Full Circle 2020

Full Circle CASTILLEJA SCHOOL MAGAZINE • SPRING 2020

Belonging

IN THIS ISSUE...

36 ALUMNAE 28 CULTURAL EVENTS

30 CASTILLEJA TRADITIONS

23 6TH GRADE MUSIC 33 RETIREMENTS 27 PERFORMING ARTS

9 ARRILLAGA-MORRIS SPEAKER

12 STUDENT TRIPS

22 ATHLETICS

29 CASTI'S KITCHEN

16 THE LIBRARY

CONTENTS

Up Where We Belong WELCOME 2

Head of School Nanci KauffmanHA

WISDOM 4

Alumnae Memories Decades of Belonging

6

Global Week 2020 Seats at the Table

9

Arrillaga-Morris Speaker The Dreamer

10

Alumna Profile Judy Lawrence ’69

11

Alumna Profile Juliet O'Brien ’16

WONDER 12

Charting New Paths Washington D.C. and Senegal

14

Deep Dive Advanced Topics

16

A Place to Belong Our Library

18

Seipp Gallery Art Show Exploring Injustice

20 Faculty Profile Carly Fox 21

Gatorbotics Bourn This Way

22 20 Questions with Jenna Borrelli 23 6th Grade Music Guitar Heroine 24 Athletics The Power of Sports 26 Middle School Musical Is it Magic?

27

Visual and Performing Arts In the Spotlight

28 Community Celebrations Affinity Groups 29 Serving Smiles Castilleja’s Kitchen 30 Looking Back Our Beloved Traditions 32 New Trustees New Voices 33 Retirements The Next Adventure WANDER 34 Graduating Class The Next Wanderers 36 Back on the Circle Alumnae Events 40 Reunion Weekend Celebrating the 4s and 9s 43 Class Notes Alumnae Updates 50 Faculty and Staff Notes Lifelong Learners 52 In Memoriam Forever in Our Circle 53 Castilleja Leadership with Full Circle Notes

Spring Spring2020 2020 | 1

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

What does Belonging mean at Castilleja in the 21st Century?

Each school year, we commit to a community-wide theme that deepens our engagement with one another. This year, as we explore the dynamic theme of Belonging, we assert that on our campus, belonging does not mean “fitting in.”

On the contrary, at Castilleja you know you belong when you feel safe to “come as you are,” uniquely you, unlike anyone else.

In June of 2019, I celebrated my 20th year at Castilleja.

Now in my 10th year as Head of School, these milestones have me reflecting on the important roles individuals have played in the process of building our inclusive environment.

Today, we embrace the shared responsibility to cultivate a sense of belonging for all.

At a recent conference for Heads of School, I heard Beverly Tatum, Ph.D—a nationally recognized authority on racial issues in America—outline the key components of inclusion in schools. The ABCs, as she calls them, begin with affirming the identity of all community members. Only when individuals’ identities are affirmed, she warns, can we do the important work of building a community where everyone is seen and recognized. And finally, we must cultivate leadership in our next generation. As we become a more diverse nation, we must ensure our leaders can engage effectively with diverse groups.

An important step we each take on this journey to inclusion is to uncover our blindspots, and the theme of belonging has reminded me to investigate my own. As a white educator, I have to consider how privilege may have limited my relationships and my teaching. Now, as a Head of School, I must assume an even greater responsibility—to foster a learning community where belonging can never

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be confused with assimilation. Instead, we strive to make room for everyone to feel an authentic sense of belonging at Castilleja. Ultimately, we seek to ensure that every individual feels truly seen and valued around the Circle.

In this issue of Full Circle, you will see many ways members of our community have brought their truest selves into the work of learning and leading. When alumnae return to campus, they often mention that Castilleja was a home to them for a precious time in their lives, reminding us that in its most basic form, belonging has long been part of life on our campus. I hope the stories in these pages remind us that our future is brighter when each of us calls upon the power we hold to help the people around us feel at home wherever we are.

Nanci Z. KauffmanHA Castilleja Head of School

P.S. As this issue of Full Circle goes to print, we are proudly and courageously doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by creating social distance and launching distance learning. The resilience and creativity of our community is fully evident in the many ways we have adapted our practices while staying true to our mission.

As students and teachers engage together in learning, we are also committed to cultivating connections and strengthening our bonds. Now more than ever, our sense of belonging is a source of inspiration and encouragement.

Learning, Leading, & Laughing IN HONOR OF NANCI KAUFFMAN’S TWENTY YEARS, WE LOOK BACK ON HER LEADERSHIP AT CASTILLEJA

1999 New Teacher Photo

2005 Graduation

2002 Future Class of 2008

2009 In the Admin Building

2010 New Head of School

2016 Nanci and Senior Volunteers at View360

2017 Guest Lecturing

2005 Faculty Basketball Team

2017 Rivalry Faculty Mario Kart Skit

2013 Connecting with Students

2016 Rivalry Faculty Superheroes Skit

2020 Nanci and Seniors at SeniorSpring Celebration 2020 | 3

WISDOM

Alumnae Belonging AS WE EXPLORE THE THEME OF BELONGING THIS YEAR ON CAMPUS WITH STUDENTS AND FACULTY, FIVE ALUMNAE FROM DIFFERENT DECADES REFLECT ON HOW THEY FOUND A SENSE OF BELONGING AT CASTILLEJA.

Joan Ackermann Satt ’50

Melissa Riofrio ’85

“As an only child, coming to Castilleja as a boarder

“I defined for myself what it meant to ‘belong,’ as I was

opened up a whole new world of belonging. A roommate

more often than not an outsider: a smart girl who dared

for the first time, girls to share breakfast, lunch and

to go toe-to-toe with smart boys; a non-white and

dinner with, whispering in study hall, middys and skirts,

mixed-race girl sticking out in a mostly-white sector

Class ties, all made us the Nifty Fifties.”

of society; and a shy, bookish, socially awkward girl to boot. I had learned not to care what anyone assumed or thought. I had my own sense of purpose, including getting the best possible education, and that’s why I knew I belonged at Castilleja. I was fortunate to have the support of my parents and the teachers, and I even found a group of classmates who accepted me in all my quirky-nerdy-ness.

My advice for students is first, belong to yourself.

Believe in yourself, and pursue your dreams without fear. Second, find people who believe in you and support you, and who can be honest with you, too. Finally, don’t listen to anyone else’s idea of what it means to belong.

Own your space in the world, make your own name for it, find your own network of support.”

Nancy Schumacher Rosenthal ’72 “When at Casti, I belonged because I always felt included by each and every student, teacher, and administrator.

There never was a question of belonging: good times, bad times, in between times. We were all equals even in our ‘hierarchy’ because we all shared a mission and we shared goals. If we are all one, we always belong.”

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Carol Li Rafferty ’96 “I found a sense of belonging while engaging in meaningful discussions with fellow Casti students in class, from history class with Jeannine MarstonHA and Peggy McKeeHA to biology and chemistry classes with Eryl BarkerHA and Doris MouradHA. I learned at Castilleja that we create a sense of belonging by building communities where we engage with and help one another. Inspired by Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, I co-founded Lean In China with a group of professional women in 2013.

Our mission is to better understand women's goals and to identify the resources that can help us achieve our ambitions and overcome obstacles. Lean In China has since grown into a network of over 100,000 women, covering 30 cities and 100+ universities. I’m grateful to be a

“Be a woman who lifts others up.”

part of the Castilleja community and for the lifelong friendships forged in the classrooms and in the Circle. At Yale Center Beijing, I’ve provided internship opportunities to a couple exceptional Castilleja students.

My advice for students to find a sense of belonging? Be a woman who lifts others up.”

Maddie Tarr ’15 “Some could say that Castilleja was in my blood, but I credit my classmates and teachers for cultivating that sense of belonging and home that I feel when I think of Castilleja. Castilleja is so deeply a part of my story and who I am. A lot happens between the ages of 10 and 18, and my Castilleja community was there on the sidelines or in the huddle for every moment.

I recently had the honor of coaching Castilleja JV Water Polo alongside Sallie Walecka ’11. To be able to come back as peers and coach with a fellow alumna reminded me of the special bond Castilleja creates. I could so easily transport myself to moments on the Circle with my classmates,

“Castilleja is so deeply a part of my story and who I am.”

and I enjoyed exchanging stories with the girls, reveling in the sense of tradition and shared experiences while also listening to the ways Castilleja is evolving.”

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GLOBAL WEEK 2020

Seats at the Table: WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY

During this year's annual Global Week, women leaders with expertise in government, law, academia, and non-profits —including three alumnae—spoke about their careers and the challenges and opportunities they see in national security.

Women belong at the table, they said, and students were inspired to think about what security means to them and how they can engage as activists, strategists, and storytellers.

Liesl Gerntholtz, Deputy Executive Director for Programme, Human Rights Watch “Peace agreements are more likely to last and be more durable...if you have women at the negotiating table. Women bring insights that men don’t have. In the Syrian conflict, women have been the ones at the forefront negotiating local ceasefires.”

The Honorable Susan M. Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence “You are women in the arena. Others will describe things as they ought to be done, and you will be the ones who are the doers. Be a doer.”

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Stacey Kertsman, Dean of Equity Education and Social Impact, Castilleja “It’s essential that women are empowered to play a central role in the transition from conflict to peace.

This is not a political question; it is a human right and a moral imperative.”

Gina Bennett, Senior Counterrorism Advisor, CIA Senior Analytic Service “The most important thing for our nation to secure is its identity: what it is, what it means, its integrity, and our faith in the Constitution. The security of our nation, to thrive as the America we all know we want to be, needs girls and women to lead us in a new way toward a future where we stop being divided by our different interpretations of the Constitution and instead are united by our loyalty to it.”

Lead In

The Hon. Susan M. Gordon, who was a three-time captain of the Duke basketball team, addresses Upper School athletes about not giving up on their sport, even if they aren't the best player on the team.

SELF-CONFIDENCE S. Leslie Ireland, Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis, and Dr. Melissa I.M. Torres, Vice President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom both humbly acknowledged having felt imposter syndrome at times in their careers. Ms. Ireland advised the students, “If this is something you struggle with, I would ask you to address it head on, remind yourself of your value, remind yourself of the way you are distinctive and what you bring to the table, because that’s the way I pushed through… and I tried my hardest to focus on the good I had done, the quality of my work, the reputation that I had developed, and to take stock and comfort in that.”

TAKE THE LEAD The Hon. Susan M. Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, reflected on leadership, offering advice that included:

Paulina Arguello ’20, Keynote Speaker Dr. Melissa I.M. Torres, Anya Ayala ’20, and Assistant Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance, Laura Martinez

• You have to work hard to be great.

• Be comfortable with technology, be a confident data swimmer.

• Spend a lot of time reading to hone your critical thinking.

• Be curious and wonder. Wonder about motivations on all sides.

• Learn how to make decisions; it is a rare skill.

• There’s always a solution, but there’s often a cost.

Make peace with that.

• A lot of things will get in your way; succeed anyway.

• Be true, be kind, and change the rules so there are fewer victims.

Anjelika Deogirikar Grossman ’00 with Alumnae Panelists: Bronte Kass ’14, Elizabeth Zumwalt Harmon ’08, and Neelam Noorani ’91

Spring 2020 | 7

GLOBAL WEEK 2020

Take a Seat A REAL-WORLD SIMULATION

Bringing to life the complexities of making decisions with imperfect information, Castilleja students participated in a simulation involving the United States’ presence in Syria. Led by the nonprofit Girl Security, students took on roles ranging from Russian Diplomat to U.S. Intelligence Analyst to Syrian Civil Engineer.

Gina Bennett, a senior counterintelligence officer with the CIA (pictured right), explained that the CIA does simulations like this because they provide great practice for making choices, falling short, and trying again.

A CELEBRATION IN SONG To celebrate the week of learning and empowerment — and the feminist messages of Global Week 2020 — Castilleja's instrumental music teacher Josh Thurston-Milgrom wrote this original song, joined by guest singer Amy Dabalos (aka Amy D).

To hear the song and watch highlights from this empowering week, use a QR reader on your phone to scan this code or visit Castilleja's YouTube channel.

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AT THE TABLE (Global Week 2020 Theme Song) We’re gathered here to learn about the world And how it’s changing And with a little help from women and girls It’s gonna be amazing We’re gonna dedicate our hearts and minds We’re gonna change perceptions And if you think we’re gonna stand aside (Hey Boomer) Challenge accepted

We need our leaders making better choices In ev’ry nation We need to hear more of women’s voices In the conversation We want to work for stable lasting change We’re gonna make it happen ‘Cause we can make the world a better place (Hey people) So let’s get crackin’

Let’s have some talk about security We can do better than war Open your eyes and you’ll be sure to see peace is what’s worth fighting for

Let’s have some talk on how to work for peace And where we’re drawing the lines ‘Cause there’s no limit to what we’ll achieve In the course of our lifetimes

The world needs women sittin’ at the table Helping to lead the way and show us how We know some women who are willing and able

The world needs women sittin’ at the table Helping to lead the way and show us how We know some women who are willing and able

There’s never been a better time than now There’s never been a better time… than now

There’s never been a better time than now...

There’s never been a better time Than now

ARRILLAGA-MORRIS SPEAKER

The Dreamer “As women, we have to believe in ourselves because work spaces and political spaces, they need our perspective.”

Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, Founder, DREAMer’s Roadmap Arrillaga-Morris Guest Speaker, 2019

When Kimberley Morris Rosen ’98 introduced this year’s Arrillaga-Morris speaker, she recalled her grandparents’ hopes, “They created an endowed fund so that Castilleja students could expand their learning outside the classroom by listening to inspirational, insightful, and courageous people from all over the world.” Combined with gifts from the Arrillaga family for the same purpose, that fund brought to campus Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, who spoke about her experiences as an illegal immigrant, a young entrepreneur, and a tech CEO while weaving in details of her own family’s hopes.

The founder of DREAMer’s Roadmap (DMR), a free mobile app that helps undocumented students find scholarships, Salamanca arrived from Mexico when she was four years old and imagined becoming the first person in her family to attend college. However, traditional loans were not an option because her family had immigrated unlawfully, so she graduated from high school with great potential and no plans. Then, through the support of a friend from church (“So, go to church,” she joked gently), Salamanca discovered private scholarships devoted to students just like her.

Finally, enrolled in college, she felt her childhood dreams coming true until she faced another challenge that overturns the plans of many undocumented immigrants. Her father, who had returned to Mexico, lost his battle with cancer. Overcome with emotion, Salamanca wanted to be with her family for the funeral, but without legal status, she might never be able to come back. Her mother made her wishes clear, “There’s no future for you here [in Mexico]. You have to stay.”

Salamanca admitted it was the hardest thing she had ever done, but she obeyed, and her life began to change for the better. “I started a blog,” she explained, “where I could post the scholarships I had used and share the information with other people who needed it.” That impulse revealed her entrepreneurial instincts, and eventually her blog developed into the DMR, which has helped over 30,000 Dreamers access higher education.

Recently named to Forbes 30 under 30 list, Salamanca urged Castilleja students to see leadership as a distinct skill just as important as any other. She went further to explain that her identity made her especially valuable as a leader: “As women, we have to believe in ourselves because work spaces and political

Nanci KauffmanHA, Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, Mallika Patel ’25, and Kimberley Morris Rosen ’98

spaces, they need our perspective.” In keeping with our mission, she urged students to effect change. “Every single person in this room has freedom and power that someone else outside this room doesn’t have, and I encourage you to use that to change their lives and the world.” The spontaneous standing ovation she received reflected her capacity to inspire and empower her audience. It was more than the sound of many hands clapping; it was the sound of many hopes converging.

Spring 2020 | 9

ALUMNA PROFILE

Revisiting & Reflecting JUDY LAWRENCE ’69 REMINISCES ABOUT HER TIME ON THE CIRCLE DURING THE SIXTIES — AND HER PATH SINCE

When Judy Lawrence ’69 returned to Castilleja this fall for Reunion Weekend— her second time back on campus since her graduation day 50 years ago—she was greeted by hugs, memories flooding back as she chatted with classmates. What made her come back after all these years?

Judy laughs and says, “Fifty years and free dinner! It had always been on the list, but this is a milestone year.”

Judy Lawrence ’69 with classmates Cathy Brooks Fennelly and Claudia Paige at Reunion Weekend locals to get us treats in town, put them in the baskets, and pull them back up into our rooms!”

In the late 1960’s, Judy was a student at Castilleja during a tumultuous time in U.S. history. “There was a song we sang a lot—it could have been part of the country or just being seniors—‘we gotta get out of this place.

If it’s the last thing we ever do!’ We were a little rowdy,” she says with a laugh. As Castilleja’s first African American graduate, Judy was making history herself, too. She recalls, “When I cut my hair in a natural cut, I was called into Ms. Espinosa’s office. She thought I had become a radical, which I hadn’t….But that was the only incident, and I never felt ‘other’ from any of the students.

I never felt any prejudice. We were all in it together.”

Judy noted some changes on campus as she walked around the Circle, including the presence of male teachers, more athletic facilities and sports, and sadly, no boarding students. Judy remembers how pivotal being a boarder was for her, and how, as she said, “the camaraderie was there. As a boarder, the influences from other states and other countries was phenomenal.”

There was also the influence of Palo Alto: during study hall in the dorms, the girls would secretly lower baskets out their windows, then, she explains, “we would get

10 | Castilleja Full Circle

Judy came to Castilleja after growing up in San Jose when it was still “the country” and fondly remembers showing cattle and horses in 4H when she was young. Education was the family business, and her mom was a professor of nursing at San Jose State University. When Judy’s local high school didn’t offer the challenging college-prep curriculum she wanted, she transferred to Castilleja. She majored in Biology at New Mexico Mining and Technology, having discovered the school while reading The Underground Guide to the Campus of Your Choice. “The ratio of men to women was 10:1. That was the deciding factor! I had a wonderful time.”

Over the past five decades, Judy has forged a dynamic and fulfilling career in agriculture and education. She wrote grants and organized state-wide conferences to bring vocational teachers together, and many of her curriculum projects are currently used nationally. Judy hosted conferences throughout California to empower students of color in various career fields and was a strong advocate for the importance of careers in agriculture, because according to Judy, “a day without ‘ag’ leaves you hungry and naked.” She also spent several years as a disaster services volunteer with the American Red Cross, is an accomplished gourd artist, and teaches art at her local community college.

A new decade brings new adventures, and Judy is looking forward to attending the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Nevada. “Last time I went was in 1988, and I was the only Black person there. This year, the topic is The Black Cowboy. I decided to go back!” It has been a year of revisiting the past.

Reflecting on her Castilleja reunion, Judy encourages all alumnae to consider making a trip back to the Circle, saying, “I enjoyed it. Come back and take a stroll–it would be worth it. Take a day of reflection and hang out.”

ALUMNA PROFILE

In the Navy JULIET O'BRIEN ’16, THE FIRST CASTILLEJA GRADUATE TO ATTEND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, FINDS HER OWN SENSE OF BELONGING

A typical day in the life of Juliet O’Brien ’16 begins with a workout at 0530 and formation with her company at 0700. There is class, a noon meal formation that includes swords, a mandated twohour workout, dinner, briefings, and study period until 2300, which is lights out if you’re a plebe (freshman). “Pretty much every minute of the day is structured, but this place is designed to teach you how to manage your time effectively and perform well under stress.”

How did a Castilleja girl with a lifelong passion for dance decide to attend the United States Naval Academy? She applied on a whim for Summer Seminar, a week-long experience designed to give rising high school seniors a glimpse at life at the academy, and discovered a sense of service that inspired her. “I’ll never forget getting a call from my congresswoman, Rep. Jackie Speier, in February right before watching Arts with a Heart my senior year at Casti, saying that I had made it into the Naval Academy.” Juliet would be the first Castilleja alumna to attend the university in Annapolis and one of 315 women in her class of 1,125 midshipmen.

Looking back over the past four years, Juliet admits, “this place does a good job of challenging you in several different ways. Learning to deal with anxieties about not running as fast as some others, or not being the loudest voice in the room has taught me that being a leader involves finding your own approach to situations.” Proud of how she has been able to integrate her passions for the humanities, arts, and languages with life in the Navy, she has found a sense of belonging in many places, including on the Navy Dance Team.

“Casti instilled in me the value of developing and maintaining a strong core group of female friends, which has been essential in an institution that is predominantly male.” She is grateful to have found a niche on the team, which practices daily and performs at football and basketball games.

Juliet studied abroad in Morocco last fall and cherished the opportunity to “live with a host family, learn Arabic, and study public policy in French at a local university. It was a chance for me to live as a civilian for a semester, but also to fall in love with a new culture and think about how I can apply an interest in diplomacy and development with

Juliet (pictured middle, bottom row) and the Navy Dance Team

“Casti instilled in me the value of developing and maintaining a strong core group of female friends, which has been essential in an institution that is predominantly male.”

experience in the defense arena as well.” While looking ahead to future possibilities, Juliet also spent time reflecting on the mentors who had helped her along the way: “Madame RepellinHA and Madame SchryverHA for kindling a love of languages and exposing me to Maghrebi culture through French literature classes, which has led me to explore an entirely new culture and language.

Ms. Kertsman for her leadership in the ACE Center and everyone who worked on the Global Investigator Trip when I was there…that was truly one of the most formative times of my Casti career.”

Now a senior at USNA, Juliet will soon embark on a new career, commissioning as a Surface Warfare Officer on the USS Porter. As a 2019 Truman Scholar, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in international development and modern Middle Eastern studies, pending Navy approval.

Spring 2020 | 11

WONDER

Charting New Paths 8TH GRADE TRIP

Washington D.C. PLANNING YOUR MISSION:

STEP 1: Assign roles. Choose from Navigator,

Tracker, or Scribe.

STEP 2: Choose Your Route.

The time-honored tradition of the D.C. trip provides students a tangible experience of connecting historical and current events. This year brought changes to the D.C. trip that will enable students to deepen their capacity to become selfdirected, collaborative, and empathetic learners. Whereas in prior years students would travel to Colonial Williamsburg, now the full week is spent visiting monuments and museums in Washington.

On the first evening of the D.C. trip, students split into their navigator, tracker, and scribe roles and planned the next day’s route to and through the National Mall and memorial parks.

Leaving the hotel on Veteran’s Day morning, each walking group’s navigator led her classmates in determining how they would move from point A to point B—with minimal direction from the adult chaperones. The group scribes photographed the day’s activities and took notes on what they learned at each location, while the trackers kept everyone on schedule.

Returning to the hotel, students shared their lingering questions and reflected on what connected, extended, and challenged them that day. Many shared empathetic thoughts about how it felt to lose a family member to war and then visit the memorial. One student pensively remarked, “What will they make statues or monuments of from this time?” Daily reflections focused on different topics, such as reflecting on how each student managed discomfort and what strategies they may have employed. For many, this trip helped shift their perspective from “I” to “we,” an important step in practicing empathy and collaboration.

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CASTILLEJA ADDS A NEW DESTINATION FOR OUR JUNIOR GLOBAL INVESTIGATORS AND INCREASED AUTONOMY FOR OUR 8TH GRADERS VISITING THE CAPITAL

STUDENT REFLECTION

Alana Stull ’21 “As one of the few non-French speakers and the only African-American student on the trip, my experience was certainly “colored” by my 11TH GRADE GLOBAL TRIP

identifiers. At home, “Black is Black” is the

Senegal

similarity and difference outlined contrasts

In 2008, the inaugural Global Trips took students to either China or India. This year, students had three destination options (China, the Dominican Republic, and Senegal) that align with the languages offered at Castilleja (Mandarin, Spanish, and French).

2020 marked the first Global Investigator Trip to Senegal; students focused on learning about the country’s intersection of traditional values, urban culture, and globalization. With their Senegalese buddies, students also explored what it means to grow up as a girl in Senegal and the responsibilities tied to such a future.

Shifts in the Global Program reflect a strategic goal to increase the connections between classroom learning and experiences beyond the Circle. All global trips support the goal that students develop empathy, knowledge, and cultural competence. These goals are achieved through personal connections in local communities that enable cross-cultural exchanges regarding the political, economic, and social realities of the region. All trips partner with peer groups and schools so students can share details about their daily life both in the destination area and at home in the Bay Area.

prevailing historical legacy, but in Senegal my both sharp and veiled. My skin, which is unquestionably “Black” here, was a source of curiosity there. The palms of my hands seemed much too light and evoked a chorus of joyous high-fives from playful children. Although my Castilleja education has inspired confidence and achievement in nearly every sphere, I sometimes long for the self-assurance that follows when one is wholeheartedly cherished and “seen”; this was not my struggle in Senegal.”

Students culminate their Global Investigator Trip at a Castilleja event including their parents, for which they prepare and present an in-depth performance, video, and discussion panel that highlights their learnings and reflections.

Tsuki Carlson ’21 “I realized the value of singing and dancing to connect with people. Even when we live on the other side of the world and don’t speak the language, at the core, music and celebration bring us together.”

Elsa McElhinney ’21 “Making the effort to reach out to people and showing them you care about their culture can lead to unexpected new friendships.”

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ALWAYS LEARNING

Deep Dive: Advanced Topics AS CASTILLEJA SHIFTS FROM AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP®) TO ADVANCED TOPICS (AT) COURSE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS ENGAGE IN DEEPER LEARNING THROUGH DYNAMIC CLASSES CUSTOMIZED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM.

“It looks like there’s a pretty big chunk of bacteria in there,” Dr. Jane McConnell ’81HA pointed out as she walked past a vial one student was preparing in her AT Biology class.

The student nodded. “I noticed that. Should I start over?”

“No,” Dr. McConnell said. “That’s something I’ve been curious about. Just make a note of it. Then we’ll have a record if we observe something different going on.”

Curiosity is a prevailing theme in Dr. McConnell’s class. At the end of every lab report, she explains, “They need to tell me what new questions their results have inspired them to ask.”

Dr. McConnell added this element to her lab reports as well as investigative extensions when the science department shifted from teaching AP biology to teaching AT biology. The AP class was designed specifically to prepare students to take the AP biology exam written by the College Board. The AT class, on the other hand, is designed by Dr. McConnell, and each year she tailors the content to match her students’ interests. “It’s a little more work for me,” she freely admits, “but we focus on relevant research and applied knowledge. The AP was a survey course, which has value, but the AT format lets us examine topics in depth. Students learn to struggle with a problem, think about different approaches to finding answers, and appreciate the excitement of being a scientist.”

