Cate School 2018 Summer Bulletin

CATE Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018

B U LL LLEETTI INN

CATE BULLETIN EDITOR Mercedes Maskalik DESIGN Mya Cubero & Joe Gottwald ’10 COPY EDITOR Jeff Barton PHOTOGRAPHERS Alicia Afshar, Joe Gottwald ’10, Robert Hanson ’98, Ben Morris, Ashleigh Mower

HEADMASTER Benjamin D. Williams IV ASSISTANT HEADMASTER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Charlotte Brownlee ’85 DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Mercedes Maskalik MULTIMEDIA COORDINATOR Ashleigh Mower MARKETING & PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR Joe Gottwald ’10 ARCHIVIST Ginger Williams DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Lindsay Newlove CATE FUND DIRECTOR Colin Brode Donovan Wyatt DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL GIFTS & EVENTS Sarah Preston ALUMNI DIRECTOR Andrew MacDonnell DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS AND PLANNED GIVING Chris Giles 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.”

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK: CATE SCHOOL INSTAGRAM: @CATE_SCHOOL TWITTER: @CATESCHOOL RETRACTIONS FROM SPRING 2018 Julia Nebrija’s ’02 graduation year was incorrectly written ’00. Thomas Nettesheim’s ’20 graduation year was incorrectly written ’18. Brad Gordon’s ’19 last name was incorrectly written Gordron.

We sincereley apologize for the errors.

The Cate Bulletin is published three times a year by Cate School and is distrubuted 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 on Topkote paper.

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD Dan A. Emmett ’99 Santa Monica, CA Monique F. Parsons ’84 Nelson D. Jones ’48 Chair Glencoe, IL San Marino, CA

Frank A. Huerta ’85 Santa Barbara, CA

Edward Simpson ’86 Los Angeles, CA

Jason Dorion Assistant Headmaster

Palmer Jackson Jr. ’82 Santa Barbara, CA

Marianne Sprague Santa Barbara, CA

Hallie Greene Director of Strategic Initiatives

J. Wyatt Gruber ’93 President San Francisco, CA

Ellis Jones ’72 Los Angeles, CA

Lisa B. Stanson ’92 Newport Beach, CA

Jenny Jones Santa Monica, CA

David Tunnell San Francisco, CA

Chris Maloney ’80 Rancho Santa Fe, CA

FACULTY ADVISOR TRUSTEES

Sebastian Man ’76 Hong Kong

John Swain Carpinteria, CA Faculty/Art

Henry F. Burroughs ’68 Vice President Jackson, WY Eric C. Taylor ’80 Vice President Los Angeles, CA Greg H. Kubicek ’74 Treasurer Portland, OR Benjamin D. Williams IV Secretary/Headmaster Carpinteria, CA

TRUSTEES Calgary Avansino ’93 San Francisco, CA Jessica Bowlin Pacific Palisades, CA Mimi Brown ’92 Hong Kong Kate Firestone Solvang, CA Stephen J. Giusto ’80 Laguna Beach, CA Peter Given ’99 Alumni Council President Redwood City, CA

LIFE TRUSTEES Richard D. Baum ’64 Kenwood, CA

David Horowitz Irvine, CA

Sheila Marmon Heuer ’90 Sherman Oaks, CA Casey McCann ’97 Santa Barbara, CA

Stephanie Yeung Carpinteria, CA Faculty/English EX-OFFICIO STAFF

Sidney McCullers CPO President Los Angeles, CA Rosalind Emmett Nieman ’89 Pacific Palisades, CA

Charlotte Brownlee ’85 Assistant Head, External Affairs

Lisa Holmes Director of Studies Peter Mack Director of Residential Life Lindsay Newlove Director of Advancement Sandi Pierce Assistant Head, Finance and Operations José Powell Director of Multiculturalism Bryan Rodriguez Dean of Students

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

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Santa Barbara, CA Permit #1020

CATE CATEBULLETIN BULLETIN

THE CATE ISSUE ISSUE THE COMMENCEMENT COMMENCEMENT & CAMP CATE

SUMMER2018 2018 SUMMER

CONTENTS INVOCATION 2 HEADMASTER’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 FACULTY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 INVOCATION 2 HEADMASTER’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 FACULTY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 INVOCATION 2 HEADMASTER’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 FACULTY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 4 STUDENT COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS 7

IN THIS ISSUE COMMENCEMENT 2 AWARDS 14 CUM LAUDE 26 BACCALAUREATE 30 THE CLASS OF 2018 38 DEPARTING FACULTY 58 CAMP CATE 62 CLASS NOTES 66 FROM THE ARCHIVES 80

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Invocation

by COLIN BRODE DONOVAN WYATT

Good morning.

There’s a dedication mounted outside the entrance of the chapel that reads, “For the glory of God and the recreation of the soul.” Purposeful words enshrined for us by Mr. Cate.

The recreation of the soul – I love that expression of faith! It’s a playful idea, as if Mr. Cate is beckoning us to consider how our spirit might be nourished by that space and, ultimately, by this Mesa. I can picture him sitting with the old boys in one of those creaky pews, the chapel lit by multi-colored beams, pausing for a moment of prayer at the end of the school day. Our founder understood that moral leadership required thoughtful reflection as much as a keen intellect to inspire the courageous action needed in this world.

Indeed, it was his abiding hope that all of us would cultivate a contemplative practice while here on the Mesa.

Class of 2018 – I imagine that over these past four years you have discovered your chapel, your own sacred space on this campus to navigate the ups and downs and all-arounds of life at Cate. Maybe it’s putting hands to clay in the ceramics barn or playing a stressful day away on the Mac Room piano during flex. Perhaps your chapel is an early morning run up Heartbreak Hill or paddling out at Rincon before Saturday classes.

Wherever and whoever is part of your “recreation of the soul,” let them serve

as the landmarks of your journey here, to this stage. For it is these moments and memories, the places you’ve gone to, and the people you’ve spent time with that offer meaning to the significance of this day.

We are here to celebrate you – to recognize not only your impressive array of accomplishments but also the manner in which you achieved them.

During a final year that challenged our community in unprecedented ways, you revealed a depth of character and compassionate leadership that epitomizes an idea we all know well – Servons.

And serve you did. But now it’s your time to say goodbye to this place, to go off into a world that needs Cate graduates more than ever. To take these anchoring, reflective moments out beyond the Mesa, and to find new ways to lead with all of your wellconsidered courage.

And so, I invite you to join me in a moment of collective celebratory reflection. Find the eyes of a friend, a family member, maybe a teacher or mentor. Give them a smile, a nod.

Together, let us open our hearts, full of gratitude, and honor the enduring spirit of this place, which has been undoubtedly enriched thanks to all that you have contributed to our beloved Cate.

Good luck on your next adventure, 2018, and may the Mesa always be here for you – a space for the recreation of your soul.

Classmate cousins Noah Meyer ’18 and Brynkly Meyer ’18 proceed toward the Commencement dais on May 27.

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Our History

Headmaster’s Commencement Address

by BEN WILLIAMS Earlier this spring, on a trip to visit with Cate alumni, I drove through a little town in northeastern Connecticut called Willington. My mom always referred to this area as the “quiet corner” of the state, for a reason.

Not much really happens there, at least these days. I wouldn’t even have noticed Willington were it not for its central green, which sits atop a hill surrounded by old meeting houses, taverns, and churches with the look of 18th-century America. The town was originally called Wellington, in honor of the British Duke of that name, a factoid I learned from a nearby historical marker, but when the village was incorporated the sentiment was decidedly in opposition to the English aristocracy. So they changed a letter.

On the day I drove through town the sun was shining and the grass was a verdant green, making the whitepainted clapboard buildings all the more striking. And because there were no roads to be seen, other than the one I was on, I felt for a moment like I had journeyed back in time, that the buildings and the green and the town that surrounds them were somehow new, as they would have been when Willington was settled in 1727. The motto on the door of the Historical Society building – which is conveniently also the town tavern – read, “Here amid these picturesque hills our forefathers and foremothers toiled for the sake of goodly heritage. We should do no less.”

So I did a little research on those “forefathers and foremothers.”

Willington had the look of a place that might have played a notable 4

role in history; the community snubbed its nose at the Crown in naming itself; and the puritanlike language from the Historical Society made it sound as though the town had been a player in the days of yore. So I figured I’d find out how.

Well, it turns out Mom was right.

It was always the “quiet corner.”

Not much of note ever happened in Willington, at least not enough to make it into the annals of history, or even the pages of a website. One of the early presidents of Harvard was born there, and the town sent a representative to Congress in the late 19th century and a Baptist missionary to Myanmar in the early 1800s. That’s it for notable residents. Apparently, looks can be deceiving.

Only one other time have I felt like I was in the presence of such history, only that time I actually was. It was spring of 1975, when as a 12-yearold I went to see the bicentennial re-enactment of the start of the Revolutionary War. There I stood on the Lexington Green as Redcoats and Minutemen faced off just as they had two centuries earlier, and I listened as Captain Jonas Parker barked so prophetically, “Don’t fire unless you are fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!”

It did. A shot was fired, and then a host more. The Minutemen were routed by the British regulars, who marched from Lexington to Concord, where they were turned back by colonial troops at the Old North Bridge. The shot heard round the world had been fired, and it was

a sobering sight to watch, even for a 12-year-old before actors at a bicentennial.

The New York Times captured this dialogue the next day from two of my contemporaries.

“Did we win?” asked Kristy Markey, a 9-year-old Lexington resident.

“No, they did,” answered her 11-year-old friend, Lisa Gilson.

“But we get them on the way back, don’t we?”

“Right,” said Lisa. “Shoot them down like ducks.”

My guess is that Kristy and Lisa felt the same way I did both on that afternoon in Willington and on the green in Lexington – aware that we were visitors to a moment in history.

It turns out I was wrong about that assumption in Willington, but that got me to thinking a bit.

What makes history … history?

Lexington and Concord, I get.

Though those were minor skirmishes technically, they set a great deal in motion. We know what happened in 1775 because of its impact on all that has happened since. That’s history.

But isn’t history the little stuff, too? The things that happen every day that don’t make it into textbooks or Wikipedia or historical society websites? I’ll bet there are generations of folks who spent their lives in Willington who could tell us an awful lot about what happened there – little stuff and big stuff – things that changed lives. Surely that’s history too, even if it hasn’t all been documented and published somewhere.

“That’s our history, measured not in pages in a book or sound bites on the news but in the impressions we leave on each other and the moments that are important not so much to the world but to each of us.”

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Actually, that’s the history we’re used to around here. There are moments when the reach of the Cate community suddenly grows long, but more often than not we are inclined to live and work and grow in relative anonymity.

There is something endearingly genuine about our kind of pursuit, for it seems untainted by publicity or selfaggrandizing behavior. Possibility isn’t realized in the momentous, more often than not. It’s in the day-to-day, in the discipline that underlies the mundane.

You all know this because you have lived it. For the three years before this one we were content to aspire amongst ourselves – to impact the world through the things we learned or the people we became here – knowing we would take our show on the road eventually. Shortly after the end of this ceremony, as it turns out.

And then everything changed. History arrived on our doorstep in the form of a fire and then a flood. Our lives, with which we had all become relatively comfortable, were disrupted. We had to leave. And then we had to stay. We had to worry about our School or our friends or even the stuff we left behind. We had to wonder about futures that at the beginning of the fall we felt relatively secure in.

Maybe those Minutemen on Lexington Green found themselves caught up in a similar way by the storm that arrived on their doorstep. Surely some of them were your age – maybe most of them – standing in front of an imposing adversary wondering how, exactly, they got there. Maybe in a few cases wishing they were somewhere else or doing something else.

We can’t fault them for that. It is hard to know the truth of anything without experiencing it.

They came to know conflict. And now we know fire … and water, too. Maybe it’s good to know such things. But it doesn’t feel good. Naïve seems a better way to be. But we wouldn’t have even known that had we not been compelled into its opposite.

The weird thing is that the world chose this moment to pay attention to the Central Coast. We could have chosen lots of prior moments that would have been good for the world to see, but instead the cameras arrived with the weather and the fire, the very moments we all had to leave. It was news. History in the making. I get it.

But did anyone else wonder if they were covering the right things? Not that the human stories of loss and challenge don’t need to be told – they do. But maybe the proportions are somehow wrong. Because when we think back to those days when history was being made in Carpinteria, it’s not the epic that comes first to mind. Sure, there are lots of evacucation stories, tales of talking late into the night about the what-ifs, even a few wagers on the course of the fire. But ultimately it wasn’t the new that compelled us, but wishing in the midst of the maelstrom we could go back to the familiar.

It’s remembering how nice it was just to go to school. To wake up every morning and grab some toast in the dining hall.

To look into the Schoolhouse classrooms as we stroll by or settle into a comfy chair in McBean. To breathe fresh air without a mask or walk barefoot on green grass. To have study hours, hang out with a friend, take the bus to Carp, or grab a cup of something overpriced that isn’t really coffee at Starbucks or Lucky Llama. To do homework and study for a test. To live the life we are used to living. Like the one I imagine the

“Thank you for that: for the year you have made, for the vitality you have given our Mesa, for your joy in the seemingly mundane, and for the greatness in each small gesture. Lives were changed and improved through such graciousness … every day.”

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folks lived in Willington – historic in its importance to everybody in town – but largely unknown elsewhere.

We’ll still be able to answer the inevitable questions, “Weren’t you at Cate during that big fire?” And we’ll have our stories to tell, which likely will be repeated many times. I’m a big fan of telling stories over and over again.

But we’ll know, too, that the fire and the flood are only part of the story. Folks will want to know about life in the crucible, but we’ll likely be just as captivated by life on the Mesa, by what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling or in the places the world doesn’t see.

That’s our history, measured not in pages in a book or sound bites on the news but in the impressions we leave on one another and the moments that are important not so much to the world but to each of us. And only we and those closest to us can know exactly when those moments occurred or what they entailed. But that’s okay, too. The best things in life, history included, are not monumental or even historic. They’re personal. You know this already, for it was your personal inclination to come to Cate in the first place and to do the many remarkable things you did here that made these last four years memorable and distinctive. Even Mother Nature, awesome as she is, cannot and should not eclipse that truth.

So with this ceremony we acknowledge the end of an unprecedented year, not because of the big things we couldn’t control but for the little things we could. Thank you for that: for the year you have made, for the vitality you have given our Mesa, for your joy in the seemingly mundane, and for the greatness in each small gesture. Lives were changed and improved through such graciousness … every day.

As Cate legend Stan Woodworth was fond of saying, quoting Horace, “We will be glad to remember these things.”

They are surely moments that are worth keeping.

A Balanced Life

Parents, Trustees, Friends, and Colleagues, good morning. And to you, my most important audience, the Class of 2018. I thank you for

by PAUL DENISON ’79

the honor of speaking to you today, but I do have a confession. Those of you who know me know how competitive I am, so when asked if I would accept this invitation, I admit that I liked the fact that it looked like I had won something. However, the thought of the obligation accompanying this victory quickly tempered my sense of triumph. Kind of like winning a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. And colleagues, I can feel your anxiety. Oh my God. Denison with a sense of obligation, a soapbox, and a captive audience. Where is this going, and how long are we going to be here? We’ll, let’s find out.

Faculty Commencement Address

So, how to begin? Parker Matthews told me, “I want you to make me laugh. I want you to make me cry.” Brie Walker dispensed with the sentimentality and simply said, “Better make it funny.” Tall orders to be sure. I tried to seek inspiration from a number of sources, but ultimately, I decided to hearken back to my own days so long ago.

Perhaps I could take inspiration from my own graduation speaker at this very location. Surely that individual inspired me, sent me on my way with laughter in my heart and tears in my eyes. However, for the life of me, I hadn’t the foggiest idea who spoke at my graduation, much less what was said. So, I searched the archives for the faculty Commencement speaker of 1979. Turns out it was my father. I still have no recollection of anything he said that day. I guess it was a potential perspective check for me on just what you want to hear and how much you will take away. Thank goodness, at least, that it wasn’t Tessa’s class that asked me. She can ignore me plenty at home.

So, laughter, tears. It’s an intimidating responsibility to deliver something of value, especially to you all. You see, I’ve listened to you every Tuesday (or sometimes Saturday), when you have delivered talks of incredible sincerity, courage, and insight. This year’s Tuesday Talks have been remarkable for their sophistication, their risk taking, and their wisdom. Maybe you take it for granted; I don’t. I want you to understand something: this isn’t normal. And it’s worth mentioning. And celebrating. I’m not sure you appreciate that such perspective is unusual in students your age. In addition, virtually every talk was imbued with a love and appreciation of Cate that is unparalleled in my time here. I’m still trying to develop the kind of perspective and thoughtfulness so many of you displayed. In fact, one of my early ideas was simply to have each of you send me your favorite line from your own Tuesday Talk. I was certain I could stitch something together illustrating a level of insight and clarity that would surpass anything I could produce on my own. In fact, I still think it’s a worthy project and would be a great read. However, I couldn’t help but hear, from my own days as a student at Cate, the voice of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “I hate quotation. Tell me what you know.” And so, I feel I owe you the same kind of thoughtfulness and perspective you so clearly demanded of yourselves.

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So, let’s talk about truth. That’s a topic that’s been hanging around all year. I guess my final gift could be to answer this year’s question. So, is truth universal?” Yes. Godspeed, and good luck next year.

Not enough? OK, let me qualify. I believe there are universal truths. For example, I know that it is true that I can get at least three days out of a pair of pants and shirt if I simply change my tie before anyone thinks I’m not wearing clean clothes. (Don’t worry, it’s Day One for this outfit.) I believe that it is true that this community is pathologically obsessed with both gratuitous applause and the celebration of birthdays. In the case of birthdays, the actual date has become irrelevant: the past week, this week coming up, ½ birthdays, or any other arbitrary fraction – even birthdays that aren’t real. Which reminds me, Happy Birthday, Swain. However, I know that it’s true that there are far worse things a community can be saddled with than an insatiable desire to celebrate one another.

But I gather that’s not really the kind of perspective you’re looking for. OK, maybe Brie is. But let me try again.

When I consider this question, I am far more interested in the truths that transcend the human experience. These are the truths I believe are universal. I also believe it’s important that we try to understand them not only because it’s fun to try but also because there are important lessons to be learned in them. Perhaps I may be forgiven, as someone from the Science Department, in thinking that the joy of discovery of those truths upon which our universe operates is what drives our curiosity and gives our life meaning. The more we understand about those truths, I believe, the richer is our appreciation for one another and for the world on which we live. The truths are there, but we must work to uncover them. That we may not comprehend them, or that our understanding may never be fully complete, doesn’t make them less real or lessen the importance of trying to understand them.

