WEBB Magazine Spring Summer 2019 by The Webb Schools

WEBB Magazine

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 With Honor and Moral Courage at WEBB Thought Leaders: Alumni Stories Across the Country & Around the World

Victor “Vic” Heerman Jr. ’42 was a dedicated Webb alumnus and lived by the

Honor our home.

Honor Code for all of the years of his life. In 2012, he documented plans to gift his home and much of his art and collectibles to The Webb Schools. Upon his passing, Webb used the proceeds of the sale, along with gifts from other donors, toward accomplishing a longtime institutional ambition—the purchase of a large portion of the undeveloped hillside adjacent to Webb as a way of preserving our heritage and idyllic campus setting for generations to come.

Gifts of Real Estate and Personal Property Donating appreciated real estate or personal property, such as a home, vacation property, undeveloped land, farmland, commercial property, art and collectibles can make a great gift to The Webb Schools. There are also many tax-advantaged charitable gifts that pay income during life. For instance, real estate or other assets can be gifted to a charitable trust and then sold. The donor receives an immediate charitable income tax deduction, income for life or a term of years, and the remainder goes to charity. The same technique can be applied in reverse order whereby assets are transferred to a charitable trust and sold and the money is distributed to charity for a term of years and then the remainder is given back to the donor or his/her heirs. Another exciting opportunity using real property is known as a bargain sale. This occurs when a donor sells an asset to a charitable organization for less than the fair market value. The difference between the sale price and the fair market value is a charitable gift and may be used to offset any capital gains tax. For more information contact Bob Fass at bfass@webb.org or (909) 445-8252 www.webblegacy.org

Meet our writers... Debbie Carini is a writer and development professional. She has been affiliated with The Webb Schools since 1999 as a writer for the magazine as well as various campaign and fundraising materials she is also a successful grant writer for the Schools and aymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.

John Ferrari has experience as a newspaper journalist and as a writer, editor, communications strategist and public outreach specialist in higher education. He has written feature articles on topics ranging from astrophysics and genetics to theme parks and, of course, the Alf Museum. He also serves as a public affairs officer in the avy eserve.

WEBB Magazine

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Christopher Michno is an arts writer and cultural journalist. He is the associate editor of Artillery, a os Angeles-based bimonthly contemporary art magazine, and a regular contributor to CET’s “Artbound.” His work has appeared in numerous publications including LALA Magazine, ICON Italy and the LA Weekly, and he has worked as an editor for oppelHouse Press, a publisher of books devoted to art, architecture, memoir and fiction. Cover photo by Scott ichols using a I Phantom drone and manipulated with a blur filter in Photoshop.

FEATURES

2 4 18

From the Head of Schools With Honor and Moral Courage at Webb Thought Leaders: Alumni Stories Across the Country & Around the World

WEBB TODAY

28 32 36 40 42 46

Webb Revisit Day Advanced Research The Alf Museum Athletics Faculty Profiles Giving

NEWSNOTES

52 58 62 72 74

Alumni Profiles Events & Highlights Alumni News In Memoriam Final Word

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

The Webb Schools of Moral Clarity L I K E M A N Y O F YO U, I have to admit, I have scandal fatigue. The daily headlines continue to shock and disturb, and recently hit very close to home. The college admissions debacle that rocked the world of higher education last month also shook the world of secondary prep schools. Several editions ago, in the WEBB magazine, I referenced the selective college admission process in America as a game of sorts. Not a fun game or in any way positive, but rather as an insidious game of rankings, superficial bolstering, all with high-minded applicants hanging in the balance. Many people responded to me that they agreed: there must be a better way.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

am not writing today to pass judgment, but rather to have us all remember the importance of certain values as an educational community—values that can guide our thinking and give us a foundation to make the right choices even when they are inconvenient and difficult. Having just returned from a series of Webb gatherings across the country and around the world, I was reminded how easy it is to refer to “the college list” in order to quantify our schools’ success. Everyone asks to see it. Everyone wants to compare our list to other national boarding schools. So, I’ll say it here once again, while we have every reason to be enormously proud of our outcomes at Webb, we still shine too bright a light on the “elite” colleges—especially when we know that achieving real success is about finding the right fit. By finding the right fit, I am T talking about finding a place where a student can develop his or her passions, but more importantly, where he or she can find a professor or coach who will inspire and challenge that student. It’s not about where you go, but what you make happen when you get there. The research on college outcomes is clear on this—it is far better to stand out in a college community that represents your best fit than to be mediocre (and largely unhappy) in the wrong place. Frank Bruni writing in the New York Times summed up the research this way: “The game changers

include establishing a deep connection with a mentor, taking on a sustained academic project and playing a significant part in a campus organization.” When sitting with alumnus Louis Mayberg ’80 in Washington, .C., last month, we were re ecting on the recent college admission scandal. As he spoke he used the term moral clarity, and told me how important he believed it was in today’s world. When Louis was leaving Webb for college, he had a number of good choices. He ultimately decided on George Washington University, which back then was a lesser known DC neighbor to Georgetown. Louis chose George Washington because he felt a connection. He went there, thrived, and when he graduated pursued a career in the financial services industry. Actually, he did more than that. He innovated the staid world of mutual fund companies by creating an alternative—he started and nurtured the industry—co-founding ProShares/ ProFunds, the global leader of leveraged and inverse funds. He also hired several of his GW professors to work with him in building his company. The net result is he has a George Washington degree on his wall, and a lifetime full of professional, personal and philanthropic achievements. Louis is one of many examples of Webb alumni and alumnae who have chosen well, adhered to their values, and achieved moral clarity along the way. As Louis

reminded me, there are many opportunities in life to take short cuts, to make a wrong turn. What he learned at Webb, and through his devotion to and practice of his religious faith, is to avoid the short cut—to do the right thing whether anyone is watching or not. For me, Louis himself embodies moral clarity. As I say to the Webb community often, we are by no means a perfect place. We have our own history, our own aws, our own faults. We work on them every day. With all that said though, let me close with this. First, I wholeheartedly agree with Frank Bruni when he says, “where you go to college is NOT ultimately who you are.” Fit over prestige makes for a happier and better experience. And second, of course, we are proud of our graduates’ college achievements, but our goal at Webb is to impart the honor code, our “North Star,” into each of them so that they will succeed the right way over a lifetime regardless of where they spent their eeting college years.

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools

H 4

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

HONOR

MORAL Courage

I N T H E AG E OF A N Y T H I NG G OE S By Christopher Michno

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

Mention the word “honor” in a crowded room

and you are likely to suffer quizzical glances followed by silence. Honor, to many, seems an awkward, unfashionable, even antiquated concept—something to be contemplated in private or through the scrim of heroic fiction, like the blood feuds of the Capulets and Montagues, or the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. Yet, Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale contends, there is something important to be gleaned from the discussion of honor, something that has been missing from our cultural climate, broadly, and in education for quite some time—a focus on moral clarity, of discerning, very simply, right from wrong. Stockdale insists such clarity is possible even though it doesn’t always come naturally. “You have to work at it,” but the benefit, he adds, is that moral clarity allows you to make good decisions.

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

Eleanor Corbin ’20 It was the Honor Code. That’s what drew her to Webb. “Right when you go on your tour, it becomes obvious,” Eleanor Corbin ‘20 recalls. “You’re walking through campus and people’s bags are left out in front of the dining hall and the library. And they just expect them to be left there and for that to be OK. That was very different from my middle school. You had to know where your stuff was or keep it in your locker. So, of course, I asked questions about it.” As to why she applied for a position on the Honor Cabinet, Corbin says, “I very much believe in doing my best to maintain things that are important to me. I wanted to help make sure that other students after me and other students currently at Webb also will get to experience what it’s like to be part of a community that has such a deep level of trust.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

“THE CONCEPT OF HONOR

Elena Tiedens ’21 Elena Tiedens ‘21 thinks learning about honor happens in a number of ways at Webb. The faculty’s commitment to academic excellence is exemplary. In every discipline, she says, academic work that honors the principles of the field—and other students as scholars—is highly valued. Upperclassmen foster learning about honor in another way: they model to underclassmen “how to act in ways that fit with the Honor Code and the general principle of honor.” As a rising junior and a newly elected Vivian Webb School Honor Cabinet member, Tiedens will be one of those modeling honor and moral courage to the rest of the campus. Her motivation for applying to be on Honor Cabinet was based on her interest in preserving the values of justice and ensuring fair treatment to everyone who is part of the Honor Cabinet process. When discussing the concept of honor, Tiedens is careful to note that honor extends beyond personal or individual honor into the community, reflecting the broader values of the community.

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

has been with the school since its founding in 1922. It was something that Thompson Webb felt strongly about, especially in terms of character development,” Stockdale points out. Of course, this doesn’t mean looking to the feuding families of the antebellum South or clannish Veronesi as models of moral clarity—though, not to impugn the satirist or the bard, both Huckleberry Finn and Romeo and Juliet, read critically, yield indictments of thuggish and bankrupt honor practices. Rather, Stockdale articulates a vision of honor that values personal integrity and the moral courage of the individual to stand up for what is right, even when others can’t, or won’t.

In Stockdale’s view, the moral instruction of Webb students is just as critical as any academic discipline. “In the early 1990s when I was a faculty member I was the advisor to the Honor Committee and found it to be some of my most challenging and stimulating work, educationally. I was able to see firsthand the power the Honor Code has on in uencing our culture and developing productive and courageous leaders who not only have to be smart but also need to know how to make decisions between right and wrong.”

ALUMNI

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

WHAT DOES HONOR MEAN AT WEBB? Moral philosophers have spent an extraordinary amount of time exploring the nuances of ethics, the question of evil and arcane hypotheticals that most of us are certain we will never face—Philippa Foot’s famous “Trolley Problem,” for example. But aside from being very compelling thought experiments, these scenarios sometimes seem far removed from real life, which, Stockdale concedes, is complicated, and filled with “many temptations and signals and messages.” Webb’s vision for developing students into effective leaders rests firmly on the conviction that a strong moral compass is essential. It is also strongly connected to inclusive engagement around the schools’ values, the Honor Code and the student organizations that work with faculty on Honor Code issues— the Honor Committee and the Honor Cabinet for the boys’ and girls’ schools, respectively. “I think it’s easy to talk about these virtues and have it be hollow,” says Stockdale. Instead, he thinks it is important to acknowledge that “we all fall down.” The kind of community he and the faculty and staff work every day to foster is one where there is an open and ongoing discussion of moral courage and honor. It is one that “requires a lot of learning” and support for each other. To that end, conversations about values are integrated into every aspect of Webb’s culture, whether in classroom discussions about academic integrity, thinking about sportsmanship on the fields or engagement with boarding students about norms and expectations.

9 Ethan Caldecott ’21 “I think it’s important for people to start to think about and realize what their own sense of honor means to them,” rising junior Ethan Caldecott ’21 declares. “That’s when they start to become who they want to be and know how they want to live their life.” This means moving beyond a literal reading of the rules and guidelines set out in the Student Handbook and really considering your own moral values. “One thing that’s nice about the Webb Honor Code is the broadness of it. It lays the groundwork, not the specifics of what you should do in a particular situation, but in a broad sense it allows you to determine how you should apply it. It helps you start the process.”

“...we all fall down.”

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

Tom Jurczak

Michelle Gerken

Physics and chemistry teacher Tom Jurczak is beginning his fourth year as the faculty advisor to the Webb School of California’s Honor Committee this fall. Similar to others profiled in these pages, Jurczak credits the Honor Code with being one of the things that first brought him to Webb. When he interviewed, students showing him the campus quoted Thompson Webb—the same quote Taylor Stockdale frequently mentions: Without honor there can be no trust, and without trust there can be no community. “That resonated with me, even when I was applying,” Jurczak remembers. Jurczak completed his undergraduate education at Caltech, a campus with its own honor code, where he was part of a student organization with a function similar to the Honor Committee and the Vivian Webb School’s Honor Cabinet. He is passionate about expanding the discussion of Webb’s Honor Code into the co-curricular life of the campus: “Every other year the Honor Committee works with the Honor Cabinet to produce an Honor Symposium. It’s a day where we step out of classes and we talk or do things that relate to the Honor Code at Webb and try to really think about what it means as Webb students.”

“In the humanities department we talk about the spirit of attribution,” Michelle Gerken says of teaching her classes about intellectual integrity and appropriate citation. The academic integrity policy that she and other humanities faculty have all students read and sign at the beginning of each school year—or semester, if it is only a semester-long class—helps frame the discussion of giving credit where it is due. “When you present your ideas, if you’ve gotten any support along the way—if your classmates helped you in a discussion, if you read something that inspired your thinking and that’s why you took that particular analytical framework when you wrote about something—you acknowledge that work because it is coming from somebody else,” Gerken says. “It’s about honoring those who came before you and honoring their ideas. It’s just this habit of citation, this habit of acknowledgment, this habit of attribution.” It is a habit that encourages students to see their scholarship as part of a larger discourse and helps them understand the nuanced ways our ideas are shaped by others.

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

onor is written about in the Student Handbook in terms of service, leadership, mutual trust, responsible and caring behavior, support of personal development and self-worth and an appreciation of the common good. As articulated in the Handbook and in the many thoughtful conversations people have about the Honor Code, the Webb community strives to cultivate an environment where individual achievement is valued on equal footing with care for the community. The Deans’ letter appeals to students to treat the campus like their own home and meet their commitments—that is, to take responsibility for both themselves and for the communal good.

At the heart of what is meant by honor in the context of the Webb community is a balanced approach to the rights and the dignity of the individual, and recognition of the importance of the community, which is indeed the soil in which the individual is cultivated. The individual caring for her fellows is as critical to the notion of honor as the idea of personal responsibility.

“Honor extends beyond the individual into the community, connecting everyone in caring for each other and about each o t h e r ’s a c h i e v e m e n t s .” – ELENA TIEDENS

Laura Wensley Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations Laura Wensley is also the parent of two Webb alumnae, Miya ’13 and Dylan ’17. She feels incredibly lucky to have seen how students mature as they move through the Webb community from the example of her own two children. “I think that my kids learned [about honor and moral courage] as student athletes on the field and in their leadership positions on campus,” Wensley says. “I have been able to watch them now after they have graduated from Webb and see how they use these lessons and apply them in adulthood. I think it is second nature for them to call out injustices and to be forthright. It has helped them to navigate some of their social relationships living in the dorms as young adults and to have the courage to stand up for what they believe is right. I have confidence that when I am not there they know they have a guidepost of how to make right decisions for themselves and those around them.” The values of community and honor that students learn at Webb are ones they carry with them for life, says Wensley. She should know. She just helped one alumni class celebrate its 70th reunion, and the ties they felt to the school were as strong as ever.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

PARTICIPATORY ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

Euphy Liu ’19 Euphy Liu ’19, originally from Beijing, China, attended a large public school where there was no such thing as an honor code. Teachers dictated wrong and right. “I think the Honor Code at Webb, instead of saying that these are the rules you need to follow, it gives you an idea that you need to make good choices because you are responsible for your decisions,” the international student keenly observes. And in an environment where teachers aren’t keeping an eye on students 24/7, students have some independence. This can lead to some dilemmas. For example, at mandatory chapel before Sunday formal dinner, “they don’t take attendance.” Inevitably some students skip. “At the beginning of my first year at Webb, I did have the thought—and I did it, I skipped Sunday chapel,” Liu confesses. “But when people around you are not doing that, your Honor Code gives you a sense of guilt. I ended up pushing myself, thinking, even if I wasn’t interested in the topic, as a Webb student I should be grateful for having this opportunity, having someone outside of school giving a talk. That’s when the Honor Code makes me realize I’m responsible, and I need to be on top of it.”

