original songs that represent a range of years, as he wrote the songs between the ages of 13 and 19. Millen’s inspiration came from events that he experienced or what people close to him experienced. Millen wrote “My Box” from the perspective of the impact that his freshman dorm room had on him. However, the box is also figuratively a representation of the “standard” of society. The song represents his response to the pressure of living up to expectations through the eyes of others rather than through his own.

Michael Bartholic, a junior at Georgetown University, was featured in a Salesforce.org Changemaker article published by The New York Times in 2019. Author Amelia Old quotes Michael in her description of The Maker Hub at the university, which provides tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and fabrication supplies to students free of cost. “I can’t own all of the tools I might want to use. So, having a space to go and have people available that want to help you use those things is highly impactful,” he told the reporter. Michael and his classmates used the space to build low-cost air pollution monitors to test air quality and analyze data. Each student in the class was paired with a different partner school in a developing country such as Peru and Nepal.

Millen started recording the album in June of 2018 in Pittsburgh. Natalia Arbelaez Solano ’18 and his brother, Arjun Schuchert, a senior, had huge roles in this project as Natalia did vocals for the songs “Tell Me Nothing,” “Tunnels,” and “The Light That Shines on You.” She also has a cello solo in “The Light That Shines on You.” Arjun recorded all of the drums for the album. Mia Tsudis, a senior at Georgetown University, was named a national scholar-athlete by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association in July 2019. A finance major, Mia placed fifth in women’s varsity lightweight eight at the IRA National Championship Regatta. According to the Sewickley Herald, Mia’s varsity lightweight coach Kieren Emery and head coach Kendall Mulligan nominated her for the award.

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19 The all-things-soccer website, TopDrawerSoccer, which covers recruiting and ranks teams on a nationwide scale, released its high school all-region and all-state teams for the 2018 fall season in July. Alex Gordon made the site’s boys all-region (mid-Atlantic) and all-state team.

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IN MEMORIAM

As of January 2020

ALUMNI MARY (APPLEGATE ’34) FISHER Mary Applegate Fisher died Monday, July 29, 2019, at her home in Hamden, Connecticut, after a short illness. She was 101. Born June 22, 1918, in Sewickley, Mary was the daughter of Elizabeth Burns and Robert Ashworth Applegate. She attended Sewickley Academy, Chatham Hall School in Chatham, Virginia, and graduated from Smith College in 1940. She was a resident of 214 Centennial Avenue in Sewickley until 1941. Mary was married to Robert Seelye Reigeluth, of New Haven, Connecticut, from 1941 until his death in 1999. She and Robert owned and operated The Foundry Bookstore in New Haven for 30 years. She was also an absentee member of the Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley until 2002 and a member of the Iron City Fishing Club until 2019. She was married to Everett Fisher, of Greenwich, Connecticut, from 2002 until his death in 2015. Mary is survived by three sons, Robert S. Reigeluth Jr., George A. Reigeluth, and Douglas S. Reigeluth; a daughter, Elizabeth R. Parker, a Sewickley native; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. MARGOT (MOORE ’37) BRINKLEY Margot (Moore ‘37) Brinkley, born September 20, 1922, passed away at Ingleside at Rock Creek on February 8, 2019, at the age of 96. She had dementia. Margot was born in Pittsburgh, the daughter of William G. Moore and Jessie Atwell Moore. Her grandfather, E. B. Moore of Portsmouth, Ohio, was the captain of the Mississippi River boat Bonanza. She was a cousin of the poet Marianne Moore. She is survived by her son Sterling (Clare) of Miami, Florida; her daughter Jessie (Bruce Bunting) of Washington, D.C.; and three grandchildren: Sterling Brinkley of Mexico City, Georgiana Brinkley of San Francisco, and Kinley Bunting of Washington D.C. Her husband of 54 years, Dr. Sterling B. Brinkley, died in 2001. Margot grew up in Sewickley and spent a year in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she learned to surf from Duke Kahanomoku and developed a lifelong interest in travel and adventure. She attended Sewickley Academy and Punahou School (Honolulu). She graduated from The Madeira School (‘40) and Vassar College (‘44) and received a Masters in Education from Yale University (‘61). After college, she worked in London as a researcher for the Office of Strategic Services during WWII. She lived with her husband and children in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Wallingford, Connecticut, before moving to Washington, D.C. in 1964. Margot taught social studies at two D.C. high schools, Dunbar and Ballou, from 1965 to 1967. In 1968, she joined the Washington office of the Foundation Center, where she worked for 23 years and became its director. She was a board member of the International Student House for over 20 years. An avid cyclist, Margot commuted daily to K Street from her home in Cleveland Park. She also participated in many international cycling tours, including a trip to France to celebrate her 85th birthday.

