Issuu

Annual Report 2024–2025

HEAD OF SCHOOL

The Sights and Sounds of Castilleja Dear Castilleja Community, As we all settle into the school year, I’m enjoying learning about the routines of daily life at Castilleja—seeing students meet with their teachers at tables outside my office, dropping in on Middle School and Upper School meetings, and hearing songs rising from rehearsals in the Chapel Theater and coaches’ whistles during practices in the afternoons. All of these sights and sounds are part of the foundation of the Castilleja experience, and they are sustained by the generosity of our community. These pages are a testament to the commitment you have made to the mission of the school and your faith in the work we do every day around the Circle, inside and outside the classroom. Thank you for enabling us to continue to advance our program, invest in our professional community, and meet the evolving needs of our students, all while opening access to a Castilleja education through tuition assistance. As you look through this Annual Report, I hope you appreciate the impact of your giving on our students now and in the future, because the interests and lessons they are exploring today will stay with them long after graduation. Thank you for the vital role you have played in defining and enriching the Castilleja experience. As Head of School, I am honored to join a community that so fully supports every aspect of daily life, and I look forward to writing Castilleja’s next chapter with you. With gratitude,

Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre Castilleja Head of School

CONTENTS

Building Community 2

PATHWAYS TO LEADERSHIP FROM OUR ADVANCEMENT CO-CHAIRS

INSTALLATION CELEBRATING CASTILLEJA’S 8TH HEAD OF SCHOOL

ACROSS THE BOARD MEET THE NEW TRUSTEES

THE CASTILLEJA FUND GIVING AT CASTILLEJA

OPEN THEIR WORLD CAMPAIGN MILESTONE AND CAMPUS UPDATE

SUPPORTING FACULTY SUMMER GRANT: SARA POPELNYKH, MATH DEPARTMENT

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP GIVING

FEATURED DONOR MARILYN MOLL ’47

FEATURED DONOR CLAIRE TRAUM ’17

FEATURED DONORS YIDRIENNE LAI AND CHRISTOPHER CHANG P’26 ’28 ’31

SENIOR GIFT THE CLASS OF 2025

KEEPING THE CIRCLE GREEN WITH SIMONE SEIVER ’13

GOODBYE & HELLO CLASS OF 2025 AND CLASS OF 2032

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS REVENUE AND EXPENSES 2024–2025

PROGRAM SUPPORT ENDOWMENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

VIEW360 CURIOSITY: READY, SET, EXPLORE

STUDENT ARTWORK

CASTILLEJA LEADERSHIP VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERSHIP TEAM

Annual Report 2024-25 | 1

ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE

Pathways to Leadership A MESSAGE FROM JAMAICA KREPS P’28 ’30 AND SUZANNE O’BRIEN P’21 CO-CHAIRS OF THE ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE Dear Castilleja Families and Friends, On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we want to thank you for your generous support of Castilleja. Your philanthropy shows that Castilleja’s mission is unique and important, and through your giving, you are opening pathways to leadership for the next generation of girls to take their seats at any table. As Co-Chairs of the Advancement Committee, we are excited to steward Castilleja’s bright future, knowing that we come to this shared work from different places. One of us is an educator who has spent years in the classroom, now has daughters in the Upper School and Middle School, and is embedded in the daily life of the school. Meanwhile, the other of us is a parent of an alum who has remained involved with Castilleja for two reasons: an understanding of the importance of educating women leaders and an appreciation for the community—a collection of people who value learning and approach life with curiosity, kindness, and a growth mindset. Regardless of our place in the Castilleja journey, we both agree that this is a pivotal moment in the school’s long history. We have entered an era of positive change at Castilleja with a new leader installed and a new campus underway, and we hope you know that your gifts matter more than ever before. For all of us, giving is a measure of the important place Castilleja will always play in our daughters’ lives and in the world.

Warmly, Jamaica Kreps P’28 ’30 and Suzanne O’Brien P’21

2 | Castilleja School

The Installation and Celebration of Castilleja’s 8th Head of School

On October 3, 2025, generations of the Castilleja community came together to celebrate the Installation of Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre. This event was years in the making and months in the planning and symbolizes a new chapter in Castilleja’s long history. The crowd fell silent as Dr. Noel-Pierre entered the Circle to the song “Here Comes the Sun,” but within seconds, everyone erupted into excited cheers. The procession that accompanied her included her family, past and present trustees, alum representatives from the Class of ’64 and the Class of ’24, student representatives from every grade, and the speakers.

During the ceremony, student speakers Caroline Yuan ’26 and Evie Wang ’32 presented a handmade walnut box filled with handwritten welcome notes from each Castilleja student to Dr. Noel-Pierre.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 3 Annual Report 2024-25 | 3

BOARD CO-CHAIR WELCOMES THE CASTILLEJA COMMUNITY...

Castilleja Board Co-Chair Stephanie Chen P’26

SPEECH EXCERPTS

Good afternoon, and welcome to the Installation of Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre, Castilleja’s 8th Head of School. It is truly remarkable to have our entire extended community, past and present, with us today to celebrate the beginning of this exciting new chapter for Castilleja. To our special guests, our exceptional faculty and staff, our committed parents, our loyal alumnae and families, and our incredible students—thank you for being here to mark this important milestone in our 118-year history. Castilleja was founded in 1907 by Mary Lockey to provide a groundbreaking opportunity for young women to prepare for and pursue a college education. That was a revolutionary concept at the time; that women should have the same opportunities as men, that women deserved an equal playing field. Since its founding, 4 | Castilleja School

the importance of Castilleja’s mission and core values—of Women Learning, Women Leading—has only grown. It is as critical today as it was in 1907. * * * Dr. Noel-Pierre’s own life and her life’s work embody the 5Cs and our mission to their fullest. Dating back to her time as a student at the Chapin School and her own academic path, culminating in a PhD in Microbiology, Dr. NoelPierre’s deep passion for girls’ education and fierce commitment to learning are unparalleled. As a lifelong educator, she understands that what happens in the classroom and on our campus shapes our students and is foundational for their success and fulfillment beyond the Circle. Add to that a proven track record as a collaborative, community-centered, innovative,

and impactful leader, universally lauded by her colleagues. * * * With the start of Dr. NoelPierre’s headship and our new campus taking shape, the future of Castilleja is shining bright. We have full confidence in Dr. Noel-Pierre as our leader, that she will ensure that the Castilleja experience continues to be transformative and groundbreaking and that Castilleja, as a beacon for young women’s education, continues to evolve into the best version of itself. The world is changing around us, and women leaders are more important than ever. Castilleja is shaping that next generation of women leaders, and the Board is grateful and excited to work together with Dr. NoelPierre to advance Castilleja’s mission into the future.

CLASS OF 2032 REPRESENTATIVE OFFERS ENCOURAGEMENT...

6th Grade Class Representative Evie Wang ’32

SPEECH EXCERPTS

I stepped into the batter’s box with nervous anticipation. Just as I tried to steady my breath, I caught a glimpse of someone standing near the sidelines—our new Head of School, Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre. Of all the people to witness my first awkward swing in my first-ever softball game, it had to be her. My nerves doubled. But as I listened in, I heard the cheers of support from my teammates, coaches, and even from Dr. Noel-Pierre herself. I realized that I was not alone. My nerves calmed down, and I focused on the incoming pitch.

help…I’ve also started making new friends—people I can turn to for help with classwork, figuring out the schedule, or simply sharing our FaDiDa dress ideas. My teachers have also been welcoming and supportive as I adjust to a new school. All of these connections have shown me what Casti is really about: its values, which make up the 5Cs—Conscience, Character, Charity, Courtesy, and Courage. If I could add a sixth, it would be Community.

