2020-21 Key Dates Statement to our Bolles Community:
AUGUST
On June 1, The Bolles School posted this message to our official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages: “Like so many people around the country have been feeling during the past week, The Bolles School community is horrified by the tragic death of George Floyd and other victims of systemic racism. As a school family, we are not only suffering and grieving but also seeking in earnest ways we can influence real change and stand together for the humanity of all people – at Bolles, in the United States and around the world. In troubling times, we must unite and live out our very important mission at The Bolles School: Pursuing excellence through courage, integrity and compassion. Today, we ask everyone in our Bolles family to live out courage by engaging in meaningful conversations about race and racism; to demonstrate your integrity by showing intolerance for hate and injustice; and to exude compassion by listening, understanding and embracing peace. The Bolles community is deeply committed to this mission and equity for all people.”
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Many of you responded to this post with painful reflections about personal experiences with racism at Bolles, stories of incidents that occurred in our classrooms or to your friends, challenges to our community to stir real change, and, overwhelmingly, a desire to hear more from Bolles administrators about what concrete actions we will take to make equity and inclusion a priority on our campuses. We are humbly regretful these events occurred in our history and reject racism in all forms. We are listening closely to these conversations, including those taking place on the @BlackAtBolles Instagram page, as they will help shape our future. We are working on ways we can continue important dialogue, move our community forward and make the tangible, system-wide changes necessary to better address concerns you shared with us online, in-person and through email. This important work already has begun. We will continue our efforts to promote a diverse and inclusive student body and a faculty that mirrors that diversity, including the refinement and addition of new strategies and programs that promote inclusion. The Student Diversity Committee has actively shared important observations and suggestions. In 2015, math teacher Twyla Ashman was appointed to Director of Cultural Competence for the upper school. Her work has helped bring highly regarded experts to campus for change-making workshops with faculty, students and parents on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus. Recognizing the importance of this role, Bolles administrators expanded her position in the spring of 2020 to Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, an administrative position focused on school-wide programming for faculty, students and families in Pre-K through Grade 12. Our Black Student Union is active, respected and supported. Designs on change have been occurring on broader planning levels as well. In the School’s most recent five-year strategic plan, endorsed this past May by the Bolles Board of Trustees, diversity and inclusion play a major role. This summer, we plan to put together a task force, led by Mrs. Ashman, to help identify the strategies and tactics necessary to realize this portion of the plan. We will begin new columns in our faculty and staff and alumni newsletters about diversity and inclusion. We know there is much work ahead – and we will need your support to approach and manage it. Our work will be framed by the vision and experience of our Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, administration and feedback from our community. Planning will address long-term themes of understanding our community’s cultures and blind spots, enhancing Bolles’ faculty and student diversity and better communicating cultural competencies within our curriculum. We will continue to seek ways Bolles can be a safer and more inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds and dedicate financial resources toward these efforts. We know we have an important responsibility in the moment to act. We can do better when it comes to making Bolles a more inclusive place for all students, particularly black students and people of color. We are committed to a process of change and to producing student leaders who live each day with the highest ideals of courage, integrity and compassion as their compass. I invite you to add to this important conversation by sharing your insights and ideas. You may contact me at headofschool@Bolles.org or Twyla at AshmanT@Bolles.org. We want to make our community stronger by taking these steps together. Thank you for being part of this important work, I look forward to hearing from you and making change together. Respectfully, Tyler Hodges President and Head of School
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
August 6–11
Faculty/Staff Pre-Planning
Dec. 19–Jan. 3
Winter Break, School Closed
August 12
Middle and Upper School New Student and Grade 9 Orientation
January 4
Classes Resume
August 13
First day of classes for all students (Pre-K–12)
January 18
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, No Classes
September 7
Labor Day Holiday, No Classes
February 2
End 3rd Quarter Interim
September 11
End 1st Quarter Interim
February 12
Professional Development Day, No Classes
September 25
Parent Conference Day, No Classes
February 15
Presidents’ Day, No Classes
September 25–26
Alumni Homecoming Weekend
March 5
End 3rd Quarter
October 1
The Bolles Fund launch
March 8–12
Spring Break, School Closed
October 2
Orange & Blue Splash Alumni Event
March 15
Faculty Work Day, No Classes
October 13
End 1st Quarter
March 16
Classes Resume
October 14
MADD/PSAT
April 5
Holiday Break, No Classes
October 16
Faculty Workday, No Classes (Weather Day)
April 6
Classes Resume
October 19
Fall Break, No Classes
April 15
End 4 th Quarter Interim
November 16
End 2nd Quarter Interim
April 30–May1
Alumni Weekend
November 17
Agnes Cain Painter Glynlea and Heritage Society Event
May 24
End 4th Quarter/2nd Semester (Half Day)
November 19
Grandparents Days (Whitehurst, Upper School)
May 25–28
Exams, Grades 6–12
May 29
Commencement
November 20
Grandparents Days (PVB, Bartram)
May 31
Memorial Day, School Closed
November 23–27
Thanksgiving Break, No Classes
June 1
Makeup Exams, Grades 6–11
November 30
Classes resume for all students
June 1–June 4
Faculty/Staff Post-planning
December 11
End 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
December 14
MS/US Reading Day (Weather Day)
December 18
Semester Exams
Non-discriminatory clause: The Bolles School admits students of any race, color and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to students at the School. It does not discriminate in administering educational policies or other school programs. This School is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.
2019–20 Administration
About Bolles Staff
Tyler Hodges President and Head of School
Jan R. Olson, APR Editor-in-Chief Senior Director/ Communications and Marketing
Mike Drew Associate Head of School Carol Nimitz Chief Advancement Officer Jeff Role Chief Finance and Operations Officer Paul Sollee ’88 Chief Technology Officer Scott G. Smith Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
Susanna Barton Executive Editor Marketing & Communications Associate John D. Curran Managing Editor Marketing & Web Designer
Dana Bussiere Assistant Editor Communications & Graphic Designer Sandy Catanese Director of Bolles Fund and Parent Programs Janet S. Frampton Director of Advancement Services Alumni Notes Ryan Trevett ’99 Alumni Relations Officer
Amber Spiotti Advancement Events Manager Linda Boyett Advancement Services Coordinator Rahul Sharma ’03 Leadership Gift Officer Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 School Historian Contributing Photographers: Jeff Adams — Bolles Sports Cady & Cady Mark Krancer Elizabeth Brown
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
Volume 87, Issue 2 Summer 2020
From the
Jan Olson
Editor-In-Chief
For the friends and families of The Bolles School
Dear Bolles Community, Throughout our treasured past, not one Bolles magazine has ever been the same as each one highlights the particular news and fun events from year-to-year. This issue is most definitely unique and will forever stand out in the crowd as it was written during COVID-19 and produced virtually. I can definitely say that has not happened before! And as we reached press time for the magazine, we were confronted by additional opportunities for community introspection as the Black Lives Matter protests swept our country. This has been a memorable period of change. We all have learned to navigate our days a little differently. This spring, there was seemingly no group more affected than our graduating seniors. Early on in our magazine planning, we decided to dedicate this issue to the Class of 2020. They are inspiring examples of what it looks like to push forward with new resolve and resilience. It's a theme that resonates in so many of the challenges we have all faced during the past six months.
About the Cover Disney Imagineer and internationally known artist George Scribner '70 surprised us with a
When they left for Spring Break on March 12 following a fun Spring Week, little did this group of seniors, or any of us realize, we were not returning to campus for the remainder of the school year. As we all know, this has been particularly difficult on this graduating class who still had so many academic endeavors, fine arts events, athletic competitions, senior activities and more to complete and attend. But just as we would expect from any Bolles student, they rose quickly to view things in a new way. They learned quickly to adapt, be flexible and think outside of what "normal" used to be.
special gift - a newly painted version of the Bolles Hall Stein Courtyard seen only through
Some paid tribute to our healthcare workers through song or helped by making masks or in other ways. We also began seeing our Bolles alumni rising to the cause to offer their help and guidance. This development brought us to create an entire new section on our Bolles website called Bulldogs Inspiring Goodness (B.I.G. - bolles.org/about-us/bulldogs-inspiring-goodness).
Table of Contents:
We also saw other groups within our community stepping up to offer their help where they could. When we couldn't distribute signs to our seniors for their lawns, the Bolles Parent Association stepped in to offer their quick delivery service as did faculty and staff. Mr. Hodges and the School's leadership spent countless hours in discussions over the new distance learning program, daily events and activities and most importantly - graduation - all wanting nothing more than to be able to have each and every one as it was meant to be but needing to think outside "the normal" to create what could be possible. These have indeed been extraordinary times and ones no one could have ever predicted. The opportunities for change persist and we are listening. This summer, we are all in deep reflection and distress about systemic racism and the experiences being shared by black families and people of color. 2020 has not been just an ordinary school year. Our community continues to be challenged to embrace change and move forward with grit and fortitude. We all are called upon to exhibit The Bolles Way throughout life by pursuing excellence with courage, integrity and compassion. Each one of us grew stronger individually and collectively during this unprecedented year - we all are realizing new strengths and awakenings. We look forward to watching the Class of 2020 and all Bulldogs lead us into the future with The Bolles Way as their guide. #AUThingsPossible2020
his lens. #BollesProud
Moving Forward with New Resilience and Resolve
From the President and Head of School 2 From the Chairman of the Board 3
18 Resolve: Pushing Forward to New Athletic Heights 23 From the Parent Association Co-Chairs 3 8 Moving the Needle: Bolles Fund Update 40 Diving In: Pool Progress in Fast Lane 43 Bartram Class Nates 53 Bolles Class Notes 55 Resilience: Taking Academic Excellence to the Line
We are always Bulldog Proud.
Jan R. Olson, APR Senior Director Communications and Marketing olsonj@bolles.org
summer 2020
From the Head
of School
“If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” —Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own As I write you today, I can finally once again hear the voices of students on campus. I cannot express to you how marvelous that feels. After two plus months of campus emptiness, we have begun to phase in limited athletic practices as well as summer camp offerings. Some academic classes remain online, but overall the momentum is towards a return to the face to face on campus Bolles experience we all took for granted only a short time ago. We are still uncertain exactly what the next year holds, and correspondingly we are planning for multiple scenarios, frameworks, options…call them what you will. At Bolles, the substance is always more important than the name. You will hear more about these possibilities and our comprehensive return to campus playbook later this summer.
if we are on campus or online. We also are committed to our mission, The Bolles Way: pursuing excellence through courage, integrity and compassion. We certainly do not have all of the answers yet, but we are open and ready to handle whatever comes next. That’s just what we do at Bolles.
I can also hear the voices of Bolles students, families, alumni and faculty calling for action in the global stand against systemic racism. We hear you. We are listening. We know we have important work to do and we are ready to stir change for the better. I hope you take a moment to read our thoughts and beginning action plan on the inside front cover of this magazine. You will hear more about our plans in the coming months after we do the critical work of listening.
Thank you as always for participating in this journey with us. These extraordinary times require our community to emphasize an ongoing ability to reflect on and respond to a changing world. Together, I know that we can and will face these challenges and persevere. We will forge ahead, taking pride in our ability to face adversity head on and battling through. Remember: It’s the hard that makes it great. See you in August…in person.
The past few months have caused us to reflect on what, how and why we do things. Ahead of us are an arrayed variety of paths, some of which are faint and others quite well worn. Bolles has always prioritized making its own path. Our emphasis remains the same: providing continuous learning in a premium environment regardless of
Respectfully,
I’ll be honest. The past set of months have been difficult, and it probably is not going to get easier in the short term. Right now, it feels like we are navigating through fog, but fortunately we know who we are as a community and where we want to go. Things might look a bit different this fall on the surface, but the foundational emphasis on relationships and preparing students for life remains the same.
