UHS Journal 2020 by SFUHSorg

UHS Journal

SAN FRANCISCO UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL FALL 2020

A magazine for the San Francisco University High School community Fall 2020 Volume XXXI

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Elina Frumerman Mark Johann New Revolution Media MANAGING EDITOR Jenn Soult COPY EDITOR Evan Hulka ’00 DESIGNER Design Action Collective EDITORIAL BOARD Shaundra Bason Julia Russell Eells Nate Lundy Alexandra Simmons

San Francisco University High School welcomes students of demonstrated motivation and ability to engage in an education that fosters responsibility and the spirited pursuit of knowledge. We are a school where adults believe in the promise of every student, and together we work to build and sustain a community of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. UHS challenges each individual to live a life of integrity, inquiry, and purpose larger than the self. OUR CORE VALUES Inquiry Care Integrity Agency Interconnection CONTACT THE JOURNAL If you have news, questions, or comments, please contact us via communications@ sfuhs.org.

Jenn Soult Marianna Stark EDITORIAL STAFF Kate Garrett Thelma Garza Elena Hobden Mary King Alezja Metts Dara Northcroft Jenny Schneider PRINTING Community Printers Cover illustration: Getty/Qvasimodo

ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS NOTES Please send alumni updates and class notes to UHSalumni@sfuhs.org. FOR ADDRESS CHANGES Please email address changes to communications@sfuhs.org. The UHS Journal is a publication of San Francisco University High School and is circulated free to more than 7,000 households of alumni, parents, current and former faculty, and friends of the school. Periodicals postage paid at San Francisco, California. The UHS Journal is issued once a year, in the fall. Postmaster: send address changes to |Mailing Records Office, San Francisco University High School, 3065 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115. © 2020 San Francisco University High School. All rights reserved. Printed in California on recycled paper.

UHS

SAN FRANCISCO UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL FALL 2020 UHS JOURNAL VOL. XXXI

Journal

UNIVERSE New Faculty and 2 Welcome Staff; Welcome, Michael Novak;

Campus Roundup; Spotlight: The Alliance for Community Equity (ACE); Graduation 2020: A Virtual Affair; The Power of Inclusion at Work; 2020 Alumni Honors; Athletics 2019–2020 Highlights; Class of 2020 College Admissions Statistics

FEATURES from the Head 12 Letter By Julia Russell Eells, Head of School

A Legacy of Perseverance 13 By Tomicia Marie Blunt ‘17

Admissions Outside the Box By Nate Lundy, Director of Admissions

Heart of the Matter: How 16 The the University High School College Counselors Are Navigating an Unusual Year By Jenny Schneider, Director of College Counseling & Kate Garrett, Associate Director of College Counseling Summer 2020 18 Summerbridge By Dara Northcroft, Summerbridge Executive Director

Undeterred: The Generous Spirit of Giving in the UHS Community By Shaundra Bason, Director of Development

Show(case) 20 The Must Go On!

By Thelma Garza, Director of Events

23 Pushout Sold Out

IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam

ALUMNI

2019 Alumni Holiday Party & Panel Talk: Equity in the Civic Space

What’s Your One Degree Experience?

30 32 36

2020 Virtual Reunion Class Notes Pizza Party!

2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT

40 41 41

Board Chair Letter Treasurer Letter Parents Association Letter

42 43 45 46

Alumni Association Letter

47 64

Donor Recognition

New Trustees Fundraising Campaign Update: Our Work is Shifting, But Our Goals Stand Firm By Mary King

Thank You to Our Volunteers

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Welcome New Faculty and Staff NEW FACULTY

Tonyanna Borkovi ’99 is very happy to be returning to UHS for the fourth time, this time teaching biology! Tonyanna previously taught chemistry, biology, and microbiology, as well as the music component of Western Civilization, at UHS. This summer, she taught a Case Studies in Medicine course as part of our Connect.Invent.Design summer enrichment program. She studied human biology and interdisciplinary humanities as an undergraduate at Stanford University and received a medical degree from St. George’s, University of London.

Ashley Clarke joins UHS this fall as an English instructor and ninth-grade mentor. Ashley has taught literature and creative writing courses, most recently at the San Francisco Art Institute,

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and can’t wait to share her love for books with the students at UHS. She received a BA and an MA in English from UC Davis and an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she especially enjoyed working with high schoolers at the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio. Her short stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in Five Chapters, Kestrel, and the Cimarron Review.

Neferterneken “Nef ” Francis joins UHS this fall as a chemistry teacher and ninth-grade mentor. Nef has fifteen years of continuous experience in education, professional development, scholarly leadership, and coaching. She is an award-winning chemistry teacher, an Abbot Scholar, and a former house counselor at Pillips Academy Andover and Choate Rosemary Hall. Her contributions to scholarly research have been recognized in the publications Acta Cystallographica and the Journal of Adolescent Health in partnership with Columbia Medical School. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics from Swarthmore College and a master’s degree in chemistry from Bucknell University.

NEW STAFF

Christine Huang joins the English Department this fall as an English teacher and ninth-grade mentor. Christine has experience working in public relations, journalism, and the performing arts. Before coming to UHS, she spent two years teaching at the Liberal Arts Institute in Taipei. She received a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MS in journalism from Northwestern University.

Khaleh Thomas joins UHS this fall as a chemistry teacher. Khaleh is entering her fifth year of teaching, with experience in both public and independent schools. She received a BS in chemistry from Valdosta State University and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of South Carolina.

Derrick Keller joins UHS as receptionist/operations coordinator. This past May, Derrick graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from Biola University in La Mirada. He is the first in his family to attend and graduate from a four-year university. After graduating from high school, he started working with Breakthrough Sacramento, within the national Breakthrough Collaborative, as a teaching fellow in his hometown. He transitioned to Summerbridge San Francisco in 2017 and has returned to Summerbridge every summer since, serving as its administrative intern in 2019. n

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Welcome, Michael Novak Chief Financial and Operating Officer

e are excited to welcome Michael Novak to the UHS community as our new chief financial and operations officer (CFOO). Michael has more than 30 years of experience in business and began working in independent education in 2011. He earned a BBA from Loyola University in Maryland and an MA in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Michael was drawn to independent schools while working weekly in the Counseling Center at the University of Redlands as part of his coursework for his MA. He has been interested in psychology since his time in college and decided to go back to school 15 years ago to get his master’s degree. He also went through a Buddhist chaplaincy training program a few years ago; he says these trainings support him every day, allow him to relate wholeheartedly

to the people around him, and are a strong complement to his technical business and accounting skills. Before moving to San Francisco, Michael was the CFO at Mirman School in Los Angeles. Mirman’s mission is to cultivate the boundless potential of highly gifted children, nurture their passions and talents, and develop a diverse community of creative and constructive lifelong learners. While there, Michael made significant improvements to all of the areas under his purview. He notes, “It’s not very exciting to hear about automating enrollment contracts and billing, building out the Human Resources Department, and completing years of backlogged deferred maintenance on the campus. But I am proud of the work that I did.” Michael says he feels a strong responsibility to be of

service, having served on boards of various nonprofits over the last 25 years. He currently serves on the boards of Counseling West and Ocean Moon Sangha in Los Angeles. “Each nonprofit was unique,” he adds, and the common thread was my passion for each organization’s mission. In everything I do, I try to create some semblance of order.

Holding space for an organization to grow and thrive is really rewarding.” When asked what the best and worst parts of moving to San Francisco during a pandemic were, Michael shared, “Moving to a new city and home and starting a new job can feel hectic at times. Some of our furniture was too large to come up the stairs and we had to send it back to Santa Monica. But that is nothing when compared to the systemic issues of racism and violence that exist, in addition to the pandemic. I feel like I have been shaken awake over the last six months and feel the responsibility to move beyond my complacency and place of privilege.” You might be surprised to learn that Michael and his husband, Lorenzo, met at a Zen monastery 15 years ago and married a year later at the same monastery. Their honeymoon? A seven-day silent retreat that began the day after their ceremony. Michael adds, “It was perfect!” n sfuhs.org

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Campus Roundup A

s the COVID-19 pandemic began to bear down on our world, the UHS community jumped into action. The following are examples of how the UHS community came together to give back. UHS: DONATING PPE In March, after checking every closet, storeroom, and science lab, the UHS facilities team collected masks from across the campus and donated them to local hospitals to help address the nationwide shortage of PPE items.

DINE11: FEEDING FAMILIES IN NEED In March 2020, UHS alumna Ella Pearl ’11 and her family founded Dine11, to feed “the heroes in healthcare and our communities during the COVID-19 crisis.” Finding that San Francisco’s most vulnerable citizens were facing a real food crisis due to the pandemic, and that the organizations that support those families were struggling to meet their needs, Dine11 SF shifted the focus of its support from healthcare workers to the organizations in San Francisco that support families in need. During its first week, Dine11 SF purchased 615 meals from the San Francisco restaurants Nopa and Spruce and delivered them to Raphael House, Sunset Youth Services, the Homeless Prenatal Program, and the local VA hospital. Subsequent fundraising efforts raised enough money for two additional weeks of 1,000 meals a week, which led to a website, an Instagram account, a fiscal sponsor for donations, and a national team of other Dine11 programs in New York City, Long Island, and Marin.

JIM TRACY 5K: VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER The annual Jim Tracy 5K went virtual, due to the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s restrictions on group gatherings. Rather than gathering in Golden Gate Park on April 26 to run and walk together, participants were asked to “run or walk a 5K your own way,” and used the @jim.tracy.5K social tag to share photos of themselves out walking or running. The 2020 Jim Tracy Virtual 5K raised just over $50,000.

MARIN FOOD BANK: WALKER FAMILY DELIVERS Like many of us, the Walker family—Andy, Schenley, Anson ’21, and Maren ’24—were spending a lot of time at home when the pandemic started and wanted to help out in some way. They thought that many people would either have traditional food resources disrupted or be endangering themselves by going out for food, so they volunteered to distribute groceries from the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank. On Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, they

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UNIVERSE CHECKMATE COVID: CHESS FOR CHARITY Three San Francisco high school students, James Poetzscher ’21, Felix Kaye ’21 and their friend Jack Jacobsen, found themselves spending a lot of time playing chess during the COVID19 shelter-in-place order, and decided that they could use their passion for chess to support COVID-19 relief charities. They held a 32-person chess tournament for their friends in San Francisco and gave the winner $100 to put toward any COVID-19 relief charity of the winner’s choice. With the first tournament a success, they were able to garner sponsors and donations for more tournaments, and Checkmate COVID was born. Now, they frequently hold chess tournaments with up to 64 players from around the country and require that the winner’s prize money be donated to any credible COVIDrelated charity. They hope to raise more money for future tournaments to help fight COVID-19 through chess. Check out their website at checkmatecovid.com. n pick up 14 to 16 bags of food from the food bank’s distribution center and deliver them to individuals’ homes around San Francisco. Andy and the Walkers were glad to be of help: “There were challenges,” says Andy, “but [it was] very achievable in the grand scheme of things, and great to deliver food to those who needed it and were unable to go out on their own to get it.”

SPOTLIGHT: The ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY EQUITY (ACE) — Lesley Golkin P ‘22 This is a recurring series featuring different PA committees.The full list can be found on our portal sfuhs.org/parents/parents-association/committees. If you’re interested in leading a PA committee or volunteering on a committee, please contact PA President Sheila Cuthbert P ’19, P ’22.

he Alliance for Community Equity (ACE) is a group of UHS parents, caregivers, staff, and alumni who amplify the diverse voices of our students. We are allies to student affinity groups who seek our support, and we provide a listening ear and support to community members to ensure that all students feel included in the UHS community. Some of our activities include: • Hosting monthly meetings to introduce and review identified areas of need and support within the community. • Amplifying student voices during times of action. In early spring 2020, we provided a home-cooked meal and snacks to the Black Student Union (BSU) as they collaborated with independent schools from around San Francisco to convene a demonstration

of unity and visibility on the UHS campus. • Participating in student-led learning events that highlight support for students with diverse learning styles. • Reaching out to community members to assure them of our support during times of increased racial tension (such as Black Lives Matter or anti-Asian sentiment due to COVID-19), and providing accurate and timely references to informational and historical resources. • Organizing events such as potlucks and picnics, at venues across the Bay Area, that support connection and that are inclusive of the diversity of families and geographies within the UHS community. • Collaborating with administration and staff, including

Photo from the BSU-led cross-school event of unity. ACE parents contributed food, supplies, and support to the BSU for this event.

the director of equity and community, in identifying key issues that are affecting students and families. • Assisting the admissions department to ensure that the diversity of the UHS community increases.

