Cate School 2023 Fall Bulletin

CATE B U L L E T I N EDITOR

Avani Patel Shah MANAGING EDITOR Matt McClenathen COPY EDITOR

Kate Parker '85 GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mya Cubero PHOTOGRAPHERS

Katie Browne '19 Matt McClenathen Avani Patel Shah ARCHIVIST

Judy Savage HEAD OF SCHOOL

Alexandra Lockett COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Avani Patel Shah Matt McClenathen ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

Lindsay Newlove Evan Akers Beth Engel Chris Giles Guille Gil-Reynoso Alison Hansen Andrew MacDonnell Sarah Preston Emily Sosrodjojo '13 MISSION STATEMENT

Through commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, each member of the Cate community contributes to what our founder called “... the spirit of this place ... all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work.”

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The Cate Bulletin is published three times a year by Cate School and is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Send correspondence and address changes to: communications@cate.org The Cate Bulletin is printed by V3.

The Cate girls varsity tennis team went undefeated and captured the first CIF championship in program history this fall.

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In this

Issue 5

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HEAD OF SCHOOL’S LETTER Head of School Alexandra Lockett reflects on the history and legacy of Cate, expressing gratitude for the community’s embrace while emphasizing the importance of nurturing growth and learning together.

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ON THE MESA

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CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Welcome to Cate Sunset Ceremony The Book of Delights New Faces on the Mesa Round Square Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge Outings Week Fall Family Weekend Fall Athletics Roundup

Discover the latest updates on the For Cate and Forever campaign, including exciting developments on the Inquiry Collaborative project.

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Features

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DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

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CLASS NOTES

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IN MEMORIAM

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

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SUMMER AT CATE

For her distinguished career in cybersecurity, service to the country as a Navy veteran, and dedication to Cate, Boyden Rohner '95 was honored as the 2023 Distinguished Alumna.

From the West Coast to the East Coast and all over the world, Cate alumni share recent news about their lives.

We honor alumni and former faculty who have passed with reflections on their time at Cate and beyond.

An El Batidor article from Dec. 17, 1981 provides a snapshot of the surfing scene at Cate.

Take a look behind the numbers of the exciting summer camp opportunities on the Mesa in 2023.

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Meet Alexandra Lockett Meet Alexandra Lockett, Cate’s eighth Head of School, whose leadership blends personal connection with strategic vision, leaving an inspiring mark on the community as she charts a course of transparency and transformation in her first year on the Mesa.

Servons Full Circle Leslie Turnbull '85 invites readers to explore the profound impact of alumni choosing to come back to the Mesa, delving into their diverse stories, motivations, and the unique connections they share with Cate School.

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From the Head of School

Learning & Growing Together Dear Cate Community, In my quieter moments, I often find myself looking at pictures of Cate from over a hundred years ago. I search for familiar landmarks, I notice how new certain buildings appear, I look at the expressions of the faces in the photos, as I return the same line of inquiry wondering what was it like to start something new by boldly establishing a unique educational community on the westernmost edge of the United States.

“Each day, I am in awe of the spirit this community nurtures in each of us.

It calls us to be more present, more engaged, and more curious as we collectively accept the great adventure of learning and growing together.”

As I set forth on my own maiden voyage here at Cate, I hold seriously the dual responsibility of caring for the legacy of the School while tending to those that inhabit it. Just as Mr. Cate and his many advisors did all those years ago, I think about the decisions we can make today that will impact future generations of Cate leaders and students.

As I search the original pictures of the School, I can see the small saplings that are now grand oak, olive, and eucalyptus trees, staid and settled in like elderly family members. The same is true as alumni look back on pictures of themselves, saplings of sorts, as they were just getting established in those adolescent years here at Cate. Similarly, our seniors are especially fond of looking back on themselves as 9th graders noticing how they’ve grown and what has stayed the same. There is something reassuring about remembering that nothing is static and what we nurture tends to grow. Even I have found myself

looking back to pictures from July 1 as I try to remember what was on my mind as I set forth.

My grandfather was fond of saying, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the next best time is today.” As I begin my tenure here, I am grateful for all the trees, real and metaphorical, that students, teachers, families, trustees, and founders planted all those years ago. The roots of this school span the globe and run deep in the hearts of all those who’ve grown on this Mesa. While the trees I’m planting today are still small, I know that they, too, will be nurtured by the generosity and wisdom of our vast community and will one day be a steadfast presence as future generations set forth.

Each day, I am in awe of the spirit this community nurtures in each of us.

It calls us to be more present, more engaged, and more curious as we collectively accept the great adventure of learning and growing together. Thank you for your warm embrace of me, my family, and my new perspectives. I hope you know, or will soon learn, how eager I am to return that embrace and discover who you are and your dreams for this school we both love.

Servons,

Alexandra Lockett

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On the

Mesa

Welcome to Cate One of the most highly anticipated events on the Cate calendar, 9th Grade Move-In Day, unfolded on the morning of Sunday, August 27.

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Students and families were greeted by a pair of new yet familiar faces at the bottom of the hill as they turned onto Cate Mesa Road, with new Head of School Alex Lockett alongside 15-year admissions veteran in his first year as Director of Admission, Kyle Mason, experiencing their first Move-In Day together. Students and families experienced the warmest Cate welcome, setting a positive tone for their academic journey ahead on the Mesa.

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Move-In Day is one of my favorite days of the year.

Officially welcoming students and their families to the Ram family and their new home for the next four years is one of the highlights of working in the Admission Department.

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The Class of 2023 exuberantly welcomed arriving students at the top of Heartbreak Hill with vibrant signs, cheers, and lively music. This event, a culmination of the work by the Admission Department, saw the arrival of the Class of 2027, representing a new chapter for both students and the institution.

Joe Cordero, Assistant Director of Admission 7

ON THE MESA

Sunset Ceremony “In the same way the School evolves over time, so do some of our traditions,” longtime faculty member Frank Griffin said to open the traditional Sunset Ceremony. The ceremony, initiated in 2006, ushers in the start of the new school year and aims to bring the community together, fostering a sense of unity and shared experience. Valuing tradition, continuity, and ritual, Griffin, alongside faculty member Lauren Jared, read a description of Cate from William Shepard Biddle, Class of 1918, that former Head of School Ben Williams often quoted …“the School remains a steadfast light in a troubled world.”

This year’s ceremony introduced new voices as a trio of students offered their perspectives in addition to first-year Head of School Alex Lockett. As is customary, the community formed a receiving line to greet each senior to end the ceremony and officially commence the academic year.

“Tonight, as we watch the day transition to night, I invite you to reflect on the many transitions we’re all in as we move from summer to school mode, from a school run by a male leadership for the past century to a new female leader, and from one grade level to the next. As you reflect on these and your own personal transitions, I invite you to hold on to the power of holding fast to the enduring values and traditions of the past while allowing new possibilities to animate those values in unexpected and transformative ways. Tonight, I am hoping to bring that idea to life by uplifting and preserving the treasured traditions of this Sunset Ceremony while also introducing new voices and perspectives.”

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“What will you choose to do with your time at Cate? Will you decide to join that club you’ve been eyeing, maybe sit down at that table of kids you would usually never dare to interact with, or finally apply for that leadership position?

My goal this year is to embrace the road less traveled– and, though the path may be uncomfortable, I invite you to join me.”

Elise Tsai '26

“So what I urge of everyone here, is to celebrate, when we can, those moments of naive epiphany and unproductive delight, because it is these which give our lives and time together here color, texture, and depth.”

Sebastian Sutch '24

“The magic in the community helped me realize that I want to use these last few years to embody the spirit of this place that so many before me have found.

Whether it’s through mastering a balance between sports, friends, and school, or just taking a moment to reflect by Sunset Bench, my goal is to be proud that I actually love learning and that I came to this place to foster that love.”

Sanai Edwards '25

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ON THE MESA

The 2023 Inquiry Read:

The Book of Delights

by Ross Gay

By Nicole Sintetos, English Department Chair

Our inquiry question each year focuses us as a community on a concept that informs our lives and our world. Over the years, we have posed questions about power, matter, origin stories, and what makes for a “fortunate life.”

This year, students will grapple with the question, “How can we thrive in the face of adversity?” Indeed, the words “thrive” and “adversity” form the two charged poles of our line of inquiry, and we will spend time contemplating what it truly means to thrive and not merely survive when critically challenged.

To complement our inquiry question, students read The Book of Delights by Ross Gay over the summer. Members of the English Department selected The Book of Delights because each essay could be read alone and dissected for its deployment of craft – but when the essays are read together, the book transforms into something else entirely: a meditation on power, delight, and the ties that bind in contemporary American culture.

On Monday, August 28, Mr. Ross Gay joined our campus for a keynote address and reading of his work. In the dynamic Q and A afterwards, students questioned Mr. Gay about topics ranging from gardening to the lyricism of his prose to his philosophy around the revision process.

So often, students falsely believe the act of writing is a solitary process. And yet, when faced with a text and its very human author, they see that when that process is shared, words jump off the page with the power to unite a community.

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New Faces on the Mesa Originally from Istanbul, Oz Arconian moved to California from London in 2012.

She has a PhD in Economics and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in economics, econometrics, and mathematics at the University of London, Bogazici University, and UC Santa Barbara. Prior to joining Cate, Oz worked with policymakers, research institutes, international development agencies, and investing bodies in the economic development field. Outside the classroom, Oz continues her interdisciplinary research on economic impact evaluation and volunteers for local non-profit organizations.

She lives off campus with her husband Alex, son Emil '26, and daughter Ella.

DR. OZ ARCONIAN Mathematics Instructor

DR. CLAIR DAHM

Though born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Clair Dahm has spent the last 12 years in a decidedly different locale: the chilly suburbs of New England. After completing her PhD at Brandeis University – where she had the opportunity to teach seminars in U.S. Legal History, Political History, and Writing – Clair’s passion for teaching inquisitive and empathetic students in small groups drew her to adolescent education, and she accepted a position at Phillips Academy, Andover. While there, Clair taught across the curriculum, served as the course head for U.S. History and Assistant Chair for the department, and contributed to inclusive curricular review and programming. Clair is thrilled to be joining the Cate faculty and to be living on the Mesa, among the eucalyptus trees of her homeland once more. She lives in '25 House with her husband, Zack, and their two rambunctious pups, Harvey and Jo.

History Instructor

Beth Engel joined Cate as the Advancement Associate with more than 10 years of experience in hospitality and event management. Before her career in hospitality, she worked in the surf industry as the regional sales representative for Rip Curl clothing, swim and snow apparel. She is an avid surfer and surfed competitively in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) while attending college – in fact, she was the #1 female surfer in her division.

When not on campus, Beth enjoys early morning surf sessions, skiing, hiking, backpacking, and all things outdoors. Beth grew up in the Ojai Valley, where she currently lives with her husband CJ, daughter Piper, and their two dogs.

BETH ENGEL Advancement Associate 11

ON THE MESA

A proud East Coaster and New England native, Emma Henderson comes to us from the White Mountain School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, where she taught math, coached hiking and soccer, and led multiple experiential learning courses. Several summers working at Kingsley Pines Camp in Maine, most recently as Girls Campus Head, fueled her love for residential communities and developed her commitment to the holistic growth of young people. With a BA in Economics and Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond, she is committed to fostering a love for mathematics as a tool that empowers individuals to analyze the world and solve complex problems.

EMMA HENDERSON Mathematics Instructor

Beyond the classroom, Emma is a Bothin/Parsonage dorm parent, an advisor, and a coach of soccer and the Outdoor program. She lives on campus in Parsonage, and loves seeing both the ocean and the mountains from her door on the Mesa.

Lieah Maxfield began her athletic training career by completing her bachelor of science degree in kinesiology at San Diego State University in 2012. She left San Diego to continue her education at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, where she gained experience as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for ESU’s women’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams. Upon graduation in 2015 from the Advanced Clinical Practicum in Athletic Training master’s program, she continued her career in college athletics, where she worked closely with both men’s and women’s sports. One of her highlights was supporting the University of Antelope Valley’s baseball team and making it to the 2018 World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Most recently, Lieah has worked as a per diem athletic trainer, providing first aid and emergency care for youth sports tournaments and camps across Southern California.

LIEAH MAXFIELD Assistant Athletic Trainer

Lieah’s priority is the health and success of all the athletes she works with, not only on the field but in their endeavors beyond their sport. When not working, she enjoys backpacking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and daily walks with her husband and dogs.

Josh Peterson joins the Cate community as the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sports Information Director. As a former Division 1AA athlete in football, Josh is no stranger to the world of sports and strength and conditioning. Before coming to Cate, he lived and worked at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he coached varsity football and indoor and outdoor track, and at the Hotchkiss School, serving as a golf coach. Before working in boarding schools, he worked as an exercise physiologist/personal trainer for various colleges, physical therapy clinics, retirement communities, and health and fitness facilities. He also started his own private training practice while living in New York.

JOSH PETERSON Strength & Conditioning Coach Sports Information Director

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He enjoys anything to do with physical activity and loves playing sports with his two sons, Jack and Kingston. He lives in the CHE/CHLL dormitory with his children and wife, Kadeine Peterson (Cate biology teacher and Multicultural Programming Coordinator).

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Lisa Rockel comes to Cate with 20 years of accounting and administrative experience. Before a career in accounting, Lisa spent two years traveling and working in the outdoor industry. Her days were spent rock-climbing and working in a bicycle shop while her evenings were occupied as a DJ for local high school dances.

LISA ROCKEL Accounts Receivable

MICHAEL SZANYI English and Humanities Instructor

It was with the encouragement of her parents that she attended college, and pursued a career in Accounting. Lisa devoted 10 years in Chemical Defense and Military sales field before moving onto Blackberry – Research In Motion as an Executive Assistant to the CFO. Later in life, Lisa and her family moved to California where she worked at LinkedIn as a Contract Specialist. Currently, Lisa acts as Treasurer and board member of a non-profit organization which supports music for local children. Lisa is an avid reader, enjoys hiking, collects vinyl, loves to cook and is fascinated with architectural design.

Michael Szanyi joins the Cate community as an English and Humanities Instructor, excited to contribute to the dance and musical programs. Michael was previously at The Webb Schools in Claremont, California for 12 years. During his time at Webb, he held roles such as Dean of Faculty, Assistant Director of the Summer Program, Head of Dorms, Lead Class Advisor, and Dance Program Director. Michael loves diving into new classes and has had the privilege of designing courses such as Literature and Psychology, Honors LGBT American Stories, and Advanced Studies Experimental Literature. With experience as a Lecturer, Adjunct, and Choreographer in Dance at Pomona College, Michael has had the opportunity to perform domestically and internationally with the Pennington Dance Group, Laurie Cameron and Company, and the Inland Pacific Ballet. In his free time, Michael loves traveling and learning about the world, listening to Britney Spears, enjoying fashion blogs, and sharing his excitement for “experimental” novels.

After growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Teddy Wecker attended Cate School and graduated with the Class of 2017. He then attended Bowdoin College, where he studied Physics and conducted theoretical research into the scattering behavior of gluons and gravitons. After graduating magna cum laude in physics with a mathematics minor, Teddy joined the faculty at Millbrook School in Millbrook, New York, where he taught math, coached soccer, and supported the school’s community service program at Millbrook’s Trevor Zoo. Teddy is excited to return to the Mesa as a faculty member, teaching in both the Science and Mathematics departments. He has a deep love for theoretical physics, board games, and flying planes.

