Nueva Magazine – Spring/Summer 2024

The Big Work of Living Teaching Students How to Be Good People, for Themselves and for Others

Nueva is an independent, co-educational, preK–12 school for gifted learners. Our school community inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind. Nueva uses a dynamic educational model to enable gifted learners to make choices that will benefit the world.

nuevaschool.org

Calling All Alumni!

Want to contact the Alumni Office? Email us at alumni@nuevaschool.org.

We love to hear from you!

Nueva Magazine is published by the Communications Office for alumni, students, parents, grandparents, and friends of The Nueva School.

EDITORIAL TEAM

Karin Storm Wood

Director of Communications

Rachel Freeman

Assistant Director of Communications

LiAnn Yim

Assistant Director of Communications

Holly Nall

Communications Associate

Senya S. ’26 and Emma F. ’27

Communications Interns

ALUMNI NEWS

Diana A. Chamorro

Director of Alumni & Community Engagement

Mae Walsh

Alumni Relations Assistant

DESIGN

Aldeia / aldeia.design

PRINTER

Lahlouh

Printed on FSC®-certified Accent Opaque cover and text.

We began planning for this issue of the magazine by reflecting on Nueva in relation to the world beyond our community. What’s newsworthy? What’s happening in the public square? What is the impact on our students? In many spaces, discord and “dunks” reign, making discourse and debate hard to find. Emotion prevails over reason. In the news and on social media, our students encounter complex issues often reduced to aesthetically appealing but substantively limited clickbait. Amid (if not because of) these examples of adult dysfunction, more young people than ever are struggling with anxiety and other mental health challenges.

Teaching the skills of emotional intelligence has never been a more urgent responsibility for educators and families. That is why we have devoted this issue to social-emotional learning (SEL), which has defined Nueva’s commitment to gifted students since our founding in 1967.

Our main feature, “The Big Work of Living,” investigates how we help gifted students develop self-awareness, awareness of others, and empathy (page 16). Student wellness is a top priority under our Renew | Belong | Innovate strategic framework, and we found many examples of its positive impact. Our students are engaging in the messy work of learning to grapple with their emotions and communicate constructively with others. Students as young as preK learn to express themselves and offer space and support for their peers to do so too. The school has expanded its counseling program and resources, starting in the Upper School (page 27). Cultivating belonging through affinity groups is another way we support students’ positive identity development (page 37).

When things are easy, it’s easy to treat oneself and one’s peers well. How do Mavericks fare in the face of struggle? On page 28, our students and teachers offer their tips for staying calm amid chaos. You’ll also find evidence of their perseverance, as students share achievements that required extra fortitude (page 32).

You can imagine how gratified we felt to hear from alumni who attribute their success to the experiences and skills they learned at Nueva. This issue offers extraordinary profiles of members of the Classes of 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2022, who have continued the work of SEL and other disciplines to trust in themselves, identify needs, connect with others, and work together.

For over fifty years, Nueva’s school leaders have focused on the social and emotional development of our gifted students as much as on their academic growth. More than ever, we believe this defining feature of a Nueva education is essential preparation so that our students can live healthy, high-functioning, and joyful lives, now and in the future.

We hope that you, like us, find many reasons for optimism. Happy reading!

The Nueva Communications Team

DROP US A NOTE: Share your thoughts on this magazine—and anything Nueva related—at communications@nuevaschool.org

Students

Photos

The Big Work of Living

Nueva’s social-emotional learning curriculum leaves a lasting mark on the lives of Nueva students. Plus: faculty perspectives, an expanded Counseling Center, and tips for tackling stress head on.

Faces of Nueva First graders capture the community with art.

Get to know Shawn Taylor, Nueva’s new Director of Equity and Inclusion.

Belonging at Nueva Affinity groups at Nueva build community and foster lasting connections.

“The impression that stays with me most after every alumni event is how often and how earnestly our graduates reflect upon their social and emotional acuity.”

Dear Community

OUR VISION AT NUEVA IS CRYSTAL CLEAR: To enable gifted learners to make choices that benefit the world. What a simple message to articulate and a powerful aim to pursue. And yet, how do we measure our success in this area? How do we gauge progress in fulfilling this vision?

In many ways, the logical place to look for evidence of vision fulfillment is in the young people who graduate from our school and who bring their Nueva experiences into society. Whereas companies assess their products’ usability, market share, and profit margins, Nueva literally seeks to measure human development, individual growth, and the impact of each Nueva education on that graduate—and on the world. What better place to look for these measures than in Nueva alumni?

Recently, I had the immense pleasure of meeting hundreds of alumni around the country at gatherings in Chicago, Austin, Providence, St. Louis, Boston, and New York. Consistently, they shared with me that they loved their time at Nueva, that the school prepared them very well for university and the workforce, and that they still consider our community their home—one characterized by intellectual vitality, superb student-teacher relationships, a culture of joyous learning, and deep, long-lasting friendships. Indeed, Nueva alumni are eager to stay involved in our community in many different ways, and they are enthusiastic to support the school in the years to come.

But the impression that stays with me most after every alumni event is how often and how earnestly our graduates reflect upon their social and emotional acuity. They appreciate their ability to interact with diverse perspectives. They are able to emotionally regulate themselves and navigate challenging situations. They can leverage their sense of agency to truly benefit the world around them. Some admit that they didn’t fully appreciate the importance of our socialemotional learning (SEL) curriculum while at Nueva, but they value their EQ now, especially in comparison to some of their current peers.

Take it from Humza Rabbani ’22, featured in this issue’s expansive cover story about our longstanding commitment to SEL: “A lot of schools can teach students how to do math, teach students how to write, teach students science. But there aren’t as many schools that can teach students how to lead, how to communicate, how to collaborate with other people, how to bring people together.”

I invite you to explore this founding pillar of the Nueva experience, one that continues to serve as a bedrock of this community and that we always strive to strengthen. Our alumni are incredibly grateful for what they have become as a result of SEL at our school. Let’s celebrate this ongoing contribution to “benefiting the world” and always appreciate this uniquely defining characteristic of Nueva.

LEE FERTIG Head of School

Evelyn K. ’28 (second from left) with her host family outside their home in Japan. Week-long homestays were reintroduced this year to the eighth grade’s language-based international trips.

A New Hub for the Humanities

“There’s an exciting new technological revolution taking place. Because of this, there is also a need to focus on humanity, and our work in the humanities merits a space that has light and hope, that offers opportunities for collaboration, fluidity, flexibility and human connection.”

Head of School Lee Fertig offered this vision at the May opening of a revitalized Hillsborough library, which has been expanded to create a humanities space designed for collaboration, creativity, and interdisciplinary learning.

Enhancing the visibility and accessibility of humanities classes was a major goal of the project. The expanded building is now the “hub” of Nueva’s Hillsborough campus, Lee explained, with “spokes” reaching out the I-Lab, the café, the Science and Environmental Center, athletics, and the arts. (Read about the anticipated new Hillsborough arts center in the sidebar at right.)

Terry described the new center as “a voluminous, adaptable space that can accommodate different experiences of humanities.” It features four light-filled classrooms ideal for interdisciplinary work, presentations, and performances.

“It’s beautiful, it’s bright, it’s spacious,” said Jennifer Perry (JP), who teaches eighth grade humanities. A 15-foot-high wall of windows floods her classroom with natural light.

The school’s original, pre-pandemic plan for a humanities space on the Hillsborough campus focused on individual enclosed pods, connected by elevated walkways, tucked away among the trees. But post-pandemic, according to Associate Head of School Terry Lee, the focus shifted to the library at the heart of the campus. Creating a new humanities space that was attached to the library “became the obvious choice,” as it would better foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

“One of the most exciting parts of the Nueva Middle School is the opportunity for interdisciplinary work,” JP said. “Knowing that it’s a possibility with this new space is thrilling.”

—Karin Storm Wood

1+2. The kids have enjoyed having more indoor spaces to spend recess when the weather is bad, including the corridor in the new Humanities Center. Librarian Mohini Dela Peña particularly appreciated the sun tubes bringing natural light into the space. During an April power outage, it was perfectly light inside. 3. The wall of the library facing the J-Building has been transformed with expansive windows and a series of doors, fostering a seamless indoor-outdoor connection to encourage the flow of people and ideas between the library, the plaza, and the I-Lab.

CONTINUOUS EXPANSIONS

Future generations of Nuevans who peruse the school’s pre- and post-COVID-19 history looking for evidence of pandemic-related upheaval may not find what they’re expecting. In fact, they will find a period of continuous improvement to programs and facilities on both campuses.

Hillsborough’s award-winning Science and Environmental Center, the expanded café, the remodeled library, and the new Humanities Center all opened between 2021 and 2024. Next, a new facility dedicated to fine arts and performing arts, including a versatile black box theater, will be built on the site of the old Middle School quad. The gym will be redesigned to enhance functionality and usage for physical education and athletics, and the playing field will be expanded and upgraded with weatherproof turf. These improvements are expected to be completed by 2028.

Between 2019 and 2024, the San Mateo campus has seen the addition of the Diane Rosenberg Wing; the construction of new office spaces; new, purpose-built spaces for athletics, music, and visual arts; and an expanded student support center (see page 27).

A new Upper School performing arts building is expected to drive the school’s next major capital campaign.

A Bold Step

A

new financial-assistance policy moves Nueva toward greater socioeconomic diversity

“We know of no other independent school with a more generous promise to its families.”

Nearly two years ago, the school made a shift in its financial assistance policy. For families receiving assistance, all school-related expenses would be covered automatically at the same percentage as tuition—no reimbursement requests needed.

Small yet significant, this change was made to “reduce and remove hidden barriers to the full Nueva experience,” according to Taryn Grogan, Director of Enrollment & Strategic Engagement.

The school was then poised to ask, What more can we do?

The answer came this May, when Head of School Lee Fertig and the Board of Trustees announced a bold financial assistance policy to the entire Nueva community.

offered financial assistance were the first to receive the good news.

The announcement also conveyed the Board’s intention to position the school as a leading innovator in preK–12 access and inclusion: “We know of no other independent school with a more generous promise to its families, and we hope that our bold commitment inspires schools with comparable goals and resources.”

Following the announcement, Lee said that the policy was “bold, ambitious, and innovative” to ensure that it would make a significant difference to families.

AT A GLANCE

$7.5 million in financial support to Nueva families in 2024–25.

$20 million allocated to financial assistance (of $35 million raised toward Nueva’s endowment during the Realize the Potential capital campaign).

Households earning less than $150,000 annually, with assets typical of that income level, will now receive 100% financial assistance, covering all aspects of a Nueva education, including transportation, lunch, enrichment activities, and after-school services. Additionally, households earning between $150,000 and $250,000 will contribute between 1 and 10 percent of their income toward tuition, with the school covering any additional Nueva expenses at the same percentage as the tuition assistance provided.

The expanded program was unanimously approved by the Board in March. Applicant families who were admitted to Nueva for 2024–25 and

In other regions of the country, households with annual incomes above $250,000 might not qualify for financial assistance. At Nueva, such households comprise 55 percent of the Nueva families that receive some level of financial assistance. Despite the seeming affluence of the region, “it’s important to remember that most Bay Area residents can’t afford an independent school tuition,” said Director of Admissions Melanie Léon.

Along with Lee, Board Co-chairs Hoon Cho and Kathleen Donohue expressed gratitude for the collective effort of the entire community “for continuously expressing its support for greater socioeconomic diversity at Nueva, and for the generosity of community members whose gifts of all sizes make this change possible.”

The next step in the school’s multi-year commitment to increase socioeconomic diversity: communicating to the families of gifted children across the Bay Area that tuition is no longer a barrier to their dreams.

—Karin Storm Wood

FINANCIAL AID CHANGES LIVES

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE

When the new financial assistance policy was first announced at a faculty and staff meeting, applause broke out.

“It makes me proud to be part of this institution,” said Upper School Math Teacher Ted Theodosopoulos. “Extending the privilege of affording a world-class education to a much broader population, and making it independent of a family’s financial means as much as possible, is the best use of Nueva’s resources.”

Ted shared that financial assistance changed the course of his own life. When he was 11 years old, he received financial assistance to attend a world-class private American school in his hometown in Greece. Six years later, he received a full scholarship to study at MIT.

Speaking from his own experience, Ted remarked, “The new financial assistance policy will immeasurably enrich our Nueva community and extend the reach of the good we can offer the world.”

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

The May announcement to the community spurred alumna Jordana (Pestrong) Engler ’79 to write: “As a student who received significant financial aid in the 70s, I can attest to Nueva’s continued impact upon my entire academic and professional life.” An educator at Ramapo College outside New York City, she credited Nueva with the drive to obtain two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. and to devote her career to the field of education.

She fondly recalled highlights of her Nueva years—the school-wide Media Fair on the Lower School lawn, the annual overnight trip to Bar 717, and self-science class with Dr. Dillihunt. She treasured her memories of Nueva’s “expert teachers, including Mary Laycock, Gigi Fitzmaurice, Del Alberti, George Mason, and Barbara Marino, just to mention a few.”

“Nueva was a gift in my life, opening a world of education, intellectual curiosity, academic passion, lifelong friends, and a love for school that never fades.”

JORDANA (PESTRONG) ENGLER ’79

QUOTED

“We ride the Caltrain to school and enjoy seeing colleagues and students on our commute. And we’re grateful for our Go Passes!”

The “Caltrain Crew” was featured in “We Are Nueva,” a portrait installation by Kayla L. ’26 and Rachel Y. ’26, created to celebrate 10 years of the Upper School campus.

