SCHool Magazine Spring 2022

schoo ol the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy

building a more safe, open, and authentically inclusive community | PAGE 13 10 years of nurturing entrepreneurial minds CEL Celebrates its First Decade | PAGE 18

alumni entrepreneurs: doing it my way Stories of Passion, Courage, and Persistence Against the Odds | Page 20

SPRING

2022

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

T

he last phrase of the SCH mission statement illuminates our aspiration to empower students to “lead lives characterized by thoughtfulness, integrity, and a quest to effect positive change.” While all independent schools have lofty missions, what I most

appreciate about SCH is that we have developed programming that brings our mission to life.

A prime example of this is the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The ethos of CEL is really quite simple: approach challenges and problems as opportunities and don’t expect someone else to solve them. Be the one to help

Steve Druggan Head of School

solve them and make a difference. In honor of this significant CEL milestone, this issue of SCHool Magazine celebrates the spirit of the program with an overview by CEL Executive Director Ed Glassman and profiles of 14 alumni entrepreneurs. Through their stories, you will see that problem solving and creativity are characteristics the school has long valued, even before CEL, and that we have been instilling our graduates, recent and past, with the confidence, skills, and attributes that enable them to go out in the world and seek opportunities where others see only problems.

Independent school magazines are filled with self-promotional pieces that highlight the amazing things happening on their campuses. CEL, while certainly falling into this category, is more than just a parochial point of pride; it is recognized internationally. Not only do we license our CEL curriculum to a partner school in the United Arab Emirates, our faculty also lead training, both in Dubai and virtually, for educators around the world. This is what I would call true recognition of the value of a program—the fact that another school halfway around the world is willing to spend their tuition dollars on our curriculum and faculty!

For over 150 years, Springside and CHA prepared students to meet challenges and overcome obstacles to opportunity. SCH has continued and intensified this work through our Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and the world has taken notice. Over the last 10 years, the entrepreneurial spirit of CEL has spread throughout our curriculum, and innovation and creativity have become the trademarks of SCH teaching and learning. As a result, our CEL curriculum, faculty, and students are getting tapped as never before in recognition of the growing urgency of the world’s problems and the need for those with the right mindset to take them on.

I hope you have the opportunity to come to campus and see first-hand the evolution of education

COVER PHOTO Sixth grader Soleil Bynum fine-tunes the programming for her LEGO bot during her CEL robotics class.

taking place here every day. CEL is truly an incubator of creative-minded problem solvers who offer our best chance to address the challenges ahead and, as our mission states, to effect positive change.

Take care, Steve

SCHOOL the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy

contents SPRING 2022

Stephen L. Druggan, Ed.D. Head of School

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Communications Office Karen Tracy HA, P’10, P’14, P’23 Director of Marketing and Communications Laura Breen Cortes ’06 P'34, P’35 Marketing and Communications Associate Deidra Lyngard H’18, P’89, P’97, GP’21 Director of Publications and Video Editor, SCHool Magazine

middle school named in Honor of Springside Alumna

Julia MacMullan P’35 Associate Director of Marketing and Communications

Office of Advancement Jenny James McHugh ’84, P’15, P’19 Director of Development

Andrea Eckert P’23, P’25, P’29 Director of Parent and Community Engagement Katy Friedland P’25, P’29, P’32, P’32 Director of Admissions Outreach

Kristin Norton P’20, P’22 Associate Director of Development

20 class notes News from Our Alumni Near and Far

James Talbot II H’81, P’86, P’90, GP’26, GP’28, GP’30 Senior Gift Officer

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Susan C. Toomey H’15, P’99, P’02 Administrative Assistant P=Parent GP=Grandparent HA, H=Honorary Alumna, Alumnus

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welcome to new sch trustees

CEL Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

Brooke Mattingly P’36 Director of the SCH Fund

through the lens SCH Spirit Caught on Camera

View Our Online Magazine with Links!

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10 years of nurturing entrepreneurial minds

Paul Hines H’03, P’06 Special Projects

Highlights of Recent School Events

on SCH's Historic Performing Arts Center

building a more safe, open, and authentically inclusive community

Melissa Blue Brown ‘87, P’16, P’20, P’21 Director of Alumni Relations

campus news

renovations under way

13 18 doing it my way Stories of Passion, Courage, and Persistence Against the Odds

37 mystery photos

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We invite you to continue your enjoyment of the spring 2022 issue of SCHool in our interactive space at https://bit.ly/schpublications.

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school magazine spring 2022

CAMPUSNEWS sch students help reintroduce native orchid plant nearly extinct in the wissahickon

In October, Ziploc bags containing 15 fragile Pink Lady’s Slipper orchid seedlings made their way from the Longwood Gardens greenhouses to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s environmental science class, carried in a nondescript bin by Dr. Peter Zale, director of Longwood's Conservation, Plant Breeding, and Collections.

They will monitor the seedlings they planted using GPS coordinates and will track the date of first emergence, the number of shoots/leaves/flowers and leaf area, and the date the plant enters dormancy.

Reflecting on her experience, junior Winslow Tracy shared, “It’s cool to know the work we are doing and the data we are collecting will impact the park that I love so much.”

After listening to a presentation on the importance of the orchid species, how they are endangered in the Wissahickon, and why they are being reintroduced locally, students took to the SCH woods to give the “It’s cool to tiny seedlings a new home.

know the work we are doing and the data we are collecting will impact the park that I love so much.”

Longwood Gardens will continue to cultivate additional seedlings with the hope that additional reintroduction research plots can be established next year and beyond using older plants with more seasons of nursing at Longwood. This could provide important information about the best age at which to plant Pink Lady’s slipper seedlings for conservation efforts.

This "reintroduction" initiative is the result of a partnership that started over three years ago between the Wissahickon Garden Club (WGC), Longwood Gardens, and the school. In 2019, ~ Winslow Tracy ’23 when the Pink Lady’s Slipper was thought to have disappeared from the Wissahickon, citizen scientists discovered three flowering "It's so heartwarming to see young students work with plants at an undisclosed location in the park. This discovery seasoned botanists!" said Upper School science teacher prompted active interest in the orchid’s conservation and Lisa Queeno. "I hope our efforts to restore this important repopulation of the plant in the Wissahickon. species to the Wissahickon will be successful. Given that Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world with they can grow for hundreds of years, the SCH Pink Lady’s over 30,000 species and are considered a flagship species Slipper orchids could, quite literally, improve forest health for conservation throughout the world. for generations. As a biologist, I am of course excited to see the data. It'll be very cool to see their growth and the impact As part of their environmental science elective, students on forest health parameters over time." at SCH will conduct a longitudinal study on the orchids’ development and share their data with Longwood Gardens.

school magazine spring 2022

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sch science teacher travels to iceland on scholarship

sch hosts timely conversation on afghanistan

SCH Lower School science teacher and adventure seeker Anya Rose (daughter of SS alumna Jessie Jane Lewis '65) traveled to Iceland last June as part of a Fulbright-Hays Seminar.

Seminar participants were selected through a highly competitive process by the U.S. Department of Education, which funds the program.

The seminar is designed by Fulbright Iceland to inspire participants to create innovative curriculum projects that benefit their students, schools, and communities back in the U.S.

Clockwise from top left: Helena Malikyar P’23, Steve Coll P’31, Steve Druggan, and Renee Chenault-Fattah P’17, P’22.

This October, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy was proud to host an informative and timely conversation about the recent upheaval in Afghanistan with two expert panelists who have deep ties to that country: Steve Coll, dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, renowned investigative journalist, author, and twotime Pulitzer Prize winner; and Helena Malikyar, former Afghanistan ambassador to Italy and political commentator.

Both are SCH parents. Their conversation was moderated

by Renee Chenault-Fattah, exective director of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, former broadcast journalist, and former SCH parent and trustee.

A group of 16 K-8 educators from around the country spent three and a half weeks in Iceland exploring topics related to that nation's culture and history, the arctic environment, education, the arts, and equality. The group met with experts, leaders, and educators, visited environmentally and culturally important sites, and forged local connections to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and Iceland.

"Afghanistan: Why it Matters" is one of a series of virtual events organized over the past two years by the SCH Parents Association and Alumni Associations and funded

by The SCH Fund to keep our community engaged and enriched.

In her application for the Fulbright, Anya wrote, “Science is about how we understand and interact with the natural world, and how our cultural practices inform the way we move through the world. Do we enter a forest with the intention of taking? Do we view water with the goal of making money from it? What are the ways in which Icelandic people move through the natural world? How does their culture influence how they view and value natural resources?”

A recording of this event is available, along with videos of other SCH Connex-sponsored events—including a November cooking class with Philadelphia master chef David Jansen and a February conversation about Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and NFTs—on the school's website at sch.org/connex.

Anya's visit to Iceland inspired her to develop a unit for her 1st grade students that explored how the sun's patterns change according to latitude. "All of this came from my time in Iceland in June, where the sun only briefly kisses the horizon at "sunset" before rising again. The unit has been a great way to learn how to observe and talk about patterns in nature, which is a major part of science."

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school magazine spring 2022

CAMPUSNEWS sch homecoming activities include filling backpacks for the homeless

student engineering project has high aspirations

Alexa Rhodes ’22, second from right, gets help filling her backpacks from classmates (l to r) David Lubell ’22, Aden Goldberg ’22, Amanda Cooney ’22, Darby Casey ’22, Kayla Runkel ’22, and Shawn Gindea ’22.

Pictured above: Liam Reeves ’22 and Naomi Becker ’25 prepare drill holes in the plane while Ryan Comisky ’22, Hannah Lexer ’22, and Franny Downs ’22 check parts. Not pictured: Mac Levin ’22, Sam Halfpenny ’22, Danny O'Connor ’23, and SCH teachers/mentors Rob Ervin H’08 and Peter Randall ’69.

During this fall's Homecoming festivities, SCH students took time out from games and the Family Fair to help CEL Venture Accelerator student Alexa Rhodes ’22 load 250 backpacks full of essential items for her non-profit, H.E.L.P.I.N.G. The Homeless Backpacks. Toiletries, clothing, and other essentials were lined up on tables, and volunteers circled around them, collecting and packing the items into the backpacks. A portion of the bags went to homeless youth at the Pan American Academy Charter School. The balance went to a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. Since her company's launch, Alexa has given away more than 950 backpacks.

From a corner of the Robotics Lab, what looks like a prehistoric dragonfly watches over this busy hub of student activity. In fact it's the fuselage of an airplane, to be more precise, a Bedecorp 4-C four passenger single-engine airplane. The airplane kit was donated to the school by the Bede Corporation in 2015 in response to a letter received from two SCH engineering students who wanted to try their hand at building something entirely different.

Today, a new crop of dedicated students continues the work of the original plane builders. They come early in the morning before school to carefully measure and precisely drill the holes and insert the bolts that hold the fuselage together. The opportunity to work on such a unique project—even though they won't be the ones to see it to completion—and the notion of leaving a legacy for future students to work on, fuels the group’s passion and perseverance. “This is just insanely cool,” says senior Ryan Comisky. “Where else is a student going to have the experience of building an airplane in high school?”

“Although this backpack isn’t going to solve the entire problem of homelessness," said Alexa, "it’s definitely an item that’s going to make their lives more comfortable and secure. If you’d like to donate so our community can have another successful event like this in the future, please go to my website at helpingthehomelessbackpacks.com.”

“Although this backpack isn’t going to solve the entire problem of homelessness, it’s definitely an item that’s going to make their lives more comfortable and secure.” ~ Alexa Rhodes ’22

school magazine spring 2022

For this ambitious “it's-the-journey-not-the-destination” group, the satisfaction of doing each step well and participating in a precision assembly process are what keep them motivated. Many of these students, several of whom have ambitions to fly, will graduate this year, making room for others who dream of one day piloting their own plane or who simply enjoy the challenge of putting very big things together.

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student's passion to help tibetan earthquake victims leads to extraordinary charitable venture

Left: Haotian Yang ’22 visits the 2010 Yushu Earthquake memorial. Top right: detail of a traditional Thangka painting. Bottom right: Students studying at Cixing Medical School.

In January, the Crawford Art Gallery hosted an exhibition and sale of Tibetan Thangka art organized by senior Haotian Yang. The exhibition was part of his CEL Venture Accelerator project, but also one of the many initiatives he has undertaken to help children orphaned and impoverished by the devastating 2010 Yushu Earthquake in Tibet.

University to study Tibetan medicine. Many of these students are also being supported by Yushu Reborn.

Projects that Yang's charity has supported—and raised thousands of dollars for—include construction of a solarpowered water heating system for the Cixing School; construction of a medical outreach clinic "I was determined that that provides free care more students deserve to those in need and internship opportunities the education at Cixing for the medical students; School. Not only because and production of a documentary to raise it is free, but also because awareness about the it has the magical power to school, in partnership with China Central heal a broken young heart."

