Bishop's Magazine Summer 2022 by The Bishop's School

on the quad with RK

Ron Kim Head of School

1 on the quad with RK

One of the main goals of this magazine is to answer the questions, how is the School doing and what’s new? Given all the challenges and turbulence of the past few years, your curiosity may be even greater than usual. For me, this magazine provides a nice opportunity to reflect on those very same questions, and I am pleased to share that our traditions are strong, and we continue to grow in important areas. Many of you will recognize with fondness our annual gala which brings families, friends, faculty and staff together to have a great time for the important goal of raising financial aid support for so many of our great students. We had a record number of guests which included old friends, new families and an alumni guest speaker who shared how Bishop’s changed his life. I am incredibly grateful for the generosity and enthusiasm of this community. Bishop’s is fortunate to host speakers who enrich our academic experience. This year we were honored to have two guests for the Mulgrew Poetry Series and a series of talks from the Woltman lecturer on the origins and dissemination of the Bible. Also for the first time in three years we hosted the Ellen Browning Scripps Celebration event in person, recognizing three distinguished and accomplished honorees who have contributed so much to Bishop’s and to their communities. Less familiar is a new initiative in the area of social innovation led by our director of service learning. Students are challenged to identify a problem in society that can be addressed by a creative combination of entrepreneurialism and innovation. One of the aims of our strategic plan is to help students think beyond immediate goals and to a greater purpose to which they can apply their skills, talent and imagination. I hope that you will be as inspired by these ideas as the competition’s panelists. Finally, members of the Bishop’s administrative team presented at the National Association of Episcopal Schools conference on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice. As an Episcopal school, “DEIJ” is fundamental to our values—to our commitment to welcome people of all faiths and identities and to advance the cause of social justice. Yet Episcopal schools can struggle to figure out how to integrate these values into the experience and education of the students. We were eager to share how Bishop’s has worked over the past five years to weave DEIJ into the life of the School and in ways that make our community more caring, more understanding and more unified. I trust that you will find in these pages evidence that the Bishop’s that we have always loved remains and that Bishop’s in the future will be even stronger.

COMPASSION FUELS Social innovation harnesses student ingenuity for the greater good. By Joe Tash

Compassion was the theme of the 2021-2022 school year and identifying real-world societal problems and devising ideas for fixing them is at the heart of the Bishop’s social innovation program, now in its second year.

Compassion Fuels Creativity 2

articipants in the Social Innovation Competition, which was held in Ellen Browning Scripps Hall, identified an existing real-world problem and proposed their own unique solutions, coming up with a business model and pitching the concept to a panel of judges. Offering a unique, hands-on learning opportunity, it taught students to embrace community service, become comfortable with public speaking and develop the skills to create and execute a business plan. Students first conduct research and prepare a promotional video before pitching their business plan to a live panel of judges, similar to the ABC-TV reality show “Shark Tank,” in which entrepreneurs seek seed funding for their money-making ideas. The competition is the first of its kind at the high-school level in San Diego County and the social entrepreneurs receive guidance from Jackie Gomez, the School’s director of service learning. The program is under consideration as a new, non-credit enrichment course for the coming school year. “The experience students gain from social innovation is a combination of service, business development and fighting for a cause that is important to them. This is different from service learning and fundraising. The evolution of learning that the students go through during this process is something special because they are providing a solution for an issue in our world,” Jackie says. Jackie began researching the program after a suggestion by Head of School Ron Kim, who had experienced it at his former school, Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She took inspiration in forming Bishop’s social innovation program from a similar effort sponsored annually by the business school at the University of San Diego.

Another similarity with “Shark Tank” is that, thanks to a donation by a Bishop’s parent, the winning teams share a $5,000 purse each year, using the funds to help bring their proposals to reality. On the show, investors, or “sharks,” provide seed money to the proposals they deem most promising. Since the program’s launch, students have applied their brain power to such diverse tasks as setting up a website to pair volunteers with nonprofit agencies, providing period products to people who desperately need them, conceptualizing a device to clean microplastics from the ocean and creating an app to link foster youth with critical resources and more. Teams have two-to-five members, and participants span all grades, involving Bishop’s youngest students up to seniors. If the social innovation course is approved for next year, students will have more time to spend each week on their projects, and time they spend will be credited toward their service learning requirements. Another goal for Jackie is to get other local schools involved for a multi-school social innovation competition at the end of the year. As they draft their ideas, students are encouraged to reach out to experts who can help, whether out in the community or within the Bishop’s faculty. Among the faculty working with the students were Marcus Jaiclin and Lani Keller, co-chairs of Bishop’s Creative Sciences Initiative. “We talked to students about ways to incorporate technology into their projects,” says Marcus. Among the examples was helping a group of sixth-graders create a model of their concept for filtering pollutants from the air using a 3D printer at the School. Another project entailed using AI, or artificial intelligence, to power an app that can scan and identify items suitable for recycling, by reading the markings and codes stamped on the items. Still another group proposed sending

CREATIVIT Y

Students create ceramic bowls for the Empty Bowls Project.

books and a collapsible bookshelf to needy students in India. The students who made it through the competition showed an ability to work on multiple issues, such as computer programming, marketing and legal concepts, and fuse them into a single, cohesive effort.