Castilleja’s science department moved from AP to AT in 2012 after a year of meeting with master teachers, looking into best

practices at peer schools, reviewing the extensive research about how girls learn, and gathering feedback from university admission offices and faculty about their expectations. The results determined that the AT model was a better path for teaching the 21st century skills the science department wanted to address. In addition, the rote memorization model of the AP science program drew many girls into perfectionism, tempting them to care more about performance than about learning.

This successful shift led to an exciting realization: Castilleja’s most advanced curriculum could become stronger if it were designed specifically for Castilleja students. Over the past eight years, teachers across disciplines have successfully added a variety of AT classes to our program. Some of these were for students who had already exhausted our AP offerings, as in World Languages and Mathematics, and others allowed teachers the freedom to design and teach their own collegelevel courses.

Meanwhile, Castilleja engaged outside educational consultants to gather more information from peer schools, college admission officers, and alumnae to facilitate a broader review of AT and AP classes. The survey of alumnae revealed that Castilleja graduates valued allowing the faculty to drive learning goals and create dynamic classes. They believed that the AT program gave faculty the freedom to attune classes to students’ needs and offered opportunities for valuable handson learning and real-world experience.

“AT Art History was definitely the hardest class I’ve taken at Castilleja, but I was invested in it and became passionate about it.

Ms. Shanks really believed in us and had high expectations. I’ve never written a 26-page paper before, but now I know I can. I also know I can work in depth on a topic that really matters to me and think independently.”

— Lila Bock ‘21 Helen ShanksHA teaching AT Art History 14 | Castilleja Full Circle

Dr. Jane McConnell ’81HA teaching AT Biology As a result, Castilleja has decided to complete the transition to a fully AT curriculum, though AP tests will still be offered in some disciplines. “When an AP exam aligns with our curriculum, students will continue to have the option to sit for an AP exam because we know that at some colleges, including the University of California, some AP exam credit can be of value to our graduates,” explains Gabi McColgan, Castilleja’s Director of College Counseling.

21ST CENTURY SKILLS Lauren SchryverHA, World Languages Department Head, confirms that the AP French exam will remain aligned with her AT course, “The College Board recently revised its curriculum to cover Language and Culture. With this change, they have emphasized the importance of applied knowledge and cultural competence, two key 21st century skills in my classes.”

The faculty will continue to add new AT classes to the course catalog. Last year, Helen ShanksHA introduced AT Art History, a one-semester elective covering art from the medieval era through the modern day. Using an interdisciplinary approach and a broad array of sources, the class allows students to consider art as both a cultural product and a commentary.

“I taught college-level art history in the past, and this class was an opportunity to teach by theme and use my breadth of knowledge in a different way.”

“The love of learning that students develop at Castilleja is extraordinary, and they bring that energy with them to college and beyond.”

— Gabi McColgan, Director of College Counseling

DRIVING CURRICULUM Ms. McColgan values the flexibility our excellent teachers are given to drive curriculum development.

“The love of learning that students develop at Castilleja is extraordinary, and they bring that energy with them to college and beyond. Colleges tell us that they trust Castilleja—and our peer schools—to develop and teach our own advanced courses, whether or not that includes AP curriculum and exams.

Colleges recognize that there is not just one type of advanced curriculum; they respect the expertise of our teachers and the quality of our program.”

Just as there is no single path that every Castilleja girl must follow throughout her time here, there is no single path that our faculty must follow to challenge and inspire their students.

All AT classes are unique to Castilleja, designed by our world-class faculty to engage our Students. As is the case now, Castilleja will continue to offer AP exams in some AT classes.

Spring Spring2020 2020 | 15

OPEN BOOKS

A Place to Belong “When someone thinks of a library, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is a trove of books, which is inherently valuable and wonderful, but what is even more remarkable about Castilleja’s library is the people you meet there. It is an epicenter of the campus, which is a testament to how the library team has shaped their space to build community,” Sara Zoroufy ’18 explains.

A PLACE FOR JOY Sara adds, “The learning I did in the library broadened my sense of what’s possible and showed me how much joy and meaning can be found in pursuing my passions.” As we think about Belonging, the library is steadily exploring ways to help students feel they belong—both in the life of the mind and in the fabric of the community.

CASTILLEJA'S LIBRARY: AN OPEN DOOR THAT OPENS MINDS

Ms. Seroff explains, “At Castilleja, juniors and seniors are learning to conduct literature reviews; they read a range of sources in order to understand the scholarly conversation on a given topic. This positions the student to frame her own questions and understand her own work as a meaningful contribution to this conversation.”

Returning to the themes of Global Week, the Castilleja library team has pulled out the chairs and invited every student to take a seat at the table.

This connection between curiosity and conversation not only empowers the individual, it also strengthens our community.

Sharing interests inspires lively, literary events throughout the year. Castilleja Library’s Edible Book Festival is a community favorite; cakes and other treats crafted in honor of beloved books bring families together around a love of books and reading.

The annual Celebration of Casti Authors takes a sometimes solitary activity, creative writing, and transforms it into a shared experience. At last year’s event, Upper School students shared

Our 2020 Global Week theme, Women, Peace, and Security: Seats at the Table, brought to campus experts who acknowledged that the abundance of information in the digital age poses challenges to developing real understanding. The Hon. Susan Gordon, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence, offered a guiding principle, “Knowledge is abundant, wisdom is scarce.” Good news: Castilleja’s librarians are already on the case.

Jole SeroffHA, Castilleja’s Director of Library and Information Services, and Tasha Bergson-Michelson, our Instructional and Programming Librarian, are devoted to ensuring our students learn to think critically and to navigate bias. In partnership with classroom teachers, they work to integrate research skills across the curriculum. In 7th grade, they teach students to analyze statistics and craft infographics that tell a story, using evidence to support their claims. In sophomore year, students work with librarians to evaluate news sources for validity and perspective, carefully selecting articles for seminar discussions with their peers.

By senior year, students can bring together all the skills they have been building to tackle a semester-long research project in the AT Research and Writing class taught by Dr. Christy StoryHA. Dr. Story says the librarians help her students “take ownership of their own intellectual growth and develop the resilience and courage to do original research and rigorous writing.”

A PLACE FOR IDEAS As Ms. Seroff and Ms. Bergson-Michelson defined their philosophy, they moved away from a model used by many middle and high school libraries and chose to build their program around a college-level informational literacy framework that, among other things, understands scholarship as a conversation. Among scholars, ideas are always developing, and students can participate by adding insights of their own.

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After school sticker exchange Edible Book Festival

Librarians (left to right) Jole SeroffHA, Christina Appleberry, and Tasha Bergson-Michelson

stories, poems, music, and essays while their classmates listened, perhaps thinking about joining in next year. Castilleja students understand that the library is a place to share their interests, their histories, and their identities. Christina Appleberry, the Library Services Specialist and newest member of the team, has begun working with Castilleja’s affinity groups to create displays to celebrate and honor different traditions. This year’s Day of the Dead ofrenda, created by the Latinx affinity group, was a big hit.

A PLACE FOR ADVICE “You have great choices, but you’re going to have to narrow things down,” Ms. Bergson-Michelson said into the phone recently, then paused to listen.

“Follow your plan,” she told the person on the other end. “Set meetings with the professors. Bring your questions. Take notes.

You’re going to figure this out.” She paused again.

“Call me back and let me know what you decide,” she said before she hung up. “It’s an alum. Course selection can be hard. Castilleja students like all the things,” she explained, borrowing the phrase students use for having many interests. “That’s why they call here.

They know we like all the things, too.”

“We’re kind of a full-service library,” Ms. Seroff reflected. Alumnae checking in for tips on gathering facts, sorting through the findings, and making informed decisions about which classes to take? Yes, that’s full service.

A PLACE FOR EVERYONE Our librarians work with every student at Castilleja. They know the students by their names and their passions, so when alumnae call for advice about course selection, it might not just be because the librarians like all the things. It might also be because they care about all the people.

Celebration of Casti Authors: Leila Milki ’11 and Emily Debs ’20 Spring 2020 | 17

EXPLORING INJUSTICE, A GALLERY SHOW PUT ON BY THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION, ARTVOCATE, SHINED A LIGHT ON ARTWORK THAT

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ANIMAL CRUELTY, BY MARISOL MEIER ’20 • IMMIGRATION, BY STACY ABONCE ’21 • OVERDEVELOPMENT, BY MACKENZIE FRIEDMAN ’21 • BLACK EMPOWERMENT, BY ALANA STULL ’21

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INJUSTICE

2020

WRESTLES WITH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, CALLS OUT INJUSTICE, AND POINTS THE WAY TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.

INSECURITY, BY LILY TAYLOR ’20 • WATER POLLUTION IN FLINT, MICHIGAN, BY MINHEE CHUNG ’20 • HOMELESSNESS, BY ABIGAIL KRENZ ’21 • INTERNALIZING INSULTS, BY HANNAH KNOWLES ’15

Spring 2020 | 19

FACULTY PROFILE

The Fantastic Ms. Fox Carly Fox, the newest member of Castilleja’s History-Social Science department, encourages students to ask questions that expand the conversation.

“That’s such a great question,” Carly Fox, the newest member of Castilleja’s History-Social Science department said as she responded to students after her presentation during Global Week. She also said it after the conversation about Populism in her American history class, and she said it in the van on the way back from the National Women’s Studies Association conference in San Francisco. She meant it every time. The Fantastic Ms. Fox—as she has been called for good reason—savors questions, understanding that they are inherently valuable while also recognizing their potential to grow any conversation.

Raised in a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Ms. Fox realized early on that questioning made her world bigger and more interesting. Now, as a teacher, she sees herself working in a realm where questioning is the goal. “I know my students may not remember the facts I’m teaching,” she explains, “but I hope they remember the way we are thinking about how the past is constructed. I hope they begin to sense that history is not about charting static ‘facts,’ but is an on-going process of exploring messy, complicated, and contradictory questions.”

Sometimes the process means thinking about complications and contradictions in the context of their own lives. When teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violence, Ms. Fox asks students to keep a journal about their reactions to and observations about others and themselves.

Then she urges her students to consider whether they can practice non-violence if they are holding onto anger and judgment.

The personal is political, the political is personal, and the lesson is immediately relevant.

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As an intersectional feminist, Ms. Fox encourages students to see the experience of being a woman as one that is intersected by race, class, sexuality, ability, and countless other identifiers. This lens is one that students are eager to understand and apply to the many questions they have about life and learning and their particular place in the world.

At the start of class one Friday afternoon, Ms. Fox turned the tables and offered a question of her own to her students, “Does anyone remember why I am so happy today?”

“Monday is your birthday,” someone answered right away and with confidence.

This was what could be called a static fact.

“Yes!” she said, looking genuinely surprised that someone had remembered. Then she grew even more surprised when the entire class spontaneously began singing. After they finished, she put her hand to her chest and said, “This is the first time a class has ever sung to me.”

“It won’t be the last time,” one student predicted. The others readily agreed.

Sometimes history class is about how you construct the past. Sometimes it is about how you understand the present.

Other times it is about how you create the future.

BELONGING “The places where I've felt the deepest sense of belonging were not necessarily communities which shared my exact beliefs or identities, but spaces which both accepted and valued the questions I posed.”

— CARLY FOX

Bourn This Way THE CREATIVE WORLD OF GATORBOTICS It’s Saturday afternoon, and a couple dozen students are in the Bourn Lab with Welcome to the Jungle playing in the background. This is just a subset of the Gatorbotics team, which has 50 members this year, much more than ever before.

One group is using a heat gun to make adjustments to their intake mechanism. Nearby, newcomers are working in pairs to write code while a veteran circulates to check their progress.

Across the room someone is gluing together laser-cut strips of wood, and someone else is working in an alcove, engrossed in solving an issue with computer-aided design.

For the uninitiated, it can be hard to know what the team will create with all this focused energy and expertise.

Jon RockmanHA, a member of the science faculty who advised Castilleja Gatorbotics in its early years, describes competitive robotics as, “a cross between a science fair and a monster truck rally.” At the moment, they seem to be in the science fair stage of the project.

“There’s something magical about being part of a group that is dedicated to the same thing.”

–LAUREN BYUNN-RIEDER ’20 Their efforts have paid off in results. Last year, their alliance came in second in Regionals in Salt Lake City, qualifying them for World’s in Houston. While the team had gone to World’s before, it had been through a lottery system; this was their first time through competition placement, a huge accomplishment. They are also unique; there are more girls participating in the league each year, but only 2% of teams are entirely composed of girls. Robotics Advisor and Bourn Idea Lab Faculty Kley Gilbuena feels especially proud of their achievements because the work is all student driven: “The mentors and I support them, but the students do the work.

They try and fail and try again. This year with so many new members, the returning students are becoming excellent teachers, balancing the building with the learning.”

Lauren Byunn-Rieder ’20, the team’s captain, explains this year’s challenge. “We will create a robot to work with other robots to perform tasks—like move dodgeballs around a course, spin a Wheel of Fortune to arrive on a certain color, and balance from a suspended see-saw. It’s really fun; most of my happiest memories from high school are robotics related.

There’s something magical about being part of a group that is dedicated to the same thing.”

“I don’t think I would have joined robotics in the first place outside of an all-girls environment. My self-confidence as a girl in STEM-focused activities has grown tremendously throughout my years on the team. I attribute a lot of that mindset shift to the encouragement of our team mentors, many of whom are women, including a few Casti robotics alumnae. I'm also very grateful to have a community of older girls from robotics who are now studying in STEM fields who I'm sure will be great resources if I decide to pursue that path beyond Castilleja.”

