Fall 2016
WWS MESSENGER
News and Views from the Washington Waldorf School
Expanding Horizons the Waldorf Way
WWS MESSENGER
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A Letter from the Faculty Chair, Jennifer Page Living with Gratitude
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hat a difference a year makes! Last year we started school a week late, and while we came back to a beautifully renovated building, there were still quite a few loose ends. This year we came back to a new, but familiar home. Our halls were more crowded than they have been in many years, as we welcomed new students and faculty members. As much as we appreciate seeing old friends, we love seeing new faces even more! Each year, the faculty engages in a study of the various foundational principles behind Waldorf education. This year we have been working with some of Rudolf Steiner’s ideas about ethical and social education and how they relate to child development. He points to three fundamental human virtues: gratitude, love (love for all people), and duty (love of work). He goes on to say that cultivating universal gratitude is of paramount importance because it is the root of both love for all people and love of work.
Jennifer Page, Faculty Chair
We hear much about elevating our daily life and interactions with a sense of gratitude. Many echo the suggestion of the New York Times article last year: “Choose to Be Grateful: It will Make You Happier.” Steiner (writing in 1923) was prescient, though he was speaking about gratitude from a slightly different point of view. He was urging us adults to model gratitude for our children because, ultimately, the capacity to love all people and love one’s work stems from a sense of gratitude. With gratitude inherent and latent in the young child, witnessing adults expressing gratitude for what is freely given develops and strengthens the child’s capacity to embody these three virtues. As a faculty we are asking ourselves what it really means, deep down, to live with a spirit of gratitude and to cultivate gratitude in our students. On a basic level, one could say it’s easy to be grateful. The beauty of nature, the look in a child’s eyes, and the fellowship of our friends and families, can lead us to or stimulate a sense of gratitude. But there also is the more elusive quality of universal gratitude. This is an inner experience of the goodness of the world and the realization that we have purpose and meaning in our lives. As the year enfolds, all of us at WWS will strive to cultivate an authentic sense of gratitude in ourselves, and model it to our students. Indeed, this may be the best counterpoise to the challenges in the world: our shared conviction of both the goodness of the world and the preciousness and unique purpose of each individual life. To be sincerely grateful may be the best and most abiding gift we can give our students.
A highlight of 6th grade math is learning geometric drawing. The students produce an amazing variety of images, using the same drawing principles and starting from the same place. It’s a great image of life itself, and especially for the 6th graders, as their own individuality is really starting to unfold.
Front cover: Seniors look over the horizon at Hermit Island, Maine. Photo by Cecilia Twanmo, Class of 2017
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A Message from Trustees Council Chair, Alison Fultz
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reetings and welcome! The Washington Waldorf School continues to provide students with a learning environment and education that fosters intellect, independence, and deep understanding and mastery of ideas. WWS’s distinctive approach to education sparks initiative, confidence, and enthusiasm that lead to joyful lifelong learning. Our supportive environment fosters lasting relationships, a strong sense of community, and vital engagement with the world. We are flourishing philosophically and strong financially.
As a parent of a current student and an alumna of the class of 2014, I am grateful to the School for all that it has given my children as they determine their paths into adulthood. Having met many of our alumni over the years, and having read the preview of alumni news in this Messenger, I know our future graduates will join the ranks of WWS alumni who make a positive impact on the world through engagement in their communities, and pursuit of fulfilling career paths. As the Chair of the Trustees Council, I am continually impressed by the dedication and commitment of the College of Teachers and the full Faculty to ensuring that the mission of WWS is carried out in ways that always consider the student first. Allison Fultz
The Songbirds Class members were proud of a large tower they made together using just about all the blocks in the class.