Tyler Hodges
Here is what Tyler Hodges is reading this summer:
2
Thrive: How Schools Will Win the Education Revolution by Grant Lichtman
Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World by Tim Elmore
How to Think Like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education by Scott Newstok
Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher by Andrew Watson
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf
Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Bryan Loritts
From the
Chairman of the Board A special committee made up of members of Trustees, faculty, staff and alumni have been hard at work during the past year creating a Strategic Plan to move the School forward with a pointed direction and mission over the next five years. I am pleased to report the committee approved the 2020 Strategic Plan in early May and the Board of Trustees endorsed it during the Board’s May meeting. This is great news for our community as this plan provides the framework we will use to continue our tradition of excellence. Essentially, the plan is divided into three main goals: one focusing on our program and curriculum; one focusing on building community; and one focusing on institutional sustainability. Under each goal are three to five strategies. The committee also included a fourth goal for pandemic planning due to the COVID-19 crisis we were confronted with in the spring and will continue to face through the summer and fall.
and energy to ensure this document would address the needs of the institution — for the present and the future — while also providing momentum for the School as we learn from our past and forge new paths of teaching and learning. Education has forever changed due to COVID-19 and we plan to take the best lessons from our experiences and move forward with resilience and resolve, just as this year’s graduating class will do as they set out on their new life ventures. Our Bolles community is strong and made up of an incredible network of alumni, parents, grandparents, students, faculty and staff. It is times like these — when we all work together — when our true spirit shines. Our incredible Bolles family helps this institution set the pace, discover new paths and raise independent school excellence to new heights. Congratulations to the Class of 2020. Best wishes and stay well.
The next and final step is for members of the administration to finalize the tactics necessary to accomplish each strategy, followed by the final approval of the plan by the Board in the fall. I would like to personally thank all members of the strategic planning committee. These individuals invested a great deal of time
Fernando Acosta-Rua ’85
summer 2020
3
2019-20 Bolles Board
of Trustees
Fernando Acosta-Rua ’85 Chair
Charles Tomm
Russell Newton III Vice Chair
A. Rodney VanPelt ’73
Preeti Swani Secretary Tyler J. Hodges President/Head of School
Trustees Charles Arnold III ’86 Elizabeth Coffman ’83 Anika Goel Comar Robert Crosby
Mark Travis ’80
Ex-Officio Members Adam Edgecombe ’98 Alumni Board, Chair Marcia Howard ’83 Board of Visitors, Chair Jacque McGraw Parent Association, Co-Chair John McGraw Parent Association, Co-Chair
Helen M. Lane ’42 Bartram Hal Lynch Robert H. Paul III ’52 Deceased Frederick H. Schultz ’46 Deceased A. Chester Skinner Jr. ’40 Herman Ulmer Jr. ’37 Deceased George W. Varn ’38 W. Lester Varn Jr. ’42 E. Ellis Zahra Jr. ’64
Aubrey Edge
Harry M. deMontmollin Jr. ’56
Welcome New Board Members for 2020–21:
Steven Gold ’95
Trustees Emeriti
Michael Meyers
Rahul Deshmukh ’89
Brittany Groover Ricardo Morales III ’81 C. Daniel Rice ’80 Tatiana Salvador ’86 John Schickel Jr. ’88 Allison Korman Shelton ’94 A. Chester Skinner IV ’98 George Stelljes III ’80 Karen Stone
President Emeritus
Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 James V. Bent Sr. ’53 John W. Connolly Jr. Deceased William K. Hatcher ’48 Deceased Ann C. Hicks ’55 Bartram Beverley W. Hirsig ’46 Deceased
Ali Chahlavi Kathryn Pearson Peyton John Surface ’90
summer 2020
5
Congratulations Class of 2020 Ajay Sean Anderson
Connor Daniel Buckles
Aidan James Dinsbeer ~
Yash Arun Gulani # ** ^
Elise Nicole Anderson ^ ~
Cole Berkley Burgess # ^ ~
Hunter Cameron Dixon ^ ~
Patterson Jane Guyton # ^ &
Mishal Asad # ^
Elinor Olivia Busker
Michael Paul Dodd # ^
Catherine Antoinette Haskell ~
James Hilton Ashby ^ ~
Kevin Lazaro Campos
Luke McElroy Dunn# ^
Jack Robert Ma Hattery ~
Andrea Rezwan Ashchi # ^ ~
Olivia Rose Candelino ~
Erik Thor Bachmann
Joseph Dawson Carpenter ^ &
2020 CLASS FACTS
Louis John Ballantyne Jr. ^ ~
Piper Rose Carriere # ^ ~ &
72% of Bolles 2020 graduating students residing
Marley Grant Barton ~
Trisha Chakravarty ^ % &
Gabriel Antonio Teixeira Bassin # > ^ %
Charu Chaturvedi # * ^
Soraya Davani Bata# * ^ ~
Jack Randall Clark # * ^ ~
Ava June Bates &
Chloe Grace Cochran # ^ ~
Summer Elsafty # ^
Stone Cameron Henderson ^ ~ &
Gregory Elias Batten Jr. ~
Hayden Richard Coddington ^ %
Amelia Rose Emas # ^ ~ &
Mitchell Vaughn Henshaw # * ^ ~
Katherine Rose Beltz # * > ^
Caleb David Cohill # *** ** ^ ~ % &
Gentian Marie Fairman # ^ &
Gianluis Hernandez # ^ %
Nicholas Charles Bengermino ^ ~
Christopher Gale Commander Jr. # ^ ~
Jack Aidan Ferguson # ^
Hadley Jane Hodge # ^
Aurora Skye Bernhardt # ^
Joseph Theodore Cordano ^
Daniel Perry Fewell ^
Kathryn Margaret Hogan # ^ ~ &
Charles Cameron Bernhardt
Alice Rebecca Creed # ^ ~
Connor Michael Fites ^ ~
Annika Renee Hort &
Brielle Nicole Bouchard ^ ~ %
Colson Davis Cronk ~
Shelby Gray Flanigan %
Grace Ann Hudson # ^ ~ % &
Daniel David Bowen
Faith Chamarria Ti’Auhna Curry
Caden Patrick Flowers ^ ~
Adam Charles Jaeckle ~
Haley Ann Bowmaster ^ %
Sarah Admoun Daboul ^ ~
D’yanjel Janae Ford ~
John Thomas Jameson ~ &
Connor John Boyer # ^ % &
Bianti Danaj ~
Savannah Jane Friedlin ^ ~ &
Patrick Steele Jefferies
Thomas Gordon Froats ^ ~
Luke Neff Jenkins ~
Caleigh Lynn Furyk ^ ~ % &
Julia Scaff Johansen ^
George Marshall Gainer Jr. ~
Nicholas Andrew Johns ^
Alexis Isabella Garas
Jeremiah Samuel Johnson ~ %
Yreneo Ramon Garcia Nohra # ~
Katherine Hannah Jordan
Karaline Dale Gavin # ^ ~
Samantha Emily Josephson # > ^ ~
2020 CLASS FACTS Graduates were offered or qualified for over $4 million in merit-based scholarships for their first year of college — over $16 million for their four-year college careers.
in Florida qualified for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships.
Simon James Lafayette Brackin ~
Charles Lloyd Davis V % &
Brooke Anne Geddes
John Nathaniel Kennard # ^ ~
Jonah Alexander Braeger ^ ~
Leah Catherine DeGeorge # ~
Richa Goel # * ^ ~
Liane Khatib ^
Kloe Shad Brill %
Lukas Antanas Dicevicius ^ %
Halle Lynn Gold ^ %
Danis Rashitovich Khizriev
Alexander Wilkie Bryan II ~
Rhett Matthew Dickson ^ ~
Elijah Gregory Gordon # ^
Ashley Jade Khoo # ~
8
Class of 2020 — Colleges Attending List
2020 CLASS FACTS
Auburn University
4
Babson College
1
Bates College
1
Belmont University
2
Berklee College of Music
1
Berry College
1
Boston University
2
Brown University
1
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
4
Bucknell University
1
Emory University
3
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
1
Florida A&M University
2
Canisius College
1
Florida Atlantic University
2
Clark Atlanta University
1
Florida Gulf Coast University
1
Clemson University
2
Florida International University
1
College of Charleston
2
Florida Southern College
2
Colorado School of Mines
1
Florida State University
14
Daytona State College
1
Fordham University
1
DePaul University
1
George Washington University
1
Duke University
1
Georgetown University
1
Elon University
2
Georgia Institute of Technology
1
Georgia Southern University
1
Harvard College
1
2020 CLASS FACTS
The Class of 2020 graduates will be attending colleges in 27 different states, the District of Columbia, Austria and Italy.
Haverford College
1
The Class of 2020 graduates are attending 93
Jacksonville University
2
colleges and universities and were accepted to
Keiser University — *Flagship Campus, FL
1
206 different colleges & universities.
Kenyon College
1
Liberty University
1
10
Bolles for Life The following seniors have attended Bolles since they were in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten. Congratulations to our Class of 2020 Bolles Lifers! Pre-K Charles Lloyd Davis V Amelia Rose Emas Savannah Jane Friedlin Patterson Jane Guyton Stone Cameron Henderson Kathryn Margaret Hogan Grace Ann Hudson Aleia Raquel Lerner Samuel Wayne Levin
Julie Marisa Mas Jenna Charise Mulligan Ethan Murray Platock Soraya Athena Rafat Fatima Samb Makayla Joy Stone Shelby Kae Taylor Maya Camille Thomas Jacob Bowen Wingo
2020 CLASS FACTS 44 student-athletes committed to a particular college or university to continue their academic and athletic careers.
2020 CLASS FACTS 27 graduates have parents who graduated, 3 have grandparents who graduated and 2 have parents and grandparents who graduated from Bolles or Bartram.
Kindergarten Ava June Bates Connor John Boyer Joseph Dawson Carpenter Piper Rose Carriere Trisha Chakravarty Caleb David Cohill Gentian Marie Fairman Caleigh Lynn Furyk
Annika Renee Hort John Thomas Jameson Sierra Marie Kronbach Kosowski Virginia Margaret Kuss Rishi Misra Oberon William Theam Anna Grace Whelan
summer 2020
13
2020 Legacy Seniors These seniors followed in the Bolles tradition of the parents and/or grandparents. Congratulations to our 2020 Legacy Seniors and thank you to these families for making a commitment to educational excellence generation after generation. Ajay Sean Anderson, son of Cynthia Sinha Anderson ’90 Louis John Ballantyne Jr., son of Aimee Kashou Ballantyne ’88 Marley Grant Barton, daughter of David Anderson Barton ’90, granddaughter of Quinn Ralph Barton Jr. ’46 and Agnes Ellis Danciger ’59 Bartram
George Marshall Gainer Jr., son of George Marshall Gainer ’80 Brooke Anne Geddes, daughter of Sherri Ringhaver Geddes ’85 and granddaughter of Lance Ringhaver ’57 Hadley Jane Hodge, daughter of Christopher Murray Hodge ’85 JT Jameson, son of Kathleen Erin Shields Jameson ’91
Charles Cameron Bernhardt, son of Westley Joseph Bernhardt ’86
Rayna Kuthiala, daughter of Aalok Kuthiala ’90 (deceased)
Aurora Sky Bernhardt, daughter of Harrison Bradley Bernhardt ’91
Samuel Wayne Levin, son of Catherine Rebecca Davis Levin ’86
Haley Ann Bowmaster, granddaughter of Michael Greenburg ’60
Julie Marisa Mas, daughter of Michelle Paine Mas ’84 Bartram
Kloe Shad Brill, daughter of Jonatha Kari Brill ’96
Stephen Christian Matson, son of Stephen George Matson ’87
Cole Berkley Burgess, son of Aimee Marie Burgess ’96
Jenna Charise Mulligan, daughter of Terri Arnold ’85
Christopher Gale Commander Jr., son of Christopher Gale Commander ’87 and Barbara Cantrell Commander ’89
Ethan Murray Platock, son of Brian Todd Platock ’79
Rhett Matthew Dickson, son of Jennifer Kwartler Dickson ’89
West Martin Tyre, son of Travis Allen Tyre Jr. ’80
Michael Paul Dodd, son of Paul Melton Dodd III ’84
Benjamin Trammell Wachholz, son of Michael Scott Wachholz ’87
Gentian Marie Fairman, daughter of Christine Ottenstroer Fairman ’85
Trey Alexander Zaccour, son of Thomas A. Zaccour II ’90
Shelby Gray Flanigan, daughter of Hilah Autrey Flanigan ’90
14
Shelby Kae Taylor, daughter of Julie Kae Nelson Taylor ’89
Rishi Misra ’20
Annie Ruperto ’20
Yash Gulani ’20
2020 Valedictorians, Salutatorian Bolles Class of 2020 Co-Valedictorians are Rishi Misra ’20 and Annie Ruperto ’20. The 2020 Salutatorian is Yash Gulani ’20. These students rank at the top of their class academically. This
Lukas Dicevicius ’20
announcement is typically made in front of student and faculty peers at the annual Academic Banquet, which was canceled this year due to the pandemic. Congratulations, students! #AllThingsPossible2020.
