2022 NEXUS Magazine

While we unquestionably exist within the framework of elite and private institutions, our mission of being better than the real world also demands of us that we examine our school. How can we undermine the cycle of socioeconomic inequity and empower students to understand its flaws, rather than just perpetuate it?

Question. Create.

"Community engagement is an opportunity for students to put our competencies into action. There are so many ways that Demonstrated Empathy, Compelling Expression, and Imaginative Curiosity come into our work with community engagement.

On the Cover

THEN:NOW

Two pieces of MA student art from across the decades. The piece on the left was found in one of our earliest literary magazines from the 1977 1978 school year attributed to E.M. The piece on the right was created in 2022 on Scratchboard by Devika M. '23.

I believe that together we can support our students and one another, and we can continue to lean into the learning, listening, and, yes, questioning, that will help foster a more compassionate society.

TRAVIS BROWNLEY, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Abby French, Spanish Teacher and Crossroads Director

MA is a place where I felt comfortable learning to be me and accepted for the me I chose to become.

TAYLOR TAN ‘06 2022 GRADUATION SPEAKER, MATH TEACHER AND COACH

What's

&

PRESENT &

MISSION DRIVEN FUTURE-SHAPING

SPOTLIGHTS

Head's

Over the last 50 years much has changed at Marin Academy. We’ve built new buildings and fields, expanded our programming, and thoughtfully refined our educational philosophy. As I shared in last years’ NEXUS magazine, changemaking is in our DNA. Yet, as our school evolves, our cherished features such as Outings, Visual and Performing Arts, Wilderness Quest, and experiential and relevant classes continue to have profound impacts on our students.

In these 50 years, Marin Academy has celebrated Wildcats wins, student work, college acceptances, graduations, and the countless poignant moments of thousands of young people. We’ve witnessed the expansion of educational technology, transdisciplinary learning, competency-based education, and implemented new equitable grading strategies. Each moment has helped Marin Academy become a school that sees opportunities where others may see challenges, and students thrive as scholars, athletes, and artists. Thousands of students have entered adulthood at MA and went on to make a difference in the world far beyond MA’s circle. We’ve been guided all along by our founders’ vision of a school with experiential learning, intellectual challenge, and global citizenship at its core.

This issue of NEXUS features a brief history of Marin Academy, five decades of words and images highlighting interesting milestones along our journey. Our Dean of Faculty, STELLA BEALE , shares the excitement and vision that led us to launch our new Penn Fellows program, and our new Dean of Equity and Inclusion, PIYA KASHYAP , shares her visions for the future. We’re always celebrating and spotlighting our incredible alumni’s accomplishments and can’t wait to see everyone at our upcoming 50th-anniversary events. Athletes, artists, and our recent graduates contributed much to our community this year, and we’re delighted to share their incredible accomplishments. Last, and certainly not least, our annual report shines a light on our generous community's gifts of time, talent, and treasures. We hope you enjoy this special 50th-anniversary edition of NEXUS.

Marin Academy celebrates 50 years of offering the highest caliber instruction and encouraging students to think, question, and create. Our thoughtful approach to educating and developing young people will serve us well into the next half-century.

In celebration,

Travis Brownley, Head of School

Brizendine Visiting Scholars

Each year, generous funding from the Brizendine Scholars program infuses the MA community with new ideas and outside expertise. This year’s program was allocated to the math and performing arts departments. The math department offered a unique MAth Blast program in April, just after spring break. All students had the chance to work closely with innovative mathematicians on unusual and fun math problems.

Sophomores joined seniors working with Mobius strips and magic, numbers, and issues of reapportionment, symmetry, and dance. Ninth and eleventh graders mixed as they examined polyhedra, fractals, sucker bets, geometric puzzles, and probability during the two days of workshops. Workshop leaders included:

Henri Picciotto, Urban School

Avery Pickford, Lick-Wilmerding/Math Circle

Bree Pickford-Murray, Bay School

Karl Schaffer, DeAnza College

Stacy Speyer, Author

Anna Weltman, Proof School

Paul Zeitz, USF/ Proof School

The performing arts department’s plans centered on having the whole community experience dance, theater, and music in various engaging settings; the May 31 program was canceled because of COVID. We look forward to the programing for next year!

Go Forth!

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

The Class of 2022 witnessed incredible change throughout their high school experience. This class began their senior year determined to do their part to rebuild our community and become reacquainted after the pandemic. They were determined to have the fullest high school experience possible. The students in the class of 2022 created bold and beautiful art, shared brave senior speeches, lived resiliency, won championships, and found joy in the small moments of being together.

The photographers, painters, sculptors, mixed media artists, actors, dancers, and musicians in this class moved and inspired us with their art. Fifteen seniors were honored, some multiple times, for their incredible contributions to the local artistic communities. In all, nineteen MA students were recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s most prestigious program for high school artists. Twelve MA artists were featured in San Rafael's Youth In Arts Gallery Rising Stars exhibition, four of which won awards for their contributions. Sixteen MA photographers won local photography contests.

Twenty-eight MA students won awards, totaling nearly $5000 from the Creative Youth Awards.

Our seniors helped us garner seven undefeated league championships (girls volleyball, boys soccer, girls soccer, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys swimming, girls swimming), two North Coast Section titles (girls soccer, girls lacrosse), and the NorCal Regional Championship for boys soccer. These seniors experienced the final season of sports in the 90-year-old pool built initially by the former San Rafael Military Academy.

From the moment our seniors kicked off the school year, they actively cultivated community, creating an arch of carnations, welcoming and cheering as the entire school passed through—a joyful representation of their commitment to inclusion and community-building. Active IDEQ leaders made new affinity spaces like the Gender Queer Affinity Space and evolved our Women of Color affinity group in strength and purpose. The Class of 2022 brought their light and generous spirit to Marin Academy, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for them as our newest alumni!

HEAD’S CUP

The Head’s Cup was established in 1987 to honor the centering values of Marin Academy inspired by the school’s first Head, William McCluskey. The graduate receiving this cup best exemplifies the ideals of the school while nurturing and demonstrating a deep moral commitment in all that they do. In their relationship with peers, the faculty, and the administration, this student has shown strong attitudes of mind and character.

You can find this year’s recipient of the Head’s Cup, AURORA ROBATHANWU, researching complex topics one day and making up whimsical songs the next. When studying in the library or contributing to a group research project, she is kind, adventurous, thoughtful, and funny. Whether lifting up the voices of those heard less frequently, finding connection with those around her, or working to see and understand different perspectives, Aurora authentically leads with both her heart and head.

ZUMBRUN AWARD

In memory of Danielle Plumb Zumbrun and in recognition of her keen appreciation of nature and her sense of responsibility as a caretaker of the earth, this award recognizes outstanding student leadership in the Outings Program.

This year’s Zumbrun recipient, GEORGIA HAASE COX, has pulled off a truly incredible feat: even though they attended MA during COVID when trip offerings were greatly reduced, they managed to go on over 30 outings. They led trips for their IDEQ group, joined day hikes and camping and backpacking trips, tried rock climbing in gyms, tide pooling, and Wilderness Quest. Their unquenchable enthusiasm made newcomers to the program feel welcome through their easy joy in the outdoors and curiosity about the world of experiential education.

Amherst College

Babson College

Boston College (3)

Boston University (2)

Bowdoin College (2)

Brown University (5)

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (3)

Carleton College

Case Western Reserve University

Chapman University (2) College of Marin (2)

Colorado College

Duke University Eckerd College

Emory University Fordham University

George Washington University (2) Georgetown University (4)

Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College

And They're Off...

Lehigh University

Middlebury College (2)

New York University (2)

Northeastern University (2)

Northwestern University (2)

Oberlin College (2)

Occidental College (2)

Pepperdine University

Pitzer College (3)

Pomona College

Reed College

Sarah Lawrence College

Scripps College

Skidmore College

Smith College

Southern Methodist University Stanford University (2)

Syracuse University (2)

Tufts University (3)

Tulane University of Louisiana (2) University of California, Berkeley (3) University of California, Los Angeles (2)

University of California, Santa Barbara (2) University of California, Santa Cruz (2) University of Chicago University of Miami University of Michigan (4) University of Oregon (5) University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of Southern California (3) University of St Andrews (2)

University of Virginia, Main Campus University of Washington, Seattle Campus (2)

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2)

Vassar College

Villanova University

Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University

Go Wildcats!

This year Marin Academy student-athletes exploded back into athletic competition, with seventy-three percent of students donning Wildcat jerseys to play at least one sport. The Wildcats didn’t miss a beat with seven undefeated league championships in Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Boys Swimming, and Girls Swimming. Marin Academy’s outstanding student-athletes also took home 18 North Coast Section Scholastic team awards. Our Girls Lacrosse and Girls Soccer made history with Marin Academy’s first North Coast Section

Championships in each respective sport. Both Wildcat soccer programs reached the NorCal Regional Championships, with the girls team finishing as runner-up and the boys team winning the NorCal Regional playoffs against Archie Williams after losing to them in the North Coast Section Championships. We’re also excited to announce our golf program has expanded with a new girls golf team. This remarkable year in Wildcat Athletics was made possible through the incredible dedication of our studentathletes, coaches, athletic staff, and parent volunteers.