–ELIZA GOLER ’21

Spring 2020 | 21

THE HOT SEAT

20 Questions

with Jenna Borrelli GET TO KNOW JENNA BORRELLI, CASTILLEJA'S DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING AND HEAD OF THE WELLNESS DEPARTMENT 13 Our parents? You all have AMAZING kids. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they are giving their best and allow them to coast when they need to.

14 Our teachers? The girls really look up to you and see you all as experts; they appreciate when you show your humanity and model making mistakes.

1 Where did you grow up?

Rural Michigan, in a farming community.

interacting with so many empowered and confident young women.

2 Your family? Married, three kids under age 6, and a large dog named Baxter.

6 What do you most appreciate about Castilleja? All of the brilliant and diverse minds.

3 Pivotal moment? After graduate school, I was a therapist for teens and young adults aging out of foster care.

It made me question my values, explore my privilege, and face injustice on a daily basis. More than a job, this fueled a fire inside of me that I hope never goes out.

7 What is your superpower?

I balance compassion with directness.

4 Why work in a school? I love a school setting because I am a firm believer in prevention, and I think that most issues are displayed at school on a smaller scale before escalating into larger issues. If we are able to notice challenges early on and intervene, so much pain, suffering, and treatment can be avoided.

5 Why Castilleja? My values align with the mission, and I feel happy and energized

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8 Thoughts on Belonging? To me, it’s the comfort individuals feel when sharing their beliefs even when they don’t align with the majority.

9 Typical day? Drop kids off at school, meet with students and adults on campus, pick kids up from school, phonics homework with my kindergartener, family dinner, wild bathtime with all three in the tub (bubbles everywhere), kids’ bedtime, and finally a moment to myself before I go to bed and start again the next day.

10 Do you find time for yourself? With three little boys there is little “me” time; someone always wants something.

“I love human connection and helping people. Life guarantees that at some point we will all suffer or need support, and I feel lucky to have the privilege to join people and offer that support.”

— JENNA BORRELLI

11 How do you like to wind down? At night, I usually spend an hour watching TV with my husband, and I have a wellness goal of getting a massage every month.

12 What advice do you wish you could share with our students? Embrace the FUN of middle and high school.

You don’t have to strive for perfection to be great. The sooner you can disentangle happiness and accomplishment, the sooner you can achieve true happiness for just being yourself!

15 The biggest challenge adolescent girls face right now? Being inundated with media 24/7 and feeling the need to be “on” during all waking hours.

16 What changes are you implementing in the Wellness Department? We are revamping the curriculum to focus on communication skills, emotional intelligence, healthy habits, self-identity, and mindfulness.

17 What’s the last book you read? Little Fires Everywhere,

by Celeste Ng. 18 Would you recommend it?

Yes, it allowed me to reflect on adolescence, race, and class.

19 Who are your heroes? I have a ton of heroes. They’re the unnamed people working for the greater good every day.

20 Favorite Castilleja lunch?

Cobb Salad.

Guitar Heroine

6TH GRADE MUSIC

The students in Josh Thurston-Milgrom’s 6th grade music class haven’t known each other long. They come from different communities and cultures, and they have their own passions and places to go after school, but for 55 minutes in his classroom, they have at least two things in common—their uniforms and their guitars.

LISTEN HERE This new Middle School music program pairs the instrumental work in Mr. Thurston-Milgrom’s class with vocal study in Ahmed Elgasseir’s class. “Every girl learns to play the guitar and accompany themselves while they sing,” Mr. Elgasseir, Head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, explains, “so they become music makers, not just music consumers.

This makes them better listeners, and the world needs better listeners.”

Mr. Thurston-Milgrom admits that even though his students are all playing the same instrument, they still arrive with different levels of experience as musicians. “With the guitar,” he explains, “I can meet everyone where they are, challenging the students who have been studying music for years while I’m teaching beginners the same song.” To achieve this, both teachers use a framework for learning that has been part of the Middle School math program for years. Students can approach each lesson on their own terms, choosing from three different levels—Mastering the Basics, Pushing Boundaries, and Extending Beyond—according to their skills, experience, and confidence. Eventually, they all gain the same tools, but they determine their own paths through the process, giving them practice making independent decisions while they strum along.

THE WORLD ON A STRING “There are so many experiences that Castilleja students share over the years—the 8th grade speech, the Junior Global Trip, Ringing. Now this is another rite of passage; everyone learns guitar together,” Mr. Elgasseir explains. The huge benefit for the students is that it comes right away when they are still learning about each other and building friendships. “There’s nothing more unifying than making music together,” he adds. “It’s a new way to bond, even with people you might not have connected with in other ways. The music brings you closer.”

Following Her Art Last year in Full Circle, Angélica Ortiz Anguiano ’11 shared how she had found her voice through art. She used that experience to become an art teacher and help other students gain confidence.

In September, she returned to Castilleja, joining the Visual and Performing Arts Department as a faculty member, teaching classes to Middle and Upper School students.

She says she feels a special connection to her students since she can relate personally to so many of the things they are learning and feeling. “They talk about something that makes them nervous, and I can say, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember feeling that when I went here. Don’t worry.

It will all work out.’ I think they listen in a different way because they trust that I can understand them.”

Although the program is only in its first year, Mr. Thurston-Milgrom has high hopes. “Guitar is a gateway to composition. Sometime soon we might see one of these students write the song for Global Week. This is another tool for leadership.” (See the song Mr. Thurston-Milgrom wrote on page 18) Spring Spring2020 2020 | 23

NET IMPACT

The Power of Sports CASTILLEJA ATHLETICS STRIVES TO DEVELOP GREAT LEADERS BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD DEFINING SUCCESS “To me, success means building a robust athletic program that stands on the foundation of commitment, hard work, and fun,” says Mary Jo Pruitt, Director of Athletics.

At Castilleja, all students are encouraged to define success on their own terms, whether that is on or off the field. While success can be determined simply by how many championship titles are acquired, Ms Pruitt most values the growth she sees in students as they comprehend the value of playing sports. Joining a team is an opportunity to extend classroom lessons, providing students with skills that will prepare them for life beyond the Circle.

A Castilleja student’s desire to learn extends beyond the classroom and certainly spills into athletics. Bella Vandenberg ’20 remembers joining the lacrosse team as a new 9th grader, sharing, “I literally did not know how to hold a lacrosse stick.”

Moving past her comfort zone in sports, Bella realized that she began taking more risks in the classroom, too. Coaches, like teachers, inarguably leave a deep impression on students.

“Having a coach is about so much more than developing your athletic skills. They also develop us as a whole person,” muses Bella. Participating in athletics builds character—one of the 5Cs— by instilling in students the value of perseverance, collaboration, and resilience.

PLAYING ROLES Jacqueline “Jac” Heler, Fitness Instructor, Head Upper School and Middle School Volleyball Coach, and Assistant Basketball Coach, builds relationships with her students and players beyond just teaching them technical skills.

Coach Heler uses the analogy of the “Mental Locker Room”

24 | Castilleja Full Circle

Jac Heler and Mary Jo Pruitt when describing the advantage of compartmentalizing external stressors during games and practices.

She also emphasizes the importance of creating a team culture in which every athlete has something to contribute to the group and can therefore lead in her own way. Coach Heler shares, “We create team roles together at the beginning of the season for full buy-in. The consistency, structure, and team attitude make a huge difference.” Whether players are on the court or standing by the sidelines during a game, each person plays a key role. Depending on one another strengthens the bond amongst teammates, produces a tight-knit community, and encourages students to keep playing.

The community built throughout the season continues after competitions finish. Checking in with one another during the off-season and seeing each other succeed as actresses, leaders of ACE organizations, Gatorbotics coders, or in a variety of other roles helps both students and coaches view their teammates or players holistically. Castilleja students have always been multifaceted.

DEVELOPING LEADERS Adamant about building girls’ leadership skills, Ms. Pruitt asserts, "I want to ensure we have a robust coaching staff that strives to develop our student-athletes into outstanding leaders both on and off the field. It’s critical to bring in coaches who believe in creating a culture that thrives on commitment, hard work, and most importantly, having fun!”

GATOR-AID Castilleja Athletics offers students a place to belong and grow, gaining confidence through teamwork and collaboration while developing skills, strength, and endurance.

2020 NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY

Spring 2020 | 25

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL

Once Upon a Mattress

Is it Magic?

KRISTIN WALTERHA, DIRECTOR, TEACHER, AND 7TH GRADE DEAN, BRINGS MAGIC TO CASTILLEJA THEATER Late one afternoon, songs from the Middle School musical spilled from the Chapel, and performers huddled off stage waiting for their cues.

“I’m a little worried,” one 6th grader confessed. “There isn’t much rehearsal time left, and it feels like we aren’t going to be ready.”

The 7th and 8th graders in the group looked at each other knowingly. Ah, to be in 6th grade again...

“Don’t worry,” one of them said. “Ms. Walter’s a WIZARD. In the last week, she waves her magic wand, and everything comes together.”

“Seriously?” a different 6th grader asked.

“Yes,” the older girls answered in unison.

Adults who visit Castilleja often compare it to Hogwarts­—the vibrant conversations in the classrooms, the creative possibilities of the Bourn Lab, and the fresh baked cookies that just keep coming, but do we really have a wizard in our midst?

OPENING ACT Fifteen years ago, when Kristin WalterHA directed the first Middle School Musical at Castilleja, 30 girls performed.

The next year, presto, 60 just like that! How does she draw them in? And even more bewildering, how does she get them to do what she asks? Conjuring and spells? Then there’s the sense that she can be in many places at the same time, teaching in the Black Box, directing in the Chapel, performing in award-winning productions 26 | Castilleja Full Circle

all around the Peninsula. Is that transmutation or time travel or just plain magic?

THEATER FAMILY Asked how the production takes shape so quickly, Ms. Walter didn’t mention a wand, but there did seem to be a bit of sorcery involved, “At the first rehearsal, I tell them they are a team, and I have them all think about who they are in relation to each other. I put the students in the ensemble into family groups, and each group needs to contain at least one person from each grade level. Then they work together to create relationships with each other. Maybe they decide to become two sisters and a father, and as the action takes place on the stage, they react appropriately in the roles they’ve defined, and the story can’t happen without them.”

When the students took to the stage for Once Upon A Mattress this year, they were more than ready, they were delighted and alive.

Over a third of the Middle School was on stage (70 students in all!), and the rest were in the audience. The production doesn’t just come together in the end; it brings people together as well.

Now, as to whether Ms. Walter is a wizard or not, that’s still an open question. The hard work she pours into the production suggests that success requires much more than a simple wave of a wand. But let’s consider one final fact before we decide: her pets are a bearded dragon, an iguana, a gecko, a python, and two chameleons.

In the Spotlight STAGE RIGHT Castilleja offers a rich array of performance opportunities and training in theater arts, vocal and instrumental music, dance, and visual arts. Annual performances include an Upper School Play and Musical, a Middle School Musical, Winter Assembly, Winter and Spring Concerts with Gallery Shows, Arts with a Heart dance production, student-directed scenes and one-acts, and a couple of open mic nights for singers, instrumentalists, and a cappella groups.

UPPER SCHOOL PLAY — Amélie

ARTS WITH A HEART Annual Dance Benefit Production

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORUS Winter Concert

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL Once Upon a Mattress

MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE & DANCE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP — Winter Assembly

MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATER ARTS Winter Assembly

Spring 2020 | 27

AFFINITY GROUPS

Community Celebrations COMMUNITY EVENTS ORGANIZED BY STUDENT-LED AFFINITY GROUPS

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS HOSTED BY LATINX AFFINITY GROUP

HANNUKAH HOSTED BY JEWISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION

LUNAR NEW YEAR HOSTED BY CHINESE+ AFFINITY GROUP AND SOUTH-KOREAN AFFINITY GROUP

DIWALI HOSTED BY SOUTH ASIAN AFFINITY GROUP

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SOUL FOOD

Serving Smiles

CASTILLEJA'S KITCHEN

“I know everyone has their favorite meal but I like to think that on most days most people can come in here and find something that appeals to them,” shares Forrest Gingold, Associate Director of Food Service. It’s no secret that food is a central aspect of the Castilleja experience. Current and prospective students often cite lunch as a highlight of their day.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated and talented group pour love into preparing the food we all cherish.

BUILDING COMMUNITY Walking into the kitchen at 6:00am, Mr. Gingold, Sherie GraysmarkHA, Israel SotoHA, Antonio ValdiviasHA, Eloisa ValenciaHA, and Bertha ValdiviasHA begin preparing that day’s lunch, speaking a mixture of Spanish, English, and Spanglish to get the job done. They feed our community in myriad ways, building culture and tradition along the way. Every day, all students and employees pass through the Dining Room. This daily interaction inevitably builds community. Once lunch is over, students mosey over to the dish drop staff to drop off their plates, smiling and saying “gracias” or “thank you” to Candy Ramirez, who is the resident dishwasher.

REMEMBERING RUDY The connections and community built by sitting and dining together five days a week is readily apparent in a memory Mr. Gingold shares about his first few months working at Castilleja. Rudy DeCaminadaHA had just passed away, and the entire school stopped classes and went into the Chapel Theater to honor him. “I got a real understanding of what he meant to Castilleja. He was the cook, and yet he touched a lot of people,” remembers Mr. Gingold.

