BISHOP’S A MAGAZINE FOR THE BISHOP’S SCHOOL FAMILY AND FRIENDS SUMMER 2021
Three Pandemic Perspectives Staff, parents and students move the School year safely forward.
Recognizing 50 years of San Miguel + Bishop’s history Peer Support helps in a challenging year.
table of contents
BISHOP’S A magazine for The Bishop’s School family and friends community
FEATURES
Spring/Summer Summer 2021 • 2016 Vol. 18, • Vol. No. 113, No. 2
2
Behind the Mask
4
CommUNITY in Action
6
Year-in-Review from a Student Perspective
9
Bishop’s staff transformed campus for on-campus learning.
Bishop’s parents help shape the School’s response to the pandemic.
A conversation between students Lucas Buu-hoan ’21 and Dylan Hunt ’21
Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly.
Year-in-Review
Credits
2 from a Student Perspective
A new approach to DEI education 10 Students Lead the Way Students plan a regional diversity summit. 13 Two Traditions Live on for
Editor Suzanne Keri Peckham Weiner
6
Classes of 1971
15 Funding Our Future Auction and Kim Cooper drive Bishop’s Financial Aid program.
Year-in-Review from a Student Perspective 2
through a challenging year.
20 Alumni in Social Services:
Rachael Madden-Connor ’00
13
An alumna shifts to telehealth to help others during the pandemic.
22 We the Women Bishop’s founder Ellen Browning Scripps’ impact on women’s rights
25 The Class of 2021 Celebrating a very special class
28 Grandparents’ Day—Virtually! Keeping a tradition alive (online)
29 family matters: class notes and transitions
The Bishop’s School
Head of School The Kim Bishop’s School Ron Head of School Assistant Head of School and Aimeclaire Roche Officer Chief Advancement John A. Trifiletti Assistant Head of School and Chief Advancement Officer John A. Trifiletti Bishop’s is published two times a year Director of AlumniSchool. Relations by The Bishop’s Sarah Garro We welcome your feedback. Please send story ideas to Bishop’s is published two times a year news@bishops.com by The Bishop’s School. or contact us at (858) 875-0790. Letters: We welcome your comments. The Bishop’s School Please send letters for possible publication 7607 La Jolla Boulevard to weiners@bishops.com or contact us at La Jolla, CA 92037-4799 (858) 875-0735. Phone: (858) 459-4021 The Bishop’s School Fax: (858) 459-3914 7607 La Jolla Boulevard La Jolla, CA 92037-4799 www.bishops.com
The 50th anniversary of Bishop’s merger with San Miguel
16 Peerless Dedication Bishop’s Peer Support helps the School
By
Assistant Editors Managing Editor Keri Jordan Jen Peckham Cathy Morrison Contributing Writers Jeffrey J. Carmel Contributing Writers KathyJones Zach Day ’01 ZachJordan Jen Jones ’01 MelissaMorrison Cathy Kenyon Keri Peckham Trisha J. Ratledge Joe Tash Jared Scott Tesler Graphic Design Suzanne Weiner Design Perspective, Inc. Diane Y. Welch Contributing Photographers Graphic Design istockphoto Design Perspective Jen Jordan Contributing Cathy Morrison Photographers Melissa Keri Peckham Kenyon Pablo Mason Jennifer Seymour Dave Siccardi Michael Spengler Samale Lucas Buu-Hoan Michael Spengler ’21 Katelyn Zamudio ’17
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Phone: (858) 459-4021 Mission Statement Fax: (858) Bishop’s is 459-3914 an Episcopal school that nurtures students of intellect and www.bishops.com character to think independently, Mission Statement grow their sense learn collaboratively, The Bishop’s is an academic of self and actSchool with greater purpose. community pursuing intellectual, artistic, and athletic excellence in the context of the Photo Episcopal tradition. We are Cover Photographer dedicated Jen Jordanto offering the highest quality education to a diverse student body and to fostering integrity, imagination, moral responsibility and commitment to serving the larger community. From the Editor: We apologize for omitting the name Cindy Weiler from the board of trustees list in the fall/winter 2015 issue of Bishop’s. Mrs. Weiler is a current trustee and serves as the board’s secretary. Please note: Craig Higgs ’62 is the board’s legal counsel.
on the quad with RK
We are devoted to the development and well-being of our students in our community today so that they are prepared for whatever challenges they may face in the future. I am grateful to those who have pulled together in this extraordinary year to ensure we emerge from current challenges stronger than ever.
Ron Kim Head of School
1 on the quad with RK
It has been a year unlike any other, and it was not long ago that we opened school in August facing much uncertainty. The risks of COVID-19 required us to teach and care for our students and our community in different ways, but we remained committed to three priorities: ensuring continuity of learning, providing a safe learning environment, and supporting the students’ social and emotional well-being. I am writing this introduction the day before an auspicious occasion—the first day in over a year that we are inviting all of our students back to campus for in-person instruction. Since September we have had increasing numbers of students on campus and now we get to experience and celebrate something that we had previously enjoyed as our normative state—the energy and the joy of having all of our students here with us every day. The past year has been a challenge, but as you will see in the pages of this magazine, we have confronted it with help from our Bishop’s community and with the efforts of many unsung heroes on campus who have made it possible for our students to learn and thrive. While COVID has demanded focus on the urgent, we have also continued to work on the important. The School’s work on the next strategic plan proceeds, and we enhanced our dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. If anything, the difficulties of this year have sharpened our focus on what is essential to support students and the ways that they learn and grow best.
Behind the Mask 2
Behind the Mask:
How Staff Transformed Campus for Safe On-Campus Learning By Jen Jordan
E
llen Browning Scripps believed that educational methods should reflect the “experimental age” of the era. The 2020-2021 school year was certainly an experiment for The Bishop’s School— one with a successful outcome. As we looked around at all the masked faces on campus this year, there was one thing they all had in common— the commitment to offer on-campus learning in a COVID-safe environment. “Facilities and how we use this campus have changed dramatically,” says Bishop’s Assistant Head of School for Internal Affairs Michael Beamer. “We’ve tried to think about every aspect of life on campus and how we can make it as safe as it can be.” Many spaces that held the same function for decades—the Alumni Courtyard between Scripps and
3 Behind the Mask
Bentham Halls, Manchester Tennis Center, even the Quad—transformed into classroom spaces, allowing students safe spaces in which to learn. “The School has been remarkable in its capacity to say, whatever you need, we will make sure you have it to make sure that our employees are safe, our students are safe, and we can continue to teach and learn the way we always have,” Michael adds. A huge part of the full Bishop’s experience is providing nourishment for our community through the outstanding work of Bishop’s Director of Food Services Sara Sweet. “We have a great team, and everybody has risen to the challenge,” Sara shares. “We’re constantly re-evaluating. It kind of feels like a circus sometimes.” All circus jokes aside, Sara has handled
food services at Bishop’s with the aplomb of a three-ring circus master. She and her team have spent an enormous amount of time packaging grab-and-go offerings for milk break and lunches, providing varied options that include favorites such as Greek, Mexican and burgers. “I thought people were going to come and talk about what isn’t. ‘Oh, this is it? This is all?’ Or, ‘I want more,’ or ‘where is this?’” Sara continues. “But it’s been totally the opposite. People have been so appreciative and so supportive. They say thank you. They’re just so happy to be here.” Bishop’s Dean of Students Michelle Shea feels that at every turn the safety and well-being of our students is put first. “There are a lot of people who really care about the students here. I think the students really care about us
and the place. That’s what keeps things going. And frankly, the day-to-day interaction with students cannot be overstated. It’s enlivening and enriching all the time.” Michael notes that he has found an amazing spirit in everyone with whom he has interacted. “They share a common vision. They have a common desire to help out and to pitch in to make our campus welcoming and safe and really productive. We all share that goal, and we want to make sure that this can be a place that allows students to flourish the way that it always has.”