Faith Curry ’20
Gianluis Hernandez ’20
Dicevicius ’20, Curry ’20, Hernandez ’20 Named Bolles PA Scholarship Winners The Bolles Parent Association awarded three $2,000 scholarships to seniors Lukas Dicevicius ’20, Faith Curry ’20 and Gianluis Hernandez ’20. Funds for this annual scholarship are made possible by proceeds from the Bolles Bash, the PA’s annual all-parent social. PA leaders described the many strengths of each recipient, who were nominated by Bolles college counselors. Dicevicius, a hardworking Bolles theatre student, has held a job at Marble Slab for 20–30 hours each week since his junior year, in addition to Bolles commitments. He enjoyed being part of drama productions at Bolles and was named a starring role in this spring’s production. Last fall, he served as stage manager for the hit musical, “Mamma Mia!” He is well known for his positive attitude, even during hardships. Hernandez also enjoyed the arts at Bolles, performing onstage in “Mamma Mia!” and as a musician. A popular tutor, Hernandez is
16
known as a remarkable student and who takes advantage of every opportunity and exhibits a friendly disposition. His teachers describe him as a “triple threat” on campus and a “delightful presence” in the classroom. Curry came to Bolles from the Jacksonville KIPP School in Grade 9 and overcame significant adversity to finish her studies and blossom in the arts. Talented in drawing, painting and creative writing, Curry has authored several stories and published them on creative writing websites. She is also a lover of anime, manga and animation and writes and illustrates her own manga. Curry also practices photography and especially likes photographing nature, wildlife and animals. “These wonderful young people are exceptional representatives of Bolles and we are elated to see their hard work, commitment and determination recognized by the Bolles Parent Association,” said Director of Bolles College Counseling Daphne Vagenas.
RESILIENCE: Taking Academic Excellence to the Line The Bolles School — like most places of learning around the world — faced extraordinary circumstances this spring when it shuttered physical campuses for the semester and sent students, faculty and staff home to work, teach and learn remotely. There was no pandemic playbook to reference. There was no manual to guide decisions or plans. The only resource on the shelf was a collective resilience, creativity and determination to succeed — and Bolles teachers had this in volumes. With these strengths as a compass, the Bolles community not only managed a successful distance learning transition but moved the entire Bolles educational experience forward in powerful, pioneering ways. “I believe we are seeing Bolles at its very best,” said Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges. “We have pulled off a remarkable transition and we are going to be a better educational institution as a result. More than ever, there is value in what we do at Bolles and we should feel a collective sense of pride, accomplishment and purpose.”
Making shadow art in Michael Fritton’s online Drama class
18 | courage, integrity & compassion |
“I just said goodbye to my beloved, precious students in my psychology class. They gave me a raison d’etre. A light in the dark days of confinement. A sense of confidence that I could be an effective educator even if we couldn’t be in the same room together. Mutual appreciation, empathy, respect and affection. And some laughs. Parting with students is typically bittersweet, but my kids — during the difficult situation we have all endured — imparted to me something very precious that I will keep always in my heart.”
Bolles Boarding Students Learn from Afar
—Melissa Tyler Psychology teacher, Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus
Bolles Residential Life students traveled back to their respective homes around the world in March, but they were still able to attend school with their classmates via Bolles Distance Learning. We were happy to stay connected with our Residential Life students through the semester and look forward to seeing our returning students this summer! This year, Bolles welcomed students from 26 countries and nine states.
Faculty pushed through the spring semester with a focus on innovation and student-centered learning — at every grade level and on all four campuses. Students from grades Pre-K to 12 met daily in Schoology classroom video sessions according to their prescribed class times. Instruction in music, art, P.E., dance, drama and other resources continued in a virtual setting and pre-scheduled Activities periods, college counseling meetings and breaks occurred per the usual school day routine. The academic experience also became more robust during the spring weeks as teachers challenged students to pursue their work differently, collaborate in remote settings more effectively, receive information and approach distance learning projects with new perspectives and abilities.
summer 2020
19
The States Fair on the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus was transformed from a more “live” presentation to a colorful, professional Power Point project. Florida Day on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus was revolutionized and restructured as a collaborative video performance and a middle school drama class unit on puppetry invited students to make a show out of their own shadows — a brilliant, and creative redux of a more traditional, hands-on lesson. Upper school students learned to demonstrate mastery of concepts in colorful, creative, engaging ways.
Stacey Hendershot
Even “fun days” remained part of the educational experience in the early weeks of distance learning at Bolles. Ponte Vedra Beach Campus second graders, for example, enjoyed an April Fools’ Day dress-up day in Kim Loving’s classroom. Others planned “crazy sock day,” and on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus, “hat day” was observed. Senior students on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus were asked to wear their college gear to class on May 1, when college choices are historically announced. On that point, this year’s list of college choices is one of the most impressive and diverse — a testament to the hard work students have put forth in all areas of school life during the past few years.
Christy P. Lusk
Kila McCann
Hiring Key Leaders in Unprecedented Times A pandemic is not the most ideal time to add new leaders to the team, but change is the only sure thing and a recent addition of School administrators is an example of how healthy that change can be for the Bolles community. The 2020–21 school year brings new leadership to both the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst and Ponte Vedra Beach Campuses in the wake of expected retirement announcements from Campus Heads Carol Imfeld and Peggy Campbell-Rush. As is The Bolles Way, two exceptional leaders are taking the reins: Christy P. Lusk, incoming Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Head; and Stacey Hendershot, new Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Head. Lusk comes to Bolles with more than 20 years of experience as a teacher and senior administrator, most recently as Assistant Head of School at The Bright School, a Pre-K through Grade 5 independent school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has directed many initiatives including faculty professional development and evaluation, student enrichment and academic support and budget management and is a believer in family relationships and rigorous, child-centered curriculum. Lusk has an Ed.D in School Improvement and Ed.S in Educational Technology, as well as an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the University of West Georgia and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Hendershot brings the same high level of experienceand dedication to the school community. She was most recently the Assistant Head of
20 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Lower School at Carrollwood Day School in Land-O-Lakes, Florida. In this role, she has served two lower school campuses and led the school’s lower division with scheduling, curriculum, professional development evaluation and diversity inclusion initiatives. Her more extended background, however, is as an independent and public school educator in Florida and Michigan, where she taught first, second, fourth and fifth grades as well as literacy and math intervention. Stacey has a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Marygrove College and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Central Michigan University. The Bolles Office of Admission also is welcoming a new face in the wake of 2020’s “new normal.” Following Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Scott Smith’s announced departure this fall, the School conducted a national search and hired Kila McCann, Director of Admission & Financial Aid/Director of Enrollment Management at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There, McCann was a central member of the School’s culture and led a team of five admission officers tasked with increasing enrollment through outreach and partnership with the School’s advancement department. Closer to home, Kila spent many years as an administrator in several key roles at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. Prior to her time in Georgia, McCann worked in admission and international development positions at Fulford Academy School of English Boarding Preparatory and St. Lawrence College in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. She received her B.A. in Business, Marketing & Public Relations at St. Lawrence College in Canada and a B.S. in Human Services, Psychology, at Shorter University in Georgia.
Bolles Athletics Adds Three State Titles, Named Top Athletic Program in 2019–20 Bolles added three state championships, three state runner-up finishes, seven district titles, two middle school conference titles and numerous individual accolades in a school year that saw the spring sports season cut short due to COVID-19. Bolles Athletics history now includes 141 state titles and 94 state runner-up finishes in 17 different sports, along with 487 district titles and 51 middle school conference titles. The fall season saw state titles from boys’ and girls’ swimming, state runner-up finishes from football and boys’ and girls’ cross country, district titles from the swimming and cross country teams as well as girls’ golf and a middle school conference title from volleyball. The winter season was highlighted by the girls’ soccer team winning its third straight state title in a row, a first in program history. The championship was the Bulldogs’ fifth in the last six years and ninth overall, and the sixth for Head Coach Matt Tracy. The boys’ soccer team advanced to the program’s 20th state final four, boys’ basketball advanced to the region semifinals and both boys’ and girls’ soccer teams won district titles. The middle school boys’ soccer team added a conference title as well. While the spring sports season got underway in early 2020, the season was cut short for the baseball, crew, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field and weightlifting teams — denying the opportunity for these athletes to add to Bolles’ history of championships success.
summer 2020
21
Individual honors were plentiful for Bolles athletes and coaches. Chloe Schiavone ’20 (girls’ golf) and Olivia Candelino ’20 (girls’ soccer) were named area player-of-the-year in their respective sports by the Florida Times-Union and News4Jax. A total of 77 Bulldogs were named to the Florida Times-Union’s fall and winter All-First Coast teams and 70 were named to the News4Jax teams. Tracy was named a finalist for the 2020 National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) national girls’ soccer coach of the year. Eight finalists from across the nation were to be honored and the national coach of the year in each sport was to be announced during The National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet at the NHSACA’s national convention in Lincoln, Nebraska in late July. However, the event was postponed to the July 2021. Matt Toblin was named Class 4A Football Coach of the Year and seven Bolles football players were named Class 4A All-State by FloridaHSFootball.com. Carly Schwab ’20 was named Class 1A Girls’ Swimmer of the Year and Peter Verhoef was named Class 1A Coach of the Year in the Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards. Candelino and Tracy were named the Class 3A Girls’ Soccer Player and Coach of the Year in the Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards. Four members of the Bolles girls’ soccer team and five members of the boys’ team were selected to play in the inaugural North Florida All-Star Series Classic. Bolles capped the 2019–20 athletics honors by being named the top athletic program in both the small school and private school categories in the 2019–20 MaxPreps Cup standings. The MaxPreps Cup is a formula developed to identify the top high school athletic programs in the nation using state championships and runner-up finishes to award points.