I believe that these universal truths are most evident in the outdoors. Henry 8

David Thoreau ventured to Nature in order to find truth. In Walden he writes, “We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality which surrounds us.” Thoreau’s “reality” is the truth of which I speak.

He was interested in universal truth, too. Human reality paled in comparison to the vastness of the divine creation.

This is not just an exclusively American concept. The ancient Taoists expressed

“So, is truth universal?

Yes. Godspeed, and good luck next year.” this concept as “The Tao” or “The Way” – the origin of all creation and the force that lies behind the functioning of the natural world – so vast that it is unknowable in its complexity and without words to express it adequately.

They believed that Nature displayed a harmony far more perfect, stable, and enduring than anything Man could create, particularly when compared to the social disorder and unrest of Chinese society of their time. I would argue the same holds true here today.

They believed that Nature is where we can better understand and appreciate the forces so much bigger than ourselves, those that shaped the land, the stars, our universe. So do I, and it’s why I find myself drawn to the outdoors.

And it is to those truths to which we all adhere, whether we want to or not, whether we know it or not.

I don’t think this concept of harmony is just a spiritual concept. I believe that it is true that we are at our most peaceful, grounded, and stable when we are in balance with the various aspects of our personality and our surroundings.

All of you have taken science here, and so you should know of the concept of equilibrium in chemical reactions, or in population growth and carrying capacities. Systems move naturally to equilibrium; when the balance is

upset, the system shifts and adjusts until a new balance is struck. This is unavoidable; it is a universal truth. Or it’s not; I told you, the fun is in trying to figure it out.

However, I like this concept of balance and equilibrium. I like it because not only do I think it is a universal truth, but also because it applies to human systems too, both individuals and societies. This is observable in the lab. Our chemists know of Le Chatelier’s Principle, which essentially states that if you upset a chemical reaction at dynamic equilibrium, the system will recalibrate itself to a new one. Uh oh, I think I just lost Parker.

Hang in there. There are two important implications here. First, this means that natural systems always find their own equilibrium; if our desired equilibrium is different than the one favored by this natural balance, we must expend energy.

This implies that there is a kind of passive equilibrium, if you will, in which we can be a part of Nature’s processes with a minimum expenditure of energy if we work with those forces. This is a far more peaceful, less stressful, and ultimately more harmonic existence. To try to fight a system moving to an equilibrium requires energy. So, in your own lives, strive for balance. Most of us live a very unbalanced life here; there’s too much going on, too much to accomplish, too many things to do and not enough time to do them. You’ll have time next year.

Use it. Balance serious study with the time to reflect, rest, and enjoy your journey. Find your equilibrium. You’ll do better work, and you’ll be happier and healthier. The second implication is that these natural forces are bigger than ourselves, and to ignore that natural balance and fail to understand the ramifications of our actions is to invite disaster. For us as individuals, perhaps that manifests itself as stress, anxiety, or depression – certainly something worth paying attention to. But as I said, I like this concept of harmony and balance because it applies not only to individuals but also to societies, which makes it all the more important to understand this second implication.

I think our society is out of balance. We are not at equilibrium. We are polarized, blind and deaf to ideas that are different from our own, more interested in

shouting at one another than in listening.

I am afraid that our country has lost sight of the need to come together around core values, values that represent a natural order, balance, and harmony. I am afraid that we treat this planet, in the words of astronomer Carl Sagan, “as if we had someplace else to go.” We live in a country that has five percent of the world’s population yet consumes 24 percent of the world’s energy. If undeveloped countries consumed at this rate, we would need four complete Earths to meet the demand. People who think we have a right to this lifestyle don’t understand natural laws, universal truths. We are not immune to the laws of the universe. If we upset the balance, the planet, the cosmos, will reset. But whatever gave us the hubris to think that the universe is somehow obligated to reset that balance in our favor? We do have some control over what that new equilibrium looks like, but only if we have an appreciation and an understanding of the natural systems of which we are a part. We should certainly have the understanding that we must accept the consequences of our behavior. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Ask your parents how free the food is in the cafeteria if you have any doubts.

I was listening to a song the other day by country/folk singer Nanci Griffith titled, “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go.” Written in 1989, it’s about a world out of balance, of poverty, racism and bigotry in Ireland and the U.S. – unfortunately, still themes that resonate today. One part of the chorus reads, And if we poison our children with hatred Then the hard life is all that they’ll know.

That might qualify as a universal truth, one could argue. Kind of an obvious one, actually, but I don’t think it diminishes its importance. This part of the song is clearly a charge to us as parents, educators, mentors. However, I’d like to draw your attention to the next verse.

It’s the one that sticks out for me. And this, I think, is an admonition to all of us, and to you in particular. Here is the next line in that song: Now I am the backseat driver from America And I am not at the wheel of control And I am guilty, I am war, and I am the root of all evil

I think this is worth thinking about. Look at where Griffith points the finger. It isn’t at the obvious target, the forces in charge – the drivers – where she directs her attention. Rather, it is the editorializers in the background who choose only to comment and not to do – the “backseat drivers from America,” of which she includes herself. These are the times when balances need to be reset. When new equilibria need to be established. If those of us who know better, and who are in a position to act, do not grab the wheel, we are worse that just passive observers or nagging spouses. In fact, it is we who are the root of the evil.

And, thus, it is to you. You have a responsibility because you are the ones who must make a difference. This is my truth. I hope it is yours. You have been bestowed with incredible opportunity – an opportunity to learn, to understand, to gain wisdom and an appreciation of the problems facing the world today.

You have also been given a glimpse into a way of community life here that celebrates and appreciates the different gifts a diverse group of people can bring. You understand that; I heard it from you all year.

You can’t change the world. But you can change a part of it. Your part. And however big you want that part to be is up to you. This is your obligation.

This is what your privilege has afforded you: the actual opportunity to make a difference. It is now up to you to care enough to do so in whatever way you can. I may have forgotten what my father said to me on these grounds 39 years ago, but I do remember him saying, “Make the world a better place because of your presence.” You’ve already done that in your time here.

Don’t stop now. This is not a time for back-seat driving. This is my truth.

Thank you, Class of 2018, for your commitment and your love of one another and of this place, and good luck. Oh, and one final truth? I will miss you. We all will miss you. Now, will someone please announce a birthday? I need to laugh, or I might just cry.

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Fair Questions

Student Commencement Address

by JULIA FARNER ’18

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Cate has been a part of my life for what is, by most standards, an unusually long period of time. The first real memory I have of being here is from a birthday party that happened around first grade, which pretty much went as these things do, with water balloons and big plastic bowls filled with Cheetos and slices of watermelon.

And Cate did have, I’ve got to say, some pretty sweet digs – I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered any emotion quite as positive as that of being a first-grader and coming to the sudden realization that you’ve found yourself in the vicinity of a pool.

So we were all splashing around and running barefoot back and forth between the Cheetos bowl and the oversized pool floaties when I did something I’ve always had an unusual knack for, which is get stung by a bee. Being pretty impressively allergic to bees, I proceeded to derail the whole event and spend the day reclining misty eyed on a couch with an ice pack wrapped around my foot.

So I gotta say, as far as the school goes, not a great first impression, guys.

And I’m not normally one to hold a grudge, but typically, trying to get me back to one of the absurdly many places I’d been attacked by one of those devilish insects was like trying to get a dog to walk itself to the vet. As it turns out, Cate ended up being a pretty particular place, and within a few months the advantages of coming back overwhelmed the fear, and there hasn’t been a year since in which I didn’t come up to campus.

And really genuinely, every time I came back there was something new to find that made it better than the last visit. Admittedly, given my first encounter, with the exception of the pool, the bar was on the floor.

Regardless, as the years went on I became more and more familiar with Cate, and, from the first time I ever set foot onto this campus, there are some things that have stayed almost exactly the same. The dining hall and the theater, the towering rows of bending, shivering eucalyptus trees, in more than a few cases the people – but also smaller, more insignificant things, like a bit of graffiti I found next to a piano in second grade that remained perfectly unaltered until just a few months ago.

But, of course, there’s been just as much change. I’ll spare you this list – the only really relevant example is all to do with the group sitting to my left. If any of you saw the pictures hung up in the McBean Library of our class from freshman year, you’ll need no convincing; I walked into that gallery fully unprepared for the trauma it left me with. It’s pretty unbelievable how much can change in only three or four years, even just on the surface.

But the important and probably obvious fact remains: we are all different now than we were before.

Being just one person, I can’t really speak for my whole class, so I sort of apologize for this, but I’m gonna talk about myself.

More specifically, one of the very concrete changes within myself.

One thing I think about a lot, and definitely more than what’s probably usual, is my diet. Not really in

a “health” way, which is likely a lot more practical or beneficial, but more in terms of the relationship I have with the things I’m eating, and why I’m eating them, and what that means, or doesn’t mean.

For the vast majority of my life, I was a veritable carnivore. I could pack down chicken, beef, and pork like I was getting paid to do it, and this was a fairly central aspect of my whole being. It was sort of what I was known for. Needless to say, birthday meals, holiday dinners, special breakfasts, whatever it might have been, unfailingly, every special treat was some hunk of meat.

But then, when I was eight or nine years old, everything changed. My sister was offered her first ever lobster at an uncommonly fancy dinner when she found herself face to face with an entire animal, complete with vacant eyes and recently stilled organs.

Everything suddenly snapped into place and she connected, respectively, the drumstick, steak, and pork chop to the chicken, cow, and pig, and so on and so forth, until she realized that the only response she could have when faced with this gruesome and inescapable truth was to swear off meat forever.

And she meant it. The result of this was that, maybe unsurprisingly, my family’s general meat consumption went way down. This was an injustice I could not wrap my head around. My sister, fine, had willingly sworn off one of the greatest joys in life ... and for some reason we were all made to pay the price.

It was all completely incomprehensible to me, and as we traded out ribeyes and chicken thighs for rice and lentils, I found my only comfort in the knowledge that, despite not being able to change any one else’s mind, I could remain forever fast in my own carnivory, certain I would never stray from my true path. And this was still more or less my mindset going into freshman year.

Now, I stand before you all today, staunchly vegetarian and apparently with all that conviction just flushed down the drain.

If any of you are starting to get nervous, you can relax – I won’t be taking this time to try to exert any kind of guilt or pressure on you for eating meat, if you do that. I’m no missionary. I bring this up not really with an agenda, but because it’s a change in myself I think of just about every day, given the fact that eating is one of the few actions I actually perform every day, and more than once.

So while I do have my long list of reasons I can spout for why I’ve changed what I eat, it would probably be ridiculous to try to convince however many of you there are here to follow in my path, because my list of reasons is just that – mine.

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But, the underlying gist of it all is that I think it’s a reality that none, and I mean none, of our thoughts or actions are insignificant. They all matter and not one of them ever really leaves.

The thing is, any one of you could think, and probably has thought, about everything I did in a similar way and come out the other side with a completely different set of conclusions.

Even so, the point remains – where I used to suck down ground beef like a vacuum cleaner, I now agonize over whether or not I should eat things like eggs or dairy.

Now, the flip side of all this is what I’ve started to eat that I didn’t before, which has manifested in a strange new compulsion that’s developed over the past couple of years. This is actually even something of a confession, since only those people who have come into direct contact with this habit are really aware it exists. But, here it is: With very little suggestion and needing very little compelling reason to do so, I will eat almost any non-toxic item offered to me, including those things we wouldn’t typically classify as “food.”

In the past year, I’ve eaten a few small rocks, some whole flowers, a whole bunch of rinds and leaves, a decent entree of paper, some cardboard hors d’oeuvres, some grass off of Senior Lawn, and an absolutely unneeded ancient herbal remedy for hypertension.

A question which now comes up is “Why?” And a fair question it is.

To start, I think a reasonable enough answer is “inquiry.”

But probably a more accurate answer is rooted in some latent toddler-level curiosity manifesting in some latent toddler-level actions. I think it’s perfectly normal to feel some concern, and yes, this is directed at my parents as much as anyone, but I can tell you very truthfully that I almost never get sick. All I can really say about the whole thing is

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that it’s a low-risk, low-reward activity.

And so, we’ve arrived at one of the more strange and inexplicable tensions in my life – a belief that it is my responsibility to think deeply and fully about everything I interact with, or in this case, ingest, coexisting with the secret second life I live as a goat.

And I don’t really have a resolution to offer you.

But part of the reason I don’t have a real explanation is because I’m not totally convinced one exists. Which is sort of wonderful, because another big change I’ve undergone over the past four years is becoming not only able to live with, but actively enjoy, ambiguity.

It seems to be increasingly the case that any sense of certainty I have ever had is probably bogus, and after spending four years, or even fifteen years, of schooling trying to answer questions, realizing that not only do I not have the answers but maybe they don’t even exist is first pretty terrifying, then incredibly freeing.

Because it allows me to care less about answers having to do with grades or testing or whatever weird metric of success we may choose, and more about questions like, “Should I have eaten that fried egg?” or “Should I have eaten that dirt clod?”

And the honest truth is, in any of those cases, I just don’t know. And I’m inclined to think any black and white answer any one of us could give would be failing to take into account one thing or another, because I also don’t think that there is any train of thought possible to follow that’s inherently insignificant or unimportant.

We are all now in one of the most ambiguous parts of life we’ve had to face for a while, and even though I’m really talking to my class here, I don’t think that’s a crazy thing to say even globally. But regardless of what’s happening in the broader world, as soon as this ceremony ends, everything will be a little stranger and a little more offkilter, and it’s gonna be different.

Just on a personal level, this is hard to reconcile. Like I said before, Cate has been in my life, really, for longer than I can remember. And while it was fun coming here as a small kid and as a freshman and all the way up until now, it was also never as good as it is at this exact moment. Every minute before this was one where a sense of comfort and belonging and feeling like this place belongs to us was growing, increasing – a perpetual escalator. What I think I’m experiencing right now, in this very minute with all of you, is the peak of that. The pinnacle of exactly where I want to be meeting with exactly where I’m supposed to be.

And, probably in an hour or so, that sense will plateau, and then, eventually, unavoidably, switch directions. I’m not trying to be a downer here, and there is no doubt in my mind that this place will always be a home for all of us. But we are undeniably on the fringe of a whole new world, which is requiring us to leave.

So while we spent a lot of time focusing on how to answer questions with responses that sound, or even are, educated or researched or nuanced, what feels even more valuable is leaving this place with a willingness to accept the fact that everything will probably be really inconclusive and maybe even unanswerable for just about the rest of our lives. And to not just accept it, but start to revel in it.

When tasked with this weird, impressively stressful and completely humbling final homework assignment to say something about what it all meant, or why we’re all here, or what it was all for, I’m just gonna be honest with you: I have absolutely no idea.

And while there’s nothing I could say that could start to show the gratitude I feel for this school and these people, I’ll leave you all with just about the only two completely unambiguous things I could think to say: Thank you. I love you all.

“Regardless of what’s happening in the broader world, as soon as this ceremony ends, everything will be a little stranger and a little more offkilter, and it’s gonna be different.”

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2017/2018

AWARDS

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1. THE JEFFREY SUMNER PALLETTE ’88 AWARD Joe Silva

5. MORGAN GWYNNE TEMBY ’69 AWARD Jazmín Estévez-Rosas

9. NELSON JONES ’48 MEDAL Young Su Ko

2. THE STEPHEN SPITTLER ’63 CUP Paul Denison ’79

6. THE MIRAMAR AWARD Farida Tahiry

10. HEADMASTER’S AWARD Kathryn Antonatos & Patrick Armstrong

3. THE SANTA BARBARA SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP TROPHY Carter Melnick

7. THE DOHRMANN PISCHEL ’14 MEDAL Joe Silva

4. THE ELLIS CUP Parker Matthews & Kyril van Schendel

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8. SANTA BARBARA SCHOOL MEDAL Christian Revels-Robinson

11. WILLIAM SHEPARD BIDDLE ’18 CUP Julia Farner & Ian MacFarlane

MATHEMATICS STANLEY M. DURRANT MATHEMATICS PRIZE Alexander Kim ’20 & Kimberly Rogers ’20 COLIN DAY MATHEMATICS AWARD Jennifer Soh ’19 & Alice Zhang ’19 ALLAN J. GUNTHER MATHEMATICS AWARD Ian MacFarlane RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC MEDAL Sean Zhan ’19 ENGLISH PHILIP OWEN POETRY PRIZE Kaliyah Dorsey JAMES C. DURHAM ’02 (HON.) WRITING PRIZE Julia Farner ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PRIZE Cambria Weaver SCIENCE BIOLOGY PRIZE Darling Garcia CHEMISTRY PRIZE Madeleine Denis ’19 PHYSICS PRIZE Jason Zhao ’19 THE HANS F. SUMMERS AWARD Ian MacFarlane HISTORY GABY EDWARDS AND DAVID HARBISON ’72 HUMANITIES AWARD Annabella Lucente ’21 THE FRANK B. LIGHT CUP John Rigsby Shelburne ’20 & Riley Swain ’20 EDWIN HARTZELL UNITED STATES HISTORY PRIZE Jeffrey Kim ’19 THE JAMES MASKER GLOBAL STUDIES AWARD Jack Rehnborg HISTORY DEPARTMENT PRIZE Charlie Corman

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE CHINESE PRIZE Jeffrey Kim ’19 FRENCH PRIZE Ariana Amaya FRENCH PRIZE Carter Melnick JAPANESE PRIZE Young Su Ko

HARVARD UNIVERSITY- BOY J​effrey​ Kim ’19

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY Isabela Montes De Oca

WILLIAMS COLLEGE H​unter​ King ’19

BOYS’ WATER POLO Parker Matthews

BROWN UNIVERSITY K​ate​ Bradley ’19

BOYS’ & GIRLS’ SQUASH Ian MacFarlane

WELLESLEY COLLEGE Sarah Polowczak ’19

BOYS’ FOOTBALL Patrick Armstrong, Luke Beckmen, & Christopher Bennett

CENTENNIAL BOOK PRIZE Rivers Sheehan ’19

SPANISH PRIZE Kaliyah Dorsey

EXTRA CURRICULAR

STANLEY D. WOODWORTH LANGUAGE CUP Maki Kobayashi

MESAN AWARD Kathryn Antonatos & Parker Matthews

ART

EL BATIDOR AWARD Will Borghesani, Anika Brown, & Maddie Goodman

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Kaliyah Dorsey, Maisie Oswald, & Laura Vences BOYS’ SOCCER Ben Jessup

