WEBB Magazine Summer 2021 by The Webb Schools

Webb

Celebrating Our First 100 Years 2021 Commencement Pandemic Inspires Novel Approaches

MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021

Ready for the Next 100

The TheCentennial CentennialYears YearsOpening OpeningCelebration Celebration October October22-23, 22-23,2021 2021 CENTENNIAL CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN LAUNCH LAUNCH EVENTS EVENTS

Alumni Alumni Weekend Weekend 2021 2021 will will include include the the community community launch launch and and first first public public celebration celebration ofof The The Centennial Centennial Years Years and and The The Next Next 100: 100: The The Centennial Centennial Campaign Campaign Join Join usus onon The The Centennial Centennial Plaza Plaza

FRIDAY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER OCTOBER 2222

The The29th 29thAnnual AnnualPeccary PeccarySociety SocietyDinner Dinner– – Raymond RaymondM. M.Alf AlfMuseum MuseumofofPaleontology Paleontology SATURDAY, SATURDAY, OCTOBER OCTOBER 2323

Class Class Reunions Reunions (0s (0s && 5s5s and and 1s1s && 6s) 6s)

The TheCentennial CentennialYears YearsOpening OpeningCelebration CelebrationDinner Dinner &&The TheNext Next100: 100:The TheCentennial CentennialCampaign CampaignLaunch Launch The The dinner dinner and and launch launch will will bebe livestreamed livestreamed forfor those those who who wish wish to to join join usus remotely. remotely.

Features

Webb

Webb Today

From the Head of Schools

Arts

Celebrating Our First 100 Years

Debate

KWEB

Class Of 2021 Commencement

Faculty

The Class Of 2020 Returns

Athletics

Pandemic Inspires Novel Approaches

Giving

Our Leadership

The Alf Museum

Alumni Profiles

Events & Highlights

Alumni News

In Memoriam

The Final Word

MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021

Newsnotes

MEET OUR WRITERS... John Ferrari has experience as a

Joe Woodward served as Webb’s director

newspaper journalist and as a writer,

of strategic communications from 2016

editor, communications strategist and

to 2021 and its director of institutional

public outreach specialist in higher

advancement from 2006 to 2016. He has an

education. He has written feature articles

M.A. in education from Claremont Graduate

on topics ranging from astrophysics and

University and an MFA from Brooklyn

genetics to theme parks and, of course,

College. He is also the founder of Work at

the Alf Museum. He also serves as a public

Social Impact LLC, a career guidance group

affairs officer in the Navy Reserve.

aimed at helping others make a positive impact on their communities.

Cover: The time spiral on the cover is a representation of one created by Webb teacher Ray Alf to demonstrate the history of life on Earth. Read more about it in the Head of Schools message on page 2 and about the early days of Webb in our Centennial feature on page 4.

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This Moment of Time A PECCARY FOSSIL AND A TIME SPIRAL. These symbols emblazon the cover of this magazine, lampposts across the Webb campus, our website, staff badges and so much more. So why would a school that focuses on innovative approaches, unbounded thinking and cutting-edge leadership anchor itself to an ancient pig cousin or a tool recounting time periods long passed?

“What will you do with your moment of time?” Actually, the images could not be more appropriate. First, the unassuming peccary stands as an example of the dynamic spirit of inquiry and hands-on learning that characterizes The Webb Schools. The peccary was adopted by the school in the 1930s, when science teacher and geology fanatic Ray Alf and students unearthed the skull of an undiscovered species that lived more than 15 million years ago. That discovery sparked a movement at Webb that led directly to the creation of our world-class museum – the only one of its kind at a high school. Most of the fossils have been found by students, who have also co-authored more than 50 research papers about those specimens in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Far from stranding us in the past, the peccary represents Webb’s exploration of life in all its marvelous complexity, our efforts to delve into mysteries cloaked by the passage of eons. The time spiral is another enduring icon for Webb. It too can be traced to Alf, who devised it to demonstrate the flow of time on Earth and the significant moments when life emerged and evolved. In part, he wanted to emphasize the ephemeral nature of humanity – we’ve been here for less than half a million years. That’s the blink of an eye, a grain of dust, a mere moment of time. Alf liked to let that reality sink in before hitting students with a profound question: What will you do with your moment of time? This question is nothing less than a challenge to make a difference, knowing we each have the power to change lives, to impact those we touch. If our time here is limited, so too is our opportunity to have an impact. We must do so with intentionality, with purpose, with planning.

For those of us at Webb, this question is something we consider as a way of evaluating our own contributions, a measure of the meaningfulness of our efforts, often in times of great challenge. It has been especially potent this last year as we grappled with a pandemic, social unrest, issues of equity across many facets of our community and geopolitical shifts. Amid these challenges, Webb has thrived. Our teachers innovated, our students engaged in unbounded thinking and demonstrated leadership in so many capacities. They addressed needs on campus and in the world around us. Indeed, this period of pandemic has presented us with great opportunities to demonstrate how we are spending our moment. All of this makes our two iconic symbols a fitting framework as Webb prepares to celebrate the success of our first 100 years and launch our next 100. This is a moment of time not only for reflecting on the past – on educators such as founder Thompson Webb and Ray Alf – but also on the opportunities to continue evolving our approach to instruction as we guide our students to lives of leadership and impact. Please let me conclude by repeating Alf’s challenge to all members of Webb’s community, from our newest students to our alumni: What will you do with your moment of time?

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools

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Celebrating Our First 100 Years The history of The Webb Schools is long, storied, complicated. As we approach The Centennial in 2022, we will begin to explore that history together, online and in print – from the founding family to the file on parapsychology, from Gumby to a Getty heir, the last days of the rifle club to the founding of the Alf Museum. by Joe Woodward

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ur school archives are rich and plentiful, packed full of Thompson Webb’s letters, film reels, videos and recorded recollections of alumni from across the eras. While we will no doubt all revel in what we find among the strange facts and weird stories, we will also measure ourselves against the yardstick of history – measure what we meant to do against what we did.

SUMMER 1922 – WEBB BEGINS

Let’s begin here with a simple, but difficult question. Why are we here, or rather, why is Webb still here after 100 years? Webb celebrates its centennial because of an unwavering, nearly otherworldly, devotion to a founding mission that places acting with honor and moral courage above all else. We’ve heard this sentiment shared in various forums, dozens and dozens of times. Well, the archives bear this out. We are as clear about and devoted to our mission today as we were 100 years ago.

Thompson continued: “I wondered if you would consider a proposition on a contract basis without a definite amount of cash but on a percentage of the income of the school, if I could win your faith in my ability to make a success of it.” And he went on still further, “If you are in a position to help me in the beginning, I think I can make you a better deal, in the long run, in return.”

Our story, though, like all good ones, is full of knotty characters, headstrong and ambitious, noble-minded and flawed. Flawed heroes, some might call them. In truth, there is no other kind. The heroes in our story have guided Webb through a century of turmoil and trouble, and today we can celebrate this milestone because they triumphed rather than acquiesced. They pushed forward through spoiled crops and financial ruin, recessions and Depression, culture clashes and educational fads, foreign wars and political upheavals, epidemics and now even a global pandemic – and Webb survives, even thrives. Our flawed heroes have made sure something stands at 1175 W. Baseline Road instead of nothing. Something important and good. And it wasn’t easy.

Many people know that it was a short letter from Sherman Thacher that led Thompson Webb to an abandoned school campus for boys in the foothills of Claremont. With the seed planted, Thompson formulated a plot and put together a plan. He grasped at straws, actually. He floated possibilities into thin air. In a letter to the agent of the abandoned school Thompson wrote, “As it stands the price seems beyond my grasp … I have some property but no cash. It happens that my property is in California too, being undeveloped land. It is high-class property but not liquid.” The property he wrote of was a failed onion farm in the desert.

“I am running day and night to see people about their boys. I feel reasonably certain of three boys to date and have good chances of getting six more or even eight more,” he wrote on July 22, 1922.

He would open the school with 14 boys that fall, which was by any account a triumph. He reported in another letter that after having his car for just one week he had already driven 800 miles in search of students. And by the way, Sherman Thacher delivered on his promise to help Thompson if he took over the abandoned school in Claremont. Thacher sent him a list of boys his school was unable to accommodate. Thompson followed up with every family. So, you see, for many reasons it remains miraculous that our school should begin at all – and that it should thrive some 100 years on. Once begun, though, many trials would follow.

SUMMER 1930 – AN EPIDEMIC HITS The 1929-30 school year had its own rough beginning, and in October it took a turn for the worse. On Monday, October 29, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange plummeted, setting off the worst market crash and subsequent economic decline in world history. We’re not talking about a failed onion farm here. Fortunes were lost and families ruined.

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools “One of the fundamental principles of our academic program is that we demand students be engaged in the design of their own education. The Webb program is not a one-size-fits-all or passive educational experience. From the day students arrive, we guide them in identifying and exploring their interests, ensure they connect their studies to their lives and the broader world in meaningful ways and allow them to experience the joy of discovery and the reward of taking on something challenging and finding success. It’s a program that’s nimble and dynamic. We can incorporate new courses, new technologies and new ways of learning into the program deliberately and quickly. Our unbounded spirit is alive and well, helping us meet the challenges of tomorrow.” Dr. Theresa Smith Associate Head of Schools

YEARS

He was doing more with his time than admiring how the summer sunset settled in the grassy foothills.

“ When I first stepped foot on this campus in 1988, I knew I belonged here. I knew that the ethos of the schools – the community’s devotion to its timeless mission and values – spoke to me and that this was a place I wanted to set down roots. While Webb has nourished me and my family, shaped me, given me so much, likewise I have worked over these last three decades to give back and serve Webb. We stand together now on the precipice of the future with unbounded hope and opportunity. While we are excited to celebrate our accomplishments as a community, we are at the same time fiercely committed to securing our future to ensure that all that is right and good here continues on for generations to follow.”

THE

After a good deal of back and forth, Thompson prevailed. He moved his family onto the abandoned campus and lived in a tent and got to work. In a letter home, he wrote, “Mother, we become more and more in love with our place. It is a perfectly splendid establishment. I do not see how we could plan a place any nicer except as to size.”

Centennial

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A financial shockwave pushed into every corner of America. It mattered little if you owned real estate, built cars or sold oranges by the side of the road. This made things even tougher here. Thompson pushed on and through it again, but there was more bad news shortly at hand. On June 18, 1930, Thompson Webb wrote a letter to all his Webb parents reporting some shocking news. A Webb student, who had gone home ill in early June, had since been diagnosed with infantile paralysis – polio. And though the boy seemed to recover from his fever, he did not return to health. Thompson warned parents to keep an eye on their sons and to see a doctor if symptoms developed. He closed his letter as positively as he could, explaining there was a “convalescent serum” available, and if given early “the disease can be greatly lightened.” In his letter, Thompson also made a glancing reference to a “little epidemic” on campus that spring during which eight boys contracted the measles. Two paragraphs long, the letter was rushed out that afternoon. Nearly 90 years later, Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale would rush out a similar letter to parents, electronically this time, with the shocking news of the coming global pandemic and Webb’s plans to return all students home – down the street, across the country and around the world.

THE MIRACULOUS – AGAIN AND AGAIN The miraculous happens again and again at Webb. As we celebrate The Centennial Years, we will unpack a variety of origin stories, including the founding of the Alf Museum and Vivian Webb School. We will delve into the history of our founding family, too – all the way back to Thompson’s great grandfather, who fought in the Revolutionary War, founded a school in North Carolina and later was elected nine times to the U.S. House of Representatives. We will examine Sawney Webb’s service on the wrong side of the Civil War, the founding and growth of his school in Tennessee and how both impacted Thompson. All of this, and much more.

THE FOUNDING OF VIVIAN WEBB SCHOOL To close here, and as a way of honoring the 40th anniversary of the founding of Vivian Webb School, we can look at Head of School Ann R. Longley’s first annual report. Only 10 pages long, it reads entrepreneurial and unbounded, just as Thompson Webb’s first letters home to his mother did, too. She notes, for example, the school opened with just one full-time administrator and two part-time teachers. Though largely a document of nuts and bolts – with sections devoted to public relations and fundraising – there was something more to be found.

To take it full circle, near the end of Longley’s preamble, she wrote:

As for the prospect of this new enterprise succeeding into the future, an admission report was offered.

“While students are not asked to accept any one particular affirmation, it is hoped that through the chapel program they will develop a sense of purpose and direction to their lives, and internalize a system of values which distinguishes right from wrong. It is also hoped that they will come to a deeper awareness of their own spirituality and develop a greater respect for the beliefs of others.”

“While we have not been overwhelmed with applications, we have had no trouble filling the school with qualified students and have reached the projected numbers both years: 34 for 1981 in two grades, 58 for 1982 in three grades. Next year we are projecting between 75 and 80 students in the four grades.” Other years saw troubles of their own kind – 1922, 1930, 2020. However, today the news improves. In fact, for the 2020-21 school year Webb received the greatest number of inquiries and applications in its long history. Yes, there is much to do and now many, thankfully, to do it, as we celebrate our past and we plan for the future.

SPECIAL NOTE We wish to acknowledge and thank our Alumni Archive Team. Bill Ripley ’60, Dwight Morgan ’65 and Bob Connolly ’89 have worked tirelessly to reclaim, organize and begin the work of collecting and preserving our shared history for the next 100 years and beyond. We are all grateful.

Archival photos: Thompson and Vivian Webb and their children (page 8, bottom left), a 1960s Peccary Society fossil-hunting trip (page 8, top right), Vivian Webb School founding head Ann R. Longley and the VWS graduating class of 1984 (page 9, left).

Vivian Webb School’s 40th anniversary celebration on page 79.

Read about

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Webb Launches a Campaign for the Next 100 Years This fall, The Webb Schools will begin the community phase of The Centennial Campaign, designed to strengthen the foundation for expanding student opportunity, supporting academic strengths and improving our campus home for the next 100 years. As Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale often reminds us, while boarding schools in the East were built to be secluded and isolated from the problems and issues of the day, schools founded in the early 20th century in the West were not. From Maine to Virginia, traditional independent schools flourished in secluded woodlands and hidden mountain valleys founded on the European model. In the West, though, schools like Webb remained free to grow and develop, to innovate and plan for a bold future. Webb has done just that.

On Saturday, October 23, the Webb community will gather on campus during Alumni Weekend to officially begin a year-long celebration of The Centennial Years and to launch The Next 100: The Centennial Campaign.

“Webb is in an enviable position as we approach the community launch of the campaign. We have benefited enormously from early, generous leadership gifts from alumni, parents and members of our Board of Trustees,” Chief Advancement Officer Bob Fass said. Webb’s early start was led by two key trustees: Blake Brown ’68 and Denis Yip P ’18, ’19 in partnership with Stockdale. An expanded campaign executive committee now includes Brown, Yip, Rick Clarke ’63 P ’98, Jim Drasdo ’63, Susan Nelson P ’95, ’97 (Head Emerita) and Sandra Lee Rebish ’88, P ’23, ’24. “Blake and Denis have demonstrated their commitment by example,” Fass said. “They have stretched their own personal giving. They have solicited their peers. They have been involved in developing a vision for the next 100 years and guided us to create a plan around it. We could not be more grateful to each of them and to our entire board.”

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The Next 100 campaign is focused on inspiring support around three major initiatives.

Opening Webb To The World

Academic Innovation & Unbounded Thinking

Goal: $40 million-$50 million

Goal: $30 million-$40 million

The first and most critical campaign

Our second objective is to ensure that Webb

objective is to make it possible for

has the necessary resources to recruit and

students from all backgrounds and

support the most dedicated and accomplished

financial means to enroll and fully

teachers in the nation while offering one-of-a-kind

engage in the Webb experience. Securing

experiential learning opportunities that go beyond

this goal through dramatically growing

traditional classroom instruction. Anchored by such

Webb’s financial aid endowment will

singular programs as the Alf Museum, our dedication

enhance both the academic success and

to immersive curricular exploration enables Webb

diversity of our school community.

to connect students with deep and critical thinking about the world around them and solve modern-day problems with relevant and innovative solutions.

Transforming Our Campus Home Goal: $15 million-$20 million Third, we must continue to invest in our campus home, in maintenance, renovation and strategic master planning – all efforts that will enhance our teaching and living spaces for the next century. As such, the campus must be equipped with the residential, recreational and academic components of a top-tier Western boarding school while continuing to place an emphasis on such priorities as safety, comfort, advanced technology, sustainability, flexible work and study spaces, historic preservation and outdoor athletic and gathering spaces.

THE NEXT 100 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Blake Brown ’68, Rick Clarke ’63 P ’98, Jim Drasdo ’63, Susan Nelson P ’95, ’97 (Head Emerita), Sandra Lee Rebish ’88, P ’23, ’24 and Denis Yip P ’18, ’19.

“The Centennial Celebration belongs to every member of our community. Webb thrives today because of your contributions – our alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff. We stand on the shoulders of giants and celebrate all we have built together, while committing ourselves to tomorrow’s generation. With innovation and unbounded thinking, we will move forward and act boldly as we plan for and secure Webb’s next 100 years.” Sanjay Dholakia ’87, P ’21 Chair, Board of Trustees

The renovation of Hooper Community Center is one of two recent projects made possible because of the generosity of Webb’s alumni, parents and friends. The second project, higher up the hill at Appleby Dormitory, included converting double rooms into single rooms, among other needed improvements.

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Scan to watch the 2021 Webb School of California Commencement

CLASS OF

2021

Scan to watch the 2021 Vivian Webb School Commencement

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CLASS OF

2021

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CLASS OF 2021 COMMENCEMENT

Judge Praises VWS Class of 2021’s Commitment to Community Vivian Webb School’s Class of 2021 should be proud of preserving their sense of community and tackling social issues despite pandemic disruptions, commencement speaker Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ’93 told graduates. “The story of what you have accomplished is a magnificent one which will inspire everyone who knows you – your family, your friends, your teachers, your community and the world that is waiting to meet you,” Frimpong said. About 200 family and friends joined 49 members of the Class of 2021 – including nine present virtually – for the 38th commencement of Vivian Webb School held June 12 on Webb’s new Centennial Field. Frimpong, a Vivian Webb valedictorian, Harvard graduate and Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, said students surmounted considerable challenges in earning their diplomas, including the pandemic that required them to shift to online learning in spring of their junior year. Because of the pandemic, the class missed out on some traditions, including a senior trip to climb Yosemite’s Half Dome, though seniors returned to campus in 2021 for limited study groups, afternoon activities, sports and a special end-of-year program. “That diploma represents that you can complete anything that you start. You have literally stared down a global pandemic and beat it. I felt pretty proud of myself when I hiked Half Dome, but I’m sorry, you ladies have really done something,” Frimpong said. “You carried on. You kept learning and teaching and leading. You kept setting goals and reaching them. And even when you failed, you tried again. When you were told you had to go home and you couldn’t build community on

Scan to watch Judge Frimpong’s address

campus, you kept building community virtually. You did not let anything stop you.” Students lost some traditions, but created new ones and kept the most important of all, Frimpong said. “You still have sapientia amicitia atque honor – wisdom, friendship and honor,” she said, quoting the school motto. “Wisdom, friendship and honor does not live in a particular place and does not need a particular platform or format. You have it. And here’s the secret. Vivian Webb didn’t give it to you. You brought it with you. Vivian Webb just helped uncover it. The pandemic revealed it. And the rest of your life will display it.” On top of that, students continued to deal with major community issues. “During a year when the world and nation was grappling with very difficult questions around race and gender and equality and politics, you grappled with those questions. You proposed answers. You revised those answers, you came up with new vocabulary to make those answers better and better,” she said. “No matter how difficult the question, you did not stop trying to come up with answers.” The ceremony also featured addresses by Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale, Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith and valedictorian Jenny Han. Class President Ashley Munguia shared that the class gift would help fund weekend programs for future students.