Early on, Stockdale recognized the importance of what he calls a diffuse structure for leadership “so that the students can play a direct role in the culture of the school. Having an Honor Committee and Cabinet, dorm prefects, peer advisors, and a very active student government, and many other positions—admissions fellows and international coordinators—those are all people who are leaders on the campus and drive the culture of the campus.”

This reflects a keen sense of how culture propagates. “We know that younger students listen to and watch older students in how they model being students.” In some ways, Stockdale admits, this is harder than addressing disciplinary actions in a top-down manner, where the executive leadership makes administrative decisions based on the school’s handbook, without input from students. But there is little educational value in that. And just as students get smarter by interacting with each other and listening to each other in an academic setting, they get smarter ethically by engaging in conversations as Webb does around the Honor Code.

“Integ r ity, empathy, humility, tru st, respect: all of these are part of h o n o r. W h e n p e o p l e forget about others h o n o r i s l o s t .” – RICK DUQUE

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

ean of aculty and humanities teacher Michelle Gerken echoes Stockdale in describing her work as faculty advisor to the Honor Cabinet as some of the most important work she’s done with students. She says students who serve on the Cabinet take their responsibility seriously. “They don’t see themselves as a disciplinary board, even though that’s what people tend to call it. I think they would say their role is to model and help support students in understanding and living the Honor Code—and when they don’t, to help them in figuring out how and why they didn’t, and how they’re going to be better in the future.”

HONOR SYMPOSIA AND CHAPEL TALKS Presenting real world examples is a practical way to engage the community about honor and moral courage. To facilitate this, Stockdale instituted the Honor Symposium: “Having alumni come back and talk about a moral dilemma they’ve encountered, how they went about it, and how maybe they didn’t do it right the first time. Thinking about these things and making it real for kids, talking about it openly and really challenging them to rise to a different level as a person, that’s a big part of the battle.” Stockdale talks about the symposia with his signature enthusiasm, conveying a sense of recognition that he includes himself and all of the faculty and staff along with the students in learning about the values of honor and moral courage. “When you have an honor code on campus, the stakes become higher, and you’re holding yourself to a higher standard.” According to Tom urczak, a science teacher and faculty advisor to the Honor Committee, last year’s Honor Symposium speaker was particularly memorable. It was given by Will Allan ’ , an alumnus and humanities teacher. “Part of the why the boys wanted him

Rick Duque “Honor was the foundation. Being honorable and having courage. That was important to Thompson Webb,” Dean of Campus Life Rick Duque says as he reflects on the values championed by Webb’s founder. Duque is attuned to how honor is cultivated within a community. The former power forward for Pomona-Pitzer Men’s Basketball started at Webb in 2000 as the athletic director and varsity basketball coach, so he knows a few things about being a team player. As if he’s giving a pregame pep

talk, he continues, “How do we practice honor? We definitely do it on the fields, whether it is in the pool or in the gym or on the soccer field, the football field, or in cross country—those places teach you a lot about being honorable.” Expounding on the importance of community, he adds, “I sometimes say there is a big WE in Webb.” How do we learn? “From your friends, from your advisor, from your coach: Surround yourself with good people and you’ll probably be OK.”

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

“The boundar ies of Stephanie Baron ’96, PA-C When she was a day-student at Webb, Stephanie Baron ‘96 was a leader on the basketball team. But she had another leadership role off the court. She was a member of the Vivian Webb School Honor Cabinet. Like many Webb students, Baron’s older sibling graduated from Webb, so she was already familiar with the Honor Code and the Honor Cabinet. But her sense of ethics and morality also predates her and her brother’s tenures at Webb. “I grew up in a Catholic household that was very religious. That’s kind of where ethics and morality developed for me,” she says. As the director of Webb’s health center, Baron has a unique role. “Kids are going to make mistakes, especially as they are trying to figure out their independence,” she says. Her primary concern for their mental and physical health and safety is coupled with keeping patient confidentiality. Sometimes she has to ask the question: “Do I need to do anything more for them to take care of their health and safety?” The answer depends on the student and the situation. “Is it a chronic problem? Then we would try to get help for them.”

responsibility give students the sense that they should be there f o r e a c h o t h e r.” – ELENA TIEDENS ’21

to speak is that when the Honor Committee was re-envisioned in the early 1990s, Allan was part of the group that worked on how it would be part of the community,” Jurczak says. Allan discussed an ethical dilemma he encountered in business right after finishing college. “Will teaches courses in entrepreneurship, and for someone who teaches advanced humanities electives that relate to business, having him talk about his experiences in the business world ties that together nicely [with the curriculum].” Allan credits senior chapel talks with deepening the campus’ understanding of moral character. Every senior has an opportunity to give a formal chapel talk. It’s a platform where they can say whatever they want, and it tends to create some anxiety. Allan observes, “A lot of students both faculty and students are kind of cringing, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s this guy going to say about Webb,’ and Has he been in trouble in the past?’” But in his experience, it’s been a positive thing: “A lot of seniors who have made mistakes have chosen to talk about that and have really bared their souls to their peers and the teachers not every student, but some who have been in trouble have talked about how they have learned from it and re ecting on that, and how they’ve improved as a person.”

“I’m really hear tened that we’re now talking about honor and moral courage as two concepts that are l i n k e d t o g e t h e r.” – TAYLOR STOCKDALE

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

SUSTAINING THE COMMITMENT TO HONOR AND MORAL COURAGE “I look at the Honor Code as, every year we’re starting over. We have new students, new faculty, new staff, and I spend a good part of the year before Thanksgiving focusing and refocusing on the Honor Code, our values and the concept of moral courage,” Stockdale says. “I spend a lot of time interacting with seniors and anyone who will listen. In order to make this realistic and to make it alive, you have to start from scratch every year.” World-renown psychologist and writer Carol Gilligan’s ethics of care theory, which has been endlessly critiqued, was meant to be the start of a conversation. It proposes counterbalancing the abstract reasoning and focus on rights and justice (found within her mentor Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory) with understanding ethics within the context of relationships and con icting responsibilities. This effectively places moral and ethical behavior firmly within the setting of a community. The appeal of this is to begin to understand our ethical responsibilities in relation to the needs and perspectives of our fellows: how we are judged morally can be observed from how we treat one another. This is one of the triumphs of The Webb Schools’ Honor Code. It is well-integrated within the awareness and consideration of the needs of its community, and seeks to address the rights and needs of individuals. This is not a new strategy, yet the sensitivity with which Webb carries out this mission is remarkable. Examples of the effect this has on students’ awareness can be found in Gerken’s observations on the growth Webb students experience being on the Honor Cabinet. “Sitting in conversations where a student’s future could be decided, and having to weigh the balance of the community needs and the

Will Allan ’94 Will Allan ’94 can still remember when he arrived on Webb’s campus in the 1990s. “A long time ago,” he adds. “The Honor Committee at that time, they were like men in my eyes. They were very responsible and well respected. They were almost a little intimidating because they had this position of power. But also they were super friendly and super helpful.” Allan ended up being elected to and serving on the Honor Committee in his senior year. Since that time, he’s seen some perceptions change, while others persist. When people think of the Honor Code, Allan says, they often think about the punitive aspects. But the Honor Code’s role in educating and fostering “a more tight-knit community” tends to get overlooked. “Over the years I think the Honor Code and the Honor Committee have become a little bit more compassionate and empathetic compared to being the strict guardians of the rules. That’s one thing I’m happy to see—that it’s not just about the punitive aspect, that over the years it feels like the Honor Committee has become a little more approachable than when I was a student at Webb.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

Xander Kong ’22 2018-19 Freshman Class President Xander Kong ’22 knew about the Honor Code long before he got to Webb. He had heard about it from his older sisters Elisa ’15 and Bella ’18 and understood that it made Webb unique as “an environment built on trust.” He also sees that the values one learns from it don’t abruptly end with the final days of high school—that it’s important “to always keep the moral compass active.” Kong is a typical Webb student with a calendar full of co-curricular engagements: debate year-round, theater in the fall and spring and varsity soccer in the winter. He feels that his personal code of ethics and integrity, which governs it all, is formed directly from the Honor Code. His sense of honor is inseparable from leadership, which he feels the school promotes for all Webb students to grow into during the course of their time at Webb.

safety of the community, and the needs and the safety of the individual,” can be difficult for everyone involved, she acknowledges. But she has seen how students mature during their two-year term on the Honor Cabinet: “They really adjust. They start to see the deeper complexity of the decisions and how they impact people.” The process is related to the values Gerken fosters in classroom discussions. “So much of what we’re doing in the HC is building a safe community, and a lot of that has to do with honoring people’s voices, respecting diversity and learning how to have a challenging conversation. We don’t have a vote to decide something, we reach consensus. So we avoid terms like debate. We have a discourse where we share our views and our perspectives and our opinions.” The culture of taking care of your community translates into the smallest of gestures, says Laura Wensley, the senior director of development and alumni relations. She noticed that the schools’ messaging about independence and personal responsibility prompted a virtual campus-wide discussion between students over keeping the dining hall clean and being responsible to clear your own

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

dishes. Perhaps the litmus test of an expanding notion of community, students’ sense of care extended beyond the Webb campus to the larger world in the 2017-18 school year when Marina Lesse (VWS ’09) invited the campus to contribute to her relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey. It was an important opportunity for students and alumni to come together to practice generosity. Is honor an antiquated idea? Far from it, says Wensley—just look at the headlines, where MeToo affected the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh. Webb School Dean of Students Ben Farrell used it as a teachable moment, turning it into a discussion on moral courage and honorable leadership. “When alumni hear that these kinds of discussions are happening on campus, it reaffirms for them all of the foundations that they know and cherish about the school,” Wensley concludes.

Students frequently talk about how safe they feel on campus, how they can leave their backpacks sitting out in front of the library, trusting that no one will take their things. It seems like a small thing, but it signals something much greater.

“ T h e We b b c o m m u n i t y embraces the values of independence and personal responsibility; even when the adults aren’t looking, the students take it upon themselves to take care o f t h e c o m m u n i t y.” – LAURA WENSLEY

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

THOUGHT LE A DER S: A LU M N I S T O R I E S

Trust

Honesty

Integrity

Community By John Ferrari

t’s woven into the fabric of Webb, a thread that reaches back to founder Thompson Webb, and touches every member of the Webb community: trust, honor and integrity. It holds the Webb community together. In fact, Thompson Webb held honor to be a requirement for community. “Without honor there can be no trust,” he said. “And without trust there can be no community.” That thread weaves the Webb community together, knitting today’s students and faculty into a community, but also connecting them with Webb alumni.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

ALUMNI REMAIN A VITAL PART OF THE WEBB COMMUNITY,

and the experiences they had at Webb remain with them. “High school is such a crucial time,” says Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale. “These are the years when people begin creating their adult selves. People continue to develop throughout their lives, but those teenage years are so formative… they really lay the path. That’s why Thompson Webb placed such emphasis on honor and moral courage—those words that remain in our mission statement. They’re absolutely necessary for community, here at Webb and later in life, in every community: where you live, where you work and in your family.” It’s natural, then, that Webb alumni carry a sense of community and integrity with them throughout their careers. “At alumni gatherings all over the U.S. and around the world, Webb and VWS alumni conversation always comes to the topic of honor” says Director of Institutional Advancement Dutch Barhydt. “WSC alumni who served on the Honor Committee and VWS alumnae who served in the Honor Cabinet invariably refer to this activity as their most meaningful student experience. To be chosen to serve and to be given the authority to exercise judgement over a peer’s actions requires an understanding of morals and values and it requires empathy and responsibility. And, while these lessons are learned during a student’s Webb years, at a time when so much intellectual and emotional growth is occurring, these lessons are lived, many times over, long after the student has graduated.”

“These are the years when people begin creating their

adult selves.”

hat rings true with Mark Schultz ’93 . Webb’s Honor Code may be the most visible aspect of the school’s commitment to honor, integrity and community, but it’s not meant to stand above or apart from the life of the school— it’s meant to suffuse the community with a fundamental sense of ethics. “I don’t remember ever thinking of the Honor Code as a system of rules or checkboxes,” Schultz recalls. “I remember it more as… an attempt in words to convey something much grander that has to do with human life and its grandeur.” Schultz sees Webb’s emphasis on honor as “an invitation to excellence” rather than as a pressure. “Excellence is something that we work towards as a community,” he explains. Webb’s faculty set high expectations knowing the students could achieve them. “Humans will take that challenge and run with it,” he says.

Webb helped Schultz develop a moral vision which guides him daily, as an Episcopal priest and also as a playwright. “Works of art always come with a vision of world,” he says. A moral vision can spur creativity, but it doesn’t have to be confined to that elevated realm. “It can spur us to act in a way that uplifts the human dignity in others or highlights ways in which that dignity is being occluded.”

Cast of Mark Schultz’s ’93 play Evocation to Visible Appearance.

“an invitation to

excellence rather than a pressure”

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

Having high

integrity builds reputation and trust. Adrian Lam ’11, co-founder & CSO of Domio. Below a Domio property.

That’s a noble vision, but in daily practice honor, integrity and moral courage can take form in something as simple as team-building. That’s the lesson Adrian Lam ’11 learned at Webb. By the time he graduated, Lam had served in leadership roles including dorm prefect, dorm councilor chairman and captain of the triathlon and cross-country teams. His leadership skills didn’t begin with a desire to lead, though; they began with empathy. “It took me a while to get used to the boarding life,” Lam explains. By his junior year, “knowing how it felt to be a freshman in a new environment, I could see that in other freshmen, and I wanted to give back.” Living at Webb created a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. Lam made friends with whom he’s still close today, and he emphasizes integrity, empathy and moral courage, now as the co-founder of “apartment hotel” hospitality company Domio. As a teenager, “it’s really hard to see some of the benefits of Webb, and how those can help you down the road,” Lam admits. But the leadership skills he learned—the skills to build a community in which people enjoy working together are invaluable. At his first job, in the finance sector, he had a very different experience. “A lot of the culture was backwards; it wasn’t team-oriented,” he recalls. “I don’t think a lot of people saw a larger purpose.” Now, as a leader of his own company, he’s “constantly looking for the best people… in their skills, but also how collaborative they are; how well they work with people.

“Webb taught me that it’s really important to surround yourself with good people—people that challenge you to be your best.” That’s especially important as a leader, he adds, because “you’re held accountable for everything, and your reputation is really important.” Ultimately, “you have to be able to trust what people say. Reputation is important, for people and for companies, and having high integrity builds reputation and trust.”

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

s Thompson Webb said, trust is crucial for community. It’s crucial in every kind of community, everywhere people interact—families, schools, organizations, even between nations. “I can’t tell you how many times trust was the most important factor,” says Wendin Smith ’89 of her time in public service. Smith, who has held several high-level government positions, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, recalls negotiating bilateral treaties. When it comes down to it, those negotiations weren’t between nations; they were between individuals. Trust between individuals—the kind of trust fostered at Webb— allows people to work with one another, even when they may have different goals, Smith explains. And after agreement is reached, “if you don’t have trust none of the agreements will be worth anything.” At Webb, Smith remembers, following the school’s Honor Code could be a simple matter of expediency. “It’s just easier to do the right thing, rather than to worry about getting caught,” she explains. Throughout her time at Webb, though, the core values of honor and integrity became more than just an expediency for her. “I remember seeing and watching and being part of living it… it was part of our DNA,” she says. “I almost feel like some of those values cannot be taught but have to be modeled and demonstrated in the culture. It really was more how we lived than what we were taught.