MARY ELIZABETH (PRICE ’39) HUNT At age 94, Mary Elizabeth Price Hunt passed away peacefully on October 4, 2019. Daughter of the late Griswold Andrews Price and Mary Harriet Price (nee Odell), she is remembered as an Evanston, Illinois, native, mother, and educator at North Shore Country Day School. Liz attended Sewickley Academy, then graduated from the North Shore Country Day School, Smith College, and the Graduate Teachers College of Winnetka, where she earned her M. Ed. She taught English at Sunset Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, then served under many headmasters at North Shore Country Day School in many different capacities. In 1996 she received the school’s Foster Price Hannaford Award in recognition of her lifelong service to North Shore. She loved books, crossword puzzles, and the arts. She sang with the Music Institute of Chicago for more than 20 years. On May 19, 1951, she married John W. Hunt. Her husband and family meant everything to her. She was the loving mother of Harriet W. Hunt (James Brown), Lewis G. Hunt (Terry), and the late Mary Newcomb (Michael); grandmother of Elizabeth and Sarah Newcomb, Caroline and Andrew Hunt, William Brown, and Julia and Jamerson Harrell. She was especially close to her sister, the late Virginia Price Ware. HELEN (COLLIN ’40) ADAMS Helen Collin Adams, 93, formerly a resident of Kennebunkport, Maine, passed away on February 6, 2019, at Huntington Common in Kennebunk, her home for the last four years. She was born April 29, 1925, in Sewickley, the daughter of William Welch and Marion Clapp Collin. She graduated from the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut. After marrying W.W. (Bro) Adams, they moved to the Buffalo, New York, area in 1947 where they lived for many years while raising their three children. There she was active in the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Buffalo Zoo, Planned Parenthood, and was a longtime member of the Buffalo Tennis & Squash Club and the Buffalo Country Club. Always a great animal lover, Helen started her own dog rescue business in East Aurora, New York, in the late 1970s. In 1990, she moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, to be near her children and to be closer to her family’s summer home, which has been in the family since the early 1900s. She was a great supporter of the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk and a lifelong member of the Arundel Beach Club and the Kennebunk River Club. Helen is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Joyce, of Kennebunkport; her son, Cameron Dauler, his wife, Holly, and their three children, Hodge, Addison, and Coe of Portland, Oregon; her son David (Nancy) of Sanbornton, New Hampshire; her son, Chris (Anne) of Kennebunkport, their daughters Casey Court (Kiambu Dickerson) and Zola, of New York City.

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IN MEMORIAM (continued) CHARLES A. LYON ’41 Charles A. Lyon, 91, of Clearwater, Florida, passed away October 10, 2019. He was the beloved father of Beth (Lyon ’68) Copenhaver (Preston Moochnek) of Tampa, Florida, Julie (Lyon ’71) Donnan (Dave) of Chatham, Massachusetts, and Charles A. Lyon Jr. (Joann) of Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He was the loving “grandpa/gramps” to Elizabeth Donnan Kintz (Brad), Christopher Copenhaver (Amanda), Emily Donnan Waldo (Rick), Amanda and Emily Lyon, and the late Michael Ciotti. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren: Harrison and Harper Kintz, Quinnie and Charlotte Waldo, and Kinsley Copenhaver. Charlie was born and raised in Sewickley, attended Sewickley Academy, and graduated from the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and Yale University. He made his career in the Pittsburgh steel industry, leaving Mackintosh Hemphill in Pittsburgh’s Southside in 1985 as the Eastern District sales manager. He was an endowment life member of the American Rifle Association and was active at the Edgeworth Club. He enjoyed competitive pistol shooting, small game hunting, bowling, sailing, and reading. He was also a model railroad enthusiast. Charlie retired to the Clearwater area in 1987, where he served his community for many years as a volunteer. He was a charter member of the Largo Central Railroad, the live steam railroad in Largo Central Park, and was active in the Yale Club of Tampa Bay, serving as their vice president. He volunteered with the Largo Police Department for three years in their VIP program and at Morton Plant Hospital for eight years and the Clearwater Aquarium. READE BAILEY NIMICK ’42 Reade Bailey Nimick, age 91, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, passed away on February 22, 2019, at Paoli Hospital. Born July 25, 1927, in Sewickley, he was the son of the late Francis and Mary (Spencer) Nimick. He attended Sewickley Academy and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1945. He entered the U.S. Army where he served as a corporal in the Air Corps before attending Princeton University, graduating in 1950. In later years, Reade was a devoted member of the Church of the Saviour, where he met his wife and served as an usher. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Pamela P. Nimick; his children: Reade B. (Chip) Nimick Jr., Anne N. Neilson, and John G. Nimick; his older brother David Nimick ’39 of Sewickley; and his twin brother George (Gus) Nimick ’42 of Sarasota, Florida. HOWARD TYSON NIMICK ’43 Howard Tyson Nimick, 90, of Venice, Florida, formerly of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area, died peacefully on February 11, 2018, at Manor Care in Venice. Born December 22, 1927, in Pittsburgh, the son of Alexander Nimick of Pittsburgh and Martha Kaiser Levering of Baltimore, he grew up in Sewickley and attended Sewickley Academy. Howard graduated from Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, in 1946. He attended Yale University until his father died and he returned to Sewickley to be supportive of his mother. He received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Pittsburgh where he was elected to Sigma Tau honorary engineering society. Howard served in 86