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CLASS OF 2021 COMMENCEMENT

Alumnus Urges WSC Class of 2021 to Become ‘Authentic Leaders’ Logistics expert Dakota Santana-Grace ’11 told members of the Webb School of California Class of 2021 to admit when they need a helping hand and to work to discover their authentic selves. Some 200 families and 52 of the 55 graduates – including 15 who attended virtually – gathered June 12 on Webb’s new Centennial Field for the school’s 99th commencement ceremony. Santana-Grace graduated cum laude from Harvard in 2016 with a degree in government. He is a project leader for the Boston Consulting Group specializing in global package delivery and serves as a leader for PRIDE@BCG, the organization’s LGBTQ+ professional inclusion program. During the ceremony, he shared with students his rocky first year at college when he was diagnosed with a seizure disorder and had to return home to Claremont. It was a difficult time, made more so because he had not yet come out to his family. Through it all, he was supported by his Webb classmates and faculty, especially Dr. Don Lofgren and Stefanie Plumley. “Here I was in this moment wholly insufficient to independently chart this time forward,” Santana-Grace said. “But in that time, I learned something that made that seizure worth it. I learned that ‘I’ is an illusion, and I am at my best when I accept I am a ‘we.’” He urged the graduates to learn from his example. “Find the humility to accept that you are a ‘we,’” he said. “Finding that humility makes it possible to grab on to the extended helping hand.” When the pandemic hit, Santana-Grace said he’d almost forgotten that lesson – until he finally reached out to his Webb network and family while living alone and feeling depressed. Santana-Grace also urged the new graduates to come out. “It has little to do with being gay and everything to do with becoming authentic leaders, something we so desperately need Scan to watch Dakota Santana-Grace’s address

as a world,” he said. “It is a process where the beliefs you have about yourself – core beliefs – and the expectations others have for you are challenged. It is a process that requires re-evaluating who you are at the core and finding a truer expression of yourself.” The graduates will have many opportunities for this exploration during their college journeys, he said. “The next four years will fill you with doubt, confusion, discovery and excitement. The finish line you have for the years ahead will inevitably move. Your academic passions will evolve beyond what you initially ever imagined you wanted to study. Your ambitions will change from what you walked in with as you learn about new careers and new frontiers. And your friendships and love lives will both hoist you up and put you through memorable and formative turbulence. “My advice to you is to not fight this. Come out. Come out about your evolving view of who you want to be. Find that thing that makes you come alive and be willing to surprise yourselves. We call it commencement because it is the starting line. You can run straight, missing the opportunity to learn more about yourselves, or you can come out, accept the detours, move the finish line.” “When we do this, we become brighter. We lift ourselves and those around us up. It is not easy. It is scary. And there can be unfair consequences for it. But those are far outweighed, many times and most times, by the joy and opportunities for being yourself,” he said. The ceremony also featured speeches from Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale, Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith and valedictorian Calvin Xu. Class President Gregory Tolmochow announced the Class of 2021 gift will provide funds for students to engage in weekend outings.

CLASS OF

2021

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Residential Program Keeps Alive Senior Year Traditions

ebb’s Class of 2021 celebrated the end of their high school journey with an on-campus senior trip experience that kept alive the traditions of senior class hiking trips canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In years past, seniors from the Webb School of California visited the Grand Canyon, tackling a grueling 17-mile hike to the bottom and back. Vivian Webb School seniors visited Yosemite, scaling the iconic 5,000-foot Half Dome. During the trips, Vivian Webb students reviewed letters they wrote to themselves as freshmen and shared their reflections. Webb School of California students passed around a rock hammer as they shared final thoughts with classmates.

“These traditions allow our seniors to reflect in a meaningful way on their last four years and strengthen their bonds as they begin the next stage of their lives,” said Sonsoles Cardalliaguet, Vivian Webb senior class advisor. “It’s also a lot of fun to take one last trip as a class.”

CLASS OF

2021

In spring 2021, those trips couldn’t happen because of the pandemic. But conditions improved enough to allow seniors to come to campus for a week-long residential program that represented the first-ever joint celebration by the two schools. The program featured the best of the trips – camping under the stars, hikes, campfires and s’mores. Students also enjoyed a few extra activities made possible because they were at Webb – beach excursions, snorkeling, a formal dinner with an open mic and music, movie night and food truck visits. Each school also held its own reflection event.

“It seems appropriate for them to join together for much of the event – they navigated this incredibly weird year together and now they get to celebrate it together,” said Stephen Caddy, senior class advisor for the Webb School of California.

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Webb Students Accepted to Top Colleges Every student in The Webb Schools’ Class of 2021 earned acceptance to a selective, four-year college or university amid a historic leap in college applications and an equally historic plunge in acceptance rates. Students at Vivian Webb School and Webb School of California were accepted to Amherst, Brown, all five Claremont Colleges, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Emory, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, Northwestern, Princeton, NYU, Rice, all UC campuses, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, USC, Wellesley and more. More than 90 percent of the Class of 2021 are matriculating to a college ranked in the top 10% of the more than 1,700 selective, fouryear colleges in the U.S., as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. “The best part is that every senior this year has found a college that fits them and will serve them well after they graduate from Webb,” Dean of College Guidance Hector Martinez said. “We are enormously proud of our seniors and their impressive accomplishments, especially when it comes to where they were admitted into college.” It was harder than ever to get into college in 2021 as application numbers surged. Colgate College saw a 104% increase in applications, Columbia jumped 51%, Boston College 36% and USC 21%. UCLA, the most popular college to apply to in the U.S., received 140,000 applications for 6,300 spots in the freshman class, a 28% increase. Meanwhile, Stanford’s acceptance rate dropped to 3.3%, down from 5.1% in 2020, Columbia admitted 3.7% and Pomona College 7%. The college guidance process at Webb begins early, with guidance counselors meeting with each class twice a term to discuss college planning. Starting in January of junior year, counselors meet individually with students to tailor the college journey to their needs. In senior year, counselors develop and refine a customized list of colleges that match student profiles and interests. Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale noted the unprecedented challenges faced by the Class of 2021, which completed junior year and all senior year in online instruction. “The Class of 2021 will not soon be forgotten. Their hard work, dedication and relentless perseverance under truly extraordinary global circumstances are to be acknowledged and honored,” Stockdale said.

Amherst College Babson College Bates College Baylor University Boston College Boston University California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Fullerton Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Central Washington University Claremont McKenna College College of the Desert Cornell University Emory University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College George Washington University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College King’s College, London Lake Forest College Lewis & Clark College Lone Star College, Montgomery Macalester College Montana State University Mount Holyoke College Mt. San Antonio College New York University New York University Shanghai Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Oxford College of Emory University

Parsons School of Design The New School Pepperdine University Pitzer College Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Reed College San Diego State University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Scripps College Smith College Stanford University Syracuse University Texas A&M University Tufts University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Miami University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of Rochester University of Southern California University of Utah University of Virginia Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Westmont College Xavier University

Class of 2020 Reunites for Commencement Graduates of the Class of 2020 – reunited for an in-person graduation ceremony – celebrated the strengths that carried them through a year disrupted by pandemic.

“I 24

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

t is difficult, really, for me to put into words what it means to be standing here seeing you in person and seeing other classmates on the screen,” Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale said. “It couldn’t be better.”

About 200 family members gathered on campus on a warm June 5 to celebrate the Class of 2020 more than a year after the students graduated virtually. The livestreamed, hybrid event featured 70 of the 97 graduates, including five who attended virtually. The ceremony was historic on several fronts: Graduates represent the only Webb class to receive two diplomas on two different days; it was the first celebration on Webb’s new Centennial Field; and it was the first time Vivian Webb School and Webb School of California held a joint commencement ceremony. Stockdale called students “the mighty Class of 2020” for all they endured. He shared that when he arrived at Webb 33 years ago, teacher Ramsay Harris told him that Webb was distinguished by its “fighting heart.” Stockdale said the comment reminded him of an adage shared by his father: “A good education prepares you for a successful life … a great education goes one step further and prepares you for adversity.” Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith said the pandemic is among many challenges the graduates are prepared to face, including environmental issues, conflicts among nations and social crises within the U.S.

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THE MIGHTY CLASS OF

2020

“These are challenges real and deep, and yet they are what your Webb education has been preparing you for,” Smith said. “You have the strength, the values and the wisdom to meet the challenges ahead.” Webb School of California Senior Class President Jay Gupta echoed the need for graduates to prepare for disruptive events. “Over the course of our lives we’re not going to have to weather just one or two of these COVID-like moments; there are going to be four or five. And only a few lucky ones among us are going to make it through each crisis without having to make any changes,” he said. He urged graduates to build on their strengths and develop resilience. “Resilience is about realizing those of us who have the best chance of succeeding are those who can reinvent themselves,” Gupta said. Vivian Webb Senior Class President Sara Hagiwara said graduates will draw strength from their time at Webb.

“We consider this place to be a second home,” Hagiwara said. “What made the class of 2020 so unique was our collective strength…. Life isn’t always smooth sailing, and success comes with patience and diligence.” Scan to watch The Webb Schools’ 2020 Commencement Celebration

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

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Pandemic Inspires Novel Approaches to Instruction, Student Support by John Ferrari

Webb’s faculty and staff devised new ways in 2020-21 to deliver world-class academics while intensifying their focus on strengthening community. Resilience. As an individual strength, it’s showcased at Webb every day, embodied in the schools’ core values. So, when the pandemic tested the resiliency not just of an individual, but of the entire Webb community, students, faculty and staff united to forge a year of extraordinary achievement, community building and personal growth. “We plan for a lot of situations,” Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale said. “But this pandemic came on so quickly and required such quick action that at first we were reacting: keeping the students safe, getting everyone home and following health guidance, all while continuing to deliver a world-class education. I’m really proud of how everyone at Webb made that happen.” When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Webb streamlined its focus to academics and emotional health, adjusting programs so students could complete the academic year despite the distance and disruption. Later, Webb faculty and staff leaders drew on the lessons learned in spring 2020 to craft a multi-layered plan for the 2020-21 year, employing new instructional approaches, strengthening student community and leadership programs and relaunching extracurricular activities in the new environment.

“We knew we needed to see kids,” Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith said. “And we needed to keep that interaction between students and faculty. Our faculty basically spent an entire month of the summer preparing for 2020-21. That allowed us to start the year with common goals and an expanded set of tools to support students.”

While many schools opted to record classes for students who could not attend live sessions, almost all of Webb’s online classes were taught live twice, allowing students across multiple time zones to continue to participate in vibrant lessons and discussions. At the same time, classes were shortened to 45 minutes – a recognition of the need to limit the amount of time students spent in front of their screens. From an educational standpoint, what works in a classroom may not work online, Smith said. Extended learning and preparation time over the summer allowed Webb’s faculty to adopt teaching practices specific to the online format. Teachers also increased the contacts they had with students, from small-group and one-on-one advisory sessions to class meetings, even taking time at the beginning of every class to check in with students.

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

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“The PAs have definitely helped with making us feel connected with the Webb community by informing us about campus activities and life when, obviously, we can’t be there,” Du said. Student leaders also created online events – from dance parties to baking demonstrations – and worked with Lantz and Webb School of California Dean of Students Rick Duque to ensure key Webb traditions – Chapel Talks, Honor Symposia, Dies Mulieres and Men in the Arena, among others – were successful online events that brought together and strengthened the Webb community.

“Overall, we were very pleased with how we were able to continue,” Vivian Webb School Dean of Students Sarah Lantz said. “It’s amazing what the faculty has been able to do.” Maintaining Webb’s strong sense of community took innovative thinking, too, and that came from students as well as teachers. For freshmen, a big part of this effort was Webb’s Peer Advisor program, which trains older students as mentors who meet weekly with a class of first-year students. Freshmen Angela Du and Naomi Kang, both international students, said they were challenged during the pandemic by the lack of regular interaction. “For me, the biggest challenge was reaching out to my teachers and staying connected with my friends online,” Du said. “If we were on campus with other students and teachers, there would have been more opportunities to spend time together,” Kang said. That’s where their peer advisors – or PAs – made a difference.

“The PAs helped us feel connected by making us feel comfortable and by being a friend. They empathized with our struggles,” Kang said.

“When we have these events, and when our attendance at them is upwards of 300, it really is a sign that our students crave these community connections and value the time their classmates put in to make these events that students from around the world could attend,” Lantz said. Webb also reintroduced afternoon activities in online and, eventually, in-person formats. “After we sent students home, one of the things that came to the fore was how important those activities are, from athletics to theater,” Director of Athletics Steve Wishek said. “They’re part of the decompression cycle for our students.”

As Wishek and others led online fitness and activity sessions, they soon realized that the value of the activities lay in the opportunity for students to interact with each other. “It was less about the activity itself and more about just seeing each other and interacting outside of classes,” he said. Webb’s goal was always to bring students back to campus as soon as it was safe to do so. As the year progressed, some Webb student-athletes were able to return to campus for practice and competition over a shortened season with social distancing and COVID-19 rapid testing protocols. When this initial return went well, other on-campus opportunities were developed and offered to students, most notably study groups. These allowed students to take their online classes on campus – each student assigned his or her own dorm room – socializing between classes and at lunch. “We knew we needed to build in what would be missing – the best parts of Webb: community and friends,” Director of Counseling and Health Education Melanie Bauman said. “The year made everyone think with even more intentionality about community, relationships and education. We had to be creative to find every social and community space that we could expand into.” Webb’s on-campus programming for the year culminated in hybrid online and in-person events, including a spring play, the Jubilee arts celebration, prom, candlelight ceremonies and commencement. In each, video technology connected the on-campus and online Webb communities. Laura Caldwell ’21 performed in multiple productions during the year.

“It was absolutely important to keep the arts alive, even with no one there to see them live. The arts mean a lot to so many people, even if the performances and art cafés and whatever weren’t as grand or as ... normal as normal,” Caldwell said. Caldwell said Webb theater provided her with a much needed outletfor expression.

“It provided a place where I could be comfortable and surrounded by people I liked. It just makes me happy beyond reason to be on that stage acting in front of people. Zoom took away a little of the sparkle, but the intention was still there,” she said. “It was a success to even just get back in the theater, I think, but more than that, we managed to create something incredible despite everything going against us.” Behind the online instruction and activities, Webb’s Medical Advisory Board, a team of Webb administrators and physicians, met weekly to review rapidly evolving health regulations and plan for different contingencies. “We really wanted to try to make a push to get some programming on campus,” said Stephanie Baron ’96, PA-C, Webb’s health center director and Medical Advisory Board member. “I never felt like we were doing too much too soon ... we were always working at the right pace, and I feel it was a good, staged opening, starting with sports. When that went well, we just slowly started doing more things.” The Medical Advisory Board includes Dr. Daniel Gluckstein P ’05, ’08, medical director of infectious disease at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and an Alf Museum Board member. “We looked at a lot of details about testing, masking protocols and bringing students back to campus,” Gluckstein said. “Bringing students back even in a very regulated way made students and the Webb faculty, staff and museum staff happy.”

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

Students Pursue Activism THE WEBB SCHOOLS webb.org

Despite Pandemic Disruptions 2020 wasn’t just the year the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it also was a year that launched social justice movements. Students found ways to advocate for change within the Webb community and beyond. by John Ferrari

“In many ways, Webb is a very inclusive campus,” Nick Lee ’22 said. “It’s such a powerful community.”

Webb also has fostered,” she said. “When we have brought proposals to Webb, they have been open to those proposals.”

But Lee said he is aware of inequalities between public schools and private schools like Webb. As a sophomore, Lee attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) organized by the National Association of Independent Schools.

While the GSA and similar student-led groups continue to advocate for change at Webb, they also serve as safe spaces and educational presences on campus, McCullagh added, and that enriches the campus community.

The conference gave him and other Webb attendees tools to think about and discuss issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Momentum for action increased when the Black Lives Matter movement drew new levels of attention during the pandemic. Working through the Empowering Student Voices Initiative (ESVI) established three years ago, students urged Webb to address DEI concerns. ESVI members discussed social justice issues with Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale and Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith, ultimately meeting with the Board of Trustees. “Not only did they get on board, they went a step further,” Lee said. “The meeting with the Board was scary but also validating,” ESVI Co-President Isabel Flores ’21 added. “It’s comforting to know our voices were being heard. We had a lot of hard discussions about how Webb can support students.” To engage with these issues, science faculty member John Choi P ’22, ’24, who came to Webb with a strong background in DEI and education, was appointed first to the new position of DEI coordinator and later as director of equity. “Webb’s commitment to DEI allowed us to implement change,” Lee said. “I think with all the work we’ve been doing, we’re moving toward a shift in culture.” Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Co-President Keigan McCullagh ’21 said the need for advocacy couldn’t be deterred by the pandemic. “We still wanted to try to build the club and be even more active than we were in past years when we were in person. We were able to adapt things like movie nights, and we were still able to organize Pride Month,” McCullagh said. She said Webb administrators have been receptive to the organization’s calls for structural changes to increase equity and inclusiveness, but added that there is still work to be done. “I’m the kind of person who will give myself a voice wherever I am. That is an attitude I came to Webb with, but one that

Other student leaders attended (virtually) the Empowering Female Voices conference hosted by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS). The three-week program brought together students from girls schools nationwide to study social issues and develop solutions. Members of the program’s criminal justice committee, including Sofia Centeno ’22 and Paige Woodard ’21, examined the issue of felon disenfranchisement. “I had taken a class in the fall, Honors American Crime and Punishment,” Centeno said. “It turned out to be my favorite class at Webb. I was so engaged in the class, but I didn’t know what to do about the issues. The NCGS program made making change feel more accessible to a young person.” Centeno, president of Webb’s Bookworm Club, also collaborated with Black Student Union President Karma Griggs ’23 to organize a group read and ongoing discussion of the novel Dear Martin, by Nic Stone. Centeno, who attended the SDLC, said the community read was her way of continuing the conversation launched at the conference. “The read was a great student collaboration and totally student driven,” said Dr. Mark Dzula, Webb’s director of teaching and learning resources. “It was a good opportunity for both students and teachers to discuss life, and as we come back together it will be a touchpoint.”

At the root of all Webb’s student advocacy is an understanding that Webb is a community in which students – and their voices – play a significant role, Flores said. “I think that coming to Webb has made me an educated student in ways that other schools couldn’t,” Flores said. “I’m really going to hold on to this sense of community that Webb has given me. I want to make change in the world, just like I did here in the Webb community.”

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LEADERSHIP

New Vision, Continuity

THE WEBB SCHOOLS webb.org

Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale has welcomed several new leaders to his senior administration team. In addition, the Board of Trustees has named Dr. Theresa Smith to succeed Stockdale when he transitions to head emeritus in July 2023. “This is an exciting time for Webb,” Stockdale said. “It’s a real testament to Webb’s depth of talent that we are elevating individuals who are already key members of our community. They each bring not only a new perspective and dynamic as we plan for our second 100 years, but they help maintain a continuity of leadership and connection to our core values.”

Dr. Andrew Farke Director of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

Leadership across the campus community is one of the foundational strengths that sustained Webb during its first 100 years, and which especially served the campus during the disruptions of the pandemic.

As the new director of the Alf Museum, Dr. Andrew Farke is focusing on expanding engagement with the broader community and strengthening academic programs serving Webb students.

“The world is changing rapidly, which requires us to constantly redefine what it means to be a museum,” Farke said. “We need to be inventive both in our academic approach as well as in how we connect with our public community.” Farke, who holds a Ph.D. in anatomical sciences from Stony Brook University, joined the museum in 2008 as Augustyn Family Curator and added a role as director of research and collections in 2015.