Matt Toblin
Carly Schwab ’20
22 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Peter Verhoef
Olivia Candelino ’20
Matt Tracy
Chloe Schiavone ’20
RESILIENCE: Creating Art in new Spaces The Bolles Fine and Performing Arts Community came into 2020 on a high. Fresh off the outstanding upper school musical, “Mamma Mia!” and the stellar middle school performance of “Conversations” and the Ponte Vedra Beach Campus secondgraders’ Wax Museum show, the focus had just turned to an applause of the first-ever lower school-only stage production, “Seussical Jr.” on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus. The Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus was gearing up for early-April performances of its first full musical, “Willy Wonka Jr.,” and middle school artists were preparing pieces for the Spring Art Show. Middle and upper school band and chorus performances were underway and the Spring Dance Concert was in final stages of practice. Then, an unknown actor came out from behind the curtains — COVID-19 took center stage, cackled and cleared the theater for the rest of the spring semester. But as they say in acting, “the show must go on,” and go on it did this spring in virtual realms of all four campuses. The spring retreat to remote places provided new opportunities for students to stretch and demonstrate their passion for the arts. Bolles Director of Dance Angela Blackledge encouraged dance students with fun new projects that students filmed and returned. She also hosted the School’s history-making online Spring Dance Concert senior showcase online, providing an opportunity for all to gather remotely and watch at the same time. Countless videos came in to Bolles Band Director Maggie Vance’s inbox of students
24 | courage, integrity & compassion |
practicing their instruments and learning new pieces. Laura Rippel continued drama lessons from her home and middle school drama teacher Michael Fritton used readily available visuals like students’ shadows to create innovative explorations of puppetry and acting. Visual arts instructors on all campuses and at all grade levels encouraged students to broaden their presentations — including a study of hieroglyphics in Jeanette Edwards’ Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus studio and recreations of famous artwork in Elizabeth Miron’s studio on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus. Upper school artists like Brielle Bouchard even used COVID-19 as an inspiration for new works. One of her pieces of a classmate wearing a mask received local acclaim for its depth and beauty. In a final show of Bolles’ artists’ unstoppable momentum this spring, The Bolles Bugle hosted its first-ever Virtual Coffeehouse student/faculty talent show in a live broadcast May 15. Encore!
summer 2020
25
Peggy Campbell-Rush Head of Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Peggy Campbell-Rush came to Bolles six years ago as Head of the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus and is retiring after a 45-year teaching, administrative and writing career. She leaves a vibrant legacy at the campus and played an important role helping to increasing enrollment and fundraising on campus. “I have loved every minute of my tenure as the Head of the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus,” Campbell-Rush said. Some of her defining Bolles career moments came from the “amazing” relationship she had with Carol Imfeld, Head of the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus. “She is a fountain of knowledge and has helped me every year that I have been at Bolles.” Campbell-Rush fondly remembers her first interview six years ago with then Associate Head of School Scott Smith and Imfeld over Skype. “I asked what the most important quality the person hired for this position should have and Scott quipped, ‘the ability to walk on water.’ We had a good laugh and they invited me to fly to Florida for a full day interview. When Scott picked me up at the hotel, I showed him that I brought my swimmies with me to walk on water. Again, we had a good laugh. It was then I knew Bolles was the right place for me — it is a school with the finest reputation for a top, well-rounded education and embraces a sense of humor, too. Both of these things are so necessary for a successful school.”
30 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Jim Smith Upper School Art Teacher Steampunk artist and local art legend Jim Smith has been teaching art at The Bolles School for more than 40 years and is retiring from a long career in education. Recognized at the 2020 Phoenix Society Induction for his decades-long commitment to the arts at Bolles, Smith began his career at Bolles as a middle and upper school art teacher and coach in 1977. He started the School’s first AP Art class and was the first — and probably last — to coach a co-ed seventh grade competitive soccer program on campus. He has seen the evolution of the art department from one room in Ulmer Hall to the four-campus complex Bolles enjoys today. While the scope and resources of the Bolles Fine And Performing Arts Department have changed dramatically over the years, the quality of his faculty colleagues and the trusting influence of Bolles administrators have remained consistent — dedicated to the pursuit of teaching excellence and program success. “The early teachers at Bolles — the Arthur Carnes and Rufus McClures — they were gentlemen who came straight out of World War II and started working for Bolles, you had to call them by their rank back then. But they knew how to mentor before there was such a name for it — they’d show new people like me how to do things and were so kind to share their knowledge,” Smith said. “One thing that came from that group that I still see is the concept of teaching as a career. This is not a job at all and I can’t think of a single teacher here who’s not just extremely dedicated to what they’re teaching. That’s one legacy I still see going on here.” Smith is an active artist noted for his work in local regional and international venues and hopes to continue commissioning pieces — like the famed Phoenix Society sculpture outside of Gooding Gallery and a piece he created out of the literal ashes of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church — in his retirement.
32 | courage, integrity & compassion |
Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 Historian For more than eight decades, Quinn R. Barton Jr. has been an integral part of Bolles’ community and history. A 1946 graduate, Barton was both the class Valedictorian and Honor Cadet, the highest all-around student honor, when Bolles was a military school for boys. He was also the School’s first National Merit Finalist, an event prompting class cancellations for all cadets and a day of campus-wide revelry. “A lifelong resident of Jacksonville, I first entered Bolles in the tenth grade and graduated as the class Valedictorian in 1946,” Barton wrote in his signature script in answer to questions about his Bolles tenure. Following his Bolles graduation, Barton graduated from Princeton University in 1950 and the University of Florida College of Law in 1953. Afterward, he served in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1953 to 1955 before going to work for his family business, a dealership for International Harvester Co. in Northeast Florida. “In the late 1950s, I was elected to serve on the Bolles Board of Trustees and I continued in that role for 30 years.”
34 | courage, integrity & compassion |
From the
Parent Association Co-Chairs Wow! The 2019–20 school year is not ending the way any of us would have chosen, but The Bolles School has adapted and is making the best of a terrible situation. The Parent Association has also adapted and continues to provide support to the School, the students and the parents. Since we could not interact in person, we have adopted virtual tools including virtual coffees for each campus with Tyler Hodges and the head of each campus, respectively. We kicked off tuition drawing before the stay at home order was instituted but had to end with a virtual tuition drawing. The Parent Association also reached out to each family to make a connection once virtual learning started to offer any support that we could. The Parent Association also recognized our seniors by placing congratulatory graduation signs in each senior’s yard. To share more
38 | adtvancement |
school spirit, yard signs were also placed on the lawns of rising sixth and ninth graders in recognition of their transition to another campus. In addition, our Parent Association Teacher Appreciation Committee rose to the occasion by sending faculty and staff $20 Publix gift cards as a replacement for the end of the year recognition previously planned. It seems so long ago now, but, prior to safer at home, the Parent Association was busy on all campuses. The annual Bolles Bash was held where parents were able to get together in a social setting, dance, laugh, make memories and bid on silent auction items. Fun was had by all as each campus held its yearly Farmers Market. The petting zoo and many food choices are always a hit! The Parent
The Pearson Family – from left, Jack, Charley, Jessie, Kallie, Missy, Emmy and Josh – with Bolles Head Swimming and Diving Coach Peter Verhoef and Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges, right.
New Bolles Pool to be Named Tarver Pool The new 25-meter by 25-yard Myrtha Pool currently under construction on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus adjacent to Davis Gym will be named Tarver Pool thanks to a generous gift by the family of Jack Tarver. The gift brings new momentum to the future of Bolles Swimming and adds to a distinguished legacy of Bolles philanthropy from Tarver’s family, which includes his daughter Margaret Tarver Jason, and Missy and Josh Pearson and their five children Emmy ’19, Kallie ’21, Jessie ’23, Jack ’26 and Charley ’29. Jackson Williams Tarver, was chairman of the board of Cox Enterprises, the publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, chairman of the board of Atlanta’s Federal Reserve Bank, and chairman of the Associated Press at the time of his passing in 1999. He left his widow Margaret Taylor Tarver and two children, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Several years ago, the family funded the construction of Tarver Hall on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus in his honor. This innovative project was the first major academic facility to be built on campus in more than a decade.
The most recent gift will transform the future of Bolles Swimming, an area of athletics that has been personally meaningful to the family over the years. The Pearsons have been avid participants in and supporters of competitive swimming and are committed to taking the Bolles Swimming and Diving program to new levels. Missy’s sister, Katie Jason Oldoerp, swam for Bolles from 1989–1994 and went on to swim collegiately at Dartmouth College. “We are grateful for the high-quality education, community and experience Bolles has provided during our many years as a ‘lifer’ family — it has enriched our lives in many meaningful ways and it makes us so happy to imagine how this gift will make a difference for other families for years to come,” Missy Pearson said. Tarver Pool will transform Bolles’ aquatic facilities and set a new benchmark for developing student-athletic excellence. “We are so appreciative to the Pearson family for their incredible and consistent show of generosity toward The Bolles School, both as parents of lifer students and as benefactors of critical School
summer 2020
41
projects,” said President and Head of School Tyler Hodges. “This family demonstrates the highest levels of commitment to the future of our school and for this we are deeply thankful. We are elated to move forward with them on this important project.” Construction already has commenced on the project, which promises to build on Bolles’ six-decade legacy of swimming dominance. The Myrtha Pool now being installed at the site of the former Lobrano Pool, was previously used in a Las Vegas-based International Swim League event that produced world records and featured Bolles swimming alumni. The pool will have an 8-foot minimum depth and full springboard diving facilities, which means Bolles coaches will soon have the resources to prepare studentathletes for the latest evolutions in NCAA-level competitions. Plans for the new pool area include elevated bleachers and restroom access, which will enhance greatly our spectators’ experience. Additionally, Bolles is building deck-level gutters, which provide a more intimate setting for teaching young swimmers. More efficient use of deck space will allow Bolles to host competitions that are exciting, comfortable, accessible and enjoyable. The venue affords athletes and coaches deep-water resources for training and on-land facilities to match leading global shifts in aquatics. Bolles will soon have the capability to diversify programming and spring toward new competitive heights in the pool.
42 | advancement |
Construction plans also call for an enhancement of indoor training facilities that will bring Bolles’ on-campus resources to the standards of world class programs. The land-based facilities include office spaces, storage and second-story multipurpose areas on the current Uible Pool House. This second-floor design will provide new spaces for gatherings overlooking the pool and football field. The expansion also enables Bolles to grow its programming to include diving, triathlon and masters-level swimming. “The ability to include more diversified programming raises the bar for everyone,” said Head Swimming and Diving Coach Peter Verhoef. “We are deeply grateful to the Tarver/Pearson family for their belief in Bolles Swimming and for their change-making show of support for this important project.” In addition to pushing the Bolles Swimming experience forward, the pool project also provides an awesome opportunity to exhibit the rich history of our swimming program. Plans call for new record board spaces and recognition walls — important storytelling areas that demonstrate how life-changing and enriching our program at Bolles has been over the years. “When completed, our new pool facility can host professional-level elite competitions and entry-level competitive experiences that our parents, athletes and guests can take pride in,” Verhoef added. The new pool is expected to be complete by October 1.
The Pinnacle of Aquatic Excellence Bolles students know how to make a splash in academics, the arts and community service — and certainly in athletics. In the last year alone, the School’s athletic program tallied three team state titles — for a total of 141 since our founding. Many student athletes go on to play their sport at the college, university and even at the professional level. We believe that a robust athletic program is a tremendous tool for helping shape confident, responsible adults of character. Our commitment to educating the whole child means getting students out on the field, onto the court and into the pool to discover their best possible selves and, regardless of their success, develop the teamwork skills that will serve them throughout their lives. New Myrtha 25-Meter Pool Among our many standout athletic programs, our swimming and diving program continues to make waves on the national and international levels. We have had 63 Olympians since 1972. In order for our facilities to continue to compete at these levels on which we have built such a rich history, we must replace the 25-meter pool and update facilities.
summer 2020
43
Additional space would allow additional options for other campus programming during non-swimming hours like classes or meetings and would be a venue for events and rental space.
Expanding the footprint of the current aquatic center will create space for competitors and their families to enjoy competitive swimming at any age. Swimming is moving in a progressive direction, providing athletic development on land as much as in the water. P.E. and other youth sports programs do not provide these skills, which help in creating long-term development and engaging programs for swimmers. Currently, swimmers share campus space outdoors when possible, but in cold or rainy weather there is not enough space within the Cassidy Aquatic Center to consistently provide swim programming. Existing dryland and office spaces would be renovated. The space would remain open to accommodate large groups, include limited resistance training equipment and be useable for event management, a meeting space and more.