“Bishop’s is a creative and knowledgeable community. We knew we’d have students who

Compassion Fuels Creativity 4

would want to be part of this competition.”

“I really enjoyed the positive energy the students and Jackie brought to the projects,” says Marcus. “[The students] got to be creative and think about something outside of Bishop’s walls and bring their education to life.” Pivotal to launching both the social innovation competition and founding the Lucky Ducklings Club, which focuses on helping the homeless in San Diego, was Emma Marshall ’22, who worked closely with Jackie on both projects. Emma got involved with social innovation in her sophomore year, only to see the program postponed during the pandemic. She says the pause allowed time for researching the concept and setting the guidelines for the Bishop’s competition when it finally got going. “My vision was to do something like Shark Tank but also do something good for the world,” she says, and the new program was modeled after the program at USD and another at Duke University. “Bishop’s is a creative and knowledgeable community. We knew we’d have students who would want to be part of this competition.” The first year, the contest drew eight teams, and this year five groups competed. Along with helping Jackie get the social innovation program off the ground, Emma hosted a similar event for the Lucky Ducklings Club, in which four teams from four different schools pitched ideas to help San Diego’s homeless population. The chapters are

affiliated with San Diego’s Lucky Duck Foundation and the competition included teams from Bishop’s, Canyon Crest Academy, Cathedral Catholic and Torrey Pines high schools. Other students will have to continue the social innovation projects, as Emma is headed off to Southern Methodist University in Texas, where she plans to study business administration with a minor in entrepreneurship. But she’ll carry with her a sense of pride in what the School accomplished through the social innovation and Lucky Ducklings programs. “I would do it all over again,” she says, because she learned so much about research, leadership, patience

and listening. “I’m very proud to be a Bishop’s student and graduating from this institution.” Simmons Arnold ’23 worked with a team of students who presented a proposal at both the social innovation and Lucky Ducklings competitions. Their concept was an app, called Bloom, that helps young adults who are aging out of the foster care system connect with resources that can help them, such as mentoring, housing, employment or legal assistance. Simmons says many foster youth age out of the system with no place to call home and “that spoke to us.” The app isn’t up and running yet, but the group plans to continue working on

5 Compassion Fuels Creativity

it this summer. Looking back on the experience, she says, “I feel really proud of my team and myself for putting in the hard work and continuing the work even after the competition, stepping out and doing something new.” Joseph Aguilar ’22 competed in the social innovation program with a team that developed an idea for a website— called Students Community Action Network—that can link students seeking volunteer opportunities with the nonprofit agencies that need them. “It’s about connecting those who need help and students who can provide it,” Joseph says. “There was nothing out there like that, and I wanted to fix that problem.”

Joseph, who will be heading to Yale in the fall, hopes to see work on Students CAN continue after he leaves Bishop’s. One important lesson he learned from the competition is if you see a problem in the world, “You can go out and fix it. I was lucky to have the resources at Bishop’s, I could take this idea and make it happen, start to get the ball rolling.” Also, “Don’t be afraid to reach out, people are willing and able to help.” Elias Herrera ’22, who will attend Loyola Marymount University in the fall, was part of the team who presented the app for foster youth to the Lucky Duck Foundation. The group was later awarded $500 to pursue its project. Elias says he learned a lot by researching the app and preparing a business model. Pitching the panel of judges was intimidating at first, he says, but, “Don’t be afraid, it’s worth it.” Along with its embrace of social innovation projects, the School took part in more traditional fundraising ventures to help homeless people in San Diego County. For example, with the guidance of art instructor Jeremy Gercke, students made ceramic bowls which were packaged for sale with recipe books and bottles of wine, netting about $9,500 to be split between Bishop’s financial aid program and the Lucky Duck Foundation. Innovative ideas to address societal problems also came from a pair of Bishop’s seniors. Yasi Henderson ’22 and Andrea Rix ’22 joined forces in their

sophomore year to launch the Period Poverty Project (PPP), a nonprofit group that seeks to erase the stigma surrounding menstruation, as well as provide period products such as pads and tampons for those who can’t afford them. The problem affects all age groups, from school-age who can’t afford the products and stay home from school out of embarrassment, to homeless people who use dirty clothing or newspapers to manage their flow, exposing themselves to diseases, says Andrea. Through the efforts of the PPP—which thanks to their work now includes branches at seven San Diego-area high schools—products have gone to recipients in a range of circumstances, from homeless people to migrants housed at the San Diego Convention Center. “It’s for anyone who doesn’t have access to period products,” says Andrea, noting that the problem is more widespread than people think. “One in four American schoolgirls have missed school due to lack of period products which is pretty shocking.” Yasi says she became aware of the problem when she read the book “Period Power,” by Nadya Okamoto. During a summer global health course she attended at Brown University in 2019, she made an action plan to launch the PPP. She brought the idea to Andrea when she returned to Bishop’s and the two students launched their nonprofit. They have held drives to collect period products and organized fundraisers, such as designing pink polo shirts for sale on campus. Through all their efforts to date, they have donated 155,000 period products to those who need them. The project has also helped ease the stigma surrounding periods. One example, say Andrea and Yasi, is that boys have enthusiastically joined the club and are among the most dedicated members. They are working on a succession plan to keep the project going after they head for college (Andrea to Yale and Yasi to UC Santa Barbara), and they are grateful for the help they’ve received on campus. “Everyone has been so supportive,” says Yasi. “Every corner of the School is supporting us.”