FACULTY BOOKSHELF RECOMMENDED READING

I’ve been loving A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara for its rich character development that is doled out in a slow and deliciously delicate way; you savor these details as you get to know the four main characters and their complex friendship. I feel as though Hanya would be the most wonderful friend that you could muse with about the complexities of life, love, and happiness over a glass of wine. Her writing slows me down and makes me notice the little things in our hectic lives. I haven’t finished this book yet, and I hear that I will give it a tearful goodbye when I am done. Recommended highly for your next read over break!

LIANE DECOURCY

Second Grade Lead Teacher

My recommendation is A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, for its character, determination, and loss. This is a childhood favorite that helped draw me into another world and taught me about empathy and grit. I strongly recommend this for kids, adults, or both, to be read aloud together.

GABRIEL LEGGOTT

Middle School Science Teacher

I like to begin my world history classes with music. In his new book, Time’s Echo, Jeremy Eichler asks the reader to listen to four pieces of music that responded to the horror of the Holocaust and still endure today as heart-wrenching monuments to that moment. He blends biography, history, and music criticism to tell a story of inspiration and creation in the face of catastrophe.

SIMON BROWN

Upper School History Teacher

PHOTO BY KAYLA L. ’26

Hats Off!

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Class of 2024!

As you can see from this gallery of their graduation caps, they’re headed off in every direction from Nueva.

Moving Up

One by one, each eighth grader shared with us their 100-word encapsulations of their Middle School experience—the things they did, the things they learned, the things they’ll remember and take with them. Class of 2028, you’re ready for the next leg of your journey!

Butt Slide

BY CLAIRE Z.

The Butt Slide is Nueva’s steepest, narrowest hiking trail, with only a rope supporting you. It was also my worst fear. My first time, I cautiously inched along, but after a few tries, I let go of the rope, climbing down confidently. In more ways than hiking, Nueva has given me the strength to let go of my fears. I joined Nueva last August, terrified to put myself out there, but now, I am beyond grateful for the friends I’ve made, the opportunities I’ve had to try new things, push myself further, and create forever-lasting memories, like the Butt Slide.

To Run

BY RYE O.

One of the most important things I have learned at Nueva is how to stretch: to push and persist. How to run. Living a simple, cramped life is easy, but without stretching—pushing yourself till your muscles burn and then fighting through the pain—you can’t grow. It takes time and commitment, and neither is easy. Nueva has taught me to accept the struggle and embrace the impossible. All the victories in the world are infinitely more rewarding when accompanied by the presence of aching limbs, a spinning mind, and the wonderful feeling of doing something you never thought you could achieve.

Welcome Home

BY KIANA D.

I thought home was four walls and a roof. Nueva proved me wrong. I have since learned that home is the people you surround yourself with, a place you can let down your guard. Every nook and cranny of campus holds memories, but the back corner of the library became a haven for us. My friends and I played board games at lunch and gossiped about everything under the sun. We laughed and fought and played games and we’d be in trouble if bookshelves could talk. I might be leaving for high school but, for the new kids, welcome home.

Sea Legs

BY ATOM P.

My year at Nueva can be summarized by two vague words: sea legs. When I first came to Nueva, I felt disoriented. The Nueva curriculum offered extension opportunities in workload, creativity, and difficulty. I felt more challenged than I’d been previously. But I’ve slowly gained steadiness, making classes significantly more enjoyable. With my sea legs, I started seeking out knowledge and opportunities, and it’s made everything more interesting. I’ve only been at Nueva for one year, and I feel like I have obtained more than five worth of knowledge. This has been the most enriching year of my life.

Lessons from Campus

BY LEXIE S.

I’ve known the Nueva Hillsborough campus ever since I was two years old, going to pick up my sister from kindergarten. Over that decade, every place on the Hillsborough campus has taught me an invaluable lesson. The forts, how to compromise. The classrooms, how to ask different questions. The sand pit, how to build a chocolate milk factory. Each spot on the Hillsborough campus has helped me grow in so many different ways. I can’t fit all of them in 100 words, but I’m so grateful for all of the things I have learned, and I’m excited to learn more.

See more 8th grade celebration photos online

2.

3. Brooke H. ’28

4. Fifth and sixth grade art-elective students (collaborative painting) Traveler: Journeys of Ibn Battua Acrylic on canvas

5. Rachel A. ’27 Acrylic on canvas

6. Sasha Filippova ’24 An Albatross Around My Neck (The Idiom Project) Stoneware ceramic, acrylic paint, color pencils

1. Donovan S. ’34 Watercolor, marker, and tape on watercolor paper

Ansel H. ’32 Tesselation Study Ink on paper

Zentangle Portrait Mixed media, ink on photograph

GO MAVERICKS!

“It takes a lot of hard work for studentathletes to get to this point. There are nearly eight million high school athletes and only six percent of them go on to play at the collegiate level. For our Nueva student-athletes to reach this point is quite an accomplishment, and we are immensely proud of them.”

Athletics Director Brett McCabe, at Nueva’s first-ever Athletics College Commitment Ceremony

PHOTOS BY DIANE MAZZONI AND DAVID GONZALES P ’24

A New Era of STARPAP

From seven essays to six choices, the eighth grade capstone project centers student agency

Generations of Middle School students will remember their STARPAP experience, when they researched and wrote seven essays covering seven disciplines in a country they would soon visit. That seven-essay requirement is no more—students now have a number of alternatives to demonstrate their research and understanding.

Language trips are a hallmark of the Nueva Middle School experience. Every spring, eighth grade language classes travel to Spain, Japan, or Singapore to participate in homestays and be immersed in the language they have been studying. In addition to language study, each student completes an interdisciplinary research project, exploring a specific city and time period in the country they will visit. This project was created 15 years ago by humanities teacher Cynthia Kosut, inspired by a museum visit with her husband. While admiring a painting, he noted the lack of historical context, and shared how the technology of the time, specifically the fly-ball governor, enabled railroads and steam engines.

Cynthia was inspired by the depth this additional context provided, and started thinking about how to implement it in her own curriculum. She made a list of connected disciplines, eventually landing on science, technology, art, religion, philosophy, architecture, and politics. And so the STARPAP project was born, named with an acronym of the seven research topics.

The structure of STARPAP has recently evolved. When COVID-19 and remote learning reduced access to research materials (such as Cynthia’s classroom library of over a thousand books), the notoriously demanding requirement of seven essays was reduced to six. The latest iteration of the project goes even further. Now, only one essay is required, along with a visual annotation for another topic. For the remaining four subjects, students have the option to express their understanding through various other formats, such as models, infographics, original artwork, or monologues in character as a cultural icon. For students who prefer writing, essays are still an option as well.

“There’s so much choice here,” said humanities teacher Jennifer Perry. “And we know, with gifted students, choice is important. This approach also allows for more creativity.”

Writing is still at the core of the project, with students required to write a 150 to 200 word thesis statement for each of their six disciplines, addressing the central

question “how are beliefs made visible?” with evidence from their research. They also create a website that showcases all of their work, including a video slideshow discussing any connections or themes they found across their research. Research is thoroughly documented as well, with a bibliography of at least three sources per discipline, and detailed notes taken throughout the process.

Avery C. ’28 found that the research she did in advance of the eighth graders’ trip to Japan truly enriched her experience. “Visiting the places I had extensively researched for my STARPAP final products was an incredibly surreal experience. It’s one thing to read about a temple in one of your sources, but nothing quite compares to seeing its majesty in person. Exploring places like Kinkaku-ji, which I analyzed in my visual annotation, and participating in a yuzen dyeing workshop—a technique I had studied thoroughly—deepened my appreciation of each experience while highlighting the intricate cultural nuances of Japan.”

By evolving to include more student choice and creativity, STARPAP ensures that each student can engage deeply with the material in a way that resonates with their interests.

—Holly Nall

Avery C. at Kinkaku-ji with her homestay buddy

FEATURES

In their social-emotional learning class, ninth graders worked together to keep the balloons in the air, with some students executing secret objectives (for example, having their eyes closed or standing on one leg).

“After, we did a reflection on how our nervous system gets activated when we are managing mutiple stressors,” said Upper School counselor Aviva Jacobstein.

The BIg Work

Story by RACHEL FREEMAN

Illustrations by KEITH NEGLEY

Photos by MATTHEW NALL & HOLLY NALL

Teaching Students How to Be Good People, for Themselves and for Others

OF Living

THE CAMPFIRE WAS CRACKLING. It was the fall of 2022, and the Class of 2023 was gathered around the glowing embers in the middle of the Santa Cruz Mountains, holding in their hands the anonymous questionnaire of another classmate. They did not know why. Earlier in the day, teachers had given them a list of statements about identity and life experiences and asked them to check off the ones that applied to them personally.

One by one, a teacher read a statement aloud, and students were instructed to stand in complete silence if it had been checked off by the classmate whose paper they held. With each statement, new combinations of seniors stood while others sat, representing the many different life stories in their class.

“I still get chills thinking about it,” said Riyana Srihari ’23. “I remember realizing how close and comfortable we had grown with each other, to be able to represent each other in that way. And this closeness, in no small part, is the result of what social-emotional learning at Nueva gave me.

“It was one of the most powerful moments of collective effervescence.”

When alumni return to campus from their first semesters at college or gap year, they often share the sentiment that social-emotional learning (SEL) at Nueva has had a deep and lasting impact on their lives. They share that they are more comfortable than their peers in talking about difficult topics, they know how to set healthy boundaries, and they are more self-aware and more self-confident than many of their friends.

“A lot of schools can teach students how to do math, how to write, and how to do science,” said Humza Rabbani ’22. “But there aren’t as many schools that can teach students how to lead, how to communicate, how to collaborate with other people,

Nueva is one of few schools whose students have a dedicated SEL class every year from pre-K through eleventh grade.

how to bring people together. Those are really valuable skills.”

Humza’s classmate, Anisha Kumar ’22, also recalled her SEL experiences fondly. “I never realized how valuable it was until I didn’t have it anymore.”

When Karen Stone McCown envisioned Nueva in the early 1960s, she was ahead of her time in understanding that emotional intelligence, or EQ, matters as much as IQ. One year before social-emotional learning was introduced at Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center (often credited as the birthplace of modern SEL), Karen founded Nueva as a school that would not only serve the academic needs of gifted students, but also support their social and emotional lives. She believed that SEL skills were essential to equip Nueva graduates to “make choices that benefit the world.”

Karen’s vision remains central to the school’s mission today, and realizing it is perhaps more important than ever. In a world where many report feeling less connected to each other, society needs people with the skills to understand themselves, their own emotions, and their impact on others.

“We often call them ‘soft skills,’ which is such an undersell,” said Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal ’95. “This is actually the big work of living.”

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence

Nueva’s approach to SEL education is rooted in the competencies laid out by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. While many schools across the country use the CASEL framework, Nueva is one of few schools whose students have a dedicated SEL class every year from pre-kindergarten through eleventh grade.

“Nueva gives this topic the seriousness it deserves,” said Upper School SEL Teacher Sean Schochet.

For gifted students in particular, having a dedicated class for social-emotional learning also gives them a space to understand their unique needs. Giftedness, which in part is characterized by high intellectual ability and asynchronous development, brings with it “a greater awareness, a greater sensitivity, and a greater ability to understand and to transform perceptions into intellectual experiences,” writes Annemarie Roeper, a pioneer in the field of gifted education.

“I can have a profound conversation with a fifth grader about math and statistics,” said Middle School SEL Teacher Nicole Macaraeg, “then five minutes later remind them not to throw pencils at a classmate. SEL is so important for helping students learn how to navigate the world and for giving them space to explore what is happening in their brains.”

Like math or writing, SEL skills are learned. How to collaborate with others. Why it is important to build empathy, and how to demonstrate it. How to better understand one’s own emotions and express them. Just as children don’t automatically develop the ability to subtract fractions or write a cohesive paragraph, neither do they intuitively have the emotional intelligence necessary for full self-awareness and attunement to others.

“These are not things we can expect someone to just be able to do,” said Lower School Division Head Megan Terra. “They must be practiced. Over time, students can develop these skills with depth and complexity.”

Rock Crystals, Role Playing, and Power Animals: Learning to Care for Oneself and Others

In the Lower School SEL curriculum, students load up their metaphorical toolboxes with SEL skills, like win-win solutions, personal-space bubbles (healthy boundaries), and the emotion thermometer (being able to name and describe the intensity of feelings), not to mention appreciation and gratitude.

To walk into an SEL classroom is to hear students openly sharing their feelings with one another and to see their classmates using the non-verbal sign for “I agree,” where the pinky and thumb extend out while the middle fingers bend downward. Students practice “name it to tame it” (a technique for recognizing

Using limited materials, Ryu D. ’36 and Ivan G. ’36 try to build a bridge that a toy pig can walk under. In this and other cooperation activities, students practice focusing on how they work together rather than on whether they complete or accomplish the task.

Top: Ian L. ’36 and Lidia W.-O. ’36 work together on a cooperation activity trying to build a structure that is tall and sturdy.

Bottom: The sixth grade power animal project, which integrates SEL and art, is designed to teach students how to introspect. Each student selects an animal that reflects characteristics they share and then sculpts a model of that animal, such as a gorilla.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

The Lower School SEL curriculum was first created by former Director of Social Emotional Learning Janice Toben and SEL Specialist Elizabeth McCloud, who went on to co-found the Institute for Social Emotional Learning (IFSEL). Over the past 13 years, the curriculum was further developed by former SEL Specialist Lisa Hinshelwood. Nueva will welcome Keiko Sato, a veteran in the field of SEL education, in the fall of 2024.

Nueva maintains close ties with Janice, Elizabeth, and the IFSEL team, and regularly hosts IFSEL conferences and workshops at its campuses.

and naming emotions). It’s a scientifically backed technique that has the effect of reducing stress and anxiety stemming from that emotion in both the brain and the body.