Shout Out to Our Wildcats

UNDEFEATED LEAGUE CHAMPIONS Girls Volleyball Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Boys Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse Boys Swimming Girls Swimming

NORTH COAST SECTION SCHOLASTIC AWARDS Girls Volleyball Boys Water Polo Girls+ Water Polo Boys Cross Country Girls Tennis Girls Basketball Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Boys Basketball Boys Swimming Girls Swimming Boys Track Girls Track Baseball Golf Boys Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse

NORTH COAST SECTION RUNNER-UP Boys Water Polo Girls Volleyball Boys Soccer

NORTH COAST SECTION CHAMPIONS Girls Soccer Girls Lacrosse

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONS Boys Soccer

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARIN ACADEMY

At a Sausalito restaurant in September 1971, a group of visionaries set out to create a different type of school. College preparatory, of course, but not a conventional prep school. Instead, students would develop “a love of learning for its own sake” because it would be a place “for ‘doers,’ not sitters.” The atmosphere was to be “informal, friendly, flexible, industrious,” and the environment an “enthusiastic” and “happy” one so that students could “work to the best of their individual capacities… academically, athletically, and artistically.”

The founding Board hired WILLIAM “BILL” MCCLUSKEY as MA’s first head of school. Bill envisioned the school as a family, which meant that it would be based on respectful dialogue and an utter lack of pretense.

There was a tremendous amount of work to do before classes could begin in September 1972. Students had to be recruited, a faculty hired, and a curriculum set. There were roofs to patch, walls to paint, and pipes to replace. The heavy cannons that the San Rafael Military Academy left guarding The Circle had to be hauled away, and the clowder of feral cats who had taken up residence in Foster Hall had to be shooed away. It was a time when everyone rolled up their sleeves with a can-do spirit.

Bill McCluskey, Marin Academy's first head of school

MA’s proud tradition in the arts also began with the school's founding. MA’s theater productions were sophisticated and bold from the beginning. Theater directors did not shy away from controversial topics; by spring 1976, the tradition of studentdirected One Acts was established. Students demonstrated their interest in poetry, music, and visual arts in various ways. MA’s first yearbook purposefully included pictures of student art and poetry. The school’s first literary magazine, Sifted From Thoughts Swept Under the Carpet, was published in 197475, including drawings, paintings, and photographs as part of its content documenting the graceful power of MA’s early dance program and the refined skill of MA’s first visual artists. The senior project program was introduced in May 1974, and many students relished the chance to devote whole days to the arts. Still, others sought internships and community service opportunities, just as seniors do today.

These programs attracted more and more students as the years passed. Even by spring 1975, MA was not the same place it was in fall 1972, as it had grown from 59 students to 210 students. The school was transforming and reflecting the changing world around it.

So many of today’s signature programs find their origins in MA’s first years. The Outings Program, for example, offered trips on eleven of the twelve available weekends in fall 1972, and Minicourse was initially offered twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, as a way of affirming the school’s deep commitment to experiential education and personal growth. MA’s athletic program began with a modest start in fall 1972 with four teams: boys cross country, boys soccer, girls tennis, and girls volleyball, but soon MA athletes were finding success: MA brought home its first Bay Counties League titles by fall 1974.

MA’s second Head of School, BRUCE SHAW, recognized the changing landscape; his solution was to infuse the academic program with greater sophistication. While MA had long offered courses like Calculus, French 5, and Spanish 4, all of which were “geared toward Advanced Placement testing,” Bruce wanted something more. The school began offering AP courses that would earn students high test scores while furthering the school's academic reputation. Honors courses were added in foreign languages, math, and science in the freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Latin was also introduced to attract more academically-oriented students. In 1989, MA hired its first full-time college counselor to help students through the increasingly challenging college process and improve its national visibility among colleges.

In July 1995, BODIE BRIZENDINE arrived on campus as MA’s third Head of School. She believed the school possessed a unique ethos and an enormous potential to become a topchoice school in the Bay Area, but the campus’ facilities had to be improved. Bodie had a clear mission, and over her twelve years as Head, she transformed the campus as campaigns under her leadership built new buildings and renovated old ones. Bodie’s tenure was about more than bricks and mortar. Programs like Crossroads, which provides academic support for low-income middle school students in San Rafael, and the Conference on Democracy, which focuses on its commitment to “accept the responsibilities posed by education in a democratic society,” were inaugurated. Bodie ushered in important diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, supporting employees to work more effectively with MA’s increasingly diverse student body. Bodie’s years also witnessed notable increases in school spirit, athletic championships, and national attention. MA became known as the Bay Area independent school full of joy.

In July 2008, TRAVIS BROWNLEY became MA’s fourth Head of School. Just two months into her tenure, the national economy plunged into its most profound economic crisis since the Great Depression. Still, Travis worked with the Board of Trustees to support financially impacted families, ensuring that no MA student would lose their space due to financial hardship. It was a profound statement that set the tone for Travis’ ongoing commitment to doing what is right for the community, even in the face of great tumult

Travis also made a commitment to technological innovation and the development of STEAM education early in her tenure. In 2012, she announced funding to promote technological risktaking by teachers, and by fall 2015, all students were bringing a laptop to class. A new Design Lab and the cutting-edge Science and Innovation Center opened in fall 2017, giving MA an unparalleled facility for learning and research opportunities, including dedicated lab stations for the Marin Academy Research Collaborative (MARC). 2017 also witnessed the Board publishing a strategic plan that called upon MA’s administration

and faculty to create an innovative, progressive educational model that would reconceptualize education while making the school more equitable.

By 2018, a team-taught transdisciplinary course was in place, and the school began moving away from traditional grading and student evaluation systems. The new educational focus encouraged students to work towards mastery of five competencies in addition to their concept mastery. Even the COVID epidemic could not stop the progress, as teachers and students learned new ways to use technology to help realize educational goals.

As MA begins celebrating its first fifty years of classes and athletic championships, artistic creativity and service to others, Outings and self-discovery, we see the founders' vision reflected in the life of MA students and teachers each day. As Bill wrote in 1980, MA is a “wonderful place to be–humane, vital, productive,” and this remains as true as ever over forty years later. Today, we stand as an innovative, joyful school with a bright future ahead.

Written by DEREK ANDERSON, Library Director and member of the History Department since 1989.

Five Decades in Words & Images

September 2, 1971

A small group of committed individuals saw the unique potential of creating Marin County’s first coeducational independent high school on the former San Rafael Military Academy campus and met to create the school we know today.

September 5, 1972

On MA’s first day, 59 students–half boys and half girls, half from Marin and half from San Francisco, half from public schools and half not, became the first students of the newly formed school.

April 6, 1972

The Board of Trustees changed the school’s name from The Marin Academy to Marin Academy; the “The” was just too pretentious.

Fall, 1974

The Wildcats—a nickname chosen to honor the feral cats that took over Foster Hall in 1971—won their first league championships, one in boys cross country and one in girls volleyball.

70 s

Fall, 1975

MA’s sequoia tree logo was first used. The logo was designed by MA’s first visual art teacher, Barbara Gardner.

Spring, 1977

The yearbook was published as a paperback for the last time. All of its photographs are black and white.

Spring, 1979

Minicourse became a spring-only program. Initially, there was a two-day Minicourse in the fall and a week-long Minicourse in the spring.

Fall, 1979

The school purchased a Terak 8510A computer, one of the first personal desktops capable of processing images. Imagine a student body sharing one computer!

Spring, 1981

The Wilderness Quest program, formerly called Vision Quest, began as a Minicourse option.

Fall, 1981

MA held its first bike-to-school day to promote alternative transportation and environmental stewardship. The student-led effort was covered extensively in the Marin Independent Journal.

80 s

1982-1983

The four San Rafael Military Academy dorms surrounding The Circle were demolished; these World War I-era barracks were no longer deemed safe.

Fall, 1984

Bruce Shaw became MA’s second head of school.

Fall, 1985

MA's first community service program began, led by Spanish teacher Glenn Stanfield. It required twenty hours of service to be completed before the start of the senior year.

1985-1986

Marnie McClure '86 became MA's first student body president.

1986-1987

MA opened its first full computer lab, composed of 15 Apple II GS's.

1987-1988

MA's Latin program ended after a two-year experiment.

1989-1990

Funding from the Buck Trust and the Marin Community Foundation allowed MA to begin The Open Door program. The program for middle school students was created to support disadvantaged students' preparation for high school and college.

1990-1991

Thacher Hall of Science opened after two years of construction. It opened with allgirls' science classes, a decision that won national recognition for the school.

February, 1992

Russian students from Leningrad/ St. Petersburg's School of the Arts visited MA on a three-week exchange in February after MA's students went to Leningrad in the summer of 1991. The exchange was an important example of MA embracing the post-Cold War world.

January, 1993

MA's first Literary Festival was held. Inaugural guests included poets Cecelia Wallach and Al Young. As the program's importance grew in subsequent years, featured guests included Martin Espada, Jane Hirshfield, Maxine Hong Kingston, Armistead Maupin, Adrienne Rich, Kay Ryan, and Gary Snyder.

1993-1994

MA adopted its "think, question, and create" slogan. The words quickly permeated the community’s life each and every day.