As a 6th grader, I’m just beginning my journey at Castilleja, though the school already feels a little familiar. My sister Addie is in 8th grade, and she has always been someone I can turn to for

At Casti, we’re also a community that supports one another. Here, there’s always someone to sit with, someone to laugh with, and someone who understands what you’re going through. Even

* * *

when things get tough, we know we’re not alone. Looking ahead to the next seven years, I know there will be ups and downs, but I know this community will walk alongside me. Back on the softball field, I swung as hard as I could, but …I swung and missed. I missed the ball completely. I bent my knees and got ready for the next pitch. The ball flew toward me, and I whacked it as hard as I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the other team running towards the ball, so I dropped my bat, focused my gaze on first base, and ran. I heard my teammates cheering in the distance. As I reached the base, I grinned, relieved to have made it, and excited to be a part of this community, this sisterhood called Casti.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 5

ASB PRESIDENT REFLECTS ON THE PAST SEVEN YEARS...

ASB President Caroline Yuan ’26 SPEECH EXCERPTS

For my speech, I was asked to write a letter to Castilleja reflecting on my past seven years. My first draft went: High school is a movie! I’ve always wanted to go to an all-girls school! This wasn’t fully accurate, so here’s my second try.

strawberry DNA experiment using a kit Ms. Courtney dropped off at my house. On my 12th birthday, I received a Zoom invitation at lunch and logged on to see 30 of my classmates.

Dear Castilleja, On the first day of school, I didn’t know anyone and was immediately intimidated. Everyone seemed to have their “thing”—dancers, club soccer players, girls with unparalleled knowledge of Gossip Girl. And just as soon as I had learned almost everyone’s name, we were going home because of some “global virus.” I enjoyed waking up at 8:29 and reading Wattpad until 4:00am, but I felt isolated. Until I got a Zoom chat from Kaylin Yip: “Wanna play skribbl.io?” From that day on, my school breaks were filled with virtual connections. I conducted a

In the following years, more uncertainties arose about campus construction and the future of Castilleja, and I won’t lie—I looked at my friends at other schools going to HoCo football games and wondered what I was missing out on. But now, as I’m in my last year here at Casti, I can authentically say that while we may not have the “traditional high school experience,” we have something more important. Casti fosters an environment of leadership, fueled by exploration and ambition. We are educated with no limits and taught that we deserve a seat at every table. Math and history are pretty hard, but the

6 | Castilleja School

* * *

most important learning comes from the girls sitting next to us who teach us to be better, braver versions of ourselves. * * * The Casti upperclassmen have helped me find my place in this ambitious but warm community. Casti is individually excellent, but even stronger when we come together to celebrate each other’s wins…So yes, 6th grade Caro may have imagined high school to be different. But, as we celebrate a new beginning with Dr. Noel-Pierre’s installation, I’m excited for our future and wouldn’t change anything about our past. So thank you, Castilleja, for trading me the traditional with something far more valuable. Sincerely, Caro

FORMER COLLEAGUE AND MENTOR SHARES ADMIRATION AND MEMORIES...

Head of The Browning School Dr. John M. Botti

SPEECH EXCERPTS

I believe that great schools are places where we fall in love. They’re places where we learn to love ideas, to love explorations, to love activities, and if we’re lucky and we’re doing it right—to love each other. I’ve only been here a short time, but from what I’ve seen, and certainly from what I’ve heard from our remarkable speakers—I believe that Castilleja is exactly that kind of school. It is—with apologies to a certain pop star—it is a love story. And because that’s what I believe, this is what I also believe: Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre is a wonderful storyteller for this equally wonderful school. And here’s why: When Dr. Noel-Pierre and I worked together at The Browning School in New York City, she was a biology teacher and the Equity Director by title, but it was much more accurate to call her the Chief Conversation Officer. I adored watching her engage with our kids about virtually

anything: cell structures, school rules, the best pizza in New York, and one of her students would try out something not fully thought out, like “mitochondria are overrated” or “school discipline is arbitrary” or “the pizzas at Ray’s, like mitochondria, are overrated.” And it was in these moments that Dr. Noel-Pierre’s eyes simply danced with possibility…She wanted to, she needed to be with these students, to help them find deeper, wiser expressions of themselves. * * * One morning about seven years ago, we announced that Dr. Noel-Pierre was leaving our school to take a division headship elsewhere in town. By the end of that same afternoon, I had half a dozen teachers come to me to express their wish to teach at her new school…For them, Dr. Noel-Pierre was more than a colleague or a leader, she was the center of a love story that made

their work meaningful. I’m not sure it’s easy to tell a love story these days, because our world keeps getting in the way. The pace of life, the ceaseless torrent of social media, the acceleration of material inequality, the meanness of our politics: all of these have the capacity to divide us from one another, they breed cynicism about the possibility of shared values, and that is exactly why a story like Castilleja’s has to persist. * * * Castilleja is a love story—a story of girls loving ideas, and explorations, and activities, and their school. Dr Noel-Pierre is in love with those things, too—a love borne of her own girls’ school education, and propelled by her generosity and bravery, and she is restlessly searching for ways to extend that love to others to show them what she herself has found.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 7

THE 8TH HEAD OF SCHOOL NOW CALLS CASTILLEJA HOME...

Castilleja Head of School Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre SPEECH EXCERPTS

Many of you know that I’m a product of a school for girls, but you may not know that I take a particular interest in learning about why different girls’ schools were founded. Through this little passion project, I’ve come to realize there was sometimes something countercultural or revolutionary going on. Sure enough, in 1907 Castilleja was created to prepare young women to meet the demands of Stanford because they weren’t thriving in relation to their male counterparts. So equity, inclusion, and access to a truly outstanding education are baked into this school’s founding, and that origin story drew me in. * * * As the 8th Head of School, I’m acutely aware that the world around us is changing at breakneck speed, making it impossible to imagine the future our graduates will encounter. That sense of the unknown—with the vast potential of AI, the ongoing climate crisis, and the impacts of splintering ideologies—can make the road ahead seem especially steep. But then I remember that in 1907, we didn’t have penicillin,

8 | Castilleja School

women couldn’t vote, the Civil Rights Movement wasn’t a thing, and I doubt Mary Lockey could have imagined classrooms equipped with WiFi and SMART Boards. So Castilleja’s leaders have been preparing students for the unknown since the beginning, and I am honored to become part of this legacy of revolutionaries. Through our rigorous program, I want this generation to become nimble critical thinkers who are undeterred by the unknown, surpassing the world’s expectations of them and their own expectations of themselves. As Head of School, I will work to ensure that our students are incredibly well prepared academically, well supported within our community, and well aware of their limitless power as confident thinkers and compassionate leaders. * * * We have a tradition at Commencement that involves reading a comment about each student that was written by a past teacher. Out of the blue, my mom recently shared comments from my preschool teachers with me, and it seems fitting that I share a few.

“Betty enjoys retelling stories about her experience and her family with expression and in a logical order. She also especially enjoys the swings and has invented several ’tricks’ on the bar.” Okay, still true about the stories, and as for the so-called tricks? In the City, recess takes place on a small section of rooftop. Let’s go easy on a girl who was trying to keep things interesting. Also, our leadership competencies include agility, so there’s that… I fell especially short in one area. When asked my home address, apparently I answered all in one word: “Queens-but-that-is-all.” Well, I have shown significant growth in this area because I know my new address by heart: Castilleja School, 1310 Bryant Street, Palo Alto. This is home now. And I’m not alone. Most of you are here with me today because Castilleja is also home for you. The future of this school is something we will continue to build together…That is our shared work in advancing the vital, inspiring, and joyful revolutionary legacy of Castilleja.

CLOSING WORDS OF WISDOM FROM BOARD CO-CHAIR...