A second story will be added to the restroom facilities on the Uible pool deck allowing for coaches' offices, an additional multipurpose space and a room with a view to the other fields and facilities on campus. Expanding the Deck Space Our current deck space allows for training and limited meet/event hosting. The Bolles program contributes a significant portion of its annual budget through event hosting. The ability to host more people allows for revenue gains and increased event quality for our swimmers. The deck would expand toward the road near Whitehurst Campus to allow for this upgrade. Upgrades would also be made to the existing restroom facilities for visiting teams and families as there are currently no restrooms available inside the fenced area. As we look forward to the coming years at Bolles, we hope your family will be part of our championship story — not just for the championships and Olympic medals, but for helping us make an impact on teaching a lifestyle of excellence to every member of our program.
summer 2020
45
Rozow ’90 Uses Strengths to Help Musicians Impacted by COVID-19 Crisis Shie N. Rozow ’90 spearheaded the production and launch of a music video mash-up to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “What a Wonderful World,” both featuring the voices of more than 80 famous musicians. The initiative, which garnered international attention during the height of the pandemic, was designed to bring attention and support to musicians and entertainers around the world who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. The video encourages watchers to support the Motion Picture Television Emergency COVID-19 Relief Fund.
BeThe Difference
made music,” Rozow said. “I wanted to create something that would bring people a bit of joy and solace during this uncertain time and I also wanted to get as many fellow musicians involved to give them all something to do and demonstrate what can be achieved with remote recording many individuals separately.” His efforts brought needed support to the MPTF relief fund. “It takes hundreds of talented people to create a feature film, most of whom are just regular folks making a decent living,” Rozow said. “They’re not rich and the entertainment industry got hit especially hard. So supporting MPTF, which is there to help this community, was important to me.” Rozow said his passion for the arts blossomed at Bolles, a place that provided his first steps toward a career in music.
Rozow, a highly regarded composer and music editor who has worked on music for major international blockbusters including “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Hustle & Flow,” said the project was one way he could use his influence and strengths to help others. “I felt helpless and wanted to do something meaningful to help the community — I’m no doctor or scientist, so I did what I know — I
46 | alumni |
“I was a music geek during my time at Bolles — I was a boarder and would spend countless hours in my room making music. Then band director, Thomas Stone, was very encouraging and pushed me to really pursue my music, culminating in a Christmas concert where I did my first-ever arrangement for the school band, and a performance of an original tune I wrote for the senior showcase. His encouragement certainly played a role in my musical development.”
Decker ’95 Reveals New Dimension in COVID-19 Testing, Wins Award Summer Decker ’95 used her vast experience and training in radiology to help flatten the COVID-19 curve. The Associate Professor of Radiology at USF Health was part of a team that created 3D-printed nasal swabs for testing of COVID-19.
BeInnovative As the coronavirus crisis began mounting in early March, Decker and her colleagues quickly researched ways they could use their USF resources to provide more resources for doctors at local hospitals. Nasal swabs were in short supply, and the doctor scientists focused on those efforts. After only two weeks of research
and consultation, Decker and her colleagues were able to come up with a design plan utilizing 3D printing technology that ultimately led to the production of more than 3,000 swabs a day for healthcare worker in the area. The result was swifter, more efficient testing for the community — and ultimately, a big weapon in battling COVID-19. Her work was community service at its most basic, scientific and effective! Decker has given back to the Bolles community in meaningful ways, and for this she was recognized as the 2020 Sidney W. Register Sr. Award for Bolles Alumna of the Year. Bolles leadership pointed to her 2015 presentation to the Bolles faculty and staff, her willingness to serve as a special guest panelist during the Summit of Science STEM Forum and for the way she has so generously given to the medical community during the past two decades through research, teaching, volunteerism and outreach.
Photo courtesy of USF Health
summer 2020
47
Cynthia Anderson ’90 Helps Build Community Mask Knowledge With many questions about the use and types of masks circulating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Cynthia Anderson ’90 shared an insightful presentation on masks during a recent YouTube posting. Her passion for the topic later developed into a successful community initiative that distributed masks to local residents in the thousands. A small idea for a video became a life-changing intention. In her first video, Anderson, a radiation oncologist with Baptist Health, talked about the medical studies on masks that came to light during the COVID-19 crisis as well as the difference between surgical masks, homemade masks and the highest rated N95 masks used by healthcare providers in hospitals. Anderson’s presentation was very well received and offered clarity many in the community have been seeking recently. “There is so much confusion about masks,” Anderson said. “I wanted to educate the public about why the recommendations changed, the purpose of masks, the three types (respirator, surgical, and cloth) and why the cloth mask is the hero of social distancing.
BeEquipped Her YouTube video has been seen more than 2,000 times. The video also led to more community service opportunities. A cardiologist friend asked her and others to form a group called Masks4Jax to help promote the idea of masks and raise funds for distributing them to the community. Response to this initiative was
48 | alumni |
overwhelming. The organization was endorsed by the Jaguars and other large companies and raised enough funds to distribute more than 500,000 masks locally. Anderson and her colleagues’ work is important and has helped people become more educated about the virus and effective protective measures to thwart it. “People need to understand the impact of viruses in our lives and we need time to learn and understand how to treat a virus we have never seen before,” Anderson said. “Not knowing what symptoms to look for, not knowing what medicines to use or how to care for patients well means we are doing everything by trial and error — putting healthcare workers at direct risk for any patient we care for in any specialty. I felt a duty to speak up because the life I help save could be mine. The life I help save could be yours.” Anderson also serves on the Baptist Advanced Care Planning Committee whose goal is to facilitate conversations between doctors and patients about end-of-life issues early in a disease process before a crisis hits. When the pandemic was declared earlier this year, the committee pivoted. They began working on new hospital guidelines for COVID-related hospitalizations and how to alleviate symptoms of suffering while patients recovered, how to have complex conversations between family and patients when they cannot be in the same room and how to guide patients to advocate for the care they want. “Our collaboration exceeded our expectations and those of hospital administration,” Anderson said. “We are preparing to publish our story and recommendations. Considering we had to go all the way back to the flu pandemic of 1918 to look for guidelines, it is our collective responsibility to be better prepared for modern times the next time we face a viral pandemic.”
Ferrell ’10 Twins on Bi-Coastal Healthcare Frontlines Julia Ferrell ’10 and Dr. Jeff Ferrell ’10 may live on opposite coasts, but both have been working together to help patients — and be part of major changes to patient care protocols — in a time of COVID.
Julia said COVID-19 has not really changed her perspective on the importance of her work in healthcare — but it has definitely changed the community’s.
Jeff is a second-year pediatrics resident at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital. He rotates through more than four hospitals in the Bay Area and is planning on pursuing a Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship after his residency, focusing on childhood obesity and LGBTQ medicine. Julia is a nurse in the medical surgical intensive care unit at Baptist Health in downtown Jacksonville. She has worked there more than five years and recently was accepted to Family Nurse Practitioner school for the upcoming academic year.
“As a med-surg ICU nurse, I often treat patients with infectious diseases. I think this pandemic is a huge eye-opener for the community and should bring awareness to other communicable illnesses in our community. I have seen the flue take the lives of many young people as well as the elderly,” she said. “I think what makes COVID-19 different is addressing the unknown and the fear that comes with treating and preventing the spread of this new virus. We cannot underestimate the power of social responsibility in preventing the spread of communicable diseases.”
Working in the healthcare field during a pandemic has brought new perspective to the family. “COVID-19 reminded me how fragile our healthcare system is, how our jobs require risk that we become used to assuming day in and day out, how robustly the scientific community responds to crisis through research and lab tests and how the actions of each individual person can influence the health of others,” Jeff said. “We are all on this Earth together and we have to care for one another by assuming the responsibility of our own actions.” He said the pandemic forced healthcare systems like UCSF to make swift, critical changes to patient treatment — systems that will be in place for a long time. “Bringing healthy children, especially the very young ones, to any clinic quickly assumed the risk of the child and the caretakers contracting COVID-19. UCSF responded by partitioning primary care buildings by floor, sick and well, and shunting as many visits as possible to a telehealth system. The technology for telehealth has been around for quite some time, but this crisis forced pediatrics, and a lot of other fields of medicine, to switch to this form of care quickly,” Jeff said. “The change has been overwhelmingly positive and I think many of the advantages of remote visits are now being fully realized. I think this new tool will be here to stay.”
BeStrong She said her work did make some major changes during the pandemic, including splitting hospital units into half med/surg ICU and half COVID-19 ICU. She said protocols changed regularly and adapting to the change was stressful for all. “Caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients takes so many resources and so much focus, I cannot imagine being on the frontlines in the hardest hit areas,” Julia said. “I always want to give my best to patients but I can imagine the load is too much in some areas of the country. My heart breaks for those hardest hit by the virus.” The biggest lesson learned? “My sister and I learned that two people are better than one and in medicine, we are all on the same team,” Jeff said. “I think what I will take with me is the importance of teamwork and kindness,” Julia said. “Help one another and be smart about infection control for the community.”
summer 2020
49
Bartram
Alumnae Notes
’40s
1942 Class Representative: Helen Murchison Lane Helen3790@aol.com
Trustee Emerita: Helen Murchison Lane 1945 Class Representative: Marion Whatley Cowart (850) 385-1911 1949 Class Representative: Anne Monroe Poidevant (904) 264-8977
’50s
1951 Class Representative: Frances Watts McCurry fmccurry@comcast.net
1953 Class Representative: Jane Howard Chadbourne jachadbourne@aol.com
Agnes Ellis Danciger ’59, Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46, David Barton ’90
1955 Class Representative: Beverly Brett Warren bbrettw@hotmail.com
1959 Class Representative: Linda Burbridge Knight lbksr@comcast.net
Trustee Emerita: Ann Curry Hicks
Marley Grant Barton ’20, daughter of David Barton ’90 and granddaughter of Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 and Agnes Ellis Danciger, graduated from The Bolles School on May 23, 2020.
1956 Class Representative: Louise Adams Ropp weezier@comcast.net 1958 Llura Liggett Gund passed away on March 15, 2020, at her home in Princeton, New Jersey.
’60s
1961 Class Representative: Meriel Traylor Rucker (843) 881-7939
1964 Class Representative: Missie Graham Sarra LePrell Missie@missiesold.com 1965 Class Representative: Corbin C. Dowling corbanidana@hotmail.com 1966 Class Representative: Marcia Caribaltes Hughes marciachughes@yahoo.com 1968 Class Representative: Judy Goins Quick jgquick@bellsouth.net
summer 2020
53
1969 Class Representative: Virginia Conley Pappas virginiacpappas@gmail.com
’70s
1970 Anne Witherspoon Beard died peacefully in her home on December 25, 2019, surrounded by her family after a long battle with a rare form of Frontotemporal Dementia.