“The biggest takeaway I’ve carried with me for the rest of my career so far is the premise that you should do right even if nobody’s looking. There were several examples of that at Webb where I saw people living that choice. Now, as a leader, in or out of government, I try to live those values.”

It really was more

Wendin Smith ’89

how we lived than what we were taught.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

In addition to modelling integrity and building trust, Smith says moral courage shouldn’t be minimized, whether at the negotiating table or in the corporate boardroom. Standing up for a conviction, being willing to disagree constructively, is more important now than ever, she says. “In your life, there are turning points, where innate decisions come at a gut level… For me, making those decisions didn’t feel courageous at the moment—it was just the right thing to do—but it was courage to stand there and disagree.”

Juliana Whitney CLASS OF ’07 CANNABIS BUSINESS CONSULTANT FOUNDER, THAT ADOPTED GIRL What do you remember about integrity at Webb? I would say my memory of the Honor Code. You didn’t want to break the Honor Code because you wanted to be part of such a special place… It felt good to have a standard to live up to. That has carried over to my life a lot. How does that influence you now? It has helped me mold the culture in my companies. I try to create a community, and hire people who want to be loyal, want to be there… that allows me to trust the people I work with. What else did Webb give you? It really taught me to be someone who values being a woman… Webb allows you to be female and really good at stuff. I’m comfortably confident.” Did Webb influence your nonprofit, focusing on foster children? I remember my volunteer service at Webb; that really stayed with me. Webb showed me that I can be creative and myself and a leader, too. I was allowed to be a leader, given that opportunity. Webb gave me that seed that you can be you as you are, and still figuring out how you are, and still be a leader. I do think that being at Webb gave me the bravery to take chances.

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

ALUMNI

The continuum from responsibility for one’s own actions to responsibility for the community is deliberately modeled at Webb, says Assistant Head of Schools Theresa Smith. Expectations and leadership roles at the school are designed to explore “boundaries of responsibility.” For freshmen, the emphasis is on considering how their actions affect themselves. By their senior year, students are also considering how their actions affect the community and in uence others. “A large part of being a leader at Webb is about setting an example,” Smith notes.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE— OF HONOR, INTEGRITY, MORAL COURAGE—IS A POWERFUL ACTION.

Some Webb alumni invest in that example, too. Inventor, investor and entrepreneur Jim Demetriades ’80 has made integrity and community responsibility a cornerstone of his philosophy. “The overriding vision for all of my businesses is, will it help humanity?” That’s a moral goal, and, Demetriades says, it also makes good business sense. “If you focus on money, you are following the wrong objective,” he explains. ocus on making your business different from other businesses, he advises, and on having a positive impact. “If you have something new, something that benefits humanity, money will follow.” It’s working for him: his firm, venture capital investment company Kairos Ventures, has funded 85 startups in the last 18 months. And he says Webb was instrumental in giving him the freedom and responsibility to develop the vision that has guided his career.

“The overriding vision for all of my businesses is,

“I had the opportunity to become a man there,” he remembers. “A man who had the moral fortitude to stand up for what was right.” For Demetriades, developing that fortitude was an imaginative process. “For me, perhaps one of the most important things was to develop my imagination,” he says. “The ability to have an imagination was really foundational… to my personal success in life. A lot of that has to do with having the vision of helping humanity.”

humanity?”

Demetriades experienced Webb’s “boundaries of responsibility” firsthand. “Webb orchestrated some control when you were 1 and 1 , and by the time you were graduating, you had tremendous freedom.” At the same time, he was developing the ethical values that Webb emphasizes. “Those are principles that we learned” he says. “They become engrained in your psyche, engrained in the very fiber of your being.”

This is a photo of an implant device from one of Kairos Ventures’ portfolio of companies, Delpor. The device is implanted in a patient suffering from schizophrenia/bipolar disorder and it will deliver medication steadily for six to 12 months. This is life changing for individuals who may have difficulty remembering to take their medication.

Jim Demetriades ’80

will it help

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

While Demetriades hopes to boost the scientific and technological start-ups that have the greatest potential to benefit humanity, Samantha Ainsley ’07 is working to make those companies the best they can be today. Today’s tech giants, she reminds, are diverse organizations. Making them communities of trust, honor and integrity is putting Thompson Webb’s value into practice.

Ariel Fan CLASS OF ’10 FOUNDER AND CEO, GREENWEALTH ENERGY SOLUTIONS Looking back, how did Webb influence you? Webb was good soil for my growth as a teenager. Now I’m seeing the fruits of all this early work in the soil. The values I have from Webb kind of act like a ruler. Is that special to Webb? My friends and I have a different code of ethics than a lot of people. We just have such a rock-solid foundation; we have measurements of integrity. It’s so natural to us: we try to be good to people. We want to really make an impact on the world; that’s rare for other people who are more focused on jobs. Your company helps commercial properties save energy; were you always interested in environmental issues? As a teenager at Webb I started Project Earth, an environment club. I held plastic bag recycling drives in front of the dining hall and organized advocacy, like letters for the rainforest. So environmental concerns are very core to me.

STUDENT

F A C U LT Y

S TA F F

ALUMNI

“Webb was a life-changing experience for me,” Ainsley says. The school taught her the importance of two things: honesty and social contracts, both of which require trust. Webb also gave her the confidence to be herself as a woman interested in math and technology. “I felt strong and confident as a woman I think that was something that was given to me at Webb,” she says. Ainsley recalls her efforts, with a friend, to establish the first BGT advocacy group at Webb. “My friend was planning on coming out” as lesbian, Ainsley recalls. “We were able to go to faculty members, who we knew and trusted, and have conversations about changing a culture… a culture that we loved. Webb let us push the envelope about our female identities There was community support for being vocal and taking risks.” After Webb, Ainsley had academic and corporate success earning a doctorate in computer science and joining Google but lost the confidence to be herself. “It took years in this industry to be comfortably myself and an engineer,” she says. “It was more of a reclamation of my identity at Webb.” As she reclaimed her identity and her confidence, she realized that personal success was not her end goal. “I started examining my life in terms of what I have to give to other people.” ow she’s active in efforts to make the hightech workplace more inclusive, for women and for everyone. A member of Google’s diversity and inclusion steering committee, her goal isn’t personal success, it’s the success of the community. She has noticed a cultural shift in tech companies towards a realization that profit can’t be the only consideration. People, she says, need to be able to bring their whole selves to work. And, like Adrian am, she feels that working toward a larger purpose motivates people to work together at their best.

That sense of working for a purpose motivated her and a team of Google engineers to devote six months last year to pro bono work with Thorn, a non-profit devoted to countering online child pornography and trafficking. ike Webb, it was a life-changing experience, Ainsley says, and it showed her that her work could have a real, positive impact. When you’ve achieved your personal goals, Ainsley says, “the best thing you can do is realize maybe you’re finally fulfilled, and help fulfill others.” Webb alumni living and acting with honor, integrity and moral courage is a constant through the decades, says Theresa Smith. “Alumni from 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 0 years ago… the way they talk about being an honorable person is consistent and a thread. When I listen to alumni, I hear them discussing living a life of meaning and purpose, doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.”

“ONE OF THE GREATEST LIFELONG LESSONS TAUGHT AT WEBB IS THE CONCEPT OF HONOR,” agrees Barhydt. What makes the experiences of Samantha Ainsley, Mark Schultz, Adrian am, Wendin Smith and im emetriades compelling is not that they’re singular it’s that they are shared by so many Webb alumni. In April, Barhydt notes, 20 alumni gathered for the 201 Hong ong Alumni inner, divided into two tables of 10. “Before long,” he says, “one table was actively engaged in a conversation about the Honor Committee, its role, and importantly, who had served in this capacity Those alumni, enjoying a conversation about serving on the Honor Committee, years after they graduated from Webb, is perhaps the very best confirmation that honor is central to Webb’s mission and its culture, intentionally.”

Doug Gregg CLASS OF ’66 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, RETIRED Webb was… where I got to test my beliefs and my strengths and my resolve. How did Webb teach honor, integrity and moral integrity? Webb is a perfect opportunity to get out and what I call “flex and test.” The entire campus is a classroom. It was a confidence builder. It reaffirmed what I got at home… and reaffirmed the importance of integrity and morality. Why is that important? You will be tested at some time in your life, if not more than once. It’s a fact of life: you’re going to be tested. What have you seen since becoming president of the Alumni Council? We have a living legacy of past, present and future and it’s all around us. The lessons and philosophy of Dr. and Mrs. Webb continue; I’ve seen that and I’ve felt that. I continue to support Webb… Why? Because like other alums I’m so thankful for what I received, but also because it continues.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

today

WEBB

revisit day 2019

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

Webb Revisit Day 2019â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Admitted Students Return to Campus. Over 140 guests, newly admitted students and their families, were on the Webb campus to enjoy our annual Revisit Day on Tuesday, March 26. Students traveled from as far away as Hungary, Turkey and Hong Kong to be with us. Our newly admitted students hailed from nine states and 17 countries. States represented include: California, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. Countries included: Canada, Chile, China/ Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todayrevisit day 2019

This event helps us bring to a close another stellar year in Webb Admission. This year Webb received 1,423 inquiries from across the country and around the world. Some 777 applications were submitted and 134 students were offered admission (a 17.2 percent admit rate in 2019).

Everyone in the Webb community is very excited to welcome these new, students for the 2019-20 school year. Follow @webbadmission on Instagram.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

today

WEBB

It is somewhat astonishing to consider the legacy left by Ray Alf. The paleontologist

and educator certainly had ambitions as a young man, but from what is known of his life, it is clear that before he arrived on campus, none of those included teaching, much less founding a museum. Yet—Alf left an indelible mark on generations of Webb students. Moment of Time, a newly published biography, offers an engaging account of Alf’s life and career at Webb. Chance encounters had much to do not only with Alf ending up at Webb, but also with key moments in the development of the museum. Alf had moved from Nebraska to Los Angeles in July of 1929 to pursue his goal of qualifying for the 1932 U.S. Olympic Team and was running for the os Angeles Athletic Club. But his efforts to find employment had fallen at. elenting on

The Alf Research Program Advanced Studies in Paleontology

his decision to leave the field of education for a short time, he’d been a high school teacher in ebraska he registered with a teacher’s agency. In a matter of days, he was on a Pacific Electric ailway Car heading to Claremont for an interview with Thompson Webb. He got the job and never left. The museum has its origins in the mid-1930s, when Alf began collecting fossils, first as a hobby, then with aspirations for something more significant. In 1 , he wrote in one of his notebooks of his desire to someday have a “fine” natural history museum at Webb. n the first summer trip, Alf met a paleontologist named John Clark from the University of Colorado and ended up taking a sabbatical from Webb to study with Clark and earn a master’s degree. Alf brought that expertise back to Webb by incorporating paleontology into the curriculum of his biology course and eventually established a permanent museum on campus. The museum program has expanded over the last twenty years into a four-year curriculum with the junior and senior year focused on original research topics in Advanced Studies in Paleontology (ASIP), a unique course taught by Don Lofgren, Ph.D., the museum’s director, and Andrew Farke, Ph.D., the museum’s Augustyn amily Curator and irector of esearch Collections. “The ASIP class started around 2000, with only two or three students enrolled. But student research really took off after Andy arke came to Webb in 200 ,” says ofgren. “With Andy here, we soon had 10 students in ASIP, and now there are 2 .”

Over 95% of the collection comes from peccary trips with students, and so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still adding to the collection. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Don Lofgren

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todayadvanced research program

“I think the most important thing students learn in ASIP is that science is a process, not a set of facts,” says Farke. They also discover that it can be riddled with tedium. “Sometimes you don’t get your glamorous result right away. You might have to do six months or a year of work before you even get your first glimpse of what results might be.” And, there are false starts and dead ends. It’s not straight forward or instantaneous, but it can be extraordinarily rewarding. “After you’ve worked so hard for so long, finally getting a result that’s new to science—the discovery of a fossil that’s completely new, or finding out that, wow, this fossil I’ve been studying is even more important than we thought—those are the big things.” This kind of work puts the museum and the research generated from its collection in a broader context, raising its national and international profiles.

These are some examples of student projects. Nathan Paik ’19 works with Farke

on the study of the brain cavity of Hoplophoneus occidentalis—a type of saber tooth “false” cat. Nathan is creating a 3D model of the brain, called an endocast, using CT scans from the animal’s skull and 3D modelling software. As he notes, “I’m comparing it to different models that have been studied in the past, describing the brain structure as a reference. I have always had an interest in dinosaurs and fossils since I was a kid. The honors paleontology course during my sophomore year made me a lot more interested in the paleontology field.” Through ASIP, athan has discovered that the most important factor for success in research is managing his time wisely and maintaining his motivation.

“We scaffold the paleontology experience at Webb so students start with big picture stuff and then narrow down in their focus.” —Andy Farke

The research of Eunice Yip ’19 is centered on the femur (thigh) bone of the duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus, and her results were just published in the peer-reviewed international journal Vertebrate Anatomy Palaeontology Morphology. As she described her project, “The museum had a fossil of a relatively small Edmontosaurus femur, and I had to determine whether it was the femur of an adult or a baby. I made a lot of measurements and researched the different types of duckbilled dinosaur femurs out there.” It turns out the femur was relatively significant because it was one of the smallest femurs ever found, and the results showed how the shape of the femur of Edmontosaurus changed as it grew to an adult. Through the process, Yip says, “I learned that it’s okay to not know everything. Even after going through honors paleontology and then starting my ASIP research project, there was still a lot I did not know, and I learned how to ask for help.”

“To find something that’s going to end up in the museum—especially in my senior year—it was exciting.” —Izzy Gerard The study of very small insectivorous mammals from Pipestone Springs in southwest Montana is Izzy Gerard ‘s ‘19 project. It is the first time these specimens in the museum’s collection have been analyzed for publication. She has been identifying the species represented by each specimen and documenting its history of classification in the scientific literature.

“There was a field trip where little kids came on campus to visit the museum, and I thought

that was really cool because it was helping other people learn about the museum while we were learning about it ourselves.”

—Eunice Yip ’19 Her research is the first on Pipestone Springs insectivores since the 1 0s. Adding to its significance, Gerard says, is that “particularly for one of these species there has been a tug of war between several paleontologists about their classification.” Her research will be published jointly with the results of projects of other students who are working on lizards, snakes, and other types of mammals found at Pipestone Springs. “ ne of the things I think you learn pretty quickly from research is not to give up,” Gerard says. “If I keep looking, eventually I’ll find the research paper I need that will make things fit together. Having the wherewithal to keep going when things are challenging is something really important to paleontology, and it’s definitely going to help me in the future.” ast year, Ben Martinez ’19 traveled with arke to the Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists (WAVP) conference in St. George, Utah, to present the preliminary findings of his research. Martinez worked on a bear track (called Platykopus) found on a peccary trip in the

late 1 0s, and there are 1 slabs, weighing up to 200 pounds. Martinez says, “it was like a big puzzle but really heavy. After I finally got everything laid out, I took a few pictures and started working on identifying each footprint and its orientation.” He then read research articles on Platykopus tracks and found that there is almost nothing known about this fossil bear. As Martinez attended lectures and presented his own research at WAVP, he realized how critically important publishing research is to the protection of the localities where fossils were found, because localities can get destroyed. This revelation changed his perspective on research, “I had been doing paleo just as a hobby. I thought, inosaurs are cool. But after the conference, I realized it does matter more than I realized.”