Board Co-Chair Nate Gallon P’26

SPEECH EXCERPTS

As we close this ceremony, I want to express my gratitude to our community: To our Board of Trustees (and to Zac Zeitlin and Dr. Odette Harris, in particular, our former Chair and Vice-Chair), for your stewardship and determination, we are deeply indebted. Thank you for your vision and guidance leading us during our period of transition. To our parents and guardians, we thank you for your confidence in our school. During these last few years of transition, you have engaged with us in constructive dialogue to ensure that our school stays true to its principles and mission. You have acted with heartfelt honesty and grace. To our faculty and staff, whose devotion recalls the words of Henry Adams—that “a teacher

affects eternity—she can never tell where her influence stops”—your tireless work and dedication make our students’ dreams possible.

of Castilleja’s mission by all present today.

To our students, who bring light, energy, possibility, and hope wherever you go, you are the reason we gather today. You remind us daily why our work matters. We ask only that you continue to be you. You are our inspiration.

Dr. Noel-Pierre, we make this commitment to you: we will not let you shoulder the weight of leadership alone. We, members of the Castilleja community, commit to supporting you and your leadership team through collaboration, encouragement, honesty, and trust. Ours will always be a community where every girl, in every classroom, on every sports field, on every concert stage, in every place of worship, and in every neighborhood, becomes the best version of herself.

And to our new Head of School, Dr. Noel-Pierre, we offer a warm welcome. We are honored that you have chosen to bring your talents, experience, heart, and family to leaven our community. You are now and will always be a part of us. Today marks not just a transition in leadership, but a renewal of purpose—a recommitment, a rededication, and a reaffirmation

* * *

To our Castilleja daughters, remember the celebratory words of Maya Angelou, “I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.” Annual Report 2024-25 | 9

MEET THE NEW TRUSTEES The Board of Trustees is comprised of deeply committed community members who bring diverse expertise and foresight to the work they do supporting Castilleja’s mission now and stewarding its future.

DAN FEITELBERG P’26 ’28

Former CFO of UC Berkeley and UC Merced

“

Our daughters have become passionate, thoughtful, confident, and engaged individuals during their Castilleja experience. As they continue their Castilleja journey, it is an honor to help ensure that the Castilleja experience will continue to educate and inspire young women for generations to come. I am excited about a moment in time, just a few years from now, that the Castilleja community will celebrate the opening of its new, modernized educational spaces. It will be a testament to the dedication of those who have served this community throughout its history and set the stage for what’s yet to be.”

LETICIA GONZALEZ-RATCHEV P’29

Program Officer at The Sobrato Organization advancing economic mobility in the Bay Area

“

I was inspired to join the Castilleja Board because I could engage with the school community and help sustain the institution. Seeing my daughter flourish at Castilleja, exercising courage, finding her voice, and deciding how she shows up in the world deepened that inspiration. I am most excited about Betty Noel-Pierre, our new Head of School, coming in and seeing the impact of her leadership on campus.”

SHRUTI HALDEA P’31

Led product marketing for Apple Mac products and is now CEO of Matriarch Health Inc., a women’s health startup

“

I am honored to join the Castilleja Board to serve a mission my family and I hold dearly. We believe helping girls meet their full potential through an education that builds intellect, character, and agency is critically important in a fast-changing world. With a long record of producing young women who advocate for themselves, explore ideas with rigor, and lead with conviction, and compassion, Castilleja is a national model of what girls’ education should look like. Contributing to this work is both a responsibility and a great privilege. I am most excited to support our new Head of School who will bring a fresh, experienced perspective to this institution while preserving what is singular about Castilleja.

ANNE KORNBLUT P’31

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and now oversees the Product Content Engineering (PCE) team at Meta

“

As an alum of an all girls school in the DC area (Holton, where I attended 4th-12th grades). I’m a big believer in girls’ education, and honored to be able to support the school my own daughter attends. A new chapter under Dr. Noel-Pierre’s leadership and the new campus signal a moment for Castilleja to embrace its ambitions for the coming decade, century, and beyond.”

10 | Castilleja School

ALBERT LEE P’25 Proud Castilleja Dad of 2025 Graduate

“

I believe deeply in Castilleja’s mission and the optimism it holds for our society. I’m looking forward to helping Castilleja evolve to meet the needs and expectations of our increasingly dynamic and unpredictable world.”

NING LI P’27

Vice President of Engineering for Meta Robotics Studio at Meta and became Meta’s first female Vice President of Engineering in 2017

“

I’ve witnessed remarkable growth in my daughter over the past five years at Castilleja. This is such a special place—one that not only nurtures but also empowers girls to become strong young women ready to embrace the world with confidence. Working in tech, I often see how male-dominated fields like AI remain, and it motivates me to broaden opportunities for girls in STEM and help Castilleja continue to inspire curiosity and leadership in the next generation of women.”

ARMANDO MANN P’28

Over two decades of leadership in technology and software, including in the e-learning space, now CEO of EVAS Global

“

I’ve admired Casti’s Board as they guided a complete transformation of the school, setting it up to have its best decades yet. When I was invited to join the Board, I jumped at the opportunity to learn, contribute, and pay it forward. I’m excited to see Castilleja embracing its legacy of leadership, innovation, and advocacy for girls’ education. A school can be energized by a construction project or by welcoming a new Head of School who brings a bold vision for the future. We have the privilege of experiencing both at the same time. The Circle is beaming with excitement and optimism.”

KIMBERLEY MORRIS ROSEN ’98 Schools and Educational Organizations Attorney at Folger Levin and serves as an elected trustee on the Portola Valley School District Board

“

As a proud alumna of Castilleja, I am honored to serve as the President of the Castilleja Alumnae Board and as a Castilleja trustee. Castilleja gave me a strong academic foundation, fostered my love of education, and introduced me to lifelong best friends. I am excited about Castilleja’s future under Dr. Noel-Pierre’s leadership and a modernized campus. While the physical site will look different, the heart of Castilleja—dedicated to the 5Cs and educating the next generation of women leaders—will remain. I look forward to supporting the school into this next chapter.”

Annual Report 2024-25 | 11

THE CASTILLEJA FUND

Advancing Castilleja THE CASTILLEJA ADVANCEMENT TEAM CONSOLIDATES FUNDRAISING INTO ONE ANNUAL FUND FOR MORE STREAMLINED GIVING: THE CASTILLEJA FUND In this Annual Report, you will see the impressive generosity of our community during the 2024-25 fiscal year as they supported the Castilleja Annual Fund, which fueled budgeting to enrich the rigorous academic program and student experience. You will also find the gifts that our community made in support of View360, our annual benefit to raise funds for Castilleja’s tuition assistance program. THE CASTILLEJA FUND Like at all independent schools, tuition at Castilleja does not cover the full cost of a Castilleja education, which was why these two annual initiatives have always been so vital to the strength of our learning community. However, after extensive reflection and feedback from our community, we have decided to streamline these two initiatives into one focused annual giving campaign, now known as the Castilleja Fund. The Castilleja Fund still covers the same expenses that the Annual Fund and View360 fundraising addressed in the past—our students, employees, programs, and tuition assistance—and this philanthropy has always allowed us to stay at the forefront of women’s education. However, our new comprehensive approach provides our donors with absolute clarity about the school’s operating budget and the gap we hope they will help us close between tuition revenue and the true cost of this transformative experience. THE FUTURE OF VIEW360 For fans of View360, don’t worry. This event will continue to highlight our tuition assistance program and bring awareness to the importance of our ongoing commitment to opening access to this education. We will still have the same community gathering, complete with thought-provoking speakers and a fun party! The only difference is that the fundraising will not be tied to the event anymore. As we launch the Castilleja Fund this year, we hope to see our community’s generosity to support the people and programs that define us. At Castilleja, every girl is encouraged to discover her voice, her purpose, and her passion. This kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s made possible by a community that believes in the power of girls’ education. The Castilleja Fund will play a critical role in sustaining this experience for years to come. STAY IN TOUCH If you have questions about the Castilleja Fund, please contact Director of Advancement Sue KimHA at skim@castilleja.org.