1994-1995

The beginning of two new programs on campus: 1) a selective chamber music ensemble known as Chamber Gladiators; and 2) a co-ed water polo team, which took the nickname "Wilddogs."

Fall, 1995

Bodie Brizendine began her tenure as head of school.

Fall, 1996

Students formed MA's first affinity group based on sexuality and gender called the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Support Group. The group was led by David Samas '97 and Franzi Dickson '98.

1997-1998

Founders Hall opened with MA's first lecture hall, upgraded classrooms, and new computer labs. The building, which was initially the San Rafael Military Academy’s senior dormitory, was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and was used for storage for several years.

1998-1999

The New Gym opened, and MA's first synthetic turf athletic field was installed, saving 2 million gallons of water a year.

1999-2000

MA and San Francisco's Balboa High were featured in a KQED documentary about college admissions and educational opportunities. The program generated many important conversations on equity, race, and privilege at MA.

90 s

00 s

Fall, 2000

Boys soccer won MA's first North Coast Section title, defeating Branson. The victory marked a major turning point for MA athletics.

2001-2002

This school year witnessed the creation of two signature programs, Crossroads and Math Night. Crossroads is a year-round academic support and enrichment program for middle school students attending public Middle Schools in San Rafael. Math Night allows students to present unusual math problems alongside professional mathematicians who are leaders in the discipline.

May, 2001

The Performing Arts Center opened, giving MA a performance facility worthy of the innovative work of the dance, music, and theater programs.

2002-2003

The Visual Arts Center (VAC) opened, replacing an old house attached to an allpurpose room that was the Marin’s Jewish Community Center in the 1960s. The VAC's two buildings provided visual artists with vastly improved facilities for ceramics, drawing, painting, and photography.

2003-2004

The Conference on Democracy begins, highlighting the MA Mission Statement's call for the community to "accept the responsibilities posed by education in a democratic society."

2004-2005

The girls' volleyball team won the state title, MA's first in any sport.

2007-2008

Dick Drew served as Interim Head of School.

Fall, 2008

Travis Brownley began her tenure as MA's fourth head of school.

2005-2006

The new library building opens, with nine classrooms on the top floor and a 7,000+ square foot library below.

Spring, 2007

MA marked its 35th anniversary with a concert by the Doobie Brothers, the Bodie Brizendine Leadership Center (BBLC) opening, and Bodie's departure.

2009-2010

MA moved away from an Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum to embrace a more experiential, dynamic, and differentiated instruction.

May & June, 2011

The school year concluded with all grades participating in culminating End-of-Year (EOY) projects.

2011-2012

Travis announced special funding to promote technological risk-taking in the classroom, pushing faculty members to try new ways of teaching to expand MA's educational methodology and take advantage of technological innovations.

2012-2013

The school's directory and student newspaper, The Voice, are moved online.

2014-2015

The BlendEd Program, which combines online and in-person classes, began in conjunction with Athenian, College Prep, LickWilmerding, and Urban. This expanded MA's curricular offerings and educational opportunities and promoted cooperation between rival independent schools.

2013-2014

MA designated a faculty liaison to offer translation services for Spanishspeaking families, and Mandarin Chinese replaced Japanese in the World Languages Department.

2015-2016

825 solar panels are installed on building roofs around campus to promote environmental sustainability.

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2018-2019

On the first day of school, the senior class welcomed the community back by forming a carnation tunnel through which the rest of the student body and employees passed.

2016-2017

Led by seniors Hailey Todhunter and Tule Horton, about half the student body and many adults participated in a unity march in reaction to the 2016 presidential election results. After marching through downtown San Rafael, the event concluded with all participants joining hands around The Circle.

2017-2018

The Science and Innovation Center (SIC) opened after two years of construction; in conjunction with this, the first cohort of students in the Marin Academy Research Collaborative (MARC) graduated.

March, 2021

The golf team became the first team from Marin County to compete in an interscholastic contest since COVID-related closures.

March, 2020

As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, Math Night became the first school program held over Zoom instead of in-person.

Summer, 2022

MA's new Aquatics Center opened, providing both MA and the San Rafael community with an outstanding swimming and water polo facility.

Fall, 2022

MA becomes the first school west of the Mississippi River to join the University of Pennsylvania's School of Education's Independent School Teaching Residency Program. The program allows MA to have two teaching fellows—one in math and one in world language—in residence while earning their master's degree from Penn.

Past, Present & Future

The Evolution of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Marin Academy

At Marin Academy, we recognize that creating an inclusive school is an ongoing process that requires continual attention and evolution. From establishing our first Director of Diversity position in 1991, our Dean of Multicultural Life in 2002, the creation of the Dean of Equity and Inclusion position in 2017, to our newly added role of Director of Student Inclusion and Belonging this year, we regularly engage in reimagining our practices and culture to consider students' experiences and needs.

Speaking about her experience with Identity and Equity (IDEQ) student groups, SANJAI MOSES, former Dean of Multicultural Life and current Human Development Department Chair shared, "Over the 15 or so years that I held the position of Dean of Multicultural Life, many new groups were formed by students for students. MA has a robust history of social activism, critical affinity work, and cross-cultural communication skill-building. It has been enriching to hear from MA alums how they have used their time at MA to be the catalyst for their own personal equity work out in the world."

Our new Dean of Equity and Inclusion, PIYA KASHYAP , is considering how we can better frame the process and opportunity for students to fall in love with their identities to build bridges across their differences. We spoke with her about the current moment in DEI work nationally—specifically in education—and her visions for the future of the work at MA.

Our IDEQ groups are designed to empower our students to develop an appreciation of their own identities and to advocate for the diverse perspectives of others. How can we continue to build upon the vital work of these groups?

I love that the IDEQ groups are focused on positive expressions of identity. I have been discussing with Director of Student Inclusion and Belonging, JULIET DANA, how we can better scaffold this process for the IDEQ groups so that we are not asking students to educate the community when they might still be grappling with achieving self-love and knowledge of their own identities. We need to think carefully about engaging those with dominant identities in this work so that DEI work isn’t carried only by IDEQ groups. I believe we can engage the dominant white population in DEI work in a way that is liberatory and positive. While feelings of shame, denial, and defensiveness might occur on the journey—as they do intensely for BIPOC people and those with any sort of historically marginalized identity—they cannot be the destination. Our job as educators is to remain committed to what is on the other side of those difficult emotions: embracing vulnerability and complexity and the aspiration for a truly thriving multicultural community.

Excerpt from a piece in the '97/'98 Annual Report about The Pulse—a three-week summer leadership workshop created and facilitated by MA's former Director of Diversity and Outreach, Lisa Arrastia

Share more about the importance of this work.

For our schools to be genuinely thriving, multicultural communities where every student and adult can contribute and all members can belong, we must address the white heteronormative culture of our schools and society. How might we engage in harm mitigation and a reimagining of teaching and learning to actively create an environment in which every individual reaps the benefits of learning amongst diversity? Furthermore, we must educate our students about the reality of our country in regards to the vision of an inclusive United States and motivate and equip them to continue working towards a well-functioning multicultural democracy.

I believe we can engage the dominant white population in DEI work in a way that is liberatory and positive.

Societal issues such as poverty, race relations, gender equity, social identity, and privilege arrive in classrooms every day, where learners come together from many backgrounds, identities, and abilities. In what ways can we address these national societal issues in our community discussions? How are our community discussions unique from the national discussion?

What crucial and challenging questions these are! It is absolutely essential to be addressing these issues inside and outside of the classrooms, and if we do not, we are ignoring the elephant in the room! At the same time, it can feel impossible in large part due to the way that the national discourse is playing out to do so in a way that feels safe, nonpartisan, and inclusive of all identities and points of view. Here, we need to practice our critical thinking and academic skills

and ensure that we are using the finest pointed tools instead of painting with too broad a brush. How do we frame the conversation, and what are the parameters as they relate to MA's mission?

Which issues are, in actuality, matters of human rights, even if they are playing out as partisan in the national discourse? How can we offer community members the opportunity to opt-out of certain discussions as a way to mitigate further harm while ensuring that discourse continues? How might we organize these conversations in affinity groups to initially create the most comfortable environments for challenging interactions? How can we learn about the concept of radical love and the beloved community through calling in so that we can center the bond of our community above all else? The fact that we are an independent school that can design and create the structures and practices that work best for this particular community of people is paramount to how these conversations can and should play out differently at MA than they do on the national scale.

Article by Bodie Brizendine in the San Francisco Chronicle, December, 1996

What is your vision for the future of this work at MA?

My vision is that while it is my responsibility to steer and oversee this work, it is each and every person's work. I aim for every adult at the school to have a DEI-related goal every year and for every department of the school to apply a DEI lens to their operations, structures, and practices. I aim for every student to be able to articulate why this work is important to their individual and collective experience at MA and to their education. I am here to lead and collaborate, but the vision is not for there to be DEI programming that is separate from the mainstream functioning of the school. I truly believe that my role has been designed to succeed in this vision, and I am genuinely excited to begin my work at MA.