ROBERT MULGREW POETRY SERIES

Jay Hopler & Kimberly Johnson By Andrés Worstell ’17

Robert Mulgrew Poetry Series 6

n Tuesday, April 26, as a part of the ongoing Robert Mulgrew Poetry Series, English teacher Adam O. Davis welcomed poets Jay Hopler and Kimberly Johnson to read and answer questions about their work in the Bishop’s Alumni Courtyard. The poetry series, which began in 2011 with an appearance from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (and San Diego resident) Rae Armantrout, started as a collaboration between Adam and the late, beloved English department chair Robert Mulgrew to bring worldrenowned writers directly to Bishop’s. “It was our hope that we could infuse both the English department curriculum and The Bishop’s School itself with greater amounts of poetry by bringing some of the most vibrant voices in contemporary letters to campus,” Adam reminisced about the origins of the series, which has since brought poets like Jericho Brown, Harryette Mullen, Ilya Kaminsky and Victoria Chang to speak at Bishop’s. “After Robert’s death in 2016, we renamed the series in his honor and sought to turn it into an endowed program so we could bring his love of poetry to Bishopians for generations to come.” Despite the series’ decade-long history, this year’s event marked the first time the Alumni Courtyard was graced with a “duet.” This first for the series turned out to be for a special reason: Not only are Hopler and Johnson celebrated poets (both are recipients of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship), but they are

poems. “For us, it’s a fun way to perform the poems, because it forces us to think about how a poem of Jay’s might be related to a poem of mine, and vice versa,” Johnson continued. “Since our new books are so thematically entwined, there’s even more of an opportunity than usual to do that kind of back-andforth approach.” An example of this approach came when a lengthy portion of their reading found the writers trading sonnets they had written, focusing on the form and structure of the also a married couple. For an hour, the work. Later on, the poets veered toward poets read aloud from their most recent free-verse and the subject matter of the work—Johnson from “Fatal” (Persea, poems grew more somber, with Hopler 2022) and Hopler from “Still Life” and Johnson confronting thoughts (McSweeney’s, 2022)—but with a twist. on family, aging and mortality. The Instead of each reading their work one through-line between their recent books at a time, they performed a call-andis Hopler’s terminal cancer diagnosis, response reading, in which one writer a subject addressed candidly by both read a poem and then the other writer, poets. For example, in Johnson’s inspired by the content or form of the “Foley Catheter,’’ she describes the preceding poem, would read one of honest realities of caring for an ailing their own. loved one, writing: “Unsought inside “Occasionally, the moment feels right our grand romantic/Intimacy/Another to do the kind of reading we did at The intimacy/Opens—ruthless and Bishop’s School, in which we take turns indecent, consuming/All our reading one poem each and kind of toss hiddenmosts.” Meanwhile, Hopler, the mic back-and-forth,” Johnson said in “The Canonization,” explores the about the reading. “Privately, we’ve meaning of creative work in the face of referred to this approach as a ‘tag-team mortality: “& they can burn these verses/ reading,’ as if we were professional too send us all to naught/let them revel WWF wrestlers taking the stage in turn.” in the smoke/let death upon my life/& This approach to presenting their work life’s work choke.” Their complementary led to a free-flowing creative conversation viewpoints on the subject matter between the two writers that exposed showcase how important they are in commonalities and through-lines in their both each other’s lives and creative work,

Editor’s Note: Jay Hopler entered hospice care and died peacefully in June 2022. We are grateful for the opportunity to have him here on campus and appreciate his dedication to his craft.

“We were so impressed by the questions [students] asked during our class visits— in fact, after our conversation with classes on Monday, Jay and I discussed how many of the questions posed to us were better questions (more attentive to the texts, more alert to the complex interpretation of poetry) than we often get during our visits to universities!” Before meeting with Johnson and

Hopler, students from the English courses had the opportunity to read two of their books in preparation. According to Angie, the process of analyzing the poems beforehand was a very different experience than hearing them read aloud by their authors. “The way Kimberly read her poems was really rhythmic,” she noted. “The symbols and images really jumped out at you—I’d like her to read to me every day.” Unfortunately for Angie, Bishop’s is unable to entertain readings from worldclass writers like Kimberly Johnson every day, but these are the kinds of unique experiences the Robert Mulgrew Poetry Series has been able to bring to Bishop’s students year after year. As the series continues to expand after another successful event, Adam looks toward the future: “Thanks to our donors, we’ve been able to grow our program substantially—we now bring two poets to campus each year—and it is my hope that with continued support we’ll continue to develop our humble series into one of California’s finest.” In the meantime, the unique opportunity to learn from world-class poets like Jay Hopler and Kimberly Johnson remains strong in the campus’ memory, and it’s clear that their words have inspired many Bishopians to hone their craft as writers.

