Strength | Fall/Winter 2023

The Magazine of Annie Wright Schools | Fall/Winter 2023

Unlocking Potential

CONTENTS

Fall/Winter 2023–2024

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2 Opening Day by the Numbers 4 Gator Gratitude 8 Pathways to Passion 14 Level Up in the Arts 15 Realize Tacoma 16 Alumni Weekend 18 Class Notes 21 In Memoriam THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS

from the

HEad Of schools Dear AWS Community,

Here at Annie Wright Schools, we support students in realizing their potential and heading into the world ready for courageous, independent action. This transformational journey begins with our youngest learners and continues across the 15-year, three-division AWS experience. It encompasses a holistic approach to education that nurtures not only academic prowess but also the essential skills, relationships, experiences, and mindsets that help students make a meaningful impact on society.

“For 140 years, Annie Wright has recognized that its role is not merely to impart knowledge but to cultivate graduates who are ready for the world, graduates who have defined success on their own terms and been empowered, challenged, and supported to achieve this success.”

One of the keys to unlocking potential is offering an engaging academic program that challenges and supports a student’s acquisition of knowledge and skills. The IB Program does exactly this. For more than a decade, we’ve watched our IB graduates head into the world with the tools needed to analyze complex issues and design innovative solutions to real-world problems. Instilling a sense of confidence and a thirst for lifelong learning is the Annie Wright way, and so the academic program stands central in an AWS education.

However, a student’s AWS education is not limited to the classroom. Experiential learning plays a pivotal role in our process. As Annie Wright students venture into the world, they become exposed to local and global perspectives different from their own. Students who engage with a variety of perspectives are better equipped to navigate the complexities of a diverse and interconnected world. They often become inspired to take actions that promote understanding and unity.

And while our academic program and experiential learning opportunities are both powerful, we all know that real growth hinges on the student-teacher relationship. Such relationships provide the inspiration and support that encourages students to expand their boundaries and pursue their passions.

Teachers who believe in their students’ potential and provide guidance, encouragement, and constructive feedback are essential to nurturing the self-confidence needed to help a student maximize their abilities.

For 140 years, Annie Wright has recognized that its role is not merely to impart knowledge but to cultivate graduates who are ready for the world, graduates who have defined success on their own terms and been empowered, challenged, and supported to achieve this success. As we continue marching through the school year, please know that Annie Wright will not waiver in its commitment to unlocking the potential within each student. It is our passion to do this work and to do it well.

Sincerely,

Jake Guadnola Head of Schools 1

BY THE NUMBERS Annie Wright Schools opened the 2023–2024 school year on August 30 with...

821 43 from

total students

cities throughout Washington

6

states

15 countries

17 % 198 $5.4M 54 TACOMA

SCHOLARS

new students

awarded in need-based aid, merit awards, or remission

132

BOARDING STUDENTS

33

5-DAY

of our students self-report as non-white

99

7-DAY 3

— 30% of US students are international —

2022-23

Gator Gratitude ANNUAL GIVING

81

DONORS MADE THEIR FIRST GIFT TO AWS LAST YEAR

312

CURRENT FAMILIES

81

FACULTY & STAFF

44

FORMER FACULTY, STAFF, TRUSTEES

597

TOTAL DONORS

28

GRANDPARENTS

TOTAL $ RAISED: 4

THE MAGAZINE OF ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS

26

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

106

ALUMNI OR ALUMNI PARENTS

636,998

OPEN THE DOOR TO INFINITE OPPORTUNITIES! We invite you to be the key that unlocks limitless possibilities for our students to explore, learn, and grow. Join our community in supporting Gators Give and together, we can open the door to a brighter future.

Learn more or make a gift @ aw.org/give 5

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ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS

FALL/WINTER 2023

PATHWAYS TO PASSION

FROM THE SOCCER FIELD TO THE STAGE, THESE AWS STUDENTS ARE EMBRACING THEIR DREAMS AND PURSUING THEM FULLY. Femke Laudy ’25 & Avah Snodgrass ’25

SOCCER STARS Femke Laudy’s soccer journey began when she moved to the US from the Netherlands. She found her passion for soccer through Lower School recess

Femke Laudy ’25 8

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and PE classes, eventually joining a recreational team, then a select team the year after. For Femke, the beauty of soccer lies in its simplicity and complexity. “Soccer has a clear and simple objective with rules which keep the game fair. The complexity comes from your role on the field and

the decisions you must quickly make, followed by the execution of those determined decisions.” At Annie Wright, she’s found the balance between athletics and academics, noting the teachers’ flexibility and the school’s scheduling of events that allow students to maximize their opportunities. She shares, “I hope I will always have soccer as a way to connect with people and share the love for the game.”

