A GRAND IMPACT

Being a teacher had always been a dream for Susie Nordenger, a goal she penciled in her college journal. So when she landed her first teaching gig in 1981 in St. Helens, Oregon, she was overjoyed. Teachercolleagues remarked that her exuberance would wane. Little did they know, her enthusiasm and optimism would endure over four decades—and her impact would be immeasurable.

Nordenger, then known to students as Miss Olson, joined La Jolla Country Day School in 1987 as a sixth-grade teacher, later teaching seventh-grade English and public speaking in the Upper School. In the classroom, she brought a sense of humor and levity to her teaching style—making her a beloved teacher early in her career.

She brought humor to morning announcements in the Middle School by creating a soap opera called All My Students, where students could share their dramatized scripts based on actual Middle School events.

One of her signature projects in seventh-grade English, “My Life Story,” tasked students with writing 12 chapters detailing their future lives, culminating in a personalized book. Notably, former professional tennis player Alexandra Stevenson ’99 wrote about playing at Wimbledon in one of her chapters. “It was the Life Story project that gave me purpose in my young journey,” says Stevenson. “I noted that I saw myself winning Wimbledon. Miss Olson taught us how to visualize our life story and write it down on paper. Funny how visualization is such a strong learning tool. At Wimbledon, I made a historic record—the first woman to go from qualifying to the semifinals. At my press conference, I talked about Miss Olson and the little book I wrote in seventh grade.”

Dear Susie,

You are one of the warmest, smartest and most genuine people I know. You are the greatest cheerleader and mentor I could ever ask for.

You have made me feel excited to be back on campus, which has meant so much to me. You have made me feel at ease when I have stressed over decisions for my sons. You have made me feel brave by telling me to go after what I want in my career. Not to mention, given that you were my husband’s seventh-grade English teacher, you have been influencing my life for the better for quite some time.

Your impact on LJCDS is inimitable. You exemplify what it means to lead with dignity, and you do so with ease and joy. Thank you for choosing to share your gifts with our school. Your passion for teaching and philanthropy has strength- ened our school and community beyond measure.

—MERRITT ROSEN BRIZOLIS ’05 P’35 ’37

For Nordenger, teaching at LJCDS was a gift. “What I found at Country Day is that no matter what, the kids exceeded my expectations,” she says. “And the harder they worked, the harder I worked.”

In 1997, Nordenger was appointed by Head of School John Neiswender to build a Pre-K through Grade 12 community service program. For almost two decades, she led a student-centric community service program that fostered student leadership and instilled the importance of giving back. Nordenger saw greatness in her students and impressed upon them that they have the power to make a positive impact each day.

Dear Susie,

Outside of my parents, you have been one of the greatest influences in my life. In a very formative time for me, when I was developing the person I wanted to be, exploring the world and the role I wanted to play in it, you made me feel seen and safe, and showed me a path. Through your care, attention and kindness, you demonstrated every day how my curiosity and passion for people, connection, service, compassion and empathy were things to be celebrated and could be used to inspire the same things in others to make the world a better place. It’s something so deeply felt, I have a hard time thinking, typing or speaking about it without getting overwhelmed with the emotion tied to my gratitude. Thank you. You have been, are and always will be family to me. Someone I wake up every day grateful to have in my life and for helping me become who I was meant to be. You are so loved.

—JASON ZINSER ’04

Dear Mrs. Nordenger,

You truly are a once-in-a-lifetime educator, and I’m so grateful to have had you in my life. You taught me how to love and respect any person, and how to find joy in every experience. You have an uncanny ability to bring out the best in anyone, and you certainly brought me out of my shell throughout our time together at Country Day.

Through your persistence and creativity, you created a novel community service program, one that would change my life forever. I give a lot of credit to you and that program for getting me into my dream school, Stanford, and setting me on my path to my life today. I know countless other students have grown so much through the ingenuity of your programs.

Thank you for helping shape the person I am today.

—JESSICA HERSHFIELD ’08

“She was the first person who fully saw me and my gifts,” says Sarah Belpedio ’11. “She invited me to opportunities to explore my passion for community service and step into leadership roles. I 1,000% would not be the woman I am today without her love, support and guidance during my years at Country Day and into college and beyond.”

“She is such a master at recognizing talent and making you feel known,” adds Katie Sigeti ’06. “She makes an effort to make sure the students know she values their leadership and who they are, which, for a teenager, is really impactful. She thrives on connecting students and getting them engaged with the world around them and outside the Country Day bubble.”

Locally, she forged decadeslong partnerships with San Diego organizations, including St. Vincent de Paul’s homeless shelter, SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes (S4EA), Project Concern International, Susan G. Komen San Diego, Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Food Bank.

Globally, she established a robust service program, traveling with students to India, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Nicaragua, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya. In 2015, Project Concern International honored her with their Heroes Award in recognition of her role in fostering global citizenship among students.

One of her most significant and consequential endeavors involved sponsoring a student in Tanzania through her connections with the School of St. Jude. Through various fundraising initiatives, LJCDS sponsored Emmanuel George’s education from fourth grade through college.

Today, George is a certified public accountant. He and his wife recently had a baby girl and named her after Susie.

It is hard to capture the ripple effect of her impact on the LJCDS community and everyone she encounters. Brian Murphy, LJCDS’ director of financial assistance and enrollment management, also Nordenger’s former student in Oregon, shares, “As one of her students in the mid-80s, I experienced the Miss Olson magic firsthand. I walked into her classroom as a shy and reserved middle school boy, and by the end of the year, I walked out both

Dear Mrs. Nordenger, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the impact you’ve had on my life, and I want to say thank you. You weren’t just the community service director at LJCDS—you were like a “school mom” to me and my siblings.