The UHS community is establishing itself as a leader in the inclusion of all students, regardless of their identities, strengths, or interests. Please join us in helping to make our goals for a connected and plural community come to fruition! n

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Graduation 2020: A Virtual Affair — Alexandra Simmons, Dean of Students

ho would have thought that the members of the UHS Class of 2020 would experience their graduation from their homes, surrounded by family, gathered around a screen? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, that was the situation for so many families, as they watched a cinematic version of their graduation ceremony happen on YouTube. In partnership with New Revolution Media, a Bay Area–based media production company, a virtual graduation ceremony was born, featuring poignant recollections of days on campus together, sobering calls to action, and reminders of the strength and perseverance of the UHS community. When graduation day arrived on June 5, 2020, graduates and their families around the globe tuned in to a live Zoom opening from Head of School Julia Russell Eells, in which she noted the challenges that the class faced amid a rise of civil unrest and a cloudy future for the nation. Families and friends were then directed to the homepage of the UHS website to watch the

graduation ceremony, which began with an adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen,” molded to share advice for the graduating class, and featuring clips of each graduating senior saying a passage from the piece. Seeing each of the seniors in their yards or living rooms and among family members and pets as they delivered their advice to one another was an intimate experience that could have only been achieved in such an unforeseen format. Julia’s graduation ceremony speech, recorded in the Jackson Street Lounge, began by thanking the faculty and staff for mentoring, teaching, coaching, and advocating for the Class of 2020, especially during an unprecedented several months of distance learning. Julia touched on the emptiness of the campus without students, especially the graduating class. As sweeping images of the eerily empty spaces on campus—the Devil Dome, the sidewalk leading to South Campus, the courtyard—were shown, Julia reminded the Class of 2020 how resilient, energetic, and special they have been. Julia mentioned

that as she honed her speech, she asked the faculty what made the Class of 2020 special. The faculty commended the students for their kindness, creativity, playfulness, and leadership. Of all of the special moments in Julia’s speech, one of the most touching was the dedication of the theater to the Class of 2020: Theater 2020. Graduates and their families were then treated to a beautifully edited rendition of a graduation tradition: “The Road Home,” sung this year by the senior members of the Advanced Chorus and the Satonics a cappella

group. They were also treated to special cameos from the likes of comedian Ali Wong ’00, poet and musician George Watsky ’05, Giants pitcher Tyler Beede, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed, each acknowledging the strangeness of graduating during a pandemic, but offering hopeful, optimistic words about the impact that the graduates will have on the world. Student speakers are chosen by their peers yearly, and the Class of 2020 selected Devan Paul and Sadie Scott, who spoke about the ways in which their time at UHS changed their outlook on connection, recognizing one’s strengths, and being young activists. Music teacher and mentor Jessica Bejarano introduced Devan by praising him for his work to help register hundreds of teenagers to vote in San Francisco and for his unlimited kindness and community engagement.

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UNIVERSE

Devan began his speech with gentle jokes about the oddity of learning over Zoom, and about how, “missing the awkward game of underclassmen eye-contact hide-and-seek on the 43 [bus],” he realized how much he cared about seeing those faces he knew. His main message was to implore listeners to appreciate the banality of their day-to-day interactions and activities—“Treasure the quotidian. Embrace the boring.”—because, at a school like UHS, where students want to be present and learn, the quotidian is a privilege that should be treasured. Math teacher, assistant dean of professional growth, and mentor Shoba Farrell introduced Sadie with palpable pride and enthusiasm, paraphrasing the poet Rumi to say, “Sadie is the universe in ecstatic motion.” Sadie shared with listeners her initial UHS moments of dipping her toes into various activities before finding a home in the theater department. She highlighted that her bumpy journey of successes and challenges— along with several vivid hair color changes—helped her become her most authentic self. To her classmates and fellow UHS students, she said, “Do what really brings you joy—not because you feel like you should or someone tells you to. Do it because it feels true to you. Stand up for yourself and

what you care about, and don’t stop trying.” Every year, the graduating class chooses a faculty speaker—often an adult who has had a meaningful impact on the class’s time at the school. This year, that honor went to Byron Philhour, beloved physics teacher and current dean of teaching and learning. After an inspiring introduction by Nasif Iskander, assistant head of school and dean of faculty, to Byron’s dynamic way of thinking and teaching, Byron spoke to the graduating class and their families about the importance of a liberal arts education. He offered a vision of a liberal arts education as being more than the ranking and sorting of students, and as instead being an educational philosophy. He stated, “This philosophy . . . is designed to produce responsible citizens, to promote humane values, and to hold on to debate, dialogue, and democratic participation as the moral alternative to violence and war.” He went on to advocate for the continuing need for a liberal arts education in the quest to break through the strategic attacks on liberal projects that are currently under threat, such as journalism, democracy, and schooling as a whole.

Byron ended with a series of charges to listeners, echoing the UHS mission statement and values: “Check yourself, check yourself, check yourself, particularly when you find yourself withholding your respect or accusing others of acting in bad

faith. Allow yourself and others to fumble. Take ownership over preserving a diverse community space. Lead with empathy and with curiosity. Don’t allow discomfort to shut you down, or cause you to shut others down, as we make the vital exchange of uncomfortable conversation in place of violent conflict. Allow your frameworks to evolve, and trust yourself enough to allow

that these frameworks are incomplete, and will always be so. And remember that we are, all of us, tied together for life.” UHS Board Chair Katie Albright ended the ceremony with praise for the Class of 2020’s resilience, as videos of graduating seniors moving their tassels from right to left flashed across the screen. With that, the Class of 2020 were officially graduates of San Francisco University High School. Though no one could have foreseen this capstone moment in quite this way for the Class of 2020, what else could have been expected for a class that began its UHS journey in the midst of a generation-shaping election in 2016? With optimism and excitement, UHS sends off the Class of 2020 to co-create a more just and equitable world. To watch the video of this special celebration, we invite you to visit sfuhs.org/school-life/ graduation2020. n

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The Power of Inclusion at Work

n November 1, 2019, the UHS Alumni Association sponsored the third Runway Lecture,“The Power of Inclusion at Work,” with guest speaker Lareina Yee ’91, P ’21. Lareina is the chief diversity and inclusion officer for McKinsey and a member of the global partnership service team, the firm’s 16-person leadership team. She is also the global leader of McKinsey’s technology hardware and services work. An expert on digital sales transformations, sales excellence, go-to-market strategies, and culture change, Lareina brings 20 years of experience to companies across the value chain. As a thought leader at McKinsey, she is a sought-after speaker and frequent author on digital disruption, sales growth, and technological transformations. Lareina leads Women in the Workplace, a research partnership between LeanIn.org and the Wall Street Journal. She also frequently speaks about women in business, including at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit, the MAKERS Conference, Techonomy, the Professional Business Women of California Conference, and the Women’s Forum in France.

Founded in 2017, the UHS Runway Lecture is designed to bring the energy and dialogue around social justice, equity, and inclusion on our campus directly to adult members of our community, providing you with runways to be change-makers at work, as volunteers, and at home with friends and family. Learn more at sfuhs.org/runwaylecture.

According to Lareina, diversity and gender parity begin with a strong entry level of leadership on the corporate ladder, but putting a strong selection and development process at that first rung is only the first step. Middle management h as a duty and an obligation to promote people of color, and particularly women of color. Statistically, Black women are the least likely demographic group to be promoted, and the least likely to leave their place of employment. Middle managers have an obligation to see good work being done and promote candidates of color on the basis of their performance, eliminating double standards and hurdles that White candidates do not face. Established leaders should standardize the definitions of leadership qualities in their workplaces, and should make that information transparent. Lareina also stresses the importance of personal relationships in the workplace. Everyone in the workplace should seek out mentors, she says, but that’s just the beginning. Lareina emphasizes that an employee also needs a sponsor. Mentors advise mentees; sponsors advocate for their protégés. A mentor can be anyone in a position of experience, while a sponsor is a senior-level executive. Sponsors help accelerate their protégés’ career visions. For those in the workplace with influence over promotion decisions, Lareina encourages, “Don’t just be a mentor; be a sponsor. If you are a member of a group that has historically been in the majority in your workplace, pay it forward.” And to women and people of color Lareina asks, “Who sponsors you? Who is on your personal board of directors?” During her remarks, Lareina also shared encouraging research that indicates that “we can close the equity gap in just ten years if we as employees and managers of others follow these principles,

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focus on these critical areas, and pay it forward for the next generation of workers and leaders.” No matter what your role, leading with inclusion matters. n

On Friday, October 30, the 2020 Runway Lecture took place via Zoom. Go to sfuhs.org/runwaylecture to find a link to the video recording.

Advancing Health Equity in the Time of COVID-19 A conversation with four distinguished alumnx who work in public health FEATURING: Louise Aronson MD, MFA, ’81 Director, AGE SELF CARE program and UCSF Medical Humanities Professor of Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine Author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life

Cynthia Brown, MSN, ‘91, SB ‘87 Area Manager, Seattle Public Health, King County Board Member, Washington State CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association

Jeffrey Hom, MD, MPH, MSHP, ‘00 Policy Advisor, Philadelphia Department of Public Health Adjunct Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at University of Pennsylvania Presidential Leadership Scholar Recipient of 2020 UHS Alumni Honors – Learn more at sfuhs.org/ alumnihonors

Tomás A. Magaña, MD, MA, FAAP, ‘82 Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF School of Medicine Director, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence Aspiring Physicians Program at San Francisco State University Founder and Director of FACES for the Future Coalition Lead Physician, La Clinica de la Raza

Moderated by Jen Rogers ‘91 Financial Reporter, Yahoo Finance

2020

n 2018, the UHS Alumni Association began a new tradition called Alumni Honors, designed to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of alumni who embody the core UHS values of inquiry, care, integrity, agency, and interconnection.

Each year, Alumni Honors celebrates alumnx who are leaders in their fields and who are making important contributions at a local, national, or international level through personal accomplishment, professional achievement, or humanitarian service. We are pleased to announce the 2020 Alumni Honors recipients: Dr. Monique W. Morris ‘90, SB ‘86, P ‘19, an author, social justice scholar, and filmmaker, and Dr. Jeffrey K. Hom ‘00, policy advisor with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. We invite the entire UHS community—alumni, current students, current and past parents, and current and past faculty/staff— to nominate candidates. Nominations are reviewed on a rolling basis, and recipients are honored at Reunion Weekend. See past nominees and make a nomination at sfuhs.org/alumnihonors.

Alumni Honors recipients for 2020 were announced in February 2020. We regret that plans to honor our recipients at Reunion Weekend were disrupted due to COVID-19. However, we were fortunate to host two screenings of Dr. Monique W. Morris ’90’s feature-length documentary PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls on February 6, 2020, which Monique was able to attend. (See article on facing page) We honored Dr. Jeffrey Hom on October 30, 2020, when he participated in the 2020 Runway Lecture via Zoom. Go to sfuhs. org/runwaylecture for more details about the Runway Lecture and to watch the recording. The Alumni Honors selection committee is made up of the Alumni Council, the head of school, and the president of the board of trustees. — Lareina Yee ‘91, P ‘21 Honorary Chair, UHS Alumni Honors

JEFFREY K. HOM, MD, MPH, MSHP, ’00 Nominated by Heather Duncan (UHS science instructor, 1997–2011) and Adam Tewell ’00

n early 2020, Dr. Jeffrey Hom ’00 was working with his team at the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health to prepare the first sanctioned safe injection site in the United States, almost ready to open after two years of preparation. More than being safe places for people suffering from

the disease of addiction to inject safely under medical supervision, safe injection sites provide critical services such as case management, medical and mental health care, and social

services. Jeff says, “In the past several years, both the medical profession and the public have begun to recognize that addiction is a medical illness, not a moral failing, and that recovery is possible. Safe injection sites will provide help exactly when and where it’s needed most: they prevent people from dying of an overdose, so that they have a chance at treatment and recovery.”

As a policy advisor with the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Jeff is at the leading edge of public health policy in the United States. He is not only a physician who has dedicated his life to the care, health and well-being of those less fortunate; he is also a talented administrator and educator, a special combination that has given him the tools and the vantage point to improve community well-being, pursue health equity, and advance social justice. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the site was put Continued on page 22

MONIQUE W. MORRIS, EDD, ’90, SB ’86, P ’19 Nominated by Deborah Cohler, PhD, ‘87

r. Monique W. Morris ’90, SB ’86, P ’19, has dedicated her life to shining a light on institutional bias and racism, identifying and documenting ways in which communities of color are adversely affected by government

and social policy. Monique is an educator whose voice has had a significant impact on students and fellow scholars. She is a prolific writer, focusing on education, civil rights, and juvenile and social justice. She has a gift for writing in the vernacular, which has

served to amplify her message and deliver it into the popular consciousness. Her influential 2016 book PUSHOUT:The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, which explores how exclusionary discipline impacts Black girls in the United States, was made into a documentary film released in 2019 (see article on page 23 about UHS’s screenings).

Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley hosted the world premiere of the film and, soon after, introduced H.R. 5325, the Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-based Harm that is Overt and Unresponsive to Trauma (P.U.S.H.O.U.T.) Act—legislation to end the punitive pushout of girls of color from schools and to disrupt the school-toconfinement pathway. This bill Continued on page 22 sfuhs.org

Athletics CAPTAINS: University 2019-2020

Above: Girls’ Volleyball: League and Section Champions. Right: (top to bottom) Boys’ Cross Country: League and Section Champions; Girls’ Tennis: League Co-Champions; Boys’ Basketball: League Champions and NorCal Final Four. 10

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2019-2020 highlights

CLASS OF 2020 COLLEGE ADMISSION STATISTICS COLLEGE

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American University Amherst College University of Arizona Arizona State University, Tempe Babson College Bard College Barnard College Bates College Boston College Boston University The University of British Columbia Brown University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz California Institute of Technology California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Chico California State University, East Bay California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University University of Chicago Claremont McKenna College Clark University Clemson University Colby College Colgate University College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado College Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University Dartmouth College Davidson College University of Denver DePaul University

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Dickinson College Drew University Drexel University Duke University Elon University Emerson College Emory University Fordham University George Washington University Georgetown University Gonzaga University Grinnell College Hamilton College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College University of Hawaii, Manoa Hobart & William Smith Colleges Hofstra University University of Houston Howard University Humboldt State University University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Indiana University, Bloomington Kenyon College Lafayette College Lake Forest College Leibniz Kolleg UniversitĂ¤t TĂźebingen Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Louisiana State University Loyola University Chicago Macalester College University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst McGill University University of Miami Miami University, Oxford University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Middlebury College Mills College Montana State University Muhlenberg College The New School New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University University of Notre Dame Oberlin College Occidental College Ohio State University University of Oregon University of the Pacific Pepperdine University

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F E AT U R E S

LETTER FROM THE HEAD I

n 2016, UHS unveiled a strategic design that was based on a vision for the school. One strand of the design was to remain a strategically nimble institution, engaged in learning, reflection, and growth on all levels. We knew that maintaining a posture of self-reflection and curiosity would be critical as we took deep dives into issues around student wellness, sustainability, assessment, equity and access, research-based decision-making, and curricular design. When early stories about the coronavirus began popping up in our newsfeeds, most Americans watched from a comfortable distance and carried on with life as usual. On February 27, several senior UHS administrators boarded planes for the National Association of Independent Schools annual conference in Philadelphia. An impromptu session was held that evening, giving advice about this novel coronavirus and answering legal and operational questions about spring break and international travel. The session addressed crisis leadership and reassured school heads that “you’ve got this—this is not unlike crises we have been through before…” School heads across the country were a mere fortnight away from closing our campuses; conferencing with the health department and medical and epidemiology experts; and partnering with our boards and legal counsel as we faced significant educational, financial, communication, and human-resources questions. In a matter of days, we adapted to the seismic shift of delivering our programs remotely while also maintaining equity, access, and security for our families. At UHS, the combination of a strong leadership team, dedicated faculty and staff, tireless parent volunteers, and a resilient student body made for successful

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transitions, not only to this new mode of teaching and learning, but to a whole new way of being as a school community. Wellness and connection were central to our work as we organized clubs and affinity spaces online, sent care packages to students and teachers, and planned a virtual graduation for the Class of 2020. The admissions team changed its policy on standardized testing and spent the summer completely reimagining the way it will recruit, admit and enroll the Class of 2025. College counseling has been keeping pace with the shifting sands of college admissions, and the development department had to redouble its efforts to meet and exceed the annual fund goal and move the San Francisco Decorator Showcase (whose proceeds go to our financial aid program) launch to fall and online. The technology team secured up-to-date devices and internet access for all students (including our Summerbridge students who had a virtual summer), and deans delivered grocery gift cards to families in need. The Board of Trustees approved an additional $300,000 for emergency tuition assistance and retooled the 2020–21 budget for durability in the face of numerous unknowns. Academic leadership turned on a dime, as we revised the schedule to modulate the pace of online learning in the final spring quarter, and then restructured the 2020–21 academic calendar to allow for a more effective and flexible way to pivot between virtual and in-person teaching and learning. Over the summer, our faculty offered enrichment and for-credit courses to more than 300 students (including incoming ninth graders) and took a two-week course themselves to prepare for delivering an even more effective program this fall. Leadership during a crisis requires keeping on top of

Julia Russell Eells, head of school

the facts, remaining in regular communication around decisionmaking, building trust, conveying preparedness and reliance on expertise and relevant information, and responding to concerns with honesty and openness. Not only was I called on to meet that leadership challenge; I was privileged to watch leadership in action in every corner of our virtual campus. Perhaps the most impressive was the leadership displayed when a second crisis befell us on May 25, when George Floyd was killed at the hands of the Minneapolis police. Our students, faculty, staff, and families all put that tragedy, as well as the realities of the pandemic’s impact on marginalized communities, on the front burner, as we gathered in affinity spaces to process, discussed evolving stories in the media, and held our school and ourselves accountable for redoubling our commitment—and taking action on it—to live the words of our Equity and Community Statement. Our Black Student Union leaders have called for curricular change and enhanced antiracist training, and

our alumni are holding up a mirror for us to further examine the necessity for a shift in our culture. When we built our strategic design four years ago, there was no way to predict that the commitment to be (and to practice) being nimble and self-reflective, with a focus on learning and growth, would strengthen UHS’s readiness and resilience in this unprecedented moment. The most seasoned leadership knows that during a crisis, the vision and core values of an institution are stress-tested in ways that can be affirming to the endurance of those key words and phrases. We are by no means through the crises of the pandemic and the structural racism that is endemic in our country. However, UHS students, faculty, staff, families, and trustees are committed to steering through this unique storm together, aided by the guideposts we built during fairer weather.

Julia Russell Eells

F E AT U R E S

A LEGACY OF PERSEVERANCE Tomicia Blunt is a UHS alumna, class of 2017, who served as student body president her senior year. She is now a senior at the University of Puget Sound. Throughout her time at UHS, she was involved in a host of enriching programs and clubs that influenced her present-day interests, namely the arts program and writing for the student newspaper, the Devil’s Advocate.Tomicia advanced through the ceramics program and completed AP Studio Art in her senior year.The arts program solidified her desire to be involved with visual arts, as she found it an amazing outlet for self-expression and cultural expression, and the Devil’s Advocate helped her to channel her passion for arts, entertainment, and culture through writing. Her love of journalism transitioned into an interest in advertising, which led her to her current desire to pursue fashion entrepreneurship post-graduation.

hen the coronavirus pandemic started, it was hard to imagine that we would still be struggling to recover months after it arrived on the scene. As most of us have realized by now, the normal we previously knew is lost to us, but the opportunity to create a new normal is here. Not only have the last few months turned our personal lives upside down, but we have also watched upheaval on a national and global scale. I know I could not have made it through months of sudden change and national unrest without my support system. I’m sure it took everyone at UHS, from students to administrators, banding together to encourage and support one another during unprecedented times. Even though we still have a long journey ahead, I believe it’s important to be grateful for how far we have come. The resilience, agility, and compassion displayed by our students, faculty, staff, and families made a significant impact in the way the coronavirus pandemic was handled. Last month, I had the pleasure of Zoom meetings with Head of School Julia Eells and Dean of Teaching and Learning Byron Philhour, to learn about the ways that the school reacted and responded to the various challenges and realities brought to light by COVID19. They each provided me with insight into what UHS has been like since the pandemic began. By sharing anecdotes from their first-hand accounts, I hope to help readers visualize what it was like to lead and support UHS students, faculty, staff, and families during tumultuous times.

Before the formal interview began, Julia and I were catching up, and I was explaining to her that COVID-19 had thrown a wrench into my spring plans. I was studying fashion and British culture in London until I was sent back home in anticipation of closure of the U.S. border. It was a devastating blow for me and for my peers who were abroad, because our experience was cut short. For most of my peers it was their first time out of the country, and they were finally studying their passions, which were unavailable to them at their home universities. I and some others were working at dynamic internships that taught us a lot about our future career fields. It was difficult for us all to accept that we had to abruptly leave our respective countries and all the friends we had made on our journeys, or plans we had yet to execute. Our peers back in the U.S. faced a different set of challenges. Many students left campus for spring break, and assumed they would return as they had planned, but most universities denied students the opportunity to return, due to the fast-spreading pandemic. College seniors were devastated that their final year was suddenly ripped away from them. My graduating friends were heartbroken and confused. As I shared my college woes, I began to think about the high school students who would not be able to experience prom, graduation, or other monumental high school traditions. My brain began to pepper with questions, so I focused on the most pertinent one: “What was the campus climate like when

noted how important it was for individuals to overcome the “distance mentality” sooner rather than later, because issues that only existed abroad were now at our community’s doorstep. The increased proximity of the coronavirus pandemic to the U.S. left many in the UHS community asking, “What happens next?”

COVID became serious?” Julia said that the overarching feeling at the time was that a COVIDrelated campus closure would be short-term. Although the UHS administration shared information about practicing good hygiene and outlined the potential impact on families, most community members did not anticipate that we would be living with the realities of COVID longer than several weeks. San Francisco was among the first cities to lock down, and UHS followed suit, becoming the first independent school in the city to close campus and launch distance learning. Even though going into lockdown was the right thing to do, worry still lingered, primarily around the question, “Will we have the collective fortitude to do what it takes to beat this virus?” Julia notes that working together, with the inherent understanding that it may require personal sacrifice, is not necessarily embedded in the American psyche. When global disaster strikes, it is easy to distance one’s individual needs and desires from the broader community’s needs, creating divisions between “me” and “them.” Both Julia and Byron

After UHS closed the campus, it transitioned into distance learning. Students and faculty followed the same schedule, with six classes meeting three times a week over Zoom. After two weeks with this schedule, students and faculty were equally exhausted, and new challenges arose. The school’s biggest concern was ensuring that all students had the same opportunity to succeed. It became very clear that COVID-19 challenged the idea of school as “the great equalizer,” since many stress factors influence a student’s ability to complete work at home, such as a parent’s presence or absence in the home, internet access, child-care responsibilities, mental health challenges, and food and housing insecurities. Byron shared that for many UHS students these stressors either were not previously present or were amplified due to COVID, which drastically increased the need to reform the daily schedule and

March 11, 2020 UHS announces closure of entire campus, with online distance learning to begin March 16, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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F E AT U R E S to reevaluate some assessment assumptions. As a result, UHS shifted to an interim grading system that allowed for students to focus on getting the most out of the online experience without the pressure of traditional grading practices. In addition to a new, less taxing daily schedule, assessment practices were changed, and new rubrics for success were created, to account for good-faith engagement and decrease emphasis on a high-stakes final product or exam. UHS also increased its mental health and wellness resources to accommodate these changes so that students, faculty, or staff would have adequate resources to use if they were struggling with their mental health. Julia notes that COVID allowed UHS and other independent schools to adopt practices that are equitable around project-based learning and assessment. The next obstacle UHS faced was figuring out how they could help. students maintain meaningful connections while online. In addition to the changes in cherished traditions like prom and graduation, regular social and community gatherings, such as All-School Meeting, sports, and some clubs, could not take their usual forms, leaving students feeling an enormous sense of loss. Even within these obstacles, there were a few

March 16, 2020 The Development Team announces that the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2020, and all gatherings associated with the event will be rescheduled. Summerbridge notifies its families of UHS physical campus closure through April 10, moving their After-School Enrichment (ASE) classes to online virtual classes.

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silver linings. Cluster meetings transitioned onto Zoom rather well, and students looked forward to weekly sessions to decompress and catch up with their peers and their mentors. The Spring Musical was a huge accomplishment, bringing the community together in a previously unimaginable way. Instead of cancelling the performance due to stay-at-home orders, the Spring Awakening cast performed over Zoom and put on an outstanding show. Students and faculty were texting each other, sharing their awe of the professional-level performances and production, as well as with the play’s resonance in today’s times. Spring Awakening is a coming of age rock musical set in late-19th-century Germany that showcases the tumultuous lives of teenagers as they grapple with adolescent sexuality. Attendance at the play was record-breaking, which shows that students, parents, alumni, and faculty and staff all looked forward to reconnecting with their community in a meaningful way. And clubs—especially affinity-based clubs—became a crucial space for maintaining relationships. As the semester wrapped up, the news of George Floyd’s murder on May 25 shook the UHS community. Beginning in

Minnesota, and quickly spreading across the country and the globe, people mobilized to protest Floyd’s unjust murder of George Floyd. Later, people mobilized in memory of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. It was hard for the UHS community to, in Byron’s words, “disappear into summer feeling raw, angry, afraid, anxious, and alone.” Faculty, staff, and students remained very much in touch throughout the summer. Teachers led affinity spaces, and summer enrichment and for-credit courses were held, keeping connection alive during these challenging months. Clubs also continued working through the summer to support students. The Black Student Union (BSU) was one of these clubs. In addition to providing peer support, the BSU wrote the administration a letter with a list of demands for institutional change, including holding UHS accountable for offering a less Eurocentric history curriculum. The letter also called for continued teacher training around connecting with students of color and supporting their UHS experiences. To address these concerns, in the 2020–2021 school year, UHS will engage in curriculum review to find ways

to improve department curriculum and programs. Their next objective is to implement more focused professional development around cultural competency. Their final change is to reserve certain Wednesdays during the school year in order to hold space to discuss relevant issues in the world and to foster better interpersonal relationships within the UHS community. Although the Class of 2020 experienced an abrupt ending to its final year at UHS, its members have also left a legacy of perseverance and leadership at UHS. As Byron states, this generation of students “understands more than anyone that the world is nonlinear and nothing goes as planned.” The Class of 2020’s resilience in persevering through loss has assured the faculty and staff who have worked closely with them that they have the courage and endurance necessary to tackle future obstacles they will face. I hope that they continually remain honest with themselves about their positionalities and their responsibilities in the world. They are stepping out on their own, with the tools to do the hard work of facing the many challenges that COVID-19 has exposed. n

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Admissions Outside the Box — Nate Lundy, Director of Admissions

he high school admissions process in 2020–2021 promises to be like none before. With COVID-19 restrictions in mind, we have restructured our admissions process with a focus on accessibility, simplicity, and transparency. Although we are not able to welcome families and applicants in-person during the admissions season this year, we strive to generate an authentic experience of our facilities, classrooms, and community for them. They will experience the effectiveness of our teachers both in and out of the classrooms and will feel what it’s like to “walk the halls” in South Campus, where visual arts and language illuminate the building. They will even get to chat with our student admissions ambassadors. I know this may not be an easy year, but we are confident that, by the end of this admissions season, all prospective students and their families will have a genuine feel for our community and the unique experiences that define student life at UHS. We will do everything in our power to assist them in navigating the admissions process. As students and families prepare to meet the challenges of a virtual admissions cycle, we’d like to highlight some of the modifications we’ve made to our process. Our hope is to meet eighth graders where they are, while still offering an in-depth glimpse of the definitive aspects of our school community. ACCESSIBILITY • No SSATs: With little equity available in the testing process, we want to assure that all of our applicants have the same access to applying to

independent high schools. We will not be considering test scores this year. • Open Houses: We have shifted the times and days of our Open House events to provide more equitable options for various families’ time constraints and needs. In addition to our typical Saturday and Sunday afternoon events, a Wednesday evening event will be offered with more spaces and recordings available. • Classroom Experiences: In previous years, prospective students would be allowed to visit classrooms for a limited amount of time. This presented conflicts of interest for them, as they were forced to prioritize visiting UHS over their own important middle school classes. This year, we will pre-record classes across all grades and subjects. This will give all visitors unrestricted access to classes that may not be seen during a traditional visit, allowing them to visualize what a student’s four-year experience here at UHS may look like.Viewers will have access to these recorded classes at their leisure, alleviating scheduling conflicts and freeing up time for students to be even stronger members of their current school communities. SIMPLICITY • Handshake: It is always nice to have a quick and casual conversation with an applicant or their family. However, this year, we will not be able to accomplish this without complicating the process. With that in mind, we will host “office hours” that can serve as a virtual handshake. These

seven-minute time slots will allow anyone interested to connect with an admissions team member. They can ask questions, talk about the day, or just say hi! • Do What You Can: This process is set up for everyone involved to get what they need. We are not keeping tabs on how many events prospective students and their families attend. We recognize that they have busy lives, and we want to see the best versions of our applicants, so we encourage students and families to only attend the events that work for them! TRANSPARENCY • Parent/Guardian Sessions: We typically host these intimate events on campus in the mornings or evenings, to give parents and guardians a sense of how everything happens behind the scenes at UHS. These sessions will be recorded and available for any and all to view. (This should also go under Accessibility, but these sessions are as transparent as they come!)

we’re implementing a group interview in which up to six applicants combine to tackle various challenges together. This is a unique opportunity for applicants to show us who they are in a group setting. • Video: We are adding the inclusion of a one-minute video of the applicant. This is the applicant’s time to show us what is important to them. We believe that the values that fuel UHS on a daily basis come alive throughout the admissions process. This is not an easy task to accomplish virtually. However, if any school community can make it happen, UHS can! If you have any questions about our goals or our direction, please don’t hesitate to contact Nate Lundy at nate.lundy@sfuhs.org. n

March 17, 2020 Shelter-in-place order takes effect in six California counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.