“Soccer has a clear and simple objective with rules which keep the game fair.

The complexity comes from your role on the field and the decisions you must quickly make, followed by the execution of those determined decisions.”

Avah Snodgrass’ love for soccer began at the age of 5, setting her on an 11-year path filled with passion and dedication.

While she explored various activities, soccer’s competitiveness and its strong sense of teamwork resonated most with her. Avah’s goals include playing at the highest collegiate level, with D1 soccer as her target. She dreams of representing the University of the Pacific or Loyola Marymount in California. Her proudest achievement is her journey of self-discovery and perseverance, notably the transformative club switch to Ol Reign Academy during the early days of Covid-19. In addition to participating in club soccer, she remains on the AWS team, crediting the heart of her fellow players as motivation to keep pursuing her passion. “Though it is difficult to balance school, club soccer, and school sports, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything differently because it is what has made me into the person I am today… and I love the person I am today.”

Avah Snodgrass ’25

Griffin Snow ’27

CREATIVE FILMMAKER Griffin Snow’s filmmaking career kicked off during the Covid-19 pandemic when he was in Grade 6 at AWS. He recalls, “I had started a script for a zombie film the year prior in Mr. D’s fifth grade class and had just gotten my first camera when the school shut down in 2020.

In sixth grade, when we were finally able to be in person again, my friend Ian and I stumbled upon the old script and decided to start filming. We made some edits to the script, finished it and reached out to some friends to be actors in the movie, which we called Dead End. After the first film was finished, we released it as the first video on our YouTube channel. Thus Reel World Studios was born, and we have been making movies ever since.” Griffin’s

excitement with filmmaking stems from the joy of capturing his creative vision on camera. “The aspect of filmmaking which excites me the most is probably when I am actively filming and capturing my vision on camera, especially when finding cool, cinematic shots that add new perspective,” he explains.

“In addition to this, I find editing to be very rewarding as I get to put it all together and add effects and cuts to help enhance the film and truly see my vision manifest.” Griffin aims to continue making movies and has a backlog of unfinished scripts and movie ideas he hopes to one day bring to life. He's proud of creating and completing an entire trilogy as a Middle School student and is excited about the future of his filmmaking journey. At Annie Wright, he has benefited from a multitude of opportunities, including involvement

“I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything differently because it is what has made me into the person I am today… and I love the person I am today.” in Film Club, Improv, and Theatre, along with joining the Creative Writing (s)Elective now as an Upper School student. You can find Griffin’s channel on YouTube under the title Reel World Studios.

Griffin Snow ’27 9

ANNIE WRIGHT SCHOOLS

Tyler Weston ’28 & Gavin Weston ’31

ACTING AFICIONADOS Tyler Weston’s passion for theatre ignited in Grade 1 at Annie Wright when he participated in a circus-themed unit.

He vividly recalls, “We made this clown comedy act where we had to pretend like we were clowns, and we just did random things. After that, I auditioned for the all-school play in second grade, and I just loved it.” Tyler’s enthusiasm for theatre has only grown since then: “And then after that, I wanted to do it more. So I started branching out, and I did a few camps at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. And I did Elf the Musical, and originally I hated it. And then during the performance, I just kind of got this spark. And I was like, ‘I love this.’ And that was kind of like a big moment for me. And I think [since then] I’ve always strived to develop my skills and just carry out my passion.” His goals revolve around enhancing his skills and versatility as an actor. “My goals are to broaden my range of the things I can do: improve my dancing, improve my singing, and play different characters,”

Brianna (Bri) Carpinito ’32

EQUESTRIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE Brianna (Bri) Carpinito has been riding horses since she was two, starting with a miniature pony and eventually graduating to bigger horses—each with their own unique personality and charm. Her favorite aspects of this passion and the profound trust between rider and horse and the work it takes to establish that relationship.