In addition, these check-ins give students space to dive deeply into what it means to be part of a community, as they practice active listening skills and understanding other people’s perspectives. In an early-year check-in, first graders passed around a rock crystal and shared their thoughts on it. “It reminds me of what I feel inside of myself.” “It makes me sad because it reminds me of my mom

who loves gems and she is on a trip.” “It makes me feel worried because it reminds me of my steel drum concert with the shiny parts.” “It looks like a heart.”

Students then considered the question, “Why do we have so many different answers when we all looked at the same object?” Hands shot up. Collectively, they concluded that how people think, feel, and view things can be different. Synapses were firing: Everyone has a unique perspective. And when students understand that everyone holds a different perspective, they build empathy.

“SEL is about the self and the collective,” Megan said. “It is about who we are and who we want to be in community. It is a way of being in the world with care for self and care for others.”

Through discussions and a variety of activities— role playing, writing and storytelling, art, and games—students begin to build muscle memory for these important skills.

One afternoon this spring, preK students were free painting. What at first may have looked like a simple art project grew into something more when teachers Claire Wasserman-Rogers and David Robinson instructed each student to fold their still-wet painting in half, peel it open, and study the newly created design (akin to a Rorschach test). Students turned the papers upside down and sideways, examining them from various angles and perspectives, before sharing their interpretations.

The goal was for students to recognize that everyone’s brain works differently and that there can be many different perspectives on the same situation or idea. Following this activity, students shared that they hadn’t seen the painting in the ways others had—one student exclaimed to the class, “Thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. If you hadn’t shared that, I never would have seen what you saw.”

As students grow older, they build a more complex understanding of perspectives. In a late April SEL class, third graders learned about the nuanced power of words and the tone in which they are delivered. After listening to the book Ouch Moments by Michael Genhart, which focuses on the impact of using words in hurtful ways, third graders played a game of “inside/outside.” In this activity, students form two concentric circles facing each other and practice making the same statements in different tones of voice. Initially cautious about how the delivered lines would come across, students began to laugh when they discovered the stark difference in impact between one tone and another.

Students soon realized that saying, “Why are you wearing that?” in a curious tone means something

entirely differently than when said in a flat tone. They tried out other lines, too, giggling their way through “I need you to help with this part of the project” when trying to sound assertive yet kind in one instance and aggressive in another.

“One thing I got from SEL was an awareness of how important it is to understand that people perceive, process, and react to information differently than I do,” said Anisha, who is now an editor of the campus newspaper at Brown University. “As a reporter, I have to look at all sides of an issue regardless of what my personal beliefs are. It’s a lot easier to be open and kind and accepting given the experiences that I have had.”

In the Lower School, SEL is an ethos. Students continuously practice their SEL skills both in dedicated class time and throughout the school day “because of the way we create collaborative projects, the way recess looks, and the opportunities for student leadership, voice, and choice,” Megan said.

The Lower School team hopes that, by the time students enter the Middle School, they are equipped with a deep understanding of what it means to have empathy for others.

Middle School is a time of emerging independence, increased self-awareness, and heightened sensitivity to how one is perceived by others, not to mention the onset of puberty. Therefore, the fifth- through eighth-grade SEL curriculum focuses on self-advocacy, self-confidence, social dynamics, what it means to be an upstander and ally, and how identity and culture inform the ways people react and interact with others.

Because there is an influx of new students in fifth and sixth grades, one thread woven into the curriculum is friendships: how to make friends, how to be a good friend, how to set boundaries, and what to do when conflicts occur.

To teach these skills, Nicole says, most classes are centered around discussion and role-playing. “I could present resources or videos, but students get the most value out of asking questions and sharing scenarios and stories from their own lives,” she said. “Kids really light up when they can say, ‘That happened to me, too!’”

Activities center on students’ personal experiences, Nicole explained, so that “when students find themselves in challenging situations, they have an idea of how they could or should respond.”

An important communication strategy for navigating conflicts is the use of “I statements.” These are statements that foreground the speaker’s own feelings rather than what the other person did or failed

Perspective David Robinson, PreK Teacher

Model the Skills

Adults often tell their children, “Remember to be kind to others.” But to connect with this expectation, most children need their real-life experiences to be labeled explicitly. This is why social-emotional learning (SEL) for young children is rooted in authenticity and modeling.

When students first enter pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, they start the school year by gathering as a community. Teachers and children sit together in a circle, singing and reading books. We label this experience as “being in community.” We’re not simply singing or reading; we are deliberately modeling how to collaborate, listen to each other, and share a space together.

Creating a strong, inclusive community means explicitly teaching ways the children can share their diverse perspectives constructively with one another. Most young children are at the developmental stage of learning how to navigate power structures, so by teaching them specific strategies, we enable the children to learn how to use power in productive ways. “I want to build on your idea” allows them to share their thoughts and honor, rather than negate, the ideas of others. Other examples of explicit teaching are responses like, “I have a different idea” and “I connect with your idea,” which help establish an environment of kindness that adults expect their children to display.

For parents, transferring these lessons from school to home requires minor adjustments. Labeling your positive actions and the positive actions of your child is one way to authentically teach the values you cherish. When a family member helps with a chore instead of playing a game, thank them for their flexibility. When your child attempts to repair a broken toy or helps a sibling complete a task, highlight their kindness. When an adult in your extended family offers to babysit, make a point of telling your child that the sitter has a busy life and chose to help out for the evening, then include your child in a plan to reciprocate. Often adults forget to ask their child for their ideas, but doing so can be a powerful learning experience for a young child. Try steering your child towards activities that build social relationships, such as helping an elderly relative or neighbor tend their garden.

When children learn from a young age how to authentically practice their SEL skills, they will grow into young adults who look for ways to support their community in concrete ways. Model the skills you’d like your children to learn, and remember to verbally remind them to act on what you model. It’s a combination of actions and words to name the actions. This is what authentic social-emotional learning, based in reallife experiences, looks like.

to do. The technique is very effective for communicating concerns and needs without hostility or blame. Because they usually reduce the chance of provoking defensiveness, “I statements” help maintain open communication.

Using “I statements” is a skill that Henry Phipps ’17 and many other Nuevans take into adulthood as they

navigate roommates and friends.“Saying, ‘I feel really stressed out when you leave your dishes in the sink, and you’d make my day better if you cleaned up after yourself,’ is a world apart from ‘You always leave the dishes in the sink,’” said Henry. “That small one-liner from sixth grade has made my communication more effective and less aggressive.”

Because so much of the Middle School curriculum centers students’ relationships with others, explorations of identity and culture are focal points as well.

Students learn what identity is and dive deeply into discovering their social identifiers—including gender, religion, race, age, ethnicity, fears, interests, and more. They complete identity wheels to visualize who they

SEL is a way of being in the world with care for self and care for others.

MEGAN TERRA, LOWER SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD

are. By naming and then seeing these aspects of their own identities, they grow to understand how others’ perspectives are shaped by who they are.

Sixth graders participate in the long-standing power animal project. In SEL class, each student identifies an animal that reflects the characteristics they embody, and then sculpts a ceramic version of it in art class. One student chose the snow fox because it changes color and adapts to its surroundings, and she, too, sometimes likes to blend into her environment.

Understanding how identity informs people’s lived experiences is a regularly honed skill in Middle and Upper School. Ask any student or alum to share what SEL activity they found most meaningful and memorable, and chances are good they’ll say, “Open Session.”

A cornerstone of the SEL program, Open Session allows students to anonymously share via index cards feelings they are experiencing, issues they are facing,

Above: SEL teacher

Nicole Macaraeg leads a fifth grade class discussion on emotions in the new Humanities Center.

Above right: Darwin Q. ’31 acts out an emotion for his classmates to guess.

or questions they have. Their teacher reads these cards aloud and the class collectively responds with answers and advice to the student who submitted them. Submissions in Middle School Open Sessions have ranged from “What are tips for managing a heavy workload?” to “I would love advice on how to deal with friendship issues.” Upper School students have shared, “What does a person with mental illness ‘look’ like?” and “I wish people in my class knew that having problems with mental health isn’t something to be ashamed about.”

This activity provides students not only with a venue for asking for help, but also opportunities to practice giving support. The anonymity of the submissions creates an environment of trust, and because the questions are not hypothetical or written by a teacher, they are intrinsically compelling to students.

“Open Session is about creating a community where no one person has the responsibility of helping,” Charlotte R. ’25 said. “The whole community can pitch in to support one another.”

“For students to give advice and support to [another] student in the room but whose identity they do not know is really powerful,” Nicole said. “So many students share that they can relate to the author of the card.”

Because many students respond to the anonymous cards with replies of care and “Me too,” Open Session implicitly helps students to develop self-advocacy skills and to see firsthand that when they seek out help, they are met with support and not judgment. It also reinforces for students that they are not alone.

While all of the skills students learn in Middle School SEL are important, self-advocacy is “number one,” according to Middle School Division Head Karen Tiegel. “We want students to know that they are not helpless in life, that they have the ability to ask for help.”

For that reason, lessons in self-advocacy are not confined to SEL classes. Students are encouraged to practice it outside the classroom: by asking to meet with teachers during tutorials, running for student council, advocating for change, and signing up for activities they have never tried before.

Riyana believes she has more confidence advocating for herself in college because of the skills she learned at Nueva.

“I’m more comfortable reaching out to professors and cold emailing them, or signing up for an opportunity that I don’t know if I’m necessarily qualified for, because [SEL] and the rest of the Nueva curriculum made me realize that I can do it,” she said. “Nueva encourages kids to be go-getters.”

Perspective

Emily Goldberg, M.S.W., Middle School Counselor

Seeing the Results

Last fall, The New York Times published an opinion about SEL curricula, “This Is Not the Way to Help Depressed Teenagers.” The author, a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology, critiqued school programs designed to address teenage mental health issues. “The structure of school, which emphasizes evaluation and achievement, may clash with practicing ‘slow’ contemplative skills like mindfulness,” she wrote.

Fortunately, at Nueva, not only do we prioritize “slow, contemplative skills,” we also de-emphasize achievement and results in favor of the process. This approach doesn’t eradicate student stress, but it does encourage them to learn to focus on the journey, rather than fixate on the outcome.

My colleagues and I strongly dispute the piece’s provocative claim that SEL programs “unwittingly exacerbat[e]” teenagers’ problems by focusing their attention on mental health issues and pathologizing normal experiences. Nueva students don’t often use anxiety as a reason for why they can’t do something. In SEL class, they are taught what anxiety is, what it looks like, and how to cope with it. They also learn that anxiety has appropriate and healthy manifestations. This important distinction normalizes occasional stress and helps students identify and respond to excess stress. Notably, the CDC’s December 2023 guide for promoting mental health and well-being in schools (available at cdc. gov) describes an approach that aligns closely with ours.

It’s meaningful that Nueva teachers have chosen to work at a school that makes a commitment to the social and emotional needs of children. Everyone being on a first-name basis is just one way we de-emphasize the adult-child hierarchy and allow relationships between teachers and students to flourish. And young people who can name at least one trusted adult outside their family have more resilience to depression and anxiety.

Our SEL teachers are experts in teaching kids how to develop social skills and become more self-aware as well as more self-confident. When I suggest to a student that they self-advocate with a parent or teacher, they already know what self-advocacy is. If a student I’m working with is navigating friendship issues, they often need just a little coaching to identify which SEL skill to put to use—for instance, saying to their peer, “I’m sure your intent was not to hurt my feelings, but that was the outcome.” I see firsthand the strong foundation that Nueva’s SEL program provides.

When a student’s learned coping skills aren’t effective, we have multiple tiers of support at the ready: their advisor, their SEL teacher, and their school counselor. In addition, our Student Support Team meets weekly to gauge student wellbeing. (In each division, this team is six to eight people: the SEL teachers and learning support specialists, the admin team, the Thrive/ Equity & Inclusion coordinator, and at least one counselor.) If needed, we engage the parents and may provide outside referrals. At each step, we have the opportunity to interrupt the potential for a student to decide they have a mental health issue purely on the basis of something they have seen or heard about.

Nueva understands that you cannot successfully center the child and support their flourishing by offering one SEL class or providing a lone counselor. Of course, we’re not perfect, and we acknowledge that in continuing to improve and evolve as our students’ needs change. But every day I see the positive results of Nueva’s emphasis on the social and emotional needs of our gifted students.

Mean Girls, Reddit, and Consent: Making SEL Relatable to Teenagers

The transition to high school can be a big one for students. As they enter their teenage years, Upper School students face deeper issues around independence, peer pressure, and risk taking. When the Upper School was founded in 2013, “we were committed to keeping this pillar of Nueva moving all the way through a student’s academic journey,” Liza said.

As is often the case at Nueva, where innovation is core to the school’s mission and values, faculty have honed and iterated the program—called Science of Mind—based on feedback since its inception. In fall 2022, in parallel with the development of the new

strategic framework (in which redesigning the Upper School SEL curriculum is an articulated initiative), members of the Upper School SEL faculty redesigned the curriculum to be even more attuned to young adults in the 2020s. Elements of this new curriculum were introduced in spring 2024, and the program will officially roll out in the 2024–25 school year. One important change was renaming the program to SEL, to more clearly represent the continued through line from preK through eleventh grade.

In the new ninth grade program, there has been a change to embrace more relatable, age-appropriate content. For example, students are shown clips from the movie Mean Girls “because analyzing conversations from Mean Girls is both hilarious and spot on,” SEL teacher Lee Holtzman ’01 said.

“We’re trying to have complicated conversations,” said Lee, who selects clips that illustrate a range of interactions common in high school. “Plus,” she joked, “if students aren’t able to recognize passive-aggressive language in Mean Girls, then we aren’t teaching them correctly!”