TEDDY WECKER '17 Science and Mathematics Instructor

Wendy Wu grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, and came to the United States to pursue a degree in Computer Science at the University of Southern California. Engineering occupied the first half of her career, and she moved to Santa Barbara in 1987 and discovered her passion for teaching. Wendy has taught at The Knox School of Santa Barbara and has taught independent study Chinese at Laguna Blanca, The Riviera Ridge School, and Dos Pueblos High School. With a diverse background of two very different cultures, Wendy has developed a way to teach Chinese language and culture to students and adults in a way that makes learning Chinese easier and fun. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and going to concerts in her free time.

WENDY WU Chinese Instructor 13

ON THE MESA

Round Square Exchange in Perú

By Lucy Guilbert-Neal '25

This past June, I had the opportunity to embark on a six-week Round Square exchange in Lima, Perú. This exchange was a transformative and culturally enriching experience that has left a lasting impact on my life.

Immersing myself in Peruvian culture while attending classes at the San Silvestre School and engaging in various extracurricular activities allowed me to gain a deep appreciation for Perú and the way of life there.

I was invited to go on the Form 2 (8th grade) trip to Lunahuaná (South of Lima) as a Form 5 (senior) leader, where I river rafted on the Cañete River, rock climbed, rappelled, ziplined, and visited the local plaza. My host family went above and beyond, taking me to Chiclayo and Trujillo in Northern Perú. While in Chiclayo, we stayed at GCP, an organic avocado, blueberry, and asparagus farm that exports most of its produce to the United States. I could see the science behind growing their produce and the careful attention to agriculture that goes into maintaining such a large-scale organic farm. We visited the Sipan Ruins and tombs at Huaca Rajada, and I also 14

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went horseback riding for the first time. In Trujillo, we visited Chan Chan, the largest man-made, earthen city in the world, and Huaca de la Luna, ruins that have yet to be fully uncovered.

Huaca de la Luna was my favorite ruin that I visited because, unlike all the others, the colors of the paintings on the walls were still preserved, allowing me to more accurately picture what life would have been like thousands of years ago.

These once-in-a-lifetime experiences helped to expand my understanding of Peru’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

Life moves at a slower pace in Perú.

People take their time, savor their meals, walk slower, stop and start conversations with people passing by on the sidewalk, and aren’t constantly worried about rushing to whatever is next. They appreciate the present moment. This shift in perspective was eye-opening and has become something I aim to incorporate into my daily life.

Being in South America for an extended period of time, I was exposed to Peruvian culture as well as a unique diet and new cuisine. Some of these delicacies included: yucca and cheese empanadas, potato causa, ceviche, parmesan broiled scallops, picarones (sweet potato donuts with cane sugar syrup), alfajores

(sandwiched shortbread cookies with dulce de leche and powdered sugar), chicha morada, (spiced purple corn juice), and chocotejas (a homemade local treat from Lunahuaná consisting of dulce de leche and toasted pecans covered in chocolate).

My last few days consisted of many bittersweet moments. While fitting in lots of final sightseeing, we visited the Peruvian market, where I bought souvenirs and gifts. I also slowly began saying my goodbyes and packed to head back to California. Among all the friendships I formed, along with my relationship with my host family, one of the hardest goodbyes was with the housekeeper, Ana. I had many memorable conversations with her about her experiences growing up and living in Perú. Despite the language barrier, as she only spoke Spanish, I was able to have simple conversations and we were able to connect in a meaningful way.

The experiences I had and friendships I formed during my time in Peru will, without a doubt, stay with me, reminding me of the transformative power of travel and cultural immersion.

Round Square Exchange in India

By Ramya Bangaru '26

This past summer, I took part in a sixweek Round Square exchange program at Daly College in Indore, India. This journey was more than just an exchange for me; it provided a profound insight into North Indian culture, history, and traditions.

Arriving at Daly College on June 21, the initial days acted as an orientation. I was introduced to a diverse curriculum, encompassing global and regional subjects. In addition to diving into chemistry, math, psychology, and English, I had the chance to explore subjects like Sanskrit, Hindi, and Vedic Math. Outside the classroom, I learned how to play the melodious strains of the sitar and practice the graceful moves of Kathak dance. One of the new routines I adopted was waking up early, motivated by the morning horseback riding sessions. An added thrill was joining the school’s shooting team, an experience that is rare in the United States. One of the main challenges I faced during

this exchange was having to go through the day without my devices, and I came to see that this was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to connect with the people around me on a much deeper level. Over the weekends I was able to learn more about the North Indian culture and way of life by staying with host families.

Their generosity added depth to my understanding of the local culture.

The most memorable experience I encountered was our visit to an orphanage for visually impaired children.

The musical talent displayed was astounding. Among the talents, there was a young girl named Priya whose voice was nothing short of enchanting. Her

singing inspired me, I hope I’ll be able to make the same impact with my own voice someday. When my turn came to perform, I selected “Sri Chakra Raja,” one of my all-time favorite pieces. As I began to sing, a talented boy in the group picked up my rhythm on the drums, providing a beautiful accompaniment throughout our little performance. This experience turned out to be the highlight of my entire trip, and I can confidently say it was the most remarkable performance I have ever had the privilege to deliver.

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ON THE MESA Before going around the larger part of North India, our group traveled around the main parts of Central India, near Indore. We visited Kasturbagram, offering an intimate look into Gandhi’s life through the lens of his wife’s perspective. In Mandav, the blend of history and architecture, complemented by the love story of a prince and princess, was captivating. The endearing love story of the Mandu palace we toured resonated with me deeply. Prince Bahadur fell head over heels for Princess Roopmati just by hearing her sing and seeing her beauty. When he proposed, Roopmati said yes, but only if she could sing by the Narmada River, which was her true love. It’s wild to think about how their love story is literally built into the structures of Mandu. I even got another super cool opportunity to sing my favorite song in the beautiful ruins of the palace.

Later on, our travels expanded to iconic places in North India.

The architectural splendor of the Taj Mahal in Agra, the historical memorial of Delhi’s India Gate, the bustling atmosphere of Chandni Chowk, and the spiritual serenity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar were fascinating. Our visit to the school in Rajpura added a personal touch, as we mingled with students and got a taste of school life there.

This exchange opportunity opened my eyes to North India’s rich cultural tapestry. The memories created, knowledge gained, and friendships forged have left an indelible mark on my heart.

Round Square International Conference 2023:

The New Africa

By Zoe Flint '25

This year, six Cate students traveled to Kenya for the annual Round Square International Conference. We braved multiple international flights and a night stuck in Frankfurt to finally arrive in Nairobi where we spent the next six days of the conference. The conference commenced with an opening ceremony filled with dancing, vocal performances, and speakers addressing the conference’s theme “The New Africa.” Throughout the day we met peers from countries all over the world.

After the opening ceremony, we had our first meeting with our baraza groups.

“Baraza” is a Kenyan term, meaning a place where meetings are held, however, the term “baraza group” is used at all

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Round Square conferences to name the discussion group attendees are placed in for the duration of the conference.

Excited to experience a baraza in its place of origin, our whole delegation was revitalized despite our severe jet lag.

In our first meeting, we discussed what it means to serve, and the difference between service work and charity. We attended a baraza meeting each day within the same group, and each meeting was extremely eye-opening. In my group alone, there were students from India, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, South Africa, Romania, England, Australia and Kenya. This mosaic of countries led to many diverse perspectives and interesting examples of service learning.

The next day we built off of the previous theme of service and service learning and visited an elementary and middle school where we cemented classroom floors, painted classroom walls, and played with the students. Visiting this school offered insight into the Kenyan educational system, gave us an inside look into daily Kenyan life, and also highlighted the wealth gap within Kenyan society. Our host school consisted of two sprawling, gorgeous campuses that were similar to Cate’s own campus, however, the school we visited on the service day, which was attended by middle-class students as our hosts told us, was much smaller, with about five classrooms, which we floored and painted. The difference between the two schools was significant and gave us a new perspective on American schooling and class systems.

On Wednesday we went on a game drive, or a safari, in Nairobi National Park, where we saw rhinos, lions, giraffes, and zebras. The game drive was gorgeous, and at one point there were even lions walking right along our bus. It also challenged the stereotypical idea of the “African safari,” because while yes, we were traveling through wide-open grasslands with wild animals, there was also the cityscape of Nairobi in the background, with skyscrapers framing a landscape that is typically seen as unindustrialized and untouched by modern technology and civilization.

We finished the conference with Democracy Day, where a panel of Kenyan changemakers spoke to us about their work. This included a student at Pomona College who created bricks out of plastic water bottles to use at schools in Nairobi and a doctor who traveled around rural Kenya providing medical services to those in need. After the panel, we had our final baraza groups and left for our homestay night where we stayed with a Kenyan family and experienced Kenyan culture first-hand. Overall, the conference was an eye-opening experience, with many diverse perspectives that gave us all a first-hand look into a culture that is very different from ours and also extremely interesting.

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ON THE MESA

Mark Metherell '87

Memorial Service Challenge Mark Metherell '87 was an inspirational figure to all those who knew him. A loving husband and father who always had time for others, he often spoke of helping those less fortunate. In 2008, Mark tragically passed away while training Iraqi special forces, and in 2009, his friends, classmates, and family created the Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge. He was previously involved in the public service program while at Cate, and the grant in his honor gives students the opportunity to continue his legacy of service to benefit communities around the world.

With volunteerism, the potential to benefit others, vision, and sustainability as the primary criteria for selection, this year’s recipients were Caroline Coors '24, Thomas Paige '24, and Everest Schipper '24.

Skills Program for Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Denver CAROLINE COORS '24 In partnership with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Denver, Colorado, Caroline Coors '24 created and implemented a seven-week summer skills program for teen self-advocates living with Down Syndrome. The program was designed to help self-advocates develop and sustain friendships with typical teen peers in order to build and practice the social and executive functioning skills needed for achieving independent living in adulthood.

Caroline worked to achieve this through the organization of events including a cooking party and visits to the zoo, mini-golf course, and bowling alley.

“My goal for this program was to build social and practical life skills for the self-advocates, encourage lasting relationships between the participating self-advocates and typical teen volunteers, and create an environment where teens will have the opportunity to learn about Down Syndrome,” Caroline said. “I specifically planned to prioritize the development of executive skills for participating self-advocates, a need I identified when building the program last summer.”

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Empowering Storytelling for Young Boys in New Orleans THOMAS PAIGE '24 Growing up in New Orleans just a few blocks from Central City, Thomas Paige '24 saw firsthand the racial inequities and segregation that has plagued the city throughout its history.

Knowing the area’s rich culture, Thomas decided to direct his Metherell grant to empower the young boys of Central City and other local neighborhoods like it to share their stories through three published and promoted books with the hopes that their honest voices will inspire and incite change.

Thomas partnered with Son of a Saint – a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and support for fatherless young boys in New Orleans – a local bookstore, Baldwin and Company, and local published author Alex McConduit, to work towards publishing the young boys’ stories. Over the summer, McConduit taught eight writing workshops after brainstorming with Thomas, where the mentees of the program shared their stories and ideas for the books. The three books – More than Mentorship, How to Thrive in New Orleans, and Sleepless – are all set to be released over the next year.

“On behalf of everyone, I thank the Mark Metherell committee for funding these necessary books,” Thomas said. “This project has given a voice to a group of young people yearning to tell their unheard stories.”

Personal Hygiene Station Created for a School in Nepal EVEREST SCHIPPER '24 Over the summer, Everest Schipper '24 spent two weeks living and working at the Nyingma Palyul Buddhist Basic School in Nepal where he helped construct a personal hygiene station.

Working alongside a contractor and the boys from the school, the completion of the station went relatively smoothly. Everest spent time laying bricks, plastering, and pouring concrete and despite heavy rains that flooded the roads and made material transport difficult, the project was ultimately completed.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held that mixed Nepalese and Western traditions, with the boys from the school surprising Everest with a small tribute to honor the project. His unique use of the Metherell grant allowed for complete immersion in the boys’ lived experience, and he was even able to teach English.

“I had an incredible experience,” Everest said. “I could not be more grateful for the help that I received from everyone from start to finish.”

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Outings Week COMMUNITY. GROWTH. CHALLENGE. LEADERSHIP. Whether you are a first-time student or returning as a senior, Outings Week is an old Cate tradition with incredible relevance. The value of wilderness as a means of building community and a catalyst for inquiry-based learning are commodities worth repeating. The challenge to continue building this program seems to gain momentum each year, this year being no different.

Coming off an unprecedented winter with historical snowfall in the Sierra, a portion of the planned routes the Cate Outdoor Program had lined up were deemed impassable by the National Park. Our 9th grade hub, Pyles Camp, also felt the effects of winter’s wrath with lots of structural and road damage. Fortunately, it worked out in the end to continue our programming at Pyles. For our 11th grade program, with the popularity of outdoor recreation on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic and the scarcity of permits, we went back to the proverbial drawing board and busted out the maps, eventually settling on San Jacinto State Park and National Forest. One additional highlight this year was the involvement of our senior class. In addition to the 18 seniors helping out the 9th graders at Pyles Camp, this year, every single pod on the 10th grade trip to Yosemite and 11th grade trips to the Kern and San Jacinto had at least one senior leader among them for the first time in Cate history.

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10th Grade Trip to

Yosemite

“We go to Yosemite to be together in wild and beautiful places. Together we supported each other, built resilience against adversity, and experienced awe.”

Tim Smith

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The “Smellis” Pod Trip Highlights from Tim Smith and Lauren Ellis Our Yosemite trip began with equipment checks and group bonding exercises at Cate, and then commenced at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5 for breakfast in Booth Commons and a seven-hour bus ride up the eastern Sierra to the national park. From the start, we needed to work together to cross a stream, indicative of the high water this year. Shout out to Brady Mogenson '26 for the pack shuttle across the cold water! Our first night we camped about three miles in on the right side after Sebastian Brine '26 found a campsite maybe 100 yards above the trail.

30+ miles hiked 5,000+ feet of elevation

After a 6:30 a.m. wake-up, we had hot drinks and then descended to the canyon rim for a brunch of quesadillas.

The temperature rose as we descended the 4000 feet to Tuolumne River, and the swim six miles into the hike was a welcome break. I’m not gonna lie, the descent was brutal. But the campsite along the river was lovely and the fire that night led to good group bonding.

Day 3 began with another early start but came with magical swimming opportunities, including a small water slide where we had our breakfast burritos and a Register Creek waterfall experience that was unlike anything I had ever had in the park. That night we camped under the stars after a dinner of chili and a sunset hike to an overlook of the canyon we had just climbed.

Day 4 was probably the most difficult and most memorable as we ascended almost 4000 feet over about eight miles. But the views of Cathedral, Laconte, and California Falls, as well as the fantastic swimming along the way, made it bearable. Our memorable campsite and evening discussion beneath the Milky Way were the perfect last night in the canyon.

We were surprised on Day 5 by the lightning and brief sprinkles at 1:00 a.m., and this bumped up our departure time to 3:30 a.m. Hiking in the dark is a worthy endeavor by itself, but the pod earned its reputation as a strong group by completing the eight miles and 1600 vertical climb without complaint as the sun came up. We boarded the bus just as the rain began, enjoyed pizza in the park in Bishop, and were back in Carpinteria by 5:00 p.m.