Television.

Through his venture, Yushu Reborn, Yang has raised $80,000 to help support the education of these young people who otherwise would not be able to attend school.

With his charity's support, as well as the support of many others, other students are learning traditional Tibetan Thangka art at the Nangqian Gahma Thangka studio. To create a perfect Thangka, artists must have more than 10 years of systematic training. A regular-sized Thangka can take months of hard work to create, often involving collaboration among several artists.

~ Haotian Yang ’22

Other supported students are studying traditional Tibetan medicine at the Cixing School. The school offers free education for the victims of the Yushu Earthquake, or those in financial distress. In the 10 years since the earthquake, the school has sent hundreds of students to QingHai

To learn more about Yang's extraordinary philanthropic venture, visit www.yushureborn.com

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school magazine spring 2022

CAMPUSNEWS annual chestnut hill stag & doe nights welcomes cel pop-up schop featuring student-created products This past holiday season, SCH Academy student entrepreneurs joined the traditional fun and festivities of Chestnut Hill’s December holiday shopping nights, with a pop-up shop featuring their very own products for sale.

In a vacant storefront at the top of the avenue generously loaned by the store owner, students set up their product displays and shared their passions with customers over three busy nights of shopping.

The students, all participants in CEL's advanced Venture Accelerator program, took this opportunity to gain important market feedback and raise some muchappreciated funds for their entrepreneurial efforts.

Helping to direct shoppers to the SCH Pop-Up SCHop were an enthusiastic group of 4th grade girls wearing the neoncolored high-visibility safety vests that they designed and produced as part of their CEL project.

CEL students selling their wares during Stag & Doe nights were: Chuck Norton ’22: Taco 'Bout It-A fun card game to help families talk about sensitive issues in a conversational way Tara Benning ’23: East Coast Stickers-A custom sticker and

decal business Meena Padhye ’22, Catie Driscoll ’23, and Lily Strickland ’22: Sonas to America-scarves and woven goods (Sales support the Sonas weaving village in Cambodia.)

Lucas Poltorak '22: Infinity Flies-Handmade fishing flies Dillon Frankel ’23: DCF Cards-Sports cards bought and sold, with a portion of the profits going to Hope for the Warriors Alexa Rhodes ’22: H.E.L.P.I.N.G. the Homeless Backpacks-Fully loaded

backpacks delivered to homeless shelters around the city Magnolia Lurie ’26: MLSageDesigns-Hand-sewn doll dresses,

dog toys, scrunchies, and more Delaney Brody '22: Epi-Phone-An insulated holder for the

AUVI-Q epinephrine injection device that attaches to the back of your phone case Top: Pop-Up SCHop entrepreneurs (l to r): Dillon Frankel ’23, Lucas Poltorak '22, Alexa Rhodes ’22, Tara Benning ’23, Magnolia Lurie ’26, Meena Padhye ’22, Lilly Hall 23, and Catie Driscoll ’23. Missing: Delaney Brody ’22 and Chuck Norton ’22.

For more details on CEL Accelerator projects, visit the CEL Store at shopcel.org.

MIddle: The door to the Pop-Up SCHop invites customers in with a view of the many inventive products on display.

Bottom: Fourth grade CEL students Grace Talbot ’30 and Libby Katz ’30 hand out lightsticks to passersby with a tag that directs people to the Pop-Up SCHop.

school magazine spring 2022

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a schout out for the 7th annual schout conference SCHOUT 2022

REFRAMING SUSTAINABILITY AND CONFRONTING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE

SCHout 2022

Changing the Mindset

TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

What's Your Type?

STEREOTYPES AND COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT RACE

A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Taking an intersectional look at the contemporary fetishization of WOC

WHITE PRIVILEGE IN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY COME JOIN US AT OUR WORKSHOP!

NOBODY'S PERFECT AND NEITHER IS DISNEY CHANNEL

INTERSECTIONALITY: THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALITY JOIN US AS WE DELVE INTO THE CONCEPT OF INTERSECTIONALITY THROUGH DISCUSSING OUR OWN CORE IDENTIFIERS

RACE

GENDER

SEXUALITY

CLASS

DISABILITY

ETC...

C O N F R O N T I N G S T E R E O T Y P E S I N C H I L D R E N ' S M E D I A

Some of the posters for the 2022 SCHOUT conference workshops conceived and led by SCH student facilitators.

developed and led by the SCH student facilitators.

Every year since 2015 SCH Upper School students have organized and hosted SCHOUT, a regional student conference focused on themes of identity, social justice, and building understanding and respect for differences.

“The SCHOUT conferences are fueled by the students themselves and the topics that they want to dig into with their peers,” explained Polly Kimberly, one of the school’s diversity coordinators who has been involved in organizing the conferences from the beginning. “The students created a wonderful and diverse workshop menu for their peers to choose from, which generated many important and meaningful conversations.”

The conference, including last year's virtual event, typically attracts over 200 students from area schools and organizations. This year's event, held in person, focused on the theme of “Sharing is Caring: the Stories We Share Bind Us Together,” and took place on February 12, 2022.

Participants heard keynote remarks by Sterling Grimes, director of network impact at Teach for America, who works to recruit more Black men into teaching. Grimes also presented a professional development workshop for the adult attendees entitled "Mentorship Over Management: Supporting Student Voice and Agency."

"Only when we are brave enough to share and shout out, can we truly know about each other and care for each other." ~ SCH Student Facilitator

During the day, students engaged in a variety of activities, including story exchanges designed to cultivate "radical empathy," group exercises, and a series of workshops

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school magazine spring 2022

CAMPUSNEWS a bronze in budapest

sch teacher selected for national cohort developing resources for teaching challenging historical topics

SCH junior Ryanne Leslie scored the match-winning point in the final round of the Under-17 World Cup Fencing Competition in Budapest to give Team USA a 45-44 gold medal win. Team USA medaled in every event at the Budapest event, winning a total of six medals, including two golds!

Josh Mattingly, a member of the Upper School History Department, was accepted into the first professional cohort organized by Learning for Justice. As a participant in the inaugural cohort, called “Teaching Hard History,” Mattingly, along with fellow teachers from around the country, will be tasked with creating resources and innovative pedagogy for anyone who is teaching difficult subjects such as slavery, racism, or systemic oppression. Collectively they will design lessons to build students’ civic engagement and critical thinking, and to deepen their mindsets around inclusion and empathy. The program will culminate with a public showcase of the cohort's work on May 4. In this showcase, the cohort will share its products with other teachers nationally as well as administrators and diversity practitioners.

Individually, Ryanne won a bronze, finishing 3rd out of 260 fencers! The bronze medal now ranks her at #18 internationally for her age group (as qualified by the European Fencing Federation).

E DATE SAVE TH

CARNIV

Josh was one of 20 teachers selected out of 400 who applied. “I owe it to my students to be the best teacher that I can possibly be," he says. "This cohort is an opportunity to work with some of the best teachers in the country to push our craft.”

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Note: Learning for Justice, formerly “Teaching Tolerance,” seeks to uphold the mission of the Southern Poverty Law Center: to be a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

MUSIC, GAMES AUCTION, RAFFLES FOOD, DRINKS SCH PARENT SOCIAL & FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY

THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION

school magazine spring 2022

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kingsley basketball court named in honor of john mcardle ’73

football, and baseball coach; teacher; class adviser; and assistant athletic director. He won Inter-Ac championships, was inducted into the inaugural class of CHA’s Athletic Hall of Fame, was a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and was honored as Basketball Coach of the Year three times by the City Sportswriters.

In December, family members and alumni gathered in the Kingsley Gymnasium to honor beloved coach, mentor, and friend John McArdle ’73 and to celebrate the dedication of the gym's basketball court in his name.

John's name will appear in the center of the court, as a permanent reminder of his dedication, spirit, and profound influence on the many students who had him as a coach and teacher.

John’s most significant athletic impact, however, is not the championships that he and his teams won. Rather, it is the lasting life lessons of loyalty, compassion, teamwork, preparation, toughness in the face of adversity, and resilience that he imparted on those whom he coached.

When the Chestnut Hill Academy Alumni Association awarded The Francis P. Steel Jr. '77 Award to John in 2017, committee member Bradley K. Moss '76 shared the following tribute: In addition to being a talented four-sport athlete during his playing days, John was a great basketball,

girls' soccer team wins 2021 state and inter-ac championships Girls soccer closed the fall season with two titles (PAISAA and Inter-Ac) and formidable player and team stats accumulated over the last five years!

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2 state championships (PAISAA) and 2 Inter-Ac titles

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Ranked #1 in the region and #8 in the country (Prep Soccer)

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Final 5-year season record of 54-7-3 (W-L-T)

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29 straight Inter-Ac wins from 2019-2021 without a loss: 2019: 12-0 | 2020: 5-0 (not a full season due to COVID) | 2021: 12-0

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212 goals and only 47 goals allowed through since 2019

Fun fact: Five SCH soccer superstars over the past few years have last names beginning with "Mc": Meghan McCool ‘16, Emily McNesby ‘18, Jojo McShane ‘21, Maya McDermott ‘22, and Lisa McIntyre ‘23

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school magazine spring 2022

Donor Profile: David Thornley Orthwein

major gift names middle school

David Orthwein, son of alumna Ann Patricia Thornley Metcalfe ’39, stands in front of the Middle School, which has been named in memory of his mother.

Avenue where his mother, Ann Thornley, grew up. His maternal grandfather, George Hetzell Thornley, worked his way up at the Philadelphia-based advertising company N.W. Ayer & Son, eventually becoming a partner. From there he founded his own advertising agency, Thornley and Jones, Inc., in New York City. His success was noted far and wide, particularly in his emphasis on combining best business practices with an eye to the future. It is a trait that lives on in his grandson.

We are delighted to announce that agricultural investor and philanthropist David Thornley Orthwein has generously bestowed a gift to SCH Academy in honor of his mother, Ann Patricia ("Nancy") Thornley Metcalfe, a member of Springside's Class of 1939.

By naming the Middle School in memory of his mother, David continues his family’s tradition of giving back to communities that share in his personal mission of conservation, innovation, and education. Moreover, it is our distinct privilege to have codified our relationship with David with this gift, as he is a man whose life exemplifies the pursuit of knowledge, attachment to family and faith, and forward-thinking vision that is represented in the best of our SCH community.

David’s paternal grandfather, Percy Orthwein, was also a successful advertising executive, serving as the co-founder and president of the D’Arcy Advertising Company in St. Louis, MO. It was his son, Adolphus “Dolph” Orthwein, who married Ann Thornley in 1941. The couple settled in St. Louis where David and his three older brothers were born and raised, and where David has also chosen to share his vision and resources in multiple projects that twine together his interest in business, education, conservation, and charity. Among them are the endowed David Orthwein Professorship in International Business at St.

David’s ties to Philadelphia are embedded in Chestnut Hill. His maternal grandparents lived at 416 W. Springfield

school magazine spring 2022

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School of Business at Saint Louis University. David has valued his commitment to Saint Louis University’s Boeing Institute whose mission is to help businesses understand the challenges and trends of conducting business globally.

Much of his charity has focused on public native prairie gardens, St. Louis University Hospital, and the Society of St. Vincent De Paul.

Louis University’s Boeing Institute of International Business, which awarded him the International Visionary Award; construction of the hospital chapel at SSM Health Care’s St. Louis University Hospital; and advisory positions past and present at the Shaw Nature Reserve at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Additionally, David continues to support the Bridges Program of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the maintenance of Forest Park’s Statue of St. Louis.

In 1928, David’s grandfather, George Hetzel Thornley purchased 416 West Springfield Avenue for his wife, Rebecca White Thornley, and two daughters: Elizabeth Jane Thornley Whitman ’36 and Ann Patricia Thornley Metcalfe ’39. To honor his family’s connection to Springside School, in 2015 David established an endowed a fund for the upkeep of what is now known as Jenning’s House, our head of school house, formerly the Thornley’s residence. This gift was made in honor of his grandparents.

When David finished his secondary education at Choate Rosemary Hall, he attended Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is this experience that left an indelible mark on David’s life, culminating in his initial purchase of 345 acres of Illinois farmland in 1987.

David’s ancestor, William D. Orthwein, had been one of the country’s leading exporters of grain and farm commodities so perhaps there is a familial connection to what has become David’s professional career as an investor in over 7,000 acres of farmland across the United States.

While at Springside, Nancy was cherished by her classmates who crowned her The May Queen for her understated leadership and genuine character. Despite moving to Greenwich, Connecticut, and settling in St. Louis, Nancy was a loyal alumna who corresponded regularly with her classmates, sharing her love of gardening, golf, tennis, and giving back to her community. She served on various board committees: The Women’s Exchange of St. Louis; Home of the Friendless where she served as president; the Junior League of St. Louis; and the Episcopal Diocese.

