Sewickley Speaking Summer 2017 by Sewickley Academy

SUMMER 2017

The Magazine of Sewickley Academy

Student Council President Ryan Brown and Senior Class President Millen Schuchert stroll through campus one last time side by side on graduation day.

SUMMER 2017

Features

Dear Readers, I hope this finds you well, whether you’re enjoying your last “official” days of summer or are welcoming the changing of seasons. Thank you for your continued support of Sewickley Speaking. I appreciate the overwhelming positive feedback from the winter “International Issue.” We are all travelers at heart, and I hope reading about our peers’ adventures abroad sparked that feeling of exploring someplace new. This edition – the “Homegrown Issue” – focuses on entrepreneurialism in the Pittsburgh area. By definition, an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater-than-normal financial risk in order to do so. I would argue, however, that an entrepreneur often takes on emotional risk as well; it’s the pursuit of passion that drives one to start from scratch and build a business from nothing. In this issue, you will read about Sewickley Academy alumni who were willing to take those risks by starting their own businesses in our region. Other alumni found the drive to take over their family businesses, finding ways to transition established companies into this decade. These featured alumni all possess one common characteristic – the entrepreneurial spirit. This trait is a mindset, a disposition to embrace change as opposed to resisting change. The Academy prepares students to think outside the box through its “Entrepreneurial Economics” course, a class that has brought fully-formed business ideas to fruition. After hearing the trials, tribulations, and successes of these entrepreneurs, I challenge you: if an opportunity or business proposition should arise in your future, seize it. Look to these testimonials for inspiration, then find ways to innovate and create. We are all lifelong learners, and I encourage each of you to also be a forward-thinker and a risk-taker. To quote Ellen DeGeneres, “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.”

Enjoy!

Kaitlin Busch Director of Communications

An Entrepreneur and An Environmentalist: Dr. Robert “Bob” Hedin ’74

Exploring Sewickley: Helping Others Find a Place to Call Home: Jennifer Markus ’89

Breaking All The Rules: Smith Brothers Agency

She’s the Bees Knees: Kimberley Stuart Disque ’91

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Three Brothers, One Entrepreneurial Spirit Sculley Sabbatical: Bird Watching in Panama Coach Palmer Named 2017 Coach of the Year

Contents New York City Alumni Event

All in the Family

Reflections from Belize

SA Students Get a Jump Start on Startups

Ken Goleski Celebrates 25 Years at Sewickley Academy

Annual Auction Feels the Love

Welcome to Sewickley Academy, New Hires!

Class of 2017 Graduates in the Events Center and Means Alumni Gym

Winter & Spring Sports Wrap Up

On the Road Again: Alumni Travel with Dr. Sour

1997 Basketball Team Celebrates 20 Anniversary of State Championship

Class Notes

Surfing Towards Success: Clayton Morris ’11

In Memoriam

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN

Kaitlin Busch

Third Planet Global Creative www.333planet.com

Director of Communications

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Banks

Tim Banks Design

Kaitlin Busch

Director of Communications

Annie Gensheimer

Annie Gensheimer Photography

Dr. Ron Kinser

Senior School Science Teacher

Susan Kinser

Director of Alumni Relations

Kolia O’Connor Head of School

Patti Coyne Stine

Director of Annual Giving and Auction

Brittnea Turner

Director of Public Relations

Tracy Wazenegger

Senior School Science and Mathematics Teacher

Madison Weaver Intern

Michael Williams

MichaelWill Photography

Lori Yost

Physical Education Teacher

Win Palmer

Athletic Director

Brendan Schneider

Director of Advancement

Jerilyn (Carter ’86) Scott, Ph.D. Grade 4 Teacher

COPY EDITORS

Debbie Mankowski Susan (Ratcliffe ‘55) Sour, Ph.D. Brittnea Turner Madison Weaver

Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D. Alumni Associate

Visit us at www.sewickley.org facebook.com/sewickleyacademy twitter.com/sewickley instagram.com/sewickleyacademy pinterest.com/sewickley1838 blog.sewickley.org youtube.com/sewickley Access the digital issue at www.sewickley.org/ss

Alumni Reunite in the Big Apple Dianne and Mark Melodia ’81 graciously hosted close to 30 Sewickley Academy alumni for a fabulous cocktail party on January 18, 2017, in their beautifully renovated apartment in New York City. Those in attendance included: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour Dennis and Anne (Frothingham ’59) Cross Caesara (Frothingham ’60) Wendin D’arcy (Wilkinson ’68) Achziger Missy (Fenner ’70) Stolberg Susan (McClellan ’70) Valk Bill McKeever ’73 R. Evans Gebhardt, Jr. ’80 & Ms. Tanya Tuccillo Hilary (Edson ’80) Polk Molly Hays-Jette ’81

Diane and Mark Melodia ’81 Brian Hutchinson ’89 Dejan Popovich ’89 Gene Yao ’91 Sarah and Adam Shuty ’96 Jimmy Barbuto ’08 Brian “Mac” Means ’09 Zoha Imam ’10 Kaitlyn Buterbaugh ’11

C O

Dear Readers of Sewickley Speaking, Happy summer! As I write, the school finds itself at one of those rare moments of “in between”: the school year has concluded and graduation has been celebrated but summer programs have yet to begin. Looking back, I note a number of milestones this year: the dedication of the Events Center and our first-ever graduation in this new facility. The Class of 2017 led the school with great skill, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to each other and to their alma mater. Their successes both in and out of the classroom, including in athletics and the college process, reflect their significant commitment to high levels of personal achievement, but these achievements did not just magically appear this year. Their foundations were established in the Lower and Middle Schools (almost a third of this year’s graduating class were “lifers”). I point this out to remind us that extraordinary success is a function of hard work, determination, and resilience in the face of inevitable setbacks – and perhaps a dose of good luck. Like their predecessors, today’s students have considerable opportunity to develop their skills across a wide range of activities. The educational program is designed intentionally to provide practice in areas that, in the past, might have been seen as beyond the scope of an Academy education, skills like those associated with entrepreneurship, which in the educational environment we see as the ability to carry an idea from conception to implementation. Of course the more common association of entrepreneurialism includes economic elements that are not necessarily part of what happens in school, but they are critical in the “real world.” Today at the Academy, we actually have a course called “Entrepreneurial Economics,” taught by Mr. Lee McGinn who was a successful businessman prior to coming to the Academy. This class seeks to bridge the academic and the practical, providing students with a clear view of how what they are learning in the classroom has application in the world beyond school. In addition, we increasingly see seniors during their Senior Projects taking their hard-won skills and applying them in real-world contexts with laudable adroitness. In this edition of Sewickley Speaking, we profile a number of Academy alumni entrepreneurs who have demonstrated their remarkable ability to take their ideas and bring them from conception to implementation. Others have taken existing businesses and transformed or enlarged them in dramatic ways. In all cases, they have harnessed their imaginations, channeled their creative impulses, and focused their energies to achieve success. As we have seen over a number of recent issues of Sewickley Speaking, there are many different ways in which our students and alumni express their creativity and contribute to their communities. Once again it is wonderful to see the variety of ways people can build off their educational foundations to create wonderful, meaningful, and engaging opportunities for themselves and for others. Enjoy getting to know this part of our community. Sincerely,

Kolia O’Connor Head of School SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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AN ENTREPRENEUR & AN ENVIRONMENTALIST

Providing Clean Water One Passive System at a Time By: Kaitlin Busch An environmentalist at heart, Dr. Robert “Bob” Hedin ’74 didn’t anticipate starting his own business. As a scientist, he was used to studying the environment and enjoyed working for the government. That was until he realized he didn’t want to just study things, he wanted to take action and build things. As one of the leading authorities on the treatment of mine drainage and the restoration of streams polluted by mine drainage, Bob took matters into his own hands and founded Hedin Environmental in 1994. “I saw when we told people how to do things, they wouldn’t do them correctly. I learned things are much more complicated when you get around to doing it than someone who studies it,” Bob explained. “Environmental projects are very complex and I love that.” Living in Edgeworth, Bob spent a lot of time playing with friends at Little Sewickley Creek Park (now called Morrow Pontefract Park). He said he grew up outside and learned to love the environmental world, a topic the Academy reinforced was okay. In the early ’70s, the Senior School had a “May program” where students could stay on campus or get approval to go off campus to focus on a special project. Bob spent a month of May living on the family’s farm in Venango County planting corn and gardening. “The environmental roots that led to my education and business were formed in my family and reinforced at Sewickley Academy,” Bob said. “Mr. Cavalier really pushed me to plan my own schooling, as he was a strong advocate of the May program, and it set a path for me.” Bob matriculated at St. Lawrence University in New York where he majored in environmental studies. He earned his doctorate in ecology at Rutgers University in New Jersey where he also met his wife Beth, a horticulturalist turned garden designer and artist. Right after graduation in 1986, Bob went to work for the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines conducting research related to mine drainage issues. “Our program was the early developer of technologies that used biology to treat mine water – now known as ‘passive treatment.’ We were very much on the forefront of that technology development.”

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Dr. Hedin worked at the Bureau of Mines for seven years until 1994, when he left to start his own business with two goals in mind – to create clean water and to make the business economically viable and sustainable. “Water treatment is neat because you have a result at the end that is either better or not, and I get a very high reward from seeing clean water at the end,” he said of his passion. The task of starting his own business was not one he found to be daunting, as his parents owned Hyde Travel on Beaver Street. “Growing up in Sewickley, it seemed like everyone had their own business. I was the first person in my family to work for the government. My parents thought it was just a phase for me,” he reflected. “We had a family meeting to talk about my ideas, and they were 150% behind me starting a business. My parents gave me a spot in the back room of Hyde Travel, which my sister Linda ’76 now runs, to get started.” In the 20 years since, Hedin Environmental has moved to Mt. Lebanon (where Bob lives) and has field offices in Clarion and Clinton Counties. The company has grown to six employees. “I want to stay small. My rewards are in successful projects and outcomes and aren’t measured in money or people,” he explained. Hedin Environmental specializes in assessing and remediating polluted mine drainage. Projects include watershed assessments, restoration planning, passive treatment design and construction, and the production of an iron oxide product from mine water. The company utilizes passive treatment processes which involve natural materials, microbes, and plants. Passive systems typically contain several treatment units which include limestone beds, constructed wetlands, and ponds. Compared to chemical alternatives, passive systems have less operation and maintenance requirements and the total long-term treatment costs are typically 50-75% lower. “We’re very specialized in what we do and we serve a niche market. Some of the most successful stream restoration systems we’ve been involved with are nonhazardous and use natural materials which create ecological benefits. Volunteers can go to the site without the fear of losing a hand or something,” he stated with a laugh. “The most dangerous thing we use are rocks.” The state of Pennsylvania produced the majority of the coal used in the U.S. during the 20th century. There were no environmental regulations at the time, and as a consequence the state has more abandoned mine lands than any other state in the country. “Pennsylvania has an inexhaustible supply of polluted mine water, and it doesn’t just go away, it has to be fixed,” Dr. Hedin said. “One hundred years ago water pollution wasn’t considered during mine planning. Unfortunately, once it is created it lasts for decades – longer than most mining companies.” Hedin Environmental serves a diverse group of clients locally, domestically, and even internationally. The company works for the national nonprofit organization Trout Unlimited; regional organizations like the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Allegheny Land Trust, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; large engineering firms; state and federal reclamation agencies; and dozens of coal and metal mining companies in the United States and around the world. Bob said the company has about 60 systems in Pennsylvania, as well as a handful of projects in West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, and Vermont. Recent projects have installed treatment systems in Brazil, Laos, and Madagascar. 6

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One of Bob’s most recent and successful projects is at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale where a treatment plan was developed for acidic mine water that was affecting a central Garden exhibit. “The system we designed uses limestone to remove acidity and aluminum, which is highly toxic to fish. The discharge is clean water that flows to the Lotus Pond, immediately supporting and sustaining fish and plants that were stocked a few months after construction,” Dr. Hedin explained. “Once a week, the aluminum is cleaned out of the limestone using a solar- and gravity-powered passive mechanism. The aluminum solids are piped to a second pond that has also become a feature of the Botanic Garden because it has such a good message to it.” Limestone is a natural mineral that occurs in western Pennsylvania and is commonly mined for construction and road-building purposes. Its chemical characteristics make it useful for the treatment of acidic water. At the Botanic Garden system, the acidic water flows through 450 tons of limestone gravel which remediates the toxic chemistry and discharges clean water to the Lotus Pond. “The system is totally unique among treatment systems because the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden turned it into an exhibit. There is a handicap accessible trail across it, and on Saturdays yoga classes are offered on top of the system.” The whole process happens automatically thanks to advancements in technology. Solar panels and computers open the valves, so no one has to do it manually. Two of Bob’s sons – Ben and Sam – recently developed (under his guidance) their own proprietary device that will monitor the flushing and draining of the systems powered by solar panels. The device is patent-pending. “We started developing our own technologies driven by the opportunities presented by computercontrolled systems that are powered by solar energy,” Bob explained. “We work on a lot of remote sites, so the solar power computer-controlled element is very important for us.” Another local project Hedin Environmental has worked on is Wingfield Pines in Upper St. Clair, which is owned by Allegheny Land Trust (ALT). At this location the mine water is polluted with iron which necessitated a different treatment approach. “We designed and installed a big pond and wetland system at Wingfield Pines. ALT developed a trail system that goes through the system to invite the public in to witness the remediation process. It’s very visual because of the orange iron oxide color, and changes in the color provide a natural interpretation of the remediation,” Dr. Hedin said of the eight-year project. Bob has also started a side business with iron oxide collected from passive mine drainage treatment systems. The iron oxide is sold to pigment companies to make earth tone pigments. The pigment is found in most dark wood stains and even in Crayola crayons. “We developed the technology that makes this process feasible and have sold 4,500 tons over the last 10 years,” he proudly stated. “Without a process like this, treatment systems fill with iron sludge and eventually fail.” Bob and his son Ben, who will likely take over the company one day, continue to think of new ways to improve the environment naturally and continue to grow the types of components the business offers to its clients. “For many people, growing a business in dollars is their measure of success. From the beginning, my goal was to create environmental change by restoring and fixing things,” Dr. Hedin said. “The success of that is more to me than monetary value.”

Exploring Sewickley: Helping Others Find a Place to

CALL HOME

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Explore Sewickley now exists in the old Dollar Bank building on Beaver Street. The completely renovated space is used to host numerous events throughout the year.

Making a house a home is never easy; it’s an ongoing process. Part of the “home” feeling comes from the town or village one resides in. So how do you market a town and make it feel like home? That’s where Jennifer Markus ’89, co-founder of Explore Sewickley, steps in. A lifer at the Academy, Jennifer matriculated at the College of Wooster to study political science. After graduation she moved back to Pittsburgh to work with her father in real estate. A year later in 1996, she decided she needed a change. A few of her friends from Sewickley and Wooster, including Amy (Adelman ’90) House, were moving to Boston, and she decided to join them. What started as a reply to a want ad in the Sunday paper turned into a 14-year stint with staffing and recruiting agency Kforce. Jennifer took a job as an administrative assistant for the company, and over the next decade she worked her way up to the director of operations for the mid-Atlantic region. She lived and worked in Boston for nine years, Tampa for five years, and Washington, D.C., for a year. “I loved Kforce and I loved my job. I had two great bosses that mentored me and gave me opportunities to progress in my career,” she said. After over a decade of success in the company, Jennifer was laid off in 2008 and had quite a few life decisions to make. Ultimately she moved back to Sewickley, bought a house, got her real estate license, and went to work for Howard Hanna. Growing up in the North Hills, Jennifer knew she wanted to explore other parts of the United States and the world. She had no intentions of living and working in the Pittsburgh area. Then fate sort of happened and the pieces fell into place. “I never thought I’d come back to Pittsburgh. When it came time to move back, Sewickley or Shadyside were my two options. I chose Sewickley,” Jennifer reflected. “There were already quite a few high school classmates living in the area, and then more moved back in the next couple of years. It’s amazing the number of classmates who have come back, even after marriage and having children.” This thought, the appeal of Sewickley, stuck with Jennifer. One evening in 2010, Jennifer joined fellow alums Kirsten Recker ’89 and Ryan Thompson ’98 to

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discuss the town of Sewickley, what it had to offer, and its unlimited potential for growth. What started as an idea on the back of a bar napkin grew into Village Green Partners LLC, an organization that focused on the revitalization of the business district in town. “We were inspired because there was such an opportunity with all the vacancies,” Jennifer reflected. “We are Sewickley people and we knew we could do a better job.” Shortly after its inception, Ryan got involved in the Marcellus Shale world and left Village Green Partners. Wanting to continue to grow the newly-formed company, Kirsten and Jennifer went to the Borough of Sewickley to see if the town would hire them to work collaboratively to promote Sewickley. The Borough’s three-year contract with a previous partner was nearing its end, and they said yes to a new partnership with the two women. In 2011, Village Green Partners obtained its nonprofit status and received some funding from the Borough of Sewickley. One of their first moves was to reach out to Smith Brothers Agency, owned and operated by Academy alums Lindsey ’83 and Bronson ’88 Smith, to market the organization. Their collaboration led to a new brand: Explore Sewickley. Explore Sewickley works to fill vacant storefronts, promote the commercial business district, and create community events. It experienced so much success in its first year that they needed to hire a full-time employee. In 2012, Alex Lancianese became the one and only employee of Explore Sewickley and works as the Main Street manager. Jennifer and Kirsten, who left the company in 2013 to pursue other ventures, volunteered their time and found ways to continue to push the evolution of Sewickley and make it thrive. While growing the business, Jennifer also continued to expand her Sewickley Academy roots. She served on Alumni Council from November 2010 to June 2015 and partnered with former Director of Alumni Relations Greta Daniels to procure a senior for a student internship. Simran Saron ’12 and Grace Meakem ’13 both chose to complete their senior projects by volunteering their time at Explore Sewickley. “Each year, we sent the student out to meet with all the businesses in town and help us update our database,” Jennifer said of the students’ duties. “It was fun to have them in the office, they are both great kids.”

Now in its seventh year of partnership with the Borough, Explore Sewickley is looking to increase its fundraising efforts and its reach. “We know what is going on in Sewickley because we are here every day. We do it because it’s fun, and people enjoy the services we offer,” she said. “We feel like we’re making a difference.” The Borough only provides a portion of Explore Sewickley’s funding (43% in 2016). The team decided it would be best to secure additional funds through community events and created the Soup Crawl, Sewickley Chocolate Walk, and Sewickley Oktoberfest. They also decided to diversify funding by securing sponsorships for events and selling tickets. Jennifer’s real estate background has been instrumental in building Explore Sewickley from the ground up. The business started above Yarns Unlimited on 435 Beaver Street and then moved to a building Jennifer owned at 611 Beaver Street. Jennifer had purchased the building while she was in real estate and connected with the owners of the Slippery Mermaid (located in Florida), who were looking to open a location in town. The restaurant leased the first floor, and Explore Sewickley settled into the now Tiki Bar area for its second home. A year later, the restaurant applied for its liquor license and asked Jennifer if they could have the Explore Sewickley space to open a bar. She obliged, purchasing a vacant building on 418 Beaver Street about two years ago. The old Dollar Bank structure was gutted and renovated to house Explore Sewickley. “Being able to make a difference in a town is a pretty big accomplishment. I’m proud of the two building renovations I’ve done in Sewickley, especially since I had no background in revitalization and marketing,” Jennifer said enthusiastically. “I’m a planner, I love to plan things. Coming up with new ideas and figuring out how to make those ideas happen is my spirit – it drives me.” In April 2016, the nonprofit received good news– they were awarded designation as a Main Street Organization by the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development. Main Street America™ protects the historic character of cities and towns across the country and promotes shared prosperity. “Main Street America™ is a revitalization program based on historical preservation. It utilizes the Four Point Approach – economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization,” Jennifer explained. “We’re applying for national accreditation which we hope to receive within the next year.” Jennifer has worked on a five-year plan for Explore Sewickley to continue its revitalization efforts. There are four committees dedicated to these objectives – design, economic restricting, organization, and promotions. Key points include: creating additional seating and usable spaces in public areas; creating an ongoing education program for businesses in Sewickley; creating a welcome packet to attract new businesses and residents to Sewickley; building a volunteer program; establishing more fundraising opportunities for Explore Sewickley; executing events that appeal to a broad base; and making Explore Sewickley a recognizable brand.

Yuletide in Sewickley – On Saturdays and Sundays in December, free carriage rides are offered in town, and Santa and his reindeer come to visit. Light-Up Night features music, horse-drawn carriage rides, live reindeer, an ice carving competition, and fireworks. The family-friendly event provides plenty of entertainment, food, and shopping and will be held on Friday, December 1. Sewickley Chocolate Walk – Restaurants, retailers, and businesses bring their best chocolate and face one another for the title of Best Chocolate in Sewickley. The walk begins at Explore Sewickley, where participants receive a map that leads to all the stops, allowing you to sample treats along the way. Sewickley Soup Crawl – Start at Explore Sewickley where participants receive a map, wristband, and bottle of water. Then you’re off to local businesses and restaurants to sample their soups! A portion of the proceeds benefit the Sewickley Community Center Food Pantry. Sewickley Unleashed – This event features a 5K walk/run through the Village (humans only), a pet parade, and vendor booths. It’s a day-long festival of fun for people and their pets. Funds raised benefit animals of Western Pennsylvania. Sewickley Art & Music Festival – A new event in 2017, the Sewickley Art & Music Festival highlights Sewickley’s business district and features two days filled with live music and arts programming designed to encourage guests to explore the Village’s shops, restaurants, and arts venues.

The town of Sewickley and Explore Sewickley have the potential for even more growth in the future. Jennifer is constantly bringing new businesses to town, the latest being Luna, a sister store to Glitter & Grit in Lawrenceville. It is her hope that the shops and restaurants in the area will contribute to the overall feel of the town, attracting previous residents to return to Sewickley and drawing new residents to the area. Jennifer pursues her passion daily, helping business owners and families alike call Sewickley home.

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BREAKING By: Kaitlin Busch Ask the Smith Brothers about their approach to the advertising business and they’ll tell you it’s simple: you have to know the rules well enough to break them. Having returned to Pittsburgh from Manhattan to start their own firm back in 2002, their smart and provocative work (think “Making Bar Fights Safer” for Iron City Beer’s new aluminum bottles or “Fruit Undressed” for Del Monte’s Fruit Naturals) quickly set their clients apart from their competitors and their company on a path to becoming one of Pittsburgh’s most successful advertising agencies. The Smiths, including brothers Lindsey ’83, Miles ’84, and Bronson ’88, relocated to Pittsburgh from Chicago in 1978. All three enrolled at Sewickley Academy where they learned the skills they would need to pursue careers in the visual arts and communications business. “I remember being grilled and challenged by Mrs. Patricia Rose and Mrs. Betty Colbert for spelling and vocabulary,” Bronson said. “Having the opportunity to explore a variety of subjects (including art with Mr. John White) formed my early love of the arts. I knew I wanted to pursue them as a career.” “I realized the value of an Academy education when I got to college. I knew how to frame an argument, structure a paper, and write with purpose,” Lindsey said. “And when I wasn’t working on the next short story for Mr. Paul Kolakowski, I was in the art room with Mr. Brian Buckley designing, drawing, and painting.” Lindsey matriculated at Georgetown University pursing majors in English literature and French, while Bronson continued his education at Ohio Wesleyan, majoring in fine arts (with a painting concentration) and French. After college, Lindsey moved to Manhattan landing a job as a receptionist for NW Ayer, a prominent advertising agency. “I was lousy at the job. When more than one call came in on the switchboard, I’d become completely unnerved,” he laughed. “Fortunately, I worked my way into a client service training program.” While he gained valuable experience as an account executive, he quickly realized that his heart was in the creative work – and he set out to become a copywriter.

