Work That Matters
Charles Wright leans into broader project-based learning and experiential education experiences for all students
CHARLES WRIGHT ACADEMY
Established 1957
Tacoma, Washington
Head of School
Susan Rice
School Division Directors
Rixa Evershed, Beginning School Director
Robin Wheeler, Lower School Director
Rachel Rippl, Middle School Director
Betty Benson, Upper School Director
Director of Development and Communications
Laura Rose
Director of Athletics
Tyler Francis
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Denise Williams
Director of Enrollment Management
Steve Rudolf
Director of Operations
Samantha Einarson
Director of Technology
Holly Gerla
2022-2023 Board of Trustees
Toby Murray III ’71, Chair
Mark Hood, Vice Chair
Adam Blakney ’00, Secretary
Scott Limoli, Treasurer
Drew Bamford ’91
Roger J. Bass
Scott Case ’94
Dr. David Hirschberg ’80
Dr. Tamara Horn
Ben Sclair ’88
Liz Snyder
Nicole Stice
Sarah Weyerhaeuser
Trevor Will ’93
Publisher Amy Senftleben
Simmi Rohila ’26 and a crustacean buddy sent their greetings from Beach Hike last June.
SUMMER 2022
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
18 Work That Matters
Charles Wright leans into broader projectbased learning and experiential education experiences for all students.
26
Congratulations to the Class of 2022
We welcomed 52 members from the Class of 2022 to the alumni family on June 11.
34 Kindergarten Counsel
The Class of 2034 shares sage advice for the Class of 2022 as they get ready for college.
36 8th Grade Celebration
The Class of 2026 celebrated the culmination of their Middle School careers on June 15.
38 5th Grade Moves On
The Class of ’29 celebrated the culmination of their Lower School years on June 16.
40 Faculty and Staff Awards
Meet this year’s recipients of the Inspirational Faculty Award and Christopher Steele Award for Outstanding Service by a Staff Member.
48 2022 Alum of the Year
The school honors Trevor Will ’93 for his staunch support of Tarriers and the South Sound community.
8 Faculty News
9 Director Updates
12 2022 Spirit Auction Recap
The Tarrier community put their Heart and Soles into fundraising for CWA and a new running track at an intimate, in-person auction.
42 Bleed Green
Tarriers finally got a chance to compete in normal athletic seasons during the 2021-22 school year, and walked away with several championship titles.
46 Greetings from the Alumni Office
51 Class Notes
Catch up on news from classmates and mark your calendars for upcoming alumni events.
55 In Remembrance
To inspire active, joyful learning while nurturing and challenging our students to develop the character, creativity, and skills to successfully navigate the future with confidence. CWA MISSION STATEMENT
56 Retirements and 2022 Lifetime Teaching Awards
CWA NEWS
ATHLETICS
ALUMNI
LAST LOOK
Powerful Opportunites Ahead
Susan Rice, Head of School
ear Tarriers,
The Summer of 2022 finds many of us reflecting on all we have accomplished in the past year. Our core institutional values—perseverance, excellence, compassion, respect, and integrity— continue to be reflected in so much of what we do every day. Our Mission to provide students with “active, joyful learning” experiences continues to find new ways of coming to fruition—be it through experiences on or off campus. The work that we are doing to examine and ensure that we are living our Inclusion Statement is powerful—we know that everyone does their best work when they know that they belong and when we all have a diverse group to learn from and grow with.
So much lies ahead for our community in 2022-23. I am honored to share a glimpse of the year ahead, and to reflect on all the effort of the past year that brought us here. We are creating new programs and making improvements to existing programs. We are resuming programs halted by COVID that make Charles Wright Academy a vibrant place to learn and grow. Powerful new opportunities for students lie on the horizon, within our grasp.
Many campus improvements took place this summer, including:
• a necessary expansion of our re-named “Beginning School” to accommodate increased enrollment,
• a new Lower School art classroom in the Sam and Nathalie Brown Visual Art Center for our youngest Tarriers to explore their artistic pursuits alongside our Upper School Tarriers,
• a fresh facelift in our Middle School building with plans to build a new space for our fifth graders to join in 2023-24,
• a major remodel for the Senior Stage area in the Upper School,
• and our first ever Harkness Table to support the student-focused pedagogical approach of the same name that Dr. David Adams uses and has used for many years.
And even more improvements are in progress right now. New opportunities for gardening and outdoor exploration will benefit all Tarriers with opportunities for hands-on learning. We have secured the new location for the Diane Hunt Outdoor Classroom, which was made possible by generous donors to the 2019 Tarriers at Play Fund-a-Need. This year’s Fund-a-Need donors made the replacement of the Track possible this summer including the accompanying Field areas (Shot Put, Long Jump, Discus). These improvements will benefit all students from Preschool to Grade 12, but also allow us to host more regional events for our competitive Middle and Upper School Athletics.
Students in the Upper School shared that the locker rooms in the Dome needed a refresh and we are responding. New paint and logos inside and out of the Dome will build school spirit across all grade levels, alumni and families. A refresh of the locker rooms will include a new roof, skylights, new paint, and spirit branding. When students engage in athletics, we want them to feel proud to be here. When visiting teams come to compete on our campus— we want them to know that they are in Tarrier Territory!
This work is guided by the revision of our Strategic Vision 2030, recently approved in May 2022 by our Board of Trustees. The revision was led by a committee of administrators and Trustees, and is an update from the original plan adopted by the board in 2018, led by previous Head of School, Matt Culberson.
We began this revision process with discussions at the Board level about the limitations of the existing plan, and the need for some updating four years later. We then hosted a series of Town Halls and Faculty/Staff meetings to gather input from community and stakeholders, and met with student leaders in the Upper School Student Council to discuss. Then, our Senior Leadership team spent time interpreting all that input to create edits to the Plan. We presented those suggestions and rationale to the Board of Trustees in our May 2022 meeting for approval. I am so excited to share it with you in this issue of Ties.
In this iteration we looked for ways to make it more actionable and less philosophical by choosing more active verbs to “do”—as Tarriers who value experiential learning and the act of “doing,” we wanted to “create” rather than “consider.” Additionally, we wanted to make some adjustments to the language to include needed campus improvements and to reflect the school’s new Mission Statement that was adopted after the original Strategic Vision 2030.
Lastly, having a strategic plan that carries us through to 2030 is unusual. So, now that we have created more actionable language and clarity of direction, we hope to begin digging into a clear plan to operationalize these initiatives with smaller timelines to ensure we are making progress. A Town Hall this fall will reveal some of those plans that will shape our community in the next 1-3 years that I look forward to sharing. Watch your email for more details coming soon.
While the issues of the world continue to challenge school communities and disrupt previously “normal” operations—Charles Wright Academy continues to evolve and grow. Our resolve to live our value of excellence in all things is stronger than ever. The fruits of our labor in seeking that level of excellence have required us to lean in to our other values of perseverance and integrity, but as Tarriers—our community remains strong and committed to doing the work. The best is yet to come, and we have so much to celebrate and share. Thank you for your continued support and partnership—it’s a great day to be a Tarrier!
With gratitude,
Charles Wright Academy
STRATEGIC VISION 2030
Approved by the Board of Trustees May 26, 2022
STRATEGIES
PLACE
Finalize and execute a facilities master plan that considers the investment in space necessary to implement the Strategic Vision for 2030.
• Initiative #1: Expand early childhood programs and create an Early Childhood Learning Center to maximize capacity and need in the South Sound for high quality Early Learning programs.
• Initiative #2: Develop and implement strategies to more fully accommodate and utilize the campus, facilities and infrastructure year-round.
• Initiative #3: Explore and implement new opportunities to increase enrollment through ancillary business models, and possible strategic alignment with other schools.
• Initiative #4: Explore and implement strategies to increase the environmental sustainability of the campus.
• Initiative #5: Design, fund, and implement improvements and expansion to athletic facilities and infrastructure to meet evolving needs of those programs
PARTNERSHIPS
Create a solid foundation for community engagement and partnerships that enriches learning experiences for students, and also positions Charles Wright Academy as a resource and partner to the broader community.
• Initiative #1: Partner with area colleges, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to further strengthen and grow our program and create enriched and engaging learning opportunities for our students and community.
• Initiative #2: Strengthen relationships with local, regional, state, national, and global organizations to support our commitment to service-learning through service and internships.
• Initiative #3: Engage alumni and parents to be actively involved through sharing their diverse experiences, expertise, and access to opportunities.
• Initiative #4: Strengthen our position as thought leaders in the South Sound by participating in community events, hosting professional development, offering parent education opportunities, and building relationships between community leaders and school leadership.
PEOPLE
Foster an engaged and inclusive community by cultivating CWA’s exceptional and committed faculty and staff for the future.
• Initiative #1: Implement innovative teaching methods to engage students in and out of the classroom.
• Initiative #2: Grow and develop our faculty and staff through the following:
A directed and strategic professional development program
A culture of constant self-reflection, growth, and professionalism that always places the student at the center of every decision
A collaborative, reflective, meaningful, and regular faculty/ staff feedback and evaluation process iv. Leadership roles and opportunities to model, coach, teach, and inspire colleagues, students, families, and community.
• Initiative #3: Integrate and embody Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) standards school-wide, and increase our collective resources and capabilities for support.
• Initiative #4: Live our commitment to caring in our inclusive and diverse community, in order to realize our institutional values of respect and compassion.
PROGRAM
Expand the understanding of what active, joyful learning should be in the mid-21st century by developing and supporting an experiential, integrated, and interdisciplinary curriculum and program to enhance the student experience in alignment with and in service of the Tarrier Traits and the Inclusion Statement.
• Initiative #1: Create multiple paths to a CWA diploma that nurture and challenge the learner on their PS-12 journey to develop the character, creativity, and skills they need to navigate the future with confidence.
• Initiative #2: Develop equitable and consistent cultural and global engagement experiences for all students.
• Initiative #3: Integrate distinctive place-based/experiential education into the curriculum.
• Initiative #4: Enhance learning experiences by purposefully and strategically integrating technology and further developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs and curricula.
PLAN
Build financial sustainability for the School and the next generation of students.
• Initiative #1: Build additional revenue streams to prevent reliance on continued increases in tuition.
• Initiative #2: Design a strategic enrollment plan based on market realities and an understanding of the Charles Wright Academy mission-servable student.
• Initiative #3: Create a comprehensive marketing and communication strategy to reintroduce and strengthen our brand in the market.
Faculty News
Middle School Humanities Teacher
Gabrielle Plastrik has been awarded a Teach YR fellowship through yrmedia.org The Teach YR fellowship is designed to help teachers create young journalists who have a public forum for their work. Modules teach students about photojournalism, radio journalism, quick fact-checking techniques, video techniques, framing a news story, and more.
New Upper School Computer Science teacher Jeanne Jacobs will continue her works as an Amazon Future Engineers Fellow at CWA. Ms. Jacobs will bring a full Middle and Upper School curriculum to CWA in classes that include Artificial Intelligence in our World, Python Fundamentals, and AP Computer Science.
