19 minute read
Alumni Stories
Alumni Profile: Atesh Worthington, Class of 2005
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why? I feel so fortunate to have grown up in the nurturing, supportive and stimulating environment that is EB. It is hard to pinpoint just one thing I enjoyed the most since there are so many aspects of my time there that I loved while I was there and ones that I have come to appreciate as I experienced the world outside of those walls.
Please describe your current work/studies. I am a Ph.D. candidate at UC Santa Cruz where I study how fetal blood stem cells regenerate to better understand pediatric leukemias and potentially improve bone marrow transplantation therapies.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession? My love of science and the scientific method were first developed and fostered by the incredible science and math teachers I had throughout my time at EB! They gave me the confidence to take advanced science and math classes in high school which was integral to building my STEM identity and pursuing a degree in science! And my experience in their classrooms has inspired me to pursue a career in both research and teaching! What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
EB provides not just an outstanding education for you children, it is a second home for them as they learn how to navigate the world. As parents, you also gain a home with the other parents and a social network that also lasts beyond your years at EB. Some of my parents’ closest friends were also made in the narrow hallways and on the playgrounds of EB. Describe your favorite memory from EB. Some of my favorite memories at EB are during the many overnight field trips we took, from the Marin Headlands, to Yosemite and France! These trips solidified my curiosity in the world outside the classroom and have inspired life-long friendships! I am actually still in touch with my correspondent from 8th grade and I visited her a couple of years ago when I was in Paris.
Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?
I gained the intellectual and emotional tools to thrive beyond the comforts of my known world. EB sowed the seeds of resilience in me, and it is that resilience that I continue to rely on while living through a global pandemic, evacuation from wildfires and the countless curveballs life throws at us. I credit a lot my success to EB and do feel that I am citizen of the world!
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?
I would, without a doubt, send my children to EB! The bilingual education is second to none and foundational knowledge and skills children learn make them set up to thrive and be successful in whatever direction life takes them.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I still feel very connected to EB! A more recent memory that I cherish is being invited to give a talk at the TEDx Youth@EB event last year, seeing the many bright and excited faces in the audience and reconnected with the very teachers that inspired my pursuit of science.
Alumni Profile: Malcolm Clemons, Class of 2016
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?
I really enjoyed meeting students from many different cultures and becoming a global citizen. I appreciate the life long bonds I built with many former students.
Please describe your current work/studies.
This year, I will be attending the University of Florida as a studentathlete.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your intended choice of profession?
My time at EB has given me many avenues where I can pursue my career in the field of Sports Management both domestically and internationally.
What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
You will be very surprised how quickly your children will learn to speak French fluently, just trust the teachers and the results will come.
Describe your favorite memory from EB.
My 5th grade trip to France was my favorite memory because it was my first time leaving the country and I was confidently able to use my French in a public setting around French citizens. Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?
Yes, I was given tools that I utilized after graduating from EB and will continue to use throughout my life. I know in the future I will be conducting business in French. EB and my travel abroad for sports has molded me in to global citizen.
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?
It would definitely be a great investment for children to attend EB. It gives the gift of an excellent education, strong diverse friendships and bilingualism that they will carry through life.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I encourage all EB children to be great in whatever you do and remember practice makes perfect!
Alumni Profile: Madeleine Stokes, Class of 2003
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?
Elementary and middle school were not always an enjoyable experience for a headstrong, redheaded girl. Of course, I made good friends, had some good laughs in class, and loved playing team sports. But I think what I enjoyed most was the intellectual exercise of learning in a diverse group of kids.
EB engrained an internationalist perspective in me. A learning environment that didn’t center on America as the best country in the world contributed to the respect and openness for others that I try to bring
into everything I do. Learning in two languages built a super strong mind, able to adapt and translate between audiences, cultures, places, that has been so important to my career and my ability to think critically.
Please describe your current work/studies.
