UHS Journal Spring 2013

SPRING 2013

UHS JOURNAL

A MAGAZINE FOR UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL FAMILIES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS

UHS Journal Spring 2013 CONTENTS 1 Letter from The Interim Head of School 2 Saying Goodbye to Mike

by Alissa Kinney Director of Communications

CONTRIBUTORS Editor Alissa Kinney Editorial Board Lindsay Criswell

4 The Next Head of UHS

by Alissa Kinney Director of Communications 7 The Athletic Update

by Alissa Kinney Director of Communications 8 Roll Call: Young Alumni in The Arts

by Holly Johnson ’82 Director of Alumni Relations 11 The Case for Mentoring: Believing in The Promise

by Alex Lockett Dean of Students 13 Classroom Reflections: Connection Leads to Growth

Tricia Foster Kate Gorrissen Holly Johnson ’82 Lisa Lindenbaum ’97 Photography Alex Lockett UHS Communications Jean Fruth P’16 Design Shelby Designs

by Melissa Mirza English Teacher, Zurich Coordinator,

Printing

and Ninth-Grade Mentor

Burns & Associates Fine Printing

14 Summerbridge Celebrates!

University High School Vol. XXIV, No. 1

15 Faculty and Staff Milestones 16 Spotlight On: The Annual Fund 17 Spotlight On: Decorator Showcase 18 Alumni Association News

by Holly Johnson ’82 Director of Alumni Relations 19 Class Notes / In Memoriam compiled Holly Johnson ’82 Director of Alumni Relations

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.

San Francisco University High School admits and welcomes students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies admission policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school administered programs.

Cover Photo: Alissa Kinney.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

Letter from The Interim Head of School Dear Friends of UHS, I would first like to express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to serve over the past few months as the interim head of University High School; it has been an extraordinary privilege to be able to devote myself so fully to this institution that I love.

As interim head, my primary focus has been preparing the school for a smooth transition from Mike Diamonti’s leadership to that of incoming Head Julia Eells.

At the heart of that work is strengthening our sense of community and the effectiveness of our leadership teams. My efforts have been greatly bolstered by the fact that when Mike departed in December, he left University a healthy, vibrant place.

Among Mike’s many achievements during his 12 years as head of school, was the development of robust and predictable structures for decision-making. This has led to more genuinely collaborative and transparent processes and to standing committees that oversee all aspects of the academic operation of the school.

The result is a deeply reflective institution committed to growth and learning at all levels: the experience of the student in the classroom, the ongoing professional development of our teachers, and the continual improvement of our administrative practices.

Over the years, I’ve come to believe that a great school is defined by the relationships it fosters, and building strong connections is at the heart of what we do at UHS—it happens every day in our classrooms and hallways, through our discussions and debates, on the field and on the stage. Our community is full of smart, talented, and caring people, and getting to know the faculty, staff, students, and parents in new ways through my role as interim head has strengthened my own connections more than I could have ever imagined. What I have encountered during these past few months has been sincere, deep-rooted goodwill and optimism on the part of everyone I’ve worked with. My semester has been filled with genuine excitement for the future of the school, in addition to lots of care and laughter.

I am very much looking forward to what lies ahead with Julia at the helm of UHS. From the moment she set foot on campus for her interviews last fall, it was clear that her warmth and confident leadership made her a good match for our school.

Her philosophy is a wonderful complement to our mission statement, with its focus on welcoming and nurturing all parts of a student’s identity, and her deep commitment to social justice and fostering the connection and community we already value so much here.

Sincerely,

Nasif Iskander Interim Head of School and Dean of Faculty

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Saying Goodbye to Mike BY alissa kinney DIRECTOR OF communications

For many of us, it is hard to imagine University High School without Mike Diamonti. As a dean of faculty, as a head of school, as a teacher, and as a mentor to students and adults alike, he imbued his 14-year tenure with his now trademark style of quiet and steady leadership.

Throughout his 12 years as the head of UHS, Mike focused on particularly complex and demanding issues facing our school— indeed, he was never afraid to face a daunting task head-on. He believed fiercely in continuously improving and strengthening our academic program, providing solid support to both faculty and staff, nurturing and growing Summerbridge, and developing the now-thriving Mentoring Program for our students.

He has meant an enormous amount to this community, and will forever hold a place of distinguished honor in University High School’s history. For everything you’ve given to UHS, Mike, we thank you. We wish you many carefree days ahead, soaking up both the Florida sun and the company of your grandchildren.

You will be missed!

On Mike’s watch, UHS experienced

significant milestones:

Decorator Showcase hits the $500,000 fundraising mark.

2003

UHS adopts an academic governance model.

The single largest gift in University’s history is donated.

2004

The first University faculty sabbaticals are granted.

2006

South Campus, housing the Foreign Language and Arts Departments, the Summerbridge program, and the College Counseling offices, opens.

2007

A record ten Summerbridge students enter University’s Class of 2011.

2008

Mandarin is added to the Foreign Language Department’s offerings.

2009

The Alumni Teaching Fellowship Program is piloted.

2010

The student exchange program between University and the African Leadership Academy is founded.

2011

The permanent Alumni Teaching Fellowship Program is created.

UHS institutes a 1:1 iPad program.

2012

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

UHS adopts the innovative Mentoring Program for incoming ninth-graders.

Memories of Mike One of my favorite memories of Mike is that during a UHS playoff basketball game many years ago, a member of our team hit a huge shot late in the game, and captured on tape is Mike in the stands, leaning back, face upward, pumping both his fists at the heavens, going nuts for our team’s success. I think that moment defines Mike. He loved this school. He went to the sports games, the plays, the art openings, and the concerts. He inspired loyalty and respect from teachers and students because he was a man of integrity, who treated everyone with respect and approached problems with an open mind and a sense of fairness. UHS was a safe and tolerant community under Mike’s leadership, and the school thrived. During Mike’s tenure as head of school, many students and teachers have come and gone. However I think most would agree that UHS has consistently been a very special place, reflective of the values by which Mike has run this school.

John Casnocha ’02

I was fortunate enough to work with Mike on an independent study my senior year and again as a teacher at UHS five years later. Mike’s passion for education and, more specifically, all things UHS was contagious.

I continue to value the guidance and intellectual challenge he has offered me over the years.

Michael Schember ’06 Former UHS Alumni Teaching Fellow

A thank you to Mike for his years of leadership at San Francisco University High School! I will always think of his passion for teaching; his love of students; his understanding of the role of a school in a child’s life; his support of Summerbridge; his willingness to reflect and work collaboratively, always seeking to improve, to support teachers and staff to be successful, to develop and nurture the school’s culture; and his efforts for community involvement and support.

Linda Burns, P ’90 and ’94, Past UHS Trustee, Summerbridge Advisory Committee Member

I learned a tremendous amount from Mike, but most importantly he always put students at the center of his thinking. Mike had a special way of thinking from the student perspective while also keeping his head of school hat on. I think the students knew this, and it made him equally accessible as a peer and authority figure—a very delicate balance to achieve with this age group!

Alex Lockett Dean of Students

Although I was in my 30s when I started working with Mike, it is fair to say that I grew up as an administrator under his mentorship. Through Mike’s expert advice, but even more through his unwavering example, I developed patience and perspective, confidence and courage. To this day, when I find myself in a tricky conversation with students, colleagues, or parents, I try to channel my “inner Mike,” in hopes of offering others the same compassion and common sense Mike always provided to me.

Kate Garrett Academic Dean and English Faculty

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The Next Head of UHS BY alissa kinney DIRECTOR OF communications

By Way of Introduction This past fall, we at University High School felt truly lucky to announce the appointment of Julia Russell Eells as our next head of school. Selected by unanimous vote of the Head Search Committee, Julia is currently finishing her term as the head of Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, and will arrive on University’s campus to begin her new position in July.