7 Robert Mulgrew Poetry Series

painting a profound portrait of what it means to face an incurable disease as a couple. Despite the harrowing subject matter, wit and laughter were in abundant supply during that fleeting hour of poetry. This proved particularly true when Hopler read “Honky-Tonk Sonnet,” a meditation on his cancer written as a duet between the poet and Johnny Cash. But, as Hopler noted, though he would be crooning Cash’s lines, it would “not sound like Johnny Cash.” Tenth-grader William Ma found the interplay between poet and poet “refreshing,” describing the reading as “very upbeat and funny.” “In this manner, their personalities contrasted with the content of their work,” William said. Angie Robles ’22 agreed, adding, “Jay brings this humor and sarcasm to his poetry that I didn’t really realize until I heard it read out loud [by him].” Student engagement was an integral part of Johnson and Hopler’s visit to Bishop’s. In addition to the after-school reading, the poets were able to meet with students from Honors Writing, Advanced Honors English and Poetry courses to discuss the inspiration behind their work and their writing processes. Johnson herself had kind words about meeting members of the Bishop’s community, saying,

Affirming Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice in Bishop’s Values

By Cathy Morrison

In March, four Bishop’s administrators presented at the National Association of Episcopal Schools’ Diversity and Inclusion Conference 2022. Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice David Thompson, Jr., Chaplain the Rev. Nicole Simopoulos-Pigato, Assistant Head of School Michael Beamer and Head of School Ron Kim led a workshop for colleagues from peer schools across the country in demonstrating how Bishop’s set about intentionally integrating DEIJ into the curriculum and daily practice at school.

RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE PRACTICES ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION.

Affirming Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice 8

All DEIJ activities open with a reminder of the basic tenets of respectful dialogue we agree to embrace, especially when we come together for conversation on topics that can be uncomfortable. • Learn from others. • Trust bravely. • Engage respectfully. • Take positions humbly. • Embrace viewpoints. • Pursue growth. • Respect the individual.

WELL-BEING BLOCKS IN THE CLASS SCHEDULE OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BIG LESSONS IN BITE-SIZE PIECES.

Fifteen-to-twenty minutes may not seem like enough time to become immersed in a topic, but in partnering with student facilitators and student clubs, advisory groups can come together for meaningful activities and reflection. Rome wasn’t built in a day and these brief sessions offer building blocks that are intended to create a solid foundation for students, staff and teachers. David guides attendees through a sample DEIJ lesson that includes a three-minute video “to discuss societal expectations rooted in gender norms/stereotypes and how those expectations impact everyone, regardless of where you lie on the gender spectrum.” Following the video, he leads the group through a writing prompt, “Write down 10 unwritten rules of gender that you experience in your life on a daily basis,” encouraging them to, “Think of the nuance, the subtle expectations; be critical. These could be related to how you feel you must behave, dress or otherwise ‘perform’ your own gender identity or how you feel you need to interact with others based on their gender.” Conversation based on that prompt follows the writing exercise. In the lesson debrief, David asks, “What was this like for you? Is this a conversation you can imagine in your school communities? What else is on your mind?”

REFLECTING ON WHERE WE WERE…

Michael shares, “While we are a community that is able to have conversations like this one on a daily basis and in a coordinated way, it has not always been that way.” Giving context for where we were when we began this process, he noted some of the tensions that existed at Bishop’s initially: • Strong academic program in a high-stress environment; • Transformational experience with a focus on college outcomes; • “Big tent” Episcopal school vs. the role of Christ in our lives; • Safe affinity spaces that felt divisive to some. He acknowledges, “We were not immune to the highlypolarized political environment, and programming was siloed with little overlap or coordination.” Reviewing existing School materials and statements through the accreditation and strategic planning processes revealed what he describes as “lots of words, but a lack of cohesion” between the mission statement, the four pillars of 21st century citizenship, aims of a Bishop’s student, the fundamental standard and the diversity statement. Indeed, a lack of clarity in communicating our values led to negative feedback indicating that “not all parents were on board.”

“All of us, especially our students, will live and work with people from different backgrounds and who may hold different views. We hope that our students will take their experience at Bishop’s and know that these differences can be sources of strength, and that our students will bring together people who know each other, care for each other and love each other into a community of shared values. What our students have experienced at Bishop’s takes commitment and intention, and our society and our country need it more than ever,” concludes Ron.

…ALLOWED US TO CREATE A ROAD MAP TO WHERE WE WANT TO GO.