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todaymuseum

ALF

News from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools

museum at webb

Who’s who at the Alf Museum? To run a world class paleontology program, like the one we have at The Webb Schools, a skilled and dedicated museum staff is required. The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology Museum was established in 1936, when Bill Webb ’39 and Ray Alf collected a peccary skull at Barstow, a discovery that ignited Alf’s life-long passion for paleontology. At its onset and over the following three decades, the museum was primarily a one-man operation run by Ray Alf. But now we have four paleontologists and six parttime educators/scientists who work to further enhance the museum’s stature as a paleontological research and education institution of both national and international repute.

The current staff is composed of: Don Lofgren, Ph.D., (Museum Director) grew up in Minnesota and has an academic background in geology and paleontology (universities of Minnesota, Montana, Cal-Berkeley). He saw a job posting about Webb’s museum director after finishing graduate school and arrived in 1991 and is still here 28 years later. Lofgren serves as both a faculty member and an administrator, and the favorite part of his work is camping and collecting fossils with Webb students in remote areas of the American West. He recently wrote a book with Jennifer Liu ’05 on the life of Raymond Alf and the history of the Alf Museum.

the museums large and ever-growing collection of fossils and develops/organizes all outreach events and programs. He produces video clips for the museum’s website and exhibits and is also an avid movie fan; his favorite movie is Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back! Jared Heuck (Fossil Preparation Specialist) studied paleontology at Montana State University where he worked in the fossil preparation lab and participated in fieldwork with the Museum of the Rockies. While pursuing a graduate degree at CSU Fullerton, Heuck volunteered at the Alf Museum, and soon was added to the staff as a part-time fossil preparator. Then, in the summer of 2018, he became the museum’s first-ever full-time fossil preparator. Heuck’s main responsibility is cleaning and repairing the hundreds of fossils found on recent peccary trips and supervising the Museum After School Class where Webb students help prepare and curate fossils. When he is using a noisy airscribe to remove the rock that encases fossils, he enjoys listening to podcasts or music while wearing headphones.

Kathy Sanders (left) and Don Lofgren

Andy Farke, Ph.D., (Augustyn Family Curator and Director of Research & Collections) grew up in rural South Dakota, where he fell in love with dinosaurs at an early age. Farke studied geology at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and then switched academic gears to anatomy for his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University (New York). Although he had originally expected to teach at a medical school, Farke jumped at the opportunity to become a curator who works with high school students by coming to Webb in 2008. He heads the museum’s research and collections programs and also works daily with Webb students in honors and advanced paleontology courses. A highlight of his job is involving his own kids in museum events; six-year-old Sam Farke loves talking about fossils with museum visitors! Gabe Santos (Collections Manager & Outreach Coordinator) was born and raised in Southern California and has a degree in biological sciences from UC Irvine and a masters in geological science from Cal State Fullerton. Santos arrived at Webb in 2015 and has two important jobs; he organizes and maintains

Andy Farke, Gabe Santos, and Jared Heuck

athy Sanders ( ffice Manager) is a graduate of Cal State ong Beach who joined the staff as a tour guide and outreach assistant after answering a newspaper ad in 2000. Originally, Sanders gave school tours and assisted in the development of educational outreach initiatives. Also, she used her prior experience as a freelance artist to create science education materials, as well as scientific illustrations for research papers. Currently her role is managing museum operations and serving as secretary of the Board of Trustees. Sander’s love of science makes her time at work very enjoyable.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todaymuseum

Monique Reyes (Tours Manager) has a degree in educational studies from the University of La Verne and joined the museum as an outreach assistant in 2013. Reyes currently is the manager of the tour program where she ensures that each child on a school tour receives a memorable educational experience. She is passionate about early childhood education, which makes teaching paleontology to elementary age school children the favorite part of her duties. She lived in Paraguay for 1 months while in college and became uent in Spanish, a skill she now employs to communicate with the museum’s many Spanish speaking visitors. Lucy Herrero ’10 (Collections Assistant) has a degree in archaeology from Stanford University. As a member of the class of 2010 of Vivian Webb School, Herrero was highly involved in the museum program and participated in many research and fieldwork opportunities. Now, as Lucy Herrero ’10 collections assistant, she works to ensure that the museum’s specimens are properly identified, catalogued, and curated to the highest archival standards. The favorite part of her work is spending part of each summer collecting fossils in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. Billie Guerrero (Outreach & Collections Assistant) joined the museum staff in 201 and was the paleontology instructor for Webb’s Junior Scholars Program in summer 2018. She is graduating from the University of La Verne (anthropology) and will soon begin graduate school. Billie discovered the Alf Museum on a college field trip. She became a volunteer shortly thereafter and loves to share the Earth’s history with museum visitors. In addition to giving school tours and working with the museum’s collections, Guerrero is collaborating with Andy Farke on the description of an endocast of Parasaurolophus, a duck-billed dinosaur.

environmental science and sailing methods. Arriving at the Alf Museum in 201 , orgensen works most days in the collections room, but also leads tours for local schools so she can continue her passion for educating students and adults about history and science. The favorite part of her job is that she learns something new every day amidst an amazing community of friends and mentors at Webb.

Billie Guerrero (left) and Bailey Jorgensen

Nel Graham (Outreach Assistant) has a background in public school education, mainly teaching life and physical science to middle and high school students. She has worked at the museum since 2015, giving guided tours to students from local schools, mostly 2nd graders. Graham became aware of the museum long ago on a field trip, and then was reacquainted in 2009 when she read about the museum’s discovery of “Dinosaur Joe,” a baby duck-billed dinosaur. She loves sharing her vast knowledge of nature and science to people of all ages. The current staff of the aymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology is the most talented and largest in its 83 year history. The museum has come a long way since the current facility was constructed in 1 , over 0 years ago. ay Alf himself would be amazed to see how his original museum, once housed in his classroom in the basement of the Jackson Library, has now grown into a world class institution.

Bailey Jorgensen (Collections & Outreach Assistant) graduated from Montana State University with a degree in anthropology/archaeology, after which she sailed on traditionally-rigged tall ships and also taught history, Nel Graham (left) and Monique Reyes

News from the Raymond M. Alf

Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools

Raymond Alf Biography Now Available Raymond Alf, perhaps the greatest educator in the history of The Webb Schools, lived on the Webb campus for 70 years (19291999), nearly his entire adult life. Alf was born in China to missionary parents, and then became a nationally ranked collegiate sprinter, a renowned paleontologist who won a multitude of teaching awards, an inspirational motivator to generations of Webb students, and a man who founded the only nationally accredited paleontology museum on a high school campus. To tell his story and honor his legacy, Museum Director Don Lofgren and Jennifer Liu ’05 (Webb’s Director of Parent Relations & Special Events) wrote, Moment of Time: The Life of Raymond Alf and the History of the Peccary Society, a definitive treatment of Alf’s life and the museum that bears his name. The book has 15 chapters, 340 pages, and nearly 200 photographs. Jack Vedder ’4 4 called it “a superb biographical account of Ray Alf’s life and achievements.” A copy is available to anyone who donates $100 or more to the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology or The Webb Schools (visit www.alfmuseum.org or www.webb.org.)

Ray Alf (right) was

Webb School founder Thompson

a nationally ranked

Webb, trustee Robert Reynolds,

sprinter at Doane College

and Ray Alf pose with an artistic

(Nebraska) in the 1920s.

rendition of the new museum, which was built in 1967.

The Flaming Cliffs of Mongolia, named for its red-brown colored rock that turns a vibrant red at sunset.

Webb to Return to Mongolia in 2020 In mid to late July of 2020, a group from Webb will visit Mongolia for a fifth time (earlier trips were in 1 , 200 , 2008, 2014). The trip will span 13 days and include a short visit to cultural areas in the capital (Ulaanbaatar), with the rest spent exploring the wonders of the Gobi Desert. Participants will visit the laming Cliffs (see photo) where the world’s first dinosaur eggs were reported, as well as other Gobi dinosaur sites, such as the Nemegt Basin, Khermen Tsav and Tugregiin Shiree. A visit to the 00-foot-high sand dune complex at Khongoryn Els and the petroglyphs at Havsgait are also on the itinerary. Of the 12 nights in country, three will be in hotels, four in Ger camps (two in the award-winning Three Camel odge) and five in tents. This is a true adventure expedition to a remote part of the world. A detailed itinerary, pricing and application information will be available on the website (www.webb.org) in October 2019.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todayathletics

Every Spring Sport Qualifies for Post Season Play As the spring season and playoffs concluded, we congratulate our spring league championship teams and playoff qualifiers! It has been a tremendous spring season as every sport has qualified for post season competition! LEAGUE CHAMPIONS – VWS SOFTBALL The softball team finished the season 10-1 in league and 13-2 overall. The team was ranked 9th in the final CIF regular season poll.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS – WSC BASEBALL The baseball team wrapped up their regular season against Saddleback Valley Christian. The team went 9-0 in league play and 16-4 overall heading into the final game. They were ranked #1 in their CIF division going into playoffs.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS – WSC VOLLEYBALL The WSC volleyball team, like their VWS counterparts, won their first ever league title in school history, finishing 5-1 in league and 14-5 overall. The team earned the 4th seed in the CIF playoffs.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SECOND PLACE LEAGUE FINISH – VWS AND WSC SWIMMING WSC and VWS swimming and diving each finished second in the Academy League and competed in CIF prelims and finals in Riverside. A highlight: VWS senior Rylie Brick ‘19 repeated as CIF Champion in the 100 breaststroke and advanced to State Swim Championship.

SECOND/THIRD PLACE LEAGUE FINISHES– WSC AND VWS TRACK & FIELD The WSC track team finished second in the Academy League, while VWS tallied a third place finish. Both teams had qualifiers representing Webb at the CIF prelims in Carpinteria. Nick Johnson ’19 advanced to CIF Finals in the long jump. Lily Miller ’21 advanced to CIF Finals in the 1600 meters.

SECOND PLACE LEAGUE FINISH – WSC GOLF WSC golf finished tied for second in the San Joaquin League with enough qualifying scores to be entered into the CIF team tournament. Golfers will compete in league individual prelims and finals. Those who finished in the top seven individuals in league competed at the CIF individual tournament at River Ridge GC in Oxnard. The team competed at the Elkins Ranch GC in Fillmore at the CIF team tournament.

THIRD PLACE LEAGUE FINISH – WSC TENNIS WSC tennis finished third in the very competitive San Joaquin League. The team qualified and went on to play in CIF competition.

FOURTH PLACE LEAGUE FINISH – VWS AND WSC BADMINTON The co-ed badminton team finished tied for fourth in the even more competitive Valle Vista League. The team qualified for post season competition—as well as individual prelims and finals.

SPRING 2019 SEASON: VWS – Softball, Swimming, Track & Field, Badminton; WSC – Baseball, Swimming, Track & Field, Badminton, Tennis, Golf, Volleyball.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

todayfaculty

Nicole Windmon, Ph.D. “Webb is like a teacher’s playground.”

That was Nicole Windmon’s first impression of The Webb Schools after her interview last spring. It’s an impression that has only gotten stronger as the new science faculty member finishes her first year here, teaching Integrated Physics and Chemistry (part of Webb’s core science curriculum for sophomores) and Organic Chemistry (an advanced elective for juniors and seniors).

ebb’s well-equipped science labs are part of the reason for Windmon’s enthusiasm, but even more important to her is the school’s emphasis on discovery-based learning; that is, giving the students the skills to both discover and create knowledge. Windmon, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame, also appreciates Webb’s approach to science as an integrated discipline. “Ultimately, I think this is how science should be taught across the board,” she says. Looking ahead, she’d like students to develop their science skills even more, with yearlong projects in organic chemistry that could lead to publishable papers or presentation at professional conferences, similar to the research projects conducted by students in the Alf Museum’s advanced paleontology program. She’s starting with a new afternoon activity that will be offered next year, Science air esearch ab, which will build on a Webb tradition of participation in local and national science fairs.

The opportunity to be part of the Webb community is definitely a draw for Windmon. She’s lived in eight states, but says with conviction that California “is the best state… the weather is awesome.” Southern California also gets Windmon’s approval for its diversity, and Claremont for its “small town feel with big city amenities… the people here are very cultured.” Webb’s students impress her most, though. “Students here have a lot of grit they don’t get discouraged,” she explains. “They have this intrinsic motivation to succeed.” Living on the Webb campus suits her canine companion, too. Windmon adopted Abigail, a Chihuahua-terrier mix, from a rescue shelter after a ood in Baton ouge, a., where she taught at Episcopal School. Before that, she was a National Institute of Health post-doctoral fellow at the University of Kansas.

At Webb, Abigail has made it her own mission to make friends with as many Webb students as possible and, Windmon says, gets mopey when the students aren’t around. “The kids keep you happy,” Windmon says. “There are smiles on everybody’s faces… Every morning when I walk into my class, the kids are like a breath of fresh air.” That’s true on the field, as well as in the classroom: this year, Windmon coached VWS softball. New to coaching, Windmon says learning to coach was a lot of fun. “I’m a forever learner,” she laughs. Plus, “the girls are awesome. They take a lot of pride in their work.” She also led the unctional itness after school activity with fellow science faculty member Brendan Beikmann. Her own experience weightlifting and Cross it training stood her in good stead. “I really like working with the novice lifters,” she says. “I really like seeing people progress.” She pauses. “That’s why I teach—I love seeing how students start and where they end. It’s super cool to see them at the end of the year.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

todayfaculty

James Huerta

“Phenomenal.”

That’s how new humanities faculty member James Huerta describes Webb students. “I really enjoy the students here.” With its student-centered, discussion-focused classes, “Webb is a place that’s really well suited to the way I like to teach,” says Huerta. It’s an approach that encourages students to think critically and engage with the material—which mirrors Huerta’s own academic background in critical theory, gained as a film and media studies major at UC Irvine.

“W

ebb students are curious, and have a willingness to ask questions and to try new things,” Huerta says. “They can step out of their comfort zone… that’s so important in getting them to engage with different material.” From Huerta, that’s saying something: he has experience teaching students all over. Between receiving his B.A. and earning an M.A. in secondary teaching from the University of Southern California, Huerta traveled the world; along the way he started teaching English as a second language. Discovering he enjoyed teaching for its own sake, Huerta has taught AP Language at boarding schools in Chengdu and Beijing, China and in Tampico, Mexico, and literature in Quito, Ecuador. While he stills enjoys travel, Huerta isn’t leaving Webb anytime soon. “This is such a great environment for teachers, as well as the students,” he explains. “It’s just fantastic.” Huerta is a Southern California native, and the region suits his young daughter, too. “She’s settling in,” he says, “and it helps her to know that we won’t be going anywhere for two years, for three years, for a while… I really like the Webb community and I’m looking forward to being even more a part of the community, along with my family.” Huerta’s introduction to teaching at Webb this past year included the ninth-grade Foundations of Civilization course, as well as Advanced Studies in Fascism during fall and Advanced Studies in 20th Century Latin America this spring. The advanced studies electives, in particular, gave Huerta and his students the opportunity to critically consider cultural artifacts, from film to graphic iconography the students, Huerta says, worked up to the level of his undergraduate courses in similar subjects. Drawing on the year’s experience, Huerta is designing his next advanced course, Honors Postcolonial Film and Literature, which will examine similarities, and differences, in the art produced by postcolonial nations in regions from Africa and Asia to the Americas. “All these different artists have different perspectives, but share in common the postcolonial experience,” he says.

