Class of
1974
Roo Scoop By: Jill Berger ’74 In April my classmates and I returned to AFS to celebrate our 35th reunion. Some of us had been back to campus in the past few years and for some it was their first trip back since graduation. Either way it was just an amazing experience to see the sprawling new campus and the incredible growth that has touched AFS. The class of ’74 was the last all girl graduating class. We were the last single section class (we were all of 20) and the first class to be able to wear jeans to school.
We reminisced as we walked through our hall astounded at the remarkable changes compared to 35 years ago. What serves as the main corridor today was the entire upper school back then and the gym was our lunch and assembly room! The Faulkner Library and the Muller Auditorium are just fantastic. How fortunate to be a student at AFS today.
My business partner, Paula Webster Grant and I were delighted that we were able to participate in an AFS first, the kickoff of “Conversations with Alumni.” We talked about how we started Phillybass’d Records and BGR Media. Needless to say our years at AFS played an integral part of what we are doing today.
After a delightful reception on campus we gathered for dinner at West Avenue Grill where Director of Alumni Affairs Jenny Hammond ’86 took our reunion picture. Missing from the picture is Alex Hansen who joined us on campus the previous day. (Alex was already on her way home to California). Earlier in the month I had a wonderful dinner with Patti Happe and her daughter who were in from Port Angeles, WA and Paula and I met up with Anne Borthwick DeAngelis for a fun lunch. It was a thrill to see Patty Balestrini deSanchez (our exchange student from Argentina) and her husband again. They have made the long trip 2 years in a row. At dinner Donna Worrell Layden surprised us and called from Denver. It was a special alumni weekend for the class. We had a great time catching up and we look forward to our next milestone reunion.
« The Class of 1974 met in Jenkintown at the West Avenue Grille on Sat. April 25, 2009. From left to right is Patti Balestrini deSanchez, Mary Buckman, Wendy Frisby, Karin Schwartz Czaplicki, Melanie Evans Shechtman, Paula Webster Grant, Sharon Blatt Pots, Jill Berger, Michelle Berk.
Class of 1979 » The Class of 1979 gathered for dinner at the Kitchen Bar after the Alumni Weekend activities on April 25, 2009.
« Stewart Reception Sarah Churchill ’08 catches up with Upper School Language Teacher John McCabe; Former Faculty Eddie Mensah and Lynne Mass reminisce about AFS at the Reception for Bruce Stewart; Head of School Rich Nourie (right) presented Bruce Stewart with an honorary diploma from Abington Friends School.
Pictured L to R: Carolyn Jangdharrie, Ellene Felder-Scharnott, Jim Hutchison, Abby Goldberg (former student), Keith Gladden, Jonathan Rubin
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