Two years ago, I left the international development sphere, where I spent the first five years of my career focused on supporting civil society in the Middle East. While I left part of my heart in Beirut, I knew there were issues here at home that I couldn’t ignore. After getting an MBA to enable me to be more savvy in how I help empower communities, I moved to Baltimore to help make a difference at the local level. Today, I work at Johns Hopkins University working to grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem and infrastructure on campus, in Baltimore, and around the world. I wear a ton of hats in this job (development, program management, communications, strategic planning, internal consulting), but what I like doing best is building programs and partnerships that can expand our collective impact.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?
As I mentioned, EB put me on an international path, with a love for exploration and digging into complex global issues. EB, along with the privilege of coming from a family with the means, encouraged me to travel and live abroad. Those experiences have forever transformed my point of view and the people with whom I surround myself. And this path has also led me back to the States to learn and live in other cities and bring my international lens to local problem solving. What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
It is an incredible privilege to be able to go to a private, bilingual elementary school. It would be rather disappointing if that privilege were used for selfpromotion alone, though. I hope parents encourage their kids to use the power that comes from such a special education to be open-minded and increase opportunities for others who have not been as lucky.
Describe your favorite memory from EB.
All of my favorite memories center around the incredibly diverse personalities and quirks of EB teachers: from almost falling out of my chair from laughing so hard about some French saying Mr. Coup used to use, to talking about Niners vs. Raiders with Coach, to falling in love with writing with Ms. Campbell. Those teachers gave me a love for people and all our unique features.
Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?
A citizen of the world—YES. 100%. Adequately prepared? In many ways yes, but I know that EB is a better school today than it was when I was there. The process of continual improvement is absolutely critical to education. For example, I remember learning about the African continent through the eyes of French colonialism and I know that we can do better than that.
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?
It freaks me out to even think about that. First would have to come the baby. Let’s see.
Alumni Profile: Jesse Gerstin, Class of 1999
The immersion and bilingual experience at EB is really an unparalleled way to learn. I remember feeling impressed even as a Middle School student that we were taking Math, Geography, Music, Spanish and other subjects in French. It was not only the ease with switching between languages that felt special, but also the difference in pedagogical approach between the French and American teaching styles that made for a rich learning experience.
Please describe your current work/studies.
My career has centered around the issue of climate change, and what we can do to solve it. I managed the Clinton Foundation’s climate program for the better part of a decade, and recently I joined a renewable energy company, SimpliPhi Power, as the Director of Sustainability. We manufacture advanced batteries to pair with solar installations—for homes, businesses, or entire communities. I also teach sustainable finance and accounting to MBA students, training the next generation of leaders to think more holistically about the actions businesses take.
EB was always about seeing the world through multiple perspectives. Climate change is a human problem, and being able to empathize and communicate with all kinds of people is deeply rooted in the education I was provided.
As a parent myself who is teaching my kid French, I would urge as much reinforcement of second languages as possible at home. Even if French, or English, is not your native language, there are many resources available from books, TV, games, social groups and more that you can encourage your child to take advantage of. The more a foreign language can be heard on a regular basis, the more normalized it becomes—and the value of speaking another language will stay with you throughout life!
Describe your favorite memory from EB. Grade graduation ceremony. I had formed a rock band with two classmates and we rehearsed for weeks in preparation to sing the song “Today” by the Smashing Pumpkins. I was the lead vocalist, mostly because I couldn’t play an instrument.
When we got on stage in front of a vast sea of classmates, teachers and parents I completely froze and forgot every word to the song. All I could do was yell “Today” into the microphone while our guitarist jumped in to fill in the rest. Somehow we got through it—and I was still invited back to Middle School the following year!
I feel we are all citizens of the world, sometimes we just don’t realize it enough.
Absolutely! I wish there were an EB in my current hometown of Brooklyn, NY.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I want to give a shout out to Coach Rodriguez who helped me discover a love for athletics, and gave me confidence during a period when I needed it most. Also for singing our walk up songs as we stepped up to the plate for kickball. Thanks Coach!
Alumni Profile: Lauren Schumb, Class of 2008
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why? There are many things that I enjoyed about my time at EB. However, I particularly enjoyed the close-knit group of friends that I developed over the years. EB truly feels like a community that you will always be part of.