A 32-year veteran of the independent school world, Julia has worked at the Ethel Walker School, Miss Porter’s School, Westminster School, in addition to her tenure as the head of Lincoln, and has acted in various roles ranging from faculty member to dean of admission and college counseling to assistant head of school.

Upon her arrival at Lincoln in 2005, Julia focused her energies on launching a new strategic plan, founding the school’s innovative Center for Peace Equity and Justice Through Service, and teaching a muchlauded class called Ethical Citizenship to all sophomores. Her accomplishments in development are also profound: under her leadership, Lincoln saw its annual giving increase by a stunning 70% and undertook a $5 million campus-wide capital improvements program as part of a successful $10 million comprehensive campaign.

Julia and her husband, John, who has served as the music director at Miss Porter’s for 30 years and is the founder and conductor of two community orchestras, have two grown children.

Julia brings a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm, and creative vision to University, as well as a strong focus on building and maintaining connections with students, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni. We are so delighted that she will be joining us as the next head of University High School.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

In December, Julia wrote a letter to all current UHS parents, expressing her joy and excitement upon her appointment as the next head of University. We would like to take this opportunity to share the letter with you, our entire UHS family. You can read more about Julia’s educational philosophy, referenced in the third paragraph, on page 6.

December 10, 2012 Dear UHS Parents, I have just returned home after an invigorating two-day visit to the UHS campus, during which I focused on getting to know the students, faculty, and staff, as well as starting the transition into my new role as head of University High School.

Once again, I want to express how thrilled and honored I feel to be joining your community, and how impressed I continue to be by the energy of the student body and the engagement of the faculty and staff. In between meetings, I was treated to a very warm welcome from your sons and daughters at All-School Meeting, some informal time with the adults on campus at the Holiday Tea (thank you, Parents Association!), and a lovely reception with members of the Board of Trustees.

I am hoping to return to San Francisco for another transitional visit in the spring, and I look forward to the opportunity to begin meeting all of you. In the meantime, I am enclosing my educational philosophy, some of which was shared with you in the announcement of my appointment. I hope it will help you get to know me better and prepare us for our partnership going forward.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and peace in the New Year,

Julia Russell Eells

3065 Jackson Street San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 447-3100 Fax (415) 447-5801 www.sfuhs.org

enduring aspects of traditional teaching methods. Schools who seek to innovate curriculum and teaching practices must have the courage to make mistakes and appreciate that some of the most valuable learning takes place in the process of making a mistake. As Sir Ken Robinson says, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” How true!

Q: What do you believe will be the most

important element of education in the future?

Technology? Subject integration? Increased cross-discipline collaboration?

A: All of the above and more. First and

foremost, I feel strongly that a vibrant community where discovery is taking place in the context of relationships is essential in supporting what UHS seeks to fulfill in its mission to “challenge each individual to live a life of integrity, inquiry, and purpose larger than the self.”

Get To Know Julia: A Brief Q & A

Q: What (or who) inspired you to go into

religion. He also led the migration of an entire college curriculum to an interdisciplinary model.

A: My parents are the major influence

I also admire Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element and champion of the role of creativity in education. More and more we are seeing the impact of creativity and the arts on the some of the best problemsolving in our increasingly complex world.

the field of education? Any education icons you admire?

behind my career in education. My mother began her elementary teaching career in the 1960s (at 83, she still volunteers in a kindergarten at a rural elementary school), when integration and bussing initiatives divided schools and communities. During that turbulent time, she modeled courage, conviction, and compassion as she fought for the opportunity for all children to have access to a high-quality education.

My father was a physics professor who devoted most of his career to exploring the intersection between science and

Q: What does innovation in education mean to you?

A: Schools must keep pace with in-

novation in technology and pedagogical practice—we need to adopt and adapt early, while still honoring valuable and

Technology has and will continue to have an impact on the way we access information, deliver instruction (to some extent) and content, process, and analyze data. However, I also agree with Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators, who believes that “purpose, passion, and play” are essential ingredients in nurturing our future innovators—and these ingredients stem from engagement with people. Strong mentoring, teachers who encourage risktaking, and cultures fertile with ideas and “problems” that are aching for solutions are greenhouses for creative minds.

Q: What are you most excited to start

working on at University? Any projects you’re particularly looking forward to?

A: It will be very gratifying to work

with the incredibly talented and invested faculty, trustees, students, and parents to review the array of exciting new initiatives taking place at UHS, such as the Mentoring Program and the 1:1 iPad initiative. We then need to imagine future opportunities for continued engagement in issues of 21st century curriculum, globalism, sustainability, and diversity; make

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the next head of university continued...

space for them in a strategic framework; and finally create a shared and cohesive vision for the future of UHS. That’s a very big project!

On a lighter note, I am so looking forward to getting to know the students, staff, faculty, families, and alumni who make up this extraordinary community. I can’t wait to be in the audience at UHS concerts, plays, and other performances—and I am working on my Devils cheer!

Q: In what ways do you think your

background as the head of a Quaker school informs your leadership style?

A: I have learned to take my time, to

listen carefully, and to trust in the goodness in each one of us. I believe that the best decision-making (central to good leadership) takes place in a school when there is clarity about how a decision is made, when the students’ best interests remain at the core, and when an effort is made to bring decision-makers to a sense of unity. I also prize the solitude and centering that comes from periods— however brief—of silent reflection.

Q: What would you like UHS families to know about you that they might not already know?

A: They might be interested to know

that I was born in a California zip code— before they even had five-digit zip codes!

Or, perhaps, that I studied art history and studio art and still keep paintbrushes and a watercolor set on my desk at home.

I read a lot of contemporary fiction (I just finished When We Were the Kennedys and am ready to open the cover of my first graphic novel, Building Stories), I devour The Week magazine, I love to play Scrabble, I hate losing in ping-pong, and I can’t wait to garden in Zone 9 (Rhode Island is Zone 6)!

Q: As a school with a 1:1 iPad program, we have to ask: what are your five favorite apps?

A: Scrabble, The New York Times,

Google Calendar, Penultimate, and PBS.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

JULIA RUSSELL EELLS Educational Philosophy June 2012 Fashioned after NPR’s “This I Believe” series, in which listeners share essays about their most fundamental and closely held beliefs, I have placed my educational philosophy and perspective into a series of “I believe” statements.

I believe that education is a basic human right and a great equalizer in our increasingly polarized world economy and culture.

I believe that a diverse community of learners—gender, race, learning and leadership styles, passion, experiential and cultural background—makes for an enriched experience for all and that classroom and community practices must encourage and honor those differences.

I believe that for the successful adoption of new initiatives and cultivating a collegial school culture, a school leader must exemplify clarity of purpose, transparent communication, patience, creativity, and persistence.

I believe that critical concepts and ideas “stick”1 when exploration and instruction is cross-disciplinary; cross-cultural; and, at times, in the context of service to others.

I believe that school communities and classroom experiences should be shaped to build resilience, foster creativity, and encourage curiosity; that a school community should equally prize the development and accomplishments of the mind, body, and spirit; and that programming should balance the nurturing of intellectual, physical, and artistic growth.

I believe that all people engaged in the enterprise of a school should be passionate about young people and display compassion when those same young people make mistakes.

I believe that a healthy school culture is staffed with happy, curious, collaborative teachers and staff who display loyalty and dedication to the institution, exhibit integrity in their work, and carry high expectations for themselves and their students.

I believe that curiosity should drive great educators; that educational innovation and uncertainty should never intimidate learning communities; and that professional development should be thematic, planned, and—at times—serendipitous.

I believe that schools are wonderfully messy places—organic enterprises made up of people who are creative, passionate, fallible, and forgiving.

1

Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick, Random House, New York, NY, 2007.

The Athletic Update BY alissa kinney DIRECTOR OF communications

Head in The Clouds

A School Known for Sportsmanship

When Jeremy Rafner ’15 and his family visited Africa years ago, he caught a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the distance and knew that someday, he wanted to make it to the top: “It became a personal goal that I set for myself.”