Huerta’s involvement at Webb this year didn’t end in the classroom: he also pitched in as assistant coach for WSC varsity baseball and VWS junior varsity soccer. A first-time coach, the opportunity let him see Webb students perform on the field, as well as inside. “They put in the same effort and intensity,” he says. “It’s amazing to watch.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

todaygiving

Webb’s Endowment: The Cornerstone of Our Financial Foundation Great schools share many common attributes, including: a deeply held commitment to inspiring students; supportive alumni and families and volunteer leadership; superb and dedicated faculty and staff; safe, secure and up-to-date facilities; and the financial foundation and financial management to sustain it all. Webb’s reputation in the secondary school world is enviable, in large measure because of its ongoing dedication to each of these.

Since Webb’s founding in 1922, it has grown and thrived during many challenging moments in history, including the Great Depression, the social unrest of the 1960s and 1970s and more recent economic challenges including the Great Recession in 2008. Webb’s leadership, including those who have served, and serve today on the Board of Trustees, have been inspired by the “scrappy determination” and “grit” that were hallmarks of the Schools’ founders, Thompson and Vivian Webb. In leading Webb School of California and eventually Vivian Webb School, succeeding heads of schools learned how to build a world-class organization and the world-class Raymond Alf Museum of Paleontology with modest means and modest endowments. The Webb Schools continue to “do a lot with a little” with the careful management of funds and resources, overseen by Chief

inancial fficer anet Peddy and Webb’s experienced business office, Webb’s investment committee chaired by David Loo’79 and by Goldman Sachs, Webb’s endowment management partner. While Webb matches up in nearly every measureable category with peer schools across the country, including some of the oldest and most distinguished schools, endowment size is the one area where Webb lags far behind. In fact, Webb did not begin actively raising funds until its status changed to a nonprofit institution in 1 , much later than its peer schools. While Webb’s endowment grew by ,2 ,000 from 0, 0,000 on une 0, 201 to , 2 ,000 on une 0, 2018, an impressive 23.7 percent gain in two years (through new gifts plus growth,) the market value still lags far behind those of our peers. By comparison, The Hotchkiss School endowment recently stood at $447,000,000, Thacher School 1 0, 00,000, Choate- osemary Hall 1,000,000 and Loomis-Chafee $208,200,000. While Webb can take justifiable pride in its many accomplishments despite a very small endowment, it is neither realistic nor sustainable to operate a school like ours in this day and age on such a modest financial foundation.

47 40 39 38 37

ENDOWMENT OVER 5 YEARS *As of June 30, 2018

2017-18 $37.8 million

36 35 34 33 32 31 30

2013-14 $33.4 million

2016-17 $33.5 million

2014-15 $33.2 million 2015-16 $30.6 million

While increasing Webb’s endowment to $80 million

When Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale is asked about his vision as Webb approaches The Centennial, he invariably responds, “We must open Webb to the world…we must make it possible for the best and the brightest students to enroll and thrive here…no matter their family background or means. And that requires us to build our endowment so that we can provide adequate financial aid.” While a school’s endowment is truly its financial foundation, its relevance becomes even more clear when viewed in conjunction with its annual operating budget. Stockdale goes on to explain that “ Webb’s operating budget for this fiscal year is 20, 0 , 20, and while the majority of that is funded through tuition revenue, significant portions are funded through gifts to the Schools through The Webb und and to capital and endowment purposes. The final piece needed each year to balance our operating budget is the income that is produced by our permanent endowment. Webb annually contributes four percent of its endowment value (averaged over the last twelve quarters) to its annual operating budget. Because our endowment is currently so modest, it puts great pressure on our other revenue streams and limits what we can do. Our immediate goal is to increase our endowment value so that it equals four times our annual operating budget, or approximately 0 million and then grow it further from there.”

is an ambitious goal (it will require slightly more than doubling its current value through new gifts and growth), The Centennial is the perfect time to undertake this. As Webb honors its first century and celebrates its second century, providing financial aid to the “best and brightest” is a top priority.

Webb is fortunate to have a number of benefactors who have chosen to apply their generosity to growing the endowment, knowing that their gifts will become part of Webb’s financial future, with income supporting the donor’s wishes in perpetuity. In addition to financial aid, Webb alumni and parents have established permanent endowed funds to support faculty professional development, Webb’s campus and physical plant, academic programs, and extracurricular programs including the Webb Orchestra. Numerous endowed scholarship funds have been created by alumni and parents in recognition of family members, classmates and faculty members. Each is a wonderful and permanent legacy that tells a personal story. “As a former Webb trustee, I know and understand how critical endowment is to the future of the schools,” writes ick Clarke . “My wife, Suzy, and I wanted to honor the memory of my father, enneth Clarke, r., who deeply believed in the value of education. With the creation of a scholarship fund in his name, we can accomplish both goals and give future students an opportunity to experience a Webb education. My father barely made it out of high school according to family legend. As his friends went on to college, he left Brooklyn to be an Arizona cowboy. or some reason, he felt that was a mistake although he was a successful person. He decided an education was very important. He and my mom made financial sacrifices so that my sister and I could receive the best educations possible. Suzy and I wanted to honor his

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todaygiving

The Clarke Family: Preston ’98, Rick ’63 & Suzy

memory by establishing a scholarship for deserving students in the hope that they will benefit from the Webb experience. The Kenneth Clarke Jr. Scholarship Fund will help build the endowment and at the same time give deserving student the same opportunity I had.” Director of Institutional Advancement, Dutch Barhydt, often uses the word “foundation” as a metaphor for endowment, stating that “Webb’s ability to provide a world-class education rests on its financial strength and that rests directly on its financial foundation, or permanent endowment. As Webb approaches its second century, there is no better gift that we can give than to permanently strengthen that foundation for students, families, alumni, faculty and staff who have made Webb a part of their lives.” For further information about Webb’s endowment and how to support it, please contact: Director of Institutional Advancement Dutch Barhydt at dbarhydt@webb.org, Senior Director of Development for Leadership and Planned Giving Bob Fass, at bfass@webb.org or Director of Leadership Giving Danielle Gordon at dgordon@webb.org.

ecent gifts to the endowment have made an impression on every aspect of school life. These include: • Museum Endowment: Planned gifts were made from Doug and Ann Myles, Tammy Zipser, Sally and Dick Lynas ’55, and F. Gard Jameson ’71. A bequest was received from the estate of George and Velma McKelvey. Min Zhang and Ruoqi Zheng also made a multi-year pledge to name an endowed fund for the museum, as did David Fleishhacker ’55 and John Stevens ’52. • Scholarships: An anonymous fund of $750,000 was created with $250,000 more to come; The Kenneth Clarke, Jr. Scholarship was established with a gift from Rick Clarke ’63; the Robert L. Connolly, Sr. Memorial Scholarship was established by Bob Connolly ’89 and his wife Nancy Tung; the effrey A. uhnow ’ Scholarship was established the Class of 1981 renamed their scholarship the John Duden Class of 1981 Scholarship in honor of their classmate with new gifts from Jon Congdon ’81 and Michael Turner ’81; the eslys and im Vedder ’ Scholarship was established and a planned gift was made from Ron Whyte ’60 for the Rick Whyte ’57 VWS Student Athlete Fund.

• Academic Programs: A new fund for the orchestra was created by parents Chao Ouyang and Yanni Chen;

Jeff Luhnow ’84

“A great education helped me in all aspects of my career and life. My Webb experience played a critical part of teaching me how to learn and live. It is important to me that qualified students are able to find the resources to have the same opportunities I had, and that is why we are funding this scholarship.”

“I created this scholarship fund in memory of my late husband, Jim, who grew up on the Webb campus and graduated as valedictorian in 1945.” says Leslys Vedder. Jim’s parents, Glenn and Helen Vedder, were both educators and involved in Webb’s early years. Jim’s love of science took him first to Pomona College and then to UC Berkeley for his Ph.D. “His proudest achievement was the creation of a microparticle accelerator for NASA,” Mrs. Vedder recalls. “When he retired, he became an archeologist and published his original research. He was always learning and sharing knowledge.” Mrs. Vedder established the Leslys and Jim Vedder ’45 Scholarship Fund in 2018 to support a student who expresses an interest and a demonstrated commitment to the sciences. The first recipient, chosen in 201 , is a young man who is excelling in a new advanced studies course in experimental physics, a perfect match to honor Jim Vedder’s lifelong contributions to science and to Webb.

— Jeff Luhnow ’84 on establishing the Jeffrey A. Luhnow ’84 Scholarship Fund

• Faculty Development: A new fund for mathematics was created by parents Chau Ouyang and Yanni Chen; • Physical Plant: An anonymous gift was made for the continued growth of the Fund for Physical Plant Excellence. In addition, there have been significant increases to existing funds including the Michael ’92 and Alicia Chang Scholarship and the Keith Wilson Loring ’46 Scholarship.

Jim Vedder ’45

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

WEBB

todaygiving

he Affiliates of Webb,

Affiliates executive committee and appointed officers at their annual retreat in Jackson Library.

our parents organization, had a busy fall planning the annual Affiliates benefit, a signature event during Parents Weekend. ur highly active and engaged volunteer group provided the energy, creativity and labor that resulted in over 1 0,000 raised in support of The Webb und, leadership and weekend programs, and transportation needs. In anuary, Affiliates President aura omero P ’12, ’1 , ’1 planned and led the Affiliates executive committee and appointed officers in their yearly retreat. Topics discussed included parent engagement, parent communications, and effective ways to onboard new families.

home of Arman and Morgan Ariane P’ 1 , ’1 and heard from Susanna insley, Webb’s director of experiential learning about how our domestic and international trips provide student travelers with defining experiences that help them expand their world views. Monthly meetings on campus this year featured guest speakers from college guidance and the Alf Museum. Parents also heard from a panel of young alumni about life after Webb, exploring new activities, navigating the college application process at Webb, and the value of Webb friendships. Throughout the school year, the Affiliates support team parents, student events, athletic and arts programs, and special events for alumni and parents. For information on becoming an active member of the Affiliates, please contact Jennifer Liu ’05, director of parent relations and special events, at jliu@webb.org or (909) 482-5245.

Webb parents and alumni participating in the Campus Life Fair on Revisit Day.

Parent class representatives organized the first-ever freshman parent open house right before ebruary break. ver 20 parents from Claremont, ancho Cucamonga, Upland, Arcadia, Manhattan Beach, and Atlanta, GA attended and shared with each other stories of their student settling into Webb. In April, the Affiliates hosted a parent mixer at the

Webb parents working with advancement staff to prepare reunion mailings for Alumni Weekend 2019.

Council Corner With an eye towards the Centennial in 2022, The Webb Schools Alumni Council is taking on the enormous task of organizing the school’s historical archives collection. Included in the archives are Thompson Webb’s correspondence going back to the early 1900’s, and a near century’s collection of pictures, slides, prints, chapel speeches, prom programs, and much more. While past and current staff and faculty members collected and stored these items (thankfully!), the 97-year old archive collection has been inaccessible. The overwhelming task to organize thousands of archival items has eluded an alwaysbusy Webb community.

Before

An intervention was needed! Inspired alumni Bob Connolly ’89, Bill Ripley ’60 and Dwight Morgan ’65 have led the efforts to bring order to chaos. The before and after pictures tell the story. “We have a long way to go,” Connolly stated. “But we have 100 hours of volunteer work into this project, and we are moving forward so that eventually we can share our amazing Webb history with the community at large. I can’t wait for that!” Coined “Archive Intervention,” the success of these initial efforts are a huge step towards preserving and sharing Webb history for future generations. The project’s target completion date is in line with The Centennial in 2022.

The Raymond Alf Biography is now available! Reserve your copy of Moment of Time, the Life of Raymond Alf and the History of the Peccary Society written by Museum Director Dr. Don Lofgren and former Museum Assistant Jennifer Liu ’05. The book has 15 chapters, 352 pages and over 200 photos. It’s a wonderful narrative that truly embraces Webb’s history. “A superb effort. You have created a treasure.” —Roger J. Millar ’61 “The book is a real triumph.”— James E. Hall ’59 “What a beautiful book and tribute to Ray and the Museum that he created.” — Thompson Webb III To receive a copy of the book, make a gift of $100 or more designated to The Webb Fund at webb.org/giving. For more information about the book or to make a gift, please contact Angie Pfeiffer at

After

(909) 482-5288 or apfeiffer@webb.org

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

news

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

22 & a half minutes

with

Blake Johnson ’95

alking to entrepreneur Blake Johnson about The Webb Schools makes for an easy interview because his answer to almost any question about Webb’s impact on his personal life, his business acumen, even his day-to-day comportment, is a resounding, “everything!” Johnson is a wildly successful entrepreneur who is now growing his fifth company. His companies have been repeatedly ranked in the “Best Places to Work in Los Angeles” and his newest venture, byte (byteme.com), is bringing perfect smiles to the masses. byte provides custom orthodontistdesigned invisible aligners which straighten your teeth without a single trip to a dental office and for a fraction of the traditional costs. At Webb, Johnson served on the Honor Committee and played football and tennis; though he lived in Jameson dorm for most of his time at the school, he spent many, many evenings at the Head of Schools’ house, the home of one of his best friends to this day, Max Nelson ’95. He supports the school in a multitude of ways—through generous support of The Webb Fund, as an alumni class agent, and by returning to campus numerous times to impart his knowledge at the Honors Symposium and Sophomore Career Evening. He recently sat for an interview, describing his successes and the three driving factors he took from his experience at Webb: persistence, gratitude and perspective.

q&a What do you consider your biggest entrepreneurial success? I’ve started and sold four companies. I’m on my fifth company now (byte) and the last four for have sold progressively larger in terms of exit value. The newest could be my largest sale. Currency sold for million, hopefully that changes with this current business (which according to ohnson has the potential in the next 2 months to hit the 00 million valuation mark). Do you mind being described as a “serial entrepreneur” and what does that mean to you? I don’t mind it at all! Lots of time people ask me what I do, and I give them a canned response about being an entrepreneur and I always get a weird look. I think it’s something they’ve seen in the movies and they imagine it’s someone who lives at home, sits on his couch and works on a laptop. With each company, I have around 1 key people that I bring to the next venture. I would be nowhere without them. Each of them owns their respective lane and there are no overlapping disciplines. or example, there is a person who specializes in marketing and sales, one in analytics, another in IT and software development, etc. In just 1 months, ohnson and his team grew their first company’s revenue stream from million to 100 million and have continued that cadence with the subsequent ventures . Because I personally provide all of the financing needed to start these companies and there is no outside investment, we have no misaligned

outside in uences dictating our course or trajectory. I start every deal from scratch from the scouting (i.e. what business to get into next) to the financing. We only do one thing at a time, so we have no distractions and only two options to fail or to succeed. I always preach 100 percent alignment and full transparency. When you have 100 percent of your people fully aligned both for the upside and most importantly, the downside and everyone knows exactly what’s going on 100 of the time, really special things can happen. Everyone has “sweat equity” in our deals and that has been the key ingredient to accomplishing the end result of selling the company because everyone makes life changing sums of money only when we sell. uckily, we now have the track history to point to so the team puts a lot of faith in the end result.