In July, he succeeded longtime museum director Dr. Don Lofgren as the Alf’s fourth director. Raised on a farm in the fossil-rich plains of South Dakota, Farke became intrigued with fossils in his youth and credits middle school and high school teachers for fanning the flame of his scientific curiosity. He specializes in ceratopsians – horned beasts such as Triceratops and Torosaurus. He applied to the museum because its high school location stirred memories of the educators who inspired him. Lofgren, whose nearly 30-year tenure as director included securing national accreditation for the Alf Museum, said Farke brings a host of talents to the position as director.

“Besides being an excellent teacher and role model for Webb students, he’s had a major positive impact on all operations and programs at the museum. Also, he’s internationally known for his paleontological expertise and research. Andy will take the museum to even greater success in educational and scientific endeavors,” Lofgren said. The museum was informally founded in the late 1930s with a collection of fossils gathered by Webb science teacher Ray Alf and his students. The current museum, built in 1968, is a pillar of the academic program, driving exploration of new knowledge through student-centered research and fossilhunting Peccary Trips. Its collections house nearly 200,000 specimens while Webb’s curriculum includes a sequence of museum and paleontology research courses that have produced more than 50 research papers in peer-reviewed journals coauthored by students. Farke said the museum has a two-fold educational role to serve both Webb and the public. In academics, Farke is continuing to champion the Alf Museum’s focus on experiential learning and student

research. In April, he co-authored the Alf Museum’s latest published research paper – with two students as lead authors. This August, he resumed the annual summer Peccary Trip after a pandemic-required hiatus. “I’m really passionate about the Webb community. We’re here because of the students,” said Farke, who lives on campus with his wife and two sons. He also would like to expand access to museum studies and research programs as well as explore how issues related to scientific endeavors can be integrated into non-science courses. For example, paleontologists’ purchases of amber may sometimes play a role bolstering conflict in Myanmar. As a result, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology – on which Farke serves in a leadership role – has banned publication of papers based on Myanmar amber purchases after June 2017.

“Paleontology touches on so many things,” Farke said. “Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum – it touches on ethics, international trade, human rights and other global issues.” In its public role, the Alf Museum will focus on community outreach and collaborative programs. Already, the museum is a destination of choice for thousands of school children. Outreach associates also bring the Alf Museum into the community through pop-up museums that serve as a science education experience for people who may not be able to come to campus. The Alf Museum also collaborates with college students and scientists at museums across the globe. As part of that effort, the Alf Museum must continue its work to build, catalog and curate its collection, including digitizing specimens into an online accessible database. “We are researchers first, creating new scientific knowledge. Because of that, we want our collection to be used – by our students, by outside researchers. At Webb, that entails teaching and being a public scientist. In the community, it means serving as an ambassador, sharing our knowledge and inspiring others to find their spark for discovery,” Farke said.

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LEADERSHIP

Bob Fass Chief Advancement Officer

development funds, research funds for the Alf Museum, academic program funds, scholarship funds, capital funds and annual operating support. He is currently leading Webb’s centennial campaign – The Next 100 – an effort to raise $100 million to strengthen Webb for its second century of serving students. The campaign focuses on fostering innovation and unbounded thinking through programmatic and general operating support; opening Webb to the world by building endowment so Webb can continue to recruit, retain and support the best students, staff and faculty; and transforming Webb’s campus home by consistently investing in mission-critical capital projects and infrastructure.

Bob Fass, Webb’s new chief advancement officer, sees philanthropy as an expression of a donor’s passion and values, an investment in an organization’s mission and meant to positively impact communities and the lives of others.

“As an advancement professional, I view my role as connecting people’s passion with purpose. It’s exciting work because it not only makes change possible, but it is also deeply meaningful and rewarding for the donor,” Fass said. Fass, a lifelong resident of Claremont, holds a Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts from Cal State Fullerton and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the University of Alabama. Fass worked previously as an executive director of Shakespeare festivals in Fort Worth, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia and was the founding director of a Master of Fine Arts training program in arts administration at Southern Utah University in conjunction with the Utah Shakespeare Festival. As Webb’s senior director of development for leadership and planned giving, Fass was responsible for securing charitable contributions to support endowed faculty

“I’ve inherited an abundance of good fortune in the people surrounding me and the generosity of the Webb community,” Fass said. “Webb is an extraordinary place to do advancement work because the people care so deeply about the mission and about each other. I’ve prepared for this opportunity by working under two great leaders, Taylor Stockdale and Susan Nelson, and alongside faculty and staff colleagues who are quite literally the best in the business. Our leadership volunteers on the Webb Board, the Alf Museum Board, the Alumni Council and the Affiliates are powerful forces that keep us moving in the right direction and provide a foundation of support to ground us in everything we do.” In addition to his work in advancement, Fass has spent this past year working as a regulatory monitor with Webb’s Medical Advisory Board, ensuring the health and safety of students and staff during the pandemic. He has also enjoyed temporary assignments as a guest faculty member, an advisor, a chapel speaker and an admission interviewer. Fass lives in Claremont with his wife, Kristen, and their two children, Riley ’23 and Ryan. In November 2020, he was elected to serve a four-year term as a governing board member of the Claremont Unified School District. He previously served for three years as board president of the Claremont Educational Foundation and is a current board member of Claremont After-School Programs, Inc. He has also represented Webb as a member of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce and as a board member of the Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners.

Dr. Theresa Smith Incoming Head of Schools (2023)

immersion programs before joining Webb as director of academic affairs in 2011. She became assistant head of schools in 2017 and associate head of schools in 2020. When the pandemic hit, Smith’s leadership enabled Webb to shift quickly to remote instruction while maintaining academic rigor and addressing the significant student social and emotional needs related to the pandemic’s forced isolation. The effort included collaborating with Webb’s Medical Advisory Board and campus team to develop novel instructional models for 2020-21 that were sensitive to the critical time differences for students across the globe, restructuring programs to ensure full inclusion for all in academics and campus life.

Webb’s Board of Trustees has named Associate Head of Schools Dr. Theresa Smith to succeed Taylor B. Stockdale in July 2023. In her 10 years at Webb, Smith has guided a transformative reimagining of the curriculum, championed equity in hiring and strengthened Webb’s role as a national thought leader in independent school education.

“Theresa Smith is far and away the best person to deliver the vision and innovation that Webb will need in the future and to build on Taylor Stockdale’s legacy of leadership as Webb moves into our second century of serving students,” Board of Trustees Chair Sanjay Dholakia ’87, P ’21 said. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in Spanish from UC Berkeley, a Master of Arts in history from UC San Diego and a Ph.D. in history from UC San Diego with focuses in early modern European history, modern European history and colonial Latin American history. She started her career as a visiting assistant professor at Claremont McKenna College before joining Oakwood School in North Hollywood in 2002. She rose to director of winter

She also led planning to return students safely to campus under hybrid learning conditions in spring 2021.

“I’m deeply honored by the Board of Trustees’ selection,” Smith said. “Webb is not only the center of my teaching vocation, but my home. I am committed wholeheartedly to our mission to transform students’ lives. I look forward to the guidance I will receive over the next two years from Taylor and the Board of Trustees as I prepare for this new role.” Over the next two years, Stockdale will continue to lead Webb as the campus celebrates its centennial as Smith prepares to assume the executive post. After 2023, Stockdale will support the Webb community as head emeritus. “One of the best things I’ve done as head of schools is hire Theresa Smith, and it has been a true privilege and pleasure to mentor her as she has grown into an exceptional leader,” Stockdale said. “Her depth of skills, commitment to Webb’s values and focus on creating an engaging, dynamic and relevant student experience will position Webb for even greater success in the future.” Learn more about Webb’s leadership team at www.webb.org.

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LEADERSHIP

John Choi Director of Equity

The Importance of Belonging While DEI topics took on a prominent role in academic and community discussions during this last year, the focus is not a new one for Webb or for me. Over the years, the acronyms and terminology have changed – and I suspect they will continue to do so – but no matter what terms we use, the core tenets have always focused on creating an open, inclusive community where all are respected for who they are. In a recent conversation with rising senior Nick Lee, I had a chance to reflect on what DEI topics mean for Webb. Essentially, it boils down to whether everyone in our Webb community feels equally seen, heard and valued. Does everyone feel they can bring their 100% authentic self with all their many identities here? Recent alumni and students have commented about how they came to appreciate the diversity of Webb during their time here, a sense of belonging they felt that isn’t always replicated in other settings. Visually, our Price Dining Hall celebrates our diversity with a wide range of flags representing the different countries from which our students originate. The display now includes Gay Pride, Transgender and Pan-African flags, which help to celebrate the diversity of narratives we possess as a community. We took some important steps during 2020-21, including a community read of How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, affinity group gatherings, attendance at student conferences and discussions with our DEI consultant, the Glasgow Group.

In the coming year, we will review the results of those conversations and launch new efforts. Possibilities include building strong student affinity spaces, holding more conversations about identity and inclusion, conducting another community book read and hosting a student diversity leadership conference for area schools. Our goal is to ensure all our students feel represented in numbers, voices and curriculum, that they enjoy a true sense of belonging that comes from seeing Webb as their home away from home. Is their story a part of the Webb story? In our conversation, Nick shared his view as a student on what DEI means at Webb. “To me, DEI at Webb is a pretty simple concept – it’s just that every Webb student feels safe, represented and valued in their unique identity. Beyond this, I hope everyone leaves Webb not only aware of DEI and what it means, but also how they can be part of sustained change.” Nick shared that he grew in awareness about his identity as a student at Webb. “I wasn’t very in touch with my own Korean culture and heritage and what it meant to be an Asian-American. But since learning at Webb, developing a sense of my own personal identity and how I exist in different spaces, I’ve become passionate about making sure that every student feels respected and included here.” Thanks, Nick, for sharing that perspective.

John Choi became The Webb Schools’ director of equity in July, underscoring a campus commitment to ensuring diversity among students, staff and faculty, all aspects of the program and an open, inclusive community. Choi joined Webb in 2018 as a member of the science faculty. He was appointed in September 2020 to the role of coordinator of diversity, equity & inclusion.

Scan to watch a video of John Choi and Nick Lee’s chat on YouTube.

Scan to access an in-depth Q and A with John Choi at webb.org.

LEADERSHIP

Faculty Assume New Leadership Roles As Webb begins the 2021-22 academic year, we will welcome new, returning and current faculty members as they take on leadership roles. Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell, Chair of English and Humanities

James Huerta, Student Government Advisor

Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell, who has returned to Webb after a year away due to the pandemic, will take on the role of chair of English and Humanities. Cantwell has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Yale and a Ph.D. in literature & creative writing from USC. She is the author of several works of poetry, including Nights I Let The Tiger Get You and Premonitions. Cantwell will work alongside Chair of History & Humanities Jessica Fisher to guide the department.

James Huerta earned a Bachelor of Arts in film & media studies from UC Irvine, a Master of Arts in teaching from USC and is currently exploring issues of equity in education as part of a doctorate program at Claremont Graduate University. He has coached soccer and supervises Webb’s community service program. Huerta has made a big impact since he joined Webb in 2018 – in the classroom, on the athletic field and in advancing diversity work.

Joseph Vincent, International Student Adviser Joseph Vincent holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese language & literature from Reed College and a Master of Arts in Chinese literature from National Taiwan University. Before coming to Webb in 2019, he worked as a program director for Where There Be Dragons, where he designed and facilitated experiential education programs in multiple countries. Vincent speaks Chinese and Spanish fluently and will be spending the summer brushing up his French at Middlebury College as a recipient of the Davis Fellowship for Peace. He will bring his expertise and care to supporting international students, mentoring our international student liaisons and helping to build an intentional community at Webb.

Nika Haleftiras, Webb School of California Dorm Head Nika Haleftiras has a Bachelor of Science in biology from Caltech and is working on her Master of Arts in biology as part of the Global Field Program at Miami University. In addition to loving basketball and being an amazing coach, Haleftiras is also a stellar cook and baker.

Malick Mbengue, Dr. Ardina Greco BIPOC Residential Advisors As part of Webb’s efforts to ensure a fully inclusive community, the schools have added a new position to the residential program focused on meeting the needs of our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students. The BIPOC residential advisor will serve as a dorm head as well as play this larger role. Malick Mbengue has a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages from the University of Dakar in Senegal and a Master of Arts in French from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Since he joined Webb in 2018, Mbengue’s presence has been felt throughout campus, in the French classroom, on the soccer field and through his work supporting the Empowering Student Voices Initiative and the Black Student Union. Dr. Ardina Greco is co-head of the Vivian Webb School’s Jones Dormitory. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interdisciplinary art from the San Francisco Art Institute and an Ed.D. from Teachers College at Columbia University. She is currently participating in a series of backpacking trips for artists/artist teachers in collaboration with artist Christina Mesiti for the Emplacement Society. Greco has shared her gifts as an arts educator, advisor, gardener and community builder since moving into the Jones dorm head home in 2015.

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

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NEWS FROM

The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

Don Lofgren Becomes Director Emeritus

Alf Museum Director Dr. Donald L. Lofgren – who transformed the museum into a nationally accredited institution, launched a program of student research and revitalized alumni relations – has stepped down from his post after nearly 30 years. Lofgren began a new role as director emeritus on July 1, continuing to teach at Webb, conduct research and provide counsel to museum staff. Lofgren reflected with pride on the museum’s growth since his arrival in 1991 shortly after receiving his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, including the expansion of the academic program from a single class into a four-year program. “I was lucky to find my way to Webb,” Lofgren said. “I had never heard of Webb or the Alf Museum when I applied. Now I have spent my entire professional career here. It was a long and difficult struggle at times, but now things are really great, and I feel good about that. More importantly, the Webb community is full of quality people, and I’m proud to call many of them my friends and colleagues – trustees, parents, alumni (including my former students), and faculty and staff.” During Lofgren’s leadership, the tradition of taking students on annual Peccary Trips evolved into a program of studentcentered research and fossil preparation. Students have co-authored about 50 research papers based on Peccary Trip discoveries.

At the same time, as a member of The Webb Schools’ senior leadership team, Lofgren has shown himself to be a master teacher, student mentor, Honor Committee advisor and more – known and admired by alumni, parents, faculty and staff. Lofgren also authored a book, Moment of Time, providing a biography of museum founder Ray Alf’s life and the history of the Peccary Society. Perhaps his greatest single accomplishment as director will be remembered as leading the Alf Museum to its first national accreditation. “Gaining national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 1998 was incredibly difficult with such a small staff and limited funds. It took seven years to get there. Museum programs and operations and facilities all needed improvement, and at the time the collections were only partially curated. It was a massive job that had to be completed in small segments. Even when we got initial accreditation, the recommendation was to renovate our display halls and increase our public outreach efforts. We’ve now done that and were re-accredited in 2010,” Lofgren said. Dr. Andrew Farke, the Alf Museum’s new director, praised Lofgren for his leadership.

“One of Don’s greatest strengths – something he shares with Ray Alf, I think – is long-term vision,” Farke said. “When Don arrived on campus, he didn’t see the museum as it was – he saw what it could be. And he knew that it might take decades to get there.” “We have gorgeous, up-to-date exhibit halls and a vibrant educational program for Webb students as well as the broader public. Our collection space and lab facilities are top-notch. The staff is not just larger than it’s ever been, but also the

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SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

best it has ever been, from top to bottom. This didn’t happen just because of how awesome Don is, though. It happened because, in his own very understated way, he got so many other people to get excited about the legacy, the potential and the importance of the Alf Museum,” Farke said.

One of those partnerships has been with R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70, who Lofgren asked to join the museum as a board member. Ashton has now chaired the board for 20 years.

Alf Museum Trustee Gretchen Augustyn, after over 40 years of her own dedicated service to Webb and the museum, knows well the good fortune and good work Don Lofgren embodied.

“Seeing the respect and love that former students have for Don is truly moving. Under Don’s leadership – and with the tremendous support of the museum board, Webb, donors, volunteers and others – never in our history has so much been accomplished to elevate the status of the Alf Museum on campus and in the scientific world,” Ashton said.

“I have been involved with the Alf Museum since

Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale concurred.

about 1977. I was lucky to get to know Ray Alf and Mrs. Alf in their later years. When Don came on board to become the director, I felt it was a perfect match. I know Ray enjoyed all of the time he spent with Don in those early years,” Augustyn said. Alumni from many eras appreciate Lofgren’s steady leadership, but those who knew Ray Alf also speak of the kindness and care he showed the museum founder.

“Don Lofgren is a legend, plain and simple. He’s a nationally and internationally regarded paleontologist, a museum director, educator and teacher, and among the best mentors, friends and fathers anyone could hope for. Working in partnership with Don over the last 30 years has been one of the distinct honors of my career. He leaves the museum stronger, with more capacity for seizing new opportunities than ever before,” Stockdale said.

Ken De Nault ’61, in a letter to Lofgren in 2016, echoed this sentiment and added to it: “You should not forget to write a book on your contributions to the museum, particularly how you have been so adroitly able to capture Ray’s enthusiasm and vision and blend these so harmoniously with your vision and goals. It is truly inspirational and would be a great guide for others who are faced with embarking on similar assignments, namely, having to work in the shadow of an influential founder whose followers are fiercely loyal and still manage to bring your vision and goals to fruition.”

Donald L. Lofgren Endowed Director’s Chair In recognition of Don Lofgren’s long career and remarkable devotion to Webb and the Alf Museum, alumnus Dr. Kenneth J. De Nault ’61 has established the Donald L. Lofgren Endowed Director’s Chair at the Alf Museum. For more information, see our feature on page 58.

Museum Educator Lauded by National Geographic

“The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship will allow me to grow as an educator and help me to expand my efforts to connect the sciences to people of all backgrounds and to show students that there’s a place for everyone in the sciences,” said Santos, who also serves as the museum’s collections manager. At the Alf Museum, Santos focuses outreach efforts on expanding understanding of equity and access to the sciences, including a Discovery Days program that invites guests to meet paleontologists. He is a co-founder of Cosplay for Science, a group of scientists and educators that brings science to the community at such events as Los Angeles Comic Con, where he built a program inspired by the science of Star Wars. He creates pop-up museums at community events, recognizing that not everyone can travel to a museum.

Outreach Coordinator Gabriel-Philip Santos has been named a 2021 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for his work as an informal science educator, including using cosplay and pop-up museums to engage diverse communities. Santos is one of 50 pre-K-12 educators from across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico selected for the fellowship’s 14th cohort, an announcement delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Fellowship sends exemplary educators on a voyage to one of the many remote and extraordinary environments the Lindblad fleet explores around the world. Field-based experiences were temporarily halted during the pandemic-required shutdowns. Santos and his peers will experience natural wonders alongside a team of marine biologists, geologists, historians, scientists, undersea specialists and National Geographic photographers. They will return home to incorporate discoveries into re-imagined curriculum, as well as to serve as program ambassadors for two years.

“A lot of what I do is really based in storytelling,” said Santos, who holds a Master of Science in geology. “With storytelling, we inspire people to use critical thinking to question the world around them. Science, politics, pop culture – it all connects.”

29th Annual Peccary Dinner Set for Oct. 22 The 29th annual Peccary Society Dinner has been scheduled for the evening of Friday, October 22. Leaders of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology will unveil fossil discoveries from the 2021 Summer Peccary Trip, honor this year’s recipient of the Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in Paleontological Research and Education and celebrate the career of Director Emeritus Dr. Donald L. Lofgren. The event will also be part of the launch of Webb’s The Next 100: The Centennial Campaign, which runs over the course of Alumni Weekend.