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the United States Army Reserves from 1950 to 1954 when he married Sally McKnight and moved to York, Pennsylvania, where they raised their daughter Karry and a son Robby, who died of leukemia at age five. In 1955, Howard was employed by York Corporation (a division of Borg Warner Corporation) to help document the early acceptance of “heat pump” systems. Five years later, he joined a small plastic foam company in Central Pennsylvania that manufactured items for personal protection, packaging, and insulation for solar heated residences. He was elected director, vice president, and secretary-treasurer of the company during his tenure. During his working years, Howard was active in York Little Theater and the York YMCA. He was selected as a Central Pennsylvania delegate to the 1964 International YMCA Convention in Copenhagen, Denmark. This fostered his desire for many later foreign travels and hosting a Swiss foreign exchange student. After a divorce and many single years, he married Ellen McAleer Eyanson in 1973 who survives him. He is also survived by daughter Katherine Nimick Wutka of Chesapeake, Virginia; stepdaughters Kathryn Kelly of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Carolyn Hamilton of Venice, Florida, and Marybeth Swisher of Titusville, New Jersey; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his two older brothers, Webb Levering Nimick ’36 and Alex Nimick ’33; and one grandchild. VIRGINIA (FOWLER ’45) AREY Virginia “Ginny” (Fowler) Arey passed away March 7, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was born Virginia Lee Fowler on June 24, 1930, to William Henry Fowler and Violet Lee Baker of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The last of three children, Ginny attended Sewickley Academy and Chatham Hall in Virginia before her admission to the University of Michigan’s School of Music to continue her studies in voice and piano. There she met her husband-to-be Eugene Wulsin of Cincinnati and became engaged at age 19. They were married on July 1, 1950, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Sewickley. The couple settled in Cincinnati, where they had four children, before moving to Toronto in 1961. Divorced in 1968, Ginny later moved to Santa Barbara, California, with her second husband, Phillip Arey. A fifth child was born before Phillip died tragically in a car accident in 1969. She went on to live in San Francisco, then Aptos, California, and Tucson, Arizona, before settling back in Cincinnati for the remainder of her life. Ginny loved to travel, spending 20 winter seasons by her beloved ocean in Manzanillo, Mexico. She especially loved her roses and desserts, and befriended people everywhere she went. She was predeceased by her father William Henry Fowler; her mother Violet Lee Fowler; her brothers Robert Asa Fowler ’43 and William Henry Fowler II; and her husbands Eugene Wulsin and Phillip Arey. She is survived by her children: Virginia Lee Roberts of Santa Cruz, California, William Fowler Wulsin of Seattle, Washington, Eugene Wulsin of Cincinnati, Ohio, Linda Carol Alt of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Phillip Julian Arey of Houston, Texas; and seven grandchildren.

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As of January 2020

HENRIETTE EMILIE ROUGRAFF ’45 Henriette “Fifi” Emilie Rougraff, age 88, lifelong resident of Sewickley, recently at Masonic Village, passed away on October 2, 2018, after a long illness. She was the daughter of the late Emile and Marguerite (DeSaulles) Rougraff. Fifi attended Sewickley Academy, graduated from Penn Hall Preparatory School, followed by Chatham College in 1952. She completed her physical therapy training at the D.T. Watson School of Physiatrics in 1953. She was a physical therapist at the D.T. Watson Rehabilitation Hospital (formerly the D.T. Watson Home for Crippled Children) in Sewickley for 37 years. She was a member of the Edgeworth Club, the American Physical Therapy Association, the Sewickley Valley Historical Society, and the Western PA Conservatory. (See the Pillars Society, page 32, for more information.) JAMES CROSSAN CHAPLIN IV ’48 James Crossan Chaplin, IV, passed away peacefully on August 24, 2019, at age 86 with his wife Nancy Scarton Chaplin holding his hand. Born on March 20, 1933, to the late James Crossan Chaplin III and Gretchen Magdalen Brown Chaplin, Jim was a lifelong resident of Sewickley. He was an investment professional, community leader, oenophile, and fierce Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Jim graduated from Princeton University in 1955 and served his country on the DEW line in the Arctic Circle as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force from 1956 to 1959. Devoted to his hometown, Jim served on the boards and as an officer of the Old Sewickley Post Office Corporation, the Sewickley Cemetery, and the Leet Township Municipal Authority. His life was enriched by music, books, travel, friends, family, and a long line of very good dogs, including Percy, Zorro, Moose, Muscles, Farley, and Tupper. Jim was preceded in death by his daughter, Laura Jennings Chaplin; his former wife, Carol Cushing Chaplin; and his sisters Joan (Chaplin ’43) Waters and Gail (Chaplin ’52) Barry. In addition to his wife, Jim is survived by his sister Sandra (Chaplin ’51) McCarthy (Dennis); son William Craig Chaplin II ’79; grandson James Hepburn Chaplin; stepdaughter Elizabeth Preston Mullaugh; stepchildren Bruce and Nancy Rankin and their children Foster, Charlie, Ben, and Will; and Gordon and Kelly Rankin; nieces; nephews; and his former wife, Tinker Chaplin Whitaker. JOHN MALONE ’49 John Malone of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, was a loving husband, father of five, humanitarian, and strong believer in the power and the principles of liberal democracy. He died January 17, 2019. Born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and educated at the University of Pittsburgh and the London School of Economics, John came to western North Carolina following a 30-year career in international development where he worked and lived in dozens of countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi, and Indonesia. He was happiest when working in the field, in direct contact with the people he sought to help, rather than in the corridors of a Washington bureaucracy. In retirement,

John translated his global experience and knowledge into a second career, supporting local causes that mattered to him. A member of the Haywood County Guardian Ad Litem Program for 10 years, John devoted many hours to ensuring the safety of and protecting the rights of vulnerable children. John served on the board of a local charity, and he delivered Meals on Wheels to seniors throughout the county. He could frequently be spotted alongside his wife, Christa, carrying placards at local demonstrations, and he actively supported his party around local and national elections, working to raise awareness and increase voter registration in western North Carolina. A member of Alcoholics Anonymous for over 30 years, John sought to help others by sharing his own story of recovery and volunteered his expertise to an international organization that supports 12-step programs around the world. A lover of music, history, and books, and a talented writer, John researched his family genealogy and wrote two novels telling the story of his ancestors’ migration from Ireland to America. John is survived by Christa, his wife of 57 years; his sister Carolyn (Malone ’55) Bonier; five children Susanna Wingenroth, Amha Demeke, Bettina Malone, Michael Malone, and Daniel Malone; nine grandchildren; and many caring friends. ANN (HEROY ’53) WEBB Ann (Heroy) Webb, 80, of Oxford, Maryland, died September 15, 2018, at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton. She fell in her home and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She was born on September 9, 1938, in New York, New York, the daughter of the late James Harold Heroy, Jr. of New York, New York, and Kate Leedy Young Heroy of Birmingham, Alabama. She attended Nightingale Bamford School in New York City, Sewickley Academy, and St. Timothy’s School in Maryland. She received a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College in 1960, an M.D. from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1964, and completed an internship at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1965. She also received a master’s in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1972. During her medical career, she practiced public health and established her own private practice in Easton, Maryland. She was board certified in three specialties: Family Practice, Geriatrics, and Preventive Medicine. She served at various times as a health officer for Talbot, Dorchester, Caroline, and Somerset counties, and was on the medical staff of Memorial Hospital at Easton. When she retired, the Maryland General Assembly and Talbot County Commissioners recognized her decades of loyal public service with official citations. Ann enjoyed tennis, boating, and bridge, and was a world traveler. She was a member of the Talbot Camera Club, the Talbot Cinema Society, and the Harbor Club. She also served on the board of directors of the Historical Society of Talbot County.