There are two types of serial entrepreneurs, and they’re both like trapeze artists. One wakes up and practices over a safety net, the other uses no net at all. We’ve chosen to be the latter. If someone writes you a check, you have a safety net and you’re a lot weaker. When you bet and spend your own money, you will always be stronger as you are forced to make decisions that are significant. We have a big downside in failing so we’re hyper-focused on not missing the bar.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

22 &

a half minutes

(continued)

How do you choose your next business venture? What do you look for? I have a few boxes that I like to check; I found that our model has been different than the traditional ones I hear about. We’re focused on identifying trends in industries that we can commoditize through technology and software. Equally important, we focus on business models that can “cash ow” quickly. There are many business models that lose vast sums of money year after year. They need external capital/ investment to continue to pay their bills in hopes to turn a corner, almost like they are on life support. I hate being in the “life support” stage, even with my own capital. Hence, I’m not prone to waiting a long time to get to the cash ow positive stage. What would you say are the top three skills that are needed to be a successful entrepreneur? And why? 1) You need a decent IQ and an extremely good EQ (emotional quotient AKA emotional intelligence). The E is definitely the most important because you need to be able to understand, read and deal with people all day, every day. 2) You can’t be afraid to lead—you have to have clear self-direction and know the difference between right and wrong (both morally and business-wise). 3) You have to have ethics and empathy— if you’re not building value for people all the time, you’re going to fail.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning. I’ve always been an earlier riser and that comes from growing up on a cattle ranch in El Centro, California. In college, I always scheduled the first available class. I find that my brain and energy levels are at their freshest first thing, so I try to do the hardest things first the biggest pain-inthe-a** thing.

You grew up on a cattle ranch in El Centro, California, and so far, in your career, you have successfully started and sold a variety of businesses for a combined valuation of $350 million. What role did Webb play in your development as an entrepreneur? Everything!! I grew up in El Centro which had and still has one of the highest unemployment rates in California or the U.S.A. It was very

rural, our water came from canals, we had 12,000 head of cattle, I learned to drive a semi-truck when I was 12— it had something like 39 gears! My grade school principal whose daughter brie y attended Webb (Alia Brown ’ ) suggested it to me so I wrote to Webb and went on a visit. Taylor Stockdale was very in uential in convincing the administration to take a chance on me! My freshman year, I was paired with a big brother, ohn Choate ’ 2 who went on to attend the aval Academy and became a avy Seal. We’re still friendly—we recently had dinner in Las Vegas and had a great conversation about character and what Webb inspired in us, most importantly, telling the truth and taking the road less traveled. 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?” You have stayed close to the school and have been generous in your support, both financially and through volunteerism. What motivates you to stay connected to Webb and to support its mission? Gratitude and perspective are the two words that most immediately come to mind. And they go hand-in-hand. In order to be grateful, one must have perspective. I’ve been blessed with enough perspective to realize that not many people get to experience a place like Webb.

I would describe myself as crazy, crazy loyal to Webb Susan and Taylor let me in, gave me an unparalleled opportunity, and I’ll hold on to that till the day I die. Why is it important for successful entrepreneurs to give back to their communities?

We’ve all been the benefactors of lucky breaks in our lives—been given opportunities or had doors opened. Because we’ve been given a shot, been the recipient of people’s time, dollars and effort, it’s easy to see that we must give back and to provide those same lucky breaks to others. I’ve been hyper-focused on it. As a philanthropist and participant, Johnson has been involved with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Museum of Contemporary Art, os Angeles, International ustice Mission, P os Angeles, Boy Scouts of America he attained the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth—and more.] I balance all of that with trying to be a good father and husband. I know I got breaks, someone took a stake in my well-being and future, now it’s time for me to extend a hand.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? on’t freaking give up chuckle There’s an old adage: “if it were easy, everyone would do it.” Entrepreneurial success doesn’t look like it does in the movies. There’s chaos, most of the time it’s not fun, and it can be very frustrating. Success doesn’t look or feel like anything you think it will. Luckily, I had good advice from my dad. He told me: “Whatever you plan on, just know that it will be twice as hard, twice as expensive and take twice as long as you think it will.”

You must have persistence and be nimble. There is no guaranteed thing. The right path may not even be the one you’re on today—but you need to be able to see the right path when it pops up in front of you and then figure out the way to move onto it. Johnson is the incoming chairman of P A for the 2020 calendar year. He lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife Courtney and their two children.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

M Judgment Calls

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ’96

Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ’96 is a presiding administrative law judge in the ffice of Administrative Hearings for the State of regon. The role of her office is to provide an independent and impartial forum for citizens and businesses to dispute state agency action against them. Atiyeh Whitaker’s program area handles regulatory matters. She reviews House and Senate bills for their impact on the group’s work. In making these judgement calls, Atiyeh Whitaker explained that her Webb years have very much informed her work and the determinations she makes daily.

“There is such an emphasis on honor and moral courage at Webb,” said Atiyeh Whitaker, who applies those principles almost every day in her work where she supervises a number of judges, hears cases and analyzes the legality of regon State House and Senate bills.

In court, she is often reminded of her teachers and the lessons of her Webb education. “When I’m hearing cases, I know there are two sides to every story, and I want to be

open-minded and fair. I also want to apply the laws, but make sure people are heard and feel listened to,” she explained. “The faculty are like that at Webb,” she said. “Beyond teaching us in class, they were always encouraging us to have a higher level of compassion for others. That spilled over into how I’ve handled my cases and deal with other people. It’s important for people to feel heard.”

She also emphasizes the lessons of the Honor Cabinet and the Honor Code at Webb: “You can feel compassion, but sometimes you have to make a tough decision.” Atiyeh Whitaker was 25 when she became an administrative law judge. “I was a law clerk for the A and my boss told me about the opening, she said ’you’ll get this job, you’re good ’” Atiyeh Whitaker interviewed for the position by phone because of an ice storm and laughs when she thinks about the fact that her interviewers might not have realized how young she was.

Atiyeh Whitaker is still guided by her Webb experience to help her make big decisions. “Going to Webb was my foundation,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to explain to people who didn’t go there. I hold myself to the standard I held myself to in high school—I’ve carried that through to my professional life.” In fact, she recently faced a difficult choice in accepting a new position as a federal administrative law judge—going so far as to travel to Washington, D.C. for interviews. “When I got the offer, I thought, ’why would I leave what I love doing?’” she explained. “They were surprised when I declined, especially since it would have involved a pay raise, but it turns out the title doesn’t make me who I am, my upbringing does.” And that includes her experience at Webb, from which her sister Stephanie Atiyeh Carias ’93 also graduated. Atiyeh Whitaker learned many life lessons at VWS—especially at the Alf Museum. In one example, she went on a long Peccary trip with other students and Museum Director, Don Lofgren, Ph.D.

“I was 14,” she said, “Dr. Lofgren taught me how to hitch a trailer to a truck! I didn’t cook my own meals at home and in camp, I was meal planning, cooking, even helping to dig vans out of the mud!” Today, she gives back to the Alf Museum through her service as a member of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, the first Vivian Webb School alumna to do so, citing it as an opportunity to “be part of a world class organization.” “The school and the museum do a great job of conveying what they stand for as they keep moving forward,” she said.

During her time at Webb, Atiyeh Whitaker was also a Rogers Scholar, and at a 2003 Rogers Scholar dinner, she had the opportunity to thank Col. John Rogers ’59 and his wife June for the opportunities they afforded her. She told them: “When you open minds, you open doors and that is what students have when they have the opportunity to attend a school like Webb. I am profoundly appreciative.” In her career, and as a wife and busy mother of two, Atiyeh Whitaker said that her Webb education still informs her decision-making processes. As with the decision not to accept a job with the federal government, Atiyeh Whitaker said, “I made the right choice. I wasn’t motivated by ego. I have to stay true to who I am.”

news

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

WEBB15 IN DC

Young alumni in the D.C. area gathered for a holiday mixer at Firefly Restaurant with Regional Representatives Gauri Gadgil ’06, David Ivey-Soto ’82 and Brad Sargent ’94.

WEBB15 IN NYC

Over 40 alumni in New York attended the annual Webb15 Professional Networking Holiday Mixer at CASK Bar + Kitchen. Many thanks to our industry mentors Kurt Zischke ’74, David Loo ’79, Deval Dvivedi ’00, Nkonye Okuh ’02, Jeff Cripe ’08 and Regional Representative Carly Paris ’10.

EVENTS & HIGHLIGHTS Alumni, parents and friends reconnect at regional events around the world. Find more event photos at webb.org

WEBB15 HOLIDAY PARTY FOR YOUNG ALUMNI

Young alumni in college returned to campus for our annual Webb15 Holiday Party and a chance to reconnect with faculty and classmates over cookies and cocoa from Price Dining Hall.

WEBB IN THAILAND

In January Webb held for its first official reception in Bangkok for alumni, parents and friends. Many thanks to our host Chatchawin Charoen-Rajapark ’78, Managing Director of the Intercontinental Bangkok. Alumni in attendance: Chris Carpenter ’77, Rajavikram Charoen-Rajapark ’72, Olarn Issara ’76, Chatchawin Charoen-Rajapark ’78, Sea Kuphirun ’13 and Eddy Harinasuta ’87.

news

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

EVENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

“To teach is to influence and influence never dies.”

MOM E N T

Ti me

THE LIFE OF RAYMOND ALF AND THE HISTORY OF THE PECCARY SOCIETY

Ti me

Ray and Webb students on an Easter peccary trip to Northern Arizona c. 1930s. They visited the newly constructed Hoover Dam. L - R: Norman Fenton ’39, John Wasley ’40, Brent Rickard ’38, Bob Rector, Ray Alf, Art Clokey ’39.

DON LOFGREN AND JENNIFER LIU WITH ERIC B. WILLIAMS

ALF BOOK RECEPTION

Over 90 alumni, parents, trustees and friends gathered at the Alf Museum on March 1 to celebrate the release of Moment of Time: The Life of Raymond Alf and The History of The Peccary Society, a 350-page biography written by Museum Director Don Lofgren and Director of Parent Relations and Special Events Jennifer Liu ’05.

61 DISCOVERY DAYS

In February more than 15 paleontologists from institutions like the University of Southern California and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County visited the Alf Museum for Fossil Fest and a chance to view the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection and discuss the latest discoveries in paleontology. Then in March, the museum hosted Making Monsters: Science in Art with video game designers and science illustrators to show the ways that paleontology relates to science fiction and how fossils inspire some of our favorite fictional characters.

WEBB IN BOSTON

Alumni from the classes of 1952 to 2018 joined Don Lofgren, Danielle Gordon

and Regional Representative Dakota Santana-Grace â&#x20AC;&#x2122;11 at the Red Lantern Restaurant on April 4.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

news

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

1949 Class of ’49, please join us on Oct. 18-19 during Alumni Weekend to celebrate your 70th reunion. If you are interested in attending, contact Bob Fass at bfass@webb.org.

1952 John Stevens had lunch with Museum Director Don Lofgren in Warner, N.H. John has been enjoying life in New England, where he sings in a local choir and delights his daughter and grandchildren with Revolutionary War reenactments, among other pursuits. 1 1954 Get ready for the 65th reunion! Patrick Muffler and Paul Reitler are cochairs. Return to campus Oct. 18-19 for the Alumni Weekend activities. 1959 The mighty class of 1959 will celebrate its 60th reunion during Alumni Weekend, Oct. 18-19. If you have questions about the reunion, contact Jim Hall, Tom Kersten and John Rogers. 1963 Thomas Butterworth took a day trip to Catalina with Dick Kauffman. The two have been friends since 1959, when they met while living together in the Webb House. 2

1964 Everyone is welcome to attend Alumni Weekend on Oct. 18-19 to celebrate the 55th reunion. If you are interested in helping, contact alumni@webb.org.

1975 Jim Boyce and Greg Lynch attended the holiday reception at the Jonathan Club. Jim has rejoined the Alumni Council as a Member-at-Large. 7

Steve Boyer and his wife Priscilla stopped by Webb for a tour of the Alf Museum and to visit with Don Lofgren. Steve was especially excited to receive a copy of the Raymond Alf biography. 3

1979 It’s time to bring out the blue and gold for the Class of ’79s 40th reunion. Mark your calendars for the big weekend on Oct. 18-19. Hal Abrams, David Baer, Blair Brown, David Loo, Eric Pauwels, Larry Recht and Craig Scheu are on the reunion committee.

1969 This year marks the 50th reunion for the Class of ’69. Mark your calendars for Alumni Weekend, Oct. 18-19, and contact your reunion chairs Miles Rosedale and Steve Sprinkel for more information. We recently saw Steve at his organic farm in Ojai Valley. Steve and his wife Olivia are the owners of Farmer and the Cook restaurant. He looks forward to seeing classmates at the reunion. 4

1970 It was great to see Robin and Debbie Leggewie, Joe and Cheryl Thomas and Larry Ashton at the Ray Alf biography launch party on March 1. 5 1972 On a recent road trip to Santa Barbara, Webb staff member Bob Fass enjoyed a visit with Garland Reiter. A big thanks to Garland for the car load of berries! Everyone on campus enjoyed the fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries! 6 1974 We hope to see the Class of ’74 on campus during Alumni Weekend to celebrate the 45th reunion. Save the Date! Oct. 18-19!

1980 In March, Tyler Bensinger’s photography exhibition There & Away was featured at the House of Lucie in downtown Los Angeles. The photos were inspired by the awardwinning book, There & Away and are meant to re ect the book’s theme, “Mono No Aware” which is the bittersweet awareness of the transient nature of all things. 8 In 2018, Henry Kapteyn was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his contributions to laser and optical science and technology. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the nation’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, established in 1780 by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock, and others, with early members including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. In 2018, 213 people were elected to the academy including Barack Obama and Tom Hanks.

1981 During a recent visit to campus, Michael Turner had the occasion to meet the John Duden Class of ’81 scholar, Malachi ’20. They swapped stories in the dining hall about Webb past and present, what brought them each to campus, and ended their lunch with a promise to support Webb and the students who will follow them. 9 1982 Dilip DaSilva, Jason Yee, Mike Stoler, Sam Gregory, and Jason Keyes spent six fun days in Sun Valley for some spring skiing. 10 1983 Jimmie Cho has been named chief operating officer of SoCal Gas company. In his 28 years with Sempra Energy’s utilities, Jimmie has served in a variety of leadership roles, including as SVP of gas transmission and distribution, VP of gas transmission and distribution, and VP of human resources. He first joined SoCalGas as an environmental engineer in 1990. Jimmie serves on the board of the National Utilities Diversity Council and previously was chairman of the board of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps.

1984 Class of ’84, it is time to rally again--this time for our 35th Webb reunion! Julie Vaughn writes: “I know that does not seem possible, but indeed it is. Please reserve Oct. 18-19 to come back to campus and renew friendships and enjoy the time we have together. Every time we have a reunion, I leave feeling so grateful for the amazing people that helped me navigate high school’s trials and tribulations. Those awesome teenagers have grown into amazing adults who I am delighted to have as friends all these years later.” Contact the reunion committee if you have questions: Julie, John Hamilton, Dana Su Lee and John Holliday. Last September Rick Wang and his dad James Wang ’51 met up with Michael Kwon ’87 in Shanghai. 11 1986 Kevin O’Hearn and Webb staff member Bob ass met in Hong Kong recently. Kevin is the Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales and Solutions for edEx Express. 12 Regional Rep Chan Woo Sung organized a dinner with alumni in Seoul, Korea. L-R: Christopher Kimm, Chan, Michael Kwon ’87, Robert Kim ’89 and Stephanie Choi ’06. 13

1987 Alumni from 1987 to 1991 enjoyed dinner together in Seoul, Korea. Clockwise: Lee Chou ’88, David Kahm ’90, Lee Wen Chou ’91, Robert Kim ’89 and Michael Kwon. 14 Yassmin Sarmadi is opening a rench restaurant at South Coast Plaza called Knife Pleat. The new restaurant will feature modern interpretations of cuisine from many regions of rance, created by husband and Michelin Starred chef, Tony Esnault.