Faculty members DuChanté Davis, Sam Harris, Gabrielle Plastrik, and Rixa Evershed will be presenting at this fall’s NWAIS conference hosted this year by CWA. The NWAIS Fall Educators Conference is the premier event for independent school educators in the Northwest. The interactive program offers several opportunities to connect with national thought leaders as well as other educators for a rich day of reflection and learning.
This summer, several CWA administrators represented at the ISM Summer Institute in Philadelphia, including US Director Betty Benson, MS Director Rachel Rippl, LS Director Robin Wheeler, and Athletic Director Tyler Francis
Upper School faculty Christina Bertucchi and Cori Blackman recently visited the University of San Diego where they attended an Advanced Placement Professional Development workshop.
Director Updates
Betty Benson
Upper School Director
ast March, the academy was pleased to announce the appointment of Betty Benson as Upper School Director for the 2022-23 school year. CWA engaged in a confidential, international search with the prestigious firm Carney Sandoe & Associates, reviewing 22 highlyqualified candidate application packages, and interviewing six finalists.
Ms. Benson was the unanimous top choice of CWA’s search committee that included newer and longer-tenured Upper School faculty and members of the Senior Leadership Team.
Ms. Benson most recently served as the Associate Director of the Upper School at Lakeside School, a top-tier independent school for students in grades 5-12 in Seattle, where she was a member of the faculty since 2014.
Ms. Benson served as Assistant Director of the Upper School prior to being promoted to Associate Director. She has contributed to the growth of several independent schools during the past 14 years as a STEM educator, advisor, and administrator, as well as speaking at numerous independent school conferences, providing professional development to her colleagues engaging in ongoing learning.
We had a chance to catch up with Ms. Benson in July after she arrived on campus and began preparations for the new school year. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Benson, her husband Chantry, and their three young children—including new Tarriers Vasa ’37 and Skara ’35—to the Charles Wright community.
Q: What initially attracted you to CWA?
“I love that every time I see the mission statement, it is attached to the Portrait of a Tarrier, and the inclusion statement is attached to the school’s values. This framework that aligns who we are, what we believe, what we stand for, and how we bring our educational program and experience for students into alignment with these tenants was so attractive to me. How it’s done also sends a message, too. This framework really painted a clear picture of what could be—all of the building blocks are here for great possibility. There is a ‘due north’ compass pointing that helps you when things seem out of focus, and that is not always the case at other schools, where you may have to go searching to piece together and understand the organization’s values.”
Q: Can Upper School families expect to see a return to international travel and other traditions next year?
“Yes, we are committed to a return to international travel this year. Since COVID, all schools have been playing a game of ‘Double Dutch’ in the unknown, responding to crises and meeting people where they were at any given moment, which doesn’t leave a lot of energy for planning for the future. But there have been gifts from the pandemic, as well. We have a good sense of what students need in order to have a sense of connection and belonging. In-person, experiential experiences for students are priorities. However we safely can deliver those—whether as big international trips or experiences on campus—students need to be together, and we need to give them opportunities to make things have meaning. Connectivity and relationship building should be at the core of the academic experience.
When we think about things in terms of loss, we know nothing will be the same. This has been a lot of change in a short amount of time. I’m excited to discover more of the ‘gifts’ of COVID—the gems we pulled out of this dark time—and discover how that strengthens us on our path forward. I want to see us make a shift away from ‘what was lost’ toward ‘what is possible.’ That understanding that we are stronger together, not in spite of, but because of the challenges we’ve faced is a gift and we have an opportunity to establish new and meaningful experiences.”
Q: You were a Division 1 soccer player. How did that experience prepare you for your career in leadership?
“I have been characterized as a natural defender. For the majority of my soccer career I played in the center back position. That is a position that provides support, that has vision, that has a communicative role to give direction because you can see more of the field than others, and it requires a deep amount of trust to listen to that communication, even though the people who are listening to you can’t see what you can see. The trust is built upon the support, because in that center back position, if someone is unable to act—for whatever reason—you are the one who steps in, you are the one who fills in, you are the one who has the back, you are the one who can see and moves the pieces so people know that they can take risks. They can try because they have the support and the backing of that central defender, and that allows them to trust and buy into that vision. So, that is my natural tendency, to give direction and not only say I’m in a supportive role, but can demonstrate it when it counts.”
Q: What are you most looking forward to this fall?
“I’m excited to meet students, to know what this campus feels like when it’s populated, when people are in the midst of the joy of being together after a break. Many in our community have longstanding ties to CWA. Seeing what it means to parents, many of whom are alums, and discovering what it means to their students...I hear that when parents send their students here, CWA knows their student, and has got them. I hear it and it makes me excited, and it’s a totally different thing to feel it. To interact with families and see faculty ‘in their shine,’ doing what they do best…I’m really excited to have an opportunity to witness it and draw from it. I’m looking forward to this year with optimism and positivity, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Director Updates
Brennan Dignan
Associate Director of College Counseling
Brennan Dignan joined our community this August as Associate Director of College Counseling. Mr. Dignan comes to us most recently from The Harbour School in Hong Kong, where he serves as their College and Career Counselor. Prior to his work at THS, he was the Associate Director of Admissions for Bennington College (VT), the Bridges to College Director for the California State School for the Arts Foundation (CA), and the Assistant Director of Admissions for Cornish School of the Arts (WA). He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Idaho and has completed postgraduate work with the University of Hong Kong in Positive Psychology in Education. Mr. Dignan loves spending time with his young family, and he wistfully recalls when he had the time to use his degree playing music with local bands. Mr. Dignan was actually born in University Place, having left when he was just five years old. This appointment is a homecoming for him and his family.
Mr. Dignan will join Director of College Counseling Katie Ryan in continuing to grow and enrich CWA’s personalized college counseling program, which successfully serves students with a 35:1 Upper School student-to-counselor ratio. Each year, CWA’s graduates matriculate to competitive colleges and universities at home and abroad. Our 4-year, comprehensive college counseling program will soon grow to include counseling for students and families starting in 8th grade. Welcome, Mr. Dignan.
Steve Rudolf
Director of
Enrollment Management
After an international search with the prestigious independent school firm Carney Sandoe & Associates, Charles Wright Academy welcomed Steve Rudolf as our new Director of Enrollment Management in July.
Steve comes to CWA most recently from Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, Washington where he served as the Assistant Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, a role he’d held since 2012. In addition, Steve was a longtime coach for basketball, golf, and tennis at Eastside Catholic.
Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and an accounting certificate from the University of Washington, and recently completed his Master of Education in Enrollment Management and Policy from the University of Southern California, graduating from the prestigious program (the only program of its kind in the country) with honors.
Steve is a data-driven leader, an avid reader, and places relationships with students and families at the center of his work. We are so fortunate and honored to have Steve join the Charles Wright team.
Jonathan Smith Director of Finance
Jonathan Smith joined CWA as our new Director of Finance in May and has already made a positive impact on operations and the fiscal health of the academy. Jonathan shares an alignment with and connection to the school’s mission, and believes the finance office can and should support programs for students every day in the here and now, as well as always be looking toward the future.
Jonathan comes to us most recently from the Tacoma Art Museum (TAM), where he was the Director of Finance and has also served previously as both the museum’s Controller and Finance Manager. While at TAM, Jonathan gained experience managing their $35 million endowment, and a robust annual operating budget, overseeing many areas of operations, and all aspects of strategic financial planning and day-to-day execution.
A graduate of an independent school (Stevenson School, CA) himself, Jonathan remarked in the interview process about how eager he was to work in an independent school community similar to his own. In particular, he noted that his experience gave him such confidence and preparation to navigate the world. He recalled his experience on a “Sophomore Hike” that Stevenson required of all 10th grade students and how it “changed his life.” Jonathan went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business from the University of Puget Sound, and he is a Certified Public Accountant in Washington state. We are so grateful that Jonathan has joined the Charles Wright community. //
— Susan Rice, Head of School “ ”
I am so honored to work alongside and learn from such incredibly talented, visionary, hard-working people. The future is bright at CWA - Go Tarriers!
hank you to all the families, faculty, staff, and friends of Charles Wright Academy who gathered in person and online to generously celebrate CWA at the Annual Spirit Auction on April 30. It was wonderful and exciting to gather again in person as a community for a gorgeous evening full of fun, laughter, stylish sneakers, and—most of all—support of the CWA experience and spirit.
Funds raised this year will directly support program needs at CWA, and help replace our track through this year’s Fund-A-Need. Construction on the new track started this summer, and soon every single Tarrier from our youngest to our seniors can enjoy the immediate benefits of this updated community space.
by Colleen Borst, Associate Director of Development
We extend our deepest gratitude to auction chair Molly Raybuck Chacón and the entire auction leadership committee who delivered an unforgettable event, as well as our lead all-school sponsors: Oral & Facial Surgery Centers of Washington, Titus-Will Automotive Group, and the Charles Wright Academy Board of Trustees for their commitment to active, joyful learning.
Angelina Marra Ojima, DeMeSHee Pye, and Tamara Horn.
Jeannine Mackie, Jean Kerrick, Joelene Werden, and Victoria Stairs.
Dr. Guillermo Chacón and Auction Chair Molly Raybuck Chacón with Hailey and Christian Mattson.
Alum of the year Trevor Will ’93, right, helps auctioneer Ian Lindsay pick a raffle winner.
The Inspirational Faculty Award was presented to Dr. David Adams (center) by (l-r) Rebecca Niazi, Stacie Nemetz, and Head of School Susan Rice.
Spirit Auction partiers (back row, l-r) Cassandra Will, Wendy Cochran, Loubna Pla, Kelley Turner, (front row, l-r) Nicole Stice, Julie Brink, Jen Smith, Katie Sabo, and Rebecca Niazi.
Sarah and Jae Han celebrate their recordbreaking, winning bid to “Name the Loop.”
Cheers to celebrating in person again!
you to our 2021-22 sponsors: Show your green and white all year long!
By signing on as a sponsor or an advertiser, you play a leadership role in helping CWA continue its mission to promote the highest standards by providing programs and services to our students. Partner with us today, and learn how we can work together to promote your business while you make a significant difference in the lives of our students. There are several ways your company can participate in supporting CWA. All include great promotional benefits while making a direct and immediate impact for our students.
Please contact Director of Development and Communications Laura Rose at 253-620-8315 or lrose@charleswright.org, or visit charleswright.org/sponsorship to get started!
charleswright.org/sponsorship
Tarriers Give!
by Colleen Borst Associate Director of Development
A HUGE thank you to the current families, alumni, families of alumni, grandparents, friends, and CWA’s generous Board of Trustees who went ALL IN for CWA this year during our Annual Fund drive!
This year, Annual Fund gifts from CWA community members like you helped us realize reimagined possibilities for CWA! The Beginning School (ages 3-5) is expanding. Active, joyful learning was palpable in the Lower School as students went on field trips across our state and found fun and friendship in clubs and other enrichment opportunities.
Your gifts to the Annual Fund also helped support Middle School grade-level activities such as Beach Hike, Camp Seymour, the “egg drop,” food truck designs, and more. The Annual Fund helps support the Upper School with programs like a reenvisioned Winterim, support for our athletes as they play their hearts out and head to state, and support the ability to perform theater, choral, and orchestral shows to in-person audiences.