Today, the kitchen and its staff are still deeply appreciated by the entire community. With a smile, Mr. Gingold says, “I see the girls grab a tray, get a bunch of food, sit down, chat with friends, and then eat with gusto. It’s cool. You don’t do that unless you feel at home.”

OPEN KITCHEN Alumnae, you are welcome to come by for lunch any time!

Castilleja’s Heart & Soul Thank you to our kitchen staff (left to right): Eloisa ValenciaHA Sherie GraysmarkHA Antonio ValdiviasHA Candy Ramirez Bertha ValdiviasHA Israel SotoHA Forrest Gingold

Spring 2020 | 29

LOOKING BACK

Our Beloved Traditions

THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT Castilleja has always valued innovative approaches to education. Even the traditions we have on campus have evolved. Celebrating these school traditions strengthens the thread that holds us together as Castilleja alumnae, providing us with a shared sense of belonging at all stages of our life. Many things have changed on campus, but some things remain the same.

Tie Ceremony

Alumnae Induction

Noting the need for a tradition that unites students on the first day of school, in the 1990s Joan LonerganHA introduced the Tie Ceremony. Seniors tie freshmen ties, 8th graders tie 6th graders’ ties, and each new student is given a Castilleja pin, welcoming them as life-long members of the Castilleja community. Over the last several years, seniors deck out in red paraphernalia, like boas, socks, and hats, and relish in dashing across the Circle to meet the freshmen. It’s not uncommon to witness red feathers, and even some shoes, left behind on the Circle.

Rites of passage are often the backbone of tradition.

Over the decades, as each senior becomes an alumna, the Alumnae Induction Lunch celebrates this transition. In the past, the Head of School would read aloud every senior’s name and chosen college. Today’s version of the lunch includes recent graduates and current faculty and staff to welcome the graduating class into the Alumnae Association.

1920–1921 INDUCTION LUNCH

1993 TIE CEREMONY 2019 TIE CEREMONY 2019 INDUCTION LUNCH

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1980s RINGING

1990s RINGING

2020s RINGING

Ringing & Banquet The longest standing traditions on campus, Ringing and Banquet, are beloved by the juniors and seniors, and mysterious to most everyone else. While the traditions around rings and ringing have changed over time, including the process for how juniors ask seniors to ring them, Banquet has always had a performative aspect to it. Banquet is a fancy dinner put on by the juniors for the seniors, and sophomores are often the entertainment for the evening. Choosing a theme for the dinner dates back to the 1940s and 1950s, with the most popular ones since then being Alice in Wonderland and Casino Night. The newest evolution in ringing is the interest in maintaining and uncovering lineages; do you know who is your grand-ringee or grand-ringer? Maybe it’s time to start a ringing family tree!

1969 BANQUET

1945 BANQUET

1986 BANQUET

2001 BANQUET

1983 BANQUET

2019 BANQUET

Spring 2020 | 31

NEW VOICES

Meet our New Trustees CASTILLEJA’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES plays a vital role in stewarding the future of the school, and this year our board was made stronger by the addition of five members, including one alumna.

Collectively, they bring extensive experience in leadership, communications, activism, social equity and inclusion, and community engagement.

32 | Castilleja Full Circle

STEVE DOWLING P’24 “I’m proud to be both a Casti dad and a trustee.

I’ve been inspired by Castilleja’s mission and the dedication of its talented faculty and staff, who have such a profound, positive influence on the future leaders and innovators studying at Casti today.”

ODETTE HARRIS P’22 P’24

SHANTI PERKINS ’90 P’24 P’26

“My inspiration is the Girls! Their whimsy, their determination, their Joy. They are our Future, and to assist Castilleja and the students in any way is an honor!”

“Seeing Castilleja’s mission manifest in my daughters and my wish to share this with future generations of girls has inspired me to become a trustee of Castilleja.”

MIA ROCHA P’22 P’26

AMY RAO

“Being a trustee at Castilleja allows me to support the school in promoting socioeconomic diversity and in removing barriers to equity and inclusion for all. I admire Castilleja's dedication to creating such a magical safe space where all voices are heard, including mine.”

“I was inspired to join the Castilleja board to help play a larger role in educating the next generation of female leaders... We each need to do more to help bring the future we want to see.”

A LITTLE R&R

The Next Adventure CASTILLEJA CELEBRATES THREE BELOVED TEACHERS More than 150 Castilleja alumnae, Honorary Alumni/ae (HA’s), colleagues, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the retirements of three distinguished teachers. Congratulations to Jeannine Marston, Connie Richardson, and Holly Thompson! We are extremely grateful for your 84 collective years of exceptional teaching around the Circle.

Connie RichardsonHA, Nanci KauffmanHA, Holly ThompsonHA and Jeannine MarstonHA

Kathy BurchHA, Stacey Kertsman, and Jim Pickett—three devoted members of our Leadership Team—will be missed as they embark on new adventures in June.

Spring 2020 | 33

WANDER

THE C LASS O F 2 02 0

The Next Wanderers

FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT The Class of 2020 races across the Circle to greet the freshman class at the annual Tie Ceremony.

PERFECT CIRCLE S E N I O R S D R IVE T H E C I R C L E

A PLACE ON THE CIRCLE “On this campus, belonging means students sharing their ideas, even when they aren’t sure of themselves. Belonging means Spirit Week, where each grade proudly wears their class color. Belonging means striving for diverse voices and experiences in and outside the classroom. And belonging means coming together to discuss the difficult questions that push us and our school to evolve and grow. To me, this strong sense of belonging at Castilleja shapes the way I see leadership: leadership is about building and holding space for those around us.”

— PARI GOEL ’20, ASB PRESIDENT

THE ROARING 2 0 2 0 ’S

S E N I O R S S H OW T H E I R S P I R I T

GETTING THERE “So if I really think back to my younger self, and how I got here, today, I mostly just want to give her a hug, and tell her that she’s got a lot of life ahead of her and she can take her time to grow into that and to grow into herself. Because it does take time, and I’m still getting there. But I can already tell it’s so, so worth it.” ­— SOPHIA LINDAHL ’20, SENIOR SPEECH EXCERPT 34 | Castilleja Full Circle

CASTI-CHELLA “Our Castilleja community is like one huge concert. You know when you see a killer festival lineup and it’s all of your favorite bands in one place and it’s way too good to be true?

That’s Castilleja.”

SENIOR SEND-OFFS Soccer: Ally Dickson and Georgia Nieh; Volleyball: Kayla Drazan, Suzanna Wang, and Bella Vandenberg

­— TONI LOEW ’20, SENIOR SPEECH EXCERPT

MATCH POINT Tennis: Becca Row, Annabelle Ross, Lily Taylor, Mabelle Pasmooij, Roxana Scott, and Cordelia Yu

SENIORS WITH A HEART Senior Executive Producers Paulina

Arguello, Athena Burrs-President, Alana Kaplinsky, Sara Lowell, Megan Orsak, Lucia Shen, and Olivia Watson chose to "Feed the Hungry" at this year's Arts with a Heart dance benefit show, directed by Georgi SheaHA.

GO FISH Water Polo: Paulina Arguello, Elizabeth Ledwith, Lauren Byunn-Rieder, Olivia French, Minhee Chung, Sarah Pedley, and Lauren Speiser

TEAM PLAYERS Kristen Kuhn will attend University of Pennsylvania for gymnastics, Moorea Mitchell will attend Duke for track and field, and Marie Williams will swim for Cornell.

CHANGING PATHS “Sometimes you think you know the path you’re meant to be on and you can’t see it any other way. I’ve learned that that’s not always true. You don’t know how your path will change, and sometimes when you lose your passion, you might actually open up a space in your life for something better and more rewarding.” ­— ANYA AYALA ’20, SENIOR SPEECH EXCERPT

SPACE JAM Basketball: Anna DeVitis, Athena Burrs-President, Lauren Sibley, Naomi Poe, and Sammy Wong Spring 2020 | 35

Back on the Circle

CASTILLEJA ALUMNAE

ALUMNAE EVENT CALENDAR FALL 2020

WINTER 2021

SPRING 2021

ONGOING

REUNION WEEKEND OCTOBER 9–10, 2020 Alumnae with graduation years ending with “5” or “0” please join us for your milestone year festivities.

YOUNG ALUMNAE BRUNCH JANUARY 6, 2021 Recent alumnae are invited back to the Circle for a festive brunch.

REGIONAL GATHERINGS Hosted annually in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

-------------------------

ALUMNAE FAMILY VALENTINE’S PARTY FEBRUARY 6, 2021 Join us for Valentine activities including crafts and games. A perfect event for children and grandchildren!

VIEW360 BENEFITING TUITION ASSISTANCE MARCH 13, 2021 Be inspired by world-renowned speakers and entertainment at Castilleja’s premiere fundraising event. castilleja.org/view360

CAPA EVENT OCTOBER 20, 2020 Alumnae parents gather in Anita Seipp Art Gallery for art, wine, and conversation.

36 | Castilleja Full Circle

-------------------------

------------------------FOUNDER'S DAY APRIL 30, 2021 Celebrate our Founders and the Class of 2021 with lunch on the Circle.

------------------------ALUMNAE PANELS Do you have an interesting career or life story to share with fellow alumnae and current students? alumnae@castilleja.org ------------------------FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHES Join us in the Dining Room: September 11, 2020 November 6, 2020 February 5, 2021

(Left to Right) Riley Guggenhime ’20, Tracy Jan ’94, Angela Fong ’99, Lindy Liggett ’04, Diane Brooks Dixon ’69, and Bella Vandenberg ’20

ALUMNAE PANEL

Lessons Learned Reunion Weekend brings alumnae back to campus to reconnect with classmates and beloved faculty members.

They also make one other very important connection— with current students. Each year, to start the festivities, a panel of alumnae share wisdom from the wide world and thoughts about their time around the Circle. This year, they also reflected on Belonging in college and throughout life.

This year’s Alumnae Panel, moderated by Riley Guggenhime ’20 and Bella Vandenberg ’20, brought together Lindy Liggett ’04, who led a team developing robot platforms before moving into user testing and design; Angela Fong ’99, who worked as a Hollywood showrunner and now is an operations lead in Global Creative Strategy at Facebook; Tracy Jan ’94, who covers the intersection of race and the economy for the Washington Post; and Diane Brooks Dixon ’69, a former executive who is now the mayor of Newport Beach, California and has just begun her campaign to become a California State Assembly representative.

Belonging is ... an ongoing process that you keep developing as you join new communities and grow into new roles.

The alumnae, who spanned 40 years on campus and had all chosen different paths since graduation, often agreed with each other as they responded to students’ questions.

Belonging, they suggested, is not a fixed idea. Instead, they saw it as an ongoing process that you keep developing as you join new communities and grow into new roles: CEO, mother, city leader, creator, voice for change. They honestly shared their accomplishments and their obstacles, including accepting a beloved family member’s grave illness, navigating unexpected career turns, and breaking away from goals they have outgrown. Offering themselves as evidence, these four women proved that the challenges they faced ended up making their paths more clear and ultimately more fulfilling.

Spring 2020 | 37

Alumnae Events 2019­­–2020 YOUNG ALUMNAE BRUNCH Recent graduates reconnect for this annual tradition.

CAPA FALL GATHERING The Castilleja Alumnae Parent Association enjoyed art and wine in the Anita Seipp Art Gallery.

REGIONAL GATHERINGS take place annually in a city near you. Photos below from the San Francisco get-together at The Hivery.

38 | Castilleja Full Circle

FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHES (below) are informal opportunities to reconnect with Castilleja teachers, current students, and friends.

YOUNG ALUMNAE PANEL (right) Betsy Rogers ’06, Sara Holston ’13, Megan Colford ’15, Evan Cranston ’11, Taylor Wilkerson ’13, Petra Carlos-Arzate ’13, and Clare Maloney-McCrystle ’15 returned to campus for a young alumnae panel series in January to share stories about life in college and their first jobs.

ALUMNAE FAMILY VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY Castilleja alumnae and their families visit for a morning of crafts, games, and fun.

Spring 2020 | 39

RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG

Reunion Weekend CELEBRATING THE FOURS AND NINES

We welcomed Castilleja alumnae from the Classes of 1949–2014 back to campus for Reunion Weekend and loved making new memories around the Circle.

Class of 1979

40 | Castilleja Full Circle

Reunion Weekend 2019 included an alumnae panel, garden luncheon at Lockey House, letterpress printing, campus tours, and a celebration dinner. Classes ending in “5” and “0,” mark your calendar for this fall’s Reunion Weekend: October 9–10, 2020.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2004 FOR WINNING THE CASTILLEJA CUP

Spring 2020 | 41

REUNION WEEKEND 2019

42 | Castilleja Full Circle

CLASS NOTES

We’d love to hear from you!

Help us stay in touch by sharing your new contact information and exciting updates on life, work, family, accomplishments, travel, hobbies, and more. Submit your Class Note (75 words or fewer) to appear in the next issue of Full Circle Magazine at: castilleja.org/alumnae

1950s

1950 Eleanor Ellacott ’50 is finally retired (for the 4th time) as of June 2019. She is happy, hearty, and (fairly) healthy. “Right now I am trying to find a class at night to learn Spanish and also looking for a piano teacher!” She has traveled all over the world. She is sad about the loss of her friends Lorraine Potter Lasell and Diana Bentley Harbaugh ’48. “I have great memories of Castilleja and my years there, and appreciate the quality and quantity of the education there. All good wishes for the future!!”