12 | Castilleja School

What we bring in... Auxilliary Income 3%

ANNUAL REVENUE Castilleja provides unparalleled opportunties for girls to thrive within a rigorous and collaborative learning environment and your gifts to the Castilleja Fund make it all possible.

Tuition 75%

Your Gifts 11% Endowment 11%

How we allocate it... FACULTY AND STAFF Castilleja teachers transform lives.

$23.1M 63% of annual budget

90% Faculty hold advanced degrees 15 Years on average of teaching experience TUITION ASSISTANCE Access to Castilleja empowers women to change the world.

1 in 5 Receives tuition assistance $51K Average tuition assistance package PROGRAM Leadership is learned inside and outside the classsroom.

40 Athletic teams across 12 sports 80% Students compete on a sports team 50+ Clubs are led by Upper School students

$4.8M 13% of annual budget

$3.7M 10% of annual budget

GATORBOTICS Involvement

67 Upper School students + 52 Middle School students Community and Cultural Events

Global Week

Guest Speakers

Music & Theater Performances

FACILITIES Castilleja’s campus facilities are vital to learning.

$3.2M 9% of annual budget

59,920 Square feet of learning space 640 Shuttle stops per month Performance Spaces

Art Studios

Maker Spaces

Sport Facilities

Library

Athletics Program

Science Labs Annual Annual Report Report 2024-25 2024-25| 13 | 13

CAMPUS UPDATE

Space to Grow

CASTILLEJA CELEBRATES A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE TOWARDS CAMPUS MODERNIZATION

Open Their World—the Campaign for Castilleja has recently surpassed the $100 million mark. From the outset, we understood that aiming for this milestone would be an ambitious undertaking, but the Castilleja community has never lacked the capacity to dream big. While still in the leadership phase of the capital campaign, for a school of our size to raise over $100 million is extraordinary. However, this impressive number doesn’t tell the whole story. Here are a few details that offer more specifics about our community’s generosity: •

Last year was the first time that we saw the majority of our capital campaign gifts coming from current families, and it is especially inspiring to see them investing in Castilleja.

•

Many of our donors have made their largest gift ever to this campaign; Castilleja’s mission and impact matter more than ever, and our donors have been inspired to prioritize supporting the future for women leaders.

•

Nearly 10% of the total funds raised have been estate gifts, meaning that nearly $10 million of the total gifts received thus far have been through planned giving.

There is still more work to be done on both the construction and fundraising. The campaign fundraising goal is to reach $125 million. The new campus will offer spaces that match our innovative program. With state-of-theart classrooms, community hubs, and labs, we will attract and retain inspired faculty who continue to advance everything that is already remarkable about Castilleja. A culture of intellectual curiosity has long defined Castilleja, and this modernization will allow our faculty and students to continue to be leaders within not just the realm of girls’ schools, but in the broader scope of all independent schools.

14 | Castilleja School

Casti Village, the temporary campus, takes shape.

PHASE 1 UPDATE We broke ground on Phase 1 of our project, the underground parking garage, just over a year ago. There were many accomplishments in this process, but it could be said that the most important one is that we are on schedule and the garage will be completed this winter. Meanwhile, in late October, the first components of Casti Village arrived and were lowered into place. Throughout the spring and summer, the construction team will shift their focus to preparing to open Casti Village at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Meanwhile, in the summer they will also begin the first step of Phase 2, carefully deconstructing our current learning spaces to prepare for our modernized campus.

Top view of the groundwork over the garage.

A row of parking stalls in the underground garage.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 15

SUPPORTING FACULTY

The Power of Connection

THE CASTILLEJA FUND FUELS FACULTY GROWTH AND EDUCATION THROUGH SUMMER GRANTS You’ll be hard-pressed to find a math class filled with as much excited chatter as Sara Popelnykh’s classroom. But make no mistake: the students are tackling some serious math problems and learning about factoring methods. Currently, they’re discussing a math worksheet, having been assigned to groups based on the suit of the cards Ms. Popelnykh pulled out of her card deck, sitting next to a math-themed mug on her desk.

She also worked as a full-time tutor, helping students with algebra 2, calculus, pre-calculus, and college-level math.

One student feels stumped by a particular problem. “It seems more scary!” she tells the teacher.

Ms. Popelnykh admits that she didn’t enjoy math until college. “I had always loved puzzles and Sudoku, and then I started making these connections using logical reasoning, working through a problem, getting stuck and frustrated, and then feeling really good once I’ve worked through it,” she says. “I fell in love with it and kept going.”

“It is more scary,” Ms. Popelnykh says. “That’s why it’s more fun!” She approaches a different table and kneels down next to it. “Think about what you know. How could you get something to the power of something?” “Okay,” a student says. “If this is equal to zero,”—she taps her pencil against the worksheet—“then anything to the power of zero equals one!” Her neighbor chimes in triumphantly: “Oooh! I see! I see!” Ms. Popelnykh, who holds a BA in mathematics and physics from UC Berkeley, joined Castilleja’s Upper School faculty after teaching math at Mt. Carmel.

16 | Castilleja School

“I saw what teachers were doing in a lot of other classes, and I could see what works really well,” she says. “As math gets more complex, it becomes much more interesting. There are fewer things you can do on the calculator. You start thinking abstractly.”

And that’s precisely the lesson she wants to teach her students: that a passion for math or STEM doesn’t need to be something a person is born with. It can be cultivated over time, and the sky’s the limit. “I want to be supportive of the students. You can start at any level in college and still become an engineer or a mathematician or whatever you want,” she says.

This past summer, Ms. Popelnykh attended an international math teaching course in Cambridge, UK: the Oxbridge Academic Program, thanks to the funding from a Castilleja summer grant, a professional development opportunity fueled by the community’s generous support of the Castilleja Fund. There, she learned from math instructors from all over the world. “It really connected with everything we want to do at Castilleja: creating a thinking classroom, diving deeper into problems and tasks, and finding those connections instead of just doing practice problems,” Ms. Popelnykh says. Ms. Popelnykh, who went to an all-girls’ school, is thrilled to be back in this environment. “The level of comfort and sisterhood is a real thing. You naturally become more confident, and it’s very clear from the way the girls talk and participate. They feel like they have a voice. In co-ed classrooms, you can have girls who are much stronger performers [than boys], but don’t usually speak up.” But at Castilleja, she says, “the girls work together and are supportive of each other. That’s pretty magical and something you don’t get in very many places.”

ABOUT CASTILLEJA SUMMER GRANTS 60 grants supported an array of projects, including: • Alignment of standards and rubrics in Middle School science • A course redesign in Upper School English • Update to 6th grade assessment practices • Development of new minicourses in making and design Course development grants Four brand new courses were developed Summer course grants 11 professional development opportunities around the world to enrich the classroom experience across divisions in content, pedagogy, educational leadership, and educating girls

STUDENT ART Ava Kwok ’26 and Sabrina Wallgren ’27 Annual Report 2024-25 | 17

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE

Anne Kornblut P’31 and Jonathan Levin; Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre, Jonathan Levin, Suzanne and Eric O’Brien P’21

A Circle of Leaders HONORING LEADERSHIP In early September, we celebrated leadership donors at our annual Founder’s Circle dinner, hosted by Suzanne and Eric O’Brien P’21 at their home in Menlo Park. This event honors the generosity of supporters who give at a transformative level and allow Castilleja to continue to innovate, be responsive to faculty and programmatic needs, and remain a leader among independent schools. As the evening began, Board Co-Chair Stephanie Chen P’26 noted the vital importance of leadership donors in a small community like Castilleja, acknowledging that girls’ schools in particular often face an added challenge when raising funds. Then, Board Co-Chair Nate Gallon P’26 introduced Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Castilleja Trustee Anne Kornblut P’31, who invited the President of Stanford University Jonathan Levin into a conversation about leadership, artificial intelligence, and representation. CREATING IMPACT Congratulating Jon on completing his first year as President, Anne asked whether he had advice for Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre as she begins at Castilleja. He said that since Betty has been a leader in the independent school world for many years, he probably didn’t have anything to tell her that she didn’t know already. But he did note that he feels leaders in schools like Castilleja can often be more impactful than the presidents of huge research universities can be because they are closer to the student experience and can shape it more directly and more quickly. When asked what the Castilleja community could do to support Betty as a leader, Jon’s answer was simple: allow her time. He explained that even after 25 years of teaching at Stanford, when he became President, he faced a steep learning curve as he moved through a familiar institution in new ways.