She shares, “The horses feel how you feel. If you feel scared, the horse is going to be like, ‘What? What’s going on?’ But if you feel calm, the horse 10

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FALL/WINTER 2023 he explains. Tyler envisions a future as a professional actor and is most proud of his continuous growth and the ability to bring joy to the audience through his performances. Annie Wright has provided him with numerous opportunities to nurture his passion for theatre, from classes to after-school activities, and the Middle School’s block schedule eases the balance between academics and rehearsals. He shares, “I never really thought I’d find something that I was still immersed in, and I’m just kind of proud that I found my thing.”

“I just kind of got this spark. And I was like, ‘I love this.'”

Gavin Weston has been involved in theatre since Kindergarten. He recalls, “I was wanting to do it because Tyler was in the shows before. The first show I was in was Alice in Wonderland, so I’ve been doing it for five years.” For Gavin, the excitement in theater is multifaceted. “Probably just the feel of being backstage and being in that environment,” he explains. “Part of it is

is going to feel calm, too. If you trust them, they’ll start trusting you, too.”

Her goal is to continue growing as an equestrian and reach new heights in the sport, including jumping at three feet. With several competitions already under her belt, she dreams of participating in the Wilsonville Springs Pony Finals. During her time at Annie Wright, she has incorporated her love for horses into various projects, such as reading horse books in the library, and selecting horses as her Grade 3 animal diorama. She is proud of how she has been doing in the sport so far, impressing her friends, family and trainers alike, and hopes to eventually acquire her own farm when she is older.

Gavin Weston ’31, left, and Tyler Weston ’28, right

probably making new friends during the show. Waiting for your cues and being there with everyone is really fun. To be in the show. So when you watch the show, you’re like, ‘Oh, that's really good.’

But then when you’re in the show, it’s a whole different feel.” He aspires to become a mature actor and potentially work on both stage and screen. Gavin’s most proud moment was playing the character Winthrop in Music Man, a part that held significant meaning in the show’s narrative. He credits the diverse community of students at Annie Wright for providing him with a rich source of inspiration and a variety of styles to explore.

Brianna (Bri) Carpinito ’32

Jayden Cunningham ’24

FASHION DESIGNER Jayden Cunningham’s love for fashion started at a young age, with a hand-medown sneaker collection from his aunt.

From there, his imagination blossomed: “I would describe fashion design as just like letting my mind run wild when it comes to something like that. Especially because my love for clothes and fashion started off so young.” What excites Jayden most is the prospect of seeing others wear his creations, or, in his words, “seeing someone that doesn't know me, like has no idea who I am, wearing this piece that I made.” The art of fashion design requires him to step outside his own perspective and see his creations through the eyes of other people, which is something that helped him grow as an artist: “I'm really proud of overcoming doubts about my abilities and realizing that the only thing stopping me is not taking action.” His short-term goals are to further develop his own clothing brand and collaborate with local talents from Tacoma. In the long run, he envisions himself attending Howard University, a top choice for fashion design among HBCUs. As a senior, Jayden finds it bittersweet that fashion design opportunities are only

Trinity Yamada ’28

TAEKWONDO CHAMPION Trinity Yamada has loved Taekwondo since she began classes at age 5.

Her journey has been marked by impressive achievements since she began competitions at age 7. She’s a 2023 Junior Olympics (AAU Team Trials) Gold Medalist and a US National Taekwondo Team Member. “I enjoy the self-discipline and the competitiveness that Taekwondo has,” she explains.

The journey to becoming the best I can be and competing at a high level is what keeps me going.” Her goals are ambitious, aiming to continue her

just now taking off at Annie Wright — from the Fashion Design (s)Elective that formed this year to the textile lab that is currently under construction.

However, he hopes to come back and be a guest speaker to inspire up-andcoming fashion designers at AWS. As for his favorite design so far? We’ll just have to wait and watch his passion evolve: “That’s something that I really think about because I’m also really picky with what I make. So whenever someone has asked me what my favorite piece is that I’ve made, I never have an answer for them. Because I feel like I haven’t made my favorite piece yet.”

Jayden Cunningham ’24

“I'm really proud of overcoming doubts about my abilities and realizing that the only thing stopping me is not taking action.”