1952 Lynn Armstrong Winkel ’52 just celebrated her 85th birthday! She has two sons, Jeff and Erik, and three granddaughters.

Questions? Ideas? Please contact: Julia Odelowo Director of Alumnae Engagement (650) 470–7743 alumnae@castilleja.org Castilleja School 1310 Bryant Street Palo Alto, CA 94301

1940s

1945 Winifred Berry Lowell ’45 shares the sad news of the passing of fellow classmate Audrey Hill McQuay in May 2019. She was one of Winifred’s dearest friends, and they kept in touch with each other all these years. Winifred remembers Audrey as vibrant, outgoing, full of fun, always so great to be with. She left behind such a fine husband and wonderful big family and will be missed so much.

1949 Carolyn Hornkohl Gillespie ’49 writes that she received a B.S. in Biology from Stanford and M.A. from UC Berkeley. Her husband Bill received a M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford in 1953 and 1954. They have two sons who are married, two granddaughters in Texas and one grandson in Colorado. Carolyn was a Castilleja boarder in her last two years of high school. “There were many great stories of Castilleja in the forties. Would love to hear any news from 1949 classmates.” Her address is 531 Rosarita Drive, Fullerton CA 92831.

1963 Sandra Sayre Flattery ’63 continues to enjoy mountain life in Sun Valley, Idaho, and part-time life in Menlo Park in the off season.

She has one grandson in college in Boulder, one granddaughter at the University of Utah, another grandson who graduated high school in Pacific Grove, a 12-year-old grandchild in Carmel, and 11-year-old triplets in Bend, Oregon!

In the summer, she will be hiking in Croatia, sailing down the Dalmatian Coast, then heading to Greece. Grateful...

1957 Susannah Harris-Wilson ’57 writes, “Hello!

I hope some of my classmates are still reading Casti news. I am still in the UK but have moved house. My new address is 20 Cunliffe Close, Oxford OX2 7BL. Do visit England and give me a ring.” Susannah’s beloved husband died nine years ago, but she has close friends and keeps up with ballet classes. She remembers her classmates with warmth and gratitude.

Sue Holzman Hanna ’57 writes, "when I mentioned to my doctor that I was having a mammogram the very next day, he commented that it wasn’t necessary at our age. I didn’t listen, had the procedure, and came out with cancer of my breast.”

1960s

1961 Sally Thornhill Peterson ’61 is happily living in Sonoma, California, and works for Sotheby’s International Realty on the Plaza in Sonoma. Her son lives nearby.

1964 Denise Kaufman ’64 and her band, Ace of Cups, had an amazing 2019. Their debut studio album was released on High Moon Records.

They had a summer tour and played in various festivals and venues, including the Fillmore in San Francisco with Jason Mraz, only 50 years after they last played there! They had a great time in NYC on The Today Show with Hoda and guest host Andy Cohen. “Please note—I'm the youngest in the band at 73. Our rocking drummer Diane is 76! Stay healthy and let your light shine, amigas!!!”

Sadie Pullen ’64 writes that her son, Alex, is in his third year at Clemson University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Her daughter, Carolyn, spent a week volunteering in Homer, Alaska, with the church she attends and is in her fourth year as a medical records coordinator. Sadie enjoys being active. Her 2020 toast to you and yours reprises past wishes: “May you find your bumper full to the brim, wisdom and verve present in equal amounts, joints well oiled, and your heart full of passion for who and what matter most to you.

Toast well and embrace each day. Skål!”

Michaele Roth Thunen ’64 and Cindy Swanson Miller organized a tea party for the 55th Reunion. Many thanks to Cindy for planning the Reunion with the help of Julia Odelowo. After the Alumnae Luncheon, they “ambled over to Gamble,” as written on the invitation.

Helene Chandler Williams ’64 is happily settled in Oregon and sends greetings.

Bonnie Eggink Allen ’64 and Steve are superimposed on a collage of Area 31 sightings (#31 Kelly Lane, that is), very arresting!

1962 Judith Liff Robertson Flick ’62 celebrated her 75th birthday with a surprise party thrown by her husband. She is still riding horses and having lots of fun.

Spring 2020 | 43

1960s, continued

Cary Golub Lurie ’64 and Wayne were everywhere: Cambodia, Bangkok, and Spain, not to mention Pebble Beach, Heinz Field for the Steelers’ game, the Everglades, Napa, and back to Reno for a gala. They celebrated Thanksgiving with all nine grandchildren, including her other granddaughter, Sam, who is on the same water polo team as Cindy Swanson Miller’s granddaughter, Lilly.

Pat Hunter Gregory ’64 and Tod and family had a wonderful nine-day reunion in August on the Big Island of Hawaii—many leis and adventures.

Their granddaughter, Harriet, starred in a production of The Wizard of Oz as the Wizard.

Their grandson, Clark, is a busy Cub Scout who can now run faster than his dad. Diana Gregory Horner ’91 and her family visited Colombia and Panama. Diana works with women’s clothes designer Leslie Evers. Pat led the spring Gamble Garden’s Annual Spring Tour (result: Best Year Ever!) and coordinated family gatherings. Tod is “retired but retained” and does some career counseling when he isn’t busy with Rotary Club.

Gail Wilson Zetter ’64 reports that they spent Christmas in Boston, standing by as their energetic daughter and family entertained four different families on four different occasions.

Earlier in 2019, they had a family reunion in Evanston, Illinois, for Adam’s graduation from Northwestern with a master’s degree. Jennifer is vice president at a startup which brings her out to San Francisco every four weeks. Paul just started a new job at a startup which he manages despite also managing boys and sports schedules. “My job is getting big hugs from grandsons whenever possible, in person and via Skype!”

Jeffie Welsh Feakins ’64 recently met Gail Wilson Zetter for traditional oatmeal and coffee. Jeffie’s daughter, Sam, and family are undertaking an extensive remodel of their new home in Santa Barbara, which will have an addition for Jeffie when she visits and an amazing view of the Channel Islands. Daughter Toffie Kopczynski and family live in Woodside—her granddaughter Clara ’26 is at Castilleja now, so Jeffie could go to Grandparents’ Day!

Cristina Lerche de Balestra ’64 continues the happy tradition of starting a Merry Christmas email, giving everyone a chance to chime in.

Ann Grinnell Lynn ’64 shares a picture of herself with her great-grandson Avery and his mama.

Ann had a lot of fun with him in Texas. Over the winter, they had piles of snow, then a thaw, then freezing temperatures again. She is planning her annual trip to the Bahamas “to warm up my bones.”

Christie Haas Fenton ’64 writes from Georgia that her “two granddaughters are grown up (17 and 19)!” Her son Michael is off to Thailand to marry his long-time girlfriend and open up a passport and visa office. Her daughter Jennifer teaches ESL and her son-in-law is a professor at a private university in North Carolina.

Christina Hulden Westmoreland ’64 is a grandma! Adam and daughter Lisa have a little daughter, Skye. Adam is with Google, Lisa is an editor. Daughter Lori and cats had been living in Baltimore, where Lori worked as Director of Animal Health at the National Aquarium but will transfer to the North Carolina Aquariums as a veterinarian. Christina spent eight weeks bonding with Skye, traveled to Asilomar, Half Moon Bay, and Santa Cruz, came home to spinning with novelty yarns and gardening, and visiting Lori. While out in California with Skye, husband Dave worked on several wine-tasting trips. At home he works part time and plans more trips.

Enid Hardcastle Nuisberger ’64 and Geoffrey joined Balance Class at the Parsley Falls Senior Center but were asked to leave because Geoffrey kept pushing people over. They are hoping to be able to return on probation but haven’t heard yet. Enid is thoroughly fed up with Geoffrey, who thinks he is a real card.

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Janet Mauel Cronk ’64 and Rick shared a picture of their five grandchildren, ranging from university to day care: Cole, a junior at Chapman University, Molly, a freshman at the University of Washington, Christopher, a junior at The Athenian School, and twins Kinsley and Atlas, preschoolers at Children's Day School. When not enduring two blackouts and an earthquake, they traveled to Vail to ski, Austin for Cal Swim Team’s NCAA victory, Spain and Portugal, Tahoe, Sedona... and Disneyland, for the twins!

Cindy Swanson Miller ’64 and Buff are pictured with grandchildren Meiko (9), Ayumi (7) Tyler (11) and Lilly (11). Cindy was honored on Alumnae Day!

1966 Connie Atterbury ’66 is still selling real estate in Chicago, although now limits the number of buyers and sellers with whom she works.

She has three lovely granddaughters, ages 5, 3, and 1. Both her daughter and son’s families live in Chicago. Connie escapes the polar vortexes in Chicago by spending January and part of February at her home in Akumal, Mexico. She would love to hear from any of you: (312) 502-3520.

Catherine Mathews Conn ’66 moved to Utah from Tennessee. She has learned that downsizing is not for wimps! However, she loves the skiing, hiking, and fly-fishing opportunities, plus being closer to family and friends in California.

Catherine just celebrated fifty years of marriage.

1968 Maryanne Greninger Merritt ’68 and her husband have been coming to San Francisco as often as possible to visit their first grandson, born in September.

1970s

1970 Charise Hale McHugh ’70 is happy to report that her son, Byron Werner, was the director of photography on the movie, The Last Full Measure. It is a movie based on a true story with a star studded cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Plummer, Ed Harris, Dianne Ladd, Peter Fonda, William Hurt, and Sebastian Stan. Jack and I had fun walking the red carpet at the premiere with Byron and his wife, Amy. “If you don't blink, you will see me in the last two scenes.”

1971 DeBorah Eaton Beatty ’71 launched a new path in February to show people how to move on from past experiences, triumph over traumas and go from surviving to thriving, embracing a Created Life of power, passion and possibility.

She has a second book planned for 2020!

1972 Joyce Bogner Bohn ’72 will be taking her granddaughter, Sophie, to Italy in June. Lise Giansiricusa, who has her own travel company, is helping with the hotels and sight-seeing arrangements so it will be a spectacular trip.

Joyce also shares this photo of Susan Sundby Nicolas while parasailing together in the Florida Keys in October. “We had a great time!”

Nancy Ditz Mosbacher ’72 and husband Bruce are really enjoying this chapter of their lives.

She returned to running after a 22-year break when their daughter Emily Mosbacher ’12 asked her to run the 2016 Boston Marathon. They went to race half marathons at the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore. “I’m very slow, but steady!”

And, after a lifetime of shunning the sport, she’s become an enthusiastic golfer. Their son Jack, is a musician. You can find his music from his two bands, Kezar and Jack Mosbacher Band, on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

Karen Smith Shaw ’72 had a great year! She enjoyed a car trip to southern Utah and the summer at Lake Almanor. She is playing lots of golf and her husband is fishing. In August, their older daughter will be an assistant professor in fashion apparel at Auburn University. Their younger daughter has been working and traveling across Australia since May.

1977 Christa Lansdowne Nicholas ’77 is living in Portland, Oregon after renovating a 1912 house in the Southeast area. She would be delighted to host any classmates heading up her way. Her daughter Adrienne got married on December 22. She is still working with clients in healthcare products and services which keeps her busy!

1979 Laura Ware Nethercutt ’79 had a ball skirting her way around October’s outages in Marin in the Marin Musical Theatre Company’s production of Rocky Horror. It was her best excuse for missing the 40th reunion. She’s on the left of the photo, in the orange skirt.

1980s

1982 Liz Babb ’82 moved back to Portola Valley last April after eloping with her boyfriend of seven years! Being closer to Dad and Mom (who has severe Alzheimer's) was important to her, and they now live 5 minutes away from their retirement community. Moving south has meant renewing Castilleja connections with Sarah Rosenbaum Gaeta, Katrien Neukermans Burlinson ’85. She also lives a block from Lisa Anderson Hill ’86. “I get to see many friends with whom I have kept in touch: Gabrielle Whelan, Elizabeth Leep ’81, Sherene Melania Bretschneider ’00, Ruth Maurice, etc. Hoping to schedule a hike leaving from my house in Portola Valley soon!”

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1984 Michelle Riches Helvey ’84 is thrilled that her family continues to grow. “There's nothing better than being Grams! This past year has brought profound growth to Oakwood School where I serve as the head. I'm counting my blessings.”

1987 Jennifer Rose ’87 lovingly remembers her mom, Trudy Rose, who passed away in April 2019. Despite humble beginnings, Trudy possessed an inherent sense of style and a keen appreciation for beautiful design. Trudy was a fabulous cook, and her legendary apple pie was eagerly anticipated at family gatherings. Trudy and her husband Terry Rose were the best of friends who complemented and strengthened one another throughout their remarkable relationship of sixty-seven years. Above all, Trudy was a woman of faith who loved the Lord with all her heart and lived her faith.

1988 Lizzie Harris ’88 is living with her husband Jed and son Oliver in Berkeley. She and Jed both work in technology. Lizzie recently changed jobs and is now managing the docs team at ThousandEyes. Oliver is fifteen and a tenth grader at Berkeley High. “He came out to us as Trans almost two years ago, and has been going by he/him and Oliver since then.” They see her sister Katie Stirling-Harris ’87 and her family regularly, as well as her sister Sonja and mother Nancy FlowersHA. Once a month, Nancy organizes a family dinner at Lizzie’s house, always a loud and loving event. “I'm a lucky human.”