JOSEPH KNOWLES FOUNDATION ARTS AWARD Nicola Parker ’21

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD Cambria Weaver

FRED BRADLEY ’68 PRIZE: 2-DIMENSIONAL Jennifer Soh ’19

NOAH W. HOTCHKISS MEMORIAL AWARD Charlie Corman

FRED BRADLEY ’68 PRIZE: 3-DIMENSIONAL Young Su Ko

TECHNOLOGY PRIZE Morgan Crew

JAMES R. FELD ’81 CERAMICS AWARD Noah Meyer

STUDENT ACTIVITIES AWARD Caden Cutter, Ben Jessup, Brie Walker, & Margaux Vitols

GIRLS’ LACROSSE Julia Farner & Brie Walker

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AWARD Ariana Amaya

BOYS’ BASEBALL Patrick Armstrong & Emily Burns

ATHLETIC

BOYS’ TENNIS Cole Dexter & Joseph Thomassen

OUTDOOR PROGRAM AWARD Kathryn Antonatos & Apple Lieser

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD Kyril van Schendel

REDINGTON CUP AWARD Piper Brooks ’20 & William Deardorff ’21

GIRLS’ SWIMMING Tilly Bates

TONY HOOKER ’56 SCULPTURE AWARD Robyn Collins ’19 MARION WOLSEY CATE ACTING PRIZE Ariana Amaya & Tilly Bates DRAMA AWARD Morgan Crew & Sophie Eskenazi FRANKLIN ELLIS VOCAL PRIZE Molly Dorion & Rose Xi PETER FOLGER ’25 MUSIC TROPHY Cambria Weaver & Sophie johnson PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE Shelagh Morphy & Kathryn Antonatos DIGITAL IMAGING AWARD Sean Zhan ’19 & Janice Ng JOSEPH BRADLEY ART PRIZE Ruby McCullers & Darling Garcia

MOST INSPIRATIONAL ATHLETE AWARD Sarah Polowczak & Ben Jessup SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD Charlie Corman & Julia Farner

COLLEGE BOOK PRIZES UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Sean Zhan ’19

PETER CATE AWARD Emily Burns & Isabela Montes De Oca

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY F​lora​ Troy ’19

VARSITY SPORTS SENIOR CAPTAINS AWARDS GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL Julia McCaw & Hailey Panzer

HARVARD UNIVERSITY - GIRL J​ennifer​ Soh ’19

GIRLS’ SOCCER Emily Burns, Mari Espinoza, Julia Farner, & Isabela Montes De Oca GIRLS’ WATER POLO Tilly Bates BOYS’ LACROSSE Will Bowlin & Ben Jessup

BOYS’ SWIMMING André Pincot GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD Isabela Montes De Oca

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S AWARD Kyril van Schendel & Brie Walker BEACH SOULE AWARD Patrick Armstrong

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE Madeleine​ Denis ’19

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BOYS’ BASKETBALL Patrick Armstrong, Andy McHarg, & Marko Pliso

GIRLS’ TENNIS Jackie Cai & Janice Ng BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY Ian MacFarlane & Kyril van Schendel

All award recipients are members of the Class of 2018 unless otherwise indicated.

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Desmond Castillo, Caden Cutter, Jazmin Estevez-Rosas, Mari Espinoza, Noah Meyer, Hailey Panzer, Katherine Scott, Laura Vences, Eric Yi 2. 6 VARSITY LETTERS

Will Bowlin, Charlie Corman, Julia Farner, Parker Matthews, Andy McHarg, Janice Ng, Andre Pincot, Brie Walker 3. 7 VARSITY LETTERS

Luke Beckmen, Tilly Bates, Marko Pliso, Kyril van Schendel 4. 8 VARSITY LETTERS

Emily Burns, Ben Jessup, Ian MacFarlane 5. 11 VARSITY LETTERS

Patrick Armstrong, Christopher Bennett 6. 12 VARSITY LETTERS

Isabela Montes De Oca

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Faculty Fellowships a poem as she is at helping them assess the forces that gave rise to the American Revolution. A lover of words and wisdom, a tireless advocate for students, and a broadly engaged and invested teacher, our recipient manages to improve every endeavor with her presence and contribution. Our Burleigh Pattee Fellow is Alicia Hammond.

directly on pedagogy and practice, this award seeks to recognize an educator whose work this year has demonstrably advanced his or her own teaching skills, course design, and lesson planning and in so doing impacted productively the learning of his or her own students.” This year, the Fellowship is awarded to Karl Weis.

There were, however, things that Mr. Pattee was quite willing to pay for, and good teaching is at the top of the list. This particular fellowship comes with a $1,000 stipend.

With the generous support of an anonymous donor, I am pleased to offer two Fellowships for Exemplary Teaching to members of the Cate faculty whose service this year has been particularly distinctive and impactful. The Fellowships include $2,500 stipends, which the recipients may use as they choose. The purpose, ultimately, of this program is to honor the exceptional teaching and commitment that has always distinguished the men and women who deliver the educational program here on the Mesa.

It is awarded this year to a teacher who is as adept at helping her students appreciate the nuance of language and imagery in

The Centennial Fellowship was conceived to honor thoughtful, purposeful, and innovative classroom teaching. Focused

The Circumspice Fellowship was designed to acknowledge the multiplicity of endeavors in which Cate faculty members are involved. This award recognizes excellence in teaching in the broadest application of that role, encompassing as we do at Cate all that happens in the classroom, in the dormitories, on the stage or athletic fields, and in broad-based engagements with the community. This is an honor built on the actualization and exemplary achievement by a faculty member of the very same diverse commitments we ask our students to make.”

The Fellowship is awarded to Rachel Van Wickle.

The W. Burleigh Pattee Fellowship was established by friends of Mr. Pattee to honor outstanding teaching at Cate. A student at Cate and the parent of an alumnus, Mr. Pattee served as a Cate trustee for 28 years.

Known widely for his good sense and frugal lifestyle, Mr. Pattee was a stickler for value.

At the Burlingame Country Club outside of San Francisco, where he was a member, the caddy fees were, in Mr. Pattee’s mind, completely intolerable. To avoid the expense, Mr. Pattee built a small trailer that he could strap to his faithful Labrador retriever. The dog dutifully followed his master over the course, clubs in tow, requiring only a biscuit or two in the way of a tip.

Alicia Hammond is the recipient of the W. Burleigh Pattee Fellowship

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Karl Weis is the recipient of the Centennial Fellowship

Rachel van Wickle is the recipient of the Circumspice Fellowship

The Servons Award The William New, Jr. ’59 Servons Award was conceived to honor the legendary service to Cate of its namesake. And since its inception, the award has been presented by Bill New himself: an inventor, philanthropist, trustee, and friend. But Bill succumbed to cancer this winter, and so we enter a new era for the honor he inspired. And the recipient is fittingly a member of the generation that has followed Bill’s and has taken up the charge to care for the school and its mission as those giants of old did.

A member of the Class of 1997, our recipient went on to Middlebury College before returning to the west to live and work. He quickly re-engaged with Cate as a member of the Alumni Council, an entity he ultimately served as President. That office placed him on the Board of Trustees, where he was so

impactful that he was voted on to the Board even after his term on the Alumni Council expired. It was this alumnus who helped inspire young alumni to give back to Cate, who came to assemblies on the Mesa to speak to current students about their lifelong relationship with Cate, who set a tone that has been optimized in our March Magic program and the unprecedented support that Cate alumni offer their school. He has chaired the Advancement Committee of the Board and currently leads the Planning and Infrastructure Committee, which is tasked with the construction – beginning this summer – of our new Dining Commons.

Though we have come to expect the extraordinary from this remarkable alumnus, he took it to a whole new level this winter.

When the afflicted Central Coast called

for help, this young man and the moving company he leads were at ground zero, literally wading through mud and debris to rescue people and belongings. Though displaced from his own home, our alumnus thought only of others, working without rest to care for the families of Carpinteria, Montecito, and Santa Barbara. At a recent function at the Museum of Natural History, it seemed like every attending family had been the beneficiary of this alumnus’ service, and all acknowledged they might never have retrieved their possessions were it not for him and his crews.

The true measure of any of us is how we respond when we are needed most. Casey McCann ’97 is always there in those moments and is the deserving recipient of the 2018 Servons Award.

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Commencement Through the Lens 1. AndrÊ Pincot and Paul Denison ’79 hug in the traditional receiving line.

2. Caden Cutter and Hailey Panzer proceed to the 105th Commencement ceremony.

3. Chemistry teacher Cece Schwennsen congratulates newlyminted grad Morgan Crew.

4. Jenny Lee watches her classmates receive their diplomas.

5. I sabel Tarafa, Isabel Sorenson, and Karan Kapur round the corner to Commencement Lawn.

6. Isabela Montes De Oca and Kyril van Schendel make their way to the Commencement stage.

7. The Class of 2018 laughs during the faculty Commencement address.

8. Underclassmen nab last-minute Mesan signatures from graduating seniors.

9. Mari Espinoza, JazminRobert Estevez-Rosas, Castillo, Photographer Hanson Desmond ’98 captures theFarida Milky Way Tahiry,high and above Diarra Pouye strike a variety of poses in the Johnson the eucalyptus trees.

Library before Commencement.

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Commencement Through the Lens

5. Moments before Commencement, Emily Burns, Rose Xi, Chrissy Robinson, Anika Brown, Margaux Vitols, Darling Garcia, and Mariam Soliman capture one more lasting memory.

1. Margaux Vitols, Mari Espinoza, and Jackie Cai in the Johnson Library before Commencement.

6. Buddies Noah Meyer, Andy McHarg, Patrick Armstrong, and Marko Pliso strike a dapper pose.

2. Ian MacFarlane and Charles Shi paired up to walk during Commencement.

7. Kyril van Schendel, Laura Vences, Young Su Ko, Jenny Lee, and Joe Silva share a heartfelt moment.

3. Will Borghesani gets a hand with his boutonnière.

8. Cambria Weaver and Apple Lieser embrace for a photo.

4. Nick Carlson, Maisie Oswald, and Nicholas Hildebrandt are all smiles as the graduates ready themselves for the processional.

9. C harliehigh Corman converses with classmates above the eucalyptus trees. Joseph Thomassen and Joe Silva.

Photographer Robert Hanson ’98 captures the Milky Way

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The Good You Will Do Cum Laude Address

by AMBASSADOR NINA HACHIGIAN

Nina Hachigian is the current L.A. Deputy Mayor for International Affairs and former ASEAN Ambassador under the Obama administration.

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Thank you, Ben, for that kind introduction, and thank you Cate for having me here today.

It’s a great honor for me to talk to tomorrow’s bright young leaders. You all look so fancy! I’m impressed! And special congrats to the Cum Laude students. Well done! I can imagine how hard you worked for this honor.

And parents, it’s good to see that you survived the college admissions process.

You make me hopeful that I, too, will make it through when my time comes approximately 27 months from today.

I’ve been on this campus twice before because my husband, Joe Day, is a proud alum. He met most of his closest friends here. And he credits his career in architecture to some of his Cate teachers. I have the same reaction every time I visit Cate – no doubt the universal human reaction to this campus – ­­ which is … this is quite … some … paradise.

So, at times, I wonder if you have been jarred by the incongruity of this heavenly setting with the sometimes disturbing state of the world today. And somewhere in the back of your mind there may be a question of how you will transition from this utopia to the rest of your life, which is likely to be lived in less pristine environs … which I hope for your sake is sometimes lived in less lovely but still interesting places.

Well, at times, I will be honest with you, that transition will not be easy. I know Joe did not enjoy the cold, miserable weather of New Haven where we first met as eighteen-year-olds in college.

The fact is that growth is usually a painful process. When we are young, growing pains are the physical ache in our limbs at night. As we get older, growing pains manifest as fear, nervousness, self-doubt. What if we fail?

There is an Armenian expression that my dad used to use when, as a girl, I ran to him for solace when I got hurt.

He would say “g’mendznas, g’morenas,” which translates roughly to “as you grow up, your pain will go away.” This,

as you can imagine, was not a satisfying response at the time. But of course he was right. So when you encounter rough patches down the road, you can remind yourself that g’mendznas, g’morenas. The pain of growth, and sometimes failure, will fade and leave you more wise, more capable, more self-assured, more focused, and more ready for the next wave of growth.

I thought I had done most of my growing by my 30s, but I had children and grew into a mother. Later I became an ambassador and grew as a leader.

And now I am a deputy mayor for international affairs – the first in any big city in the U.S. – and growing again.

Each of these opportunities involved some trying moments – emergency room visits for sick kids; a senate confirmation hearing with questions out of left field; staffing the president at an international summit in Myanmar during my first week on the job as ambassador; and dealing with a shooting incident at the Chinese consulate in L.A. even before starting my current work.

Fortunately, all of these trials worked out in the end, but they were nerve wracking in the moment.

But if you think about it, you, all of you, have already experienced the cycle of growth – from fear to accomplishment to readiness for the next hurdle. You know how to deal with challenges.

You have, after all, already learned to walk, to read, and to drive; you learned the difference between “except” with an e and “accept” with an a; you may have learned, as Joe did, to make grilled cheese in your dorm room without getting caught; and you learned how to calculate the square root of a negative number – or at least some of you learned that. Mastery of these skills was not easy at first. You probably failed at some when you first tried them. And for some of you, walking into Cate was itself a struggle. And so it will be in college, and onward. Maybe not easy at first, sometimes painful, but you will grow. All of which is to say, you will be just fine as you leave this paradise. You are well equipped to thrive and to succeed.

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About Ambassador Hachigian

By Ben Williams

Our guest tonight is Ambassador Nina Hachigian – author, scholar, public servant, and currently the deputy mayor of International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles. She leads an office that seeks to expand the city’s global ties and bring economic and cultural opportunities to Los Angeles, including the 2028 Olympics.

Ambassador Hachigian earned her BS from Yale University and a law degree from Stanford. Her career has taken her to the White House, where she served on the staff of the National Security Council under President Clinton, and into the world of public policy. She was a Senior Fellow and Senior Vice President at the Center for American Progress and spent four years as the director of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy. In that time, she co-authored The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise, and she was the editor of a collection of essays titled, Debating China: The US-China Relationship in Ten Conversations.

Ambassador Hachigian played a central role in policy making in the Obama administration. She was the co-director of Asia policy for the 2012 campaign.

And from 2014-2017 she served as the second ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

During her tenure, the U.S. established strategic partnerships throughout Asia, and Ambassador Hachigian launched initiatives to further economic cooperation and established a US-ASEAN Women’s Leadership Academy and youth programs. She was awarded the State Department’s Superior Honor Award for her service.

As we celebrate the scholarship of our seniors, the diversity of voices in this class, and the contributions each has made to the Cate community, Ambassador Hachigian’s career reminds us of the opportunities that exist beyond our Mesa. Her work is a model of engagement in the world and of scholarship for public good. Ambassador Nina Hachigian lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children. Her husband, Joe Deegan-Day, is a Cate graduate from the Class of 1985, which means that Ambassador Hachigian is not only our honored guest but a member of our extended Cate family.

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Humans have defined success in a multitude of ways over the millennia.

Annie Dillard wrote an insightful and poetic essay on how “the good life” is basically entirely culturally contingent.

Today’s success might be cashing out in an ipo and eating in Rome’s finest restaurants, but yesterday’s was perfecting one’s calligraphy, creating an elaborate headdress with certain shells or feathers, paying appropriate tribute to the gods, or finding the tastiest root. Today, in the U.S., success distilled down seems a combination of material wealth and how many “likes” one is able to accumulate.

But there is also a growing interest in doing well by doing good, for the planet and for the community. More and more ventures are trying to be profitable for the bottom line and for humanity. I looked up your school motto – Servons – and was pleased to find that it celebrates service. It has another meaning: “to dish out.”

So I hope that your generation will redefine success in these terms: How much good are you doing? How much are you dishing out for your brothers and sisters, and for the planet?

Cum Laude inductees Molly Dorion and Julia McCaw

I hope you will consider this to be the measure of success because, the truth is, the world really needs you, all of you. Our great country and the world need you like never before in my lifetime.

This is an unsettling era. The daily news is often genuinely harrowing for national security professionals like me. The Middle East is tense, and now a majority of Arab youth see America as the enemy. China and Russia are increasingly confident and authoritarian. Maybe the Korean Peninsula will be a bright spot, but we are a long way from knowing that for sure. Venezuela’s economy has collapsed.

True, a smaller percentage of people live in extreme poverty than ever before, but one and a half billion people is still a lot of people. The tens of thousands of homeless living on the streets of L.A. are needy by any measure.

And then there is climate change.

Let’s just say, it could be going a lot better on that front. You know that as well as anyone, having had the distinction of being evacuated.

The 2018 Cum Laude inductees from left back: Carter Melnick, Charles Shi, Ian MacFarlane, Jack Rehnborg, Julia Farner, Molly Dorion, Rose Xi, Young Su Ko, Jackie Cai, Cambria Weaver Julia McCaw, Jenny Lee, Kathryn Antonatos, Kaliyah Dorsey, Darling Garcia

So the world, and our country, needs you. To help the most disadvantaged, here at home and around the globe – with your hands, your heart, your resources, your networks, your ideas and inventions. It needs you to run for office, to design structures that astound us and bring us together in new ways. It needs you to write narratives that inspire us; to find a better way to manage migration and trade; to cure brain cancer; to lead the charge for high-quality early childhood programs; to realize the promise of technology like AI and virtual reality while avoiding the pitfalls. To reforest scorched lands; to invent a machine that sucks the plastic out of our oceans. It needs you to heal divides, be they over race, sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, religion, or politics.

Solutions are out there. They just need leaders like you. And I want you to know in your head and feel in your gut that progress can happen – it is happening.

A culture can shift in a short time. We can see this quick evolution when we examine, for example, how the role of women has changed from when I was your age – in that very short time.

When I grew up, the U.S. secretary of state had never been a woman, and a woman would not have been entrusted to lead our nation’s diplomacy. But we’ve now had three, and two have also been national security advisors – the president’s closest confidante on international relations. When I grew up, there was a tiny handful of fictional heroines who were both strong and just.

The women characters I watched growing up were either powerful and evil or good and weak. Now there are many female heroes who are giving little girls and boys righteous role models.