WWS is a strong community of students, alumni, parents, parents of alumni, faculty, grandparents, and friends. As a community, we continue to reap the benefits of true engagement and commitment to a philosophy of learning and an understanding of what it means to be a community. The commitment to volunteerism and giving forward is as strong as ever: from the days when parents mimeographed handmade posters for the Bazaar, to today, when current families just provided hundreds of beautiful crafts, wonderful activities for children, and hundreds of volunteer hours to host the 47th Annual Fall Bazaar. In addition, the commitment to supporting the WWS mission through charitable gifts continues to grow. Overall, this year’s participation in the Annual Fund is a resounding testament to the pride of our constituencies in WWS. This past year, the Annual Fund, which is key to sustaining the long term financial health of the School, generated almost $315,000 with parent participation at 87%. Additionally, gifts through the 2016 Spring Gala and Auction demonstrate our community’s commitment to making a Waldorf education accessible to as many families as possible through support of our financial aid program. I am pleased to report that as a result of our unified efforts, we exceeded our targeted giving levels for the Annual Fund. As a result the School, the students, and the faculty have greatly benefited. Thank you for your support of WWS and for helping to ensure that we have the resources to continue to provide students with experiences that foster creative thinking, independence, social awareness, discovery and collaboration – and that we have the longevity to always welcome our alumni families home! Climbing in the trees during the Michaelmas festival challenges the students to summon their courage.
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Profiles of WWS Trustees Council Members
Allison Fultz
Barbara Buchman
Katalin Gingold
Eric Holdsworth
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he Trustees Council (TC) is the unified governing body of the school, and is legally responsible for its lawful operation, financial health, and strategic direction. This body has the long-term goals of the school at heart and works to secure the school as an entity within the broader community and state. It oversees the internal structure and management of the School, while delegating day-to-day management of the School to the Faculty Chair who is hired by the TC. The members of the TC are drawn from all parts of the school community. WWS is fortunate to have an exceptionally well qualified group of parents and teachers to serve on the TC. This year we welcomed new members Eric Holdsworth, Tom Holmberg, and Ryan Kulesza. We extend our thanks to former TC members Jack Benson and Debra Marshall, who finished their terms at the end of the 2016 school year. Allison Fultz, Chair AB, Princeton University, summa cum laude; MArch, Princeton University; JD, American University Washington College of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif. Allison is a partner with the firm of Kaplan, Kirsch and Rockwell, LLP, specializing in transportation, land use, and construction law. She is also a licensed architect, and practiced architecture in U.S. and Canada for 15 years. Allison served on Montgomery County Board of Appeals from 2001-2008, and has been Chair of the WWS Trustees Council Chair since 2014. She and her husband Steve have one WWS alumna and one current student.
Tom Holmberg
Barbara Buchman BA in Humanities, Case Western Reserve University; MEd in Special Education, University of Pittsburgh; Applied Arts Certificate, Sunbridge College; Teacher Training Certificate, NOVA Institute; Foundation Studies Certificate, Center for Anthroposophy, Keene, New Hampshire. Barbara currently serves on the WWS Trustees Council and College of Teachers, and is an AWSNA Delegate. She is a long-time member of the faculty, and is the WWS handwork teacher. She and her husband John are parents of two WWS alumni. Katalin Gingold BS in Economics, MS in Business Administration with specialization in Finance from Budapest University of Economic Sciences in Hungary; Certificate of Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden; Chartered Financial Analyst. Katalin is Managing Director, Equity Research at Cartica, an emerging markets asset management firm. Prior to joining Cartica, Ms. Gingold was a Portfolio Manager at Artio Global Investors, a multi-billion dollar fund manager based in New York. From 2000-2003, Ms. Gingold was an Associate at HVB Capital Markets, where she focused on Emerging European Equity Research Sales. She and her husband Laurence have three children at WWS.