For Meow Mix, they were charged with reinvigorating the brand’s familiar “singing cats” advertising. They developed a humorous campaign where a cat named “Baxter” calls his owner at the most inopportune times, demanding the food that “tastes so good, cats ask for it by name.” “That’s the great thing about the advertising business,” Bronson recalled. “It’s never boring. You can be talking scotch in the morning and cat food in the afternoon.” Shortly after 9/11, the brothers decided to move back home to Pittsburgh. Lindsey said it was fate. “The stars were just kind of aligned. We heard about a piece of business that was in play – Pittsburgh Brewing Company. We pitched it and won.” The brothers launched a new campaign for the low-carb I.C. Light – “More taste, less waist.” – featuring what they call “visual shorthand,” a way of telling the story through imagery, in this case a six-pack ring positioned over the ripped abs of models to reflect a flat stomach. “The client started out paying us $2,500 a month and as much beer as we could drink,” Lindsey recounted. “They lost money on us,” Bronson joked. Smith Brothers Agency officially opened its doors in the old George Westinghouse building in the Strip District on April Fools’ Day in 2002. The agency, which currently has a staff of almost 60 people, started with only four employees, including their brother Miles who joined the company as the Chief Growth Officer. “It felt like the timing was just right. We all felt like we had a great run in New York, but we were ready to try something new,” Lindsey said. “We knew we had the two halves of an ad agency – the art direction side and the writing side. We had something we knew we could sell.” Their success with the beer campaign along with the high visibility of the creative – hundreds of billboards all over Pittsburgh – led to opportunities with regional brands like Kings Family Restaurants and PNC Bank where they helped develop and launch its “Grow Up Great” early childhood education initiative.

Bronson also decided to move to New York after college, but he had grand plans of becoming a painter. When Lindsey’s roommate happened to be moving out at about that time, Bronson moved in. They nicknamed their tiny one-bedroom Soho apartment “The Broome Closet” after the street it was on. “I was not only living with Lindsey, but ended up working with him as an art director, partnering on projects and freelance together, and I haven’t looked back since,” he said.

But the brothers had always had their sights set on expanding to the national level. Working on national brands was, after all, what they were used to. “We wanted to be a great agency that happened to be in Pittsburgh, not a great Pittsburgh agency that only worked on local accounts,” Bronson explained. “We were out to grow the pie from outside the market, not simply compete for pieces of business that all of our friends at other agencies had,” Lindsey added.

Two of the brothers’ favorite campaigns from their New York days were for Johnnie Walker Black Label and Meow Mix Cat Food. “The Johnnie Walker campaign was the most intense marketing challenge,” Bronson said. “We were tasked with convincing younger drinkers, who hardly touched brown spirits back then, that it was a more sophisticated choice, a cooler choice than vodka or beer.” They launched “There’s More to Explore in Black“ and significantly grew brand share.

To keep up with the expanding business, the brothers decided to hire Michael Bollinger ’74 in 2005 after meeting in Sewickley over Thanksgiving. “We connected like all good Sewickley connections happen— in the Sewickley Hotel!” Michael laughed. “I was introduced to Lindsey, and we exchanged business cards, realizing we were in the same line of work. The brothers were creative guys, and with the growth in their business, they needed someone on the account side to lead and continue to grow business. It was a lucky opportunity.”

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ALL The

RULES:

SMITH BROTHERS AGENCY

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Michael, a lifer at the Academy, found theater and arts through adversity. “I tore up my knee playing basketball and was on crutches for most of my high school career,” Michael reflected. “The teachers weren’t going to let me sit on the sidelines. Mr. Greg Ziegler pushed me into helping him make some films, and I got into acting when I could no longer play sports.” Michael matriculated at Union College and majored in English. “Everybody said to me my senior year of college, ‘What are you doing to do? Teach?’ And my answer was, ‘No, hustle,’” Michael said. “I hit the ground running, working for a TV station in Clarksburg, West Virginia, selling advertising. Whatever I sold, I had to write, shoot, and edit the spot. I called on an agency in Pittsburgh to sell them on my station and thought, ‘Now, this is where I want to be.’ It’s been almost 40 years now that I’ve been making ads.” While working for DDB Worldwide in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Michael also landed deals with big companies like Cellular One and Dell. He helped Dell create a campaign with one of the most popular catchphrases of the early 2000s, “Dude, you’re getting a Dell!” The ad campaign took the brand from number four to number one in a year. “It was exhilarating to be part of an ad campaign that made that big of a difference,” he said. As president of the company, it is Michael’s job to grow national accounts and land new business. “When I joined the company, I recognized the talent the brothers had. We all worked in big markets on big brands and wanted to work on big national accounts,” he stated. “The brothers had a real expertise and passion for consumer packaged goods. We landed the Heinz and Del Monte campaigns in 2006 which fueled the next phase of growth in the agency. We developed this vertical industry expertise that led to winning Nestlé, Smucker’s, Pinnacle, and Ghirardelli. We are not one of the world’s advertising giants, but we can compete with them in that space because of the depth of our expertise.” By late 2006, Smith Brothers Agency was growing faster than their sublet could accommodate. Since Miles’s first love was commercial real estate, he led the brothers’ search for a new home. In 2007, they bought a three-and-a-half story building on the North Shore. After extensive renovation, the pet-friendly space now features a bright and open office layout, a rooftop deck that overlooks PNC Park, creative brainstorming spaces, multiple kitchens, spacious common areas, photo and video studios, and even a slide between floors. The walls are decorated with the agency’s creative work, and in the lobby, you’ll find a cooler stocked with ice cream, a perk of having Nestlé as a client. Although Miles left the company to pursue a career in commercial real estate in 2012, Lindsey, Bronson, and Michael continued to push the company’s boundaries in the new space. Recently, the agency launched Smith Brothers Studios to keep up with the demands of social content from their broad clientele base. They converted about 5,000 square feet of space into a studio, which includes a prep kitchen as many clients are in the food and restaurant industry, prop storage area, and dedicated editing suites. This new venture allows the agency to efficiently produce high quality content for clients across the spectrum of social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and YouTube. “It’s a completely different model. We’re now creating 90% of the content for our clients in-house,” Lindsey explained.

The three-and-a-half story building that houses Smith Brothers Agency in the North Shore features a bright and open office layout with creative brainstorming spaces, spacious common areas, and even a slide between floors.

Why the push to get into content creation? “Losing some big businesses taught us a lot about risk,” Michael said, referring to losing the Del Monte account (in 2010) and the Heinz account (in 2011) when the companies were sold. “The greatest risk is staying who you are with service offerings. We need to be advancing all the time in terms of what we’re delivering. We need to innovate and collaborate, testing new waters and becoming something tomorrow that we aren’t today.” Smith Brothers Agency has become accustomed to working on campaigns that receive a tremendous amount of publicity. The agency worked with Red Bull when the company first launched its “Wings for Every Taste,” introducing the first new flavors in the brand’s history. The agency also partnered with Primanti Brothers to launch “the HBK sandwich” – a nod to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel. The triple-meat sandwich is piled high with ham, bacon, and kielbasa (hence the HBK) and staple French fries, coleslaw, and tomatoes between Mancini’s bread. When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and made their triumphant visit to the White House, former President Barack Obama commented on the HBK sandwich at the press conference. These days, Smith Brothers Agency is working with a mix of regional and national accounts. They not only work with established blue chip clients like UPMC, MSA, and PPG, but with new clients and new products, including Hydralyte, a hydration beverage based in Boston; Bibigo, a Korean BBQ sauce based in Los Angeles; and Avoderm, an avocadoenhanced natural pet food based in San Francisco. Growth is a goal for the agency, but the Smith Brothers aren’t planning to move to Madison Avenue anytime soon. “Growth for growth sake is not driving us; growth for creativity sake is what drives us. Clients who want to use great creative to drive their businesses are the folks we’re looking for,” Michael explained. “We’re hands-on guys. We like running an agency where we know everyone’s name and where everybody’s accountable to one another,” Lindsey added. “It’s never been about being the biggest agency – just the best.”

After graduating and working briefly for PNC Bank, Kim was asked to join CAE Productions to help market the company. Kim shared that English teacher Mr. Larry Connolly and former history teacher Dr. William Barnes were instrumental in developing her marketing skills. “One thing with entertainment is how you put a spin on things and make it colorful to entice the client,” Kim said. “I learned a balance between Mr. Connolly’s creativity and Dr. Barnes’ mantra to ‘keep it real’ by not distorting the truth.” As Kim’s marketing efforts grew the company, her role also grew to vice president and general manager. In 2005, Kim was ready for a change. CAE Productions had numerous internal conflicts and unfortunate circumstances, ultimately leading to its demise. Clients asked Kim to start her own company and told her that if she did, they would follow her. She paid attention to her boss’s flaws and his strengths. “I saw the mistakes that my own boss made when he was running CAE Productions, but I also saw the things he did right,” she reflected. “I treat people the way I want to be treated, and I’m very upfront with people when they ask my opinion.”

By: Kaitlin Busch

After her experience in the industry, Kim knew she wanted to develop a talent agency that would represent only the best of what Pittsburgh has to offer. She also wanted to find a way to make entertainment more affordable to the local consumer by lowering overhead costs. Kim launched Bee’s Knees and found out shortly afterwards that she was expecting her first child, daughter Evie. Kim specifically picked Bee’s Knees as the name of her company, as by definition it means to be excellent or of an extremely high standard.

Kimberley Stuart Disque ’91 is more than an entrepreneur, she’s an entertainer. She brings the fun to any type of party, event, or gathering in the Pittsburgh area through her company, Bee’s Knees Entertainment, Inc.

“It was crazy, but everything kind of came together. It’s been perfect,” Kim said of starting her own business in the Pittsburgh area. “I have what you can clearly define as the best work/life balance, and I have a very fun job. I can truly say I love what I do – I get to bring fun to people!”

Kim, a lifer at the Academy, came to Sewickley Academy from the North Hills in Grade 1. The school left a lasting impression on her that first year, one that shaped the type of person she would become. During recess one day, she lost one of her earrings. “Mr. Nichols saw me in tears in the office, and he took me out on the playground where the older grades were having recess and said, ‘If anyone finds Kim’s earring, you’ll get an extra recess,’ or something like that,” she recalled. “Instead of making me feel bad for losing it, he asked everyone to help. That is a pretty reassuring experience for a kid to have. He set the tone for how both children and adults were to be treated.” When asked about Sewickley Academy, Kim shared, “It taught me to work hard, but more importantly than work ethic was the importance of honor, loyalty, and respecting other people.” Kim matriculated at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts to study politics and French. She continued to pursue her passion for the French language at Miami University (Ohio) where she received a scholarship – she would teach French for the school and earn her master’s at the same time. While in graduate school, Kim went home on weekends to earn extra money by performing children’s puppet shows for CAE Productions, Inc. with her friend Brent Isaac, whom she had met during a previous summer internship at WQED.

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Currently, Bee’s Knees entertainers are performing in many different tri-state venues – from grocery stores to Southern Park Mall, the Waterfront to Wexford Plaza, KinderCare to Pike Run Country Club, and more. The company provides the entertainment for all types of parties, including store remodels and grand openings, corporate parties, kids’ camps, and birthday parties. So what’s all the buzz about? The small boutique agency provides an array of talent, much more than balloon-a-tics, clowns, and face painters (although those are all available!). Stilt walkers, jazz trios, caricature artists, strolling puppets, ventriloquists, jugglers, and magicians can also be booked for a party or event. The company even offers séance-themed parties for adults that can include tarot card readings.

During the holiday season, Santa and Mrs. Claus can be booked as well as visits by holiday carolers and the stilt-walking Snow Queen. Kim enjoys throwing a good theme party, recalling a Cinco de Mayo party sponsored by Giant Eagle in Ohio. “We had a keyboardist play Spanish music, balloon artists making sombreros and maracas, and face painters designing Mexican masks,” she said. “The key to a good party is balancing what you know with what the client, and the client’s customers, want.”

Kim, her husband Christopher, and her children Evie and Max attend a Penguins game.

The Bee’s Knees is a one-woman team. “I’m a lean, mean, fighting machine,” Kim laughed. She does everything from management to marketing, serving as an agent to the entertainers and liaison to clients. She works from home and is specific and purposeful in her every move making her overhead costs low. In short, she’s the master puppeteer behind the scenes. “I do not hire just anybody – the people who have been with me for a while are very loyal. When recruiting new talent, people will only recommend others who are as good as or better than themselves,” she said of her business. “I’ve always had fantastic rapport. I can read people, and I know which entertainer is best for a certain event.” As do many small local businesses, Kim relies mostly on word of mouth and her website for marketing her brand. Kim picks up a lot of business from client referrals, something she is proud of since happy clients refer new clients. The Bee’s Knees does not hold a retainer over any of its entertainers, they are also allowed to book themselves. However, the group that works for Kim is very loyal and tight-knit.

George T. Puppet, a strolling puppet, walks through the streets of an event.

“The most successful business people know that you need a core group around you that has your back at all times,” Kim said of her entertainers. “As much as I’m a cheerleader for my entertainers, I like to think they are cheerleaders for me. We feed off one another.” For the past decade, the Bee’s Knees has been providing some of the best entertainment around to those in the Pittsburgh area. Kim is known for her ability to have parties go off without a hitch. She is able to put clients at ease with her go-with-the-flow attitude and ability to problem solve on the spot. She’s willing and able to work within any budget to provide the best entertainment. Kim is pleased with her company’s success. “I love that I get to work with my customers to create fun events that connect them to professional clowns, puppeteers, musicians, and other types of performers. It’s great to be part of Pittsburgh.”

To learn more about the Bee’s Knees or book an event, visit www.beeskneesentertainment.com.

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By: Kaitlin Busch and Madison Weaver

A family business is just that – one that is passed down from parent to child, and, in some cases, even grandchild. Bound by blood or marriage, “family businesses” often feel like family to their customers as well, a nod to the principles of kindness, honesty, and resilience that family-controlled enterprises are often built on. Many Sewickley Academy alumni have taken over their family’s business, proof that the entrepreneurial spirit is in the genes. The journey that a local business takes from its inception to current day covers a terrain filled with highs and lows, but these family-owned ventures have survived the test of time and flourished into the landmark enterprises we know today. Of the alumni currently running their parents’ businesses in the Pittsburgh area, two qualities stand out – the desire to expand and the aspiration to improve.

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The Busatto Family

Industry Terminal & Salvage Company Lynn Busatto founded Industry Terminal & Salvage Company (ITS), a business solution for any marine-related project, in 1979. As a young man, he worked for his father as a river man and decided he wanted to go out on his own. He purchased a towboat and a small piece of property, hired a handful of employees, and used his entrepreneurial spirit to start his own company focusing on marine towing and terminal needs. Lynn’s son, Brad Busatto ’88, started working for his dad while in high school, in the summer of 1986, cleaning barges. As a self-described “sheltered, private school kid” raised in Ben Avon Heights, Brad said the experience of going down to the river to work was eye opening. A lifer at Sewickley Academy with his brother Max ’87, Brad matriculated at the University of Denver to study business management and liberal arts. Brad met his wife Marne while in Denver, and the couple married on June 13,1992, just one week after he graduated college. A month later, Brad was working for his father at ITS. Although not an unusual consequence of family business, Brad and his father struggled with differing ideas for the company. Ultimately Brad and Max bought their father out of the company in 2009. Brad said the experience taught him a lot of important life lessons, but they were all hard lessons to learn. After acquiring ITS, Brad grew the company and its employees, going from five to almost 70. “I noticed the cost of insurance kept becoming a bigger and bigger part of our budget. I knew we had to grow the business or else it would be a page in history,” Brad said. To promote growth, Brad bought a new boat every year for five years and secured two additional facilities – Aliquippa and Jack’s Run (totaling three facilities with the original located in Industry, Pennsylvania). He has modernized all the vessels and implemented a vertical integration strategy so the only time the engine manufacturer has to come out is to do start-ups and testing. The company has also started to run a boat from Pittsburgh to Caro, Illinois, the length of the Ohio River which is 984 miles (the company used to only operate within 100 miles). When Brad took over operating the business, he made sure to build the company up on the traditional values and principles of a family-owned and operated business, keeping many of the employees who worked for ITS since its inception. “Delbert, the guy who taught me to clean barges when I was a teenager, still works for the company. A lot of the same people who were there when I was in high school are still there. We’ve grown quite a bit and it’s nice to still have those same people there after all these years – it shows loyalty and how much I care about them,” Brad reflected. “It’s a hard, hard job to get up every morning and clean a barge or be a deckhand, especially when it’s so hot in the summer and so cold in the winter.” The company brings in revenue by offering a variety of services within the marine industry, including marine towing, marine vessel repair, barge cleaning, barge

fleeting, tank barge steaming, barge unloading/loading, (commodities include coal, salt, steel, and gypsum), marine construction, and marine equipment rental (boats, barges, and floating cranes). ITS is the only company within 400 miles that cleans cement barges, many of which have been coming to Pittsburgh due to fracking. Brad anticipates the new Pennsylvania Shell ethylene cracker plant in Beaver County will drive business, as construction of the facility has already brought in shipments of building materials. Structural steel will have to be transported to the site to build the plant, and after it’s completed, an expected surge of materials will need to be distributed. “I think other companies will move to the Pittsburgh area because of the plant. It will be a slow build, but in five to 10 years I think western Pennsylvania will look a whole lot different,” Brad stated. “It will certainly change the local economy.” In the future, Brad wants to continue the expansion of Industry Terminal & Salvage. The company currently has six boats and 20 barges. He’d like to double the size in the next few years and possibly open an additional physical plant further down the river, towards Wheeling, West Virginia. He said the key to driving the business is customer service. “If there is a problem, it’s my job to keep it from becoming a problem for my customers,” Brad explained. “By responding well to issues that arise consistently, we gain a lot of favor and loyalty from our customers.” The business is a 24/7/365 job, and weather can play a huge factor in the cold, winter months in Pittsburgh. Towing through ice can be dangerous, and Brad has to be ready with answers for unforeseen questions. “One thing my dad taught me is how to be creative, to identify a different way to approach things,” Brad reflected. “The Academy taught me that, too. My time at Sewickley was really the most important part of my education. It taught me how to think, and find a different solution to a problem. That’s what is fun about my job. It’s never boring; it’s never the same day.” Brad, who joined Sewickley Academy’s Board of Trustees in 2016 and is currently serving on the Executive Committee as Vice Chair, has two children, Kate ’16 and Grade 5 student Brooke. He does not anticipate either of the girls going into the family business, nor does he wish that for them. “Family businesses are really difficult because it’s so hard to separate family and business,” Brad said. “It’s certainly not worth risking family. Thankfully I’m able to separate the two.” At the end of the day, Brad enjoys what he does and is glad he took over the family business. “It’s a rough and tumble business that requires a lot of patience. I enjoy being on the Academy Board because I get to work with professionals whose careers I know nothing about,” he said. “It helps to compliment a sometimes gritty existence on the river.”

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The Fitzgerald Family

Frontiers International Travel Frontiers International Travel was established after a few disappointing fishing and shooting trips. Mike Sr. and Susie Fitzgerald contrived the idea for the now global brand, believing there was a place for a company that specialized in sporting travel and could give reliable, first hand advice. Today, Frontiers, a local travel agency that serves the adventurous spirits of outdoor-loving travelers as well as their own family, boasts an unmatched reputation for quality and service thanks to co-owners and siblings Mollie ’81 and Mike Jr. ’83. Frontiers Travel was founded in 1969 on the Fitzgerald residential property in Wexford, Pennsylvania. Mike Sr., a dentist, and Susie, a third grade teacher, were childhood sweethearts with passions for traveling and the outdoors. Mike Sr. conceived the idea for the business when he reached a crossroads in his life and decided to explore a mostly uncharted opportunity in the travel agency community – filling the demand for high quality travel experiences for avid outdoorsmen and sportsmen. Inspired by lackluster trips of his own, the elder Mike created the company to cater to the interests and needs of outdoor adventurers. The Fitzgerald family became pioneers in the niche industry, developing destinations that are still some of the most popular among travelers: salmon fishing in Iceland, saltwater fishing in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Belize, even excursions as far as Russia and the American Patagonia. Mollie remembered how the original office was so close to their childhood home that they were surrounded by the family business; office phones rang into the house and visiting suppliers would stay in their home overnight. “We had basically been working since 1969 because we were constantly helping out with projects. They probably paid me in Snickers bars and Mike 50 cents an hour,” Mollie laughed. After graduating from Sewickley Academy, both siblings matriculated at Duke University where Mollie majored in cultural anthropology and Mike majored in sociology with a minor in economics. While at Duke, Mollie wrote “The On-Campus Cookbook” published by Workman Publishing Company, and hosted a TV show called Cable Cooking that was broadcast to students, faculty, and patients at Duke Hospital. During the fall of her senior year, she went on tour with the book and later attended cooking schools in Europe. Despite job possibilities with Campbell’s Soup, Mollie “decided not to turn her hobby into a job” and joined Frontiers Travel in 1985. Mike joined two years later in 1987.

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During the 1980s and ’90s, Frontiers Travel grew rapidly, outgrowing office after office. The company was one of the first to begin exploring group travel with clients like zoos, alumni groups, conservation groups, even organizing travel for the Smithsonian and World Wildlife Federation. Soon, Frontiers Travel began adding experiences like wine tasting and antiquing for customers who sought a different experience. In 1991, the company decided to expand internationally, sharing an office with Kerr Downy Company in the West End of London, England, at 1800 Bond Street between Alexander McQueen and Tiffany & Co., until recent years when the staff decided to work more remotely. Looking back on convincing their parents to invest in the company’s first fax machine, Mike and Mollie reflected that technology has changed Frontiers Travel the most. At the company’s inception, placing phone calls and mailing brochures allowed weeks for planning and turnaround. Email and internet have drastically increased customers’ response time expectations now that the business can connect with clients and suppliers instantly. Frontiers’ newest office was built in 2000, and after Mike Sr. and Susie retired, all operations were moved into the 12,000 sq. ft. office located in Gibsonia.

we are really good at taking care of our customers, especially in countries that you might not get the experience we’re expecting.” Mollie and Mike both have children, making the possibility of bringing the third generation into the business a reality. Mollie’s daughter, Abby Larsen ’10, whose half-sister is current junior Sydney Larsen, works in finance in New York City. Mollie hopes Abby will one day join the family business, although she doesn’t think she’s really interested at this time. Mike’s stepdaughter Emily Matelan joined the company in November, while his stepson Jeremy Matelan is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Duquesne University after completing his undergraduate studies at Dayton. Despite all of the international travel, Frontiers Travel remains a local, family business dedicated to growth and quality. With 52 employees in the Pittsburgh area and five in the United Kingdom, the company continues to grow and expand. “We try to walk in the same paths as our parents did, as glass half full kind of people. Looking at any situation, we always list the positives before dwelling on negatives,” Mike said. Mollie agreed, stating, “We love what we’re doing. We feel the legacy of what our parents left us.”