We asked our constituents: • What do we value most about our Episcopal tradition? • What should our chapel program emphasize? What should it look and feel like? • What is the distinction between an “Episcopal” and a “Christian” school and how can we communicate that distinction clearly to prospective and current families?

Affirming Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice 10

The 2018 board retreat focused on “Why does our Episcopal ethos matter?” • Affirms the intrinsic dignity in each of us • Cultivates a social conscience shaped by empathy and the desire to make change in service of others • Engages in the intellectual and ethical dialogue that ignites lifelong learning and moral leadership

CLAIMING OUR EPISCOPAL IDENTITY…

…SO THAT EVERYTHING WE DO CONNECTS BACK TO WHO WE SAY WE ARE.

The former mission statement read: “The Bishop’s School is an academic community pursuing intellectual, artistic and athletic excellence in the context of the Episcopal tradition.” Based on feedback and reflection, the new mission statement puts it this way: “Bishop’s is an Episcopal school that nurtures students of intellect and character to think independently, learn collaboratively, grow their sense of self and act with greater purpose.”

INCORPORATING BISHOP’S NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

Core Values: • Integrity • Inclusion

• •

Compassion Intellect

• •

Excellence Justice

Vision: Our vision is the pursuit of the question: How do our students learn and grow best? Everything we do must return to this fundamental question.

HOPE, SCOPE AND FUTURE GOALS

Ideally, the next sequence of lessons will engage the larger Bishop’s community in ongoing conversations one could encounter by attending specific affinity spaces on campus. Highlighted topics: • Gender identity • Class • Humor • Who Am I?

Future Goals: • Student leadership training • Build out DEIJ/Health advisory • Student peer accountability • Build each layer of the “egg” and interconnect them

David says the purpose is to encourage students to set their sights on wanting to “make the world better, as opposed to wanting to focus only on improving themselves.”

COHERENCE OF EPISCOPAL IDENTITY AND DEIJ

How do we connect these two things right now? • Well-being block • Pairing chapel with DEIJ lessons • Establishing a School theme/value to focus on throughout the year (the 2021-2022 theme was compassion)

THE BISHOP’S SCHOOL DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Bishop’s is an inclusive community that believes our differences are a source of strength. We are committed to the pursuit of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. We respect the dignity of every human being and aspire to be a school where all are known, cared for and feel that they belong.

By Jen Jordan

11 A Knight by the Sea

n Saturday, April 23, the Bishop’s community sailed into an incredible evening on the Quad with “A Knight by the Sea” Gala in support of the School’s financial aid program. With record attendance of 400 guests and 55 faculty and staff volunteers, attendees enjoyed an incredible evening under glistening lights. Guests savored tray-passed appetizers and dinner by Urban Kitchen Catering alongside cocktails by Snake Oil Cocktail Company. Attendees participated in a paddle raise and live auction led by night’s emcee, Joseph Aguilar ’22, then heard from speaker José Vallejo ’04, who espoused the importance of financial aid. A dessert bar, late-night snacks and dancing by DJ Ama B closed out a magical evening. “Bishop’s was, in many ways, a life-saving experience,” says José. “Bishop’s helped to expand my perception of my identity, and it helped expand my perception of what I was capable of and what levels I was able to compete at. I think that expanding the [financial aid] program would allow more students who have leadership potential in communities like the one that I grew up in to be able to optimize that potential and use it for good in their own community one day.” Co-chaired by Vivianne Dhupa (Kiran ’25), Kyndra Leach (Jaxon ’24, Cutter ’27) and Martha Howton Sottosanti ’88 (Tommy ’20, Ashley ’22), the evening raised $900,000 in support of financial aid. The largest single item sold for $46,000, a Brooklyn Nets behind-the-scenes experience and four courtside seats, and the annual wine aficionado dinner, which will feature chef Brad Wise, sold out, raising $80,000. The Gala Committee made a number of changes to ensure the event was more inclusive and focused on community building. “We lowered the ticket price with the hope that it would be more affordable and ultimately attract a larger community audience, and it worked; we had a record attendance,” says Kyndra. “We also changed the format of the cocktail hour to encourage more mingling and shift the focus to bidding on smaller auction items.” “Thanks to the hard work of the Bishop’s Advancement team and our amazing parent volunteers, A Knight by the Sea was both a successful fundraiser and so much fun!” Martha says. “It was wonderful for our community to be together in person again to celebrate the school we love so much. Hearing José share his compelling story reminded us all how life-changing a Bishop’s education can be. I am very grateful to my incredible co-chairs, Vivianne and Kyndra, for their tireless work to produce the 2022 Gala!” “The excitement in this being one of the first opportunities for people to socialize and get together since the pandemic was palpable,” says Vivianne. “Many had never been to a gala. The funds raised and the fact that the event sold out showed the enthusiasm of our community, and the Gala Committee was thrilled to be a part of that.”