Newscasters were all men. No longer.

Today, women run some of the world’s largest companies, and numerous studies show that companies that have women in top management are actually more profitable. It was unthinkable that a woman could run for president as the nominee of a major party. And though she didn’t win, tens of millions of Americans were comfortable enough with the idea of a woman leader to vote for her.

So even though the work is not nearly done and gender inequality is still the

norm, big change can happen, and it does happen, even in the course of a lifetime. This kind of change takes focus, drive, and risk. Risk is the mother of progress. and taking risks is also how you will grow. Which is another way of saying that the possibility of failure – and often failure itself – is baked into the process of growth and achievement, so when your heart beats faster and your stomach churns at the thought of a new venture, consider the possibility that those are positive signs the rough times will come and then they will go but g’mendznas, g’morenas.

In closing, I have one parting request: while you are on the sometimes rocky journey of life on this planet, do be kind to each other. That’s good advice from a practical point of view, because you never know when you will run into someone again later in life and need something from them. But it’s also the easiest way to make the world better.

Be respectful, be civil, be kind.

With that, Class of 2018, go get ’em! I can’t wait to see who you become and what good you will do!

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Remarkable Change Baccalaureate address

by SYLVIA TORRES-GUILLÉN ’84 Thank you for inviting me to share this special evening with you. I am grateful and honored that you welcomed me back and gave me an opportunity to share this moment with all of Cate’s graduating seniors, your families, and community.

Being here has given me an opportunity to reflect on what it meant for me to have attended Cate, to have been among the first girls at Cate, and to have benefited from Cate’s immeasurable resources and first-rate education.

Cate expanded the world I knew, saw, and experienced – far beyond Boyle Heights, where I grew up.

At fourteen, I decided to go outside my comfort zone. From Stevenson Junior High School, in Boyle Heights, in East Los Angeles, I was supposed to have gone to Roosevelt High School, like other members of my family.

Instead, my algebra and homeroom teachers, Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Chovan, introduced me to a program for lowincome students of color called A Better Chance. A Better Chance distributed my application throughout the country, and Cate accepted me and gave me a full scholarship. Cate opened its doors to me and to a whole world of possibilities.

My parents, who immigrated from Mexico as teenagers and had only fourth and eighth-grade educations, knew education was transformative.

They, who grew up in real poverty, dreamed of something better for their children. As strict and traditional as my parents were, they agreed with my decision to leave.

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Often my road to Cate was a long ride on the Greyhound bus from East L.A. Once on the Mesa, however, there was no question that Cate offered a truly exceptional educational opportunity.

You all have now had the chance to experience the vast resources Cate offers – the classes, the athletics, the arts, the community service, and the myriad intangibles. You have had the opportunity to experience the passion Cate instills in us, the passion we are expected to find, and the passion we rely on to build ourselves to be the very best versions of who we can be. You have experienced the care with which Cate’s faculty strives to teach, mold, and empower its students.

There was much to love about Cate. I remember reading Thoreau’s Walden Pond; having study sessions with my classmates; singing in Latin in chapel; learning to swim, to play squash, and to play tennis; and playing on the varsity softball team – only because every girl who tried out made the team. I remember going to Anacapa Island for a week and experiencing my first hike.

I remain grateful to Mr. Ellis, who kindly stayed behind as I struggled to make it up a long hill. I remember Mrs. Ellis ever so fondly – our ABC mom – who had plenty of love to share and who was the heart, the soul, and the rock I needed at Cate.

Cate offered its challenges too. There was almost no racial or economic diversity when I was here. With only one African American and one Latina student, this manifested itself in limitations in the depth and breadth of its educational capacity, the developmental opportunities for the

student body – and, personally, my perception of my role in the School.

In fact, one of the most challenging moments for me was when I told a particular teacher that I was applying early admission to Harvard – and he laughed. What I heard was someone who did not believe in me. Importantly though, even in our challenging moments, there are many more positives we can take both from Cate and, more generally, from life, that help shape who we are and who we will be.

What I took from that moment was a greater commitment to fight boldly for justice, and a stronger belief that even one courageous person can create change in the world.

No doubt you too have experienced challenges, challenges which I actually feel are necessary for our growth.

Challenges become opportunities that are manifested in ways that ultimately help us reach clarity, resolve, and purpose. Adversity certainly strengthened my resolve to create change, to build community, to make a difference – not just for myself, but for something bigger. These opportunities can then support your dream to create something bigger than you.

Now, over thirty years later, this is a very different Cate. I am proud to witness the commitment this administration and earlier administrations have placed on diversity, as reflected in today’s student body, in your activities (like the Lunar New Year celebration), in your educational curricula, and in your guest speakers throughout the year. Diversity matters. A diverse and more inclusive student body – and faculty – changes the character, depth, and breadth of the experience for everyone.

“Adversity certainly strengthened my resolve to create change, to build community, to make a difference – not just for myself, but for something bigger.�

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School District, for example – I urge you to build and hold on to the confidence that Cate, the education you received at Cate, and the panoply of experiences at Cate, have provided. You have a foundation that will allow you to pursue and actualize your passions. Do not be dissuaded by anyone or anything. Allow your passions to be unfettered and unrestrained in order to create remarkable change.

For me, my passion was public service.

Over time this passion developed more fully to encompass a deep commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.

Public service was and is at the core of who I am. There is no question that Cate cultivated and nourished that passion – Los Niños, the toy drive, and so many other worthwhile programs. I thrived in Cate’s community service opportunities.

Cate made a difference for me, and it has made a difference for you too. We have received an incredible privilege in being able to attend Cate. For me, Cate opened doors – first to Harvard, then to law school at Berkeley. So embrace that privilege, carry it with you, and use it. Use your privilege in combination with your individual passion – the passion you have cultivated here, the passion you will find, the passion you will nourish. Passion and commitment are what will take you from where you are today to where you will go tomorrow, who you will become, and the impact you can and will have.

Our nuanced journey is shaped by our willingness to be courageous and bold. I encourage you to dream and achieve in a way that honors your passions.

My passion and my journey in public service have led me to a wonderful opportunity for advocacy, collaboration, and change as Director of Education Equity for the ACLU of California.

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Working at the ACLU with talented, committed, and tenacious fighters for justice, is how I can give back. This role at the ACLU allows me to focus every day on civil rights, working to truly realize that promise of our Bill of Rights, to educate and empower people about their rights as guaranteed by the Constitution and our laws. I am privileged to work on education equity, to collaborate with stakeholders throughout California to ensure that the poorest children among us, the students of color, the students with disabilities, the students who come to school with no English language proficiency (but with important language skills), are given the time, attention, and tools to succeed. Those children in California who will never receive the opportunities, education, and privilege offered here at Cate still warrant an exceptional educational experience.

MindfuI of the austerity I see in public schools – in the Los Angeles Unified

Listening to the stories of your experiences at Cate and learning about your individual and collective commitment to community service, inside and outside of Cate, I feel a shared affection and interest.

I appreciate your thoughtful leadership running public service events and your willingness not necessarily to be seen but to be felt. Your work with others to address nature’s challenges, to organize support for the communities, to collaborate with the community’s clean-up efforts, to organize clothing drives, and to follow through on the toy drive is noteworthy.

This year you also experienced life without electricity and being unable to leave the Mesa during the historic Thomas Fire and then the mudslides. You even welcomed your rival school, Thacher, when they were evacuated from their campus and sought refuge at Cate. Hearing about what you have done here reflects key values – values you will need in order to take your passions and create the change you want to see. Resilience, adaptability, courage, and flexibility are just a few of those values.

Remain open to change as you discover your passions. Those passions do not need to be fully manifested. You will find that in time you will have new goals. You will find that your passions are malleable, they will be tweaked, and they will more carefully define who you are at that moment. You never know what opportunities will arise,

when they will emerge, or what their importance will be.

A perfect example for me was the unexpected call I received after nearly twenty years as a Federal Public Defender. Little did I know that the skills I learned in that job, the courage I gained, the passion with which I represented my clients, would translate so well in what would follow.

Imagine my surprise when one day I received a call from Governor Brown’s Appointments Secretary, who said that the Governor would like to know if I would be interested in being the General Counsel of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. She said, “We’re looking for someone who would be comfortable in the boardroom speaking with stakeholders and also walking in the fields with the farmworkers. We want someone outspoken, fair minded, and even tempered.” Two days later I was sitting with the Governor, talking about the Agricultural Labor Relations Board – an Agency he cared deeply about.

When I went to law school, I wanted to make the world a better place. No different from how I felt leaving Cate. We want to make a difference. We can make a difference. Often it is about what doors are open to us and who is willing to give us the opportunity to rise. Sometimes it is about finding our own doors. And then, about what we are going to do with the opportunities.

We all look forward to the next step in your lives and your careers. We believe in you and know that you matter. You have great power to make this world a better place – with compassion, integrity, and corazón. So remember, embrace this privilege, the incredible privilege that comes with being able to attend Cate. Leverage it. Allow it to guide the manifestation of your passions; that will empower you to create change courageously.

About Sylvia Torres-Guillen

by Ben Williams

Our speaker tonight is enjoying a homecoming of sorts. More than three decades ago she sat where our seniors sit today, the first in her family, who had come to this country from Mexico, to attend college in the United States. Having arrived on the Mesa with the first class of girls ever to attend Cate, and the first Latina to be granted a Cate diploma, Ms. Torres-Guillén has a story that is full of firsts. From Cate she went on to Harvard, where she majored in Government.

Determined to pursue a career that “helped people,” our speaker originally considered medicine, before discovering that the sight of blood made her queasy.

So she switched to law and began her working life in Los Angeles at the Center for Law and Public Policy. Having seen through her own family’s experience the challenges of navigating the U. S. legal system, Ms. Torres-Guillén made the commitment early on to focus on community work and legal aid. She earned her law degree from Berkeley in 1992, having spent her years in law school working at the Community Law Center, the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office, and Morrison and Foerster, LLP. Having confirmed through those experiences that a big law firm was not for her, Ms. Torres-Guillén ultimately became a federal public defender for the Central District of California, a post she held for two decades. Among her accomplishments was trying the first internet hate crime in the country. She also served as President of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, Vice President of the Mexican-American Bar Foundation, and co-chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Commission on the Status of Latinas in the Legal Profession. Also a teacher, Ms. Torres-Guillén taught trial advocacy at Loyola Law School and in the Dominican Republic.

She was then appointed by Governor Brown as General Counsel of the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board where, as chief prosecutor, Ms. Torres-Guillén sought justice for California’s 800,000 farmworkers. So thoughtful was she in the execution of her duties that the State Bar of California honored Ms. Torres-Guillén in 2015 as the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year.

The following year Ms. Torres-Guillén took on her current post at the ACLU as California’s Director of Education Equity. There she manages a statewide team addressing issues of civil liberties, civil rights, race, socioeconomics, and justice.

Her office is the voice for student rights in a state that currently ranks 46th in the country in its per-student investment in education. Ms. Torres-Guillén’s goal is to see – through litigation, legislation, and advocacy – that California triples its investment per student.

As her biography states so clearly, Ms. Torres-Guillén “is dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of all children and students to ensure an equal, equitable, and excellent educational opportunity for all.” Remarkable as her impact has been throughout her career, and dramatic as has been her trajectory in the service of those most in need, Ms. Torres-Guillén is clearly still following the trail that she blazed at Cate. Here, too, she was consumed by a desire to be a support to those in need, ultimately leading our public service effort and partnering with Cate faculty member Sandy Ellis (known generally as Mama Ellis) to see that the spirit of Servons was conspicuous on and around the campus.

It is a particular privilege to welcome Ms. Torres-Guillén back to the Mesa on this important day, to honor her life journey, and to express our gratitude that her odyssey has brought her home again.

Don’t just dream about creating change courageously, boldly, and brilliantly. Make it happen.

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On Tolerance

by ANDRÉ PINCOT ’18 Have you heard of Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg?

Located in the small town of Webster, in the southernmost reaches of Massachusetts, the lake presents a sure test of verbal dexterity to anyone unfamiliar with the conventions of the Algonquian languages.

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However, by all accounts the late Bill New ’59 (who, unfortunately, died this past December) could remember and smoothly pronounce the lake’s formidable name – all 45 letters and 14 syllables – at the drop of a hat. Dr. New, one of Cate’s select scholarship students, was, by all accounts, one of the School’s brightest minds in nearly every discipline. It’s no surprise then that in his exploits after Cate, Dr. New found great success, earning multiple degrees from some of the nation’s leading universities, and eventually inventing the pulse oximeter, a device that is ubiquitous in hospitals around the world today. However, despite his myriad interests, Dr. New must have been particularly interested in Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­ bun­a­gung­a­maugg, as he even had a poster of it in his Cate dorm room. Even after his time at Cate, it was said that whenever Dr. New was challenged by one of his former classmates to say that name, he’d nail it. Every single time.

Now it’s true that the lake’s name is a tongue twister and that it’s fun to say and all, but I think Dr. New recognized something in that lake. I’ll admit that I never personally knew Dr. New, but I’m sure that, like most Cate students, he left his four years on the Mesa with a great appreciation of one of our school’s most esteemed ideals: tolerance. In a community such as Cate, which features students of vastly different backgrounds and beliefs, it could be said that tolerance is the mortar that holds the bricks of this little house together.

However, in the past year, that little house has been rocked, and I think that we have been forced to ask ourselves: What is the limit of our tolerance?

Perhaps the answer lies in Dr. New’s beloved lake. When translated from the Algonquian language of Nipmuc, Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­ chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg (don’t worry, that’s the last time) means, “You fish on your side, I’ll fish on my side, and no one shall fish in the middle.” I’ll admit, it’s an attractive idea. You fish in your place, I fish in mine, don’t get in my way.

It’s easy, it’s simple, and that nice, big

wall between you and the ‘other’ feels like a sure comfort. However, I doubt Dr. New would have agreed with any of those aforementioned sentiments. After all, Dr. New was one of those rare men who are far more adept at tearing down walls than erecting them. A man like him wouldn’t be the man to sit contentedly fishing within the confines of his own side of the lake.

No, Dr. New was curious and a consummate humanitarian – the type of man who would swim over to your side of the lake and ask you about your fishing techniques, your family’s traditional halibut stew recipe, or where you got that nice-looking fishing rod. In this lies the Cate ideal and, frankly, it’s not easy to live up to. After all, the other side of the lake often seems intimidating from the safety of our own shore. It takes courage to step outside of our designated little boxes and expose our beliefs and ideas to the winds of the wider world. Yet I think that’s what Cate is all about. At Cate it’s not enough

understanding. Tolerance is not simply tolerating the existence of something; it is understanding it. It is taking the things you know and the things you learn and examining them both with intense curiosity. As much as tolerance is about viewing others, it’s also about delving into yourself and facing the things that truly matter to you – your convictions, your vision. Perhaps it was this that helped bring Dr. New so far, from scholarship kid to philanthropist.

Perhaps it was this that led Dr. New to appreciate and give back so much to this little school nestled on a mesa behind the town of Carpinteria. Perhaps it was this, tolerance through dialogue, that led all of us here today. Yet, as quickly as we came to this Mesa, we now leave. However, we do not leave this place empty handed. As we depart from the little lake of Cate School for the turbulent expanses of the outside world, we bring something that is so much more than mere education. This place didn’t just teach us integration, stoichiometry, or the significance of The

“Tolerance is not simply tolerating the existence of something, it is understanding it. It is taking the things you know and the things that you learn and examining them both with intense curiosity.” simply to coexist. At our best we discuss. We argue. Sometimes things get a bit heated and it’s not always comfortable. However, the purpose of Cate is not to keep us comfortable.

Cate is not meant to build a ‘safe space’ for our dogmas.

Cate seeks to foster what I believe to be the most essential component of tolerance and perhaps lasting peace:

Canterbury Tales in shaping western literature. In a way, it taught us how to live. It taught us how to row to the stranger fishing on the far shore, sit down, and simply talk.

And, lastly, to the Class of 2018 and to the faculty with whom I have enjoyed these past four years: Thank You.

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About Characters KALIYAH DORSEY ’18 This spring, instead of a physical activity, I opted to do an independent PE, which in my case was creative writing. I needed a mentor for this task, so I chose Mr. Hansen, obviously, because he’s Mr. Hansen.

About three weeks ago, Mr. Hansen and I were sitting at the senior tables in that awkward thirty minutes between both lunches, discussing my short story. I was eating a milkshake with a spoon and he was asking about the extremely difficult task I’d been put to, called “creating a set piece.” At this point in the story my characters are at a family function and the protagonist is about to learn a lot about her boyfriend’s past. Where I got stuck, and the reason for this meeting, was that I didn’t want the story to develop as the reader would expect – plates dropped, doors slammed, the women crying, men yelling. Mr. Hansen told me, “Hey, I know you don’t want it to be cliché, but real life is hardly ever cliché and that has everything to do with the characters. They are what will make a story unique.”

This piece of wisdom stuck with me, partly because I found out I was to speak at Baccalaureate right before this meeting, so I had the task of speech writing on my mind. In the haze of nostalgia that comes with the last couple of weeks before graduation, I was walking around at sunset, naturally, and I was thinking about this: If I wrote a short story about my Cate experience, who would my characters be? A long list.

Obviously my best friends, my favorite teachers, my dorm heads, my mom.

When I interviewed for Cate, I was thirteen, three inches shorter, and with the hottest pink set of braces in the world. In an effort to look impressive and older for what would be my ninth boarding school interview, I opted to wear my mom’s tan blazer, which was mighty loose around my shoulders, and a 36

modest pair of stockings. As I sat in the hotel lobby in Newark, I pretended not to be nervous as I was going over my checklist in my head – firm handshake, smile, be normal – when my interviewer walked into the room. Not only was he wearing a multi-colored plaid jacket, black shades, and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, but he was young. And black.

For all the schools I had interviewed for prior, and maybe in all my life experience, I’d never seen anyone like Kyle Mason, not only for his stylish dress, but for his contagiously happy demeanor. All I knew, as he smiled and nodded, raised his eyebrows encouragingly, was that with Mase as my only introduction to Cate, I could see myself here.

When I got to Cate, I saw that Mase was nice to everyone the way he was to me, and his Puerto Rican wife, Carla, who reminded me a lot of my mother, tried to steer me on the right track while I made rap music videos with Brie in ‘25 House during study hours.