Agricultural school developed David’s business acumen in farm management and farm appraisal and fostered his passion for farming. However, before David embarked on his specific agricultural journey, he spent time after Cornell bolstering his business credentials by working as a securities analyst and then receiving his master’s in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. A trusted family friend, A. Pennington Whitehead, who farmed on an 800-acre dairy farm near Cooperstown in Upstate New York, served as a mentor and guide in both farming and life. “Penny” instilled in David the importance of being fiscally conservative, possessing a strong social conscience, and being well-educated.

SCH Academy is grateful to David for his generous spirit and loyalty by naming the Middle School and Courtyard Garden, which serves as the hub for our Middle School students.

This former Springside academic building is a warm and welcoming space that pays homage to the surrounding Wissahickon Valley. SCH Academy is grateful to the legacy families who have informed our past and shaped our future.

After Cornell, David became a securities analyst in an investment research department for a large St. Louis trust department. David then enrolled at Washington University’s Business School where he earned an MBA in business administration. It was then he realized his true passion by purchasing his first farm in Illinois in 1987. In purchasing his home farm in 1991 and building a house, David exercised his commitment to building an agricultural business that was sustainable and profitable. As an avid gardener, David’s properties include flower-filled prairies and formal gardens among the fields that are used for crops, and beautiful prairies that support wildlife. David’s farm has been featured in Town and Country Magazine and The Evening Standard (London) newspaper.

David modeled his philanthropy on the generosity of his uncle, William Orthwein Jr., and his wife, Laura. Through their support, numerous organizations large and small— educational, cultural, health, and welfare institutions— as well as the lives of thousands of individuals, were transformed by the generosity of the Orthweins. In this spirit, David and his uncle endowed the David Orthwein Professor in International Business in the John Cook

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school magazine spring 2022

renovations under way on sch's historic performing arts center When thinking of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s historic buildings, the first thing that comes to mind is the Wissahickon Inn, current home to SCH’s Upper School and administrative offices. But there’s another 19th century building on campus that has had even more incarnations than the inn, serving first as a stable, then a recreational facility, and finally a theater. This building is the “Rec.” For nearly 50 years, the Rec’s spacious, flexible interior has been host to a wide range of productions put on by the school’s Upper School theater troupe, the Players. It has been a home away from home for hundreds of students rehearsing late into the night. At various times, its main room has served as hangout spot, homework cubicle, fast-food restaurant, painting studio, and pre-production construction site.

Within Players, the Rec is known as the place where the “magic happens.” It holds a special place among generations of alumni, resonating with the memories of theatrical heartbreaks, triumphs, and the ghostly echoes of applause.

But after nearly half a century, this beloved space is showing its age, unable to accommodate the latest in theater technology and offering only the most minimal accommodations for the actors and theater goers.

The Restore the Rec campaign is transforming this treasured facility into a multipurpose, state-of-the-art performance venue appropriate for a wide range of musical, theatrical, and community events.

This campaign will ensure that our award-winning theater program, which continues to grow in stature and regional recognition, will have a performance space that appropriately showcases the talent, passion, and dedication of our students and the impressive quality of their productions while infusing one of our campus’s oldest buildings with renewed life and purpose.

Thanks to a foundational gift and separate challenge grant from former Players President Bruce Whelihan ’60, the $6.6 million Restore the Rec Campaign is well under way.

But more support is needed to complete the transformation of this iconic school facility into a state-of-the-art theatrical venue. If you are interested in helping this transformation, please contact Jenny McHugh, director of development, at jmchugh@sch.org.

The Rec's restoration began this fall with a new roof and dormer windows.

"I am personally committed to getting the Players back in the Rec as soon as possible.

Being without space because of the pandemic was bad enough. Please help the Players return to the Rec.” ~ Bruce Whelihan ’60

Bruce Whelihan ’60 in front of a rendering of the renovated Rec. school magazine spring 2022

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Building a More Safe, Open, and Authentically Inclusive Community Dear SCH Community: I write this in a cozy corner of our 62-acre campus as 42 student facilitators have gathered to practice the Social Action Workshops that they’ve designed in preparation for the seventh annual SCHout conference. Forty-two students who have dedicated an entire Saturday to this important work. As they meticulously prepare their slides and icebreakers, the action-oriented energy is palpable.

Just like our navigation of a global pandemic, our journey to building a fully inclusive community is ever evolving. But we are up for the challenge. As these students and their faculty mentors refine workshops such as "Inside Out: Changing the Mindset about People with Disabilities," "White Privilege in the LGBTQ Community," and "Reframing Sustainability and Confronting Environmental Injustice," I can’t help but be inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm with which our students approach this work and feel it’s a great time to reflect on what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) looks like in action across our campus.

Allow me to share a bit about what has transpired, what’s happening now, and what we are looking forward to in the world of DEI at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

With gratitude, Rayna Guy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Looking Back For some, the journey toward an inclusive community began in 2020 when the United States faced a moment of reckoning as people across the country gathered in protest of violence against Black and Brown citizens. These were raw and honest moments that served as a catalyst in the acceleration of the work that was already under way in our school community. Through candid conversations with families, students, and alumni that were honest, fruitful, and cathartic, four pillars of action were identified that would drive our work moving forward. Those four pillars are: 1.

Forming a trustee-level DEI Committee composed of trustees, parents, and alumni to consider and recommend practices and policy across all aspects of SCH.

2.

Creating a platform for discourse within our parent community.

3.

Hiring a workforce at SCH that better represents the diversity of the student body.

4.

Training our faculty and staff in DEI practices, rethinking curriculum, and analyzing the lenses through which we teach.

Student holds a sign of support during SCH's Day of Silence, a national student-led initiative to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools.

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Through candid conversations with families, students, and alumni that were honest, fruitful, and cathartic, we developed four pillars of action which would drive our work moving forward.

In the last two years, the school has taken steps to address each of these pillars.

Staff members have undergone intensive professional development in the areas of building and maintaining anti-racist classrooms and spaces for all students. Every staff and faculty member took part in professional learning communities, which met monthly throughout the 2020-2021 school year and discussed many topics such as stereotype threat, discipline practices, East Asian racism, mass incarceration, and personal mission drafting. Here are just a few of the personal missions crafted by members of our staff and faculty community: •

“To empower others to find power in themselves, find their purpose, and fulfill their purpose."

•

“To educate and activate others to advocate for equity and justice for historically and currently marginalized populations."

•

“I want to teach my kids that they can do anything they want as long as they are happy. I also want them to care about their community and speak up when there are injustices.”

•

“My mission is to inspire positivity, joy, confidence, and respect for others through my teaching, mentoring and parenting.”

Student facilitators lead a discussion during a student-led Day of Understanding (Now Moment of Understanding).

curriculum audit. Using standards developed by Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) that serve as a roadmap for anti-bias education at every stage of K–12 instruction, teachers in every department and every division are pouring over their curriculum and finding places where particular voices and concepts are missing.

In action, this looks like incorporating activities that illuminate the Buddhist culture as students in 10th grade English read Siddhartha, or highlighting the contributions of mathematicians from marginalized communities. By adding these voices into the curriculum in alignment with preexisting authors and topics, we aspire to cultivate an environment that is just and equitable for everyone.

Another key way in which we are ensuring that all students and staff experience a sense of belonging in the community is through the implementation of "Belonging Surveys" (an anonymous survey for constituencies to provide feedback on the climate at SCH), which have been administered to staff, faculty, and Upper School students with plans to have Middle School students participate as well. As a result of these surveys, we have identified and are already implementing key areas for growth.

Research by the DEI Committee has produced data in the areas of student retention, student success, and faculty retention, which is helping to drive our planning and programming for students and families.

As the world changes, so does our community. Through programs such as the Independent School Teaching Fellows of Greater Philadelphia— which seeks to recruit, train, and retain talented college graduates of color to become effective and creative teachers—we are working to ensure that the makeup of the adults in our community more closely mirrors that of our student body.

We are adding to robust programming already in place, such as AEIOU (Awareness, Empathy, Inclusion, Opportunity through Differences, and Understanding), a Middle School curriculum created to foster discussions around important topics related to DEI, and the annual SCHout conference, which welcomes 200+ high school students to campus for a day of sharing and learning, including workshops designed and facilitated by SCH students. A number of divisionspecific initiatives have been launched as we continue to grow some of our long-standing programming. Following are a few examples of all the things that are happening on campus to cultivate a true sense of belonging for every individual:

Of course, this only skims the surface of the work that is being done by our staff and students, both on and off campus.

Looking In One key way in which we are holding ourselves accountable to creating and sustaining change that will increase the sense of belonging in the SCH community is through a

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Lower School: •

Pollyanna: The mission of Pollyanna is to advance systemic change by developing stronger communities through programs that enhance cultural competency, racial literacy, and equity practices.

•

BREATHE: The goal of the BREATHE program (Be Ready to Embrace All through Hope and Empathy), developed by an SCH staff member, is to teach our youth how to embrace diversity and manage the feelings and curiosities they have around differences. The program's objective is to help students learn how to listen to each other, facilitate a safe space for them to talk openly about feelings and curiosities, and teach them how to have constructive conversations about difficult issues and personal reflections.

building an inclusive community in which every person feels a sense of belonging. The heads of the council are elected by the entire student body and sit on the Student Leadership Team. This council has a horizontal leadership structure, with all members having an equal voice.

Looking forward As we look to the future of DEI at SCH we would like to make note of several important additions or revisions to initiatives across campus, including, but not limited to: •

Horizons at SCH: a summer enrichment program for area students from under-resourced communities.

Horizons at SCH is part of a national network of 60+ tuition-free summer programs that deliver high-quality academic and enrichment support for students, Pre-K through high school. Students begin Horizons the summer after Kindergarten and return each summer through 8th grade. Last year's cohort of 16 students will be joined by another cohort this summer.

•

Diversity Parent Resource Network (DPRN): a committee of parents who are committed to promoting DEI work and celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DPRN aims to encourage and provide opportunities for the SCH community to engage and enhance its own understanding of diversity, and to help build trusting and positive relationships among students, families, and the faculty body as we work to promote inclusion and equity opportunities for all.

•

Addition of Learning for Justice standards in faculty evaluations: The Social Justice Standards (a subset of the LFJ standards) are a set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains—Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action (IDJA). These standards provide a common language and organizational structure. Teachers can use them to guide curriculum development, and administrators can use them to make schools more just, equitable, and safe. The standards are leveled for every stage of K–12 education and include school-based scenarios to show what anti-bias attitudes and behavior may look like in the classroom.

Middle School: •

Alumni Speaker Series: Begun in 2019, this series introduces Middle School students to alumni of color pursuing careers in various fields and provides opportunities for the students to ask them questions.

•

AEIOU curriculum: This DEI-based curriculum builds on SCH’s mission to create an inclusive community.

Upper School: •

•

Moments of Understanding (MOU): Occurring throughout the school year, MOUs are studentled conversations about various diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. During these moments, which sometimes include a speaker, the Upper School community pauses classes to engage deeply in a topic.

Recent MOUs have focused on race, LGBTQ allyship, and consent.

DEI Council: a student-led group committed to celebrating diversity, taking action to ensure equity, and

Of course it's impossible to capture the full scope of our everyday DEI practices within the confines of a magazine piece, but I do hope that this has illuminated the integral parts of how we live out our commitment to diversity on campus and beyond.

Sincerely, Rayna Guy Raichl Davenport, SCH's first Independent School Teaching Fellow, works with 4th grade boys at holiday time.

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welcome to our It is our privilege to welcome the newest members of who will serve for a three-year term ending in 2024.

William ("Will") F. Dunbar

William (“Bill”) H. Freeman ’91

Thomas Shaw Greenwood III ’01

Parent Children: Saki ’23, William ’24, and Grant ’29

Alumnus, Parent Children: William ’23, Madison ’24, and Holden ’28

Managing Partner, Dunbar & Associates, Government Affairs Firm

Financial Services Professional

Alumnus, Parent Children: Elizabeth “Lila,” Georgia, and John (“Jamie”) ‘35

"My most important impact on the world is my investment as a father in my three boys.

It is extremely important to me to spend my time ensuring that their school community is not only a place for them and their educational development but also a place where I can invest my time and talents to ensure all of our students and community are poised for success."

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"I have a strong sense of the history of both CHA and Springside in addition to SCH present day. With this experience, in addition to my background in the financial services industry, I hope to add helpful perspective to the board as well as the overall conversation driving the path forward for SCH."