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Student Research Paper Draws on Depth of Alf Museum Collection

The students ran a statistical analysis of the different toe bones discovered and made an unexpected discovery: fossil hooves are rare relative to other toe bones in Barstow but appear as frequently as other bones at La Brea. The disparity could stem from differences in ancient environments, fossil horse species or even collection methods.

“The project was a fun and long journey to me,” Gu said. “I learned a lot during the process and I’m very proud of our work.” Farke, who is listed as the paper’s junior author in light of the tremendous work put in by the students, praised Gu and Shi for their comprehensive approach to the project. “I am so impressed by the work all of my research students put in during this difficult year,” Farke said. “Vicky and Yaoran wouldn’t have been able to publish this new research without their serious commitment to get it done!” Of the Alf Museum’s more than 195,000 fossil specimens, some are one of a kind – like the nearly complete baby hadrosaur skeleton on display in the Hall of Life – while others represent scores of seemingly identical bones, teeth or shells.

The research program is one of the signature programs of The Webb Schools. Over the last 30 years, about 50 such papers co-authored by students have been published by scientific journals.

This raises the question – if you have one horse toe bone, why do you need 100? The answer lies in a research paper co-authored by Webb students Yaoran Shi ’21 and Vicky Gu ’21, published in spring 2021 by the peer-reviewed journal PaleoBios. Shi and Gu, working under the guidance of Alf Museum Director Dr. Andrew Farke, investigated more than 300 horse toe bones collected from the 15 million-year-old Barstow Formation in the Mojave Desert by Webb students during annual Peccary Trips. The ancient horse had three toes – including the primary toe, or hoof. All three should be equally common in the fossil record. For comparison purposes, the students also tallied hundreds of toe bones excavated at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Illustration by Rob Soto

Virtual Tour Program Engages Nearly 10,000 Students Although the Alf Museum’s doors were closed for more than a year, thousands of visitors continued to tour the extraordinary paleontological displays daily through a highly successful virtual tour program. Launched two weeks after pandemic concerns required closure of public venues in March 2020, the free tours drew nearly 10,000 school children before the Alf Museum’s triumphant reopening on June 16, 2021. Up to four times each day, classes of students trekked virtually through Alf Museum displays as outreach specialists enthralled them with tales of discovery. Typically, students extended the 50-minute visits by 20 to 30 more minutes as they peppered tour guides with scores of questions. Because of the tours’ accessibility, visitors hailed not only from local schools but from institutions across the nation. The program became a model studied by other museums and another element of the growing outreach program, which includes a partnership with the Western Science Center to produce a talk show entitled Fossil Friday Chats viewed by thousands via YouTube. Collections Manager and Outreach Coordinator Gabriel-Philip Santos said the museum will continue the virtual format as a companion to its in-person tours as a way of extending museum opportunities to schools too far to visit or that cannot afford transportation costs. “One of the responsibilities of museums is to bring science to the world – and it’s exciting to think about how we’ve added an entirely new dimension to our services on that front,” Santos said.

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webbtodayARTS THE WEBB SCHOOLS

Students Pursue Arts via Zoom, Social Media, Livestream and in Person Despite the significant challenges posed by the pandemic, students still found ways to perform and create in a combination of digital and physical spaces.

THE THEATER PROGRAM staged two online plays and two radio plays, tackling a series of more challenging efforts in performance and presentation. The first online play, She Kills Monsters, was pre-recorded. For the second play, the program embraced Zoom and performed The Party Hop live on Zoom – to big success. At the end of spring, students staged a live performance of The Revolutionists in the Liu/Cheung Theater before an audience of 60 – with a recorded version available for remote audiences.

“It was an incredible experience for our actors and stage technicians, who were so happy to be back on stage,” Fine Arts Department Chair Stefanie Plumley said.

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INSTRUMENTAL AND CHORAL PROGRAMS were also able to present versions of their usual programming and released pre-recorded concerts in both winter and spring. Students added new skills in recording music to their portfolios and faculty members became adept at online music editing. Webb’s DANCE PROGRAM also found ways to perform, creating a dynamic concert that meshed individual performances focused on a theme recorded separately and synced via Zoom, as well as solo work.

“It was a powerful, joyful and exciting experience for both our dancers and the community,” Plumley said. Webb’s VISUAL AND DIGITAL ARTS PROGRAMS embraced the power of social media, submitting work directly to the program’s Instagram page. The online Art Café drew more submissions than ever before. The spirit and energy of the Fine Arts Department also blossomed in Webb’s annual spring arts JUBILEE, where students presented live and recorded performances.

Artwork below by Eunice Lau ‘23. Artwork right by Michael Fu ‘24

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webbtoday DEBATE THE WEBB SCHOOLS

Webb Debate Competes Around the Clock Webb debaters took part in five league tournaments via Zoom in 2020-21. Led by captains Carly Granda, Jenny Han, Yiyi Ouyang and Elena Tiedens, all Class of 2021, the team welcomed and prepared 17 new debaters from the classes of 2023 and 2024. Seven returning debaters also competed in tournaments this year in addition to the captains. Webb competes in a form of parliamentary debate in the High School Public Debate Program based at Claremont McKenna College. Each league tournament draws 10 to 16 public and private schools – most from the L.A. County area, but some from the East Coast. Competing on Zoom provided human connection and conversation for teenagers enduring the isolation of this pandemic, and the format allowed students in multiple time zones to join. With many returning Webb debaters living overseas this year – including Captain Jenny Han – the team faced challenges with the timing of some debates. A few students altered their personal schedules so they could join in from China, New Zealand and Hong Kong. To limit the impact of asynchronous schedules, the team also hosted three All Webb Debate Tournaments on Friday evenings so students in all time zones could compete together and play trivia games.

“With so much time to reflect while in quarantine, debate became more than just the tournaments we were preparing for,” Granda said. “Even after I had finished debating a certain topic, the subject would continue to present itself in classroom discussions and even family dinner conversations.”

Webb collected a slew of awards for teams and individual speakers. But fundamentally, the Webb Debate team is focused on providing students a place to have fun, find community and build their skills in argumentation.

“I have enjoyed this year’s debate season because debate forces me to think critically and analytically about the world around me, furthering my understanding of the pandemic, its broader implications and societal trends as a whole when otherwise, COVID may feel overwhelming or all-encompassing,” Tiedens said. Students spent countless hours doing research and strategizing with each other on more than 20 debate topics, in addition to staying current on world events so they were ready for whatever “impromptu” topics could come up at tournaments. Just a few of the topics debated this year were: U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan does more good than harm; viruses are alive; public colleges should be free; divest from fossil fuels; and police should be required to live in the communities they serve.

webbtoday KWEB THE WEBB SCHOOLS

KWEB to Broaden Journalistic Focus in 2021-22 KWEB, Webb’s longtime radio station, will be revitalized in 2021-22 with the launch of a digital program that will include experimentation with new storytelling and entertainment formats, including podcasts. “KWEB has an almost mythic history at Webb,” said humanities teacher Elle Brosh, who will advise the afternoon activity. “I want to return that spark of wonder to the program, teaching students about the art of radio journalism and connecting the rich history of the medium to today’s radio renaissance.” Brosh, who worked at WNYC, New York’s public radio station, said she sees an opportunity to inspire a renewed focus in a broader scope of journalistic activities. This includes teaching a host of radio skills, such as the techniques for recording and editing audio, conducting broadcast interviews and assembling stories from those materials. Rather than focus on daily live broadcasts – which can create an overwhelming amount of work with little reward – she would like to see students dig more deeply into stories, releasing meaningful digital content on a periodic schedule much as the Webb Canyon Chronicles does.

This includes exploring podcasts, one of today’s fastestgrowing media formats, and magazine-style storytelling such as that featured in NPR’s This American Life. Such a show might feature multiple ways of addressing a theme central to students’ lives through a variety of storytelling techniques, including interviews, news stories and firstperson accounts.

“I have many ideas, but one of the most important elements of this revitalization is ensuring our students have a voice in shaping the future of KWEB. This should be a student-run radio station and so they need to be integrally involved in determining our path forward.” – ELLE BROSH

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Humanities, Fine Arts Teachers Receive 2020 Perry Awards Webb’s 2020 Perry Awards honored humanities teacher and coach James Huerta and fine arts teacher and artist Meg Horejsi for their extraordinary dedication to the growth and development of Webb students.

James Huerta embodies the Perry ethos, contributing fully

Meg Horejsi has invigorated Webb’s digital arts

to all areas of school life. He is a wonderful presence in the classroom, whether teaching Foundations of Civilization to freshmen or Advanced Studies Culture and Politics of the Border as part of Webb’s junior and senior Humanities program. And he models honor, leadership and service, whether guiding his advisees, coaching VWS junior varsity soccer or leading community service activities.

curriculum, helping students explore creativity and voice and enabling artistic creation in a variety of exciting and emerging media.

Some of Huerta’s most significant work at Webb has been supporting our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, by chaperoning students at the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership conference and acting as an advocate for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students. In fall 2020, Huerta started work on his doctorate in educational leadership with a research focus on policies and programs that promote antiracism in educational institutions. Huerta’s Perry Award will help support this research.

Horesji inspires by example, as a talented working artist whose creations range from logo designs to fantastical illustrations. Her care for students also shines in her work outside of the classroom, as a yearbook advisor, as an outdoor enthusiast and a chaperone for Leadership in the Wilderness class trips and as lead class advisor for the VWS 2020-21 sophomore class. In addition, Horesji’s work in Webb’s Junior Scholars Summer Program has introduced scores of students to the dynamic world of digital media. As we say at Webb, Horesji is all in. Horejsi’s Perry Award will support research travel as she works on dreaming up her next creations.

ABOUT THE PERRY AWARDS For nearly 100 years, The Webb Schools have remained steadfast to the standards of distinguished academic and athletic achievement complemented by a dedication to principles of unwavering ethical behavior and personal responsibility. These are the ideals upon which the schools were founded – ideals embodied by Les and Barbara Perry.

the Sam Spade Radio Show. Barbara also hosted seniors for breakfast on Sunday mornings and organized table seating in the Price Dining Hall. Together, Les and Barbara Perry made an indelible mark on Webb, and legions of alumni to profess their gratitude for a couple who, as one alumnus stated, “gave us a reason to be valiant, to be loyal, to be alive.”

From 1946 to 1976, Les and Barbara Perry dedicated their lives to Webb students. Among Les Perry’s many roles at Webb, he served as athletic director, head football coach, head basketball coach, head baseball coach, advisor to the Block W Club, math teacher and assistant headmaster under Steve Longley and Fred Hooper.

Each year, department heads nominate faculty members who are deserving of a Perry Award. In addition, faculty members are encouraged to apply for the honor. An advisory committee of the associate head of schools, director of studies and dean of faculty reviews applications and offers recommendations to the head of schools. The number of Perry Awards offered each year varies. The award may be used for a variety of purposes: sabbatical support, study abroad, conference attendance, research, continuing education, and more.

Barbara Perry was a committed dorm parent, providing students with much needed support. To this day, many alumni recall fond memories of Barbara inviting them into the Perry home for hot chocolate or punch and to listen to

Les and Barbara Perry

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Bidding Farewell to Beloved Faculty, Staff Webb said goodbye in 2021 to several long-term faculty and staff who made a lasting impression on the Webb community. Brian Rogers, Humanities

Whether through chapel talks or spirited class

On Feb. 17, Webb teacher, colleague and friend Brian Rogers passed away of brain cancer.

discussions, his passion for story inspired students

Rogers joined Webb 10 years ago and quickly became an integral part of the heart of the schools. In spring 2020, he was awarded Webb’s Jean E. Miller Excellence in Teaching Award, a recognition of his incredible impact on Webb’s students.

and faculty alike. As a former student said, “Mr. Rogers always put a positive spin on pretty much anything. He made sad things a little less sad and tragic things seem a little less tragic. He made you laugh so you didn’t cry.” Known to occasionally burst into song in the humanities office, crack a well-timed joke at meetings or listen intently to help a student, Rogers will be deeply missed by the Webb community. Members of the community have shared messages and favorite stories of him on a message board. Go to bit.ly/Brian RogersWebb to read them or to leave a message of your own.

Javier Valera, World Languages Javier Valera retired in November 2020 after 31 years on Webb’s world languages faculty, capping a rich career dedicated to student guidance and inspiration.

Charming, funny, full of wit and dedicated to his students, Rogers’ ability to connect and build relationships made him a beloved member of the faculty. He had a love for writing and humor, and he modeled what it meant to be an active writer, composing award-winning poetry, plays and a novel entitled The Whole of the Moon.

Valera came to Webb with two degrees in education and a decade of teaching in Mexico. While at Webb, he earned his Master of Arts in Spanish literature. As a faculty member, Valera taught Spanish at all levels and was fundamental in creating the World Languages Department’s honors and Advanced Placement program. Colleagues noted his dedication to students, who flocked to his office hours, and his dedication to advancing teaching methods for the department.

For years, Valera also led two of Webb’s key community outreach efforts, the Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Holiday Toy Drive.

“Working at Webb for most of my long teaching career has been an honor and a privilege,” Valera said. “I will miss the beautiful campus and my colleagues’ professionalism but, above all, the students. Even though I already miss ‘the action,’ I have many wonderful memories that will make my retirement more bearable.”

Will Walker, Math Valera’s favorite class was AP Spanish Literature – a class he introduced to Webb. Fellow teachers say he used his immense knowledge of literature, poetry, philosophy, history, art and more to unlock the maximum potential of students. Valera, who referred to his classroom as “el templo de conocimiento” – or the temple of knowledge – was honored over the years with four Jean E. Miller Excellence in Teaching Awards. “The dorms and the classroom were his happy places,” WSC Dean of Students Rick Duque said. “Everything he did, he did for the students.” As a head of dorms, Valera was known for dispensing bits of wisdom to his students, often visiting them during their nightly work crews. He brought an accountant’s accuracy to watching over his charges, generating an Excel matrix that compiled all aspects of their lives on a daily basis. The tool helped spot trends and allowed for early assistance for students in need. Prefects’ leadership was always one of his priorities. He also enjoyed his role as an advisor, typically starting the year with a dinner at his home in which he challenged each student to eat a jalapeño chile – an experience he used as a metaphor for challenges and accomplishments of the year to come. His wife, Estela, also cooked for the students and was instrumental in making them feel at home. In addition, both of Valera’s children are Webb graduates: Paco ’06 and Lisa ’08.

After 16 years at Webb, Will Walker retired at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Walker served as the chair of Webb’s math department, pioneering the incorporation of problem-based learning into the curriculum. The methodology has become a defining characteristic of Webb’s math program. Walker, whose previous career was in electrical engineering, developed and taught a number of engineering courses over the years to provide students with hands-on, practical applications in science, computer science and mathematics.

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He founded Webb’s robotics teams, leading students to multiple design and engineering awards – Webb’s trophy cabinet is packed with robotics honors. Webb hosted its local robotics league for many years, and Webb’s two teams (The Gaulbots and Webb.EXE) competed across the Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas regions. Two teams went on to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge world championships.

“I consider myself so lucky for Webb and I to have found each other over 16 years ago,” Walker said. “After my first year, I was walking across campus and thinking to myself, ‘Well, I think I found the place that I will eventually retire from.’” In 2009, Walker was honored with a Perry Award for his dedication to the growth of Webb students. Walker and his wife, Una, will retire to Oregon. “Working in boarding schools is all about people and community, and I have been so well supported by both at Webb. Una and I will always cherish our time here, and I will follow the news from Webb as the school moves forward in the coming years,” Walker said.

and streamlining the campus receiving function. As an important leader in the school’s emergency response system, Hutzell served as a liaison with local police and fire authorities and was typically the first and last responder at any critical campus situation. For almost two decades, Hutzell was a campus bedrock.

“Steve is the person I would most want to have in my foxhole,” said Janet Peddy, director of finance, planning and operations.

Steve Hutzell, Security and Special Operations Steve Hutzell left the school after 19 years for a new adventure in Tennessee at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Hutzell was often visitors’ first contact with Webb as he and his team staffed the welcome center at the entry turnaround. But his contributions to Webb go far beyond his warm welcomes. Hutzell established Webb’s campus security program, drawing on his more than two decades of military experience. The security function grew in sophistication and scope over the years, adding 24/7 staffing, training, perimeter gates, visitor management systems, traffic control and camera systems. Hutzell’s team supported community events, big and small, providing logistical support. In recent years, his team also took responsibility for mail/packages, centralizing

Hutzell lent a hand wherever Webb needed – from campus safety and security and beyond – even laying carpet, painting walls and finishing furniture when the need arose. He was the patron saint of Webb’s stray cats. “He’s got a warm heart and he loves Webb. He’s taken great care of us in his time here,” Peddy added. “We will miss him tremendously.” Hutzell praised Peddy and Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale for their leadership and guidance.

“It has been an amazing experience the past 19 years,” Hutzell said. “I love what Webb represents and stands for. Webb has provided me with an opportunity to grow as a person and as a professional that I never envisioned. I will be forever grateful.”

webbtoday ATHLETICS THE WEBB SCHOOLS

Football, Basketball Coaches Named Coaches of the Year Webb’s school community honored coaches Amahl Thomas and Veronnica Alvarado during our February 2021 Parents Weekend as the 2019-20 the Webb School of California and Vivian Webb School coaches of the year.

Amahl Thomas has been with Webb since 2013, serving as head football coach, assistant VWS basketball coach and assistant track coach. Over that time, the football team has won 41 games and earned two post-season appearances. Thomas – who is the parent of three Webb alumni and a current student – has led Webb teams not only to success on the field, but also with honor and distinction. This is exemplified in the numerous contacts by parents and administrators from other schools praising the coach and his staff for their interactions with our students.

Veronnica Alvarado has served as VWS head basketball coach since 2014, leading the team to its first ever league championships in 2019 and 2020. In addition to her impact as a basketball coach, Alvarado has contributed year-round to Webb’s athletic program as a VWS frosh volleyball coach and JV badminton coach. She is known for her infectious enthusiasm, ability to get the most out of her teams and deep care for her players. When Webb’s athletics shut down due to the pandemic, Alvarado stepped into the breach and traveled to New York as an EMT to help care for those in need.

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Athletes Shine Despite Shortened Seasons

Webb sports represented one of the first opportunities for students to return to campus during the pandemic – initially for training, then for practice and finally for competitive play in shortened seasons. Students returned for training in November, followed by practices in late winter and games in spring – squeezing three seasons of sports into just a few months. Teams were challenged not only by the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, but also by the loss of athletes who could not return to campus. “As always, the focus was on the experience of our students and across the board those who were able to play were excited to do so,” said Stephen Wishek, director of athletics and afternoon activities. Still, despite those challenges, athletes found moments to shine.