Jon Jackson
Eric Holdsworth BA, International Affairs, George Washington University; MBA, American Graduate School of International Management, Arizona State University. Eric is Director of Climate Programs at the Edison Electric Institute, where he oversees EEI’s involvement in the global climate change issue at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition, he manages EEI’s involvement in the international arena, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and related processes. Eric came to EEI following 9 years at the Global Climate Coalition, an industry trade association, where he served as Associate Director. Prior to joining the WWS Trustees Council Eric served on the WWS Development Committee. Eric also serves as Chair of the Development Committee. He and his wife Susan have one child at WWS. Tom Holmberg BA, Economics, University of Arizona; JD, Georgetown University Law Center. Tom is a partner in the law firm of Baker Botts, LLP, where he specializes in energy and infrastructure projects around the world. He and his wife Alison have three children at WWS.
Ryan Kulesza
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Jon Jackson BA, English Composition, George Mason University. Founder and CEO of Mobile Posse, Inc. Prior to forming Mobile Posse, Jon spent 8 years in management and technical roles at AOL. Jon was a key member of AOL Mobile, where he was charged with creating the mobile expression for leading AOL products. Jon was a member of the management team of the AOL Greenhouse, the first Internet incubator, which was instrumental in the launch of several top Internet companies. Jon is a member of Young Presidents Organization. He and his wife Maria have two children at WWS.
Bonnie McClelland
Ryan Kulesza BS, Computer Science, Bowdoin College. Ryan is a Technologist at Booz Allen & Hamilton, where he works on IT projects with a variety of federal clients. At Bowdoin, Ryan was a champion swimmer, and he holds several school records in swimming. He is also an entrepreneur and has started several business ventures, including a company that makes special purpose apps. Ryan is a talented painter, and he has exhibited his work in several different venues. Ryan is an alumnus of the WWS Class of 2011. Bonnie McClelland A graduate of the first WWS high school class (Class of 1988) Bonnie studied at Montgomery College and Hampshire College, then worked in retirement and benefits at the US Office of Personnel Management. She returned to WWS first as a parent, with her son Chris Roman (Class of 2009). Bonnie has completed the Foundation Studies Course (Antioch) and she changed career paths to become the WWS High School Coordinator in May 1999. Bonnie was the WWS yearbook editor-in-chief from 2005-2015 and is currently serving her second term on the Trustees Council.
Dileep Nair
Dileep Nair MBA, University of Maryland. Dileep is Vice President, International Financial Advisor, and Portfolio Manager at Merrill Lynch, where he specializes in discretionary global investment management and planning. Prior to that he was a Trust Portfolio Manager at Riggs and Company in Washington DC, and director of Finance at PRASAD, an international nonprofit headquartered in upstate New York. Dileep is a former board member at Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery in Silver Spring. He and his wife Natasha have two children at WWS. Suzanne Nash BA, University of Maryland; JD, Catholic University, Columbus School of law, magna cum laude. Suzanne was a litigation attorney with the firm of Lerch, Early & Brewer until 2004. She joined the WWS Development Committee in 2011 and the Trustees Council in 2012. Suzanne and her husband Scott Nash own a local grocery chain founded by Scott, MOM’s Organic Market. Suzanne and Scott have three children at WWS.
Suzanne Nash
Jennifer Page BME, Northwestern University; JD, University of Georgia; Elementary Certificate, Waldorf Education, Antioch New England Graduate School. After teaching middle and high school music and history, and coaching track and field in Chicago and Atlanta area public schools, Jennifer attended law school in Athens, Georgia. Following graduation, Jennifer practiced law in Maryland and the District of Columbia, where she is still a member of both state bars. After being exposed to Waldorf education, Jennifer decided to return to teaching and ultimately became trained as a Waldorf class teacher. In addition to class teaching at WWS, Jennifer has taught music, while continuing to serve on the College of Teachers and Trustees Council. She has been the WWS Faculty Chair from 2013. She and her husband Greg are the parents of three WWS alumni. Taisto Saloma BA History, Guilford College, concentration in sports studies. After graduating from Guilford College, Taisto became a professional golfer. He worked at Indian Spring and Columbia Country Clubs as a teaching professional, while also playing professionally for 4 years. Taisto left the golf world in 2002 to pursue a career in high school teaching and coaching. He is the WWS Athletic Director and coaches the boys and girls high school basketball teams. Taisto is an alumnus of the WWS Class of 1988. He and his wife Abby have two children at WWS.