Last fall, UHS Athletic Director Jim Ketcham was proud to announce to the school that University had recently been bestowed with a great honor—the Bay Area Conference’s Sportsmanship Award for the 2011–2012 school year. Voted upon by peer schools, the award is indicative of the grace and humility of University’s teams off and on the field, win or lose. Ketcham points out that the award reflects the values that permeate throughout our athletic program at UHS: “I appreciate that our captains lead our kids in a good way—they learn to compete well without crossing a line. We want to play hard, and of course we want to win, but we also want to stay true to who we are.”

As Jeremy and his dad discussed the possibility of making the climb this year, he knew he would need to undertake some serious training (the famed peak is the highest in all of Africa at over 19,000 feet!)—and that he wanted to make the climb meaningful beyond just his own personal accomplishment. It was at this point that Jeremy decided to build a fundraiser around his goal to reach the top of Kilimanjaro, asking family and friends to donate to the Keep A Child Alive Foundation, an organization that helps families and children in Africa who are impacted by HIV/AIDS, in support of his climb.

Jeremy was inspired by Keep A Child Alive after his own experiences traveling in Africa and taking a community service learning class about HIV/AIDS last semester at UHS. “I knew I could still do volunteer work in San Francisco, but the idea came to me that I could do something on a much larger scale.”

As of the printing of this publication, Jeremy had raised over $12,000 from donors all over the world. He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro on February 23, 2013.

Ketcham also cited the respectful relationships that UHS coaches have built with coaches from other schools in the league, and the positive tone our fans continuously set year after year. “We have GREAT fans,” Ketcham emphasized. Though the sounds of Red Devil cheers often boom through the UHS Gym, University fans take pride in ensuring that their support is delivered in the right spirit.

Way to go, team!

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A detail from Stephany Howard’s Reflect, acrylic and oil on canvas.

George Pfau ’01

Painting, Mixed Media

Roll Call: Young Alumni in The Arts

BY HOLLY JOHNSON ’82 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

key

illustration

photography graphic

design

painting

film

or video

mixed media ceramics

digital

design

Animation

Anyone walking the halls of Upper Campus this winter has been treated to the artwork of Stephany Howard ’06, the latest alumna to exhibit in the Jackson Street Gallery. Stephany, who was already an accomplished artist while at UHS (she designed the 2006 Retrospect cover), went on to major in art at the School of Arts and Architecture at UCLA. Today she lives and works in the East Bay, where you can find her painting in her West Berkeley studio or nearby at Artworks Foundry, where she assists in casting bronze sculptural work for other artists, using the ancient “lost wax” technique.

Stephany’s recent show at UHS, Drawn to the Machine, illustrates her fascination with the act of making and fixing physical objects. For Stephany, the studio is a lab where she studies the skills we employ 8

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

when controlling a physical situation; in particular, when making a physical object or making something “work.” She enjoys the contrast between working with a material that has the physical properties of metal, which has very defined characteristics and acts in a predictable way, with making art, where she can decide to brush over part of the canvas and contrast the very precise images of the machines she’s painted.

Stephany’s early success validates University’s long tradition of offering a serious arts program, which has allowed alumni to make spaces for themselves in the world of the arts after graduation— pursuing fine arts degrees, making their livings as working artists, or finding ways to use their talents in other careers. Many artists have held shows at the Jackson Street Gallery or have been profiled in this magazine in the past, so this article will spotlight our latest generation: the new millennial artists.

George has three shows up this spring and an essay about zombies about to be published by the University of Chicago Press in April. (Visit www.georgepfau.com for a calendar detailing what’s next for George.) He works with a variety of media, from pen and ink to collage to photocopy enlargements of things like fingernails and skin cells. George is a familiar face at UHS, having worked here last spring as a sabbatical replacement for our Art Department’s Jenifer Kent. He then spent time in Berlin, exhibiting at a gallery called tête. His show in the Jackson Street Gallery last fall featured work from his zombie series, as well as from the Armada of Golden Dreams, cityscapes featuring ships buried beneath the streets of San Francisco. His work studies the oftenpermeable line between the visible and invisible, the body and the external, the past and present.

George received an MFA from California College of the Arts in 2010 and a BS in Studio Art from New York University in 2005.

Simon Pyle ’01 Photography

Will digital art live forever? How does digital technology affect the way we look and the way we see? These are questions Simon Pyle is researching for his MFA at Mills College, and his photography reflects this questioning. In one project, he takes a jpeg, the basic digital image file, and saves it hundreds of thousands of times. The file compression starts to eat away at the image, he says, and soon the colors change and the images begin to look like old photographs that have faded. He also photographs images on computer screens, revealing the pixilation that makes up the image. (For samples of his work visit www.simonpyle.com).

Despite studying film while in high school and minoring in studio art while an undergraduate at Stanford, Simon only realized that he wanted to be a working artist a few years ago. Until then, he pursued it on the side, even organizing pop-up art shows with friends. A fouryear stint at Google Inc. as a community organizer within the company gave him some computer programming skills that he now puts to use in his digital projects.

Renee Solorzano ’03 Graphic Design

Renee remembers when Jenifer Kent, her studio art teacher at UHS, took her class to the Gerard Richter show at SFMOMA in 2002, and something hit her—she had to be in the art world. She fell in love with painting at UHS, which led her to choose a degree in the arts at the Rhode Island School of Design. There, she was exposed to graphic design. “Little did I know when I arrived that my canvas would change to a computer screen, but it is a choice that launched my career in the direction it is still rolling today,” she says.

Renee currently works as a user interface designer for GOOD, an online community where people share what’s good to learn and to do. She designs a framework for the community’s content to live on the web that is not only consistent with its brand identity, but that can also be navigated without confusion. “Paintings aren’t necessarily required to be understood, but user-centered design is. And that is a challenge I never get tired of solving,” she adds.

Emily Proud ’04

Painting, Illustration Emily Proud last showed her work at UHS in a special Washington Street Foyer exhibit back in 2009. But she has been busy ever since participating in shows throughout the Bay Area, and recently launched a business in fine art and commercial illustration. See her website

www.emilyproud.com for her portfolio and blog. Emily also has a BA in Fine Art from UCLA.

Elyse Lipman ’05 Photography

Elyse Lipman found her dream job as an associate photo editor at National Geographic magazine in Washington, DC, after working as a photographer and writer for a city guide publication, Time Out Buenos Aires, and then interning in the photo departments of several New York magazines. She says she came to her career in the arts in a roundabout way— though she didn’t major in art in college, she found that she was always drawn to careers involving creativity. She says she is constantly thinking about new ways to involve creativity in her work, and envisions someday creating a nonprofit media company. Elyse graduated with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and then completed a Master’s degree in Journalism, with a concentration in Magazine and Visual Journalism, from New York University in 2011.

MORE ALUMNI ARTISTS OF THE NEW MILLENIUM While this list is not exhaustive, it gives an idea of the depth and breadth of our alumni body in the visual arts. There are also young alumni working in related fields, such as art history and museum jobs. Should you be on this list? Let us know what you’re up to and send photos of your work us to uhsalumni@sfuhs.org.

Oliver Ousterhout ’02

Film

R.J. Glass ’03

Film, Animation Alexander Perrelli ’03

Photography Anne Waldman ’03

Film Annie Thornton ’04

Photography Courtney Mattison ’04

Ceramics Melanie Glass ’05

Designer Linda Green ’05

Photography, Curator Leigh Anne Kobe ’05

Maddie Cichy ’06 Painting

Maddie studied fine art as well as economics at Vassar College and, since moving back to San Francisco, has begun showing her work locally.

She was part of a group exhibition, Out of the Blue, at the Gallery Route One in Point Reyes this winter. On her website, www.maddiecichy.com, Maddie writes about one of her main interests— desert landscapes. Spending time in the Mojave Desert gave her insight to the unity of nature, reminding her that she is part of it. “The same forces that made the mountains made me,” she writes.