2020-21 Outstanding Performances VWS VARSITY SWIMMING

WSC VARSITY SWIMMING

League Champions 200M Medley Relay: Livia Hughson ’21, Kennedy Becher ’21, Madeline Lilley ’22 and Emily Li ’24

CIF Division 3 100M Breaststroke Champion: Kevin Ren ’22

League Champions 200M Freestyle Relay: Kennedy Becher ’21, Livia Hughson ’21, Madeline Lilley ’22, and Emily Li ’24 League Champion 50M Freestyle: Kennedy Becher ’21

CIF Division 3 200M Individual Medley 3rd place: Kevin Ren ’22 League Champion, League Record, School Record 200M IM: Kevin Ren ’22

League Champion 100M Butterfly: Madeline Lilley ’22

League Champion, League Record, School Record 100M Breaststroke: Kevin Ren ’22

VWS VARSITY TRACK

WSC VARSITY TRACK

League Champion 800M: Lily Miller ’21

League Champion 300M Hurdles and Discus: Ethan Caldecott ’21

League Champion Shot Put: Britney Lu ’23

League Champion Pole Vault: Christian Arzate ’21 League Champion Triple Jump: Justice Thomas ’21

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webbtodayGIVING THE WEBB SCHOOLS

THE DONALD L. LOFGREN ENDOWED DIRECTOR’S CHAIR AT THE RAYMOND M. ALF MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY

A master teacher filled with curiosity, character and a lifetime of dedicated service to The Webb Schools and Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology IT’S A DESCRIPTION that applies not only to Ray Alf, but also to Dr. Donald L. “Doc” Lofgren, the beloved museum director who stepped into a new role as director emeritus earlier this year. Lofgren’s leadership has been so noteworthy that it is hard to measure in singular achievements. The world-class, nationally accredited, fully renovated, one-of-a-kind museum on a high school campus is a testament to his hard work. Hundreds of loyal alumni and friends return year after year for Peccary Trips to Barstow and around the world to hunt for “MQ” (aka museum quality) fossils and sing the Peccary song around the campfire. Not surprisingly, Lofgren’s transition from the directorship to his accomplished successor, Dr. Andrew Farke, sparked a wave of appreciation and a desire for recognition from museum loyalists. One such example is Dr. Kenneth J. De Nault ’61. De Nault is an emeritus professor of geology at the University of Northern Iowa, a former student of Ray Alf and a devoted supporter of the Alf Museum.

vote was passed by the Alf Museum board to accept De Nault’s leadership gift to start the fund. Ashton and Millar were the next two contributors. Sherwood Kingsley ’58, a life trustee of the Alf Museum, was quick to follow. “This fund in Don’s honor is both a fitting tribute to a worldclass paleontologist and great friend as it is an important step in the evolution of the Alf Museum and its ability to be self-sustaining,” Ashton said. The Donald L. Lofgren Endowed Director’s Chair at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology is now accepting contributions from alumni, parents and friends who wish to honor Lofgren and his distinguished service over the last three decades. Your support will help secure the museum’s future and provide revenue in perpetuity. Funds received will be included and recognized in The Next 100: The Centennial Campaign. To make a gift, please contact Danielle Gordon, dgordon@webb.org, (909) 482-5267.

Working with such notable leadership volunteers as museum Board of Trustees Chair R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70 and Webb trustee Roger Millar ’61, De Nault proposed to endow the directorship of the museum in Lofgren’s honor. Taylor Stockdale embraced the idea immediately, and a unanimous Don Lofgren with alumni during Alumni Weekend 2018

WEBB ALUMNI, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS “BRING IT HOME” FOR GIVING DAY 2021 The entire Webb community – alumni, current and past families, faculty and staff and friends – rallied around Webb’s 2021 Giving Day theme, “Bring it Home!” During a year that presented so many challenges, Webb’s Advancement Office wanted to honor the entire Webb community and the idea that Webb is home to each of us. This year, when we could not all be together physically, we realized just how important Webb is in our lives. Like a home, Webb is a physical space where we share so much. And, also like a home, it is where we have come to know each other and nurture and support each other. It should come as no surprise that these deeply held feelings translated into a Giving Day that exceeded all expectations. We set an ambitious goal of 408 donors (one for each student) during the 24-hour Giving Day program. At the end of the day, over 460 donors contributed more than $400,000. These funds will impact every aspect of the Webb community this year and will help match the $2.1 million challenge gift given by an alumnus from Webb’s Class of 1963 at the beginning of this school year. Thanks to the generosity of the entire Webb community on Giving Day, Webb emerged from this year with strength and vitality, ready to embrace our Centennial in 2022. Thank you to everyone who helped “Bring It Home!” on Giving Day.

WEBB AWARDED CASE EDUCATIONAL FUNDRAISING AWARD Webb was recently awarded a 2020 Award for Excellence in Educational Fundraising by CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, a global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement. This prestigious award recognizes patterns of total support, breadth of fundraising, patterns of fundraising growth amount raised per student and the impact of the 12 largest gifts on total support, among other factors over a three-year period. Webb was recognized with other leading secondary schools, including Tabor, Cate and Andover. Dutch Barhydt, Webb’s director of institutional advancement from 2016 to 2021, said that while this award recognizes the professional accomplishments of Webb’s Advancement Team, it also recognizes every member of that team, who each contribute to this success, and most especially recognizes Webb’s donors, who have made Webb a philanthropic priority. This is Webb’s fourth CASE Award in four years, including a previous Award for Excellence in Fundraising, a Gold Circle of Excellence for Fundraising/Emerging Programs and a CASE District VII Silver Award for Advancement Services: Stewardship/Donor Relations. Chief Advancement Officer Bob Fass is now leading Webb’s Advancement Team into the community phase of The Next 100: The Centennial Campaign. Fass can be reached at bfass@webb.org.

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newsnotes THE WEBB SCHOOLS

22& with Rod Miranda ’98

by Jessica Rice ’12

A HALF MINUTES

Commanding Officer of the Strike Fighter Weapons School, Atlantic Rod Miranda ’98 embodies the Webb School of California motto: Principes, non Homines – Leaders, not Common Men. During nearly two decades of service, Miranda has established himself as a leader within the United States Navy. He serves as commanding officer of the Strike Fighter Weapons School, Atlantic, which is responsible for the tactical standardization for all East Coast squadrons of the Navy’s premiere Strike Fighter aircraft – the F/A-18 Super Hornet. He is responsible for 200 officers, enlisted sailors and government civilians. All air crew under his command are graduates of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) of which he is also a graduate. Miranda has spent over 2,800 hours in flight and completed over 300 carrier arrested landings. Today, his organization provides post-graduate level training for F/A-18 Strike Fighter tactics, mission planning, strike intelligence, air-launched weapons handling, loading and mission employment to the Navy, Marine Corps and Naval Reserve units. Miranda reflected on his years of service, lessons he has learned and the impact of his Webb experience.

Q&A

When did you first decide to enlist in the military? My motivations for joining the military were initially tied to the attacks on 9/11. I was a junior in college when 9/11 occurred, and it motivated me to serve my country. I had always considered military service, but 9/11 put me over the top. I applied for

commission halfway through my senior year of college at UC San Diego. Although I had no aviation background, the idea of flying fighter jet aircraft on and off of Navy aircraft carriers seemed awesome. To this day, it has not disappointed me. I still get excited the way I did early on in anticipation of a flight.

What has been the most rewarding thing about your time in the Navy? The most rewarding thing has been the experience of being accepted to attend and graduate from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). This accomplishment required work, sacrifice – and was a huge honor. The

Jessica Rice ’12 is a writer and marketing strategist at Compass. She graduated cum laude from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and political science.

course inspired me to become the best Naval aviator I could be. While flying fighter aircraft for the Navy is a truly unique and exhilarating experience, it was TOPGUN that changed it from an experience to a profession.

Is there anything you’ve found particularly challenging? The deployments and being away from home are always challenging – especially with a wife and children. We are typically gone for anywhere from eight to 10 months at a time. While on deployment, the missions we conduct are very rewarding, but come at the cost of time away from home. I missed my daughter’s birth when I was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.

Are there any lessons you have learned during your time in service?

I think we continue to learn lessons and evolve over time. Most recently, I learned the importance of being a compassionate and empathetic leader. Being a leader requires you to make difficult choices that affect people’s lives. As a commanding officer in the military, people will typically comply with your orders. However, if you want to truly motivate those you lead and inspire them to believe in the mission, they have to believe in you as an individual.

Are there any military values that you carry with you? Honor, courage and commitment are the pillars of the Navy ethos. I try to live my life professionally and personally with those values in mind.

Do you have any advice for Webb students who might be considering enlisting in the military? My advice to students considering the military would be to start while you are young. Many aspects of a military career are easier to do when you are young and able to focus on yourself and your career development. The military is also typically a physical job, which is easier to do when you are younger. I would also encourage Webb students to seek a commission as an officer, which requires a college degree, instead of enlisting right out of high school. While an enlisted career is a great option,

Webb as a college prep school prepares students to eventually earn college degrees. That trajectory naturally lends itself to applying for direct entry into the military as an officer.

Do you feel like Webb prepared you for your time in the military, or had any influence on you choosing this path?

Absolutely, without a doubt. Arguably the most important preparation lies within the school motto: Leaders, Not Common Men. Webb teaches its students discipline and independence in addition to the academic rigors of its course curriculum. The experience uniquely offered at Webb – especially the leadership opportunities I had during my time at Webb – helped build my character and gave me the qualities to be a successful officer.

Miranda and his wife, Stephanie, are proud parents to two children, Isabella and Sebastian. His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Strike-Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, as well as various unit, campaign and service awards. Some answers have been edited for clarity.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Savaria Harris ’99 Vivian Webb alumna Savaria (Brandy) Harris believes in elevating women. In fact, she’s made it her personal and professional mission. In addition to her role as Johnson & Johnson’s senior regulatory counsel, Harris is creator and executive producer of WLI ELEVATE, a firstof-its-kind Johnson & Johnson initiative that seeks to transform and inspire women through conversations, charitable support and smallbusiness partnerships. By Michele Raphael ’89

aunched in the fall of 2020, WLI ELEVATE began as a series of conversations hosted by Johnson & Johnson’s Women’s Leadership & Inclusion (WLI) employee resource group, based on the principle of transforming and inspiring women through open dialogue. The program has featured guest speakers in senior leadership at the healthcare, pharmaceutical and beauty megabrand, as well as diverse women leaders and luminaries from outside of the company, including Vera Wang, Jennifer Garner, Nicole Kidman, Ellen Pompeo, British selfcare champion Iskra Lawrence, founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke and Holocaust survivor and bestselling author Dr. Edith Eger. As the world grappled with a historic pandemic, lockdowns and civil unrest, speakers and participants first came to WLI ELEVATE as a place to express themselves privately and to have authentic conversations. “Looking back, I can definitely see how this style of conversation particularly resonated last year,” Harris said. “People were isolated during the lockdowns and yet still very interested in connecting genuinely. That combination, in addition to the very intentional elements of the program’s design, set the stage for conversations that were supportive in allowing people to share openly and, in

certain cases, more openly than they’d ever shared before.” Last year, access to WLI ELEVATE was exclusively available to Johnson & Johnson employees. “Speakers and participants were sharing openly and it was a brand-new program. So, there was a real desire to tread carefully in honoring everyone’s privacy and protecting the confidentiality of the space,” Harris said. “Interestingly, the feedback was so positive that the speakers and participants became really proud of conversations, and that grew a desire to share portions of their conversations outside of the company.” Now in its third season, segments of the speaker series are available for public viewing via WLI ELEVATE’s social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. “Viewers can see women from around the world sharing their stories and touching on universal themes like relationships, adversity, resilience, acceptance and forgiveness,” Harris said. “Whether the guest speakers are external or internal to the company, we are learning things about one another’s life and perspective that we did not previously know. It’s been humbling and an honor to host that kind of space.”

The purpose behind these authentic conversations is inspiration and transformation. “By learning that everyone, especially women that we admire, have also struggled with the very same thoughts, questions and interpersonal challenges that we have, it makes it clear that those experiences are human but not a reflection of our capabilities.”

Writer Michele Raphael ‘89 is the founder of Maximizing Media, a boutique media agency in Los Angeles. A former National Press Foundation fellow, she holds a Master of Arts in journalism from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her daughter, Mirabel ’24, is a member of the Vivian Webb School Class of 2024.

This point was illustrated in a season three conversation about vulnerability, moderated by Harris, that featured fashion designer Vera Wang. “Brené Brown has written that vulnerability is having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome,” Harris said, leading into the segment. In turn, Wang said she has been vulnerable every day of her life, sharing that after rebounding from her perceived failure to achieve her dream of being an Olympic figure skater and, later, from yet another perceived failure to become the editor-in-chief of Vogue after 17 years at the magazine, she launched her wildly successful company when she was 40 years old. “In a way, I’ve been defined as much by what I didn’t attain as by things I dared to try,” Wang said. Like those she spotlights, Harris is a leader and relates personally to the stories of the women featured on the WLI ELEVATE program. At Webb, Harris was a top student, as well as class president in her junior year and editor-in-chief of the yearbook in her senior year. She said her experience at Webb was formative to her work and success.

“As Vivian Webb is a girls’ school, having that focus on girls and young women leaders was foundational,” Harris said. After graduating from Vivian Webb, Harris attended Yale University, where she majored in history before attending Georgetown University for law school. She was a litigation partner at the law firms

of Kirkland & Ellis and DLA Piper before joining Johnson & Johnson in 2016.

that focus on women and women-owned businesses around the world.

As a senior lawyer in the Regulatory Health Care Compliance Group, she advises client groups in the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer sectors on U.S. healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act and related healthcare legal obligations, as well as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and equivalent anti-bribery laws and regulations outside the United States.

Harris credits Webb’s environment and values for inspiring her own mission to support diversity and the advancement of women through WLI ELEVATE.

Her additional responsibilities include advising the Global J&J Health Care Compliance organization on policy development, risk assessment, training and monitoring and serving as chair of the corporate chapter for Johnson & Johnson’s WLI. The WLI ELEVATE program continues to evolve while living its mission of transforming and inspiring. The program has expanded its elevation of women beyond conversations through the “Watch for Women” campaign, which supports and highlights charities

“The diversity at Webb was fantastic. Studying, living, playing sports and competing with people from different backgrounds just diminishes the idea that people are so different as to be unrelatable. Fundamentally, we all want the same things. All parents want their kids to get good grades,” Harris said, laughing. “All of my experiences at Webb, my friends, my teachers. I remember everybody. They’re all pieces of me, and, in turn, a part of WLI ELEVATE.” Savaria Harris ’99 lives in New York. You can follow WLI ELEVATE on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Zoom Events BLACK ALUMNI SUPPORT BSU AND ESVI STUDENTS ) On February 3, the Black Student Union (BSU) and Empowering Student Voices Initiative (ESVI) organized an informal conversation with Black alumni, students and faculty. Many thanks to alumni participants (pictured clockwise) Jarel Hill ’08, Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ’93, Jordan Taylor ’02, Carly Paris ’10, Zak Kidd ’95 and Christopher Haliburton ’20. They talked about their student experiences and some of the challenges they faced with little representation at Webb. “The students and faculty mentioned how encouraging and powerful the conversations were. They would love to make this a tradition,” Director of Equity John Choi said.

DIES MULIERES/MEN IN THE ARENA SYMPOSIUM * Many thanks to the alumni who participated in our 2021 symposium on March 3: Diana Escalante ’12, Daniel Hernandez ’13, Akua McLeod ’16 and Dakota Santana-Grace ’11. This year’s event, “Education as a Catalyst for Change,” urged students, faculty and staff to think critically about how we can make Webb a more inclusive community. Alumni talked about their Webb experiences. All agreed that faculty played an important and supportive role, especially on issues related to race, sexual orientation or socio-economic background. They also shared ideas on how to build empathy through open dialogue around gender and inclusivity. Following the panel, keynote speaker Schuylar Bailar shared his personal journey as a transgender, Division 1 athlete at Harvard University.

INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE HUDDLE UP NETWORK * On March 24, WSC football coach Amahl Thomas hosted the inaugural meeting of the Huddle Up Network. The network’s goal is to establish and sustain a unique relationship among current and former student-athletes and foster ongoing relationships and opportunities for internships and networking. Fifty-four alumni and coaches attended the online gathering. Coach Dan Pride logged in from Ironton, Ohio, along with assistant coach Michael Dunford, defensive coordinator Chad Mejia and former offensive coordinator Mike McNeece. Alumni from the classes of 1958 through 2020 attended. Thomas showed a video featuring photos from different decades and gave an update on today’s football program. Additional events, including a barbecue, are in the works. For more information, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@webb.org.

Q&A WITH DR. SATSUKI INA AND STACY CHEN ’12 ) On May 5, in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Month, Stacy Chen ’12 led a virtual Q&A for Webb students and faculty with Dr. Satsuki Ina, an emeritus faculty member at Boston University and the University of Oregon. They discussed current issues and events related to Asian discrimination actions, speech and sentiment. The event was organized by Eugene Guo ’22 and Director of Equity John Choi.

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ALUMNI PECCARY VIRTUAL CAMPFIRE * On May 1, Peccary Pals from across space and time gathered around the virtual campfire for the second year in a row. Alumni, parents, friends and Webb students were treated to museum highlights, including an update on museum outreach and collections from Gabriel-Philip Santos, exciting new student research from Dr. Andrew Farke, as well as a moving tribute to Dr. Don Lofgren, who transitioned from Alf Museum director to director emeritus in July after more than three decades of service (See our Alf Museum section for more on Lofgren’s legacy, page 38). Museum Trustee Liz Smith ’92 led the annual raffle of wonderful museum prizes. Alumni look forward to returning to the hills of Barstow in May 2022.

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Events & Highlights Be sure to keep your email updated with the Alumni Office to hear about upcoming events. Contact us at alumni@webb.org to update your contact information.

UNWIND WITH WEBB * Our virtual concert series featuring live performances by talented Webb alumni continued this year. Alumni Council members Ben Davis ’11 and Kathy Fredrich ’02 co-hosted events with Colorado-based musician Drew Hersch ’19 on February 26 and Brooklyn-based artist Felicity Doyle ’04 on April 30. Visit www.webb.org/alumni for more details.

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Alumni Awards 2020 There is no greater testament to The Webb Schools’ mission, culture of service and honorable leadership than our extraordinary alumni. Through our annual Alumni Awards program, the Alumni Council and the Board of Trustees honor alumni whose service and achievements truly exemplify the qualities and values that Webb represents. Alumni Outstanding Achievement The Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award acknowledges alumni who epitomize the core values of their school’s motto: Webb School of California: Principes non Homines, “Leaders, Not Common Men” Vivian Webb School: Sapientia Amicitia Atque Honor, “Wisdom, Friendship and Honor”

Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ’93 Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Throughout her distinguished career, the Honorable Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ’93 has exemplified the Vivian Webb School ideals of Wisdom, Friendship and Honor. Upon graduation from Harvard University, she worked as a public high school teacher in Ghana. After earning her J.D. from Yale University in 2001, she clerked for a judge on the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, worked at an international law firm and then served in the Justice Department during President Obama’s administration. In 2015, she joined the Millennium Challenge Corp. in Washington, D.C., a foreign aid agency run by the United States government.

Over the course of her legal career, Judge Frimpong practiced numerous areas of the law, including whitecollar crime, immigration, civil rights, international law, and consumer protection. She was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015 and took the bench in 2016. She serves as an assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division and presides over a criminal courtroom in downtown Los Angeles. “I had wanted to become a lawyer to make society work better and fairer … and I truly loved advocating for my clients,” Frimpong said. “Over time, however, I came to see that the judge is also an advocate – for justice and the rule of law. The more I considered it, the more I felt drawn to the role. And ultimately, the opportunity to grapple with complex legal questions, make difficult decisions, demystify the justice system for the public, and protect the rights of all who come before me was too intriguing not to try.” Frimpong has also been a strong supporter of Vivian Webb School (from which she graduated as valedictorian), engaging with Webb students whenever she can. She’s been a guest speaker multiple times at Sophomore Career Evening, delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Honors Symposium, hosted alumni in her Los Angeles courtroom (including Jason Brooks ’99 and his class of high school students), served as an alumni mentor for Webb’s first-ever Black student-alumni affinity meeting and gave the keynote address for the 2021 Vivian Webb School Commencement.