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11th Grade Trip to

San Jacinto

By Kern Ducote, Outdoors Instructor Nestled between the small town of Idyllwild and the flats of Palm Springs, Mount San Jacinto towers over the surrounding landscape at 10,834 feet high The elevation spike in the desert gives you a taste of what the Sierra Nevada would offer, with massive pines and granite slabs. Students took on challenging routes that circulated around the national forest and state park, eventually attempting to summit the peak.

By the end of the week, students were sharing their reluctance for the trip to end.

Nothing could have made me happier.

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“By the end of the week, students were sharing their reluctance for the trip to end. Nothing could have made me happier.”

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9th Grade Trip to

Pyles

By Joy Doyle, Visual Arts Department Chair

We were thrilled to be back at Pyles following some uncertainty due to lingering impacts from significant winter weather. It’s a special place to establish connections with our newest students that we carry back to the Mesa.

This trip is magic, and it is an opportunity to establish and practice Cate community values with our students.

Less emphasis is placed on exposure to the outdoors, and more emphasis is placed on activities designed to help students know each other better and ease their transition into this new community.

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Students engage in physically challenging hikes that require teamwork, endurance, and patience, while also encouraging a sense of adventure. Though the week is high energy, the trip culminates in a sincere, reflective ceremony in which students have an opportunity to speak to their classmates about what they now know, are grateful for, and what they are taking away from the week. We hope that students will challenge their comfort zones, embrace moments of courage, enjoy time away from technology, and become better prepared for future Outings Weeks at Cate.

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Fall Family Weekend Families traveled from near and far to fill the Mesa during Fall Family Weekend, held at Cate from October 19-22. After a reception on Thursday night kicked off the weekend festivities, parents were treated to a captivating fall play performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, a delightful musical showcase on Saturday night, as well as an opportunity to attend their students’ classes. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiled Ellis House, named in honor of longtime faculty member Sandy “Mama” Ellis, and parents heard from first-year Head of School Alex Lockett in the State of the School address. The weekend was one to remember, underscoring the significance of sharing quality time and the spirit of this place, together.

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Kakeru Hirofuji '27 and his mother, Ayako Hirofuji, take in their first Fall Family Weekend together.

Jenny Chang collaborates with her daughter's classmate Yangchen Sherpa '25 during Beth Caylor's Honors Biology class.

Ethan Gibson '25 plays the saxophone during a lunchtime Jazz Band performance.

Riley Valente '25 competes in the Oreo challenge during the popular Family Weekend assembly on Friday.

Elliot Murray Osborn '24 and his mom, Dawn, pause for a photo on their way to class.

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Cate Artists Theatre Ensemble Presents The Importance of Being Earnest Selected by 11th grade students Connor Pan and Henry Koepp, Cate’s fall play, The Importance of Being Earnest celebrated satire and silliness. Henry’s input as Student Director and Connor’s vision as Scenic Designer helped the cast bring this classical piece to life.

12th graders Anna Morse and Ada Hansen charmed the audience with their hilarious banter and 11th grader Zachary Goins and sophomore Tree Payne elevated the physical comedy of the piece. 9th grade phenom, Colin Hendler shape-shifted and costumed-changed his way into three distinct characters and his performances were hilarious throughout. 9th grader Andrew Sheshunoff stepped out of the pool to play an essential cameo role for a set change.

This team of actors worked tirelessly to memorize complicated dialogue and helped paint the set and develop the costumes. With the assistance of Technical Director, Richard McDonald, Lighting Designer, Alejandro Melendez, Director, Kiara Downey, and Assistant Costume Designer, Brooke Friedman '25, this joyful show was a true collaborative effort.

Anna Morse '24 charms the audience with her performance as Cecily Cardew.

Zachary Goins '25 (left) as Jack Worthing and Connor Pan '25 as Algernon Moncrief share a scene together during the fall play.

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Henry Koepp '25 delivers a sensational performance as Lord Bracknell.

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Alex Zhang '26 plays the violin during the Fall Family Weekend Musical Showcase on Saturday night.

Colette Chang '25 dancing during the opening Chorale performance.

Performing Arts Department Chair John Knecht conducts the orchestra during the Musical Showcase.

Parents had an opportunity to view student art during the Fall Art Show held in the Bruno Gallery on Friday night.

Ceramic bowls created by Yeidy Salmerón '24 on display during the art show.

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Ellis House Dedication

Remarks at Ellis House Dedication On a beautiful Saturday afternoon during Fall Family Weekend, the community gathered for the dedication of Ellis House, officially unveiling Cate’s new center for health and wellness. Named in honor of beloved longtime faculty member Sandy “Mama” Ellis, Ellis House will bring medical and counseling services together to care for students and the community as Mama Ellis did for so many years.

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By Frank Griffin, Mathematics Instructor There is an old adage: “We can’t thank you enough.”

This may be the only time in history when this expression is actually true.

So taking a page out of all of the Freshman Seminar comments you hand-wrote on those triplicate forms for all those years, here goes…

Sandy, this comment is for you…

You are a real giver and have had such a positive influence on all your peers. The Cate faculty rarely can agree on anything, but I know I speak for every colleague ever when I say that you were the most caring and kindest colleague we have ever known. You have lived the motto Servons.

Three specific mental images of your time at Cate always make me feel better and might spark memories in the audience: Your old brown Volkswagen Vanagon, when you drove by, slowly, so as to not scare animals, bicyclists, or pedestrians, I knew I would see a smile and a wave. Your brown Fair Isle sweater and its feeling of thick, wool fuzz when I got a hug. Your handwritten notes and those one-on-one conversations when I would feel like I was the most special person in the world, until I would watch you later, focused on another

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Frank Griffin, colleague of Sandy Ellis from 1979-2002, shares a tribute during the Ellis House Dedication.

Dean’a Curry, Director of Counseling, touches on the impact Ellis House will have on current staff.

Mimi Brown '92 expresses gratitude to “Mama” Ellis for her impact on Brown as a student.

The illustration of the building stands before a completed Ellis House.

Head of School Alex Lockett, Sandy Ellis, and Mimi Brown '92 perform the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

A photo and plaque honoring Sandy Ellis is located inside the building.

Sandy Ellis connects with friends during a tour of the Ellis House.

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You taught us to share everything, including you.

When the Class of 2002 dedicated the yearbook to you and Jim Durham, the students were prophetic: They wrote: The Cate Community is forever indebted to Sandy Ellis, for her undying compassion, for the unconditional love she has bestowed on us, and for her thoughtful perspective that has guided even the most distraught Cate students.

No one will ever replace you, or even come close for that matter.

Here we are, Sandy, 21 years after you and your family left the Mesa. Our feelings now are even stronger given your influence on our lives for all of these subsequent years. At an event such as this, our hope is that the generous donors feel our gratitude, and Sandy, we hope you feel our appreciation.

With the opening of Ellis House and associating your name with health and wellness, your example, Sandy, will live on right here for as long as this school exists and Ellis House will always make students feel better. We love you.

By Dean’a Curry, Director of Counseling Sandy, after reading all of the testimonials about you in the recent online Bulletin I felt so moved and inspired by your devotion, empathy, and love for your students at Cate.

As I learned from one alum, your “unstinting love and acceptance” of students was your “superpower.”

Another post that I found deeply moving was from an alum who described you as a “magnificent woman who understood how to shed light… and evaporate shame.” I’m pretty sure that helping students evaporate shame is a superpower too!

So as we stand here today in honor of Sandy, and the opening of the Ellis House, I’m inspired and I’m excited.

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I’m inspired by how one person’s kindness and love can transcend time and touch so many lives, and that her lasting impact is now transformed into a tangible health and wellness building nestled here on the Mesa.

I’m also excited because we now get to share the Ellis House with our students, and we get to let each one of them know just how much they matter.

I think Sandy understands this…so thank you, Sandy, for your superpowers, and for adding your magic to this Mesa.

We are committed to upholding the same pillars of support and warmth that you have so selflessly given to students for so many years, and made them feel like they matter.

By Mimi Brown '92, P'23,'27 It isn’t often in our lives that we get to witness firsthand how a single individual can elevate an entire community. But for those of us at Cate in Sandy Ellis’ era, we saw her work this magic.

It’s impossible to accurately describe the presence of Mama Ellis on the Mesa.

She reminded me of the lion Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. Like Aslan, Mama Ellis was comforting, warm, and smelled good. She was powerful, almost omniscient. And somehow she managed to show up at just the moment she was needed. And despite this array of gifts, she was also incredibly humble.

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When I walk across the Mesa now, I remember seeing Mama Ellis here.

And I always watched her. I saw students who would break out into a run toward her to catch a hug, who would wait for her outside the door of freshman seminar, and who would collapse in tears in her arms. And I saw that Mama Ellis greeted every one of them with unflagging compassion, summoning whatever response was needed.

Sandy modeled a loving connection between humans that I had only seen in families. She elevated our vision of who we could and should be to one another.

And I gather from what Frank shared that she was similarly inspiring the faculty.

I didn’t realize as a teenager just how exceptional this was. I thought Mama Ellis must just be born that way. As the decades pass, however, we all realize that practicing this level of compassion for others is a choice. And it must have been a choice that Sandy made consciously every day. How lucky we are to have had Sandy to show us the way.

So each time we say the words “Ellis House” let us feel the reverberations of the wellness that Sandy invited us to experience: a wellness that springs from compassion, connection to others, and just plain love.

Sandy, thank you for loving us. We love you, too.

You are a real giver and have had such a positive influence on all your peers. The Cate faculty rarely can agree on anything, but I know I speak for every colleague ever when I say that you were the most caring and kindest colleague we have ever known. You have lived the motto Servons.

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conversation and realized that you did that…for everyone.

Fall Athletics Roundup It was a historic fall season on the Mesa with all six California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) programs qualifying for the playoffs, including the first-ever CIF title in girls tennis program history, and a CIF runnerup finish and CIF State qualification for the boys cross country team. Rams football made a run to the CIF semifinals while boys water polo made history with its deepest playoff run ever. From the pool, to the courts, and on the field, Cate studentathletes put together one of the most successful seasons in recent memory and not only outperformed larger schools on the big stage, but more importantly, continued to embody what it means to be a studentathlete at Cate.

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GIRLS TENNIS The Rams girls tennis team achieved perfection, going 17-0 throughout the 2023 campaign and secured their first-ever CIF Championship, with an 11-7 victory over Culver City in the Division 3 title match. Seniors Alyna Takahashi, Frances Davis, Sophie Alijani, and Caroline Batchelder displayed exemplary leadership contributing to the team’s success all season long, and their achievements showcased the strength of character within the team.

“What an incredible run this has been with such a special group of girls,” head coach Trevor Thorpe said after the championship match. “It’s hard to believe that after 17 matches and 17 wins, this season is finally over, but I know we’re all going to remember this for a long time to come. This is such a satisfying end to the season and I couldn’t be more proud of my girls.”

BOYS WATER POLO In the pool, the boys water polo team made history by advancing to the CIF quarterfinals – the farthest a Rams water polo team has ever advanced in the postseason. Cate dominated El Rancho, 36

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18-13, in the first round before a thrilling 7-5 victory over La Quinta in a tough road match setting the stage for the quarterfinals. The Rams ran into eventual champion Ayala, falling just short despite a valiant effort, outscoring the Bulldogs in the second half. Led by captains Remy Minnis '24, Baye Breene '25, and Phin Stephenson '25, the team’s determination, highlighted by their come-from-behind victories, impressed both on and off the stat sheet, and the future is bright for this program.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL The girls varsity volleyball team was electric all season long en route to a CIF Division 6 Quarterfinal appearance. The Rams began CIF play with a thrilling five-set victory on the road against Ocean View to earn a second-round home match, where they swept visiting Paraclete, 3-0, displaying excellent execution and teamwork in front of a packed Sprague Gym. Despite a commendable effort, Cate saw its season come to an end against Moorpark in the next round but showed poise and resilience throughout the season.

Captains Melanie Davidson '24 and Oyin Opawumi '26 led the team and

head coach Jordon Dyer praised the Rams progress and senior leadership.

FOOTBALL The Tri-Valley League champion football team turned its season around in thrilling fashion after starting the year 0-3 before winning four straight to set up a deep playoff run. On October 13, the Rams routed Santa Clara, 59-20, to spark its four-game winning streak, which included a 33-8 victory over rival Thacher. In the first round of the CIF playoffs, the Rams earned redemption from an earlier season loss over Flintridge Prep, with a 33-25 defeat over the Wolves, but would ultimately fall in the CIF semifinals to Valley Christian. “...We are so proud of the growth this team showed this season,” said assistant coach Dave Soto '08. “...This group improved a lot during the year, and we loved being around them every day.

Special thank you to our seniors Tyler Martinez, Kristian Scurtis, Pen Brooks, Crosby Rosenthal, Muhsin AbdulHakim, Kyle Park, and Adrian Ordonez for their hard work and commitment to our program during their time at Cate.”

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY The Rams harriers had a historic season in their own right, setting a school record on the Mt. Sac course with a time of 1:23.13 (nearly four seconds faster than the previous record held since 2005). Cate finished as the CIF runner-up by just one point to Viewpoint, and qualified for the CIF State meet where they finished 11th overall. Scholar Athlete of the Year Sebastian Sutch ‘24 paced the squad all year, and the Rams’ top five runners (Sutch, Everest Schipper '24, Ati Zwieback '27, Oliver Lee '24, and George Gordon '24) all earned a spot on Cate’s All-Time Top-25 list at Mt. Sac. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY The girls cross country team also raced their way to a successful season, advancing to the CIF Finals and placing 13th overall in Division 5. Francesca Sutch '25 led the team with a 17th overall finish (19:29) while setting a new personal record and Caroline Keohane ’24 had the secondfastest time for the Rams with a season-best finish of 20:44.

“Throughout the season, the girls have shown incredible effort and have come together as a team,” said head coach Tim Weir. “They continued the streak of making it to the Southern Section finals, and SoCo [Hannah Solis-Cohen] and I are so thankful for all their hard work.