18 | Castilleja School

At this complicated time in higher education, Anne asked about two pressing issues: protests on campuses and the role of AI. On the first topic, Jon shared his early stand that Stanford needed to “get out of politics.” He admitted that not everyone agreed with him, but he saw this as an essential step toward creating and preserving an environment where learning could thrive. When asked to weigh in on the possibility of AI taking away entry-level jobs that graduates hope to secure, he saw this as an opportunity, noting that he laments when undergraduates focus too closely on the next job and forget that college is meant to prepare them for a lifetime of learning. He expressed optimism that AI might undermine these transactional goals and invite students to take a more open and ambitious approach to their education. SUPPORTING WOMEN Reflecting on the changes he has seen for women during his time at Stanford, Jon explained that when he was appointed to lead the Economics Department many years ago, he had set three goals for himself: invest in the faculty, strengthen the curriculum, and increase the number of women in this male-dominated field. He admitted that he was successful with the first two, though he didn’t achieve the third objective to the degree that he’d hoped. However, he was eager to share that subsequent leaders of the department have moved the needle. His honesty reminded the guests that effecting change can be a collaboration between leaders over time. It also highlighted his initial point about the power of small schools like Castilleja. Educating girls to become confident thinkers and compassionate leaders could do as much to impact representation in maledominated fields as new initiatives introduced at the undergraduate and graduate levels. All donors to Castilleja can appreciate that their gifts fuel real and vital change in academia and in the world.

ALUM PROFILE

A Lifelong Love of Education HONORING MARILYN SENN MOLL ’47 FOR HER COMMITTMENT TO LEARNING AND EDUCATION AND DECADES-LONG SUPPORT OF CASTILLEJA Marilyn Senn Moll ’47, who passed away on June 29, 2025, attended Castilleja for only two years, yet she was an incredibly loyal and invested alumna. She shared frequent updates for her classmates in the Class Notes section of the alumnae magazine Full Circle, wrote letters to administrators about programs that interested her, and supported the school with her philanthropy in significant ways. Marilyn led a life shaped by intellectual curiosity, and Castilleja helped her define herself as a scholar. After she arrived on campus, she quickly established herself as a literary voice, publishing an ode to Lake Erie in the yearbook, winning first prize for her poem “The Passionate Turtle to His Love” (inspired by Christopher Marlowe), and serving as the yearbook’s editor-inchief. She spoke often about the lasting impact of her German teacher, Mrs. Bertha Richter, who taught her to read in Old German, a skill which served her during college and beyond. The community of friends she built at Castilleja also mattered deeply to her. In one update to the school, Marilyn wrote about her classmates who became lifelong friends: “The four of us were inseparable and we had so much fun together.” Throughout her long life, Marilyn gave every year to the Annual Fund, supporting the daily life of the school by funding programs and contributing to employee compensation. This faithful giving made her a long-standing member of the Margarita Espinosa Society, which recognizes individuals who’ve given to the school for 20 or more consecutive years. Because she had a particular interest in history and the social sciences—she earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Nebraska Omaha and often gave talks about the Civil War and early 20th century history—Marilyn provided the seed gift for the Peggy McKeeHA Endowment, which supports the History-Social Science Department Chair. Marilyn also supported three of our most recent capital campaigns, including an estate gift to the Open Their World campaign.

Reflecting on Marilyn’s commitment to lifelong learning and education, her son, Kevin Moll, PhD, noted that when she met new people, she loved to ask them about what book they had read most recently. “My mother believed in quality education,” said Dr. Moll, who earned his doctorate less than a mile away from his mother’s alma mater, at Stanford. “She was always very generous about supporting education and intellectual activities. I was a teacher for years, and she would love nothing more than for me to tell her about my classes.”

WAYS TO SUPPORT CASTILLEJA

Marilyn’s story demonstrates how a Castilleja education lasts a lifetime. She expressed her gratitude by giving back in many ways. Like Marilyn, your giving can be designated to: •

•

The Castilleja Fund (Annual Giving): provides essential, flexible income every year to sustain academic excellence, faculty, and tuition assistance. Endowment Giving: builds long-term stability by generating investment income to support the mission in perpetuity. Capital Campaign Giving: transforms campus spaces, as Marilyn’s gifts did through contributions to the Program for the 21st Century Campaign to convert dorm rooms into classrooms, the Centennial Campaign to build the gym, and now Open Their World to build new academic buildings. Planned Giving through estate giving leaves a lasting impact.

Combined, these forms of support strengthen the school today and safeguard its future, empowering Castilleja graduates to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 19

ALUM PROFILE

Showing Up for Castilleja AT CASTILLEJA, CLAIRE TRAUM ’17 FOUND AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE SHE FELT SAFE TO GROW, AND NOW SHE GIVES BACK WITH GRATITUDE By the time Claire Traum ’17 graduated from Castilleja, she found herself connected to many Casti communities: in the art classroom, on track & field and cross country teams, in the Brentwood Reading Buddies ACE Org, and as a peer advisor. BACK TO THE CIRCLE Now she continues to be involved in the life of the school as an alumna, presenting the first Athlete Hall of Fame Award at Reunion/Alum Day in 2024, speaking at the 8th Grade Purpose Summit, and serving as Chair of the Young Alumnae Committee on the Alumnae Board where she’s helped bring to life two new alum engagement initiatives: Cheers & Peers and Slice of Advice. Claire has also been giving back to Castilleja in one other important way: she has been a consistent donor.

“Castilleja did such a good job inspiring curiosity and bravery,” says Claire. “I came out of class buzzing with questions.” She credits Castilleja for sparking her love of interdisciplinary learning. Claire reflects on memorable art classes with Ms. Deborah TrillingHA, wide-reaching discussions of the book Ragtime, and unexpected connections to science in history class. This interdisciplinary curiosity led Claire to major in art history with a minor in economics at Bowdoin. After college, Claire joined a management consulting firm in Boston and now works in Research & Product Marketing for Lyra Health in the Bay Area. She feels she is making a difference in improving mental health and uses her interdisciplinary skills every day. PRIORITIZING GIVING Recent graduates who are just starting out in their adult lives don’t always prioritize donating to their schools, but for Claire, it’s a nonnegotiable. “I donate out of gratitude,” she explains. “I want current and future students to experience this magical environment where they can safely find themselves and grow. A lot of younger alums think ’I don’t have money to give right now, and even if I did donate, it wouldn’t make a difference,’” she adds. “[But] if a friend has a birthday, I show up with a present and I don’t think twice. It doesn’t matter how big the gift is, it’s just showing up, showing that you care, and honoring them. I think about Castilleja similarly. I was able to have the experience that I had because of alums who donated while I was there. Castilleja showed up for me, and I feel compelled to show up for Castilleja.”