Mike Sr. passed away in 2013 and Susie passed two years later, leaving the siblings to carry on their parents’ legacy as co-owners, living right next door to one another. Mollie handles the Elegant Journeys aspect of Frontiers Travel, covering everything that isn’t “hunting or fishing,” from long wine weekends in Cape Town, South Africa, or Napa Valley, California, and family-friendly trips to customized cruise itineraries and photographic African safaris. Mike is very involved in back office work, taking on roles in human resources, finance, sporting programs, and marketing. “We handle things autonomously but come together for major decisions. We’ve grown up with the business and saw how our parents had different strengths and weaknesses, how they buffered for each other,” Mike said. Of course, their favorite part of the business is their own travels. Mike loves visiting Africa, golfing in Ireland, and fly fishing for trout in Montana, while Mollie loves India and the Himalayas, tracking gorillas in Uganda, and going on safaris in Tanzania. Their travel is not just for leisure; the siblings prefer first-hand visits before recommending any destination or experience. Both work hard to explore and take notes, remembering that their experiences are responsible for the success of their client’s travels. “Seeing it is selling it,” Mike said. “Clients always ask, or should ask, ‘Have you been there?’” Mollie and Mike use their personal experience to tailor each trip to their clients’ needs. “I put people in a certain hotel room because it’s my favorite room,” Mollie said. “We have a personal network of contacts across the world. We try to give our customers experiences you cannot just Google.” The siblings noted that treating their clients and business partners with respect and paying special attention to customer service are two of their biggest reasons for success. In recent years, Frontiers Travel saw two large setbacks: the 9/11 attacks and economic issues. However, Mike and Mollie have seen good growth since 2013, believing the company’s resilience comes from their diverse operations. “We could relocate people if a natural disaster happens. We operate in both hemispheres. We provide you services that you cannot possibly get by booking direct,” Mike said. “We’ve been doing it for 45 years…

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The Fowkes Family

Pittsburgh Stage, Inc All great theater productions start the same way – behind the curtain. It is fitting, then, that Pittsburgh Stage, Inc. began as a company that dealt in theatrical curtains and props. Over seven decades later, the company is not only manufacturing its own curtains, but is dedicated to designing, creating, manufacturing, and installing nearly all the behind-the-scenes stage equipment to make plays, musicals, and even the stars of the show, truly shine. Pittsburgh Stage was founded by Lester M. Stewart in 1942, and was bought by Allen P. Fowkes in 1976. Doug Fowkes ’82 joined his father in business in 1986 with the intent to grow the company through improvements in quality. “My true passion is helping people and making things better; having my own company allows me the greatest opportunity to do that. We enjoy building things, and we still get our hands dirty,” Doug said. Doug described his father as an entrepreneurial spirit; after serving in the Air Force, Allen sold two-way radio systems to fire and municipal police departments for Radio Corporation of America then Motorola, later becoming a manufacturers’ representative for both companies. However, Allen was determined to do things on his own and found success in Pittsburgh Stage. “My father led one life. What was unique about him was that he could fluidly talk about business or pleasure no matter where he was,” Doug reflected. “There was work at home from time to time. I remember as a child him bringing components into the living room and we would assemble track carriers as we watched TV.” Doug came to Sewickley Academy in Grade 4 after his family moved from Mars to Edgeworth. He recounted some of his favorite memories from his time at the Academy, remembering hiking and camping in West Virginia and New York with the Trailblazers Club where he met new friends and was able to see his teachers in a different light. Today, he still remembers the teachers who took extra time to understand their students. He recalled Dr. Shirley Markle and Mr. Yale A. Frame who took special interest in Doug and other students when they needed it most. “Mr. Frame understood Middle School students, particularly boys. And he gave us enough latitude while also demanding that we do the work,” Doug said. “The main thing the Academy provided for me was the ability to think critically and independently.” Doug matriculated at Allegheny College where he earned a B.S. in physics. Wanting to help out his father and needing a better job, Doug joined the family business in 1986. At that time, the company had 12 employees that took care of everything from

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manufacturing and drafting to sewing and installation. Doug’s father and mother built the company up through increased sales and established a wide reputation that precedes the business almost anywhere it goes. Doug took over Pittsburgh Stage in 1993, prior to his father’s passing in 1996. Even as president, Doug still enjoys the manual aspects of the job, especially constructing and building. However, in recent years, he has transitioned to project development and management. Designing and manufacturing products and rigging for the stage is not easy, and Doug cites their reputation and customer relationships as key factors in the company’s success. A regional company, Pittsburgh Stage completes 90% of their work in a 500-mile radius, serving universities, high schools, churches, and private theaters in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia. Customization is a huge part of the business. Each customer, stage, and performance requires a different set up, and Pittsburgh Stage has learned to integrate standardized components in custom ways. The company handles everything from concept design to installation, even training the end users. Taking on about 250 projects each year, the time that Pittsburgh Stage manages just one project can stem from weeks to years, the very longest projects taking up to a decade. “Technology changes: it’s affected us most in how efficiently and effectively we prepare our designs,” Doug stated. “We were working with pencil and paper and now have 3-D auto cad. It’s a different talent.” While Doug appreciates how fast communication and ease of sharing drawings between contractors, architects, and engineers has improved the business, he still prefers face-to-face communication as the company continues to innovate to stay ahead of the industry. In 2008, Pittsburgh Stage moved to Sewickley where they now employ 38 people, boasting an average employee tenure of over 10 years. “The work we do here is highly specialized and takes a great deal of training. Having dedicated Pittsburgh Stagians, as we call ourselves, is paramount,” Doug said. “We have the ability to be flexible and care for our people. That’s the best part of my job. We’re a family within a family.”

For this family-owned business, experience, honesty, and respect have been the keys to its success. “As with any family business, times can be difficult. But at the end, it’s the most rewarding, and having my parents as mentors in work was very helpful,” Doug said. In Pittsburgh Stage’s future, Doug hopes to continue to grow, create, and innovate. Having settled the business in its final home, Pittsburgh Stage is planning to build another 50,000 square foot building on its seven-acre site in Haysville. Doug’s children, Barret ’14 and Calder ’16, are Sewickley Academy lifers. After their graduations, Barret matriculated at Beloit College in Wisconsin and Calder at Wofford College in South Carolina. Although Pittsburgh Stage continues to grow, Doug is not pressuring his children to join, or take over, the family business; he wants to let them forge their own paths. “I want them to go out and find their own adventure and passion, and it’s not necessarily here. If they want to, they have an opportunity here depending on their skills, but I think it’s wise for them to go five years on their own.”

Pittsburgh Stage… •

uses 150,000 to 200,000 linear yards of fabric per year

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owns eight freight trucks

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has seen a 16% average growth rate per year for the past 30 years

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transports and installs about 30,000 pounds of equipment to a stage for a typical project

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has done work for all 500 school districts in western Pennsylvania, including Sewickley Academy

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equipped all Carnegie Music Halls in the region

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innovated one-of-a-kind equipment at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University

The Lenchner Family

Today’s Home In 1953, Sigmund and Audrey Lenchner opened the doors of Today’s Home, a quality home furnishings store, on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh. At the time, nothing else existed on McKnight Road besides their business and a bowling alley. The Lenchners had a feeling that growth would come to the area, and it turns out, they were right. The area is now home to hundreds of retailers in Ross Park Mall, McCandless Crossing, The Block at Northway, and other nearby shopping centers. Jeff Lenchner ’77, Sigmund and Audrey’s son, said his father’s career path had prepared him to open his own business. After graduating from Taylor Allderdice High School, where Sigmund and Audrey met, Sigmund worked at U.S. Steel in Homestead to put himself through college at the University of Pittsburgh. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and quickly became a lieutenant commander, serving in World War II as commander of the USS Sterling, a mine sweeping vessel in the South Pacific. Sigmund returned a decorated war hero, with a commendation from Admiral William F. Halsey. Assimilating back into civilian life, Sigmund worked as a buyer at Kaufmann’s and Gimbels department stores before moving to Detroit to work at a family run furniture store. Bringing his experience back to Pittsburgh, Sigmund and Audrey combined their expertise to launch Today’s Home. They added a second location in Greentree in 1968, and a third in Monroeville in 1978. The total size of the locations was 120,000 square feet of retail space serving Allegheny County. “My parents had the Pittsburgh area covered, and they did it slowly and methodically. They built the business morsel by morsel and kept the process going; they didn’t create debt,” Jeff explained. “They were well-established and well-known in the industry as pioneers in design. Working couples were unusual in those days, and they were considered a power couple.” Jeff and his wife Jill assumed leadership of Today’s Home in 1987, after spending eight years in the executive training program at Federated Department Stores (now Macy’s) in Miami, adding their “touch” to the business to impact growth potential and survival strategy. Jeff assumed the role as president of the company, while Jill worked as the director of merchandising, accessories, wall decor, and the stores’ visual displays. Eventually three operating companies were created in addition to Today’s Home, which offers customers custom design. Designer Furniture Outlet (DFO) opened in 2000 and offers customers designer furniture at a heavily discounted price; TH Trade Contract, which sells furniture to businesses in the corporate, health, hospitality, and education segment, launched in 2008; and TH Trade Design, a trade showroom serving over 165 independent designers to help procure orders for their clients, launched in 2010.

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Jeff has two older brothers, Mark, who owned Surroundings, a small furniture company on McKnight Road (he retired two years ago), and Gary, who now lives in Naples, Florida. Of the three, Jeff was the unlikely candidate to take over the family business. “I was the youngest son that never wanted to go into the family business. At the time I was on a fast track at Federated Department Stores,” Jeff reflected. “My father was encouraging me to come back because he felt I had the ability to run the company. It was not my intention to come back, but I felt obligated to fulfill his wishes. Today’s Home is what afforded me everything in my life including a Sewickley Academy education, my college tuition, and family vacations. It was a successful, solid business that had a great future.” Jeff grew up in Ross Township and came to Sewickley Academy in Grade 10, noting he felt much like an outsider initially as most of the student body resided in the Sewickley area. The three years he spent at the Academy left a lasting impression on Jeff, a connection that was fostered by founding Head of Senior School Mr. Jim Cavalier. “Mr. Cavalier made a major impact on my life, and I thank him every time I see him. I wouldn’t have reached any of my success in my life without his support and encouragement.” Jeff joined the Board of Trustees in 1998, serving for the next 12 years. He spearheaded the development committee and served as vice president chair of the capital campaign dedicated to growing the endowment, a cause he felt very strongly about. In 2013, he was honored as a trustee emeritus. “It was a thrill for me, ultimately taking that journey with the Academy. Being named a trustee emeritus was a big honor for me – Sewickley Academy changed my life.” Jeff’s two children, Rachel ’08 and Aaron ’10, were both lifers at the Academy. Rachel’s journey post-SA mirrored her father’s. She majored in business and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh, landing a job at David Yurman in New York City after graduation. She spent two years with the jewelry company as a wholesale marketing manager before returning to Pittsburgh, ultimately joining her father in the family business. “I thought I’d be in NYC forever, but I ended up coming home because I got burned out. I decided I needed a change and started at Today’s Home as a filler while I figured out what I wanted to do,” Rachel said. “It’s been two years now, and I can’t see myself working anywhere else. It’s a good thing I came back and became part of the family legacy. I am able to bring a lot of fresh ideas to the business after working for a global company in New York and find ways to apply my knowledge here.” Aaron received his mechanical engineering degree from Boston University and now works for an international engineering firm in Chicago, Illinois. “It’s rare for a family business to make it through two generations, let alone three, so it’s an indescribable feeling to have Rachel onboard,” Jeff said. “She has made a major impact on the business by bringing a new generation of ideas and complete understanding of the technical and social side. She’s taught us a lot, which is pretty cool.” Jeff, with help from his wife and daughter, continues to evolve the company to keep it relevant in the years to come. Although in the planning stages of future opportunities, the company is set to expand to other platforms. When Jeff finds himself facing a scary, unknown future, he often reflects on advice his father gave him. “The biggest advice my father gave me was to never give up. There were moments during the dot com bust and the great economic recession that I wasn’t sure we were going to make it, which led to tough conversations with the founder. He would look at me and say, ‘What are you worried about? It’s going to be fine. Keep your head down, stay true to your convictions, and work as hard as you can.’ We had the conversation more than once,” Jeff reflected. “And that’s what we did. It’s really an honor to be able to work for your parents and to keep the company thriving. There wasn’t any way I was going to let their vision die. We think about Audrey and Sig every day, they are the first people I see when my computer is turned on at work. In my mind I can hear them say “don’t mess it up”, and I am off and running. You can’t avoid that when you work in a family business.”

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Reflections from Belize:

Hearts, Minds, and Hands in Service of a Greater Good By: Dr. Ron Kinser, Senior School Science Teacher Over spring break, 14 of Sewickley Academy’s “Global Issues: World Heath” students traveled to Belize in cooperation with Global Public Service Academies (GPSA) to experience authentic service learning. Students applied knowledge obtained in the classroom to provide basic health assessments in high-needs Belizean communities. It is difficult to put into words how proud I felt to see our students living Sewickley Academy’s mission over the course of the 10-day trip as they put their hearts, minds, and hands to use every day in the service of a greater good. The students’ time was split between morning and afternoon activities in Belize. An average morning consisted of home visits where students walked through the villages with a community health worker offering to take blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse, and height and weight measurements for those who do not have the ability to see a doctor on a regular basis. Many afternoons were spent planning and implementing health fairs at local schools. Students focused on education and used their time in schools demonstrating proper techniques for dental care and hand washing, as well as providing nutrition information to locals. In addition, Sewickley students took height and weight measurements to calculate the BMI of nearly 300 children. In their free time, students took Spanish lessons, explored the local markets and historical sites, and spent time with their host families. The Spanish lessons enabled basic interactions between students and community members when performing house visits and exploring the surrounding areas. One of the best aspects of the trip was the lack of student access to electronics. Being “unplugged” allowed students to connect with each other, their host families, and members of the community at a deeper level and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and culture of Belize. Many students described the experience as liberating, as they often feel chained to technology and, consequently, are missing out on making genuine connections with others. Our students returned invigorated, knowing that they can make a positive impact in the world with empathy, education, and hard work. This opportunity helped them see what it is like working with patients in a medical setting and instilled in them the confidence to achieve great things. This experience helped me grow as an educator as well. I was inspired by my students to leave my comfort zone and examine science and medicine from a global perspective. It is very exciting to have our curriculum directly linked to meaningful service work and international travel through our partnership with GPSA. Without a doubt, this collaboration will benefit Sewickley Academy students as they work to fulfill our school’s mission to cultivate their full individual and collective potentials in the service of a greater good. SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

SUMMER 2017

Three Brothers,

One Entrepreneurial Spirit By: Jerilyn (Carter ’86) Scott, Ph.D.

“If you want money for fun and entertainment, you’re going to have to find a way to earn it.” And with those words, a business was born. Thomas Mulholland ’15 was in Grade 7 when his mother pointed out that to have spending money in his pocket, he was going to have to find a source of income. He asked a neighbor to teach him to mow the lawn, and then began cutting grass and shoveling snow regularly. Unlike most teens, however, Thomas didn’t stop there. He and his brothers, Jake ’13 and Ben ’17, joined forces to create Three Brothers Odd Jobs, a business that has now flourished for seven years and taken on nearly 20 employees.

The business grew quickly by word of mouth. At first, they took on unskilled jobs that were appropriate for middle school boys. Lawn care and pet sitting were staples, but they were willing to do almost anything. “The oddness factor has definitely declined over the years,” Jake laughed, remembering some of their early endeavors. Ben once had to dig a grave for a cat. “The owner said, ‘I don’t want to see it, I don’t want to know where the hole is — just do it,’” Ben said. One of their more memorable pet jobs was exercising a flock of ducks. “We had to let them out of their pen and chase them around the yard for 15 minutes, then corral them back into their pen,” Thomas shared. “That was strange.” They started doing airport runs when Jake turned 16 and got his driver’s license. “When the first client asked if I could drive him to the airport at 5:00 a.m., I said, ‘Sure ... but you’ll have to show me how to get there!’” As they grew older and more experienced, however, the jobs became more sophisticated. They have now done electrical work, finish carpentry, hanging doors, gardening, valet parking, and pool care. Much of the time, the clients have taught them new skills. For instance, one client hired the brothers to work with him on a large project restoring and rebuilding a garage which allowed them to learn construction skills. “When you love to do something, you love to teach other people how to do it,” Thomas said. “Often our clients teach us, and then we teach our employees. There is a lot of passing on of skills on both sides.” Between the three of them, they have a pool of over a dozen friends who are available to take on jobs under Three Brothers’ supervision. The clients deal solely with Three Brothers, who invoices the client directly and then pays the employees who worked on each job. What began as a quest for credibility has become an established business built on trust, with a longstanding client base and a stellar reputation. Sewickley Academy, whose mission is to “inspire hearts, minds, and hands,” has made an impact on the brothers and their success. Thomas, who manages most of the financial logistics of the company, credits Senior School teacher Lee McGinn’s Wall Street Club with giving him the skills to build an actual business. “Once we were making real money, we had to learn what to do with it,” Thomas said. Mr. McGinn taught Thomas how to manage books, make efficient spreadsheets, and invest profits. “He helped me set up a system to provide more financial accountability for both sides – the business and the clients. That increased our credibility a lot.”

The Mulholland Brothers - Ben ‘17, Thomas ‘15, and Jake ‘13 - own and operate Three Brothers Odd Jobs in Sewickley.

“For me,” Ben chimed in, “it was the Day of Service that inspired me to really get more involved in the business.” For his Middle School Day of Service project, he worked on spring clean-up in the Secret Garden; in Senior School, he worked on landscaping at Mary Roberts Rinehart Park in Glen Osborne. “Working on those projects made me realize that I can do this work, and that I enjoy doing this work.” Since Jake graduated from the Academy four years ago, and Thomas two years ago, Ben has stepped up to be increasingly responsible for running the business in his brothers’ absence. “I used to be the more forgetful one,” he said as his brothers laughed in agreement, “but working with the business taught me to keep lists and be more responsible.” There have been a few mishaps along the way, but no real disasters. “I once forgot to turn off a hose,” Jake reflected “I had to meet with the client and talk about how to make reparations for that mistake.” Early in their forays into valet parking, they misplaced a set of keys. Fortunately, another valet client found the keys in his car and turned them in before they were missed. “That would have been bad,” Jake chuckled. “I said, ‘Man, did you save us!’” One way they avoid problems is to be realistic about the jobs they can handle. “We don’t take too many risks,” Thomas explained. “For instance, we were once asked to build a set of concrete stairs. We turned that job down because it took skills we didn’t have – the concrete stairs probably would have turned out as a concrete ramp!” The brothers acknowledge that working together is sometimes stressful due to the difficulties of the job, but they almost never quarrel. “We each have our strengths and our roles,” Ben stated. “We call on each other to sort things out with employees or to talk with clients about issues, but we don’t have a reason to argue with each other.” All three young men speak eloquently about the lessons they have learned from launching and developing a successful business. “One of the most important things is having a good feedback loop between us and our clients,” Thomas said. Jake, the self-described “talker” of the business, replied, “When we mess up, we speak directly to the client. We try to figure out what we did wrong and how

we can do it better the next time.” Learning to be accountable for failure and soliciting feedback for success has kept many clients returning in the years since the business was started by boys in Grades 5, 7, and 9. “I have learned to be more efficient, and to delegate to people,” Thomas said. “We have also made a lot of contacts with interesting people who have been our clients,” Jake added. “When we do good work for them and they have a good experience with us, then those contacts can be useful in other ways later.” Today, Jake is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia with degrees in foreign affairs and psychology. He will move to Texas to work for Oracle this fall. “Having recently gone through the interview process, I can say that employers love talking about how we’ve started and run a business. They’re looking for the initiative takers, someone who can lead the team. Each one of us has done that in our own way.” Thomas, who is a public policy major in his junior year at The University of Virginia, is hoping to expand Three Brothers Odd Jobs to Charlottesville. “We’ve been branding ourselves for the last several years – T-shirts, business cards, a website. I’ve just had business cards printed that say both Charlottesville, VA, and Pittsburgh, PA.” Ben, the youngest of the three brothers, will be playing lacrosse as a freshman at Washington & Lee University in the fall. They predict that the business, however, will continue even with none of the brothers in Sewickley. “We have one set of cousins who are in high school now, and another set of cousins who are younger,” Ben noted. “It would be great if they would want to continue the business after we’re gone.” With a large pool of employees, some as young as 16, it seems likely that someone will pick up the torch. Teaching and mentoring younger teens has been a focus of the business all along. “Eventually it won’t be any of the three brothers anymore, but it would be so cool if Three Brothers continues to exist through the years, down through our younger cousins and friends,” Thomas said. “Anyone can do this. That’s what I would hope kids in Sewickley would take away – that it’s easy to start a business.”

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SA STUDENTS GET A JUMP

START ON STARTUPS By: Brittnea Turner Lately, startups are popping up and taking off — just think Spanx, Uber, or Rent the Runway. These thriving businesses started with an individual or team tossing around ideas, taking steps to spin their dreams into motion, and ultimately following through to bring those concepts to fruition. For the past 15 years, Sewickley Academy students have had the opportunity to earn an unofficial or “mini” MBA in Mr. Lee McGinn’s economics course. “Entrepreneurial Economics,” a year-long social science elective offered to seniors only, was created to give students a leg up in college economic classes by exposing them in high school to the basic principles of economics, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and financial issues. The first trimester of “Entrepreneurial Economics” covers traditional principles of economic reasoning, scarcity, the production possibilities model, trade and comparative advantage, economic institutions, supply and demand, and the nature of economic models in the modern economy. Students also review TED Talks and begin their Red Paper Clip project, a bartering assignment used to develop additional presentation skills and to test their entrepreneurial mindset.

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The second trimester is experiential in nature and designed to introduce individuals to the entrepreneurial landscape. Students explore the fundamentals of accounting through a modified Monopoly game experience. Students utilize the Stanford Business School Lean Startup curriculum by Eric Ries and study several Harvard Business School cases, exploring the startup strategies and obstacles of Zappos, Uber, and Apple.

model canvas (BMC). Towards the end of the course, students present their ideas before a panel of local business executives who will give students feedback immediately following their presentations. Recently, Mr. David Becker, Mr. Peter Tsudis, Mr. Brian Duggan, Mr. Jimmy Amato, Ms. Margaret Weir, former Head of Senior School Dr. Jonathan Cassie, and Head of Middle School Dr. Shannon Mulholland have served as judges in the shark tank.