With the 2021-22 school year behind us, the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty have big plans for the future. From arts to athletics, financial aid to faculty compensation, a gift to CWA’s Annual Fund is always the best way to ensure active, joyful learning for students today and tomorrow.
charleswright.org/give
If you would like to get a head start and make your 2023 gift, please visit or contact Associate Director of Development, Colleen Borst, at 253-620-8366 or cborst@charleswright.org
Thank you for helping ensure joyful, active learning for years to come.
art festival
Works by Artist in Residence Angela Gilmore were on display.
Henry Connors ’35 and fellow Tarriers explored the ceramics studios.
Artworks from every division were on display in the Upper School.
Andrew Werden ’25 painted a custom mural on the windows of the John Long Classroom to celebrate the all-school Art Festival on April 28. Several doors and walls of the Sam and Nathalie Brown Visual Arts Center also received colorful updates ahead of the spring event—an expansion of the beloved C’DAT festival reimagined to welcome all CWA families back to campus.
festival
Zoe Nemetz ’22 helps with festival t-shirt silkscreening.
Levi Goldberg ’22 presented his advanced ceramics show with fellow seniors.
Anna DiPietrantonio ’22 presented her work with other seniors during the advanced art show.
Work That Matters
Charles Wright has partnered with PBLWorks, the international leader in designing rigorous, Gold-Standard project-based learning experiences
by Joe Romano Director of Innovation
single light focuses the audience’s attention on a table set at the center of the Donn Laughlin Theater. A senior lays out their notes, shifts in their seat, and prepares to defend a yearlong quest for knowledge in front of faculty, families, and peers. Over the next 30 minutes, they field questions about the decisions, challenges, and results they discovered through their research in our Humanities Capstone and Science Research courses. The audience leaves inspired by how confidently and cogently these scholars speak about their learning journey, and the nuance and complexity they encountered throughout their year’s work.
Coached by expert faculty such as Dr. Cramer and Mr. Kangas, students develop studies ranging from “Examining the Impact of CaCl2 & MgCl2 Concentrations on Double Transformation Efficiency in E. coli” to “Contacting the Spiritual Past: How 17th and 18th Century Spiritualism Influenced Feminism Throughout America.” These topics are highly meaningful, both to the students who selected them and to the wider community of scholarship in which our students engage. The results are also stunning, both in the nuance and complexity our students navigate, as well as how nimbly and confidently students respond to questions about their year’s work. As students stand in front of a community and present all that they have immersed themselves in over many months, they reveal how much our learners thrive under the rigor of the Charles Wright experience.
Ultimately, this is work that matters. To the learners we cultivate and celebrate, as well as to the communities that are continually provoked and delighted by what our students set their learning at the service of accomplishing. Each year, we bear witness to the degree our seniors have flourished in Charles Wright’s Portrait of a Tarrier (the qualities we nurture and challenge students to develop during each step of the learning journey, from Beginning School to Upper School). Our community’s
quality of our Thinkers, Innovators, Communicators, Collaborators, Explorers, and Stewards is phenomenal. They thrive in the capstone experiences described above, and they thrive in our Senior Spark projects, where students develop an array of impact projects, whether composing original film scores or performing complete energy-efficiency audits of our campus. They’re intensely evident in the incredible art exhibitions, ensemble concert performances, and theatrical productions we offer throughout each school year.
While the senior year at Charles Wright represents the apex of work that matters to our community, every grade level offers experiences that epitomize Charles Wright’s mission to inspire active, joyful learning. First graders study nutrition, food justice, and plant cultivation as a means to design a yearly farmer’s market. Sixth graders showcase emerging skills as professional photographers and essayists as they study community and identity through literature and social studies. Eighth graders learn to create logarithms and tables to calculate the potential return on investment–and the impact on carbon emissions–of transitioning from a gas-powered vehicle to an electrified car. Each grade prepares learners for the academic demands they will face in the future. And at every step of the Charles Wright learner journey, we challenge our students to find ways they can apply their learning in meaningful ways.
Hands-on, experiential learning has been a part of the fabric of a CWA education for decades. To deepen our ability to design active, joyful learning experiences, Charles Wright has partnered with PBLWorks, the international leader in designing rigorous, Gold-Standard project-based learning experiences that develop critical academic knowledge and skill alongside the 21st century learning skills represented in our Portrait of a Tarrier. Project-Based Learning is a teaching method in which students engage in rigorous college-prep academics by actively applying their emerging knowledge to real-world and personally-meaningful projects. This may look like world language students creating informational brochures for migrant workers to help them navigate local services available to them. Or, this may look like mathematics students applying geometric modeling to redesign a product’s packaging to reduce the amount of waste produced in shipping.
research on, “SweptVolume Displays and Economical Holographic
Gold Standard Project Based Learning
Gold Standard Project-Based Learning is characterized by integrating rigorous academic learning standards into the following design elements:
• A CHALLENGING PROBLEM OR QUESTION that ignites a learner’s engagement in the learning, and how they might use this learning to impact their community.
• SUSTAINED INQUIRY encourages students to encounter the nuance and depth of the problem, as well as deepen the academic skill and knowledge they are developing throughout the project.
• AUTHENTICITY, where learners complete work that matters and also encounter the tools and techniques of the professionals who take on similar questions and problems.
• STUDENT VOICE & CHOICE, where students can develop a personally meaningful direction for the learning.
• REFLECTION is when students and educators repeatedly assess their academic growth as well as their personal development, throughout the learning experience.
• CRITIQUE & REVISION, to cultivate an ethic of excellence and craftsmanship among students.
• A PUBLIC PRODUCT, shares the impact of the learning well beyond the walls of a classroom or school building, impacting broader communities with the answers to the questions or problems that guide the project experience.
Seniors Reed Kregenow, Cedar Olsen, and Jaden Unruh presented their
Technology.”
© Buck Institute for Education
Each of these elements combines to develop abilities in critically important areas of academics while they engage in personally meaningful learning experiences that also develop 21st century skills and impact their wider communities. Charles Wright’s partnership with PBLWorks will nurture and challenge our curriculum to build on our best-in-class experiential education programming, providing all students the opportunity to take on work that matters to themselves, their communities, and the futures they might encounter. Project based learning is transformational: students have repeated opportunities to apply their learning to the real-world. By taking on projects and challenges that ask them to embody the artist, designer, scholar, engineer, policy analyst, activist, financial planner, or any number of pursuits they might encounter in their time beyond Charles Wright, our students have handson experiences that develop their sense of purpose and personal possibility alongside their deep and rigorous academic abilities.
Academic Achievement in Project Based Learning
A dominant body of research also proves the efficacy of a project based learning approach to developing the academic skills they need in the near future. In 2021, researchers at the University of Southern California found an 8% increase in the pass rate in project based versions of Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Advanced Placement Environmental Science for the 3,600 students involved in the study. Likewise, a Michigan State study on project based learning in the elementary science classroom found an 8% increase in science assessments for third graders, regardless of socioeconomic status or reading level. PBLWorks continues to partner with organizations like the College Board and Advanced Placement to develop a curriculum that serves both rigorous academic outcomes and the broad capacities needed for learners to thrive in the 21st century.
Edith Ackerman, an education researcher who spent the bulk of her career with the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, once offered that… “Learning is less about acquiring or transmitting knowledge than it is about collectively designing a world that is worth living in.”
When we create experiences for our kindergarten artists to design their own variety of apples based on research into pomology, when we ask Middle School artists to develop amazing pieces of wearable art inspired by extensive interviews with clients, when we challenge Upper School scientists to develop arsenic sensors to better monitor water quality in the South Sound, or when we ask language learners to navigate through communities that rely on their target language, we invite learners into rigorous experiences that prepare them their academic futures while also helping them develop the confidence to use that learning to shape a world worth living in.
The experiences above are a part of a rich legacy of learning Tarriers encounter. Our work with projectbased learning will further enrich the learning we offer our Thinkers, Communicators, Collaborators, Explorers, Innovators, and Stewards at every stage in the learner journey we offer at Charles Wright.
Middle School
Upper School
Under the guidance of faculty members Ryan Johnson and Christine Jones, 9th Grade Biology students strive to communicate the value of green public spaces to a community by investigating and showcasing the ecosystem factors in 10mx10m plots of land in the backwoods of Charles Wright and Kobayashi Park. Pairs of students sampled and documented abiotic soil, microfauna, macrofauna, fungi, proteins, and plant identification, and they produced infographics of their findings to offer guidance on land use and various opportunities and threats to facilitating rich environmental conditions.
Gabrielle Plastrik, a member of our 8th Grade faculty, invited learners to investigate the origins of hate in her Humanities course, a project that culminated in students engaging in the Stronger Than Hate Challenge, where they composed original works that display how communities can become stronger than hate. Students engaged with several community partners such as Tacoma’s The Grand Cinema, as they developed a range of works, including poems, podcasts, menus, and visual displays. In their reflection on the year, many students noted their time with Kwabi Amoah-Forson, founder of Tacoma’s Peace Bus Movement, as the most transformational experience of their time at Charles Wright.
Each year, CWA 5th Graders study the systems, structures, and processes of the United States Government. This year, educators Jeremy Clark and Janne Alfano opened this learning experience by challenging their group to design a Lower School Student Council, setting their study of governance and the political process at the service of the community of students. They researched the three branches of government, parliamentary procedure, and the passage of bills and resolutions. They spoke with local politicians and shadowed elected representatives in the Upper School student government, using their emerging content knowledge on civics and governance to draft and ratify a proposal for a Lower School Student Council, which will serve as a platform for continued and sustained study of the political process in the Lower School for years to come.
Lower School Beginning School
For several weeks, Junior Kindergartners deepened their passion and knowledge for dinosaurs by approaching the topic from the professional lens of a paleontologist. With guidance from Catherine Grider and Kara Gjesdal, some of CWA’s youngest scientists developed research questions, analyzed fossils, and modeled the skeletal structures of their favorite prehistoric lizard. The unit culminated with a visit with a paleontologist who left surprised at the depth of knowledge and questions he was challenged to respond to from this crew of curious young scientists.
Work That Matters
Welcome to the Atelier
hen a child walks into one of our early childhood spaces, they walk into a world of inquiry, exploration, risk-taking, adventure, creativity, and community. They see themselves and their learning reflected back at them in books, self-portraits, and learning documentation. It is a place of authentic interaction, relationships, and community. Each child knows, “I belong here.”
With the start of the 2022-23 school year, our early childhood programming is expanding. We will be able to offer the same amazing sense of belonging and community to more children living in the South Sound. With a nod to Charles Wright tradition, our newest division will be called “Beginning School.”
Four classrooms serving ages 3-5 will open in August. Our 3s rooms will be called Spruce and Madrona and our 4s, Maple and Red Cedar. Long time faculty member Catherine Grider, will be joined by Katie Beck to respectively lead both 4s classrooms, and Kara Gjesdal and Anna Watts will each have a room of 3s. The expansion will also give us the opportunity to include an Atelier studio for our youngest learners. Our Atelierista leading that work will be Avery Wittstruck, who joined us in 2021 as our lead Preschool teacher.