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Principal, Springer Capital, LLC "As an alum and now SCH trustee, I look forward to seeing the rich history and many great traditions of both Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School blending with the exciting and innovative elements of SCH as we continue to move into the future. It is hard not to feel the great momentum that the school has going right now. From the brand new McCausland Lower School, to the Rec renovation, to the new and improved Commons space, there is so much to be excited about as an alum, a parent, a trustee, and a member of the community!"

new trustees the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Board of Trustees,

Maria Sordoni Hudacek ’02 Alumna, Former Springside Trustee Senior Client Associate, The Erickson, Hudacek & Leibman Group at Merrill Lynch “My love, respect, and appreciation for this school is what led me to become an SCH board member. It was during my first term serving that the merger was completed, and despite some rocky times, it was really important to me to be a part of this historical move. Seeing firsthand the immense growth and development of this school and its community since then has been extraordinary, and I am overjoyed to be back.”

Dr. Mark van der Helm

Mims Maynard Zabriskie

Parent Children: Karina ’24 and Ariana ’27

Former Springside and SCH Trustee, Parent of Alumnae

Vice President, Energy and Facilities Management Walmart

Children: Emily ’06, Marguerite ’13, and Isabelle ’16

"I am relatively new to Chestnut Hill and Philadelphia. Though my recent jobs have taken me outside of PA, our kids have stayed, and will stay, at SCH because it’s an educational institution at the forefront of preparing the next generation with the necessary talents, experiences, and curiosity they’ll need to have an impact on the world. My professional focus is the environment. In similar spirit to that pursuit, SCH will need to continue to reinvent itself to meet the needs of the coming generations, and I look forward to contributing to that evolution."

Partner, Morgan Lewis "My three daughters thrived at SCH (Springside) in different ways, with the common themes being excellent academics, encouraging teachers, and room to explore.

SCH helped each of my daughters develop talents they were naturally drawn to and discover interests they had no idea they had.

SCH never says “we have always done it that way” and instead says “why don’t we try it?” I have seen SCH transition from two excellent schools with distinct personalities to one extraordinary, focused school that inspires unbounded curiosity in our students. I am excited to be part of the next chapter of SCH’s growth."

"

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10 YEARS OF NURTURING ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDS CEL Celebrates Its First Decade

by Edward Glassman ’03, Executive Director, CEL

A

not been our experience. But, as a rule, schools are not a natural environment for nurturing entrepreneurship.

In fact, some children who grow up to be entrepreneurs have habits that most schools don’t value. According to Margot Bisnow’s research in her wonderful book, Raising an Entrepreneur, many young entrepreneurs question the rules and challenge authority. They want to do things their own way. They get bored and lose focus when the task at hand doesn’t interest them. This approach doesn’t square neatly with a traditional school environment, which puts more emphasis on remediating kids’ weaknesses than finding and supporting kids’ strengths. But if you can make it work, if you can commit resources and time to supporting and building a student’s entrepreneurial mindset, it connects with every modern pedagogical tenet that we value as educators. Fortunately, that is the exact commitment that SCH Academy has made for the past 10 years. We went beyond just building a Makerspace, despite how trendy that option was at the time. We focused most of our energy on

s the executive director of the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, I am fortunate enough to work with hundreds of budding young entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers each year. No matter what the project, our mission as educators remains the same: to instill in our students an entrepreneurial mindset. Each day, we create opportunities, case studies, and hands-on projects that challenge our students to become more resourceful, to apply creative problem solving, and to tackle real-world challenges at SCH, in their local community, or even across the globe. And above all else, to be resilient in the face of adversity. The work that goes on in CEL changes lives and sets career paths. It’s so much more than business; it is a powerful framework for the future of education.

The most common question I’m asked about my work is “why entrepreneurship?” Some maintain that this topic is not developmentally appropriate for kids, or that it’s too difficult to measure the outcomes. At SCH, this has

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Nike designers to design expandable shoes for children in third-world countries; or the junior who developed a mobile app that translates dog barks into English commands. It’s the diversity and creativity of these projects that reinforce the core principle of CEL—entrepreneurship is about far more than starting a business. It is a thoughtful, measured, and courageous approach to solving the world’s gnarliest problems.

people—the students and faculty who would be in those spaces every day.

Students begin their CEL work as early as Pre-K. Each year, these young students tackle a problem or challenge they see here at SCH or in the broader community. For example, our Pre-K girls work to protect Sea Turtles with the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, NJ. Our 3rd graders write and illustrate original children’s books to share with our youngest students. Our students build empathy through understanding the needs that their solutions must address. They reflect on the process of problem-solving, not just the final product. One major goal of these projects is get our students to a place where they ask, “why are things this way?” and “what can I do to make a positive change?”

I can’t take credit for this idea though; the students taught it to me. When I first began my work at SCH, I was expecting to teach a series of courses on business and finance. Instead, I learned that entrepreneurship, to our kids, is so much more than acquiring skills. It’s about empowerment. An entrepreneur is motivated, inspired, and ambitious. They take risks to do something they love, and use trial and error to succeed.

Then, in 5th grade, students begin our formal CEL curriculum. Every SCH student takes a multi-year sequence of hands-on, project-based courses, extending from 5th through 10th grade. These courses run the gamut from Social Entrepreneurship to Graphic Design to Digital Publishing. The CEL curriculum is ever evolving, and while the courses may change, the mindset we teach does not.

We expose our students to new ways of thinking and doing.

We show them the variety of tools that they can use to bring their ideas to life. We strive to help them find new passions and meaningful problems to tackle.

This is why I’m grateful every day for the opportunity that SCH Academy has afforded me, my fellow faculty members, and our students. Ten years of diligent work, belief, and trial and error has blossomed into thousands of stories of student creativity, resilience, growth, and real-world impact, confirming the belief that inspired the creation of CEL—that we can both “imagine the impossible” and achieve it.

Save The Date:

In 10th grade, students complete the CEL curriculum with the Capstone course—a unique, self-directed projectdesign experience. With the support of dedicated faculty mentors and access to specialized studios, students bring ideas inspired by their personal passions to life using the business, design, and technology skills learned in their previous CEL classes.

SPECIAL CEL 10TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL EVENT

After 10th grade, students may elect to continue their entrepreneurial work through the Venture Accelerator.

This culminating experience gives students the chance to fully launch the ideas they have investigated, tested, and prototyped through the Capstone. Venture Accelerator students connect with various mentors and investors, hire staff, file for trademarks and legal business entities, sell in the marketplace, and raise initial startup capital. These ventures have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in start-up funds in support of the students’ social impact initiatives and for-profit businesses.

ENTREPRENEUR AND EDUCATOR SCOTT GALLOWAY THURSDAY, MAY 12 | 7 PM Scott Galloway is professor of marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. In 2012, he was named one of the world’s best business professors by Poets & Quants. He has founded nine companies, including Prophet, Red Envelope, L2, and Section4. He is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Four, The Algebra of Happiness, and Post Corona. He has served on the boards of directors of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Panera Bread, and Ledger. He is a CNN+ host of a show on business and tech premiering Q1 2022. His Prof G and Pivot podcasts, No Mercy / No Malice blog, and Prof G YouTube channel reach millions. In 2020, Adweek named Pivot the Business Podcast of the Year.

The best way to answer the "why entrepreneurship?" question, however, isn’t with pedagogy or data. It’s through the stories of our students using their energy, passion, and creativity to address real-world problems. I could tell you about the senior who presented to a UN subcommittee in Geneva about her organization, Girls for Climate Justice.

(She has just graduated from college and you can read her essay later in this piece); the freshman who worked with

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A L U M N I

E N T R E P R E N E U R S

Doing It My Way stories of passion, courage, and persistence Against the odds

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Matthew, left, and Bryan Quigly in their Stateside vodka distillery..

Photo Credit: Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

The good news for entrepreneurs is that small business is American business, representing 99.9% of all U.S. enterprise.* Small businesses are the little engines that drive our economy.

The not-so-good news is that starting your own business is a high-risk pursuit. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% percent of new ventures fail in the first year, and only 34% make it to their 10th anniversary.

Despite these challenging statistics, there seems to be no lack of passion-driven people willing to take the start-up risk. We call them entrepreneurs. In fact, there were 31.7 million of them in the U.S. in 2021. Apparently this is a group that's not easily discouraged.

SCH Academy has its fair share of these noble risktakers among our alumni (and many more in the making in our CEL classrooms).

You'll meet many of them on the following pages, from craft vodka makers to blockchain experts. We're proud to call them "ours" and to celebrate their courage and perseverance

Bryan Quigley, right, and his brother, Matt, founders of Stateside Vodka.

in pursuing their passions—against the odds. *Small Business Administration 2020 Small Business Profile

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SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness. Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

SCH has always been a community that empowers young people to pursue their passions.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that many of our graduates go on to found their own ventures and enact positive, lasting changes in their communities.

Opportunity seeking and resourcefulness resonate particularly strongly with my business. After returning from Ireland where I earned my master’s degree, played professional basketball, and coached a U18 basketball club team, I knew I wanted to stay involved with the game.

I was introduced to a platform that allowed me to train young athletes on an individual basis while pursuing my passion in coaching and also coaching college basketball at Swarthmore College. Over time, that opportunity-seeking mentality led to small-group training, successful camps and clinics, and most recently the inaugural season of an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program in which over 400 athletes participated.

Through our Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we are seeing many more of these founders’ journeys with each graduating class.

Entrepreneurship is in our DNA, because entrepreneurship is rooted in resilience, selfbelief, and perseverance through all obstacles.

Our students learn those lessons in the classroom, on the sports fields, on the stage, and in our maker spaces just as often as they learn them by launching a company.

As my business grew, being resourceful and seeking opportunities became a larger part of what allowed it to grow and thrive. During COVID, we had to move training outdoors. When I had too many clients, I found ways to partner them up into small groups, and brought coaches in and trained them. This past year I created a new business, Next Play Basketball, with fellow CHA alum Matt Paul ’94, which serves aspiring youth athletes.

It’s why SCH is an engine for student ingenuity and innovation.

Edward Glassman

Executive Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

Thanks to all the alumni who responded to our survey and answered our questions (in

The biggest challenge for me was just getting my business started. I started with no capital, no clients, and no court.

I had to grow my business from nothing. All I had was a passion and a desire to help cultivate a love of the game in others. I had limited contacts in the area after spending four years in North Carolina and then a year in Ireland.

italics).

I began by building a website, doing grassroots marketing, e-commerce, and social media, all while I was booking my schedule, executing training sessions, and learning how to manage finances. I moved into an apartment in Philadelphia, not knowing exactly how I would pay the rent. I was confident that my passion and work ethic would allow me to succeed. And it has paid off.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

The greatest challenge is always finding the best space/ location to continue growing and expanding my business.

Court time can be expensive and tough to find. With the addition of Next Play Basketball, with 10+ teams this spring, and the demand constantly increasing for private or smallgroup training by Ryan Ansel Basketball, finding adequate court space to serve the athletes is more and more difficult.

RYAN ANSEL ’10 Ryan Ansel Basketball and Next Play Basketball: Basketball coaching and training for aspiring athletes

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What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

know who could connect you with the next investor or next big idea. Additionally, I face roadblocks regularly, which necessitates creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness.

The most rewarding aspect of my work is interacting with, mentoring, and inspiring kids. I didn’t have an easy path to get where I am; I was cut and told I wasn’t good enough at times, but I never gave up. I love watching aspiring athletes get better, grow, and dedicate themselves to achieving their goals.

Two recent examples: A client’s trademark request for their brand name was denied, forcing us to completely overhaul the brand identity and design elements with only two weeks to spare before we went to print on the packaging. We had to come up with a name, a logo, new typography, a new color palette, and implement everything. All hands were on deck.

It feels like yesterday that I was in their shoes aspiring to be a high school, then collegiate, athlete. Supporting young athletes as they chase their dreams is what gets me up every morning, even on those freezing December mornings when I train kids outside at 6 am before they go to school.

When COVID hit, we were partway through raising our friendsand-family round for an incubated project to build out a retail location. Many investors lost confidence given the climate, forcing us to pivot to a virtual telemedicine model. This ultimately led us to realize technology would need to play a central role in the future development of the brand.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Too many to count. Creating something—a brand, a product, a platform, a community—from scratch and seeing it come to life and have consumers buy it, use it, and love it gives me so much joy. It’s also been the greatest educational experience of my life. I learn so much every day when I’m forced to roll up my sleeves and figure something out.

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

Am I happy? Am I healthy? Am I fulfilled? Am I making a contribution that fosters connectivity and prosperity within my (or another’s) community? Am I fostering the growth and success of others? Will I leave a legacy? If yes, then I’ve succeeded personally. Is my team happy? Are they learning?