Before the third trimester, Mr. McGinn introduces the centerpiece of the course; students generate business plans that allow the exploration of design thinking, assessing opportunity, idea generation, market research, and building pro forma financial statements for their very own startup companies. Beginning as an EconomicsPensylvania statewide formal business plan competition, students now create projects based on the ABC television show Shark Tank, where budding entrepreneurs present their startups to a panel of self-made business tycoons, or sharks, in hopes of making a deal to back their initiatives.

A few of Mr. McGinn’s favorite startup ideas from the 2016-2017 class include Couture, an app and website that allows the customer to find clothes and accessories from various merchants according to their selected style and measurements; and Elroy, a clever name from The Jetsons, which is an on-campus delivery service that provides essentials such as toothpaste, soap, mouthwash, batteries, and shampoo within the hour.

To create their Shark Tank presentations, students develop a minimal viable product, develop traction for their startup (identifying a customer base), complete a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, and refine their business

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Lindsay Duffield ’16 is one of several students who truly embraced the entrepreneurial spirit of the class. Prior to taking “Entrepreneurial Economics,” Lindsay discovered a passion for taking care of children when she picked up her first babysitting job in Grade 6. Lindsay recalled, “Throughout my high school career, I was lucky enough to grasp a tremendous amount of families wanting me to babysit their children which

became hard to manage scheduling just on my iPhone calendar. My fellow classmate Megan Kyne ’16, who was not taking the course, and I started Sewickley Sitters outside of class together.”

and verified a qualified individual who patrons can trust with their children. The new Sewickley Sitters is working to create a system for customers to pay or tip sitters online, eliminating the need for cash or checks.

Lindsay and Megan decided to create a platform where families could see an array of qualified seniors or graduates in the Sewickley area who could help their children with specific activities like math or tennis, rather than simply babysitters like competitor Care.com offers. The students wrote biographies about each other and created a manageable scheduling system that included a personal email for families to inquire about babysitters and for the sitters to schedule their own bookings online.

When Lindsay registered for the course at Sewickley, she was the only girl in the class. “To some, it may have looked intimidating. For me, I loved it because the gender dynamic made me work harder; I wanted to show everyone that a successful business career isn’t limited to men,” she reflected. “Presenting and talking to people are my strong suits; marketing, digital design, and making things look appealing to the eye are personal hobbies, so I knew I was capable of doing well in my presentation and in the business world outside of my university.”

Lindsay’s capstone business concept presentation focused on Sewickley Sitters. Mr. McGinn’s presentation criteria required at least one student business partner, but he allowed Lindsay to be the only person to work alone because she had done business with many families and was already on her way to creating Sewickley Sitters. “My Shark Tank presentation ended up winning in my class. By that, I mean the “sharks” liked my presentation the best,” Lindsay explained. “Dr. Mulholland was one of the sharks along with Mr. Goleski. The panel’s only suggestion was that I broaden my demographic to expand outside the Sewickley area.” With “Entrepreneurial Economics” and one year of college under her belt, Lindsay plans to launch Sewickley Sitters this summer. Sewickley Sitters will be a place for families to see an online schedule that enables them to book which days and times they would like a sitter. Their request will automatically bump to a business email where the sitter can respond. The newly launched Sewickley Sitters will have biographies and cell phone numbers for every babysitter and tutor Lindsay has personally selected

Lindsay took this can-do attitude into Sewickley Sitters as well, offering equal representation for both genders within the business. “The new Sewickley Sitters will also have both male and female babysitters, acknowledging that if your children are boys, maybe they’d prefer having a high school boy babysit them to play sports, Legos, or the like,” Lindsay explained. “It makes for a better dynamic sometimes, so babysitters on the website are not limited to females.” Lindsay’s goal for Sewickley Sitter is to makes sure that families are getting the best experience possible. She credits a Sewickley Academy education as a large part in bringing her business to life. “’Entrepreneurial Economics influenced my career goals and future plans so much that I will be majoring in accounting or finance at Elon University. The class and Mr. McGinn taught me to be a strong, persistent business woman; skills that have helped me through my business, accounting, and economics courses at Elon and also when babysitting for families in Sewickley each day of the summer.”

Keston Crandall ’13 also shares Lindsay’s gratitude towards Mr. McGinn’s class. An innovator, Keston has the drive to create tools and systems that help make things more efficient and people’s lives easier. One of the first tools he developed was an application to automate restaurants and their ordering and inventory systems. Devices would be placed on dining tables for users to select menu items and orders would be sent directly to a kitchen; if the restaurant didn’t have the inventory required to make the item, it would not show up on the menu – a system Keston calls elastic inventory management. The application also had mobile ordering, geospatial routing and optimization for delivery, reservations, payments, check splitting, simple analytics, and server management with a help system. Although Keston’s application was not fully running during his time at Sewickley, he had the freedom to create some simple user interface mockups on iOS while a supportive SA faculty cheered him on and Mr. McGinn advised him on accounting matters. Matriculating to George Washington University’s School of Business, Keston put his application on the backburner but continued his entrepreneurial pursuits. “The [“Entrepreneurial Economics”] class helped prepare me for my economics and accounting classes; it helped with my general thought process, too.” Keston finished his undergraduate degree in 2017 and is currently pursuing two master’s degrees at George Washington – one in information systems technology and another in business analytics and data science.

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Prior to today’s modernized “Entrepreneurial Economics” class, Clayton Morris ’11 took economics during his junior year at the Academy, remembering the course’s heavy focus on entrepreneurship. “The largest project in the class was a business plan that we entered in a competition; my team won first in the state. Because of the victory and the fun I had producing a business plan, I continued to enter business plan competitions at Allegheny College where I refined many ideas and plans,” Clayton said. “In every contest, I created a new business plan ranging from social entrepreneurship and manufacturing businesses to service-based businesses and a kite surfing technology company, which has developed into Guzt Kites, my young startup which is patent pending on our first kite product.” Mr. McGinn’s class was the basis of Clayton’s economics understanding which carried him through his managerial economics degree at Allegheny and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. “Mr. McGinn’s class taught me the skills needed to organize and develop my business ideas into a communicable framework which I use on a daily basis as an asset manager at Sampson Morris Group and in my start up Guzt,” he reflected. “Without Mr. McGinn’s lessons, I would not have started the adventure I am on now.” Whether you took economics at the Academy today or 15 years ago, Mr. McGinn has tried to impart the values and skills necessary to be successful entrepreneurs – problem-solving, hard work, collaboration, the ability to network and develop key partnerships, and fiscal responsibility. “We have tried to have our students understand that they are in charge of their own earnings and money, and they need to be appropriately educated on how to invest and manage their money,” Mr. McGinn said. “Sewickley Academy offers our students the chance to pursue a tremendous variety of interests, and they consequently experience an amazing variety of approaches, methods, and experiences which are invaluable in creating excellent problem solving skills required of successful individuals.”

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Mr. McGinn has been a Senior School faculty member at Sewickley Academy for the past 16 years and previously coached boys soccer. He was named EconomicsPA Teacher of the Year in 2010. He and his wife Mary Lyn have two daughters, Lindsay and Chrissy ’12. For over 20 years, they have owned and operated Lin-Chris Properties, a real estate company – managing rental properties and redeveloping houses and condos in the Sewickley area.

Senior School chemistry teacher Tracy Wazenegger and her group celebrate their escape from one of the rooms at The Escape Game Austin.

CHEMISTRY TEACHER

EXPERIMENTS WITH LEARNING AT SXSWedu By: Tracy Wazenegger What do community space designs, professional development, inquiry-based school models, and escape rooms have in common? They were each a topic that I was able to explore at the South by Southwest Education (SXSWedu) conference this past spring. The SXSWedu conference is a bit different than other conferences I’ve attended – for starters, all of the programs are selected by staff, an advisory board, and prospective attendees via the PanelPicker which opens for voting the summer before the conference. Presenters share their ideas for case studies, debates, Future20 talks, playground hands-on programs, workshops, summits, and more. Attendees are then able to view the proposals and select those that are the most interesting to them. This was my first year attending the conference, and, due to timing, I was only able to be there for the first two and a half days. Here are some highlights: Hack-in-Action: Making Innovative Learning Spaces

Escape Boring Learning (Literally!)

During this two-hour workshop, attendees were presented with a toolkit to think about all spaces as learning spaces. We participated in small group collaborative challenges to redesign spaces that might be found on school campuses. My group worked to design a large lobby area into a multi-use learning and community space. Other groups worked on library spaces, classrooms, and even corridors!

My entire first day at SXSWedu was spent in a summit program focused on the use of escape rooms in education. Before we started our educational work, we all had the opportunity to escape from one of the brilliant rooms at The Escape Game Austin. After our thrilling escape, we individually, and then collaboratively, reflected and debriefed the experience with a tool provided by the presenters. During the debrief, we were asked to reflect on all of the skills and knowledge that we utilized to escape – communication, collaboration, content-knowledge, and more. With this framework in mind, our group split up to guide new attendees through the process of designing short escape challenges. Attendees of the conference were invited to play these shorter challenges that night, and we had the opportunity to practice the reflection and debrief with these players. This summit was by far the most invigorating, challenging, and thought-provoking I’ve attended. I certainly learned more about framing the skills and learning of escape rooms and other gamified instruction, but the entire program also provided a model for self-reflection and risk-taking.

Breakout EDU – It’s Time for Something Different This was a short Future20 program. One of the co-creators of the Breakout Box spent 20 minutes sharing the product and ideas with the audience. Breakout Boxes allow teachers to design nontraditional, hands-on learning activities for students and other faculty. Simply, a group has to solve a series of puzzles or clues to break into the box. Though I was already familiar with Breakout EDU and had already purchased a box for myself, the opportunity to connect with one of the co-creators was invaluable.

SXSWedu allowed me to learn and connect with other teachers and professionals interested in innovative educational ideas, theories, and practices. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend, and I look forward to continuing to share what I learned and gathered with my colleagues. SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

SUMMER 2017

Ken Goleski Celebrates 25 Years at Sewickley Academy

Claire B. Kendrick ’78, Ph.D. Joins the Board of Trustees

Ken Goleski joined Sewickley Academy as a Spanish teacher in 1992, and over the next 25 years Ken helped shaped the Senior School into the thriving academic environment it is today. “Ken has distinguished himself both in and out of the classroom as a brilliant teacher, a principled dean, a stalwart leader, and a defender of high standards for faculty, staff, and students alike,” Head of School Kolia O’Connor said in honor of Mr. Goleski’s milestone accomplishment. Mr. Goleski’s history of leadership certainly earns this praise, having served as the chair of the World Language Department, the co-director of Summer Programs, and acting Head of Senior School. Over his years at the Academy, he has guided the Honor Council, assisted with the establishment of the House system, and chaperoned overseas trips. He volunteered to lead the Academy’s Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) self-study this school year. Former Head of Senior School Bruce Houghtaling shared his admiration for Mr. Goleski’s ability to connect with the student body. “Ken has a unique relationship with students as they see him as a demanding Spanish teacher, disciplinarian, and mentor. Any student lucky enough to have taken one of his Spanish classes will attest to his knowledge and ability to challenge them to do better.” The respect that students hold for Mr. Goleski is apparent, from his influence as a Spanish teacher and as an advisor to students asking to take photos with him at prom. “It’s a measure of his success as an advisor that students consider themselves lucky to be in his group. He always wants them to do better in the classroom, on the athletic field, or to just be a better person,” Mr. Houghtaling said. Mr. Goleski has built strong relationships with fellow faculty members over the past 25 years. Former Head of Senior School Dr. Jon Cassie said, “I consider our working relationship the finest I’ve ever had in 20 years in independent schools. I don’t anticipate finding anyone in the next 20 who better models the values of instruction, innovation, creativity, and thoughtful, principled, student-centered leadership.” Sewickley Academy would like to congratulate Mr. Goleski on 25 years of outstanding teaching and leadership. The contributions you have made to this school are unforgettable – thank you! 32

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Claire Kendrick is managing director of alternative investments and research at Mill Creek Capital Advisors, LLC (MCCA), a Philadelphia-area investment firm which manages $5.0 billion on behalf of high net worth families, endowments and foundations, and corporate pension plans. Dr. Kendrick is responsible for the firm’s private equity investment programs and is a member of Mill Creek’s investment committee. Prior to joining MCCA, she was managing director of Z Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm, where she was a member of the investment team and head of macro-economic research. She was previously principal at Hirtle, Callaghan & Co. (2000-2010), where she was director of private equity investment and portfolio manager with $1 billion under management. Dr. Kendrick’s earlier career as a securities analyst included roles as senior vice president and director of corporate bond research for Prudential Securities (1997-2000) and vice president at Lehman Brothers (1996-1997) and at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (1992-1996). Dr. Kendrick received a Doctor of Philosophy in Mineral Economics from the Pennsylvania State University and received dual A.B. degrees in geology and economics from Wellesley College. She is a graduate of Sewickley Academy and was thrilled to move back to Sewickley with her husband, David Stanton, and their two sons, Grade 5 student Eli and Grade 3 student Simon. She is currently serving on the Finance Committee on the Board of Trustees.

Welcome, Claire!

THIS IS AN

INVITATION TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING

BIG!

ur students have big dreams. Our teachers have big ideas. YOU can be a big part of their success. Every Annual Fund gift provides the resources that make Sewickley Academy a place where students and teachers can grow and succeed together. Your Annual Fund gift makes it possible for BIG things to happen at Sewickley Academy.

Give today at sewickley.org/givenow

Sculley Sabbatical Takes Physical Education Teacher

Bird Watching

in Panama

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SUMMER 2017

By: Lori Yost In my 31st year of teaching physical education at Sewickley Academy, one of the things I have come to appreciate the most is a culture that supports everyone as we continue to learn and discover new interests. Photography and bird watching have become a passion for me in the last three years. This spring, I was fortunate to be able to travel to one of the top birding locations in the world, the rainforest of Panama. Canopy Family, which operates four resorts, has been Panama’s leader in birding and natural history ecotourism since 1999. Their mission is to share the nature, history, and culture of the Republic of Panama focused on the principles of conservation and social responsibility. This trip was made possible by the Sculley Sabbatical. Early in my career, I was fortunate to teach both of the Sculley children, D. ‘93 and Heather (Kahrl ‘89) Reedy. I remember the family’s love of travel and art. Mrs. Paula Sculley, a pioneer for conservation in the Sewickley area, passed away in February 2017. This trip and photographic story is dedicated in her memory. I was encouraged by the thought that she would have been pleased by this use of the sabbatical. On March 12, I set off on the journey, accompanied by Sewickley Academy faculty members Julia Tebbets and Sarah Lyon. For eight days, we met and learned from the Panamanians living in the rainforest. We learned more about their culture and traditions, experienced their food, and had the opportunity to see the beauty and uniqueness of their country up close. Our eight-hour trip took us from 15 degree weather at the Pittsburgh International Airport to 93 degrees at the Tocuman Airport in Panama City. We were greeted by a Canopy Family staff member who drove us to the Canopy Tower, the first of two locations that served as bases for our excursions. The Tower is not just an ordinary hotel. It is a repurposed U.S. Air Force radar installation that has been turned into a famous and unique birdwatching site. Essentially a large tin can, the tower is not the best place to sleep, especially when the howler monkeys wake up and get going at 4:30 every morning, but that is part of the experience. Their call is similar to the soundtrack of Jurassic Park, just what you would expect of dinosaurs! Transportation to local birding sites is by a truck with an open bed fitted with benches, known as the “Birdmobile.” It is without a doubt the least safe vehicle I have ever ridden in but certainly makes bird observation more convenient. It also allowed us to have what we called “the rainforest experience,” – we got soaked in a rainstorm so much so that water squished out of our shoes when we walked. Like the howler monkeys, you haven’t really been bird-watching in Panama if you haven’t had the rainforest experience! The hotel has the feel of a summer camp with family-style dining tables and common bathrooms. The owner’s sister, who runs fine-dining establishments in Panama City, developed the menu. The delicious meals are prepared from scratch, and we were amazed to discover the number of different and truly appetizing ways that plantains can be prepared. Fried, braised, mashed or baked; savory, sweet, or salty-sweet with cheese on top, we could not get enough!

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Sewickley Academy faculty members Lori Yost, Sarah Lyon, and Julia Tebbets pose for a picture with guide Michael in Panama.

The top of the tower is an observation deck at canopy-level where we could see the birds as well as sloths, tamarins, and monkeys at eye level. My favorite birds at the observation deck were the keel-billed toucans which make an unmistakable sound like that of croaking frogs. Our last day at the tower, we witnessed and videoed the courtship dance of a pair of toucans! The Panama Canal is close by and also easy to see from that height. We were fascinated to learn that a large cargo or cruise ship may pay $500,000 for a single trip to the other side, even though the average toll is typically a mere $150,000! Our guides Jen and Michael were nothing less than supernatural. They would whistle the call of one of the 617 species that can be found in Panama, and sure enough that bird would appear. The Birdmobile drove us deep into the not-verywell-maintained Pipeline Road, constructed during World War II to service a pipeline that was established, but never used, to transport oil in case the Canal was bombed. We went there to see the rare and hard-to-find common and great potoo, both very difficult to detect with their remarkable camouflage. Other areas we visited included Gamboa, Rio Chagres, Semaphore Hill Road, Summit Ponds, Bamboa Rainforest Marina, Plantation Road, and Parque Municipal Summit where a harpy eagle named Panama is housed. The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama, but they are so rare that most Panamanians have not had a chance to see one in the wild. Panama the eagle was born in captivity in Miami, Florida, and therefore does not mind all the attention from people coming to see her. We were also among the first visitors to see a rare, large-billed tern on the Chagres River. This beautiful tern has a strikingly long, yellow bill and is usually found in the freshwater rivers and lakes of South America. 36

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After five nights at the Canopy Tower, we took a two-hour van ride to the Canopy Lodge in El Valle De Anton. The countryside varied from the lush green rainforest through busy city areas, arriving in the cloud forest. This is a drier and cooler part of Panama with different species of birds to be discovered. The Lodge is located about 100 yards from the road down a lush gravel pathway. This property has more of a luxury hotel feel, with a large covered patio set up as a library, lounge, dining room, and bird observation area. They put a lot of bananas out on platforms to attract the birds. There is a natural stream running through the property just past the patio, making it an idyllic location. At 4:30 a.m., what wakes up and gets going there is not howler monkeys but large numbers of tree frogs and wild roosters! Wearing earplugs with noise-canceling headphones on top helped but was not too comfortable. Good thing we didn’t take this trip for the purpose of rest and relaxation! When we weren’t watching the many species on the feeders, our quest for birds took us to the Canopy Adventure and El Macho Waterfalls, Las Minas, Cara Iguana, and El Valle De Anton. We walked an hour and a half in each direction to see rare and endangered birds in the cloud forest. Our favorite was the wedge-tailed grass finch, which appeared when guide Tino, proud to have mastered its call after months of practice, drew it out to a tall reed. It clung fast to its perch, singing loudly as we were all buffeted by wind which blew the bird in and out of view in the scope. Tino also called a mixed flock of beautiful birds by imitating the checker-throated antwren. He called that bird “the leader of the forest” because others come when they hear its call.

The keel-billed toucan, one of Lori’s favorite birds, is easily seen from the observation deck at the Canopy Tower.

The Canopy Tower is a repurposed U.S. Air Force radar installation that now serves as a unique bird-watching site and hotel.

When the guide who makes a living finding birds every day gets excited about a bird, you know that you need to get excited, too! This happened when Tino suddenly and briefly located a very rare black guan, a plain, black bird with a distinctive red eye. That evening at dinner, the other guides congratulated him on his find. The whole party was moved by his concern that we had discovered a large real-estate billboard at the base of the trail where the grass finch and guan were spotted. It advertised many hectares of forest and farmland available for development. Several guides spoke of plans to create presentations to educate the community about the local wildlife and motivate conservation efforts. We shared with them the best photos and videos from the trip to provide material for this effort. After sorting through more than 7,000 pictures, and recording all the birds in an app called E-bird, the total count was 251 species. Two hundred and seven of these were “life birds” which I had never seen before. My life list grand total in three years of bird watching now comes to 485! During the trip, Ms. Tebbets used the Academy’s searchable curriculum mapping database to identify pictures that could be used by other teachers to strengthen units in the curriculum. We used the photographs and videos to make presentations to aid in teaching about seed dispersal, camouflage, bats, and adaptations in the bird family. We even brought back some materials for Spanish classes.

The red-lored amazon or red-lored parrot is a species of amazon parrot, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from eastern Mexico south to Ecuador.

I would like to thank the Sculley family for this amazing opportunity to further explore new interests! 37

By: Patti Coyne Stine The Academy’s 30th Annual Auction “That’s Amore!” was held at Allegheny Country Club on April 22, 2017. Auction chairs Rachel Allen, Marne Busatto, Melissa Marks, and Jenna Stevenson kicked off the evening with a “Bellini” toast in honor of those present for their support and generosity for this important fundraiser. Senior School student volunteers included freshmen Chris Martian, Will Stevenson, Luke Tyson, Nick Valenta, and Joe Wyche and senior Sam Sauter, who assisted with everything from helping bidders locate items to selling raffle tickets and organizing and sorting items post-auction.

Fund-A-Need Breakdown:

The Red Room was bursting with an array of silent auction items including exclusive trips, beautiful student artwork, autographed sports memorabilia, jewelry from Orr’s Jewelers, and so much more! During the Live Auction there were fabulous prizes up for bid, such as stays in private homes in Aspen and Snowmass, Colorado, a long weekend at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida, a barge trip down our rivers with parent Brad Busatto ’88, Head of School for the day, Lady Gaga tickets, a SA Means Alumni repurposed gym floor coffee table, and so much more! There were also Fund-A-Need items that enabled guests to make a direct monetary donation to support: Summerbridge Pittsburgh; the Safety and Security department; a new Health and Wellness Center; and iPads for digital art to be utilized by Middle and Senior School students.

This year’s event was a wonderful way to bring the Sewickley Academy community together with parents, alumni, and grandparents in attendance showing their support and pride for the Academy. This year’s Auction raised more than $329,750 thanks to the contributions of our donors, sponsors, advertisers, and bidders!

During the cocktail hour, guests were able to catch up with old friends or meet new Academy families. Socializing while bidding was easy with the use of smartphones. Those folks unable to attend the event were bidding from afar as the Text2Bid utility was opened to all families, local alumni, grandparents, and friends of the Academy. More than $18,000 was raised before the event officially began! As guests entered the ballroom, saw a room decorated in festive Italian flair with tables adorned in red and white checked cloths, a fantastic menu including Italian appetizers, fine wines, a wonderful chicken roulade with scampi shrimp, and a lovely tiramisu trifle for dessert. Each guest received a bottle of specialty vinegar or olive oil from Two Rivers Olive Oil Company as a favor.