Blake B. Johnson ’95 Entrepreneur and Investor “My Webb education has played a part in every success I’ve had – it taught me to think, to lead, to have a great work ethic. It taught me to think about consequences and not just in a ‘is this smart or stupid?’ way but in a manner which raises the more important question: ‘Is this right or wrong?’” With that foundational testimonial, Blake Johnson ’95 provides what he believes is the basis for all that he has achieved – and it is quite a list. Johnson has founded and cultivated a variety of businesses that currently exceed $1 billion in valuation. Currency Capital and IM Capital Access (companies for which he was chairman and founder) were named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Best Places to Work and several of his ventures have landed him on Inc.’s 500/5000 lists of fastest-growing privately held companies. His most recent enterprise, byte, a direct-to-consumer dental aligner company, has achieved significant success expanding to Australia, Canada, Europe and Mexico. In 2020, byte converted its 150 Juell 3D printers to make masks, face shields and ventilator parts for frontline healthcare providers. In January 2021, Dentsply Sirona announced that it acquired the clear dental aligner maker in an all-cash deal worth $1.04 billion. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Johnson is an enthusiastic philanthropist, supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Boy Scouts of America (he achieved Eagle Scout status as a teen), the International Justice Mission and MOCA Los Angeles. He was the chairman of YPO Los Angeles in 2020. Through his Blake Johnson Alliance, founded in 2015, he follows his passion for creating and improving opportunities in his Southern California community by providing grants to deserving businesses and nonprofits serving the advancement of education, arts, sciences and social well-being.

It will come as no surprise to the classmates who knew him that Johnson serves with a generous spirit – he has also been a consistent volunteer and donor to Webb. He is a member of the Hastings Society, having given to Webb for 22 consecutive years. He has also served as a class agent for more than 10 years, co-chaired his 20th reunion and served as a guest speaker at Sophomore Career Evening and the Honors Symposium. Johnson was also one of the first supporters of the Webb@Work program, giving young alumni opportunities to gain valuable work experience with summer internships at his company.

Young Alumni Rising Star Award The Rising Star Award recognizes recent alumni of the past 15 years who have used their success to bring good to the world, demonstrated exceptional achievements in their chosen field and have shown an affinity for Webb.

Noreen Lysette Barcena ’05 Immigration Attorney at Barcena Law Office When Noreen Lysette Barcena ’05 was majoring in psychology and organizational studies (with a minor in Chicano studies) at Pitzer College, she dreamed of entering the field of neuropsychology. But while taking a course on Latin American migration, she performed an extensive research project on Salvadoran migration and realized that “the law” was the key to real change. The following summer, she clerked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and promptly changed her post-graduation plans. In 2012, she graduated from the University of La Verne Law School, passed the California Bar Exam and obtained her license to practice law. She established her firm, Barcena Law Offices, and promptly began the work of dedicating her practice to immigration, criminal defense and family law cases. The firm prides itself as being a professional law corporation “built on the philosophy of putting clients first.” She was named a 2021 Rising Star for Super Lawyers in January and recently earned her certification for Immigration and Nationality Law specialization.

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Alumni Awards 2020 “Immigration law is a constant uphill battle of trying to keep families together, helping people seek refuge from their countries and standing up to constant criticism and backlash,” Barcena said. Barcena has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court and is a frequent attorney contributor for Telemundo, ABC7, Univision and Hoy. She is a founding member and executive board member of Ferias Legales, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing knowledge and justice to underresourced populations. She is also a volunteer with the Catholic Big Brothers and Sisters Program and an executive board member of Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. She is a former executive board member of the Mexican American Bar Association and has served as a speaker for the American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California Chapter. She is also an active volunteer of IMAHelps, helping to organize medical missions to populations in need. Her law office also engages in extensive volunteer work with several nonprofit organizations, including Public Counsel, Al Otro Lado and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Barcena has volunteered her time as a VWS alumna by returning to campus as a guest speaker at Sophomore Career Evening, hosting students for Unbounded Days and co-chairing her 15th reunion. She is a member of the Hastings Society in recognition of her consecutive years of giving. One of her clients commented: “Noreen Barcena is not just a great attorney but also an amazing person with a great heart. Not something you can say about everyone in her profession.”

Colburn Distinguished Service Award Named in honor of Ken Colborn ’47, the Colborn Distinguished Service Award pays tribute to an alumnus/a in recognition of selfless commitment and ongoing volunteer service to The Webb Schools and/or Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.

R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70 Manager, Star Investment Company Chairman of the Board, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology At the 87th Commencement for Webb School of California, R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70 shared his childhood memories of meeting a paleontologist from Southern California at the Ashton family store in Vernal, Utah. Raymond Alf was an annual visitor to the family market because Alf and his summer Peccary Trip crew of Webb students needed to stock up on supplies before heading out to fossil sites nearby. Ashton would talk to Alf on these visits about Webb and years later, he would see Alf again – this time on campus as a student in his legendary ninth-grade science class. As a boarder at Webb (overlapping briefly with brother, Michael ’67), he spent many hours with Alf, both at school and in the field, and he developed a deep affinity for the Alf Museum. As a devoted Webb alumnus, Larry has worked tirelessly to ensure that the legacy of his beloved teacher and the scientific contributions of the legions of Webb students and alumni who identify as members of the Peccary Society remain at the core of the museum’s mission in perpetuity. Since Ashton became chairman of the Alf Museum board in 2001, the museum transformed into a world-class institution renowned for its innovative education and research programs. Other items accomplished under Ashton’s board leadership include renovations of the Hall of Footprints and Hall of Life; national re-accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums; creation of the Lofgren Research Lab where Webb students can conduct research on the specimens they find on Peccary Trips; modernization of the Malcolm C. McKenna Fossil Preparation Lab; addition of a compactor system for collections storage that boosted capacity by 60%; expansion of professional staff (curator,

collections manager, fossil prep specialist) needed to run a world-class museum; and doubling the museum’s endowment. All these endeavors will ensure that the museum will continue to thrive in fulfilling its mission to Webb, the scientific community and all who are touched by its educational programs. Ashton has proudly made giving to the Alf Museum and Webb a regular part of his life since shortly after his graduation in 1970. Today he and his wife, Alicia, are members of the Hastings Society, having made annual gifts to both the Alf Museum and Webb annually. They contribute to the annual Giving Day, the Class of 1970 Scholarship Fund, the Don Lofgren Endowed Director’s Chair, and the annual Peccary Dinner, among other initiatives. The Ashtons are also members of the Thompson and Vivian Webb Society, having made an estate commitment. While the Alf Museum continues to be his passion, as board chair he also serves as an ex officio member of The Webb Schools Board of Trustees. Ashton holds a significant love for Webb and gives an equal amount of time to work that directly supports it. For seven years he served as chair of the Investment Committee. Today, he serves as a member of about 15 museum and school subcommittees, including those handling finance, development, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Ashton believes in active participation, virtual and in-person, as much as he possibly can.

“I love my school and have tried to give back to it as generously as it has given to me,” Ashton said. “I take bragging rights whenever possible to our academic programs, our leaders, our faculty, our students, our staff and our school home, the Webb campus. I love and support all aspects of our institutions.”

Dick Lynas ’55, a life trustee of the Alf Museum, nominated Ashton for recognition. “Larry’s generosity is legendary,” Lynas said. “He’s the first to volunteer his time, money and resources. He always contributes to the Peccary Trips and makes his presence felt at conventions and other museum functions even though it’s not required. Both he and his wife, Alicia, go out of their way to promote the museum and to make others feel very welcome there.” Dr. Don Lofgren, the museum’s director from 1991 to 2021, described Ashton as the consummate cheerleader. “Larry has an extremely positive attitude in his leadership style that is infectious and inspiring,” Lofgren said. “All who meet him are touched by his deep love of Webb and the Alf Museum. When Larry joined the museum board in 1999 and two years later was elected chairman, the museum’s path to eventual world-class status was never in doubt. Larry and his fellow trustees overcame all the challenges needed to make that a reality. There is no better ambassador for Webb than Larry Ashton.”

Please join us in congratulating this year’s recipients. Due to the postponement of Alumni Weekend in 2020, our four 2020 recipients were celebrated with online presentations available on the Webb Alumni YouTube channel.

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1956 Leslie Epstein has published his 10th book, which he calls the culmination of all his energies and interests. The work of fiction, which was released on March 1, is entitled Hill of Beans. The novel brings together Les’ personal and professional interests – WWII and Hollywood. 1

1960 Robert Letteau is the proud grandparent of a WSC graduate. His grandson, Mason Letteau Stallings, was a boarder and member of the Honor Committee. Mason matriculates to Washington University in St. Louis.

1961 Many thanks to Roger Millar, who stepped

down from the Board of Trustees on June 30 after finishing his second consecutive term. Roger joined the board in 2011 and we are grateful for his service.

1963 Ralph Young and Rick Clarke, along with their friend Aaron Warren, sailed Ralph’s boat, the Greek Isle, from Newport Beach, Calif., to Ensenada, Mexico, where it was “reborn” as the Summer Star II. The group celebrated the 12-hour journey with fish tacos!

1964 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training has published Christian Holmes’ oral history centered primarily on his public service career. It is now part of the Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection, Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training in Arlington, Va. “I emphasize my Webb education, its emphasis on living a purposeful life within one’s moment in time. I remain immensely grateful for my time at Webb.” Visit adst.org/oral-history and use the search function to find Christian’s oral history interview, which will also become part of the Library of Congress digital collection.

1966 Many thanks to Doug Gregg, who served as president of the Alumni Council for the past four years. He joined the Council in 2012 as a member at large and now continues as past president. We are grateful for his service and leadership. 2

1970 R. Larry Ashton Jr. was named the 2020 recipient of the Colborn Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his honorable service and extraordinary commitment to the Alf Museum and The Webb Schools. Read about his many contributions and accomplishments on page 70.

1975 Jim Boyce is a proud first-time grandparent of baby Amelia Desai. “My daughter, Kelly Boyce, VWS Class of ’06, and her husband, Rishi Desai, WSC Class of ’05, gave birth to a new Webblet! So excited. Beyond words!” 3

After almost 40 years with the Bechtel Corp., Karim Khan has retired. “I started off as a college hire in the San Francisco office and moved on to project assignments in eight countries on seven continents, plus another 18 countries on business trips. It was a great ride. I made many memories and lifelong friends along the way. The best part was for the past 20 years my wife, Daria, has been on the journey with me working side by side on projects from Chernobyl to Hanford, Wash., to Chile to India to Gabon to Australia and finally to Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the next phase!”

1981 In February 2020, just before COVID-19 entered all our lives, Steve Farley finalized his transition away from politics to take a position as CEO of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. “While it has not always been easy leading this 76-year-old community institution during a worldwide pandemic, I have never loved a job more than this one. The staff, board, donors and volunteers are amazing, and the work is so rewarding. Adoptions are going great – everyone needs a new best friend to hunker down with these days! Once we can travel again, if anyone wants to get a behind-the-scenes tour of our Tucson facilities, look me up at HSSAZ.org. Let’s hope we can all get together in person at our 40th reunion!”

VWS ALUMNAE ON GMA INSPIRATION LIST For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Good Morning America and ABC News asked influential AAPI leaders like Dr. Sandra Lee Rebish ’88 to nominate fellow members of the community for the GMA Inspiration List. Lee Rebish, who stars in the TLC network’s Dr. Pimple Popper television series, serves on Webb’s Board of Trustees and is the parent of two Webb students (Chance ’23 and Stratton ’24). Stacy Chen ’12 caught her attention for several reasons. “I love when I notice someone on television and social media who has found her ‘thing,’ has found a way to get her points across, connecting with complete strangers, telling stories and conducting interviews that inspire people to improve their lives and the lives around them,” Lee Rebish said.

Chen is a news producer at ABC News. She joined the network in 2015 as a digital and political intern. Since then, she interned for Nightly News with Lester Holt and worked as a production assistant before becoming a producer in 2018. Recently, she’s covered top stories, such as the ABC News interview with Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, and Cara Page, founder of Southern Kindred Healing Justice Collective. Chen has also covered stories related to Asian hate crimes, such as the violent attacks on elderly Asian Americans in the Bay Area, and the attacks across the country on Asian American-owned businesses.

“When I saw Stacy Chen doing this as an Asian American journalist, mixing her own personality – including light-hearted irreverence with serious subject matter – it really made me pause and smile. And the surprise and pride I had to realize we both heralded from the same high school that fosters this spirit.”

Igbo Obioha is the 1985 Kit Stephenson, assistant director at the Bozeman Public Library, invited Ingrid (Smith) Ulrey to speak at a May 13 library event titled, “How are you holding up? The pandemic’s wide-ranging effects on mental health.” Ingrid is the policy director at Public Health for Seattle & King County, one of the largest metropolitan health departments in the U.S. The online panel was part of Bozeman’s award-winning speaker series, SymBozium, which features current topics and speakers from varied points of view. Kit has worked in public libraries for over 20 years, from leading a one-room library in Vermont to throwing a film festival for teens in Nashville. She is president of the Montana Library Association. She lives in Bozeman, Mont., with her husband and son, and her hobbies are living in the Rockies (and all that entails) and sewing. Visit www.webb.org/alumni to watch the panel with Kit and Ingrid. 4

1987 Melissa Barnes Dholakia and Sanjay Dholakia are the proud parents of a VWS graduate. Their daughter, Maya, is attending Pitzer College this fall. 5 Many thanks to Janel Henriksen Hastings for her service on the Board of Trustees. She takes on a new role as co-chair of the Affiliates parent group this year. After 18 years at Nike, Michael Kwon is now an executive at Hyundai Motors’ brand Genesis. “It’s been super exciting working at the global level of a Korean company, a kind of surreal experience. I’m opening some amazing showrooms around the world. We just launched in China and will be launching in Europe this month. You can follow us on Instagram at @genesis_ worldwide.”

executive producer and legal counsel for “Entanglement,” a short film led by a team of Black filmmakers, including his wife, Anasia Obioha. Igbo is president and founder of Obioha & Associates, an entertainment law firm in Marina del Rey, Calif. He is a former trial attorney who litigated cases involving intellectual property rights disputes and First Amendment matters before moving to the transactional side of entertainment law in 2004. Igbo is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He graduated from UCLA and USC Law School. 6

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James Sun enjoyed seeing

classmates at a mini reunion hosted by Jenny Huang in May. “Ingrid was visiting from NorCal, so Jenny invited us to her home in Pasadena. She went to three restaurants and a bakery to put together a wonderful Taiwanese feast. It’s been a few years since I saw Jenny and Roger, but more than 20 since I last saw Ingrid or Lee. So fortunate to have these lovely people in my life. Go Gauls!” Pictured L-R: Roger Yiu, Jenny Huang, James, Ingrid Liu and Lee Chou ’88. 7

1989 Thank you to Bob Connolly for his six years

1993 Rachel Cunnan Malicay is the proud parent

of service on the Alumni Council. As a member at large, Bob led a major reorganization of the archives room and hosted numerous events at his home. Bob will continue his volunteer work with the school archives.

of a Webb graduate and a new student. Her son, Jackson, was a boarder and member of the Dorm Council. Jackson is attending UCLA this fall. Her daughter, Erika, joins VWS as a freshman this year. 9

1990 “When there is no high

Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong was named a

school reunion but you are all vaccinated!” So great to see WSC Class of 1990 reunited for a mini-reunion dinner at Haidilao in Los Angeles in May. Many air miles are represented in this photo! L-R: David Kahm (Hong Kong), Brian Choe, Jay Nam and Robert Sueng (Jakarta, Indonesia). 8

2020 recipient of the Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding professional achievement, service to the community and commitment to The Webb Schools. See page 68 for more details. Maame was also the commencement speaker at the 38th VWS graduation ceremony held June 12 on the Webb campus. A recording of her address is available on Webb’s YouTube channel. 10

JENN LOUIS ’89 LENDS HELPING HAND TO HOMELESS IN PORTLAND When Jenn Louis ’89 saw the number of tent camps growing in Portland, Ore., during the pandemic, she wanted to do something to help. Since December, she has brought hot meals and a variety of donations to about 30 homeless people three times a week. Her efforts started after her boyfriend cleaned out his closet. She asked if she could donate his old wool sweaters to a tent camp she passed almost every day. The following day, she brought people living at the camp – and six other camps nearby – a hot meal of rice and beans. Months later, she has partnered with nearly 20 businesses and organizations that contribute to her efforts. From soap and socks to blankets and tarps, she asks the community what they need and makes sure she has those

items next time she visits. “I offer these things with an open heart and without judgment. I do not ask about anyone’s past, I just ask what they need and what I can supply for them,” Louis said. “All I want is that their basic needs are met.” For Louis, one of the most rewarding parts of her experience has been getting to know the people she meets. “They’re really good people,” she said. “There are such a variety of reasons that people are on the streets. I think that right now, more than ever, we need to think about the fact that we’re all interconnected. Just because someone isn’t your family or isn’t like you doesn’t mean you can’t expand your heart and include them in your world.” Louis plans to continue her efforts for a year and see where it goes from there. Learn more about her homeless relief initiative on her website, jennlouis.com.

1994 For the third year in a row, Christine Choi Kim has been named one of the top dermatologists by Los Angeles magazine! “I’m giving a double dose of thank yous to my physician peers who nominated me for this honor. I am truly grateful for your confidence and trust.” 11

2000 Nick Barshick and his wife, Krista, welcomed baby boy Henri on April 27. He joins big sister Rory, age 2.

Lilly Coye has launched a new business venture, Lilly Coye Coaching + Consulting. Lily is a member of the International Coaching Federation and trained through CoachRice at Rice University. She has an Ed.D. in educational leadership and a decade of experience coaching college students through transition.

2002 Andrea Hobby earned her master’s degree in epidemiology from Georgetown University in May. After graduation, she joined Accenture as a data scientist.

2004 Kelsey Dickson and her husband, Justin Burns, are the proud parents of baby Eleanor, born in July 2020. 12 Felicity Doyle was the featured artist during the April 30 Unwind with Webb concert. From her home in Brooklyn, N.Y., she performed on her autoharp and sang original songs, including new releases from her EP Trail Markers. Check out her website, felicitydoyle.com, or have a listen on Bandcamp at feedoyle.bandcamp.com/ releases.

After more than 12 years at DreamWorks Animation, Jennifer Pan is now the director of production technology at Skydance Animation. The animation studio has offices in Madrid and Los Angeles.

2005 Noreen Lysette Barcena is the 2020 recipient of the Young Alumni Rising Star Award in recognition of her outstanding professional achievement, community service and commitment to Webb. Read more on page 69.

Brittan Berry and her husband, Andrew, are the proud parents of a new baby girl, Eden Ruth Berry. She arrived on April 29, the morning of the NFL draft, and the Cleveland Browns tweeted “Andrew and Brittan Berry’s 1st round pick of the 2021 draft came a little early.” Big brothers Zion and Kairo are smitten. 13

BLAKE JOHNSON ’95 Entrepreneur Blake Johnson ’95 was recently featured in Forbes magazine. Johnson and business partner Scott Cohen, launched byte, a direct-to-consumer dental aligner company, in 2019. In January 2021, they sold the company for more than $1 billion. “Repeat entrepreneurs Scott Cohen and Blake Johnson built this unicorn in record time in what some have called one of the greatest direct-to-consumer success stories of the century,” according to Forbes. What sets this success apart is the fact that Johnson and Cohen accomplished this feat without any venture capital investments. “Not only did byte succeed without it, but they took on industry giants Invisalign and Smile Direct Club in the process. Their differentiator? Byte’s been mission-driven and profitable from the start, focused on improving accessibility and putting the customer first,” Forbes stated.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson continued to invest in his employees, customers and the community through the ByteCares program, offering services to communities in need and converting a large portion of manufacturing to supply ventilator parts and face shields to frontline healthcare organizations. For more on Blake Johnson, see the 2020 Alumni Awards article on page 69.