Are we diversifying the projects we work on or the initiatives we launch? Are we profitable? If yes, then my business has succeeded. Important note: the opposite of success isn’t failure. I’ve learned SO much from failures. They’re inevitable for every founder/entrepreneur, and they’re incredibly valuable. The opposite of success is not trying at all.

Alexa Lombardo ’08 Atomic N°8: Atomic N°8: A venture studio using blockchain technology and web3 principles to build future-proofed brands across industries

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

Zippy Pantry: A community based online marketplace for functional food brands targeting specific health concerns

I have several businesses. The first and main one—my studio/incubator—came from wanting to help founders with a clear mission bring that mission to life without

Pore House: A digital dermatology concept bridging in-office treatments, retail products, and holistic wellness

SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness. Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

"The opposite of success isn’t failure. I’ve

All of these resonate with me. Every day I’m looking for new opportunities to learn, apply my knowledge, make connections, and build my network, because you never

opposite of success is not trying at all."

learned so much from failures. They’re inevitable for every founder/entrepreneur, and they’re incredibly valuable. The

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compromising their values. Once I started working with clients across beauty, health, wellness, and food, I noticed market gaps and white space where I wanted to “play.”

And that’s how we started incubating. Zippy Pantry, our functional food marketplace, came out of the insight we received from some of our food clients. People are still struggling to understand what functional foods are, so we needed to make them more accessible. Pore House, the retail-to-telehealth company I mentioned before, came out of the insight that the dermatology experience is frustrating, fragmented, and outdated for patients and providers alike, which I learned after years of working with skincare brands.

I could go on. We have a lot of other ideas cooking right now, a lot in the web3, blockchain, and crypto spaces. I really believe web3 will foster so much change in our world, and blockchain will be a critical facilitator of solutions to so many everyday problems. This is really exciting to me.

tarnished, which is a huge risk when considering a business venture with a family member.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

The greatest challenge in business will always be finding the right, trustworthy, hard-working personnel. Currently we distribute our products to PA, NJ, DE, DC, MD, MA, CT, FL, and GA. We have a product and model that has proven replicable. We see our company growing into a national brand. If we had 100 sales reps that we knew could lead the charge in the various markets (states), we would be much more comfortable accelerating our growth moving west.

The innovation process typically involves trial and error. In the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we call this “failing forward.” Did you ever have a “failing forward” moment in your entrepreneurial journey that necessitated a pivot or shift in strategy, and if so, what was it and what did you do?

When COVID hit in March of 2020, businesses shut down, specifically bars and restaurants, and the PA liquor stores.

Immediately, within a few days, we pivoted to launching an e-commerce arm of the business. Two weeks later, we had roughly 30 drivers delivering our products to the doorsteps of thousands of consumers—a very profitable decision for the business.

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

My brother and I were always hustling as young entrepreneurs, selling candy and baseball cards, raking leaves and shoveling driveways, always looking for ways to make money and enjoy each other's entrepreneurial spirit. We always knew at some point we wanted to go into business together.

My father was, and still is, a vodka drinker. If it wasn't for his specific palate, we may not have chosen vodka or the spirits business in general. When we had the first conversation about making vodka, and googled how to make it, we surveyed the PA vodka landscape. To our surprise, there was not a quality, craft vodka being produced in Pennsylvania. Once we came to market, it wasn't long until Stateside was the top selling craft alcohol (not just vodka) being produced in Pennsylvania.

Matt and Bryan Quigley

bryan quigley ’04 Stateside Vodka: A distillery producing craft vodka, bourbon, and vodka-based sodas and teas What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

The two most rewarding aspects of starting and building this company have been enriching the lives of our 65+ employees and creating a culture where everyone is excited to get up and work hard for Stateside; in addition, seeing the vision my brother and I had six years ago come to fruition. I would imagine, if the business wasn't succeeding, the strong relationship between my brother and me could have been

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Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

The biggest challenge has been maintaining clear differentiation versus our competitors—across our website, social pages, marketing, and in our sales conversations.

I believe your brand should aim to be the “one of why,” meaning you should clearly articulate why you exist and, more importantly, why you are the only one doing it. This goes back to solving a problem creatively. If potential customers view you as similar to your competitors, you will find yourself working too hard to win new business.

In order to address this, we spent a few months reviewing our marketing content, messaging, and positioning. We hired a consultant to help us upgrade our overall branding.

Once we got to the point where prospective customers could understand why we exist and why we are different, the sales conversations were easier and we started landing bigger deals.

Andrew frank ’98

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Accelerain: A success-based sales development firm growing customers' revenue via meeting scheduling, sales recruiting, and consulting.

The most rewarding part is knowing that our service is helping other businesses generate millions of dollars in new revenue, and helping them close deals with major Fortune 500 companies.

SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness. Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

Personally, I value my time and independence. For the business, I measure it by how satisfied clients are with our service.

As a preface, Accelerain’s service is to help other businesses accelerate their sales development pipeline by helping them get more meetings, or training them how to do it themselves. Essentially, we are a sophisticated, outsourced, sales-meeting-scheduling company.

"I think the most important thing is to either find a solution to a problem or to solve a

When I started the idea, I already knew what the problem was, and there were already many solutions offered by competitors. However, these existing solutions were not great so I had to create a more compelling offering. The market is highly fragmented. Competitors were not getting enough qualified meetings with senior-level decision makers, so I focused on solving this problem.

problem better than existing solutions. "

I think the most important thing is either to find a solution to a problem or to solve a problem better than existing solutions. Without one of these, you may be wondering if there is a real market for your service or product. I constantly studied my competitors, reading through their websites, online reviews, and asking clients for feedback.

This is how I found the gaps to developing a better solution.

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me to stretch. It is in those times that I create my best products.

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

For me, success means going after your personal and business dreams despite any fear. Many times, failures are the events that turn into opportunities for important lessons to be learned. If we can lean into vulnerability, we can create space for courage. As I set my future personal and business goals, I consider how I can embrace my fears, learn the lessons of my failures, and find areas where I can be more courageous. It is then that I feel most successful.

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

I am professionally trained as a clinical psychologist and have been working in the field for almost 20 years. In my clinical work, I witness individuals’ struggle with self-love and confidence. I created a line of motivational products and branded the name of Inspiration Therapy. I chose that name because the word inspiration involves being mentally stimulated to do or feel something. Inspiration Therapy products are designed to inspire you to be the best person you can be. And to inspire you to do and feel something amazing.

shawn blue ’96 Inspiration Therapy: Clinical psychologist and positive messaging products.

"The 'failing forward' moments challenge What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

The most rewarding aspect of my work is creating products that will make others feel good about themselves in some way. Whether it’s encouraging self-love or self-care, it makes me feel good to be a part of that process. I am also very passionate about diversity, and so being able to integrate this passion into my product line has been very inspiring. I believe we all have valuable roles in the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and there are many pathways to creating change. Forging one of those pathways through Inspiration Therapy has been deeply impactful.

me because they birth opportunities to enhance my creative skills. It forces me to go deeper and consider what else might be desired. I see it as a gift because it encourages me to stretch."

The innovation process typically involves trial and error. In the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we call this “failing forward.” Did you ever have a “failing forward” moment in your entrepreneurial journey that necessitated a pivot or shift in strategy, and if so, what was it and what did you do?

I believe my entire business is based on “failing forward” moments. Although I always have a motivational or aspirational goal when creating my products, it always comes down to constantly trying to ascertain what customers want and will buy. The “failing forward” moments challenge me because they birth opportunities to enhance my creative skills. When certain products do not sell or market as well, it forces me to go deeper and consider what else might be desired. I see it as a gift because it encourages

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What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

I think it was Hannibal from The A-Team who said that he liked it "when a plan comes together.” Anybody can start their own business, but the stats suggest that most don’t make it past five years. With that said, seeing a project all the way through to a signed Purchase and Sale Agreement and a wire transfer is the most rewarding element and likely the only time that the founder can finally take a deep breath.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

For 25 years, the specialty AV industry was a goldmine, but as technology and distribution changed, so did the opportunities. Eventually, there was nothing “special” about the specialty audio-video business anymore. The people that helped “sell goosebumps” (as the old ad used to say) were impossible to find under the sodium lights of a warehouse store like COSTCO, Target, or Walmart. Simply put, modern AV products became too good—too fast.

Jerry Del Colliano ’93 FantasyDFSExperts.com: Online fantasy sports information site

The biggest challenge was accepting that a longstanding party, filled with hundreds of your longtime friends, was over. It took a while to accept that but I did. I sold my last AV publications in December 2019 and moved on.

My latest venture is an online publication called FantasyDFSExperts.com, which helps people who play daily fantasy sports (DFS) find the best players for their lineups every day and in many sports.

Luxury Online Publishing Group: Specialty audio-video and consumer electronics websites SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness.

Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

When I turned 16 years old at CHA, my father told me if I wanted to drive his car, I had to rent it from him for $150 per month. In order to pay for said “freedom,” I got a job selling audio-video gear at Bryn Mawr Stereo on Friday nights back in 1990.

Wow. That is a huge question. Professionally, success could be defined as doing something you love and making a suitable living at it. Making money for the sake of making money isn’t much fun. You only get one life and you should have fun every day, including at work.

Roll the tape forward to 1993 when I left Philadelphia to go 3,000 miles to Los Angeles to attend The University of Southern California. There, I quickly had to adapt my newly found audiophile and home theater sales skills to make enough money to afford higher West Coast costs.

Personally, it is important to always be mindful. Mindful of the impact of what you do on a daily basis. Mindful of living both for the now as well as preparing for the future. Mindful of the people who are around you and how to be supportive of them.

Before the end of my time at USC in 1997, the writing was on the wall for the then-booming music industry and the writing was clear: there wasn’t much opportunity for growth. With that in mind, I took an $11,000 commission from selling a pretty swanky audiophile and recording system to a professional poker player and quit my job.

Powered with a black-and-white Macbook Pro, a dial-up modem, and barely a clue, I became an online publisher in the pre-Google era.

I will never forget the lesson of Ed Stainton at CHA who ran the monthly hike program as well as other departments at the school years ago. He taught us to pick up at least one extra piece of trash than what we brought every time we went on a CHA trip. That’s the person you want to be.

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2021. The pandemic tested our dedication to our business but made our organization stronger and more resilient.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

One of my founding goals when starting Hudson Hil’s was to be more involved in our small community. Cold Spring, NY, is a vibrant small town sitting on the banks of the Hudson River in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Prior to opening Hudson Hil’s, I had been living in the Cold Spring area for 10 years and commuting to Manhattan, feeling disconnected from a culturally rich community that initially attracted me to the area. I had a deep desire to take our families’ talents and become an added force to our Main Street. After more than a decade, Hudson Hil’s Café is a cornerstone of the Main Street scene; we are here to serve the public and help create community. Patrons and community members alike often stop me to congratulate and thank me for Hudson Hil’s. I have not done it alone, however the sense of accomplishing something broader than concrete monetary goals is what has helped me persevere through the challenges over the years.

"Making informed decisions based on good data, putting your own ego

hilary sweeney hayes ’90

aside, and following through can lead

Hudson Hil's: A hometown bistro offering locally sourced ingredients in Cold Spring, NY

to higher levels of success than initially imagined."

Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

The innovation process typically involves trial and error. In the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we call this “failing forward.” Did you ever have a “failing forward” moment in your entrepreneurial journey that necessitated a pivot or shift in strategy, and if so, what was it and what did you do?

Owning and operating a restaurant during COVID is by far the biggest challenge we have ever faced with our business.

When COVID hit we were wrapping up the slow winter season and looking forward to a busy spring, summer, and fall in the Hudson Valley. Hudson Hil’s had been on a nineyear upward trajectory and there was nothing to suggest 2020 would be any different—that is until February 2020.

As the state and country shut down, our business closed its doors. I resisted the pull of Netflix and went into high gear, preserving and raising capital to secure the financial future of the business. Unraveling government programs, health protocols, and keeping our staff safe, informed, and engaged became my full-time job. We decided if we could operate without incurring massive amounts of debt, we would keep operating Hudson Hil’s. As vaccines were administered to the masses, business returned and we faced the next uphill battle, the labor shortage—customers returned but not the employees, which resulted in reduced hours of operation and capacity throughout the summer of

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Hudson Hil’s first opened its doors as a gourmet market and small café. We expected to serve the commuter community with local, fresh, take-home options while highlighting Hudson Valley products. We spent countless hours curating our offerings and identifying farms and manufacturers whose products and sourcing aligned with Hudson Hil’s vision. However, after being open for about three or four months, demand for the café was out of control; people formed lines down the block for our table service and brunch offerings. It became very apparent that the real estate housing the market was far more valuable as a café than a market. It was time to pivot! We maintained the same level of sourcing for our café and expanded it into the market and never looked back. As an operator it’s important to identify and listen to your customer base. The transition away from the market improved our margins instantly

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and moved the business to profitability much faster than expected. Making informed decisions based on good data, putting your own ego aside, and following through can lead to higher levels of success than initially imagined.

and finding new ways to tackle wicked problems like inequity in society. I need resilience to keep going after a funding proposal is rejected or to be resourceful enough to find ways to keep making a difference during lockdowns. I love the fact that entrepreneurial learning is a thread that runs throughout an SCH education.