An atelier is a learning space. Looking in, the observer will notice art, science, music, language, and technology happening. It is a place of research, invention, and empathy expressed through a number of symbolic languages. The “languages” of a child refer to how they communicate and emphasizes the importance of providing children with many different ways to share their thinking about the world around them. The languages also represent the infinite amount of potential each child naturally has and each child’s individual view and understanding of their community. Our atelier will be a shared environment, in which children will engage with varied materials in ways
Preschool returns to its roots as Beginning School and expands to offer the first Atelier learning space in the South Sound
by Rixa Evershed, Beginning School Director
designed to provoke creativity and discovery. Provocations to learn usually take the form of project based learning experiences or play based learning experiences. They are closely linked to classroom learning and curricular outcomes. Atelier experiences are also deeply tied to child voice allowing each child agency to follow their own curiosity while in a space of co-learning with educators.
Forest time will be an integral part of our youngest Tarriers’ time in Beginning School. Classroom communities take advantage of our beautiful campus with its built in learning lab of acres of old growth forest, a seasonal creek, and an entire ecosystem in which to explore, move, design, build, inquire, and promote collaboration. Young voices can be heard sharing stories of what they observe and wonders they have. A child’s imagination guides them through amazing play scenarios where themes related to real life, stories that they have heard and problems that need to be solved are acted out in ways that allow children a deeper understanding of the world around them.
There is an authentic flow between the Atelier, the forest, and the classroom. A through thread exists as children follow their curiosity to gain a deeper understanding of their community and the world around them. Faculty engage in their own collaboration so that the learning experiences they facilitate give opportunities to the children to broaden their world view. Children learn best when they are in spaces that support them as fully capable humans. Faculty respond to this raw curiosity by creating opportunities for children to engage in units of inquiry that honor the wonder that children have expressed. It is an introduction to the project based learning that continues throughout their journey at CWA.
Charles Wright Academy Beginning School offers our youngest Tarriers a place of belonging, acceptance, authenticity, community, opportunities for growth, and active, joyful learning.
Evelyn Osborne ’36.
Photo by Brian Lee.
Upper Schoolers
explored 19 local experiences—from Al Fresco art in Port Townsend to a Leavenworth Yoga retreat—for a “COVID-friendlier” Winterim this June.
WINTERIM (IN JUNE)
“Build Your Own Dulcimer”
“A Mountain Yoga Retreat”
The 52 members of the Class of 2022 graduated on Saturday, June 11, in an outdoor commencement ceremony on the Upper School lawn. Families, friends, faculty, staff, and Trustees celebrated the accomplishments of this talented and caring group of graduates.
Welcome, newest Tarrier alumni!
Zoha Ahmad ∆
Jonah Bernard
Ben Brink ∆
Emily Chen
Wei (David) Dai
Anna DiPietrantonio
Tricia Estrada ∆
Liam Flaskerud
Levi Goldberg
Andersen Han ∆
Reed Kregenow
Caroline Lee
Jung (Paulina) Lee
Megan Leith
Yuris Luo
Ryan Markert
Carys Maynard
Grace Maynard
Alie McDougall ∆
Lena McKee
Jack McKinley
Annie Mebust
Ling (Bruce) Mei
Laylani Mulligan
Sam Nagaich
Natasha Nderitu
Zoe Nemetz
Andy Noh ∆
Dara Ogunbinu-Peters
Cedar Olsen
Caity Origi
Yuxiao (Judy) Pan
Tressa Paulson
Martin Petersen ∆
Kate Piasecki ∆
Reece Poplawski
Jaden Ritscher
Chris Rosenquist
Matthew Saffari
Avery Sandbeck
William Schmid
Elle Turner
Jaden Unruh ∆
Emersyn Walker
Wushuang (George) Xia
Zhengke (Wilbur) Xie
Chenming (Jerry) Yan
Kaicheng (Kris) Yang
Muxuan (Mars) Yang
Yixuan (Lucas) Yang
Xiaochuan (Andy) Zhou ∆
Jinghan (Sam) Zhu
∆ Cum Laude
Zoha Ahmad and Alie McDougall
Yixuan (Lucas) Yang, Jinghan (Sam) Zhu, and Wei (David) Dai
Megan Leith and Chris Rosenquist
FACULTY SPEAKER
Patti Crouch-Cook
Upper School English Teacher
CLASS SPEAKERS
Ben Brink
Megan Leith
William Schmid
HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Bradshaw Award
Cedar Olsen
Haertl Award
Jaden Unruh
Havens Award
Alie McDougall
Sanford Award
Zoha Ahmad
Minnerly Award
Anna DiPietrantonio
Camner Award
Tricia Estrada
SAM & NATHALIE BROWN AWARD RECIPIENT
Ben Brink
NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS
Tricia Estrada
Reed Kregenow
Andy Noh
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR
Andy Noh
WASHINGTON STATE HONORS AWARD RECIPIENTS
Zoha Ahmad
Jonah Bernard
Ben Brink
Tricia Estrada
Alie McDougall
Andy Noh
Martin Petersen
Kate Piasecki
Jaden Unruh
Xiaochuan (Andy) Zhou
Class Speaker Ben Brink
Left to right: Cedar Olsen, Sam Nagaich, Levi Goldberg, Andersen Han, Reece Poplawski, and Emersyn Walker
Class Speaker Megan Leith with her mother, Kendall (McGuire) Leith ’90
Class Speaker William Schmid
Class Speaker Megan Leith
Judy Pan, Natasha Nderitu, and Laylani Mulligan
Carys Maynard
SANDRA OVERMIRE MINNERLY AWARD
Andy Noh
SENIOR ENGLISH AWARD
Tricia Estrada Ben Brink
SENIOR BOOK AWARD
Martin Petersen Kate Piasecki
RICHARD NEUNHERZ HISTORY AWARD
Andy Noh
DOROTHY CREPIN MATH AWARD
Jaden Unruh
LEIGH VANETTEN SCIENCE AWARD
Xiaochuan (Andy) Zhou
ROBERT J. CREPIN PHYSICS AWARD
Jinliang (Andy) Li
WORLD LANGUAGE AWARDS
Alie McDougall Zhengke (Wilbur) Xie Kate Piasecki
FINE ARTS AWARDS
Yuris Luo Sage Mansfield
VINCENT PETERSEN MUSIC AWARDS
Jaden Ritscher
Tricia Estrada
Tressa Paulson
PERFORMING ARTS AWARD
Annie Mebust
Matthew Saffari and Dr. David Adams
Jonah Bernard, Zoha Ahmad, and Zoe Nemetz
Emersyn Walker, Lena McKee, and Jaden Unruh
Mars Yang, Zhengke (Wilbur) Xie, Ling (Bruce) Mei, and Annie Mebust
2022 Yazi Scholar Graduates
The Carol Milgard Endowment for Community Service, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound (BGCSPS), affords the full financial need of two newly enrolling eighth-grade students at CWA. This award is known as the “Yazi Scholarship,” and the awardees are our “Yazi Scholars.” Every year, these scholars—chosen for their leadership in academics, the arts, athletics, and their communities—gain access to a CWA education for a brighter future, all because of the generosity of Carol B. Milgard.
The Yazi Scholarship was named in honor of Gary “Yazi” Yazwa, former president and chief executive officer of the BGCSPS, whom Carol B. Milgard admired for his work with youth and the community. Congratulations, Laylani and Dara!
SENIOR STEWARDSHIP AWARD
Zoe Nemetz
CHUCK WIGHT ATHLETIC AWARDS
Alie McDougall
Kate Piasecki
Ben Brink
Liam Flaskerud
BOOSTER CLUB ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Ben Brink
Dara Ogunbinu-Peters
Muxuan (Mars) Yang
Emersyn Walker
BILL WHITE MOST OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARDS
Dara Ogunbinu-Peters
Emersyn Walker
CHARLES WRIGHT PRINCIPAL’S SCHOLARS AWARDS
Megan Leith
Grace Maynard
PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Liam Flaskerud
Jonah Bernard
Ben Brink
Tricia Estrada
Alie McDougall
Andy Noh
Martin Petersen
Kate Piasecki
Jaden Unruh
Xiaochuan (Andy) Zhou
Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!
Laylani Mulligan Dara Ogunbinu-Peters
Levi Goldberg
Ryan Markert and family
Dara OgunbinuPeters and family
Jung (Paulina) Lee
MILESTONES 2022
Members of the Class of 2022 were accepted to the following colleges and universities:
Arizona State University
ArtCenter College of Design
Baylor University
Bentley University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
California College of the Arts
California Lutheran University
California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic, Pomona
Carnegie Mellon University
Carroll College
Case Western Reserve University
Central Washington University
Chapman University
Clark University
College for Creative Studies
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dickinson College
Drexel University
Eastern Washington University
Fordham University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia State University
Gonzaga University
Grand Canyon University
Hawaii Pacific University
Hollins University
Indiana University, Bloomington
Iowa State University
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
Kennesaw State University
Knox College
Lafayette College
Lawrence University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Manhattan College
Mercer University
Michigan State University
Montana State University
New York University
Northeastern University
Northern Arizona University
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pennsylvania State University
Pratt Institute
Providence College
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
Saint Edward’s University
Saint Martin’s University
Saint Mary’s College of California
San Diego State University
Santa Clara University
Sarah Lawrence College
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle University
Smith College
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Southern Methodist University
Stanford University
Syracuse University
Tacoma Community College
Texas Christian University
The College of William and Mary
The Ohio State University
The University of Montana
The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity University
University of Arizona
University of British Columbia
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
University of Colorado, Boulder University of Connecticut
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Hawaii at Hilo
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Massachusetts, Boston
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Dakota
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puget Sound
University of Redlands
University of San Diego
University of Southern California
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Washington, Bothell
University of Washington, Seattle University of Washington, Tacoma Campus
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Washington State University
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Whittier College
Bolded names indicate matriculation
The Class of 2034 shares sage advice for the Class of 2022 as they get ready to leave home for college.
Kindergarten Counsel
Watch all of the kindergarten advice: charleswright.org/advice
CELEBRATION 8TH GRADE
A bit of rain and a mid-event relocation couldn’t stop the Class of 2026 from celebrating the culmination of their Middle School careers on June 15. The afternoon began with the much-anticipated Wearable Art Show showcasing innovative costumes inspired by their model muses, followed by individual student sharing and the presentation of certificates.
ON TO UPPER SCHOOL!
Daniel Arshan Aref
Ayden Robert Bailey
Joanna Nguyen Chase
Tiancheng (James) Chu
Saanvi Hrishikesh Churi
Finnegan Everett
Alexander Conway
Ethan Brian Cutler
Cayden Lee Desjardins
Andrew Jacob Dobler
Brendan Hsin-Gian Ee
Alyssa Madeline Fisher
Kerr Jackson Forier
Madison Jo Fournier
Nathan Wesley Hilmer
Carson Thomas Hodge
Carson Louis Holler
Emilee Marinda Hood
Catherine Ruth Jacobsen
Fisher Thomas Johannes
Rebecca Kim
Solomon Sungkyun Kim
Tyler Kim
Camdyn Linnea Lovejoy
Zane Joseph Mason
Samuel Charles Metzgar
Gabriela Katherine Moreno-Sills
Dante Wanjohi Nderitu
Jeremy Kariuki Njonge
Nile Obie-Akil Ondo-Boxill
Hailey Rose Piasecki
Landen Joseph Poplawski
Madeline Elizabeth Raney
Simran Ava Rohila
Lily Cruz Sarroza
Avery Marin Satterlee
Aine Patricia Sullivan
Mason Theo
Piper Jorie Weist
Matthew Whitehead, Jr.