2023 FALL AWARDS League Champions

Girls Tennis (Tri-Valley League) Football (Tri-Valley League) Postseason Qualifiers

Girls Tennis – CIF-SS Division 3 (Champions) Football – CIF-SS Division 1 (Semifinals) Boys Water Polo – CIF-SS Division 5 (Quarterfinals) Girls Volleyball – CIF-SS Division 6 (Quarterfinals) Boys Cross Country – CIF-SS Division 5 Finals (2nd Place), State CIF Championship Qualifier, (11th place) Girls Cross Country – CIF-SS Division 5 Finals (13th Overall) Girls Tennis

All-League Most Valuable Player: Lisa Hasebe '27 (Singles)

First Team: Alyna Takahashi '24 (Singles), Colette Chang '25 and Reyna Takahashi '27 (Doubles) Football

All-CIF First Team: Tyler Martinez '24, Kristian Scurtis '24, Henry Bouma '25 Second Team: Johnny Foster '25, Cody Mast '25, Zach Coulter '25 All-League Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Martinez '24 Defensive Player of the Year: Kristian Scurtis '24 First Team: Henry Bouma '25, Zach Coulter '25, Johnny Foster '25, Cody Mast '25 Second Team: Quinn Pullen '25, Riley Valente '25

Boys Water Polo

All-CIF First Team: Remington Minnis '24 Second Team: Baye Breene '25 Third Team: Phin Stephenson All-League First Team: Remington Minnis '24 Second Team: Baye Breene '25 and Phin Stephenson '25 Honorable Mention: Elliott Paige '26, Fernando Baldocchi '24, and Jae Wykoff '26 Girls Volleyball

All-CIF Melanie Davidson '24 All-League First Team: Melanie Davidson '24 and Oyin Opawumi '26 Second Team: Fallon Erickson '26 and Coco Kliman '26

Honorable Mention: Josie Frazer '24, Emerson Evans '26, and Evangeline Little'26 Boys Cross Country

All-State First Team: Sebastian Sutch '24 Second Team: Everest Schipper '24 All-League Most Valuable Player: Sebastian Sutch '24 First Team: Everest Schipper '24 and Ati Zwiebeck '27 Second Team: Oliver Lee '24 Honorable Mention: Jordan Ryan '26 Girls Cross Country

All-League First Team: Francesca Sutch '25 Second Team: Stella Rogers '25 Honorable Mention: Caroline Keohane '24, Riley Pan '24, and Coco Kliman '26 37

FEATURE

Meet Cate’s Eighth Head of School

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A Purposeful Beginning:

Connection, Care, and Continuity

By Avani Patel Shah, Director of Marketing & Communications

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hen Alexandra Lockett was in ninth grade, she participated in a newly-minted crew program at National Cathedral School.

“A group of parents decided to start the program so they assembled a team, borrowed a few boats and oars, and found a coach willing to take us on. Much to our surprise, we ended up winning the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, the biggest high school regatta in the U.S. I often think back to that moment as a reminder that excellence is not necessarily borne out of the best equipment, but rather out of the culture of a team, an unwavering work ethic, and a willingness to push beyond perceived barriers,” shared Alex.

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Through the course of her life, rowing shells became sail boats, and the ninth grader with ambition and compassion developed into a seasoned professional who has spent 21 years in education, 19 of which were in school administration.

Excellence and service are core to her understanding of leadership, and she grounds her principles and philosophies in the lessons she has learned through the mosaic of her life’s experiences.

“Each aspect of my identity as a biologist, sailor, adolescent development expert, mother, and outdoorswoman informs how I see Cate, interact with each member of the School, and imagine what’s possible as we collectively chart our course,” shared Alex.

A Seamless Transition: Embracing Cate Following an extensive search process, Cate chose Alex as its eighth head of school, and the chemistry was instant.

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inside,” and shared that she found herself feeling, “homesick for a life [she] hadn’t yet lived.” When Alex arrived on the Mesa, she felt as though she had arrived home. “As I close this first trimester, I feel even more clear that Cate is the place I want to serve and devote myself to as my own values are so deeply aligned with those of the School,” reflected Alex.

Alex has embraced Cate and the community on the Mesa has matched that embrace with mutual enthusiasm.

In a comprehensive report to the Board of Trustees, faculty trustees Dr. Laura Moore and Craig Bouma provided insight into the sentiments of the adults on campus. “The feeling among faculty is that the transition has been tremendously positive.” While acknowledging the innate trepidation that accompanies any change, Laura and Craig noted that the arrival of Alex in July “dissipated these fears swiftly due to her warmth, approachability, openness, humility, and a genuine desire to build relationships.”

What stands out in the students’ and faculty’s eyes are not just the significant actions, but the smaller, more personal gestures. Alex’s commitment to connection goes beyond scheduled encounters. From learning everyone’s names at record pace, to taking the time to engage, pausing to connect with students at Sunset Bench on her walk home, or to chat with the dining staff and facilities team, Alex demonstrates a genuine interest in everyone on the Mesa.

One of her key priorities has been a focus on faculty well-being as she considers this to be one of the biggest factors impacting students’ thriving. Upon her arrival, Alex invited each member of the faculty and staff to meet with her to learn about their work and their perspectives of life on the Mesa and then presented her findings and observations at an all-employee meeting in November.

This demonstrates Alex’s commitment to ensuring that every adult feels known, seen, and valued and her interest in building new avenues for connection.

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Each aspect of my identity as a biologist, sailor, adolescent development expert, mother, and outdoorswoman informs how I see Cate, interact with each member of the School, and imagine what’s possible as we collectively chart our course.

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Charting the Course: Highlights from Alex’s First Trimester on the Mesa At the start of her tenure, Alex was given a thoughtfully curated charge from the Board of Trustees. Here are some highlights from how Alex is approaching the transition in her first few months as Head of School.

CONNECTING WITH CATE COMMUNITY Connection has been at the forefront of Alex’s priorities. She has met individually with 85 Cate employees and all 16 members of the senior leadership team – 95% of all employees who interact directly with students and families. Through a combination of alumni engagement across the country, shadowing students on the Mesa, getting to know leaders in the local Carpinteria community, and even helping with a night of dorm duty in each dorm, Alex is familiarizing herself with how Cate is known and received, informing her emerging understanding of the strengths, opportunities, and needs of the School.

LEARNING ABOUT CATE From infrastructure and finance to inquiry and care, Alex has immersed herself in learning about the unique advantages and challenges of running Cate, both as a school and as a small village. While complex, Alex is undaunted due to her strong belief in the leadership on the Mesa, the Board, and within the parent and alumni network. She sees every challenge at Cate as an opportunity to involve new voices and believes that diverse perspectives are an essential ingredient to excellent outcomes. Additionally, Alex shared, “I believe that we must have a dual commitment to preservation and innovation. My conversations with alumni from every decade highlight that relationships and a commitment to diversity are core to their Cate experience and are areas we all want to preserve. Similarly, the innovative pioneering spirit has always defined Cate and calls us to always consider novel approaches to better meet the evolving needs of our students.”

SUPPORTING ONGOING PROJECTS As the For Cate and Forever campaign continues, projects like the opening of Ellis House, construction of the new Inquiry Collaborative, and a fully reimagined track and field are all moving ahead swiftly. Alex’s guidance is inspiring a new focus on inclusive fundraising, involving new voices in considering the School’s operational needs, and connecting with Carpinteria leaders and farmers about partnerships.

The generosity of the Cate community has been significant this fall. By January 1, the Cate Fund surpassed the halfway mark of its annual goal, far ahead of previous years.

COMMUNICATION Clear and consistent communication is a priority for Alex as she works to build a shared understanding of life on the Mesa. Her commitment to intensive listening and regular reflections about the themes she’s hearing is building shared understanding and alignment. Alex has established robust communication channels internally with the faculty and externally with her playful Instagram account and personalized notes to families and alumni.

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FEATURE At the beginning of the year, Alex opened up Mesa House to the campus community in an unprecedented way, including a meeting for women of color at Cate in affinity, inviting opportunities for the Head of School’s house to become more than just a residence, but a space of gathering, unity, and care. “Consistency is essential to establishing trust and the ways I am beginning here are how I intend to continue,” said Alex.

Beyond the Mesa, parents report feeling impressed and energized by Alex. Gwen Rehnborg P'18,'25, President of the Cate Parent Organization (CPO), shared, “I feel as though I’ve had court side seats to a winning season at Cate this fall. In Board meetings, assemblies, one-on-one interactions, or simply strolling across campus together, I’ve witnessed Alex’s ability to connect, and her wisdom, professionalism, and grace as she adeptly engages, tackling the events of the day with insight, careful consideration and wit. She’s hitting it out of the park!”

Dr. Paul Hauser After earning a PhD in Biochemical Nutrition from UC Berkeley and working as a postdoc, Paul accepted an offer to teach a molecular biology elective at San Francisco University High School. He was immediately hooked by the dynamic learning environment and the possibility of inspiring the next generation of scientists, thinkers, and leaders. Paul quickly became a highly celebrated member of the school community for his work creating an equitable and spirited classroom culture and for the less tangible but equally impactful work of mentoring students through the challenges of their high school years. Most recently, Paul co-led a comprehensive research program at Nueva School, where he guided and mentored student-led teams through their own independent projects during the school year and summer. Students in this program engaged in professional quality research that culminated in the presentation of their work and findings at the Experimental Biology conference alongside graduate students and professors from top universities. Paul was elected as the faculty graduation speaker by the senior classes at both Nueva and University High School, a testament to the respect and devotion he earned in each community.

Paul and Alex met each other on a Wilderness First Responder course in 2003 where they quickly connected about their love of the outdoors.

They have passed along this passion to their two boys, Henry and Walker, who went on their first backpacking trip when they were 4 and 6 years old in Mount Rainier National Park. In addition to backpacking, Paul is an avid backcountry skier and biker. He raced for UC Berkely’s’s cycling team while in graduate school and more recently has become a mountain biking enthusiast. Cate’s focus on the outdoors has been a huge source of excitement for both Paul and Alex.

After long careers in Bay Area schools, Alex and Paul felt an immediate connection to Cate where they both felt their educational values and belief in the transformative power of the high school years could be enhanced by Cate’s unique approach to residential education.

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I feel a tremendous responsibility to ensure that Cate serves as a haven where we can model a more hopeful way of life for our young people.

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Getting to Know

The sentiments from both faculty and parents converge on one central theme: Alex’s leadership style is already leaving an inspiring mark on the Cate community.

Her ability to seamlessly blend the grand with the personal, the strategic with the compassionate, speaks to a leadership approach that transcends the merely administrative.

Alex’s journey forward is one of unwavering commitment and strategic vision for Cate. She often references the adage, “If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.”

I feel a tremendous responsibility to ensure that Cate serves as a haven where we can model a more hopeful way of life for our young people. One that will sustain them for the rest of their lives, where inquiry and care are core and interconnectedness is at the root of all action,” shared Alex.

“From the first moment I encountered the School, I had a deep feeling that Cate was the healthiest place to learn and live I’d ever seen. As the world becomes increasingly complex where threats to the emotional and physical well-being of young people escalate,

In the choppy waters of modern times, Alex’s fearless leadership is charting a course of connection, transparency, and transformation at Cate. As the journey unfolds, the community eagerly awaits the chapters yet to be written under her capable and compassionate guidance.

The Path Ahead: Going Farther Together

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FEATURE

Servons Full Circle When Cate Alumni Return to Serve on the Mesa

By Leslie Turnbull ‘85

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“Let us serve.”

Cate’s motto is so well integrated into School life, few of us leave the Mesa without a deep awareness of the potential and promise for our own impact in the world. Whether we are students or parents, alumni or alum parents, current or past faculty and staff, grandparents, or close friends … our experiences as members of the Cate community call us into something more than ourselves. To be part of something powerful. And to do something good.

I can make this claim with some authority.

With the exception of “grandparent,” I can lay claim to a place in each one of the constituencies listed above: I am a proud member of Cate’s groundbreaking fully co-educational Class of '85. I started my own career in education as an apprentice English teacher ('89'90) and returned to the Mesa in 1997 to transition from the classroom into what was then called “development;” is now called “advancement,” and is, at its core, nonprofit capital acquisition – “fundraising.”

As a more seasoned fundraiser and event organizer, I answered Cate’s 100th anniversary call and spent another six

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FEATURE years on the Mesa helping to plan and implement our School’s Centennial Campaign and celebration. In the years that followed, I’ve been lucky enough to attend my two sons’ graduations from Cate and to write many, many articles for Cate publications.

While subconsciously I might have entertained thoughts of returning to a place I loved so much, I certainly wasn’t qualified to teach when I graduated from college. In fact, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do – back then, those of us who didn’t have our lives all charted out by the time we were in our twenties didn’t have internships or gap years to help us continue to learn and mature into a calling.

So when contacted to write a Bulletin piece about the many School alumni currently working on the Mesa, I 1) Immediately said, “Yes,” and 2) Made the very unusual editorial decision to introduce this piece in the first person, and to do it more colloquially than I might otherwise.

Having looked at the names of current alumni working at Cate, I didn’t just see a list of potential interview subjects for the publication of a respected independent residential school. I saw the names of my Cate family: people I’ve known, as friends, colleagues, students, my kids’ schoolmates … and even the children of some of my own childhood besties. Having spent my own share of time back on the Mesa, I know these highly capable professionals didn’t just come back for the great meals and even better views. I am aware that each one of these folks could probably be making more money in the for-profit world. I certainly know they could have chosen career paths that didn’t involve 24/7 responsibilities and the immense responsibility of raising up the next generations.

Having made similar choices in my own life, I could guess at why each one of these diversely outstanding people decided to come back to serve at Cate … but I didn’t have to. Over the past two months (and amidst midterms, parents’ weekend, and all the other things that daily pull on an adult Catie’s calendar) I’ve been able to connect with each one of the following alumni and hear both their passion and their rationale, in their own words.

It is my pleasure to share their stories with you.

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PAUL DENISON '79 Science Instructor/Outdoor Program Director Paul grew up on the Mesa as what was then called a “faculty brat;” his father Paul Moore Denison ‘52, was a longtime member of Cate’s faculty. If the term “brat” applied to a child makes you cringe; you’re not alone. In describing his own serendipitous path back to the Mesa and how hard he had to work to earn the right to remain and the respect of his peers, Paul also describes an important arc in Cate’s own history.

Paul’s life on the Mesa has spanned more than five decades. He has seen Cate School evolve from a time-typical, occasionally incorrect, small-town institution into an internationally renowned, inclusive, and intentional leader in residential education. Born into a culture structured around an “Old Boys’” ethos (mostly male; mostly centered around intersecting social, professional, and familial networks), Paul has literally been part of the positive change that makes Cate what it is today, and his words resonate with the spirit of Servons.

When I think about the rigors of Cate’s hiring practices today, I can only call myself “lucky.” I have strong, powerfully positive memories of my childhood on the Mesa. My family left Cate the year I graduated, so it was especially hard to leave home for college in 1979.

I was languishing by myself in northern Wyoming, unsuccessfully seeking employment, when a friend called me about a short-term, part-time gig coaching lacrosse. Although my father counseled me against accepting the job (saying it was a “dead-end prospect,”), I accepted. Dad might have been correct … if I had remained only a coach. But after one winter season spent coaching in the afternoons and working with Buildings and Grounds in the mornings, I began to feel a real reconnection with residential life. Newly co-educational, Cate was experiencing a surge in applications, and (then-Headmaster) Scott McLeod asked if I’d be willing to help out with some Admissions work.

Later that spring, Bob Bonning (former science faculty and dean) asked if I wanted to sit in on his 9th grade biology classes. This led to a “backdoor”

offer of a teaching and residential position the following year. That was how things were done then; it certainly isn’t that way now! I suspect Cheryl Powers (former science department chair and a winner of several national teaching awards) was dismayed by my hiring, but she patiently allowed me to learn on the job by hanging out on her classroom doorstep.

Bob remained my mentor throughout his tenure at Cate.

Others who knew me literally when I was growing up knew how much I appreciated Cate; how much I gave back to the School, and trusted my moral compass enough to recognize that while I didn’t yet have the skills, I did have the enthusiasm and an ability to connect with the students in and out of the classroom.

We all worked hard to make it work.

So I must repeat: this is not how we currently hire our new teachers.