Learn more about the facilities, kitchen and student services teams’ work on Bishop’s YouTube channel.
COMMUNIT Y IN ACTION
Bishop’s parents help shape the School’s response to the pandemic. By Trisha J. Ratledge
COMMUNITY IN ACTION 4
F
rom afar, the scene was likely a peaceful throwback to pre-COVID days: two friends going for a run after dropping their daughters at soccer practice. But listen in on their conversation and reality sets in quickly. “There has to be a way to get kids back in school,” Chris Freundt, Bishop’s parent (Carina ’20, Cate ’22), remembers discussing with Fred Wu, a physician with Scripps Mercy Hospital, during their June 2020 run. “That opens everything up. Parents can get back to work, the community can open up, businesses can open up. It has a huge snowball effect.” They agreed that COVID-19 testing was the key. Dr. Wu had testing resources, but he couldn’t interest the public schools. Chris, a business development executive, knew how to reach the heads of independent schools throughout the county. Within a week, they had a group of interested schools and a rough plan. At the time, California was emerging in phases from an unprecedented statewide stay-at-home order issued on March 19 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Bishop’s had shifted to distance learning at the same time. A growing understanding of how to address COVID-19 brought a glimmer of hope. Through careful planning and proper precautions, Bishop’s might be able to reopen its campus safely in the fall, at least in some capacity. What moved this plan from possible to probable were some powerful allies.
Bishop’s parents quietly stepped up from the beginning offering expertise, resources, pathways to solutions. Their guidance in everything from securing personal protective equipment to establishing a state-of-the-art testing program helped the School to move forward with purpose—and a plan. “At every stage in the pandemic, there were parents who wanted to help us,” says Michael Beamer, Bishop’s assistant head of school for internal affairs. “They were able to do so in ways that were meaningful to our capacity to be open and have students on campus. They have helped shape my work as we’ve institutionally responded to this pandemic.”
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In the early spring of 2020, it was clear that—in the absence of vaccines— personal protective equipment (PPE) would be essential in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. But demand for PPE simply outstripped supply. Shelves and stockrooms were bare. With a vendor recommendation and a generous gift, Mike and Karen Stone (Rachel ’17, Samantha ’20, Wyatt ’26) helped equip the School at this critical point, building early confidence through masks and face shields, latex gloves and hand sanitizer. “I had the good fortune of being in a group of investors in a company called Halo,” says Mike, founder and managing member of FS Investors and chief investment officer for the TPG Rise
Funds. “Early in the pandemic, Halo recognized the need for PPE and used its substantial supplier network, while maintaining reasonable prices, to pivot to supporting the wave of need.” Next was a detailed cleaning and sanitizing audit of the campus during the summer of 2020. Mark Minasian (Lukas ’26), CEO and co-founder of KBS, brought unique skills from his facilities management company to help develop a cleaning and disinfection program that was customized for the varied facilities on campus, featured codified standards and protocols and was verifiable. The first step was to understand the current program. “From there we began supporting Brian [Williams ’81, Bishop’s director of facilities,] and his team conducting building audits, which ultimately led to writing updated facility standards for each building type, engineering detailed workflows and frequencies, and suggesting approved products, chemicals and equipment,” Mark says. Inspection and validation protocols developed for the School feature highly sophisticated ATP testing used in health care settings and other high-stakes infection control environments, such as food manufacturing. With protective equipment and a cleaning/disinfection program in place, three Bishop’s parents led the way for COVID-19 testing. Jennifer Cayer (Maddie ’22), who has spent most of her career in biotech executive management positions, has a deep
San Diego testing program on Oct. 21. By March 2021, Bishop’s had conducted nearly 5,300 COVID-19 tests on campus during the school year, with 10 positive cases identified. “If each one of those 10 hadn’t been identified and had just been circulating through the community, the whole nature of our reopening would have been very different,” says Michael. “I’m enormously grateful that we had as robust a program as we did.” When Fred Wu could no longer serve as ordering physician between the schools and the EXCITE lab, Maggie Marshall Paredez ’92 (Phoebe ’23), an emergency medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines, took on the essential role for Bishop’s and ensured the continuation of the testing program. Responsibilities include receiving the results, contacting anyone who is positive and updating the testing demographic data for the student and employee populations. Even as vaccinations roll out, testing remains a vital tool. “These tests are important because we know that there can be outbreaks,” says Maggie. “To have that reassurance that the kids can go safely back to school—and not spread [COVID] to households—that’s really important.” Vaccination, the final element, was made possible for many by SkyMD, the telemedicine component of medical corporation Compass Biosciences, which is headed up by CEO Bart Calame (Gregory ’27). Once SkyMD
was approved as a vaccination site, the staff started providing vaccinations for Bishop’s employees from eligible priority groups who could not find appointments elsewhere. On March 6, SkyMD hosted a drivethru vaccination clinic that drew many newly-eligible Bishop’s teachers and staff for their initial shot, along with others in the community. In all, 500 people got vaccinations in three hours. “The doctors were having a ton of fun,” Bart says. “The single thing that no one will forget was the energy. It was like everyone was coming out of hiding, and that includes the doctors who haven’t had much human interaction either. And then the relief kicked in of having gotten past the big hurdle of that first shot.” Palpable relief to be sure, after a year of lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, flattening the curve, phased reopenings, hand hygiene, PPE, contact tracing, social distancing, COVID bubbles and all of the other terms added to the 2020 lexicon. “This is a year that has required incredible patience and remarkable trust of others,” Michael says. “It has been hard and long. Being able to weigh those two things—patience and trust—has brought out the best of this community, where we know everyone is working hard, and everyone is trying to solve these problems. If we continue to trust the people who are making those decisions, we know the outcome will be a good one.”
5 COMMUNITY IN ACTION
knowledge base and broad industry network to draw from. In addition to providing Bishop’s leadership with emerging information on infectious diseases, COVID-19 protocols and more, Jennifer connected Bishop’s to Mobile Xpress Clinics, a mobile testing lab that offers on-site testing with 24-hour results. The first Mobile Xpress clinic at Bishop’s on Aug. 11 marked an important milestone. “The confidence that grew from a testing program helped us begin to turn the corner and know that we can do this,” says Michael. “We can be here on campus. We now had hard data that suggested we could do it safely.” “They really did blaze a trail at Bishop’s,” says Jennifer, who is on a number of nonprofit and biotech industry boards, including serving as chairman of the board for UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “We were testing early on, we were testing with the gold standard, and we were testing frequently.” The summer conversation between Chris Freundt and Fred Wu eventually led to the next phase of testing for the School. Working purely as volunteer liaisons, Chris and Dr. Wu connected local schools with the Expedited COVID IdenTification Environment (EXCITE) lab at UC San Diego, and they coordinated the logistics for the delivery of supplies and results. While the EXCITE program requires hands-on administrative tasks at the school sites, costs are reduced by 75 percent, a clear win. Bishop’s transitioned to the UC
Year-in-Review
from a Student Perspective By Lucas Buu-hoan ’21
This conversation between seniors Lucas Buu-hoan and Dylan Hunt compares their perspectives of the 2020-2021 school year. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
So Dylan, how has this year been for you?
Year-in-Review from a Student Perspective 6
It’s been frustrating at times, but I don’t think I could have asked for much better. Although schoolwork has been a lot more burdensome, I’m actually grateful for what this time has allowed – or sometimes forced – me to do.
