Young Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Scharf ’12

— BY SARAH FULTON ’09 & ELIZABETH WILSON TAVILOGLU P’19

Meet Dr. Jonathan Scharf, a 2012 Storm King graduate and class salutatorian who, to many, is living the proverbial dream. Earning his PhD in nanoengineering at UC San Diego in May of 2021, Jonathan now resides in sunny San Diego, California where he works for Tesla, Inc. as a senior electrode engineer. Reflecting on his time at SKS, he tells us about his trials and tribulations as a teenager in need of clarity, direction, and purpose. And how, looking back, his time at The Storm King School set him on a new path toward success and becoming the person he is today.

2012 Student Council - Dwight, President (front center) & Jonathan, Senior Class Rep (top right)

“I often think back to where I was then and where I am now. When I do, I find that life has a funny way of twisting, turning, and redirecting its path in a way most fitting to the individual. Coming from an unsettled home life, I was tossed about from place-to-place at a young age; without a sense of security, without consistent friendships or connections, and without the mental clarity to direct my passions and find purpose.

The Storm King School changed that for me. My time there allowed me to push through a critical, transitional period where life went from a thing slipping through my hands to an ocean I could swim through. It was not perfect, but with a bit of life experience under my belt, I now have the balanced perspective to appreciate just how much of a gift a Storm King education was to me at that crucial moment of my life.”

Jonathan (front center) with the 2011-12 cross country team

Born in Israel to an orthodox Jewish family, Jonathan says his family’s stringent religious lifestyle became difficult for his mother, who broke away taking his sister and him to live in New York City. “As a result, I grew up with the dichotomy of a religious lifestyle in one home and a secular lifestyle in the other,” explained Jonathan. “At the age of 11, my parents decided that some distance would be a good remedy so they enrolled me in my first boarding school. I attended three boarding schools before coming to Storm King.”

“Despite previous accommodations on my record for behavioral issues, I also had a good academic standing, so the admittance committee at Storm King enrolled me in the tenth grade,” continued Jonathan. “The structure was a bit overwhelming at first, and my first few trimesters were challenging both academically and socially. To help improve my grades, I was required to attend study hall every evening. It turned out that this structure was exactly what I needed. During study hall, I discovered that I actually liked to learn. There were no longer any distractions in the extremely quiet Ogden Library, and my chaotic mind found a way to be silent. Then, where the chaos left, the academic interest entered.”

According to Jonathan, the structure extending to extracurriculars and student life at Storm King also helped him immensely. “Storm King required students to participate in an afterschool sport or activity each trimester. Being the inactive, overweight young man I was, I initially chose theater. Little did I know, I learned to love every second of theater and performing. Acting gave me a way to vent and express myself constructively, and the social environment with my peers helped me to open up and make friends.

I was also required to participate in physically active after-school activities. Initially, I tried basketball, then moved on to participating in cross country, Ultimate frisbee, outdoor adventure club, and even wrestling. I succeeded in juggling all of these extracurricular activities with my studies; and even started on some side projects such as creating the School’s first short film, becoming a Dorm Leader, performing in the chorus, and joining the student council. By the end of 2012, my senior year, I had finished four AP classes as the salutatorian with a 4.2 GPA, acted as the lead role in our final musical performance, and became the deciding factor in the School’s win for the Hudson Valley Athletic League (HVAL) wrestling championship that year.”

Fast-forward a decade after Jonathan’s graduation from SKS. “Where am I now? I am almost two years out from earning my PhD in Nanoengineering from UC San Diego and I work at Tesla as a senior engineer. Is my life perfect? A strong ‘No.’ However, I do love my life, and a big reason for this is my time spent at Storm King. SKS provided a beneficial structure and curriculum that allowed me to excel in my academics and extracurriculars. The diverse and profound connections with my peers and teachers helped me to develop my social skills and to feel more fulfilled as a person.”

As a young SKS alumnus on the upward climb of his life and profession, Jonathan hopes his reflections will resonate with current Storm King students and new graduates. “Life is full of walls, and we as people are forced to decide how we react when we approach each new wall. We can either smash it, climb around it, or start a new path entirely. We cannot control life, but we can choose to love ourselves and the decisions we make. We can choose to forgive ourselves, and life itself, for the medium of experience it paints around us. To work with, enjoy, and rule the storm of life; I believe this is what it means to be a Storm King alum.”

Cierra Martin ’17

Cierra Martin ’17

“After graduating from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Work (IO) Psychology in the United Kingdom at Loughborough University. Traveling has always been a passion of mine. It was my time at The Storm King School, however, that marked my first real travel experiences with service trips to Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Storm King provided a global experience with both its community and opportunities. I knew I wanted to experience this again in the next chapter of my education and athletic career. After four years of NCAA Division III women’s soccer and serving as captain for two years at Simmons University, I knew I didn’t want to stop playing the sport I loved. This past year I joined Loughborough University's women’s football program and recently earned awards such as “top goal scorer” and “coach’s award.” As I near the end of my Master’s program and reflect on my academic journey, I can firmly say that Storm King allowed me to find my passion while also allowing me to develop as a future leader both on the field and in my career.”

Dwight Ramseran-Hyman '12

Dwight Ramseran-Hyman '12

“It’s been 10 years since I graduated from The Storm King School, but I think a lot about how my time there shaped my life and helped me realize my potential. Since graduating, I went on to attend the University of Richmond where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at their undergraduate business school. I moved into strategy consulting shortly after, starting out for almost a year between DC and New York before moving to London for two years and getting the chance to work across Europe and the Middle East. I returned to New York at the end of 2019 and have since settled in Park Slope, Brooklyn along with my dog, Bodhi.

Today, I work as a manager at a health tech company in the behavioral health space, helping my organization implement transformational projects that improve the way we do business and serve our customers. I credit the personalized attention and leadership opportunities I received at Storm King that gave me the confidence to go after these amazing opportunities and believe in my ability to continuously learn and grow as both a professional and a person.”