Freshman year was silly and fun, but as Cate got more serious, I began to prove to myself day after day, with the help of challenging courses, teachers, and my advisor, that academically, I belonged at Cate. For a while, I ignored the fact that I didn’t spend a lot of time with people who looked like me and understood my experiences. That was silly of me, when I look back, because as it turned out, all I had to do was make the smallest effort my sophomore year when I was in a rough patch, and Mase and Carla were there with open arms. I can’t even remember how it happened, but suddenly I had a support system that was unconditional, a home away from home down on the shelf. Their house became a place that I associated with comfort and familiarity when everything around me was constantly changing and so different from how I grew up. Once Elle joined Mase’s advisory my junior year, one of us wouldn’t think about going to their house without the other, and like that, I had a best friend like a

little sister, too.

These times are the ones I will remember about my time at Cate, with Carla giving me advice on all of my questionable choices and becoming the constant voice of reason as I navigated my way through my silliest teen-age-girl moments and dropping everything to give me a hug all the times I cried.

Mase would air-fry chicken and make us breakfast sandwiches on Sunday mornings and again tell us what it meant to be black, and how to share our gifts, and most importantly, he’d make us fully understand that we have something to bring to the table in the first place.

Because my time as a Cate student is coming to an end, and because for me, and I’ll assume for most of my classmates, there are people here who have helped me grow beyond anything I’d imagined when I was fourteen and thought wearing a blazer was impressive, it has rapidly become essential for us, the Class of 2018, to voice these pointed and meaningful thanks. And so, in my last opportunity to address the community as a student, I want to say thank you, Mase, for sharing this special place with me four years ago, for being my family when I got here, and for being the bright light I’ve come to associate with Cate. And Carla, for being both understanding and tough when I needed it, and always being around. And to both of you for loving and supporting me these long four years.

To my classmates, as we prepare to leave our home of the last four years tomorrow, reflect on the people here who have helped you to grow and given you opportunities to be better than you were. Ask yourselves who over these four years has pushed you to love more, think more, and be more.

Remember, it’s all about the characters.

Thank them. Thank you.

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The Class of

2018

Every year before Headmaster Ben Williams confers diplomas upon graduating seniors, he speaks to their individual character and achievements, noting the unique ways they’ve enriched life on the Mesa. These “literary snapshots,” composed of observations as well as teacher and advisor reports, speak to the depth and breadth of the Cate community.

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ARIANA AMAYA

BARNARD COLLEGE

Amidst Ariana’s portrayal of Antony in Cate’s performance of Julius Caesar she intones that “the good men do is often interred with their bones,” but Ariana’s good is omnipresent, conspicuous, and lasting.

Faculty members laud her maturity, her resolve, her scholarly initiative and her unselfish citizenship.

One teacher suggested that Ariana “is eternally seeking challenge and a space to serve and share.” Through our Hispanic Latino Alliance, Ariana advances understanding of other cultures and heritage. On the stage she reveals her insight into the human narrative and her ability to translate another’s experience for an audience. And in the community she is a reliable source of wisdom, a courageous and disciplined student, and a model for those who appreciate not simply the quality of Ariana’s contributions to Cate but the character and generosity of them as well.

PATRICK ARMSTRONG

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

Patrick admitted in his Tuesday Talk that he is less comfortable at the podium than he is on the field or in the classroom or in a prefect meeting.

He likes to accomplish things, particularly on behalf of others, but he’d rather do them than talk about them. This winter, in fact, because of make-up games, the basketball team that Patrick so ably captained had four contests in one week. “Can’t think of a better way to spend a week,” said Patrick with a smile on his face. The harder the work, the greater the challenge, the more Patrick brings to bear. And thankfully his immense range of abilities is complemented by unflagging effort and unyielding principle. It is no accident that Patrick captained three varsity teams this year. Letting anyone down or seeming to leave responsibilities unfulfilled is an Armstrong family no-fly zone. “I know my role,” Patrick says, and he always does far more than his part.

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KATHRYN LANGDON ANTONATOS WITH HONORS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Every project Kathryn undertakes, every initiative she joins, every commitment she makes quickly relies on her for its success. Kathryn’s love of the outdoors has led her to be the veteran who teaches the novices to surf kayak and the climber who scales the wall to reset the holds. Her commitment to service led Kathryn to become a tutor at Dahlia Court in Carpinteria and later at a local elementary school. And her commitment to environmental responsibility and science in action led to her leadership of our water sampling Stream Team and her academic focus on biology and marine science. Good intentions and profound scholarship come naturally to Kathryn, a truth that was especially conspicuous this year. Her Inquiry project on biological and genetic determinants toward sexual identity, which occupied the keynote position on Inquiry Day, is testament not simply to breadth or depth of study but to passion, initiative, and empathy.

NICHOLAS JOHN ATHANASSIADIS

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

Pose a searching philosophical question, raise a vexing political issue, or contemplate the drivers of the economy in Nico’s presence, and you’ll quickly see the glint in his eye and the fire in his inquiry. Nico has become something of an explorer at Cate, relishing research into challenging topics and enjoying the exchange that often follows in the classroom. His wry sense of humor always creeps into the dialogue, adding a certain levity to every exchange. He’s an athlete, too, and a particularly skilled lacrosse player, though even there Nico has had to be philosophical at times, dealing with a shoulder injury that ended his junior season. Yet Nico handled the disappointment with grace, devoting his time to pursuits like Round Square, service work abroad, even climbing Mount Olympus. Having seen the world from Zeus’ perch, no doubt Nico is ready with his own thunderbolts to make his mark in the world.

MATHILDA SUSANNAH BATES UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

There is an old-school earnestness and endearing integrity to Tilly Bates. She has, even since she was a freshman, possessed the humble selfassurance of someone who knows herself and the role she wants to play in the world. She loves water and oceans, is captivated by people and their ideas, is happy to step into another’s skin on stage but always settles comfortably back into the Tilly we have come to rely upon. She is our Head Prefect because we trust her, know that she is committed to the welfare of all in this community, have seen her compassion and empathy, and know her great strength. And the fact that her gentle wisdom is delivered in that lilting Australian accent makes us inclined to listen to her all the more. “There isn’t an area of life at Cate that she hasn’t enlivened,” said a faculty member this fall, “classroom, theater, science lab, pool, residence hall, even the mighty Pacific Ocean.”

CHRISTOPHER BENNETT KENYON COLLEGE

Since he arrived on this Mesa as a freshman, Chris has been revealing the depth of his skills. Mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Chris was greeted as a gentle giant with a penchant for design and engineering and a creative side he was just beginning to explore. Yet over time it became clear that words are Chris’s most remarkable playthings. His repartee is so entertaining and clever that a faculty member once wrote, “If Cate were an episode of Seinfeld, Chris would be Jerry.” And yet humor is just one byproduct of Chris’s remarkable intellect, another puzzle to experiment with as he builds his scholarship. He aspires elsewhere too, like on the football field, where he has been known to take down opponents simply by reaching out a powerful arm, or in the art studio, where his teachers have lauded Chris’s creativity and his innovative techniques.

Sitcom or not, Chris is clearly a star character.

LUKE ALEXANDER BECKMEN COLGATE UNIVERSITY

Luke described a backpacking trip last summer into the Alaskan bush as “arduous, breathtaking, and gratifying,” his adjectives revealing the very things Luke values: hard work, physical challenge, the Earth and its remarkable grandeur, and the opportunity to discover something new. This burly explorer is built for his affections and interests, carrying ideas and inquiry as deftly as he shoulders opposing tacklers or a whole pack full of group gear. And he seems equally compelled by the opportunity to learn something new or push the bounds of his knowledge and strength as he is pleased at the achievements themselves. To hear him play the trumpet in our jazz ensemble is testament to the breadth of Luke’s commitments and the quality of them. “Passions,” a faculty member noted recently, “are life-long endeavors, and Luke has lots of them.”

WILLIAM OLIVER BORGHESANI

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, MISSOULA

Will is relentless. Whatever the area of endeavor – the study of history, his editorship of El Batidor, his membership on the swim team – Will gives his whole self to the effort. One faculty member called Will “the hardest-working kid in the School,” and another lauded Will’s openness to feedback and responsiveness to guidance.

He is totally committed to more of everything – understanding, insight, knowledge, and analysis. For that very reason, it is not unusual to find Will writing.

He does this for recreation in part – he’s already finished one novel – but also to further his own skills.

Will writes to know what he thinks, and the exercise reveals the thoughtful process of a highly focused and engaged mind. What’s more, Will’s penchant for conversation reveals his deep fascination with what others think and his affection for those with whom he shares his journey.

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WILLIAM BARKLEY BOWLIN

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN

Said a faculty member recently, “Will is always willing to take the risk of venturing an opinion or offering a speculation on the complex questions that many of his peers try to evade.”

That very inclination has distinguished Will’s leadership not simply in our classrooms but as head of our Young Men’s Forum and one of the most impactful athletes we put on the field. Agile as he is, both intellectually and otherwise, Will is not afraid to take challenges head on – whether the opponent is a philosophical dilemma or a large defenseman on the lacrosse field. And though he may dodge around the defenseman on occasion, there is never any question where Will stands on principle or in the practice of his citizenship.

Even after he and his compatriots were flooded out of their dorm in January, Will took it in stride, eventually taking his leadership and good cheer to Mesa House. As his football coach noted, “Talent is off the chart for this young man.”

EMILY LAURA BURNS

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES A faculty member wrote earlier this year, “Emily Burns (a.k.a.

“Burnsie”) is a bit of a legend on campus.” A bit? She has truly set new standards, not simply in her major areas of endeavor, but in the combination as well. A broadly capable “nuanced thinker” and scholar, Emily can do it all academically. But she is equally skilled as an artist, recently completing a selfportrait that captured her looking up rather than forward, a testament perhaps to her trajectory and her aspiration. A senior Prefect in the freshman girls’ dorm, Emily has helped our youngest students recognize their possibilities as well. And when it comes to athletics, Emily is in a class all her own. The captain of three varsity programs, one of which happens to be the boys’ baseball team, Emily not only distinguishes herself and her teams with the strength of her play but with the power of her example and the dignity and discipline of her leadership. Our first baseman on the diamond, she is a Cate first in so many ways.

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ANIKA NOEL BROWN

WITH HONORS | WILLIAMS COLLEGE Superlatives abound when Anika is the topic of conversation.

She is “passionate,” “stellar,” “one of our finest writers,” and as broadly engaged a scholar as we have. Each new area of endeavor seems to open up a new world of possibility for Anika, like when she committed to studying science in college, then took an internship at a law firm over the summer and concluded that maybe now she’ll study law. Anything Anika chooses to do, she’ll do magnificently well, not only because of her remarkable mind but because she aims constantly to offer something of value to the world. Already her thoughtfully researched Inquiry project on recidivism demonstrates the insight and understanding she will use to shape public policy. Also one of our most dedicated public servants, having never missed a weekly Foster Homes visit, Anika has all the tools to make a difference in the lives of her fellow man.

JACQUELINE CAI

WITH HIGH HONORS | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Jackie was an accomplished badminton player in China before moving to the States. So she took up tennis well after her peers and became a powerhouse player, the captain of one of our most accomplished teams, and a highly ranked competitor. What folks don’t know is that the tennis achievement is not an anomaly. It’s just Jackie. She sets her mind to something, and then she does it, regardless of the level of challenge or the commitment required. Her purposeful scholarship has risen from that very aspiration and expectation.

As one teacher joked, “Jackie’s writing is even better than her backhand.” Yet she is equally likely to be supporting a peer working on a tough math problem, helping an underclassman as a Teaching Assistant, or working on the next speaker for the Business Club.

Jackie just gives herself wholly to whatever she does, which is why she does everything so well.

NICHOLAS NAGLE CARLSON

EMMA SOPHIA CARRILLO-CORDOVA

Nick is the guy you always want involved. Self-described as “funny, goofy, thoughtful, and polite,” Nick is one of those people who improve the journey. He’ll be the first guy to join in and lend a hand, or connect with another, or impress others with his kindness and humility. Nick has found his stride at Cate, which may well be why others find it so easy to fall into step with him. He likes a good challenge and seems drawn in particular to the water.

His contributions to the water polo team are evidence of his love of aquatics, and his skills on his surfboard reveal Nick’s long and informative relationship with the sea. Perhaps that explains his composure too, something we have watched Nick gain over the years.

“Being part of something,” one faculty member wrote, “is what Nick is all about.”

One of her teachers called Emma an “unintentional trailblazer.”

She came to Cate with a host of aptitudes, among them the ability to pitch a softball with breathtaking speed. But as a sophomore, because of the cancellation of our softball season, she had to switch to baseball, and an entirely different pitching motion. Last year, though, Emma appeared on the pitcher’s mound again in a game for the first time, holding Cate’s opponent scoreless and proving just how far quiet resolve and genuine effort can take an athlete. In her gentle, understated way, Emma has stepped to center stage at Cate. She has revealed her drive, her composure, her creativity, and her artistry. Most at home in front of a canvas or authoring some new piece of writing, Emma has still shown a willingness to step forward when we need her.

And that’s exactly when she delivers most profoundly.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

DESMOND MARLEY CASTILLO LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Desmond Castillo has grown rich at Cate. Not in the monetary sense but in the depth and weight of his presence.

One of his teachers said he is “like a fine wine; he just gets better with time.” Others laud his acceptance of the responsibilities that come with being a Senior Prefect or his willingness to reach out to peers and underclassmen alike. Desmond can and will happily lead from the front or support from the middle, whatever the situation requires. At the prom, for instance, Desmond took center stage – actually, he ended up on a table – demonstrating the commitment he has long shown to movement, choreography, and dance. He has done the same for the Black Student Union, both as a citizen of the community and as a scholar. His research on the Black Panther Party for U.S. History was a standard setter in that class. As Langston Hughes wrote, “his soul has grown deep, like the rivers.”

GOUCHER COLLEGE

CHARLES BROWNLEE CORMAN

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Charlie is a lover of the Japanese language, one of our most prolific and accomplished readers, and a student distinguished by “pure, unadulterated optimism.”

Any enterprise is invigorated and made meaningful by Charlie’s affirming presence, by his ready smile, and his ability to find the value and the joy in each moment. That very disposition led him and his admittedly rusty skills to the thirds soccer team this winter after focusing on aquatics exclusively in prior years. His summaries of the team’s games posted in the general folder were among the most entertaining and revealing pieces of writing any student produced this year. Within those missives we found Charlie’s humor, his affection for his teammates, his joy simply in playing the game, his uncommon generosity of spirit, and the quintessential expression of senior leadership.

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MORGAN CROSSETT CREW WITH HONORS | COLGATE UNIVERSITY

Morgan’s undaunted spirit usually manifests as happy resolve. She is perpetually self-assured, always kind, and quick to find humor in a situation.

Her many aptitudes mean that solutions to even the most complex problems are well within her reach. But Morgan seems most fully engaged when she is working for the benefit of someone else.

Her teaching assistantship this year is evidence of that inclination, filled with supportive instruction and, when necessary, candid and direct feedback. Her play for several years on our volleyball team was similarly skilled and forceful, as were her performances in so many Cate musicals and every Camerata concert.

There is a depth and clarity to Morgan’s singing voice that speaks directly to its source. And so we are captivated not simply by the melody that Morgan renders but by the character and strength that make such music possible.

COLE DEXTER

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CADEN BROOKS CUTTER SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Caden belongs in front of a crowd.

His extemporaneous speaking skills are impressive and he carries himself with the casual confidence of an orator. A well-read and eager student of history, Caden generally knows what he’s talking about when he holds forth, and he has parlayed his interests to leadership roles in our Junior Statesmen of America, and MVP performances in class discussions.

The more sophisticated and energetic the debate, the more Caden thrives. Actually, he seems to thrive everywhere. A generous and thoughtful friend, Caden is a relationship builder by nature, and he enjoys the myriad pursuits and engagements that comprise the day. A talented soccer and lacrosse player, Caden took up football this year just to branch out. And he is as quick on his feet as he is in debate. Clearly Caden is the right guy to have as a friend, a teammate, and a classmate, and our good fortune to have as a student.

MOLLY LINNEA DORION

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY

WITH HONORS | MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

There is an admirable clarity and precision to Cole. He orders his scholarship much as he does his life and his aspiration, with thoughtful intent and meticulous practice. Engineering and technology particularly appeal to Cole, and he apparently took the first computer he ever owned apart just to find out how it worked. Research and doing the work necessary to succeed really compel Cole, which may well be why one faculty member remarked earlier this year that Cole seems destined to run a tech company in short order. In the meantime, Cole is equally at home on the tennis court or in the pool competing with our water polo team. His natural discipline has enabled Cole to master the clarinet as well, proving that art and science collide productively in this admirable young man.

In everyday life, Molly is the consummate student: decorated for her award-winning scholarship, generously insightful, and inspiringly diligent. She has even followed in the family tradition as a senior, joining the ranks of teaching assistants in the Human Development program and contributing thoughtfully to the education of others. But when Molly steps into the theater or onto the stage, it’s like Clark Kent has just found a phone booth. She is the closest thing we know to Superman as a performer, possessing a strength of purpose and an otherworldly talent that is awesome to behold. We hear her sing or watch her enter a scene or listen to her inhabit a character and we are reminded that art is craftsmanship, honed and forged by the artist. And Molly is a masterful craftsman, so devoted to her art that she can seemingly become someone else, and render another story that needs telling.

KALIYAH ALIZE DORSEY

WITH HONORS | UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA The superlatives used in reference to Kaliyah follow a particular pattern. One faculty member called her a “dynamo.” Others use words like “influential,” “commanding,” and “persuasive.” Kaliyah is indeed a force: for scholarship, for equity and inclusion, and for aspiration. Her intrepid nature brought Kaliyah to Cate from her home in New Jersey, and she seems to have taken advantage of every opportunity to invest herself in the work of the community. She is a Teaching Assistant this year, though she had already established herself as something of a teacher before she became a senior. Coaches, dorm faculty, all who encounter Kaliyah actually comment on the tone her presence sets and on the productive and personal spirit that colors her every endeavor. Said one, “Kaliyah is a uniter, bringing people together and improving the work of the group.”

SOPHIA WISE ESKENAZI

SKIDMORE COLLEGE

A letter written by a faculty member earlier this year begins, “Sophie is the Neville Longbottom kind of brave.” This self-described introvert just exudes integrity and purpose, and though she may well prefer to be understated or even under the radar, purpose and the people she loves compel Sophie.