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IN MEMORIAM (continued) She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Dr. Charles Albert Webb, Jr., and two sons and their wives: Charles Albert III and Carol Ezzell Webb of Lexington, Massachusetts, and William Heroy and Dr. Katherine Elizabeth Webb of Oxford, Maryland. Her three grandchildren are Andrew James and Amelia Christine Webb of Lexington, Massachusetts, and Katherine Theresa Pagano of Chestertown, Maryland. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Kate (Heroy ’61) Hartley and Louis Aubrey Hartley of Knoxville, Tennessee; and by her sister-in-law, Karen Ruth Heroy, of Las Vegas, Nevada. She was preceded in death by a son, James Hollyday Webb of Oxford, who died in 1991; and by her brother, James Harold Heroy III ’55, of Las Vegas, Nevada, who died in 2013. STIMSON ROPER KENNEDY ’58 Stimson “Stim” Kennedy passed away on June 20, 2019, after a long battle with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer). Stim was born June 7, 1943, in Lima, Ohio, to Andrew Milliken Kennedy Jr. and Ann French Kennedy. He grew up in Sewickley, attending Sewickley Academy until 1958, then he went on to the Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, graduating in 1961. After spending two years at the American School in Lugano, Switzerland, he returned home to serve his country in the U.S. Coast Guard Special Forces. He graduated from Hiram College in Ohio in 1968. After graduation, Stim worked for Heinz Foods in Pittsburgh before moving west. He sold sail boats in the San Francisco Bay Area, then moved to Aspen, Colorado, to teach skiing. Later, he worked in construction and real estate development in Vail and Silverthorn before moving to Denver and pursuing a long, successful career in real estate. With a special passion for cars, he was able to resume his love of sports car road racing and collecting automobiles. He was an active member of the Porsche Club of America, the Ferrari Club of America, and the Mile High Performance Driving School for many years. Stim founded the Exotic Sports Car Show and Concours d’Elegance in 1984, and in 1986 designated United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Colorado as beneficiary of these events. In its 33rd year, those groups raised over $1 million for UCP of Colorado. Mr. Kennedy is survived by his daughter, Kelsey Ann, and his exwife and good friend Katy Kennedy. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Andrew Milliken “Drew” Kennedy, Jr. and Bartlett Paul “Bart” Kennedy ’71. LAURIE (WHEELER ’59) BROWN Laurie (Wheeler) Brown died Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Melbourne, Florida, predeceasing her husband of 53 years, Fayette Brown III. Laurie grew up in Sewickley, and went on to study at Rosemary Hall (’62) and Hood College (’66). Following their marriage in 1966, the Browns lived in Charlottesville, Virginia, while Fayette finished business school. After his basic training in the United States Army, the Browns lived in Washington, D.C. where daughter Melissa was born. Fayette’s business career with Harris Corporation took them to Westerly, 88

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Rhode Island, where son Alex was born, then to Cleveland, Ohio, before settling in Melbourne in 1978. There Laurie became very involved with what is now the Foosner Art Museum. She managed the Museum Store, ran the museum’s national and international travel program, and served as president of the board of trustees during their very successful “Vision for the Arts” fundraising campaign in 1984. Following her retirement from the museum in 2003, Laurie and Fayette split their time between Florida and their house in the mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina. Laurie was a talented quilter, a member of the Seaside Piecemakers and the Asheville Quilt Guild, leaving a lasting legacy of beautiful quilts for family, friends, and charities. She was on the “Come to Leicester Art Tour” for 11 years, opening her quilting and crafts studio to the public. She leaves behind a daughter, Melissa DeRussy (Husted) of New Orleans, Louisiana; a son Alexander (Vanessa) of Leicester, North Carolina; five grandchildren; and her sisters Sue (Wheeler ’55) Mason (Dwight) of Bethesda and Sara (Wheeler ’58) Forster (Dieter) of Philadelphia. LUTHER D. SHANK ’59 On July 18, 2017, Luther D. Shank III (aka L.D. The Man to See) – loquacious, gregarious, and jovial – began a new and glorious adventure. L.D. was born on February 25, 1944, at Kent Hospital in Dover, Delaware, built on land donated to the town by his great-great grandfather, Manlove Hayes. He was the paternal grandson of Dover’s first city manager, Luther Shank, and maternal grandson of the 25-year secretary of the state board of agriculture, Ralph C. Wilson. This family background fostered a deep love of the first state’s capital city and all things Delaware became ingrained in him. L.D. was educated at the Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, before attending Wesley College and the University of Delaware. As a youth, he spent summers in Rehoboth, and as an adult, at Dewey Beach where he became famous for his all-weekend “BLT” cookouts. After serving his country with pride and distinction as a lieutenant in the United States Army, he returned to Delaware to call it home. He was a Rotarian for a quarter of a century and a five-time Paul Harris Fellow. He served on several boards, including Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Biggs Museum of American Art, the John Dickinson Mansion, the Barnes Foundation, and the committee formerly known as “Greater Dover.” His motto while serving was to “give, get, or get off,” and he was not afraid to lead by example. For 10 years, he was the real property administrator for the State of Delaware and was recognized for his success in optimizing energy efficiency at the Carvel State building in Wilmington. He enjoyed active participation in the Building Owners and Managers Association. He spent his 45-year real estate career at various brokerages, always bringing professional success and an infinite amount of laughs. One of L.D.’s first real