EBS CELEBRATION HONORS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AND FACULTY By Joe Tash The Bishop’s community feted three honorees in March at the return of the annual Ellen Browning Scripps Celebration, which had been on hiatus for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event was held outdoors on the Rohr Terrace and about 140 guests enjoyed a reception, sit-down dinner and the awards ceremony, which included videos about the three honorees: alumni Carolyn Revelle ’57 and Alison Fleming ’80 and Rich del Rio, retired Bishop’s history faculty.

The event, in its 28th year, celebrates the School’s founder, Miss Ellen Browning Scripps, and the honorees who embody her spirit and character. Since the event’s founding more than a quarter century ago, 70 alumni, faculty and staff have been honored. “It’s a beautiful Bishop’s tradition that means so much to so many,” says Lori Boyle, Bishop’s director of alumni relations.

EBS Celebration 12

Following are Q and As with this year’s honorees, edited for brevity and clarity.

Alison Fleming ’80

Carolyn Revelle ’57

Rich del Rio

Michael W. Teitelman Leadership Award, which honors a visionary leader who has been transformative in shaping the minds, hearts and spirit of the Bishop’s community. Alison is head of Gillispie School and a former Bishop’s faculty member and administrator.

Ellen Browning Scripps Distinguished Alumni award, presented to alumni who bring honor and distinction to themselves and the School through their achievements. Carolyn, the great-great niece of Bishop’s founder, is an advocate for education and community change maker.

Michael W. Teitelman Leadership Award, which honors a visionary leader who has been transformative in shaping the minds, hearts and spirit of the Bishop’s community. Rich is a retired history teacher at Bishop’s, who has recently returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher.

Alison Fleming

Carolyn Revelle

Rich del Rio

How did your time at Bishop’s shape you?

Bishop’s instilled in me a love of learning and an appreciation for the intellect, whether it was studying Thoreau or cellular respiration. The School also encouraged me to put myself out there, to speak up in class, and participate in musical theater and gymnastics. The experience was like being in college at a young age. Also, the gift of friendship has stayed with me because of Bishop’s. I met my closest friends there.

The six years I spent at Bishop’s were very formative in my life, from English classes where I learned to write clearly, to Latin and history. The beauty of the campus fed my love of beauty. I also served in student government and edited the student newspaper. Those early experiences helped nurture what became a lifelong commitment to community service as an urban planner and volunteer.

I was gratified to be appointed the chair for Bishop’s History and Social Sciences Department, and in that role I helped shape the Scholar-inResidence program and Endowed Leadership Lecture series. Also, I founded the school’s Mock Trial program and coached Academic League, both of which continue to have a great deal of success and provided many of the highlights of my time at Bishop’s. Looking back, I am quite proud of what I did and that the programs I helped sponsor are still going strong.

What inspires you?

What makes you feel hopeful about today’s students? I think they really are learning to not take things at face value. The emphasis on social media has taught them to see the unkindness in the world and the consequences of that. Kids are digging in and doing their own research, which includes questioning the status quo and figures of authority. Good for them!

My mother talked a lot about her great aunt [Ellen Browning Scripps] and her philanthropy and vision, which I found inspiring. Also, my parents were very involved in the community, which was inspiring to me and my siblings. My parents advocated for higher education, theater and music, among other causes. My mother was a trustee at Scripps College, the women’s college in Claremont, and I also served on the college’s board for 27 years.

What makes you feel hopeful about today’s students? During the week I was down for the event, I sat in on two classes. One discussed the Holocaust and genocide and the other talked about reparations for the descendants of slaves. I was very impressed by the intellectual caliber of the students, and the respectful way they listened to each other. Also, I was pleased to see the diversity of the student body, which makes me feel hopeful.

What inspires you? The most important inspiration for me comes from two sources, my colleagues and my students. My colleagues and I collaborated in the best sense of the word, as we pushed each other to be better through affirmative example. With my students, I learned a great deal from their interests. I was inspired as I sought to engage their intellect and support them in achieving their academic goals.

What makes you feel hopeful about today’s students? I’m hopeful when I see how Bishop’s students engage on important civic issues. They speak out and find a kind of moral clarity that is impressive to adults. One example is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how the students see it. They are knowledgeable and engaged, and they serve as a reminder to all of us about the importance of idealism and civic engagement.

13 EBS Celebration

Bishop’s allowed me to feel safe to explore, nurtured by fabulous teachers, and instilled a sense of responsibility to better the world. I was given that gift, and I wanted to pass it on to others, so I chose a career in education. In my role I want to emphasize kindness and provide students a safe place if they are hurting. I want to empower them to express their feelings.

What inspires you?