Please describe your current work/studies. I am currently enrolled in a master’s program at Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany. I am studying the Sociology of European Studies and will complete my master’s thesis this October. In addition to my studies, I work full time as a User Experience Researcher at a gaming company. Previously, I studied at UCSB and received my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Global Studies. I spent a year abroad in Paris studying at Sciences Po.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession? EB has influenced me in many invaluable ways; in general, it has greatly shaped my perspective of the world, and truly allowed me to be open and curious. I believe that speaking French fluently has been an invaluable asset throughout my education, and for my profession—in fact, one of the reasons I was hired for my position was because my company was looking for a researcher who was fluent in French. In addition, I do not believe that I would have been as open and eager to living and working abroad if I had not attended EB.
What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? I would tell them that that my parents’ choice to send me to EB is one that I will be grateful for my entire life—and their child will undoubtedly feel the same. In addition, enrolling your child in a French American school is a great way to learn a second language yourself (it’s never too late!).
Describe your favorite memory from EB. Some of my favorite memories involve the yearly trips that we went on with all of our classmates. My favorite trips were our fifth and eighth grade trips to France, when we stayed with French correspondents and their families for two weeks outside of Paris. I look back fondly on these trips. They were invaluable, fun, and global experiences that truly allowed us to grow as individuals and immerse ourselves in the French culture.
Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world? I definitely believe that EB prepared me for life after EB. From a young age,
EB instills in children the idea that diversity and tolerance is the norm,
not the exception. As a child attending EB, I was open to new experiences and different cultures without even realizing that life could be any different. I believe this is one of the truly unique and invaluable opportunities that EB offers to children, and that this mindset allows us to become “citizens of the world.” I am a half-white, quarter-Mexican, quarter-Black woman who speaks English, French, Spanish, and German. I am originally from the Bay Area, but I have lived in California, France, Spain and now Germany. I grew up creating close connections with individuals from varying backgrounds, and this continues to be the case. In this sense, I do feel that I am a citizen of the world, and I very much feel that, in addition to my family background, EB is a primary reason.
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why? I would absolutely consider sending my children to EB—I would love for them to be able to have similar experiences to what I had growing up: for them to be immersed in the French culture, and to speak French fluently at a young age; to meet kids and families from around the world; to go to school in a tight-knit, welcoming community. I would love for them to grow up with experiences parallel to mine as a child, while creating their own.
Alumni Notes
Sam Arons (1996) has been the Director of Sustainability at Lyft for the last 2 years.
Anna Boser (2012) was awarded the University Medal from UC Berkeley, the highest honor for a graduating senior. She graduated as a statistics major with a 4.0 GPA. She's planning on pursuing a Ph.D in Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara, funded by the National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship and a Eugene Cota-Robles fellowship.
Gale Clark (1993) is the Vice President of Development and Origination at Brightmark, the global leader in waste solutions that takes a holistic approach to tackling environmental challenges.
John Hasse (2004) is living in San Diego pursuing his passion of Fine Art Photography.
Leo Labadie (2012) spent the summer helping EB prepare for a new back-toschool, ensuring that it is safe for everyone to attend class! He is attending the College of Alameda in the Aviation Maintenance Program, where he is obtaining licenses, which count as two majors, in Power Plant and Airframe. He is also working on getting his private pilot’s license.
Isaac Menashe (1995) has been working for Covered California for over 7 years, and for the last 3 years he has been the Associate Director, Evaluation and Research.
Filomene Morrison (2003) moved back to the Bay Area last year, and now works as a Research Scientist at BlackThorn Therapeutics, biopharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted treatments for neurobehavioral disorders.
Lawrence Peery (2009) graduated from UC Davis this fall and is currently working at an e-sports production company working remotely.
Troia ReyesStone (2009) was awarded the Marshall Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship for American citizens to study in the UK. She will pursue a master of science degree in evidencebased social intervention and policy at Oxford University, and a master of public policy degree at the London School of Economics. Luna (2015) and Salomé Ragot (2012) decided to organize an EB community fundraiser in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement this summer, in which they raised $1,450 with the EB community.