I agree. I think schoolwork has stayed the same, maybe even gotten easier, but it’s so much harder for me to do work. I can’t focus at home, sitting on my computer, right after five hours of doing the exact same thing. Since I struggle with ADD, it was tough to be motivated and get my work done. Even so, I’ve accomplished a lot, and I wouldn’t take it back if I had the chance.
That’s a good point. The teachers obviously haven’t made their course material more difficult. Maintaining focus and retaining information becomes next to impossible.
I feel bad for them. They put a ton of work into teaching their classes and when everyone’s muted and or their cameras are off, it really doesn’t help. I also think it was tough for them to be on campus, and they definitely put in the effort to make sure we were well taught.
I definitely felt sorry for teachers this year. They’ve been extremely accommodating, flexible and understanding. Still, there’s just no way to make online learning as effective without major changes, the kind that can’t be made in just a year.
Things were radically different for students as well. Being at home with your family the entire day was tough. Even as we transitioned to a hybrid model, half of our days were on campus and half of our days were off. We got a tease of normalcy before we were hit with more online. But I treasured each and every moment.
Speaking of that, every year the football coaches harp, especially to the seniors, about cherishing your time in high school. It passes quickly for everyone, and you never know what wrench tomorrow will throw in your plans. The pandemic threatened to take our senior season away completely. I’m sure you’ve had a similar experience.
“Chicago” was a way for me to connect with my friends, and I’m thankful for everyone who made that possible. Our show was entirely outside, socially distanced and in masks. I think that’s a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t think there’s going to be a show like that ever again. It felt great to be active and have a purpose. I really enjoyed that.
These kinds of activities are what keep kids balanced. We use them as an escape – a destressor to take your mind off the rest of the problems you have.
When the pandemic hit, and we had so much free time, I was so bored. I enjoyed having a busy schedule. Once that was all gone, I didn’t know what to do.
It’s what you made it. For us, we enjoy video editing and production and graphic design and cover art, and a lot of that stuff we can do at home. But a lot of people can’t do their hobbies at home. Even for us, that was a tough transition.
Even with the hobbies we can do at home, we already spend an entire school day on Zoom and then to do more hobbies on the computer, you could easily end up spending 12 hours looking at a screen. That’s probably not sustainable. It’s so nice to be on campus more, and I’m happy for the teachers that they don’t have to deal with hybrid learning as much. I’m looking forward to things being back to normal. A lot is still restricted.
COVID gave me an excuse to be less social and to tell other people it was because of the pandemic. That’s why I’ve gone to every on-campus session that’s been available. I missed talking to people, being more social, making friends and stuff like that. I don’t hang out with Bishop’s kids outside of school. Coming to campus was a way for me to escape and be more social.
Not being on campus and seeing my typical friend group for weeks at a time led me to hang out with other people than I would have normally. We went on bike rides around La Jolla and San Diego which was a nice way to kill the time.
Once we were back on campus there was only a small group of us, and we bonded more. As we saw more and more people come, it was interesting. When we’d see kids come on campus for the first time after not seeing them for a while, it was pretty cool.
7 Year-in-Review from a Student Perspective
I didn’t enjoy having a busy schedule. But once there wasn’t a choice in the matter – everything was canceled, and you couldn’t do anything – that was a pretty terrible feeling. It was kind of deadening.
Social media is obviously prevalent but when the pandemic hit, it was a tidal wave. It was the only way you had human interaction. I don’t know whether that was good or bad, but I ended up talking to people through social media that I never thought I would and that was a cool experience. That obviously led to some not great stuff – if you posted a picture of yourself without a mask or at a party, you’d get backlash – so that was pretty tough.
It’s been unfortunate to see how differing opinions on the virus or how it should be handled led to animosity and a lack of understanding and empathy. With us coming to campus more, I’m kind of nervous in terms of my school and course work. I felt like learning was pretty tough online, and I know we have some preparation but if things start ramping up, I don’t know how prepared I am. What if I’ve forgotten everything?
Yeah, it’s going to be hard. I think a lot of people haven’t loved their high school experience. The first three years, I’d spend so much time at school. I love Bishop’s. But people who have mixed feelings may not want to come back.
Year-in-Review from a Student Perspective 8
Seniors got hit the hardest. The fact that college applications were test-optional made it harder to separate yourself from the rest academically. APs and SATs were a mess, things were canceled or blocked, so there’s been a lot more random luck for our class in terms of applying to colleges, and we’re seeing the effect of that right now.
Multiple schools said this was a record year for application numbers. I think more kids are applying to more places, and it’s not like the schools can admit more kids. A bunch of people were waitlisted – I was waitlisted from so many schools – but I think in the next month or so, a lot of people are going to be getting in. It definitely feels like there’s no rhyme or reason to this college admissions process.
As our time at Bishop’s comes to a close, it’s nice to look back and enjoy more of our senior year. I’m very appreciative of Mr. Pierce and the School’s efforts to host events highlighting the senior class. Recently, we had food trucks come to campus, and we’ve been playing games on the Quad, and we’re bonding more as a class. In 50 years, we’ll look upon the once-ina-lifetime senior year we’ve had. Isn’t that something that makes us unique? It’s made me thankful for attending a nice school that is willing to pour tons of money and effort to add a sense of normalcy to our campus. That is something I will never forget.
There are some positives to come out of this. It made me examine my beliefs and strengthened them. It gave me the time to pursue what I was genuinely interested in.
Hopefully there won’t be another year like this one.
Yeah! We’re the Class of 2021.
The COVID class!
Watch how this year has been for other seniors on Bishop’s YouTube Channel.
Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly. A NEW APPROACH TO DEI EDUCATION By Cathy Morrison “Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly.” This verse from the Bible’s book of Micah has been guiding Bishop’s themes for chapel and in our community. With that, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) curriculum has intentionally evolved from a more reactive approach to a proactive path.
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“One of the goals is to make DEI an ongoing conversation. We encourage everyone to continue discussions over email, a free period or lunch. Slowly, these personal connections will lead to a culture where we are actively engaged in the diversity of our community and the pursuit of true equity and inclusion.” Establishing and following “Respectful Dialogue Practices” is central to the DEI curriculum. Raul notes, “As with any new program, there are challenges. The success relies on students’ willingness to speak up for the sake of exploring ideas. I am happy that the program has sparked conversations about important issues.” Occasionally, some have felt (and expressed) frustration with an activity that didn’t have a single, prescriptive right answer or conclusion. By encouraging students and faculty to stay
engaged, experience some discomfort and accept non-closure, members of the School community are called on to have “patience and good faith.” ”Even critical statements about some lessons are signs that students see the value of talking about DEI,” says Raul. “We plan lessons that advisors execute as designed or with alterations to fit student needs. Ultimately, the effectiveness depends on the ownership our School takes of the program. Diversity, equity and inclusion are considered by many to be key values underpinning a 21st century education. Learning from others’ lives and ideas, exploring what is fair and what is not and interrogating what it means to fully belong to a community are essential human endeavors any educated person must undertake. If the DEI program is nudging students toward these tasks, then it is meeting its intended goal.” Lara acknowledges, “There’s a lot going on in our world right now, and we hope that these practices can normalize talking about the things that challenge us. We are all learning together, and it’s a marathon not a sprint.”