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As of January 2020

estate investments was a swampy piece of woods east of Dover. Most thought he had lost his mind. When he sold it a year later, he had doubled his money. As he would often say, “Smart or lucky? Take lucky every time.” It would not be an overstatement to call anyone who came in contact with his infectious, positive attitude and unconditional love just that: lucky. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Donna Gaver Shank; his son Luther D. Shank IV aka Morgan; his sister Connie (Shank ’56) Wahlig; and his brother-in-law Eric Gaver and his wife Diane; nieces and nephews Beth Nolan, Anne Lee, Cort Wahlig, Charlie Wahlig, Justine Gaver Magariel, and Curtis Gaver. ROBERT CLAUSE DEVENS ’60 Robert Clause Devens, 75, died Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Mobile, Alabama, following an operation for aneurysms. Born December 16, 1943, in Sewickley, he was the eldest son of Henry F. and Barbara (Clause ’33) Devens, both deceased. Bob lived life to the fullest, always doing it his way. He loved all things mechanical and he especially loved his closest companions – his two Pekingese. Bob was a veteran of the United States Navy. He is survived by his brothers Henry F. Devens III ’66 (Elizabeth Coyle ’69) and Timothy F. Devens ’71 (Rebecca); nephew Christopher C. Devens ’02 (Jacqueline); niece Carolyn H. Devens ’05; niece Lisa C. Bengston (Adam); great-niece Grace Clause Devens; and great-nephews Cameron Bengston and Wesley Bengston. KATHRYN RYAN (WEISS ’62) ANDERSON Kathryn Ryan (Weiss) Anderson, age 71, of Livingston, Montana, and Venice, Florida, passed away suddenly on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019, due to a pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest. She was born August 8, 1947, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Robert and Kathryn Weiss. Growing up in Sewickley, Kathy, later in life affectionately known as Kitty, made many lifelong friends at Sewickley Academy and Eden Hall. She is remembered as a very accepting and loyal friend with unique kindness and a great sense of humor. She had the “gift of gab,” and made friends wherever she went. She was a natural athlete and loved watching sports. In 1965, she moved out west to attend college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in History. There she met her husband, George Anderson. Together in 1979 they started the Yellowstone Angler in Livingston, Montana, where for 30 years Kitty served as the accountant and anchor of the company. She had a great eye for photography, and at one point set up her own dark room at home. She was an avid reader and enjoyed a part time job at the Livingston Library. She loved the beach – Manisota Beach was her favorite for finding shark’s teeth – but the beaches of Boca Grande, where she spent many summers as a child, held a special place in her heart. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, with whom

she played cards, board games, Mahjong, and Yahtzee, and loved being “the champeeeeen!” (but was always a gracious loser). She was a master of inside joke games like “Daniel Boone” the “circle game,” “slug bug,” or “padiddle.” She was the only senior citizen locally to have mastered the video game “Dr. Mario,” getting to level 23 on the fastest setting. Perhaps there was more to her nickname, “The Kid,” given to her by her older Venice friends, than just being the youngest on the block. Kitty served as a hospice volunteer in Venice, donated time working with college students, and protected sea turtle nests. Perhaps her most courageous gift was to her family and close friends when she had developed cancer and chose to face the battle alone. She was incredibly strong, brave, and selfless to endure that daily struggle without their knowledge until her final hours. She is survived by her husband; her son James Anderson; her sisters Barbara (Weiss ’57) Visser and Mary Carroll (Weiss ’71) Ryan; her brother Bob Weiss ’61; her nieces Perry Weiss, Carroll Mohler, and Whitney Price; and her nephews Ryan Weiss, Ryan Visser, and Spencer Jamison. JOHN STUART MORROW, JR ’68 John Stuart “Horgy” Morrow, Jr., age 69, attorney, wordsmith, musician, and devoted husband and father, died peacefully at his home in Sewickley on September 26, 2019, his piercing blue eyes shining while surrounded by family, after a long battle with cancer. “Physically he was ready, but he loved life and wanted to live,” said his wife, Virginia. “I loved him passionately from the beginning; we went through some very difficult times and fortunately were blessed with a greater love for each other as a result.” Born March 8, 1950, to Helen Bullitt and J. Stuart Morrow, Horgy attended Sewickley Academy, where in the mid-1960s he formed The Cavemen, one of two bands in which he played guitar. Recently, he digitally recorded much of his catalog with the help of bandmates from the Twelfth Street & Four, another band he later joined. Horgy completed high school at the University School in Oakland, attended the University of Hawaii for two years, continuing his love of surfing, which he learned at a family home in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Ultimately, he graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in English literature before attending law school and receiving his juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University. He returned to Pittsburgh, married on August 28, 1982, and began his career in estate law with Alter, Wright and Barron, moved on to Springer, Bush & Perry, and, at the time of his death, worked for Julian Gray and Associates Elder Law Firm. Known professionally as John, he was a keen estate planner, reflecting on Virginia estate law in relation to his family from Big Stone Gap, even in his final hours. He loved his work and was indebted to those, living and deceased, who provided opportunities for him to practice until a week before his death.