Designer

Emerson Taymor ’05

Digital Design, Illustration Todd von Ammon ’05

Painting Danny Bailey ’06

Video Kyle Howard ’06

Video Andrew Wesman ’06

Film

Elana Bowsher ’08 Ceramics, Graphic Design

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roll call continued...

1.

2.

4.

3.

5.

1. Stephany Howard ’06 at her art opening in the Jackson Street Gallery in January 2013.

2. Dark Dirt, an oil painting by Maddie Cichy ’06.

3. Zscape Shaun 240, a painting by George Pfau ’01.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

4. Lake, an oil painting by Maddie Cichy ’06.

5. Grandpa Back From War, a jpeg saved once, 22,000, 44,000, and 66,000 times, by Simon Pyle ’01.

Ninth-grade students bonded over a ropes course at a Marin retreat this past fall.

The Case for Mentoring: Believing in The Promise BY alex lockett Dean of studentS

UHS is known as a school where highly motivated students gather to engage in the pursuit of academic excellence. Having seen the power of this educational experience unfold over and over again during my nine years at UHS, I am in awe of our students’ tenacity and capacity for challenge. However, I’m also aware that in order to live a life of sustained excellence, students must master the practice of integrating effort with tenderness, kindness with honesty, autonomy with community, fun with responsibility, risk-taking with self-care. While it’s simple to understand these concepts in abstraction, the practice and refinement of these values require great patience.

In addition to the challenges our students face, I’ve closely tracked the rise of anxiety as an ever-present destabilizing force in the lives of young people. Students

are mortgaging their childhoods for the promise of happiness in adulthood, and I fear that the abandonment of seeking fulfillment in the present sets our students up for a lifetime of emptiness.

While this is not true of every student whom I encounter at UHS, I do believe that, in their quieter moments, each student grapples with the meaning of the challenges they’ve taken on, often secretly wishing that it will all be “worth it” with the validation of a prestigious college acceptance. I strongly believe that if we don’t find ways to help students find meaning in their educational experience while they are at UHS, we are taking a gamble on whether they’ll find clarity later on—but this is a fixable dilemma.

In response to the nationwide conversation about the state of emergency in the emotional lives of our students, especially

the highest achieving, there has been an explosion of research that points to the answer: care and connection are the antidote to anxiety and stress. Study after study has reinforced an intuitively obvious point: when students are surrounded by adults who are attentive, responsive, and responsible, they develop a sense of belonging and they thrive. Up until this point, we’ve been lucky that most students at UHS feel a strong affinity for their teachers—but the depth and consistency of this connection was not guaranteed, leaving faculty and students in situations where opportunities for growth were left unrealized. Wanting to build on our students’ capacity for thought and reflection by establishing a strong connection early in their UHS experience, we decided to take the element of chance out of this process this past fall by creating a mentoring program where faculty are spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

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the case for mentoring continued...

given course release time to develop meaningful relationships with ninthgrade students. This opportunity for students to develop a deep and nuanced understanding of themselves sets them on a path to start the exciting life-long process of balancing conflicting demands.

So far, we’ve been amazed by the feedback we’re hearing from students, parents, faculty, and mentors about how this support has allowed students to bring more of themselves into their daily experience at school, thus advancing their growth as individuals and a class. However, we are not just relying on casual feedback to guide our refinement of this program.

We’ve engaged in research projects with WestEd, a prominent educational research firm; Boston University; and Stanford to better measure and articulate the ways in which this added support is impacting our students’ well-being.

So far, we’ve been amazed by the feedback we’re hearing from students, parents, faculty, and mentors about how this support has allowed students to bring more of themselves into their daily experience at school, thus advancing their growth as individuals and a class.

believe in the promise of every student.”

This phrase from our mission has always guided my work, and it is truer than ever as I watch our amazing group of mentors profoundly transform the lives of the Class of 2016. I am optimistic that our investment in this program will pay dividends in the months and years to come as our students find meaning and fulfillment in leaving their mark on this world.

If continued, this program positions UHS as a national leader in transforming cuttingedge research into a program that teaches students how to build and sustain academic, social, and emotional excellence while mitigating the pervasive effects of pressure and anxiety. The UHS Mentoring Program has opened up new avenues for learning that are no less demanding than what we ask of our students in the classroom, fully demonstrating that “the adults

Ninth-Graders on The Impact of Mentoring

“I find my mentor and PAs to be amazing at what they do, and I really do enjoy spending time with my cluster.”

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

“Mentoring has really helped my transition to UHS. Without it, I don’t think I would be doing as well as I am and I definitely would not be getting that much sleep. It helped me with some problems I had at the beginning of the school year and made me feel supported.”

“My mentor is great, he spends a lot of time trying to make sure that we (my cluster) have a good experience in our first year at UHS.”

Classroom Reflections: Connection Leads to Growth BY melissa mirza english Teacher, Zurich Coordinator, and Ninth-Grade Mentor

I knew that the Mentoring Program would impact the learning experience of freshmen. I understood the rationale and the research that states that connectedness to an adult, to the school, to a group of peers reduces stress and anxiety and allows for intellectual and emotional growth. Yet, I didn’t expect to learn and grow alongside my cluster as much as I have. As a ninth-grade English teacher and a mentor, I’ve become more aware of developmental appropriateness in scaffolding my assignments (thereby offering greater support to my students) and approaching complex ideas. The training I received as a mentor helped me to more fully understand what the ninth-grade brain is capable of and what it struggles with. By connecting what I already knew from my classroom experience as a teacher to various research studies Alex Lockett and Shoba Farrell exposed us to in mentor training, I began my mentoring duties feeling well-informed and confident—and being an informed and prepared mentor necessarily leads to being a better informed and prepared teacher.

Our group of seven faculty mentors and mentor coach Shoba mirrors a ninthgrade cluster in its unexpected closeness, foundational trust, and strong support.

We meet weekly as a group to tap into the wisdom of our colleagues, share concerns, and celebrate triumphs. The meeting starts at 2:45 p.m. on Friday afternoons, a time that can be the Achilles heel of the overworked teacher’s brain. Yet I look forward to the meeting all week. I have come to know colleagues from different departments that could easily have remained relative strangers if it wasn’t for our weekly time together; what we share is a mutual respect and a mutual goal of supporting the ninth-grade class. Our differences make us stronger as a group, and our established trust allows for frank conversation, a necessity for any healthy group dynamic.

As a female mentor, it has been inspiring to see two strong women, Alex Lockett and Shoba Farrell, work collaboratively to create this program. Despite the strides that modern women have made, men still

The training I received as a mentor helped me to more fully understand what the ninth-grade brain is capable of and what it struggles with. surpass us in nearly every industry in leadership roles. Just as it is important for female faculty and mentors to see female leaders in successful and collaborative roles, it is equally important, if not more so, for our youth to have strong female role models during this crucial stage of development.

My personal relationship with Shoba is as vital as my personal relationship with each member of my own cluster, as it

impacts my ability to be a good mentor.

I talk through student conflicts and parent concerns with Shoba and am able to take charge of the situation with confidence, knowing that she supports what I am doing. My relationship with the students in my cluster directly echoes my relationship with her. As a mentor, my role is not to solve the problems of my cluster, but to support them while they take ownership of the conflict and create action plans to address their own dilemmas.

It is my job to support my cluster and to push them to achieve their potential.

I believe in this role because I see the impact that mentoring has had on my own life and my own career. My connectedness to my fellow mentors and coach has aided in my own successes at this school.

The most powerful teaching tool I have is authenticity, a genuine belief in what I am doing.

Ninth-grade students bonded over icebreakers at a Marin retreat this past fall. spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

13

Summerbridge Celebrates!

In celebration of 35 years of preparing underserved middle school students for success in high school and beyond, Summerbridge San Francisco will be holding a special celebration on the evening of May 9, 2013, in the UHS Theater. Featuring acclaimed advocate and author Wes Moore and Summerbridge and UHS alumnus Jabali Sawicki ’95, who founded New York’s widely recognized Excellence Charter School for Boys, this special evening will be hosted by The San Francisco Chronicle’s C.W. Nevius.