Student engagement and participation have increased as students find the new content more relevant and meaningful. It is also a welcome respite from the rigorous course load Nueva students take (“It’s a time in the week where you get to take a moment to slow down and reflect,” Charlotte said).

In what will become the tenth grade curriculum in 2024–25 (it previously lived in the eleventh grade), students research western clinical approaches to mental health, as well as ecopsychology, psychologies of liberation, somatics and embodied psychology, creative arts therapy, and Indigenous and non-western perspectives on mental health. In group presentations, students explain how the practices they have researched can be applied to support health and well-being.

They dive into specific scenarios: How do we support someone during a panic attack? How do we support someone who is fighting with their parents? How do we support someone who is experiencing depression?

Breaking conversational taboos is part of the goal.

“Especially in the world we live in, where mental health is both common and stigmatized, I want us to empower and educate students so that they know how to handle these challenges for themselves and their friends,” Sean said.

In his first year after graduating from Nueva, Misha Aganin ’23 drew on that sense of empowerment.

“Learning how to listen when friends are having mental health struggles is one of the most fundamental skills that [SEL] teaches,” he said. “I really didn’t

Frances L. ’26 works on her system map, a diagram used to explore the complex ways that relationships and identities impact the world. In this project, students identify one community they are part of and then make a map that visually depicts how the aspects of their selected community relate to or are affected by other aspects.

recognize it until I left Nueva and learned how vital it has been in college.”

The eleventh grade curriculum, which was piloted in spring 2024 by Lee and Upper School Psychology Teacher Amy Hunt, focuses on epistemology, the theory of knowledge. What do we know and how do we know it? And how do we know when we’ve reached the answer? Students think deeply about the credibility of sources of knowledge, a vital habit for sound decision-making, especially as the stakes grow higher in young adulthood.

To Amy, centering epistemology in SEL makes perfect sense: “They explore decision-making in depth, learning to determine when they can say, ‘This is the best decision I can make, given what I know now from various sources.’”

For the juniors in Amy’s and Lee’s classes, realworld scenarios took center stage in a newly designed Reddit AITA activity.

On the crowdsourcing website Reddit, one popular discussion board invites people to seek feedback on their response to another person in a specific scenario. (Each post concludes with “AITA,” an acronym for an unprintable question; loosely, Am I the [Jerk]?). In class, students read through a curated selection of AITA posts and shared their opinions on the posters’

Perspective Jackee Bruno, Upper School Dean of Students

Joy, Community, and Shenanigans

When the pandemic happened, the whole world gave teenagers the message that they were not okay. Adults labeled them the pandemic generation, and this is a label that I believe continues to follow them. Part of the work I do as Upper School Dean of Students is to help students separate from that identity and feel connected to one another and to our community—and to help them make memories, to make up for the lost time when they had to be distanced.

Nueva offers a number of opportunities for students to build connections: in clubs, in athletics, in musical theater, in bands, in robotics, in student council, in trips, and in so many other ways. One specific way we build in intentional structures for community development is advisory. All Upper School students are in an advisory, a group of about 10 students and one or two teachers who meet twice weekly. I’ve introduced two-year advisory groups, where ninth graders spend two years with the same peers and advisors, and juniors enter new groups that last until they graduate. This continuity helps to foster a community of student and faculty support.

My goal is that by the time students graduate, they can look back and say, “There were at least four to eight adults that had my back.” Advisory and all of our student life activities are designed to guide and foster those relationships.

In my decades of school experience, I have found that infusing joy and fun into an otherwise rigorous school day helps students learn that it’s okay to let loose and not take things so seriously all the time. Through classes and activities, it’s important for us as adults to remind students that they are human.

The message we want to send is this: “We want you to have joy.” School can often be a stressful place, and teachers and I work to demonstrate that within and outside their classrooms there are moments where they can close their computers and just be silly. Play never gets old. Where I can, I try to foster what I call shenanigans—moments of silliness—where the whole community can take part in.

So what does that mean during the school day? It means we play rock-paper-scissors in the hallway for spirit points; we sing songs and do lip sync battles; we have assemblies where we run with eggs and fling whipped cream in each other’s faces. We have fun and we make memories. Through spirit activities and friendly competition, bonding games and joke telling, we are giving students opportunities to build a web of connections with the people around them. When we actively participate in these shenanigans, or if we’re just watching the spectacle, cheering on the person trying to stack soda cans in an assembly game, there’s joy and connection in that.

Since the founding of the school, Nueva has been a place dedicated to nurturing the whole child. I hope that through all of these various programs, students feel nurtured academically, socially, and emotionally—that they know they have a community of peers and adults they can turn to, both when times are good and when they need some cheering up.

During the faculty and staff performance of Romeo and Juliet, Jackee shows off his silliness by riding an inflatable horse for his role as chief of police.

responses. They analyzed the interpersonal dynamics through an emotional lens, an ethical lens, a linguistic lens, and others to evaluate why each person made the decision they did.

In-depth discussions around knowledge and decision-making are critical for Upper School students particularly when the SEL faculty bring in experts in drug education and sexuality education. In this era when the darkest sides of the internet are widely accessible, young adults are being flooded with messages around sexuality and drugs, some of which are incomplete, inaccurate, and dangerous. Equipping students with concrete facts, as well as the skills for understanding themselves, establishing boundaries, and making informed choices, is a vital component of developing healthy adults.

Candid conversations like these are not easy, but “we are remiss if we aren’t teaching high schoolers about the pervasiveness of drugs and drug abuse,” Liza said. “Students also need to learn about boundaries and safe sex, how to think about intimacy and what they want so they know how to say both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’”

Anisha recognized the value of these conversations most clearly in hindsight. “I wish that everyone I know in college had also been taught the importance of consent, what to do in uncomfortable situations, how to set boundaries, and how to harness empathy when speaking with someone who’s been in a harmful situation,” she commented.

For Henry, the importance of sex education in SEL became pointedly evident in his first weeks of college. He was surprised to learn that his friend—“a great guy, empathetic and caring”—had not received education about dating and consent.

“I explained what I had been taught at Nueva, and he said, ‘Oh man, that makes so much sense.’ It was as simple as that,” Henry recalled. “It left me thinking, ‘Wow, there are a lot of people who might act better in the world if someone had just taken a little more time to patiently explain these concepts to them. SEL at Nueva gave us space for that.”

Harnessing Emotional Intelligence to Benefit the World

Today’s tumultuous world of polarization, isolation, and negativity needs exceptionally good people— people capable of responding to adversity constructively. In other words, the world needs people with high emotional intelligence—the ability to truly know oneself and understand perspectives from others, and to feel empowered to “make choices that benefit the world.”

“As the world throws more challenges at schools, and as the general population expects more from schooling as a societal institution,” Head of School Lee Fertig said, “it is important for Nueva to regularly iterate and improve upon our SEL pillar, so that adolescents can leverage their emotional intelligence to navigate and mediate conflicts in the world around them.”

As a Nueva alumna and 14-year member of the faculty, Lee H. is well-positioned to see the positive impact of high EQ in Nueva graduates.

“Part and parcel of why our students are so effective and achieve great things is their emotional intelligence,” she said. “If you have techniques to emotionally sustain yourself, if you are checking in with yourself and your needs, if you know how to collaborate with others, it’s no wonder you are achieving at a high level.

“Imagine what the world would look like if everyone had practiced these social and emotional skills when they were younger.” [N]

Deniz S. ’26 shakes a classmate’s hand during an SEL activity.

Enhancing Student Support

Of the several significant expansions to the Upper School counseling department and wellness programs that took place this year, one of the most exciting and visible is the reimagined and newly renovated Counseling Center.

“That’s what’s really cool—that they birthed this huge center, but the space was actually just always here,” said Aviva Jacobstein, the Upper School Lead Student Counselor.

Months after they had moved back in, Aviva and Sydni Marmor, the other Upper School student counselor, were still marveling over the transformation of the counseling space, which took place the previous summer. By absorbing two hallways, the reconfigured space gained significant square footage, providing three private counselors’ offices, two telehealth pods, a reception, and a large lounge area for students— the “Swellness Center,” an intentionally quiet and mindful space where students can work or unwind in a low-stimulation environment.

“The whole Upper School building is open space,” Aviva pointed out. “I love that you can visibly see the learning if you walk through the halls. But the unintended mental health consequence was that everyone in here felt on display. High schoolers already are at a point of adolescence when they feel on display.”

Healthy vulnerability, she explained, requires a “privacy element.” So she and Saskia Chan, Nueva’s former school nurse, played around with what space could look like, and advocated for its creation across the hall from the health office.

Even intentional moments of wellbeing deserve a retreat from public space, Sydni explained. Having a “place to breathe and to pause gives kids more access to their own wellbeing, versus having a tough moment—or even a mindful moment—in a place where everyone can see you.”

But the most significant change is simply the decision to hire additional, full-time counselors, said Associate Head of Upper School Terry Lee.

“The strategic framework’s prioritization of student wellness and belonging is a preK–12 priority,” Terry said. “The first place we saw [this commitment] was in the continued investment in staffing across the whole school, not just the Upper School.”

In the past two years, Nueva has increased staffing in counseling and learning support, as well as in the nurses’ office. Back in 1967, Nueva’s founders believed that “an affective education was as important as an academic education,” Terry said.

“Having space is part of it, but having space without staffing, support, supervision, or program is form, not substance,” Terry added. “Having both is what we recognize is important.”

On any given day, Upper School students can be found taking advantage of various features in the counseling space. Some book the telehealth pods for mental health or virtual medical appointments. With the increase of online therapy post-pandemic, students can go to their midday appointments without missing school—something the new private space now lets them make use of.

In the Swellness Center, a mix of thoughtfully selected furniture pieces abound: plush armchairs, squashy ottomans, and ample beanbags. The peer counseling program was relaunched there; today, students staff the room to offer support to their classmates, and the counseling team plans to expand the program further in the 2024–25 school year. The trans student affinity group meets in Aviva’s office. Students hold impromptu birthday celebrations, go through breakups, or simply do homework because it’s a calm, quiet place for de-stressing and recharging.

“This whole space is really a giant chameleon,” Sydni said. “It adapts to the people in the room.”

—LiAnn Yim

In the Swellness Center, students take advantage of a quiet, calm space for recharging, doing homework, or meeting with peer counselors.

This whole space is really a giant chameleon. It adapts to the people in the room.

ARIA M. ’36

Take a deep breath. Draw a picture. Read a book. And if you’re still really feeling bad, go and ask a teacher.

Finding calm in the chaos

In the hustle and bustle of school life, juggling assignments and managing overwhelm can be a real challenge. We asked Nueva students and faculty to share their favorite techniques for staying calm and focused. From early-morning habits to a personal “calming corner,” discover our community’s tips for tackling stress head-on.

ANGI CHAU, DIRECTOR OF I-LAB

For at least the first 30 minutes when I wake up, I’ve been committing to stay off all devices and instead do some sketching, paint watercolors, or read a book while eating breakfast and drinking tea. It makes me start each day in a calm and less stressful way!

EVA G. ’29

CHARLOTTE S. ’32

When you’re stressed, do something that calms you down, like a coloring book. And definitely don’t keep doing what’s making you stressed!

REGINA YOONG, US ENGLISH TEACHER

I tackle big tasks that require high concentration (like writing a long-form essay or grading) early in the morning; that’s the time I’m freshest and most alert. I leave smaller tasks like responding to emails, scheduling, etc., to the latter part of the day.

When I get stressed out, I like to take a break outside. This really helps reset my mind for a fresh start.

GRACE C. ’25

Block out time in your schedule for specific tasks, but be open to changing these plans on the fly.

I find it’s good to have structure, but the ability to adapt these plans helps as well.

BRAYDEN D. ’27

A grounding technique that I find helpful when feeling overwhelmed is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 technique. First, take a few deep grounding breaths. Then identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you can smell, and, finally, one thing you can taste.

MIA T. ’29

“Parkinson’s Law” states that work expands to fill the time allotted to it. To manage time more effectively when I’m working on projects and homework assignments, I set a timer for maximum efficiency.

WES CHAO, US COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER

Movement! For me, the more vigorous, the better. Whether it’s hill-sprint repeats, a heavy lifting session, or a high-level pickup game, there’s nothing that relieves stress quite like doing something fun with the body (and that maybe, for some perspective, also gives me a little “ooh, I might throw up/ pass out” feeling).

SEBASTIAN J. ’36

Our first grade classroom has a calming corner, and you can make your own calming corner—it’s simple! All you need is a pillow and some stuffies and blankets.

Faces of Nueva

Every spring, first graders learn about the Nueva community through the Community Partner Project. Community members—faculty, staff, and administrators from all divisions—sign up to be interviewed by the students. Each first grader then selects a community partner with whom they exchange letters to learn about their work and its challenges, and their interests. At the end of the semester, students design solutions for their partners and share their proposed ideas along with a portrait based on their partner’s yearbook photo.

← Head of School Lee Fertig by Bianca K.

← Hillsborough Librarian Mohini Dela Peña by Stella G.

↑ Second Grade Teacher Izzy Mayer by Lion L.

↓ Upper School Chemistry Teacher Paul Hicks by Alex Y.

↓ Middle School Humanities Teacher Sam Arndtsen by Levi S.

↓ Lower School Substitute Teacher Wendy Chan by Aubrey Z.

↑ Lower School PE Teacher Zubin Mobedshahi ’03 by Toby B.

← Fourth Grade Teacher Sharmistha Ghosh by Ronoy G.

↓ Upper School I-Lab Teacher Rob Zomber by Harriet M. ← Middle School Division Head Karen Tiegel by Wesley S.