Pictured left: Claire with her younger sister and fellow Castilleja alum Lauren Traum ’19

20 | Castilleja School

DONOR PROFILE

Boundless Possibilities IN SUPPORTING CASTILLEJA, YIDRIENNE LAI AND CHRISTOPHER CHANG P’26 ’28 ’31 HOPE TO HELP STUDENTS BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES Having built her career in male-dominated industries and served on Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Yidrienne Lai P’26 ’28 ’31 has long reflected on what it takes for women to lead and thrive. Yet even with that perspective, the sense of empowerment and boundless possibility Yidrienne felt at her first Tie Ceremony still took her by surprise. “I remember looking around at all of the girls and the shared sense of joy and community,” she says. “Then a banner caught my eye that said, ‘Women Learning, Women Leading,’ and it was sort of breathtaking. I just realized, yes, this is amazing and what a privilege it is for our daughter to be here.” Since that day, Yidrienne and her husband Christopher Chang have only become more invested as their oldest, Karys, was joined by their younger daughters, Aralyn and Laryssa, and Yidrienne joined the Board last year. Both Yidrienne and Chris were raised in families that prioritized education. Yidrienne immigrated from Taiwan to North Carolina when she was eight. “We came for the schools. My dad stayed behind, and my mom brought us because they didn’t want us in a system where early testing determined your entire trajectory.” Arriving without any foundation in English meant that she had to work hard to, as she puts it, “close the gap.” This experience defined her view of the importance of great teachers. “They showed me that they believed in me, and I learned valuable life lessons—like hard things can come your way and you can rebuild and discover new strengths within yourself.” Christopher grew up on Long Island in a town his parents chose based on the strength of the public school system, which he attended through high school. “I had a great experience,” he explains, “But one of my takeaways was that in larger schools students can be tracked and set on certain paths, and I wanted a more open environment where our kids could diverge from a set path and define their own interests.” While their appreciation of the impact that Castilleja is having on their family today is clear, Yidrienne and Chris are forward-thinking people, and they bring that

lens to their engagement at Castilleja. When speaking about their gift to Open Their World—the Campaign for Castilleja, Christopher says, “I work in real estate, so I know how important it is to have best-in-class facilities to maintain a competitive edge. It’s how Castilleja will attract and retain excellent faculty and families. When I look at how strong the Gatorbotics program is—not just the technical training but the organizational ladder and the fact that it’s entirely student-led—it’s the most effective preparation I have seen for working with a CEO and heads of different groups. Our program is among the best, and I’m excited to see new spaces to support it into the future.” As a member of the Board, Yidrienne is charged with stewarding Castilleja’s mission, which, she says, “is about helping students become the best versions of themselves.” Part of that, she feels, involves actively opening their eyes to new possibilities. She says, “I went into college thinking I would be pre-med for lack of exposure to other options. I couldn’t have imagined the job I do now. Especially for girls, it’s important to think about the modern world and align our academics and enrichment programs to support career awareness and prepare girls for jobs and choices that may not exist yet.” When thinking about seeing their oldest near the completion of her seven-year journey at Castilleja, they both reflect on the strength of the community. “I appreciate being with like-minded families who believe so deeply in the mission and take women's leadership seriously,” says Yidrienne. Christopher adds, “The sisterhood is what strikes me most; they are sharing positive experiences and figuring out who they are together. Then they leave with a maturity and confidence that makes them comfortable in any situation and lets them take ownership of their own evolution.” As leadership donors to the capital campaign, Yidrienne and Christopher are also actively contributing to the evolution of Castilleja. Annual Report 2024-25 | 21

2025 Alumnae Induction Lunch

SENIOR GIFT

Taking a Stand CLASS OF 2025 DONATES A NEW PODIUM FOR THE CHAPEL THEATER The senior gift is a rite of passage for every graduating class, prompting the seniors to reflect on their shared values and Castilleja legacy. In the spring of 2025, members of the Senior Class Gift Committee, Priscilla Chan ’25, Lauren Jene ’25, and Michelle Maydan ’25, rallied their classmates to raise $1,200 for a new podium for the Chapel Theater. An alum, Dr. Joanne De Phillips ’62 contributed an additional $2,000, for a total of $3,200. CONNECTIONS Lauren says she enjoyed working with classmates and bringing their ideas to life. “This experience really demonstrated the value of interconnectedness beyond the Circle, as well as the ways that Casti alums embody the 5Cs throughout their lives,” Lauren explains. “I learned about the importance of giving back to the amazing community,” adds Priscilla. “It truly shows the strong, tight-knit connection students have to Casti, even after graduating.” INSPIRING COMMUNITY The podium is indeed central to the student experience. It is where 8th graders and seniors stand to give their milestone speeches. It’s where the Head of School and renowned speakers inspire our community. The current podium was built in 1982 and refurbished in 2000. While it served us well, thanks to the Class of 2025, the new podium will be dedicated exclusively to the Chapel space and will not be moved around to other on-campus locations.

22 | Castilleja School

This gift demarcates an exciting new chapter: the arrival of our new Head of School, Dr. Betty NoelPierre. It also speaks to the enduring values of Castilleja: learning to lead and being unafraid of making your voice heard. PASSING THE MIC “I learned how to have an impact on a place that has impacted me greatly,” says Michelle about the fundraising drive. She associates the podium with all of the speakers she’s heard during her time at Castilleja. In fact, one senior speech, in which a student wrote an advice letter to her sister, had inspired Michelle’s own senior speech years later. Hers also ended up being a letter to her younger sister, who had just started 9th grade at the school, Michelle says. Advised by the Director of Alumnae Engagement Liz Babb ’82, the Senior Class Gift Committee members learned about philanthropy and outreach techniques as they finalized their idea, devised an action plan, and inspired peers to contribute. “It’s a signal of your belief in the mission and in your gratitude for the experience that you had here,” says Ms. Babb. “It’s incredible what goes on behind the scenes. Even at this age, they’re starting to connect the dots and see how much goes into running a school.” Photos: 2025 Alumnae Induction Lunch and the inscription on the new Chapel Theater podium.

Keeping the Circle Green AFTER A VIGOROUS EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AND TRAVELING THE GLOBE, CASTILLEJA’S ANNUAL FALL EVENT BRINGS SIMONE SEIVER ’13 BACK TO THE CIRLCE

Each fall, Castilleja’s leadership donors are invited to Keeping the Circle Green, an event that offers guests the opportunity to hear from a recent alum about the ways that the lessons she learned around the Circle continue to inform her present and future. This year, English Department Lead Matt Callahan interviewed Simone Seiver ’13, whose choices and experiences have been both expansive and impactful. After volunteering for the Undergraduate Prison Project at Yale, she became a registered bail bondswoman and co-founded a nonprofit that has secured the release of indigent criminal defendants. After college, she received a Master’s of Philosophy in Criminology from the University of Cambridge and traveled to over 40 countries before returning to Yale for law school. She has since worked in national security for the federal government, completed two federal clerkships, and is about to start at Susman Godfrey in New York City, focusing on plaintiff-side representation. To open the conversation, Matt asked Simone to think back to what inspired her to join Castilleja in 9th grade. “I loved student government in middle school, and when I visited, I saw that there was a lot of support around student leadership, so I was immediately interested in that sense of open possibilities,” she said. “And I can draw a direct line from Castilleja to everything I have done since.” Referring to that direct line, Matt asked Simone to reflect on the skills and knowledge she draws on most now, and her answers were quick and clear. “I learned to speak in front of an audience, I learned to write, and I learned the value of public service,” she said.