Jennifer Page
Taisto Saloma
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Class Notes Thank you to all alumni who shared their news for the class notes. Although WWS considers anyone who ever attend the School to be alumni, most of the individuals below graduated from the WWS high school. Some left after 8th grade, as indicated by the year “xxxx-8.” We invite all alumni to stay in touch with us. Please write to alumni@ washingtonwaldorf.org. We’re proud of you and want to share your stories. Victoria Mansuri (1988) graduated the first fifth grade from the Potomac Crescent Waldorf School in Alexandria last June. She started with a new first grade class this fall. She lives in Old Town Alexandria and leads ghost tours in the summer in colonial garb and character, complete with Scottish accent.
David McClelland’s daughters, Ava (10) and Sophia (4) Manfred Elfstrom (1998) got married in July 2013, then he and his wife moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where they have lived since. This fall his wife gave birth to a little boy. Manfred is in the process of finishing a PhD in Cornell University’s Department of Government and defended his dissertation last August. For much of 2014 and 2015 he conducted dissertation research in China’s Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, interviewing workers, labor activists, factory owners, and officials concerning the political impact of the country’s rising labor unrest. He has also recently started a China Public Policy Fellowship at Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.
Yumi Kendall (1999) started The Suzuki Alumni Project (www.suzukialumniproject. org), which celebrates the Suzuki philosophy of music education through dedicated performances by its alumni. It strives to create community among those who credit their Suzuki education in their current careers, musical or non-musical. The photo shows Yumi and her brother Nick Kendall during a recent visit to the home of their American grandparents, capturing footage for a mini-documentary highlighting their Suzuki upbringing. The 15-minute video may be viewed on the Suzuki Alumni Project website. This fall she began a Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time she is continuing in her 13th season as the Assistant Principal Cello of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She enjoys living in Philadelphia near WWS classmates and dear friends Glenda Goodman 1999 and Elizabeth (Hegland) Ultimo 1999.
Victoria Mansuri in period costume as leader of Alexandria ghost tour David McClelland (1990) lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he works in IT as a manager of customer care at Deltek. He and his wife of 14 years, Roxanna, have two daughters, Ava (10) and Sophia (4). Roxanna is a pediatric nurse. They moved to Charlotte 11 years ago and love it. (David’s nephew, Chris Roman, 2009, and his mother, former WWS business office assistant, Cynthia McClelland also live in Charlotte, as do Roxanna’s parents.) David’s sister is WWS’s own Bonnie McClelland (1988). He spent the first 10 years of his career with Deltek working as a technical support analyst and a traveling consultant. After a few starts and stops he graduated with honors from South University majoring in computer information systems.
Bettina Smith with her husband, Chris. and their son, Otto Bettina Smith (1999) has been working in libraries and archives in the DC area for the past decade. She began a new position as Manager of the Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown in April 2016. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband, Chris Daly, and their son Otto.
Yumi and Nick Kendall
Caitlyn Shelley (2000) lives in DC, where she works for the Peace Corps as a Volunteer Placement & Assessment Specialist. Before starting her current position last spring she traveled to Jamaica, Oregon (where she visited
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Institutet and the Regional Cancer Center of Stockholm-Gotland where she helps to lead cancer prevention and screening efforts for the region.
Caitlyn Shelley fellow Class of 2000 alumna, Sophie Toolanen), Washington State, and South Carolina (where she visited Waldorf alumnus, Chris Hopkins, 1998). During her non-work hours, she spends most of her time outside riding her bike, hiking, camping, picnicking, attending Nats games, and daydreaming about where her travels will take her next. Sophie Toolanen (2000) has moved to Portland, Oregon, and is now working in a small group therapy practice focusing on trauma.