1971 Class Representative: Kerry Lee Byron Ehrlich klehrlich@cox.net 1973 Class Representative: Barbara Arnold Pickett bsap00@comcast.net 1974 Class Representative: Joann Ferguson Purdie jpurdie@springfieldcapital.com 1975 Class Representative: Marnie Law George marnie@thegeorgegroup.com Board of Visitors: Marnie Law George 1976 Class Representative: Virginia Ferguson McNulty virginia@mcnulty.tv 1979 Class Representative: Jennifer Williams Wiegand 1315 East Blvd, #307, Charlotte, NC 28203
’80s
1980 Class Representative: Hilda Pendleton Fenton mafenton@hotmail.com
1981 Class Representative: Susan Williams Brodeur Susan_brodeur@ml.com 1982 Class Representative: Carmen Crenshaw-Hovey carmencrenshaw@msn.com 1983 Class Representative: Rebecca Faircloth McNeil marvmcneil@bellsouth.net
54 | alumni |
Michelle Mas ’84 1984 Julie Mas, daughter of Michelle Paine Mas, graduated from The Bolles School on May 23, 2020. 1986 Class Representative: A. Patricia (Tricia) Helwig Todd phtodd@helwigandtodd.com 1988 Class Representative: Rebecca (Becky) Martin Forbes rmf2ya@bellsouth net 1989 Class Representative: S. Courtney McCranie Mccranie2222@gmail.com Class Representative: Josephine (Josie) Bryan jbryan@stmarksdayschool.org
’90s
1990 Class Representative: Grace Herzog Bryan ’90 gracieb2u@me.com
1991 Class Representative: Jennifer Purino Hensley
Trustee Emeritus: E. Ellis Zahra Jr. Board of Visitors: Jeffrey M. Berman From Jeffrey Berman, “My wife Kris and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.” 1965 Class Representative: Charles (Chuck) P. Torrey Jr. Charlestorrey1@gmail.com
Donald Wolfson says, “I served my home city of Atlantic Beach, Florida as its mayor as well as chairing the zoning boards of Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach. I have been married to my wife Karen for 40 years and we are the proud parents of Kymberly, a ’99 Bolles alum (married to Kal) and mother of our 15 month-old grandson, Degen; Erin, an accomplished Assistant State Attorney in Jacksonville for the past 10 years; and our son Lance (married to Sarah McLean) is a successful architect in Charlotte, NC.” Erskine R. Lambert, III passed away.
Fred Brown reports, “Through this COVID-19 crisis, I have my two kids and an exchange student in online school and a wife who is the administrator for two university departments with all classes online. I’m so lucky that my shelter-in-place includes an 800-acre River Park across the street with miles of paved paths through the woods and a 10-machine outdoor fitness center.” David Estroff says, “I retired from pediatric practice on year ago. Babysitting for my first grandchild has been on hold due to COVID-19. I’m working on photography, especially birds, and have been baking sourdough bread and working on other projects.”
1966 Class Representative Shepherd (Shep) E. Colledge Shepherdc904@aol.com Phil Sherrod was recently awarded the Adjutant General’s Distinguished Patriot Medal for his work in developing the Winlink radio email system used by the National Guard, federal agencies and other first responders.
Joe Lundy writes, “I retired in 2012 after a long career with the same company. I am a structural engineer and was Director of Engineering for several years before retirement.” Jon Hornbuckle shares, “Mary Anne and I are both retired. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last June. We have two sons and three grandchildren who will be in fourth, sixth and seventh grade when they return to school. We are all healthy and doing well.” Turner McDonald Jr. writes, “I retired from the transportation industry three years ago. My wife Mary and I moved to Melbourne, Florida to be near our grandchildren. We have three children and 10 grandchildren.” Chuck Torrey says, “I am retired in Charlotte and have four children all in their early to mid-30s. Our eight grandchildren keep our lives busy, interesting and challenging. I’ve stayed busy serving on not-forprofit boards, I’m still a gym rat and I am thankful and blessed for good health. Karen and I love hiking the trails all around Blowing Rock, North Carolina. We still keep up with Geoff and Barbara Smith, a gift of friendship that’s kept on giving for the last 55 years. Bob Howard shares, “I worked at EPA for 43 years and have been retired now for four years. I married Lori in 1981 and have two boys. I’ve been playing a lot of tennis and have done a good bit of travelling.” Allan Parvey writes, “I am a board-certified civil trial lawyer certified by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocates. I am a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, ABOTA, and was the Fort Myers, Florida organization’s first President. I have three children and six grandchildren with another on the way.” Frank Butler writes, “I’m living in Charleston and have been making bereavement calls for Medical University of South Carolina.”
58 | alumni |
Phil Sherrod was awarded the Adjutant General’s Distinguished Patriot Medal 1967 Class Representative: Christopher (Chris) B. Stubbs cstubbs@linkstaffing.com Christopher Stubbs shares, “Still operating my recruiting and staffing business amid COVID-19 with all staff members working from home. Proud to have been named Bolles alumnus of the year last year! Thank you so much!” 1968 John Edmiston writes, “I’m retired and continuing my education.” 1969 Class Representative: James (Jim) R. McCain Jr. Jrmjr1951@gmail.com
’70s
1970 Class Representative: F. William (Bill) Borg bill_borg@vanguard.org
Colonel Knox Kerr, M.D., is serving on a deployment with the 411th Hospital Center as an anesthesiologist in Kuwait. He recently completed “The Norwegian,” an 18.6-mile march carrying a 25-lb. rucksack in four hours and 33 minutes. He has served 33 years in the Army Reserves. In addition to his group practice in Jacksonville and serving in the Army Reserves, Kerr is the Immediate-Past-President of The Florida Society of Anesthesiologists, an approximately 1,700-member organization devoted to promoting patient safety and the specialty of anesthesiology. 1979 Class Representative: Karen Ibach Bowden Kbowden61@comcast.net Ethan Murray Platock ’20, son of Brian Todd Platock, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
’80s
1980 Class Representative: Jennifer Hanigan jennifer.hanigan@wellsfargo.com
Brian Todd Platock ’79
Class Representative: George (Chip) Stelljes III chip@gstelljes.net Board of Trustees: C. Daniel (Dan) Rice, George (Chip) Stelljes III, Mark F. Travis Mark Travis works with four Bolles graduates and currently serves the school as a Bolles Trustee. Scott Tyre writes, “I have been married to my wife, Tanya Bjork, for 19 years and we have a fun-loving 6-year-old daughter with a great sense of humor. I fly down for a Seminole game once a year and go with my brother, Allen Tyre and Eddie Jackson and Stuart Boline. 1981 Class Representative: Ricardo (Rick) Morales III rick@moralesgroup.com Board of Trustees: Ricardo (Rick) Morales III John Cole received his BBA from the University of Michigan and his MBA from NYU Stern and has been in commercial banking for the past 36 years. He has been married to Tina since 1988 and has three boys ages 27, 25 and 22.
George Marshall Gainer ’80
George Marshall Gainer Jr. ’20, son of George Marshall Gainer, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. On May 20, Head of School Tyler Hodges and Alumni Officer Ryan Trevett ’99 surprised this year’s Sidney W. Register Sr. ’33 Award recipients via Zoom video conference. Dan Rice and Dr. Summer Decker ’95 both expressed humbled and appreciative sentiments as Hodges thanked and recognized them for their contributions to both Bolles and their respective communities. Allen Tyre reports, “I am happily married to Linda from Mobile, Alabama for over 28 years and we have four incredible kiddos. Our youngest, West, graduated from Bolles in May...Hallelujah!” Charles Perry said he has enjoyed moving into grandparent mode with four grandkids and just celebrated his 35-year wedding anniversary!
Allen Tyre ’80
summer 2020
61
1982 Class Representative: Virginia (Ginny) Jones Charest gcharest1@verizon.net
Richard Smith is the Managing Partner of Benton & Bradford Consulting and this is the company’s tenth year of operation. Richard has been married to Nikeitra Smith for ten years and has two sons, Richard and Miles.
1983 Class Representative: Erin O’Dell O’Brien Erin_Obrien@csx.com
Clarkston Hines and his wife Kathy have been married for 30 years and have three adult children and one child in college.
Class Representative: R. Dean Scott rdeanscott@msn.com
Nina Kurup is a Social Worker/Case Manager working at a hospital. She has been married since 1992 and has one child who is 23.
Board of Trustees: Elizabeth A. Coffman
Laurie Scott is married to Dean Scott ’83. Son Cole ’14 graduated from Clemson in 2018 and lives in Greenville. Daughter Emily ’16 graduated from FSU in May.
Board of Visitors: Marcia (Ia) Morales Howard, Chair This spring, the Florida Bar Association honored Judge Marcia Morales Howard with the William H. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, which recognizes character, service and competence. 1984 Board of Visitors: Carole Ann Coplan Michael Paul Dodd ’20, son of Paul Melton Dodd III, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Leslie Kulik writes, “I’m still selling real estate and have worked at RiverPoint Real Estate since 1994. I’m still married to Bob, my college sweetheart, for the past 29 years on May 11. My oldest daughter Maddie is 23 years-old and finishing her Master of Accounting from UGA. Lillie is 21 years-old, a junior in the Honors program at UF and she wants to be a PA. We adopted a 5-year-old dog recently from the Humane Society, so now we have two dogs named Bear and Chewy.” Giancarlo Bertozzi is an avid ocean swimmer and aspires to swim the English Channel.
1985 Class Representative: Beth Rosenbaum Angelo bethangelo @aol.com
Beth Angelo has two children, David and Amy, who both graduated from the University of Florida — they are third generation Gators!
Class Representative: Kimberly (Kim) Tucker Price kimtprice@gmail.com
Jennifer Davis is busy being the mom of three amazing girls and building a business portfolio.
Board of Trustees: Fernando J. Acosta-Rua, Chair
Jenna Charise Mulligan ’20, daughter of Terri Arnold, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Board of Visitors: Terri Arnold Donna Stanley shares, “My husband, Vince, and I have been married 21 years and have two girls, 20 and almost 18. My youngest, Ella, is saddened by the abrupt end of her senior year of high school due to COVID-19.”
Paul Melton Dodd III ’84
62 | alumni |
Hadley Jane Hodge ’20, daughter of Christopher Murray Hodge, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Gentian Marie Fairman ’20, daughter of Christine Ottenstroer Fairman, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Christine Ottenstroer Fairman ’85
Aimee Kashou Ballantyne ’88
Barbara Cantrell Commander ’89 and Christopher Gale Commander ’87
Jennifer Kwartler Dickson ’89
Julie Kae Nelson Taylor ’89
1988 Class Representative: Karen Rinaman Barakat karenbarakat@comcast.net Class Representative: Monica Bernhardt mburns92@comcast.net Class Representative: W. Scott Hudmon sargescott@aol.com Board of Trustees: John J. Schickel Louis John Ballantyne Jr. ’20, son of Aimee Kashou Ballantyne, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. 1989 Class Representative: M. Laurie Shumer Gelman lsgelman@comcast.net
66 | alumni |
Class Representative: K. (Megan) Mickler Ira megira@me.com Board of Trustees: Rahul V. Deshmukh Board of Visitors: L. Clarke Lemons Christopher Gale Commander Jr. ’20, son of Christopher Gale Commander ’87 and Barbara Cantrell Commander, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Rhett Matthew Dickson ’20, son of Jennifer Kwartler Dickson, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Shelby Kae Taylor ’20, daughter of Julie Kae Nelson Taylor, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Name ’90
Hilah Autrey Flanigan ’90
Thomas A. Zaccour II ’90 Shelby Gray Flanigan ’20, daughter of Hilah Autrey Flanigan, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Trey Alexander Zaccour ’20, son of Thomas A. Zaccour II, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Marley Grant Barton ’20, daughter of David Anderson Barton and granddaughter of Quinn Ralph Barton Jr. ’46 and Agnes Ellis Danciger ’59 Bartram, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. Jack Warner lives in Atlanta with wife Stephanie and their three children Elliott 12, Phoebe 9 and Spencer 9. Ignacio Sechi writes, “I had a wonderful life full of enriching experiences, have two precious daughters and am a Controller at a fuel company.” Ron Patrick celebrated 25 years with Merrill Lynch as a Wealth Management Advisor. He and wife Kim have three boys: Brycen is eight and identical twins, Matthew and Reid, are six.