Marin Academy's Dean of Equity and Inclusion, PIYA KASHYAP, comes from the Grace Church School in NYC, where she supported the progress of each student through academic, social-emotional, and identity development as they navigate high school. Piya began her independent school teaching career in the Bay Area as an Urban School Teaching Fellow and an English teacher at University High School, followed by teaching at The Winsor School in Boston. In addition to teaching literature and anti-racism and equity-focused courses, Piya worked closely with faculty on their DEIBA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility) curriculum and pedagogy as a DEI Curriculum Integrator. Piya has also worked towards educational equity with both Summerbridge at University High School and the Breakthrough Collaborative in Boston. Piya has a BA from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Private School Leadership at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center.

Mission Driven Future-Shaping

The Marin Academy and University of Pennsylvania Teaching Fellowship Program

BY STELLA BEALE, DEAN OF FACULTY

One afternoon three summers ago, TRAVIS BROWNLEY and I sat in her office reflecting on the challenges of teaching. I remembered my own first year where, as a new teacher working in the public schools in North Carolina, I would sometimes return home on Friday after a long week and fall asleep (usually without dinner) for 15 hours or more. Travis, whose early experiences were in a boarding school in New England, remembered being similarly exhausted and finding that the school day never ended with the end of classes, but continued into the evenings and weekends with coaching and dorm supervision duties. We found ourselves contemplating the importance of the mentoring programs we were both involved in during our early years as teachers. I had been awarded a Master Teacher Fellowship through Wake Forest University which afforded me the opportunity both to study education at the graduate level and to student-teach with a veteran English teacher. Travis began her career as a teaching fellow in English at The Groton School. Despite the arduous nature of our respective first years, we both recognized the enormous benefit of support and development we received from our fellowship programs and credited them for providing us with essential foundations in our educational journeys. This conversation, the first of many, would ultimately lead us to this inaugural year of the Marin Academy Penn Teaching Fellowship Program.

MA's Dream of Developing Future Educators

MA has long dreamed of offering a fellowship for new aspiring teachers. It is a vision that initially drew me to Marin Academy. In fact, one of the first meetings I had as the incoming Dean of Faculty in the summer of 2018 was with SANJAI MOSES, our Human Development Department Chair who, at that time was also serving as the Dean of Multicultural Life. Sanjai shared a proposal that she and others on the Diversity Counsel had formulated regarding the mentoring of new faculty. I eagerly jumped right in and continued to grow this essential aspect of building and sustaining our school community. Among other things,

our mission statement encourages us to create an environment of "encouragement and compassion" for every individual. And, while we most often think about the mission with respect to young learners, we are a learning community for all, and, as Dean of Faculty, I feel keenly the responsibility for creating environments that allow for the growth and development of adults.

Marin Academy's vision harkens back over 50 years. In 1971, our founders re-envisioned education. They realized—far ahead of their time—the importance of incorporating experiential learning with intellectual development. Since then, we have continued to evolve a non-siloed educational model that centers on authentic and relevant issues that affect individuals and society. In the past decade, we have continued to push the boundaries of educational excellence. Recently, this has meant increasing our support for teachers, both new and experienced. Three years ago, we established a program of instructional coaching to complement our already robust mentoring program for new faculty. We are lucky to have an incredible Instructional Coach, BIJANI MIZELL, who works with a team of individuals to provide both one-on-one coaching and peer support to any interested teacher in the school.  Our school is also one with a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our competency work, featured in the 2020 issue of NEXUS, is a central part of our efforts to create an equitable learning space for all students. We see our mentor/ coaching program as one of the ways we promote belonging at the school for adults in our community. We recognize that a fully inclusive learning community doesn't ask newcomers to assimilate to an established norm. Rather, we believe each individual helps redefine and expand how we teach and learn. Through professional development opportunities, faculty mentorships, and participation in local and national conferences, we are strengthening core skills in creating open, inclusive, and equitable classrooms. Across every department, our faculty are building a toolkit of teaching techniques designed to improve the way we engage students of different educational and cultural backgrounds in their own learning journey.

Our Partnership with The University of Pennsylvania

Ten years ago The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, commonly known as Penn GSE, a top-ranked Ivy League educational research institution, launched the Independent School Teaching Residency Program. The program, known as ISTR, began with a small consortium of leading independent schools on the east coast. Solidly grounded in both the theory and practice of teaching, the ISTR program is designed to integrate the expertise of professional educators from a host of leading institutions, drawing on the perspectives of a variety of scholar-practitioners. As a hiring manager at several independent schools over the past ten years, I had seen firsthand the considerable number of accomplished teachers coming out of the program. The program seemed like a perfect fit for Marin Academy, so I reached out to the program director. While my first conversation with the program director, Dr. Charlotte Jacobs, was a positive one, the program was not accepting new partner schools and did not have any schools on the West Coast at that time. Nevertheless, we resolved to keep in touch as programs and visions evolved.

And evolve we did! Marin Academy continued to refine its educational model to incorporate mentoring and support for faculty and broaden its vision. The COVID-19 global pandemic and heightened awareness of racial injustice have added to the urgency of this work not just at Marin Academy but for the future of education. According to the National Association of Independent Schools' Trendbook 2021-22 teachers, in particular, were "shaken by their pandemic experiences." Across the country teachers have been leaving the profession adding to the pre-pandemic teacher shortage. Marin Academy sees its responsibility in this democratic society to not only teach students but also to provide opportunities for new educators and share our competency-based and equitydriven instructional toolkit with future teachers. Therefore, when we were approached by the University of Pennsylvania to submit an application to be considered as a partner school in their ISTR program, we jumped at the chance.

Education in a Democratic Society

In our application, we noted what I hope is evident by now; our participation in this program is central to our mission as a school. The teaching fellows we will welcome to our campus will inspire our thinking, encourage us to question our practices, and help us create a more inclusive community. In addition, our partnership with the University of Pennsylvania will help us further define and refine our treasured environment of encouragement and compassion. And, perhaps most importantly, we believe that this partnership will be one more way we accept the responsibilities associated with education in our democratic society.

Charlotte Jacobs, Ph.D. shared that Marin Academy "stood out to the [selection] committee because of [our] commitment to anti-racism and social justice in education, [our] excitement for supporting novice educators through an inquiry-based stance, and [our] interest in engaging in innovative conversations and practices about teaching and learning." These truths are near and dear to my heart as an educator. I am so fortunate to come to work every day at a place where I know I am doing meaningful work on behalf of the young people we serve and the adults who make the magic happen. In the end, I believe in education. I believe that growth, through education, not only illuminates possibility but effects change.

STELLA BEALE is the Dean of Faculty and a teacher in the English & history departments at Marin Academy. Prior to her arrival at Marin Academy, Stella worked at Windward in Los Angeles, California, serving during her years at the school as the Associate Director of Upper School, the Director of Studies, an English teacher, and an advisor. Stella has also worked at independent schools in San Francisco, CA, and Ann Arbor, MI, and she began her career in the public schools of her home state of North Carolina. Stella earned her B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, her M.A. in Education from Wake Forest University, and her M.Ed. in Private School Leadership at Teachers College/ Columbia University.

50th Anniversary Events

more and

Happy Hour in New York at Haven Rooftop (Midtown Manhattan), 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Alumni Brunch in New York at Juliette (Brooklyn), 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Holiday Party at Joinery (Sausalito), 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Trivia Night

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Happy Hour in Los Angeles at La Bohème (West Hollywood), 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Alumni Brunch in Los Angeles at Etta (Culver City), 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Speaker Series: Leadership

Campus, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Series: Arts

6:30-7:30 p.m.

on Democracy

Anniversary Celebration

Campus

Reunion

Campus, 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Notes

Alumni

Hello from Ariel Craft, Class of ‘07 and new Director of Alumni Relations at Marin Academy!

As I've spent the last 10 years working in non-profit arts, Marin Academy—the skills I learned here and the relationships I built here, during high school—has been part of my journey the whole way. It is a thrill to return to campus, and to call Marin Academy "home" again.

This year marks Marin Academy's big Five-Oh. It is a moment to celebrate the school's most important achievement: our incredible alumni.

While Marin Academy's core commitment—to think, question, and create—is constant, the school is also in perpetual growth, evolving to meet new generations of students with life-changing education. That's why our alumni are more mosaic than monolith: because every student's Marin Academy experience is unique and deeply personal.

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My MA experience was reading The Turn of the Screw while huddled in the dark "old Armory" closet for peak spookiness.

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My MA experience was raiding the performing arts costume stock to weird-up my ensemble with commedia dell'arte masks.

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My MA experience was watching endless sushi boats chug by during long lunches, with best friends, at Tenkyu on 4th.

As your new Director of Alumni Relations, I'm excited to connect with you and to learn about your own uniquely-you MA experience. Please email me at acraft@ma.or g, call me at (415) 482-3201 or just come visit me on the top floor of Foster Hall.

Happy 50th to all our alums: you are the fabric of Marin Academy's past and, in community with us now, you are shaping Marin Academy’s future.

Reimagining Justice Amy Cheney '78 and Adam Lewis '06

Amy Cheney and Adam Lewis hail from different eras of Marin Academy history, but when they sat down to talk about how their time at MA prepared them for careers in the justice system, it didn't take long for them to find common ground.