“I’m very proud of my resilience and hard work throughout this year. I think that those are two skills that I really worked on and improved! Additionally, I’m really proud of some opportunities that I’ve had this year, from getting accepted into an honor choir in Pasadena to getting into a summer camp for voice. ”

LUCIA V.G. ’29

D I D T H AT !

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR PROUDEST MOMENTS

“Something that I am proud of accomplishing is my personal narrative because it took me a really long time to do. I had to write more than one personal narrative, and then I had to pick one, edit and publish it.”

LION L. ’35

C

“I’m really proud of my best mudball that I made.”

FABIO R. ’36

FA big accomplishment is creating my website that I’m building for culmination. It’s about a philosopher named Siddhartha.

WILLIAM S.

’32

“We went to Westminster Woods and there was a zipline and I went down it. It was scary and I did it.”

ELLIE W. ’32

“I’m

proud of earning the right to sleep over at school.”

BIANCA

K. ’35

“My proudest accomplishment is when I hit 10,000 streams on my podcast. My podcast is called Let’s Talk Polarization, and I invite global scholars to speak on the effect of polarization on the economy, health, race, religion, and other disciplines.”

OLIVIA CHIANG ’24

t P

R“I’m proud of myself for running for spirit and social representative on the Student Council. Even though I didn’t win, I just wanted to put myself out there.”

AVA

J. ’26

K“I

struggled a lot with writing a math proof, and it felt really good when I finally figured it out!”

HANA

J. ’27

“One of the classes I didn’t think I would like as much as I did was math modeling. I hadn’t done much applied coding, as opposed to something basic like ‘let’s code this triangle moving around on the screen. It was really cool to see, like, ‘I coded this thing, it has an actual impact in real life.’”

AURA MUKHERJEE ’24

I D I D T H AT

!

“I’m proud of being super involved in Nueva’s community and representing Nueva in all kinds of events: admissions, StuCo, yearbook, MATHCOUNTS, and more!”

MING-YI T. ’29

“I

am proud of my illustrated graph project! Brainstorming was bad but the final draft came out pretty good, and I enjoyed doing it. Also, using watercolors and drawing pencils was fun!”

YUNI L. ’31

“I am proud that I know how to believe in myself, no matter what.”

ARYA D. ’36

“Something very ambitious for me personally was trying to program a scavenger hunt, which involves a lot of fancy programming that I’d never touched before. I was very impressed with myself because I learned a new language and worked through all of it, on top of doing a lot of amazing work in other classes.”

AURELIA F.

’27

“I set up a coalition of 45 schools across the world to divest their endowments from fossil fuels and reinvest them in clean energy. We just had our final coalition call where everyone met everyone, and that was the leadership transition where I could fully feel the impact [of what we’ve achieved].”

ALEX

WAGONFELD ’24

“Hitting 225 pounds on the bench was a milestone in my fitness journey. During the COVID lockdowns, I wasn’t very healthy, I wasn’t very fit, and I didn’t really go outside. It wasn’t a great time for me, so hitting this milestone that I had set for myself when I started working out felt pretty good.”

SAM ZUKIN ’24

“I

am proud of helping friends sort out arguments. I feel like I can stand up to make the community better by stopping fights.”

BENJAMIN Y. ’35

“I learned to detach myself from the outcomes of things I apply for. There was one time when I did get rejected, but I wasn’t hurt. That was a proud moment for me.”

HANNAH F. ’27

“For a year, I struggled with running hurdles because I’m short. As soon as our track and field coach, Robert, put me into practice for the hurdles, I immediately went over. It was something I was really proud of and demonstrates how Nueva’s community challenges me and helps me get better.”

KAYTE C. ’25

“I climbed this mountain in New Hampshire, and I didn’t think I could. It seemed like a hard challenge: I had only gone backpacking once before, and it’s in the hardest section of the Appalachian Trail. It was really pretty.”

IZZY F. ’25

Meet Shawn Taylor

On May 1, Nueva welcomed a new Director

of Equity and Inclusion

Can you share a little bit about your background? I’m a West Indian New Yorker son of immigrants, who was raised by the public library system. Despite having dyslexia, I was a very early reader and writer, and those are two passions that I continue to hold dear. I was the first on either side of my family to attend university, not to mention graduate school. This allowed me to have experiences that, if I had stayed in my neighborhood, I never would have had access to.

What is the best thing about a career spent working with young people? Young people invite me to see the world from so many different perspectives that it is almost impossible for me to have a jaded worldview.

What drew you to this role at Nueva? What challenges and possibilities are you eager to address? I was drawn to Nueva because curiosity and creativity are stated values. How the students learn isn’t just rote reading, writing, and regurgitation. Allowing the students to make sense of their world, in relation to the academics they participate in, is revolutionary, and I wanted to be part of that.

One of the primary challenges I would like to take on is a school-wide equity audit.

By doing this, we’ll be able to see all of the good work we’re doing in all areas of the school, and then build a unifying narrative to bolster the energy of that work and course-correct where needed.

What is an underappreciated aspect of equity and inclusion work? I really believe that the joy in DEIAB work (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging) isn’t spoken about enough. Yes, we do this work because there are inequities and because some populations aren’t getting what they deserve. But being able to connect with people across differences, learning from each other, and crafting equitable solutions or interventions is a joyful process.

What energizes and renews you for this work? While DEIAB work is being attacked from multiple sides, the resistance to these attacks gives me hope. The work that pop culture fandoms are doing by creating a more just world is absolutely fascinating. For instance, the Star Trek fandom is working to make VR and AR more accessible to Black and POC students to create immersive engagement with their history. The Wakanda Dream Lab (Black Panther) is using social media and other digital tools

to create counter-narratives to the current “wokeness and DEI is what is harming our country” outcry. It gives me so much hope and joy.

What are you passionate about? Do these interests carry over into your work? Outside of work, I am a culture critic. I love music, theater, sneakers, comic books, science fiction, horror, and any other thing that impacts our shared culture. My training in philosophy and digital humanities helps me see ideas and challenges as interconnected and not just standalone concerns.

When I talk about the work I do, many people view it as only anti-racism work. I spend a lot of time illustrating how the oppression of race, gender, access, disability, sexuality, and socioeconomic status are interconnected, and how

Book you are most likely to gift: Travels in Hyperreality by Umberto Eco and Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Song that draws you to the dance floor: “The Choice is Yours” by Black Sheep Person, place, or thing that brings you joy: Jamaica/ my daughter (don’t tell her she’s tied)

Favorite meal: Fried plantains

Your hero: Octavia E. Butler

Words you live by: “If you can, help. If you can’t, find someone who can.”

— My grandma

systemic change can help to combat the oppression. When I show people these connections, they begin—not always, but often—to view DEIAB work in a more positive way.

What is something about you that people might be surprised to learn? For my last two years of high school, I was also enrolled in culinary school. [N]

“There aren’t a lot of Koreans at Nueva so we wanted a space to be able to connect with our culture and share those moments and memories that, being Korean, only you can understand. [This space] makes us feel so much more comfortable and accepted at school. All of us are Korean-American, and many of us don’t always feel connected to our culture. To go on this learning journey together has been important for connecting with our Korean identities.”

ELLIE L. ’26

“It’s been really awesome to be a part of the Queer Student Union for the past couple years. Recently QSU hosted a space for asexual and aromantic people, which is an underrepresented part of the community. To find those connections has been really meaningful.”

“Joining the Jewish Affinity Group has allowed us to meet other families at all levels of the school. When we joined Nueva, we made a strong commitment to be a part of the community, and the affinity group has been one (of many) ways of doing this. For that, we are really appreciative.”

DARA SILVERSTEIN P ’33 ’35

“Nueva met most, if not all, the criteria we were looking for in our son’s education. However, it wasn’t until a Latinx Affinity Group meeting that we knew we had found our home. Through the affinity spaces, we have been able to connect with families across divisions, celebrate shared identities, and learn about different affinities through school-wide events sponsored by other affinity groups.”

JESSICA SALCEDO P ’27

“Getting (or suspecting) a neurodiverse label for your kid—and the future challenges that implies — can feel overwhelming and isolating. We started the Neurodiversity Affinity Group to say, ‘You’re not alone here! Let’s talk.’ We share strategies and, at times, sympathy through in-person meetups and in our Google Group.”

SARAH ORDODY P ’28

LUKI D. ’25

What Does Belonging Feel Like at Nueva?

“Affinity groups provide community members with a brave space to explore, question, and deeply connect with their culture and to support others who are doing the same,” said Director of Equity and Inclusion Shawn Taylor.

Students and families discuss a shared identity, celebrate cultural events, and build community. In student affinity groups,which meet during the school day, all members have the same social identifier and speak from the “I” perspective. In parent-led affinity groups, people with a shared background and their allies gather, often for cultural or faith-based celebrations where all are welcome.

Hear from students and parents about the positive impact of affinity groups.

“The support of the Equity and Inclusion Program allowed us to celebrate Eid on the Hillsborough campus at [incredible] scale, with about 600 students and staff! It meant more to my kids than I could’ve known, to be able to share their Muslim culture with the broader Nueva community, and to see their friends know and embrace this dimension of their identity.”

SAMIRA RAHMATULLAH

P ’30 ’30

“After I moved across the country in tenth grade, the Black Student Union provided refuge and sanctuary during my difficult transition . . . We bore witness to the joys and growing pains of attending Nueva with the intersectionalities of our identities at play.”

GABE HAWKINS

’24

“When I see my children and others learn different ways to wear the traditional malong, be enthralled by the movement of colorful fabrics in dance, weave baskets with materials sourced from Philippine flora, or hear about an author’s struggle to find representation in children’s books, I feel optimistic that my children and others will develop an affinity to their culture.”

IAN SINAPUELAS

P ’28 ’30

“Not many people share my joy in understanding how the Taiwanese word for boba came to be, or how Nymphia Wind is the first East Asian drag queen to win RuPaul’s Drag Race. However, in Nueva’s Taiwanese Affinity Group, I celebrate these cultural artifacts that have made my identity, over a cup of milk tea, surrounded by equally excited students.”

NAOMIE CHIEN

’24

ALUMNI

Let’S CelebratE!

Friends, food trucks, and festivities converged on May 31 for a memorable evening at the biggest alumni celebration of the year. Alumni and parents of alumni from the past four decades reconnected with teachers, staff, and administrators to reminisce about cherished memories and to create new ones.

GREETINGS, NUEVA ALUMNI!

What a remarkable year for our alumni community! Thank you to each and every one of you for your genuine care, commitment, and engagement. This was a pivotal year for our alumni program, as we reconnected with more of you than ever before at community events, by way of your own meetups or #NuevaNoshes, and through new mentorship connections between you and current students or fellow alumni. With your active engagement and support, you ensure the strength of the Nueva network shines brightly coast-to-coast and beyond!

A critical part of the growth, sustainability, and success of our alumni program is listening to you— our dynamic alumni community. We heard you wanted more opportunities to connect with one another. In addition to hosting on-campus events, we established a series of regional socials in Boston, Chicago, and New York City and facilitated numerous smaller meetups with teachers, administrators, and staff. This year we also surveyed Upper School alumni and parents of alumni to learn directly from you. Thank you to all who took the time to thoughtfully reflect on your experience at the Upper School and share how you’d like to shape your lifelong relationship with Nueva.

Looking forward, we are in the early stages of developing a new alumni relations strategic plan. The plan will help drive the next phase of our alumni program and is reflective of the feedback received throughout the year. We have a lot to look forward to in 2024–25, including the launch of new programming, additional regional events, and most of all, welcoming you back home to the Hillsborough and San Mateo campuses!

Sincerely,

DIANA A. CHAMORRO Director of Alumni & Community Engagement

2023–24

BY

THE NUMBERS

275+

Event attendees

150+

Visits to the Hillsborough and San Mateo campuses

50+

#NuevaNoshes and meetups featuring more than 200 fellow alumni (see page 50)

SAVE THE DATES Alumni Calendar

Alumni Hike

Friday, August 2, 2024

10 a.m.

Waterdog Trail, Belmont

Alumni

Basketball Game

December 2024

San Mateo Campus

Coed Alumni

Soccer Game

December 2024

San Mateo Campus

Intersession

January 7–10, 2025

San Mateo Campus

Young Alumni Social

Friday, January 10, 2025

San Mateo Campus

Alumni Reunion

Friday, May 30, 2025

San Mateo Campus

Stay tuned to our monthly newsletter for announcements of additional events and the dates of our upcoming regional socials! We look forward to visiting alumni in Boston, Chicago, New York City, Southern California, and Washington, D.C.!

SEE YOU ON MAVNET

Want to meet fellow alumni in your region? Interested in professional networking? Have a job or internship opening at your company that you’d love to hire a fellow Nuevan to fill? Visit nuevaalumni.org to claim your profile and begin connecting with your Nueva alumni community and register for our upcoming events.

My Nueva Top 10

1 “Staying up too late talking on school trips.”

— OLIVER CHO ’17

2

“Launching water balloons & stealing the Hillsborough campus dinosaur on Senior Prank Day.”

— NEERAJ SHARMA ’18

3 “Community!” — ELISE MEIKE ’19

4 “The best teachers ever.”

— BRIANA DAS ’17

5 “Robotics Team 4904.”

LAUREL RODRIG UEZ MITTON ’19

6

“The Creature Comforts class during Intersession.”

— KATYA PANCHENKO ’20

9 “Watching the senior plays. The Shakespeare adaptations were really funny and cool.”

— AMIT SINGH ’20

—ARIELLE CHOI ’22

7 “Toast station.”

8

“Working by the WRC fireplace.”

— CHERISE WONG ’23

10

“I loved the I-Lab, and it introduced me to all sorts of tools and designing/building.”