• Interview: In place of the one-on-one interview model,

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The Heart of the Matter: How the University High School College Counselors Are Navigating an Unusual Year — Jenny Schneider, Director of College Counseling & Kate Garrett, Associate Director of College Counseling

n Thursday, March 12, we grabbed armloads of student files, various college resource guides, and all manner of technological accoutrements. We hugged one another good-bye and headed to our respective homes for what we imagined would be a month or so of shelter-in-place.

In those early days of the pandemic, everything felt upside down, unfamiliar, fundamentally different. In reality, though, our day-to-day activities remained largely the same. The UHS Class of 2020 got into college, and they talked with us about which offer to accept. Some of them — although not the landslide number widely reported in the media — asked us about gap years. Others asked for guidance about their financial aid awards, and we coached them on how to negotiate a better package. By May 1, just like every year, everyone was settled, and then, as happens in many years, there was a little flurry of exciting activity as some students were accepted off of wait lists. For their part, the Class of 2021 got to work building the first drafts of their college lists. We finished up the family meetings scheduled for the end of March

March 17, 2020 UHS Head of School extends campus closure through the end of Spring Break (April 6-10).

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via Zoom, frequently enjoying the participation of the entire family — including younger siblings practicing gymnastics in the background, cats jumping into students’ laps, or dogs barking their approval at some particularly sage bit of wisdom we offered (or maybe just at someone walking by a window). Realizing that students would be unable to explore any college campuses during spring break, our office put together a challenge we called “the virtual college tour.” Many students spent their spring break week in April visiting colleges online, diving deeply into institutions’ departmental websites, and chatting

with UHS alums who were suddenly quarantined at home and eager to share about their college experiences. The juniors were exploring and learning the way they do every year, just using different methods. And, just like every year, they were worrying about standardized testing. In the past, we’d have been talking through results from spring tests and sorting out whether further testing would be beneficial. In 2020, the conversation continues to be about whether the SAT and the ACT will ever go forward in the Bay Area, and how worried folks should be if state and county

health guidelines prevent that from happening. The uncertainty has been trying for everyone, especially the students. As one of our colleagues described the situation, it’s like Charlie Brown and the football: the kids keep getting geared up to take the tests, only to have them snatched away at the last minute. We are trying as hard as we can to convey the genuine confidence we feel that our students will have a successful college process, no matter what does or does not happen with testing. Similar to conversations about the SAT and ACT in years past, kids and families listen, and nod, and try to stay calm . . . but still feel nervous.

F E AT U R E S With the passing weeks and months, one thing has become clear: while some of the circumstances, questions, and methodologies have changed, our work as college counselors at UHS has remained substantively the same. If anything, the principles that guide us and the ends we aim to achieve are even more relevant this fall. The medium has changed; the message is the same. The work of the college counseling office is grounded in the mission, vision, and values of University High School. In particular, the part of our vision that commits us to “empowering students to invent and sustain their own vision of success and sense of purpose” remains the heart of the matter for us. The broader, often emphasized cultural conversation in the media about college admissions focuses obsessively on a tiny number of universities, trumpeting the alarmist message that this year is the toughest yet to get into these schools, year after year after year. This perpetual noise signals to teenagers that success only looks like a single outcome, and that achieving that outcome is almost impossible. As a result, our work is not just about shepherding students through an application process; it’s about helping them to navigate marketing and messaging that may have bombarded them for years and come to their own conclusions about what really matters to them. Now more than ever, we see the many ways in which our job title — college counselor — is apt. We have our own vision of what it means to be a successful counselor, and we have articulated this vision in four statements, addressed to our students: • You have a deeper sense of what is important to you, what you care about, and who you are. • You expand your competency in important areas

such as stress management, organization, resilience, and decision-making. • You remain healthy, balanced, and connected to the reality that “where you go is not who you’ll be.” • In the spring, each of you has made a choice about where you are going to college, and you are proud of the way you managed this process. In some ways, the crises of the last few months have helped our students to understand what matters most. In the summer questionnaire we gave to the rising seniors, two of the questions we asked were: “What have you found most challenging about sheltering in place?” and “Have you experienced any unexpected benefits from the stay-at-home order?” Their answers to the first question included feeling isolated, missing friends, and some cabin fever. As for the unexpected benefits, along with many heartwarming comments about eating dinner with their families more often and playing board games with younger siblings, several students wrote about taking up drawing or creative writing, about having more time to reflect on the world and their place in it, and about feeling deeply grateful for their many blessings. There have been challenges and benefits to the new normal for us, as well. We really miss seeing our students and colleagues in person, and we are tired of working in our dining rooms. But there have been some surprising upsides, too, from the whimsical to the quite profound. On the lighter side, one student was able to introduce her adorable new pair of kittens to her counselor, live on Zoom. Another held a meeting from a parked car while he waited to pick up his younger brother from a (socially distanced) playdate. On the more serious side, the inability to visit college campuses has led many

students to engage in thoughtful, thorough research into schools that interest them. As a result, we feel that students’ knowledge base this year is at least as strong as, if not stronger than, in years past. While it may sound clichéd, we have been truly awed by the resilience, perspective, and flexibility of our students. And, of course, we have also noticed their stress, anxiety, and worries. Which leads us to the challenges of our work this year. We often share with families the work of Dr. Sonia Lupien, the director of the Center for Studies on Human Stress, who says that all stressful situations share some themes: N — novelty; something new U — unpredictability; no way of knowing it could occur T — threat to the ego; feeling your competence is questioned S — sense of control; feeling you have little or no control in a situation In other words, these situations are NUTS. And this certainly applies to the college process — something each student has never done before; something whose outcome cannot be predicted or controlled; and something that can leave a young person questioning their intelligence, their talent, and, sadly, even their self-worth. Now, “nuts” is a mild term to describe a global pandemic, but it is undeniable that today’s situation also features all four of these themes. There are even fewer things that we have control over now, and the consequences of the uncertainty feel even more threatening. But these strange circumstances call on us to employ similar coping strategies. We believe that the best way to counter the inevitable stress caused by “nutty” situations is for individuals to draw on their core values. For example:

C — care: being kind to ourselves and to one another and prioritizing well-being A — authenticity: staying true to ourselves and to what really matters to us L — levity: maintaining a sense of humor, especially about ourselves M — mindfulness: being selfaware and sensitive to others, and keeping things in perspective An important part of our work, this year and every year, is to help each student create their own acronym, so to speak, composed of the skills, values, and habits of mind that help them thrive, not only during the college process but throughout their lives. COVID-19 has led to one big change in the college office, however. We used to end our senior kick-off meeting with an extended metaphor about anxiety as a virus, complete with an image from the movie Contagion. Clearly, that had to go. This year, we ended with this slide, and we’ll leave you with the same message:

March 22, 2020 UHS Head of School announces that all alumni reunions (and all attendant gatherings May 1-2) are canceled, postpones Decorator Showcase until the fall.

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Summerbridge Summer 2020 — Dara Northcroft, Summerbridge Executive Director

ince 1978, Summerbridge has provided academic enrichment to ambitious students from underresourced circumstances. Every summer, the UHS campus fills with more than one hundred enthusiastic students and twenty dedicated faculty, who bring the joyous sounds of learning, community building, and Summerbridge spirit to the campus. When the impact of COVID19 drastically changed how we all work and gather as learning communities, the Summerbridge administrative team leapt into action to plan virtual learning in summer 2020. Key to our planning was not only to preserve the quality of our instruction and activities, but to ensure our students had access to the resources necessary to participate. Through its close partnership with UHS, Summerbridge provided essential technology-based tools for the students and summer faculty, including laptops, Summerbridge email addresses, and access to Zoom and to Canvas (a learning management system). Additionally, families were provided with meal support through grocery-store gift cards.

March 22, 2020 UHS Head of School extends campus closure through May 1, noting closure could be indefinite.

June 6, 2020 Class of 2020 virtual graduation held online for students, family, and friends.

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On June 2, the Summerbridge faculty, consisting of eleven instructional coaches and five teaching fellows, began collaborating and planning academic and community-building classes. On June 15, students logged in to their first classes on Zoom and began their six-week virtual summer session. Classes included math, English, science, high school advising, and SSAT prep. The faculty’s diligent planning paid off as they presented interactive and engaging lessons that encouraged active student participation. In ninth-grade English classes, students chose a local social issue, researched it, and created a product (podcasts, stickers, posters, poetry, etc.) that calls for activism and change. In their high school advising classes, seventh- and eighth-grade students talked about the characteristics of their dream schools, wrote personal statements, and practiced interview skills. And in

“Summerbridge was a wonderful opportunity for me not only to learn several more concepts and methods of learning, but to interact with peers socially. I appreciate all everyone has contributed for me to spend this amazing summer with the Summerbridge community!” —Summerbridge eighth grader, summer 2020

F E AT U R E S science classes, students planned and built roller-coaster models. As part of maintaining the energetic spirit and community building that are a defining part of Summerbridge, students participated in cooking and movement classes and weekly All School Meetings (ASMs). In cooking classes, students shared photos of the recipes they made, inspired by the cooking videos produced by the teaching fellows. In movement classes, they

learned a dance routine from High School Musical and shared videos of themselves dancing. And at ASM, everyone’s favorite event, students earned spirit points by participating in a Battle of the Classes. Summerbridge alumni answered the call to participate in the annual College and Career Day, and since it was virtual this year, presenters hailed from all over the country, from the Bay Area to New York City. Students

enjoyed learning about a variety of careers and were particularly entertained when presenters shared stories and pictures from their middle-school years at Summerbridge. Every year, Summerbridge culminates the summer with a Celebration event, and this year’s virtual presentation was a success, with students and teachers sharing about the summer through video clips, songs, and speeches.

Accomplishing a successful Summerbridge virtual program took an incredible amount of teamwork and perseverance, and the Summerbridge faculty, students, and families, as well as the UHS technology team and senior administrative team, are to be commended for the invaluable partnerships that led to a rewarding summer. n

Undeterred: The Generous Spirit of Giving in the UHS Community — Shaundra Bason, Director of Development

he philanthropic spirit in this country is truly an inspiring phenomenon. Billions of dollars are donated annually to causes that people feel strongly about, and important social change is bolstered, in large part, by the generosity of individual donors. What happens to this generosity when times get tough? What have we seen within the UHS community as the economy remains uncertain, a pandemic changes our everyday lives, and wildfires ravage our state? Here are just a few of my most encouraging experiences. DOUBLING DOWN The UHS and Summerbridge Annual Fund is a cornerstone of support for our faculty and students. As campus was closing, our fundraising goal of $2.2 million was still significantly short of being realized. Knowing that the pandemic would financially and emotionally affect a significant portion of our donors, the energized and creative development team, alongside key volunteers, revised our strategy and committed to

redoubling our efforts, including reaching out to all current and past families, alumni, and friends of UHS. The response from our community was dazzling. An online effort to match a generous alumni gift to financial aid encouraged many first-time alumni donors to support their alma mater, while some of the school’s most dedicated supporters increased—some even doubled—their contributions. A final appeal and push by our hard-working volunteers in June brought us over our goal, helping us meet our community’s needs and enter the 2020–2021 school year on a stronger footing. THE VIRTUAL SHOW(CASE) GOES ON Across 44 years, the Decorator Showcase has raised more than $17 million in support of the UHS financial aid program. As our world moved to shelter in place, the work that was well underway at 22 • 22nd Avenue was brought to a screeching halt, and it was unclear how this beloved and important event could weather the storm. How

could we complete the work, offer a visually rich experience without public gatherings, and safeguard the money raised to guarantee access for our students and families? Undaunted, Showcase volunteers, designers, and staff completed work on the beautiful home once construction was permitted again. The first-ever virtual Showcase is now open, complete with an interactive 3-D tour, video interviews with designers, and the ability to zoom in on items of interest. Because of the dedication of our designers, volunteer leaders, and long-time supporters, Showcase is alive and well, and is generating critical financial aid support for students of promise. EMPOWERED FACULTY As UHS was forced to close its campus, the faculty and administrative team rallied to pivot quickly to online instruction. The last months of the school year provided valuable lessons on what it would take to offer meaningful virtual learning over a longer period of time. To prepare for this eventuality

in the fall, faculty members went through training over the summer to hone their online teaching skills. Understanding the importance and additional cost of this training, an anonymous “grateful family” contributed funding to underwrite generous summer study stipends for the teaching faculty. This generosity not only benefits our students, but also represents deep appreciation for the commitment of our faculty and meaningful recognition of the additional time and expertise required to create and deliver curriculum under these circumstances. One grateful faculty member wrote, “Navigating this school year will undoubtedly be quite challenging,

August 8, 2020 UHS announces ONE MEDICAL access to community members—including health screenings, COVID testing, and flu shots.