Amy Cheney's route to establishing the Juvenile Justice Literacy Project began in 1982, when a few of her friends got arrested while protesting the construction of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and booked into the Santa Rita Jail. "When they got out, they told me, 'Amy, there are no books in there,'” she recalled recently. For Amy, who was working at the San Francisco Public Library at the time, that was too bleak to contemplate. So Amy launched a book drive, and within two years, she'd rounded up thousands of books for the Alameda County Jails and Prisons.

Amy graduated from Marin Academy in the Class of 1978. Recently, she sat down for a Zoom conversation with Adam Lewis, Class of 2006, who for the past three years has worked as a Trial Attorney in the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. Amy and Adam followed different paths to their work in the justice system, but they both say that the encouraging, supportive environment at MA—"being a big fish in a small pond,” as Amy put it—equipped them with the confidence to tackle daunting, open-ended challenges.

For Adam, those challenges include arguing consequential and wide-reaching civil rights cases that arise from the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "The ADA is one of the most expansive and powerful pieces of civil rights legislation we have,” Adam said. "We do work that involves voting, education, healthcare, corrections. It really touches everything.

As you'd expect, this job involves lots of writing and constructing arguments, and Adam said he still draws on "little bits of wisdom” that he gained in history and English classes at MA, with teachers like Derek Anderson, Bill Meyer, J O'Malley, and Peter Poutiatine.

For her part, Amy has spent the past 40 years working to improve literacy and access to information among people who have been criminalized. Her book drive at Santa Rita morphed into a fulltime role as a librarian in the Alameda County Jails and Prisons, where she worked to build a collection that was accessible and relevant to incarcerated people. In 1987, she cold-called Terry McMillan, the best-selling author of books like How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale, and convinced the author to visit the women's unit at Santa Rita Jail. Next, Amy launched a literacy program at Alameda Juvenile Hall. That program became the model for the Juvenile Justice Literacy Project, a resource for teachers, librarians, and families to develop relevant library collections for young readers. Her advocacy eventually gained recognition from the New York Times and the Carnegie Corporation, and she won the White House Arts and Humanities Award in 2006. Providing access to books "made such a dramatic difference,” Amy said. "I just kept thinking, 'What if we'd started this when the kids were younger?'”

The landmark 1990 legislation guarantees people living with disabilities in the U.S. access to the same services as anybody else— in theory, anyway. To enforce the law, the Department of Justice relies on citizen complaints to identify and resolve discriminatory practices. "Our cases often start from a single complaint. It could be a complaint from a person who uses a wheelchair who can't get into their polling place because there is no ramp,” Adam said. "Or it could be a complaint from a parent with an intellectual disability who had their child removed by a child welfare agency that assumed the parent didn't have or couldn't learn the skills they needed to care for a child.”

People with disabilities in the United States file upwards of 30,000 such complaints with the Disability Rights Section each year. Adam and his colleagues at the DOJ review the complaints, conduct investigations, and bring enforcement actions aimed at creating positive change for as many people as possible. "We get to help actual, real people, while at the same time getting to do high-level, goal-oriented work, that can create systemic change,” Adam said.

But the longer Amy worked with people who had been criminalized, the more she came to doubt that the institutions of justice were living up to their name. "We created a wonderful thing and were making a huge difference, but ultimately it was just ameliorating some of the harms while perpetuating a fundamentally unjust system,” she said. "Ultimately I decided I couldn't do it anymore.” Though she no longer works in the criminal legal system, she still works at the intersection of literacy and justice: she now heads the Juvenile Justice Literacy Fund, which invites authors of color to speak in schools, libraries, and other community gathering places.

Amy and Adam both reflected on the balance of self-assurance and open-heartedness that their work has demanded of them, and how their time at Marin Academy shaped their professional outlooks. For Amy, directing and producing a play in her third year at MA was "a really big thing, and it really developed my confidence in projects and being able to see something that needed to be done and do it,” she said. Adam remembered how his freshman year Human Development class, which covered issues from sexuality and drug use to social class, helped him start thinking more deeply for the first time about privilege and power.

"I distinctly remember a conversation we had about the color of Band-Aids, and the privilege I had until then taken for granted that Band-Aids by default matched my skin color,” said Adam, who is white. "It made me begin to realize all the other small and large ways the world around me had been set up to my advantage.”

"MA was a great place for me in many ways. I could play sports, I was on the newspaper, I could do art,” Adam said. "Being an active participant in almost anything I wanted to participate in was great in building my confidence. The next step for me has been taking some of the confidence that MA gave me—the skills and the perspective—and applying it outside of the bubble in which MA sits,” Adam said. "My work has given me a new appreciation for listening. You have to be present in communities you want to serve and listen to those communities, instead of coming with ideas you want to force down their throats.”

"The disability community, for example, isn't monolithic. In each of my cases I'm often encountering folks with a different set of abilities and challenges,” Adam said. "So, I'm constantly finding myself in positions where I have to rethink what I thought I knew.”

Amy and Adam both shared gratitude for the opportunity to pursue work that's challenging, impactful and personally meaningful throughout their careers. Making a difference in the justice system takes lots of hard work, intellectual rigor, and strategic boldness. But most importantly, it requires keeping an open mind and showing up every day with a desire to learn from the dynamic and diverse communities they serve.

Adam remembered how his freshman year Human Development class, which covered issues from sexuality and drug use to social class, helped him start thinking more deeply for the first time about privilege and power.

Charting the Course

Alumni Class Notes

Mark Battat shares, "I'm back to leading my seniors cycling group on Saturdays, during the winter season in the desert, after having a 2021 hiatus. I really missed my riders and friends. I'm spending the summer by the beach in Southern California, as well as time in Northern California. Staying healthy and fit, along with spending quality time with family and friends, continues to be key in my world."

"Sky Surfer" by Abby Perry '23

Anne Chaitin tells us, "I am still the payroll administrator at my construction sweeping company. It was recently sold, so my life has been topsy-turvy. Luckily, all good! My time at MA really helped me be strong through the whole process."

After leaving the food service industry, Deirdre Richards launched a new business as a happiness coach and inspirational speaker. She says, "It is an amalgamation and synthesis of many different skills, talents, interests, knowledge, and experience that I am applying to support people connecting to their authentic self, owning their truth, and living a purposeful, joyful life. Please check out my website: ownyourtruth.me to sign up for blog-blasts, and consider working with me or booking me for a speaking engagement for your next event. I'm excited to launch this venture and look forward to what this next chapter brings."

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Ashley Griffin Frazer writes, “Greetings, MA!

My husband Mathew and I are enjoying being empty nesters. San Francisco continues to be home for 27 years now. We are finding time to enjoy the Bay Area, and started immersing ourselves in the hiking in Marin. What a glorious gift!”

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Jessica Schatz says, "Hi, MA Community! I love this opportunity to share the meaningful work I am doing—professionally and personally. I created The Core Expert®️ Method—Where Spirit Aligns with Science to help people from all walks of life live healthier, happier lives. I am a Master Pilates Instructor, Biomechanics Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Wellness Educator. I especially love to teach and speak at retreats and conferences where I can connect with people in person! My approach is an innovative integrative methodology that addresses the whole person—body, mind, heart, spirit. I have been fortunate to be a featured guest on The Doctors TV show. My work was also featured in Nike.com, People.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, U.S. News & World Report, Runner’s World, Oxygen Magazine, Yoga Digest, and many others. I work with everyone from moms, fitness enthusiasts, seniors, people with Parkinson’s, and also with NBA player Wesley Matthews, the casts of Hamilton and Wicked, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers, and Ashley Olsen. My book, Meant to Move, Living a Heart-Centered Life Through the Healing Power of Movement will soon be in publication. To learn more, check out my website, JessicaSchatz.com. Subscribe to my free YouTube channel, The Core Expert®️, which includes my entire video library."

Upcoming book by Jessica Schatz '87, The Core Expert®

Ashley Griffin Frazer '83 with husband Mathew and their "darlings" Henry and Grace.

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Emily Hobin Janowsky shares, "I'm still living in Corte Madera with my husband and son, who will be a senior at Redwood next fall. Loving my part-time job with The Still Collective, a staging and design firm started by a good friend. We've been busy! Also enjoying the work I do with my lab Rocket as a therapy dog team at local schools and hospital."

Kier Holmes is thrilled to share, "My first garden book, The Garden Refresh, was just published with Timber Press!"

Christopher P. Redwine says, "I recently had, quite possibly, the most poorly timed book launch in the history of books. I published my first novel: The Legend of Lilia: A Novel Based on a True Story about the world’s first female ace fighter pilot, Lilia Litvyak. She was Russian and there is a monument to her today in the Donbass region of Ukraine. After setting the print launch date two months out for April 21, the e-book went up for sale on February 16. A week later, Russia invaded Ukraine, and the Western Media Propaganda Industrial Complex turned 'Stand with Ukraine' and Anti-Russia everything into the next thing. But reviews have been extremely positive, and it's available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, fine booksellers everywhere, and in stock at Books Inc. in San Francisco."