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

As I was launching my career in my late 20s, I measured personal success through my success in the workplace.

However, as I started my family, my focus on family and community strengthened, and my achievements in the workplace felt shallow and began to lose meaning. My barometer for personal success become more about the lives I touched than the yardsticks of corporate life. Now I measure personal success by the positive impact we have on our employees’ lives, our ability to support our community, and to remain a positive presence on Main Street.

Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

We aim to make our services free to those who need them most, so I need to secure funding for our work. Early on, I lost sight of the need to keep building a pipeline of future funding, and a major grant we were waiting to bid for was delayed by six months. It was a really tough time, working out who to lay off and in what order. I feared I might have to close my business. I reached out to all my contacts and managed to secure funding to tie us over, but not before we had to let someone go who’d been with us from the beginning. It’s made me much more future focused, and reminded me to work on the business, not in the business.

I never want to be in that situation again.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

We help young people find their route through education into employment, providing employers access to future talent. We’re based in Cambridge, England, which is known as ‘Silicon Fen’ because of all the high-tech startups in the city, but we’re also the most unequal city in the UK based on income distribution. Seeing students from low-income families get to spend the day at places like Amazon’s Development Centre, programming Alexa or learning about drones, getting to know their younger employees, discovering their own talents and skills, and starting to believe that that they too could work in some of the exciting, world-leading businesses in our region–or even start their own–is incredibly rewarding. We’ve been going for six years now and the students we started working with at age 11 are now progressing into apprenticeships or going off to college with a far greater understanding of the opportunities out there for them and how to get there.

anne ueland bailey ’83 Form the Future: A social enterprise whose mission is to help young people move through education into employment, providing employers with access to their future talent.

What new innovations have you incorporated into your business?

We set out to disrupt how career advice and guidance is delivered in schools. In the UK students narrow their subject choices first at 13 and then at 15, so that most students who continue in sixth-form (equivalent to 11th and 12th grade) are only studying three subjects. When they apply to university, they need to declare their major before they start. How do you make decisions about what to study, particularly if those choices will affect what jobs you can do later on? Too often, schools push students just to choose

SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness. Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

All of them resonate with me. I am constantly seeking out new opportunities for partnerships or sources of funding

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the subjects where they’ll get the highest grades, but that can mean shutting the door on future opportunities. We’re trying to connect students with relatable role models doing a wide range of jobs, learning about what they do and how they got there, so that students can make informed decisions about what to study and what else they can do to keep exploring and developing their skills. We partner with employers whose employees love giving something back to their community and opening doors to young people who would otherwise miss out.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

I am a “solopreneur.” The current challenge is to determine how to move my business forward. Do I add employees or not? I have numerous clients in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), and I find that the need for my kind of services is increasing. In client work, legacy planning is often a top priority. Together we work to identify goals and plan for the future. We do sort of a mind-map exercise for life planning. In the same way, I am working on a “life plan” for Lionheart. If adding employees is the way to go, then policies and procedures need to be refined.

"There are always challenges and difficult decisions to be made. It can be easy to get bogged down if the focus is on the negative. Focusing on solutions, being resourceful, all the while looking for improvements, enables businesses to adapt and grow."

alix longfellow ’82 alix longfellow ’82

The innovation process typically involves trial and error. In the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we call this “failing forward.” Did you ever have a “failing forward” moment in your entrepreneurial journey that necessitated a pivot or shift in strategy, and if so, what was it and what did you do?

alix longfellow ’82

Yes, I’ve actually pivoted several times. I started out as a professional organizer working as a “generalist,” doing all aspects of both residential and office spaces. Working with my clients, I found I kept gravitating towards the home office and bill-pay issues. Turns out I really loved organizing financial information, so I joined the National Association of Daily Money Managers to develop that portion of my business. That shift allowed me to not only create organized spaces but also streamline financial aspects of my clients’ lives, helping them save money. Then I added in coaching.

Helping clients on a deeper, more meaningful level was important to me, so I completed a two-year coaching program to be able to bring that service into the consulting practice. When I first started out as a professional organizer, I had no idea it would evolve into daily-money-and-lifeaffairs-management work, but I am very grateful for those “failing forward” moments.

Lionheart Organizing Solutions LLC: A daily moneyand-life-affairs-management company, assisting people with important details of their lives, such as paying bills, paperwork, organizing, and technology issues.

SCH Academy’s Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership aims to nurture an “entrepreneurial mindset” in our students, characterized by opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resilience, and resourcefulness. Do any of these qualities resonate with your own experience as an entrepreneur and if so, how?

Absolutely! I use all of these qualities in running my business, as well as in the consulting work I do on behalf of clients. I am very analytical and a problem solver by nature.

The work I do requires me to be part detective, part project manager, and a determined advocate working to help solve complex client issues. Pulling from all of these qualities has been an integral part of my daily work life and helpful for entrepreneurial growth, I would add. Having an optimistic mindset is key too. There are always challenges and difficult decisions to be made. It can be easy to get bogged down if the focus is on the negative. Focusing on solutions, being resourceful, all the while looking for improvements, enables businesses to adapt and grow.

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step. Because the situation in Lemong’o is ever changing, I have learned to be flexible and innovative when facing challenges. Running a nonprofit can be overwhelming at times, but I will persist.

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

Am I helping people? Am I learning and growing along the way? Am I generating income? Do I find it gratifying? Am I contributing to the betterment of my clients? To me, when the answers to these questions are yes, I am successful.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

Fundraising is our ongoing challenge. We depend on donors, grants, beadwork sales, and various funding sources to maintain our commitment to the people of Lemong’o. We continually search for funding sources and ways in which to expand our donor base.

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

Ultimately it came down to wanting to have the freedom to create my own schedule doing the kind of work that I was passionate about. When I left Estée Lauder, I took a year off, traveled, and met a lot of inspirational entrepreneurs along the way. They were optimistic in nature, true go-getters who could adapt and learn as they grew their businesses. It made me want to do that for myself rather than working for someone else. What I didn’t know was what kind of business I should do. One day at Borders Book Store, looking at organizing books, I saw information about the NAPO annual conference (National Association of Productivity and Organizing). I thought to myself, I need to go. I did and it was fantastic! The biggest takeaway was that being an entrepreneur allowed me to design my ideal business, work with great people, and contribute to my clients, their families, and the community in meaningful ways.

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

I believe you succeed by serving others. When you serve others, an environment is created in which others want to help you—creating a circle of support.

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

The Lemong’o Project began with my lifelong draw to Africa and my dream of helping the children there. In the summer of 2005 I visited for the first time to volunteer with a service group. Each year thereafter I returned to volunteer, and in 2007 my journey led me to the village of Lemong’o in rural Kenya. It is there that a powerful story about the spirit of giving began to unfold.

The giving began with the Maasai people of Lemong’o and their gifts to me—one of the first white people to ever visit their village. They warmly welcomed me into their homes, and their generosity and genuine friendship overwhelmed me. I was treated like a member of their families. Soon I knew a piece of my heart would reside there.

Ravaged by years of drought and the weight of grinding poverty, the village’s needs were profound. I committed to help my African family, visiting for 4-6 weeks each summer to assist in whatever ways I could.

E

In 2009, I asked village leaders, together with community members, to prioritize their needs. Through this process, they identified improving nutrition, education, health, and employment as their most important goals. Together with Emma, my fellow volunteer, we pooled our resources and funded a number of village projects in these areas.

carolyn tague ’80 The Lemong'o Project: A nonprofit serving the nutritional, health, educational, and employment needs of villagers in rural Kenya.

I have returned many summers since to continue our work with the people of Lemong’o. My heart is filled with hope as I see the positive changes in the village.

Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

One of the biggest challenges I faced when forming my nonprofit was where to start. I never had the intention of creating a nonprofit, but over time it became clear it was necessary in order to raise funds to provide life-changing support to the people of Lemong’o. I dove into “creating a nonprofit” resources and took it from there—step by

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What was the inspiration for starting your business?

I've always believed in mind power and used positive thinking visualization and self-talk as I climbed the corporate ladder. I knew that hypnotherapy was an effective tool. I also used it for pain management between my junior and senior year at CHA after having a brain aneurysm over the summer of 1977. At the end of the day, I believe in the magic of humanity that binds us all together. That magic is simply….Love.

christian raphael ’78 Christian Raphael Hypnotherapy: A hypnosis service to help with mental, health, and behavioral concerns.

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

The greatest challenge is integrating rapidly evolving technology across multiple platforms, enabling us to even more efficiently work globally with more clients. It's a learning curve, and in no way is it insurmountable. This requires time, focus, and financial resources. That’s all.

The innovation process typically involves trial and error. In the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, we call this “failing forward.” Did you ever have a “failing forward” moment in your entrepreneurial journey that necessitated a pivot or shift in strategy, and if so, what was it and what did you do?

sara lippincott sacks ’72 Woolies: Hand-knit stuffed animals

My first big failing forward moment came about two years into my practice. It was really a "failing together” moment actually. I was so busy that I was working six to seven days a week. I was thrilled to be so busy and felt good about it. The thought never dawned on me—until someone suggested that I raise my prices (duh). By raising my prices, I would be valuing my time more and therefore work less, be compensated more, and enjoy a better quality of life. From that point forward I adopted the idea of knowing my value and then "adding tax.” So now, every time I raise my pricing, it is because I have added more value.

Entrepreneurs are known for overcoming obstacles and letting nothing get in the way of their dream. What has been the biggest challenge to your venture so far and how did you address it or are you addressing it?

By far, the biggest challenge is a steady stream of sales. I sell on Etsy, a global marketplace for all things handmade, and I've been with Etsy almost since its beginning in 2007.

For the first 10 years or so, sales were steady. But the last several years, since Etsy became very well known and very saturated, it is difficult to be seen. I need to do more off-Etsy advertising and promote with social media more (a LOT more).

How do you define success, personally and for your business?

For many years, we lived in Tucson, Arizona, where the art community is amazing and there are many upscale art shows, which contributed greatly to my success. But, since

I define success in my business by hearing and witnessing the effects of positive change in the lives of my clients, knowing that this affects them, their family, and future generations as well. I take a "long view” approach to my work.

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moving back to the East Coast, I'm still looking for upscale art shows that are appropriate for my work and customer base.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

The joy and love that my customers show for my Woolies.

It makes it all so worthwhile. I have so many memories of doing art shows, and a child (or adult!) finding the PERFECT stuffed animal. I recently did a repair for a customer who has bought many Woolies over the years. Their new puppy decided it was a good plaything. When they sent it to me for repair, you could just feel the love that little toy has brought to the child.

What new innovations have you incorporated into your business?

This is the most fun and rewarding aspect of my Woolies! I am always creating new characters (as a customer recently referred to my Woolies). Lately, I've been wanting to create a mushroom doll, so have been looking for inspiration.

Recently, I created a whole herd of little llamas, using organic cotton sherpa material (the softest and most natural material I've found in a long time!). They are all handsewn, each a little different. So much fun to create!

Hope Simonin Garza ’69 H.O.P.E. Grocery Bags: Reusable Bags for Helping Our Planet Earth (HOPE) What has been the most rewarding aspect of your business?

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

There are several answers. One was discovering that there was an appreciation for the bags and other products that I sewed. I feel like, in a small way, I am helping to reduce the use of plastic bags and hopefully to improve the environment. The other reason is that it made retirement much easier to adjust to. As much as I looked forward to retiring, I didn’t know what I was going to do to fill up the days. Finding out that the act of creating is such a pleasurable experience, I now look forward to getting to work each day. I do not lack for something to do; in fact, I lack time to fit all my projects in each given day.

My mom taught me to knit as a child. Many years later, I retaught myself. I started with all the usual knitted things, until my family got tired of handknit scarves and socks. I knew in my heart I wanted to knit stuffed animals. I wanted to knit magical little creatures for kids. I am an animal lover (to put it mildly; we currently have three dogs, three cats, one horse, one pony, and one mini-horse. Almost all are rescues. Over the years, we've had goats, a desert tortoise, bunnies—you name it! I even love snakes and tarantulas! At the time, I was raising my two boys. I found some vintage knitting patterns, and my journey began. I remember being so excited at the first little bunny I knitted. That thrill never ends.