68 | alumni |
Harrison Bradley Bernhardt ’91
Kathleen Erin Shields Jameson ’91 1991 Class Representative: Elizabeth (Liz) Kilgore Mundin mundinl@bolles.org Class Representative: Norianne Wright noriannewright@yahoo.com Aurora Sky Bernhardt ’20, daughter of Harrison Bradley Bernhardt, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. JT Jameson ’20, son of Kathleen Erin Shields Jameson, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020. 1992 Board of Visitors: Jamie P. Dwyer 1993 Class Representative: Matthew (Matt) T. Berquist mberquist@intrepidcapitalfunds.com
1996 Class Representative: Fontaine LeMaistre IV fontainelemaistre@comcast.net Talmadge Coley reports, “I’m an Air Force veteran currently serving as the Director of Government Affairs for AmericanHort, the national trade association for the nursery and greenhouse industries, in Washington, DC. I’ve been married to my wife, Victoria, for almost 10 years and have two toddlers Katherine, 5 and Paul, 3.” Kloe Shad Brill ’20, daughter of Jonatha Kari Brill, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Scott Weinstein ’98 and son, Mills
Cole Berkley Burgess ’20, son of Aimee Marie Burgess, graduated from Bolles on May 23, 2020.
Weinstein ’98, Son Share Climbing Experiences with Grade 5 Scott Weinstein ’98 and son, Mills, share a life passion for climbing and presented some of their experiences to fifth graders on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus March 2. As part of their English curriculum, fifth grade students read “Peak,” a young adult fiction novel by Roland Smith. The book follows a 14-year-old climber named Peak who ascends Mount Everest and tall buildings in New York following his move from the West. From a family of climbers, Peak learns many life lessons and gains much insight through his pursuit of climbing.
Jonatha Kari Brill ’96
Weinstein’s visit helped students better visualize some of the equipment climbers use, as well as some of the environmental and physical challenges climbers face when they pursue major climbs. Weinstein and his son have particularly resonating experiences with climbing. Mills, who is 10 years old, is also known as “The Kid” and is trying to become the youngest person to accomplish the 50 High Points while inspiring others to climb their personal mountains. The pair brought photos and equipment with them to share with Bolles students. Fifth graders also garnered technical knowledge of climbing during a recent trip to The Edge rock climbing gym last month. In addition to learning about some of the gear discussed in the book, students spent time scaling the walls with each other. President and Head of School Tyler Hodges joined students and their teachers on the adventure.
Aimee Marie Burgess ’96
summer 2020
71
1997 Alumni Board: Steven A. Kurosko Board of Visitors: Heidi S. Schauer 1998 Class Representative: Lindsay Skinner Eyrick lindsayeyrick@yahoo.com Board of Trustees Arthur C. (Chet) Skinner IV Alumni Board: David C. Cohen, Adam B. Edgecombe, Chair Board of Visitors: Michael J. Verlander Scott Weinstein ’98 and son, Mills, share a life passion for climbing and presented some of their experiences to fifth graders on the Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus March 2. See sidebar on page 71. Joni Collins writes, “Just wanted to update you all — Cate and Ellie are in fourth grade at Bolles Whitehurst Campus. Ellie is loving riding and Cate just performed in the production of Bolles’ Seussical — Amazing!!! This past December, I graduated with my Doctor of Medical Science from the Lincoln Memorial University DCOM/DMS program in Harrogate, Tennessee. I have been blessed to be a Physician Assistant for 14 years, but this program helped me become laser focused and business minded when assisting in rural medicine. I am an advocate and I am humbly blessed and thankful. My focus is internal medicine and regenerative medical therapy with a focus in psychology and autologous stem cell therapy (Prf- platelet rich fibrin) — believe it or not the two are very closely related. I have recently relaunched my business Twelve Twenty Eight Mobile Medical Wellness and it is the first legal traveling medical Airstream in Florida. (I opened 1228 in 2017 but have been practicing in Facial Plastic Head and Neck as well as Regenerative Medicine.) I now am ecstatic to provide cost effective and integrative telemedicine and regenerative medicine with an aesthetic twist. A heal within approach of you will.”
Fraser ’06 Selected for UF Hall of Fame Shaune Fraser ’06 was among nine members of the 2020 University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame class, announced by UF’s F Club and Gator Boosters on April 27. Each year, the F Club Committee selects members to the Hall of Fame in three categories: Gator Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners, and Honorary Letterwinners. Fraser was named a Gator Great, as a letterwinner who brought recognition and prominence to the University of Florida and himself through his athletic accomplishments as a studentathlete. His fellow inductees include Tim Tebow and Billy Donovan. Fraser swam for the Gators from 2006–10, winning three individual national titles, breaking the collegiate record in the 200-yard butterfly, winning seven individual SEC titles, and earning a UF-record 27 All-America honors. A two-time Olympian (2004, 2008), Fraser was honored with being the flag bearer for the Cayman Islands at the 2008 Games.
Shaune Fraser ’06
72 | alumni |
1999 Class Representative: Christopher (Chris) C. Dostie ccdostie@hotmail.com Class Representative: Ryan R. Trevett (904) 610-4177 | trevettr@bolles.org Board of Visitors: Dennis E. Pash Erik and Kelly Stoneberger celebrated the birth of their son, Shepard D. Stoneberger.
’00s
2000 Class Representative: Faye Hedrick fayemhedrick@gmail.com
Alumni Board: Justin L. Hart Board of Visitors: C. Clayton Bromberg Jr., George S. Pilcher III Amandine Muskus is an international regulatory futurist working between the EU and U.S. on electric and autonomous vehicle policy futures.
Emily Goldman ’12
Goldman ’12 Featured in Women’s Health Emily Goldman ’12, a New York-based magazine journalist and digital editor, and her health advocacy work were the subject of an article in the March issue of Women’s Health magazine. Goldman and co-host Miriam Schulberg produce a podcast called Pancreas Pals that helps young people cope with a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. The article talks about how Goldman and Schulberg advocate for themselves and manage their chronic illness. They describe themselves as “Just 2 Type 1 diabetic gals trying to live our best lives and share some of our literal highs and lows in navigating Type 1 diabetes.” In her bio on pancreaspals.com, Goldman describes how she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2014 while studying at Boston University. Pancreas Pals has a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
Megyn Weigand writes, “After law school, I worked in NYC for a year before striking out for the Last Frontier. I’ve lived and worked in Alaska as an assistant attorney general since 2009. Four years ago, I met my husband, Brian, and we have been blessed with two babes Ella, 2 and McClane, 9 months. Hope everyone is safe and happy! Go Bolles!” Sarah Sherertz is a psychotherapist practicing in San Francisco and currently is restoring an 1880 farmhouse. Justin Hart has been married to Bélen for five years and has a 4-year-old son who will be starting PreK at Bolles this upcoming year. Reggie Whiteside established Blue Ox Expert Tree Service, LLC June of 2018 servicing Jacksonville and its greater area. 2001 Class Representative: Katie Skinner Farrar katie.s.farrar@gmail.com Class Representative: William O. Inman IV woinman4@gmail.com Class Representative: Lloyd Regas lregas2@yahoo.com Alumni Board: Lauren Bacalis Scheible Erin Free Kelly left the financial industry and has become a screenwriter (Aryn Free Kelly). In 2019, she received eight screenwriting awards and her film, “What If,” received The Dan Eldon Activist Award for 2019. Her children’s book, AB–Z, was presented at the JaxBookFest in February 2020.
summer 2020
73
2002 Class Representative: Elizabeth Brotman Daniel eabrotman@yahoo.com Class Representative: Margaret (Meg) Cheney Coleman meggie2431@aol.com Class Representative: John M. Marees jmarees@josephandmarees.com Class Representative: Carson Vandergriff Richardson carson.vandergriff@gmail.com Alumni Board: Heather Lane Courtney, John M. Marees, Carson Vandergriff Richardson Robert M. Foster Jr. ’02 passed away January 2, 2020 after a brief illness. 2003 Class Representative: Kathleen Stopyra Dale stopyrak@gmail.com Alumni Board: David S. Dunn, Carla M. Jones, John A. Langley Scott Schimmel and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their first child, Scarlett Fire Schimmel, on September 4, 2019. Scott and his family currently reside in New York City. Katie and Darren Pateman celebrated the birth of their daughter, Emilia James Pateman. Lauren and Matthew Lefeber celebrated the birth of their daughter, Olivia Rose Lefeber. Austin and Chelsey Holmes celebrated the birth of their daughter, Gwyneth Eliana Holmes. Rahul Sharma and his wife, Helene, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Rahul Sharma Jr, in February 2020. Rahul is currently a Major Gifts Office at The Bolles School. Mike and Devon Scott celebrated the recent birth of daughter, Lucy Anne Alice Scott. 2004 Class Representative: Harry A. Kenning III harry.kenning@beeline.com Alumni Board: Harry Kenning Board of Visitors: Jordan B. Bolch Edward Foster said his proudest Bolles moment was signing a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Florida.
74 | alumni |
Bolles Alumni Host Successful Charity Ball Event The River City United Foundation hosted the 2nd Annual River City Ball at The River Club on February 8. The ball was a great success and raised more than $100,000 for local charities. It also provided an opportunity for young professionals to celebrate and build relationships in Northeast Florida. Recipients of this year’s River City Ball proceeds were Community PedsCare and Tiger Academy. Silent Auction proceeds benefited Angels for Allison and The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation. The River City United Foundation is a group of young professionals that have come together with a common goal to better the community. They want to create the opportunity and outlet for young professionals to network and get involved in our great city. Their goal is to work collaboratively with others to raise funds and give back as a young community to multiple foundations and local causes in Jacksonville. Board members Craig Walker Jr. ’13, Luke O’Steen ’12 and Will Robertson ’12 presented the checks to Community PedsCare and Tiger Academy. Both foundations received $50,000. River City United Foundation has many ways for young professionals to get involved throughout the year and are planning for next year’s Ball which will be held on February 20, 2021 at The River Club. The foundation’s founding board members attended the recent event including Walker, O’Steen, Robertson, and fellow Bolles alumni Zach Ashourian ’12, Hunter Geddes ’13 and McKee Riley ’13.
2006 Class Representative: Ashley K. Rawlins akrawlins@gmail.com Alumni Board: Ashley K. Rawlins Shaune Fraser ’06 was among nine members of the 2020 University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame class, announced by UF’s F Club and Gator Boosters on April 27. See sidebar on page 72. 2007 Class Representative: Michelle Risley Baker michelle.e.risley@gmail.com Class Representative: Allison Dewan allisondewan@gmail.com Board of Visitors: Allison T. Dewan, Peter S. Sack, Caitlin Hayes Shafer 2008 Class Representative: Catharine A. Brown catharineabrown@gmail.com Class Representative: Christina H. Prewitt christyp@knights.ucf.edu Brooke Davis Lupo ’09 and Ben Lupo celebrated the birth of their son, Benedetto Thomas Lupo. 2009 Class Representative: Mandana (Mandy) Fatemi mandyfatemi@yahoo.com Board of Visitors: T. Edward Salem
Gulani ’14 Named Miss India USA Aaishwariya Gulani ’14 recently was named Miss India USA 2019–20, winning the title at the 38th annual pageant in Houston in late-January. “Beauty, brains and vision epitomize Aaishawariya’s profile,” read a recent release from the Indian Festival Committee. Gulani, co-Valedictorian of the Bolles Class of 2014, earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Health Care Management and Finance from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018. She currently is in medical school at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “(She has) simultaneous artistic achievements like Bharatnatyam Aragetram (the debut on-stage performance of a former student of Indian classical dance) while mentoring and leading her community locally and internationally, focused on eradicating needless blindness from the world,” according to the India Festival Committee release. Gulani also received the “Best Talent” and “Beautiful Eyes” awards during the pageant. Miss India USA is a beauty contest for young women of Indian descent who are residents of the United States. The three-day pageant, established by India Festival Committee in 1980, is the longest-running Indian pageant outside of India. Gulani will proceed to represent the United States in the Miss India Worldwide 2020 pageant, to be held in Mumbai, India in October.