A big thanks to James Sun for rallying the WSC gang for the December holiday event at the Jonathan Club. L-R: Igbo Obioha, Josh Saltman, James, Taylor Stockdale, Rich Garcia, John Colladay and Rich Bronshvag. 16 1988 Corey Calaycay has been elected to serve as Mayor of Claremont for the 2019 year. Corey has been serving on the Claremont City Council since 2005. In March, he had the honor of swearing in fellow Webb alumna Lisa Gluckstein ’08, as one of California’s newest attorneys. 17 18 Andy Hill and his youngest son Charlie visited campus in April. They were in town for a baseball tournament in San Bernardino. 19

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

news

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

John Stuver has been accepted into the sound branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has been fortunate to work on a lot of great movies, but among the highlights was getting to do the last two James Bond films, Skyfall and Spectre, the first of which won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing. 20

1989 Lisa Miller wants to know, “Where does the time go?! It seems like yesterday we were at our 25th! And now I’m sure your kids even have ’dress up for ’80’s day’ at their schools! I do think we looked cooler than that! Lol! Please come and make your reservations now! It will be fun and so good to catch up!” Alumni Weekend takes place Oct. 18-19. If you have a question, contact the reunion committee: Bob Connolly, Lisa, Dan Murray, Gabe O’Hare, Tommy Oei and Michele Raphael.

1990 Rajan Bhatt and his wife Nancy Kim had the honor of personally meeting and speaking to former First Lady Michelle Obama during her book tour in Phoenix, Ariz. “What an amazing person and true inspiration!” 21

Jennifer Lewis, Kush Patel and Jonathan Snyder caught up for lunch in Las Vegas recently with Webb staff member Danielle Gordon. They were incredulous that the mighty class of ’90 will celebrate its 30th reunion in Fall 2020! Congratulations to Roselyn Schwichtenberg for passing the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID) Examination and earning the prestigious Certified Healthcare Interior Designer Certificate. She now adds CHID to her long list of professional credentials: ASID, CHID, CID, LEED AP ID+C. 22 1992 Kevin Kumar and The Salastina Music Society held an open rehearsal at Webb in December. Students in Linda Silva’s orchestra class had the unique opportunity to observe Kevin and members of The Salastina Music Society as they did a first reading of a Brahms string quartet. Instead of sheet music, the musicians read the score from their iPads. Kevin answered questions and even invited the students up on stage to stand beside the musicians while they rehearsed. Founded in 2010 by Kevin and Maia Jasper White, Salastina brings chamber music from the past and present to audiences. The group does 20 performances a year. Visit salastina.org for concert dates and locations. 23

1993 Maame EwusiMensah Frimpong was the keynote speaker at this year’s Honor Symposium, held on MLK Day. She recalled being a Webb student and classmate Stephanie Atiyeh organizing an MLK Day celebration on campus. Maame told students a bout some of the moral and ethical challenges that she deals with as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Afterwards, she met with members of the Honor Committee and Honor Cabinet. 24 1994 It’s time to get ready for the 25th reunion. Mark your calendars and book your travel for Alumni Weekend, Oct. 18-19. Contact the reunion committee if you have a question: Will Allan, Renee Polanco Lucero, Brad Sargent and Amy Sharrow. Renee Polanco Lucero and her family are back in Los Angeles! Renee is now the Director of the Echo Center at Echo Horizon School in Culver City where she oversees the teaching staff and operations for the deaf and hard of hearing student program. She looks forward to seeing everyone back on campus for the reunion in October! 1996 Jarasa Kanok had breakfast with Don Lofgren during a recent visit to Boston. Jarasa is a senior manager and strategy consultant at the Monitor Institute by Deloitte, a social impact practice. 25

Douglas Lee was recognized with Berkshire Hathaway’s President’s Circle award for being among the top four percent of all realtors nationwide. Douglas caught up with Michael Fluhr ’95 in Pasadena recently. They enjoyed lunch and chatted about the NBA and Webb days. Michael lives in Arizona and works in medical device sales. 26 27 Ashley McCloud Vinson welcomed her second child, Ryder Huntington Vinson, in January. Her daughter, Blake, is just under two years old so Ashley and her husband have been busy juggling “two under two.” Ashley will return to her work as an Executive Director at Ernst and Young LLP in June after her maternity leave. 28 Jason Pasley has relocated to Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where he is the Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Services at McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Michigan State University.

After nearly 20 years in New York, Nicole Wyskoarko is back in Los Angeles. She recently celebrated her first anniversary as executive VP of Urban Operations at Interscope Geffen A M (IGA). She joined the company in March 2018 after a stint as a partner at Carroll Guido Groffman, a law firm where she represented clients such as Meek Mill, DJ Mustar, H.E.R. and Andre 3000. Prior to that, she served as senior VP business and legal affairs for Universal Music Group labels Island, Def Jam and Republic, working with Kanye West, Alessia Cara and Justin Bieber. 29 1999 It’s time for the Class of ’99s big 20th reunion! Arthur Chang, Kyna Sanchez and Anthony Shin are your reunion chairs. Save the date for Alumni Weekend, Oct. 18-19. 2001 Thanks to Jessica Shepard for sharing this recent photo: “Our future Webbies Hana (5 years old) and Zac (5 weeks old)! Go Gauls!” 30 2002 It was great to see VWS classes of 2002 to 2005 at the holiday reception at the Jonathan Club. L-R: Christina Kon ’03, Emily Boyce ’04, Kathy Fredrich, Tiffany Lee ’04, Jennifer Liu ’05, Stephanie Ho ’04, Jana Sims and Julia Villasenor ’03. 31

2003 Alex Karevoll has been living in Oslo, Norway for the past two years with his wife Lindsay. They are the proud parents of Matilda Elizabeth Karevoll born on March 24. “Out here I work for Techstars helping the energy company Equinor work with global startups in the energy sector. Believe it or not, I just accepted the job as program manager for Techstars LA and I’ll be moving back in July! Hopefully, we can get some more Webb founded startups through the system!” 32

Christina Kon and John Sang ’00 got married on March 2, 2019 in Corona Del Mar, Calif. They were joined by Ryan Kon ’00 and Tiffany Lee ’04. 33 Rob Zondervan married Katie Ruger on Aug. 18, 2018 in Camden, Maine. Andrew Raser ’01 was the minister of the wedding and Alex Long was a groomsman. Rob recently received his Ph.D. in physiology from Michigan State University and will be finishing medical school in 2020. 34 2004 Break out the Webb gear for the Class of ’04s 15th reunion on Oct. 18-19. Your reunion chairs are Lily Chen, Kit Clark, Will Habos, Whitney Hanlon, Steph Ho, Nihar Shah and Lorraine Sun. See you at Alumni Weekend!

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

news

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

Alex Mylavarapu is at the University of Nevada eno finishing up a hospice and palliative medicine fellowship before starting a geriatric medicine fellowship. He is also covering temporary Hospice Medical irector for enown Hospital’s Hospice Group. At night he builds guitars and was recently interviewed by Shaper rigin. 35 2005 Connie Cheng is at UC A completing her residency in BG . “I’m in the operating room quite a bit, which I enjoy, but I don’t sleep much ” Connie also got married in ebruary. Jenn Liu, Stephani Cook and Micol Issa attended. 36

Jessica Anand Gupta is the founder and CE of Taavi (Takes a Village), a social platform that aims to redefine traditional moms’ groups and digitally connect women who are trying to become pregnant, currently expecting or recently postpartum. Taavi gives women an opportunity to experience the pregnancy journey together and create a much needed support system. 37

Micol Issa welcomed the Alf Museum’s Collections Manager and utreach Coordinator Gabe Santos to her school’s annual Science ight, where he talked about palentology and the museum’s research program. Gabe even brought a cast of an Ankylosaurus skull. Micol teaches at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy in Altadena, part of Pasadena Unified. 38 Steven Pankratz and his wife eah welcomed their son rion Melquiades Bambajon Pankratz on ov. 2 , 201 . Steven is working at the rme School in Arizona teaching STEM (with a focus on physics) and a section of senior English. 39

2006 Andrew Hwang is a resident physician at iverside Community Hospital UC iverside. He completed his M at Sidney immel Medical College at Thomas efferson University in Philadelphia, PA. ecently he attended the national conference for the Society of Hospital Medicine at ational Harbor in Maryland and presented on a program implemented at his hospital that reduces and makes better use of the blood transfused to patients.

2007 Annie Bigelow married Andrew McCarthy on March 2 , 201 in Sierra Madre, CA. Her siblings Franklin Bigelow ’04 and Eliza Bigelow ’14 were in her bridal party. Kaarin Andersson and Elisa Gores sang while she walked down the aisle. ther Webbies in attendance included Aaron Jorgensen ’05, Danielle Manning and Nevada Smith. ow back in Pasadena, Annie is a private tutor and the office manager of Veritas Home ffice Management. 40 Jared White is teaching at a high school in Parker, Colo. He’s married and raising two beautiful cats. He says that, “I teach English I currently, including Homer’s The Odyssey, so I regularly think back to uque’s class my freshman year and how he implemented instruction and reading.” 2008 Here’s andon Wildman Pepe already repping his Webb gear in Missoula, MT. andon’s mom Sarah (Gray) tells him stories all the time about what a special place Webb is (especially the cookies ). He hopes to one day follow in his mama’s footsteps and become a Webbie, but for now, he’s pretty content babbling and blowing spit bubbles. Sarah is in her third year as director of admissions at the University of Montana School of aw. 41

Midterm Treats for Young Alumni in College A

More than 300 boxes of homemade chocolate chip cookies were shipped to young alumni in college, just in time for their midterm exams. The Webb cookies traveled to 108 campuses in 29 states.

Over 65 alumni shared photos and videos with their cookies on snow-covered campuses, in dorm rooms or at late night study sessions. Here are a few of our favorite photos! Best Weather Photos Joe Rode ’15, Dartmouth College A Wyatt Albert ’17, Florida Southern College B Dillon Kim ’17, Lake Forest College C Skyler Rivera ’18, Syracuse University

Best Caption Elena Suherman ’18, Babson College E Mabel Zou ’18, University of Richmond

Brainiest Post Julian Diepenbrock ’17, University of Arizona G Kelli Henry ’18, Cal Poly Pomona

Most School Spirit David Albers ’16, UC San Diego I Drake Gardner ’18, UCLA J Isabella Kong ’18, Cornell University K Elizabeth Lee ’18, Emory University L Anissa Medina ’18, Harvard University Riya Mehta ’18, USC N Most Nostalgic About Webb Sonny Wang ’18, UC San Diego O Amanda Kandasamy ’16, Claremont McKenna College P Marcus Lee ’15, Brandeis University Ivy Liu ’15, Harvey Mudd College R Roxanne Zong ’15, Northwestern University S

A big thank you to Lupe Perez in the Dining Hall for baking close to 2,500 cookies in a single morning! Also we send a shout out to the parent H

volunteers who wrapped theI cookie packages. Marta Castro P ’20, Dawn Flock P ’18, ’20, Soheila Holakoui P ’10, ’16, Linda Li P ’22, Linda Metz P ’22, Michelle Paik P ’14, ’16, ’19, ’22, Thu Phung P ’19, ’20, ’21, Victoria Raus P ’18, ’20, Tracy Tanidjaja P ’19, Rebecca Zhang P ’17, ’21. T

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

news

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

2009 At this year’s Alumni Weekend we will celebrate our 10-year reunion! Come join us Oct. 18-19. If you have questions, contact the reunion committee: Roy Choi, Natascha Grundmann, Keeley Nakamoto or Dylan Sittig.

John Keller has received his MD from the University of Pittsburgh and he’s now back in Los Angeles doing his residency at UCLA working at both Olive View and Ronald Reagan. 2010 Scott Chung and Yoon Ha Chung got married on Sept. 1, 2018 in Seoul, Korea. Webbies in attendance included David Bay, Charles Liu, Alex Lee as well as Richard Hui, Paul Kraus and Jon Park who sang at the wedding. Paul was also the MC. Scott is currently an associate at One Rock Capital Partners in Los Angeles. 42

2011 Shihan Wijeyeratne finished third overall in the 5th annual One City Marathon held in Newport News, Virginia on March 3, 2019. His time was 2:35:52. About 2,500 people registered to run in either the One City Marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, Maritime 8K and Nautical Mile fun run. Shihan’s running career now includes nine marathons and one 50-miler. While at Webb, he represented the Blue and Gold competing in cross country, triathalon and track events. Shihan credits Brian Caldwell and Geoff wers as strong in uences. “Both Coach Caldwell and Owers have inspired me in more ways than I can ever begin to explain. They played equal parts in getting me into running in the first place, teaching me the ins and outs of training, and keeping me motivated and enjoying the sport all along the way. I consider both of them to be family to this day and their in uence on my life goes far beyond running.” 43

2013 Wilson Parnell was a speaker at TEDx University of Redlands in March. In his talk, Wilson spoke about promoting a disability spirit. “It’s simple. Focus entirely on your capabilities, rather than on your disabilities. The way you can do this is by practicing three simple steps: accept yourself, embrace your gifts, and ask for help. These concepts are not novel or extraordinary and I don’t pretend to be a thought leader. The disability spirit is not about pushing past your limits or soaring to the highest heights. It’s about the day in and day out grind that accompanies being human. We all have areas of improvement and challenges. We all have disabilities.” To hear his entire talk, visit the Alumni News section on the website. 2014 It’s time for our 5-year reunion! Come to Alumni Weekend on Oct. 18-19. Contact a member of the reunion committee for details: Lauren Carpio, John Finlay, Abhi Mantha, Rachael Sprague, Claire Stockdale, Kristen Wang, Melissa Wellman and Christy Wong.

Meredith Hess works in Washington, D.C. as the International Shelter Initiatives Fellow at Habitat for Humanity International. A member of the crossfunctional Global Program Design and Implementation team, she assists the team through research, grant management, and capacity building support. She works with Habitat’s Director of International Shelter Initiatives on WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), climate change, land tenure, and energy efficiency programming. During her time at Habitat, she has helped the team develop a new global WASH strategy, advocated on Capitol Hill with the Habitat network, and represented her team at various conferences, both domestically and internationally. 44 In March, Kristina Oney, Eryn Halvey and Jeainny Kim had a mini reunion in Boston. Kristina is a first-year graduate student at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., working towards an MS in biomedical sciences. Erin is an architectural intern at DHK Architects, Inc. in Boston, MA, and Jeainny is a sales business development consultant at Oracle. 45 2015 Cole Albert has transfered to the University of Puget Sound and joined the golf team. In his last tournament of the fall season, Cole finished one under par and led the team in scoring average. 46

FORMER FACULTY

Jake Todd has been in New Zealand since March and was recently accepted to the graduate program at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. In August, he will begin working towards his MS in Marine Science. We love this photo he took by the Tasman Sea. 47 Thanks to our young alumni panel who spoke about their college experiences at the anuary Affiliates meeting: Maia Dominguez ’15 (Connecticut College), Kate Lofgren ’16 (Colgate University), Johnny Vitale ’16 (University of Pennsylvania), Shyam Arya ’18 (Brown University), Peter Raus ’18 (University of Notre Dame) and Anissa Medina ’18 (Harvard University). Topics discussed included settling in to freshman year, choosing a major/ concentration, exploring new activities, and navigating the college application process at Webb.