What do you see as your greatest challenge?

In 2014, on the advice of my daughter, I opened a shop on Etsy. The biggest challenge in this enterprise is promoting and/or driving traffic to my shop—getting individuals to visit my online business platform. I have tried to address this goal, but with little success.

However, I am determined to succeed. What keeps my sales up is attending craft fairs and enjoying success with the sale of my product.

This makes me realize there is a market for reusable grocery bags. Even though I have sold over 1,000 bags, my goal remains to make my business a viable online platform on Etsy so that I do not have to attend craft fairs. They are fun, and I enjoy meeting and talking to people, but fairs are very labor intensive and tiring.

I recently knitted a mole. Who would actually knit a MOLE? Someone obsessed with all animals and the magic of childhood.

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How do you define success, personally and for your business?

My thought process for this venture—creating an online presence on Etsy—is the following: I will continue in this endeavor or enterprise so long as I do not lose money. Since establishing my business in 2014, I have not ended a single year in the red. This achievement continues to provide much hope that I can continue to expand the business. Do I consider my business a success? Yes. I have many repeat customers who like my products; I sell my merchandise in three stores here in San Angelo, Texas; and I have expanded my products to include five different kinds and sizes of bags.

In addition, I make dolls that come with a reusable grocery bag with a poem about recycling (which I wrote), to educate our future generations about caring for our planet Earth.

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

I was inspired to start this business after my husband and I became dog owners for the first time in 2012. On our walks with our first dog, Bleck (a retired military working dog), I observed litter and trash throughout our streets and public places. I specifically noticed plastic bags trapped in bushes and tree limbs, in bodies of water, in gutters, and other places. These plastic bags became my pet peeve.

Even though I had already been making these bags and giving them away to family and friends as gifts, my daughter said I needed to sell them. Thus, the birth of my business, H.O.P.E. bags (Help Our Planet Earth). I designed a logo and registered it as a trademark. This logo is embroidered on a patch which is then sewn on each bag. As individuals use my bags, they can feel they are part of a widespread movement to improve our environment.

LeaManly-Power Kusner ’68 BBOWS/MSOA (Baltimore Board of Officials for Women's Sports/Maryland Select Officials Association) Assign game officials to high school and youth field hockey and lacrosse games in the Baltimore Metropolitan area

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?

I enjoy giving back to the two sports that have done so much for me. Working with young athletes and watching field hockey and lacrosse grow is very gratifying. I get a chuckle when a youth player says "you reffed my mom's lacrosse games!" Or when a college player tells me I have been reffing her games "all her life!" And the special friendships with my umpire colleagues will stay with me forever.

I love seeing how women’s sports have grown, providing opportunities for players to excel at the higher levels. Title IX has opened up a world that was not available when I played at Springside and in college. Having a career that puts me in contact with young athletes is extremely rewarding.

Additionally, I have fostered long-term friendships with officials from all over the country.

What new innovations have you incorporated into your business?

When I initially began the assigning process in 1996, most of the work was accomplished via snail mail and phone calls.

With the advent of computers and the internet, most of my communication with schools, recreation departments. and umpires is currently done via email, text, and my website. Schools and officials can access their schedules

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John Langdon Harris Jr ’09

electronically, thereby streamlining the process. With the freeing up of my time, I have been able to expand my coverage into seven counties.

JLHarris Art and Design Branding, web presence, web design, brand awareness, rebranding, product design, and commissioned fine art pieces and installations

What do you see as your greatest challenge going forward, either for your industry or for your business individually?

The greatest challenge faced in my business is the nationwide shortage of officials. Our state has encouraged interested parties to sign up for training, but our best success is by word of mouth. We need younger people to enter the realm of officiating. If anyone is interested, they should contact their local officials group (maybe through a school athletic director) to get trained. We'd love to have you join us. For example, when officiating adult leagues, we often approach the players after the game and offer them an opportunity to give back to the sport in the form of blowing a whistle.

"Every project is different. Even if it may look similar, it’s different because no customer is the same. That’s the beauty of the creative industry. No one communicates their visions the same way, which then influences me differently every time."

Nasir Yard ’04 Phresh Prints Ink Screen printing embroidery and uniforms "Among the obstacles I faced was having enough capital to maintain inventory, expenses, and still grow. Scaling and employee turnaround also have been things I have overcome. To solve capital issues, I had to manage and budget money well, while building my personal credit and business profile in order to get a business credit card and start leveraging funding to help grow."

What was the inspiration for starting your business?

I played both field hockey and lacrosse at Springside, in college and post-collegiately. After I left my banking job following the birth of my first child, an umpire in my adult club league suggested I start officiating as it was “great pin money.” After 18 years of blowing the whistle, I expanded my involvement in both training and administration by assuming the role of assigner whereby I send referees to various games in the area. Now it is a full-time career.

Morgan Berman ’04 MilkCrate A software platform for nonprofits to launch their own templated mobile app to boost and track program participation "I started MilkCrate because I had worked in nonprofits and was frustrated by how inefficient they were and how much they struggled to demonstrate and measure their impact."

Glitter A subscription cleaning service for neighbors to hire someone in need of extra income to keep their block free of litter.

Following are brief profiles of those alumni who provided summary information on their businesses.

"I started Glitter because the streets of Philadelphia are disgusting and I wanted to fix it on a systematic level."

Anthony Prousi DDS MD ’99 Prousi Oral & Facial Surgery Surgery center and Oral Surgery practice

Stephen Skeel ’13 7 Wonders Cinema Video Production Agency

"The aspect of my business I've enjoyed the most is creating an optimal surgical team that cares deeply about helping others and building a business that has reproducible and reliable systems in place."

"The biggest obstacle we faced was ageism. Potential clients were hesitant to trust young entrepreneurs. We combatted that with confidence and good work. They couldn’t ignore a quality product and someone who is passionate about it."

Jody Dobson H’94 Dobson Educational Services, Inc Helping families to find the right schools or programs for their children.

"The aspect of my business I've enjoyed the most is the satisfaction of helping kids, many of whom have been really struggling."

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ALBERT (RICK) D. STEWART ’71

Bill Griffith ’93 Sleeper 9 Films Media and event production company

Stainless Steel Services, Inc. Supplier of polished stainless steel plate and sheet

"I work in an industry where success only comes from being an effective problem solver and persevering. The largest obstacle I faced was a lack of confidence in my abilities as a leader and producer. I overcame it by building off one success to the next."

"If I wasn't smart enough about a subject, I knew I could out work anyone, a tribute to rowing for CHA (1968-1971).

Never, ever, quit."

Lisa Webb Howe ’68

Graham Gardner ’91 Kyruus Healthcare software serving more than 350k providers and 80 million members across more than 750 hospitals and 70 health plans

Artisans on the Avenue Retail clothing store in Chestnut Hill "The aspect of my business I've enjoyed the most is meeting people that I never would have met."

Ellen LONGSTRETH Goodwin ’63

"I love the opportunity to present a vision for how things can be better and then finding others far better than me to join in helping to make it a reality. More than anything, it is about telling stories—something I learned from my mother, Aileen Gardner, who also helped to impart that gift to others during her time at CHA."

Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors Residential real estate business "Every single day we face obstacles and solve problems for our clients. That is one of the many facets of the business."

Tracey L Wolfson ’85 Anthony (Tony) Carroll ’62

Bacchus Market & Catering A catering and gourmet market based in Philadelphia

Southshire Enterprises Freelance writing, editing, marketing & consulting

"I get the most satisfaction from happy and excited customers! At the end of an event, I enjoy the immediate gratification of smiling, grateful clients. I am a people pleaser and bringing joy to others is a huge motivation for me."

"The aspect of my business I have enjoyed the most is writing—time flies when I'm creating."

Leigh Rebmann Oler ’80

Margaret Estes Powell ’51

Consider It Done Organizing and Decluttering Service "The aspect of my business I enjoy the most is decluttering and staging homes for real estate brokers and their clients and decluttering for aging clients."

Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment

MICHAEL PRECOPIO ’78

"It's time to think unselfishly and gear our ambitions and talents to solving critical issues in governance and society.

Apathy, indifference, and postponement are obstacles. The earth needs help—today."

A model for educating retired folks across the US to lend their time, social capital, financial resources, and unique lived experiences to the broader US climate movement

Summers Laboratories, Inc. Dermatologic pharmaceutical products "I continue to thoroughly enjoy business ownership, though I have recently pivoted more to teaching and business mentoring. I have paid enough for my mistakes for everyone and I am hoping to amortize the cost by sharing my experience with others."

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C L A S S NOTE S NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI NEAR AND FAR

Class Notes through January 31, 2022

60s 1960

70s

are 112 wonderful recipes ranging from dinner options (including vegetarian) to drinks, appetizers, and desserts). This fabulous cookbook will be available for purchase just in time for Alumni Weekend!

1970

Bob Peck’s article, “The Great Auk Memorial,” was featured in Natural History Magazine. Bob traveled to Iceland this summer and writes about “the six-foothigh bronze sculpture of the Auk, which is a flightless bird driven to extinction through its excessive harvest by humans in the early 19th century. The Great Auk was a large black and white bird that lived on fish and other seafood.

It once ranged widely on ocean edges as far south as northern Spain and along the coastlines of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Ireland, and Great Britain.

Being flightless, it became an easy target for humans and other invasive animals in need of food.”

1966

Syd Lea was awarded the 2021 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Syd has always had a passion for writing. A former Pulitzer finalist (in poetry), Lea published his 13th collection of poems titled Here. The Governor’s Award is "the most distinguished recognition bestowed by the State of Vermont. Accordingly, it is reserved for Vermont artists who have had a profound impact on their field within the state of Vermont and beyond."

The governor selects the recipient from a list of nominations compiled from across the state and vetted by the Arts Council."

Congratulations, Syd!

1962 Dulcy Renner Kushmore has been hard at work gathering recipes from 36 classmates for a first cookbook dedicated to the Class of 1962. There

80s

It’s a small world out there.

In December, Michael Beautyman ’05 reported that he stopped by the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society Office at his new duty station on Puget Sound, Washington. "One of the local relief employees is Suzy Kurtz Klorig, Springside ’66! Shrinking the world even further, her husband, a retired Navy captain physician, spent a career working in diving medicine. I am the command diving officer for the region’s three shipyard dive lockers, and just transferred from the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, where Captain Klorig helped shape how we operate safely beneath the waves.”

1977

1986

Classmates reunited after 30 years! While Philip Pearson was visiting his daughter Maggie 1991 ’20, a sophomore at Amherst, he had a chance to catch up with classmate Darryl Harper, chairman of the Department of Music at Amherst College and an assistant professor!

90s 1991

Rosaleen Gembala Parsons has moved to the beautiful island of Maui to be chief of radiology at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

KEEP IN TOUCH Wedding bells? New baby? Career change?

Share your news at alumni@sch.org

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Benita Pendleton Williams is the new executive director of the Philadelphia

school magazine spring 2022

1999

Philadelphia, Morgan's professional experience and connection to our city will support the organization's mission of reducing the impact of poverty among our neighbors.

Anthony Comis and Jillian Watson were married on November 5, 2021, at Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port, Cape Cod. (See photo on page 41.)

Sarah Stevenson, chief integrity officer for the City of Philadelphia, and her wife, Libby Peters, welcomed James Edward (Jed) in July 2021. Jed loves touring the city with his big sister, Findley (Finn).

Annual "Mike Hike" Class of 1991

Ian Pilling ’91 and classmates held their 5th annual “Mike Hike” on the Appalachian trail to commemorate Mike Masland ‘91, who passed away in 2015. Pictured (l t r): Jonah LeCompte (Mike’s son), Sam MacBride, Ian Pilling, Bill Freeman, Mike Welsh, and Jack Masland (Mike’s son).

Garth Harries (not pictured) and his son, Jonah, also participated in the hike.

Children’s Alliance. Benita has three decades of experience in Philadelphia’s child welfare system, most recently serving as vice president for community services at Bethanna where she was responsible for providing in-home and foster care services. She previously served as operations director for the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

James Martin and Kaitlin MacKenzie were married on May 1, 2021, at Bolingbroke Mansion in Radnor, PA. (See photo on page 41.)

and her work has been conducted by many of the world's greatest conductors. In December, Amanda’s Piccolo Concerto was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Amanda will be our Springside Class of 1957 Artist in Residence and will visit the school in the spring to work with our Middle and Upper School musicians, in addition to giving a performance for our community. Amanda says that she's "grateful to the influential and supportive teachers from Springside, perhaps most of all to Tony Hurdle, who has had a lasting impact on how she thinks about music."

00s

2001

Emery Maine Greenwood ‘06 and Thomas Greenwood ’01 welcomed a new bundle of joy, Elizabeth “Lila” Storm Greenwood, born on January 10. Big brother Jamie and big sister Georgia are “so happy, too.”

