Alumnae Board Update

Alumnae BOARD

FROM THE ALUMNAE BOARD CHAIR TERI WILDE ’69 AND CO-CHAIR JESSICA YANG ’10

During the past year, the alumnae board drafted a new mission statement and solidified the Alumnae Ambassadors program to further support the school’s DEI work and connect with student affinity groups.

The Alumnae Board Mission Statement:

Recognizing that a Westridge education provides a transformative experience that has impacted the lives of young women for more than 100 years, and with diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of our mission, the Alumnae Board aims to foster lifelong alumnae engagement by:

Planning, attending, and encouraging alumnae participation in events to promote Westridge’s vision to educate intellectually adventurous thinkers, and courageous, compassionate leaders.

Providing an inclusive network of support and professional development opportunities for the alumnae community and connecting current students with alumnae.

Making Annual Fund or Endowment contributions that help ensure young women receive the benefit of a Westridge education for years to come.

ALUMNAE BOARD

Teri Wilde ’69, Chair Jessica Yang ’10, Co-chair

Taylor Callobre ’08 Elizabeth (Liz) Carlton ’03 Eliza (Ellie) Diop ’10 Veronica Escobedo ’08 Alicia Henry ’01 Ann Hazeltine Hyde ’66 Julia Tyson La Grua ’71 Thembisa Mshaka ’88 Shahbano Nawaz ’98 Cassandra Nufable ’12 Monica Oller ’91 Nicole Rabaudi ’90 Marianne Van Vorst Ryan ’79 Katie Rothenberg Wei ’94 Melissa Wu ’94

PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING NEW ALUMNAE BOARD MEMBERS:

ELIZABETH (LIZ) CARLTON ’03

is the corporate communications manager for Panda Restaurant Group and is responsible for bringing the Panda Lunar New Year program to Westridge Lower School. She serves on the board of Family Forward Learning Center and in her free time enjoys cooking and continuing Juanita’s legacy by playing with clay whenever she gets the chance. TAYLOR CALLOBRE ’08 is a scripted television development executive at Amazon Studios. She received her B.A. in English, markets and management and women's studies from Duke University. At Westridge, she participates in the Alumnae Book Club. Taylor enjoys fostering dogs, baking, and refurbishing furniture in her spare time.

THEMBISA MSHAKA ’88 is an award-winning creative, voiceover artist, author, and the first copy director in the 41-year history of BET (Black Entertainment Television). A 30-year entertainment industry veteran, she has shared her knowledge with Westridge theater students, and in her free time, enjoys travel, spa days, and roller coasters.

DEI Ambassadors include Cassandra Nufable ’12 and Jessica Yang ’10, Asian American Alumnae; Alicia Henry ’01 and Karen Huante ’79, Black Alumnae; Veronica Escobedo ’08 and Nicole Rabaudi ’90, Latinx Alumnae.

Despite, or perhaps because of the pandemic, Alumnae Weekend 2021 brought together a record number of attendees. The online event format eliminated many challenges to getting to Madeline Drive, allowing alumnae from around the U.S. and the globe, including France, Germany, and Wales, to participate in the March events.

The weekend kicked-off with a lively and emotional cocktail reception to celebrate Juanita Jimenez’s retirement and 50 years at Westridge. The event began with remembrances and tributes from Joni Moisant Weyl ’72 and Sarah Vernallis ’15, followed by a special announcement from Head of School Elizabeth J. McGregor, who presented Juanita with a certificate naming her an honorary alumna.

To further honor Juanita, the Frank Family, including siblings Laurie Frank Wilson ’68, Susan Frank ’71, and Richard R. Frank, established the Juanita Jimenez Endowment for the Arts. The Erskine Family and numerous alumnae and community members have also supported the fund. On Saturday, alumnae snacked from a specially delivered reunion package of Westridge-themed cookies and tea during the virtual brunch and watched video presentations and live acceptance speeches from the 2021 Distinguished Young Alumna Award recipient Jade McKnight ’09 (pictured below left) and the 2021 Mary Lowther Ranney Award recipient Jossalyn Turner Emslie ’83 (pictured below right).

Julia Long ’02, founder of Pasadena Walking Tours, capped the day off with an online virtual tour featuring the Women Who Shaped Pasadena, including Pancho Barnes, a renowned female aviator who graduated from Westridge in 1919.

ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2022

All Westridge alumnae are invited to attend March 11-12, 2022 campus events, with reunions for classes ending in 7 or 2. We will also include classes ending in 6 or 1 that did not hold reunions last year due to the pandemic.