JD Dolan (2003) transitioned out of the Army as a Captain, finished his MBA at Columbia Business School, and began working full-time as a principal in LDR Investment Group (www. ldrinvest.com), a company that he co-founded with two other former US Army Infantry Officers, one of whom, like JD, served within Special Operations Command. LDR uses combat tested operational and leadership lessons to support organizations in developing leaders of character, enriching their culture, building teams, and overcoming challenges. Last spring JD moved to Maryland and bought a house in Annapolis with his new fiancé and WWS alumna Leah Weaver. Jeff Johns (2003) is a photographer and travel writer based in Dubai. He blogs about his many adventures at www.whatdoesntsuck.com. Anabella Aspiras (2004) currently serves on Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Task Force as Director for Patient Engagement, under the leadership of WWS alumni parent, Greg Simon, Executive Director for the effort. Anabella worked as a nurse for several years before becoming an administrator at New York-
Iris Levin (2001) has begun a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Biology at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She, along with her Agnes Scott students, will continue research on behavior, ecology, and physiology in barn swallows.
Presbyterian Hospital, where she supported Medicaid/Medicare patients across four oncology units. Anabella took a break from her work at Presbyterian during the winter/spring of 2015 to contribute to Ebola containment efforts in Sierra Leone with Paul Famer’s organization, Partners in Health. Anabella commutes to DC weekly from Brooklyn, NY, which she considers home. Tom Mansour (2004) finished has command tour aboard Coast Guard Cutter MAUI last May, and now works in DC for the Coast Guard office of Congressional Affairs on Capitol Hill. Jordan Schware (2004) married Ashley Bremsky last May. They have both started on new career paths this year. Ashley left her job in the tech industry to become a butcher at Whole Foods. Jordan has begun a career in the automotive software industry as an eBay Sales Specialist for Hollander Solutions. They are living in Minnesota and are in the process of buying their first house.
Brian Spitulnik (2001) is currently in postproduction for HENRY, a film he wrote and produced. Watch the trailer and help Brian complete HENRY by visiting http://bit.ly/ FracturedAtlas-HENRY. Miriam Elfström (2002) currently lives in Stockholm, Sweden, where she loves being close to nature – tending her garden, open-water swimming, and running in the nature preserve. She defended her doctoral thesis in 2015 and won the Dimitris N. Chorafas prize and the Sven Gard scholarship in virology for her work. She now divides her time between a postdoc in cervical cancer prevention at the Karolinska
Anabelle Aspiras
Jay Adams (2005) lives in New York City where he has been working in television production, including as the assistant production office coordinator on Madame Secretary (CBS) and on Homeland (Showtime). Miriam Elfstrom
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Class Notes continued Dharam Khalsa (2007) is living in India, where he and fellow WWS alumnus, Bert Mueller, have opened up 12 California Burritos restaurants (www.californiaburrito.in) in Bangalore and Chennai, and are making plans to open 20 more in the next 18 months.
(l to r)Brian Weiner, Danielle Menditch, Jackie Menditch Weiner Julia Dann (2006) has returned to the DC area from New York. She is the Digital Marketing and Editorial Manager for a creative agency in Adams Morgan called Decent Workshop. Lucy Engelman (2006) spent the past year acting, writing, and participating in the Free Columbia Painting Course in upstate New York. She is currently editing a documentary that follows Rebecca Bender, a woman who was trafficked as an escort and is now a leader in the anti-trafficking movement, as she returns to Las Vegas for the first time since her escape. Lucy is engaged to marry the love of her life, Daniel Mullen, a painter who coincidentally grew up attending the Edinburgh Waldorf School and now lives and works primarily in Amsterdam.
Max Silver (2007) is living in Los Angeles working as a commercial coordinator, while freelancing as a writer, director, producer, and assistant director. Recent work includes producing Corridor Four, a documentary about a 9/11 first responder struggling with PTSD that will complete later this year, as well as producing the funny, campy horror film The Ice Cream Truck (www.facebook.com/ theicecreamtruckmovie) that comes out next year. He also directed three episodes of the web-series Bwitches (www.bwitchestheseries. com), about two witches who use their magic to battle sexism and racism in Hollywood. His short film Trunk Space (www.trunkspaceshortfilm. com) is making its film festival rounds, starting with the First Glance Film Festival and the Atlanta Shortfest. (www.facebook.com/ trunkspaceshortfilm).