1997 Amanda Harberg is an accomplished composer whose work has been described by the New York Times as “a sultry excursion into lyricism.” Her writing weaves classical Western tradition with contemporary influences,

Duncan Pearson and Lauren Elizabeth Patterson were married at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on May 22, 2021. (See photo on page 41.)

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2004 Morgan Berman has been appointed executive director of Life Science Cares Philadelphia. As an internationally recognized entrepreneur and local community leader in

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Zan Morley Gerard and her husband, John, welcomed a baby boy, Birch Rupert Jonathan Gerard, on December 8, 2021.

2005 On April 10, 2021, Michael Beautyman married Lauren Spink. COVID-19 necessitated a very small, secluded ceremony, but the couple were lucky to be joined in person by Joe Rosen ’05 and by many other classmates via Zoom.

(See photo on page 41.)

Ali Noel and her husband, Jackson, announced a new addition to their family— Elizabeth DeVadder Noel (Lizzie)­—born on July 3rd, 2021. Lizzie and her big brother, Jackson (now 4.5 years), are "just in love with each other."

A Big Apple Birthday for Peter Ferraro ’13

Friends for Life: Class of 1997

Friends gathered in New York City to celebrate Peter Ferraro’s birthday (l to r): Sam Sheppard ‘12, Henry O’Reilly ’12, Jamie Hearn ’12, Peter, Jack Maine ’11, Carl Delacato ’12, Augie Frank ’12, Philip Kelly ’14, Mason Blake ’14, and Michael Calistri ‘12.

Class of 1997 Springside classmates met for a mini reunion this summer in Newport, Rhode Island. L to r: Emily Mahlman, Genevieve Biswas Rozansky, Erin Wilson, Sarah Greenwood Salmon, and Libby Irwin Randall '98.

Bunny O’Reilly married Lincoln Prentiss in Watch Hill, RI, on October 2, 2021.

(See photo on page 40.)

Bonnie Anderson Vehlies started a new job in January 2021 as a senior resource modeling analyst at NextEra Energy in the renewable energy industry, designing commercial size wind farms to help put more renewable energy on the power grid.

2006

Jane Gray Henderson and her husband, James, welcomed a baby girl, Honor Randolph Henderson, on October 18, 2021.

Dr. Marty Schardt graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in May 2020 and began his four-year residency in psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in June 2020.

Marty and Laura Henry were married on October 9 at Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia. (See photo on page 41.)

2009

Katie Chaser was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania! This is a competition to select a role model and spokesperson for people with disabilities across the state. Each contestant competes on a special platform. Katie’s platform is about inclusivity in exercise. Katie stated, “I want to educate people about the importance of an active lifestyle and having a safe place to exercise, just to improve everybody’s well-being.” She will compete in the national competition for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America.

Way to go Katie!

Charlie Frank married Taylor Arnold on November 6, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia.

(See photo on page 41.)

Abigail Gendler and Collin Laffey were married on September 18 at Glen Foerd in Philadelphia. (See photo on page 41.)

2011 Dr. Michael Fuery graduated from Georgetown School of Medicine in 2019 and is currently in his third year of residency at the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine. He has recently been selected as chief resident for 202223 and will then pursue a fellowship in cardiology.

10s

2010

John Canning and Alexia Pereira were married on October 23, 2021, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (See photo on page 41.)

Robert L Ervin III married Caroline Wright on October 9, 2021, in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. Many CHA friends and family were in attendance to celebrate the special day. (See photo on page 40.)

Will Ferraro married Grace Tiedemann on October 23, 2021, at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. (See photo on page 40.)

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Dr. Dominique Jones graduated from Drexel University Medical School in May 2021 and is doing

school magazine spring 2022

Rob Ervin III ’10 Wedding Back Row (l to r): Ed Donnon '77, John MacEachern '77, Pat Hawkins '10, Rob Ervin III '10, Jaime MacEachern '14, Graham Ervin '13, Stephen MacEachern ’80, Rob Ervin Jr H'08, Front Row (l to r): Anthony Gacita '10, Jack Anthony '10, and Peter Anthony '14.

Bunny O'Reilly ’05 Wedding (L to r): Maura Cheeks ’05, Emery Maine Greenwood ‘06, Lucy Ross ’04, Bunny, Ariane Lee ’05, Ali Mainka Noel ’05, and Zan Morley Gerard ’04

Alex deBerardinis ’12 Wedding

Will Ferraro ’09 Wedding

Many classmates and friends were in attendance including (l to r): Monica Schardt, Alex Ambrosini ’12 (Best Man), Alex, Johnny Hass ’12 (Best Man), Reuben Treatman ’12, and proud mom, Rene deBerardinis H’19.

her residency at SKMC at Thomas Jefferson University/Nemours Pediatrics Delaware (formerly AI duPont Hospital for Children) specializing in pediatrics.

(L to r): Peter Ferraro '13, Ruthie D. Strong Ferraro '79, Will Ferraro ’09, Grace Tiedemann, Tom Ferraro, and Ellie Ferraro '19.

2014

Jose. Alex and Andrea are the proud parents of sweet Maya, born May 13, 2021!

CA.

2015

2012

Peter Davis was promoted to senior consultant at Oliver Wyman.

Alex deBerardinis and Andrea Martinez were married in Santa Ana, CA, on June 22, 2019. Alex and Andrea first met each other while teaching for Teach for America Corps in San

school magazine spring 2022

with family and friends supporting her, through all five NYC boroughs. She loved the experience and hopes to participate in more marathons in the future!

2017 Winter Chernack ran her first marathon in November,

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Maja Lynn was awarded the prestigious 2022 Marshall Scholarship for Graduate

John Canning ’10 and Alexia Pereira

Abigail Gendler ’10 and Collin Laffey

Michael Beautyman ’05 and Lauren Spink

Anthony Comis ’04 and Jillian Watson

Studies in the UK. The Marshall Scholarship funds students with exceptional academic records and leadership potential to study in the United Kingdom after receiving their undergraduate degree.

Maja is an anthropology and museum studies senior at the University of Pittsburgh.

With the scholarship, she will pursue a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. After

Marty Schardt ’09 and Laura Henry

Charlie Frank ’09 and Taylor Arnold

receiving her master's, Maja hopes to pursue a PhD in anthropology and eventually develop exhibits and memorials for societies dealing with the aftermath of conflict.

James Martin ’97 and Kaitlin MacKenzie

Duncan Pearson ’97 and Lauren Elizabeth Patterson

portfolio management analyst for their REIT fund starting in January.

world. She’s committed to raising $10,000 and hopes that her fundraising efforts can make a difference for those who may be battling cancer. Please visit her page for more information: http://danafarber. jimmyfund.org/goto/ graceyang

Grace Yang will be running in the 126th Boston Marathon on April 18th for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in honor and memory of her father who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005. DanaFarber is dedicated to both cancer research and care, transforming the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the

2018 Mike Buck graduated from Ursinus College a semester early and accepted a job with FS Investments. He will be working in their Philadelphia office as a

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school magazine spring 2022

Living Legacy: Donor Profile Rosalie L. Hunter ’82 Alumna, Former Trustee, P'16, P’17

Over the years, Rosalie has “stood firm” in her commitment to Springside, CHA, and now SCH Academy.

Campus Master plan transformed the school’s 62 acres with new walkways, playing fields, and landscaping.

During her leadership as former president of the Springside Alumnae Association, Rosalie was steadfast in her urging the school to meet the challenges of its future with wisdom and bold action. “Springside never rested on its laurels; and I think that no one could disagree that our alma mater made great strides over its 130 years. As SCH Academy, with the blended history of the two schools, the commitment to excellence now and in the future has never been stronger.”

Building on her philanthropy, Rosalie intends to honor the Hunter-Ferry family legacy that has been a part of the CHA, Springside, and SCH Academy communities for over 100 years. This legacy includes her grandfather, Alfred Reeves Hunter ‘16; her grandmother, Virginia Carpenter Biddle ‘21; and her father, Alfred R. Hunter ‘45. (Both her grandfather and father were presidents of the CHA Alumni Association!) With her children, Hunter Ferry ‘16 and Taylor Ferry ‘17, Rosalie has named the school as the beneficiary of her IRA. This bequest will be directed to the school’s endowment and will fully fund The HunterFerry Family Scholarship Fund at SCH.

As a member of Springside’s National Alumnae Council, chair of the Springside Athletic Hall of Fame, and committee chair for the Maine Event Golf Tournament that established a scholarship in memory of Jordie Maine ‘79, Rosalie has never shied away from fundraising. As a trustee, her lead gift to Common Ground, Phase 1 of the

save the

date

1982 1987

ALUMNI

weekend

With this gift, SCH Academy will "stand firm" now and well into the future.

1942 1947 MAY 13 & 14

2022

1952 1957

1962 1967

1972 1977

1992 2002 1997 2007

2012 2017

in memoriam (as of january 31, 2022) alumni 1939 Martha Allen 1942 Marjorie Carpenter 1943 Dorothy Yerger Sheffield 1945 Margaret Kingsley Blake Torrey (Also Former Faculty/Staff)

1946 Kaighn Smith

1960 James M. Toney Jr.

former faculty/staff Vincent Keaser

1948 Anthony M. Zane

1970

former trustees James F. Mootz Jr.

1949 Isaac H. Clothier IV

1973 Scott F. Goldstrom Steven F. Killough

(Also former Faculty/Staff)

Helen Warner Pepper

1984 Jocelyn Johnson

1958 Susan Achenbach d'Hermillian Albert B. Nesbitt

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??

? ?

??

? ?

??

??

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DO YOU KNOW THEM? BE THE FIRST TO SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER AND WIN AN ALUMNA/ALUMNUS GIFT! Here’s what we need to know: Who’s in it? What are they doing? When did it happen?

Send your responses to Deidra Lyngard, SCHool editor, at dlyngard@sch.org or call 215-754-1616 and we’ll publish your reminiscences in our next issue.

Last Issue's Mystery Photos Left: Unknown (but charming!)

Right: Class of 1949 in 4th grade, waiting for the rain to stop (l to r): Daniel Hunter, Quartie H. Clothier IV, David Arndt, Dwight Lawton, Billy Page, Chas Wood, Hank Crouter, and Harry Baird.

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school magazine spring 2022

through the lens

SCH school spirit caught on camera

In their CEL class, 3rd graders made light-up signs for SCH’s windows promoting what our community is all about.

resilience | integrity | thoughtfulness | diversity | courage school magazine spring 2022

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congratulations!

2022 alumni awards Awardees will be honored on Friday, May 13, During Alumni Weekend chestnut hill academy awards

springside school awards

Young Alumnus Award: Greg Lobanov ‘10

Distinguished Alumna Award: Wanda Stewart ’77

Alumnus of the Year: J. Bruce Whelihan ‘60

Young Alumna Award: Rebecca Chin ‘02

Roll of Fame Award: Eamon Javers ’90

Distinguished Service Award: Sally Ellis Quale ‘57

Honorary and other awards will be announced at a later date.

board of trustees 2021–2022 Dr. M. Brian Blake Rashad I. Campbell ’08 John S. Detweiler ’91 Brooke DiMarco William M. Doran Dr. Stephen L. Druggan, Head of School William F. Dunbar William H. Freeman ’91 Alexander C. Goldsmith Thomas Shaw Greenwood III ’01 David Hayne Maria Sordoni Hudacek ’02 Thomas G. Kessler ‘88 Dr. Youngmoo Kim

Timothy W. Levin Patrick S. G. Lindsay, Chair Peter S. Longstreth ’62, Honorary Deborah E. Maine H’16 Ludlow Miller, Honorary Janie B. Parker, Honorary Edward C. Rorer ’61, Honorary Elizabeth M. Salata ’02 Marjorie Kershbaum Shiekman ’67 Nadine Badger Stevenson ’90 Andrew C. Topping Mark Van Der Helm Camilla (Kim) Whetzel H’17 Mims Maynard Zabriskie

representatives to the board of trustees Frank V. Aloise Jr., Chief Financial Officer Stewart J. Greenleaf Jr. ‘96, President, CHA Alumni Association Thomas Watkins ‘78, Vice-President, CHA Alumni Association Katie Warwick Schreiner ‘95, President, Springside Alumnae Association Rebecca Morley ‘00, Vice-President, Springside Alumnae Association Fay Dunbar, President, Parents Association Rachel Silva, Vice President, Parents Association Jennifer James McHugh ’84, Director of Development David Rauch, Director, Admissions and Enrollment Management Maria McNichols, Board Liaison Early Childhood Center meets Upper School at Blue and Gold Day.

school the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy

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