It was great to see many former faculty and staff at the Alf biography book launch. L-R: Margaret Lofgren, Blair Maffris, Richard Garcia ’87 and Jeaney Garcia. 50

2018 It was fun to see our Boston Webbies at the alumni event on April 4. L-R: Logan Cignoli (Boston University), Elena Suherman (Babson College), Kate Bowman (Wellesley College), Regional Rep Dakota Santana Grace ’11, and Siri Dominguez ’15 (Babson College). 49

news

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2018 WEBB M AGA ZINE

notes

THE WEBB SCHOOLS

ebb Networks Help Students Succeed A

Talented and inspiring alumni are returning to campus to help Webb students prepare for college, an internship or a potential career through programs such as the annual Sophomore Career Evening and the new Networking Essentials workshop. At the 20th Annual Sophomore Career Evening, students attended two sessions of their choosing to explore a new interest or industry. The Honor Code was also front-and-center as students heard from business leaders such as Michael McDermott ’83 who related the importance of a good reputation for his company, Gung-Ho Films. “At Webb, I learned to have a competitive spirit and to compete fairly,” said McDermott. Panels included: • “Meet the Doctors” with Christine Choi Kim, MD, MBA ’94, Global Skin Care Expert for The Body Shop and Michael Bashoura ’08, DDS

• “Follow Your Passion” with Emily Hammett ’05, Founder of Salt & Honey and Bijan Garcia-Dehbozorgi ’08, Co- founder of AguaLucha • “Academia and Education” with Jim Hall, Ph.D. ’59, Professor of Physiology & Biophysics at UC Irvine and Lee Lee Choi ’90, Instructional Director in the Los Angeles Unified School istrict • “Let us Entertain You” with Kenny Tsai ’05, Director of Current Programming at Universal Television and Valerie Cook ’09, Post Production Executive at Amazon Studios • “Industry Innovators” with Michael McDermott ’83, Founder and Executive Producer at Gung-Ho Films and Prab Marwah ’09, Manager, Audience Development at Omaze

Kenny Tsai ‘05,

Valerie Cook ‘09,

Bijan Garcia-Dehbozorgi ‘08

Michael McDermott ’83, D

Christine Choi Kim ’94,

As part of the schools’ health and wellness program, a panel of recent graduates – Kim Austin ’17 (Howard University), Johnny Vitale ’16 (University of Pennsylvania), and Paul Yanez ’16 (Harvard University) – shared candid observations with Webb seniors about their individual experiences adjusting to college life and living away from home. The recent panel on College Athletics found alumni speaking about the importance of time management, with each participant providing examples of how he or she balances training, practices and games alongside academics and a social life. “Networking Essentials with Webb Alumni” provided students with the opportunity to participate in a two-hour interactive workshop. Ariel Fan ’10, founder and CEO of GreenWealth Energy, reviewed networking basics with her list of “15 ways to get people to like you.” atherine ilmer ’10, a law associate at the firm of Haight, Brown & Bonesteel, talked about creating a resume, and Rachael Schiffris ’11, an associate account executive with PatientPop shared techniques for creating a professional digital presence. osh atinoff ’17, a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, talked about his personal experience in finding an internship. To demonstrate the importance of first impressions, Sarah Sun ’10, an assistant project manager at The Walt Disney Company, led a “handshake” exercise. Students were impressed by the depth and reach of the alumni network. That was a big takeaway for Lydia Toy ’20: “Webb has a vast alumni directory with all sorts of people willing to help you out.” Alumni Council member Ed atinoff ’ believes that these vital programs help Webb students to better tackle the daunting task of securing that critical first summer internship and, hopefully, better position themselves for their careers once they graduate from college. “We also hope that it will reinforce the incredible Webb alumni network that they can tap into as they progress into their chosen fields,” he said. Top: L-R: Ryan Place ’18, University of Redlands football, Dylan Wensley ’17, Occidental College soccer/track & field, Daniel Crisostomo ’15, UC Irvine soccer, Hailey Arteaga ’16, Seton Hall University softball, and Elyse Morris ’17, St. John’s University softball. Middle: Networking Essentials Workshop Bottom: Rachel Schiffris ’11, Katherine Kilmer ’10, Ed Ratinoff ’83, Sarah Sun ’10 and Ariel Fan ’10.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

In Memoriam

A celebration of life

1954

1964

We recently learned the sad news that Clifford R. (Randy) Barbee ‘54, passed away on Feb. 28, 2018. He is survived by his wife Carolyn and their two children. At Webb Randy was a member of the camera club and a contributor to the Blue and Gold and El Espejo. Randy earned a BS in business administration from the University of Southern California in 1 . He worked first as a distributor for Coca Cola, then in real estate development and brokerage, and roadways planning. Randy remained devoted to Webb for instilling in him, “a sense of self-confidence, duty to fellow man, and honor.” He took Ramsay Harris on a threeweek Mediterranean tour and provided the trees for the “Class of ” grove that buffers the aculty field.

John “Al” Korber, II passed away on April 8, 2018. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, daughter Jessica, and grandson Jacob. You may remember Al as the Peccary Man of your class, having found the jawbone of an elephant on his first peccary trip. He was also the manager (or “third coach”) of the soccer, basketball, and track teams, the student banker, an El Espejo photographer, the projectionist, and the winner of the Harvard Book Award. After Webb, Al graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a BS in geology and came back to Webb as an instructor of paleontology and geology. He also looked after the Alf Museum following Ray Alf’s retirement and was a Webb trustee from 1974 to 1984. He went on to operate several businesses in Albuquerque, NM. A member of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, Al also volunteered with the landscaping ministry and Project Share, facilitating evening meals at St. Martin’s HopeWorks. He enjoyed hiking and worked as a boatman on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for many years. Al loved rivers and the outdoor life.

1959 David Leon Williams died on Feb. 6, 2019, He is survived by his wife Bonnie and his grandsons. At Webb David loved football, soccer and track, and he especially loved the field trips with ay Alf. He earned a BA from Colorado College in English, then spent two years in the U.S. Army, completing the carpenters apprenticeship program, becoming both a carpenter and contractor. In 1975 David and his family moved to airbanks, Alaska, where he enjoyed summers fishing and foaling, and winters skiing and snow machining.

1960 Stephen E. Ronfeldt passed away on Dec. 1, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Suzy, three children, and six grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, David ’58, and sister Helen Donovan. At Webb Steve was the captain of Webb’s B-basketball team and the high scorer on the varsity tennis team. Thompson Webb commended him as a young man he could “recommend unreservedly” for his grades, work ethic, and personality. Steve attended Whitman College where he was student body president and a Northwest District NAIA singles and doubles tennis champion. He graduated from Boalt Hall Law School, UC Berkeley, in 1967 and immediately joined LBJ’s war on poverty, training as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow. In 1996, after nearly 30 years in legal services, he co-founded the Public Interest Law Project in Oakland, Calif. A lifelong athlete, Steve was nationally ranked in tennis just a year ago. He loved hiking in Yosemite, backpacking in esolation Valley, swimming in the Pacific, and skiing in the Sierras with family.

1967 William “Bill” Halstead passed away on April 11, 2019 in Prescott, Ariz. He is survived by his wife Zandra. At Webb Bill was a highly convivial motorcycle enthusiast who played football, and ran track and cross country. He was active in drama, chapel choir, the glee and camera clubs, and participated in peccary trips. He was also a photographer for the El Espejo and the Blue & Gold. Bill spent some time in the U.S. Army, then in 1974 attained a BA in Law & Society, with a minor in Economics from UC Santa Barbara. While in school he also owned a custom motorcycle shop called Fat City Cycles. Bill was licensed with the New York Stock Exchange in 1975 with White Weld & Co., became vice president with Dean Witter, Morgan Olmstead Kennedy & Gardner, Bateman Eichler, Hill Richards, and Sutro & Co. (the first investment firm in the western United States). Bill was a loyal and dedicated alumnus, having served on the Alumni Council for years (including President from 1993-95 and 2003-08), a class agent, reunion chair, and even a phonathon volunteer. In his leisure time, and after retirement from RBC Wealth Management, he played golf, hunted, and shot trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Bill will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

T HE WEBB SCHOOL S webb.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WEBB M AGA ZINE

The Final Word By Praveena Jeereddi ’90 High school is a time to set a strategy for the trajectory of one’s life path...

As I approach my upcoming 30th reunion in 2020, life has come full circle. First, a Vivian Webb student, then a college student, a medical student, a medical intern, a medical resident, a doctor, a wife and now finally, a mother trying to cultivate a nurturing environment so that my children will flourish. Reflecting on my journey thus far, I believe Vivian Webb School gave me the tools, values, and foundational skills to navigate the inevitable vicissitudes of life. Vivian Webb offered the privilege of a single-sex education and co-ed education as well as the day and boarding student experiences. The specific Vivian Webb system and supporting faculty and community fostered endless opportunities for growth and creative exploration. As women we were able to thrive, practice self government and still share experiences and learn from our male cohorts in an equal and positive environment. Early immersion in a diverse community which encompassed local communities, the continental United States and various other nations provided a valuable global perspective at a pivotal age. The Vivian Webb Chapel and its prominent interfaith symbol shine bright in my high school memories. The ideals of diversity, community, and universal perspective were exemplified through the symbol. Seeing it projected in the chapel honoring the major faiths of the world was so powerful, and it reminded me that this was a safe haven where students could share their thoughts, interpretations and observations of the world. The idea of cultural competence, engagement, and inclusion were front and center. High school is a time to set a strategy for the trajectory of one’s life path: where you go to college, where you go to graduate school and ultimately what your profession or career will be. In reality there is rarely

a single path but rather a road with many obstacles and diversions along the way. We are shaped and defined by how we address these challenges and these alternate paths. College was on my road map, yet to pursue my dream of medical school, I had to navigate away from my previous course. The perseverance, resilience, compassion and endurance (Vivian Webb School core values) gained during my formative high school years proved crucial in my academic quest to become a doctor. Here I am today, back in my home town, practicing medicine and raising a family. The typical doctor is clinic and hospitalbased, yet my clinical focus has been hospital and facility- based. My specialty was different. The notion of hospital and facility-based medicine had not been in full force when I started to practice medicine in 2001. Hospital medicine was rapidly evolving and my passion became to create an innovative approach to manage, improve and expand this new model of post-acute-care continuum. As our programs grow and develop we are constantly improving patient care methodologies, coordination and protocols. The theme resonating in my life’s practice is “to serve with a generous spirit.” Ultimately, the role that defines me is that of a mother. I have experienced a sort of renaissance in the values and advantages bestowed upon me during my formative

years. Having three impressionable elementary-age children in this digital era, I would like to instill upon them the principles of equality, acceptance, empathy and honor. The moral compass which I was ingrained with has forged a purposeful and fulfilling life. Vivian Webb was a special experience. As I now volunteer in the parent community at my children’s school I want to impart on them the powerful lessons I had learned as a student at Webb and want them to be of sound mind and spirit. The many Webb alumni narratives exemplify the ideals of this unique institution. I feel fortunate to finally have the opportunity to give back to The Webb Schools by serving as a member of the Alumni Council. In this complex digital age, it is refreshing to see Webb’s value centric leadership model. Surrounded by GPS, Alexa, Siri and Waze, it is even easier now to follow a path of least resistance, with traffic and roadblocks avoided. But truly to succeed you must bravely formulate and create your own path and follow your dreams, and Webb offers a powerful blend of timeless values and innovation to empower its students on their life journeys. Praveena Jeereddi ’90 is an internal medicine physician, practicing throughout Claremont and the Inland Empire. She lives with her family in Claremont and has been serving on the Alumni Council since 2018.

CREDITS Executive Editor Joe Woodward

ADMINISTRATION Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools

Hector Martinez Director of College Guidance

Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D. Assistant Head of Schools

Tracy Miller, Ph.D. Director of Studies

Dutch Barhydt Director of Institutional Advancement

Janet K. Peddy Director of Finance, Planning & Operations

Jamila Everett, Ed.D. Director of Admission & Financial Aid

Joe Woodward Director of Strategic Communications

Donald L. Lofgren, Ph.D. Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-19

Sanjiv P. Dholakia ’87, Chairman David Loo ’79, Vice Chair Christina Mercer McGinley, Ph.D. ’84, Vice Chair, Secretary R. Larry Ashton ’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 Janel Henriksen Hastings, Ph.D. ’87 John F. Holliday ’84 Wendy Hornbuckle William Hornbuckle Naveen Jeereddi ’92 Sandra Lee Rebish, M.D. ’88 Julia Marciari-Alexander, Ph.D. ’85 Roger J. Millar ’61 Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90 David C. Myles, Ph.D. ’80 Mickey E. Novak ’70 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 Lara Tiedens, Ph.D. 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 Susan A. Nelson Paul M. Reitler ’54 Peter Ziegler ’63

VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2

Contributors Dutch Barhydt, Debbie Carini, Andrew Farke, John Ferrari, Christopher Michno, Don Lofgren, Laura Wensley Design Shari Fournier-O’Leary Photography Phil Channing, Houston Astros, Don Lofgren, Nancy Newman, Scott Nichols, Michael Simonelli Printing Dual Graphics

HONORARY TRUSTEES Robert Hefner ’53 Pak Fu King Ming Chung Liu Yafei Yuan

ALF MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-19

R. Larry Ashton ’70, Chairman Gretchen J. Augustyn Terry W. Baganz William Baldwin Richard H. Clark Sanjiv P. Dholakia ’87, Chairman, The Webb Schools, ex officio Daniel (Dan) Gluckstein, M.D. Jack (Jay) Greening Ronald (Ron) P. Hagander ’66 James E. Hall, Ph.D. ’59 F. Gard Jameson, Ph.D. ’71 Sherwood C. Kingsley ’58 Carl W. R. Lachman ’86 Donald L. Lofgren, Ph.D., Museum Director, President, ex officio John (Dick) R. Lynas ’55 David P. Mirkin, M.D. ’66 L.J. Patrick Muffler, Ph.D. ’54 Michelle Plyley Mary W. Rose, Ph.D. Charles Steinmann, MD Taylor Stockdale, Head of Schools, ex officio Page W. Thibodeaux Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ’96 Lance C. Williams ’97 Tammy Zipser

LIFE MEMBERS

Anne G. Earhart Douglas F. Myles Michael O. Woodburne, Ph.D.

Nondiscrimination Policy The Webb Schools admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. The Webb Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law in administration of their educational policies, tuition assistance, athletic, and other schooladministered programs, or any other basis in law. Memberships The Association of Boarding Schools; National Association of Independent Schools; California Association of Independent Schools; Western Boarding Schools Association; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; National Coalition of Girls’ Schools; Independent Curiculum Group; College Entrance Examination Board; Educational Records Bureau; Association of Independent School Admission Professionals; National Association of College Admission Counselors; Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; and the Cum Laude Society. Publication Information WEBB magazine is the official publication of The Webb Schools. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Webb Schools 1175 W. Baseline Road Claremont, CA 91711 PH (909) 626-3587 FAX (909) 621-4582 EMAIL: alumni@webb.org webb.org THE MISSION of The Webb Schools is to provide an exemplary learning community that nurtures and inspires boys and girls to become men and women who: Think boldly, mindfully and creatively, Act with honor and moral courage, • Lead with distinction, • Serve with a generous spirit. • •

1175 West Baseline Road Claremont, CA 91711

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 224 CLAREMONT, CA

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019 - OCTOBER 18 & 19