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IN MEMORIAM (continued) Horgy was a voracious reader of science fiction, spy novels, nuclear and general science, and biographies. He enjoyed astronomy and had a small refracting telescope, taking every opportunity to observe planets, galaxies, and comets like Hale-Bopp with his wife, children, Quaker Valley students, and interested colleagues at all hours. Lovingly called “Joe DeNardo” by his wife, he was the “go-to” guy regarding weather forecasts at home. He was at one time a wicked pool player, skills he honed with his beloved Aunt Nancy Morrow ’34 whom he adored and provided endless care for along with his father, J. Stuart Morrow ’35, in their final years. With a sharp wit and sense of humor, he made an instant and long-lasting impression on those he met, and continually provided his family with many cherished memories. Horgy was a member of The Edgeworth Club, served on the Leetsdale Civil Service Commission, and was the Leetsdale representative and former president of the board of the Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority. He is survived by his wife Virginia (Booth ’71) Morrow; son Charles Bowen Morrow; daughter Sarah “Sally” Pettit Morrow; grandchildren Chase John Augustin and Lucy Morrow Augustin; brother Christian ’76 of Sewickley; and cousins Jeff Morrow ’59 and Richmond (Morrow ’66) Rabinowitz. STACY ANN (SQUIRES ’71) BROWN Stacy Ann (Squires) Brown, 65, passed away November 9, 2018, after a brief illness. Her delighted parents welcomed her into the world on October 27, 1953. Stacy grew up in Sewickley, attended Sewickley Academy, Winchester Thurston, Bradford Junior College, and graduated summa cum laude from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Stacy worked at Kaufmann’s and quickly moved up the ladder to become a vice president. After retiring at the age of 40, fueled by her passion for needle-pointing, she became a partner in the Porcupine, a well-known needlepoint shop in Sewickley. She adored her partners and going to work every day was a joy for her. Always extremely talented and creative, Stacy also became an exquisite beader, creating gorgeous jewelry. When her husband, Jeff, took a new job in Atlanta, Stacy settled and made a beautiful home. She later opened her own needlepoint shop, The Nimble Needle. Stacy was a passionate gardener who especially loved orchids. Motherly by nature, Stacy remained close to both her younger sisters. Her loving smile and sweet laughter will be greatly missed by many. She is survived by her parents, Jack and Barbara Squires; her sisters Lisa Squires Deering (Larry) and Pamela Squires; her husband Jeffery Brown; nephew and nieces Nicholas, Elizabeth, and Katie; and her many friends. Her family has dedicated a blooming tree with a bronze plaque in memory of her everblooming love and care for others.

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JAMES “JAY” SHANNON McKAIN III ’73 Jay died peacefully at his home in Clifton, Virginia, on November 17, 2018, at the age of 64. He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, graduated from Sewickley Academy, and attended EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University to become an airline pilot. At the time of his death, Jay was a captain for United Airlines. Jay had many interests, including nature photography, biking, and playing the guitar. He loved taking trips with his family to interesting cities and countries. Jay is survived by his wife of 30 years, Miriam; their children James Shannon IV (Jack), Kristina, and Michael; and his sister Sue McKain Battaglia. Jay was preceded in death by his parents Carol and Jim McKain; and his sister Mimi McKain Henricksen. JEREMIAH J. SULLIVAN IV ’73 Jeremiah John “Jedd” Sullivan IV took his life on January 5, 2019, after a lifelong battle with depression. Jedd was an unassuming and intently caring man who constantly dedicated himself and his time, vast skills, and efforts to his friends, family, and his community. Jedd was born May 25, 1955, in Bryn Mawr, near Philadelphia. He spent half his childhood there, and then moved with his family to Sewickley. He spent his childhood summers in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, with family and friends. Jedd received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Haverford College in 1977. He pursued master’s level course work over the years in a variety of disciplines including neuropsychology, oceanography, and geology. Jedd was multi-talented – a fine artisan, sailor, theatrical lighting designer, computer wizard, and teacher. He worked as a home remodeler specializing in kitchen renovation, an offshore delivery crewmember, an IT professional, and a literacy tutor. He was a lifelong learner and voracious reader. Most importantly, Jedd was incredibly kind, funny, generous, and always a gentleman. Through his love of the ocean and sailing, he traveled extensively and developed many friendships around the country and across the world. He moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in the 90s to study and to paddle the Everglades; he was afraid the loss of the Everglades was imminent and wanted to experience this area before it disappeared. For a few years, he had a home on Denman Island in British Columbia, Canada, where he made deep, lasting friendships. There he was able to savor many things that were important to him – nature, creatures, including his beloved beavers, kayaking, and hiking. Jedd lived in Rhode Island for the last 20 years. He was a tireless Common Fence Music supporter and volunteer, much beloved by his CFM family. Jedd is survived by his mother Joan Blair Sullivan, of Sewickley; his brother Graham Sullivan ’76 and his partner Victoria of New York City; his brother Paul Sullivan ’78 and sister-in-law Barbara Landes of Madison, Wisconsin; and his nephews Conor Sullivan ’06 (April) of San Bruno, California, and Trajan Sullivan of Brookline, Massachusetts. He was predeceased by his father, Henry Paul Sullivan.