Now, Cate requires academic subject commitment in college and often graduate school as well as prior proficiency in the teaching profession. That’s how it should be, and even though it was “dumb luck” that brought me back to the Mesa decades ago, it was the lessons of integrity and service I learned when I was young that allowed me to take my love of Cate and of working with kids and parlay that into full commitment to the residential experience. It wasn’t easy, but I learned on the job how to hone a teaching craft – one I’m still proudly working on 40 years later.

KATE PARKER '85 Director of Libraries

Carpinteria local Kate (Gould) Parker '85 came to Cate School as one of several local girls (and a few local boys) admitted as part of “The Great Experiment” of co-education on the Mesa. At the time that happened, a Carpinteria School District administrator bemoaned the loss, saying that if athletes of similar promise had been plucked off the local small team football team by a rival school, the whole town would have been in an uproar. “Carp High’s” loss was Cate’s gain…then, and now.

When I left Carpinteria after graduation, I had no intention of returning to live in this area after college, much less work at my old high school! I was sure I wanted to live in a big city somewhere and work with books somehow...maybe in publishing, maybe in bookselling. I went to Berkeley for college, then moved to England and tried out a variety of jobs.

I grew up, and what I wanted changed over time, as so often happens. My husband and I were thrilled when he got a job offer that brought us back to Santa Barbara, and it was serendipitous that Cate was looking for a part-time librarian right when I was looking to return to the workforce after having kids. The big gap in time between being in the classroom and being an employee meant I didn’t have any crossover with colleagues thinking of me as a student; however, I had to adjust my own thinking with the few long-term faculty

who’d taught me – the occasional “Mr.” or “Mrs.” would slip out when I was speaking with them at the beginning.

It was wonderful to come back to Cate.

It’s not just an excellent school; it’s also an exceptional workplace. Working in the library again inspired me to return to school for my MLIS (master’s degree in library and information science), and I was ready to step up as library director when the opportunity arrived. Given my experience as a student librarian at Cate, I felt rather foolish for not realizing much earlier that this was the perfect full-time profession for me!

When I wasn’t working at Cate, I also stepped up to serve on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Trustees and the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees. My 16 years of public service in Santa Barbara public education definitely informs my thinking as a faculty member at Cate. Over the years, and when relevant, I’ve shared aspects of that experience with my colleagues. Cate faculty are always interested in how peers at other institutions approach the variety of challenges we face – from natural disasters to pandemics to adolescent mental health, to academics.

I’m grateful to give back and to be a resource, whenever I can.

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FEATURE

“New” Head of School Ben Williams had only been on the job a handful of years when Ashwin, also a local resident, started at Cate. A standout student on the Mesa, he went on to excel at Princeton, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering, and Stanford (PhD in Material Science).

While still in high school, Ashwin got to know a fellow student, Olivia Sparkuhl '06 – who would later become his wife and co-parent.

The entire Atre family, including Bodhi and Roohi, now live in Carpinteria. Bodhi and Roo attend the Cate Early Learning Center.

When asked if he ever considered returning to the Mesa while he was still a student, Ashwin laughs out loud.

It was never on my radar when I was a teenager; that’s for sure! I was always into math and science at Cate, but the expectation here then and now is that you will explore a lot of different avenues, and be curious about all kinds of things.

I carried that spirit throughout college and grad school.

As we were wrapping up our studies, my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I were considering our options. Grad school had been long and challenging; so we decided to do something completely outside the academic sphere. We packed up an old Toyota Forerunner with backpacking gear and drove from home to the southernmost city in the world.

In two-and-a-half years of driving and camping throughout Mexico, Central, 48

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Best of all, through co-teaching, I have been able to constantly develop my own practice alongside all of these people.

The process of collaborating, bouncing ideas off each other, writing assessments while discussing the philosophical elements of assessment is exhilarating.

Cate students, I think, get the full value of this because they learn alongside excited teachers who offer both experience and fresh perspective.

Olivia and I got married (in the Cate Chapel) and had our first child. Our adventuring years were coming to an end; it seemed like it was time to settle. Little did I know that my own professional adventure was about to start! When the pandemic hit, a friend enlisted my help teaching a homeschool pod. That brought back all the positive feelings I used to get from teaching in graduate school. When I found myself in a position to teach again, my intellect was stoked!

Having been a student at this very particular place has allowed me to empathize with my students and plug back into a community that will always be part of me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to come back and give back to Cate.

When a part-time position opened in the math department at Cate, I seized the chance to continue my journey in that direction. Just think: in my first year of teaching, I became a colleague to masters like Gary Pierce, Frank Griffin, and Tim Smith, who gave me the foundation of my math knowledge.

I was mentored by Annalee Salcedo, a powerful educator who is now Cate’s Dean of Academics. Taylor Wyatt, as math department chair, offered tremendous professional development opportunities.

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Having been a student at this very particular place has allowed me to empathize with my students and plug back into a community that will always be part of me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to come back and give back to Cate.

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DR. ASHWIN ATRE '05 Mathematics Instructor

and South America, we couldn’t help but be struck by just how much people value family in these cultures. As our trip concluded, Olivia and I learned my dad was ill with Parkinson’s Disease. My parents lived in Carpinteria. Tempting as it was to return to the Bay Area, which we both love, we both wanted to prioritize family. Olivia’s parents lived in Santa Paula, so it made sense to come back here.

Students, who saw in this turning point a tremendous opportunity for the School and recruited her back to his team. With typical passion and perspicacity, Vanessa describes what it means to her to be serving a place where she learned to reach for her own potential.

VANESSA CRUZ SANTANA '06 Director of Financial Assistance Vanessa came to Cate School as part of A Better Chance (ABC), a nonprofit with which Cate has long shared a powerful commitment to offering the very best educational opportunities to young people from underserved communities.

Her intellectual gifts manifested early, and Vanessa thrived while on the Mesa and under the mentorship of faculty members like Bryan Rodriguez (whom she remembers as a powerful influence on the trajectory of her life). An athlete and natural communicator, when she graduated, Vanessa was determined to make a name for herself in sports broadcasting. Like so many young adults, however, after landing the job of her dreams, Vanessa found herself questioning those early aspirations. It was Bryan, then an admissions officer and now Dean of

My heydays on the Mesa were golden.

I didn’t come back here to relive those, however. I returned to Cate as an adult, and I continue to make my life in this community because of Servons. While I deeply appreciate the many benefits of living and working on the Mesa, such as the wonderful “village” we’ve created here, residential life is definitely all-in and not always easy. That holds true for faculty and students, and we are constantly uplifting each other. My advisees know I am a working mother, and they honor that by recognizing I prioritize them right up there with my own family and thanking me for it. I can’t think of many other places where an adolescent is that thoughtful.

Similarly, because I have experienced both the highs and the lows of being a student here, I can empathize with the young people I work with. I hope I can offer my kids a reprieve, a haven, a shoulder to lean on, a push in the right direction … whatever they need and usually whenever they need. All of us adults on the Mesa know what it’s like to have someone at our door just

as we’re thinking about getting some sleep, and all of us know why we open that door. Because we care. In turn, we get the satisfaction of knowing we’re making a difference.

I just got a text, a sweet and self-aware message of thanks, from an advisee.

Now this student has not had an easy road. With ABC, now as when I was a teenager, it didn’t matter how you got to a place like Cate, once you were here, it was up to you to make the most of it.

But this student who just texted me doubts himself a lot. You know, it’s hard to be in high school these days.

You’re not fully fledged. Social media and your peers can send you confusing and sometimes flat-out wrong messages about yourself. I’m constantly propping my kids back up. Sometimes I have to do that with tough love: I’ve already got my Cate diploma. It’s your turn to do the hard work. I’ve had to take this approach with this student.

So he could be really resentful of me.

Instead, he knows I’m not asking him to do anything I didn’t have to do in my own time, such as stretch out of my comfort zone and advocate for myself.

And he just thanked me for pushing him towards that growth. There is nothing more rewarding than that.

I think having alumni on the Mesa is a good thing. We bring valuable perspective and institutional memory.

In us, students can see themselves, so when we say, “You can,” they know it’s true because we did! In turn, we know we are impacting young people who are going to positively impact the world. It is the embodiment of Servons.

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FEATURE DAVID SOTO '08 Associate Director of Admission Dave is another Cate alum whose Mesa experience began even before he was a student. In fact, as the son of beloved Cate coach and athletic department icon Ben Soto, young Dave had dozens of “siblings.”

His father looked on every student in his charge as one of his own. Dave enjoyed his time as part of Cate’s tight-knit community, but when he graduated, he was more than ready to embrace a larger world.

And he did. Dave took both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Gonzaga University. He entered the world of work he had prepared for, that of professional sports communications. But with new maturity, Dave began to appreciate what he had left behind. Raised in a community, David decided to return to that community…even if it meant beginning a new career entirely.

This work is deeply personal. When I returned to the Mesa, I knew from my own father’s experience all that this life entails. My parents instilled a sense of duty in me, and it felt right to come back and give back. I began as a dormitory parent and coach, two roles that pretty much define in loco parentis.

Knowing what I was getting into, I was prepared to offer the time and energy I knew those positions would require! When my background in communications pulled me toward admissions work and an even deeper commitment to Cate life, I didn’t hesitate.

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RANDY PERSON '10 Being an alumnus in the Admissions Office gives me an advantage, I think. Cate prizes authenticity, and every aspect of School life encourages open-minded communication through listening and thoughtful, honest responses. That is exactly what admissions officers must practice; all of us in the Cate office are good at having conversations that draw out an applicant’s truth. I like to think that by the time we finish working with an applicant and their family, whether the “fit” is there or not, everyone agrees that the process has been positive and revealing. That kind of authenticity is expected of everyone on the Mesa – since my own student days at least – it’s just in my DNA, and I bring that to my work every day.

I married my wife Maureen after I moved back to Cate. We now have a beautiful daughter, Alyson. They are on this journey right alongside me! There is a measure of self-sacrifice for the greater good for faculty and their families on the Mesa; you may get pulled away from a long-planned dinner out or a weekend activity because a student needs you. But you know that those small sacrifices are a re-investment in something that matters.

English Instructor/ Assistant Dean of Students As a Cate student in the Aughts, New York-born and Los Angeles-raised Randy Person was affectionately known as a Renaissance Man. Excelling in every sphere – academic, athletic, residential, and social – Randy surprised no one by going on to do the same at Colby College and the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where he earned his master’s degree. Randy went on to begin a very successful career as an independent, residential school teacher and administrator on the East Coast.

In 2021, Cate was fortunate to recruit Randy back to the Mesa.

I first knew that I wanted to be an educator in my junior year at Colby College, when I enrolled in a dual credit education/sociology course called “Boys to Men.” Admittedly, I chose the class because I had just changed my major to Sociology, and the course counted for two of my graduation requirements. In Boys to Men, we explored (from an explicitly feminist and social justice perspective) how power, privilege, and difference shape boys’ and men’s lives and how the social construction and reproduction of masculinity differ based on sexual orientation,

race, ethnicity, social class, and age.

In addition to exploring sociological theories, case studies, and more, the course also allowed me to visit a local elementary school and lead a boy’s group with a fellow classmate. In short, the experiences working with young people led me to reflect on those adults who had poured into me and taught me how to be a good man and a good person. I soon realized that the best way to ‘pay it forward’ would be to teach in the same environments in which I learned.

Since that moment, returning to the Mesa became a goal…but I had to learn to teach first. I spent six wonderful years between St. Paul’s School and St. George’s School before Wade Ransom called me on an early March day to see if I wanted to come home. And, man, I appreciate Wade Ransom tremendously for reaching out four years ago. He’ll never know how important that call was to me.

There are so many advantages to working in the place and space in which you’ve grown up and learned. I know what it’s like to struggle on the Yosemite trip, and I know the joy felt when you beat Thacher in an athletic contest. I have navigated learning how to interact with adults on campus, and I have chased my friends to get them to attend Public Service Night (the new iteration of Foster Homes). The joys and first-time experiences, as well as the trials and tribulations our students encounter, are some of the same that I navigated years back. These shared experiences are some of the most essential tools in my job now.

BEN SWAIN '14 Spanish Instructor If our introduction to Cate alumni serving the School as adults began with one member of a School dynasty acknowledging the fortunate series of events that brought him back to the Mesa, it seems fitting to highlight another scion of residential education … only in Ben Swain’s case, “luck” had nothing to do with it. During the previous century, Ben’s paternal grandparents led Midland School as Head and Business Manager. His father John, an artist and educator, has filled numerous roles at Cate in studios, classrooms, and administration.

Ben’s mother Linda Somers taught Spanish at Cate. Ben’s own love for the Spanish language and Latin culture developed further in the classrooms of Schoolhouse and through Mesa friendships with people from Central and South America. At Colorado College, Ben majored in Spanish and co-chaired a volunteer after-school program teaching Spanish in public schools. In 2019, Ben was preparing to leave for Japan to begin his teaching career then when the call came: Cate School needed a substitute Spanish teacher. Ben answered…and hasn’t looked back.

I started considering the idea of a career in education during my gap year when I was down in Ecuador teaching English. I have always loved learning, and I began to realize that in order to teach something, you need to fully understand it and also love it! At that point, I started thinking about education as a career path, and as soon as I made that decision, teaching at a boarding school started to sound appealing. I knew I wanted to teach in more ways than just in the classroom; I wanted to coach and be active and also have that sense of community I knew from growing up on the Mesa and being a Cate student myself.

My initial plan was actually to teach English in Japan after getting my undergraduate degree, but when a position opened at Cate for a substitute Spanish teacher, I decided to apply and was hired.

Despite the fact I’m now working with and being mentored by Cate faculty members who have known me since I was one, I feel respected as an adult and professional, and that has happened very organically; at Cate, you learn that respect is earned. I’m excited to be back on the Mesa as a teacher, coach, and dorm parent.

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FEATURE

Alumni Engagement Manager Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Emily joined the Cate community in 2010 as a sophomore.She attended the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and graduated with a degree in Elementary School Education and Applied Psychology and Human Development. Emily spent five years in the classroom teaching before being presented with the opportunity to return to the Mesa and work in another aspect of education: advancement. Emily relishes her work for many reasons. That enthusiasm shines through as she describes what it’s like to represent her alma mater.

Did I ever imagine myself working on the Mesa? Not at all! I’ve always wanted to come back to visit the Mesa. I went to Boston College after graduating from Cate, and living on the East Coast really made me realize how lucky I was to have lived at Cate throughout high school. I didn’t get to visit as often as I wanted to, but that never stopped me from pretending like I was back at the Mesa during Boston’s cold winter months.

I like to say my path back to the Mesa was serendipitous. I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and enjoyed my time as a classroom teacher upon receiving my Bachelor’s degree.

However, teaching after COVID-19 was a tremendous challenge for me, and I realized I needed to pivot. I wanted to be closer to family, or at least have more time to answer the phone when 52

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Sometimes I think of myself as a bridge between the multiple generations of Cate alumni and the current students.

Being an alumna allowed me to start my position with a plethora

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of background knowledge about the Mesa, just simply from being a student.

I already knew stories of all the great former teachers who were at the Mesa before my time and saw firsthand the changes that took place because of the Centennial campaign. I am still learning something new about the Mesa everyday, but having the background knowledge helped shorten my transition period.

Being back at the Mesa now allows me to better describe the additional changes that have taken place to the Mesa, and also how the Mesa has stayed the same.