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• Summerbridge Pittsburgh - $76,900 • New Health and Wellness Center - $7,450 • New iPads for Digital Art Classes - $6,900 • Safety and Security - $20,500

This special and important event could not have been successful without each company or individual contributor’s financial support or donation of time and talent. Thank you all!

The 30th Annual Auction Chairs: Melissa Marks, Jenna Stevenson, Marne Busatto, and Rachel Allen. Festive Italian flair and food is part of the “That’s Amore” theme. Vince and Susan Silvaggio peruse the Orr’s Jewelers table. Alison Sanford, Ridgely Quigley, and Amy Thimons are all smiles during the live auction portion of the evening.

Ted Stevenson ‘78 and Dan Scioscia ‘83 reminisce about their days at the Academy over drinks.

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FLAT PANTHER

SNIP IT, SNAP IT, & SUBMIT IT Cut out Flat Panther and take him along with you as you travel around the globe, taking pictures of you as you go to show your Sewickley Academy pride. Submit your pictures via email to Alumni Relations at alumni@sewickley.org. Follow the Panther as he travels around with alumni, students, parents, and friends of the Academy on the Alumni Facebook page.

Sewickley Academy Welcomes New Hires! Ryan Baxter

Director of Support Services

Ryan arrives at Sewickley Academy with a wealth of leadership and support service experience. He has worked as an instructional coach, helping teachers maximize their effectiveness in working with their students, particularly in the use of technology in the classroom. He also served as the founding assistant principal at a brand new small high school in Brooklyn, New York, supporting faculty and students in teaching and learning and in developing dynamic and hands-on ways for students to engage in their learning, including project-based learning. Ryan brings to his work a wonderfully creative background, including work as an independent film producer of a film that was screened at Sundance! Ryan has a B.A. in Film Production and Screenwriting from The New School (New York City), an M.A. in teaching English Language Learners from Fordham (NYC), and an M.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The College of Saint Rose (Albany, NY). He is excited to be taking on the leadership of our Department of Support Services where he looks forward to engaging with students and teachers alike to promote the best practices in teaching and learning.

Kaitlin Long

Assistant Director of College Guidance

Kaitlin “Kait” comes to us from Oakland Catholic High School, where she served as the director of college counseling. Her prior experience includes working as a college counselor at Shady Side Academy, serving as an internship coordinator at Boston University, and working with the Career Center at Boston College as a graduate assistant. Kait began her career as an English teacher right here in Sewickley with the Quaker Valley School District. Having studied English at the University of Pittsburgh and earned her B.S. in Secondary Education at Slippery Rock University, Summa Cum Laude, Kait also earned a M.A. in Higher Education Administration at Boston College. She comes to us with nine years of experience and is excited to be working with the Director of College Guidance Andrea Satariano, whom she knows well through their professional associations. They will make a dynamic duo!

Andrew McMillen Director of Admission

Andrew arrived in July to take the helm of the Admission Office. He comes to us from his position as associate director of undergraduate admissions at Allegheny College, where he successfully worked with his team to achieve all their enrollment goals. Previously, Andrew was the associate director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper MBA Online-Hybrid where he supported faculty in their transition from on-ground to on-line teaching. He began his career at CMU as an assistant director of admission. Andrew earned his B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his M.Ed. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pittsburgh. Andrew is a native of western Pennsylvania and knows the landscape well, which will be an asset as he leads the work of our Admission Office.

Carrie Miller

Executive Director of Summerbridge Pittsburgh

Carrie joins Sewickley Academy as the Executive Director of our Summerbridge program. She comes to us having been the principal at Propel Homestead, a position to which she was promoted from assistant principal. She began her career at Propel Schools as a teacher. Having engaged in all aspects of the operations of a K–8 school, Carrie has the perfect blend of teaching and administrative experience she needs to ensure the ongoing success of Summerbridge. Carrie earned her B.A. in General Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her M.A.T. in Elementary Education from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, she has her M.S. in Education Administration from Duquesne University.

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Class of 2017 Facts & Stats

96%

67 GRADUATES

were admitted to one of their top choice colleges

They were offered more than $5.2 million in merit scholarships

19 40%

Global Studies Certificate Awardees

were admitted to a college or university with an acceptance rate lower than 25%*

*Less than 2% of the colleges in the country have acceptance rates in this range.

82%

will venture out of state for college

They were admitted to 135 colleges and universities

15%

of the class was recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program: 5 commended students; 7 semifinalists; 5 finalists; and 3 National Merit Scholarship winners

6,128 hours spent engaged in community service

The Class of 2017 Graduates in Style in the New Events Center and Means Alumni Gym By: Brittnea Turner

Dr. Christopher Howard, President of Robert Morris University, addresses the Class of 2017. He challenged the graduates with three points - be yourself, be humble, and be courageous.

On Thursday, June 8, 2017, approximately 750 family members and friends, along with administrators, faculty, and staff, gathered in the Events Center and Means Alumni Gym for the first time in Academy history to celebrate the Class of 2017. The festivities began in the Robinson Dining Room in the Lower School with a light reception for seniors, giving them one last chance to socialize as a class. In keeping with tradition, the Class of 2017 gathered on the steps of the Lower School to have their photo taken which will be hung along with the other traditional class pictures in the Senior School. “Lifers,” students who have attended SA since Pre-K, Kindergarten, or Grade 1, had the chance to pose for a picture, followed by seniors with parents who are alumni. The ceremony began promptly at 6:00 p.m. as Academy faculty donned their academic robes and members of the Board of Trustees processed from the rear entrances of the Events Center. The Class of 2017 followed, dressed stylishly with the majority of girls in long, white gowns from classic lace to trendy one-shoulder creations, and the boys sporting navy blazers and official SA ties. The graduates walked down black carpet to the newly constructed platform with white fabric draped from ceiling to stage lit in soft blue hues. Head of School Kolia O’Connor welcomed the crowd to the momentous occasion, Student Council President Ryan Brown led the Pledge of Allegiance salute, and Senior Class President Millen Schuchert gave the student address. He shared a few of the many lessons he learned at SA. “The first one,” he said, “is always embrace your embarrassing moments.” He recalled not showering for three days after

crawling around in caves, running around, and sweating while on the Grade 6 trip to Laurel Caverns. Millen continued, “Another lesson, and probably the most important one, is to choose your battles.” A musician at heart, Millen rapped the conclusion of his speech, “No matter where we are going it’s important to do what we like whether it’s playing music, hanging with friends, or going on a hike. I will tell you that it’s important to let your mind go and keep consuming all the ideas and beliefs you need to keep business booming. So whenever we go out to college make sure to step out of your comfort zone because discomfort alone can be an essential way in becoming grown or well known. So I ask all of you to always ask yourself what is there next to do? We are the Class of 2017. We the best. Thank you!” Mr. O’Connor, accompanied by Chair of the Board of Trustees Amy (Simmons ‘80) Sebastian, Senior School chemistry teacher Dr. Susan Zawacky, and founding Head of Senior School Mr. James “Jim” Cavalier, recognized students with special awards, including the Faculty Award, the Head of School’s Award, the Academy Award, and the Cavalier Cup. Following the recognition of achievements, Mr. O’Connor introduced the keynote speaker, President of Robert Morris University Dr. Christopher Howard. Dr. Howard jokingly began his speech by shouting out, “Let’s go Pens!” as it was a hockey night in Pittsburgh and the Pens were playing in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Dr. Howard spoke to the soon-to-be graduates and the rest of the audience, sharing personal stories interwoven with three challenging points for the class to remember — be yourself, be humble, and be courageous.

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Graduation Awards

The Faculty Award is given to the graduating student who has consistently displayed, with a cheerful and mature attitude, unselfish service to the entire school community and a sincere concern for others. Awardee: Katherine “Katie” Malus The Head of School’s Award is given to a member of the senior class whose service and accomplishments in academic, athletic, and/or extracurricular activities has made a significant contribution to the life of the school and who best exemplifies the ideals and spirit of Sewickley Academy. Awardee: Lakshmi Amin

Given by the Board of Trustees, the Academy Award is presented at graduation to a deserving student who displays the distinguishing qualities of moral goodness, perseverance, and dedication to the Academy, and who, above all, is sincere in his or her academic pursuits. Awardee: Mia Krohn The Cavalier Cup was presented by Mr. Cavalier, Head of the Senior School from 1963 to 1989, to awardee: Tessa Lisanti. The cup was given in June 1966 in honor of and to commemorate the graduation of the first senior class. This trophy was designated first to Mr. Cavalier for his leadership, guidance, and inspiration and is awarded each year to that boy or girl in the senior class who in the estimation of the faculty has achieved a record of combined excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, and citizenship, thereby bringing credit to the Academy and distinguishing himself or herself as the best all-around graduate. Awardee: Tessa Lisanti

3 1. Sheraj Singh, Neil Rana, and Jason Li are all smiles after receiving their diplomas. 2. Ciara Donohue, Julia Nash, Shannon Donnelly, and Natalia Juliano toss their nosegays into the air in celebration. 3. (Standing) Griffin Mackey, Sheraj Singh, Blake Powell, (sitting) Neil Rana, Millen Schuchert, Leo Harper, and Lucas Lang sport their traditional Sewickley Academy ties for the graduation ceremony.

“As you go off into your lives people will hang this ‘L’ word around your necks, because you came out from a place like this, you’re a leader. You’re a leader. We want you to be a leader,” he said. “Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, leadership is really, really, really hard. If you’re not willing to have a molecule of physical, emotional, and moral courage you will fail. You will have failed us [the school/faculty], and you will have failed them [the audience of family members and friends]. But I know you’re up to it. I know what kind of school this is. I know where you come from. But understand, be courageous, be willing to do the right thing, as my mentor tells me all the time, ‘Choose the harder right.’ Say the right thing, stand up for the less fortunate, and follow a moral code to be courageous.” Head of Senior School Dr. Peter Lau took to the podium to announce the names of graduates one by one as Mr. O’Connor, Mrs. Sebastian, and several parents who serve as administrators, faculty, or Board members, presented the Class of 2017 with their diplomas. 4

7 4. Sewickley Academy’s lifers (those who started at SA in either Pre-K, K, or Grade 1) pose on the iconic steps of the Lower School. 5. Jane Weber and her mother celebrate the momentous occasion. 6. Founding Head of Senior School Jim Cavalier congratulates Chandler White after the ceremony. 7. Friends forever: Ilze Smidt, Connor Garvey, Mia Krohn, Katie Malus, Lakshmi Amin, Tessa Lisanti, Emine Ayman, Isabel Joseph, Natalia Juliano, and Priya Rajawat pose for a photo in the Events Center after receiving their diplomas.

Singers from the graduating class took the stage one last time to sing Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There.” Mr. O’Connor shared parting words of wisdom to the group of young adults. He spoke about staying true to one’s beliefs, no matter the trials or tribulations. “It has been said that ‘if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything,’ and I think it is important to have the courage of your convictions. Even so, it is important to be willing to listen to views with which you may disagree,” he said. “Committing to respecting divergent yet informed opinions demands such a rigorous process. It is the process by which you will continue to develop your view of the world and your place in it, to determine what is important and what is worth standing up for.” Mr. O’Connor continued, “Being able to differentiate between facts and opinions is the first step in this process. I hope that the foundation you have received here at Sewickley Academy has equipped you well to be able to make these distinctions. This skill will continue to be of utmost importance as you develop your own world-view and will allow you to determine what you are willing to negotiate and what is non-negotiable for you.” Mr. O’Connor thanked the group of remarkable students for their enormous and positive impact on the Academy before the graduates recessed from the platform to the Senior School orchestra playing “War March of the Priests” by Felix Mendelssohn.

Congratulations and be yourself, be humble, and be courageous Class of 2017! SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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Coach Palmer Named

2017 COACH OF THE YEAR By: Kaitlin Busch

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Athletic Director Win Palmer and Assistant Athletic Director Heather Border work together in the office and on the field with the girls softball team.

Win accepts a plaque commemorating his 600th win from Head of School Kolia O’Connor.

Athletic Director and head coach of three different sports Win Palmer was named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PG) Coach of the Year on Friday, April 14, 2017. He was also named the state’s Class 2A Coach of the Year by a group of Pennsylvania sports writers.

philosophy requires that coaches play a vital role in developing children physically, socially, intellectually, and emotionally to help prepare them for future life. We have an incredible support staff in Assistant Athletic Director Heather Border, Athletic Trainer Suzi Peluso, Mental Training and Peak Performance Consultant Dr. Aimee Kimball, and Director of Strength and Conditioning Ivan White who provide so many essential needs for our students, coaches, and parents. We want our students and teams to learn how to compete with grace and humility while working hard to obtain success.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the PG’s Coach of the Year award. As someone for whom it is about the team, I accept an individual award like this on behalf of all of the players, coaches, parents, and members of our school community who have contributed to our successes,” Win said of the honor. Coach Palmer’s success throughout the 2016-2017 school year – and during his 36 years of coaching – is remarkable. He won three section titles as the head coach of the Academy’s boys golf, boys basketball, and girls softball teams. Coach Palmer led the boys golf team to a WPIAL title in the fall, and, over the winter, led the varsity boys basketball team to a 25-4 record, which included the Panthers’ fourth WPIAL title and third PIAA title for the Academy. Coach Palmer also won his 600th basketball game this past January. To top it off, the girls softball team claimed the section championship for the second time in the program’s 10-year existence. “The successes in all three sports, whether they be section, WPIAL, or PIAA Championships, are points of reference to character, sportsmanship, skills, commitment, preparation, leadership, and team play that you aspire for each team to develop,” Win said. “Just as our multi-sport athletes transition quickly from one sport to the next, I enjoy the fresh challenges of meeting both individual and team needs for a new group of athletes and relish the opportunities to work with both girls and boys teams.” Win credits his success throughout his career to his understanding of the importance of the relationship between student, parent, and coach. “It is essential to treat people with respect and to earn their trust through reliability, honest dialogue and feedback, along with an insatiable hunger to get better,” he explained. “We strive to have the best possible coaching staff for each sport so that our students can learn how to compete within a sport education philosophy. This

The medals, trophies, and plaques will always be on display at the Academy but will never be as shiny as the day they were earned. Memories, however, do not dull. Win acknowledges that success is a state of mind, reflecting on former UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden’s words: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Win said, “The medals eventually become tarnished, but the lessons learned along the journey combined with the memories of fun and notable interactions with friends, teammates, and coaches will last a lifetime.” The Academy is as strong in athletics as it is in academics and the arts thanks, in part, to coach Palmer. Student athletes show their belief, spirit, and high energy through their individual and collective pursuit of excellence in the classroom and on the court, field, or track. “Our students and teams enjoy the pressure of competition, and oftentimes, play their best when the most is on the line,” Win said. Every championship celebration, although exciting, also tends to be bittersweet, as the winning game, match, or meet, marks the final competition for the team. “Every graduation, I become nostalgic as I observe seniors who have meant so much to our program progress through commencement. I think to myself that we won’t be able to replace them, and how can we be successful next year,” Win shared. “And then, in the fall our new group of seniors finds a way to rise to the challenge and off we go for another exhilarating journey through three wonderful seasons.”

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Winter & Spring Sports Wrap Up By: Win Palmer

BOYS BASKETBALL

BOYS TENNIS

Led by senior captains Chris Groetsch, Declan Hickton, Teddy McClain, and Justin Pryor, the varsity boys basketball team finished 25-4. The team captured the WPIAL Championship by defeating OLSH 71-60, and defeated Philadelphia Constitution 68-63 in overtime to win the PIAA Championship! In the PIAA Championship game, freshmen Isaiah Smith and Isiah Warfield, sophomore Nate Ridgeway, and junior Dave Groetsch in addition to the captains all made critical plays as the Panthers rallied from a six-point deficit late in the game. Chris and Justin recorded their 1,000th point during the season, and nine seniors contributed throughout the season as a record three players earned All-State honors – Chris, Justin, and Nate.

The varsity tennis team captured its 14th consecutive WPIAL Championship and second consecutive PIAA Championship with an undefeated record! Led by senior captains Ryan Gex, Neil Rana, Luke Ross, and Sam Sauter, the Panthers defeated Moravian Academy in the quarterfinals, Wyomissing in the semifinals, and Lancaster Country Day in the finals. Luke became the first WPIAL boys tennis player to repeat as State Singles Champion since 1963. Ryan became the first four-time WPIAL Doubles Champion, and Ryan and partner Neil captured the PIAA Doubles Championship! Sam qualified for the PIAA Singles Tournament, and junior Nishant Purewal and freshman Arjan Bedi finished third in the PIAA Doubles Tournament.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

GIRLS LACROSSE

The varsity girls basketball team returned to the WPIAL playoffs with a record of 4-6 in the section and 11-14 overall. Despite having no seniors on the team, the Panthers captured the first playoff victory in a number of years by defeating Jefferson Morgan 43-29, led by junior Olivia Ryder and sophomores Theresa Wilson and Kendall Lightcap. SA was defeated in the quarterfinals by the eventual WPIAL Champion Winchester Thurston which advanced the Panthers to the PIAA Playoffs where SA was defeated by North Clarion. Olivia earned All-Section honors.

The varsity girls lacrosse team finished the season with a record of 6-6 in section play and 6-9 overall, finishing third in the section and reaching the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in four years. Through the determined play of our eight seniors and underclassmen, SA won four of the last five section games to rally for that berth. In the playoffs, the Panthers were defeated by Upper St. Clair in a close game. The Panthers were led by senior captains Grace Guerin, Mary Jones, and Natalie Wei. Grace and sophomore Sydney Larsen earned All-Section honors.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

BOYS LACROSSE

The varsity girls swimming and diving team completed an undefeated regular season with a 10-0 record, winning their first section championship ever! The 200 freestyle relay team featuring freshman Alyse Ray captured the gold medal at the WPIAL Championships. The varsity boys swimming and diving team completed an undefeated regular season with a 10-0 record for a fourth consecutive section championship and a third consecutive WPIAL Championship! Led by senior Neil Rana, the cooperative team with Quaker Valley finished another excellent season in the PIAA Championships.

The varsity boys lacrosse team finished the season 2-4 in section play and 5-10 overall. The Panthers earned a berth in the WPIAL Playoffs and were defeated by Peters Township in the first round. SA was led by senior captains Ian Diehl, Teddy McClain, and Ben Mulholland. Teddy and Ben earned All-Section honors and were also named to the All-WPIAL Team. Ben earned All-American status through U.S. Lacrosse.

ICE HOCKEY The varsity ice hockey team advanced to the PIHL playoffs for the first time in a number of years, finishing league play with a 9-9 record and an overall record of 13-12. Led by senior captains Ryan Gex and Joey Straka, the team finished the season winning seven of the last 11 games to make a run into the playoffs. The Panthers defeated Bishop McCort in the first round of the playoffs 4-1. Junior Michael Hertzberg scored two goals, Ryan and Joey each scored a goal, while junior Cole Luther played well in goal. SA was defeated by Indiana in the quarterfinals 6-2 despite goals by Michael and sophomore Matt Hajdukiewicz.

TRACK AND FIELD Senior captains Ben Clouse, Tim Hanlon, Leo Harper, and Griffin Mackey paced the track and field team to another memorable season. For the first time, a quartet of runners – seniors Ben, Leo, and Griffin, and sophomore Henry Meakem – advanced to the PIAA Championships in the 4 x 800 relay. Griffin capped an outstanding career with the 3200 meter run in the PIAA Championships.

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SOFTBALL The varsity softball team earned a berth in the WPIAL playoffs for the sixth consecutive year by finishing 11-1 in the section and 13-3 overall to capture the section championship! The Panthers earned a bye to the quarterfinals and were defeated by Monessen. SA was led by senior captains Mary Saieed and Chandler White. Freshman Alexis Barlock pitched every game for the Panthers.

BASEBALL The varsity baseball team earned a berth in the WPIAL playoffs for the fifth consecutive year by finishing second in the section with a 9-3 record and 11-6 overall. In the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, SA defeated Springdale 12-2 as every starter had either a base hit or an RBI. Joey Straka earned the victory on the mound. The Panthers were defeated by Jefferson Morgan in the quarterfinals 7-6 despite a late rally from a 7-1 deficit. SA was led by senior captains Derek Littlefield and Joey.

Junior Olivia Ryder celebrates a win on the Panthers home court. The varsity ice hockey team advances to the PIHL playoffs, finishing the season 13-12. Senior Derrick Littlefield prepares to defend home plate for the Panthers varsity baseball team. Members of the varsity girls lacrosse team race for the ball. The team finished third in the section and reached the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in four years. Members of the varsity girls softball team gear up for the competition with an on-field ritual.

Go Panthers! 49

ADDITIONAL NINE ATHLETES

SIGN WITH PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES

Seniors Chris Groetsch, Jason Li, Sam Sauter, Mia Tsudis, Teddy McClain, Derrick Littlefield, Declan Hickton, Chandler White, and Just Pryor celebrate signing with their college of choice in front of the Athletic Hall of Fame in the new Events Center.

Declan Hickton

Jason Li

Rochester’s reputation attracted Declan to the college, his mother’s alma mater. “It was not on my list of schools at the start, but the golf coach called me last summer and asked me to come up for a visit. I really liked the coach and campus,” he said. “My top priority from day one was to get a good education, and to be able to achieve that while also following my passion for golf is really special.”

Jason chose to attend Carnegie Mellon University so he could further his education at a school that is known for its excellent academics while also making an impact on its golf team. “As an added bonus, I’ll be close to home and close to my swing instructor, Eric Johnson, so if I need a lesson from Eric, I’m not too far away,” he said. “Being able to continue golf through college is exciting, as I get to continue something I have always loved to do.”

“Declan is a natural leader who made his teammates better through his substantial drive and determination in golf, basketball, and baseball,” coach Palmer said. “Having already captured four WPIAL Championships and one PIAA Championship as a golfer, the opportunity to focus solely on his golf game will move his game to another level. Once a teammate with his older brother Keenan ’14, he will now battle with him on the golf course as Rochester and Emory are members of the University Athletic Association (UAA).”

Jason will major in business.

Delcan will major in engineering.

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“Jason became the first individual student to capture a State Championship his sophomore year when he captured the PIAA Golf Championship. The next year, he helped lead the team to a team PIAA Championship,” coach Palmer said of Jason’s accomplishments. “His focus, passion, and drive are a great fit for the Carnegie Mellon golf program.”