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2006 Kelly Boyce and Rishi Desai ’05 are the proud parents of a baby girl, Amelia, born in February 2021. 14

Congratulations to Heidi Marti, who earned her master’s in organizational psychology at Azusa Pacific University. “My thesis was entitled The HEX that Spells A COhesive Team: Exploring the Relationship between Team Cohesion and Personality using HEXACO. Next step … submitting my thesis for publication!” 15

Thomas Yu has joined the Alf Museum Board of Trustees. He is a project manager for Stem Inc., an energy storage startup, focused on strategic projects to improve and scale fleet operations, and has been in the energy storage space for the last five years and the greater energy industry for the last 10. “My experience at the museum prepared me by introducing me to the importance of data, explaining how organizations work and by showing that students can do great things with expert guidance. I’m excited to be a part of this tradition of education and look forward to supporting the unique opportunities the museum provides for students.” Museum Director Emeritus Dr. Don Lofgren said, “Thomas was the leader of the museum after-school class during his Webb career

as he was a skilled fossil preparator and could also make Jiffy Pop popcorn for his fellow students without burning a kernel. Thomas also helped discover the camel skeleton now on display in the Hall of Life on a Barstow Peccary Trip in 2006.” 16

2007 Elisa Gores and Stella Green Sanderson got married in a small wedding on July 31, 2020. “Unfortunately, COVID restrictions made it impossible for any of my Webb friends to attend but we were lucky to be surrounded by family and a couple of close friends. In August, we relocated to Stella’s hometown of Toronto, Ontario. I also graduated from Loyola University of Chicago in May 2020 with my master’s in social work.” 17 2008 We love this photo that Johnson Lightfoote shared from Michael Bashoura’s wedding in May! L-R: Paul Grimm, Shant Tomassian, Michael and Johnson. 18 Thanks to Jeff Cripe for being a guest speaker in Dr. Theresa Smith’s entrepreneurship class in February. Jeff talked about his early jobs at Birchbox and Christie’s, which led to his interest in ecommerce and the eventual creation of Cargo. Students heard about the challenges he faced with early stage funding and getting an investment from Techstars, which helped refine and grow the company. Jeff also talked about the pandemic’s effect on the company and how the business has adjusted its business plan. 19

2009 Lexington Henn has joined the Alf Museum Board of Trustees. She is a vice president for the Debt & Equity Finance Team at Mission Capital. Lexington has been actively involved in raising more than $1 billion of capital in the form of debt, equity, mezzanine and preferred equity for a variety of asset classes, including residential, office, hospitality, industrial and retail throughout the United States. Her responsibilities include debt and equity placement, client and investor correspondence, identification of the appropriate capital sources and preparation of financial models and investment materials. She sits on Georgetown University’s Real Estate Associate Advisory Board and the Management Committee of Real Estate Aspiring Leaders, which aims to connect the next generation of leaders in commercial real estate. Previously, Lexington worked at Cushman & Wakefield (formerly known as DTZ) in the research and capital markets departments. She graduated from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown, earning a BSBA in finance and international business. Dr. Don Lofgren said, “Lexi was an avid student member of the Peccary Society and her description of the 60-million-year-old mammal species Protoselene ashtoni (named in honor of Larry Ashton ’70) was published by the American Museum of Natural History in 2014. She has been a mainstay at the annual Peccary Dinner and on international Peccary Trips like those to Mongolia and Peru.”

Alumni Profile Asim Rizvi, M.D. ’00 is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Orbit Health Telepsychiatry. His practice combines supportive therapy, diagnosis and medication management. From his home office in Pennsylvania, he works with patients all over the country, with a particular emphasis on under-resourced communities in California. Before joining Orbit Health, Rizvi was a staff psychiatrist with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in the Rancho Cucamonga field office. There, he was integral in building the telepsychiatry division. He vividly recalls the launch of FaceTime in 2013 and knowing that it would change the world and shape the future of care and interaction. Fast forward to 2020 with the world shifting to online communications, Dr. Rizvi was well prepared, having already been treating patients in this manner for several years. Orbit Health offers telepsychiatry services for medical practices, schools, employers, lawyers, correctional facilities and other institutions across California. Rizvi works with clients from Kaiser Oakland all the way to the Mexico border. One of his largest client bases is out of the Imperial County Behavioral Health Services in El Centro, a remote location with limited access to local mental healthcare. This community in particular has struggled with substance abuse issues and the associated mental health challenges. Rizvi also supports residential juvenile treatment facilities that serve as turning points for children and youth at risk of entering the prison system. One of the largest hurdles people face is seeking treatment. “So many cultures have stigma around mental health,” Rizvi said. “Part of my job is to educate against that shame. Why should you show your brain any less love than the rest of your body?” Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has heightened demand for mental healthcare. Stressors have permeated every corner of the world as people work to balance professional, school and family commitments, all while ensuring public safety. Rizvi treats children and adolescents ages 4 to 18 and has seen cases that range from moderate Zoom fatigue, to feelings of isolation and suicidal thoughts. “The name of the game is ‘function,’ ” he said. “We all experience anxiety, but when your ability to function is compromised, that’s when you should ask for help.”

But the pandemic has also opened more doors for practices such as his and allowed more people to receive treatment. “This model will only increase access to care,” he said. “People now understand what a viable option [telepsychiatry] is, and we will see how many people return to in-person sessions.” Rizvi counts Javier Valera (world languages) and Mark Thompson (history) among his most influential teachers. As a senior, he received the E.T. Price Award in History and was a strong asset on the varsity football team. After graduating from Webb, he studied communications at the University of Southern California and completed his Doctor of Medicine at Shifa College of Medicine in Islamabad, Pakistan. He lives outside of Allentown, Penn., with his two daughters.

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LISETTE FARVE ’04, DVM

newsnotes THE WEBB SCHOOLS

2010 Congratulations to Kelsey De Silva for earning her M.D. from Tulane University. Photo credit:

Ariel Fan 20 2011 Dana Edwards married Jake Okerman on March 27, 2021. Webbies in attendance included the bride’s aunt Dana Su Lee ’84 and Lauren Gronna. 21

Madison Fuelling and her husband, Casey Fox, welcomed their bundle of joy, Hudson, on February 27! Madi is happy to be back in Claremont, close to family. She’s working as a project manager with her family’s healthcare management company, Brault. 22 21

Christopher Jusuf graduated from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law. 23

Many thanks to Adrian Lam for being a guest speaker in Dr. Theresa Smith’s entrepreneurship class. He talked about the “Art of the Pitch” and showed the students an actual pitch deck.

Brittany Lamon-Paredes received her naval officer commission in December and graduated in June with a Master of Legal Studies (dispute resolution) from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. She’s now in Washington, D.C. working as an analyst for the Department of Defense. 24

Banfield Pet Hospital recognized Dr. Lisette Farve at its national conference in March as Chief of Staff of the Year in the Southwest Region. Farve joined Banfield in 2012 after graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. After two years as an associate with Banfield, she was promoted to chief of staff and eventually returned to California to be closer to home. Farve trains and mentors associate doctors and works as a practicing veterinarian. “I like the mentorship part, talking to other doctors. I learn the most there, hearing their perspective and learning how they practice,” she said. Recently, Farve was promoted to area chief of staff and now oversees a pod of four hospitals across Upland, Eastvale and Riverside. In addition to her management role, she continues to see pets for spays, neuters, teeth cleaning and more. Farve always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. In kindergarten, she drew a picture of herself as a pet doctor, which her mom framed next to her DVM diploma. “It’s a very competitive field,” Farve said. “You need a lot of science classes and hands-on experience. Before I applied, I knew it’d be helpful to have different experiences, so I volunteered at vet clinics and did research with large animals and lab animals.” While she was a student at Webb, she volunteered at a small animal clinic and the 4H club at the Chino Fair working with pigs. As a day student, she fondly remembers weekend activities like trips to Disneyland, downtown Los Angeles and the Webb van runs to local shopping areas. She also participated in afternoon activities, including soccer, volleyball, track and field, and theater. She loved English class with Jim Kingstone and the interactive science class with David Sculley. She also appreciated the extra time that AP bio teacher David Fitzgerald gave her. “Bio was difficult at first, but he took the time to talk with me outside of class. Very quickly, I caught on,” she said. Farve earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Claremont McKenna College. She lives in Guasti with her husband, Orlando Hodges, and their Yorkie, Duchess.

Dakota Santana-Grace was the commencement speaker at the 99th WSC graduation ceremony held June 12 on the Webb campus. A recording of his address is available on Webb’s YouTube channel. Dakota is currently serving on the Alumni Council as a member at large and cochairing the council’s DEI subcommittee. 25 In May, Elena ScottKakures graduated from Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service program (MSFS) with certificates from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. “I am so grateful for my professors, colleagues, and family and thrilled to begin work with the U.S. Department of State in July.” 26

Shihan Wijeyeratne is working with Immigrant Justice Idaho, a nonprofit legal organization that specializes in representing clients in immigration cases. The group also provides immigration law education to the legal community and general public and advocates for fair and just immigration policy at all levels of government. “While leaving the world of IT consulting to work for a local Idaho nonprofit feels a little like jumping into the deep end, I am excited for what’s ahead and have been blown away by the skill and dedication of the team.” In November, he married his longtime girlfriend, Ashley, at the Ada County Courthouse. 27

2012 The Class of 2012 enjoyed a mini-reunion on Zoom following a Q&A with Stacy Chen and AAPI advocate Dr. Satsuki Ina. Ken Rosenfeld and Sonsoles Cardalliaguet enjoyed seeing everyone. Read more about the AAPI event on page 65. 28

Shiraz Belblidia received her master’s in biomedical science policy and advocacy from Georgetown University. She’s an ORISE Fellow with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in Washington, D.C. 29

VWS 40th Anniversary This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Vivian Webb School. In 1981, the Webb campus welcomed 34 young women who would become known as “The Pioneers.” In the decades since, VWS has expanded considerably, with The Webb Schools now enrolling equal numbers of students across the two schools. Founding Headmistress Dr. Ann Longley was the 2019 VWS Commencement speaker, and during the weekend, alumnae leaders from the early classes of 1984 through 1988 joined Longley, VWS pioneer faculty and Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale in storytelling about the founding of VWS and the experience of those early years. The event was facilitated by the Alumni Office, Stephanie Buxbaum ’93, Bob Connolly ’89 and Rahmi Mowjood ’90. On August 5, 2021, we marked the anniversary of the school’s founding with a virtual gathering with participation from alumnae over four decades. The event featured an alumnae speaker panel and breakout rooms for each decade. Many thanks to panelists Karen Greene Robinson ’88, Julia Salas Woertink ’99, Jana Sims ’03, Ariel Fan ’10 and moderator Kathy Fredrich ’02, president of the Alumni Council. We are also grateful to Jenna Gambaro ’95, Julia Marciari-Alexander ’85 and Wendin Smith ’89 for their help in organizing the event. Current VWS students will celebrate this milestone when they return to campus this fall.

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Congratulations to Dr. John Bouz, who earned his D.O. from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. He is now doing an anesthesia residency at Riverside University Health System. 30

Christopher Garabet received his M.D. from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in May. 31

Ivie Tokunboh returned

to Boston this fall to start her Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has been selected as a Zuckerman fellow, a fellowship program designed for individuals from medicine, law or business who are committed to public service. After completing her MPH, she’ll return to UC San Francisco to finish her final year of medical school. 32

2013 Aman Patheja is

a CivicSpark Housing Fellow at the Southern California Association of Governments, a partnership between Americorps and a California nonprofit called the Local Government Commission, with the goal of combating climate change and fostering local community engagement. “My first fellowship term was from 2019-2020 with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Duane Baker ’82, works there as deputy executive

director. My work focused on an inventory analysis of the Health In All Policies planning approach in the region. My current fellowship is now with the Southern California Association of Governments, where I’m working on affordable housing and transit-oriented development. After my program I hope to work in the private sector for a year before going to grad school.” In July, Mallory Thompson started medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Southern Utah. “Since graduating from Boston University in 2017, I have worked in various clinical research experiences, including working within the COVID-19 units of a local hospital in Tucson, Ariz. I recently earned my master’s in cellular and molecular medicine at the University of Arizona and will be defending my thesis, Assessment of Microvascular Disease in the Diabetic Foot Using Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging. I am incredibly excited about beginning this next chapter of my life and exploring the beautiful state of Utah with my white German shepherd named Primrose for the next four years.” 33

2014 Lauren Carpio has started a new position as talent operations coordinator at DreamWorks Animation. 2015 Maia Dominguez completed her master’s degree in tumor biology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She’s now working as an assistant scientist for quality testing at the biotech company Puresyn, Inc. 34

Rena Patel was excited to have her short play, The Noise of the Storm, produced by Imaginarium Theatre Company in April. She is an Entertainment Law Fellow at Loyola Law School with an expected graduation date of 2023. 35 2016 Hailey Arteaga has received her MBA in information technology management from Seton Hall University. She’s working as an account manager for Bond and Matter, a healthcare communications agency based in New Jersey. 36

Francisco Munoz graduated with distinction and honors in engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2020. He was a Henry E. and Gayle Riggs Fellowship in Engineering Management in the summer of 2019. Francisco is now working as a consulting analyst with Accenture in San Jose, Calif. He stays in touch with his Webb friends: Joshua Hong,

William Liu, Kevin Zhu, Ethan Chen and Paul Yanez, along with several others.

2017 Leilani Aguila graduated from Wellesley College with a bachelor’s in anthropology and education. This fall, she is attending USC Rossier School of Education to pursue a master’s in teaching. 37

Jordan Fuelling completed her bachelor’s degree at Chapman University, majoring in psychology with an emphasis in business and economics. She was also a member of the women’s volleyball team. Next up, she’s headed to the University of Hartford for a master’s in organizational psychology. 38

ALUMNI ATHLETES “Ten years later, we tri-ed again.” Adrian Lam ’11, Nick Ting ’09 and Ryan Au ’12 completed the Ironman 70.3 in Florida in April. The three alumni were founding members of Webb’s Triathlon team and the Ironman competition marked the 10-year anniversary of their first triathlon.

Midfielder Danny Crisostomo ’15 has joined the Las Vegas Lights FC, an official affiliate of Los Angeles FC. For the previous two years, he played for Orange County SC. We enjoyed seeing him at the alumni Huddle Up Zoom event in March.

Nick Jung ’17 was one of the six Pomona-Pitzer football players named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s 2021 NFF Hampshire Honor Society. Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); met all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements; and have been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2020-21 season.

Photo credit: Sagehen Athletics

This was the final year of an illustrious softball career at St. John’s University for Elyse Morris ’17, who graduated with a biology and Spanish degree in May. Her St. John’s highlights include team captain, Big East regular season champion, multiple Big East All-Academic team selections, founding member of the Athletics Council on Community, Culture & Social Justice, member of the 2020 team with the highest GPA in the Big East and member of Chi Alpha Sigma. Morris is enrolled in Notre Dame’s Master of Science in Management program with the potential to use another year of eligibility. She hopes to play for the Fighting Irish during the spring season.

Skyler Rivera ’18 is a coxswain for the women’s rowing team at Syracuse University. “This season my team went out with big goals – to be a top 10 team in the country. In 2019, we missed out on an at-large bid to NCAAs, but we continued to train hard, finding speed and building our team culture. This year we had an amazing season with great showings at big regattas and received an at-large bid to the NCAA championships. I coxed the varsity 4 that placed 11th in the nation, boosting our team to an overall 10th-place finish, the best NCAA finish in our program’s history. It feels great to be a part of a historic team. I have one more season left with the Orange and I can’t wait to see what we can do next year.”

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Wes Pulles graduated from West Point Academy with a bachelor’s in life sciences on a premed track. Next up: Ft. Rucker, Ala., for SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) and flight school! 39

2018 Riya Mehta is in 39

her senior year at USC and serves as president of the campus Lean In circle. Lean In USC is an organization dedicated to empowering women to become leaders across industries. As part of her Lean In USC involvement, she volunteered at the annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference in March. This conference brought together over 60 high school girls throughout the Los Angeles area to USC to encourage them to channel their leadership skills into public service and civic engagement. 40

2019 Jordan Fang has started Nioh Nutrition, a sports nutrition company centered around East Asian culture and Asian Americans in sports. “We’re very much in the startup stages and beginning to spread the word. Nioh is currently focused on making protein bars that are inspired by East Asian flavors, and one of the core values of our team is promoting Asian

American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices in sports and fitness. As an athlete myself, I wish there was greater representation for the AAPI community in sports. We want to connect with individuals who are interested in our company and mission. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact me! I am also a student studying economics, diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College.” 41

Lexie Freeland has accepted her first co-op at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s acute general medicine unit. Lexie is a junior at Northeastern University in Boston, studying health sciences. Drew Hersch was the featured artist during Unwind with Webb on February 26. He sang original songs and talked about his musical influences. His 10 years of theater experience is one of the most significant inspirations for his sound. “Theater is the sole explanation for my excessive use of violins, bass drums and gospel choir plug-ins. I learned the fundamentals of music in a melodramatic setting where crazy vocal warm-ups and large emotional orchestral climaxes were the norms, so this has inevitably bled into the music I make today.” If you missed the online concert, go to www.webb. org/alumni.

Euphy Liu has accepted an offer to study experimental psychology and film studies at St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford as a visiting student for the 2021-22 academic year. “I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity and I cannot wait to explore and learn more in the unique tutorial system. I cannot accomplish this achievement today without the help from my professors, friends, family and the Office of International Studies at Wellesley.” FORMER FACULTY/STAFF We received this update from Leo and Stevie Marshall, who worked in the Admission Office from 2001 to 2016. “Stevie and I are now in our fifth year of retirement here in Jupiter, Fla., with our dog, Lucy (Gracie sadly passed away in 2017). Stevie volunteers with St. Vincent DePaul Charities in its thrift shop. I am still on the faculty at USC for the certification program for Leadership in Enrollment Management, a 30-week online program for independent school and university professionals. I just finished my sixth year with the program. On the side, I am training full time for upcoming triathlons here in Florida and work two nights a week at the local minor league baseball stadium. Bill and Joann Robinson dropped in the other day on their way up to see their grandson in St. Augustine. Great to see them, our first real visitors since the pandemic hit us, and share old stories. Our memories of our friends at Webb remain fondly and we wish you all great happiness.”

The Webb Schools of Delicious Cookies More than 290 boxes of delicious chocolate chip cookies were shipped to Webb’s young alumni in college in February, just in time for their midterm exams.

Since the Dining Hall was closed, the Alumni Office reached out to the Webb community for help with this special tradition. A big thank-you to Ayad and Trixie Fargo (parents of Mitchell ’17 and Max ’21) of Biscomerica for going out of their way to provide the cookies for this year’s mailing! And thank you to Max for delivering them to the Webb campus! When asked if they would be willing to help continue this annual tradition, the Fargos did not hesitate for a moment before answering “Absolutely!” Individually packaged for freshness, the cookies traveled across the country to colleges, universities and homes in 28 states and Washington, D.C. to be devoured by grateful young alumni. And although food is difficult to mail internationally, the Alumni Office made sure young alumni overseas were not forgotten, as they received packages filled with fun Webb swag. Once cookies started hitting mailboxes, young alumni showed love and gratitude for Webb by sharing photos of their cookies and packages – on athletic fields, in the snow, with pets and during late night study sessions. These posts and photos are a highlight for the Alumni Office each year. A huge thank-you to all who participated!