She engages with an issue or an individual because she is driven by the opportunity to share ideas or stand her ground or come to another’s defense. Her scholarship is similarly altruistic and personal, flowing from that deep well of laudable conviction that lies within her. Even on the tech crew in the theater, where Sophie is always behind the scenes dressed in black, we sense Sophie’s light and trust her gentle guiding hand. As a colleague observed, “This feminist-philosopher, artistic-astronomer, and problem-solving sociologist” is as rare as she is impactful.

KEATON DREBES

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Keaton walks on his toes – when he’s not running, that is – which means that he bounces from place to place, always eager, perhaps sometimes late, but never less than full steam ahead. He is brilliant, especially in the quantitative fields, and he is unstoppable when he is knee deep in a problem that needs solving, or in the midst of an all-encompassing game of Dungeons and Dragons.

The club Keaton formed for those interested in that very game is called the Guild, which tells you something about the scale of Keaton’s imagination and his interest. But even if he escapes to the world of the game from time to time, Keaton is never inconspicuous around campus. We hear his remarkable voice in our Camerata or see him sprint across campus in his neon shirts. A welcome lightning bolt of sorts, Keaton seems poised now to strike in a new, very fortunate community.

DANIELLA MARIANNA ESPINOZA

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHANNEL ISLANDS Mari can talk to anyone, literally.

She is facile in several languages, so she knows the words she needs. But her connections have as much to do with posture as they do with vocabulary. Mari is simply gracious, eager to talk with others, happy to know the experience of a fellow human being.

That very interest led her to start the Hispanic Latino Association at Cate, allowing her to share other cultures with this community. It has led to her prefectship as well, and to a host of service initiatives all over the world, where Mari is the consummate ambassador of goodwill. Genial as she is, though, Mari is happy to get serious, especially about her studies. She prepares relentlessly, questions thoughtfully, and commits fully. The result is a young woman whom everyone admires, at the beginning of a journey that will be full of friendship, service, and outreach.

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JAZMÍN ESTÉVEZ-ROSAS UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

If Jazmín has had a bad day … ever … no one but her is likely to know about it. She is so relentlessly positive, so unreservedly kind, so genuinely committed to her work or her friends or the service that she might offer the world that she likely never thinks about herself. At Cate she has been a standard setter for citizenship, a leader of Round Square who shares her insight and support unconditionally, a scholar who produces remarkable work, and an aspiring physician who, of course, wants to go into pediatrics. Leave it to Jazmín to focus on those in our world who are the most vulnerable. Already she has seen to the creation of a medical clinic in the home that her grandmother occupied in Santa Marta, Mexico, raising the money, securing the permits, and developing the project. Everywhere she goes, and even at Cate, Jazmín just makes the place and the people in it better, more grateful, even healthier.

JULIA ROSE FARNER

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GAVIN EMERSON FANSLER UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO Gavin’s enthusiasms are easy to spot. Soccer probably holds the top spot. Playing it, studying it, training for it – Gavin is relentless in these pursuits – and they landed him on our varsity team this year, the fulfillment of what seemed a life-long dream. But he is nearly as passionate about the stage or the opportunity to sing. Discipline, creativity, and energy are at the heart of all that matters to Gavin, and those are virtues Gavin possesses in quantity.

But just as important is Gavin’s candor, his willingness to say what he thinks and then consider another’s viewpoint. He likes a good argument and he can disagree as amiably as anyone. And thankfully, Gavin is more interested in being responsible and respectful than he is in claiming to be right. And so he has built an admirable place for himself at Cate, full of passion and accomplishment and care.

DARLING LUPE GARCIA

WITH HIGH HONORS | POMONA COLLEGE

WITH HIGH HONORS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Julia, as one faculty member observed recently, is a prodigy.

She does everything well – so well, in fact, that in certain cases she is among the most accomplished in an area of endeavor that we have ever seen at Cate. Listen to her play the piano, as a recent touring concert pianist did, and you will be transfixed.

Watch her on the athletic field and you’ll recognize her as one of the best players on the field.

Get lost in the backcountry and Julia will orienteer her way to you, find a way to scrounge up a pleasant meal, and guide you back to safety. But even those talents pale in comparison to the intellect Julia brings to bear in the classroom. The maturity and poise that distinguish her thinking put her in rarefied air, likely, as one colleague noted, to see the destination before anyone else even sees the road.

She won the Centennial Prize as a junior, fittingly, because we haven’t seen a student or an artist or an athlete like her in a century.

Darling said recently, “I view my life as a series of fortunate events.”

And she radiates that very sense of appreciation and good will. But good fortune does not happen by accident. Darling has made her luck, worked for all that has come her way, and continues to commit to those who surround her. She is one of our most enthusiastic tutors, particularly for elementary school students in Carpinteria. She is a teaching assistant on campus, as well, and a generous guide to those who need a boost or a little direction. Her remarkable scholarship is propelled by an interest in the applications of all that Darling learns. One of her teachers wrote last year, “Whenever I’ve asked students to read articles connecting biology to social or ethical issues, Darling’s observations and reflections rise to a whole new level.” Surely it is in the fortunate communities she inhabits from here that Darling will bring all her humanity and insight to bear, evidence perhaps that some truths are indeed universal.

MADELINE GRACE GOODMAN NICHOLAS JAMES HENRY HILDEBRANDT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Maddie is a ravenous reader, particularly of good journalism.

In a provocative talk or a compelling class discussion, she is on the edge of her seat. That genuine excitement that propels Maddie’s inquiry has helped to make her a remarkable student and a driving force behind this year’s El Batidor. Said one faculty member, “Everything will be fine as long as Maddie is a chief editor.” It is easy to trust Maddie, in that or any role, not simply because of her skill and productivity but because she pays attention. An intrinsic and unusually perceptive learner, Maddie sees and responds to the lessons that surround her every day. We all noted this in her Tuesday Talk, where Maddie parlayed a harrowing camping trip in the Australian Outback into an understanding that we will always find what we are looking for. She looks for knowledge, understanding, appreciation, which is exactly why she finds them.

Nick’s parents are Canadian and Australian, though Nick came to Cate from their home in Hong Kong. Ask Nick what that makes him and he’ll smile and say, “Californian.”

He is a lover of the sea, a surfer who has produced his very own line of sustainable boards made from mushrooms. Innovation comes as naturally to Nick as economics or dropping in on a daunting swell. He rides them all with grace and poise, a scholar who is as unflappable as he is curious. Yet even beneath that good nature and warm smile is significant resolve. Nick is a great competitor, one of the most talented tennis players to wear the Cate blue. And his academic work is filled with gritty aspiration, too, the byproduct of hard work and initiative. But we know that after a long day of work, or perhaps before one, Nick will be on his board somewhere, deriving energy from the ocean to propel him ever forward.

BENEDICT FIRESTONE JESSUP

SOPHIA ESTHER JOHNSON

Ben missed some classes because of a surgery some time back, and his English teacher wrote, “We need him back soon because discussions aren’t as lively or deep without Ben there.” Many of his teammates in soccer or water polo or lacrosse would say the same about a Ben Jessup absence. His presence and his play are too impactful to go without.

Surely that’s why Ben captained both our varsity soccer and lacrosse teams as a junior and a senior.

We respond to Ben’s leadership, to the character and the substance of it, leading us collectively to become a better team. And yet he is the same one-on-one, eager to help and support a peer, to listen and mentor, often through action even more than words. Ben’s only challenge has been that he competes with such force that occasionally he has had to contend with some injuries. But even they can’t hold Ben back for long.

Referring to her performance as a member of our jazz ensemble, Sophie’s conductor said, “She allows the whirlwind of her passions to blow her in all directions in which she is inspired.” The result is not only remarkable music but powerful scholarship, provocative art, and nuanced discovery.

Sophie is always on the road to some new knowledge. We see that clearly in her affection for the sciences and the manner in which she can understand and explain the forces in the world. Depth of inquiry, intensity of thought, time for revelation: these are all priorities for Sophie. The same focus seems to drive her affection for soccer, where she has been an important member of our varsity team. To unwind from all that purposeful work, though, Sophie will head for her drum set or her bass and bang out a little heavy metal. Even her manicure before the prom contained the classic punk rock symbol for anarchy. Vintage Sophie.

RHODES COLLEGE

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY

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KARAN SINGH KAPUR

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

There is a buoyant spirit that keeps Karan ever cheerful, ever positive, easygoing and likable. Our Head Prefect this year in part because of the universal character of his connections and support, Karan has used that leadership platform to advance his own brand of good cheer. At every dance, it seems, Karan is the DJ, augmenting the energy and vitality of such events. Even his wonderful mane of hair seems perpetually reaching skyward, making him appear almost larger than life.

Karan is similarly magnanimous with his scholarship, professing a natural disposition toward math and science but revealing more often than not the heart of a humanist. Poetry appeals to him, perhaps because it reminds him of the lyrics of the music he so enjoys making. Whatever the cause of Karan’s conspicuous humanity, there is no question it infuses everything he does with affirming compassion. Hard to imagine better virtues in a leader.

MAKI KOBAYASHI

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YOUNG SU KO

WITH HIGH HONORS | POMONA COLLEGE To appreciate Young Su you must spend some time with his ceramics, watch the precision with which he creates his art, the delicacy with which he forms it, and the meticulous craftsmanship of his finishing and glazing. He can and does produce pieces so light and airy we can’t imagine they are made of clay, and yet he can go the other way too, allowing the clay itself to speak rather than the artist who shaped it. That is the genius of Young Su Ko, the humility to take himself out of the center, to be the vehicle for beauty without being its agent. He does the same in the dorm he serves as prefect or in the classrooms where he works his intellectual magic, trying to be inconspicuous and letting the work speak for itself. Only Young Su could produce a final exam in Japanese that his teacher would ultimately call “a work of art … a masterpiece.” Everything is when Young Su is involved.

JAE HYUN “JENNY” LEE

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

WITH HIGH HONORS | HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE

A faculty member said recently, “Maki’s interest in biology and the human spirit will guide her future.” It’s a distinctive combination of pursuits, born of an appreciation for not simply how we are but who we are. Maki lives her life, frankly, like the latter is the most important question.

She is a dedicated public servant, both at Cate and in the summer in the Philippines, where she works with children and volunteers with the Special Olympics.

And she is a member of our athletic training team at Cate, supporting peers as they seek to return to play.

Part of Maki’s great compassion stems from her own life, in which she admits she has faced her share of struggle. But in that very adversity, she told us in her Tuesday Talk, Maki found her strength. And that discovery has been a boon for so many who have found in Maki the strength to help them persevere too.

Jenny’s signature phrase, “I’m so excited!” seems universal in its relevance. She uses it to discuss challenging math problems, a vexing scientific or ethical dilemma, or any opportunity to write. It isn’t just enthusiasm that has propelled Jenny’s distinctive scholarship – there are equal shares too of creativity, discipline, analytical acumen, and her everpresent curiosity. Her thoughtful perspective is rendered often these days in Jenny’s photography, which reveals the unique lens with which Jenny surveys the world. Perhaps most impressive, Jenny’s remarkable spirit endures despite great loss. Her resilience, in fact, is the only match for her enthusiasm, leaving all of us to wonder not simply at Jenny’s strength and scholarship but at her indomitable nature. She is reliably wonderful, cleareyed, and inspiring, every day.

ANDREA PAYNE LIESER WHITMAN COLLEGE

Faculty members who speak of Apple will often do so in sentences that contain other names: Muir, Oliver, Thoreau. Apple is our most intellectual environmentalist, an advocate for the Earth and the flora and fauna that call it home. Indeed, though her gregarious and thoughtful nature makes her seem perpetually at home, Apple is alight when she is in the out of doors. If she could go without shoes every day she would, for how better could she fortify her connection with the ecosystems she joins? Her scholarship flows from that unending reservoir of passion and belief and her conviction that human action can and will matter. Her insights are delivered with uncanny understanding and often a good deal of humor. Her Danger Twins skits are always eagerly awaited, their cleverness an indication of just how carefully Apple assesses the world around her and appreciates its grateful occupants.

PARKER ANDREW MATTHEWS NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

If there is something responsible that ought to be done, Parker’s usually already doing it. He led the effort to donate clothing in the wake of the January mudslides. He organized the community book exchange before the holidays. On a reassuringly regular basis in assembly he rises to explain what the garden club is growing, or remind us of a community that needs our support, or prepare us for a coming celebration of a moment in history. He is a student, too, of course, a really good one – insightful, inclined to depth of study, perpetually curious. And he co-captained our water polo team the last two years, distinguishing himself with the strength of his play and his patient leadership. But Parker’s imprimatur is as conspicuous on the community level as it is on the individual one. He matters at Cate, makes us better, and reminds us ever so tactfully of our responsibilities to one another.

IAN PATRICK MACFARLANE

WITH HIGHEST HONORS | STANFORD UNIVERSITY In response to a query on a college recommendation form, one of our long-serving teachers wrote, “Every so often in this profession, I get to check the box ‘one of the top in my career.’

That’s Ian MacFarlane.”

He has been our standard setter for some time, in fact, earning accolades throughout his tenure at Cate for the quality of his scholarship in particular. Though mathematics are his forte, Ian has earned recognition in the arts as well and for his contributions to the extracurricular life of the School. He is the captain of the cross country and squash teams and one of our prefects, and his leadership is as distinctive as his scholarship, demonstrating not simply the scale of his ability but his gentle and respectful bearing. As one teacher observed, Ian is our “trustee of the common good,” even though there is nothing at all common about him.

JULIA LEIGH MCCAW

WITH HONORS | STANFORD UNIVERSITY Julia is perpetually intrigued by the world and the people in it. She joins conversations enthusiastically, greets friends and newcomers warmly, seems to relish each moment not simply for the sensory experience of it but for its significance and its meaning. Her remarkable poetry prompted one faculty member to compare Julia to E. E. Cummings, but she is as keen with a brush as she is with her pen. Said one of her teachers, “Julia loves to discover the beauty in things big and small, meaningful and seemingly insignificant,” allowing her renderings to capture the uniqueness of Julia’s generous vision. Teachers have stressed that Julia makes every class better for the same reason, and being the beneficiary of Julia’s insight is a fortunate position indeed. Any path ahead offers promise for Julia but the one less traveled seems her happy destiny.

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RUBY GEORGE MCCULLERS

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

A description of Ruby in a letter this fall began with lyrics from Paul Simon’s Kodachrome, “Give us those nice bright colors … the greens of summers … makes you think all the world’s a sunny day.” It is when Ruby’s around. She’s funny, kind, wonderfully distinctive, and endearingly candid.

Her scholarship is driven by an unyielding work ethic and a desire always to do her best.

And yet the cultivation of the mind for Ruby is principally a way to inform and advance her art. She speaks through what she creates – everything from extraordinary paintings to a sculpture based on a brooch she saw at LACMA involving duchess potatoes. The “bright colors” that Ruby shows the world are not simply in her renderings but in the changing hues of her hair or her remarkable outfits, proving that Ruby does not simply create, she embodies her creativity, becoming her own everevolving work of art.

Andy announced himself to this community initially through his play on the field and court.

His athleticism spoke for itself, which seems to be the way Andy likes it.

Reserved and inclined to economy of words, Andy lets what he does do the talking. And so we watched as his impact on the community grew, as his scholarship took form and he excelled in science and math and Chinese, as his leadership in the community became clear and he was selected to be a prefect, and as his skill on the basketball court or the football and lacrosse fields became indispensable. As a senior he is even a bit more loquacious than in those early years, which is probably why he is such an effective tour guide for visiting families, but the less-is-more principle still holds for Andy. He wants always to do his best, which is exactly why we have relied on him so heavily and consistently over the years.

CARTER HULMAN MELNICK

BRYNKLY CONARD MEYER

Carter’s challenge is that he is so able, he never looks like he is breaking a sweat. Deep academic inquiry on Carter looks like sunbathing, something serene and warming that just happens by osmosis. But what separates Carter most powerfully is not simply his acumen or his brilliant performances but his gentle endearing manner, his absence of ego or selfpromotion, his earnestness. Carter is just a really good guy who likes people and the experiences he has with them so much that he hasn’t even noticed (nor does he care) that he is smarter than just about everybody else. The result is generous (rather than purely self-interested) scholarship. And though Carter doesn’t know it – and likely wouldn’t believe it – he has become one of our intellectual archetypes, a productive embodiment of curiosity, compassion, and open-minded discovery.

Brynkly has become a masterful cellist over the years, building and refining her skills and her musical expression to become a mainstay first in our orchestra and for the last two years as a member of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony.

That achievement, perhaps more than any other, speaks to the combination of discipline and character and creativity that distinguish Brynkly Meyer.

Challenge is something she embraces, without fear or trepidation, rather as opportunity.

And Brynkly doesn’t mind setbacks, preferring to find use for them and move forward. Her ever-positive demeanor suggests that nothing gets her down for long. Even the sequined Doc Martens boots she wore for a while suggest that Brynkly has her own path ahead of her that she’s going to follow in her own manner. And so we have gladly ridden in her wake, marveling at her resolve and smiling at its every expression.

WITH HIGHEST HONORS | WILLIAMS COLLEGE

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ANDY MCHARG

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

NOAH LEV MEYER

EMORY UNIVERSITY

Noah is happy to think big. That very thing has propelled him to great heights in the classroom, and has led a great many teachers to remark on his contributions to class dialogue and the genuine character of his scholarship. It’s in his art too, particularly his ceramics, where Noah has become an accomplished carver and thrower. But it’s even more conspicuous in the ideas and endeavors he comes up with on his own; like the Investment Club he formed with the thought that the School might give him a portion of the endowment to manage. It was a bold play, which might well someday come to fruition. In the meantime, though, we will enjoy the work Noah has already done, the gracious way he has welcomed prospective families as our head tour guide, the thoughtful way he has pursued his dreams and the generous way he has shared them with the community.

SHELAGH LEILANI MORPHY NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

A faculty member recently mused, “You’ll generally find Shelagh with her camera in hand as she records the imagery that is life, capturing everyday activities with an eye towards beauty.”

Shelagh surely does find the remarkable in the world, often in images we might otherwise overlook.

But somehow her easygoing adaptability, her ability to find the nuance in things, to appreciate even the mundane gives Shelagh a perspective that we all could use. And Shelagh finds more ways than the camera to express her vision. It’s in the music she composes on her guitar, in her teaching assistantship in Human Development, in her dedication to her studies and her commitment to her friends. Perhaps that very perspective contributes, too, to the relatively peaceful nature of Shelagh’s bearing. In her seeming serenity, Shelagh can see better what to capture, so that the rest of us might see as well.