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F E AT U R E S and applying all that we learned won’t be easy, but I’m very grateful to be equipped with concrete tools and linked to a national cohort of passionate math educators there to support and encourage one another. Thanks to the family who graciously donated to support our work.” CAMPUS RENEWAL We all look forward to returning to campus and recapturing our connection as a learning community. In anticipation of this return, significant work has been completed in key areas of the campus to provide additional space and safety for students, faculty, and staff. Several classrooms have been expanded and improved, new access points and doorways have been created, and changes have been made to

the serving spaces in the Student Center. All of these targeted improvements will ease crowding and offer more flexibility and safety for our community. Again, generous supporters helped make this possible, by providing funds in support of these improvements. STUDENT WELLNESS UHS has long desired a new model for school research, self-assessment, and strategic decision-making that leverages the talents of its faculty and staff while also creating leadership and professional growth opportunities. Thanks to a $250,000 leadership grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation (secured with matching dollars from our community, for a total

of $500,000), we can provide meaningful support to UHS’s ongoing internal research work. We are studying a complex variety of strategic questions on a range of topics, including student belonging, assessment and grading, culturally responsive classrooms, access and affordability, student and faculty workload, and adolescent well-being. We believe that our work in these areas will transform the way we support individual and institutional growth by placing strategy in the hands of those who work most closely with students, and

this work is especially meaningful at a time when student wellness is challenged to an unusual degree. These are challenging times and important institutions will continue to be tested as we navigate some of the most difficult social, political, and health crises imaginable. But if the last six months of generosity within the UHS community tells us anything, it is that the philanthropic spirit and leadership will rise to meet the challenges. n

The Show(case) Must Go On! — Thelma Garza, Director of Events

he first-ever virtual Decorator Showcase is now open to the public. The typical April opening of the annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase, benefitting the UHS financial aid program, was postponed (twice!) because of multiple local and global crises. The story of what it took to bring you the 43rd Decorator Showcase demonstrates the resilience, creativity, and generosity of our community. After shelter-in-place orders were issued in response to the

August 19–20, 2020 UHS launches Fall 2020 Virtual Orientation, opening the 2020-2021 school year officially on August 21 with continued distance learning.

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rising threat of COVID-19, work on the Showcase house, at 22 • 22nd Avenue, was effectively shut down, and the wait began. As all of us at UHS and around the world attempted to adapt to extraordinary circumstances, we started planning for producing a virtual Showcase tour. Thankfully, construction restrictions were relaxed in mid-April; work resumed with new safety regulations in place, and the house was Showcase-ready by the end of July. We eventually made the difficult decision not to open Showcase for in-person tours and hired UHS alum Dan Herz ’85 to create a virtual tour once the house was finished. Filming of the house wrapped in early August, and the long-awaited “opening” of the 2020 Showcase

was finally in sight and set for August 29. A week before the scheduled launch, Showcase was postponed once again, due to key members of the virtual-tour production team being directly impacted by the California wildfires. As UHS development director Shaundra Bason said to the press and the public, “2020 might have slowed us down, but it won’t stop us.” And stop us it didn’t! This year’s Showcase launched on September 5. We are thrilled at the increased public

accessibility to Showcase and the special content that going virtual has offered our supporters and our designers. We would like to share our deepest appreciation for the hundreds of people who stood with us and willed a successful Showcase into existence with their passion and dedication, including designers, donors, advertisers, and our amazing volunteer committee, led by the indefatigable 2020 Showcase co-chairs Elizabeth

F E AT U R E S Showcase Chairs Liz Allor (P ’21) and Wendy Kesser (P ’23)

September 22, 2020 U.S. death toll reaches a staggering 200,000, just over 6 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID19 a pandemic.

Photo courtesy of design firm DZINE and artist/photographer Elina Frumerman

Allor (P ’21) and Wendy Kesser (P ’23). In their words, “Never has there been a time when we have more appreciated the value of ‘home’ as a place of refuge, but also of work and diversion. Our community’s loyalty to our cause this year proves ‘the Show(case) must go on’ and is a powerful testament to our resilience and

dedication, as well as a deeply appreciated gift in support of our next generation of leaders.” Thank you, also, to those of you who have already participated in our virtual Showcase and supported the UHS financial aid program. We are especially grateful given the additional

needs that many in our community are experiencing because of current events. If you have not done so already, please visit decoratorshowcase.org and show your support by enjoying a tour of the 2020 Showcase home at 22 • 22nd Avenue. n

October 7, 2020 UHS Head of School announces November orientation and re-connection plan with hybrid learning to begin in January and possible relaunch of interscholastic athletics.

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UNIVERSE

ALUMNI HONORS: JEFFREY K. HOM, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 on hold. Weeks later, George Floyd’s murder became widely known, shedding further light on the racism that exists in and beyond our criminal/legal system, and, as Jeff says, “the work absolutely changed.” Jeff says, “Early on, data on COVID showed people of color developing higher rates of infection and more severe infection than Whites, a reflection of long-standing racial disparities in health care and health care access. The past months have prompted me and my team to reflect on our work on substance use and harm reduction, and to ensure that our actions are antiracist. I know, for me, personally and professionally, this has meant reflecting, listening and learning, understanding my own biases and, ultimately, what work I need to do to help address the structural racism that endangers people’s health and safety.” In addition to addressing the consequences of the “War on Drugs,” the most visible manifestation of the intersection of racism and drug policy in the US, Jeff seeks to improve the equity of care

provided by health care systems and drug treatment programs to people who use drugs. Jeff says the problem is twofold: “Systems have for too long been less accessible to Black and Brown individuals, and then these same groups are hurt by the biases that exist within them. We must be better.”

CHOOSING PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CAREER Jeff points out that there are many paths into a career in public health, a broad field ranging from climate change to substance misuse. While many of his health department colleagues have had formal public health education, others trained as physicians, lawyers, social workers, or educators. “It can be fast-paced,” Jeff says, “solving problems in real time that are affecting the health of the community.” Jeff thrives working at the county level, which allows him witness firsthand local public health problems and influence policy to create their solutions. “Public health departments have seen a great shrinking over the

years, but COVID has spurred a new interest in the field, and my hope is that we attract new people to help solve some of our most pressing problems.” Public health is often behind the scenes, its work garnering attention only when a crisis emerges. Funding then pours in, only to be cut when the threat wanes. Despite this cycle, Jeff thinks COVID-19 has changed our understanding of what public health is and why it’s important. At the same time, Jeff worries about the politicization and mistrust of science that have also emerged during the current pandemic. He believes that, while a balance can and must be struck between the needs of the economy and public safety in response to COVID, too much of the dialogue today frames this as a one-or-the-other decision.This conflict has inflamed tensions in our already deeply partisan society, and has sown doubt in public health. “I expect that restoring trust will be a necessary component of our work in the years to come,” Jeff says.

UHS’S INFLUENCE ON JEFF’S LIFE At UHS Jeff sang in the chorus, ran cross-country, and developed a love for art history that would lead him to choose it as his major at Bowdoin College. Jeff says, “UHS faculty taught me to think critically and to welcome feedback, challenging and expanding my understanding of the world around me. While my years at college were formative, it was UHS that prepared me and enabled me to make the most of them. And UHS fostered deep friendships and a sense of community that I hold dear to this day.” Jeff was named to the inaugural list of “40 Under 40 in Public Health” by the de Beaumont Foundation in 2019. He is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a fellow in the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, a TEDx speaker, and a faculty member in the MPH program at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching classes on substance use as a public health issue. He has published multiple peer-reviewed articles to advance knowledge in the fields of public health and health policy research. n

ALUMNI HONORS: MONIQUE W. MORRIS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 requires the U.S. Department of Education to award grants to local educational agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of reducing suspension and expulsion of students (i.e., exclusionary disciplinary practices), requires the department to collect data on exclusionary discipline in schools, and establishes a joint task force to end school pushout. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor in December 2019. Last summer, many White people around the world reacted to the murder of George Floyd by reaching a deeper level of understanding of the insidious and deepseated effects of slavery and racism. Monique sees attention from people who had not previously

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been involved in the ongoing conversation as an opportunity to sustain efforts to dismantle structural racism and individual bias. To those who are ready to step up and help advance the important work of antiracism, Monique says, “Commit to aligning the allocation of resources and actions with interest in being a part of the solution. Partner with organizations and individuals who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and trust their leadership to guide us through conditions that intentionally and/or subconsciously facilitate bias or exacerbate harm.” Today, Monique is increasingly focusing on facilitating spaces for healing. She says, “It’s time to step into our radical imagination

and embrace the possibility that we can transform the relationships that cause individuals and communities so much pain if we address, head-on, the historical traumas that guide so much of how and what we think and do.”

injustices for Black men and boys will automatically respond to the needs of Black women and girls. Certainly these efforts are important and worthy, but we need to apply an intersectional lens when investing in solutions to inequity.”

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Monique accepted a position as the inaugural executive director of Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC). “After decades of scholarship and advocacy for Black lives, joining G4GC felt like the right move,” she says. “Currently, philanthropic organizations donate just $5.48 per woman and girl of color in the US. We have to uplift strategies that respond to the unique needs of Black women and girls. We can’t assume that funding and initiatives aimed at eliminating

UHS’S INFLUENCE ON MONIQUE’S LIFE Monique has been an important part of the UHS community for more than thirty years, as a Summerbridge student, a UHS student, an engaged alumna, and, most recently, a parent. “UHS taught me how to structure intellectual inquiry,” she says. “It also taught me how to grow as a thinker. As a student, I had many critiques about the curriculum, even though I knew it was the best that San Francisco had to

offer. As a young alumna, I wrote letters back to the school to challenge them to be more inclusive in the material that was being taught and in the community that was invited to participate in this unique, elite learning community. As a parent, I observed the growth of the curriculum (that version of Western Civ that included discussions about ancient Egypt, the Harlem Renaissance, and early hip-hop was amazing!) and recognize that the school understands that the work of being a location for every student to feel safe is an ongoing process. What I love most is that UHS has been willing to look inward and consider the leadership of its students in cultivating new possibilities. To the students, that means, speak your truth and continue to articulate

what you want from your school! To the school leaders and faculty, that means, listen and increase your capacity to respond to students’ evolving needs. Safety— in every sense of the word—is co-constructed.” Monique is the founder and board chair of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute. She has held leadership roles with such influential bodies as the NAACP, the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at the Berkeley School of Law, and the California Subcommittee on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Her TED Women talk in December 2018 is climbing toward 2 million views. She is currently working on two books that examine schools’ connection with Black families and youth-led organizing. n

PUSHOUT SOLD OUT!

n February 6, 2020, Dr. Monique W. Morris ’90, SB ’86, P ’19, hosted two screenings of her critically acclaimed documentary film PUSHOUT:The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools for the SFUHS community. During the school day, Monique came to campus to answer students’ questions after the film, which was screened at a special assembly. She was welcomed on stage by Ana Roudebush ’20 and Sami Lee

’21, co-leaders of UHS RIOT Club. RIOT Club is a student affinity group for self-identified women of color, focusing on the intersection of race and feminism, and sparking discussions in the wider UHS community about issues relevant to women of color. After the assembly screening, students met with their clusters and advisors for dialogue and reflection on the film. Monique hosted a concurrent reflection group, and invited RIOT Club, the Black

Excerpt of a letter from Dr. Njema Frazier ’88, SB ’84, about Dr. Monique W. Morris, read on the evening of the PUSHOUT screening for adult members of the UHS community and the public. “When we’re young and have our lives ahead of us, we believe in things like heroes . . . right and wrong . . . changing the world… we believe in unlimited potential. We use a blanket for a cape, we step between someone being bullied and their tormentor, we write our bigger-than-life dreams in a journal. But as we grow into adulthood, we become more pragmatic, more cautious, more jaded, less open, less passionate, less caring. We seek out compromise instead of right; we make excuses for our unwillingness to get involved when we see something wrong: ‘that’s none of my business,’ ‘that’s their problem,’ ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’And yet a few of us—a precious few, a rare few, a Halley’s Comet few of us— keep that indomitable spirit of life inside of us full. We actually become the heroes, the defenders of right and wrong. We change the world. We fulfill—and maintain our belief in— unlimited potential. Monique is changing the world.”