Zheyun (James) Zhang
Charles Yuliang Zhao
Madeline Raney
Carson Holler, Mason Theo, and Cayden Desjardins Carson Hodge
DuChante Davis with Zane Mason and Arshan Aref
Avery Satterllee, Nikki FastLee, and Caty Jacobsen
Dante Nderitu and Tamiya Mickelson
Joe Romano and Brendan Ee
5TH GRADE
Moves On
Henry Barcus
Molly Beatte
Tobias Case
Elizabeth Demuth
Khang Do
Amelia Evans
Arthur Evenson
Madelyn Finkel
Maya Ghimire
Henry Goodwin
Zoie Grant
Brooklynn Guse
Madisen Han
Taylor Hill
Quinn Kaplan
Cole Lamberton
Ainsley Lawson
Colin Lee
Sadie Mackie
John Marley
Henry Michael
Luka Morrison
Emilio Ngo
Alec Pla
Ashlyn Podbilski
Mehake’ Ganga Sidhu
Henry Soles
Drew Stice
Ashley SweetDavis
Reet Thakur
Lylly Veler
Finn Weist
Theodore Woolley
Yuming Xie
Biniam Yimam
Madison Young
The Class of 2029 celebrated the culmination of their Lower School years on June 16. The traditional presentation of leis and certificates was accompanied by joyous renditions of “Portrait of a Tarrier,” an original composition by our fifth grade scholars, as well as other beautiful performances marking the special occasion.
WELCOME TO MIDDLE SCHOOL!
Archie Evenson, Toby Case, and Finn Weist
John Marley, Zoie Grant, and Alec Pla
EFaculty & INSPIRATIONAL FACULTY AWARD 2022
Presented to Dr. David Adams
Upper School
History Teacher and History Department Chair
CWA Faculty Member Since 1998
ach year the Family Association solicits nominations from students, families, alumni, and faculty for an award to acknowledge the unique qualities of an individual teacher who inspires: students to learn, families to cherish their child’s experience, alumni to reflect on their CWA days, and faculty to continue to maintain their high standards both in and out of the classroom.
Motivating. Hardworking. Inspiring. Caring. Positive. These are just a handful of words that describe the educator receiving the Inspirational Faculty Award this year.
Described as a lifelong fixture in students’ lives, this faculty member is the embodiment of compassion and excellence. The student experience he provides extends beyond the school day, beyond the classroom, and beyond the school year. He has presented diplomas to countless CWA graduates, maintaining connections to CWA alumni as members of the CWA family.
One of his colleagues wrote, “He is the first to volunteer to cover a class or to stand outside checking cars or doing parking lot duty when someone needs help. He has served on numerous committees, including search committees, and has a warm, welcoming demeanor to new faculty. He’s inspiring to me, and I hope one day to be able to
say that I’ve made an impact even close to the one he has made on students, faculty, staff, and families.”
One recent grad said, “He does an incredible job at boosting everyone’s confidence. For example, my first season I was put into a game toward the end and I told him that I didn’t see any point in it. However, he hyped me up, told me that I would do great, and once I got out there I scored for the first time that season. Without his support, I don’t think I would have found the motivation and confidence to score that goal. This is just one example of the many ways he encourages his students.”
Several members of senior leadership mentioned his steadfast leadership and mentorship for others. Never one to be in the spotlight, he is often underrecognized, but believes in the importance of putting students at the center, and being united as a community.
He is a Tarrier through and through, exemplifying the Tarrier values that we hope for all who attend CWA. Excellence, compassion, integrity, respect, perseverance; he checks all the boxes.
This is why the Charles Wright Academy Family Association awards the 2022 Inspirational Faculty Award to Dr. David Adams.
Staff Awards
CHRISTOPHER STEELE AWARD for Outstanding Service by a Staff Member
Presented to
Matt Charlton Grounds
Manager
CWA Staff Member Since 2007
Christopher Steele graduated from Charles Wright Academy in 1982. As a student, he threw himself into all Charles Wright had to offer. He played soccer, took an active part in drama productions, and was a talented visual art student. He had a particular love for the outdoors, and those who went on trips with Chris Steele recall his passionate enthusiasm for hiking and climbing. After a long fight with cancer, Steele passed away in 2002. In his memory, his family and friends established an annual award to honor a Charles Wright staff member who has made an outstanding contribution to the school and its students and faculty.
CWA’s 107-acre campus sets the school apart from every other school in a BIG way. Our founders had such foresight to dream about and realize a school campus that could provide so many opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning right outside the school building. Not only is it important for the property to be maintained well for the safety and well-being of our students and employees, but it’s also imperative for the sake of our program. We all take great pride in the beauty of our campus.
The campus is our first impression to the community, and many of you have seen jaws drop at the beauty and magnitude of it. But so many underestimate just what it takes to keep our campus looking so glorious.
Matt Charlton understands all too well just what it takes. This year he was promoted to Grounds Manager to lead our grounds maintenance program, including oversight of our new relationship with Brightview Landscaping. The campus looks incredible, and it is in large part because of Matt’s commitment to excellence, initiative to try new things, and care for this community.
Jon Flies said in his nomination, “Matt is willing to help you with any project and he goes above and beyond to make the campus beautiful. His dedication to the school, his sincerity, and his good-natured demeanor make him an excellent nominee for the award.”
Last year, Christopher Hoppin nominated Matt and said, “Matt is incredibly accommodating, seeks out needs before I even think about asking, and always has a smile on his face. He is kind, loyal, and cares deeply about CWA and our community. He is someone I look forward to seeing each day!”
Matt ensures each Tarrier takes great pride in their school, and that is an outstanding contribution to our students and faculty. We are delighted to present the 2022 Christopher Steele award to Matt Charlton.
Bleed Green
Tarriers finally got a chance to compete in normal athletic seasons during the 2021-22 school year, and walked away with several championship titles
by Tyler Francis, Athletic Director and Kate Rue, Assistant Athletic Director
t was great getting our sports teams competing in their normal seasons again as so much was modified the past couple of years. Sports brought some much needed normalcy to our student-athletes’ lives, and we were able to send teams to compete at District and State tournaments again after not having these competitions since the winter season of 2019.
Additionally, this past year and over the 2022 summer, many of our athletic facilities have received much-needed updates: branding in both gyms; freshly painted common areas; painted and carpeted athletic offices; a refinished Wight Gym court, sky lights in the Dome locker rooms; a resurfaced running track (thanks to so many of you who donated to the auction’s Fund-A-Need); and many more athletic facility improvements coming in the near future. We hope you’ll stop by campus this fall to check out our Tarriers and all of the updates!
STATE Champion
LEAGUE & DISTRICT Champions
The girls tennis team won the League and District Championship and also finished 2nd at State. Sophie Buttorff ’24 (right) is the State singles champion, while sisters Nawal ’24 and Zoha Ahmad ’22 (center) played well at State in doubles. Maggie Mulder (left) was named a Nisqually League Coach of the Year.
Led by coach Nick Bivins, the CWA girls golf team took 2nd place at State and Emersyn Walker ’22 (center) is the 1A State Champion! This is Emersyn’s second time winning State; she won her freshman year, the last year we competed due to COVID restrictions. Emily Chen ’22 (left) also played very well and tied for 5th.
Five CWA athletes, including Cameron Afrasiabi ’23 in the 100 meters, won both League and District championship titles.
Nisqually
Follow all the action by liking CHARLES WRIGHT ACADEMY on Facebook
CWA WIAA 2021-22 Sports Highlights
Team Highlights
• The GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL TEAM advanced to the State Tournament for the 7th year in a row.
• The GIRLS GOLF TEAM won the League and District Championship and also finished 2nd at the State Tournament.
• The GIRLS TENNIS TEAM won the League and District Championship and also finished 2nd at the State Tournament.
Individual State Champions
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22 - Girls Golf State Champion
• SOPHIE BUTTORFF ’24 - Girls Tennis State Champion
Individual District 3 Champions
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22
Girls Golf District 3 Champion
• SOPHIE BUTTORFF ’24
Girls Tennis District 3 Champion
ALL-LEAGUE
7th time at
• SKY COCHRAN ’24
Discus District 3 Champion
• TAVIAN BOWEN-MOORE ’23
High Jump District 3 Champion
• CAMERON AFRASIABI ’23
100 Meters District 3 Champion
Individual Nisqually League Champions
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22
Girls Golf Nisqually Champion
• SOPHIE BUTTORFF ’24
Girls Tennis Nisqually Champion
• SKY COCHRAN ’24
Discus Nisqually Champion
• TAVIAN BOWEN-MOORE ’23
High Jump Nisqually Champion
• CAMERON AFRASIABI ’23
100 Meters Nisqually Champion
Nisqually League “Coach of the Year”
• RODNEY KALALAU - Volleyball
• MAGGIE MULDER - Girls Tennis
Nisqually League Sportsmanship Awards
• BOYS BASKETBALL
• GIRLS GOLF
• BOYS TRACK & FIELD
Megan Leith ’22 (#17) is one of many Tarrier athletes who received Nisqually All-League honors last year.
Nisqually All-League
First Team
• MEGAN LEITH ’22 Girls Soccer
• PARTH JAIN ’23 Boys Tennis
• KATE PIASECKI ’22 Volleyball
• DYLAN MANNING ’24 Cross-Country
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22 Girls Basketball
• WILL TURNER ’24 Boys Golf
• NOLAN ROBERTS ’24 Boys Golf
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22 Girls Golf
• EMILY CHEN ’22 Girls Golf
• SOPHIE BUTTORFF ’24 Girls Tennis
• NAWAL AHMAD ’24 Girls Tennis
• ZOHA AHMAD ’22 Girls Tennis
• SKY COCHRAN ’24 Track & Field
• CAMERON AFRASIABI ’23 Track & Field
• TAVIAN BOWEN-MOORE ’23 Track & Field
Second Team
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22 Volleyball
• EMMA WANG ’23 Volleyball
• NATALIE PIASECKI ’24 Volleyball
• JACK SCLAIR ’24 Cross-Country
• MARS YANG ’22 Cross-Country
• BENJAMIN PARRISH ’24 Boys Basketball
• JEFFREY STICE ’24 Baseball
• ZOE NEMETZ ’22 Girls Tennis
• LIAM FLASKERUD ’22 Boys Soccer
Honorable Mention
• REECE POPLAWSKI ’22 Girls Soccer
• ALISON MCDOUGALL ’22 Volleyball
• TAVIAN BOWEN-MOORE ’23 Boys Basketball
• BENJAMIN PARRISH ’24 Boys Soccer
• MATTHEW SAFFARI ’22 Boys Soccer
Tacoma Athletic Commission Awards
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22
Tom Names Inspirational Award Scholarship
• EMERSYN WALKER ’22
Girls Golf Athlete of the Year
• SOPHIE BUTTORFF ’24
Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year
The Cheney Scholarship Award
• ALISON MCDOUGALL ’22
National Football Foundation Scholarship (Pierce County Branch)
• BEN BRINK ’22
• DARA OGUNBINU-PETERS ’22 For team schedules, please visit charleswright.org/calendars
SPORTSMANSHIP
The boys basketball team, including Ben Brink ’22 and Benjamin Parish ’24 above, joined the girls golf and boys track and field teams as recipients of Nisqually League Sportsmanship Awards.