ISABELA MONTES DE OCA

TRINITY COLLEGE Izzy’s family has been connected to Cate for generations, and so it was no surprise when she arrived on this Mesa to discover that Izzy was bound to shape the community too. A skilled and tenacious athlete, Izzy made a mark that was indelible almost from the beginning. She has risen to captaincies in three sports – soccer, cross-country, and track – some of them even before she became a senior, and has set standards of performance that will be hard to match, let alone beat. One of her teachers called Izzy “Jane Austen-esque” in her eye for the valuable, reinforcing Izzy’s own inclination to seek worthwhile experiences and mine them thoroughly.

Her prefectship this year is evidence of the community’s recognition of Izzy’s importance, as well as an endorsement of the leadership Izzy has long exercised. No doubt her grandfather, who also served this School, is looking down proudly at the continuing exercise of the family tradition.

CHARLES LEWIS MORRIS COLBY COLLEGE

“Charlie just gets it,” said one of his teachers recently. Though the statement was made in reference to a particular area of study – calculus – its application is more universal. Having come West from his native North Carolina, Charlie has always been clear on why he is here. He pushes hard to excel in all areas and he does, the byproduct of his great intrinsic motivation. The same thing has compelled his play on the soccer field and the tennis court, both places where he has made significant contributions to our varsity programs. Yet Charlie wears his accomplishments – like the Tri-Valley League doubles championship last year – lightly, as though the journey was far more important than the outcome. And he’s right, of course, which is why there is never anything but appreciation for his selfeffacing manner. Charlie, we know, is even more than his many accomplishments can possibly capture.

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JANICE NG

MAISIE NICOLE OSWALD

Janice’s dry sense of humor is well known and she has authored a great many memorable statements. Her advisor will never forget her quip, “I prefer all my grades to be vowels,” or the equally entertaining, “I like dogs … but not little kids. They scare me!” Janice’s wonderfully clever sense of humor suits her, for it reveals her incredibly quick mind and broad understanding.

A bit of a perfectionist, Janice always sees possibilities for her improvement, but she may be the only one. And she is busy with too many things outside the classroom to fixate on any one area of endeavor. A talented athlete, she has been a mainstay and co-captain of our tennis team as well as a varsity soccer player.

She’s also quick to organize or join a service effort.

Rarely the first to speak up, Janice still gets in the last word or thoughtful gesture.

Maisie is a quantitative marvel, compelled by the life sciences and eager to dig deeper into environmental issues. But she isn’t content simply to study things. She wants to live them, which is why she worked so hard to convince us to let her live off the grid on campus this year – not in a dorm but in a yurt. She is similarly immersed in her music and songwriting, and everyone on the Mesa listens rapt when Maisie sings. Her teachers all call Maisie a “true discoverer” for there is no pretense to her exploration, just initiative, and interest, and the possibility of some new revelation. That is the character of her citizenship, too, for Maisie is truly a free spirit, unencumbered, emotive, and profoundly curious and kind. The second leg of the Danger Twins duo, Maisie is always available to make life art, as well as the other way around.

HAILEY LYNN PANZER

SIMON BENJAMIN MANNING PARKER

Hailey seems to know best just what she is capable of. And it is her own high standards that compel her, energize her, animate her. That’s why she can compete with such fire and vitality but not be consumed with the outcome of the contest. It is why it mattered so much to her to be a prefect, because she sincerely wants to be in a position to help. It’s why her remarkable humor is often selfdeprecating. Hailey doesn’t take herself – or anyone else – too seriously. Instead, she lives a life full of purpose and joy. She savors the time she spends with others, aware perhaps more than most, of the value of the present. And she has become one of our touchstones because we can rely on Hailey’s perspective and her peace of mind, which she always shares with the casual humility of one who believes that all will work out.

A colleague wrote, “Simon Parker is the person you want by your side in an emergency; he’s calm under pressure, he’s an excellent problem solver, and he’s got years of Scout training under his belt.” But Simon, candidly, is also the guy you want with you when things are great. Well read, immensely thoughtful, a decorated scholar, and a lover of language, Simon can enrich any interaction, make the time pass joyfully, and keep even the most reticent conversationalists off the sidelines and in the discourse. He might even brandish his clarinet, which he plays at the elite level, or suggest a trip to the islands with the SCUBA group that he leads. Perhaps that is why we have so enjoyed these four years with Simon, for he seems to supply – in his own gentle and distinctive way – exactly what we need at the very time that we need it.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

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CORNELL UNIVERSITY

CARLETON COLLEGE

ANDRÉ MILO PINCOT

MARKO PLISO

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

André Pincot can say more with a single sentence than most of us can express in a lengthy monologue.

He is thoughtful, precise, analytical, and empathetic. He listens better than most, for learning other perspectives is important to André. His peers – like the faculty – see in André’s reserve phenomenal strength of character, maturity, and poise.

He became a prefect for those very reasons. We trust he will guide us ever so respectfully in the right direction, whether he is contributing to a discussion in the classroom, mentoring a peer in the dorm, further constructing his fluency in French, or leading the water polo or swim teams in the pool.

Plus, having grown up the child of a farmer, André has absorbed the grounded work ethic of those who work the land. So his every contribution to Cate is colored by an intrinsic desire to cultivate that which nourishes and fortifies all of us. Très bien, André. Très bien.

Everyone has a Marko memory. For some it might be his Croatian rap at Convocation. Others might point to any number of basketball games where Marko seemed darn near unstoppable.

A few might even reference his expansive sneaker collection. No experience with Marko is unremarkable. He is too talented, too gregarious, too personable to leave anything but a lasting impression. Many of our visiting families, whom Marko shepherded as our Head Tour Guide have told us as much, just as Marko’s teachers are quick to register the scale and breadth of his scholarly work. No doubt Marko had adjustments to make when he arrived on this Mesa from his home so far away, but all we see now are the legacy he has built – the scoring titles and all-league selections on the hardwood, the service trips he joined, or the International Club efforts he led.

Nicknamed the “Croatian Sensation,” Marko surely is.

SOKHNA DIARRA BOUSSO POUYE KALAMAZOO COLLEGE

Said a faculty member recently, “By the spring of her freshman year, Diarra was ready to join the cast of the school musical, and she hasn’t stepped off the stage since.”

Her voice has given depth and character to virtually every dramatic performance, her musicality has energized every concert or Avocado Festival gig. She’s even met us with song a number of times when we arrived for assembly.

Yet Diarra, for all her star quality gifts, seems just as content behind the action, capturing it with her camera, or preparing a film in the editing room. She is a student of expression, certainly, and among the most generous of our community members, eager always to lend a hand or help someone in need.

Challenge, hard work, high expectations – these things inspire Diarra, galvanize her commitments, and with her help have revealed the remarkable talent that she has and that she is.

JACK SAMUEL REHNBORG WITH HONORS | STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Jack’s interest in global politics and history caught our attention first. Having spent seven years in Hong Kong, his perspective on the world and its peoples was already enticingly broad and fair-minded. He jumped into our Model UN program right away, a perfect fit given his priorities and aptitudes, but he was just as quick to engage in other areas of life and work. Something of a Renaissance thinker and communicator, Jack has served for two years as the Academic Representative to the Curriculum Committee, where his insights into the student experience and learning in general are immensely valuable. Personally inclined toward the big questions, Jack stayed true to form in his Inquiry project on Big Data, proving in his culminating presentation to be not only a powerful scholar but a compelling and enlightening teacher. Next up, surely a big future!

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CHRISTIAN ROCHELLE REVELS-ROBINSON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

There aren’t enough hours in the day for anyone else to accomplish what Chrissy manages on a regular basis. This precocious, multi-talented, broadly engaged student of the world seems determined to make every moment productive, impactful, worthwhile. Her teachers laud Chrissy’s ability to connect her scholarship to the life she leads, a commitment that led Chrissy in her junior year to spend a semester at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington DC. Since returning, in addition to serving as a prefect and a class senator, a tour guide and a CateNet master, Chrissy has been actively involved with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Human Rights Watch, and Indivisible Carpinteria. If there is something worthwhile to be done, Chrissy is likely to do it, always with that characteristic optimism tinged with powerful conviction.

Said a faculty member recently, “Katherine will be that special person who is a leader in bridging divides and promoting communication, cooperation, and community.” Her scholarship, which is replete with all manner of engagements and interests, is testament to Katherine’s connective ideology. Teachers refer to her as an “abounding intellectual” and speak of her unique appreciation for the people she encounters in life. At Cate Katherine has been involved in a host of efforts designed to support others – a teaching assistantship, several Los Niños trips, trips to Foster Homes – as well as endeavors like Girls Who Code and the Astronomy Club. Though Katherine has cultivated a powerful intellect, the mind is simply a vehicle for channeling the affections and sensibilities of her heart. And at Katherine’s core is a love for the human condition and the humans who seek to understand it.

CHARLES SHI

JOE ANTHONY SILVA

An award-winning work of art that Charles produced as a sophomore revealed the breadth of his genius. The self-proclaimed “physics geek” was clearly far more, a truth Charles has confirmed ever since.

He became our Student Body President on the strength of his earnest virtue and on the extremely catchy, “Shirvons!” We like, too, that when we ask Charles a question, he will pause before answering, honoring every query with a thoughtful response. Over his time at Cate, where his remarkable scholarship has been complemented by his efforts to be of service to the community, Charles has fed us through the “Food Crate” business he initially launched, inspired us with his visual and performing art, entertained us with his dry and subtle wit, and honored us with his leadership. A marvelous set of accomplishments, Mr. President!

People like to tell stories about Joe Silva – like that he spends several hours in the dining hall each day, just so that he can talk to people; or that, as one student alleged, because of Joe, everyone now prefers Silva to gold.

It is easy, frankly, to poke fun at Joe because he will always laugh with you, because his humility runs to his core, and because deep down we know Joe is exactly what he seems – good (as good as any we have known), kind (there is a reason he lingers so long in the dining hall, and it isn’t only to eat!), eternally optimistic, and smart and capable enough to see all of his worthy intentions fully realized. Rarely do we encounter a young soul with the depth and generosity of Joe’s, which may be why everyone has their own Silva story. We want to connect each of our respective stories with his, and thankfully, generous Joe is always happy to oblige.

WITH HIGHEST HONORS | BROWN UNIVERSITY

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KATHERINE LINDSAY SCOTT

CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE

MARIAM SOLIMAN

ISABEL WINLOCK SORENSON

Mariam is undaunted. She marched with her mother in Tahrir Square during the 2013 Egyptian Revolution, determined even at that young age to be an agent of change.

She came to Cate from her home in Saudi Arabia, fluent in English and Arabic and ready to do what she could to advance her own education. Humble almost to a fault, it is still hard to imagine Mariam ever doubting herself. She works tirelessly, gravitating to the toughest courses and the highest expectations. Her physical strength is clear on the basketball court or even on backpacking trips into the wilderness. She seems in all situations to be able to deliver what she or the team or the group needs, always with a well-meaning smile. But there is another level of fortitude to Mariam that is even more powerful, a commitment to a future, and a willingness to accept risk to see that future realized.

First Egypt, then Cate, and now the world.

A teacher who commended Isabel on her “grit and persistence” went on to say, “Isabel expects to work for her education, to invest herself in her studies, and occasionally to find that she has to reconsider a position or rework a problem.” In such fashion she has built an admirable character to her scholarship and demonstrated the resolve that leads to real discovery.

Isabel has also, thankfully, been an agent of our community’s learning, leading our Women’s Forum and catalyzing important dialogue on the culture that we must continue to construct, both at Cate and in the world beyond.

Activism of a sort comes naturally to Isabel, appeals to her clear sense of right and wrong, and benefits from her intrinsic determination. True, she is happy to leave the community of people on occasion to enjoy the backcountry and the out-of-doors, but she always returns refreshed and ready for the next step to be taken or responsibility to be fulfilled.

WITH HIGH HONORS | UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

FARIDA TAHIRY WELLESLEY COLLEGE

Farida’s thoughtful, generous, endearing manner has brought her universal respect and admiration. It was no accident when Farida gave her first talk on her home country in the fall of her sophomore year that the McIntosh Room was overflowing with classmates, parents, faculty, and even a few alumni. This gentle yet formidable young woman has invigorated our community.

An unwitting ambassador, Farida is evidence of the richness that is revealed by our differing customs, our broad ranging affections, and our respective heritage. She has occupied some key positions at Cate – including teaching assistant – and she has distinguished herself as an uncommon scholar and a budding artist. But we trust equally in what she will be, an aspiration revealed that very first year on our Mesa: the first female president of Afghanistan.

What a fortunate destiny for Farida and the world.

UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS

ISABEL MADELEINE TARAFA UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS

Isabel practices Jiu-Jitsu at a local gym, which some may see as incongruous with this thoughtful scholar whose long stay in the UK has led her to speak with a deeply intellectual-sounding English accent. But the martial arts just reveal the discipline and the grit that help to propel Isabel’s more cerebral endeavors.

She is quick to connect ideas and concepts across disciplines and areas of study, and often looks for such patterns and applications.

Service compels Isabel too, both as a member of the Women’s Forum and with a school she supports in Tanzania. It is heartening to see the breadth of Isabel’s interests, and to acknowledge the depth with which she explores them. Though serene on the surface, there is a fire that propels Isabel’s inquiry, whether she is taking on a sparring partner at the gym, tackling a vexing chemistry lab, or simply helping another.

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JOSEPH THOMASSEN BABSON COLLEGE

CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE

A highly skilled varsity tennis player, Joseph has for several years represented Cate in often intense and (at least for us fans) anxietyproducing competition.

But Joseph, even in the most challenging moments, does not seem concerned in the least.

He is peaceful and calm, hopeful and focused. He wins with poise, and is equally gracious on the rare occasions that the match doesn’t go his way.

His demeanor off the court is no different, full of aspiration and the work required to realize his goals. Even before this community he is at ease, calmly sharing the power of ritual and discipline in his Wednesday Talk. With Joseph, more often than not, you feel like he wants to linger and converse, to share what he has learned and to hear the same from you. He became a CateNet master, perhaps because there is always something to be fixed or taught when technology is involved. And Joseph is perfectly suited for both. Said one teacher, “Joseph is all about meaning,” and he clearly finds it everywhere.

Kyril’s greatness at Cate could easily have been contained to his running. A brilliant and disciplined endurance athlete, Kyril was setting records within weeks of setting foot on our Mesa, and he has become one of the greatest runners ever to attend Cate. And yet, Kyril was not content to be exceptional only as an athlete. He invested himself in everything else with equal vigor and interest, revealing a level of inquisitiveness that proved insatiable. Kyril is the first one down the rabbit hole, looking for answers to the most challenging questions. He became a prefect, too, and our most consistent and entertaining advocate for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Though his running already put Kyril in rarefied air, his leadership and scholarship and citizenship ultimately took him there too, revealing in the words of a colleague why Kyril is a “true and powerful role model.”

LAURA VENCES

MARGAUX SINCLAIR VITOLS

Laura’s genius is evident in her affections. She loves art and has produced stunning twodimensional work; she loves writing and was one of the winners of our schoolwide contest last year; she serves as a prefect, offering dedicated and compassionate support to the underclassmen in her care; and she loves basketball and in particular the Golden State Warriors.

Never one to leave any important responsibility unfulfilled, Laura loves service, too; Laura would be lost if she wasn’t doing something generous. But Laura’s defining virtue, the one that transcends even those noted prior, is her determination to honor the family that believes in her.

That award-winning story was about Laura’s weekly trips to the Laundromat with her Mom. And just last year, as she contemplated her future, Laura wrote, “My biggest goal is to make my parents proud, as it has been their sacrifices that have allowed me to be where I am today.” Mission brilliantly accomplished.

Margaux brightens moments. She can do it in conversation, for there is no more engaging partner. She can do it with her humor, which is as clever and animated as Margaux is. She can do it with her intellect, which is as remarkable as it is broad. Margaux can and does study everything, responding perhaps to an eclectic interest simply to know more. She has represented Cate through Round Square in places as far flung as South Africa, is a leader of the Activities Committee charged with energizing recreation on the Mesa, and is an energetically competitive athlete, driven as much by the contest as the desire to be there for her teammates. We have enjoyed the impressive trajectory of Margaux’s endeavor and the conspicuous fruits of it. She has made our community a little more fun, our discourse more entertaining, and our experience together ever better.

CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE

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KYRIL VAN SCHENDEL

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

BRIELLE BERTEA WALKER

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO A colleague wrote recently, “You don’t just know Brie Walker, you experience Brie Walker.

It’s her energy. You can feel it as you see her walking your way.

The happiness. The vitality. The good will.”

She is a head tour guide this year and a remarkable resource for prospective families.

She even served as the Student Chair overseeing Grandparents Weekend, which under her direction went famously. She has honed her scholarship, too, crafting an impressive legacy of growth and commitment. And she is one of our best lacrosse players ever, commanding the field of play with her speed, her skill, and her savvy.

Teammates are made better by Brie and opponents go weak in the knees in the face of her play. She has even taken her love of the sport to Carpinteria, where local kids line up to learn from Brie. We can’t imagine a better teacher.

CAMBRIA LYNNE WEAVER WITH HONORS | WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

In a meeting with the author of our all-school read two years ago, Cambria responded to his assertion about the value of the women in his books with a question, “If they are so important, why don’t any of your female characters have leading roles in your stories?”

Caught off guard, he responded ultimately, “They will in my next book.” Just like that, Cambria changed the character of the discourse, got to the root of the issue. A writer herself, Cambria was more than willing to push into uncomfortable territory. That’s what she does every day at Cate, driving us all to insight that perhaps we needed her to reach. That very nature made her the ideal co-leader of our Tuesday Talk series. Even the advanced jazz ensemble finds itself enriched by Cambria’s expressions, this time from her trombone.

There is no endeavor that Cambria doesn’t improve with her participation. Even award-winning authors clearly agree.

YOUJIA “ROSE” XI

JIANZHANG “ERIC” YI

Rose is well named. Listen to her sing and we are transported by the clarity and pitch of her soprano. Watch her tackle some cognitive puzzle and we can’t help but admire her insight and her resolve. But unlike her namesake flower that is often the focus of attention, our Rose is the first to acknowledge the magnificence of others. Said one of her teachers, “I know of no other student who is more excited about the discoveries a peer makes than she is about her own. Rose’s wide eyes and gasps of excitement when someone else struck upon an insight were the highlight of the year.” The mix of Rose’s own brilliance and her acknowledgement of the same in others has defined her tenure on our Mesa, given Rose’s prefectship this year distinctive character, propelled her inspiring musicality, and made us all the more aware of the magical happening around us every day.