— PRIITA PETERSON ’22

Limitless

GRAHAM NORWOOD ’95 REFLECTS ON HIS FOUNDATIONAL NUEVA CHILDHOOD

BY DIANA A. CHAMORRO AND MAE WALSH

On a warm March afternoon, Graham Norwood ’95 was transported back nearly 40 years to his time as a student on the Hillsborough campus. His long overdue homecoming returned him to his very own childhood classroom to speak to the first grade during their academic unit exploring diversity and inclusion through the lens of ableism. Accompanied by his guide dog, Malcolm, Graham spoke about navigating life with a sight impairment and how it has not kept him from living his life to the fullest.

visually impaired, asking him how he drives a car (he doesn’t) and how he goes grocery shopping (by using an app that scans and vocalizes the items on the shelves).

“Our needs are part of our existence, but certainly not all of it,” he said. “Our gifts to the world are at least as important. Nueva helped me to focus on what I could bring to the table, not on what others needed to bring from the table to me.”

He shared some valuable advice with the first graders: “We have to

“Nueva gave me the opportunity to build my identity around my strengths, before I even started to consider how being disabled might also impact the way the world saw me. That gift has been pivotal throughout my life.”

GRAHAM NORWOOD ’95

“It was a pretty magical experience,” he said of returning to his old classroom. “I think Nueva left more of an imprint on me and my Nueva friends than most people’s elementary schools tend to do. I vividly remember the magical atmosphere of possibility and excitement I felt as a first and second grader—the base-ten blocks and typing-assisted story-writing just as much as the endless games on the Ballet Lawn.”

During his conversation, the curious and thoughtful first graders learned what it means to be legally blind or

love ourselves for who we are and value what we do. Once we do that, needing or asking for help is put in its proper context.”

He credits his time at Nueva— particularly his teachers and peers— for creating a place where he could always be fully immersed in the student experience.

“I honestly can’t recall feeling like I had a disability while at Nueva. I was different, yes, but in the way that everyone is different or unique. Nueva had a really amazing way of encouraging me to focus on what I could do,

not what I couldn’t,” Graham said. “Imagine Mimi Santal, longtime art teacher extraordinaire, championing my attempts at visual art instead of steering me away from a discipline most people wouldn’t think a legally blind student would have much to contribute to.

“Nueva gave me the opportunity to build my identity around my strengths before I even started to consider how being disabled might impact the way the world saw me. That gift has been pivotal throughout my life.”

His visit to his old classroom reminded him of a key figure in his life—his “all-time favorite teacher,” former second grade teacher Steve Munzenrider (brother of current teacher Jim Munzenrider), who kindled Graham’s love of history and music.

Steve’s impact extended far beyond the classroom. Recognizing Graham’s passion for history, sparked by Steve’s unit on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Graham’s parents organized a family trip to Athens, Rome, and Egypt, and brought Steve along as their tour guide. There was some urgency behind the trip, as Graham was losing his vision and had no clear prognosis on when it would be gone completely.

“That trip is still one of the highlights of my life, and Steve’s role in encouraging my learning was a massive part of that,” Graham revealed.

Although Steve would pass away a few years after their trip, his legacy and impact as a teacher live on through Graham.

“I still think of Steve as the spirit of Nueva—warm, encouraging,

curious, generally fascinated by life and all it has to offer,” Graham said. “Like the school he taught at, he pushed us to explore, create, and experience life; yet he was also always there as a shelter to come back to for reassurance. He was as important to my development as anyone, and the same goes for Nueva.”

From the classrooms of the Lower School to touring all over the U.S. and Europe in venues ranging from dive bars to sports arenas, Graham credits Nueva’s emphasis on music and performing as the catalyst for fostering his love of music. He has since left the professional circuit, but still considers music to be the biggest through line of his life. He remains active in several bands and has put together an ensemble to play his own originals.

Outside of music, he turned a medical setback five years ago into fulfilling a long-awaited career goal of becoming a therapist. Since completing his master’s degree in social work, Graham has worked at Veterans Affairs and a non-profit serving veterans, and is currently part of the clinical fellowship at Lyra, one of the world’s largest teletherapy providers.

“I’ve never felt so professionally fulfilled as I do now, supporting better mental health and wellness,” he said. “Eventually, my goal is to increase my focus on the intersection of disability and mental health. For now, all my clients are privileges to work with and walk alongside.”

Just as music has been a constant for him, helping others and his community has been equally important.

In addition to supporting his clients, he is organizing a large-scale fundraiser to support Guide Dogs for the Blind and a Sacramento-based dog rescue and shelter organization.

Graham fondly remembers Nueva’s emphasis on social-emotional learning, where students could discuss their mental health and emotional well-being.

“Normalizing this at such an early age was tremendous,” Graham concluded. “I still can’t believe how far ahead of the curve Nueva was in foregrounding this aspect of childhood development. I’m certain those formative experiences contributed to my eventual career as a therapist.”

parent, helped facilitate Graham’s visit to campus in March.

Graham Norwood ’95 returned to his Nueva first and second grade classroom as the first grade’s guest speaker during their unit on ableism.

One Smile at a Time

THE CU SISTERS’ COMPANY, COCOFLOSS, TRANSFORMS ORAL HEALTHCARE

BY DIANA A. CHAMORRO

Have you ever dreaded going to the dentist? For Chrystle Cu, D.D.S. ’97, this was a reality she encountered among her patients. Instead of helping them achieve healthy and happy smiles, Chrystle found herself focused on supporting patients filled with anxiety and fear.

“I was a few years into practice and quickly grew a bit discouraged and frustrated by the state of oral health,” Chrystle said. “Problems like gum disease and tooth decay were so prevalent.”

During patient visits, Chrystle was able to address the immediate prob

Flossing is a simple thing that takes a minute of your day, and it could really impact your oral health very positively. People just weren’t doing it.”

Dissatisfied with the efficacy of the floss options on the market, Chrystle set out to make a better floss that could “inspire people to achieve better health.”

In parallel, her younger sister, Cat Cu ’01, had quit her job in finance and was looking for her next career move. “It must be a function of growing up in the Bay Area, but I always wanted to start my own business,” Cat shared.

After six months building a platform for commissioning art, a disappointed Cat came to terms that her venture wasn’t taking off as she hoped. For Chrystle, she was still seeking a way to better the lives of her patients at her dental practice. One fateful day the two sisters sat in their parents’ kitchen with a white board.

“I had to face the fact that this idea I was so passionate about wasn’t working out,” Cat said. Together they brainstormed.

Frustrated by her patients’ fear and their failure to floss, Chrystle committed to disrupting the oral healthcare landscape with a more effective floss. It took six months to convince her sister to join forces with her: Cat needed time to learn the oral healthcare space to fully understand what she would be embarking on.

“Oral care is an interesting sector to be in because it’s a problem that really affects everyone,” Cat said.

“Nueva taught us to not shy away from big problems.”

CHRYSTLE

CU ’97

Cocofloss co-founders Chrystle Cu, D.D.S. ’97 and Cat Cu ’01

With Cat officially coming on board in 2014, the pair committed to building a company that would develop a floss that people would actually enjoy using. They leaned on Steve Blank’s Four Steps to Epiphany to better understand how to target their product’s market fit.

During that first year, Cat, who serves as the company’s CEO and oversees the brand and creative, needed to further understand the problem the pair was trying to solve. They spent months talking to people about their mouths.

“We were those weird people at parties asking people about their teeth problems,” said Cat. Despite being plagued with routine fillings, gum surgeries, and even root canals, people weren’t flossing or were using floss that wasn’t effective in removing plaque.

As they were developing Cocofloss, they attended a design-thinking workshop for alumni hosted by Nueva’s founding Innovation Lab director Kim Saxe.

“That was part of our discovery process,” Chrystle said. “We were working on the product itself and that exercise was so valuable. It was really fun having a whole classroom of thinkers to address our problem.”

Feeling validated in their mission and goal, they moved forward with prototyping their new floss and partnering with a manufacturer in Italy. What separates Cocofloss from most brands on the market is its woven expandable fibers, whose texture is very effective for cleaning between teeth, and coconut oil, whose antimicrobial properties have been recognized in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

“That is why we decided to name it Cocofloss,” Chrystle said. “The name really tickled my ears, because it sounded silly at the time and there was nothing else on the market sounding like it.”

With a unique name, a game-changing product, and a desire to make a difference in people’s lives, they fully committed to getting their floss into

the hands of dental professionals and customers alike. As co-founders, the Cu sisters managed end-to-end operations of the company and even did a lot of fulfillment to get the business off the ground. For Cat, that scrappy start reminded her of a beloved unit in Nueva’s kindergarten (still in existence today), where students stamped letters in the classroom’s post office.

“Nueva taught me to be hands on,” she joked.

“Everything was really incremental in the beginning. We didn’t have a marketing budget—we were literally going door to door to dentists, handing out samples at the mall, and doing anything we could,” said Cat.

From growing the business in their small San Francisco apartment to overtaking their parents’ home and eventually setting up offices and a warehouse in San Mateo, the sisters now oversee a team of 30. Along their growth trajectory, they have hit major milestones. Cocofloss is the first floss to ever win the Allure Best of Beauty Award. The New York Times Wirecutter called Cocofloss “a delicious way to clean teeth.”

“We’ve earned some relevance among people now, which is amazing, from starting this on a whiteboard in our kitchen to where we are now, and still growing,” Chrystle said.

As they began to build traction in the dental community with Chrystle’s professional peers, the team’s first big break came in 2016. Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness and lifestyle mega-company, Goop, called Cocofloss a “clean and decidedly superior floss,” and sold it on its website.

With Goop’s endorsement, stores such as Anthropologie and more recently CVS have become among Cocofloss’s about 100 retail partners. While Chrystle admits the retail side isn’t the biggest driver of their

business, it is exciting to build their brand and its market recognition.

Reflecting on their business venture, the Cu sisters consider Nueva foundational to their success.

“Nueva made me who I am. It taught me how to think about things, approach topics, and question them,” said Chrystle, who has dedicated all her time to leading the company’s research and development. “Nueva taught us to not shy away from big problems. Everything felt limitless.”

Their appreciation of nature was also nurtured on the Hillsborough campus, whose forest and honeysuckles Cat fondly recalled. “There’s probably no other time I felt so connected to nature, which has left me with this lifelong appreciation.”

This love for nature has made sustainability an important commitment in the sisters’ quest to improve one smile at a time. The pair’s long-term dream is a completely biodegradable, plastic-free product. In the meantime, as they research, develop, and iterate their next industry-shaking floss, they have launched toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental accessories.

After a decade of running their business, Chrystle and Cat remain steadfast to their mission to improve oral health around the world.

“Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease globally and half of all adults have some form of gum disease,” said Chrystle. “We have so much more to go to help people.”

Bringing Their A Game

SKILLS AND PASSION CONVERGE IN ALUMNI VIDEO GAME STUDIO

BY DIANA A. CHAMORRO

THE CREATORS

What happens when an artist, two programmers, and a sound engineer come together? It’s the magic behind Lukko, a video game development studio, created by Class of 2022 friends Josh Ehrlich, Miles Frank, Ian Lum, and Eli Smirin. Before Lukko found success in large-scale game jams—24- to 72-hour events to develop a new video game from scratch— the quartet was forging their paths as first-year college students.

Josh, an illustration major at the Rhode Island School of Design, brought the team together after trying his hand at indie game development.

“I had been making the art and trying to program it,” Josh said. “I had no foundation in programming and, as you might guess, they were really pretty games that had absolutely no substance.”

Knowing he needed programming support to complement his artistry, he reached out to Ian, a computing major at Olin College of Engineering, to gauge his interest.

“Josh had been thinking about this for a while and he was really serious about it,” Ian recalled. “From the start he wanted to make sure I was going to be as serious as he was. He emphasized it was going to be a big commitment, which I was ready for.”

After the pair established the team, they invited Miles and Eli to join them. Miles, who is studying computer science and minoring in math and philosophy at the University of Rochester, would support on the programming side, while Eli, who is at Wesleyan’s College of Social Studies, was to oversee the score and sound effects. The final pieces of the puzzle that would become Lukko were put in place.

“I realized we could actually make something together. Our skills are really complementary,” Josh said.

From there, the team quickly signed up for their first game jam, joining a field of over 7,000 participants. The event stretched them in unexpected ways— they learned new programming skills in 72 hours before developing the game in 48 straight hours. For Eli, that meant

completing the music and background on his transatlantic flight to a summer study abroad program at the London School of Economics.

Their first attempt at collaborating remotely from four different geographic locations proved successful, as their game Marottee finished in the top 100. That was the motivation they needed to move forward.

The beauty of their partnership is their long-standing friendship and deep trust in one another.

“I trust these guys so much with decisions. I trust Josh to make amazing art. I trust Miles to work with me to write code. I trust Eli to always have an amazing soundtrack,” Ian said. “I’m really grateful to have found these people to work with.”

“It’s been incredible to see everyone’s skills come to life,” Eli added. “I wasn’t surprised by what they were capable of, but the first time I saw Marotte, I was very impressed with what they were able to create in just a few days. I feel very lucky that I get to work on such highquality projects.”

That doesn’t mean that the group never experienced creative differences.

“In game development, there are times when you’ll find a problem and you immediately have an idea for a solution to propose to the group. But sometimes there’s a disagreement around that,” Miles said. “It’s really about getting to the root of the problem, seeing through the initial ideas, and coming to a conclusion together.”

He underscored the pivotal role Nueva played in their success, not just at building tactical skills, but at being leaders and collaborators who know how to have honest conversations and how to stay committed to each other and their goal.