You always had this amazing energy and genuine care for everyone around you. You made it your mission to bring out the best in people, and you definitely succeeded. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve inspired me and others to love life and care for one another.

You taught me so much about leadership, organization and the importance of giving back to our community. You were always there to guide me through challenges and help me grow.

I can’t imagine who I’d be without your influence. You’ve definitely left a lasting impression on all of us, the kind of impression that runs so deep that it’s impossible to separate who we are now from who we’d be if we hadn’t had you as our teacher.

Now that I have my own children, I can only wish for them the type of mentorship and friendship that you gave me.

—NINA CHURCH BARBER ’12

inspired and determined to follow in her footsteps as a teacher. Fast forward 15 years, and she again opened the doors and advocated for me to join the Country Day community as a faculty member. I didn’t realize it then, but her advocacy at that moment changed my life forever.”

Those who know her well note her stunning memory and her ability to build relationships. “She goes out of her way to do nice things for people, to make people feel good,” says Kathy Draz Zopatti ’77, LJCDS alumna, former faculty member and Nordenger’s college roommate. “Like recognizing somebody’s birthday or a special day, recognizing if someone is having a hard time. She does it without fanfare. She does a little extra to make you feel special. She’s always got those Red Vines in her office or little things that will just brighten someone’s day.”

“She has a way of making you feel special when she’s talking to you,” adds Will Erickson, former LJCDS English educator. “She has a unique ability to stay connected with people, build relationships and just be a ray of sunshine in whatever space she’s at. She’s a special human being.”

In 2002, Nordenger was named the Educator of the Year by the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club for her exemplary contribution to education.

In her last chapter at LJCDS, Nordenger served in the philanthropy office deepening the impact of current and former students and families on the school. “As the assistant head of school for community engagement, Susie believes that we must open our hearts to each other to unlock our school’s greatness fully,” says Head of

Dear Mrs. Nordenger,

I started attending LJCDS when I was 3, and your parking spot was just a couple of spots down from my dad’s. We would often arrive at the same time, and I remember that you would always greet us with a cheerful smile and tell us to have a great day. I was painfully shy at the time, so I didn’t say much in response, but I remember. You have always just emanated positivity (even early in the morning), and that’s something that I admire about you.

As my advisor, you made our whole advisory feel welcome in the high school. You cultivated an environment that felt like a family to us. You made yourself (and your office) available at all times of the day. I also knew that you were someone I could go to if I ever needed advice, and you never made me feel like I was interrupting.

You taught me the importance of giving back to the community and that there is so much joy involved in the process.

When I graduated from LJCDS, you texted me on my birthday, whenever you streamed one of my games, and whenever you saw a post on social media from one of Davidson’s volleyball accounts. When I got married, you flew all the way to North Carolina to celebrate with us. It meant so much to me that you cared enough to keep up with me even after my time at Country Day.

When I think back about my time at LJCDS, a lot of my favorite memories come back to you. You have always been such a big part of the school’s community, and we are all so thankful to have had you there.

—ELISE EDMAN CASEY ’16

School Gary Krahn. “She is a master at creating a web of relationships and a sense of community in which we feel connected with each other, our traditions and the rich history of our school.”

Nordenger’s impact on La Jolla Country Day School is incalculable. She leaves an indelible mark on the school’s culture and community. Her legacy will endure as the school continues to embody the spirit and values that she instilled. She will undoubtedly continue to spread love and positivity wherever she goes. ■

Gift In Tribute

Recognize and honor Susie Nordenger and her impact on the ljcds community with a gift in tribute at LJCDS.ORG/NORDENGER.

Dear Susie,

You are the favorite teacher I never had. Over the years, since my graduation in 1994, and well before I became a Country Day parent, I would stop by campus on occasion for an alumni event, mock trial, as a Career Day speaker or just to say hi to former coaches and teachers. My favorite person to run into was you. You have an amazing ability to make everyone feel special and welcome. Much of the reason the LJCDS campus feels like “home” is that you have been there for me for more than 30 years. There may not be a single person who embodies the community and the spirit of LJCDS more than Susie Nordenger. You are the single biggest reason why I have remained involved with the school for nearly 30 years.

What can I express about you without tears welling up in my eyes? I have so much love and appreciation for all that you have done for me and my family, but also all that you have done and continue to do for the Country Day community. I believe our community exists and will remain strong and continue to grow because of you. You are one of my favorite people; you represent the best of La Jolla Country Day.

—DAN GREENE ’94 P’29 ’31

Dear Susie,

You taught me so much, not just scholastically, but in life as well—such as how to be generous with time and care for others. As a teacher, you challenged me to push myself beyond my limits and made me feel accepted by (at least seemingly) appreciating my habitually off-color sense of humor. You also welcomed my daughter into the Country Day family when she started in sixth grade (during COVID, no less), which made us feel so much more comfortable and supported. With heartfelt gratitude, thank you for all the joyful memories and positive impact you’ve had on me and my family. Country Day is so lucky to have had you in our ecosystem for so many years, and your unique energy is now part of the school’s ongoing DNA.

You are simply a wonderful human being and will always hold a special place in my heart.

—KANANI MOSER BRECKENRIDGE ’95 P’27