Jayden’s Design

success and represent her country in international competitions. “I hope to keep improving and eventually compete in the Olympics, she says. Trinity is most proud of how far she has come and focuses on remembering the help she has received along the way.

Annie Wright has been instrumental in supporting her journey by offering flexibility and scheduling opportunities, allowing her to excel both academically and in Taekwondo. Annie Wright’s schedule has also helped her realize that she is able to be very efficient with her work and has helped her improve her time management skills.

Trinity Yamada ’28 11

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PROGRAM FEATURE: VARSITY ARTS

A PATHWAY FOR UPPER SCHOOLeRS TO

“LeVEL UP” IN THE ARTS

By Annie Green, Director of Arts

In a school striving to be known for the arts in ways similar to academics and athletics, creating distinction beyond academics means investing beyond the academic school day.

It means un-tethering from curricular or learning outcomes and abandoning the gradebook. It upholds unique platforms to showcase strengths while extending opportunities to develop and diversify those strengths, ideally, in the company of good friends and inspiring peers.

While liberation from school-like assessments are happily embraced in the arts, they are replaced by other kinds of rigor: navigating ambitious collaborations, waking for early morning music practices, waiting patiently in the wings while your castmates carry pivotal moments of a story, the daily disciplines of practice, creation, perfection, especially when no one is watching, let alone keeping score.

In the absence of scoring and grading, what are the endgames beyond the joy of discovery and expression? How can a student-artist’s community more fully recognize the extent of their investment and expertise? Where else can studentartists commit to “leveling up,” should they choose to?

What does it even mean to level-up in the arts, without the infrastructure of a progressive, competitive pathway? Is there a practice/game/district/state equivalence? Is achievement best evidenced by those willing and able to commit to a fine arts degree in college? Or, sell a painting?

Maybe not, because we needn’t gamify everything… and an artist’s ability to connect and evoke are often their best — and most unquantifiable — metrics of success.

The new Upper School program Varsity Arts was born in response to these musings, knowing that student musicians, performers, designers, and artists are deserving of expanded spaces in which they can continue developing their crafts beyond the curriculum. In Varsity Arts, students commit to a season of ~10 hours of weekly investment in their craft, along with a team of fellow student artists. Through curated projects, 14

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focused studio coaching, and off-campus experiences, students convene as individual artists as part of a collective effort to create, improve, showcase, and hopefully, inspire.

We offer Varsity Arts seasons in three disciplines: Visual Art Portfolio (individual works with the goal of curating a gallery and portfolio), Music Production (individual and ensemble works with the goal of performing and/or recording music), and Film (with the goal of writing, scoring, shooting, and editing shorts for cinema). This year, we celebrate the dedication of 15 Varsity Artists at their Portfolio Gallery & Showcase on Thursday, November 2, before soon launching a new season with Varsity Arts in music — which will help us establish good use of our new music production studio.

With the naming of a Varsity equivalent for visual, music, and storytelling artists, we can more purposefully design our offerings in Middle & Lower School.

In the robust After School Arts programming for Grades K-8, we seed the “artist pipelines” for our youngest students to develop project and discipline-based skills over the course of 12 years. Where might we begin a Grade 1 student’s journey toward developing a strong, producible screenplay in Grade 10 with Varsity Arts Film Production?

How can the craft of songwriting be nurtured through Middle School so a Grade 11 student feels confident and ready to record and produce? In addition to creating awesome spaces for high schoolers wanting to invest more fully in the arts, we now have a leveled up end game for all of our student-artists at every level.

This summer, students from Tacoma Public Schools, Chief Leschi and Annie Wright Schools made their home in our dorm facilities and began a weeklong deep dive into Tacoma’s challenges & opportunities. From food insecurity to the job market, child wellbeing and more, they spent a week exploring the profound impact financial instability has on our city.

Students embarked on transformative field trips, exploring the dynamics of employment, entrepreneurship, and housing. They engaged in active conversations with nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and business owners. They debated and discussed with one another, solidifying their own understanding of the city’s challenges before presenting their findings to the community at large. It was a transformational week for the participants, and their work isn’t done.