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Jodi Klugman-Rabb shares, "I accepted a position as a graduate professor of psychology at Dominican University of California in 2021, teaching in the same program I graduated from to be a psychotherapist. I also began a PsyD program in 2020 and am on schedule to finish my dissertation and graduate with a doctorate in Human and Organizational Psychology in January 2023. I still have my private practice and live in Marin with two kids in high school."

Kier Holmes '89's garden book is filled with tons of tips, tricks, and advice.

The Legend of Lilia and author Christopher P. Redwine '91

Scientifically Speaking

Amy Strauss '05 and Dr. Sunjya Schweig '91

Sunjya and Amy both said their trips with the Outings Program shaped the paths they pursued after graduation. In addition to many trips to places like Pinnacles National Park and the Napali Coast of Kauai, Amy took a semester-long outdoor skills elective in her senior year, where she learned about trip planning and risk management. After graduation, Amy headed off to Whiteman College, earning a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental studies with a minor in music, and continued to engage in outdoor adventure as much as possible.

Amy Strauss and Dr. Sunjya Schweig each make their living from exploring the hidden connections that explain how the natural world works, and each is back at MA for a second time. As founder and director of the California Center for Functional Medicine, Sunjya helps patients with chronic conditions identify and holistically address the root causes of their symptoms and is parent to Kaia '19 and Kiva '23. And Amy, pursuing a Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, came back to MA last year to teach science and to help introduce students to the world of scientific research as head of the Marin Academy Research Collaborative (MARC). Amy and Sunjya recently met up to talk about how curiosity, creativity, and passion have powered their scientific careers and how their time at Marin Academy ignited their spirit of inquiry and desire to help others search for meaningful connections.

After undergrad, Amy held a range of positions from performing biological fieldwork in the Dominican Republic to handling music licensing for an ad agency in New York City. Eventually, she took a role supporting research within the Vertebrate Zoology Division at the American Museum of Natural History, and then made the decision to pursue her own research as a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her graduate research explores the evolution of birdsong, a system with many biological parallels to human speech. She also prioritizes scientific outreach, communication, and community-building. For example, she cohosts The Animal Behavior Podcast , where she interviews leading researchers in the field, and she blogs about science education and new research findings for outlets including Scientific American "My interest in biological research stemmed from a sense of curiosity and comfort in the outdoors that I developed at MA. That ultimately led to my pursuit of a career centered around being outside and using research to look more closely at the natural world," Amy said.

Sunjya remembers MA outings in cross-country skiing at Yosemite and rock climbing at Joshua Tree National Park. "The outdoors was and is a guiding force for my choice to go into science and medicine," Sunjya said. From Marin Academy, he went on to UC Berkeley for undergrad, medical school at UC Irvine, and residency at the UCSF, Santa Rosa Family Practice program. In 2014, Sunjya founded the California Center for Functional Medicine.

Sunjya practices functional medicine, an approach to treating patients that constantly searches for the root cause of a patient's health concern. He described his work while conjuring an image of a tree. "The outer leaves and branches are where most doctors and medical specialties work. The focus is on pruning back the final manifestations of disease, for example, using medicine to lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, or lower cholesterol, " he said. "But in our practice, we're interested in why those imbalances are happening in the first place and in seeing how far down the cause chain we can intervene." Sunjya helps patients navigate nutrition, stress, sleep, and environmental issues to treat health problems at the root. "My work is grounded in a deep respect for what our bodies can do and how everything is connected—both within our bodies, but also to our communities and our environment," he said.

In addition to his clinical practice, Sunjya leads research into holistic treatments for tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. He recently launched a nonprofit, the Functional Medicine Research and Technology Center, through which he's pursuing grant funding for further research. He traces some of his early interest in research to his science classes with Mark Stefanski, who retired from MA in 2021. "I remember Mark's awesome energy, excitement, and lots of corny jokes. He helped instill in me a real love of science from the early days," Sunjya said. He also sought mentorship from history teacher James Shipman (also fondly remembered by Amy). "He encouraged me to think broadly and make connections," Sunjya said.

While at MA, Amy was particularly passionate about history and politics. She remembers listening to news of the 9/11 attacks while carpooling from her home in the East Bay to Marin Academy in the fall of her freshman year. The aftermath of that event, along with a group of inspiring MA history teachers and multiple politicallyengaged student groups on campus, led her to dabble in history during her senior year, to lead a session during the first ever Conference on Democracy, and to participate in MA's International Studies Emphasis concentration lead by Spanish teacher John Petrovsky (also fondly remembered by Sunjya). Since graduating from Marin Academy, Amy's academic focus has shifted in the direction of science and research, but she maintains a passion for history and politics and sees many relevant and timely interconnections between the two fields.

Amy says her most rewarding career moments have come from mentoring students in scientific research. She taught science classes and mentored research students at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Brooklyn College in New York, and Towson University in Maryland before taking the faculty position at Marin Academy in 2021. "I've met people who've gotten all the way to grad school in biology without having much of an understanding of how research works, how we acquire knowledge, and what asking questions and making discoveries really entails," she said. "So I've really enjoyed exposing students to research and helping them get excited about seeking new knowledge. I was excited when this position opened up for the Marin Academy Research Collaborative Coordinator."

Through MARC, students pursue independent research in their chosen scientific realm. Amy teaches classes in research literacy and experimental design and helps scholars connect with working scientists for mentorship and networking. "The program provides robust structure and support to enable students to engage in authentic and novel research," Amy said.

My work is grounded in a deep respect for what our bodies can do and how everything is connected—both within our bodies, but also to our communities and our environment.

"It sounds like a great fit for your strengths, and MA is truly lucky to have you!" Sunjya said. He said his daughter Kaia '19 had a great experience working on a semester-long research project in her fourth year about how screen time affects emotions.

While he's pursued a medical career that's bucked many of the field's most intractable conventions, Sunjya says he's often been grateful for how teachers at MA encouraged him to think creatively and to "not be constrained by what someone else says the rules are. "

As the MARC coordinator, Amy has many opportunities to advise students just starting out in STEM. "It sounds cliché, but it's so important to follow your passion and curiosity—the thing you keep going back to and thinking about," she said. "Go with that because that's going to keep you interested, and that's where you will be able to continue asking newer and deeper questions, even as you learn more and more."

Follow your passion and curiosity—the thing you keep going back to and thinking about...because that's going to keep you interested, and that's where you will be able to continue asking newer and deeper questions, even as you learn more and more.

Sari Wisch shares, “I recently received a promotion to Synagogue Administrator & Communications Manager at B'nai Shalom of Olney Synagogue. I am also the Vice President of the West County Democratic Club in Anne Arundel County, MD. My husband and I are working on upgrading our house that we bought last summer and hope to visit the Bay Area soon.”

Christopher Cooper reports, "The greatest experience of my last year was with three other MA alumni. We were guided by James Shipman and Beau Leonhart on an alumni Vision Quest. The mission was to spend three days and nights solo in the mountain desert. Centering, meditation, quiet-the-noise, listening to our hearts… We all achieved our stated goals, made new friends in the MA Community, and rediscovered ourselves. Exactly the life reorienting we all wanted."

Anna Wronsky says, "Hi, all! This has been a year of new adventures. My husband and I moved to Istanbul last summer (his home) to be closer to family. After a decade of visits, I'm happy to call this incredible city home. We live on the Asian side, in a neighborhood known for its leafy tea gardens, waterfront promenade, and millions of cats. I'm working at a Turkish American high school as the Dean of Teaching and Learning. It's a pretty great gig—wonderful faculty and kids and lots of positive energy to build new programs and refine existing practices. Look me up if you are ever in Istanbul! Hope everyone is happy and healthy."

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Danielle Katz spent the summer on the road with her non-profit Rivers for Change organizing and supporting The Grand Salmon Source to Sea campaign. The project involved combining adventure and conservation with a team of four women paddling 1,000 miles source to sea down the Salmon, Snake, and Columbia rivers in a call-to-action around breaching the four lower Snake River dams and saving dwindling salmon populations from extinction. The team is currently in post-production on a documentary short and plans to release the film later this fall. Follow along, support, and take action at salmonsourcetosea.com and riversforchange.org.

Anna Wronsky '99 with her husband (and a local street cat)

Alumni Vision Quest 2022: Mojave Desert,

Anne (Nacthrieb) Zesiger: MA Honorary Accomplice, Shelley Mitchell '86, Brook Notary '91, and Chris Cooper '94

01Ashley Goldsmith Buttner shares, "I am still living in Berkeley and have been working for a private practice group called Practice SF in Mill Valley for the past year. I'm focused on providing therapeutic support for anxious kids and their families. You can check us out at practicesanfrancisco.com."

Barry Wenger happily shares, "My wife, Emma, and I welcomed our first child, Matthew, in late May. While we know we have many sleepless nights ahead of us, we are thrilled to be able to raise him in San Rafael and bring him into the same community where I grew up."

02

Jeanne-Marie Sinnott is still working as a family and sports medicine physician at Kaiser San Rafael and has two boys aged two and four that keep her busy!

Nikole Yinger is incredibly excited that in-person work is starting to come back after two years, and she's getting to be with her customers face-to-face again. Overall, it's been an exciting year for Nikole professionally. Her Learning & Development consulting practice recently merged with another Bay Area coaching firm to form Team Level Partners, which focuses on building engaged, optimized teams within organizations (think Diversity and Belonging, Well-Being, Connection, Alignment, etc.). Curious to know more? Check it out at: teamlevelpartners.com.