John Rush and his wife, Kristin, proudly announce the birth of their son, John A. Rush V (Quinn). Quinn is also the great-grandson of John A. Rush Jr. ’49 and the grandson of John A. Rush III ’73 and Pamela J. Rush BA ’75. Brooke Davis Lupo and Ben Lupo ’08 celebrated the birth of their son, Benedetto Thomas Lupo.
’10s
2010 Class Representative: Morgan O’Hare mohareaffair@gmail.com
Class Representative: William Hartje william.hartje@gmail.com Laura Slate reports she is a Realtor and recently married Cole Slate. Taylor Vincent competed with the Division 2 Selects ice hockey team in Europe before graduating and working on deepwater drilling ships in the Gulf of Mexico. He is now pursuing a Master’s in engineering degree while coaching nutrition as a side-passion.
76 | alumni |
Aaishwariya Gulani ’14
2012 Class Representative: Parker Wilf phwilf@aol.com Amy Skinner Ahrberg and Barrett Ahrberg celebrated the birth of their son, Barrett Brooks Ahrberg. The Class of 2012 enjoyed a mini-reunion as they gathered to honor Charles “Corky” Rogers.
Adam Prusiecki ’16
Prusiecki ’16 Recognized by UGA Terry College of Business 2012 Mini-Reunion
Emily Goldman ’12, a New York-based magazine journalist and digital editor, and her health advocacy work were the subject of an article in the March issue of Women’s Health magazine. See sidebar on page 73. The River City United Foundation hosted the 2nd Annual River City Ball at The River Club on February 8. The ball was a great success and raised more than $100,000 for local charities. The foundation’s founding board members include Luke O’Steen, Will Robertson, Zach Ashourian, Craig Walker Jr. ’13, Hunter Geddes ’13 and McKee Riley ’13. See sidebar on page 74. 2013 Board of Visitors: Ryan F. Murphy James Higbee is the chief technology officer of a marketing and consulting firm based out of Saint Augustine. The River City United Foundation hosted the 2nd Annual River City Ball at The River Club on February 8. The ball was a great success and raised more than $100,000 for local charities. The foundation’s founding board members include Craig Walker Jr., Hunter Geddes, McKee Riley, Luke O’Steen ’12, Will Robertson ’12 and Zach Ashourian ’12. See sidebar on page 74.
78 | alumni |
Adam Prusiecki ’16, who will be interning with Ernst & Young this summer in Atlanta and begin classes for his master’s degree in accountancy at the University of Georgia this fall, was recently recognized by the UGA Terry College of Business as one of the school’s “best and brightest.” The Terry College of Business Honors Award Ceremony originally was scheduled for late-April, but was canceled due to the pandemic. But the college published a list of the honorees on its website to share students’ accolades. Prusiecki was awarded the “Live the Coin Award” by the Institute for Leadership Advancement, where he is a Leonard Scholar. Each year, ILA recognizes one or two ILA members with this award recognizing “outstanding values-based leadership and academic achievement.” ILA Director Dr. Laura Little congratulated Adam in advance and said he was receiving the award for his “dedication to ILA and exemplifying our five values.” Those values are self-development, effective communication, teamwork, innovation and adaptability.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy ’13 has been a partner with Jacksonville-based Tom Coughlin Jay Fund to bring conversation and support to ill youngsters. See sidebar on page 75. 2014 Alumni Board: Hunter C. Walker Aaishwariya Gulani was crowned Miss India USA 2019–20 at the 38th pageant at Houston, Texas. See sidebar on page 76. Hunter C. Walker is engaged to Abigail Reddic.
Kyle Johnson ’16
Johnson ’16 Selected for Inaugural US Space Force, Harvard Master’s Program Kyle Johnson ’16, who has played football for the past four years at the U.S. Air Force Academy, announced he was selected to commission into the inaugural class of the U.S. Space Force and will serve it as an Intelligence Officer. For his first assignment, he will attend Harvard Kennedy School, where he will pursue a master’s degree in public policy. Johnson was also named Colorado Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the National Football Foundation.
2015 Victoria Watterson works for Sony Music Entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee. Amelia Hartje is starting medical school at Florida State University. Rachel Hochman is entering a master’s program for Occupational Therapy. Bernardo Villarreal is a fifth-year medical student. He has one year of medical school left and worked at Mayo Clinic Florida in a research lab during summer 2018. 2016 Alumni Board: Roland L. Johnson Adam Prusiecki has been honored by University of Georgia — Terry College of Business and named one its “best and brightest” for 2020. See sidebar. Kyle Johnson was selected for the inaugural US Space Force as well as a master’s program at Harvard. See sidebar. Hamp Skinner is engaged to Amanda Kilduff. Hamp concluded his senior season on the Samford University baseball team and was named the school’s Mr. Bulldog. See sidebar on page 77.
Moore ’18 Selected for 2020 National Team USRowing selected Cornell University sophomore rower Patrick Moore ’18 to participate in the 2020 Under 23 Men’s and Women’s National Team Selection Camp this summer. According to the organization’s online announcement, Moore is one of 23 top athletes who were scheduled to vie for spots on the Under 23 National Team that would have competed at the 2020 World Rowing Under 23 Championships this August in Bled, Slovenia.
2018 USRowing selected Patrick Moore, a sophomore rower for Cornell University, to participate in the 2020 Under 23 Men’s and Women’s National Team Selection Camp this summer. See sidebar.
summer 2020
79
2020-21 Key Dates Statement to our Bolles Community:
AUGUST
On June 1, The Bolles School posted this message to our official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages: “Like so many people around the country have been feeling during the past week, The Bolles School community is horrified by the tragic death of George Floyd and other victims of systemic racism. As a school family, we are not only suffering and grieving but also seeking in earnest ways we can influence real change and stand together for the humanity of all people – at Bolles, in the United States and around the world. In troubling times, we must unite and live out our very important mission at The Bolles School: Pursuing excellence through courage, integrity and compassion. Today, we ask everyone in our Bolles family to live out courage by engaging in meaningful conversations about race and racism; to demonstrate your integrity by showing intolerance for hate and injustice; and to exude compassion by listening, understanding and embracing peace. The Bolles community is deeply committed to this mission and equity for all people.”
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Many of you responded to this post with painful reflections about personal experiences with racism at Bolles, stories of incidents that occurred in our classrooms or to your friends, challenges to our community to stir real change, and, overwhelmingly, a desire to hear more from Bolles administrators about what concrete actions we will take to make equity and inclusion a priority on our campuses. We are humbly regretful these events occurred in our history and reject racism in all forms. We are listening closely to these conversations, including those taking place on the @BlackAtBolles Instagram page, as they will help shape our future. We are working on ways we can continue important dialogue, move our community forward and make the tangible, system-wide changes necessary to better address concerns you shared with us online, in-person and through email. This important work already has begun. We will continue our efforts to promote a diverse and inclusive student body and a faculty that mirrors that diversity, including the refinement and addition of new strategies and programs that promote inclusion. The Student Diversity Committee has actively shared important observations and suggestions. In 2015, math teacher Twyla Ashman was appointed to Director of Cultural Competence for the upper school. Her work has helped bring highly regarded experts to campus for change-making workshops with faculty, students and parents on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus. Recognizing the importance of this role, Bolles administrators expanded her position in the spring of 2020 to Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, an administrative position focused on school-wide programming for faculty, students and families in Pre-K through Grade 12. Our Black Student Union is active, respected and supported. Designs on change have been occurring on broader planning levels as well. In the School’s most recent five-year strategic plan, endorsed this past May by the Bolles Board of Trustees, diversity and inclusion play a major role. This summer, we plan to put together a task force, led by Mrs. Ashman, to help identify the strategies and tactics necessary to realize this portion of the plan. We will begin new columns in our faculty and staff and alumni newsletters about diversity and inclusion. We know there is much work ahead – and we will need your support to approach and manage it. Our work will be framed by the vision and experience of our Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, administration and feedback from our community. Planning will address long-term themes of understanding our community’s cultures and blind spots, enhancing Bolles’ faculty and student diversity and better communicating cultural competencies within our curriculum. We will continue to seek ways Bolles can be a safer and more inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds and dedicate financial resources toward these efforts. We know we have an important responsibility in the moment to act. We can do better when it comes to making Bolles a more inclusive place for all students, particularly black students and people of color. We are committed to a process of change and to producing student leaders who live each day with the highest ideals of courage, integrity and compassion as their compass. I invite you to add to this important conversation by sharing your insights and ideas. You may contact me at headofschool@Bolles.org or Twyla at AshmanT@Bolles.org. We want to make our community stronger by taking these steps together. Thank you for being part of this important work, I look forward to hearing from you and making change together. Respectfully, Tyler Hodges President and Head of School
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
August 6–11
Faculty/Staff Pre-Planning
Dec. 19–Jan. 3
Winter Break, School Closed
August 12
Middle and Upper School New Student and Grade 9 Orientation
January 4
Classes Resume
August 13
First day of classes for all students (Pre-K–12)
January 18
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, No Classes
September 7
Labor Day Holiday, No Classes
February 2
End 3rd Quarter Interim
September 11
End 1st Quarter Interim
February 12
Professional Development Day, No Classes
September 25
Parent Conference Day, No Classes
February 15
Presidents’ Day, No Classes
September 25–26
Alumni Homecoming Weekend
March 5
End 3rd Quarter
October 1
The Bolles Fund launch
March 8–12
Spring Break, School Closed
October 2
Orange & Blue Splash Alumni Event
March 15
Faculty Work Day, No Classes
October 13
End 1st Quarter
March 16
Classes Resume
October 14
MADD/PSAT
April 5
Holiday Break, No Classes
October 16
Faculty Workday, No Classes (Weather Day)
April 6
Classes Resume
October 19
Fall Break, No Classes
April 15
End 4 th Quarter Interim
November 16
End 2nd Quarter Interim
April 30–May1
Alumni Weekend
November 17
Agnes Cain Painter Glynlea and Heritage Society Event
May 24
End 4th Quarter/2nd Semester (Half Day)
November 19
Grandparents Days (Whitehurst, Upper School)
May 25–28
Exams, Grades 6–12
May 29
Commencement
November 20
Grandparents Days (PVB, Bartram)
May 31
Memorial Day, School Closed
November 23–27
Thanksgiving Break, No Classes
June 1
Makeup Exams, Grades 6–11
November 30
Classes resume for all students
June 1–June 4
Faculty/Staff Post-planning
December 11
End 2nd Quarter/1st Semester
December 14
MS/US Reading Day (Weather Day)
December 18
Semester Exams
Non-discriminatory clause: The Bolles School admits students of any race, color and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to students at the School. It does not discriminate in administering educational policies or other school programs. This School is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.
2019–20 Administration
About Bolles Staff
Tyler Hodges President and Head of School
Jan R. Olson, APR Editor-in-Chief Senior Director/ Communications and Marketing
Mike Drew Associate Head of School Carol Nimitz Chief Advancement Officer Jeff Role Chief Finance and Operations Officer Paul Sollee ’88 Chief Technology Officer Scott G. Smith Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
Susanna Barton Executive Editor Marketing & Communications Associate John D. Curran Managing Editor Marketing & Web Designer
Dana Bussiere Assistant Editor Communications & Graphic Designer Sandy Catanese Director of Bolles Fund and Parent Programs Janet S. Frampton Director of Advancement Services Alumni Notes Ryan Trevett ’99 Alumni Relations Officer
Amber Spiotti Advancement Events Manager Linda Boyett Advancement Services Coordinator Rahul Sharma ’03 Leadership Gift Officer Quinn R. Barton Jr. ’46 School Historian Contributing Photographers: Jeff Adams — Bolles Sports Cady & Cady Mark Krancer Elizabeth Brown
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
7400 San Jose Boulevard Jacksonville, Florida 32217 Change Service Requested DATED MATERIAL, PLEASE DELIVER ASAP
& Resilience 2020 Summer Issue
#AllThingsPossible2020