The next step in their journey is to take their learning and share it with the broader Tacoma community. The Realize Tacoma Speaker Series will include three open forums

focusing on an issue the students found particularly salient: housing. Moderated by Realize Tacoma students, each forum will be held at Annie Wright Schools. We are thrilled that some of the city’s most knowledgeable and provocative minds have agreed to serve as panelists and share their insights.

Our first panel was held in October; whether you were able to attend or not, we hope you will join us for our next two forums, on January 24 and April 24. Please visit realizetacoma.org to register for the speaker series or for more information on applying for the next iteration of this partnership in the summer of 2024.

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ACTONIA FONT

MY HISTORY • MY EXPERIENCE • my Annie Wright This September, we welcomed alumni of all ages back to campus for another wonderful Alumni Weekend. As always, it was a joyful celebration of past and present. Stories were shared, cocktails were enjoyed, new spaces were toured and old spaces provided a heartfelt backdrop to escape down memory lane.

A sincere thank you to all who attended— we are already looking forward to making more memories with you at Alumni Weekend 2024!

Laura Bales ’85 & Geoffrey Dugan

Director of Upper School for Boys Jeremy Stubbs & Alyssa Harvey ’06 Back row: Gracie Orr ’15, Sara Pelster ’15, Gillian Coyne ’63, Ross Syford-Hoyle ’63, the Rev. Elizabeth Appling ’63, Jane Lieb ’63, Christy Griffiths ’95 Front row: Mackenzie McQuery ’07MS, Kari Ayres ’11

Judy (Tytler) Buennagel ’82 & Colleen Scanlon ’80

Savannah Lanworthy ’13, Kadie Brown ’13, Macartney McQuery ’09MS, Quinci Adams ’09, Taylor (Murrey) Boss ’09MS, Leslie (Bauska) Boss ’13, Liam Kelly ’09MS

Jeff Orr, Jan Jepsen ’73 & Jake Guadnola ’90MS, Head of Schools

Mac Bryant ’21 & Diego Chavez ’21

Back Row: The Rev. Elizabeth Appling ’63, Gillian Coyne ’63, Louise Stonington ’63 Front Row: Ross Syford-Hoyle ’63, Jane Lieb ’63

Danele Alampay ’13 with Jeff Orr

Estella Weir ’78 & Bria Weir ’98LS

Estella Weir ’78 showing earrings, which she made herself using precious memorabillia from her17 time here at AWS.

CLASS NOTES

Mary Ann (Ball) Allen ’76, Rachel (Fine) Sanders ’85MS, Erricka Turner-Davis ’89, Christine Huber Tapert (Green Tie), Marion (Williamson) Shipley ’89, Camille (Cooper) McCauley ’89, Emily (Robinson) Goldstein ’90, Jodi (Gustavson) Erickson ’89, and Kecia (Kenworthy) Cole ’87 1

The self-declared “Duran Durannies” met up at AWS before the May 31, 2023 Duran Duran concert. A quick pit stop to stretch legs and freshen up evolved into a short tour and some time to reminisce in the Great Hall and Raynor Chapel.

(Pictured left to right)

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Betty Lou (Ervin) Broderick ’53

Born and raised in Anchorage before attending Annie Wright, Betty Lou proved that there are still some things in Alaska she was yet to experience when she took her first ever trip to see the World’s Largest Chocolatefall and posed for a quick photo with a polar bear while she was there. With snow flurries in the air, she also shared stories of singing Christmas carols in the Great Hall at the holidays. (photo 1: Chocolatefall; photo 2: Betty Lou (Ervin) Broderick ’53 with polar bear)

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Lynn (Beaty) Sealey ’61

Lynn continues to reside in Walla Walla, enjoying art and good wine. She remains active, taking long walks in the beautiful Walla Walla valley with friends. This October, she enjoyed a long brunch of fruit and pastry with Director of Development Grace Finch, over which she took detailed notes about updates and happenings at Annie Wright Schools.

4 Marie (Dodge) Eaton ’64 I just released a new volume of poetry, Be Here Now. This collection of poems explores the physical and emotional terrain of aging, discovering its joys and sorrows, surrendering to its transformations and learning to live fully in each moment.

To order, visit http://www.motherlodemusic.com/musicandprojects.html and follow instructions at the bottom of the “Some of our Other Projects” section

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Karen (Warren) Wickstrand ’60 Dear Classmates, I hope you are all doing ok. Pete and I moved from our house in Laurelhurst after 27 years to a loving retirement home called Parkshore. It is right on Lake Washington in the Madison Park area.