JESSICA DELL'ERA NUSSBAUM '02

Nicole Yinger '02's new venture, Team Level Partners' brand new website

Alyssa Schwartz shares, "I am finishing up my fourth year as the principal of a public Montessori elementary school in St. Paul, Minnesota. My husband and I welcomed baby Ellie last summer and were thrilled to introduce her to MA friends on our first trip back to the Bay Area since before the pandemic."

Alyssa Schwartz '02 and daughter Ellie, Alex Mays ‘02 and Liam, and Jeanne-Marie Sinnott ‘02 (minus Oliver) in December

This has been a year of big and exciting changes!

Jessica Dell'Era Nussbaum enthusiastically shares, "This has been a year of big and exciting changes! After five years of rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC, I was ordained as a rabbi. I finally got to marry my longtime partner, Leah Nussbaum (they/them, also a rabbi!) in a beautiful lakeside ceremony—a thrice-delayed event that was worth the wait. Then, we moved to Medford, Massachusetts, where I began a new position as Rabbi of Temple Shalom, a small but growing intergenerational congregation. We love the Boston area!"

Leah Nussbaum and Jessica Dell'Era Nussbaum '02 hold hands under the wedding canopy beside officiant Rabbi Mark Bloom of Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland. Their custom ketubbah, a Jewish wedding contract, was illustrated with a landscape drawn from their backpacking adventures.

Jeanne-Marie Sinnott '02’s recent park playdate with Alex Mays ‘02, Joel Abramovitz ‘02, and Alyssa Schwartz ‘02

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Sarah Janoff-Brinn is starting her fourth year as the school counselor at MA! She lives in San Rafael with her husband and their two daughters, Nora (4 years) and Sophie (10 months).

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Victoria Shepard shares, "A little overdue :) but, in November 2021, my husband and I welcomed our first child, a son named Kai! Other than that, I am still living and working in Turkey with the UN Refugee Agency."

Ben Amen shares, "2021 saw the end of my career as an independent BMW foreman and general manager as I made the move to electric! I joined Lucid's field service team right before the launch of the Air, the company's first production vehicle, and it's been a wild ride so far."

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Brian Dito shares, "In June, I'll finish a year as the head of administration at the US Embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic. Trying to keep an embassy running in a country with almost no infrastructure has been an eye-opening experience and required much patience and creativity. I've been lucky to meet a lot of great people but am anxious about what the future holds here. I'm looking forward to arriving in Bogota in August for a three-year stint."

06

Taylor Tan shares, "This was my 8th year as part of the math faculty at MA and somehow my 14th season coaching track and field. I continue to live in Marin City with my five snakes, Mushu, Amber, Charlize, Comet, and Sméagol. This year, the senior class chose me to speak at the graduation ceremony, making me the first faculty alumni graduation speaker in the history of the school. Come visit campus and say hi!"

Now in her sixth season as a professional wedding planner and floral designer, Lisa Tsubouchi has had the pleasure of collaborating with a few MA alums to plan the events of their dreams! Lisa is looking forward to building her business more in the coming years—be sure to follow her on Instagram: @sachiandmaja.

In his service of the San Francisco Fire Department, Sam Schow has been assigned the role of lieutenant of paramedic training on Treasure Island, where he works to promote patient-centered healthcare, health equity, and municipal anti-piracy initiatives.

Ben Amen ‘04 and Tracey in Mt. Baldy, CA, November, 2021

Taylor Tan ‘06 speaking at Graduation

Lisa Tsubouchi ‘06, photo by Rosa Delgado Photography

Elianna Fred shares, "After a longer, slightly windier road, I finally matched into Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University, starting my residency in July 2022! So humbled and excited to embark on the next step of my medical career. Big shout out to Marin Academy for helping lay the foundation for me to achieve my goals!"

09

After four years in New York, Ari Goldstein will begin law school this fall at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ways

Marielle Lyons shares, "In Spring 2021, I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Occidental College with BA degrees in Spanish and Sociology (concentration in immigration). In the Fall of 2021, I started my job as a Spanish support teacher and community engagement assistant at Mark Day School. In April, I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Spain for the year 2022-2023. Come September, I will be a US cultural ambassador and teaching English in La Rioja, Spain!"

08Catherine Wilka moved back to the Bay Area last summer after finishing her Ph.D. in Climate Physics and Chemistry. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford, where she works on understanding the circulation of the upper atmosphere.

Elianna Fred ‘09 on Match Day 2022

Big shout out to Marin Academy for helping lay the foundation for me to achieve my goals!

ROBERT AWKWARD served as the Associate Director of College Counseling at MA for three years. Additionally, he supported our students as the faculty co-advisor for Young Brothers. We thank Robert for the varied and meaningful contributions he’s made to MA’s college counseling program during his tenure; he’s played a significant role in its maturation.

CHRIS BROWN was the Assistant Director of Admissions for Outreach for two years at MA. He helped MA attract students of all backgrounds in an effort to strengthen the student body and the overall diversity of the community. We wish him all the best in his move to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, where he will take on the role of Dean of Diversity and Inclusion.

MARY KAY DOLEJSI worked as science teacher at MA since 2015. She cheerfully and ably served our students in Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry, MARC, and physics during her years with us and was an integral member of the science department, sharing both her teaching and laboratory experience. While Mary Kay has retired, she has not slowed down. Nor, we hope, will she be a stranger on campus!

MARILOU GRAHAM has left Marin Academy for the quieter life of retirement after 24 years of dedicated service. Over the years, Marilou has been a steadfast, high-energy, and invaluable asset to the school. We applaud her for her committed service and wish her much health and happiness in her retirement.

JOSH KALKSTEIN was the Boys and Girls Varsity Soccer Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Marin Academy for over two decades. We appreciate Josh’s contributions to the soccer program during his time at MA. Marin Academy will enjoy a strong and talent-filled soccer program for many years to come.

KYNDRA KENNEDY worked at MA since 2017 and served as the Director of Annual Giving, Director of Individual Giving, and Interim Director of Advancement. She worked with volunteers across all constituencies - parents, faculty, staff, alumni, students, and grandparents - to raise support for the Marin Academy Annual Fund. Kyndra also started and led MA’s Giving Day for five years, which has raised support for MA’s students and community while also producing fun videos and other content for us all to enjoy.

BRETT LARONDE shepherded MA through another challenging year of the ongoing pandemic as our COVID-19 Coordinator. We appreciate his commitment, his detailed-oriented approach, and his can-do spirit, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

JAIME MANDUKE served MA as the Associate Director of College Counseling since 2017. In her time with us, she was also on the Diversity Council, an advisor to the Jewish Student Organization, a junior advisor, and an outings leader. Jaime left MA to remain home with her child who was born in December.

GERARDO MOLINARI was a Spanish Teacher at MA for the past four years. In addition, he served for a time as the boys JV soccer coach and the adult advisor for the Young Brothers. Gerardo and his family have moved to Connecticut, where Gerardo, a recipient of the Walter J. Crain fellowship, will earn a graduate degree in Educational Leadership through the Klingenstein Program at Teachers College/Columbia University while also working at the Hotchkiss School.

LINDSAY NEVILLE retired from MA at the end of January. She was the voice and the face of our school for two decades in the front office, and she has known every student and just about every parent! She has handled difficult situations, helped many people, and handed out probably more Advil than we can count. Please join us in congratulating her on this next chapter in her life!

HEATHER SAMMONS joined MA as the Director of Alumni Engagement at an unprecedented time when we were all working from home; she had mostly connected with alumni via Zoom until hosting the first in-person event—an alumni holiday party—in a long time. We thank Heather for her work at MA during the last year and a half.

HWEI-LI TSAO brought rigorous professionalism to the curriculum as a guest teacher and teaching assistant in MA's Visual Arts Program, pushing students to incredible artistic and technical achievement levels. She will be sorely missed but will appreciate the return of her normal studio hours and the pursuit of her own artistic development.

CHRIS YEE taught physics at MA beginning in 2019. We appreciate his many great contributions to our science department, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

It's that time of year wherein we not only prepare to welcome new members of our community but also pause to say goodbye to those who have served us so well. We send them off with our gratitude for all they have done for MA. With great appreciation we bid farewell to the following faculty and staff:

FERNANDO ARRIAGA was born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County and he recently celebrated his first year as part of the Operations Team. When not on campus tending to our buildings and grounds, you can find Fernando out fishing the Sonoma coast, exploring the beaches and cliffs in search of his next catch. Fernando enjoys working on and restoring vintage muscle cars. He currently resides in Petaluma with his amazing dog, Frisco.

JULIA CARLISLE is the new library assistant. Before becoming a Wildcat, Julia worked extensively as a US Park Ranger in Vermont and California. She is also an award-winning radio journalist and a graduate of St. Lawrence University in upstate New York.

ARIEL CRAFT ‘07 joins our Advancement Team as the Director of Alumni Relations. She received her BA in Fine Arts with Honors from New York University. She was the Executive Artistic Director at the Cutting Ball Theater, where she forged lasting, mutually-nourishing relationships with artists, arts-workers, and nonprofit partners, as well as many others. Ariel shared that she is eager to advocate for MA, which in her time as a student emboldened and equipped her with values of integrity, curiosity, creativity, determination, and self-worth.