Student Union, and all students interested in her work and her approach to social and gender justice work to join her. Later that day, PUSHOUT was screened at the neighborhood Vogue Theater for members of the public and adult members of our community. The screening was filled with UHS alumni parents and Bay Area educators. Again, Monique was on hand to answer questions for audience members after the film. All 220 tickets sold out, and 100% of the $3,300 proceeds benefited

Camp Akili, a project of Flourish Agenda Inc. Camp Akili is a five-day intensive summer retreat for African American youths, providing them with personal transformation and cultural awareness experiences that allow them to unlock their full potential to flourish. University and the Alumni Association wish to extend our gratitude to Dr. Morris for hosting two screenings of PUSHOUT for the UHS community in one day. n

Dr. Monique W. Morris ’90, SB ’86, P ’19, with RIOT Club co-leaders Sami Lee ’21 (left) and Ana Roudebush ’20, Vogue Theater marquee, Dr. Morris with students in her reflection group after the student assembly screening,

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2019 Alumni Holiday Party & Panel Talk:

Equity in the Civic Space F

or the third year in a row, we held the alumni holiday party in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena district, and for the second year, our venue was the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), with a panel talk devoted to civics. Inspired by SPUR’s long history of working to solve problems

that cities face, our theme was equity in the civic space, with a panel moderated by Mariana Maguire ’00, honorary chair of UHS Alumni Changemakers. UHS Alumni Changemakers on the panel shared their stories of working toward achieving equity in civic spaces, including the areas of justice and law, government and policy, and nonprofits. n

“One of the areas most in need of reform is the criminal justice system, from top to bottom—starting with a fresh look at what we criminalize and how criminalizing certain actions disproportionately targets people of color.”

—Joe Alioto ’90

Alumni Holiday Party panelists, from left to right: Mariana Maguire ’00, honorary chair of UHS Alumni Changemakers and public affairs officer for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency; Yeymi Rivas ’15, climate fellow, CivicSpark—Americorps Program; Lara Ettenson ’95, director, Energy Efficiency Initiative, Natural Resources Defense Council; Nelson Richards ’99, deputy attorney general, California Department of Justice; Stina Skewes-Cox Trainor ’00, former deputy chief of staff of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and former aide to Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Sharon Hing ’01, legal program collaboration manager, Immigrant Legal Resource Center; Joseph Alioto ’90, attorney, Joseph Alioto Law.

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ALUMNI

“Work that is genuinely focused on building and sustaining equity on a systemic level is inherently and necessarily uncomfortable. It requires humbly confronting all inequities— those that are easily apparent, and those that are baked into the everyday systems of how we work and how we relate to each other. I’m fortunate that the organization where I work, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, is committed to challenging both.” —Sharon Hing ’01

We regret that the 2020 Alumni Holiday Party is canceled. Check sfuhs.org/alumnicalendar for information on future events.

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ALUMNI

WHAT'S YOUR

ONE DEGREE

EXPERIENCE?

One Degree is a recurring section of the UHS Journal magazine, sharing stories of alumni who work together or volunteer together after their time at UHS. What’s your One Degree experience? Send us the story at UHSalumni@sfuhs.org. To expand your career network and make meaningful connections with other alumni, become an Alumnifire beta tester at SFUHS.Alumnifire.com.

NANCY ADAMS ‘92, SB ‘88 + ANDREW LOVETT ‘85 Andrew Lovett ’85 met Nancy Adams ’92, SB ’88, P ’18, at a UHS admissions open house where she was a parent volunteer. Andrew was there to learn more about how the school could benefit his son, but he ended up making two new friends who made a deep impact on his personal and professional lives.

Andrew and Nancy quickly realized that they had met before and had a lot in common. Andrew was a Summerbridge staff member in the late ’80s, when Nancy was a student in the program, and they share a deep personal commitment to the institution. Andrew was the founder and director of Summerbridge Cincinnati, and Nancy’s son, Khalil Adams ’18, SB ’14, is a Summerbridge veteran. And both Andrew and Nancy work in careers where they help others: Andrew is a

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

private tutor and admissions counselor, and Nancy is an attorney with the Contra Costa County Department of Child Support Services. That night, they happened to chat about UHS’s iconic Western Civilization class, and, hearing that Khalil could use some help with Civ, Andrew volunteered to tutor Khalil. Andrew and Khalil’s work together showed that a tutor can be a powerful ally in student success. It was a surprise for Nancy to learn that independent school students commonly work with private tutors as well as with their classroom instructors and the Learning Services Office. “I wasn’t sure what to expect at first,” she recalled, “but Khalil and Andrew’s relationship evolved from tutoring to a type of mentorship with amazing chemistry.You don’t always develop that type of chemistry . . . they bonded! Andrew helped Khalil in a way that I, as a mother,

could not.” After conquering Civ and mastering the art of study skills, Khalil went on to have a very successful junior year, and he is currently a sophomore at Davidson College, where he majors in computer science and is a dorm resident assistant. Khalil says, “Andrew and I worked on different visual aids, which helped me to make connections within the material. We often prepared for exams and projects by focusing on time management and by analyzing the details of a given assignment—skills I hadn’t thoroughly developed before. It didn’t hurt that we are both lovers of pop culture, and this aspect of our personalities was also instrumental in establishing our connection.” This three-way collaboration became a model for BATS Scholars, the community service program of the Bay Area Tutoring Summit (BATS), founded in 2016. BATS Scholars provides two years of free support for students toward a successful college placement, including tutoring across the curriculum; standardized test preparation; mentoring in executive function, stress reduction, and life planning; and counseling in college selection, admissions, and financing.

Today, Nancy generously volunteers her time as the director of community relations for the BATS Scholars program. She acts as an ambassador of sorts, explaining the benefit of tutoring to under-resourced families who may be initially reluctant to access the program. She also ensures that the tutors understand the circumstances and needs of the families they are working with, and that they understand the barriers to learning that the families and students may face. As Nancy puts it, “Families of color who come from under-resourced situations sometimes feel doubt that predominantly White nonprofits can truly help. I’m happy to be able to share my family’s story with them.” Andrew reflects, “It has been a joy to work with Khalil. I’m so grateful to Nancy for her participation and leadership. Nancy sharing her story makes it possible for BATS Scholars to further its reach.” To learn more about BATS, contact Andrew at liminuslearning@gmail.com or Nancy at nancyadams0006@ gmail.com. n

ALUMNI

Left to right: Alyza Martinez ’19 Ariana Martinez ’19 Alysha Sadarangani ’19

ALYZA MARTINEZ ’19 + ARIANA MARTINEZ ’19 + ALYSHA SADARANGANI ’19 After having worked together in different areas at UHS, the three of us reconnected and combined efforts with other college students to create an online media platform, The Vocalized. With social media increasingly being used to mobilize for social

justice, we were inspired to create a virtual space to amplify the voices of Black and Indigenous people, women of color, and nonbinary, trans, and queer folx. Since graduation, we have organized a multitude of events, including panels and virtual

classes addressing such topics as indigenous environmental justice, self-defense and assertiveness training, food insecurity, and wellness. Further, we have created accessible resource compilations that have garnered thousands of shares on social media. Our team has been proud to educate people of all backgrounds and to have the ability to fairly compensate the activists we partner with

through community donations. We continue to collaborate with UHS students and alumnx, and we hope to work with others in the future. Learn more on Facebook, Instagram, and Linktr.ee @thevocalized. n

JIBRIL JACKSON ’98 Jibril Jackson ’98, cofounder of startup tech firm HYVE, says he owes a lot to the UHS network for helping him get his business off the ground. And it just so happens that HYVE itself is a social network.

first looks at up-and-coming talent, and can help crowdsource the next wave of artists and performers and feel the pride and satisfaction of contributing to their success. (Organizing all of your content into a single app is a huge side benefit.) HYVE board member Dame Dash provides much of the content for HYVE from his eponymous production studio. Jibril will be beta-testing HYVE at his alma mater, Morehouse, in fall 2020.

modeling tools that the bank used inadequate. His last job in the traditional corporate world was at Guggenheim Capital.

’90s, UHS did not have a lunch program for students who received financial aid. After a long commute from his home near the Oakland Coliseum, Jibril often arrived at school hungry, and his friends gave him money for lunch. As a result of their lived experiences at UHS, he and his friends published an anonymous underground newsletter that called out the racism they saw and felt. The administration learned the identity of the editors, and Jibril credits the school with putting them through a fair process during the discovery. As a result, the cohort has bonded as friends for life.

HYVE is an app designed to be an information arm for media production studios—a very prestigious, invitation-only contemporary version of the Nielsen Media Research “family” of households recruited to determine television ratings. In exchange for access to users’ data, HYVE offers users an exclusive video feed of original but unreleased content, such as pilots and demos. Coded by Jibril himself, HYVE’s user interface displays social media and email side-byside, filtering spam and low-priority messages so that users always see what is most important. HYVE users are treated to

At Morehouse, Jibril studied economics and political science, then went on to graduate from Stanford University Law School. After graduation, he combined both of his sets of expertise by working in mergers and acquisitions at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York for four years, then moved to the global industrials group at Citibank. There he taught himself how to code, after finding the traditional Excel financial

Despite a decade of deep experience and connections on Wall Street, Jibril has had challenges in finding investors willing to take a risk on him. “VC tends to reward its own. Everyone is so polite, but in the end they invest in what they know. There are a ton of super-credentialed Black engineers in Silicon Valley, but they are invisible, because the Valley doesn’t seed engineers, they seed managers, and managers in the Valley are mostly White.” Jibril says his time at UHS gave him early exposure to thinking around hacking and coding of social environments. Coming from Montera Junior High School in Oakland, he experienced a culture clash, and he describes his time at UHS as a “tale of two cities.” He says he was appreciative of the academic rigor at UHS, but he felt, in some ways, like a “social experiment.” For example, in the mid-to-late

—Alyza Martinez ’19, Ariana Martinez ’19, and Alysha Sadarangani ’19

HYVE advisors who have been by Jibril’s side for the whole journey include close friends Rob Reffkin ’97, founder and CEO of Compass Realty; Adam Wight ’98, an expert on machine learning with Wikidata; and Julia Collins ’97, founder of Planet FWD and member of the scout fund at Cleo Capital, who wrote the first check investing in HYVE. n

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ALUMNI DIEGO SCANLON ’21 + BIANCA CATALAN ’10 + TOMMY GOODWIN ’96 Diego Scanlon ’21 is the co-founder and president of the Students of Color Committee for Diversity and Equity (SCCDE). The committee aims to create a space where students of color in Bay Area independent schools who are leaders in their respective communities can collaborate on and work to resolve any challenges their communities may be facing in regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Four faculty of color serve as advisors, including Bianca Catalan ’10, University’s instructor of community engagement.

helps us apply and receive grants, which help us pay for our website and stipends for our members. As a UHS alumna we value her perspective on our work, because she understands our perspective. She has felt the same emotions we do as people of color at an independent school, and her valuable advice and suggestions come from first-hand experience.”

Diego shares, “Bianca is our chief advisor and editor. She

“Last summer we launched a speakers series, and Bianca

KYLE SHIN ’16 + GEORGE WATSKY ’05 In the summer of 2018, I asked Watsky (George Watsky ’05) if I could be his creative intern. He said, “I’ve never had a creative intern before, but let’s do it!” I first met George back in 2012, when I was a freshman at UHS and he came to perform on campus. This was not long after his appearance on the Ellen show for his viral video, “Pale Kid Raps Fast,” in 2011. He met with students in M-202 and talked about his writing process. I didn’t rap seriously at that time, but seeing someone White enter the art form

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

The Students of Color Committee for Diversity and Equity (SCCDE) is a group consisting of students of color and faculty of color from Bay Area independent high schools. The committee aims to create a space where students of color who are leaders in their respective communities can collaborate on and work to resolve any challenges their communities may be facing in regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

and hip-hop culture in a way that seemed appreciative and respectful made me think I could follow in his footsteps. Fast forward to 2016, my senior year. George was scheduled to come back to campus, so I wrote to him ahead of time, asking if I could meet with him to show him raps I had written, and he ended up inviting me and Benny Solomon ’16 to perform on stage with him! In the summer of 2018, I drove down to L.A. to be George’s creative intern. I went with him to music video sets and the recording studio, and worked with his manager to help out with events

SCCDE

connected us with Tommy Goodwin ’96, SB ’92, who is a successful event producer and tech executive, and happened to begin his career doing equity and community work first as a staff member of Summerbridge SF, then in the Service Learning Department at UHS. He was the founding director of the Service Learning Department at Urban School, and their first dean of multicultural life. We invited Tommy to share his experience

of being a person of color in independent schools, and in the corporate world. Tommy said he has learned that no matter where you go to school or work, ‘communicating through difference is one of the toughest things you can do, but we don’t think of it as a skill set.’ Improving communication between different groups is one of SCCDE’s primary goals.You can watch our conversation with Tommy at sccde.org/discussions.”

and social media. I was lucky to be there when his 2019 release Complaint was just beginning production. During that summer, I learned about the music business, and also about the intricacies of artist branding. George even taught me a technique on how to rap faster and still enunciate my words clearly. A generous mentor and all-around dope person, George is my guy. n —Kyle Shin ’16

Kyle Jae Shin, AKA Son of Paper (SOP), is a rapper of Chinese and Korean descent, from San Francisco. Through music, art and film, Son of Paper is expanding the Asian American narrative for all audiences. Since his self-titled EP release in 2016, SOP’s songs and music videos have been streamed more than 30,000 times, and he has performed more than 50 shows across the country. Hear Kyle’s work and learn more about him as an artist at sonofpaper.com.

“We’d like to meet other alumni of color and learn from their experiences. Please contact us at contactsccde@gmail.com.” n

An alum of San Francisco’s youth spoken-word poetry scene, Watsky has appeared on HBO Def Poetry, Ellen, CNN, NPR, PBS, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton Mixtape; toured extensively with his live band; and amassed more than 200 million YouTube views. His debut essay collection, How to Ruin Everything (Penguin Random House), was a New York Times bestseller. Watsky was a 2018 recipient of UHS Alumni Honors. Learn more about Watsky at georgewatsky.com

ALUMNI KRISTA BOSCOE ‘84 + AMIGOS + UHS Krista Boscoe ’84, SB ’80, is the Bay Area director of Amigos de las Américas (AMIGOS). She and many other UHS students have participated in this program over the decades, and now she has come full circle, recruiting high school students for AMIGOS. AMIGOS’s mission is to activate the next generation of youth to create positive change through curiosity, empathy, cultural humility and service in their local and global communities.