“Nueva emphasizes brainstorming, group work, and coming to conclusions together. That’s most of what our process is,” Miles said. “Normally there’s a huge list of ideas. It’s about synthesizing to find the right one. Often that changes through iteration and prototyping during the development process.”

Top to bottom:

Josh Ehrlich ’22

Miles Frank ’22

Ian Lum ’22

Eli Smirin ’22

Nueva emphasizes brainstorming, group work, and coming to conclusions together. That’s most of what our process is.

MILES FRANK ’22

Josh, who joined Nueva in ninth grade, acknowledged that he experienced a shift in mindset during high school that primed him to be a stronger collaborator and open-minded leader.

“I did not have a lot of group work in my middle school. I came in worrying about group work and thinking, ‘I can do everything on my own,’” Josh said. “Gradually through my four years, I grew accustomed to it.”

Nueva teachers and mentors supported and encouraged their growth. For Miles and Ian, Computer Science Teachers Carl Shan and Wes Chao were key sources of inspiration. Former Art Teacher May Wilson taught Josh all four years and gave him the freedom to figure out what he wanted to do in studio art classes. As a music producer, Eli credits nurturing his passion through music production classes with Cody Alan.

“I took Cody’s music and sound design class every year through high school,” Eli said. “We learned how to use the program Ableton, and since then I’ve just loved doing sound design and digital music.”

This summer, they are investing time into growing their skills, developing new games, and looking long-term: creating something like “Outer Wilds”—a shared favorite that takes players on a journey through an imagined world—and ultimately finding a publisher for that yetto-be-developed game.

“We always say, if we can make a game like ‘Outer Wilds’ we’ve met our goal,” said Ian.

Embracing their varied fields and committed to their shared mission and purpose, Eli, Ian, Josh, and Miles look toward their unpaved path ahead with excitement. They shared some advice for current Nueva students.

“Have friends with diverse interests. If I was only hanging out with STEM people, and none of us did art or music,

I don’t think we could make the games that we make. It really is the combination of programming, art, music, and general creativity that makes our games good,” said Miles.

“Don’t do it alone,” Josh added.

“On the art side, there’s this ideal of the solo artist who makes an incredible project with the help of nobody else.

For your own development, don’t push yourself down that route. Learn from other people.”

EVENTS ROUNDUP

Coast to Coast

(AND ON CAMPUS)

The lifelong and close connections alumni have with one another and to the Nueva community were most vividly seen at our winter and spring events. With nearly 250 alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, and staff reuniting at recent gatherings, they served as important destinations for generations of community members.

This year, we expanded our events programming with regional socials in Boston and New York City in February and in Chicago in April. These regional events were not only opportunities for alumni based in those cities to reconnect with fellow Nuevans and hear updates from campus, but they also served as special meeting points for numerous alumni who traveled from eight different states to attend.

The culminating party of the 2023–24 school year, Alumni Reunion welcomed four decades of Nuevans to the San Mateo campus on May 31. The lively and festive event featured the student band 190, food trucks, and outdoor lawn games for alumni, teachers, and alumni families to enjoy throughout the evening.

“It was incredibly special to reconnect with alumni at various stages of their post-Nueva journeys,” said Director of Alumni & Community Engagement Diana Chamorro. “What really stuck with me is just how important Nueva remains in their lives.”

01. Maya Malavasi ’20, Upper School teacher Barak Yedidia P ’24, Callisto Lodwick ’22, Theo Rode ’22, David Chan ’22, and Brandon Cho ’22

02. Paula Sachdev P ’23, ’26, Rahul Sachdev P ’23, ’26, Ajay Agarwal P ’20, ’23, and Sara Espinosa P ’22, ’25

03. Briana Das ’17 and Emily Steirman ’18

04. NYC Regional Social attendees: Neel Gupta ’18, Sinead Chang ’18, and Om Gokhale ’180

05. Giulia Kossev ’23, Riley Sze ’23, Nicole Kleinknecht ’23, Riyana Srihari ’23, Anya Potsiadlo ’23, and Calder Burkhart ’23

06. Current Nueva teachers Liam McDonald ’19 and Zubin Mobedshahi ’03

07. The Rabbani family: Raza ’22, Asma, Usman, and Humza ’22

08. Lee Holtzman ’01, Avi Holtzman, and Bing Wei P ’21

09. Robby Voorhis ’19, Laurel Rodriguez Mitton ’19 and her guest Michael Costello, and Liam McDonald ’19

10. Daniel Arad ’21, Jojo Wang ’21, and Annie Edwards ’21 at the Chicago Regional Social

11. Gabe Moussa ’20 and Quincy Alston ’20

PHOTOS BY LUCI VALENTINE PHOTOGRAPHY AND DIANA

CHAMORRO

MILLBRAE, CA →

While home for winter break, Class of 2021 friends gathered for a Christmas Eve #NuevaNosh brunch.

Pictured: Shalin Zarboulas (Michigan), Teli Pinkerton (Colorado School of Mines), Ryan Cheng (Stanford), Joseph Kraus (Stanford), Maya Chawla (UC Berkeley), Austin Jewett (Purdue), and Cal Waytena (Brown RISD).

Maverick Meetups

↑ PASADENA, CA

Cherise Wong ’23 (Caltech), Elianna Kondylis ’23 (Caltech), and Michelle Zhang ’23 (Pomona) enjoyed a #NuevaNosh açai bowl outing on Feb. 17.

↓ PASADENA, CA

Akshay Seetharam ’23 (Harvey Mudd) visited Caltech friends Elianna Kondylis ’23, Akshar Ramkumar ’22, and Albert Huang ’23 for a #NuevaNosh lunchtime gathering on Jan. 23.

↑ HALF MOON BAY, CA

Class of 2023 friends Anya Potsiadlo (Colorado College), Riyana Srihari (Brown), Nixie Herlick (Villanova), and Isabella Yalif (Vanderbilt) gathered for a #NuevaNosh dinner on May 28.

↑ FLORENCE, ITALY

While studying abroad in Florence, Maya Chawla ’21 (UC Berkeley) #NuevaNoshed with Nicholas Hope ’21 (Princeton) and Austin Jewett ’21 (Purdue) on March 14.

SAN MATEO CAMPUS → Luck of the Mavs! Class of 2023 alumni gathered for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Pictured: Jackson Marquez (USC), Anuj Thakur (UC Berkeley), Theo Chiang (Stanford), John Crown (Stanford), Nico Burlison (Claremont McKenna), Daniel Rosario (Harvard), Oran Terra (Santa Clara), Will Wolf (Yale), Eliza Shields (Miami), Nicole Kleinknecht (SMU), and Riley Sze (Yale).

Mavericks were on the go throughout the winter and spring! From regional reunions to #NuevaNosh get-togethers, alumni enjoyed reconnecting both stateside and abroad.

What is #NuevaNosh: when three or more alumni gather over a meal or coffee, the Alumni Office will reimburse them up to $50. Visit MavNet to learn more!

↓ PALO ALTO, CA

Alex Chen ’21 (UCLA), Ryan Cheng ’21 (Stanford), and Matthew Sakiyama ’21 (Harvard) enjoyed a winter break #NuevaNosh outing on Jan. 5.

↑ RALEIGH, NC

While chaperoning the Nueva physics team’s trip to the United States Association for Young Physicists Tournament in early February, Mark Hurwitz and Jen Paull hosted UNC student Willow Taylor Chiang Yang ’21 (right) for dinner.

← SAN MATEO CAMPUS

Theo Rode ’22 (Harvey Mudd) and Class Rep David Chan ’22 (Carnegie Mellon) picked up some new Nueva swag during a spring break visit to the Upper School on March 8.

↙ SAN MATEO CAMPUS

Before heading back to college for their second semesters, Riyana Srihari ’23 (Brown) and Anya Potsiadlo ’23 (Colorado College) reconnected with former teachers LiAnn Yim and Leonard Pon during a January visit to the Upper School.

↑ MADISON, WI

Alice Enger ’20 (Northwestern) and Eliza Shields ’23 (UMiami) met up at the Collegiate Women’s Club Basketball Nationals tournament in April.

← NEW YORK, NY

Class of 2023 graduates Annli Zhu (Yale), Cherise Wong (Caltech), and Stephanie Liu (Swarthmore) met up for a #NuevaNosh Easter brunch.

↓ LONDON

Before relocating stateside this past spring, Emily Ross ’17 welcomed AJ Nadel ’18 and Paco Poler ’18 for a #NuevaNosh gathering.

Maverick Meetups

← ↑ PRINCETON, NJ

Director of Alumni & Community Engagement

Diana Chamorro hosted meetups with current Princeton students Maya Avida ’22 and Alexa Wingate ’23 (top), Brandon Cho ’22 (left) and Eleanor Monroe ’21 on Feb. 5 and 6.

↑ PROVIDENCE, RI

While in Providence for a conference, Head of School

Lee Fertig hosted a meet-up with current Brown students on March 15. Pictured: Ben Lee ’20 , Emily Lee ’22, Hannah Sievers ’22, Anisha Kumar ’22, Lee, and Riyana Srihari ’23.

ST. LOUIS, MO →

Class of 2021 alumni and current Washington University in St. Louis students Gaelen Clayton, Molly Dillon, and Amanda Wang coordinated a #NuevaNosh breakfast outing on May 9.

ST. LOUIS, MO ↘

During their February visit to Missouri for a conference, Head of School

Lee Fertig, Associate Head of School Terry Lee, and Director of Teaching & Learning Lauren Pool hosted a meetup for alumni at Washington University in St. Louis.

↑ CHICAGO, IL

Brothers Tyler ’12 and Connor McGraw ’22 (UChicago) #NuevaNoshed with Class Rep Tyler Huang ’22 (Northwestern) on April 4.

↓ CHICAGO, IL

Jojo Wang ’21 (UChicago) and Annie Edwards ’21 (Northwestern) organized a #NuevaNosh outing in Chicago’s Chinatown in December 2023. Tyler Poon ’20 (UChicago), Zach Smirin ’20 (UChicago), and Tara Saxena ’21 (Northwestern) joined them.

↑ CHICAGO, IL

Molly Dillon ’21 (right) reunited with current Northwestern students Annie Edwards ’21 and Tara Saxena ’21 for a #NuevaNosh while she was visiting Chicago before her spring semester started.

BURLINGAME, CA →

Swim team alumni hosted a #NuevaNosh holiday gathering while home from college. Pictured: Livi Poon ’23 (Vermont), Dhruv Chinmay ’23 (Carnegie Mellon), Cherise Wong ’23 (Caltech), and Ethan Kim ’23 (Princeton).

← BURLINGAME, CA

Class of 2019 friends Anjali Santhanam, Kayla Wagonfeld, Sanam Yusuf, Sarah Hope, and Jenna Lange coordinated a #NuevaNosh dinner at the vegan restaurant Twelvemonth in Burlingame on March 21.

↑ BERKELEY, CA

Huxley Marvit ’23 (Princeton) and Albert Huang ’23 (Caltech) participated in a startup competition in Berkeley. During their February visit, they #NuevaNoshed with classmate Peter Choi ’23 (UC Berkeley).

↙ CAMBRIDGE, MA

Class of 2022 friends Zandra Feland (MIT), Ian Lum (Olin), Karen Guo (MIT), Andrew Chu (Harvard), Ryan Poon (Tufts), and Carissa Wang (Tufts) coordinated a #NuevaNosh ramen dinner in early February.

↓ CAMBRIDGE, MA

Annli Zhu ’23 (Yale), Nueva teacher Jana Comstock, and Albert Huang ’23 (Caltech) reconnected in mid-January when the trio were in Cambridge for MIT’s Mystery Hunt.

← CAMBRIDGE, MA

Arun Johnson ’19, Julienne Ho ’19, and Eton Shon ’19 had breakfast in Harvard Square on Feb. 11.

← LOS ANGELES, CA

Henry Phipps ’17 and Jesse Valdez ’17 #NuevaNoshed with Coby Weiss (right), who supported former science teacher Luke De with establishing the XRT program at the Upper School.

AUSTIN, TX → While in town for a conference, trustee Chris Sun ’96, P ’33, ’35 joined Ethan Lipka ’18 for dinner. Ethan is a data scientist for the Texas Democratic Party.

BRIEFS

2010

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Do you have news or personal updates you’d like to share?

We invite you to submit a class brief about exciting personal events, including marriages or new arrivals, professional experiences or accomplishments, recent travel, reunions with fellow Nueva alumni, and more. nuevaschool.org/ classbriefs

Molly Johnson received her Master of Philosophy in psychoanalytic studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

2012

from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology in 2020. He currently lives in Durham, NC and teaches at a rural charter school about 30 minutes outside of the city.

2017

Emily Ross transferred Google teams, relocating from London to New York City this past spring. Before her move, she enjoyed a nine-day trip to Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, and

Granada, where she was able to experience and learn more about Spain’s rich medieval Jewish history. Her excursion was inspired by the eighth grade Spanish trip to Andalucía, which, as a student studying Japanese, she didn’t go on, but always envied. ¶ Swetha Tummala completed Boston University’s seven-year medical program in the spring of 2024. She is the first Upper School graduate to complete medical school. ¶ Jesse Valdez* graduated from the University of Southern California in December 2023. She is currently pursuing new professional opportunities, while spending as much time as possible with her new puppy,

2019

Arun Johnson is a graduate student at MIT, pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. His long-term goal is to launch a renewable hydrogen startup based on his research. Outside of school, he enjoys rock climbing, event forecasting with prediction markets, and keeping the Duolingo owl happy. ¶ Jenna graduated from Pomona College in 2023 with a double

major in molecular biology and philosophy. She is currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins, pursuing her Ph.D. and splitting her time between the philosophy department and bioethics institute.