Kathy Stewart Marcove ’82 and her family recently relocated back to her hometown Santa Barbara. “It is glorious! My daughter graduated from Campbell University in December, and my son is studying mechanical engineering at San Diego State University. Life is good!”

1983 Robin Haber Kallas ’83 and Alex and have finally moved into the house they built on Bainbridge Island, living with their goldendoodle and Maine Coon cat, skiing and traveling in the winter and kayaking in the summer. Their boys are both Marine officers stationed together on Okinawa. She plans to transition from pediatric emergency medicine to urgent care this summer, and will be working closer to home. Robin would love to host anyone for a visit!

1989 Tara Desautels ’89 recently started a two-year term as the Presiding Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court. But more notably, in the fall, she was able to get together with longtime friends and classmates Hilary Howell McAvoy and Allison Marston Danner to celebrate Hilary’s birthday!

Spring 2020 | 45

1990s

1990 Joanna Busza ’90 is looking forward to seeing as many of her classmates as possible for her 30th reunion in October! She hopes to come out to California for a few weeks to catch up on her friendships and enjoy the Pacific Coast.

Reena Patton ’92 celebrated her USC Annenberg graduate school commencement with her classmates Laila Haq Collins, Hala Kurdi Cozadd, and Sabrina Berry Parsons (pictured).

Also in attendance was her former dorm mother, Janet Whitchurch (see Faculty notes for photo).

1991 Diana Gregory Horner ’91 shares this fun photo from a neighborhood get-together in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve. In talking with Nickie and Roger Mackenzie, she learned that they both attended Castilleja! Roger Mackenzie ’44 and ’45 (for nursery school) and Nickie Severance Mackenzie ’59. “Love those Castilleja Connections!”

Heather Beckett Oakes ’93 is looking forward to welcoming alumnae kids to her international version of her Showman Band Camp in Dundalk, Ireland! “I’m pretty sure I’m missing an apostrophe... Don’t tell Ms. PietrzykHA, Ms. MelmonHA or Ms. BishopHA! Also don’t mention that ellipsis. Oh dear!” Heather has been busy raising her three boys and running her music school, Grow Music. She has been enjoying connecting with the Castilleja community on Facebook, including Bear CapronHA, and writes that she is “forever indebted to him for my love of theatre. Our youngest is taking to theatre already and started his first Shakespeare at the ripe age of eight at JH Academy Belfast.”

Hala Kurdi Cozadd ’92 had a mini-reunion with Laila Haq Collins and Reena Patton at Jennifer Booth Zwolinski’s house in San Diego in August 2019.

1994 Pratima Sethi ’94, Ellie Wright Thompson ’93, Claire Barkley ’93, Kristin Schroeder Vilhauer ’93 and their children gathered together to celebrate Ellie’s parents’ 50th anniversary in June 2019.

1992 Laila Haq Collins ’92 and Reena Patton introduced Laila’s pre-teen and teen daughters to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco over the 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. Laila and Reena had a ball rediscovering an area that was their favorite in the 90s. The youngins were not as thrilled. #HelloGenZ

46 | Castilleja Full Circle

1993 Christina Bozzini Lansdown ’93 and Reena Patton ’92 shared an Italian dinner in Los Angeles while Christina was in town for a professional conference.

Marian Washington Williams ’94 had an amazing time at the alumnae weekend connecting with classmates she had not seen in many years.

She continues to work at Santa Clara University School of Law as a program manager for the Tech Edge JD program and the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic. Her daily commute now includes carpool drop off at Bellarmine College Preparatory, where her son began his freshman year as a member of the Class of 2023. GO BELLS! You can still find her, most weekends, on the sideline of either a lacrosse or soccer game, and sometimes both on the same day. She sees Jenn Cady Logan regularly for their kids' sporting events, book club, and very fun girls’ night out.

2000s

1990s, continued

1995 Orlena Fong Shek ’95 writes that when she is not doing speaking engagements to raise awareness about rare brain disease, she keeps busy with her little rascals, Annabelle (10) and Russell (2). Life is good!

1998 Kimberley Morris Rosen ’98 had a momentous 2019. The Rosen family welcomed Benjamin Morris Rosen into the world on February 14, 2019. Benjamin joins big sisters Charlotte, Louisa, and Eleanor. Befitting to his Valentine's birthday, everyone is truly in love with him. Kimberley was also appointed as a Trustee to the Governing Board of the Portola Valley School District in March 2019. She also continues her legal practice and enjoys serving on the Board of Directors of Windmill School.

Sarah Nissen ’95 and her 13 year old son are excited to start 2020 by spending some time in their new home in Colorado. Sarah works from home documenting her journey with healing with real food, ridding her home of pollution and toxins, unschooling her 2e son, dealing with family drama, and more on her blog sarahnissen.com and her Youtube channel.

1997 Leila Nagel ’97 married her college roommate, Mel Mandrup. They live in Sacramento with their four dogs and two cats. Leila worked for Peet’s Coffee corporate for 15 years and is now building her wellness business and fostering dogs. Recognizing that animals can create happiness and health, Leila’s mission is to bring wellness to her clients in the form of beneficial products, personal coaching, and, when appropriate, homing a foster animal with them.

Mani White ’97 and Helen Ham Bradley joined forces as the proud owners of Flex Fusion Studios, a fitness studio in Campbell, California, that is fun, friendly, inclusive, and eco-friendly.

“Come by and say hi, drop us a note at info@ flexfusionstudios.com, or stop in for a class in one of our many class styles, including barre, Bootcamp, circuit training, TRX, yoga, cardio dance and kickboxing.”

1999 Kristen Leep ’99 writes that in addition to the wonderful slate of events organized by the school, the Class of ’99 had a delicious and delightful class brunch at the historic Lantham Hopkins Gatehouse in Menlo Park, which she and Andrea Coen organized. “It was a special opportunity for us to catch up and meet each other’s new families.”

The Class of 1999 had an awesome reunion over the summer! Check out this photo, which includes Misty Blair, Cara Cipriano, Steph Trailer Clay, Angela Fong, Katie Carlson, Emily Stone Tucker, Andrea Coen, Jeannie Ensign-Lewis Larson, Sophie Jones, Nicole Del Riego, Ali Baiardo, Erin Beattie McDearman, Kristen Leep, Chantelle Karl Darby, Laura Thomason Mazza, and Nina Sachdev.

2000 Navi Raju Kamdar ’00 and her family have settled into San Diego living. She is working part time as a dental associate and running around with her toddler on alternate days. Life has been much more laid back here, and she's had the chance to reconnect with many more friends.

2002 Kate Eby ’02 shares that 2019 was an incredible year for her! For the first time, she broke two hours in a half marathon. She set a goal to travel every month and reached it, visiting five countries, eight states, and seven California cities. The best part was earning her first Emmy award for Best Evening Newscast for producing ABC7 News at 6pm the day the Camp Fire started in Butte County.

2004 Paz Hilfinger-Pardo ’04 writes that in December 2019, her play, YOU/EMMA, showed at the Pear Theater. The play is a postmodern fever dream that crashes Madame Bovary into a future that’s female. Paz first read the novel at Castilleja in her Modern European Literature class and says, “Emma Bovary just wouldn't let me go—this seminal figure of modern literature, with the same adolescent hunger for life I felt, but trapped in a world where her only ambition could be redecorating the living room—she got under my skin and stuck around, begging to be written about.” In other news, Paz writes, “Thank you for the Casti bib—Elías looks unbearably cute in it!

Spring 2020 | 47

2000s, continued 2005 Ashley Wiseman ’05 lives in Paris. Come visit and eat baguettes!

Meagan Kenny Wenstrand ’06 reports that the Wenstrands are now a family of four! They welcomed baby Jack back in October and Abby is loving the role of big sister.

2006 Margaret York ’06 married Alexander Cucharale on June 15th at her parents’ home in Virginia. Zandy and Meg met as undergrads at Penn, reconnecting years later as neighbors in New York. Meg’s brother, John, officiated and sister Catherine York ’08 served as maid of honor. Bridesmaid Tina Yu and esteemed guests Camille Labat, Deyola Adekunle, and Elizabeth Delmagro (mother of Deyola) represented from around the Circle in their garden formal best!

2007 Malin Bogue ’07 quit the private sector to serve as Director of Strategic Projects in the campaign to make Boris Johnson the next Conservative leader and the UK's Prime Minister, and won with 2/3 of the vote! She is delighted with her first campaign win at the senior management level.

Aditi Nagaraj ’06 got married and moved to Berlin with her husband! 2019 was a very exciting year!

Allison Sih ’06 is in her fourth year of residency in urology. She is marrying her co-resident, whom she met in Philadelphia, in May.

Courtney Chang ’07 has recently taken on a new role at IDEO.org, launching the Billion Girls CoLab, a collaborative platform using design to build innovative solutions for adolescent girl health and wellness in East Africa. She’s excited to be collaborating with Katie Kirsch ’12 on the initiative’s early development.

Kelly Schryver Steinhardt ’07 recently welcomed the birth of her first child, Owen. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and high school sweetheart, Elliot, and is nearing her sixth year at Google. They feel lucky to live so close to Grandma Lauren SchryverHA!

2008 Laura Hansen ’08 let her Castilleja students compose this Class Note: “I begin my morning by riding my bike to school, wishing I, too, was wearing my blue Casti skirt. During class, our opening activity is typically looking through pictures of my dog or sharing a Life Lesson. At break, I sometimes partake in making videos for the Castilleja TikTok and am slowly but steadily becoming famous on the app. After teaching my freshmen and juniors, I end my day chatting about statistics with my ringee/roommate Maya Mathur ’09, some mindful meditation, and turkey brie sandwiches inspired by the Casti kitchen #onceaCastistudentalwaysaCastistudent. Laura is pictured with fellow alumnae and Castilleja faculty Elke Teichmann ’09 and Angelica Ortiz Anguiano ’11, wearing their skirts for Spirit Week.

2009 Kayla Bien ’09 married her partner Michael Tien in August 2019. They felt fortunate to celebrate with several alumnae, including Anna Powell, Noelle Schoettle, Julia Ishiyama, Kennedy Flanders, Hannah Towne, Ali Aronstam, Rebecca Wang, and Lindsey Wang ’12.

2010s

Lauren Dunec Hoang ’06 and her husband are thrilled to be moving to London after spending the last four years in Amsterdam. “Let me know if you're passing through or also living in London (!!) as I'd love to see a friendly face. xx” 2010 Amy Toig ’10 had a great 2019! She got engaged to Sam Gooch, earned her MS in Psychology, and completed a specialization in Integrative Health at Duke University where she studied the neuroscience of behavior change and coaching methods. This spring, she is opening her private practice in Integrative Health Consulting — Health by Amy, in the Bay Area! You can learn more at www.amy.health.

48 | Castilleja Full Circle

2010s, continued 2011 Emily Steemers ’11 moved to Austin, Texas, after four years in the Bay Area at Kaiser Permanente. She is enrolled in the MBA program at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin! She's loving Austin (despite the heat) and has taken on leadership roles with McCombs' Health Innovation Fellows and the Graduate Wine Club. “Drop a line if you're ever in town!”

Camila McHugh ’11 lives in Berlin where she is working at a contemporary art gallery, as well as curating exhibitions independently and with the curatorial collective East of Elsewhere.

Jordan Fowler Bull ’13 is currently working at Google in the Bay Area, focusing on telling more of the positive stories around artificial intelligence/machine learning, and leading programs to support underrepresented developers from around the world succeed in this emerging technological industry. She spent the last year planning her dream wedding to her incredible husband and looks forward to all that's in store in the future!

Jackie Summers Stromberg ’11 married Andrew Stromberg in Menlo Park, California, on June 1, 2019. Michaela Wetter was the maid of honor.

In the weeks prior to their wedding, Jackie and Andrew graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and moved to the Bay Area to start their medical residencies at Stanford, where Jackie is training in neurology and Andrew is training in emergency medicine.

2013 Katie Blunt ’13 graduated from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (Honours) in December 2019. She is now working as a first year doctor in regional Australia and hoping to become an obstetrician and gynecologist. Before she started full time work, she was able to briefly visit California for the first time since moving home to Australia ten years ago. “I was lucky enough to have lunch with some of my friends from Castilleja and hear about all their incredible achievements.”

2016 Mimi Tran Zambetti ’16 started Wren, a company with two of her good friends from USC, Ben and Landon. Wren is a monthly subscription to offset your carbon footprint (projectwren. com). Over the summer, they went through the Y Combinator Accelerator and raised a $1.5 million seed round shortly after. “I’m learning a lot working full-time in San Francisco while finishing up my last year at USC remotely. Even though we're just getting started, I wanted to write in and thank Gatorbotics and the Bourn Lab for getting me hooked on building stuff.”

2017 Grace Frome ’17 shares this photo of the first class of the new school year at Northwestern University, which included a reunion with her Middle School “little sister” Samantha Noeth Lewis ’19.

2014 Samra Ahmed ’14 got married this fall to her college sweetheart, whom she met at Georgetown.

2019 Athena Nair ’19 began her studies at Tufts University last fall. She’s been selected to give a TEDx Talk at TEDxTufts on March 8, 2020 which will be about how diet culture and fatphobia deeply affect our everyday lives, and how body positivity gives us an out from this system. “I’ve also really enjoyed being a part of sQ!, Tufts’ freshest all-gender a cappella group, where I've met some of the greatest people ever.”