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In Memoriam FORMER TRUSTEE Former Webb Trustee SARA ADLER passed away June 21, 2021, in Washington, D.C. from complications of ALS. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Robert, their children, JOE ’96 and CAROLINE ’00, and four grandchildren. The Adlers generously supported Webb for nearly three decades, with Sara serving on Webb’s Board of Trustees from 2017-18 and Robert serving as board chairman from 2004-11. Sara was professor emerita of Scripps College in Claremont, where she led the teaching of Italian studies at The Claremont Colleges for more than 40 years before retiring in 2018. She was a graduate of Smith College and was awarded a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1975.

FORMER FACULTY & FRIENDS We were saddened to learn that KEVIN KIMBER died October 1, 2020 in Wyoming, Minn. He was a loving father, a kind veterinarian and a gifted athlete, coach and teacher. Michael Bennett ’94 remembers chemistry class with Mr. Kimber, who also served as a dorm head and coach. Former English teacher LYN KRINSKY died March 25, 2021 at age 93. Jennifer Wong Gatewood Holzman ’92 wrote: “I am indebted to Ms. Krinsky for teaching me the fundamentals of English writing during my freshman year. Her teaching served me well over many years.” MIMI PAUWELS passed away March 15, 2021 after many months of illness. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Jacques, and two sons, Eric ’79 and Michel. Mimi was born in Algeria, where she met Jacques when he was serving in the French Navy during the Algerian war. They lived for some time in France before coming to the United States. The Pauwels moved onto the Webb campus in 1975 when Jacques joined the faculty as a French teacher. Mimi was an active member of the Webb community, tutoring students in French and welcoming many into her home. She also worked at the Ontario-Montclair School District and retired in 2005. In retirement, she traveled extensively and especially enjoyed her last trip to Sedona, Ariz., to see the colors of the Painted Desert. Mimi was active

with her church, North Hills SDA. Due to the complications of gathering during the pandemic, the family will hold a memorial service on the first anniversary of her passing in 2022. Because of the incredible impact she had in a variety of roles in the City of Claremont, Mimi’s biography was read at the March council meeting by Claremont Mayor COREY CALAYCAY ’88. The Jacques & Mimi Pauwels Fund for Excellence in World Languages & Cultures, established in 2015 by Eric to honor his parents, will ensure Mimi’s legacy forever at Webb. English teacher BRIAN ROGERS passed away February 17, 2021, after a valiant battle with brain cancer. Read about his contributions to the Webb community on page 52.

1940 GERALD “JERRY” OPPENHEIMER died May 4, 2021 at the age of 98. At Webb, Jerry was a prefect and the business manager of El Espejo. He was also known for his fencing, tennis and horseback riding. He was a bridge enthusiast and considered one of the best players. After Webb, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and attended Curtis Wright Technical Institute before founding an aviation components business serving the defense industries. His customers included Lockheed and North American Aviation. He was a civilian flight instructor during WW II at the Thunderbird Field in Glendale, Ariz., and flew F84 jets for Strategic Air Command during the Korean War. He also launched several successful business endeavors in the banking, automotive and high technology worlds. He dedicated his life to philanthropy and supported many causes, including the Stein Eye Institute, Veterans Park Conservancy, Hollywood Canteen Foundation, Gerald Oppenheimer Foundation, UCLA Center for Longevity and the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

1943 THOMAS C. LEIGHTON passed away January 31, 2021. At Webb, Tom was involved in almost every aspect of campus. He was a member of Block W for his prowess on the basketball and track teams and also a member of the Peccary Society and Rifle Club.

1945 ROBERT L. “BOB” EMMET died December 20, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne, daughter, Lindy, two sons, Robert and James, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. At Webb, Bob earned varsity letters in both football and basketball and was a bass singer in the glee club. He joined the U.S. Navy, where he served in the South Pacific on an aircraft carrier during WWII. Upon his return from the war, Bob attended Claremont McKenna College, where he received a B.A. in business administration and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame, having set conference and school records in discus and hurdles. He eventually started his own business and served as the chief executive of Emett & Chandler Co., a national insurance brokerage, for 25 years.

1946 BURNET F. WOHLFORD died January 31, 2021. He was a member of Block W and left guard for the football team. As a student, he was described by faculty as being extremely hard working and conscientious. He was a dedicated alumnus who gave to Webb nearly every year for more than six decades.

1947 ROLAND JOSLYN passed away September 18, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, sons, GREGORY ’72 and Daniel, and his daughter, Amy. Roland was an active student at Webb. He was a member of the track and field team and well known as a fantastic piano player. He attended Pomona College, where he studied architecture. He went on to attend Northrop Institute.

1949 ANTHONY E. SOWERS died February 5, 2020. At Webb, Anthony was known as the king of Webb’s Radio Shack for his uncanny ability to fix anything electrical. He was also a member of Block W and a member of the Rifle Club.

1951 We just learned that RONALD JOHNSON passed away January 28, 2021. He resided in South Pasadena and is survived by his wife, Barbara.

85 85

A celebration of life 1953 ARTHUR F. “MICKEY” WERTHEIM died December 24, 2020. He is survived by his son, Jason, former wife, Carol, and preceded in death by his brother, JACK ’52. At Webb, Mickey earned his varsity letter in football and tennis and was a member of Block W. He was well known around campus for his die-hard support of the Brooklyn Dodgers and his friendly spirit. Mickey attended Yale University and received his B.A. in American studies in 1957. He then attended New York University where he obtained his M.A. in 1967 and his Ph.D. in American civilization in 1970. Mickey was on faculty and taught at the University of Southern California in the Department of History from 1971 to 1978. During this time, he developed the Women’s Studies Program and the undergraduate and graduate American Studies Program. He was also an author and wrote extensively about the lives of Will Rogers and W.C. Fields.

1954 WILLIAM “BILL” OLMSTEAD passed away March 1, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gail, and their two children, Dawn Dasilveira and BENTON ’89. At Webb, Bill was a member of the football team and worked on El Espejo and the Blue & Gold. He was only at Webb for two years, but his classmates remember him for his kind and respectful demeanor and his prowess at bridge. He attended the University of California, Riverside and, after graduation in 1958, launched his lifelong career as a journalist in several roles with the Press Enterprise, Riverside County. Bill worked with the Press Enterprise for 45 years before his retirement in 2001.

1956 TED HARWOOD passed away June 7, 2021. He is survived by his partner, Alice Schwartz, his sister, Cynthia, and his children, Alex, Bryna and Abigail. Ted was a Webb boarder and member of the Peccary Society. He earned a B letter in baseball and was an asset to the team. He was known for writing short stories and for his collection of classical records. Ted graduated from Stanford University and served three years in the U.S Army after graduation. He then

attended the University of Chicago, earning a doctorate in Sociology. Ted taught at the college level for more than 20 years before starting a communication and writing consulting practice.

1959 DANA E. “DAN” KETCHUM died February 22, 2021. At Webb, Dan was a boarder and an active student. He was a member of Block W and the electronics club, worked on El Espejo and was co-captain of the track team and a member of the football team. In speaking with Dan as an alumnus, he fondly remembered Ray Alf and the classes he taught, stating that, “the fighting heart will always be a part of me.”

1960 JEFFREY ALAN SMITH died peacefully October 6, 2020, in San Francisco. An educator, he focused his career on teaching the incarcerated, addicts and youth offenders; later he created a program to bring books to developing countries.

1963 DANIEL G. REYNOLDS passed away April 3, 2021. At Webb, Dan was class vice president during his junior and senior years and a member of the Honor Committee. He received two varsity letters in both track and field and football and was an active sharpshooter in the Trap Club. Dan graduated from Stanford University, where he studied psychology and joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1967. He then began work in the renewable energy sector and helped found Zond Corp., which is responsible for building the modern windmills near Palm Springs and Altamont Pass in Northern California. Dan was a dedicated alumnus to Webb and served on the Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1995.

1970 GENE E. GREGG died peacefully March 20, 2021. At Webb, Gene was a member of the Honor Committee and Peccary Society and worked on the yearbook in his senior year. Since graduation, he had been a dedicated volunteer to Webb, serving as chairman of Alumni Day twice and attending countless reunions.

1981 JOHN L. DUDEN passed away April 4, 2021 after a courageous fight with ALS. At Webb he was a boarder and Honor Committeeman. He also played football, basketball and was a member of the swim team during his senior year. John was a dedicated alumnus, serving on the Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2002. He served for many years as the class agent and chaired several reunions. He is survived by his mother, Linda, his wife, Tracey, their two daughters, Carley and Heather, and two granddaughters. Tracey recently shared that, “John will always be grateful for Webb for changing his life and helping him become the person he was today.” For the WSC 25th reunion, John led the effort to establish the Class of 1981 Scholarship Fund, which was renamed by his classmates in his honor – the John Duden Class of ’81 Scholarship Fund.

1992 NED CLARK contracted COVID-19 in December 2020. After a battle of several weeks, he died January 1, 2021. At Webb, Ned was a boarding student and lived in Kirkhill. He was also a member of the football team and earned the honor of dean’s list during his senior year. Ned matriculated at Pitzer College before transferring to California State University, Los Angeles in his third year to pursue his interest in criminal justice. Upon graduating from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy in Whittier near the top of his class, he was assigned to the Compton Station where he spent most of his career serving as a training officer and instructor as well as an active patrol officer.

2004 JAMES “JAMIE” MACARTHUR died March 2, 2021. He is survived by his mother, Helen Beth MacArthur. Jamie was a Webb boarder and played both football and baseball. In his senior year, he was named to the Second Team All-League in both football and baseball. After Webb, Jamie attended Chapman University before pursuing a career in golf management. He was an avid golfer from an early age and loved to surf.

THE WEBB SCHOOLS webb.org

SUMMER 2021 WEBB MAGA ZINE

The Final Word By Belinda Lei ’13

Navigating the Maze of Our Lives

In an eighth-grade essay, I compared life to a maze, where choices at every twist, turn, dead end and fork teach us to redefine success and failure. I ultimately concluded, in a cheesy eighth-grader way, that the goal isn’t to find the simplest, cleanest and fastest path, but to enjoy all the twists and turns. Though my understanding of this metaphor has changed over the years, this essay that I painstakingly wrote in a tiny notebook has stayed with me to this day. When facing tragedies or life-changing opportunities, I envision different gates, doors and walls of the maze of my life opening, closing and shifting to wall me in or open me up to new paths. The essay itself played a role in the maze because it was the admission essay that helped open the door to an unforgettable stage of my life – Webb. I was born and raised in Los Angeles to immigrant parents who came to the U.S. from China to forge a new path for themselves. Raised under the watchful eyes of my grandparents, I learned traditional Chinese values and an immigrant work ethic from a young age. This included the belief that I must do whatever everyone else was doing to get into the best college and eventually, the most prestigious profession possible. My family promoted what they thought was best for me based upon their values – financial success, a reputable profession and a devotion to family. But my version of a

better life was the complete opposite of this straightforward path. So, while I was at Webb, I tried everything – afternoon activities, school events, off-campus volunteer work. But I still felt like something was missing. We’ve probably all heard about the model minority myth – the stereotype that says Asians are smart, good at math, hardworking and successful compared with other immigrants. Unfortunately, not enough people realize how this insidious stereotype masks and dismisses the great needs and concerns of the extremely heterogeneous Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including the exponential rise of hate crimes toward Asian Americans during the pandemic. When I was in high school and not yet exposed to the consequences of such an identity, I was told to embrace this model minority image. I was taught to excel at academics, music, dance, leadership, community service and occasionally sports.

In a way, this upbringing fit my desire to try everything, and even worked to my advantage. But it also felt like whenever I succeeded at something, even at Webb, I was written off by classmates and my family as doing something only for college admissions rather than for genuine interest, and this led to me writing off my own actions as well. My feelings, interests and achievements essentially became invisible to everyone, including to myself. This, in turn, drove me to push even harder to find the “right path” that would help me be seen and heard but doing so only resulted in greater frustration. I lost myself in a maze filled with funhouse mirrors – so many different images of me, from so many different angles. None was accurate and few were flattering. Alone and unrecognized, I continued to wind my way through my maze. As an Asian-American, I was like the hyphen between those two words – stuck between two identities, neither fully one or the other and somehow disappointing each no matter how hard I tried to please both those communities. The confusion didn’t end when I got to college. When your entire life is focused on this one thing, college, and you finally get in, what happens after that? I felt like all the conversations I had by the time I hopped off the plane in D.C. for Georgetown were about how to get into this “dream school,” but none was about what to do when you wake from that dream and are met with the reality of life. At college, my love of multiple subjects coupled with the need to pursue a traditional path led me to switch majors frequently. When job hunting began, I explored a slew of job offers across many industries and functions. After my first year of business school, I became a consultant because it seemed like a path where I’d be able to try different things, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to be a creator, a front-seat driver, so I swerved left in the maze and I enrolled myself into a coding bootcamp to become a literal builder. Every time I veer off the expected path, people ask me, “Belinda, how do you do it? How do you have the courage to keep changing directions in your life?” But regardless of their tone or context, all I hear is “Belinda, why can’t you make up

your mind?” It’s only recently that I’ve begun to tackle the real question: “Why do I feel judged for every decision I make?” These days, I tend to hear two viewpoints about my twisting and turning career path. On the traditional Chinese side, I can’t make up my mind, which annoys my family to no end. On my American side, I’m a chameleon who can slip into any role and environment that I want. But who do I see when I come to a mirror in the maze? These days, I am beginning to see someone who straddles both viewpoints – a person who’s capable of following any path in the maze that appears to have a splash of color, the sound of laughter and the scent of my grandparents’ cooking. I also see someone who still carries the weight of the conflicting expectations of two communities on her shoulders. I’ve become a developer, a writer and an activist – all while still navigating the maze of my life. By reflecting on my identity through storytelling in the form of writing Not THAT Rich, I really let myself embrace all these competing and sometimes random parts of myself – from those aspects that fall in line with social impact through my work at Act To Change, to my writing and, of course, to the corporate, software engineer side of myself. By seeing those distorted images of myself in those funhouse mirrors so many years ago I was able to recognize what so many of us face daily when we try to understand who we are through how we are seen by others. This world is becoming more interdisciplinary by the day thanks to developments in science, technology and communication. Clear-cut identifiers are becoming obsolete, and those who hold onto them are destined to remain in a world defined by rigidity. If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s that rigid thinking leads to misunderstanding, hate and violence – within ourselves, within our communities and within our nation. Today, that little maze of mine has grown and developed into one of many layers, colors, sounds, scents, bumps and even potholes. Finding your way in life is never linear, nor is there a “right path.” The American Dream, and even the Asian-American Dream or any other hyphenated dream, is a lucid one, one we have the power to shape.

The Time is Now

More people than ever before are revising their estate plans or creating a will or trust for the first time. This is a perfect opportunity to leave a lasting legacy at your favorite charitable organization. By naming The Webb Schools or the Alf Museum in your estate plans, you can simultaneously have a meaningful impact on future generations of students and teachers, while gifting certain assets that may alleviate a significant tax implication for you or your loved ones. Of all the considerations that go into estate planning, charitable giving can be among the most rewarding and joyful. Alumna Jan Mitchell Johnson ’86 experienced this firsthand as she declared her legacy gift intentions for Webb recently.

“Can you fall in love with a place? I adored every single day on the Webb campus, and 35 years later (what?!) I am still connected with many treasured friends. Webb is where my heart is, so it’s only fitting that I give back with equal love,” Mitchell said. By declaring your future gift intentions now, we are able to celebrate your generosity today, while honoring our mission and ensuring our future. For more information, please contact Bob Fass (bfass@webb.org) or Danielle Gordon (dgordon@webb.org).

ADMINISTRATION Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D. Associate Head of Schools John Choi Director of Equity William Diepenbrock Director of Marketing & Strategic Communications Jamila Everett, Ed.D. Director of Admission & Financial Aid

Andrew Farke, Ph.D. Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology Bob Fass Chief Advancement Officer

CREDITS VOLUME 24, NUMBER 1 EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Michael Hoe ’04 Director of Studies

William Diepenbrock

Hector Martinez Dean of College Guidance

Will Allan, Lexus Beaman ’08, John Choi, Andrew Farke, Rick Duque, Bob Fass, John Ferrari, Greg Gerken, Danielle Gordon, Andrew Hamilton, Belinda Lei ’13, Don Lofgren, Michael Kozden, Andrew Neyer, Michele Raphael ’89, Jessica Rice ’12, Laura Wensley, Joe Woodward

Janet K. Peddy Director of Finance, Planning & Operations

CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN

Shari Fournier-O’Leary

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021-22 Sanjiv P. Dholakia ’87, Chairman David Loo ’79, Vice Chair Christina Mercer McGinley, Ph.D. ’84, Vice Chair, Secretary R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70, Chairman, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology Board, ex officio Blake H. Brown ’68 Michael M. Chang ’92 Deval R. Dvivedi ’00 Jenna Z. Gambaro ’95 Wendy Hornbuckle William Hornbuckle Jennifer Ishiguro ’91 Naveen Jeereddi ’92 Sandra Lee Rebish, M.D. ’88 Julia Marciari-Alexander, Ph.D. ’85 Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90 David C. Myles, Ph.D. ’80 Mickey E. Novak ’70 Melvin Oliver, Ph.D. Janet K. Peddy, Director of Finance, Planning and Operations, Chief Financial Officer & Secretary, ex officio R.J. Romero Miles Rosedale ’69 Wendin D. Smith, Ph.D. ’89 Taylor Stockdale, Head of Schools, President & Chief Executive Officer, ex officio Jordan Taylor ’02 Lara Tiedens, Ph.D. Lance Williams ’97 Denis Yip

LIFE TRUSTEES Jim Drasdo ’63 Hugh H. Evans Jr. ’49 Anne Gould Earl (Bud) Hoover II ’52 Murray H. Hutchinson Ann Longley Claire H. McCloud Kimball (Kim) McCloud ’67 Roger J. Millar ’61 Susan A. Nelson Paul M. Reitler ’54 Peter Ziegler ’63

HONORARY TRUSTEES William Chiu Robert Hefner ’53 Pak Fu King Ming Chung Liu Col. John Rogers ’59 (Ret.) Yafei Yuan

ALF MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021-22 R. Larry Ashton Jr. ’70, Chairman Gretchen J. Augustyn Terry W. Baganz Richard H. Clark Jeffrey C. Cripe ’08 Sanjiv P. Dholakia ’87, Chairman, The Webb Schools, ex officio Andrew Farke, Ph.D., Museum Director, President, ex officio Daniel Gluckstein, M.D. Ronald P. Hagander ’66 James E. Hall, Ph.D. ’59 Lexington B. Henn ’09 F. Gard Jameson, Ph.D. ’71 Jenny Kong Carl W. R. Lachman ’86 David P. Mirkin, M.D. ’66 L.J. Patrick Muffler, Ph.D. ’54 Michelle Plyley Mary W. Rose, Ph.D. Elizabeth A. Smith ’92 Charles Steinmann, M.D. Taylor Stockdale, Head of Schools, ex officio Page W. Thibodeaux Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ’96 Thomas Yu ’06 Tammy Zipser

LIFE TRUSTEES Anne G. Earhart Sherwood C. Kingsley ’58 John (Dick) R. Lynas ’55 Douglas F. Myles Michael O. Woodburne, Ph.D.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Elisa Ferrari, Scott Nichols, Don Milici PRINTING

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WEBB Magazine Summer 2021

Articles inside

Alumni News

In Memoriam

Events & Highlights

Alumni Profiles

Giving

KWEB

Arts

Debate

Class Of 2021 Commencement

Our Leadership

Pandemic Inspires Novel Approaches

The Class Of 2020 Returns