WOLTMAN FAMILY LECTURE SERIES

The Bible in Our Hands By Cathy Morrison

Woltman Family Lecture Series 14

Gary Rendsburg, Ron Kim, Richard Woltman

When the benefactor who established a speaker series stands up at the end of the event and tells the audience that this is precisely what he envisioned when he funded the lecture series, that’s the best endorsement possible!

lumni parent Richard Woltman and his family established Bishop’s Woltman Family Lecture Series in 2018, aiming to bring speakers who embody the School’s core principles and values and provide inspiration and collegial dialogue at a high academic level. The April 26 evening lecture—the first Bishop’s has hosted since 2019—featured biblical and Jewish scholar Dr. Gary A. Rendsburg, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey. His fascinating talk “The Bible in Our Hands” brought the audience as close as possible to visiting the ancient archaeological site

Students and faculty share lunch and conversation with Dr. Rendsburg.

of Qumran and the Bodleian Library at Oxford University without leaving their seats or logging on to Zoom. He notes in the abstract for his talk, “We walk into church or synagogue, and we take it for granted that the Bible is in our hands, with abundant copies in the pews and in the bookcases: but how did the Bible reach us? This wide-ranging lecture explores the history of the Bible, transmitted by devoted scribes throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages, up to the age of printing. The form of the Bible changes from scroll to codex (the forerunner of the modern book),

while the presentation of the Bible changes from a skeleton text written only in consonants to one which includes vowels, punctuation and more. How did all this happen, when did all this happen and why did all this happen? Or, to repeat the question above, how did the Bible reach us?” Dr. Rendsburg, who has written seven books and around 200 articles, focuses on “all things ancient Israel” in his work, particularly ancient languages and literature. He has “visited all the major archaeological sites of Israel, Egypt and Jordan, and has excavated at Tel Dor and Caesarea.” His passion for the history and archaeology of Jewish life in the Middle Ages is evident. In addition to the Bodleian Library, he also has done “extensive research on medieval Hebrew manuscripts at the Cambridge University Library, the Vatican Library in Rome and Fisher Library at the University of Sydney.” Currently serving as a visiting professor at UCLA’s Getty Villa, he was

in a patriarchal society as literary representations of the people of Israel, and how these stories ask—even command—us to care for the stranger, the orphan, the widow; anyone who is living on the physical and social margins. Dr. Rendsburg points out that of all the ancient documents and cultures he has studied, this commandment to care for the poor and the marginalized is unique to the Hebrew people and Jewish tradition. The date of the chapel talk, Thursday, April 27—was Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Rememberance Day. In his remarks, he

tied the stories and the biblical calls to action together, noting that his own parents were Holocaust survivors and sharing how they ultimately made their way to the U.S. and to each other after WWII. He encouraged students to find any opportunity to engage with Holocaust survivors or veterans who participated in the liberation of the concentration camps, reminding them that time is running out on such firstperson opportunities. “We look at the news today, and we see the horrors that are happening now in the same place where the Holocaust took place—Eastern Europe. I’m in disbelief that what happened 75 years ago is happening again.” Dr. Rendsburg mentioned the different calls to action and calls for justice he’d seen on our campus and on our website and offered, “This is your chance to repair the world. We don’t live in a perfect world, but I invite you to take this message into the new parts of your life. Do justice. Go forth and do justice.”

15 Woltman Family Lecture Series

able to spend two days in La Jolla, engaging the community at the evening lecture and upper school students taking courses such as Biblical Literature, Feminism and the Bible and Philosophy of Religion, taught by the Rev. Nicole Simopoulos-Pigato, Dr. Regina Ballard and Dr. David Moseley. Dr. Jeffrey Geoghegan invited Dr. Rendsburg, and coordinated the curricular side of his visit, giving students the opportunity to engage in workshops and conversation centered around his chapel talk “Unlikely Heroes: The Women of the Bible.” He shared the stories of four “lowranking women:” Hagar, Tamar, Rahab and Yael, “some characters in the Bible who don’t frequently get all the attention that they deserve, even though the biblical authors invite us to focus our attention on them.” With each of the women’s stories, he helped students recognize that through recurring themes and props across chapters and generations, the original writers used these low-ranking women

Fond Farewells

Fond Farewells 16

By Keri Peckham

BISHOP’S SAYS

PAT CLOWNEY

JANICE HESTER

NICKY HOLLAND

Director of Transportation Services 2012-2022

Executive Administrative Assistant, Athletic Department 2016-2022

Art History Teacher 2008-2021

THIS YEAR.

What is your favorite Bishop’s memory?

THEY WILL BE

One of my favorite events at Bishop’s is Blessing of the Animals. I really enjoy watching everyone on the Quad with their pets.

Being able to work on the same campus with my daughter for a few years and this year’s BESPYs (athletic awards night).

CHAPEL TO THE

What will you miss the most about Bishop’s?

CLASSROOM.

The thing I will miss most is the people. Bishop’s has a warm and friendly atmosphere. We’re all here for the same purpose, and we help each other out whenever needed. I will miss all of the interesting conversations with members of the community.

Getting to know and working with a great team in the athletic and P.E. departments, and Sara Sweet’s lunches and salad bar.