9 Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly.
ast year four faculty members were appointed to new positions on Bishop’s Diversity Leadership Team: Raul Ruiz (history and social sciences) and Lara Korneychuk (performing arts) as upper school diversity coordinators, and Mary Ellen Kohlman (history and social sciences) and Carlos Martell (world languages) as middle school diversity coordinators. Despite there being so much to react to in 2020 and 2021, this group worked to create curricula and lesson plans for advisors to implement during designated advisory sessions. Lara explains, “Our goal for this year’s DEI curriculum was to create a culture of regularly talking about issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion—not in response to something that has just happened in the world—but as a regular part of our lives. “If we only talk DEI for 25 minutes every A day, that doesn’t lead to a culture shift. We’re hoping faculty will allow these conversations to continue in other interactions. We know that 25 minutes isn’t nearly enough to address these topics and tie them up with a pretty ribbon. In fact—that’s the idea.
Students Lead the Way By Cathy Morrison
Students Lead the Way 10
“(Un)Covering You: Privilege and Vulnerability” was the theme of the
The February event focused on “respectful dialogue, the relationship between current and systemic issues, and the potential youth have to catalyze change within their communities and beyond.”
professor, Dr. Bettina Love, to the dozen workshops and 10 affinity spaces, to the closing lecture by author and counselor first annual Regional Student Diversity Alicia Oglesby, the event inspired Summit (RSDS) in San Diego. The attendees to begin—or continue—their February event focused on “respectful journey from awareness to action. dialogue, the relationship between Students and adults participated with current and systemic issues, and the the entire conference hosted in Zoom potential youth have to catalyze change “rooms” by Bishop’s faculty and staff within their communities and beyond.” volunteers. With 10 months of planning, Current events lent an unexpected Sean Kim ’21, along with Director of 16 students from four San Diego sense of urgency. As the organizers pointed Diversity and Community Life David independent schools hosted a virtual out, “When we first met to plan our event that drew 300 participants from 29 Thompson Jr. (pictured below). The conference, we would never have foreseen other local schools were Francis Parker, schools across three states. The students the scale of events during the summer of La Jolla Country Day and Pacific Ridge. coordinated the kind of conference they The depth and breadth of speakers’ and 2020. We believe in thinking critically, wanted to attend with an infrastructure to equitably and justly, so we wanted to continue to build upon. Bishop’s students facilitators’ backgrounds was impressive. From the opening keynote by nationally- organize a regional summit regarding DEI involved in establishing RSDS include acclaimed author, researcher, activist and topics in a comfortable environment.” Lila Chitayat ’21, Elias Herrera ’22 and
host a Zoom room.” The long, collaborative process for the students organizing the summit laid the foundation for a successful event. Elias Herrera ’22 explains, “Initially, we had discussions about the general structure. Who is the target audience, what issues are we focused on, what do we want students to take away from this, why does what we do matter? Despite essentially being strangers (we met only virtually), we openly shared our ideas. As the process progressed, we began discussing logistics of the conference: What will the schedule be, what is our budget, who are we inviting to speak? To have efficient and productive meetings, we developed a ‘democratic’ system where we proposed and voted on ideas. As the conference got closer, we distributed the work throughout four different committees: workshops, logistics, social media/outreach and affinity spaces. Each committee was assigned specific responsibilities.” Elias adds that the biggest surprise for him was, “We were able to meet virtually consistently for nearly 10 months despite
challenges that we faced from the pandemic. I feel grateful and proud to have worked alongside such a motivated, diverse and enthusiastic group of student leaders from across San Diego. With the strong ambition and dedication of all the members of our cohort, we were able to effectively navigate all the challenges of collaborating virtually.” Head of School Ron Kim says, “I was impressed by what the students were able to organize. The disappointment of not being able to attend a national conference led to this idea of a regional group creating their own experience. The work and follow-through to put this together was remarkable. I have attended many DEI conferences and presented as well, and this was as well-organized as any that I have experienced. The sessions were a great balance of inspiration, education, empowerment, empathy and bonding. For the students to know that they have the agency and the power to make a difference is a wonderful realization for them.” In her closing remarks Alicia Oglesby said, “Students have always been at the
Lila Chitayat ’21
Elias Herrera ’22
Sean Kim ’21
11 Students Lead the Way
For students, the conference being by, about and for them is key. Bishop’s students have always come away from the National Association of Independent Schools’ annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference feeling seen, heard, connected and empowered. When the pandemic shut down that national experience, students who had looked forward to attending were keen to find a way to create a virtual opportunity. Chinese teacher Esther Hsiao hosted the Zoom space for the LGBTQ+ affinity group and recalls, “The most powerful moment for me was when I realized that the unique format of a Zoom conference actually provided a safe space for participants who were not out to their families or friends. Even though they could only ‘speak up’ by typing on chat (fearing they could be overheard otherwise), the space provided an opportunity for them to see others like them and to feel seen and accepted. A space like that gives people who feel isolated hope and courage. At that moment I felt grateful and honored to be part of RSDS, though all I did was
Students Lead the Way 12
center of social justice and activism,” and adults need to “activate their agency and expression so this work can go forward.” Students who registered were told, “All we need is an open mind, a commitment to change and a readiness for respectful dialogue.” Many workshops were designated as student-only spaces, but some topics were available for adult participants. There was something for everyone, with particular focus on the concept that each audience member brought their own unique experiences to the table. Bishop’s Head of Middle School Harlan Klein, who hosted a Zoom room, notes, “The keynote speakers were inspiring and candid, the variety of workshops offered was impressive. The connections made and camaraderie in the affinity spaces were powerful. The youthful nature of the event made it a pleasure to play a small part as a Zoom room facilitator. These student leaders have developed something with legs and the potential to be even further developed by students who take this conference on in subsequent years.” As a junior, Elias will be a bridge to the next iteration of RSDS and shares, “I am excited to see how we can evolve
“Student activism, involvement and initiative should not stop with our conference…we hope that all participants will bring what they have learned to their own communities and promote social equity.”
are not for the sake of ‘woke culture,’ but an effort to develop cross-cultural understanding.” Ideally, the conference can go beyond “those who are already committed to change,” to include “people who can really benefit from hearing others’ stories and learn why as a group and provide a bright future for apathy is not okay.” this conference. I am optimistic that RSDS The RSDS’s remarkable website will continue to foster a safe environment, recommends resources for further whether it be virtual or in-person, to learning, understanding and encourage conversations about our implementation, stating that, “Student school communities regarding a sense of activism, involvement and initiative belonging, self-expression and a mutual should not stop with our conference...we understanding of shared identities. hope that all participants will bring what Additionally, I am optimistic that we they have learned to their own will facilitate difficult, yet necessary communities and promote social equity.” conversations and provide a place for Elias concludes, “There is great students to embrace vulnerability.” value in discovering shared experiences The hope is that future RSDS events and enhancing each and every voice will be held in person and that each of in our school communities. By the organizing schools will have an promoting diversity, we are able to opportunity to host the conference on consider perspectives and opinions their respective campuses. beyond those we have already developed Imagining how the Summit might or were shaped in our early lives by family develop further, Interim Director of and friends. When we are faced with College Counseling Ben Lah offers, perspectives different from our own, we “My biggest takeaway, aside from hearing are given the opportunity to think more individual stories which are always justly, equitably and critically about our compelling, was simply that more people own beliefs and view the world in new, needed to be there. These opportunities fresh ways.”