Simone’s initial impressions about student government were part of that equation because her leadership roles honed her public speaking. “If you think about needing to build strength, I got a lot of reps here; I gave more speeches at Castilleja than I have anytime in my life since.” She also explained that as a lawyer, she spends hours every day writing, breaking complex ideas into smaller and more organized trains of thought to create logical arguments, and noted that this was a skill she learned while preparing lab reports in Dr. Jane McConnell’sHA biology class. Lastly, and perhaps most important to the trajectory of her life, she said that Castilleja taught her to value public service. “Through the ACE Center and the Global Trips I had the opportunity to see the world around me in a different way, and see the ways that I could make a difference in the lives of other people.” As the conversation came to a close, Matt asked Simone to reflect on her views of girls’ education. “I’ve noticed that among Casti grads, your thoughts can go one of two ways: you can leave here never once thinking about your gender and walk into every room with confidence, or you can leave acutely aware of the role that gender plays in your life and walk into every room with confidence. Either way, the result is the same, and we need people who are going to be brave, people who will speak up and say something when something isn’t right. Castilleja makes those people.”

Matt closed the conversation with a confession, “To prepare for tonight, I have to admit that I did some research, which included reading the 2013 yearbook. The quote you shared from Christopher Hitchens reads, ‘The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.’ As a teacher, I hope all of my students discover that in my classroom and take it with them throughout their lives the way that you have.”

Annual Report 2024-25 | 23

Goodbye...

TO THE CLASS OF 2025

Last year, 51 seniors were admitted to 112 different colleges and universities and enrolled in 33 across the U.S., listed below. Of these students, 61% will be attending a college outside California. Three students will be playing a collegiate varsity sport. One student will embark on a journey of exploration and take a gap year, while four will pursue performing arts degrees. We’re proud of our Class of 2025 and excited to follow their journey beyond the Circle! Boston University Brown University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Carnegie Mellon University Dartmouth College Denison University Duke University Georgetown University Hamilton College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College

24 | Castilleja School

Loyola Marymount University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Purdue University-Main Campus Rice University San Francisco State University Scripps College St. Olaf College Stanford University Tufts University United States Air Force Academy

University of California-Berkeley University of California-Los Angeles University of Chicago University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California Vanderbilt University Washington University in St. Louis Yale University

Hello...

TO THE CLASS OF 2032

A total of 57 girls said “YES” to joining the Castilleja Class of 2032. Students in this group come from 41 schools and 20 towns and share a love of playing piano, drawing, reading, sports, dance, and robotics. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the Circle. Here are some excerpts from their admission applications:

I wonder about... …the different lives and perspectives of people from all over the world. …what my dog and parakeets are thinking about. …who I will be when I am older. …how magicians come up with tricks. …rising prices, and how a small thing like a pen can cost so much. …if I will have a lot of friends at school.

…how the universe was created, with all its unique stars and planets, and how life on Earth began. …how doctors feel after curing someone with a serious disease. …inventions that could help make things more convenient. …traveling back in time to the Ice Age, because I want to see how people survived without modern technology.

Annual Report 2024-25 | 25

Annual Fund Campaign CASTILLEJA GIVING

Financial Highlights 2024–2025

(UNAUDITED)

Revenue

Trustees

$401,250

Current Parents*

$1,613,025

Alumnae*

$163,832

Parents of Alumnae*

$164,817

Grandparents

$33,800

Employees

$579

Friends

$6,740

Corporations & Foundations

$205,203

Total:

$2,589,246

*Excludes Trustees

Fundraising Summary Annual Fund

$2,589,246

$1,221,779

Named Endowments Gilhuly Fine Arts Chair Endowment $2,500 Tuition

Katherine Hass ’14 Fellowship

$10,203

Endowment

Susan Suman Hindle ’53 and

$73,213

Gifts Auxiliary Income

Bill Hindle Travel Fund Scholarships Blair Walker Stratford ’56

$49,928

The Ditz and Mosbacher Family

$2,500

Kathy Williams

$50

Tuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $26,269,900

Lisa ’86 and Kristi Maslak ’89

$2,000

Endowment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,841,900

Megan Guerin Macdonald

$2,479

Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,981,400 Auxiliary Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,267,200 Total Revenue: $35,360,400

Scholar Athlete Sara LaBoskey ’98 Scholar Athlete

$18,000

Stephanie Meier ’89

$2,000

Peggy McKee History-

$100

Social Sciences Chair Class of 2025 Senior Class Gift Other Gifts

Expenses

Total:

$3,220 $595 $166,788

Compensation Tuition Assistance

Total Giving

Program

Trustees

$673,460

Facilities

Current Parents*

$2,274,879

General and Administrative

Alumnae*

$340,930

Parents of Alumnae*

$409,027

Grandparents

$33,800

Employees

$2,129

Friends

$14,875

Corporations & Foundations

$225,493

Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,302,600

Total:

$3,974,593

General and Admin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,196,200

*Excludes Trustees

Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$21,867,800 Tuition Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,501,300 Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,490,500

Total Expenses: $35,358,400

26 | Castilleja School

Open Their World Campaign OTW Total Raised to Date

$101,634,441

OTW Total Gifts Received

$63,343,959

Endowments, Scholarships, Restricted Funds, and Other Gifts Over the years, generous donors have established restricted funds at Castilleja to support specific programs or named scholarships. Gifts to the following funds were made between July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

BLAIR WALKER STRATFORD SCHOLARSHIP Blair Walker Stratford ’56

PEGGY MCKEE HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE CHAIR Jennifer Lee ’95

DITZ AND MOSBACHER FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP Emily Mosbacher ’12

RETAIL FUND

Nancy Ditz Mosbacher ’72 and Bruce Mosbacher

eScrip Microsoft Matching Gifts Program

GIFTS IN-KIND

Thrivent

Reena and Raj Agrawal RESTRICTED ANNUAL FUND - LIBRARY GILHULY FINE ARTS CHAIR ENDOWMENT

Julia and John Eells

Karen Hoffman Gilhuly ’78 and Ned Gilhuly SARA LABOSKEY ’89 SCHOLAR ATHLETE KATHERINE HASS ’14 FELLOWSHIP

SCHOLARSHIP

Rebecca Abramowitz ’14

Elizabeth and Robert Andersen

Anjelika Deogirikar Grossman ’00

Vicki and Peter LaBoskey

Grace Frome ’17

Lindsay Austin Louie ’98 and Ting Louie

Nicholas Hass

Kimberly Morris Rosen ’98

Tracy and Eric Hass

Lauren SchryverHA and Brian Schryver

Sarah Hinstorff ’14

Deborah Smith

Susan and Herb Hinstorff Sanah Imran ’14

STEPHANIE MEIER ’89 SCHOLARSHIP

Mary and Rob Jack

Penny and James Meier

Patrice Metcalf

Christina Wray Olmsted ’89

Monica Taneja ’14

Hilary Simpson Strain ’89

KATHY WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP

SUSAN SUMAN HINDLE ’53 AND BILL HINDLE

Emily Williams ’03

BEYOND THE CIRCLE TRAVEL ENDOWMENT Susan Suman Hindle ’53

LISA AND KRISTI MASLAK SCHOLARSHIP Kristi Maslak ’89 Lisa Maslak Ide ’86 MEAGAN GUERIN MACDONALD SCHOLAR ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP Anne Flatland Macdonald ’80 and John C. Macdonald