We are healthy and enjoying independent living in our apartment overlooking the lake. On clear days we can see Mt. Rainier in all its glory.

I hope to hear from you as I fondly remember our AWS friendships.

Dorothea “Dee” (Cragin) Hanich ’63 and The Rev. Elizabeth Appling ’63 Dee and Elizabeth met up for lunch with members of the AWS development team to do some reunion planning over the summer. They exchanged notes from a summer filled with golf and long outdoor dinners with friends.

5 Susan (Backus) Stoller ’66, Marjorie

Oda-Burns ’66, Grace (Jones) Ross ’66, Sally (Peterson) Atherton ’66, Elizabeth “Lisa” Robertson ’66, Carole Fuller ’66 Susan wrote to us and shared: A group of us had lunch.

Another fun get together.

(Pictured left to right)

Wanda (Davis) “Spott” Foreman ’74 I miss and love you all.

6 Hye-John Chung ’92 and Sarah Jellen ’92 Hye-John and Sarah stopped by AWS in October and shared some memories and updates. Sarah (an AWS lifer) and her wife of 25 years, Lori, are currently living in the area. Sarah is the VP of Marketing for high-tech startups, and is currently at Rive, an animation tool company. Hye-John lives in Wilmington, DE with her wife Christian and two boys, Julian and Miles. She is currently the Digital Director of Merchant Services at Bank of America. For Hye-John’s 50th birthday, she is planning to complete the famous Tour de Mont Blanc hike, traversing through France, Italy and Switzerland. Sarah will tag along for the opportunity to resupply and provide moral support. The two of them attended Wellesley together after AWS and have remained lifelong friends.

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CLASS NOTES, CONTINUED 7 Anna Schacht ’08 & Zoe Zebe ’08

Jessica Zou ’20

Anna Mae and Zoe stopped by campus to tour new spaces and connect with faculty this September. In addition to exploring the Murray Barbey Pool and New Academic Building, they popped in to visit Mr. Davidson, Mr. Buennagel and Ms. Young. There were many shared memories and stories.

As a Fellow with the International Leadership Foundation, I had the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. this past summer. I worked as a Front Office intern for the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia in the United States Agency for International Development. It was a valuable learning experience to see how American foreign policy objectives and national security interests aligned with international development goals. Supporting USAID’s work also exposed me to fascinating projects on judicial reform in various countries, which furthered my interest in the comparative study of legal systems. Additionally, attending congressional hearings, meeting cabinet officials, and speaking with local leaders all taught me more about navigating the legal and political systems of the United States. I am grateful for my experience in D.C. and am ready to bring the insights I gained to the legal profession as I prepare to begin law school after my undergraduate studies.

8 Aria “Mita” Danaparamita ’08 Remembering her time at AWS fondly, Aria “Mita” Danaparamita came to campus and had a chance to catch-up with a few former teachers, including now Head of Schools Jake Guadnola. After studying at Wesleyan University, Mita worked for several years in Cambodia before moving to London where she works for a policy group focused on immigration.

8 Da-In “Gabrielle” Jung ’10 Gabrielle dropped by campus on a West Coast visit with her father. The two had not been back to campus since her time as a student, so there were lots of new things to see and updates to share. Gabrielle works as a Content Manager for Korean Originals with Netflix and her projects include Squid Games, among other notable Korean titles.

(Pictured with Head of Schools Jake Guadnola)

9 Rayna Wolff ’18 Rayna is currently a graduate student in Minnesota virtually teaching college and job readiness and writing at all levels.

She got engaged to Spencer Welch in December 2022. The two traveled to Paris to meet Rayna’s family and were married this summer.

10 Kayla Mathurin ’20 Over the summer, I interned for the U.S. Department of Commerce in the office of the Deputy Secretary. I conducted research alongside the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary on national security and alongside the Chief of Staff gathered legal evidence crucial to strengthening the ongoing lawsuit on the Minority Business Development Administration, supporting attorneys in building a compelling case. Additionally, I had the opportunity to plan and execute event logistics for bilateral meetings with foreign ambassadors, CEOs, and high-level officials. More recently, I started an internship for an immigration law firm in Paris, France where I prepare immigration applications, conduct legal research, and provide support to clients seeking to travel to France with visa and residency processes.