Two Traditions Live on for Classes of 1971 By Zach Jones ’01
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turned up to 11. For its first eight years, the school was housed in the Dickinson-Boal Mansion in National City, with students and teachers crammed into its Queen Anne-style parlors, sitting rooms and wherever else they could hold classes. “My primary memory is the school itself, with its very small rooms,” says Vance Baker ’61. “It’s a very intimate thing to have a teacher just a few feet from you.” In those early days, Rev. Edwin Rossmaessler was not only the headmaster, but also the school bus driver and the Class of 1961 was small enough that they could all fit—perhaps not quite legally—in a single car. Even as teenagers, San Miguel’s students were aware that they were a part of something special. “I eventually graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and it was not as profound an experience for me as graduating from San Miguel,” Vance says. “I knew it at the time—I doubted that I’d ever have an experience like that again.” Yet almost overnight, it all came to an end. Devon says he spent two decades as a man without a school. His old school had become Francis Parker School, and his “new” school was one he’d never attended. It wasn’t until he returned to La Jolla for his 20th anniversary that he
discovered what had happened to those San Miguel traditions from years ago. They were here. The school colors were San Miguel’s maroon and gold and the knight mascot was there too, with his suit of armor standing guard in the corner of the gym. Even the old San Miguel coat of arms, originally bestowed upon the school in 1953, was featured prominently around the Bishop’s campus and incorporated into the commencement and baccalaureate ceremonies. Last but not least, there were the ties. Dangling from the necks of the senior boys were maroon-and-gold striped ties that paid homage to the uniform of the old school. “I loved that tie, I really did,” Devon says, laughing. “I kept it for at least another 20 years (after graduation), and I bought another one when I was there for our 20th reunion.” Beyond the traditions, San Miguel lived on in people as well. Several popular teachers and coaches taught at San Miguel before moving to the La Jolla campus. The original plan for the merger had called for the schools to maintain their own identities—literally the “Bishop’s Schools”—but the reality became much more of a blending. Changed forever were the Bishop’s battles between Purples and Golds on T-Day as boys joined the hours of
13 Two Traditions Live on for Classes of 1971
half-century ago, the seniors of The San Miguel School for Boys and The Bishop’s School found themselves at the end of an era. Theirs were the final chapters in two separate books and after graduation day, things would never be the same. The changes that had reshaped Bishop’s over the previous few years would accelerate with the arrival of boys in the fall of 1971 and the girls would see a new, modern mode of campus life. But for the boys of San Miguel, this was no mere fork in the road. The road had literally come to an end for the place they called home. Their campus sold, those who stayed would merge with the all-girls school across town that was more than 40 years their elder. Of the traditions that had been forged during San Miguel’s 19 years of existence, a handful would make the move from the old Linda Vista Road address to La Jolla with the 26 boys. “There was a feeling of alienation,” says Devon Osborne ’71. “After the graduation, it was kind of like San Miguel no longer existed—that was it. I had to look to Bishop’s, but I had no roots there.” For generations, Bishop’s students have enjoyed an intimate educational experience, a special teacher-pupil bond nurtured within walls soaked in history. Before the merger of 1971, San Miguel was all of that, with the dial
Two Traditions Live on for Classes of 1971 14
marching rehearsal leading up to the event. “We used to spend our lunch hour marching, practicing for T-day,” says Susan Brown Lawson ’71. “Trying to incorporate guys into that was a challenge.” A Class Agent and an Alumni Association Board member, Susan remembers the rapid changes happening at Bishop’s during her six years here. “When I started in seventh grade, boarders had to wear a dress, nylons and gloves, and go with a chaperone to go shopping in downtown La Jolla on the
the graduates of San Miguel can find their names etched in brass in St. Mary’s Chapel. Appropriately, they’re surrounded weekend,” she said. “By tenth grade, we by the hundreds of Bishop’s graduates got to wear a pullover sweater instead of who came before and after. our blazer. That was a big deal.” “Fifty years after the fact, the By her senior year, boarders could San Miguel School for Boys and its go on dates off campus, provided they identity are so much a part of the same returned at the prescribed time. cloth it is indistinguishable from The In the end, the merger was just as the Bishop’s School,” Devon says. “We are Classes of 1971 might have anticipated— all now part of the same family. Like a the end of one era and the dawn of marriage, we are now bound together another. regardless of our history. Our history When they celebrate reunions this fall, is Bishop’s history.”
FUNDING OUR FUTURE: What Drives Bishop’s Financial Aid Program By Keri Peckham
LEAVING A LEGACY: Kim Cooper Retires
Following the resounding success of last year’s virtual auction, Bishop’s Auction saw another stellar response from our community at this year’s virtual livestream event.
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2021 AUCTION MAJOR SPONSORS & DONORS GOLD STAR Terri Lundberg & Arnie Whitman Michelle & Ryan Sit Stacia & Michael Balog PLATINUM CIRCLE Berenice & Jerry Blake Brian & Andrea Payne Marvin ’93
CHALLENGE GIFT DONORS Anonymous—in memory of Jeffrey Teitelman ’90, son of former Head of School Michael Teitelman and his wife Marlene Cathy & Brad Geier Elizabeth & Dene Oliver Amy & Horacio Valeiras
Learn more about the auction at auction.bishops.com.
Bishop’s Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Kim Cooper, who is retiring this summer, has played a vital role in the success and growth of Bishop’s Financial Aid Program, having a positive impact on the School for years to come. Through her commitment to expanding the program, Kim provided the gift of a Bishop’s education to students from a wide variety of backgrounds, some of whom may never have known about Bishop’s if not for her invitation. In Kim’s 10 years at Bishop’s, the School’s applicant pool and number of qualified applicants grew significantly as did the geographic regions and schools from which we have drawn. She felt great joy from this work and recognized its importance as it promotes the “richness of conversation and collaboration that make learning so exciting.” With 20 percent of current students receiving financial aid (with an average grant of more than $26,000), the impact is found in the School’s student body. As Kim shared at the auction, “Financial aid empowers our admissions office to focus on students’ beliefs and values—and how they make contributions to our community and beyond.” Kim’s legacy is clear as we watch Bishop’s students and alumni “making change in this world.” When Kim shared with auction participants that she is “forever grateful” for their gifts to the financial aid program, we felt sincere gratitude to Kim for running it so well for a decade. She will be missed!
15 Funding Our Future
hen it came time to plan the Bishop’s Auction this spring, Auction Chair Cecilia Aguerre (Marina ’13, Alani ’14, Emilia ’18, Luken ’21) was ready to get to work to raise critical funds for the School’s Financial Aid Program. It helped having an experienced volunteer—Cecilia Santiago Aguerre, Auction Chair Cecilia Aguerre, co-chaired Lumina MMX in Theresa Kneebone and Ron Kim 2010—so she was very familiar with the importance of this fundraiser to Bishop’s. With a virtual event, attendees were able to enjoy the evening with family and friends. They arranged their own safe gatherings, enjoying food from Giuseppe and signature cocktails from Snake Oil Cocktails, while Cecilia and her husband, Santiago, hosted a small dinner party for auction sponsors at their home. Following a video of financial aid students’ letters to teachers who had a tremendous impact on their time at Bishop’s, auctioneer Clint Bell excitedly guided the paddle raise. Though we were unable to be together on campus, the end result was positive: The event raised approximately $850,000, which will go directly to the School’s Financial Aid Program for the coming year.
“How do we keep our community connected, how do we inject kindness into the community? How do we find moments to be nice and slow down and care about each other?”