SUMMER 2017

By: Kaitlin Busch Nine Sewickley Academy seniors committed to play sports in college for the 2017-2018 season. The Academy hosted its second Athletic College Signing Ceremony of the year for seniors Chris Groestch, Declan Hickton, Jason Li, Derrick Littlefield, Teddy McClain, Justin Pryor, Sam Sauter, Mia Tsudis, and Chandler White on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. All athletes signed a letter of intent, accompanied by his or her parents and coach, in front of the Hall of Fame in the Events Center. Chris will play basketball for Johns Hopkins University; Declan will play golf for the University of Rochester; Jason will play golf for Carnegie Mellon University; Derrick will play baseball for Marion Military Institute; Teddy will play lacrosse for Franklin and Marshall College; Justin will play basketball for The Catholic University of America; Sam will play tennis for Saint Joseph’s University; Mia will row for Georgetown University; and Chandler will play softball for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Chris Groetsch Johns Hopkins felt like a natural fit for Chris, as it presented him the best opportunity to purse both his academic and athletic interests. “When I found out I had been accepted, I was tremendously happy,” he said. “It had always been a goal of mine to play basketball in college, and to realize my dream was finally becoming a reality is an amazing feeling.” “Chris has an incredible work ethic that has elevated not only his play but his teammates as well to help lead his team to WPIAL and PIAA Championships,” coach Win Palmer said. “His persistence and desire to excel will serve him well at Johns Hopkins where the All-State basketball player will compete for playing time in the traditionally strong program.” Chris will major in neuroscience and minor in economics.

Derrick Littlefield

Teddy McClain

Derrick’s goal was to go to a military academy, so Marion Military Institute felt like the perfect fit, giving him an extra year of preparation as well as the opportunity to play baseball. “I am excited that I am able to continue to make an impact on the sport that I love at Marion,” he said.

Franklin and Marshall was an easy choice for Teddy, as it felt like home. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” he said. “I had known that I wanted to play lacrosse in college since at least Grade 4, so when I finally was able to, it was such a relief knowing that I accomplished one of my life goals. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Biology teacher and baseball coach Dr. Ron Kinser speaks highly of Derrick, noting that he is a gifted athlete with excellent speed, agility, and strength. “His skill set behind the plate is a great help to the defense as he is a great blocker and is not afraid to throw down and pick off a runner,” Dr. Kinser said. “Marion will be a great fit for Derrick as it will provide the structure, education, and skill set he will need to serve our country in the Navy or Merchant Marines. The Marion baseball team will benefit from Derrick’s wealth of knowledge and genuine love for the game.”

Lacrosse coach Tim Hastings ’77 said Teddy is an excellent defenseman who always lays it all on the field. “What defines Teddy as a defenseman is his footwork, stickwork, takeaway checks, knack to get groundballs in tight situations, leadership, and incredible heart and hustle,” coach Hastings said. “I look forward to watching him play next season at Franklin and Marshall.” Teddy plans to major in a pre-med subject, most likely biology.

Derrick will take courses in general studies at Marion. If he goes to the Merchant Marine Academy post-Marion, he wants to major in nautical engineering. SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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Justin Pryor

Sam Sauter

Justin describes Catholic University as a “great school in a great city.” With hopes to pursue business management or economics, Justin believes he will benefit from the brand new business school and Catholic’s growing business program, and the basketball team is a constant contender for championships. “Catholic has a great, experienced coach who believes I will have a lot of playing time freshman year,” he said. “The opportunity to play basketball in college has been a dream of mine since the fifth grade, so to finally be able to experience that next year is a dream come true.”

Sam’s dedication to his sport propelled him to attend Saint Joseph’s University. “I really wanted to play D1 tennis, and I wanted to go somewhere I felt the coach wanted me and saw a future in my tennis game,” he said. “I am deeply gratefully that I was able to pursue this passion in college. I have spent so much time trying to be part of something like this.”

“Justin is a gifted athlete who has combined his passion for the game of basketball with his desire to always get better to help lead his team to WPIAL and PIAA Championships. This All-State basketball player is a highly anticipated recruit at traditional powerhouse Catholic University,” coach Palmer said.

Varsity tennis coach Whitney Snyder ’79 said he enjoyed coaching Sam over the past four years. “Sam is a tremendously hard worker, and he focused on tennis exclusively the last two years of his high school career. He qualified for the state singles tournament a couple of times and was offered a D1 scholarship, which is very impressive in this day and age considering how competitive it is,” coach Snyder stated. “Sam is an unselfish, team-oriented player with a great sense of humor. I’m going to miss coaching him, and I wish him the best at St. Joseph’s.”

Justin will major in business management or economics.

Sam will major in computer science.

Mia Tsudis

Chandler White

Mia has always dreamt that she’d attend Georgetown University, as she is enticed by its unique combination of strong academics and athletics. “I love that I will be in our nation’s capital, rowing on the Potomac,” she said. “I’m elated to be able to continue my passion for the sport at a collegiate level. I’ve always loved being part of a team, and knew I wanted to continue this integral commitment for the next four years.”

Chandler choose Pitt Bradford because she loved the campus and the feeling of community. “The school has a great reputation and I was excited to learn I was able to continue to play softball there,” she said. “Pitt Bradford was the first college that recruited me.”

“Mia exemplifies the goals of Three Rivers Junior Rowing. She continually strives to be a good person while becoming a good rower and encourages those around her to be their best,” coach Jonathan Crist said. “Georgetown will provide Mia a rigorous academic and athletic environment that will challenge and guide her pursuit of questions and interests off the water and the pursuit of excellence on the water. All at Three Rivers are excited for Mia as she enters the next phase of athletic growth and, more importantly, personal growth!” Mia is undecided on a major. She will be attending Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

“Chandler has progressed beautifully from a home run hitting freshman to a complete player as a senior. She helped lead the softball program to two section championships,” coach Palmer said. “The Pitt Bradford coaching staff eagerly awaits her arrival.” Chandler is unsure about what she wants to study, although she will likely pursue a degree in the medical field. She has been accepted into the biology/ pre-dentistry programs.

STATE CHAMPIONS! Congratulations to our boys basketball and boys tennis teams

WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A Champions!

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| WINTER 2017

SA Says Adieu

TO LONG TIME EMPLOYEES former Executive Director of Summerbridge, commented, “Rebecca worked hard to keep the students at the center of everything she did for the program. Her commitment to the students enabled her to refine the high school program, and she really took it to the next level, offering comprehensive resources that helped our students remain college-bound.” In 2012, Rebecca added the role of Global Studies Exchange Coordinator to her resume. Global Studies Program Coordinator Judy Stewart said, “Rebecca’s sunny personality and exceptional emotional intelligence made her a natural fit. Working closely with students, faculty, partner schools, and host families both here and abroad, Rebecca charmed everyone while taking the program to a higher level of success.” Rebecca took the helm of Summerbridge as the Executive Director in 2015.

Evan & Rebecca Kurtz When Evan Kurtz first arrived on campus 15 years ago, he taught PE and health, served as a Middle School advisor, and began his 14-year run as a coach for Middle School boys soccer, field hockey, boys and girls basketball, and boys lacrosse, and later the junior varsity and varsity boys lacrosse teams. In the fall of 2009, Evan became the Middle School Dean of Students, keeping his original faculty positions until he became Interim Head of Middle School in 2016. For his many contributions to the life of the school, Evan was awarded the Clark Faculty Chair in 2011. Dr. Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, who worked closely with Evan during her time as Head of Middle School, noted, “Since Evan came to the Academy in 2002 he has risen to every challenge with enthusiasm and a firm commitment to give his all. His talent for bringing people together and moving programs forward has brought leadership roles including Middle School Dean of Students (a new position that he helped create), chair of the New Employee Mentoring Program (NEMP), co-chair of the Scheduling Committee, and Interim Head of Middle School. Evan’s understanding of Middle School students in particular, their energy and growth process, is uncommon. His sensitivity to people of all ages and his ability to read a situation and send it in a positive direction have been hallmarks of his time here at the Academy.” Evan’s wife, Rebecca Kurtz, joined the Summerbridge Pittsburgh team in 2011 as the High School Program Director. Under Rebecca’s leadership, Summerbridge expanded programming to include rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as programming about the college selection and admission process. Sarah Walters, 54

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Looking back on his time at the Academy, Evan said he will miss the Academy’s “one campus, one community” spirit most. “I was able to work with all three divisions, with three different Middle School Heads, four different Senior School Heads, and five different Lower School Heads, which has given me experience and wisdom,” Evan said. One of his favorite memories was when PE and health teacher Casey Calland filled in to be his daughter Emma’s special friend on a Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day. Evan leaves the community reminding everyone that “there is always a next chapter.” Rebecca’s favorite memories from Sewickley are the all-school meetings at Summerbridge, working one-on-one with students and families, and the lessons she will take from her experiences here. “From my time at Summerbridge, I have learned that the assumptions we make about others based on our own realities are dangerous and detrimental to student success and to living a full life in this complex and vibrant world,” Rebecca said. “I am thankful for having the opportunity to learn this through my work at Summerbridge and Sewickley.” As the family prepares to part from SA, they have reflected on what the community means to them. “Sewickley Academy has been a home to me, Evan, and our two children, Emma and Henry, for the greater part of 15 years. Numerous faculty and parents have made significant contributions to my life, and to the lives of my children,” Rebecca said. “I cannot be more grateful for the effort, energy, love, and care that each colleague has given us during our time here. The greatest treasure at SA has been the people – students, faculty, and parents – and that’s what I’ll miss the most!” The Kurtz family left town this summer for a new adventure in Charlotte, North Carolina. Evan joined Charlotte Preparatory School, a K-8 school, as the Middle School Head. Best of luck in your new endeavors, Kurtz family!

The faculty and staff at Sewickley Academy are a vital part of what creates our community of respect and relationship-centered learning. This year, we say goodbye to six members of our community whose positive impact will be felt for years to come. As Steven Collier, Evan and Rebecca Kurtz, Andy Repko, Jennifer Salrin, and Sarah Walters move on to the next chapter of their lives, we wish to share their accomplishments and dedication to Sewickley Academy.

We thank our employees for their many years of service and wish them all the best in their future endeavors! “What I always looked forward to the most each day was teaching – getting to interact with and challenge the motivated, creative, and talented students that make up our amazing student body,” Steven reflected. “There’s not been a school day that has passed that I didn’t feel like I was doing something really important and meaningful with my life, and I attribute much of this sense of gratitude and satisfaction to the quality of students whom I’ve had the privilege of teaching at Sewickley Academy.”

Steven Collier & Jennifer Salrin

In 2006, Steven’s wife, Jennifer Salrin, became a member of the Sewickley Academy community as a faculty member in the English Department. Her devotion to the work of the Academy was evident in the care she took designing and teaching relevant and challenging courses, writing exemplary comments and recommendation letters, leading search committees, mentoring for NEMP, taking students to England, hosting English chaperones, serving as grade coordinator, advising Ephemera, sponsoring the Gay Straight Alliance, and hosting a Chinese exchange student. This past year, Jennifer brought that same can-do spirit and energy to her most recent position as Associate Director of College Guidance.

With a background as an attorney and a masters in English from the University of Indiana, Bloomington, English and history teacher Steven Collier came to Sewickley Academy with a whole bag of tricks the school has benefitted from throughout the years. As an historian, Steven has found love in teaching a myriad of topics. Students find him approachable – not only in the classroom but also as a grade coordinator and house dean. Over the past several years, he organized and led the Senior School’s entrepreneurial expeditions to local organic farms and Bar Marco, and has led the inaugural year in the House system. Additionally, Steven has been the advisor for Mock Trial, Model United Nations, and The Seventh Pillar student newspaper.

Department Chair Ann Russell recalled, “We knew we had a gem, but we didn’t imagine just how much Jennifer’s contributions would mean, not only to our department but to our entire school community. Yes, she’s certainly a brilliant and inspiring teacher, a meticulous and hardworking colleague, and a true and generous friend, but Jennifer is more than the sum of these parts.”

Senior School history and Global Studies teacher Michael-Ann Cerniglia described Steven as “bright, kind, conciliatory, and truly focused on the relationships with students and colleagues that he has forged over his time here.”

“What I’ll miss most about the Academy are the people – the dedicated and inspiring faculty and staff and the amazing students who are really eager to be challenged and to grow,” she said.

Reflecting on his time here, Steven recalled two of his favorite and powerful memories. He reflected on the campus-wide memorialization of the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. “Despite the extreme sorrow of the event we were reflecting upon, those minutes of silence also contained an incredibly strong gratefulness and compassion for the sacrifice of others and the potential for goodness that exists when communities join together with a shared purpose and respect,” Steven said. He also fondly remembered the 2013 Founder’s Day celebration of the Academy’s 175th anniversary.

Steven, Jennifer, and their daughters, Lucy, Ada, and Claire, moved to St. Louis, Missouri, over the summer, where Jennifer joined the John Burroughs School as the Grade 11 and 12 principal. The SA community wishes you well as you embark on this exciting new journey.

Jennifer’s favorite memories are vivid and plentiful, from club meetings with staff members to enjoying Hamlet at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London. Her fondest memories are those that deeply engaged her students, from developing the “Creative Nonfiction” elective to teaching “Pride and Prejudice.”

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Andy Repko

Sarah Walters

Fresh out of Pittsburgh Technical College and ready to make an impact on the world of technology, Andy Repko joined Sewickley Academy 11 years ago as the Middle School Technology Coordinator. During these years, he taught everything from computer science to sound editing to responsible internet usage. He also spearheaded the Academy’s Lego robotics program which continues to grow today.

Sarah Walters began her nine-year career at Sewickley Academy during the 2008-2009 school year. A graduate of Summerbridge Pittsburgh, her first position was Middle School Program Director of Summerbridge. She was later promoted to Executive Director. In 2015, she was asked to work as the Director of Admission and Financial Aid. That same year, Sarah and her husband Bob welcomed their daughter Charlotte.

Under former Network Administrator Jerry Smith, Andy studied Sewickley’s network administration and infrastructure. “Andy got to see areas of the school that no one else has; running wires deep in the belly of the buildings, in crawlspaces, ceilings, and underground. In this area alone, Andy has left a unique mark of his work here at Sewickley Academy,” Director of Technology Beau Blaser said.

“In the many roles that I had with Summerbridge, one of my favorite memories will always be the feeling of watching students and teachers celebrate a summer of hard work and learning at Celebration, our end of the year capstone event,” Sarah said. “That feeling of pride and accomplishment that I had as a student in the program was captured tenfold when I watched the faces of students and teachers, summer after summer, recognize their personal and academic potential.”

In 2005, Andy became the Network Administrator creating lasting impacts on the school’s technology systems and helping the entire community with his expertise. Andy has always been one step ahead of the game when it came to protecting and improving the school’s networks.

Sarah reflected on what the community has meant to her, being supported by faculty and driven by her students. “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside some smart, creative, and supportive people who have incessantly pushed me to learn, grow, and refine my best practices. SA has cultivated in me the drive to be a lifelong learner, and to always put students at the center of my work.”

“Andy brought the same level of enthusiasm and passion for networking administration that he did to the classroom. He made sure that our infrastructure was protected and secure so that we can rely on it every day,” Beau said. “He has made a lasting impact on our department and our school, an impact that will be with us for many, many years to come. It will be hard to not walk into certain areas of this campus and not notice a piece of Andy’s influence.” Andy, along with his wife and two children, moved to Ohio to be closer to his family. He joined the staff of the Laurel School as a technology support specialist. Thank you for all of your hard work Andy! Good luck!

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Director of Advancement and former Director of Admission and Financial Aid Brendan Schneider said, “Sarah has made quite an impact in her nine years at the Academy through her positive attitude, tireless work ethic, and ability to bring change,” he stated. “She will be missed but will not be forgotten as her impact will still be felt through the families, teachers, and students of Summerbridge and the families and students she helped to enroll at Sewickley Academy. Sarah leaves the Academy to pursue a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. Best of luck, Sarah!

Farewell, Friends! A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our faculty and staff who have dedicated their time, some over two decades, energy, and passion to making Sewickley Academy what it is today. The Academy will not be the same without you, but it will continue to thrive because of you. We wish you well on your next adventure!

Patty Butz Director of Teaching and Learning After a successful career working at international schools in places like Saudi Arabia and Japan, Patty joined the Academy four years ago as the Director of Teaching and Learning. She said, “I felt like I had the best job at SA because when I went ‘looking for learning,’ I found teachers and students doing interesting and important work – engaging in innovative and authentic teaching and learning.” Patty said she will miss being part of the life of the Academy, and offered a few words of advice to members of the SA community by way of a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Debbie Osterhout Lower School Spanish Teacher Señora O’s teaching career at Sewickley Academy began 21 years ago with a phone call from former Head of Lower School Joe Zaluski who asked her to start a second language program in the Lower School. In the first year of the program, all students began by learning to say “hola/bonjour,” and the program has progressed each year since. Debbie’s goal has always been to show students that learning a foreign language can be fun, rewarding, and even delicious through her use of food to help children understand a different culture. Señora O said, “I will miss being surrounded by wonderful, talented colleagues and bright, motivated students who love the challenge of new sounds, new phrases, and new cultural connections; and the opportunity to travel with Middle School students to Costa Rica and Romania.” Debbie’s wish for all of her students and colleagues is that “learning will continue to be fun and the result of positive energy and high levels of interest in the amazing world around them.”

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Bevan Koch

Director of Teaching & Learning

Bevan, who has taught mathematics at Sewickley Academy since 2013, brings an amazing wealth of experience to her new role as Director of Teaching and Learning. She has significant experience as an instructional coach and coordinator, which she gained during her 13 years with the Klein Independent School District in Spring, Texas. Her work in this area includes serving as a presenter at a number of conferences and workshops on subjects ranging from working with adult learners and becoming a high performance mentor teacher, to developing professional learning communities. Bevan has a M.Ed. in Special Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, in addition to her B.S. in Mathematics Education, giving her both the credentials as well as the experience to support our faculty as we continue to develop as a community of educators committed to our students.

FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES Shannon Mulholland Head of Middle School

Shannon takes over as Head of Middle School with 14 years of experience here at Sewickley Academy, first as a learning specialist and then, in 2005, as the founding Director of Support Services. Under Shannon’s exemplary leadership, the Department of Support Services developed a robust framework to support students and their families, as well as faculty and staff, in helping students maximize their individual potential and achieve success at our school. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications from Denison University, Ohio, and Masters of Teaching in Special Education from the University of Richmond, Virginia, Shannon earned her Ph.D. from Duquesne University in Educational Leadership. Shannon is the proud parent of three Academy graduates, Jake ’13, Tom ’15, and Ben ’17. Her experiences as a parent, volunteer, and administrator at the Academy have given her a keen understanding of our community. She understands students’ developmental needs from Pre-K through Grade 12 and is excited to be focusing on the Middle School years where she is looking forward to working with our outstanding Middle School faculty and staff.

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Summerbridg-ing to Breakthrough: Summerbridge Pittsburgh Announces New Name: Breakthrough Pittsburgh Why is Summerbridge making this change now? Summerbridge has evolved and our name needs to more closely describe the services we offer and the impact we make. Part of a national movement…

This September, as it enters its 24th year, Summerbridge Pittsburgh will change its name to Breakthrough Pittsburgh. This change reflects the program’s re-affiliation with Breakthrough National, a collaborative of 26 similar programs around the country; it also, and more importantly, reflects the program’s evolution over the years from primarily a summer program for middle school students to being a year-round program serving middle and high school students. Since 1994, Summerbridge has served the greater Pittsburgh community through a robust, dual-mission program that helps high potential, under-resourced students matriculate to college and inspires young college students to become the next generation of teachers. We have lived out this mission with great impact: over 1,000 students have been served, with over 90% attending college after high school. Hundreds of young college students have participated as teaching fellows in our summer program, many of whom have joined the ranks of teachers across the country after graduating from college. The first Summerbridge program started in San Francisco, California, in 1978. At the time, its mission was to help prepare middle school students for entry into top college preparatory high school programs through an intensive summer program plus school-year programming. In the early 1990s, the program was replicated across the country, growing to 26 sites at independent schools, including Sewickley Academy. At that time, a national Summerbridge Office was created to help support the affiliate programs. In the early 2000s, Summerbridge National and some affiliates pushed through the program’s first major evolution: in response to a growing concern that middle school programming was not enough to ensure that students effectively matriculated to college, Summerbridge expanded from a two-year program to a six-year one. Programs now were charged with supporting students in both middle and high schools. At that time, Summerbridge National changed its name to Breakthrough Collaborative; most affiliated sites were renamed Breakthrough. Summerbridge Pittsburgh elected not to change our name in recognition of the importance of the idea of bridges for our students – as well as our deep connections with Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges.

As an affiliate member of the Breakthrough Collaborative, Summerbridge Pittsburgh is fully aligned with the programming delivered at other Breakthrough sites. The Breakthrough movement seeks to transform education nationally by serving some of our country’s most under-resourced students, giving them the skills and resources to attend college. Breakthrough is a national driver on the teaching front, too – through its massive, national teacher recruitment effort, we are able to recruit from campuses all across the U.S. to teach in our summer program. As a Breakthrough member we have access to a diverse teaching pool and to best practices for serving underresourced students. It is time for us to be recognized here in Pittsburgh and across the country as being part of the national Breakthrough movement. Not just a summer program anymore… In 1994, Summerbridge began as a two-year program, but we have evolved significantly from that point. Currently, we provide students both summer and school year programming for six years, beginning in the summer before seventh grade and continuing through high school graduation. We are approaching 10 years of providing this expanded programming but continue to face misunderstanding about what our program is and what it does. Many in the community still see us as an academic summer camp, but we are so much more: teacher training, instructional coaching, professional development, academic tutoring, and college counseling.

Why now? The problems of equity in education are persistent and damaging, both on a national and local level. For students in the class of 2023 just admitted to Summerbridge, the future is uncertain in terms of college affordability and completion. It needs to be unequivocally clear, now more than ever, that this program is committed to and designed for college readiness and success so that we can make maximum impact with our students. In August, we welcomed a new Executive Director to lead us. This change in leadership provides an opportunity to begin a new exciting phase in the history of Summerbridge and Sewickley Academy.

Does a name change mean that other changes are planned? No. Only our name will change to more accurately reflect the program as it exists today. It is our expectation, however, that with the name change, our program will be able to continue its efforts to improve services by developing partnerships nationally and locally through better recognition of its impact. Helping our students break through the barriers to opportunity and achievement … We are Breakthrough Pittsburgh! SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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On the Road:

Ref lections on Alumni Travel By: Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, Ph.D.