Sanah Imran ’14 shares this photo of the Class of 2014 Reunion hosted at the O’Malley home.

Spring 2020 | 49

Faculty & Staff Updates LIFELONG LEARNERS

Got Paws?

The Classics

Meet Winnie, Dawna Houston's new Goldendoodle

Alexandra Myers ’15 and Clare Tandy ’15 with John KlopaczHA and Michael Shanks P’16

Bear CapronHA, former faculty member (1989-2010) teaching drama and film, has learned that the pancreatic cancer first diagnosed two years ago has metastasized to his lungs. Though this is a terminal diagnosis, Bear is still feeling well and grateful for every day. He’s now on a clinical trial with a targeted chemotherapy.

He welcomes you to contact him: bearcapron@gmail.com or 2554 Alvin St, Mtn. View, CA 94043.

Nancy FlowersHA shares, “I turn 80 in March, and as we had a big celebration in August for Katie’s 50th, I didn’t think we really needed another big family event. So instead I am honoring my new decade by making a six-week silent retreat. Such retreats are a common feature of Buddhist practice, an opportunity to separate oneself from daily life and really go deeply into meditation.

It’s transformative to not only go without reading, writing, or any kind of outside communication (One ceremonially places one’s electronic “devices” in a caldron on the altar for the length of one’s stay), but especially without speaking, except for two brief interviews a week with one of the teachers (probably intended to make sure you are okay). I’ve done three 30-day retreats before, but this is different as it is self-organized. In other words, except for meals and a daily chore (all in silence, of course), my meditation schedule is entirely of my own making. It’s at a retreat center in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.

I’m a little anxious as I’ve never made a retreat so much on my own, but also really looking forward to it. If I can’t do this at 80, when?”

See Nancy's poem on the opposite page.

50 | Castilleja Full Circle

In August 2018, Dawna Houston moved on from her 20+ years of experience as a communications director to start her own pet care business in Augusta, Georgia. Got Paws? provides dog walking and sitting services, boarding in her home, trips to the dog park and cat feeding. For those who may remember, she was always dog sitting somewhere when she worked at Casti, mostly for Castilleja families. She has a fair number of regular clients for whom she walks their dogs daily, covering 6-10 miles per day. She has no problem getting 10,000 steps in! In her spare time, she continues to do communications work, providing graphic design and website management services for four different independent schools, one in Maryland and three in Texas, as well as other small non-profit organizations throughout the U.S., all from her home office. She recently became a new mom to Winnie, an F1 Standard Goldendoodle whose favorite chew toy is an empty yogurt cup.

John KlopaczHA sends in this news: “Alexandra Myers ’15 and Clare Tandy ’15 were my Castilleja Latin students and are now Stanford graduates. Alexandra was a classics major and Clare (as she phrases it) ‘a classics minor plus.’ Both students participated in the Department of Classics commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 16, 2019. I had the honor of introducing them before the received their diplomas.

Classics Professor Michael Shanks P’16 was also present at the ceremony.”

Elyce MelmonHA writes, “Very difficult to believe that I retired 22 years ago.

Castilleja is such a vivid memory and big part of who I am. Time becomes a strange force as we age. I continue to do volunteer work at Kara, grief counseling and offering writing workshops. I fill spare moments beside my small dog in the garden or at the computer writing plays, poems and short stories. My last production ‘Vanishing Borders,’ was produced as part of Eight Tens at Eight in Santa Cruz. The story focused on a man being released after eight years in prison for a crime he did not commit. I am grateful that the strong bonds of friendship developed in my teaching days continue to be a comfort and inspiration.”

Joanne NessHA is marking 15 years since her retirement as Account Manager in Castilleja’s Financial Office and her move to Kalispell in her native state of Montana.

Recently she and her cat Solemina moved to a new apartment where she already knew residents and has made new friends as well. She appreciates a group of friends who come to her apartment weekly to play cards, and she is grateful for the Eagle Express for going to appointments and to the senior center. She remembers with pleasure her years at Castilleja where she enjoyed working with both colleagues and students. She also likes to recall that she and Castilleja’s founder Miss Lockey hailed from the same locality in the Mountain State.

Feeling Grateful

Birthday Girl

Karen TobeyHA and her husband Tom

Nancy Ware and her family celebrate her birthday in Connecticut

Karen TobeyHA continues to engage in community and family activities in Berkeley, where she and Tom built a home that serves as a gathering place for Rachel Tobey ’94, Kirsten Tobey Saenz ’96, and their families, who live just minutes away.

Karen, or "Ama," as the five grandchildren call her, stays busy not only with caring for the grandkids during some of their afterschool hours, but also with tennis, playing the piano, volunteering for community events, and post-carding for the Democratic Party. She stays in touch with some of her Palo Alto friends through a book club that she began before she retired from Castilleja almost 11 years ago. She and her husband Tom are looking forward to a summer trip in July to Boston, Cape Cod, and Maine with their two daughters and five grandchildren, where they will explore Tobey family roots and introduce the grandchildren to aspects of United States history. (They also intend to eat some lobster!) Karen writes, “Tom and I have many reasons to feel grateful.”

Nancy Ware is staying busy! “I volunteer twice a week as a companion to a woman with dementia; I have joined a gospel choir which I love; I'm taking ukulele lessons, and we have done some traveling. We went back east to Connecticut where I spent a wonderful birthday week with my family in July. We had a very fun week in Chicago with friends, and then went on a glorious 15-day cruise to Hawaii. I was home for four days when my artificial hip popped out for the THIRD time!! EEEKKKK! So I had to have revision surgery, and I'm still hobbled from that. This getting old is for the birds! But it does make one grateful for health, friends and family. Life is good.”

On Approaching 80 Their ancient civil wars are done: Now mind and body age as one.

Instinct and reason sleep together And grant an ever-longer tether To intuition, that explores the dark With courage and the undimmed spark Of curiosity. No need To make report, explain, or heed The old imperative to show Results. It is enough to go Beyond the known and see, Like astronauts, the little world of me.

Dorm Love Reena Patton ’92 and Janet Whitchurch

Janet Whitchurch celebrated with one of her former dorm students, Reena Patton ’92, at Reena’s USC Annenberg Graduate School Commencement. Congratulations!

Nancy FlowersHA March 2019 Palo Alto

KEEP THE NEWS COMING IN! Send your updates to Karen Tobey at kftobey@gmail.com or Julia Odelowo at jodelowo@castilleja.org.

Note: HA denotes Honorary Alumna or Alumnus

Spring 2020 | 51

In Memoriam FOREVER IN OUR CIRCLE ALUMNAE Ann Johnson Bernauer ’49 Diane Frenster ’83 Barbara Kahn Gardener ’34 Poppy Greenman ’91 Margaret (Peg) McKennan Link ’55 Audrey Hill McQuay ’45 Elizabeth Caspers Peters ’43 FAMILY Helen Bean Grandmother of Ciara Bean ’21 Rafael Chatav Father of Maya Chatav ’96 and Yael Chatav Schonbrun ’97 John Damavandi Father of Jessica Damavandi Azizzadeh ’89 and Rebecca Damavandi ’90 Christopher Dawes Father of Sara Dawes '13 Dimitrios Dimitreli Father of Ali Dimitreli ’21 Louis Fleischer Husband of Sara Hutchison Fleischer ’72 Frank Hembrow Father of Catherine Hembrow ’88 James Howell Husband of Penny HowellHA Barbara Jones Mother of Carey Jones ’04 Craig Jurney Husband of Erika Fields Jurney ’85 Dorothea Nabseth Grandmother of Charlotte Stevenson ’99 and Terrell Stevenson ’02 Trudy Rose Mother of Jennifer Rose ’87 Karen Tate Mother of Abigail Krenz ’22

52 | Castilleja Full Circle

Barbara (Vaudy) Kahn Gardner ’34 was born in Stockton in 1916 to Samuel Kahn and Rosalind Weissbein Kahn. At summer camp she was given the nickname Vaudy, which remained with her throughout her life. Her parents frowned on coeducation, so she turned down Stanford to attend Scripps College. Vaudy met Dr. Irvin Bassist Gardner at a dinner party in Houston while visiting family, and it was love at first sight. They married on June 3, 1942, and after the war, they built a home in Hillsborough where they raised their three sons—Bob, Steve, and Tom. Vaudy was an active mom and community volunteer for numerous organizations throughout her life. She was a founding member of the Lonely Hearts, a singles bridge group that met monthly. Her talent is legendary, and the Burlingame Country Club has a senior tournament named in her honor. Vaudy loved her family, her friends and bridge. She combined an innate dignity with a wicked sense of humor and a constant twinkle in her eye.

Margaret (Peg) McKennan Link ’55 was born to Bruce McKennan and Phyrne Tanner McKennan on March 27, 1937 in San Francisco, CA, and lived in Palo Alto. After graduating from University of Colorado, Boulder, Peg married James Marshal Link and began their 53-year life’s adventure. They had two children, Adrianne Middleton and Bruce M. Link; and two grandchildren, Wesley and Russell Middleton. Peg never met a stranger and made friends everywhere. She respected differences and was interested in getting to know the person, treating them with interest, respect, and love. She kept in contact with friends and helped organize class reunions. Peg valued education and sponsored educational scholarships with Colorado School of Mines, ARCS Foundation. Peg insisted if the message wasn’t love, you were missing the message. She lived her life to the fullest and enjoyed every forkful! Surrounded by family, Peg passed away on January 14, 2019.

Nancy Pettigrew Moser ’33 was born in San Francisco in 1915 to adoring parents, Percy Pettigrew and Laura Doe Pettigrew. She met her husband, James Stuart Moser, in the Stanford University chemistry lab. They were married in 1938 and had three children, James, Sally, and Robert. At the end of the war, she made a long and perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean on a munitions ship with her two small children to reunite with her husband on Bahrain Island, where he was working for Standard Oil. After the war, they moved their young family to Walnut Grove, California, where she lived for 73 years. Family was her most treasured priority and feeding people exquisite meals was her favorite way to care for her many friends and loved ones. She was a civic leader and helped found the local Dr. Paul Barnes Community Park. She had a passion for books and started the Great Books chapter in Walnut Grove, and it remains one of the longestrunning such groups in the country.

“Birth of a Nation” by Suzanna Wang ’20

Leadership Team

Board of Trustees

Nanci KauffmanHA Head of School

Mary Speiser, Chair Jim Bean Tony Carrasco Steve Dowling John Giannandrea Cindy Goldberg Lori Goler Theresia Gouw Odette Harris Saima Hasan ’04 Ken Hirsch Heidi Hopper Nanci KauffmanHA Michele Kirsch

Kathy Layendecker Associate Head for Finance and Operations Josée Band Dean of Curriculum and Innovation Lorraine Brown Director of Communications and Community Relations Kathy BurchHA Chief of Staff Anne CameronHA Head of Middle School Stacey Kertsman Dean of Equity Education and Social Impact Sue KimHA Director of Advancement Jill LeeHA Director of Admission, Tuition Assistance, and Summer Programming Jim Pickett Head of Upper School This issue was written and produced by Lorraine Brown, Emily McElhinney, Julia Odelowo, Elke Teichmann ’09, and Tanya Campbell, with photography by Elke Teichmann ’09 and graphic design by Kris Loew P’18 P’20.

Many thanks to Castilleja alumnae for their updates and photos. Special thanks to Judy Lawrence ’69 and Juliet O'Brien ’16 for sharing their stories with us, and to Joan Ackermann Satt ’50, Carol Li Rafferty ’96, Melissa Riofrio ’85, Nancy Schumacher Rosenthal ’72, Maddie Tarr ’15, and Sara Zaroufy ’18 for expressing how they felt Belonging at Castilleja. We appreciate the many contributions from students and faculty to this publication including Nanci KauffmanHA, Christina Appleberry, Tasha Bergson-Michelson, Jenna Borrelli, Ahmed Elgasseir, Carly Fox, Sherie GraysmarkHA, Jacqueline Heler, Kley Gilbuena, Forrest Gingold, Gabi McColgan, Dr. Jane McConnellHA ’81, Mary Jo Pruitt, Candy Ramirez, Jon Rockman, Lauren SchryverHA, Jole SeroffHA, Israel SotoHA, Dr. Christy StoryHA, Helen ShanksHA, Josh Thurston-Milgrom, Antonio ValdiviasHA, Bertha ValdiviasHA, Eloisa ValenciaHA, Kristin WalterHA, photography contributions from Riley Guggenhime ’20, and student artists as attributed throughout.

Aileen Lee David Merenbach Kim Monsalve Shanti Perkins ’90 Anjali Pichai Amy Rao Alyssa Rieder Mia Rocha Sarah Sands David Scott Pratima Sethi ’94 Eugenie Van Wynen Elizabeth Yin ’00 Jianming Yu

Alumnae Association Executive Committee Pratima Sethi ’94, President Liz Babb ’82 Hala Kurdi Cozadd ’92 Liz Rowen Fritz ’01 Emily Hobbs ’09 Allison Koo ’98

Bridget Meaney ’10 Keri Yen Ng ’98 Bonnie Rosenberg ’87 Orlena Fong Shek ’95 Marian Washington Williams ’94

Full Circle

CASTILLEJA SCHOOL MAGAZINE

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Class of 2020 Senior Celebration