From the MA Recording Studio to the Silver Screen

Jessica Amen '98

Jessica Amen '98 transferred to Marin Academy as a junior, where she appreciated the inclusive community and strong learning services at the school. She went on to study the business of music at USC and pursued a career in creative advertising where she has worked with major studios in the entertainment space. Today, she recognizes the importance of saying "yes" more, and worrying about the future less.

What are your most vivid memories of your time at Marin Academy? What specific classes, teachers, or events had a lasting impact?

I transferred to MA in my junior year after two years of public school. MA was a totally different, more open, and inclusive collaborative experience. Student voices mattered and were heard and listened to. It was the 1990s, and one thing that impacted me a lot was to see meetings for people who are Queer. Groups met under the big tree in front of Foster Hall to connect and support each other. I loved and wanted to embrace that inclusion and the safe space it created.

All of the teachers were amazing. In a history class, a teacher tasked us with interviewing a relative who experienced World War II. My grandfather had been in the war, and I had the best time learning about his experience. He passed away a couple of years after the interview, and I cherish those special moments we had together.

My first Minicourse was on live music production. We went into a recording studio and learned how to record a song. I'm a singer, and learning how to record music was really cool. It had a big impact on what I decided to do in college

I am a strong believer that if you are going to be in the performing arts, you should not be just a performer. You should know the ins and outs of the industry so that you can make informed decisions throughout your career. It is important to know your industry as a whole and not just the part you do. You'll be a better partner.

What challenges did you face during your time at Marin Academy? How did you overcome them, and what did you learn from the experience?

My biggest challenge was that when I transferred to MA, I went from being a straight-A student to getting Bs and Cs. After a surprisingly dismal score on the PSAT, and with the support of faculty and staff at MA, I learned that I am dyslexic. MA was really supportive in helping me navigate dyslexia and prepare me to succeed in high school and beyond. For example, going into college knowing I had this disability, I was able to get my textbooks read on tape so I could listen to them, which was a lot easier for me than just reading 500-page textbooks!

You went to the University of Southern California after attending Marin Academy. How did your time at USC influence your career trajectory?

I was a music major in the early days of the Internet. I had many friends in the music industry, so I started building websites for them by teaching myself to code. I found a job via Craigslist as a web producer and launched a career in the industry. Today, I'm a Director of Client Services for a creative advertising agency. We help companies in the entertainment space expand on their core stories. It's not traditional advertising; it's much more on the creative side. We work primarily in the entertainment space. Major studios will come to us and say, "We have this movie." We will ingest the movie and then expand on the story.

For example, I worked on an X-Men movie, Days of Future Past, where we created a website called Bent Bullet. In the movie, Magento had been in prison because they basically said that he killed JFK, so we had made this whole website to expand on this concept. We created a 3D model of the inhibitor collar that he wore to keep his powers from working and hired a really amazing copywriter to write a Times Magazine-style article all about this story.

I am a strong believer that if you are going to be in the performing arts, you should not be just a performer. You should know the ins and outs of the industry so that you can make informed decisions throughout your career. It is important to know your industry as a whole and not just the part you do. You'll be a better partner.

JESSICA AMEN '98

A project we are currently working on is an augmented reality app for a board game called Finders Creepers. It's like Clue meets Pokemon Go meets Memory, and it shows 3D monsters on the board with animation when you catch them. It's been three years in the making, and it's about to launch!

Can you tell us more about your recent role as a producer on the film Exposure, in which your husband Will Rothhaar starred?

This was my first producer role for a feature-length film. It's a small independent film my good friend wrote and directed. He asked if I wanted to produce it and if my husband wanted to star in it. We said "yes!" and started shooting in January. We're just doing this on our own time, so it was a weekend here and a weekend there, and we just wrapped about two or three weeks ago.

The producer role differs depending on the size of production. In this case, I wore a lot of hats and did everything from confirming shoot dates, to ensuring talent had wardrobes, to working really closely with the director to make creative suggestions where I found it necessary.

Will and I have experience working together and communicate well. I actually raced sailboats, and my husband started racing sailboats as well. Working together on the film was easier than that! As a producer, I'm not working so closely with the actors. The directors are really the ones doing that, so there wasn't anything for us to butt heads about except I would give him his lines and be like, "Have you been studying? Are you off book yet?"

You have been open about some personal health challenges. Would you like to share more about those?

My journey with fertility and pregnancy has been challenging over the past few years. My husband and I began trying to conceive in early 2020, and I became pregnant for the first time in July 2021. Unfortunately, I experienced a miscarriage at 7-8 weeks. After undergoing a D&C procedure, I developed a rare complication called Asherman syndrome, requiring reconstructive surgery. I later became pregnant again but sadly miscarried a second time. Throughout this difficult process, I've been open about my experiences, wanting to raise awareness about how common miscarriages are—1 in 3 pregnancies results in a miscarriage—so that others going through similar struggles don't feel so alone.