While Jack Kerouac’s book was the definitive road trip chronicling the postwar Beat Generation and Counterculture movement, my own travels for the Academy over the past 10 years have been tremendously eye opening and inspiring as well. What strikes me most, as I look back on my numerous trips, is the congruence of Academy values that have held steadfast from the 1930s to the present. Character, educational vigor, diversity, and community are still the core values of our school. Those are the same qualities that I have witnessed in my visits with alumni of all ages across the country. Take my visit some years ago to Evan Koger ’32 who majored in English literature at Yale, served in World War II, then spent his career in the Flint Hills of Kansas cattle ranching, committed to improving the treatment of cattle raising in the state. His family videotaped our conversation about his childhood in Sewickley, living with his uncle, and his memories of our school. His daughter Jane invited me to get up at 5:00 a.m. to witness the once-a-year ritual mating dance of the prairie chickens. We watched from a duck blind at a high, open field called a booming ground. That was a truly unusual experience! Jane continues to actively promote humane treatment in cattle raising and conservation methods for maintaining grazing land, following in her father’s footsteps. In late April, I spent several days in North Carolina. I had a great visit with Terry Zug ’52 and his artist wife Daphne Cruze in a wooded utopia north of Durham. Terry (another Yale graduate) is a retired professor of folklore at the University of North Carolina where he spent 12 years researching the history of pottery making. He interviewed countless potters of all ages, documenting their stories and their practices in the bible for potters worldwide called “Turners and Burners.” Without Terry’s steadfast pursuit of these stories, a major artistic and cultural strand would have been lost from modern memory. Terry helped organize the International Woodfire Conference in Star, North Carolina, in June where he moderated a panel of potters on Historical Wood Firing in a Contemporary Context. I visited Rives Rea Yost ’71 in Asheville where she is heavily involved in community agriculture. Rives gets up every morning at 6:00 a.m. to feed a flock of 60 chickens who have the run of a large field near her house. The chickens provide eggs for the local citizenry and eventually become main course meals as well. My own experience with chickens raised on Rockledge Farm here in Sewickley Heights when I was growing up was that chickens were dirty and dull. Rives finds them to be great companions and looks forward to her time with them each day. I was really intrigued by Rives’ ability to relate to members of the flock who have obviously taken quite a shine to her. She made me rethink my position on chickens. Rives is also one of the gardeners for 11 yards around the area which have been converted from grass to tomato and vegetable plots for the community. Rives said that there is great poverty in the area and these plots provide much needed fresh food for the many low income citizens there. Such a wonderful reason to get your hands dirty! Rives’ daughter Lottie Yost ’07 graduated from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, an institution committed to sustainability and environmental studies. Lottie works for a community supported agricultural (CSA) enterprise that offers weekly boxes of fresh produce for a subscription fee.

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At dinner with Bruce and Alison (Floyd ’60) Melinn in Asheville, I learned about the restoration work they have done in their community in Burnsville. “It was weeks and months of down on your knees hard work,” Bruce said, “but the results were worth it.” They are particularly proud of their efforts at a local church which was in terrible condition when they started. The Melinns live in the mountains with beautiful views and many house guests eager to share it. They enjoy biking on the greenspace nearby and love the mild climate all year long. Bruce presented me with a handsome trivet he made for me from local maple wood and corks from Biltmore Wines nearby, a wonderful keepsake to remember them and our visit every time I use it. Larry “Chip” Garber ’66 had a very important role as president of the first class in the Academy’s Senior School and was, in fact, the very first graduate of the high school. We met at his idyllic farm near Durham where he resides with his wife Diane. Chip had fond memories of his days at the school and of Mr. Cavalier, the founding Head of Senior School. Chip came from Avonworth High School, where he had been a student in a ninth grade Latin class I taught there. He talked about Headmaster Cliff Nichols meeting with a half dozen families from Ben Avon and persuading them to send their teenagers to the Academy, including the Divens, Powells, Pfahlers, Hinkens, Hawks, and others. It wasn’t an easy transition to enter a class in which most students had been together for many years. Chip loved the guiding principles of the Senior School, including the emphasis on individual responsibility, personal attention, and new-found freedom in the collegeinspired environment established by Mr. Cav and his faculty.

Terry Zug ’52 shows of a sample of artisan pottery. Alison (Floyd ’60) Melinn and her husband Bruce live in the mountains in North Carolina. Larry “Chip” Garber ’66 enjoys life on his farm near Durham, North Carolina. Chip ’66 and Diane Garber and Beth (Heard ’66) Guy discuss their days at SA over dinner.

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Elizabeth Wright ’83, Jack Stoner ’73, Jenny Crocker-Quarles, Matt Chulis, Collen (Minnock ’00) Chulis, Elizabeth Stoner, Frank Stoner ’78, Sarah (Seltzer ’94) Gran, Duane Gran, Nancy (Crowley ’84) Inman, Liza (Standish ’83) Sackson, Alex Inman, and Mark Sackson pose for a photo in Charlottesville.

Elizabeth and Frank Stoner ’78 are happy to reunite with old friends and classmates at Farmington Country Club.

Jenny Crocker-Quarles, Jack Stoner ’73, Colleen (Minnock ’00) Chulis, Sarah (Seltzer ’94) Gran, and Duane Gran enjoy each other’s company in Virginia.

Chip’s educational path has not been typical. He majored in art at Brown University, graduating in 1970, and followed his passion for the next 12 years. In 1985, he earned a MBA from the Yale School of Management, and in 1995 a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler’s Business School with an emphasis on marketing. Currently, he is an associate professor of marketing at Elon University, and for the past five summers has also been a visiting professor at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Ghaziabad, India.

Beth, who works at Duke, said, “I was an electronics technician in a botanical research building at Duke for more than 20 years and now work in the Herbarium, mounting pressed and dried plant collections to be stored for all eternity. With herbaria all over the world, they form a huge collection of plant life.”

As we sat on the terrace on a perfect spring day, watching his wife Diane’s four horses graze peacefully in the fields, Chip talked mostly about his love of art. “I really would just like to paint all day long,” he said, “Above all else I consider myself a painter. I paint landscapes. But, since I cannot paint every day, and am always having to return to my painting, I need to paint things in front of me as a point of reference, as a means of maintaining context. I use what’s there as a reference for exploring other problems connected with making a good painting – issues of drawing, color, and design, the elements of painting regardless of the subject itself. With Mr. Cav’s permission, I mounted a show of my paintings in the front hall of the Senior School in the early ’70s.” Chip also studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and at Parson’s School of Design in New York City, where he met Diane. Diane organized dinner for four of us at a wonderful German restaurant in Durham. Diane works as a physician assistant at an Endocrine Specialty Clinic at Duke University Hospital, specializing in patients with Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, thyroid, and metabolic disorders. She and her horses provide some therapy riding services for people with disabilities. Beth (Heard ’66) Guy joined us for dinner, and we had great conversation about people and events in SA’s past. 62

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On June 1, I embarked on my final journey of the school year with Dr. Shannon Mulholland, Head of Middle School. We met with an enthusiastic group of alumni in Charlottesville, Virginia. Elizabeth Wright ’83, Director of Development at the University of Virginia art museum, organized a tour of two of the Fralin Museum of Art exhibitions, including “Grasping at the Ephemeral: Explorations on Change from the Permanent Collection” and “Collect, Care, Conserve, Curate: The Life of the Art Object,” which focus on behind-the-scenes conservation and preservation of art works. Dr. Mulholland gave a short presentation about current programs and services at the Academy. Alumni shared experiences, past and present, over cocktails and dinner at the Farmington Country Club. Many thanks to Liza (Standish ’83) Sackson for sponsoring us at Farmington and Nancy (Crowley ’84) Inman for assisting with the arrangements. The guest list included: Jack Stoner ’73 and Jenny Crawford, Elizabeth and Frank Stoner ’78, Mark and Elizabeth “Liza” (Standish ’83) Sackson, Elizabeth Wright ’83, Alex and Nancy (Crowley ’84) Inman, Duane and Sara (Seltzer ’94) Gran, and Matt and Colleen (Minnock ’00) Chulis. Reluctantly I headed back to Pittsburgh, but happy to have once again had a few moments of seeing Sewickley alums in their own locales, and learning about how the Academy set some invaluable cornerstones on their way to interesting, involved, fulfilling lives.

Former Panthers Return to Sewickley Academy to Play in Alumni Basketball Game By: Kaitlin Busch

The 1997 boys basketball team celebrated the 20th anniversary of Sewickley Academy’s first State Championship on Saturday, February 4, 2017. Returning players were eager to prove their skills once again by taking on members of the 2004 State Finalist team and the 2010 State Championship team. Tip-off was at 5 p.m. in Snyder Gym, a place that brought back a lot of fond memories to the returning alumni. Fourteen former Panthers played in the game, split between the Red Team and the Black Team. Tim Appleton ’73 coached the Red Team – Neil Hoy ’98, Ryan Heddleston ’98, Steve Nesmith ’98, Aaron Barnes ’99, Tom Droney ’10, Pete Schramm ’10, and Kenny Johnson ’11. Kevon Copeland ’71 coached the Black Team – Mark Heberling ’03, Derek Chimer ’04, Corey Diethorn ’04, George Raftis ’05, Andre Green ’11, Firas Termanini ’12, and Scott Brown ’16.

All players were outfitted in SA uniforms and enjoyed the comfort of one of the new Events Center locker rooms pre- and post-game. With the teams so closely matched, there was no strong lead and the score was tied at 45-45 with three minutes to go. The last thirty seconds were intense as the teams battled back and forth for the lead. The Red Team ultimately defeated the Black Team, 57-53. A reception was held in the Events Center immediately following the game. Former coach Victor Giannotta, Lad Hudac ’97, Tony Innamorato ’03, and Angelo Innamorato ’06 joined their fellow classmates for food, drinks, and a trip down memory lane in the Core Training Room. All returning alumni were honored before the varsity game that evening and were announced individually as they walked to center court. The alumni cheered on our varsity team as they defeated Central Catholic 64-54 in the Hoops for a Cure tournament. SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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CLASS NOTES SEWICKLEY SPEAKING

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Stephanie (Rice ’62) Ellis and brother Doug Rice ’70 visit with their mother Molly at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Nina (Wardrop ’62) and Frank Brooks ’62 with their son Daniel who graduated from Harvard Business School.

Class Agent: Susan (Ratcliffe) Sour

Class Agent: Stephanie (Rice) Ellis

Susan (Ratcliffe) Sour reports, “Some of the best moments of the year are when Joan (Foedisch) Adibi rallies the locals, including Marnie and Jim Haines, to participate in a playreader’s group that Joan initiated some years ago. We meet in members’ living rooms, read parts aloud with as much dramatic emphasis as we can, and enjoy a nice dinner afterwards. Facebook helps me stay in touch with Carolyn (Malone) Bonier where her terrific art work and devotion to animals are inspirational. I am looking forward to some time at our house at Chautauqua Lake this summer, and welcome guests both there and at Rockledge Farm here in Sewickley.”

Stephanie (Rice) Ellis and her brother Doug ’70 visited with their mother Molly who at 93 remains very active at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, and spends summers with Stephanie and her husband Michael at their home on Kauai, Hawaii. Stephanie reports: “My mom still lives alone in her house and is actively playing bridge and doing things with friends. She can drive to the club in her golf cart for her golf putting group. Her mind is fantastic.” Mrs. Rice flew with Stephanie to Phoenix earlier this year to see Stephanie’s granddaughter and her greatgranddaughter. Stephanie said that she and Michael are traveling several times a year. “I visit mother often, then we visit our son in Phoenix twice a year, and then take one big cruise with Bunnie (Angevine) Craig and her husband every year. Bunnie moved to Sewickley when she was in college but her three sisters attended the Academy. We cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest together last year and are going to Alaska with them in June.”

60TH CLASS REUNION

Class Agents: Jamie Wardrop and Craig Wilson

Dick Hull ‘57 and Craig Wilson ‘57 meet in Sewickley to plan for their reunion this fall.

Dick Hull and Craig Wilson reunited to discuss plans for reunion this fall when Dick and his wife Karen made a trip to Sewickley, visiting the Hull Room dedicated many years ago in memory of his sister Sibby ’55. Dick also visited with Margaret Adams ’54 and Elsie (Oliver ’58) MacKenzie.

59 Class Agent: George Craig

Doug Rice ‘70 is accompanied by a live jazz band for his performance of “Mexico City Blues (242 Choruses)” by Jack Kerouac.

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George Craig and his wife Susan are proud of their granddaughter Emma Jane Craig who led the Pledge of Allegiance on the Senate floor in February. Emma is a Washington state page and attends the Lakeside School in Seattle. Jim Craig ’86 and his wife Christine are proud parents.

55TH CLASS REUNION

Frank and Nina (Wardrop) Brooks were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 25 to see their son, Daniel, graduate from Harvard Business School with his MBA. In spite of the rain, it was a wonderful celebratory day for the Brooks family!

66 Class Agents: Larry Garber and Carol (Semple) Thompson

50TH CLASS REUNION

Class Agents: Dingy Hays and Bob Mann

70 Class Agent: Christi Hays

A major exhibition of current and past work by artist Doug Rice was mounted May 26 – July 30 at the Velvet Underground Studio in Stonington, Connecticut’s Velvet Mill. Included in the exhibit were three bodies of work: Portraits, a series of oil paintings on canvas and paper; Bodies on the Line, created in collaboration with artist Sonoko Sugiyama, which explores the human body in abstraction through line and color; and Mexico City Blues: 242 Choruses, based on Jack Kerouac’s book. In all, the exhibit included over 70 works. Doug, who has had studios in New York City and Stonington, has exhibited in the National Arts Club in New York, Mystic Museum of Art in Connecticut, Farrah Damji Galleries in New York and East Hampton, Beef Gallery in San Francisco, Avondale Arts Center in Avondale, Rhode Island, and others. Scott Ferguson writes, “I stage manage the free Twilight Concert Series on the Santa Monica Pier every Thursday night for 10 weeks in the summer. We get crowds ranging from 15 - 20,000 every week. I also stage manage several other events, produce music artists in our private recording studio, judge the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest, as well as record and perform with a number of bands. I’ve also written and produced music-driven commercials and produced a Grammy-nominated record. Jessica Handy ’89 attended an annual benefit for McKinley Elementary School, where my kids went and so did

Paula Poundstone’s. My band of dads, called Father Knows Best, plays before and after Paula’s performance every year to raise money for the school where our kids got their start.”

71 Hilary (Higgins) Parker writes, “My husband Tom retired in June of 2016 after 40 years of teaching, 36 of them at Woodberry Forest School. We’ve moved to Keswick, Virginia, just outside of Charlottesville, and we now divide our time between Virginia and Cape Cod. Not a bad life! I continue to work at Woodberry Forest School on a very part-time basis and am still involved with our local hospice. Our son Warren, who works in the music industry, married the lovely Katie Breckinridge (she’s an interior designer) in late January 2017. Their wedding christened our new home! Last summer brought us a wonderful reunion with Tina (Sutro ’72) Marsh, her husband Dick Marsh ’70, daughters Liz (our goddaughter) and Casey, and Tina’s sister Tracy (Sutro ’66) Horter. Tina, Dick, and I have kept those SA friendships going for a LONG time now!”

Where Are They Now? VICKI POLINKO Vicki Polinko taught English in the Senior School for 33 years, starting in the fall of 1974. She especially loved working with the staff of Ephemera which earned national recognition numerous times. Vicki’s health forced her to leave the Academy and concentrate for several years on medical issues. Since then she has devoted herself to helping others in an unusual kind of way. She does “in kind” donations to charitable organizations who provide for people in need both locally and in Panama and Haiti. Vicki shops the area thrift shops and regular stores for medical supplies, clothing, baby needs, art supplies, book bags, back-to-school items, books, water, food, and anything that organizations like Genesis House, North Hills Community Outreach, Make It Centers, churches, and schools might need for their constituents. She often purchases end-ofseason goods and then gives them away when the time is right. Vicki, always a kind and generous person, finds great satisfaction in continuing a life of service to others. She always enjoys attending alumni reunion events and reconnecting with her many grateful students from the past.

DON SLATER Don came to the Academy in 1985 as the Computer Coordinator for the school. When the program became so large it needed to be divided into several areas of responsibility, he chose to become the Senior School Computer Coordinator for his remaining years. In 2000, he moved on to become an assistant teaching professor in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University where he joined the Alice Project, started by Dr. Randy Pausch (of “The Last Lecture”). Alice is a tool for teaching introductory programming to students who have never programmed before using 3-D graphics and animation. He is currently curriculum director for the project, for which he and his team have written a textbook and developed teaching resources. He has been working with Middle School Technology Coordinator Erin Whitaker, as she uses Alice in the programming class. As a result of this involvement, Don has decided to return to independent K-12 education and has accepted a position at St. David’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he will develop their computer program (similar to what he was asked to do for SA in 1985). He will continue to work with the Alice Project while in Raleigh. In his free time, Don takes classes in acting, which has become a strong passion, and he has become very active in community theater. He also plays guitar and is part of a group that plays Sunday mornings at his church. He reports that his daughter Megan ’00 is working on her master’s in theatre at Villanova University, and Tom ’03 is finishing his engineering degree at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Members of the Hays family at the beach. Pictured: Jeff, Addison (in his arms), Lexie, Megan, John ’72, Laura (Morrison ’80), Hillary, John Reid (in her arms), and Matthew.

45TH CLASS REUNION

John ’72 and Laura (Morrison ’80) Hays report that “John is still a college professor and recently became certified as a hypnotherapist, which he does in his private practice. It is a wonderful form of therapy, and if anyone is interested in it, John would love to hear from them. John also teaches tennis at our local country club in our housing development. Laura is working for a small law firm in Richmond doing a variety of work. We have four grandchildren now. Our youngest daughter just finished her junior year at the University of Virginia. We have a daughter living in Philadelphia, one in Cary, North Carolina, and one in Greensville, South Carolina.”

73 Class Agent: Tim Appleton Laura MacLeod ’75 and husband John Holland recently traveled to China and met these high school students at the Leshan Giant Buddha.

74 Class Agent: Henry Shenk

Jim Caruso ’76, Tom Tiernan ’77, Anna Singer ’76, and Henry Shenk ’74 reunite after Jim’s variety show “Cast Party” premiered at the Cabaret at Theater Square in downtown Pittsburgh.

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Henry Shenk writes, “As I ponder the last three years, one of my greatest blessings has been the development of the Mario Melodia Performing Arts Scholarship. It has given me the opportunity to see the wonderfilled work being done at the Academy today. And to be able to reconnect with the delightful Annie Singer ’76, Rosie (MacKenzie ’93) Wyche, Lisa (Baker ’77) Seymour, Patrick Brannan ’95, the one and only Jim Caruso ’76, the generous John Buckman ’74, Mark Melodia ’81, Connie Wood ’74, Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, and others who all believe in, as I do, the legacy of the one and only Mario.

75 Laura MacLeod reports, “I’m busy building my business: From The Inside Out Project® and enjoy commenting on HR topics in the Chicago Tribune, Glassdoor, and Bustle. I reconnected with Jim Angel ’77 recently when he found my journal article on Academia.edu. I’ve been traveling to a lot of great places (see photo). Best to all – contact me if you’re in NYC and/or connect on social media.”

76 Jim Caruso was thrilled to bring his “Cast Party” home to Cabaret at Theater Square in Pittsburgh on April 19. The long-time New Yorker, along with musical director Billy Stritch, hosted his world-renowned variety show that celebrates local talent, for an audience that included many Academy alums, including Anna Singer (who sang), Henry Shenk ’74, Tom Tiernan ’77, Elisa Cavalier ’77, Lisa (Baker ’77) Seymour, and Richard Skirpan ’84. Anna Singer appeared as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for Opera Theater Summerfest in Pittsburgh in July. In addition to being a daily radio host for classical WQED, Anna spends her free time painting colorful flowers and garden scenes which are becoming popular favorites with friends in the Pittsburgh area.

40TH CLASS REUNION

For the last 25 years, Billy Brown has run an international trading company importing exotic oils, spices, and botanicals, but today he finds himself in the search of a lifetime to find a living kidney donor for himself. He has just launched a personal website, www.billythekidney.com.

Former faculty member Larry Hall reported, “Steve Hills and James Sawyer paid me a visit, and we went to Max’s Allegheny Tavern to recall their experiences of the first German Exchange back in 1978. Both of them are in the tech field (they were part of the original computer geeks). The keyboards looked like something you would see in a print room in a newspaper, all information was on strips of paper, and they were connected to a huge server as big as a refrigerator!”

Bill Driscoll writes, “I’m excited to be able to return to the ‘burgh from Jacksonville, Florida, for our 30th reunion in October. Keeping with that theme, I attended the 30th reunion U2/Joshua Tree tour in Tampa in June. Feeling old, as the second of our four kids graduates high school and enters college. The Lord has richly blessed me and Kim in our 26 years of marriage, and we would love to see any classmates passing through Jacksonville in the future!”

Class Agent: Whitney Snyder

Jessica Handy reported, “I felt so special when one of the band members yelled my name as I entered the room! It was Scott Ferguson ’70 on guitar at the annual McKinley School fundraiser in Santa Monica, California, featuring Paula Poundstone. She is a favorite of mine, and Ronan’s and Scott’s kids went to school with hers. It’s always nice to catch up over a few drinks and comedy!”

Whitney Snyder continues his legacy with the boys varsity tennis team, as they wrapped up a perfect season this spring, finishing the regular season undefeated. For the 14th consecutive year, the Panthers won the WPIAL Class 2A team title and repeated as state team champions. The Panthers won the WPIAL and PIAA titles without losing an individual match in either tournament!

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From Laurie Quimby: “I am the medical director at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts which has been a fascinating job and never boring. My husband is the headmaster of the Governor’s Academy in northeast Massachusetts so we live on campus at the boarding school. Peggy (Falk) Lipscomb and I finally connected after not seeing each other for at least 15 years.”

30TH CLASS REUNION

25TH CLASS REUNION

Heather (St. George) Gibson sent this update: “I received my MBA from the University of Central Florida this May. Completing the program while working full time and raising a toddler was a challenge, but I’m so glad I did it. My brain received a much-needed workout! I wasn’t going to walk in the ceremony, but decided that having graduation pictures taken with Huck [my son] that day might encourage him to be a lifelong learner, too. Plus, who doesn’t like wearing a funny hat?”

The first German exchange group waits to board Allegheny Airlines for the first leg of their journey.

Scott Ferguson ’70, comedian Paula Poundstone, Jessica Handy ’89, and Ronan McCoy pose for a picture at the annual McKinley School fundraiser in Santa Monica, California.

The Driscoll family celebrates Abby’s high school graduation. Pictured: Dan, Virginia, Bill ‘87, Abby, Kim, and John.

Steve Hills ’78 and James Sawyer ’78 pay a visit to former faculty member Larry Hall at his home in Pittsburgh.

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Heather (St. George ’92) Gibson is all smiles with her son Huck after graduating with her MBA from the University of Central Florida in May.