Bishop’s Peer Support helps the School through a challenging year. By Joe Tash
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course is offered on a pass/fail basis, and students earn one semester of credit for this independent elective. The course is reserved and required for members of the School’s Peer Support program. Students must apply for admission to the program. School Counselor Megan Cooper Broderick ’98, who also serves as faculty adviser for the Peer Support program, said students must demonstrate a genuine interest in the program and propose a project they’d like to work on if selected. Students must also provide recommendations from a peer and a teacher. This year’s team includes 21 students. Megan has expanded the program in recent years to be more inclusive and provide an opportunity for as many students as possible. If there’s an overarching theme to the group’s work, Megan says, it’s this: “How do we keep our community connected, how do we inject kindness into the community? How do we find moments to be nice and slow down and care about each other?” Team members make themselves visible and available if students want to talk and the group would like to do more formal peer counseling. To that end, they have created a form to request peer counseling and tried peer counseling office hours. Megan stresses to the students which issues can remain confidential and which must be brought to her attention. Some of this year’s team members say their contacts with Peer Support students
17 Peerless Dedication
s The Bishop’s School navigated through the unprecedented challenges of a global health crisis this year, the School’s Peer Support program provided a welcome sense of stability and connectedness for students, faculty, staff and parents. In some ways Peer Support did what it has always done—reached out to new students to make them feel at home, led chapel discussions and talked with many different groups on campus, from middle school students to parents. But this year brought the added challenge of working around restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the start of the school year, all classes and activities were held online, but as the year went on, Bishop’s transitioned from distance learning to a hybrid of online and in-person instruction. Peer Support adapted as well, reaching out to the School community with a mix of virtual and in-person events and activities. “It’s been a difficult year, but we’ve tried our best,” says Seiji Ayala-Sekiguchi ’22, a junior in his first year with Peer Support. The group has spoken at middle school advisory sessions on such topics as kindness and inclusion, and they have worked to make personal connections at lunch, “so everyone feels welcome at the School,” Seiji says. Peer Support is open to students in grades 10-12 and the class runs for the full school year, meeting twice each cycle during X period. The non-academic
VIDEOS IN THIS ALBUM Incorrect
Correct
Navigating Our Campus
Our Morning Routine
Milk Break and Lunch
Peerless Dedication 18
Proper Mask Wearing
when they were just starting at Bishop’s stuck with them and made them want to join the program. Abby Beamer ’22 is in her second year with Peer Support, and she plans to continue with the group next year, when she’ll be one of the team’s student leaders. When she first came to Bishop’s as a sixth-grader, Peer Support put on activities such as bringing service dogs to campus and serving ice cream. They also reached out to students during upper school orientation to make them feel more comfortable. Abby says she
wanted to provide those kinds of experiences for others. This year Abby helped the middle school launch a new Peer Support program, and she’s worked on a newsletter the team started to improve communications during the pandemic. At lunch only three students can sit together at a table, which means students may unintentionally be more socially isolated. Activities such as writing notes for teachers and fellow students, a paper airplane competition or a picnic with kites and lemonade can make students feel more connected.
“We’re trying to make sure we still foster a sense of community even though things feel so much further away,” Abby says. “By having fun activities and events for students, it lightens the mood of the day and makes it more fun to be at school.” The secret to the success of Peer Support may be that members of the team find the work both rewarding and enjoyable, and they tend to stick around. “Almost everybody stays for their entire time at Bishop’s. Nobody leaves the group unless they have a scheduling issue,” Megan says.
In February 2020, Peer Support students participated in a panel interview intended for CBS Sunday Morning (the air date was postponed due to the pandemic).
“By having fun activities and events for students, it lightens the mood of the day and makes it more fun to be at school.”
members held Zoom sessions in which students could bake or watch movies with Peer Support students. Kelly says Peer Support was there for her when she was new at the School, helping her adjust and make friends. “For me it was like paying it forward, I wanted to help someone else who is new.” Another Peer Support project that has gone over well this year was a series of videos the team made to prepare students to return to campus. Lucas Buu-hoan ’21, who is also in his third year with the program, enjoys making
19 Peerless Dedication
Kelly McFarlane ’21, a senior now in her third year with Peer Support, says the group is like a family whose members support each other and are open to each other’s ideas. “I think it’s hard to have a bad experience in Peer Support. It’s a really friendly group,” says Kelly. Creating a sense of community on campus has been especially hard this year during the pandemic, and Peer Support has responded by coming up with creative ways to encourage personal connections. For example, earlier in the year, team
videos as a hobby, and he spearheaded the effort. Lucas made videos about how to follow COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing masks and physical distancing, and he is now working on a video to be shown in chapel on the theme of justice. Along with being welcoming and supportive, Lucas sees Peer Support as promoting school spirit and the fun side of campus. “That’s kind of who we are.” “I really enjoy being in Peer Support and especially being one of the leaders this year. It’s taught me how I can make a difference wherever I am,” Lucas says. Megan says the group’s impact can be seen when members of the School community reach out, such as a teacher asking for Peer Support’s help in connecting with a student who is struggling. “Those moments big or small… that is evidence of success,” she says. And the group is always willing to help. “When I ask, they don’t balk.” “They’re just a great group of people. It’s such an honor and a joy to be around them,” Megan says.
ALUMNI IN SOCIAL SERVICES TELEHEALTH FROM A PRACTITIONER’S PERSPECTIVE By Cathy Morrison Rachael Madden-Connor ’00 is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who lives and works in Fairbanks, Alaska. She treats adults and her mission is to help clients improve physical and emotional self-care so they can enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Her primary treatment areas include depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and work and school stress. Person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and transactional analysis are her theoretical orientations. She is one of a number of Bishop’s alumni who specialize in mental health and social services, and she generously shared how the pandemic has affected her line of work and how she has helped others cope during this time. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Alumni in Social Services 20
How has your practice changed in the last year? My practice has changed so much! About 80 percent of my appointments are via telehealth now. I do in-person appointments upon request; we meet in the waiting room because it’s bigger than my office, so we can spread out. At first it was a major adjustment doing appointments with face masks on and sitting farther apart, but one year into the pandemic, it feels natural. I was afraid I’d miss a lot of body language with face masks, but that hasn’t been the case. There is so much emotion in the eyes!
How do you build connections virtually? One benefit of telehealth in the COVID-19 era is you get to see a whole other side of patients’ lives. Over the past year, I’ve met lots of pets and young children that I wouldn’t have during a traditional office appointment. Internet speed is a challenge in the Alaskan interior. Many patients do their therapy appointments in their cars; they’ll drive to a spot in town where they know we’ll have a good connection and pull up the telehealth app on their phones. I’ve learned to adjust my expectations for sessions and to anticipate at least a few hiccups during the therapy hour.
Are you seeing new issues or an exacerbation of existing issues? Definitely both. I specialize in treating depression and anxiety in teenagers and adults. One of the most challenging things about this pandemic is a lot of my patients’ preferred coping skills for managing their symptoms, such as going to the gym or spending time with friends, were abruptly taken away. Developing a new toolbox has been a focus of a lot of sessions this past year. Alternatively, some patients self-isolate as a symptom of depression, so COVID-19
precautions have complicated treatment. Then there are all the other challenges of pandemic life, such as marital stress, working from home and home-schooling children, that have added a new set of therapy goals to treatment plans.
What activities/advice bring the most comfort? Approaching the pandemic through a lens of bereavement has been very helpful. Some patients feel guilty about grieving canceled trips, postponed weddings, closed gyms and more. Giving them a safe space to grieve our old normal has been very validating. My patients also respond very well to humor as an intervention. I’ll often joke with them about how this is my first time being a therapist in a pandemic and that, just like them, I am making this up as I go. Self-disclosure about my own struggles during COVID-19 is well-received, too. Lastly, I encourage my patients to take breaks from reading and watching the news and to focus on their self-care. My favorite part of my job is helping patients improve self-care. It opens this whole new world of possibilities for them, and it is such a delight to witness.