It is truly a privilege to tell my fellow alumni that Cate is still Cate despite the new dining hall and curriculum.

Students still link arms as they exit the Chapel; sports teams are still an additional layer of family and support for the students, and announcements are still as energetic and entertaining.

Sometimes I think of myself as a bridge between the multiple generations of Cate alumni and the current students. Being an alumna allowed me to start my position with a plethora of background knowledge about the Mesa, just simply from being a student.

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EMILY SOSRODJOJO '13

my grandparents called. At the same time, I was at a loss as to other career choices. After all, I had always envisioned myself being a teacher inside the classroom. As I was looking for jobs, my brother, Budi Sosrodjojo '11, sent me a message saying the Advancement Office had an opening. It was as if the Mesa knew the conundrum that I had: To find a job where I could have more time for my personal life, but also still be working with the younger generation. The role as the Alumni Engagement Manager just fit exactly with what I was looking for.

Although I am no longer inside the classroom, I find my moments outside of the classroom with the students just as valuable. Through the Cate Connect series, I now introduce the students to alumni who are in a field that the students are interested in or curious about. It is always humbling to listen to what other alumni are doing and how they reached their current point in life. Above all, Cate Connect allows me to expose the students to life after the Mesa—a daunting thought that we alumni are all familiar with. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the students being in awe of their alumni and realizing what they can become after leaving the Mesa.

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TEDDY WECKER '17

I have a lot of memories on the Mesa, and getting to share this place with a new community of students and see them grow as both academics and people is incredibly meaningful. I always looked up to each and every member of the faculty during my time here, and it means so much to me to be in a role where I am beside them.

Science Instructor A Chicago native with deep family roots in the Carpinteria Valley, Teddy joined Cate’s Class of 2017 as a freshman and enjoyed the full scope of the Mesa’s academic, athletic, and social experiences. Going back across the country for college, Teddy studied Physics at Bowdoin and conducted theoretical research into the scattering of glutons and gravitrons. After graduation from Bowdoin, Teddy joined the mathematics faculty at New York’s Millbrook School. He was appointed to Cate’s math faculty this year. Of note: Teddy is an instrument-rated private pilot and has been licensed since 2018.

Teaching was never my ultimate goal; I found my way to the profession the summer after graduating from college.

In undergrad, I had the opportunity to conduct research in particle physics, and I was inspired by not only the research process, but also by the process of sharing my findings. I delivered a talk that served as a thesis defense to the physics department. It was really important to me that this talk also be engaging to listeners who were totally unfamiliar with the topic. I found the process of achieving this goal, and writing the associated paper, incredibly engaging.

I shared this feeling with my advisor.

Knowing what my post-graduate goals were, he suggested I give teaching a try.

I looked into it; by August 2022 began

teaching mathematics at Millbrook School in New York. I knew at that point that I would be teaching for at least one more year, and when I had the opportunity to return to the Mesa for a visit that Spring, I thought I would look into whether they were hiring a science or math teacher.

Serendipitously, they were! I may be a teacher for a long time, or I may return to school soon and pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. Either way, I feel incredibly lucky to have this position and to be back at Cate. There was certainly a little adjustment at first, calling my former teachers by their first names. On the other hand, I haven’t had to get to know faculty who have been here for more than six years or so since I already know so many of them.

It’s also fun to work with fellow alumni – especially those who attended Cate just a few years before I did. It’s always great to meet an alumnus or alumna – or even those from decades earlier – because a Cate experience is, at its core, the people you’re there with.

to worry about finding buildings or learning the names of the dorms!

On the other hand, being an alumnus probably comes with certain biases which aren’t always helpful. Things change over time, hopefully for the better, and adjusting to changes – especially the small ones – in such a familiar environment can be difficult.

I still mope to myself about formal dinner being on a Monday night instead of a Thursday night, which always feels silly to mope about.

I want to be clear about how lucky I feel to get to work at Cate at this point in my life. I have a lot of memories on the Mesa, and getting to share this place with a new community of students and see them grow as both academics and people is incredibly meaningful.

I always looked up to each and every member of the faculty during my time here, and it means so much to me to be in a role where I am beside them.

I think teaching as an alumnus offers some advantages, and probably some disadvantages too. On one hand, I came in already oriented to the flow of school life, many of the traditions, and (since I graduated relatively recently) many of the still common practices. Onboarding was certainly made easier by not having 53

Campaign Update THE CAMPAIGN FOR CATE SCHOOL

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The Inquiry Collaborative is currently on track to be completed in late spring and open for students, faculty, and community members in the Fall of 2024.

This complex project is a combined renovation of the historic Raymond Commons and McIntosh Room, and an innovative construction project for hands-on classrooms, a library, student life offices, and study spaces.

The capstone project in the For Cate and Forever campaign is the Inquiry Collaborative. The three-story building features a clerestory to bring in natural light, a reading room with an exquisite Pacific Ocean view, and various stunning attributes that will enhance daily academic and community life on the Mesa.

Some “firsts” in the Inquiry Collaborative include refreshed outdoor courtyards, a dedicated Digital Arts and Photography classroom including a darkroom and a new location for the Ceramics Studio, Sage glass windows on classrooms and offices that can be tinted or lightened to reduce glare and conserve energy, tiered staircase seating for gathering, and study pods for group or quiet study. A bi-facial solar trellis will absorb sunlight from above and below, providing light shade and coverage outdoors and, after subtracting the predicted energy use of the new building over a year, will be net positive by about 32,200 kWh (this would equate to having enough extra power to offset the power of eight or nine of the typical homes on the Mesa). The gross value of the power generated will be approximately $60,000 per year.

Preserved in the original Reginald Johnson-designed building are the

wooden beams on ceilings, boardform concrete slabs (some of which are being used for the third time since construction nearly 100 years ago), historic fireplaces, and iconic views facing Senior Lawn and High House.

The doors to enter the new library are reminiscent of those used for decades to enter Raymond Commons. Significant Cate touches throughout the building will spark memories for those who have learned and lived on the Mesa.

More than 150 parents, alumni, and faculty members toured the construction site throughout Fall Family Weekend and beyond, taking in new views and watching the building come to life. Last year, heavy rain impeded the speed of the project by nearly 90 days. Now that the building is enclosed, the remaining work is focused on interior spaces, so the end is in sight.

The Inquiry Collaborative provides incredible opportunities for Cate students and faculty, and we welcome your participation. If you have questions or wish to get involved, please contact Lindsay Newlove, Director of Advancement, at lindsay_newlove@cate.org or (805) 684-4127 or visit forcateandforever.org.

Tiered Staircase

55

2023 Distinguished Alumni

Boyden Rohner '95

Boyden Rohner '95 returned to the Mesa on Veterans Day to receive her Distinguished Alumna Citation.

Boyden Rohner came to the Mesa as a 9th grader in the fall of 1991, a couple weeks shy of her 14th birthday. From a young age, she wanted nothing more than to go to an English boarding school and join a ring of child detectives, as she read about in Enid Blyton’s books The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

Though Boyden lobbied her parents ceaselessly for this outcome, she eventually capitulated and agreed to go to Cate, following in the footsteps of her elder half-brothers Franklin Rohner '71 and Clayton Rohner '75.

Sports and leadership dominated Boyden’s time at Cate. She earned six varsity letters in volleyball and track. Her volleyball team went to the CIF finals twice. In track, Boyden set school and league records in the 4 x 400 relay. Most 56

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notably, she had the fortunate timing of being a contemporary of some of Cate’s most exceptional female athletes, such as Mia Mitchell Grandpre '95, Athena Jones '94, Tracye Lawyer Robinson '95, Aisha Jeter Stephenson '93, and Stephanie Shideler '93. As a result, Boyden simultaneously experienced the joy of team wins and the disappointment of coming in second! She became a Prefect and a Teaching Assistant and was introduced to the concept of Servons through Cate’s volunteer programs. But the best part of her Cate experience was creating enduring friendships that have uplifted her through all of life’s trials.

As a senior applying to colleges, Boyden’s father encouraged her to apply to the United States Naval Academy.

Having served in World War II and

the Korean War, he knew firsthand how precious freedom and democracy are.

He instilled in Boyden a sense of service that ultimately inspired her to choose the Naval Academy.

Two weeks after graduating from Cate, Boyden reported to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Her time at the Naval Academy can only be characterized as fraught. An essay she wrote for El Batidor about being punished for not following rules was a harbinger of things to come. The creativity and individualism that she cultivated at Cate didn’t readily translate to a military context. As a result, she stood a lot of restrictions. In the spring of 2000, Boyden graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and a major in History and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.

As a newly commissioned naval officer, she reported to her first ship – a destroyer at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. Nine months later, 19 violent extremists hijacked four commercial airplanes and carried out coordinated attacks that ultimately killed nearly 3,000 people. The events of that day, September 11, 2001, changed the world forever and gave her 24-year-old life focus and purpose she never could have imagined. A year later, Boyden’s destroyer deployed with NATO forces to support Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. She then deployed a second time to the Northern Arabian Gulf, where her destroyer was tasked with hunting terrorists and defending the Al Basrah Oil Terminal, which was the only source of revenue for Iraq at the time.

Eventually, Boyden took orders to Washington, D.C., and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

In Washington, she was energized by the ebb and flow of interesting individuals working to solve hard problems for the American people. When an opportunity to be the Secretary of Homeland Security’s daily intelligence briefer presented itself, she jumped at it!

Boyden hoped the role would put her in a position to learn the government’s most-secret secrets, such as the location

of Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, and if aliens exist.

Although Boyden didn’t learn whether aliens exist, she had a front row seat to nearly every national security emergency over the course of two Presidential Administrations. In addition to supporting the daily intelligence briefing for three Homeland Security Secretaries, she also served on the National Security Council staff. There she spent late nights and weekends in the White House managing the national security correspondence of President Obama and National Security Advisor Susan Rice. Somehow she found time to earn a master’s degree with honors in public administration from American University and fall in love and marry fellow Navy veteran and former Navy SEAL Paul Clausen—which she touts as the best decision she ever made.

It was during her time running the daily intelligence briefing that she saw the threat from overseas terrorism wane and the threat of cyber-attacks rise. So Boyden made a shrewd decision to apply for a developmental assignment at a cybersecurity operations center. Her lack of familiarity with the work forced her to become a good listener and collaborator.

Those skills helped her ascend to the

senior leadership team at America’s Cyber Defense Agency: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

At CISA she started the first team to lead the federal government’s work to manage cybersecurity vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Now she oversees the integration of cyber and physical security operations to reduce risk to the infrastructure that Americans rely on every hour of every day.

Amidst this incredible career, Boyden always remembered Cate. Her best friends, to this day, are the same women she sat with at assemblies in Hitchcock Theatre and shared meals with in Raymond Commons. As an alumna, she attended receptions on the East Coast, West Coast, and in between – at Grumpy’s in Sun Valley, Idaho. As she settled in Washington, Boyden hosted Cate events, including the first Cate Alumnae Network gathering east of the Mississippi in 2013. She returned to the Mesa to celebrate multiple reunions with the great Class of 1995. For many years, she has given back to the School through the annual Cate Fund.

For her distinguished career in cybersecurity, service to the country as a Navy veteran, and her dedication to Cate School, Boyden Rohner, Class of 1995, is awarded as Cate’s 2023 Distinguished Alumna.

57

Class Notes

John Kinnear '60, Jim Talman '60, Bobbie Kinnear, Sylvia Hale, and Sam Hale '60 visited the Mesa and posed in front of the iconic Cate sign.

1950

Tom Evans writes: “I have my 1950 El Batidor, and it constantly reminds me of the fine two years I spent at Cate. I spent one year at Choate in 1948 and enjoyed my two years at Cate much more. I had complete respect for “The King” although no one ever said that in his presence. There is one story I must share. Bill O’Neil and I went to the beach house on a Sunday, and instead of returning before dinner, we went to a movie in Carpinteria. We returned very late and were caught by Mr. Crawford.

Our punishment was that we could not leave for our parents’ house on the following holiday, and we had to remain on the Mesa for an additional day. Mr. Cate told us that we would have dinner at his house as a form of punishment. When we arrived, we were told that after dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Cate would take us to Santa Barbara as they had tickets for the four of us to see the Broadway musical Oklahoma, 58

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Roger and Hamerstein’s hit production.

The following day, we were allowed to go home to Los Angeles. What a punishment! My parents lived in Long Island, Queens, and my father worked in downtown New York City. He was transferred to Los Angeles, so I became a West Coast person. As a result, I went to Pomona for my undergraduate degree and later, in 1959, married Susie in Santa Monica. I recall that Mr. Cate took a bus from Carpinteria to Santa Monica to attend the wedding. He was an incredible person. Susie and I bought a home in 1960 in West L.A., where we lived for 35 years. I worked for a Massachusetts firm for 28 years, working out of our home. I was a sales manager for the entire western region from Canada to Mexico and from Hawaii to the Mississippi River. Susie and I were married for 62 years and lived in L.A. In Idaho, we bought an acre of land in Stanley, 30 miles north of Sun Valley, where Susie and I worked for six months after graduating from high school and

before going to UCLA. We built a log home in 1978 and lived there year-round starting in 1994. I obtained an MBA from UCLA and attended evening classes while living in West L.A. We bought a home in Carmel, Calif., in 1998, where the weather was more comforting than the winters in Idaho. Susie died there in 2022 after a prolonged period of Alzheimer’s, and our 62 years together were beautiful. My life has been exceptional, and Cate was essential to my educational experience.

Tony Hooker '56, Dimitri Konstantinidis '71, and Jim Sheldon '71 enjoying a small reunion and beverage in Patmos, Greece on June 15, 2023.

1960

1971

we returned from a trip to Morocco (Marrakech), and there was very little sign of earthquake damage. We went up into the Atlas Mountains again with little sign of damage. It was a great trip, with lots of adventures! A highlight of the trip was a balloon ride in the desert at dawn.”

Sam Hale and his wife Sylvia, John Kinnear and his wife Bobbie, and Jim Talman visited Cate in June. They had a lovely time walking around the Mesa - talking about Lido and Schoolhouse dorm rivalry, their experience as seniors living in Long House, and all the freshmen shenanigans! The Class of 1960 apparently left a ram in the McIntosh Room as their graduation ‘gift’ to the School! The visiting alumni were disappointed to have missed their 2020 reunion and were happy to be back on the Mesa.

February 2019, the Class of 1971 has zoomed monthly. The invite list numbers about 40, and the typical attendance is 17-18 people. Members from 1972 and other adjacent classes are always welcome! For more information, please contact me at chas886@hotmail.com. During the last 3-4 years, about 20 classmates (spouses and friends) have gathered for 4-5 days in July or August at Dave Cury’s Redwood Ranch in Soquel, California (near Santa Cruz). The ranch is splendid – 150 acres, redwood trees, a stream, clubhouse, cabin, sleep accommodations for a few, a firepit, and great meals. Classmates have come from as far as the East Coast. Juan Villaseca traveled from Ecuador, and Haluk Topalogu from Turkey.”

Jim Caldwell wrote, “In October,

Charles McConney writes: “Since

Rob Davila '71 and his wife, Cathy, visited Cate in July and toured their favorite spots on the Mesa.

1973

As part of the Cate Connect program, Walter Douglas spoke to Cate’s new Ewe Speaks debate club in December.