Daniela Anderson (2008) is in her third year of medical school at the University of Utah. Last spring she published The Moon Prince and the Sea, a children’s book she wrote and illustrated, about the friendship of two children touched by terminal illness. Among many enthusiastic reviews, Richard Levin, President of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation wrote: Beautifully illustrated and with simple, lyrical prose, this first, very personal, children’s book by Daniela Rose Anderson approaches sickness and death in a way that embraces even the youngest of readers. Jamie Barkin (2008) completed an accelerated, one-year graduate program at the University of Maryland last spring where she earned her masters degree in education and received her Maryland state certification to teach high school English. During her training she spent last year interning at Prince Georges County Public School. She recently accepted a job at MCPS. Her husband of two years, Richard Ayoub, recently joined the IBEW local electrician’s union and is beginning a new career with them.
Danielle Menditch (2006) lives in Denver where she has a career coaching business (www. innercompasscoach.com/). Over the summer she hiked with friends and attended several weddings, including her sister Jackie’s (2004). (The photo shows Danielle and Jackie and her husband Brian). Abby Wacker (2006) graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education last spring, with a MSEd in international educational development. After graduating, she went to New Delhi, India, for her engagement to Michael Joseph, whom she met while working in India 3 years earlier. She is currently working as a research associate for Capacity Partners, a strategic planning and development consulting firm in Bethesda.
Daniela Anderson autographing her new book The Moon Prince and the Sea
Max Silver`08 and Rachel Sklar at Trunk Space premier Sasha Adams (2008) lives in Burlington, Vermont, where she works at Gardener’s Supply Company. She plans to travel to Southeast Asia at the end of this year to teach English in Vietnam.
Patty Sarcos-Alvarez (2008) started dental school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine as a Dean’s Scholar this summer. Over the past year she worked with the medically underserved Hispanic community in the DC area as a Spanish medical interpreter for La Clinica del Pueblo, and as a volunteer at Catholic Charities’ Spanish Catholic Center Dental Clinic. She is looking forward to school and pursuing her interest in oral and maxillofacial surgery down the road.
Fall 2016
Chaquonna Price (2009) graduated from Bowie State University with a degree in sociology and a minor in social work. She now works for the Department of Homeland Security. Meagan (van Schilfgaarde) Case (2009) married Kyle Case last summer. Allie Miraglia (2009) is a Project Manager at HealthInsight in Salt Lake City, a non-profit organization that works closely with CMS and other federal agencies to improve health care delivery and access in Utah, Oregon, New Mexico, and Nevada. Allie specializes in community engagement initiatives and public health research, working closely with patients, health care providers, insurance companies, and employers across Utah. She spent the summer traveling, mountain biking, camping, and trail running in the canyons across Utah. Emma Parker (2009) gave birth to a baby boy, Kai Parker Lopez, last June.