How will what you’ve learned and experienced carry forward as things become more open and settled? Being a small business owner during the pandemic has been such a roller coaster. I’ve learned to ask for help and to use my resources. It was scary to be in only the third year of my private practice when everything first happened. At times, when I was really stressed, I wished that I was still working at a group practice or an agency, so that a supervisor or boss would tell me what to do. Creating new systems, policies and procedures by myself was daunting, but it taught me that I am more adaptable than I thought I was. It was always my dream to have my own
practice, and I now have a whole pandemic playbook to go with it. I now feel confident to face whatever business challenges come my way in the future.
What has helped you navigate the pandemic’s challenges? I’m very fortunate to have a good colleague in town with whom I talk several times a week. We’re both solo practitioners here in Fairbanks. For the past few years, we’ve been doing formal case staffing for two hours once a month and providing support to each other throughout the week, as needed. So, when COVID-19 happened, we already had a whole system in place for supporting each other. Whenever anyone asks me for advice about starting a private practice, I always tell them that the most important thing is to not be an island unto yourself. Consultation with other professionals is key. In my case, I’m very lucky because we’ve also become good friends.
How did your Bishop’s experience lead you to this work? I remember one of my ninth-grade teachers telling our class that we were going to change the world! It was such a bold statement. It made me think that whatever I ended up doing someday, I wanted to leave the world a little better than how I found it. That said, while service and excellence were frequent topics of discussion in the 1990s, self-care and mental health were not. I’m so grateful for all of the work that Mr. Kim is doing to help promote a culture of wellness at Bishop’s. I didn’t master the art of self-care until I was well into my 20s; once I did, it was game-changing. I used to have this fantasy of going back in time and teaching my 14-year-old self how to live her best life. I became a counselor because I wanted to help others learn how to live their best lives, too.
Pictured on phone screen: Rachael Madden-Connor ’00
We the Women 22
Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. B.M. Boye, Votes for Women (1911)
The Struggle for Equality in the Life of Ellen Browning Scripps By Molly McClain ’84
We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal.
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Courtesy of Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College
Bishop’s junior girls (1916)
began wearing “freedom dress” or straight-legged pants. Also known as “bloomers,” pants became popular after they were taken up by women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her neighbor, Amelia Bloomer. They were worn beneath a short dress, not unlike today’s leggings, and gave women greater mobility than corsets and crinolines. They were a symbol of freedom at a time when most women were confined by their clothes. Miss Scripps attended a high school that prepared students for college-level work at a time when few women were educated beyond the sixth grade. At Rushville Seminary and High School, she took history, chemistry, algebra, geometry and Latin. One female teacher was particularly inspirational: L. Amelia Dayton, who would go on to teach modern languages at Ohio Wesleyan University. Miss Scripps followed her example by becoming a teacher herself after her graduation in 1854. Her aim was to save enough money to attend college. Fortunately, a legacy from her grandfather allowed her to attend Knox
23 We the Women
n 1848, the first woman’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, used the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a model to demand liberty and equality for women. Ellen Browning Scripps, one of the founders of The Bishop’s School, was 12 years old at the time. Inspired, she became a feminist committed to women’s rights and education. A vision of equality for women guided the establishment of The Bishop’s School in 1909. Its founders—the Right Reverend Joseph Horsfall Johnson, Ellen Browning Scripps and Eliza Virginia Scripps—shared the belief that education could level the playing field and allow women to compete with men for opportunities otherwise denied them. It was a radical idea at a time when people routinely faced discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age and disability. Ellen Scripps “thought women ought to be the equal of men,” wrote one of her friends, “They should have their work, interest, and place just as much as men should. This was really her idea and hope.” Equality remains the goal of the women’s movement and a key priority of students at The Bishop’s School. The FEM Club, founded by Eliana BirnbaumNahl ’23 while in middle school, regularly meets to discuss issues related to women, including gender discrimination. “We should all just be treated equally as human beings,” states upper school club officer Maddie Ishayik ’23. Ellen Browning Scripps came of age in a world filled with political turmoil and
division. In London, where the Scripps family came from, people marched for universal manhood suffrage. In 1848, revolutionaries in France and Germany demanded an end to monarchy and the establishment of constitutional rights. In the U.S., meanwhile, abolitionists and women’s rights advocates used the upheavals in Europe to demand reform at home. As a child, Miss Scripps lived in Rushville, a small town on the edge of the Illinois prairie. She and her family kept up with current events by reading newspapers from London and New York. In 1848, she and her brother James even started their own handwritten newspaper, “The Monthly Star.” There were few revolutionary events on the family farm, but Ellen and James recognized the value of the press in chronicling change. Miss Scripps became a champion of women’s rights at an early age, starting with dress reform. As a teenager, she
We the Women 24
College in Illinois. She matriculated in 1856 with advanced credit due to her work in high school and graduated two years later. A college education allowed Miss Scripps to earn her living, first as a teacher and later as a journalist and editor on the family-owned Detroit Evening News. Because she was a woman, Miss Scripps earned less money than other employees and received only two shares of the company stock. According to her brother E.W. Scripps, she was owed much more. As the newspaper became successful, she was pushed aside by younger men. She went from the business office to the proofreaders’ room, unrewarded for her hard work and expertise. Faced with discrimination, Miss Scripps joined other women to fight for change. She joined the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) not long after it was founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and she voiced her support for a constitutional amendment to give women the right to vote. She subscribed to the organization’s newspaper, The Revolution, and committed herself to the construction of “a permanent, progressive democracy” based on common humanity and the equal rights of women and men. Suffragists’ efforts to get a constitutional amendment were stymied by white southerners who opposed giving Black women the vote. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protected the right of formerly enslaved men to vote and hold office and prohibited states from denying the vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Nevertheless, legislatures across the South passed racially discriminatory “Jim Crow” laws that disenfranchised the majority of Black men. In that context, the U.S. Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to give women the vote. Afterward, the newly-organized National
“At Bishop’s we have learned about the history of feminism… and we’ve been given the tools to explore that further if we want. I feel that knowledge gives us shoulders to stand on as we move forward.”
Bishop’s faculty softball team (1916)
American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) worked on advancing women’s suffrage state-by-state. After her move to California in the 1890s, Miss Scripps joined the fight for women’s suffrage in the West. A number of western states had opened the franchise to women, among them Wyoming (1869), Utah (1870), Colorado (1893) and Idaho (1896). California, Oregon and Washington were battleground states. Her experience as a journalist and editor proved valuable to California’s suffrage fight. In 1911, Miss Scripps directed the newspapers founded by her brother E.W. Scripps to support the campaign for equal suffrage. The result was a narrow victory for an amendment of the Constitution of California that granted women the right to vote. E.W. later wrote, “I put all of the California Scripps papers at her service in this respect and so, in an indirect way perhaps, I believe she is responsible for the success of the movement in this state.” The 19th Amendment (1920) granted all women the right to vote but, in many
states, discriminatory laws prevented Black women from going to the polls. Not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 did both Black men and women achieve racial equality in voting. Ellen Scripps’ investments in her brothers’ newspapers made her a very wealthy woman. She used that money to invest in educational opportunities, providing major financial support to The Bishop’s School; Scripps College; the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Scripps Research Institute; the San Diego Society of Natural History; the San Diego Zoo; the La Jolla Recreation Center; the La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library; the YMCA and the YWCA, among other organizations. The advancement of women’s equality in education, however, remained her central goal. A college graduate, Miss Scripps was keenly aware of the importance of education for women. She saw it as part of a greater movement toward freedom and democracy. After founding The Bishop’s School, she wrote, “I feel more than assured that I have embarked on an undertaking that is almost limitless in its scope and power for good.” Equality remains a cornerstone of the educational experience at Bishop’s. Upper school FEM club officer Karina Kadia ’22 described a course “Feminism: A Biblical Perspective” that was eyeopening. Delilah Delgado ’21, also an officer, added, “At Bishop’s we have learned about the history of feminism, and we’ve been given the tools to explore that further if we want. I feel that knowledge gives us shoulders to stand on as we move forward.” Bishop’s has a long tradition of female leadership and a committed group of alumnae who continue to champion the cause of women and the legacy of Ellen Browning Scripps.