Audrey Rood (2013) is studying Biology at the Sorbonne until next year!
Chinzalée Sonami (1999) has been busy working on her line of whimsical dinnerware ceramics, Pala Ceramics. Make sure to follow her on @pala_ceramics on Instagram.
Chad Thompson (2000) is the Director of SparkPoint and Career Services, at Skyline College, designed to serve individuals and families who are working to achieve financial selfsufficiency.
Demir Worthington (2010) is an Engineering Geologist at the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board. During his free time, he DJs and hosts the quarterly EB cinema movie night!
Alumni Stay in Touch
Alumni students and parents at the 18+ reunion at Stella Nonna Alumni students at the all-ages EB reunion celebrating the “Galette des Rois” A Time to Remember and Come Together
Reunions are a special time here at EB. It’s a chance for alumni students and parents, from all ages and experiences, to take a moment to reminisce on their school years with their EB friends and peers. Our 18 and over alums spent their reunion at Stella Nonna (owned by one of our very own EB alumni parents!) in Berkeley once again, while our high school cohort gathered together in the MPR where they took a plethora of photos and celebrated the holiday season with galettes des rois. It was a great way to spend a part of the holiday season with
the EB family!
The Alumni Committee in Action
Alumni Committee
Susan Acquistapace Becky Andersen Brigitte Bastrenta Anne Brandon Pat Burns Christine Chapon Tina Chen-
Chardonnet Awatif Chirar Steve Cook Tamara Daney Thierry Durandard Luz de la Riva Fériel El Ghaoui Fabiola Etienne Gaëlle Feliz Joan Finnie Hilary Goldman Douglas Gostlin Amy Gordon-Risz Hülya Gürtuna Mei-Lin Ha Byers Ann Hasse Brooke Hauch Joyce Hemmer Elizabeth Herzberg Virginia Hoyt Devyani Jain Véronique Jordan Florence Kragen Kathleen Letellier Steve Levine Vivian Lopez Nasi Maghsoudnia
White Michelle Maguire Johnelle Mancha Tina Meyer Susan Nehme Kim Nogay Brenda Ogburn Fatima Osman Gloria Polanski Natalie Powell Ritu Rai Rick Richetta Karoline Robbins,
Co-Chair Karma Roberts Cottie Rood Roberte Rountree Marie-José Sat Vicki Schumb,
Co-Chair Joan Steele Nathalie Stringfellow Nathalie Valette Jacqueline Van Lang Susan Vinluan-
Morrison Priscilla Wanerus Demir Worthington Azadeh Yazdi Cassiopée Hett, Thierry Durandard, Vicki Schumb and Karoline Robbins at the Alumni Reunion in December 2019.
Traditions can create a sense of belonging and enable people to come together. Tradition can also allow us to pause and reflect on the significance of culture and community. The Alumni Committee has always been committed to sustaining and supporting a legacy of family and students, and more importantly, ensuring that these traditions still hold meaning for present and future generations. The Alumni Committee plays an important role in coordinating alumni reunions, barbeques for graduating EB alumni seniors, and the graduation dinner. This year, while many of our traditions were put on hold, we continued our newest tradition of EB movie night with the support of EB alum Demir Worthington. In addition to putting on two reunions, the Alumni Committee still met virtually to reinforce our sense of community and connect with one another. We would like to thank our longtime chair, Karoline Robbins, for her leadership and her wealth of institutional knowledge. In addition, we would like to congratulate longtime member and newest co-chair, Vicki Schumb, who stepped to the plate and co-led this year’s committee, with curiosity and intent. We cannot thank them enough for their time and efforts in continuing tradition during this time of uncertainty. Merci !
Would you like to be a part of the Alumni Committee? Please reach out to our Director of Development, Mei-Lin Ha Byers, at mha@eb.org Do you have a new email address? New school or job? New exciting project? Go to the Alumni Section at eb.org and click on “Stay in Touch.” You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram, @eb_alumni