Tickets are $50, and all proceeds will go toward funding the Summerbridge program for generations to come.

Interested in joining us to celebrate 35 years of transformative education for thousands of young people and a bright future ahead? Please visit www.sfuhs.org/35thtix or contact University’s Associate Director of Development Kate Gorrissen at kate.gorrissen@sfuhs.org or (415) 447.3117 for information about attending our 35th Celebration, making a donation to Summerbridge, and sponsorship opportunities for this great event.

Thank you for your support of Summerbridge!

About Wes Moore Wes Moore is a youth advocate, Army combat veteran, social entrepreneur, and host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network. His first book, The Other Wes Moore, became an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Born in 1978, Wes and his sisters were raised by their widowed mother. Despite early academic and behavioral struggles, he graduated Phi Theta Kappa in 1998 as a commissioned officer from Valley Forge Military College and Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001, where he earned a degree in international relations. He then became a Rhodes Scholar, studying international relations at Oxford University.

After his studies, Wes, a paratrooper and captain in the United States Army, served a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan. Wes then served as a White House Fellow to Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice. He later founded an organization called STAND! that works with Baltimore youth involved in the criminal justice system.

You can follow Wes on Twitter at: wesmoore1 or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/TheOtherWesMoore.

Photo: Amun Ankhra House, Ltd.

Anniversary Celebration Please join us to celebrate and support Summerbridge San Francisco, while also being inspired by our extraordinary students and special guests! date

Thursday, May 9th, 2013 . 7:00



Welcome by the evening’s host and moderator, The San Francisco Chronicle’s C.W. Nevius

location



San Francisco University High School Theater (on Washington Street between Baker and Lyon)

Keynote speech from acclaimed author and advocate Wes Moore



Discussion panel including Wes Moore and Jabali Sawicki, Summerbridge graduate, UHS alumnus (Class of 1995), and founding principal of Excellence Charter School in Brooklyn, NY

pm

more information

Questions? Please email us at: summerbridge@sfuhs.org

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

All proceeds from the evening support the Summerbridge endowment.

Please note that all general admission tickets are open seating.

Faculty and Staff Milestones Every spring, we honor and celebrate those members of the faculty and staff who have reached special milestones in their careers at UHS. This spring, we’d like to recognize the following people for their dedication to our school.

25

Ben Jacobs math Joanne Sugiyama administration

years

15 years

Gale Jesi arts

Carol Coles administration

10 years

Nicole Hunter library Matthew Scheatzle arts Michael Holt english Jim Ketcham athletics Holly Johnson ’82 development

5 years

Kate Gorrissen development Shoba Farrell math Bih-hsya Hsieh foreign languages Chris Martin history Elizabeth Faris college counseling Raj Achal technology Ozzie Nevarez science Amy Ward health and wellness

spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

15

Spotlight On: The Annual Fund Make sure that your gift is counted amongst the generous group of donors who have already made their commitment to our students and faculty with a donation to the UHS Annual Fund.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR DEDICATED ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS, ABLY LED BY: • Stacey Case (JD ’13) and Margaret Hearst (Eliza ’14) (Annual Fund co-chairs) • Diana Ziola ’99 (Annual Fund alumni chair) • Laura Lazarus (Samuel ’05 and Grace ’07) (alumni parent and former trustee chair)

This year’s Annual Fund supports numerous worthy causes, such as:

EACH AND EVERY dollar donated to the Annual Fund furthers the mission of UHS, which is what makes our school so special.

University would not exist without the cumulative effort of parents, trustees, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends of the school, and we are fortunate to have donors in all categories. We are so grateful for the support of this community.

• Faculty salaries and financial aid.

• Unique academic programming like Western Civilization, cryptography, nine different English seminar choices, and countless other inspiring classes.

If you haven’t done so already, please join the growing list of those who have given this year:

• Exciting and innovative school-wide activities like Community Day that increase awareness within our UHS and global communities.

70%

300±

80%

of the faculty and staff

alumni

of the parent body

• New technology inside and outside the classroom and library.

• New uniforms and equipment for the sports teams and new costumes and musical instruments for the stage.

800

class of

+

1981

parents, alumni and their parents, grandparents, trustees, and friends of uhs

has the highest participation rate

There are a number of easy and convenient ways to make a gift to the UHS Annual Fund:

Use the envelope provided in this magazine.

Log onto the website: www.sfuhs.org/giving.

Call Kate in the Development Office at (415) 447.3117.

Don’t wait—donate today!

And please remember: your participation is the true gift!

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

Spotlight On: Decorator Showcase This year, from April 27–May 27, the Decorator Showcase is delighted to celebrate its 36th annual event at 2800 Pacific Avenue (at Divisadero Street). With a dedicated and immensely talented committee headed by Showcase Chair Jane Prior (Alex ’15) leading the charge this year, we feel confident that the 2013 Decorator Showcase, benefitting the Financial Aid Program at UHS, will be our most successful yet.

Visiting Showcase: Dates: April 27–May 27 Hours Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday 10:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m.* Friday 10:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m.* Sunday and Memorial Day 11:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.*

There are a few special events that we look forward to every Showcase season, and we hope you will be able to join us once again in 2013. Perhaps most popular are our Friday Nights at Showcase (please see below for information on a very special Friday Night at Showcase on May 10), a wonderful way to kick off the weekend! For these festive evenings, we keep the house open until 7:00 p.m. (last entry), and guests are treated to refreshments and a chance to meet our talented designers. We also ask that alumni mark their calendars for Alumni Night at Showcase, which will take place on Friday, May 17, when you can visit with your fellow alums and enjoy reduced-rate tickets ($25) on a night set aside especially for you!

CLOSED MONDAY (except Memorial Day) * last entry

The History of 2800 Pacific Avenue

Information (415) 447. 3115 www.decoratorshowcase.org

This year’s Decorator Showcase house at 2800 Pacific Avenue is a classical Georgian mansion built in 1899 and known locally as Herbst Manor. Originally built for Philadelphian art collector Sarah Spooner, the house has a rich history. Its architect, Ernest Coxhead, is one of the Photo: Michael David Rose, MDRP.NET. founders of the Bay Region style, and emphasized materials left in their natural state to harmonize with the existing landscape. Situated on an elevated corner plot, the house enjoys stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and the city. Throughout the house, subtly patterned hardwood floors, marble fireplaces, beveled glass doors, and many additional original details add to the property’s unique charm.

The most recent owners of the home, Abraham Adrian Gruhn and his wife, Lee Herbst Gruhn, strove to maintain the wide-ranging taste and decorating style of the original owner. Today, the house remains a compelling example of turn-of-the-20th century architectural ideas, and a rich repository of San Francisco history.

Friday Nights at Showcase We are thrilled to announce that the Vice President of European Furniture at Christie’s, Anne Igelbrink, will be joining us on May 10 at 5:00 p.m. for our Friday Nights at Showcase Program. Ms. Igelbrink will give a talk called, "Brave New World: Valuing Art and Antiques in A Changing Market," during which she will discuss the significant changes in the art market in the past five years, exacerbated by the stock market crash in 2008.

What are the underlying causes that changed different sectors of the art market and how can we determine value? Learn about recent trends, emerging market, and areas of opportunity.

Tickets General Admission: $30 Seniors: $25 (60+) Available at the door or online at: www.decoratorshowcase.org/tickets.

We accept payment via cash, check, VISA, and MasterCard.

Bookings For group bookings of 10 or more, please contact Lisa Lindenbaum at (415) 447. 3115 or lisa.lindenbaum@sfuhs.org.

Thank You, Tricia!

After nearly 12 years of leading both the UHS Development Department and the exquisite Decorator Showcase, Director of Development Tricia Foster will be leaving us this spring to move with her family to the East Coast.