Charles Wright Academy thanks the 2021-2022 Board of Trustees for their generous all-school sponsorship.
Toby Murray III ’71, Chair
Mark Hood, Vice Chair
Adam Blakney ’00, Secretary
Scott Limoli, Treasurer
Drew Bamford ’91
Roger J. Bass
Johnny Fisher
David Hirschberg ’80
Rita Herrera Irvin
Sue Mayer
Nancy Schauer
Liz Snyder
Nicole Stice
Shan Vipond
Sarah Weyerhaeuser
Trevor Will ’93
Greetings from the Alumni Office
by Laura Rose Director of Development and Communications
his June we welcomed the Class of 2022 into the alumni community. When the Alumni Association hosted a special lunch for the class before graduation, we talked about the importance of staying connected as an alum. We know many of you cherish your relationships together, and also fiercely support one another. Our alumni (graduates, parents of alumni, former students, retirees) cheer each other on with the highs and lows of life, and lend a hand when it’s needed. Thank you, in advance, for also being there for the Class of 2022. You’ll read about some of their accomplishments in this issue of Ties.
Many of you are getting ready to celebrate your reunions, and it’s so great to be able to support you with planning in-person gatherings. More fun alumni gatherings are in store, and we hope you’ll mark your calendars for Homecoming and the Athletics Hall of Fame on October 7 and Fall Pub Night on November 23.
If you have ideas for alumni gatherings, please reach out to me at alumni@charleswright.org. I also love hearing about how you’re doing, and sharing news with the alumni community.
Once a Tarrier, Always a Tarrier!
UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS
OCTOBER
Homecoming & Alumni
Athletic Hall of Fame
October 7 at 5 p.m. in the Phyllis Kriese Commons
This is the time to reunite, reconnect, and reminisce. Join oodles of Tarriers back on campus!
NOVEMBER
Tacoma Pub Night for Alumni and Families of Alumni
November 23 at 7 p.m. - Location TBD
Come have a beer on Charlie at this annual event that has become a Tarrier favorite!
How can you reconnect and get involved?
Class Connectors
If you would like to help organize an event for your class or for alumni in your area or would like to schedule a time to return to campus for lunch or to sit in on a class, please contact Director of Development and Communications Laura Rose at lrose@ charleswright.org
Keep in Touch
We at Ties love to hear from you— whether by letter, email, social media, or phone. Send us your Class Notes updates to alumni@charleswright.org
(Tell us: Where do you live? How many people and/or pets are in your family? What do you do for work and/or play?)
We are always excited to hear about the developments in your life! We also welcome comments and suggestions.
Get Connected
Join the CWA alumni Facebook community (send a friend request to “Charlie Wright”) and connect with CWA on LinkedIn
Tarriers Give
Support today’s students through charitable giving and help the next generation discover their potential. Give to your alma mater at: charleswright.org/givenow
Alumni on the CWA Board of Trustees
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of three new trustees, as well as several new committee chairs and committee members.
Returning Alumni Trustees
Toby Murray III ’71 - Board Chair - 2021-2024
Adam Blakney ’00 - Secretary and HECC
(Head’s Evaluation and Compensation Committee) Chair
Drew Bamford ’91 - Endowment Committee Chair
Dr. David Hirschberg ’80 - Returning Trustee
Trevor Will ’93 - Facilities Master Plan Task Force Chair
New Trustees for 2022-23
Scott Case ’94 - Audit Committee Chair
Tamara Horn P’33
Ben Sclair ’88
Legacy Tarriers
Nothing makes us happier than seeing the family members of our alumni, former students, and retirees enrolled in their own learning journey at Charles Wright.
Please join us in celebrating our new and returning Legacy Tarriers enrolled for the 2022-23 school year.
Judah Arias ’36
Mother is Jaleesa (Robinson) Arias ’07
Tali Barnoon ’23
Step-father is Charlie Allen ’66
Leah ’32 and Harper ’33 Blakney
Father is Adam Blakney ’00
Sophie Buttorff ’24
Father is James Buttorff ’67
Gabriel Carlen ’34
Father is Bryce Carlen ’89
Toby Case ’29
Father is Scott Case ’94
Richmond ’32 and Rainier ’35 Chadwick
Mother is Ellie Chadwick ’00
Devan Happy ’32
Mother is former student Emily Happy ’97, Uncle is Cyrus Happy IV
Ryan Judge ’27 and Ashlyn ’28
Mother is former student Brooke Judge ’97, Grandmother is Nancy Judge
Lawrence “Ren” ’36 and Diego ’33 Kocsis
Mother is Laura Malcolm ’00
Leona Nellis ’37
Mother is Allison (Hyde) Nellis ’02, Grandfather is Charlie Hyde ’70
Evelyn Osborne ’36
Father is Bryan Osborne ’00 Grandfather was Robert Osborne ’67
Elizabeth Saffer ’25
Mother is Sarah Huddlestone-Saffer ’97
Jack Sclair ’24
Dad is Ben Sclair ’88
Henry Soles ’29
Father is Peter Soles ’92
Eva Stocker ’36
Father is Blake Stocker ’07
Olivia Taylor ’37
Mother is Hala (Baghdadi) Taylor ’03
Father is Hayden Taylor ’03
Ollie Tuite ’36
Mother is Katie (Herrington) Tuite ’05, Grandmother is Judy Herrington
Payton ’36 and Gavin ’34 Whalley
Father is Jeffery Whalley ’99
Carter Williamson ’23
Father is James Williamson ’92
Cooper ’27 and Mackenzie ’24 Will
Father is Trevor Will ’93
Trevor Will ’93
ALUM OF THE YEAR 2022
The school honors Trevor Will ’93 for his staunch support of Tarriers
by Kimberly Banti
and the South Sound community
dds are if you’re a longtime South Sound resident, you know Trevor Will ’93’s face. For years he has starred alongside his brother, Courtney Will ’95, in charmingly goofy televised ads for their family business, Titus-Will Automotive Group.
But if you’re a Tarrier, you know that their theme of “protection” extends far beyond powertrain warranties and roadside assistance. As a member of Charles Wright’s only threegeneration family, Trevor is also a fierce protector of the legacy of not only founders Sam and Nathalie Brown, but also of his father, Jamie ’65—as well as of the futures of his children, Mackenzie ’24 and Cooper ’27, and all current and subsequent students. As an alumnus and a parent alongside his wife, Cassandra, he has dedicated himself to the Spirit Auction, Parent Association, Sports Boosters, Arts Boosters, Annual Fund, the Alumni Council, and the Board of Trustees.
It is in honor of his passion for the school and his commitment to care for the greater community that Trevor has been named Charles Wright Academy’s 2022 Alum of the Year. “Trevor is one of CWA’s greatest alumni champions,” said Head of School Susan Rice. “His leadership on the Board of Trustees strengthens his alma mater. We have a bold vision for CWA’s future, and Trevor has been there every step of the way to make this school the best it can be.”
Fellow Trustee Nicole Stice P ’24, ’27, ’29 highlights a memory from their joint time as parents of Lower Schoolers as an example of the authentic relationships Trevor has developed among Tarriers. “No matter how busy he was with morning commitments or with work—and no matter how rainy or stormy
it was outside—Trevor could be seen parking his car in the LS lot, walking his kids into the building, and dropping them off at their classrooms,” she fondly recalled. “This small act of kindness, this unselfish giving of time, is a glimpse into Trevor’s character. He would actively cultivate respectful, supportive relationships with the kids, the families, and the teachers along his morning ritual. These supportive relationships are the heart of community.”
Relationships are also at the heart of Trevor’s life as a Tarrier— both on campus and beyond. “I love that I learned from teachers whom my father had and that my children are getting that same experience,” he said. “My father and I remain close with the legendary Donn Laughlin, a teacher we shared. Mackenzie and Cooper were lucky to learn from my teachers Miz Candy, Ms. Herrington, Mr. Bob, and Ms. Hunt. Mackenzie was on the jump rope team with Mr. Pelander, my brother’s first grade teacher. Her advisor this year is Mr. LeFrancois, my favorite math teacher. These relationships matter to me.”
Trevor in particular cherishes the bond he had with European history teacher Doc Neunherz, with whom he stayed in touch long after graduation and shared a penchant for persuasive writing. “I remember telling him that I hoped my kids would go to CWA and learn to write the way he taught me,” Trevor said. “Before he passed away in 2012, Doc came by my home and left a copy of his 200-page, nearly complete manuscript about teaching persuasive writing on my front porch along with a typed, two-page letter to me that read like a forward to the book. Doc remained my teacher and friend for nearly 20 years after I graduated, and he continues to inspire me. I keep the manuscript, along with his letter, in my nightstand. I miss him terribly.”
by
Photos
Brian Lee.
Trevor now applies what he learned from Doc in his leadership on the Board. “Trevor asks great questions, truly seeking to understand others and their perspectives,” Mrs. Rice said. “As I have gotten to know Trevor more closely, I also know that he isn’t afraid to express opinions that differ from a group. He cares deeply for the success of Charles Wright Academy and keeps that at the forefront of his involvement with the school at all times.” Nicole agreed. “Trevor asks the tough questions, and he challenges and supports change,” she said. “He has demonstrated vision, leadership, and sound business sense— all with a great sense of humor.”
Trevor now, of course, applies that sense of humor in Titus-Will commercials, and he credits Charles Wright with establishing his work ethic and noticing where he could make a big impact. “In the Upper School, a 14-hour day wasn’t unusual,” he recalled. “I woke up, went to school, played sports (not well—I’m a terrible athlete), did my homework, went to bed, got up, and started over.” He taught himself Adobe Illustrator in Steve Matson’s journalism class to design graphics for the Academy Times. “When I started working at TitusWill after I graduated from college, it was clear that there was no real marketing plan or anyone on staff who could build a newspaper ad or a direct-mail piece,” Trevor said. “I saw an opportunity to make a mark on the family business. I bought Illustrator and became a pretty decent graphic artist. That evolved into a love of all things marketing, including creating websites and television commercials. I realize now that all of the branding we now have in place at Titus-Will, including our silly TV spots that people seem to enjoy, are the result of my taking journalism at CWA.”
“ ”
Charles Wright is my family and, like any family, there are times when I’m madly in love and times when I get frustrated for one reason or another. But our bond keeps us moving forward. This school has been a part of me for 40 years—since I started as a second grader. It has made me who I am today and continues to challenge me. I’m never going to forget that, which is why I’m still here and why I continue to support Charles Wright.