SUMMER 2017

Clayton Morris ’11

Soaring Toward Success: Kite Surfing and Stars By: Madison Weaver Clayton Morris ’11 is skimming the surface of entrepreneurism as the founder and CEO of Guzt Kites, a new company that is riding its way to producing innovative kitesurfing products. Clayton, a Sewickley Academy lifer with his twin sister Aurley ’11, finds himself following the direction of the wind due, in part, to an Academy education. When asked how he envisioned and created the company, Clayton traced a path deeply entwined with his experiences at Sewickley Academy. He reflected on his junior year, when Mr. Lee McGinn’s economics class participated in a business plan competition, and the SA team took first place in the state. “I discovered I really liked business competitions and used them as an opportunity to learn about industries I hoped to do business with in the future,” Clayton said. Matriculating at Allegheny College to pursue managerial economics, Clayton continued to take part in competitions and eventually conceived a business plan to simplify kitesurfing. Guzt, the operating name of Clayton’s company Beta Orionis LLC, is named after the brightest star in the Orion galaxy, a nod to its founder’s interest in astronomy. Clayton remembers Mr. Ben Spicer’s astronomy class, where his appreciation for physics grew into a love for astronomy, leading to an astronomy minor at Allegheny. Upon Clayton’s high school graduation, the Morris family donated a telescope to the Academy to replace the malfunctioning telescope that frustrated Clayton during class. While at Allegheny, Clayton kept a smaller version of the donated telescope in his car and used it during clear nights on campus. Clayton also assisted with the maintenance of the college’s telescope while working as a teacher’s assistant in astronomy, interests and accomplishments he chalks up to the skills taught by Mr. Spicer. “I like big toys,” Clayton said, reflecting on his passion for both telescopes and kites. Clayton has always enjoyed flying kites and stunt kites but notes the difficulty of flying in Pennsylvania. He visited Maui, Hawaii, to learn how to kitesurf from instructor Troy Schafer, starting at age 15. “It’s an exciting sport and it took a lot of time to learn,” Clayton said. “It took me a couple of trips to figure it out. I was excited I was able to fly the kite. It’s frustrating to pick up — swallowing

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water and getting hit with waves and wind — but once it’s up it’s such a cool experience. It’s like flying across the water.” Alongside Clayton’s love for adventure and big toys, he completed his dream of earning an MBA in finance and strategy from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016. Clayton has partnered with his old instructor turned friend and business partner Troy, who designs prototype kites and boards, as well as manages the Maui business operations. Troy is able to test prototypes and meet with influential people in Maui while communicating with Clayton through late night phone calls and text messages due to time zone differences. Currently, Guzt Kites is patent pending on their kite and is in the process of choosing manufacturers and finalizing designs. Their first board, the Predator, is available for sale and in custom orders. The board is made in Maui and can be purchased at guzt.com.

Clayton’s goal is to create “a traveler’s kiting kit” with cost effective products. After years of struggling to travel from Pennsylvania and back with his equipment, Clayton aims to reduce the number of kites that surfers need to travel with, providing safer, appropriate-sized, and easyto-learn alternatives. Clayton is keeping the “everyday kiter” in mind while producing high quality kites and boards that could still be used in competitive surfing. During his years at Sewickley Academy, Clayton described himself as “notorious for starting something, doing the exciting fun part, and then moving on to something else,” especially when trying new things in the ceramic studio. He remembers how Mr. David LaLomia, his ceramics teacher, helped him follow through on his projects until each was finished. “He made me glaze my pots and make my pieces into finished projects. This helped me with the board design. Designing and riding is fun, but following through to the final product can be difficult at times.” Guzt Kites was also inspired by Clayton’s family of entrepreneurs, especially his father’s experience in commercial real estate and the hard work his family has put into tackling real estate projects. “Always hearing business and talking about it and having the support to take the risk” helped lead Clayton into the business he is creating today, and his dreams certainly remain homegrown. “I want to stay in Pittsburgh and do whatever I can to make the city even better,” Clayton said. Clayton plans to develop as much real estate in the area as possible to generate positive change. In his day job as an asset manager at Sampson Morris Group, Clayton works to reach his real estate goals. Clayton is also working hard to ensure that Guzt Kites gets its first product line off the ground. “It’s a new adventure. It’s exciting, it’s scary, and it’s an educational experience, either way it goes. I’m hoping for the best!”

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Class agent: Sarah (Seltzer) Gran

Siovhan (Norris) Christensen plays the recurring role of Keira on the half-hour comedy series Downward Dog, which made its world premiere in the Special Events section at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, and began to air in May on ABC Television Network. Siovhan studied acting in Chicago at The Theatre School at DePaul University. You can usually catch her working to bring stories to life on stage, and this year she’ll appear in the feature film American Pastoral directed by Ewan McGregor, and as a guest star in an episode of the upcoming second season of WGN’s Outsiders. For updates, news of upcoming projects, or information on acting coaching sessions, visit http:// vergiasiovhan.wixsite.com/mysite.

Sarah (Seltzer) Gran and her husband Duane live in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their family enjoys biking and spending time in the Shenandoah National Park. Their three children are Zachary, age 10, Maria, age 8, and Matthew, age 5. Sarah (Seltzer ’94) Gran, pictured with her three children Zachary, Maria, and Matthew, resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband Duane.

20TH CLASS REUNION

Class agents: Lad Hudac and Jennifer (Park) D’Antonio

Siovhan (Norris ’02) Christensen plays the recurring role of Keira on ABC’s comedy series Downward Dog.

Lad Hudac returned to the Academy for the basketball reunion to celebrate the 1997 team who won SA’s first state championship. The game with and against other SA players from outstanding teams was an intense match-up of talented players. Lad commented, “Just spending one evening on campus for the basketball game wasn’t enough, as there were too many memories to relive, too many familiar faces to talk to, and too many building additions to explore! The campus still possesses its charm while expressing itself as a sound institution for personal development.”

Urie Norris ’04, who lives and works in Los Angles, still finds time to hang out with his grandmother Vergia Baty during a family Christmas Eve pajama party.

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Several members of the class of 1998 returned to campus to play or watch their buddies play in an alumni challenge basketball game celebrating 20 years since the team won the school’s first ever state championship in 1997. Players included Steve Nesmith, Ryan Heddleston, Neil Hoy, and Aaron Barnes ’99 cheered on by Lad Hudac ’97, Ryan Thompson, Louis Pessolano ’99, and other enthusiastic fans. Former coach Victor Giannotta joined the reunion celebration.

15TH CLASS REUNION

04 Urie Norris ministers in music and plays every Sunday at various Los Angeles churches. He also plays gigs at local hotels and clubs throughout California, in New York City, and Las Vegas. Urie also recently closed a Live Nation summer production deal, in which he wears many musical production leadership hats and loves it.

06 G. Patrick reported that he is “entering his fourth and (God willing) final year of Pitt Medical School with intentions to apply into general surgery.” He has enjoyed periodically seeing fellow SA alumnus Dr. Vishnu Patel as a soon-to-be ER attending. G. continues to expand his dancing prowess and periodically gets to teach salsa as a part of Salsa412, which he said, “keeps me sane,

although at this stage in the game there isn’t much sanity left.” G. also reported that he and his parents went on a medical mission trip to Haiti in April 2016. “My dad and I treated patients at one of the clinics as well as at the children’s school, and my mother served as our triage nurse. I even had an opportunity to teach dance lessons to the kids one day (they opted for line dances instead of Salsa, but I tried).”

10TH CLASS REUNION

Join us for your 10th reunion celebration at the Alumni Holiday Party at the Edgeworth Club in Sewickley on December 22, 2017.

11 Alyssa Dillon completed her first marathon, the Walt Disney World marathon, in January.

5TH CLASS REUNION

Join us for your 5th reunion celebration at the Alumni Holiday Party at the Edgeworth Club in Sewickley on December 22, 2017.

14 Maggie McClain had two goals in a convincing 8-4 lacrosse semifinal victory for Gettysburg College against Trinity College this spring. The victory propelled the Bullets into the national final against The College of New Jersey where the Bullets won the championship game. Maggie spoke about the game: “There are truly no words possible to describe the feeling of winning the National Championship. There were 18.2 seconds on the clock, and coach Cantele had called a time out to let us remember the moment. A few of us, including myself, teared up

a little. Our hard work, hours of early mornings going out before practice to shoot, had all paid off and our one ultimate goal had come true. After we jumped onto each other I was walking over to the bench just saying to myself ‘this isn’t real.’ The best way I can explain it is this: it’s better than getting into college, getting your license, or going abroad. Any experience I’ve had to this date has nothing on this. I’ve been truly blessed with a wonderful coach, fantastic teammates who are more family than anything, and a great foundation begun by my high school coach Cheryl Lassen. She helped mold me to be the humble, hardworking player I am today. Sewickley Academy, over the 12 years I was there, allowed me to try a multitude of different things. I could be an athlete and still be involved in music and honors classes. This gave me confidence to do whatever I wanted because of the diversity offered in the school. To get this far it takes more hard work than most are willing to put in. But when you do put in the work you get success like this.”

Greg, Judith, and G. Patrick ’06 take a mission trip to Haiti.

Alyssa Dillon ’11 runs the Walt Disney World marathon in Florida in January.

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Yourself In! Here’s your chance to submit a class note for the next issue of Sewickley Speaking. Help us share your milestones and achievements with your Sewickley Academy network! Please submit your story today by visiting our website. If you have a digital photo you’d like to share, please send it to alumni@sewickley.org with a note identifying the people in the photo.

Maggie McClain ’14 poses with her brother Teddy ’17 after winning the NCAA DIII Women’s Lacrosse National Championship with Gettysburg College.

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IN MEMORIAM ALUMNI ANNE (SMITH ’37) VANDERWOLK, age 93, passed away peacefully on January 31, 2017, at home in Pinehurst, North Carolina, with her family present. Born in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, to Ralph and Thelma Smith, she attended Sewickley Academy, Ogontz School in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and National Park Junior College in Silver Spring, Maryland. Anne’s love of her family and friends was always central to her life. She never met anyone that she did not like, connecting easily with people from all walks of life. During her years living in Vermont, Anne worked tirelessly to support many Middlebury community activities, and later loved being housemother at Alpha Chi Omega in Burlington at the University of Vermont, maintaining her relationships with the girls for many years. Anne’s kitchen was the favorite room in her house. She loved cooking and bringing people together over good food. She was an avid hospitality volunteer who showed her compassion for people by preparing meals and visiting guests at Clara McLean House, a FirstHealth Foundation facility in Pinehurst. She was also an enthusiastic auxiliary member of the board of directors and passionate gardener. Anne was known for her kindness, high energy, and spunk. Her loving husband, Bill VanderWolk, her sister, Geraldine (Smith ’36) Conklin, and her brothers Ralph Jr., Jay, and Ramon Smith, preceded Anne in death. Her sister, Dr. Margaret (Smith ’46) Wenzel, lives in Naples, Florida. Anne is survived by sons LTC (USA Retired) Hank Whittier (Donnita) of Bluffton, South Carolina; Cyrus Whittier (Suzette) of Newton, Massachusetts; Matthew Whittier (Dorrie) of Sanford, Maine; and daughter Anne Price (Allen) of Richmond, Virginia; nine grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Best friends since childhood, “the three Annes” (Anne (McKnight ’37) Murdock, Anne (Blair ’37) Bauer) were a delightful trio through the years at Sewickley Academy reunions. ELISABETH LORD (PATTERSON ’41) SMITH died June 3, 2017, after a lengthy illness. Born November 18, 1926, Betsy was the youngest offspring of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Forsyth Patterson of “Hillsborough,” Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She was predeceased by her three siblings: sister Forsyth Watson (George) of Tuxedo Park, New York; brother Charles Lord Patterson of New York City; and sister Patricia Norris (William) of Chestertown, Maryland; and her lifelong companion and best friend, Loretta Kenny. Betsy 74

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was educated at Sewickley Academy, Foxcroft School for Girls in Middleburg, Virginia, and Robert Morris College in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. She was employed at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh for 17 years as a secretary, working her way up to the position of executive secretary in the trust department. In March of 1962, she met her future husband, Richard C. Smith. They were married the following August 4, 1962, on a three-day pass as Mr. Smith was in the Army. This was followed by residences in Augusta, Georgia, and Bamberg and Aschaffenburg, Germany. While living in Europe, they made the first of their nine trips to Ireland. Being an enthusiastic gardener, Betsy was a member of the Little Garden Club of Sewickley, which was co-founded by her eldest sister, Forsyth, and Mrs. B.F. Jones III. She was an enthusiastic golfer, tennis player, swimmer, and needle pointer. For many years Mrs. Smith volunteered at the Sewickley Public Library. She was also a member of the Sewickley Valley Historical Society. She is deeply mourned by her husband, nieces, and a nephew. ALEXANDER LAUGHLIN “Mike” ROBINSON, JR. ’44, son of Alexander and Martha Robinson, died peacefully at his home in Millbrook, New York, on May 20, 2017. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Lenher Robinson; son, Christopher Lenher Robinson; and brother, Thomas Shields Robinson ’56. He is survived by his daughter Réné (Dan); son Alexander (Alison); brother Frank Brooks Robinson ’47; five grandchildren; and his Norfolk terrier Storm. Mike was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 28, 1929. He attended Sewickley Academy, Saint Paul’s School, and Yale University. At Yale, Mike skated defense in the finals of the Frozen Four NCAA Championships. A Korean War Navy veteran, Mike served on the Lake Champlain aircraft carrier before returning to Pittsburgh to work at National Electric Product. In 1959, Mike moved to New York to work on Wall Street in capital markets prior to making his mark in the emerging No-Load mutual fund arena. An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Mike was an enthusiastic hunter, angler, equestrian, golfer, dog handler, and friend. Drawn to further adventure in 1986, Mike and Ann moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, to build Still Pond Farm where Ann bred thoroughbred hunter jumpers, Mike launched KOR Investment Advisors, and together they created a nationally recognized naturalist garden. Known to family and friends for his charm across all ages, his character, his poetry, and his rhythm on the dance floor, Mike was a devoted husband and partner, and his dedication to Ann’s care and well-being was extraordinary and admired by all.

As of July 25, 2017 ALEXANDER “Hi” HAYS IV ’57, age 74, died January 18, 2017, in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, where he resided the past 15 months. He was preceded in death by his wife Sharon Butts Hays, with whom he was a longtime resident of Canton, Ohio. He was the son of the late Alexander and Analana Beeson Hays II and brother of the late Analana (Hays ’61) Freitag. Hi had a long career at Sky Trust, N.A. which later became Key Bank. He was an active volunteer at many community nonprofit organizations, and was on the board of directors at Stark State College. Most recently, Hi enjoyed volunteering for the Center for Hope in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He was an expert on Civil War and local history. He was one of the first on the scene for the fire at Sewickley Academy in 1970 and wrote an article for this magazine about his experience during that dramatic event. He is survived by his children Heather Hays Lockerman (Alvin), Alexander “Ti” Hays V (Elizabeth), and Kathrin Hays Cordell (Adam); five grandchildren; and by his siblings Cynthia McCullough Hays ’67, Charles Beeson Hays ’71 (Kathryn Elizabeth Alley), and Kathrin Frederica Hays ’73. SYMINGTON PHILLIPS “Phil” LANDRETH AMERMAN ’60 died peacefully at home in Atlanta on Memorial Day after a battle with esophageal cancer. The second of four children, Phil was born September 14, 1945, in Sewickley, the son of Reverend Lockhart and Louise Amerman. Phil attended Sewickley Academy, the Salisbury School, and Princeton University where he majored in Near Eastern studies. As early as eighth grade, Phil wrote in his autobiography that he wanted to join the United States State Department and work in the Middle East. But the Vietnam War took him first to the Far East. Phil served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam in 1968 - 1969, receiving the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the Bronze Star for valor. After his service in Vietnam, he attended the Foreign Service Institute and the University of Istanbul. Phil’s career with the U.S. Foreign Service and Central Intelligence Agency spanned 28 years, 22 of them at U.S. embassies and consulates in Europe and the Middle East. Conversant in French and Turkish, Phil enjoyed a lifelong love for languages, studying Arabic, Russian, Greek, and Urdu, with the ability to be rude or polite in several more languages. In 2002, he received an M.A. in Teaching from Agnes Scott College. Phil was married for a number of years to Jane Mahoney. After years of distinguished service to his government and

in the private sector, Phil retired in Atlanta, Georgia. Each summer, he joined his siblings at the Amerman family “camp” on Tupper Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. Phil is survived by his brother Peter ’57 (Cynthia) and sisters Emily ’62 (Jim Vagnoni) and Lucy ’68 (Jackson Haas), and six nieces and nephews. THOMAS M. POTTER, JR. ’77, of Gilboa, New York, passed away unexpectedly on March 24, 2017, at age 58. Tom was the beloved husband of Karen Summersgill Potter and devoted father of Phoebe (Hank) Rosen, Laura, and Brett. He was born in Walnut Creek, California, on July 29, 1958. It was here that he developed his lifelong love of sports, particularly skiing at Squaw Valley. Early on, Tom’s family moved to the Pittsburgh area. He became an avid fan and supporter of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He attended Sewickley Academy where he played soccer. Throughout college and the years after, he nurtured his many interests in sports, music, art, and photography. He played in a jazz band and worked as a photographer. Tom moved to New York City, opened an art gallery in Soho, married Nancy Howell, and Phoebe was born. After separating from Nancy, he moved to Hunter, New York. He began ski patrolling at Hunter Mountain, where he met Karen. They married, and after the birth of Laura and Brett, eventually settled in Gilboa. Tom pursued his passion for soccer by playing on various leagues in the Albany area and coaching and mentoring young athletes at Gilboa-Conesville Central School. He was also an avid golfer, particularly enjoying the camaraderie of the game. A deeply dedicated father, Tom made a point of attending every one of his children’s games from grade school through college. Tom always remained committed to the communities in which he lived and worked. This commitment extended to his work at the Naccarato Insurance company. Tom was predeceased by his mother, Diane King Potter. In addition to his wife and children, Tom is survived by his father, Thomas M. Potter, Sr. (Jebby); his sisters, Tracy and Elizabeth (Jeff ) Hall; a niece and two nephews; as well as many friends, associates, and clients. Tom lived an inspired life, always seeking new experiences and adventures. Tom and Karen spent their 25-year marriage traveling and exploring the world together. Tom will be remembered as a man who lived with passion, enthusiasm, and a great sense of fun.

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IN MEMORIAM MANON ALEXANDRA SOHN ’09 passed away March 11, 2017, at home. She was born July 19, 1991, and was the only child of Rebecca Abbas Sohn and Robert C. (Theresa) Sohn. She was blessed with intelligence, beauty, and compassion for others. A person of unusual grace and kindness, she expanded social circles and showed others that all needed to belong. She loved and lived the arts, often using poetry and quotes to cut through the noise and static of our complicated and technologically-driven world. She turned to music and became an accomplished harpist. While completing her undergraduate studies, she played with McGill University’s Wind Symphony and Sinfonietta. She was a past member of the American Harp Society and a graduate of Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. She often spoke fondly about her early summer internship at WYEP FM, Pittsburgh’s public radio station, where she programmed playlist content. Manon had an insatiable curiosity for how children learn and build their social skills. After graduating from college, she became a member of a nationally recognized research team focusing on early childhood development. She served as a Research Associate and Laboratory Manager at Carnegie Mellon University’s Cognitive Development Lab and Discovery Process Lab, where she stepped out of the laboratory to pursue clinical work. At the time of her death, she was employed as an autism therapist, supporting those on the spectrum in schools and working with their families. Manon was enrolled in the Masters of Science Program in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh at the time of her death. She held a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from McGill University, Montreal, QC. Manon loved animals, caring for an array of 14 animals during her childhood, although it was the dogs she loved the most. She could often be seen in the parks and on the trails with Ruca, a Labrador mix rescued from Tennessee, who owned her heart. Manon is survived by her parents, grandmother Mary Ellen Sohn, aunts and uncles, stepfamily, and several cousins.

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FAMILY OF ALUMNI Maleet (Brooks) Gordon, sister of Betsy (Brooks ’58) Currier and Frank Brooks ’62 Frances (Spang) Fetterolf, mother of Regan and Scott Fetterolf ’76, grandmother of Katie, Scott ’05, Ryan, Kelly ’09, and Jacob Susanne (Suender) Harvey, mother of Ann (Harvey ’71) MacMurray and Elizabeth Harvey Margaret “Peggy” Shoener, mother of Jackie ’72, Judy (Shoener ’73) Semple, Jim ’75, and Jeff ’78 Peter Sour, husband of Susan (Ratcliffe ’55) Sour, father of Peter Sour ’80 and Alexandra ’88 and stepfather of J. Kemp Fuller ’85 Phyllis Jean Thomas, mother of Rob Thomas ’76, grandmother of Will ’14 and Christina ’18 David Fulton Black, father of Karen (Black ’76) Meredith, Heather (Black) Procaccino, and Chase (Henderson ’81) Miller

As of July 25, 2017

FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL PAULA COOK SCULLEY died very peacefully at home in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, on February 22, 2017, at the age of 71 after a long illness. Paula was a passionate conservationist and horticulturist, having served as president of the Garden Club of Allegheny County where she cofounded Botany-In-Action, an organization dedicated to help conserve plants and indigenous botanical knowledge throughout the world. She also served on the board of Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, and co-founded the Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley. In addition, she served on the board of the Amazon Conservation Team. She was known for her flower gardens, particularly those devoted to attracting butterflies. Paula, daughter of artist Peter Cook, was a superb quilter, using her natural artistic skills to make over 40 extraordinary handmade quilts during her lifetime. She also served on the board of Sewickley Academy and was named Sewickley’s Woman of the Year in 2006. She is survived by her husband David, former CEO of H.J. Heinz U.S.A.; her daughter Heather (Kahrl ’89) Reedy (John) of Boulder, Montana; her son D. Sculley ’93 (Jessica) of Cambridge, Massachusetts; three grandchildren; and three brothers, Peter, John, and Stephen Cook, as well as a large and amazing family of Cooks and Wiggins. Paula will be remembered as a strong, caring, practical woman who always put the interests of others ahead of herself. Despite so many accomplishments in her life, for Paula, family always came first.

Frank V. Cahouet, 85, of Sewickley Heights, passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was born May 25, 1932, in Cohasset, Massachusetts, to Ralph H. and Mary Jordan Cahouet. Frank graduated from Milton Academy, Harvard College, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Frank was the chairman and chief executive officer of Mellon Financial Corporation from 1987 to 1998. Frank began his banking career with Security Pacific National Bank in Los Angeles. Later, he was CEO of Crocker Bank in San Francisco. He then served as president and chief operating officer of Fannie Mae in Washington, D.C. Frank served as a member of several boards including Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, National Bank Holdings, and Teledyne Technologies. Frank was an active member of St. James Church in Sewickley. In 2016, through the assistance of Allegheny Health Network, he founded the Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson’s Care. Sewickley Academy is deeply grateful to Frank and Ann for the Frank and Ann Cahouet Fine Arts Center which continues to provide students with opportunities for artistic expression and performance every day. Frank is survived by his wife, Ann Walsh Cahouet; his children, Ann P. Cahouet, Mary “Manny” Cahouet-Rotondi, Frank V. Cahouet Jr., and David R. Cahouet ’91; and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his siblings, Father Ralph Cahouet, O.P., John Cahouet, Mary Cahouet Fogarty, and James Cahouet.

Paula established the Sculley Sabbatical Fund, at Sewickley Academy enabling a teacher every summer to have the trip of his or her dreams, pursuing a special interest. In recent years, grateful teachers have traveled to Japan, Africa, Thailand, Panama, and Germany.

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SEWICKLEY ACADEMY 315 Academy Avenue Sewickley, PA 15143

The tradition lives on: alumni parents pose with their graduates on the steps of the Lower School.