Tricia’s accomplishments during her tenure at University have been extraordinary. Perhaps Interim Head of School Nasif Iskander summed them up best in a letter he wrote to the community in January regarding Tricia’s departure: We are greatly indebted to Tricia for her years of tireless dedication and seemingly boundless energy. Over the course of her tenure, she has cultivated fundraising at UHS to extraordinary heights, raising over $43 million for the school and its programs; evolved the Decorator Showcase into a beloved springtime tradition for many San Franciscans, bringing in $546,000 for University’s Financial Aid Program in 2012 alone; and, perhaps most importantly, Tricia established and treasured enduring relationships with colleagues, parents, alumni, and friends of UHS alike.

We will miss Tricia dearly, and we will always be eager to welcome her back to University High School.

spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

17

Alumni Association News

BY HOLLY JOHNSON ’82 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

There’s never a bad reason to get together with friends and teachers, but alums have had plenty of good reasons so far this year… And with reunions coming up for seven classes (1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008) on May 18, we look forward to reconnecting with dozens more! (If you are a member of one of these classes and have not received your invitation, please visit www.sfuhs.org/reunions for all details and to RSVP.) Alumni programming this year includes the fascinating seminar on Moby Dick with Michael Holt in November, the everpopular Holiday Reunion and alumni games in December, a January reunion for alumni living in the DC area, a casual happy hour gathering at the Local Edition bar in February, the much-anticipated Western Civ seminar in March, and— of course—the milestone reunions.

Growing alumni interest in networking

for professional growth is reflected by the fact that nearly one in three alums is a member of the UHS Alumni group on LinkedIn. Alumni are also beginning to play a bigger role in the Decorator Showcase, helping with various aspects of the event, including fundraising and marketing.

There will be ample opportunities for alums to get to know Julia Russell Eells, our new head of school, next year, as well as to help shape the school going forward as she charts its new course. Please watch your email inbox for news and invitations!

Many thanks to Allyson Peracca ’99, who is finishing her second year as president of the Alumni Association and as a member of the UHS Board of Trustees. We are grateful to Allyson for her dedication to the school and her commitment to these important roles—even as she navigated her life as a new mother.

1

2

3

(1) The alumnae team played the current UHS Girls’ Varsity team.

(2) Ozzie Nevarez was one of the teachers to attend the holiday reunion, pictured here with Yuma Shinohara ’10, Jacob Canter ’10, and Ale Vargas-Johnson ’08. (3) Outgoing Alumni Association President Allyson Peracca ’99 with Kristin Hagan Sprincin ’98 and Leonard Chung ’98 at the holiday reunion.

18

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

Alumni are also beginning to play a bigger role in the Decorator Showcase, helping with various aspects of the event, including fundraising and marketing.

The Alumni Association also thanks Tricia Foster, who is leaving UHS after 12 years as the director of development. Tricia recognizes the importance alumni hold in all measures of a school’s success and has advocated for investing in the alumni program and doing everything possible to help alumni stay connected with each other and with the school.

Class Notes: Spring 2013 compiled BY HOLLY JOHNSON ’82 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

These class notes include information submitted through February 11, 2013.

Please submit your news by email to uhsalumni@sfuhs.org or by post. Photographs are welcome and will be returned upon request. Digital images should be of high resolution for printing. Thank you for keeping in touch! Remember that the UHS Alumni Office is here to help you network with other alumni and stay connected with old friends. The passwordprotected online directory can be reached by logging in at www.sfuhs.org/alumni (click on the “Log In” button at the top of the page).

1978 Alice Tully Pirtle reports that this was an amazing year for her family: “Randy and I celebrated 30 years of marriage, I am completing my 20th year as an educator, and both of our children were married!”

1980 Kim Hordiner Hunter reports: “At age 17 I went to China with UHS in the summer of 1980. Returned this past summer to teach English and continue studying Mandarin.

Loved it! Loved the contrast (1980 versus 2012) and loved teaching. I continue to teach in California and will return to China in March 2013.”

1981 Louise Aronson’s book, A History of the Present Illness, was published Bloomsbury in January 2013. Louise is a geriatrician at UCSF, but also has an MFA in fiction. Her book includes 16 short stories of patients and physicians in San Francisco hospitals and nursing homes. See more at her website: www.louisearonson.com.

1982 Babies! Both Jeff Winkel and Rob Stone became fathers for the second time recently. Jeff and his wife, Vanessa, and daughter, Skylar, welcomed Summer Adrianna Winkel on January 28, 2013.

Down in Venice Beach, Rob and his wife, Layla, and their son, Cyrus, welcomed a new baby boy on February 4.

Carla Fenton Witt is spending the first half of this year in Germany on a family sabbatical with her husband, Peter, and their four children. The kids are attending German schools while the family brushes up on their German language and skiing skills, as well as the complicated art of German recycling.

1984 Laurence Alvarez-Roos married Terry Elizabeth Owens on June 21, 2012.

1

(1) Steve Cheung ’88, Katherine Melchior Ray ’81, and Greg Gordon ’81 represent the 80s at the holiday reunion.

Laurence and Terry live in Truckee, CA, but honeymooned on the Zambezi River.

Juliana Carnes Clegg married Paul Clegg in 2010 and they live in San Carlos with their daughter, Madeleine. Juliana is COO of a company that manufactures “fighter jet”-style head up displays for the automotive, avionics, and military industries.

John Scott is now the CEO and president of Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., a collection of luxury and boutique hotels, cruises, and luxury rail businesses around the world. He relocated with his family from Dallas to London for the job.

1985 Maryam Mohit writes that she is “happily ensconced in San Francisco with her husband, Erik, and three children, living on the same street as Claire Myers ’86 and Lisa Bransten ’84.

1986 Josh Habermann lives in Dallas with his wife, Joanna, and their baby, Kira. Josh directs the Dallas Symphony Chorus.

Robert Menist is now a full colonel in the US Army and is studying at the War College in Carlisle, PA. He spent a total of three years in Iraq, so we’re glad he’s home safe!

2

(2) Rob Menist ’86 getting his colonel insignia pinned on by his father and his commanding officer. spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

19

class notes continued...

1

2

3

5

4

(1) Oscar Flores ’89 with his statistics teacher, Ben Jacobs.

(2) Alex and Mateo Privat, sons of Ashley Gould ’92.

(3) Jane Rubini, daughter of Juliet Lane Rubini ’95.

1989 Oscar Flores shared this anecdote of being a parent at UHS: “At the last open house, where we visited Brenda ’13’s classes, I sat in Ben Jacobs’ AP Statistics class, this time as a parent. Towards the end of class, Ben asked: ‘Is there an Oscar Flores here?’ To which I said ‘Yes.’ [He then asked if I had brought my homework], to which I replied ‘No, but I did bring my high school statistics book from when I took this class as a senior at UHS, nearly 23 years ago!’ It was completely unexpected that he would ask me this question—[and that I had] the book with me! I thanked him for his amazing influence in my life in all things related to analytics and the passion he instilled in his students and still does today. Brenda [has enjoyed] taking his class and now recalls the funny stories that I shared with her over the years about this UHS math teacher she only knew as Ben. It is an unbelievable feeling for me to have her experience such a great and inspirational teacher who also taught me!”

1992 Ashley Gould and her husband, Carlos Privat, and sons, Mateo, 6, and Alex, 4, live in San Francisco, where she is chief legal counsel for the genetics company 23andme.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

1993 Many thanks to our correspondent, Karla Romero, for collecting these class notes in anticipation of the Class of 1993’s 20th reunion this May! Colin Cahill: “My wife Kirsten and I have two boys: Anders, who was born July 2011, and Fletcher, who was born in July 2009. We live in Portola Valley down on the peninsula.”

Barry Crittenden: “I am living in New York with my husband and two daughters, and finished my rheumatology fellowship at NYU this past July. I am now working at NYU.” Robby Cronholm: “I am living in Mill Valley. My sister Cary Cronholm Rose ’96 has made me an uncle twice over. I am currently in two bands: Taxes and Bonnie & the BANG BANG. My year will be spent in the studio and on the road.”