Annual Report 2024-25 | 27

Thanks to the generosity of our community, Castilleja’s annual tuition assistance benefit View360 raised $1.2 million to support the 22 percent of students who received tuition assistance last year. Guests gathered at the Oshman Family JCC in April for a party that included magician Kevin Blake, who mingled in the crowd and mystified everyone with impressive sleights of hands and invited audience members on stage for even more entertaining tricks. Then, Alumna Dr. Adriana Mujal ’07 spoke, sharing details about her groundbreaking work as a cancer researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering and the impact of tuition assistance in her own life. “It’s now been close to 20 years since I graduated, and it’s hard to imagine what my life would have looked like without Castilleja. My short time here has left a lasting imprint on my own growth and personal trajectory,” she said. For the keynote presentation of the evening, legendary women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer came on stage for a conversation with Stanford lecturer Janine Zacharia. Coach VanDerveer shared memories of playing basketball as a child in the era just before Title IX. To ensure the boys included her in their pick-up games, she brought the best basketball to the courts, so she’d get picked. When she graduated from high school, a boy from the team wrote in her yearbook: “You will go to the Olympics someday.” Indeed, she went on to become a record-breaking coach with 1,216 wins and an Olympic gold medal. She served as the head women’s basketball coach at Stanford and continues to inspire women on and off the court. In a questions-and-answer session with the audience, when asked how parents can support their children through challenges and disappointments, she replied, “Just make sure they know that you love them, and they’ll be fine.” Before the evening event, Coach VanDerveer also spoke to students at an all-school assembly, where she was interviewed by the starting five from our Varsity Basketball team. She advised students to be caring teammates first and foremost. “I prefer winning,” she said, chuckling, but “it’s really about being on a team and being the best you can be together.” One student asked how Coach VanDerveer maintains her positive mindset. “We all get a flat tire every once in a while, and we’ve just gotta pump it back up,” she said. “You put those two feet on the floor in the morning and decide to make it a great day.” She also reminded the students about the importance of leadership. “Be leaders in your own space. You know, there can never be too many great leaders.” We hope to see you at next year’s View360 on March 28, 2026!

28 | Castilleja School

VIEW360 2025 1) Stanford lecturer Janine Zacharia interviews Women’s Basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer 2) Dr. Adriana Mujal ’07 3) Student Speaker Antonia Vlahos ’25 4) Liz King ’87, Jill Hanekamp, Tara VanDerveer, Judith Powell, and Kate Scolnick 5) Mostafa Ronaghi, Parinaz Mohamadi, Suzanne O’Brien, and Magician Kevin Blake 6) Former Interim Head of School Julia Russell Eells with student volunteers 7) Magician Kevin Blake Annual Report 2024-25 | 29

STUDENT ART (clockwise from top left): Isla Doorley ’29, Maia Ratchev ’29, Melinda Gupta ’29, and Sania Natarajan ’28 30 | Castilleja School

LEADERSHIP

Volunteers of Castilleja (2024–25) Thank you to all our generous and thoughful parent/guardian volunteers. The impact of your work benefits each and every one of our students, faculty, and programs. ANNUAL FUND CO-CHAIRS Rah Mansoor and Pedram Keyani ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS Class of 2031 - 6th Grade Michelle Haghpanah (Team Lead) Yuan Cui Yuyan Fu Marie Klemchuk Julie O’Brien Ting Shen Taruna Sood Class of 2030 - 7th Grade Shirley Chou (Team Lead) Jackie Wong (Team Lead) Aarthi Anand Anna Harik Esther Lee Jennie Tung Class of 2029 - 8th Grade Pedram Keyani (Team Lead) Rah Mansoor (Team Lead) Valerie Barnett Chris Goudey Lyla Kuriyan Tina Lin Rory McInerny

CSA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Class of 2028 - 9th Grade Jamaica Kreps (Team Lead) Becky Cantieri Sean Glodek Leticia Gonzalaz-Ratchev Esha Sinha Flore Tolland Class of 2027 - 10th Grade Aarthi Prabhakar (Team Lead) Chitra Chakravarthy Jenny Chang Sohi Chien Suzan Halabi Vivian Tsai Lisa Wallgren Mayling Wu Class of 2026 - 11th Grade Marcie Farano (Team Lead) Rafia Chaudhry Stephanie Chen Julie Cheng Yidrienne Lai Class of 2025 - 12th Grade Kristina Detter (Team Lead) Lian Bi Rita Walia

President Rachelle Doorley VP/President Elect Judy Dang US Parent Resource Chair Kristin Bosetti MS Parent Resource Chair Tenley Stephenson Marketing Communications Chair Stacie Cheng Recording Secretary Ranjini Malavalli Treasurer Tina Chen Volunteer Recruitment Chair Amritha Seshaadri Parent Education, Events, and Inclusion Kelly Madden Mora Oommen

Board of Trustees 2024-25 Zac Zeitlin, Chair

Julia Russell Eells

Rah Mansoor

Odette Harris, Vice-Chair

Nate Gallon

Jennifer Newstead

Raj Agrawal

Megan Jones Bell ’00

Olivia Nottebohm

Ed Chan

Bob Kocher

Suzanne O’Brien

Stephanie Chen

Allison Koo ’98

Mia Rocha

Chi-Hua Chien

Jamaica Kreps

Mike Schroepfer

Mahooya Dinda

Yidrienne Lai

Andie Navarro Sobrato ’08

Rachelle Doorley

Lindsay Austin Louie ’98

Jeff Wong

Steve Dowling

Shweta Mehta

31 | Castilleja School

STUDENT ART Left to right: Sofia Li ’30, Kate Pelaez ’30, and Cora Sefcik ’30

Advancement Team

Leadership Team 2024-2025

Director of Advancement Sue KimHA

Interim Head of School for 2024–2025 Academic Year Julia Russell Eells

Director of Alumnae Engagement Liz Babb ’82 Director of Annual Giving Amy Heath Advancement Associate, Research and Stewardship Lupita Ibarra Director of Events and Parent Engagement Ellen Stewart Moore ’80 Director of the Capital Campaign and Major Gifts Caroline New ’01 Database Manager Krishna Patel Advancement Associate Jenna Yee

Associate Head for Finance and Operations Kathy LayendeckerHA Dean of Faculty (Fall Sabbatical) Christina GwinHA Head of Upper School Peter Hatala Director of Advancement Sue KimHA Director of Admission Claire Ledwith Director of Communications and Community Relations Emily McElhinney

Director of Communications and Community Relations Emily McElhinney

Dean of Faculty (Covering Fall Sabbatical) and Director of Institutional Research and Teacher Support Karen StrobelHA

Communications Graphic and Web Designer Steven Ashton

Head of Middle School Laura Zappas

Communications Team

Communications and Digital Media Specialist Sam Petersen Communications Writer and Content Specialist Masha Rumer Special Thanks: We appreciate the many contributors to this report, including Sue KimHA, Emily McElhinney, Claire Ledwith, Masha Rumer, Ellen Stewart Moore ’80, Krishna Patel, Sam Petersen, Steven Ashton, Jamaica Kreps P’28 ’30, and Suzanne O’Brien P’21. Installation speakers Stephanie Chen P’26, Evie Wang ’32, Caroline Yuan ’26, Dr. John M. Botti, Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre, and Nate Gallon P’26. Trustees Dan Feitelberg P’26 ’28, Leticia Gonzalez-Ratchev P’29, Shruti Haldea P’31, Anne Kornblut P’31, Albert Lee P’25, Ning Li P’27, Armando Mann P’28, and Kimberley Morris Rosen ’98. Teacher Sara Popelnykh and featured donors Marilyn Moll ’47, Claire Traum ’17, and Yidrienne Lai and Christopher Chang P’26 ’28 ’31. Donor event speakers Jonathan Levin, Simone Seiver ’13, and Matt Callahan. Special thanks to our View360 speakers and presenters: Kevin Blake, Dr. Adriana Mujal ’07, Tara VanDerveer, and Janine Zacharia. We also thank the Castilleja students, faculty, and staff who shared their work and support.

Annual Report 2024–25 | 32

Annual Report Castilleja School Foundation 1310 Bryant Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 castilleja.org

The Installation of Dr. Betty Noel-Pierre, Castilleja’s 8th Head of School