Amber Rounds aka Amber Wolf Amber Rounds (2009) lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she works as the Program Coordinator for a newly formed nonprofit, MERGE for Equality, which works to advance the beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors that allow men and boys to be their authentic selves and embrace their role in ensuring gender equality. She graduated from Smith College in 2014 with a BA in history and a minor in Spanish. She is also a singer/songwriter and has been performing publicly at a variety of venues over the last year. She released her first EP, “I Left the City” under
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her performing name, Amber Wolfe. The EP was produced by WWS classmate Tom Sherrod at his Full Glass Studio last February. Her music can be heard at www.amberwolfe.bandcamp. com/. Zachary Smith (2009) is a third year medical student at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Lily Barnwell (2010) graduated from Towson State University with an MS in occupational therapy last spring. She recently started a job working at the renowned Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Ben Bryla (2011) graduated from Clemson University with a BS in bioengineering. He is now working for a company in the DC area that makes prosthetics. Justine Epstein (2011, 8) is living in California. She has been working as the assistant coordinator for a pilgrimage called Walking Water, which brings together the many voices of the people of the eastern Sierra and the Los Angeles watersheds through the act of walking together along the natural and man-made waterways from Mono Lake to Los Angeles. Walking Water also invites water activists from around the world, especially from geographies impacted by similar climate challenges as California, to walk and share their stories, experiences, and perspectives. The walk happens in 3 phases over 3 years, and phase 2 took place in September. Justine moved to Sonoma County after the pilgrimage to participate in a 9-month immersion at Weaving Earth Center for Relational Education where she will continue her research in community, nature connection, and wilderness-based rites of passage. Raquel Hakes (2011) is currently working on her masters degree in fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland. She is researching the ignition of homes from wildfires due to burning embers. In the past year she has had the opportunity to present her research at conferences around the country. This year she is also teaching a math and physics class to underrepresented high school students. The class aims to introduce students to fire phenomena, as well as act as a bridge program to develop skills needed to pursue a STEM major in college.
Lilly Barnwell Ryan Kulesza (2011) is a Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he supports a variety of federal clients on a range of IT projects. Ryan is a 2015 graduate of Bowdoin College with degrees in computer science and visual art. As a member of Bowdoin’s swim team, he set six school records and was named MVP his senior year. Ryan joined the Trustees Council this Fall. Andrew Page (2011, 8) graduated cum laude from St. Johns University with a BS in economics. He is working in NYC in finance. Erin Page (2011) graduated from George Mason University with a BS in psychology last spring and a minor in neuroscience. She began a masters program in health care administration this Fall. Aubrey Tingler (2011) finished a year of service in Americorps, as Environmental Conservation Scientist/Educator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service near Seattle, Washington, teaming with Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, Washington State Parks, Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, and Mountains to Sound Greenway. She spent much of her time aboard boats, collecting a wide range of field data and
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Class Notes continued conducting habitat surveys. Aubrey graduated from Emory University in Atlanta in 2015. In her spare time she took a role in a paid acting job in the theater scene of Seattle and also educated elementary students on the importance of water quality and conservation. S he is currently is back in the DC area, working for Montgomery County Parks as a naturalist. Last month she performed in a Montgomery Playhouse production of Edgar Allan Poe tales at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. Elizabeth Wells (2011) lives in Brooklyn, New York where she is a user experience designer at the digital agency Stinkdigital. Her clients include Adult Swim, Google, Nike, Spotify, Twitter, and ZocDoc. Alex Duncan (2012, 8) graduated from the University of Richmond with a major in philosophy and rhetoric. He is now working for Amazon in Seattle. Paige Duncan (2012) graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design last spring, with a major in interior design. Shelby Duncan (2012) graduated last spring from Dickinson College with a BA in psychology. After a post-graduation trip to Bali, she is now back in the DC area working as Health and Benefits Analyst at Mercer, a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan. Julian Feeley (2012) graduated from Claremont McKenna College last spring where he studied philosophy and economics. He has moved to NYC where he is working for the consulting firm Accenture. A long-time student of piano, his senior recital is available at www.vimeo. com/165360070. Iliana Flefel (2012) is a senior at the University of New England, majoring in marine science. She will be graduating this December. Sam Girdzis (2012) graduated from William & Mary last spring with a BS in physics and mathematics, with honors in physics, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. His honors physics research focused on looking at corrosion of stainless steel in molten nitrate salts, for applications in solar power facilities. He also received the Don Edward Harrison Jr. Award for Excellence in Physics from the W&M physics department (which is awarded each year to the W&M senior with the highest demonstrated achievement in physics). This fall he moved to