Mario DiPrisco: “I have three kids (seven, four, and two) and live in Lafayette, CA. I work at Dodge & Cox on our international equity mutual fund. I am lucky enough to travel to some exotic places, but I usually don’t see much when I’m there. I’m much more excited about skiing, swimming, and playing with my kids.”

Beth Goya-Morris: “I am an attorney at the California Supreme Court and have

(4) Margaret Alden Moody ’93 and her husband, Mohammad Ahmadi Achachlouei, at their wedding.

(5) Karla Romero’93 and her family.

three kids—two boys and a girl. Rowan is eight; Mason is six, and Harper is one.”

Karla Romero: “I’ve been living in the DC metro area for a little over a year with my husband and my son. Before leaving the Bay Area in 2011 we surprised our friends with a wedding at our baby shower, we had a baby, and we moved. Now we are quietly living in Potomac, MD, where I am a stay-at-home mom trying to keep up with a very active 20-month-old.”

Bella Shen writes that she has been back in San Francisco since 2005, where she lives with her husband and four-year-old daughter, Maisy. She started an orthodontic practice on Sacramento and Laurel in 2006 and gets to treat some UHS students.

Adam Strunk: “Life for me is good. Got married this year, working in Colorado, and generally pretty darned happy.”

Scott Richardson: “I’m currently living in Washington, DC, and working for Booz Allen Hamilton. I’ve been in DC for about two years, after finishing a Master’s program in Public Policy in Boston.”

Wes Watkins runs the Jazz and Democracy Project, an organization that he founded to teach about the democratic process by

1

(1) Maura McGinnis Gibney ’99 and Efrain Gutierrez at their wedding in August.

2

(2) Adi Price, John Beshears, and Charlene Mak represent the Class of 2000 at the Holiday Reunion.

teaching about the jazz process. He has given TED talks on the subject and has been invited to present at US embassies in countries such as Chile, Gambia, and Liberia.

John Whoolilurie (a combination of his wife’s last name, Lurie, and his previous last name, Whooley) writes that he is living in Santa Barbara, CA, with his wife of 11 years and their 13-month-old son. He performs under the name Whoolilicious.

David Wright: “I moved to Manhattan after college with the intention of staying a few short years… And I’m still here.

I was all set to move back in October of last year, when a cool job offer came up out here.”

Margaret Alden Moody and Mohammad Ahmadi Achachlouei were married in a private ceremony on January 10, 2013.

The wedding took place in Djursholms Slott, a castle in Stockholm, Sweden.

Margaret is in her final year of law school at the University of California, Davis. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Yale University.

The couple met in 2009 while graduate students in Lund, Sweden. Margaret and Mohammad will spend time together in Sweden and Switzerland in the near future. They intend to reside in California.

1994 Rachel Greenblatt is a business consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in Washington, DC. Small world story of the season: Stephen Shore, who is now an associate professor of risk management and insurance

at the Georgia State Robinson College of Business in Atlanta, recently completed a stint as the deputy assistant secretary for microeconomic analysis in the Office of Economics Policy at the US Department of the Treasury. When Stephen left, he was replaced by another UHS alum: Alexander Gelber ’98 who is on leave from his position at the Wharton School of Business, where Stephen also worked from 2003–2007. Also, both Stephen and Alex have PhDs in Economics from Harvard.

1995 From Juliet Lane Rubini: “I am living in Washington, DC, with my husband and 10-month-old daughter, Jane. I am working for the National Quality Forum as a senior project manager for Health IT, specifically around automating healthcare quality measurement. My husband will finish his MPA in the spring at George Washington University and return to active duty in the US Coast Guard. I’m looking forward to hearing from any UHS alumni in the DC area!”

1997 Greg Gomes writes that he is an associate attorney at BraunHagey & Borden LLP in San Francisco, where he works along-side Bill Campbell, father of Scott Campbell ’96.

Sara Galvin Biroschak moved back to the Bay Area last November and started a new job at DreamWorks Animation.

1998 Cameron Kramlich married Carrie Burgener of Wausau, WI, on August 11, 2012, in the meadow at Squaw Valley. Cameron writes that they were joined by his siblings Kendra ’00, Chris ’02 and Kira ’06, along with cousins Claudia Barry-Garcia ’92, Izzy Barry ’92, and Christina Kramlich ’87.

“Christina Kramlich’s daughter, Larkin Lynne, did an amazing job as a flower girl. Beyond family, the UHS community was well-represented at the event,” he adds. Cameron and Carrie live in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.

Cameron competes for the Olympic Club’s ski team, where he was rookie of the year in 2011–2012.

Tony Goodman is a licensed contractor in Washington, DC, and was elected as an advisory neighborhood commissioner for his district. As a commissioner, he advises local and federal boards on neighborhood issues.

1999 Maura McGinnis Gibney reports: “I was recently promoted to program manager of a family resource center at the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center. Even more exciting than that, I was married in August to Efrain Gutierrez. Myesha Jackson ’98 was one of my bridesmaids, and Gladys Silva ’98 got the party started on the dance floor. We were married in San Francisco, and we held our reception at the Golden Gate Club, which is where our UHS senior prom was held—brought back fun memories!”

Sophie Saviano married Dennis Coffin.

They live in Portland, OR. spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

21

class notes continued...

1

2

3

(1) Stephanie Dee ’00 at her wedding to Rodrigo Muñoz, a fellow Summerbridge teacher.

2000 Stephanie Dee reports: “On February 18, 2012, Rodrigo Muñoz and I finally tied the knot—at Stanford Memorial Church, surrounded by friends and family. We met at UHS through the Summerbridge program—half our lives ago! When we first met, in March of 1997, I was a SB after-school teacher and he was a rising ninth-grader. And in 1998, I was a teacher and he was my teacher’s aide. By 1999, we were both full-time Summerbridge teachers. We still love the program dearly.”

2001 Rodger Allen, Brian Matthay ’00, and Tim Kirchner ’’00 are part of a group of investors behind The Corner Store, a hip new eatery on the corner of Masonic and Geary.

George Pfau married Hannah Ireland on December 27, 2012. “We got married at the top of the main staircase in City Hall on December 27. We spent a few months last fall in Berlin exhibiting at a gallery called tête,” adds George.

2003 Seen and heard at the Washington, DC, reunion in January: Julia Burrill is a forensic scientist for the city of Washington, DC.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

Celia Choy lives in DC, where she is a lawyer. Celia reported that her brother, James Choy ’99, is a professor of Eco nomics at the University of Warwick in England.

Zoe Savitsky, also a lawyer, works for the Department of Justice investigating civil rights violations, especially in education. She was recently awarded the US Department of Justice’s John R. Dunne Award, which honors professionals who have furthered the cause of civil rights.

Lindsey Quock ’05, who is an analyst for the department, recognized Zoe at the ceremony and was able to connect with her fellow UHS alum!

2004 Anna Tova Elsohn Levin writes: “My husband, Ken Levin, and I just welcomed a new baby girl into our family! Julia Rose Levin was born on October 8, 2012.

We are still living in New Orleans, where I work as a regulatory specialist at Peoples’ Health, a Medicare Advantage Organization, and my husband is doing his internship in Internal Medicine. In June 2013, we will be moving to Baltimore, where he will be an ophthalmology resident at Sinai Hospital.”

Courtney Mattison has brought a taste of the oceans to the Rocky Mountains. She relocated her studio to the Santa Fe art district in Denver, CO, last fall.

(2) George Pfau ’01 and Hannah Ireland after their wedding.

(3) Anna Elsohn Levin ’04 with her husband and baby daughter, Julia Rose Levin.

Charlie McClean works for the Foreign Affairs Council in Washington, DC, specializing in US/Asia relations.

Charlie Russell-Schlesinger is getting a Master’s in Ancient Greek Language and Literature.