Beyond marketing, Trevor has also spearheaded the philanthropic arm of Titus-Will through the support of local Boys & Girls Clubs, United Way, and the launch of tituswillgives.com. “Titus-Will has been part of this community for over 80 years,” Trevor said. “We believe in it and want to support it—we want to see it thrive, so giving back is second nature. Our passion is supporting organizations that benefit children and families in need.” The giving website, through which the business has donated more than half a million dollars, “allows nonprofits to easily request support and gives us the ability to better manage our contributions. We continued to give during the pandemic when many companies froze contributions. We’re very proud of that.”
The Will family’s generosity extends to CWA, too. Cassandra is the Family Association chair for 22-24. They have been Sports Boosters, Arts Boosters, and Spirit Auction sponsors for years—Trevor and Cassandra co-chaired the latter in 2019—and they prioritize the act of giving back. “As for CWA, I think I’ve been giving since college. I wanted to get in that habit early on,” Trevor said. “Charles Wright is my family, and—like any family—there are times when I’m madly in love and times when I get frustrated for one reason or another. But our bond keeps us moving forward. This school has been a part of me for 40 years—since I started as a second grader. It has made me who I am today and continues to challenge me. I’m never going to forget that, which is why I’m still here and why I continue to support Charles Wright.” //
Class Notes
Tarrier alumni share updates on their adventures and achievements
Former Faculty
Sid and Bruce Eaton visited campus in July to meet with Head of School Susan Rice and see how much the campus has grown since Sid and Meg Eaton taught for CWA in the 60s. Sid was visiting the places and people important to Meg, one of CWA’s first female faculty, who passed away earlier this year; she taught English under Ted Sanford and Bruce Haertl and was the first woman at CWA to teach English for Tarriers in 8th-10th grade. While visiting with Mrs. Rice, Sid remarked that the campus was “clean as a whistle” and looked more beautiful than ever! His feedback means a lot, and we agree! Sid taught English in the Middle and Upper Schools from the early 60s until their move to Portland in June 1971. At various points he held administrative positions, including Middle School Head, Admissions Director, and Assistant Headmaster. Thank you, Sid and Bruce, for stopping by to visit and share your memories with us.
Sam Lockwood, CWA faculty from 19651972 and 1973-1976, stopped by campus in July and wrote, “56 years since I left CWA and 67 since I started in the fall of 1965…I stopped by a bit after 11 a.m. on the 13th to witness the Rainier Scholars at CWA. Sumiko, a family friend and my administrator when I worked for Rainier Scholars (faculty 2009-2010), was able to let me have a peek before heading to Steilacoom…Rainier Scholars were utilizing a classroom I shared in 197071 with Dave Nadal. The halls glistened with the sheen of summer cleaning…I’ve been by periodically since my 1976 departure, the pioneer era tasks of campus presentation were dramatically different from the finished product of today. I did not need to pick up one piece of glacial till or check to see if Deano’s Diner extension cord was plugged in. The Light Wright Campaign for football field lights was a resounding success by the Green Derby.” Thank you for stopping by, Sam, we’re so glad you were pleased with campus and CWA’s ongoing partnership with the Rainier Scholars.
Many thanks to the 23 members of the Haertl family who visited campus in May to honor the memory of our former headmaster, coach, and teacher, Bruce Haertl. The group included Bruce’s wife, Tonia, and sons Bruce ’76, Mike ’77, Tony ’78, and Brett ’82. We had four generations of Haertls on campus, and they even helped cheer on the Lower School Tarriers at the track meet on Haertl Field. It was such an honor to have you all on campus to celebrate the memory of an incredible coach and mentor to so many Tarriers!
Sid and Bruce Eaton visited campus this spring.
The Haertl family in May.
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Dean Backus ’85’s first Young Adult novel, “Darts and Flowers,” will be released at the end of the summer by Torchflame books. Look for it in bookstores, via Amazon, and other bookseller resources.
98
Jamie Nacht ’98, his wife Cristin, and their business partner were featured in GeekWire in June. Their 5-year-old real estate investment startup, Havium (havium.com), aims to simplify identifying and managing single-family rental properties by providing two services: Its software component scours real estate offerings for lucrative investment opportunities in a select region, while its concierge service connects its clients with a property management company that will provide tenants and handle upkeep. “Imagine you could put on a pair of glasses and look at any property or look out over the entire state of Washington and only see the properties that make sense to buy as an investment,” said CEO and co-founder Jamie, who previously held a leadership role at J.P. Morgan. Congratulations, Jamie, we wish you much continued success with Havium.
05
Mark your calendars, J’Nai Bridges ’05 is coming to Seattle in January 2023 to perform in Seattle Opera’s “Samson and Delilah in Concert.” On the Seattle Opera blog, J’Nai shared, “It’s truly a special thing for me to come home to my village. There are so many people from Seattle, Tacoma, and Lakewood that have poured so much love into me that it really feels that this performance in McCaw Hall is a gift. This is my gift and I’m sharing it with them and everyone. It will be the highlight, I know, of my career so far. This performance means more than any award or any accolade. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years. I’m so grateful because I’m in a place vocally, musically, and artistically where I can feel so proud of my talents. So, I’m happy to bring my talents home and show my hometown the best of me.” “Samson and Delilah in Concert” plays January 20 & 22, 2023 at McCaw Hall. For tickets and information, see seattleopera.org/samson
The Havium team from left: Co-founder and CEO Jamie Nacht ’98, co-founder Cristin Nacht, and technical co-founder Arash Motamedi. Charlie, a flat-coated retriever, is sitting in the front. (Havium Photo)
Jean Pullen ’05 wrote a bestselling guide to regenerative living, happiness, and more.
J’Nai Bridges ’05 will perform with the Seattle Opera in January.
18 & 19
Jean Pullen ’05 wrote in to share, “I am excited to announce I am a bestselling author as of Earth Day this year.” In her book “Regenerate Your Reality,” Jean shows readers how to apply principles of regeneration, diversify their income, grow their way out of crisis, nurture the earth, and live holistically and passionately. By highlighting how she embodies love, works for herself, and lives her passions, Pullen serves as an example to readers of how to shift their perspective from survival mode to “thrival mode.” Jean has felt called to environmentalism since a young age. In 2017, she moved to Costa Rica to follow her passion for permaculture, agroforestry, and community. Jean is the founder of Regenerate Your Reality (regenerateyourreality.com), a resource for others who wish to join the regenerative movement.
CWA forces from across generations came together in June to perform in Symphony Tacoma’s last concert of the season! Former longtime Lower School Music Director Judy Herrington, current Lower School Music Director Deryl Harter, and our current Middle and Upper School Choral Director Tamiya Mickelson performed with Symphony Tacoma Voices choral ensemble. They appeared alongside CWA alum and Mezzo Soprano Laurel Semerdjian ’05 as a professional soloist performing Mozart’s “Requiem.”
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as president. Berg was also co-captain of the soccer team and was named to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll. He received the Senior Award of Merit and is the two-time recipient of the Community Service Award for Outstanding Work.” Wabash produced a podcast ahead of commencement to talk about the upcoming event with Adam and his cospeaker. Check it out at wabash.edu/ news/story/11921. Congratulations, Adam!
Congratulations to Katie Dearth ’18 on her selection as one of 30 female college students to receive a scholarship from the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network Foundation. The scholarship includes a paid internship, six-month mentoring opportunity, student membership, and registration to the CREW Network Convention. Katie graduated cum laude from Baylor University with a double major in marketing and management and is in her first year as a student at Clemson University pursuing her master’s in real estate development. Way to go, Katie!
Gabi Joubert ’18 and Brenna Sclair ’19 competed at the DIII Track & Field Nationals in Geneva, Ohio this summer for Whittier College and George Fox University, respectively. Brenna qualified for the prelims of the 1500 and 5000, and Gabi placed 7th with her team in the finals of the 4x100 Meter Relay. Congrats, Gabi and Brenna!
Please join us in congratulating Ruben Riordan ’13 on the recent award of his doctoral degree. The completion of his dissertation titled “The Role of Cellular Senescence in the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease” has earned him a Doctor of Philosophy from Oregon State University. Incredible work, Dr. Riordan!
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Adam Berg ’18 was one of two student speakers at his commencement from Wabash College last spring. An announcement from Wabash noted, “Adam Philip Berg was a Spanish major and earned distinction on comprehensive exams. He plans to attend medical school after teaching English in Spain for a year. He was a member of Wabash Christian Men, the Sphinx Club, Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Gamma Delta, where he served 19
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Danielle Gomez, mother of Aalia Gomez ’19, wrote in to share some highlights from Aalia’s ROTC achievements at San Diego State University. “She’s currently competing in the Ranger Challenge at West Point University. The Ranger Challenge is a sport team within ROTC that competes with other university ROTC teams across the nation. Aalia’s team made it all the way to the national competition held at West Point University. You can check out her team at westpoint. edu/sandhurst/rotc-teams. The SDSU ROTC program made history this year as this is their first time ever competing at the national competition level. I like to believe that it’s because this was Aalia’s first year joining the team! Additionally, SDSU did a short profile of Aalia on their website highlighting her. You can check it out here: psfa.sdsu.edu/about_us/news/ army-rotc-student-profile-aalia-gomez.”
Gabi Joubert ’18 and Brenna Sclair ’19 competed at the DIII Track & Field Nationals this summer.
Aalia Gomez ’19 and her SDSU ROTC team are competing in the Ranger Challenge at West Point University.
Julia Hanly ’19 and Nathan McDougall ’19 both played for their respective schools in the DIII Ultimate Frisbee College Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last May. Julia’s team from the University of Portland (called UP UPROAR) took 5th overall, and Nathan’s USNA team took 9th. Nathan’s mom, Tina McDougall, shared, “Julia also played in last year’s nationals (which were delayed to December) in Northern California, where her team took 2nd. USNA qualified for those nationals, too, but USNA made them drop out because they coincided with USNA finals.” It was so great to see these two Tarriers together again!
Ryan Quisenberry ’19 and Samone Watkins ’19 stopped by campus for a visit in May. Ryan is a rising senior at Reed College in Portland, while Samone is finishing up at the University of Portland. It was great to see their smiling faces back on campus!
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The oldest Conservative student organization in the UK, Glasgow University Conservative & Unionist Association (founded in 1836), has elected Calista Toner ’20 President for the coming year. Her father, former Trustee Ian Toner, shared, “She was made Treasurer halfway through her freshman year, then Vice President her sophomore year, then President unopposed. At the same time they also elected a Board that’s 50% female for the first time.” Congratulations, Calista! //
SEND YOUR UPDATES AND PHOTOS TO alumni@charleswright.org
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Julia Hanly ’19 and Nathan McDougall ’19
Ryan Quisenberry ’19 and Samone Watkins ’19
IN REMEMBRANCE
Fritz Jacobson ’13
1994-2022
Frederick (Fritz) Jacobson ’13 died tragically in a car accident in Montana April 16. He was a “lifer” at CWA, where he played golf, basketball and football. He went on to attend Montana State University as an English major, fell in love with the state, and made it his home. Hundreds of friends and family members came to CWA in early June to celebrate his life. He will be deeply missed by many, and we are grateful for his many contributions to the CWA community. Former Upper School Director Bill White created a moving video tribute to Fritz available for viewing at charleswright.org/fritz
At left, the beautiful portrait of Fritz created by classmate Delaney Saul ’14 for his memorial.