(Pictured, left, with Alexandra Bessler ’20, right) 20

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11 Alexandra Bessler ’20 I am a senior at Colby College, double majoring in neuroscience and government with plans to go to medical school. My interests lie within the intersections between health policy and medicine, specifically maternal health and neuroscience. This summer I had the privilege of working under Congresswoman Kim Schrier [D-WA-08], one of the only female doctors working in the 118th Congress. As a legislative intern, I primarily worked on preparing meeting and cosponsor memos for the congresswoman with research and relevant information on how the representative should support or not support bills moving through congress. I wrote letters to constituents on various issues (i.e., Medicare for All, Presidential Indictments, Supreme Court Concerns, Reproductive Health). In addition to answering constituent phone calls and lobbying concerns, I led history tours through the Capitol Visitor Center, Rotunda, Old Senate, Old Supreme Court, National Statuary Hall, and both the Floor and Galleries of the Senate and House. One of my favorite parts of the job was attending and constructing concise notes for briefings and House and Senate Hearings on issues like the US Transplant System and the Impact of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates.

Lastly, for my final project, I was responsible for developing a policy recommendation presentation to introduce a Senate companion bill for the Congresswoman on the Public Health Infrastructure Act. Outside of working in the Capitol, I had a great time living in D.C. living with friends from Colby and also friends from my time at Annie Wright!

Admissions Events

IN MEMORIAM With strength in our hearts, we remember those we have lost from the Annie Wright Schools community.

The best way to ensure great families join our community is for great families like yours to share the word! Invite your contacts to join us at an upcoming admissions event.

Helen “Patty” Feddersen ’44 — Alumni

Virtual Preview December 5 aw.org/preview

Martha Webb ’72 — Alumni Jean (Macdonald) Will — Upper School Associate

Scholar Search February 2 aw.org/scholar-search

Margaret (Woodhams) Fuchs ’60 — Alumni

Ticket to Thrive and PS-K Group Play February 3 aw.org/new-gator-weekend

Senior Leadership Team

Editor

Contributors

Jake Guadnola ’90MS, Head of Schools Sandra Forero Bush, Assistant Head of Schools Jeff Barber, Director of Residential Life Rex Bates, Director of International Advancement Eireann Corrigan, Director of Upper School for Girls Ann Dicks, Director of Lower School Grace Finch, Director of Development Mike Finch, Director of Athletics Annie Green, Director of Arts Alicia Grover Pugh, Director of Community Engagement Jeremy Stubbs, Director of Upper School for Boys Clare Wagstaff-Brown, Director of Middle School Jean Webber, Director of Finance and Operations

Quinci Adams ’09MS

Sandra Forero Bush Brianna (Bri) Carpinito ’32 Jayden Cunningham ’24 Grace Finch Angela Ferguson Annie Green Alicia Grover Pugh Jake Guadnola ’90MS

Board of Trustees David Overton, Chair Janelle Guirguis-Blake, Vice Chair Sally (Peterson) Atherton ’66, Secretary Kevin Sanders, Treasurer Jim Defebaugh, Past Chair Diane Bai Thomas Baker Medina Broadenax Tenley Cederstrand Jeffrey Davis

Bill Driscoll C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser Jason Griffiths Manuel La Rosa Martha Lantz Damani Leech ’90MS Marjorie Oda-Burns ’66 Brian Prior Merritt (Klarsch) Pulliam ’92 Monica Torrez-Pfister Alana Zautner

Graphic Designer Lillian Austin

Lindsey Joyce Femke Laudy ’25 Avah Snodgrass ’25 Griffin Snow ’27 Shelli Strate Gavin Weston ’31 Tyler Weston ’28 Trinity Yamada ’28

Photographer Lisa Blackmore Oona Copperhill

Submissions Strength is published by Annie Wright Schools’ marketing and communications office. Story suggestions, articles and photos are always welcome by submitting to communications@aw.org. Alumni may submit class notes and photos at aw.org/connect or alumni@aw.org.

827 North Tacoma Avenue Tacoma, Washington 98403 P: 253.272.2216 | aw.org

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“Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom.” —George Washington Carver

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