As a Summerbridge alumna, I was thrilled to be at UHS, but found myself with what we now call imposter syndrome. I fronted confidence, but I felt out of my element. One morning in Ronda Calef ’s Spanish class, two juniors, Tomás Magaña ’82 and Jennifer Thompson ’82, came in to tell us about AMIGOS. Their poise, maturity, and stories of independence took hold of me; I believed that if I could succeed in a situation like AMIGOS, where I had no network, no cushion, and was required to demonstrate agency and purpose, I would be able to thrive at UHS. And that’s exactly what happened.

The program has evolved profoundly over the decades. When I lived in small villages in Mexico and Ecuador in the early ’80s, I dug latrines and vaccinated dogs and cats. Today, students spend the first weeks of their time listening to residents and learning about their host community, what problems they face, and ways to work collaboratively to support local initiatives. In the early days, projects were built top-down, with international leadership determining local action. Intentions were good, but many look back and fear we took more than we gave. Before I took my current role, five years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to learn the program had changed completely, with local youths and our partners from Latin America leading the programming decisions at key levels. Today, we don’t train our volunteers what to do—we train them how to ask how they can be of value and service to their host communities. They find their projects within the needs of the town and its residents, and together they are responsible for the project management. The commitment to access has also changed. We have deep capacity for financial aid, with $300,000 available annually. We partner with the State Department to provide our Youth Ambassador Program, a fully

“AMIGOS was a formative experience for me as a sixteenyear-old living in rural Ecuador and working on public health projects. I spent several summers as an AMIGOS volunteer in Latin America, alongside a number of UHS classmates. While the programs have evolved considerably since those days, the impact of a cross-cultural AMIGOS experience continues to resonate long after the summer experience is over.” —Mike Gridley ’91, AMIGOS trustee funded reciprocal program where 150 youths from the United States and South America go to one another’s countries for host family stays, leadership training, and service project design training. And today, more trainers and youth leadership come from Latinx households. AMIGOS is committed to continuous growth and improvement, just as we want our volunteers to be. In summer 2020, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, American participants enjoyed a different—but equally growth-oriented—curriculum alongside Latin American youths online.You can see a one-minute video of their experiences at https://bit.ly/3kSsL0m. And we just built an amplified version of this new virtual model for high school graduates looking for gapyear options. Here’s an incomplete list of UHS alumni who participated in AMIGOS while at UHS: Prentiss H. Van Den Berg ’80, Elizabeth Hambrecht Eu ’81, Sarah Jones ’81, Ben

"The impact of my AMIGOS experiences in Honduras and Paraguay many years ago is difficult to adequately describe. Suffice it to say that those adventures provided the foundation of what would eventually become my lifetime commitment to service, health care, and social justice. I am delighted to see how AMIGOS has evolved over the years, by changing its programs to be more authentically responsive to community input and partnership and by responding to the importance of inclusion and diversity among its staff and volunteers. I am very proud to know that I played a role in Krista’s introduction to AMIGOS, and I celebrate her personal journey of growth as a leader within the organization. She continues to do such important work by fostering those values and priorities that make AMIGOS particularly unique and important among youth and community development programs in this country.”

Fields ’82, Tomás Magaña ’82 (past AMIGOS International Board member), Jennifer Thompson ’82, David Frankel ’83, Maryam Mohit ’85, Joey Stewart ’88, Seth Goddard ’90, Bob Steinmetz ’90, Mike Gridley ’91 (current AMIGOS trustee), Eli Kaufman ’91, Lisa Miller ’91, Ben Stewart ’91, Megan Gridley ’95, Gregory Gomes ’97, Lenya Bloom ’98, Charlie Koch ’09, Caroline Kremer ’09, Elaine Chan ’10, Molly Butler ’12, Morgan Corley ’14, Samuel Al-Badeh ’19, Patrick Maurer ’19, Reed Schwartz ’19, Helena Maddox ’21, Annabelle Brauer ’22, and Max Stuebe ’22. If you participated in AMIGOS as a UHS student, or if you’re interested in AMIGOS for your high-schoolage student, I’d love to hear from you! Contact me at kboscoe@ AMIGOSinternational.org. n —Krista Boscoe ’84, SB ’80

—Tomás A. Magaña, MD ’82

sfuhs.org

ALUMNI

2020

Virtual Reunion CLASS OF 1980

CLASS OF 1985

n May 2, 2020, 5 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Eastern, classes ending in 0 and 5 got together to celebrate their reunions virtually! Eight milestone reunion classes (1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) convened simultaneous Zoom parties. Normally held at the Decorator Showcase, the traditional in-person party was canceled due to COVID shelter-in-place. Despite initial reluctance to RSVP for this brave new format, class hosts rallied their classmates to attend, and participation was as strong as the in-person version for classes celebrating their 20th and up. Many said that they would have been unable to travel to San Francisco to attend the festivities in person due to work, family, or budget constraints, and appreciated the Zoom alternative. Overall, reaction was so positive that the Alumni Association will make a virtual event part of Reunion Weekend going forward. For the details on 2021 reunions honoring classes ending in 6 and 1, go to sfuhs.org/reunion. Thanks to these folks for rallying their classmates to attend: Frances Hochschild ’80, Lexy Lowenstein ’80, Maryam Mohit ’85, Ted Collins ’90, Gabriel Levy ’90, Elizabeth Land ’90, Ted Levinson ’90, and Mariana Maguire ’00. n

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

ALUMNI Behind the scenes, Reunion 2020 was almost derailed due to technical difficulties! The UHS enterprise Zoom account was not set up to allow one administrator to host multiple live meetings. Despite multiple test sessions leading up to May 2, this "bug" was only discovered five minutes before launch. New links were published via email and Facebook just in time. Big thanks to Maryam Mohit �85 and Ted Collins �90 for moderating their Zoom reunions! Tech difficulties, our Zoom account does not allow single host to have multiple meetings going at once. Hold tight!

CLASS OF

1995

4:50 p.m.

CLASS OF

2000

4:52 p.m.

As a last resort we can use my Zoom room for my class! –Maryam Mohit �85 4:53 p.m.

All good. I sent you the new invitation. If you can get that out to the invitation list, I can take it from there. Posting to the 1990 Facebook page now. I got this! –Ted Collins �90 4:55 p.m

CLASS OF 2005

CLASS OF

2010

4:55 p.m.

CLASS OF

2015

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ALUMNI

Class Notes Ted Streuli ’79 received the 2020 Will Rogers Humanitarian Award, presented during the annual conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Ted is the president and executive director of Peaceful Family Solutions, an organization dedicated to preventing addiction by providing free therapy to children of parents with addiction. In 2013, he founded the Colby Foundation to promote awareness, and break down the stigma, of mental illness. It is named after his son, Colby, who died after a decade-long struggle with schizophrenia and paranoia. The Colby Foundation annually recognizes journalists who have provided exemplary coverage of mental health issues, and sponsors a fundraising run for mental health organizations. Ted served as an editor and columnist for the Journal Record in Oklahoma City from 2004 to 2018, and continues to work as a columnist with weekly pieces published in the Edmond Sun newspaper and shared online. He has also been recognized with the national Voice Award from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Dr. R. Murali Krishna Family Eliminate the Stigma Award, as well as multiple journalism, ethics, and public relations awards. Marc Zegans ’79 writes, “Dear fellow UHS alums, I’m very happy to announce the release of my most recent collection of poems, The Snow Dead, by Cervena Barva Press. This little volume, set in New England winter, engages questions of memory and loss through 23 entwined small poems that together form a meta-poem and an extended meditation. This spare little volume, my sixth published collection, is without doubt my best work. It would

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

After 14 years in Australia, Barbara Keys ’82 took up a chair in history at Durham University in Melbourne, where she is now teaching human rights, international history, and U.S. history. Emmy Award–winning producer Dan Herz ’85, principal of NIAD Productions, was hired by UHS’s Decorator Showcase to produce the virtual Showcase tours offered in place of the in-person experience due to COVID-19. bring me great pleasure to know that some of you fine minds might pick it up and give it a look. I’m eager to know how you respond.”

Lincoln Mitchell ’85 was invited by UHS history instructor (and rock critic) Jesse Berrett to come to campus in fall 2019 to speak with students about his latest book, San Francisco Year Zero: Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Political Upheaval, Punk Rock and a Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Third-Place Baseball Team. Charles Life, by Dr. Louise Aronson A. Fracchia, Sr., P ’81, founder ’81, was a finalist for the 2020 and president emeritus of the Pulitzer Prize for General San Francisco Historical Society, Nonfiction. provided this review printed on the back of the book: “San Francisco Year Zero parses the year 1978--the annus horribilis and nadir of San Francisco’s ‘time of troubles.’ Mitchell’s brilliant political analysis has, as a counterpoint, an analysis of the 1978 Giants season. This creative mixture From left to right: Heidi Philbrick Schell ’81, makes San Francisco Year Debbe Hamber Stern ’81, Louise Aronson ’81, Sandra Bodovitz Feder ’81, Bradley Solomon ’81. Zero an extraordinarily important contribution to the historiography of San Heidi Philbrick Schell ’81 Francisco.” shared this news and photo: “A few of us from the Class of 1981 gathered together for dinner on January 12, 2020, at the home of Sandra Bodovitz Feder ’81 after Louise Aronson ’81 spoke about her book Elderhood at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, where I currently serve as president and Sandra’s husband is the senior rabbi.”

Christophe de Bord ’85, P ’17, continues to teach high school French at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton and play lots of soccer around S.F. Elizabeth de Bord ’87, P ’17, has been teaching Spanish and coaching volleyball at rival school Urban. Michelle Woo Bowman ’89, aquatic scientist, has launched her own firm, KaiTerra Environmental, specializing in environmental education, and empowering people with concepts and knowledge through clear and concise communication. Jennifer Dulski ’89 joined the board of directors of WW (formerly Weight Watchers) in spring 2020. In May, David Ganz ’89, executive director of Thailand-based NGO RECOFTC, addressed the United Nations Global Compact in response to a call for CEOs to record and submit a video sharing what their companies are doing in response to COVID19, giving examples of efforts to recover from, and support resiliency in the face of, the global crisis. RECOFTC serves the poorest and most marginalized rural communities in the Asia/Pacific region, helping them build their capacity to overcome poverty and protect the forests that they depend on for their survival. David’s message to the Global Compact was that research shows that deforestation spurs transmission, and that deforestation also escalates climate change, making RECOFTC’s mission especially critical at this time.

Lincoln Mitchell ’85 (right) with baseball fan Carson Levit ’83.

In June 2020, Joe Alioto ’90 was appointed to the California State Coastal Conservancy by Governor Newsom. Earlier in the year he opened his own practice, Joseph Alioto Law,

ALUMNI specializing in antitrust, whistleblower, and civil rights cases. In spring 2020, Dr. Monique W. Morris ’90 became the executive director of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, and relocated to New York for her new role. Monique was also a recipient of UHS’s 2020 Alumni Honors; read more about her important work on pages 9 and 22. Cynthia Brown, MSN, ’91, area manager with Seattle & King County Public Health, has joined the board of the Washington State Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) Association. In late May, Dan Marmar ’96 collaborated with members of the Class of 1996 to present a series of Zoom gatherings titled “MasterClass for Kids.” His original appeal to classmates started out with, “I’m writing to you from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, where I’m spending a lot of time indoors with my three kids, which made me think of all of you.” Dan’s kids, Amalya, Liyora, and Tziyon, were into subjects that he (in his words) had not mastered, including fashion, drama, coding, basketball, and the stock market. He needed help. But shortly after that message went out, news of George Floyd’s murder became widespread, and a need for a group of friends to come together and help one another in a different way was recognized. Tommy Goodwin ’96, experienced equity and community educator, helped lead the first session, for adults to process the tragedy. The following week, the group kept time for community, and John Pettus ’96 gave a MasterClass for Kids on fact-checking social media and how to identify misinformation in online public discourse, based on his lessons learned building Fiskkit. (Fiskkit is a place for people to discuss important news topics and to find what information is accurate in every article on the Internet, promoting logic and civility and using instantaneous reader feedback to help people identify what is true,

South Central L.A. who compete with somersaulting pigeons, is now available for streaming.

Clockwise beginning top left: Dan Marmar ’96, Key Doby ’96, Jenn Hagan ’96, Alberto Preciado ’96, Chrissy Wong Lee ’96, Tommy Goodwin ’96.

false, well-reasoned or logically unsound in every news article or opinion piece.) The last session, by Bayard Martensen ’96, focused on the basics of business and how corporations and stocks work— in Dan’s words, “a ten-minute finance degree.” In all, about two dozen ’96ers participated—great prep for their 25th anniversary reunion coming up in spring 2021. Leonard Chung ’97 and his wife Lily Han welcomed their first child, baby boy Liam, in April 2020. In January, Seraph White ’98 became the executive director of Outdoors Empowered Network, a national network of community-led, youth-centered outdoor education groups that are dedicated to increasing access and diversity in the outdoors through gear libraries and outdoor leadership training. Dr. Rebecca Plevin ’00 posted about her brother, Chris Plevin ’99, on Facebook: “Not all heroes wear capes—some wear Shakespeare costumes! The pandemic has affected everyone, but arts communities have been particularly hard hit. Since it began, my brother Chris has been working to address the critical shortage of surgical masks while supporting artisans in his theater who would otherwise be out of work.” Chris is the director of production with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Skilled artists in the theater’s costume shop were commissioned to fabricate 250,000 masks to hospitals and convalescence wards throughout the Chicago area.