In a letter about Eric earlier this year, a faculty member made reference in a single sentence to the full range of Eric’s passions: the Bible, the law, American football and Mixed Martial Arts.

The only things he left out are Eric’s ubiquitous freestyle rap and his clear love of language.

It is the constellation of those very interests and aptitudes that have given character to everything Eric does on this campus. He is a joiner by nature, someone who enjoys the camaraderie of a team or a class or a group of friends. He loves a good contest, too, whether it’s a physical matchup on the gridiron (a sport in which he is so imposing a lineman that his teammates and coaches called him “Titus”) or a battle of wits across the Harkness table. His faith, too, and his fascination with the law reveal Eric’s interest in principle and practice, in maintaining standards, and in seeking the best in himself and in others.

WITH HIGH HONORS | BOWDOIN COLLEGE

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

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FACULTY & STAFF ANNIVERSARIES 5 Years Erik Hansen Mari Powell Amy Venditta 10 Years Mike Ferguson Laura Jespersen Kyle Mason Katheryn Park Ph.D. Kim Pettit Marnie Woehr

15 Years Monica Garcia-Gamero Jay Dorion Maria Ortega Linda Sommers Martin Vega 20 Years Ben Williams 35 Years Jeff Barton 40 Years Gary Pierce

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Departing Faculty & Staff

DON BARRY Don came to us after a career at Andover and brought with him his encyclopedic knowledge not only of mathematics but also of math history. Why we solve problems the way we do is Don’s unique bailiwick – that and writing problems for textbooks, national exams, and the like. The breadth of his impact in the computational world is impressive indeed, and we have been pleased to have him come out of retirement in Minnesota to help guide our program at Cate. Upon hiring Don we assured him that winters are far better here, an assertion that he is rightfully questioning. Still, we are hopeful that Don and his wife, Roxy, have enjoyed their sojourn in the West, and will return to visit. Having son Ivan, daughter-in-law Rebekah, and a couple of grandchildren on campus should certainly help with that.

ASHLEIGH MOWER Ashleigh is the eye behind the lens, the web-master behind website, our resident expert when it comes to capturing all that lives and breathes and works and grows on this Mesa. A tireless artist, Ashleigh seems perpetually prepared for each new task, often bringing her own distinctive view to how the project might be accomplished. Her photographs are universally coveted and authentic in their rendering of daily life at Cate.

She is resourceful too, capable of making anything work with a little ingenuity, wellplaced effort, and a good dose of creativity. Of course, given what Ashleigh chooses to do for recreation – she spent one vacation in an underwater cage surrounded by great white sharks – it’s fair to say that Ashleigh is partial to a good adrenaline rush. And yet, even in such moments she is calm and serene, capturing life as it goes by and showing us all what it looks like through her eyes.

JOSÉ & MARI POWELL The Powell family came west six years ago, in search of a new community in which they might invest their considerable skills and energies. José joined our Admission team, bringing his years of experience at Andover to bear on the work of identifying and stewarding those young people who seem especially suited to the Cate experience.

He took on the role, too, of guiding our community’s efforts around inclusion and multiculturalism, greeting us often in assemblies with that ever distinctive, “What’s up, Ram Fam?” At the same time Mari settled into the College Office, becoming our Director of Testing and the in-house expert on Financial Aid. She took a role that was initially undefined, and with the power of her own initiative and her commitment to the experience of our kids, fashioned work that has benefitted every student who interacts with the College Office. As a family, José and Mari have been relentless in their service to Cate and in their willingness to invest themselves personally and professionally in the work that we do and in the lives of the students for whom we do it. Just ask the many students who, through their association with the Young Men’s Forum, or our financial assistance programs, or the Multicultural Affairs Committee – or simply by being a member of José’s advisory group – have found themselves in the Powell home breaking bread with the family. Though they leave us to return to family and the familiar in the East, we trust that José and Mari will carry a piece of Cate with them on their return home. The East could use a little West after all, and there are no better ambassadors than José and Mari.

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ANGELA HERRERA Unflappable, warm, and generous, Angela has cared for our students through all hours of the day and night. A key member of our Health Center team, Angela has demonstrated consistent and distinctive compassion in the advancement of her duties. She is the first to volunteer to take a student to the ER, to take a colleague’s shift, or to stick around when the need for care is especially acute. We have relied on such serviceminded inclinations and on her gentle, inviting disposition. When we are at our worst and struggling with fatigue or illness, Angela is always at her best. Such composure is surely priceless. Thank you, Angela.

LI-JUNG TSAI Li-Jung brought immense energy and insight to our Chinese program, captivating students with her engaging manner and thoughtful instruction. One in a long line of Cate Chinese teachers who hail from Taiwan, Li-Jung was a most successful carrier of the torch. And the fact that her family runs Uncle Chen’s restaurant in Carpinteria meant that there were occasional goodies for the students to stimulate the palate and enrich the study of the language. It has indeed been a great privilege to share this year with Li-Jung. She is generous and kind, a talented linguist and an excellent teacher at the beginning of what will be a great career. We remain hopeful, in fact, that her travels will bring her back to our Mesa again in the not-too-distant future.

EMILIE GRIFFIN She was Emilie Conrad when she arrived on this Mesa, a young English teacher with a great sense of humor and disarming candor. Having grown up in the East, Emilie must have imagined her time on the Mesa originally as a western sojourn, but then she met another sojourning easterner, Frank Griffin, and the die was cast. Emilie and Frank built a life on this Mesa together, raised two daughters who would graduate from Cate in 2009 and 2012, and built a remarkable legacy of service. Emilie stayed in the classroom for a while before the College Counseling Office called. And given her penchant for helping each young person find his or her own path, Emilie was perfectly suited to the counseling role she took on. For two decades she led that effort before returning again to the classroom, this time to focus on teaching Sophomore English. There Emilie found herself again perfectly situated, working with students whose vacillations of mood and temperament were tempered by Emilie’s unflappable nature and disarming wit. As one of her students acknowledged, “Ms. Griffin is like the perfect teacher.

She’s smart. She’s funny. And she doesn’t let us get away with anything!” Given her breadth of skills, though, Emilie wasn’t done yet. In her final professional chapter at Cate, Emilie became our Director of Financial Aid, overseeing the enhancement of our student support efforts and contributing the personality and compassion that leads to thoughtful policy making and even better practice. Looking back, no doubt it all feels to Emilie like the years have gone by in a blur. Taken in totality, though, and considering length and breadth of service and impact, Emilie Griffin is in rarefied air. There is a reason that when she travels to various cities around the country, alumni come out in droves to see her. She is one of our touchstones, and neither we, nor the extended Cate family, will ever forget her.

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CAMP CATE Camp Cate On Friday, June 8, nearly 400 members of the Cate community – alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, families, and friends – arrived on the Mesa to celebrate Camp Cate 2018. Guests enjoyed a gorgeous weekend of sunshine with temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s and no June gloom in sight. Those who arrived early Friday afternoon made the obligatory stop in the McBean Library to leaf through old copies of El Batidor and The Mesan.

After alumni settled into their dormitory rooms, all guests headed to Mesa House for the annual Camp Cate Kick-Off Party. Ben Williams welcomed alumni and their families back to Cate while they enjoyed fresh local tacos from Oxnard and beverages provided by the Firestone Brewery. With the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, the Headmaster focused his remarks on longtime faculty member Emilie Griffin.

After 33 years of service to Cate, Emilie retired in June. Ben presented Emilie with a Book of Memories that included letters, photographs, and stories submitted by alumni, faculty, and friends! Alumni showered Emilie with love at the event – including a magnificent bouquet of flowers given by Emma Wilson, daughter of Eliza Hawley Wilson ’88. It was not just the adults who had a festive Friday evening; children of alumni jumped right into the 4th annual Junior Camp Cate program. Directed by current Cate students, the camp of kids headed to Hitchcock Theater, where they watched Ratatouille and made s’mores in fire pits outside of the Wiegand Community Center.

Saturday morning arrived earlier than scheduled with a surprise 5:30 a.m. fire alarm. After faculty reviewed the situation in Bothin, it was concluded that the Class of 1978 was safe and that it was simply a Camp Cate fire drill. With alumni awake earlier than expected, Japanese teacher David Wood prepped his espresso machine and set up a coffee station along the Day Walkway. Armed with colorful mugs provided by ceramics teacher John Swain, alumni quickly gathered along Day Walkway for their morning cup of coffee. While David poured coffee, Race Directors

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Peggy and Tim Smith handed out bib numbers for the 35th Annual Mesa Race. The 1.75 mile run/ walk navigates the entire campus – giving exercise enthusiasts a great way to see the Mesa. Camp Cate counselor, recent graduate, and sub-5-minute miler, Kyril van Schendel ’18, helped guide the pack as a rabbit – making sure the leaders of the race did not take a wrong turn. In the end, John Leonard ’88 finished in 11:09, taking home first overall place.

John displayed impressive knowledge of the course, despite it being his first time back on the Mesa since Commencement on May 28, 1988 -- 30 years ago!

On the women’s side, Sara Sani ’98 looked strong and took first place, finishing in 12:29. Other notable finishers included classmates Jocelyn Denison Solomon ’88 and Bonnie Carlson Solmssen ’88, and faculty Patricia Collins and Gary Pierce. The latter has two consecutive Mesa Race finishes!

By mid-morning, the Johnson Library was set up for the Alumni Council Meeting and Headmaster’s Hour. Alumni Council Vice President Lauren Craig Albrecht ’89 started the meeting by reporting on the 2017-2018 Alumni Association’s activities, events, and progress in the Cate Fund. Following Lauren, Assistant Headmaster for External Affairs Charlotte Brownlee ’85 updated alumni on trends in admissions and college placement as it relates to Cate’s current and prospective students. Next, the 54 alumni who attended the meeting received an in-depth look into the planned dining commons project. Li Wen ’78, the lead architect on the project, provided a full description of the both the vision and future implementation of the new space. Ben Williams

followed Li by answering questions ranging from the dining commons project to the School’s Inquiry Method.

While parents attended meetings, Junior Camp Cate’s Saturday morning session was underway! Young campers enjoyed an activity-filled morning complete with arts and crafts and a trip to learn moves from Paul Denison ’79 at the climbing wall. As the heat moved in after lunch, alumni grabbed extra water before heading up the Bee Camp trail for the Thomas Fire backcountry hike. Led by Ned Bowler ’83, a group of 60 hikers ventured up the steep terrain to view the burn scar, the amazing regrowth of wildflowers, and the expansive landscapes below. Between the summer sun and the record trail pace set by the Class of 1968, it was no surprise that the Blue Ewe Student Store sold out of hats and sunscreen that morning! The 50th reunion class did not need a break after the hike and met young alumni tour guides Eva Herman ’17 and Parker Matthews ’18 for a tour of the sculptures of deceased classmate Don Davis ’68. Eva and Parker walked the class, including Don’s spouse Wendy Davis, throughout campus, visiting Don’s sculptures, which grace various locations from the Hitchcock Theatre to the Class of 1985 House Admission Building.

The Saturday evening program started with the Camp Cate Memorial Service in the Katharine Thayer Cate Memorial Chapel. Alumni and guests gathered in the

chapel to celebrate the lives of classmates and faculty who had died since their last reunion. Remembrances were read by Chris Giles, John Coghlan ’68, Kate Parker ’85, and Ben Williams. After the service, all alumni gathered at the Class of 1985 House Admission Building for Camp Cate awards at the Headmaster’s Sunset Reception. Given to the alumnus who travels farthest to come to Camp Cate, Andrew Hicks ’98, who journeyed over 7,000 miles from Hong Kong, took home top prize.

As the sun descended, alumni made the short walk to Thayer Peck Field and the Nelson D. Jones ‘48 Stables Courtyard for the annual Reunion Dinner. The backdrop of the Santa Ynez mountains behind the red stables provided the setting for an amazing evening spent with classmates, faculty, and friends. Before the 3’s battled the 8’s in dodgeball in the Fleischmann Gymnasium, fresh batches of Muffet’s Tuffets and small cartons of milk graced the dessert table for all to enjoy.

One weekend, 400 people, the recollection of memories, and the making of many more – Camp Cate 2018 was a success! As one alumnus expressed before she left on Sunday morning, “The best part about Camp Cate was reconnecting with alumni and the campus!” The dates are already set for next year – alumni in classes ending in 4’s and 9’s are invited back for their reunion celebrations on June 7-9, 2019! We look forward to welcoming you “home” next summer.

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1. Alumni visited the Cate Alumni Stories podcast trailer throughout the reunion weekend.

2. Alumni and Jr. Camp Cate campers scale the climbing wall.

3. Allie Torrance Okner ’98 and Cally Sprague Knapp ’98 welcome alumni and guests to the Reunion Dinner at Thayer Peck Field.

5. Families experienced the frontlines of the Thomas Fire during back country hike.

Photo credit: Robert Hanson ’98.

6. Photographer Robert Hanson ’98 captures the Milky Way high above the eucalyptus trees.

7. George Hollister ’78 visits the McBean Library.

8. The Biddle Cup.

4. Reunion classes gather under the tent for the Reunion Dinner.

Photographer Robert Hanson ’98 captures the Milky Way high above the eucalyptus trees.

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in Memoriam

JOSEPH B. TERBELL ’58 June 16, 1941 - April 15, 2018

Joseph B. Terbell, Jr., 76, of Westport, CT, died Sunday, April 15 surrounded by his immediate family, following a difficult battle with a sepsis infection.

He had courageously battled Parkinson’s disease for sixteen years and was a fighter to the end.

In 1958, in a letter of recommendation, Headmaster Francis Parkman wrote, “Joseph Terbell has always done very good work. He is thoroughly conscientious and dependable. He is a very stable, sound person, of even disposition. He received the Scholarship Cup in 1956, and has stood first in his class every year.” In Terbell’s second year of college at Yale, he tried to arrange summer work at Cate for his South African roommate. He wrote, “It would be rather difficult, if not impossible, to find a better place to do summer construction!”

After a lengthy corporate career, he spent his most meaningful professional years as a math teacher and college counselor at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, CT, where he taught and advised countless young students.

He was an avid sports fan (especially of the New York Yankees and Yale football), a voracious reader, a passionate Scrabble player, a lover of classic rock, and a dedicated gourmand. He was known for his kind demeanor and insightful wit.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Harriette A. Terbell; two daughters, Jill S. Terbell of South Orange, NJ and Susan Terbell Jacques of Pittsburgh, PA; a son, Jon Terbell of Boston, MA; and three grandchildren.

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JACK BALLARD ’15 May 20, 1997 - May 18, 2018

Jack gravitated to younger kids and they to him, so it was no surprise to learn that Jack’s skills as a junior counselor were considerable. He had the disposition for such work, and any opportunity to enjoy the out-of-doors, especially in the Pacific Northwest, was one that Jack was sure to seize. And thankfully, we saw similar facility and aptitude at Cate. Said his dorm head in December of his senior year, “Jack is our rock. He’s our most attentive senior duty supervisor and an active lead-by-example guy; he is a great senior role model.”

The winner of the Outdoors Award at Jack Ballard never doubted himself.

Though his classmates towered over him at first, Jack took little notice of such things. His ever-present smile became something we grew to rely on, and his good-hearted aspiration never diminished. In fact, it grew over time as Jack faced down challenge after challenge. A determined student, Jack worked hard at all times, met complexity with dutiful service, and ultimately proved to be an archetype for grit, perseverance, and growth.

In fact, shortly after he graduated, the faculty began deliberations on an award to be presented at Commencement to a student who had made exceptional progress over his or her time at Cate. Named for the original home of the school, the Miramar Award was bestowed for the first time this year, just a week after Jack’s untimely passing.

When the inaugural recipient stepped forward, a young woman who came to Cate from her home in Afghanistan, we were also thinking of Jack, of the way he relished his time outdoors, of his skills as a rock climber, and of his joy at heading to Colorado to continue his studies. We remembered his pride in climbing a route on Gibraltar called T-crack and his stories of the summers he spent on Orcas Island at camp.

fought for the life he wanted, staying positive even as his body betrayed him.

And though he ultimately lost that battle, his indomitable spirit recalled a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that Jack’s advisor shares with her students – and shared with Jack – before each term.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming…” graduation, Jack also elicited kudos from the Outdoor Program Director, Paul Denison: “There is no question that Jack gets the MIP Award as his improvement is perhaps the most astounding I’ve seen, particularly in terms of water sports.” He became one of the most enthusiastic and adventurous surf kayakers (definitely the most intimidating of sports), and one of the few who could consistently hit his roll in heavy water.”

He left us to pursue architecture in Colorado, but a series of health challenges prevented Jack from building any momentum. Still undaunted, Jack

again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Jack Ballard was no timid soul.

– Ben Williams

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From The Archives:

Mascot Mystery In the Cate Summer Bulletin of 1992, Jim Zimmerman wrote, “The School had no mascot in its first 40 years.” According to Zimmerman, Dick Ott ’52 donated the Ram known as Cato Rex in the 50s. “Unfortunately, he developed a bad case of mange and had to be destroyed.”

Ask archivist Ginger Williams about statements like Zimmerman’s and she’ll share a cautionary tale or two about citing secondary sources. In a recent dive into the archives, the communications office found the photo above. Inept in animal husbandry, we misidentified the animal as a ram (it was the horns) and thought we had found the beginning chapter of Cate’s mascot history. A date noted on the photo led Williams to a 1919 El Batidor article, where she read, “February 28 – B. Soule and C. Bigelow rode to the Ojai to take a horse to Mrs. Hunt. Hayne rode to the Ojai Valley. Returning by the Santa Ana Valley, he picked up a baby goat, left by its mother in the brush near Coyote Creek. He carried it about 13 miles on his horse, giving the goat early experience in riding. A baby bottle and nipple were soon procured and the little mammal soon revived. Since then she has been taking nourishment four times daily, and it has been decided that she will make a good gymkhana mascot.” So while we didn’t dig up the groundbreaking bombshell of Cate lore we thought we had, we didn’t leave the archives empty handed. We learned that what someone says happened isn’t the same thing as what actually happened; that rams aren’t always what they seem; and – let’s be honest – that those boys probably stole that goat. – Joe Gottwald ’10 80