Mary Ann Ballew
1938-2022
CWA Faculty 1988-2006
Former Kindergarten teacher Mary Ann Ballew passed away on June 13. She was known for her warmth and positive impact on so many CWA families and colleagues during her 18 years with the academy. We received many messages of care and appreciation for Ms. Ballew from our community: former longtime Lower School Music Director Judy Herrington wrote, “What a privilege to work with this master teacher—her love of children and the art of teaching inspired all of us!” To former student Jordan Beckingham, “She was the best kindergarten teacher ever. I was so lucky to be one of her students. She will be missed.” Mary Ann is survived by her daughter Laurie Ballew ’00 and sons, Sean and Craig.
Brian McGuire
1941-2022
CWA Trustee 1984-2001
Brian McGuire passed away February 11 in the presence of his loving family. Raised in Tacoma, he attended the University of Puget Sound, and then owned and operated a variety of businesses in the Northwest, including the Day Island Yacht Harbor, Inc. since 1970. Brian served as a CWA Trustee from 1984-2001. His daughter, Kendall, graduated in 1990, and son, Brynn, also attended. His granddaughters also graduated from CWA recently—Megan ’22, Lexi ’20 and Emma ’18. Thank you, Brian, for your many years of service to CWA and the greater Tacoma community.
Barbara Jo Vest
1933-2022
CWA Faculty 1976-1989
Barbara Jo Vest passed away February 13 in Vancouver, Washington. She taught third grade at CWA. After her retirement, her first historical novel, “My Dearest Patcy,” was published. Barb is survived by extended family and was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, James, and her daughter Michelle. Thank you, Barb, for 13 years of service and care of so many Tarriers.
by Rachel Rippl, Middle School Director
Celebrating Señora
Judy Williams retires after 31 years of service to Charles Wright
t was wonderful to see so many familiar faces on campus to celebrate and honor Judy Williams (affectionately known as Señora) at her retirement party last May. We were grateful to have her father, her husband, Bruce, and her children and their families celebrating her, as well.
Judy began her career at CWA in 1991. As a dedicated member of the school community, she served in many roles including teacher, coach, advisor, and chaperone for many different sports and activities. In addition, she presented the Middle School as a liaison to the Board of Trustees and as a World Language Department Chair. Some of her favorite things have been teaching students how to cook foods from some Spanish-speaking countries, as well as designing cooking classes during our Middle School days. She was fortunate to take two Winterim trips to Oaxaca and Peru with many of her former Middle School students where she enjoyed seeing their language skills in action.
Middle School Japanese Teacher Alia Greenbaum shared, “Judy, I have so many wonderful memories, you could fill a book. From going to dinner with you and Rudy after my interview, it’s been an incredible nine years working with you. Thank you for being my mentor, my “Mama Judy,” for putting up with Maren’s and my antics in the World Language Cave. Thank you for being the “Knower of All Things” and “Answerer of All Questions”. I will especially remember our conference trips together - to San Antonio, Boston, and Vegas - and all the adventures we’ve shared. I know you’ll still be around, but the Middle School won’t be the same without you! Muchos besos, don’t be a stranger!
Another passion of Judy’s is supporting the athletics department. She started keeping the scorebook for Upper School Volleyball and Basketball around 2007 and continues to do that today. A few highlights she remembers were watching them play at the District and State levels and boys basketball winning the State Championship in 2008.
Coach Kate Rue had these words to share: “Judy has been a huge part of athletics at CWA and in particular the basketball programs. We can always count on Judy to provide sports management at the scorer’s table both at home and on the road. She will do the book, run the clock, and help anyone at the table learn the system. I have the added bonus of having Judy’s daughter, Jamie, as one of the girls basketball assistant coaches on staff. For years, when husband Bruce was driving the bus, the Williams family would make our annual trip to the University of Washington Women’s Basketball game a family affair. Bruce would drive the bus, and both Judy and Jamie would attend with the team. We always stopped at the famous Dick’s Drive-In after games. The team loved that! Judy, congrats on your retirement! We are lucky in athletics to have you work with us on a semi-retirement schedule. Your positive outlook, friendly manner, fairness and loyal nature is so appreciated. Enjoy this day in your honor, you deserve it. Go Storm and Go Tarriers!”
Please join me in recognizing Judy and her 31 years of dedication to Charles Wright Academy. While she will truly be missed by all of her friends and colleagues, but we are thrilled she has chosen to stay connected to CWA through her work with athletics.
Middle School Magician
reasea joined the Middle School staff 20 years ago after moving around with the military for a number of years. She still says from the moment she interviewed with Diane Hunt, she knew this was a place she wanted to stay and we’re so glad that she did. Treasea generously served our school in many roles well beyond the original job description, from chaperoning trips to Ashland to caring for students in the health room, and this year becoming a COVID tester extraordinaire. Treasea is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
When we asked faculty, families, and students to share their favorite memories of Treasea, here are a few of the responses:
Former Middle School parent Amy Senftleben wrote, “I’ll never forget our first conversation about Connor moving on to Middle School. I was so nervous about how things would go for him. She immediately put me at ease and assured me that everything was going to be ok. And, as the years progressed, she helped us understand what was developmentally appropriate, and when to ask for support. She was always there to listen to and reassure our family that yes, believe it or not, these kids will actually walk across the stage at graduation someday, and yes, they will regain control of their frontal lobes. Middle School ended up being a wonderful experience for our family, and Treasea is a central part of the ‘why.’”
From colleague and fellow retiree, Judy Williams, “She has made connections with so many CWA families and students over the years. One time she came to Ashland with us and she kept telling me, ‘Just
Treasea Miller was a second mom for 20 years of Middle School Tarriers
by Rachel Rippl, Middle School Director
let me know what you need me to do and I’ll do it.’ What a blessing she has been to our CWA staff.”
From another colleague, DuChanté Davis, “Treasea, I’m so jealous of everyone who has had the opportunity to work with you longer than two years. Your presence has touched so many. You are so warm, welcoming, and nurturing. I am very thankful for your tenderness and compassion for Cameron. It made our transition here so much easier and reassured me that we made the right decision to be a part of this community. I don’t think there will be anyone that misses you more than him.”
And finally, former student Eli Manza ’07 shared, “Congratulations on your retirement! I was in Middle School from 2000-03 and remember you always being the absolute sweetest. You were the first person most of us saw when we came in for the day, and often the last as we were leaving to go home. Thanks for making such an impact on so many of us little ones as we went through the ups and downs of early adolescent life. Wishing you a relaxing while also exciting next chapter of life.” The fact that Eli took the time to reach out after two decades speaks volumes to the lasting impact of Treasea’s care and commitment to our students.
Please join with me in acknowledging Treasea, her many years of service, and her incredible dedication to our community. We are all better because she was here for us. I hope she enjoys long rides on her Harley, time with her family (especially her grandchildren), and the opportunity to begin a new chapter.
Congratulations on your retirement, Treasea, you will be missed.
Farewell, Mr. Fix-It
Facilities Director Denny Dorum retires after 15 years at CWA
by Kimberly Banti
n any given winter morning with snow in the forecast, there was one place you could be sure to find Denny Dorum at 3 a.m.: behind the wheel as he drove every mile of every CWA bus route. “I don’t know of anyone who is willing to wake up long before the crack of dawn with even the threat of slippery roads and use their personal vehicle to drive all CWA bus routes to make sure they are safe for our kids and drivers,” said Christopher Hoppin. “I can’t imagine how long that would take in perfect conditions, much less with snow on the ground dodging drivers from the Pacific Northwest.”
That is the level of dedication Denny brought to his role for over 15 years as our facilities and transportation director. Denny knows every nook and cranny of our campus and what’s behind each wall. He knows the finicky mechanisms of each building and who best to call when they start to act up. He knows what the city officials and fire marshalls won’t allow and how to make the most of our budget. Many colleagues cherished Denny’s annual check-in at the opening meeting, sharing updates of all of the maintenance work done over the summer. “He was incredibly humble as he went through a nearly impossible-to-complete task list,” Christopher said, while Judy Williams shared that Denny’s rundown often included “many things that weren’t always visible to the naked eye.”
But most of all, Denny knew how to take care of Tarriers. Upper School faculty member Crysta Swarts-Gillison said the warm welcome she received from Denny went above and beyond any expectations she could have had when she moved into Lyon’s House on campus the summer of 2021. “As we walked through the house, he told me when it was built, when the addition was put on, pointed out odd little details, and showed me how I could see the chapel from across the ravine,” she said. IT team member Joe Budd compared his entertaining and educational interactions with Denny to “the CWA version of This Old House, which is truly wonderful because it shows how much he cares about sharing knowledge with others.” Many remembered Denny’s expertise with the buses, including “how to resolve a recurring alarm on the cross-country minibus after it got stuck under the awning at the Yakima Red Lion on a Friday night.”
Under Denny’s leadership, not a single Tarrier has sustained an injury while on a CWA transit vehicle. “We’d had bus accidents since I started here,” he recalled. “But no one was ever hurt. We’d always been able to get the kids either to school or home.”
While Denny’s meticulous nature kept Tarriers safe—and he took his role quite seriously—his sense of humor brought levity to his legacy. Upper School Librarian Sam Harris reckoned that Denny would have some choice words should anyone ask about the sheep and goats that joined the grounds crew about a decade ago. Facilities colleague Randy Scafturon is still working through a stockpile of tens of thousands of nails Denny procured at an estate sale over a decade ago. “Those nails have been used all over campus to hang anything they will hold,” Randy said. “I have spent the last decade offering them up to anyone who might need some for home. The offer is still good, by the way. These nails will probably be used by some future maintenance person who is not even born yet, and Denny’s legacy will live on.”
Denny’s colleagues consistently appreciated that he never treated any fix-it request as being too small or unworthy of his time and attention. Denny delighted in the details, but he could also take the long view. “He even gave me photos taken each day of the LAPAC construction so we’d have a timelapse view in the archives,” Laura Rose said about an early meeting with Denny after she joined CWA. He thinks not only about how something will impact him and his team directly, but how it might impact every member of our community and visitors to our campus, today and into the future.
We celebrate an incredibly dedicated man who cared about the welfare of every person who passed through our campus gates. Denny, we will miss you and hope you succeed in your plans to both open a repair shop and take up your grandfather’s trade of making whirligig wind sculptures.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Icing on the 50th Birthday Cake
IN 2008, THE VARSITY BOYS WON CWA’S FIRST BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. The Tarriers beat River View 53-48 for the title in the Yakima Sun Dome after edging out top-ranked Bellevue Christian 54-52 in the semifinals the night before. Tournament MVP Gerald Hill ’08 scored all 17 of his points in the second half, while Patrick Philley also scored 17 points for CWA, and an exuberant throng of supporters in green and white surrounded the champions after their historic win. Coach Tyler Francis recalled, “The state championship was just the perfect ending to the school’s 50th year.”
Above, the varsity team celebrated their first state championship victory.
At right, Tarrier fans gathered outside the locker rooms to share in the victory.
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