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Family of Alumni WILLIAM DRAKE ROBERTS, JR. ’74 William D. “Drake” Roberts, Jr., 63, of Sewickley passed away January 8, 2019, at his home. He was born on his mother’s birthday, December 6, 1955, in Pittsburgh, the son of the late Caroline Moody Roberts of Brooklyn, New York, and the late William D. “Bill” Roberts of Pittsburgh. A gifted natural athlete, he grew up skiing and played tennis, soccer, and lacrosse. Since childhood, performance vehicles were a family passion, a tradition he continued throughout his life. Similar passions were literature, history, and militaria. He attended Washington College before graduating from the University of Denver. He worked in the fields of insurance and mortgage brokerage services. Drake is survived by his daughter Margaret “Maggie” Graham Roberts and her husband Brandon Hayes Behun of Sewickley; his sister Caroline (Roberts ’76) Wentling and husband Thomas Lynch “Tom” Wentling of Point Breeze, Pittsburgh; and their children Caroline “Callie” Gilman Wentling of Lisbon, Portugal, and Thomas “Tommy” Lynch Wentling III of Budapest, Hungary. BRIAN LIMBACH ’79 Brian Limbach of Mt. Lebanon, passed away on April 6, 2019, at age 59, surrounded by family and loved ones. An inspiration to everyone who knew him, Brian lived his life with incredible dignity as he battled a number of lifelong illnesses and complications under the care of many devoted caregivers. He was a graduate of Sewickley Academy and Duquesne University, and was the Pirates’, Steelers’, and Penguins’ number one fan. Brian was born on June 2, 1959, to Scott and Helen Jean Limbach, and is survived by brothers Eric (Linda) of Moon Township and Mark (Carol) of Sewickley; niece Nicola ’11 of Atlanta; nephews Scott ’06 of Denver and Jason ’08 (Alison) of Orlando; and grandnephew Jackson. PETER WILLIAM MEUB ’94 Peter William Meub, son of Walter Meub III and Wendy Evans Meub, was born on April 21, 1975, in Youngstown, Ohio, and passed away on September 22, 2018. He attended Sewickley Academy in elementary school before his family moved to Boardman, Ohio, where he graduated from Boardman High School. He spent his junior year at Valley Forge Military Academy, and went on to study at Youngstown State University.

Sandra Arthur, wife of J. Robert Arthur ’60 Michael Westcott Brown, son of Frick Jones ’47; father of Sam ’05 and Hilary Brown Madeline Mascio Chesky, mother of Janet (Chesky ’74) Scholl, Susan (Chesky ’80) Coppola, and Ed ’72 (deceased) Laura Elizabeth “Betty” Fortescue Doyle, mother of Elizabeth ’75, Jim ’77, Peter ’78, and Tom ’81; grandmother of Meredith ’12, Shannon ’13, Todd ’16, Brennan ’17, and Eiley ’20 Rita Schad Etter, mother of Greg Etter ’72 Vincent F. Lackner, Sr., husband of Margaret “Judith” Lackner; father of Margaret Anne, Vincent, Jr., John ’72, and David ’75; grandfather of Kyle ’00, Katrina ’05, Christina, Ashley, Jordan, and Abigail Anne L. Lang, mother of Renee Erb ’72, Stephanie (Erb ’74) Sawyer, William C. Erb, Jr. ’78, Margaret (Erb ’79) Bailey, the late Deborah ’69 and Jeri Erb C. Taylor “Tad” Marshall, father of Dr. John Ashby Marshall ’69, Margaret Marshall ’73, Anne (Marshall ’78) Kelley, and the late Roberta Marshall ’70 Cecelia “Cela” Margaret Mary Mascarenhas, mother of Dinesh ’79 and Vijay ’84 Mascarenhas Robert Carl Pessolano, father of Lorenzo and Louis Pessolano ’97, and Nicole (Pessolano ’99) Kopel Stanley K. Rideout, father of Suzanne, James, Rex ’78, and Lee Dr. Elizabeth L. “Betsy” Stein, mother of Andrew, Elizabeth (Stein ’94) Karmely, Alice (Stein ’97) Briggs, and Amy (Stein ’99) Smith Sarah Stoner, mother of Sally (Stoner ’71) Goswell, Jack ’73, and Frank ’78

Peter owned and operated Meub Masonry and Construction in Lake City, Colorado, for 12 years before joining Nabors Energy in Williston, North Dakota, in 2018. He was a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, a Howard Stern enthusiast, and the life of every party. Peter will be remembered by all for his excellent sense of humor, his quick wit, and his incredible work ethic. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his sister, attorney Janet K. Meub of Pittsburgh; his brother Robert W. Meub of Boardman, Ohio; and his beloved black Labrador Watts.