21 20 James Vincent Fazio IV Annika Kathryn Feng Sophia Rose Forsyth Joshua Kyto Fraley Brett Alexander Garon Connor James Goldman Robin Gong Dylan Walt Gruber Tejas Kavi Gupta Luke Orion Halpern Ursula Arianna Hardianto Zoe Michelle Hein Whitney Delphine Hejmanowski Ryan Alexandra Hemerick Owen Thaddeus Hill Ashley Noelle Holland Ryan Ajay Hollingshead Elisabeth Anne Holm Piper Holen Holthus Finn Allen Horsley Dylan Thomas Hunt Joelle Yeh-eun Jeon Burke Tyler Kanemasu Claiborne Buchanan Kates Dax Everett Kay Margaret Grace Keefe Caroline Alice Kellogg Isabela Adela Kellogg Jackson Maxwell Kent Andrew Lawrence Kessler Jr. Sean Kim Grace Caroline Knickrehm Luna Aleksandra Kostić Alexander William Clark Kuncz Edward Bennett Kyrillos
Stella Mae Lanuti Gavin Jo Lee Kalani Jun Kuhio Leibow Nathalie Grace Lesser Arden Renée Lichter Tristan Jean Lichter Lucy Liu Joseph Theodore Maier V Jack William Martin May Ellyn McConkey Kelly Ann McFarlane Grace Kennedy McInerney Sophie Marie McNally Neal Shalin Mehta Nicole Men Madeline Grace Meyer Mason Patrick Morris Audrey J. Naidu Christian Richard-John Nava Olivia Ouyang Eric Mingrui Pan Sophie Rose Pilarski Ali Shakil Pittal Anna Grace Poon Alexis Julius Villachica Preciado Ryan Sterling Price Gabriel Michael Quade Isabella Marie Ratto Evan Tianyu Ren Helena Anne Roseman Jillian Grace Ryan Tara Vida Samimi Sophia Elaine Sanders Katherine Savchuk Caroline Olivia Schafer
Sarah Nicole Schrag Nadav Sandor Schul-Kutas Gabriela Palomino Scott Sophia Palomino Scott Charles Nicolas Shaffer Krish Harrison Sheth Kelly Morgan Slosar Miguel José Solis Warren Edward Spieker IV Alexandra Jing Wang Spitzer Jessie Rhea Stafford Sofia Marie Stein Kian Sebastien Tayebi Jonathan Junfei Tian Bennett Serna Treitler Enrico Tridenti Tristan James Upton Isabel Reynoso Valencia Brooke Ann Waite Jeffrey George Wang Brooke Elizabeth Weatherup Sabrina Sabedra Webster Harper N.C. White Lauren Hunter Whitlock Olivia Mariko Wiese Thomas Herman Witmeyer Alexander Mingpu Wu Jacquelyn Grace Wu Gabriel Shawn Xanthopoulos Austin Lucas Yang Vanessa Tzeting Yang Daniel Chenyu Zhao Alan Zhou Avery Monet Zolfaghari
25 The Class of 2021
Michael Ruben Abagyan Luken Francisco Aguerre Raquel Margarita Aguirre Blake Edward Allen Mathias Agustin Antonorsi Nicholas Rahimzadeh Arrowsmith Ashwin Zachary Baluja Dhruv Banerjee Helen Rose Banta Benjamin Bao Jasmine Vida Behnam Olivia Sarah Bolitho Deja Renee Brown Allura Silver Brown-Drouillard Lucas Bao Khiem Trung Buu-hoan Schuyler Douglas Capita Dylan Skye Cardinal William Alden Chamberlain Ethan Ryan Chen Nicholas Matthew Chen Lila Yasmina Chitayat Evan Freeman Coats Alexandria Josephine Cotton Jasmine Dabbas Jada Davis Delilah Jasmine Feldman Delgado Naomi Deokule Pranav Dhinakar Griffin Robert Dooley Maya Hae-jin Ebel Lucie Lark Edwards Nicole Andres Ellsworth Cynthia Elizabeth Estey Zachary James Fales Perry Fang
The Class of 2021 26
Grandparents’ Day—Virtually! Grandparents’ Day is a tradition at Bishop’s going back three decades, but we could not host grandparents on campus this year due to the pandemic. To give grandparents a peek inside school this year, Head of School Ron Kim visited many classes and activities and took grandparents along for the ride via video. You can watch the video on Bishop’s YouTube channel.
Giving Thanks Humbled by the acts of generosity that have transformed Bishop’s, John Trifiletti reflects on his 17 years at the School. Less than two hours after the ribbon-cutting for the Manchester Library and Learning Center in 2012, John Trifiletti ventured inside the newest building on campus to gauge activity. It was the first day of the new academic year and the library was filled with students enthusiastically exploring the new space, checking out books and immersed in homework. The academic life at Bishop’s was elevated once again. For Trif, whose career has been dedicated to advancing the educational experience for students, there was no greater joy than to see these scholars so clearly demonstrate the impact of giving. John Trifiletti—known affectionately throughout campus as “Trif”—joined The Bishop’s School in 2004 as chief advancement officer and assistant head of school. Prior, he had served in many advancement positions during 30 years with the University of San Diego, including associate vice president for development. Trif will retire from Bishop’s on Aug. 31, 2021. His 17 years at the School have been marked by a number of milestones, most notably his leadership role in the 18-month Centennial Celebration as well as in the Centennial Campaign, which successfully met its goals to support facility growth and increase the endowment for student financial aid and faculty professional development. He leaves a School that has been transformed in terms of square footage, facility improvement and an endowment that currently stands at $61 million. And that’s not all. The generosity of donors has helped launch countless initiatives during Trif’s tenure, including a record $6 million gift to further STEM innovation. But Trif is quick to point out that his is not a solo venture. With certainty, advancement work requires teams to achieve such lofty goals. It also depends on the generous spirit of individuals and families who share a passion for extraordinary education. Drawn to Bishop’s by its exceptional leadership, Trif cites the administrators and board of trustees, who are committed to strong fiscal management and forging new directions in education, as well as the parents, alumni, staff and faculty, who together as a community reinforce the work of advancement and the mission of the School. It’s the relationships within all of these groups that he has held close over the years. “When you visit Bishop’s for the first time, its beauty is stunning,” Trif says. “And then as you peel back the layers, you realize that the faculty, the parent community, the alumni community and many others are the reason that our institution is able to sustain such quality.” In addition, Trif has found solace and strength in the School’s Episcopal identity that includes welcoming members of all faiths. “It informs our values and has been a great source of comfort,” he says. “We can lean on those values at times when other institutions can’t. Or won’t.” Just as Trif has worked to help support the transformative educational experience at Bishop’s, he, too, has been transformed. He pauses when considering his career. His words are chosen carefully, and they carry a lifetime of understanding. “Fundraising,” he says, “is noble work.” “After getting to know so many of our alumni who have benefited from the fundraising we’ve facilitated over the years, there is nothing more humbling than to know—as a donor and as a fundraiser—that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”
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