He offered valuable coaching and communication tips for debate club students.

1962

Jim Zevely writes: “It may not surprise any of you that I’ve moved again. I’m back in America, living in beautiful Coronado, California, just a hop over the bridge to downtown San Diego. It may be the last move, but never say never.

Wanderlust still possesses me at times. I am satisfied these days and house-sitting for friends. In fact, I house-sat for the first freshman I met at Johns Hopkins University in November. I traveled 2,750 miles to college, thinking I would see exotic places and meet new friends from all over the world. It turns out that my next-door neighbor in the freshman dorms was from Garden Grove, California, 80 miles from my home in La Jolla! A few months ago, I had lunch with Tim Urist while he was visiting his sister, Nancy, and her husband in La Quinta. I had a lengthy telephone conversation with Mike Davis at about the same time. We’re mumbling about a get-together at Cate before too long. If anyone would care to chime in, my cell is 619-301-8370, and my email is zevely@jhu.edu. Perhaps I will be the only Zevely that Johns Hopkins will ever have.”

The class of 1971 celebrated a class reunion in Soquel, California, hosted by Dave Cury '71. Back row, left to right: Juan Vilaseca '71, Steve Parkford '71, James Sheldon '71, Robert Langerman '71, Haluk Topalugu '71, Dave Cury '71, Jay Caldwell '71, Bryce Rhodes '71, Alec McAndrew '72, John Perkins '72, and Thayer Pattinson '71.

Front row, left to right: Terry Eckhardt (brother-in-law of the late Norman Chandler '70), William Rydell '71, Mike Dewberry '71, John Burton '71, Julio Davila '71, Charles McConney '71, and Lane Sharman '71.

(Attended and not in picture Richard Rich '72, and Brad Roberts, '72.)

The Class59 of 1971 enjoys a delicious reunion dinner in Soquel, California.

59

CLASS NOTES

1978

Sylvan Ganz writes: “Karl Behring '80 called me and told me that Tim Morphy '75 was in Phoenix, Arizona for work

and wanted to play pickleball. I snuck out of work and headed down to the courts. I couldn’t stay long, but I never miss a chance to see Cate friends. Both Tim and Karl are doing great!”

in Grass Valley, California, and at the Upper Market Gallery in San Francisco in September. Many current Cate parents and alumni were in attendance. I recently donated two paintings that are on display at Ellis House at Cate, originally made for a COVID-19 field at San Francisco General Hospital in 2020. J.P. and I randomly ran into Richard Marks in Paris, where he celebrated his birthday.

Richard and I went to the ballet at the Palais Garnier Opera House while J.P. was at the final Rugby World Cup 2023.”

1987

Lindy Van der Reis Yurich writes: “In

July 2023, I was appointed Federal Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration. I am working in the San Francisco office. I hope all is well with everyone.”

1989

Alisa Ahlstone Lewis and Hilary Hoover Keller '93 led an informative session on

the MBA application process and shared key tips for a successful application as part of the Cate Connect program in October.

1993

Jamie Colman writes: “Liz Baron came

to Seattle, Washington, in August for a Microsoft conference, and we got to catch up for a little roommate reunion!”

Left to right: Karl Behring '80, Sylvan Ganz 78, and Tim Morphy '75 made sure to take a photo after catching up and playing an unexpected game of pickleball.

1981

Jeff Phipps writes: “I heard from Ingrid

Bowers, sister of Adam Bowers '81, and I put her in touch with Karl Boltz and Kurt Springer. Duke Morton '80 has some amazing smoked black cod that he shared, and we distributed it to my neighbors in Thomasville for Christmas presents. Our class turned 60 in 2023, and Blake Jones hosted a wonderful summer party. Attendees included Chris Cuse, Nelson Jones, Andy Meyer, and Jon Martin. It took us about 45 minutes to complete a game of eightball, and there were lots of concussions.”

1986

Jeannie Whelan '86 and Nicole Phungrasamee Fein '91 at the de Young Open 2023. Both artists have an art piece in the show.

Jamie Colman '93 and Liz Baron '93 met in Seattle, Washington, and enjoyed some roommate time.

Jeannie Whelan '86 in front of the de Young Open sign in San Francisco.

Jeannie Whelan writes: “Nicole Phungrasamee Fein '91 and I met at the

2023 opening reception of the de Young Open Exhibit where we both had an art piece included. Pictures of my work and me were included in a New York Times article about the de Young Open Exhibit.

My work was also included at the inaugural de Young Open Exhibit 2020.

Nicole came to the opening of a group show I have artwork in at the Arion Press. In addition to those shows, I had a solo show at Artist Studio in the forest

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Jeannie Whelan '86 (far right) and Nicole Phungrasamee Fein '91 (second from right) and friends at (un)Banned, a group art show, at Arion Press.

1995

Boyden Rohner was honored on Veterans

Day on November 11 with Cate’s 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. Erin Bernau, Whitney Morgan, Catherine McDonough, Amanda Peiffer, Jessica Pfeifer, Amanda Priestley-Callis, Simone Shah, Elena Schneider, and former Math faculty Sanderson Smith attended the special recognition. Boyden engaged with the Cate community, shared insights, and attended classes with students. Congratulations, Boyden, and thank you for your contributions and dedication to service. See page 56 for citation.

1996

Jeff Eldridge, his wife Kirsten, and

daughter Lily, visited the Mesa for volleyball camp and enjoyed a beautiful summer day on campus. Gregory Lemmons met with Cate’s Art Club via Zoom in November. Greg chatted about creative writing competitions, the science fiction genre in general, and how artificial intelligence will play a role in the law field and creative writing industry. Greg shared his story and journey from Cate to Columbia University, the consulting and hedge fund world, and his current role as an intellectual property attorney.

2001

Greer (Gardner) Williams writes: “Over the summer, Kristin Bradley Egan, Kathryn Salter Gudenberg, and Jackie Haskell Smith traveled to Phelps,

Wisconsin, for a week at my lake house.

It was a wonderful and relaxing reunion with the best of Cate friends!” Matt MacNaughton married Tracy Stevens on August 2, 2023, in Paris, France.

Left to right: Kathryn Salter Gudenberg '01, Jackie Haskell Smith '01, Greer Williams '01, and Kristin Bradley Egan '01, enjoyed a relaxing weeklong summer reunion in Phelps, Wisconsin.

2002

Jeffrey Eldridge '96, daughter Lily, and wife, Kirsten Eldridge made sure to take a family photo under the shady oak trees on the Mesa.

1997

Robin Freeman, Camille Freeman, Casey McCann, Ben Sprague, and Jeff Theimer got together for a casual

summer July dinner in Montecito, California. Mike and Jamie Bowers O’Dell welcomed Riggs Rae into their family on August 30, 2023, and are overjoyed.

2003

Ross Franken writes: “My sister, Cara Franken, and I were both day students

from Carpinteria, and have a house there that we often visit. My wife, Josefine, and I are still living in Onsala (just south of Göteborg) on the west coast of Sweden with our two boys, Everett (7) and Lucas (6). I work for a global marine propulsion company called Berg Propulsion. We manufacture large propeller shafts and thrusters for all types of vessels, including ferries and tugboats. We have seen huge growth in the last year and have bustling factories.

I work as a facility manager and am responsible for production and product quality for vessel projects. My wife recently became a Group Accounting Manager at Thunderfull Games, a game developer and distributor. In October, the company had a release party for Super Mario Brothers. This is all a huge hit with our boys. We have made it to Cate with the whole family several times and hope to be back again soon.”

Lori Stern writes: “This year, I published Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook with Harper Collins, and I was featured on Shark Tank (season 14) for my baking company.” The book highlights ways to bring nature into the kitchen, the opportunity to play with colors and flavors, and the intent to make every dish beautiful. For more information about the book and her bakery, visit eatyourflowers.com.

Ross Franken '03 poses with the Cate banner at Berg Propulsion, in front of a large propeller shaft for vessels.

2004

Chloe and Cameron Maloney are in love with Frederick Montague, who was born on September 15, 2023.

Casey McCann '97, Robin Freeman '97, Jeff Theimer '97, Camille Freeman '97, and Ben Sprague '97 got together this summer to enjoy a meal in Santa Barbara, California.

2005

Lori Stern published Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook with Harper Collins this spring.

Hilary and Danny Seigle welcomed Perry Lore into the world on July 10, 2023.

61

CLASS NOTES

2006

Michelle Nader and Cory Garrett welcomed Makoa Jonathan into their family on June 28, 2023. Baby Beau Fletcher was born on June 8, 2023, to Emma Morton-Smith and Ben Forman, and they could not be happier.

Christopher Chau shared his personal career journey and offered life advice to Cate’s Business Club as part of the Cate Connect program in October.

2007

Andrew and Haley Patton are overjoyed with baby Brooks, born on September 20, 2023. Pooja Dharwadkar married Christopher Alvarez on April 30, 2023, in Estoril, Portugal.

Christopher Chau '06 poses on Zoom with Cate students after leading a presentation on his career journey.

2011

Grace Shepard Gates and Ryan Kieth Dobosh welcomed Roger into the world on June 20, 2023.

2012

Alissa Jared married Anton Averin on August 12, 2023, at the Katharine Thayer Cate Memorial Chapel at Cate.

The ceremony was followed by dinner and dancing in Booth Commons. Proud parents and Cate faculty Lauren Jared

and husband Todd Jared were all smiles.

Jamie Jared '15 was present for the special occasion. Emily Nguyen married

Will Schleier on January 7, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. As part of the Cate Connect program, Karla Casariego '08, Stephanie Flores, Fernando Hurtado, Vanessa Lizárraga, Edgar Martin '13, and Yansy Salmerón '13 served as panelists for Hispanic and Latino Alliance students and led an identity-based conversation on life and career challenges and opportunities.

Phoom Chirathivat ‘07, son Pano, and wife Pam visited the Mesa in July and walked around campus reminiscing about Cate.

2010

Megan Falvey married Nick Wilder on

June 3, 2023, in Woodside, California.

The wedding was a wonderful reunion of Cate and Thacher alumni. Julie Hassman married Ben Filreis on April 29, 2023. Their dog Rosy is named after the taco bar where they had their first date! Grace Williams Miller and Kevin Miller welcomed Rhodes Jeffrey into their family on July 16, 2023. As part of the Cate Connect program, Brent Bennett, Eleanor Bennett, Brennan Cusack '11, and Will Meldman '08 led a panel presentation on the art of storytelling in various communication formats including podcasts, BuzzFeed, screenwriting, etc.

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Megan Falvey '10 married Nick Wilder on June 3, 2023 in Woodside, California. The wedding became a Cate/Thacher reunion. From left to right: Jazmin Sherwood '10, Alexa Greenwald '10, Sarah Blank '10, Eleanor Bennett '10, Belle Kammer '10, Ivy Kim '10, Christian Lowe '10, Liana Corwin '10, Haddon Pereira '10, Mackenzie Bohannon '10, Madeline Robison '10, Eloise Callander (Thacher '09), Ian Fuller (Thacher '09), Connor Church (Thacher '09), Kaitlin Bond (Thacher '09), Alexandra Montague (Thacher '09), Will Wilder (Thacher '05), Wils Dawson (Thacher '09), and Eliza Childs (Thacher '09).

2017

Elliott Rosenthal joined his family on the Mesa to visit his younger brother Crosby Rosenthal '24 over Fall Family Weekend.

Science teacher Jamie Kellogg quickly hired Elliott as a Wood Cafe barista!

Karla Casariego '08, Stephanie Flores '12, Fernando Hurtado '12, Vanessa Lizarraga '12, Edgar Martin '13, and Yansy Salmeron '13 on Zoom join Latino and Hispanic Alliance Cate students for a candid picture.

2013

Caitlin Joelle Cain married Charles Alexander Trivette on August 5, 2023, in Palos Verdes, California. Sally Hwang and Shawn Kang welcomed Daye into their family on September 23, 2023.

Emma Pope and Meghan Killea met in Maine and competed in witchcraft in order to gain entry to a very exclusive coven. The final task was to levitate a pie.

Elliott Rosenthal '17 had a mini-class reunion with his classmates Teddy Wecker '17 and Flora Hamilton '17 over Fall Family Weekend.

Brian Payne came to the Mesa at the beginning of the school year. He was driving to college a few days after he visited the Mesa! Alex Tang visited the frisbee team in late fall and joined a scrimmage.

Kiyomi Ran married Alex Beck on August 3, 2023, in London. Nate Wilson married Naomi Atwood on May

15, 2023, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany.

Eliza Hoang married Jason Pak on June 24, 2023, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We welcome submissions from members of all Cate classes.

Please email Guille Gil-Reynoso at guille_reynoso@cate.org to share professional or personal updates.

2023

2015

2016

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Alex Tang '23 visited the frisbee team in the late Fall and joined the team for a scrimmage. Former Cate frisbee captain Alex Tang '23 with current frisbee captain Dilan Lee '24.

2024 CAMP CATE June 7-9, 2024 All 4s and 9s alumni KICK-OFF PARTY at Mesa House, June 7, at 5:30 p.m.

Contact Emily Sosrodjojo '13, Alumni Engagement Manager, at emily_sosrodjojo@gmail.com for questions.

Brian Payne '23 visited friends at the Mesa at the beginning of the school year. Left to right: Alexander Espinoza '25, Noor Harwell '24, Brian Payne '23, Annie Chian '24, Daisy Gemberling '25, and Lily Glascock '25.

Register at cate.org/campcate

63

CLASS NOTES

Marriages 2007

2010

2010

Matt MacNaughton

Pooja Dharwadkar to Christopher Alvarez

Megan Falvey to

August 2, 2023

April 30, 2023

Julie Hassman to Ben Filreis April 29, 2023

2001 Tracy Stevens to

2012

2012

Alissa Jared to

Emily Nguyen to Will Schleier January 7, 2023

Jamie Jared '15, Alissa Jared, Anton Averin, Lauren Jared (Cate Faculty), and Todd Jared.

Left to right: Annie Weis '12, Bill Pomerans '12, Hadley Bracken '12, Adrian Walsh '12, Blake Mackall '12, Denali Tietjen '12, Lily Nguyen Sachs '08, Will Schleier, Georgie Walker '12, Grace Gail Rodrigue '11, Emma Keneally '12, Ian Keneally '12, Emily Nguyen Schleier '12, Charlotte Bowles '12, and Sarah Cohen '12 at the wedding of Emily Nguyen and Will Schleier in New Orleans, La.