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IN MEMORIAM (continued) SA Remembers Former Head of Senior School Joyce Ferris at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, before being appointed Head of Senior School at Sewickley Academy. In 2005, after Dr. Ferris retired from Sewickley, she returned to New England where she was appointed the academic dean at Wolfeboro Camp School, a position she held until the time of her death. Dr. Ferris was devoted to the Academy students in her care. Her zeal for learning was infectious; her support of students extraordinary – both personally and academically. She is fondly remembered by those whose lives she touched. Former Senior School English teacher Larry Connolly remembered Joyce as a scholar. “I loved the way she found connections between things we were facing in our lives with challenges people faced in the past,” he said. “For her, art and literature were storehouses of wisdom that could show us the way through daily challenges. She always found the best in people, sought merit in opposing positions, and made everyone feel invested in the life of the school.” “When Joyce came to Sewickley Academy we were a great school. We were an even greater school when she left years later,” Ken Goleski, Global Studies Program Coordinator and former Senior School Dean, said. “She worked tirelessly to help students find their voice, and more specifically, to help empower young women. The opinion wall, town hall meetings, and improved student government were all ways that Joyce focused on helping students collaborate and generate ideas to improve their experiences. In fact, the opinion wall, albeit not as active now as it was, is still up and running.” JOYCE FERRIS, Ph.D., Head of Sewickley Academy’s Senior School from 1994-2004, passed away on December 30, 2018, from complications of hip surgery resulting from a fall. Retired Sewickley Academy faculty member Judy Reynolds attended to Dr. Ferris, who lived in Exeter, New Hampshire, in her final moments and reported that Joyce was eager to get through her surgery and quickly get on with her recovery. Sewickley Academy’s Head of School Kolia O’Connor commented, “Such was her zest for life and eagerness to look forward! Ever the optimist, Joyce was a gallant lady and a gentle soul who touched many lives and will be sorely missed.” A lifelong learner and academic, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, master’s degrees from Cornell University and the University of Chicago Divinity School, and her doctorate from Drew University. Her love and pursuit of knowledge was shared with her many students through an extensive career in K-12 education. From 1979-1987, she taught English and was the dean of studies at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Following Cushing, she was a member of the faculty and administration

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Former Senior School English teacher Joan Cucinotta shared her memories of the impact Dr. Ferris made at the Academy. “Joyce is responsible for the educational and personal growth of hundreds of teachers and students. She had an intuitive knack to know just what was needed by way of support. Both the nurturing educator and the demanding guardian, she deftly applied a soft touch to help one through personal problems but she could also apply a strong knock if you had started to wallow. An eloquent speaker, Joyce could insert a quote from John Donne with ease and she could minister on the spot. Leading into every exam period, she would bring a sample of the ‘magic weapon’ that students could use to help them succeed. She would wave a pen in the air and promulgate that magic combination of taking notes and working hard to guarantee success. Although we teased her about her big round sunglasses and bunion-sparing sandals, she was ever our North Star, lighting the way with her knowledge, her wit, and her strength.” Contributions to a memorial for Joyce should be sent to Joyce Ferris Memorial, Sewickley Academy.

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Friends of the School ELIZABETH “BETTY” D. GILLILAND, 81, of Mars and formerly of Bellevue, passed away on Monday, August 26, 2019. Born on May 24, 1938, in Pittsburgh to William Howell and Grace Elizabeth “Libby” Douglas, she was a 1956 graduate of Winchester-Thurston and a 1960 graduate of Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. Betty taught elementary education in the Avonworth School District and then for many years at Sewickley Academy. Following her retirement from the Academy, she pursued a career as a home companion/aide for various agencies in the Pittsburgh area. She was an active member at Riverview United Presbyterian Church in Observatory Hill where she served as an elder, deacon, and Sunday school teacher. Previously deceased by the late Dale A. Gilliland, she was the loving mother of Virginia G. “Ginny” Petraglia (Phil) of Gibsonia, Ruthie G. Riethmuller (Mark) of Hampton Township, and Suzanne Gilliland of Bellevue; grandmother of Daniel G. Riethmuller and his fiancée Luisa Burgess, and of Douglas S. Riethmuller. She is also survived by her three grand-dogs: Clover, Bettie, and Flossie.

ALBERT FRANCIS KNIGHT, 91, of Chester, New Jersey, passed away on March 26, 2019. Al was born August 7, 1927, in Jersey City, to the late A.C. Knight and Ruth Keenan Knight. After high school, he joined the Navy and was honorably discharged at the end of WWII. The GI Bill enabled him to attend university and graduate (second in his class) with a law degree from Washington & Lee University. He initially joined the White & Case law firm, leaving to join Merck & Co. in February 1959. Al was transferred to Merck’s subsidiary Calgon, located in Pittsburgh, as general counsel, where he thrived, then returned to Rahway, New Jersey, where his son Paul ’81, who died in 1985, went to university. He retired as assistant general counsel in 1988, determined to devote his life to serving others. In retirement Al never stood still. Travels included all 50 states, the 10 provinces, and the Yukon in Canada, Tanzania, Peru (cruising the Amazon), Mexico (butterfly migration), Iceland, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He became involved with environmental issues, primarily in Idaho; established a publishing company ANACUS Press; invested in the theater; was a long-term subscriber to the Roundabout, Paper Mill, and the local Chester theaters; and attended every lacrosse game he could. He was president of the Friends of the Warren Township Library during the library expansion in the 1990s, where he dedicated funds to memorialize his deceased wife, Betsey. Al was on the board of the Somerset Food Bank for many years and at the Hudson School, Hoboken, New Jersey. He was a member of the Plainfield Curling Club since 1998. Al established the A. Paul Knight Internship Program in Conservation, allowing four Washington & Lee undergraduate students and two law students to work for environmental organizations during the summer. This program is now entering its 32nd year. At Sewickley Academy, Al established the Harry E. Klos Memorial Scholarship Fund that provides a full scholarship for a student in Grades 3-12. He is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Lulu Gail (Stinson) Knight, and by many friends and colleagues. He was predeceased by his first wife, Betsey; second wife, Catherine; his cherished son, Albert Paul Knight ’81; and brother, Robert Knight.

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SEWICKLEY ACADEMY 315 Academy Avenue Sewickley, PA 15143

S AV E T H E D A T E !

THE SKY ’S THE

LIMIT

Sewickley Academy’s 34th Annual Auction April 10, 2021 | Online Only 011521 SS Winter 2021 v10 FINAL ART.indd 94

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