Zack Chroman ’18 caught up with Head of School Lee Fertig during a visit to the San Mateo campus in June.

Swetha Tummala ’17

Jesse Valdez ’17 with her dog, Bennie.

While completing her graduate studies at Trinity College this spring, Molly Johnson ’10 had dinner with the 12th graders visiting Dublin as part of the May trips week.

2020 Jeremy Dumalig* is a 2024 graduate of the University of Chicago, where he triple-majored in data science, statistics, and economics. In June, he relocated to New York City to work for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Jeremy’s deep passion for basketball and sports analytics started at Nueva while he completed his junior-year Quest project and has evolved into his dream job and career! ¶ Ryan Gannon graduated from the Penn Management and

Technology Program with a dual degree in computer science and finance. He and Sean Cheong ’21 founded Watney Robotics to accelerate the deployment of intelligent robots in the real world. Watney’s robots can fold laundry, clean the kitchen, and buy groceries. If you’d like to learn more about their company, be sure to follow it on X (Twitter) @watneyrobotics or email ryan@watneyrobotics.com. ¶ Zoe Herlick graduated from Duke with a Bachelor of Arts in environmental

Class Rep Jeremy Dumalig ’20 joined the Brooklyn Nets operations and analytics team.

Zoe Herlick ’20 celebrates her spring graduation from Duke.

Ryan Gannon ’20

Jacob Leeman ’20

Jason Hwong ’20

Luciano Malavasi ’20

sciences and policy with a concentration in environmental economics and a minor in psychology. She is working at Joele Frank, a financial communications firm, on its Environmental/ Social/Governance (ESG) team where she assists companies in improving and assessing their sustainability strategies. ¶ After graduating from Vanderbilt with a dual degree in mechanical engineering and climate studies, Jason Hwong is a summer 2024 research intern at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford. He plans to take a gap year in 2024–25 to work and travel before pursuing his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Stanford. ¶ Jacob Leeman graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. In the fall, he will begin graduate studies at Princeton, pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry to study natural product biosynthesis. ¶ University of Chicago graduate Irene Madejski is currently working at the Center for Translational Data Science as a research assistant focusing on projects related to machine learning applications to biomedical data. This past spring, she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and her master’s in computer science. ¶ Luciano Malavasi was awarded Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Salisbury Prize. One of 21 students to receive the award, he graduated in the spring of 2024 with degrees in physics and electrical and computer engineering with

high distinction. Luciano is moving to Seattle to pursue a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Washington. ¶ Madeline Park* graduated from Columbia with a degree in computer science and a minor in history in the spring of 2024. She will remain in New York City to work as a software engineer for Uber’s marketplace dynamics team. She looks forward to seeing many fellow Nuevans in NYC this fall! ¶

Nikhil Patel graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in computer science. He plans to relocate to New York City to work at the small startup Whatnot and is looking forward to exploring the city and continuing to DJ once he is settled there. ¶ Tyler Poon received his Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and computer science this spring from the University of Chicago. He is moving back to the Bay Area to work at Nvidia.

Maya Chawla

spent her spring semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. In addition to her studies, the UC Berkeley third-year enjoyed the city’s walkability, art, and good food. She spent weekends exploring smaller towns in Italy and visiting friends studying abroad in different locations. ¶ Gaelen Clayton is a member of the women’s varsity soccer team at Washington University in St. Louis. In the fall of 2023, the Bears were the NCAA Division III national runner-up. Gaelen is studying mechanical engineering

UChicago graduates the Madejski twins, Sophia ’20 and Irene ’20

Tyler Poon ’20 celebrating his UChicago graduation with his parents, Buffy and Alex, and siblings Kelly ’24 and Ryan ’22.

Nikhil Patel ’20

Class Rep Madeline Park ’20

and is enjoying visiting her teammates over the summer. ¶ Molly Dillon is a rising fourth-year biology major at Washington University in St. Louis. ¶ Over the summer of 2024, Purdue fourth-year Austin Jewett is living in Los Angeles and interning at SpaceX.

2022

A chemistry and physics double major at Harvard, Andrew Chu spent his spring semester conducting research in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. ¶ David Chan* will begin his third-year at Carnegie Mellon, where he is studying electrical and computer engineering. While back home in the Bay Area this summer, he is working on creating a generic IO harness for digital chip designs and continuing to develop labs for CMU’s introductory electrical and computer engineering class. During the upcoming academic year, he’s excited to serve as treasurer for the Carnegie Involvement Association, a buggy (push-powered go-kart) team. ¶ Karen Guo is studying at MIT and majoring in computer science

and AI with a humanities concentration in history. She is also active in robotics, art, and several clubs. ¶ Tyler Huang* is a rising third-year student at Northwestern and is spending the summer interning at Victory Park Capital in Chicago. He is looking forward to studying abroad in Madrid in the fall. ¶

Callisto Lodwick has signed with literary agency Sheil Land Associates, a longestablished literary, theatrical, and film agency, for the sale of her debut novel. ¶ After taking a gap year, Connor McGraw enjoyed his first year at University of Chicago. He is studying computer science and considering a dual degree with economics. Connor has enjoyed all the people he has met in Chicago and often visits his Nueva friends who attend nearby Northwestern. ¶ Columbia rising second-year Adrienne Park is pursuing a degree in applied mathematics. She attended the New York regional social in February and appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with peers and meet older alumni for the first time. ¶ Humza Rabbani had a great sophomore year at University of Pennsylvania, where he continued his involvement in two technology consulting clubs, was a member of the club squash team, and joined an on-campus investing fund. Highlights from the school year include attending the club squash nationals, exploring downtown Philadelphia, making day trips to New York to visit his Nueva friends, and hosting Class of 2022 friends Josh Yao, Enzo Salles, and his brother,

Raza, for a St. Patrick’s Day visit. ¶ Harvey Mudd thirdyear Theo Rode is studying computer science and mathematics. This past year he has been working with a professor at Caltech on solar-induced fluorescent retrieval from satellites and writing a pipeline for endto-end data processing. Over the spring semester, he recreated and expanded research on automated recovery of nonlinear dynamic systems, which are systems that evolve over time. Due to his work in his dynamical systems class, his professor asked him to join her research lab next semester to support her work on dynamical system recovery on networks with a focus on opinion dynamics.

Over the summer, he is conducting robotics research at Berkeley’s AI lab (BAIR). At BAIR, he is involved in three different projects and will be collaborating with researchers at MIT and Google. He is also using large language models to support an art project focused on trees for the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. ¶ Coby Wagonfeld is a double major in global affairs and economics at Yale. During his sophomore year, he led Yale’s undergraduate restaurant club, Y Pop-up, as the head chef, was in the school’s entrepreneurial society incubator program, and oversaw consulting projects for the Yale chapter of TAMID, a nonprofit that connects students to Israeli

Class Rep Tyler Huang ’22

Callisto Lodwick ’22 has signed with a literary agency to sell her upcoming debut novel.

entrepreneurs. ¶ Owen Zhang is studying computer science, data science, and business at NYU. In his second year, he was involved in the pre-professional tech club and enjoyed exploring New York City.

2023

Calder Burkhart* is a biology major at the College of William & Mary. She is a member of the Chi Omega sorority and is planning to join the school’s sailing team in the fall. This summer, she is working as a lifeguard and camp counselor on Orcas Island, WA. ¶ Rising Tufts secondyear Isabelle Ho spent her first year in college participating in robotics and on the battlebots team. She also enjoyed her conversational Italian class, became certified to use the power tools at the makerspace at Tufts, and is planning on booking a session with the Lathe, the larger machine shop, soon. ¶ Harvey Mudd second-year Akshay Seetharam is double majoring in mathematical and computational biology and music. He is completing his music degree at fellow Claremont college Scripps. In his first year, he was involved in Pomona’s Model UN team, the 7C’s quiz bowl team, and made crosswords for the college newspaper, The Student Life. ¶ Caltech second-year Albert Huang is studying computation and neural systems and working in a lab studying flow states. ¶ Before entering her second year at Swarthmore, Stephanie Liu is spending her summer on campus working in Professor Eva-

Marie Collins lab on projects involved in confirming the expression profile of D. japonica planarian genes involved in organophosphate toxicity through colorimetric and fluorescent in situ hybridization. ¶ Carissa Wang is majoring in computer science at Tufts. In addition to her classes, she is a member of various clubs, including the Chinese Students Association. She has enjoyed spending the weekends exploring Boston with her friends and reconnecting with fellow Mavericks at Nueva’s inaugural Boston regional social in early February. ¶ Vanderbilt rising secondyear student Isabella Yalif is studying economics, sociology, and computer science. In addition to exploring Nashville, she is a member of the Vanderbilt Business Review and Justice Through Tech club, and plays on the club volleyball team. Over the summer, she is conducting healthcare research at UCSF. ¶ Michelle Zhang had a busy second semester at Pomona. She is exploring what she wants to major in and really enjoyed her freshman classes focused on geology and geohazards and a sociology elective on citizenship. A writer for the Claremont Colleges newspaper, The Student Life, she writes “Let’s Go Local,” an arts and culture column, where she interviews local businesses. A member of the First-Year Committee, she planned various events and participated in volunteer work, including driving uneaten food from the dining halls to a local community

center. Over the summer, Michelle plans to travel to Australia and France. ¶ Annli Zhu is studying math and is involved in quantum computing research at Yale. During her first year, she enjoyed traveling on the East Coast, performing with the figure skating team, and illustrating and writing for the school’s science magazine. During the summer, she is back home in the Bay Area working at Cresta as a data science and product intern.

Swarthmore alumnus English Teacher Allen Frost visited with current Garnet Stephanie Liu ’23 during his Swarthmore reunion weekend in late May.

During the Class of 2024’s senior sleepover, Calder Burkhart ’23, Isabella Yalif ’23, Raza Rabbani ’22, and Connor McGraw ’22 visited with the almost-grads to offer insight about the transition from Nueva to college.

How to Part Ways

(A COLLABORATIVE POEM, CLASS OF 2024)

COLLECTED AND PRESENTED BY UPPER SCHOOL CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER AMBER CARPENTER

Tie loose ends.

Be present.

Be glad that it happened.

Be thankful for the experience of the journey.

Focus on what lasts.

Remember to look down the road until your eyes can trace the footsteps back.

Remember that at the end of the day, it’s all going to be okay.

Find joy anywhere & always.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

Time is precious use it well.

Take time to let yourself feel the past, present, and the future.

Take a piece of everyone you know.

Take a photo of yourself in your favorite place.

Bring a piece of home with you, big or small, so parting is never truly parting.

Let yourself feel.

Express as much gratitude as humanly possible for those that make it difficult to part ways.

It’s never too late to seek or extend a connection.

Store goodbyes beside your heart don’t let them corrode from the center of your spirit.

Save your friends’ new mailing addresses so this goodbye is just the prefix of hi.

Love & be loved.

It’s okay to let go of grudges.

Letting go is not forgetting.

Write a letter to your future self.

Send emails, not texts.

Leave with grace knowing that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

Console yourself with syllogisms: if no one’s path is straight for such is life certain paths must cross at some point; find comfort in the possibility of crossing.

Cherish joyous & challenging memories, too, for they are what made you.

Hug that one friend you wish you were a little closer to.

Recall that the oyster is our paradise.

This is not just an end; it’s also a beginning.

Never look back as you walk through the door always leave it open.

Never forget.

You’re the greatest thing we’ve lost.

MATCH GAME!

Can you match each text to the class where Nueva students read it? And yes—you should absolutely use this as a reading list!

4th Grade

5th Grade

“You must remember,” she said, putting a bony hand on mine, “that true stories do not always end as we would wish them to. Would you like to hear the truth of what happened, or shall I make something up for you just to keep you happy?”

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

9th

10th

“When I learned the Spanish word for succeed, I thought it was kind of ironic that the word exit is embedded in it. Like the universe was telling me that in order for me to make something of this life, I’d have to leave home, my neighborhood, my friends.”

“It is this way with wonder: it takes a bit of patience, and it takes putting yourself in the right place at the right time. It requires that we be curious enough to forgo our small distractions in order to find the world.”

“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy, or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order is imagined. You always insist that the order sustaining society is an objective reality created by the great gods or by the laws of nature. People are unequal, not because Hammurabi said so, but because Enlil and Marduk decreed it. People are equal, not because Thomas Jefferson said so, but because God created them that way. Free markets are the best economic system, not because Adam Smith said so, but because these are the immutable laws of nature.”

“The sea is a memory. It is mesmerizing. Its beauty is intolerable. What it buries is vaster than what it reveals. Every so often you get a glimpse of what you forget, or you wade in and something snags you, a broken shell or a sea urchin the fishermen missed...No waves speak with the same voice, though they share the same elements and motion, the regular beating of the surf, their rippling heaves.”

“I still felt dizzy when we took a break to eat lunch. It was past two o’clock and we sat underneath a large walnut tree that was on the side of the road. While we ate, Papá jotted down the number of boxes we had picked. Roberto drew designs on the ground with a stick. Suddenly I noticed Papá’s face turn pale as he looked down the road. “Here comes the school bus,” he whispered loudly in alarm. Instinctively, Roberto and I ran and hid in the vineyards. We did not want to get in trouble for not going to school.”

“It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you’ve made, and there’s this panic because you don’t know yet the scale of disaster you’ve left yourself open to.”

MAVFEST!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2024

SAN MATEO CAMPUS

We invite all Nueva students, families, teachers, and staff to join us at MavFest for food, fun, performances, and community!

11 A.M.–12 P.M. New Family Reception 12–3 P.M. All-community Celebration

131 E. 28th Ave.

San Mateo, CA 94403

Page 30

Faces of Nueva