GOODBYE TO SEVEN RETIRING EMPLOYEES

MISSED IN AREAS OF CAMPUS FROM THE

What is your favorite Bishop’s memory? There are so many memories, but a recent favorite is an advisory COVID-era Zoom dance party, where we swung to Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance with Somebody” and Kermit’s “The Rainbow Connection.” Everyone was always so willing to make the best of things!

What will you miss the most about Bishop’s? I miss the students so very much! Bishop’s students engage so enthusiastically with new ideas, and they positively light up when they make intellectual connections across time and space. Equally, they have such kindness, empathy and respect for others. What a grand community!

DEBRA SCHNARR

MARY JANE SUTHERLAND

STEVE TOWNSEND

Assistant to the Director of Facilities 2015-2022

Director of Childcare Services 2009-2022

Spanish Teacher 1975-1979 & 1995-2022

Chapel Organist 1992-2022

What is your favorite Bishop’s memory?

The way the children arrive in the morning, wriggling with joy and anticipation of entering our shared space!

I imagine that my favorite memories are of my children’s graduations in 2006 (Anders) and 2008 (Skye).

What will you miss the most about Bishop’s?

I will forever remember the beauty of St. Mary’s Chapel, and I cherish the opportunity I had to be part of the music ministry in that sacred space for the last 30 years.

The obvious answer is, of course, the children. I can honestly say I have loved every child we have cared for over all these years! But more specifically the times when the children in every class are busy, focused, engaged, and we are all experiencing that “moment of bliss.” We have many of those moments.

I will miss the supportive and congenial colleagues. I have always said that there isn’t a question in any field that someone here couldn’t answer; this is such a remarkable group of brilliant people. I have been so fortunate to work alongside them. I am grateful and humbled. I never would have imagined the opportunities that I have been afforded.

What is your favorite Bishop’s memory? The awesome beauty of the campus. It is incredible, and it was such a joy to be there every day!

What will you miss the most about Bishop’s? Daily camaraderie! So many nice and genuine people!

What will you miss the most about Bishop’s? I will miss being part of a community committed to respect the dignity of every human being and where every single adult I know on campus would do anything in their power to be sure our students are cared for and feel like they belong.

17 Fond Farewells

CATHY RACK

CLASS

2022

The Class of 2022 18

Our newest alumni

The Class of 2022 20

CLASS OF 2022

Joseph Aguilar Seiji-Sebastian Ayala-Sekiguchi Nicholas Balog Elina Banerjee Sophia Bartolo Abigail Beamer Michael Behr Calvin Belmonte-Ryu Kyle Berlage Ryland Birchmeier Nadia Bitar Alexandra Bonaguidi Lucius Brown Maya Buckley Cristian Casillas Maddison Cayer Aarav Chandra Advay Chandra Andrew Chang Renee Chong Ethan Chuang Russell Cleary Nicholas Clotfelter Paul Cluskey Jr. Cooper Coleman Jacqueline Cosio Madeline Cramer Annecy Crockett Greyson Davies Alexander de Poyen-Brown Robert Devoe Jocelyn Ding Scott Dyvig Brynne Faltinsky Annie Fang

Camille Farrell Dolce Feenaghty James Frerichs Cate Freundt Samuel Gal Tanvi Ghosh Zaina Ghouri Natalie Goldwasser Mira Gowda Zenzele Greene Bode Grieve Rolan Guang Aiden Gutierrez Annika Haagensen Sara Hamadeh Julia Haymaker Yasmin Henderson Elias Herrera Jack Hertz Eleanor Hodges Aidan Holden Emma Hong Sariah Hossain Michael Houk Logan Howard Ashlyn Hunter Charlotte Johnson Garrett Johnson Lance Johnson Logan Johnson Margaret Johnson Nihkolai Johnson-Newman Christopher Jung Karina Kadia Hunter Kates

Madeleine Keck Chiara Kenagy Aiden Khazeni Ames Kinkead Ethan Kjos Justin Korn Alina Kureshi Michelle Lai Jackson Landa Rhett LaRocca Matthew Lee Elena LeTourneau Eva Levy Juliette Levy Ellen Li Emma Li Eric Li Nicholas Liu Maya Lyddane Connor Macomber Paul Madany Clare Malhotra Stephen Marren Emma Marshall Presley McDonald Alexandra Midler Sancia Milton Thomas Muniz Isabella Myer Aleksander Navarro Sebastian Navarro Soyoon Park Hayden Parriott Luca Patapoutian Emmy Peabody

Marianna Pecora Kyle Perlman Nikhil Raisinghani Eliyah Ram Emersen Rider Andrea Rix Sofia Roberts Angelina Robles Julien Rubio Khoudia Samb Alexandra Scafidi Connor Schneider Yumei Shi Natalia Sierra-Vargas Ashley Sottosanti Mark Stone Max Stone Belen Suros Julian Tang Tate Vaccaro Flavia Valente Graham Walker Paige Walker Michelle Wang Elise Watson Miller Watson Stanley Wei Ariana Welsbie August Whitman Russell Whittaker Deming Wyer Sharisa You Michael Zeng Claire Zhao