After 15 years of planning and designing events for top venues, caterers, and boutique planning firms, Heather Rice ’99 launched Heather Rice Events (HRE), specializing in weddings and nonprofits. Carefully honed skills allow HRE to be rooted in tradition and logistics, but to have the freedom to design bespoke events tailored to clients’ interests, passions, and heritage. This synergy between tradition and inventiveness makes HRE both unique and timeless. After being disrupted by COVID-19, the business pivoted to local intimate weddings and virtual affairs, and Heather is looking forward to 2021, when HRE can hopefully resume celebrating life in a big way. Aaron Fung ’00 (whose primary job title on LinkedIn is “Cooper’s Dad”!) has started a career coaching practice outside of his day job at SAP SuccessFactors. Find his page on LinkedIn at linkedin. com/company/coachingaf/. Dr. Jeffrey Hom ’00 was a recipient of UHS’s 2020 Alumni Honors. Read about him on page 9. In spring 2020, Mariana Maguire ’00 became the public affairs officer for the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency. Pigeon Kings, a film by Milena Pastreich ’00, has been featured in multiple film festivals, and received the Audience Award from the Eastern Oregon Film Festival and Special Jury Prize for Excellence in American Profiles from the San Francisco Independent Film Festival. The film, about a subculture of men in

Chris Plevin ’99 shared on Facebook that his sister Dr. Rebecca Plevin ’00, a trauma surgeon at UCSF, spent two weeks volunteering on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis in the ICU at New York Presbyterian: “United Airlines gave her and her 2 colleagues a public send-off at the gate, with the CEO and Chancellor of UCSF giving speeches in the boarding area. I can’t say I’m surprised that Becca would run into the center of the storm to do this work. Part of me expected it. That’s what heroes do.” Catherine Shea Sanger ’00 is directing the Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, where she also teaches in the Global Affairs program. In early 2020, her first book, Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education: Lessons from Across Asia, was published by Palgrave. Within five months after publication, the free ebook version had been downloaded more than 100,000 times! Kate adds that her children, Cendana and Asher, “continue to delight and exhaust.” After ten years as a youth soccer coach with East Bay United Soccer Club, Andrew Williams ’00 has become the organization’s inaugural executive director.

sfuhs.org

ALUMNI Candace J. Yu ’00 has joined the UHS board of trustees. See page 44 2019–2020 Annual Report to learn more about Candace. Emily Bell ’03 Zoomed in to Scott Laughlin’s Stories classes in May to share her experiences as a long-tenured fiction editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Scott and Emily met at Green Apple Books when she spoke at an event there. Short story collections that Emily has edited include A Manual for Cleaning Women and Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin, I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg, and Hardly Children by Laura Adamczyk.

Dr. Alon B. Neidich ’03 and his wife, Julia A. Connolly, were delighted to welcome their son, Adi Lior Neidich, on April 11, 2020. He weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. upon arrival, and he continues to delight his four grandparents and his uncles (including Dr. Eitan M. Neidich ’06) every day over Zoom, although he doesn’t look into the screen very much. In addition, in spring 2020, Alon completed his training in internal medicine at Harvard.

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

Professor Jonathan Shelley ’03, of Georgia Tech, received a $10,000 grant to partner with Common Good Atlanta, an organization that provides access to higher education for incarcerated people and their families, to teach a free college-level Shakespeare course for Atlanta residents who have been released from prison. The course will consist of rigorous analysis of dramatic texts and trips to the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse to see live performances, and will also engage students as co-collaborators in the creation of opensource lesson plans. When the semester ends, the project team will make the course’s curricular tools available online, and will encourage their use by colleges, universities, and other educational programs teaching literature and the humanities to currently and formerly incarcerated people. Dr. Lindsay Wheeler ’03 was the lead author of a study by cancer and family planning doctors at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, published in September 2019, that examines how contraceptive intrauterine devices (IUDs) affect ovarian cancer rates. The team found that rates of ovarian cancer declined by up to 32% for women who used IUDs. Chinaedu E. Nwadibia ’04 is a 2020 Rema Hort Mann Foundation Emerging Artist Award grantee. In her artist statement, Chinaedu shared that her recent work in photography, collage, and sculpture

has been centered around forms of loyalty (patriotism, sisterhood, athletic bonds) in femininity within the African diaspora. “The discoveries I’ve made through my art practice have helped to evolve my thoughts on identity and various themes of loyalty that I’ve navigated and sought out in my own life. I use my work to advocate for myself and others, to question, highlight, and archive nuanced elements of my two cultures that may be otherwise overlooked.”

In fall 2019, Alexandra Perloff-Giles ’07 became a First Amendment Fellow at the New York Times, and at the start of the 2020–2021 school year, she joined the faculty of Columbia University as an adjunct professor.

Colin Feuille ’05 is a gastroenterology fellow at UCSF. Winston Ibrahim ’05, founder and CEO of Hydros, saw sales for his affordable, eco-friendly water filtration system spike 150% because of the pandemic. In a May Forbes magazine article, Winston attributes the demand to people who were no longer drinking filtered water at work and found themselves at home and in need of a filtration solution. Hydros’s three products— pitchers, carafes, and bottles—are made without ionic plastic resins, and all use the same universal, speedy filter for fast flow. That fast flow, Winston says, allowed Hydros to eliminate the bulky plastic reservoirs used in many other water-filtration products, thereby reducing the amount of material needed and the amount of waste produced. George Watsky ’05, better known as Watsky, set the Guinness World Record for Longest Rap Marathon by freestyling for thirty-three hours and thirty-three minutes. Watsky raised more than $100,000 for his crew, Sweet Relief, who lost income that had been expected from his planned North American tour, and for fans in need of financial support during the pandemic. In fall 2019, Alexander Berggruen ’06 left his role as a specialist at Christie’s to open his eponymous gallery, focusing on 20th-century and contemporary art.

Rachel Salmanowitz Kronenberger ’08 and her husband, Billy, welcomed their first child, Russell Grant, on February 7, 2020. Startup Epic CleanTec, helmed by founder and co-CEO Aaron Tartakovsky ’08, was featured in the April 2020 issue of Fast Company, in an article titled “World Changing Ideas Awards 2020.” Epic CleanTec helps buildings reduce water demand by up to 90%, saving building owners hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on their water and sewer bills. Its proprietary onsite approach processes a building’s wastewater, producing both recycled water for non-potable applications, such as toilet flushing, irrigation, and cooling towers, and natural soil amendments that can be used to grow crops, enhance gardens, and beautify green spaces. Epic CleanTec was selected as one of 40 global clean-tech startups to present at the 2020 Industry Growth Forum hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in April 2020. The company completed a $2.6M seed round in August.

ALUMNI After graduating from Boston University, Katherine Lo ’15 is pursuing her MD at New York Medical College School of Medicine. Camila Pelsinger ’15 was awarded a 2020 Rhodes Scholarship, and will pursue a master’s degree at Oxford University. She will undertake a MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Policy degree. As an undergraduate at Brown University, Camila concentrated in international relations and cognitive neuroscience. Her research took an interdisciplinary approach to examining violence, focusing on women in New Zealand and in the United States who have created restorative justice programs to address gender-based violence in their communities. She served as Vice President of the University Council of Students and was a leader in sexual violence prevention issues on campus, including as a coordinator with the Brown University Sexual Assault Peer Education program. Quoted in the Brown Daily Herald, Camila said, “More than anything, I am so grateful for the students across campus who have entrusted me with their stories of harm, and for those working to prevent and address violence in their own communities everyday. The Rhodes Selection Committee recognizing the value of this work gives me hope that more campuses will move towards decentralized practices and frameworks that support healing and transformation.” After screenings at multiple film festivals, The Last Christmas Party, the first feature film made by Julian Santos ’15, was picked up by distributor Four by Three, and will be available for streaming this winter. The Last Christmas Party is a romantic drama about the intertwined stories of three couples during a Christmas party. Julian attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, completing his degree in film

in three years and graduating summa cum laude. In spring 2020, Frances Arnautou ’16 received the Nellie Pratt Elliot Award, given to senior women at Yale whose excellence in the field of athletics and in their lives at school best represents the ideals of sportsmanship and Yale tradition. During her undergraduate career, Frances was a three-time Ivy League champion in volleyball and earned both Ivy League Player of the Year honors and Academic All-Ivy honors. Off the court, she was a valued member and contributor to Yale’s Communication and Consent Educators program and was the co-president of the Unorthojocks, an all-athlete a cappella group. Following the fall 2019 season, Mirei Golding-Powers ’17 was one of two field hockey players from Mount Holyoke College who were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference for their impressive play and named to the All-Conference team. Then a junior, Mirei was the Lyons’ leader with 25 points on eight goals and nine assists that season. Mirei also set new single-game career highs in goals, assists, points, and shots. Making her accomplishments even more remarkable, she became a forward in college, after playing only defensive positions at UHS. Ana Telfer ’17 and her writing partner at the University of Southern California, where she studies writing for screen and television in the Film, Cinema, and Visual Studies Department, were semifinalists and second rounders for the HUMANITAS Prize’s David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship. In spring 2020, Zoe Yzabella Taylor ’19 cofounded Synchesis Media, an evolving media platform project created by students from Carleton College, Columbia University, Fordham University, San Francisco State

University, and Wellesley College. Synchesis Media has two goals: creating bite-sized pieces of educational content that are both share-friendly and impactful — with a specific lens on issues of race and xenophobia — and providing a platform for young people to share their stories — stories that may not be able to be voiced otherwise. Learn more at synchesismedia.com. n

Tim Price retired from UHS after 33 years as a music instructor and leading the Jazz Ensemble. In Tim’s words, “UHS is an unbelievably great school, made that way by the students I’ve been lucky enough to teach.” The Class of 2020 dedicated the 2019–2020 UHS yearbook to Tim with this inscription:

“For 33 years Tim Price hos shored his love and encyclopedic knowledge of music with a generation of students. A multi-instrumentalist,Tim has elevated the jazz and musical theater programs at UHS while teaching the importance of history and musical excellence. His love for music and teaching is clear and is only enhanced by his sharp wit and joy.Tim will forever live in our music rooms, midi-lab, theater stage and at every event when our faculty, staff and students join together to sing our school song, which he of course helped compose . . .Tho’ earth may quake and sun may set, UNIVERSITY, we won’t forget . . .Tim Price!” Scott Okamoto ’94 adds, “Congratulations, Tim Price, and thank you so very much for setting me on a path of music I will cherish my entire life. I owe you more than I can even say.” Tim continues to perform as principal clarinetist and saxophonist for the California Pops Orchestra, a group that is dedicated to the preservation and performance of music from the 1930s to the 1960s written for radio, television, and the movies.

Pizza Party! Last year we saw our greatest participation ever in the Pizza Party Program (PPP)! Unfortunately, we’re suspending PPP for now, because of COVID-19 (we don’t feel comfortable encouraging even socially distanced picnics), but we hope to be up and running again soon! Learn more at sfuhs.org/pizzaparty.

Michelle Fong ’13, Anoli Motawala ’13, Jocelyn Kwong ’13

Jane Rand ’18, Lindsey Chung ’17, Maddy Chung ’15 Tre Gonzales ’15, Kyle Shin ’16, Julia Lu ’15, Yeymi Rivas ’15

Max Savage ’12, Kirk Horton ’12, Nick Perloff-Giles ’12, Will Danforth ’12

Maddie Brown ’13, Emily Stabler ’14, Marisa Lowe ’13 Ila Shon ’15, Maddy Chung ’15, Brenda Walker ’15

Nathalie Chicoine ’19, Emilia Lim ’19, Amy Yu ’19 Jeff Kasten ’00, Mariana Maguire ’00, Andrew Shubov ’00, Polina (Melamed) Beckerson ’00, Dan Crossen ’01

ALUMNI

Stephanie Tse ’14, Stephen Nemy ’14, Kevin Tsai ’13, Caroline Grassi ’14

Ezra Parkhill ’19, Ethan Joseph ’19, William Urrutia ’19, Jacob Urisman ’19

Katie Kelley ’15, Julia Lu ’15, Yeymi Rivas ’15, Tre Gonzales ’15

Jacob Urisman ’19, William Urrutia ’19, Alex Sheft ’19

Vika Mlonchina ’11, Emmeline Hill ’11, Lindsey Simon ’11

Nikki Kang ’15, Austin Moreman ’15, Ali Meneghetti ’15, Lauren Banks ’15

Elliot Britton ’18, Alejandro Collins ’16, Alex Ritter ’16, Sarah Young ’16, Elizabeth Levie ’19, Claire Kalikman ’17, Jonathan Altman ’17

Evan Jones ’99, James Joun ’99, Dylan Miller-Evans ’99

Elizabeth Wong ’84, Kathy Tom Engle ’84, Donald Hegstrom ’83

William Chang ’19, Joe Lerner ’19, Justin Shen ’19

Rowan McGarry-Williams ’17, Lily Cunningham ’17, Adam Schrader ’17, Ethan Isenman ’17

IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM We acknowledge the loss of these members of the UHS community and extend our deepest sympathies to families and friends.

Jennifer Stein Boyd ‘84, P ‘19

Elizabeth Dawson ‘94

Jeffrey Grigg ‘95

Kelly Peach, science instructor

Helen Rogers, math instructor

Claire Smith, chemistry instructor

U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2020

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UHS Journal 2020

Articles inside

Pushout Sold Out

The Show(case) Must Go On

Summerbridge Summer 2020

Undeterred: The Generous Spirit of Giving in the UHS Community

Letter from the Head

The Heart of the Matter: How the University High School College Counselors Are Navigating an Unusual Year