Photograph by Claire Coleman, “Boy and Girl” California to start a PhD in applied physics at Stanford University. Morgan Kulesza (2012) graduated from Rhodes College with a degree in anthropology/ sociology and fine art. Zoe Kulik (2012) graduated from Macalester College with a BS in geology. She is now working at Macalester on a paleontology research project. Ayela Maile-Moskowitz (2012) is a senior at the University of Maryland. She will be graduating this December with a BS in environmental science. Bao-Tich Nguyen (2012) is in his senior year at George Mason University. Over the summer
Kaila Hill at Colorado College jewelry/ metalsmithing studio
he led several meditation retreats, while also attending summer school. Looking ahead he is considering going to school for acupuncture or herbal medicine. He also continues to play, compose, and record music, which can been seen on his Youtube channel at: www.youtube.com/ user/baotich/videos. Guntis Rutins (2012) graduated from the University of Rochester with a BS in optical engineering. This fall he began a PhD program in optical engineering at the University of the West of Scotland, in Glasgow. Charlotte Smith (2012) is a senior at Oberlin College and will be graduating in December with a BA in history. Claire Coleman (2014) is currently studying filmmaking in Vienna, Austria. Kaila Hill (2014) is a junior at Colorado College where she is majoring in studio art and minoring in German, while also teaching beginning jewelry/metal smithing. She spent fall semester last year living in northern Germany studying German history and literature (Faust in German), as well as Bach’s life and works. The block plan at Colorado College has given her the opportunity to go on several adventures into the wilderness of Colorado and nearby states. She spent the summer working at Glen Echo Silverworks studio, and hiked for 10 days on the Appalachian Trail with Jules Feeney (2013, 8).
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In Memoriam
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hree esteemed members of the extended WWS community passed away this year. Kathy Faltin, long-time WWS teacher and a founder of the Potomac Crescent Waldorf School died last February. She had an enormous presence at WWS for almost 30 years, and was much beloved as a teacher and colleague. We also remember Gene Smith who died in October. Gene, along with his wife Esther, was a co-founder of WWS, and he played a crucial role in sustaining WWS in its early years. He remained active in the life of the school for many years as a parent and grandparent. Finally we note the passing of Oran Sandel, who died in October. Oran was a highly gifted actor and educator who directed four senior plays at WWS. The students loved working with Oran, and he brought
out the best in everyone. We are grateful for the many contributions Kathy, Gene, and Oran made to our school community, and we extend our thoughts and warm best wishes to their families.
Kathy Faltin
Oran Sandel with members of Class of 2013 during their senior play, Picasso at the Lapin Angile
Gene and Esther Smith
The WWS Messenger is produced by the WWS Development Office. We welcome your updates, comments, corrections, and suggestions. Please stay in touch. Director Communications: Steve Smith ssmith@washingtonwaldorf.org Director of Development: Caitlin MacKenzie cmackenzie@washingtonwaldorf.org Director of Events and Community Relations: Maria Monteverde-Jackson mmonteverdejackson@washingtonwaldorf.org
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Class of 2016 College Acceptances Members of the Class of 2016 were accepted at the following colleges and universities. (Colleges to which class members matriculated are highlighted in bold.) Adelphi University–Honors College / American University / Clark University / College of the Atlantic / Connecticut College / Drew University / Eckerd College / Fordham University / Franklin and Marshall College / Hobart and William Smith Colleges / Mt. Holyoke College / Penn State University – Honors College / Principia College (2) / Randolph Macon College / Roger Williams College / Sarah Lawrence College / State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry / Temple University, Honors College / University of California – Santa Cruz / University of Colorado – Boulder / University of Mary Washington (3) / University of Maryland, College Park Scholars Program (2) / University of Maryland, Global Scholars Program (1) / University of New Haven / University of Vermont (2).
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Washington Waldorf School | Logo PMS 200, PMS 158 | 09.08.08 C A T A L O N E D E S I G N C O . L L C , © 2008
Class of 2016
Back row, l-r: Petra Zika, Matthew McLeod-Warrick, Ilga Rutins, Emily Maurer Front row, l-r: Ariana Betz, Sam Hills, Eve Martin
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