In January, my life took another unexpected turn when I suffered a heart attack at a young age. I was diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a condition that primarily affects women in their 40s but is not fully understood. I experienced unusual arm pain and a heaviness on my chest, so I went to the hospital and was there for five days. This health crisis effectively ended my attempts to become pregnant, as doctors warned of a 50% chance of another potentially fatal heart attack if I were to conceive.

Sometimes it feels like my body has let me down. I'm a "doer," but I can't do anything in this situation. In a way, I think this is life teaching me to let go. Some days it's harder than others.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself to say "yes" more, spend more time in the moment, not worry about the next day, and be really present with the people in your life.

How do you stay connected to the Marin Academy community as an alum? What does that connection mean to you?

I go to local alumni events and donate. I care about supporting Tuition Assistance for current students because I was on financial aid. It is really important for kids to have the MA experience regardless of their financial situation.

Benjamin Lee Amen writes, "My better half Tracey and I still live in Costa Mesa; in May 2024 I was promoted to Field Service Technical Specialist at Lucid Motors where I've been for almost 3 years, and in June I earned my Commercial Pilot Certificate in my '69 Bonanza shortly after crossing the 500 hour mark in my logbook. My sister Jessica Amen '98, brother-in-law Will Rothhaar, and I are still playing music around Los Angeles in our band 'The Family'."

Catherine Chenoweth-Smith writes, "My partner, Nic, and I live in Seattle with our daughter, Amber, and our dogs, Dio and Pabu."

Dorsi Bonner shares, "I've been working as a Realtor (both Residential and Commercial) as well as a Sustainable Real Estate Advisor for the last 7 years here in Marin and the greater Bay Area. I feel so lucky that I get to help clients alongside my husband, Cameron Weissensee '03, who also works in Real Estate/Green Building and Design. We are based in Mill Valley and have a 3-year-old and a baby. I love connecting with the MA community and hearing what everyone is doing."

Jhani Griffin Amabile shares that she is, "still located in Arvada, Colorado, loving life near the mountains with my husband and two boys. After twelve years as a teacher for deaf students, I'm shifting away from the classroom and taking on the role of Literacy Specialist. I also live in the same neighborhood as Risa Monsen '04! We'd love to hang with other alumni in the Denver area."

Marijanna Shurtz reports, "Enjoying happy and healthy family life in Rocklin, CA. Teaching art and yoga classes while raising our three-year-old daughter. Hobbies include gardening and exploring the beautiful lakes in our area."

Nicholas Chen shares, "I founded a logistics business based in the Bay Area. We manage inventory, fulfill orders, and handle logistics for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies. I am currently splitting time between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Rio Beardsley writes, "I'm in the final stage of my training at Stanford—I serve as Emergency Medicine Chief Resident. After residency I plan to stay in the Bay and work as an emergency physician in both Marin and SF."

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Victoria Eliot says, "I live in Los Angeles and head up the Project Management team for NBC Universal's media agency. My husband Ken and I welcomed our second son Sidney James Eliot Belcher this past September. Our three-year-old Theo loves being a big brother."

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Max Meyers says, "I'm officially in my mid-30s and still happily writing computer programs for work. My social circle is mostly made up of junk food mascots."

Bennett Schatz shares, "Got married."

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Adrian St Francis "continues mergers and acquisitions work for Debevoise in New York, and revels in all the emotions that go with parenthood."

Ari Goldstein says, "Hi MA! I recently came back from an incredible backpacking trip in Antarctica (where I tried to put my MA Outings skills to use). This fall, I'll begin my final year of the JD/MBA program at Penn."

Jessie Colin reports, "I moved back to the Bay Area after 4 years in Boulder, Colorado to attend Stanford for a Master's in Learning, Design, and Technology through the school of education. I'm studying place-based, climate change, and outdoor education. Seasonally, I work as a backpacking instructor for NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) where I lead students through the wilderness on expedition courses. I also work as a Product Designer at Planet Labs, at the intersection of climate and design. In my free time, I've been competing in local trail races and seeing some MA coaches out in the wild—grateful for my years running at MA that continue to inspire me."

Madeleine Weiss shares, "I just graduated from UC Davis School of Medicine and am beginning my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UC Irvine."

Maximilian Banta says, "I've been working as an actor in LA since graduating from USC which has been a dream of mine since high school. David Sinaiko & Annie Elias, if you're reading this thanks for your incredible training and constant encouragement back then. I also run marathons now... NYC in November!"

Benjamin Strassman shares, "Hello MA, I hope everyone is doing well! Since graduating MA, I am so proud to announce that I have signed a contract with the Nevada Ballet to dance for them during their 2024/2025 season as a company apprentice. This would not have been possible at all without the support and education that I received while I was a student at MA. They say Nevada's a great place for aspiring ballerinas, but I'm worried this desert heat will really plié on me… Besides that, I have been taking classes while dancing right now for the Oregon Ballet Theatre. It's been super fun, and I am learning a lot."