Anton Averin August 12, 2023

2013 Caitlin Joelle Cain to Charles Alexander Trivette August 5, 2023

64

Nick Wilder June 3, 2023

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FACULTY/STAFF Leah Tiethof to Austin Lynch September 30, 2023

Births 2015 Kiyomi Ran to

Alex Beck August 3, 2023

2015 Naomi Atwood to Nate Wilson

May 15, 2023

2016 Eliza Hoang to Jason Pak

June 24, 2023

1997 Riggs Rae to

Jamie Bowers O’Dell and

Mike O’Dell August 30, 2023

2006 Makoa Jonathan to Michelle Nader and

2004 Frederick Montague to Chloe and

2005 Perry Lore to Hilary and

September 15, 2023

July 10, 2023

2006 Beau Fletcher to

2008 Ozzy John to Jenny and Matt DeGroot January 25, 2023

Cameron Maloney

Emma Morton-Smith and

June 28, 2023

Ben Forman June 8, 2023

2010 Rhodes Jeffrey to

2011 Roger to

Cory Garrett

Grace Williams Miller and Kevin Miller July 16, 2023

Grace Shepard Gates and Ryan Kieth Dobosh June 20, 2023

Danny Seigle

2013 Daye to

Sally Hwang and Shawn Kang September 23, 2023

65

In Memoriam Franklin Courtney Ellis, Jr. Former Faculty

APRIL 5, 1932 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 Franklin Courtney Ellis Jr. was born in Rochester, N.Y. on April 5, 1932, to parents Franklin Courtney Ellis Sr. and Marcella Mettler Ellis. Frank was a beloved, unique, one-of-a-kind human being. He lived a long, healthy, joyful life with his one true love, Sandra Townsend Ellis, his wife of 56 years. Together Frank and Sandy lived a life committed to service toward people, creatures, and a planet in need. After their marriage in 1967, Frank and Sandy moved to Puerto Rico where Frank began a job in city planning. In Puerto Rico, they learned Spanish, adventured throughout the Caribbean, and began their family with the birth of twin girls. Upon returning from Puerto Rico, Frank began his career as a music teacher in Troy, New York.

Just two years later the family moved to Carpinteria, California where Frank and Sandy began teaching at the Cate School. They were blessed with two more girls over the next three years for a total of four daughters.

theater and folk artists such as Pete Seeger and The Weavers. Frank directed plays, conducted the choir, played the organ and piano, and taught music theory during his career as music director at the Cate School. He composed many songs of his own with meaningful lyrics and dreamed about writing a Broadway musical sensation. Frank was a dreamer who believed fiercely in happy endings. He leapt at any opportunity to sing and perform for an audience, soaking up the applause with pleasure. No matter how big or small the crowd, he simply loved an audience.

Frank adored his daughters. Frank loved life. In spite of his worries for the environment and for the future of our planet, Frank found beauty and joy in nature, family, theater, music, and gatherings. He loved nothing more than a special occasion to come together with friends and family to share a meal, to philosophize, to spout his ideals regarding politics, policy, and “progress.” He liked to believe he was “solving the problems of the world,” one conversation at a time.

Frank was an active man and outdoor enthusiast who had boundless reserves of strength and energy in his prime. His outdoor passions included: skiing, ice skating, horseback riding, bike riding, sailing, swimming, canoeing, windsurfing, and in the last chapter of his life walking. He was known by all in their small mountain community for his perseverance until the end. Frank walked every day. Even the need for a walker couldn’t deter him from a short, slow daily stroll. He loved the fresh air, the birds’ songs, the big blue sky, and most of all meeting people along his route, who would stop and listen to the

Always ready to break into song, Frank was an enthusiastic performer and entertainer. He had a passion for musical 66

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stories he had to share. Frank loved to tell his stories, and people found him fascinating. They would indulge his appetite, keenly listening to his every word as he reminisced or preached his gospel for environmental justice.

From an early age, Frank was devoted to the natural world. He loved Earth with reverence, awe, and curiosity.

From the peace of a loon’s call to the intricate beauty of the stars above, Frank considered nature a mysterious and wonderful gift. He was in constant amazement of creation: the artistry of a spider’s web, the iridescence of a

dragonfly, the ephemeral brilliance of a sunset. An idealist and a seeker, Frank was a role model in ideas and ideals to many. A fanatic recycler and believer that humans could make a difference, Frank worshiped the divine beauty of nature. He was known to swoon over a flock of Canadian geese, a soaring Turkey vulture, a diving osprey, or a perched great blue heron, statuesque and perfect.

Throughout life, Frank forged lasting connections with people through music. He claimed that he could teach anyone to sing and that he would offer sailing lessons to any jet ski rider on the Canadian lake he loved. Frank was a teacher at heart. He was desperate to teach, and thus convert all of humanity to his ideals, which would mean a world filled with song and wind-powered transportation. His quest for harmony in the world and a balance of human life with nature was the melody that fueled his crusade to save the planet.

Frank’s spirit will live on in the people and places he loved. He will be remembered for his kindness, his gentle nature, his strong principles, his song, and his passion for Earth. Frank was a character, unique in all ways. He taught us to look closely, to find beauty in porcupines, spiders, and Turkey vultures; to love the wind, water, and rocks; to be gracious; to wonder and to celebrate life. Frank was a treasure, pure gold, and he will be sorely missed.

Frank is survived by his wife, Sandra Townsend Ellis, four daughters and their families: Rebecca Ellis White, husband Andre White and children Brea, Jaeda, Quintessa, Shalief, and Andre Jr. White; Amy Ellis; Terri Ellis and her wife Aimee Ellis; and Jeannie Ellis Pelletier, her husband Dave Pelletier and children Dylan and Julia Pelletier. He is also survived by his younger brother, Garry Ellis and his family.

Joseph William Donner, Jr. '44 JANUARY 23, 1927 - JULY 13, 2023 Joseph W. Donner, Jr. passed away peacefully at his New York home in the arms of his loving wife, Pamela (Cushing) Donner, on Thursday, July 13, 2023. Born January 23, 1927, to Carroll Elting and Joseph Donner in Buffalo, New York, Joe was the grandson of industrialist and philanthropist William H. Donner, founder of Donner Steel and a close associate of Andrew Mellon.

Upon the passing of Joe’s father before age three, Joe’s grandfather founded the International Cancer Research Foundation, which was the genesis of the William H. Donner Foundation and Donner Canadian Foundation.

Joe spent his early years at St. Paul's School in Concord, N.H., and Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif. He then served in the U.S. Navy before entering Princeton University, where he became a founding member of the famed acapella group, the Tigertones.

After graduation, Joe met and married the love of his life, Pamela Cushing Donner, at St. Thomas Church in New York City. He joined the foreign service, and the young couple moved to their station in Athens, Greece. There they had their first two children, Alexander Brokaw and Belinda.

Returning stateside, Joe forged ahead with a successful career on Wall Street at First Boston, then Cyrus J. Lawrence as the couple added two more sons to their growing brood - Timothy Elting and Joseph William III.

In the late 1970s, Joe left Wall Street to pursue a Ph.D. at Columbia University while supporting several conservative causes, including his service on the board of an influential political publication.

He was, in fact, a stalwart patriot and longtime philanthropist who tirelessly supported numerous public policy think tanks.

Aside from his loving wife of 72 years, Joe leaves behind his sons, Alex, Tim, and Joe, as well as three grandchildren, William Henry, Timothy Joseph, and Brielle Marjorie, as well as his two daughters-in-law, Leesa (Kelly) Donner and Karen (Solomon) Donner.

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“I don’t recall friends… I remember four years of being made fun of…

All has long been forgiven. There is innocence to the cruelty of kids. I just did not want to go back. As moments are replaced by years, years by decades, the wisdom of temporal perspective comes to play. What we think we remember is selective at best. Suddenly I recalled friends and adventures of my own, anecdotal evidence being:

Jonathan Hugh Mann '79 OCTOBER 10, 1961 AUGUST 15, 2023

By Rob Dunton '79 Jon Mann, historian, collector of political Americana, avid Lincoln scholar, and documentary filmmaker, died after a random assault in his adopted home of New York City, leaving him with injuries that led to his death on August 15, 2023, age 61.

Jon’s time at Cate was not the formulaic tale of lettered athlete, popular student, and budding scholar who went on to be a titan of industry – far from. To gloss over the challenges Jon experienced at Cate would be unfair, particularly to Jon-the-historian who spent much of his adult life seeking firsthand accounts of real people to accurately capture a time and place in history. There is no better account of Jon’s time at Cate than from Jon himself, writing to his classmates in advance of our 30th reunion that he could not (would not?) attend: 68

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• Sanderson Smith not having enough cross-country team members to enter Cate in a meet... begging someone to “just be a body.” To the howls of those at Assembly, I volunteered... mostly as a goof. By the time I crossed the finish line, everyone on the team was on the bus waiting to head home. Despite coming in twenty minutes after the final competitor, Sandy told me I did a “great job” and actually meant it.

• Mildred and Tom Savage in their School House basement laundry room where it was usually 110-degrees. Mr. Savage was always happy to fix something I broke; Mrs. Savage would sneak me an extra dessert when she saw me in the cafeteria line. I smile thinking of riding down the mesa with Mrs. Savage in her powder blue Plymouth. As she approached her house, seemingly hundreds of feral cats emerged from all corners to surround her car. She dutifully attended to them all putting out sacks of food.

• Three of the most remarkable teachers to excite a desire to learn – Frank Light with his World War Two stories, Allan Gunther, and Sandy Smith.

“I take pride in our four years. And, I concede... I did have a lot of fun on the Mesa. Without being maudlin, the process seeded in Carpinteria hopefully continues for us all. While I cannot attend this reunion, I hope to meet each of you one day – the adult incarnation of the kids we were.”

After Cate, Jon attended Vassar College, where he earned a BA in history, writing his thesis on Nazi saboteurs who landed on Long Island during World War II. After graduation, he managed to track down and interview the last surviving saboteur. This youthful adventure as historian-detective drew on Jon’s investigative talent, persistence, and innate curiosity about people and things, igniting a life-long passion for gathering and documenting the stories and collections of ordinary people living extraordinary lives. He also developed a unique, often outrageous, sense of humor that could hold (or shock) any audience. Jon’s tales and pranks have become well-recited legend among friends and family: the time he had a pizza delivered to the dais at the moment he was handed his college diploma; or the fake historical association he created to persuade a group of gauche newcomers to back off trying to rename his neighborhood NoPeSta (North of Penn Station).

Much like his hero Abraham Lincoln, an autodidact, Jon taught himself archival skills, immersed himself in historical research, and became an expert in Lincoln and his era. Jon founded The Rail Splitter, an annual journal written by and for worldwide collectors of Lincoln artifacts and memorabilia On the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, he curated, designed, and built a popular exhibit on the president at Federal Hall in New York City.

In 2010, he co-founded Provenance Productions and began producing documentaries. All have appeared on PBS, and many have garnered awards at film festivals. His films often highlighted people or places he discovered on his rambles. Provenance Productions’ first feature-length documentary, The Oratorio, focused on a historic church Jon regularly passed. It had been Martin Scorsese’s childhood parish, and Jon managed to charm Scorsese into narrating the film – no small feat.

In addition to his writing, collecting, and films, Jon leaves behind an extraordinary

legacy as one of the nation’s top Lincoln experts – a “walking encyclopedia” of everything about the 16th president.

Frank Light would be proud. Equally rich are indelible memories of Jon as an eclectic, charismatic, and consummately kind and generous friend.

I think Jon summarized his life, unique persona and relationships best when he closed his 30th reunion email back in 2009…

“Perhaps you will remember me in the same light as Jim Durham’s favorite fictional protagonist, Holden Caulfield: ‘The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story.’”

Well said, dear Jon; as always, well said.

As your rich and varied collection of friends will attest, you were a charismatic character with a huge heart, and a champion of the everyman who will not soon be forgotten.

Note: Jon’s celebration of life is in the planning stages and will probably take place in New York City, in early 2024. Jon wanted his Lincoln collection to be kept intact, and donated it to an institution where not only scholars could make use of it, but also school teachers and students.

Jon’s memorial will be at the New York Public Library paired with the “opening” of the Jon Mann Lincoln Collection — and the attendees will be the first to see it. To communicate or stay in touch with Jon’s family, email 4jonathanupdates@gmail.com.

Francis Eppes Shine III '51 JANUARY 16, 1933 - AUGUST 5, 2023 Francis (Frank) Eppes Shine III, age 90, of Boca Raton, Florida, died peacefully at home on August 5, 2023 with his beloved wife of 38 years Janet (née Jaynes) by his side. He was the loving father of Christine (Craig) Zummer, Ann (Steve) Shine Duck, John (Megan) Shine; loving grandfather to Jack (Hannah), William, Michael, Alice, and Sarah Ann. Frank was born in Los Angeles, California in 1933 and attended Cate School in Carpinteria, California. He received both his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from Stanford University. He served as a lawyer for United California Bank in Los Angeles and then took a position in Chicago at Continental Bank where he retired as Vice President and Associate General Counsel.

He proudly served his country as a United States Navy officer and retired after 20 years of service in the Naval Reserves. Frank had a strong sense of duty and was passionate about volunteer work and being of service. One of his more recent volunteer activities was for the St. Jude Catholic Church hunger program.

He was passionate about tennis, reading, and his beloved bird, Moon.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Food for the Poor at foodforthepoor.org.

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Robert Gay Hooker '44 APRIL 4, 1927 – AUGUST 5, 2022

By Anthony Hooker '56 Bob, 95, passed away in London, his home of many years, with his children at his side surrounded by the books and maps he so loved. Following in his father’s (Cate Class of 1918 ) and uncle’s (Class of 1921) footsteps Bob left Hillsborough, Calif. and traveled to Cate where he joined his 27 classmates in the Class of 1944. Four years later having survived cold showers and horse duties as well as rigorous academics in which he excelled, he matriculated to Harvard, where his father and uncle had attended. Upon completing Harvard, he joined the U.S. Navy and fulfilled his military duty. Thereafter, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, Bob attended Harvard Business School. That set the stage for his 20-year career at Exxon. As a general manager specializing in shipping transportation, he worked essentially all over the world including India, Tripoli, Egypt, Cyprus, Tunisia, Toronto, and many other localities.

In 1960, he married Jean Harvey, and they had three children, Katherine, Dolly, and Nicholas, all of whom survive him and live in London. Bob was kind-hearted, generous, and thoughtful. He was fascinated by many varied and often unrelated subjects. His fascination and curiosity would drive him to passionately study a subject in intense detail - in particular architecture, Chinese porcelain, music, art, and literature. He had a great sense of humor and dearly loved his family.

He took delight in educating his children about the cities where he was, visiting art galleries, bookstores, movies, and his latest area of interest. Robert’s interest in literature and history continues to be an inspiration to the family and all who knew him.

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From the Archives

Surfing Through the Years

As appeared in El Batidor from Dec. 17, 1981

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SUMMER @ CATE!

BY THE NUMBERS CATE CAMPERS - 410 Cate Summer Institute - 109 Cate Sports Academy - 276 Cate Summer Outdoors - 25

Cate Summer Programs offers three exciting camps: Cate Summer Institute (CSI), an exciting and fun residential academic camp for current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders; Cate Sports Academy (CSA), a sports camp for 3rd- 11th graders; and Cate Summer Outdoors (CSO), a week-long residential outdoors program for 6th-10th graders.

CAMP STAFF CONNECTION

11 Faculty Members 7 Current Cate Students 8 Alumni

Income – $1,194,041 Expenses – $807,508 Net Income – $386,533

Financial Aid $14,670 to 8 families 72

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CATE CAMPER BREAKDOWN

Countries – 9

China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Meals Served

32,832

States – 18

CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, HI, IL, MA, ME, MN, NY, NJ, NV, OR, TX, UT, VA, WA

Visit www.catesummerprograms.org for more information and to register for Summer 2024.

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ON THE MESA

CATE SCHOOL 1960 Cate Mesa Road Carpinteria, CA 93014-5005

CateBsurf team competed at Zuma Beach this fall during the first official competition in recent history.

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

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Santa Barbara, CA Permit #1020