Coach Deejae Johnson reports that the last time the UHS girls won the NCS Soccer Championship was 2004. He is planning a 10-year anniversary celebration for next year; please contact him at soccerinsight@gmail.com to get involved.

2005 Ryan Kellett is a deputy editor at the Washington Post.

Sam Proud and his wife Tara were wed August 11, 2012, in Savannah, GA, before Sam shipped out to Afghanistan with the US Army. Sam is on his first deployment in Afghanistan.

2006 The Class of 2006 had the biggest turnout at the alumni soccer game on Thanksgiving, with six out of the 26 players present hailing from that class.

1

2

3

4

(1) Greg Tobkin, Erin Lum, Christien Tompkins, and Bagna Braestrup from the Class of 2004 at the holiday reunion.

(2) Daniel Bernstein ’06 and his wife, Laura Fisher, at their wedding.

(3) Brothers Eitan Neidich ’06 and Alon Neidich ’03 at the Holiday Reunion.

(4) Dario Abramskiehn, Taylor Soderborg, Cole Armstrong, and Javier VargasJohnson from the Class of 2006 at the holiday reunion.

Daniel Bernstein married Laura Fisher in Minneapolis, MN, on July 14, 2012.

The ceremony was held at Temple Israel and the reception was at the Walker Art Center. In attendance were classmates Emma Bainbridge, Alex Berggruen, Billy Cirocco, Annie Geissler, Harold King, Kevin Morris, Eitan Neidich, Michael Schember, Sam Steyer, and John Vrolyk.

In June, Daniel received his Master’s of Biological Science from the University of Minnesota. He is currently working in healthcare.

Jessica So is a first-year law student at Yale University, where she rooms with Kyle Delbyck ’04. Janis Foo ’03 is also at Yale, but one year ahead of Jessica and Kyle. After graduating from Duke University, Jessica spent a year in Thailand.

She looks forward to an internship at a Bay Area law firm this summer.

The Class of 2006 also had a great turnout at the holiday reunion, where we found out that Eitan Neidich (who was there with his brother, Alon ’03) is a secondyear med student at UCSF.

Taylor Soderborg is in an MD/PhD program at the University of ColoradoDenver, where she hopes to specialize in neurology. She plans to go skiing with Javier Vargas-Johnson, who is in the Hydrologic Science and Engineering (HSE) program at the Colorado School of Mines in nearby Golden, CO.

2008

Irina Usach is in medical school at Touro University (California College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Vallejo, CA.

Hilary Eggers works as a surgery technician at CPMC while applying to medical school.

Sarah Grandin lives in Somerville, MA, where she is enrolled in an art history doctorate program at Harvard University.

Helene Imperiale is pursuing a Master’s in Public Diplomacy at USC.

Dario Abramskiehn is back in San Francisco working as a senior management consultant at IBM Global Business Services, doing strategy and management consulting in the digital space.

2007 UHS represents at UCSF Medical School!

Current first-years include Max Brondfield, Zach Matthay, and Dylan Masters ’00, who did a stint with the Peace Corp

teaching math and physics in Tanzania before embarking on his medical career.

Elana Bowsher graduated from UCLA with a fine arts degree and is working to become a certified graphic designer.

Ale Vargas-Johnson is studying Portuguese and Brazilian history at the Universidade Federal da Bahia in Salvador, Brazil.

Andrew Zingg and his O Presidente bandmates Tobias Butler ’09 and Thomas Yopes ’09 are getting rave reviews on college radio stations and indie music blogs.

They had a great concert in San Francisco in January.

spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

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class notes continued...

2009 Kevin Fong, a senior at Georgetown, is looking forward to getting his degree from the School of Foreign Service in Science, Technology, and International Affairs. He took advantage of the DC reunion to meet Arik Levinson ’82, a professor of economics at Georgetown.

2010 Zoe Blank released her first solo album on Bandcamp in September. The album, There’ll Be A Time, is available at http://zblank.bandcamp.com.

The Class of 2010 came out in force for the holiday reunion!

In Memoriam We acknowledge the loss of the following members and friends of the UHS community and extend our deepest sympathy to their families and friends. ❧ Frank Fudem, father of Jonathan Fudem ’12, January 27, 2013. ❧ Stephen Hufford, father of Justine Hufford ’09 and Kendall Hufford ’16, November 6, 2012. ❧ Walter Newman, founding trustee, December 7, 2012. ❧ Faith Nomura, mother of Christópheren Nomura ’82, Margaret Nomura Clark ’83, and Izumi Nomura Cabrera ’87, October 18, 2012. ❧ Rosemary Patton, mother of Susannah Patton ’82, October 23, 2012. ❧ Peter Peracca, father of Allyson Peracca ’99 and Galen Peracca Heavrin ’96, September 28, 2012. ❧ Claudia De Quesada Rogers ’90, December 15, 2012. ❧ Carol Louise Smith, mother of Heather Barrett ’92, November 23rd, 2012. ❧ Colin Sprang, former UHS science teacher, December 21, 2012. ❧ Ralph C. Walker, former trustee and father of Mark Walker ’92 and Tyler Walker ’94, December 22, 2012.

Obituaries in this issue include notices received in the UHS Alumni Office by February 11, 2013. Please let us know if you would like a relative to be remembered in the next issue of the UHS Journal.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL spring 2013

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL WAYS OF GIVING TO UHS

San Francisco University High School welcomes many forms of charitable contributions, offering varying tax benefits.

Gifts to UHS may be tailored to fit the donor’s interests and tax situation.

Gifts of Cash Most gifts to UHS are cash contributions, for which donors receive tax benefits if they itemize deductions. Checks should be made payable to San Francisco University High School. The school also accepts payments by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. Gifts may be made securely online by visiting the school’s web page www.sfuhs.org/giving.

Restricted and Unrestricted Gifts Donors may designate their gifts unrestricted, giving UHS the flexibility to allocate the funds where they are most needed or they may designate their gift to a restricted fund.

Matching Gifts Many businesses and corporations match their employees’ personal gifts to educational institutions. Contact your company’s human resources office for more information.

Honor and Memorial We invite you to make a donation in honor or in memory of an alumni, faculty or staff member, parent, trustee, or friend of the school.

Securities Many donors may realize substantial tax advantages by transferring sizable gifts of appreciated stock to UHS. Capital gains on the amount of appreciation are avoided, and the donor receives a tax deduction for the stock’s full market value at the time of transfer. Please contact the Development Office for complete instructions.

Life Insurance A gift of life insurance can take the form of a new life insurance policy, an existing policy that is paid up, or an existing policy on which premiums are payable. All options can result in tax savings.

Deferred Gifts and Bequests Many donors can make a more substantial gift to UHS through deferred giving than through an outright contribution. Usually, deferred gifts take the form of charitable remainder trusts that generate income paid to the donor during his or her lifetime, with the principal going to the school after the donor’s death. Donors receive tax benefits, including the ability to diversify assets without the payment of capital gains taxes, and an income tax deduction for the value of the school’s interest, thereby enhancing their own financial situation while making a lasting contribution to the school.

Bequests, large and small, offer a significant source of support to UHS. Such a bequest, which names UHS as the recipient of all or a portion of a donor’s estate, not only helps the school, but can also reduce the donor’s federal estate taxes.

Gifts of Property The gift of a home, building, or land may be advantageous to a donor. Under certain circumstances, arrangements for continued occupancy by the donor for a specified period of time can be made. Tangible personal property may offer the donor an immediate tax deduction. Tax benefits vary and are determined by whether or not the gift is related to the educational purposes of the school.

Contact Kate Gorrissen, associate director of development, at (415) 447.3117 or kate.gorrissen@sfuhs.org for more details.

Back Cover Photo: Jean Fruth P’16. spring 2013 UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

SAN FRANCISCO UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

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Parents of Alumni, If your son/daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of his/her new mailing address at (415) 447.3116 or UHSalumni@sfuhs.org.

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