MICHAEL CUPP worked as the Director of Maintenance, Trades, and Grounds—Facility Services for UC Berkeley before joining MA as the Director of Facilities, Safety, and Operations. Michael has worked in the facilities services/management field for over 20 years in both the public and private sectors. His work experiences include maintenance management, facilities management, grounds and infrastructure maintenance, construction management, facilities maintenance engineering, safety and risk management, and green technology initiatives. Michael's commitment to facility services is to provide a safe, clean, productive, and well-maintained physical environment for the students, faculty, and staff by planning and delivering professional services that are sustainable and supportive of MA's expectations and mission. During his time off, Michael enjoys restoring classic cars, cooking, and traveling.

JOE DOYLE comes to Marin Academy having previously spent three years as an Assistant Coach for the Sonoma State University Women's Water Polo Team and as a Lecturer/ Swim Instructor in the Sonoma State University Kinesiology Department. Additionally, he served two years as the Head Coach for the Santa Rosa Junior College Women's Water Polo Team and was a PE teacher at Mark Day School. Joe currently coaches SHAQ water polo club and is the head coach for Swim Marin, in the Marin Swim League. Joe was a dual sport athlete as a member of the Santa Rosa Junior College water polo and swim teams, earning All American Honors in Water Polo and helping lead each team to a third place finish in the state. He transferred to the University of the Pacific where he was a two-time All MPSF Academic Team Selection and helped guide the water polo team to a National No. 4 NCAA D-1 ranking. Joe graduated with degrees in Communication & Business Management.

TINA HUANG joins the MA math department as a part-time instructor. She has served the MA community for several years as a substitute teacher and has worked as a tutor at Wyzant since 2013 and Tamalpais Tutoring since 2019. In addition to teaching, Tina tutors all levels of math (from elementary math to calculus), statistics, Mandarin Chinese, and biology. Tina has also worked as a math teacher at Mathnasium, C2 Education, and Fusion Academy and as a substitute teacher at many different schools including Marin Academy. While substitute teaching a variety of classes at MA, she loved the teaching environment and student dynamics. She holds a BA in molecular and cell biology from University of California, Berkeley. Born in Taiwan, she speaks and writes fluent Mandarin Chinese. In her free time, Tina enjoys checking out different restaurants, hiking, playing piano, and dancing.

TEYANA IRVING is new to MA as Assistant Director of Admissions. Prior to MA, Teyana worked at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York as Admissions Associate. Teyana earned her BS in Human Services from NYC College of Technology in Brooklyn, New York. When she's not in school she enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, or traveling the world.

While each of the people leaving us is irreplaceable, we are excited to welcome new faculty and staff who will help us build the next generation of MA graduates. Joining us in 2022-23 are:

PIYA KASHYAP is the new Dean of Equity and Inclusion and comes to Marin Academy from the Grace Church School in NYC, where she was a Class Dean and a member of the high school leadership team, serving as the primary administrator and point person for the Class of 2021 and 2025 students and families. She completed the New York State Association of Independent Schools Justice Equity Diversity Institute and is currently a Master’s candidate in Private School Leadership at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center. Piya has a BA from Middlebury College where she attended the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference for nonfiction and poetry. Her passion for creative writing and identity exploration through multimedia expression informed the founding of her digital storytelling nonprofit, The Modern Story. Piya and her husband Remy are thrilled to introduce their daughters to the beauty of Marin and to the rich cultures and environments of the Bay Area.

EDINSON P. LOPEZ FLORES joined Marin Academy this year as a Spanish Teacher. Prior to Marin Academy, he worked at Francis W. Parker in Chicago, Illinois, as a Spanish teacher and Advisor. Edinson earned his BA in Education from the Institute of Pedagogic of Monterrico in Lima, Perú and his MEd in Linguistics Studies Applied to the Teaching of Spanish from the University of Jaen, Spain. He is the proud father of Sofía and owner of Logan, Max and Dimitri. Edinson spends his free time rock-climbing and playing chess. When he's not in school, attending a workshop, or working on his lesson plans, he can most often be found walking with Logan or getting ready for the next backpacking trip.

DENISSE MELGAR is excited to join Marin Academy as Associate Director of College Counseling. Prior to starting at MA, Denisse was Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at New York University. Through her work at NYU, she aimed to give students the resources to learn about the college application process and empower them to pursue higher education. Denisse earned her BA in Psychology and Financial Economics from Columbia University and her MA in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from New York University. She has spent most of her life in New Jersey and New York, where she enjoyed attending live theatre, cycling, and spending time with family and friends. Denisse is looking forward to exploring more nature in the Bay Area and finding communities that remind her of home.

PENNY MICCO has held accounting manager, staff accountant, and human resources roles in professional services, real estate, staffing, and hospitality industries in the Bay Area prior to joining MA as the Business Office Manager. She holds a bachelors degree from UC Berkeley and frequently returns to Cal with her husband and daughter, also alumni and Golden Bear sports fans. When not in the office, Penny spends her time with family and friends, visits her son in Austin and daughter in San Francisco, reads, bakes, hikes, travels, and enjoys nature.

JENNIFER MORENO is brand new to Marin Academy as the new Lab Technician. Before coming to MA, Jennifer worked at City Sports Club first in Vallejo, CA as a Sales Counselor, and more recently as the General Manager of Sales at their Petaluma location. At San Jose State University, Jennifer earned her BA in Psychology and minor in Chemistry, and soon after contracted at NASA Ames Research Center under Dr. Andro Rios in his organic chemistry lab as a Research Assistant. In the past, Jennifer has also worked as a Service Coordinator at a Behavioral Health Center, as a Personal Trainer and Physical Therapy Aide, and more. (Feel free to reach out and ask her about it!) When not in the lab or in the classroom, Jennifer can be found in the gym, at the park, or in her kitchen learning how to cook new recipes.

MELISSA NEAL joined us last fall as the Visual Storyteller and Communication Manager, overseeing social media management and digital content creation. Through a professional lens, Neal thoughtfully communicates the value of MA classes and programs. Early on, a zest for music and film pulled her towards a career in media; from 2006-2015 she was the Founder and Station Manager of KGPC 96.6fm, a community-focused radio station at Laney College. While overseeing KGPC, Neal had the highest rate of student engagement for any program on campus. As a companion piece, she developed Practice Space, a television program highlighting local musicians, which aired to over 400,000 homes in the Bay Area. Moving into film, Neal was the Story Editor and Camera Operator for Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk. The full-length documentary, produced by Green Day, guided viewers through a journey of over 30 years of music history within the Bay Area. More recently, Neal has served as a videographer for the progressive news platform Daily Kos and the large-scale art studio Engineered Artworks. Her work has additionally been featured in the New York Times, LA Weekly, and Rolling Stone.

NOAH ORGISH is Marin Academy’s new Educational Technologist. He graduated with a BA in English Literature from Whitman College, and since then he has pursued his passions for education and technology in a variety of different capacities. Now, after working as an outdoor educator, a technical writer, and an English and history teacher, Noah couldn’t be more excited about formally combining his passions at Marin Academy. Outside of school, you can find Noah reading, walking his dogs, baking a mean challah, or trying to avoid poison oak while running, mountainbiking, or climbing.

JANIECE RICHARD joined MA in November as the Director of Advancement. She has extensive experience in all areas of fundraising, having worked in alumni relations, planned giving, annual giving, individual giving, and major gifts throughout her career in advancement. She joined us from the University of Southern California, where she raised major gifts for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Prior to USC, Janiece worked in alumni relations at both Cal State LA and Harvard-Westlake School. Janiece loves what she does as a fundraiser: ensuring students have the same opportunities that were so impactful in her life, both curricular and co-curricular programs alike, while also building meaningful relationships with parents and alumni! Janiece received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and her master’s degree in education (sports administration) from the University of Kansas and her doctorate degree in education from USC. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, working out, finding street art, and spending time with her family, which includes her husband, fouryear-old son, and dog. She is an avid sports fan and supports her hometown (Kansas City, MO) and college teams: the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas Jayhawks.

JAKE SISCO began this year as an Associate Director of College Counseling. Prior to Marin Academy, Jake worked as an Assistant Director of Admission at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and, before that, Rice University in Houston, TX. Jake earned his BA in both English and history from the College of William and Mary before acquiring a master's in Education with a concentration in Higher Education Administration at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. Outside of school, Jake enjoys traveling throughout the world as well as following politics, the tv/film industry, and college basketball. He has lived in ten states, D.C., and Italy and always loves a good concert.

2022-2023 Penn Fellows

MARIBEL ALBARRAN joined the Marin Academy Science Department in 2016 as the Laboratory Technician. In addition, she joined the Crossroads Department as a Program Coordinator in 2017. For the past several years she has taught part-time in our science department as a biology teacher while also working in multiple school domains, serving as an advisor and IDEQ leader. This year, Maribel will continue her work in our science department while also earning her masters in education at the University of Pennsylvania.

ANYA STURM comes to Marin Academy as part of the University of Pennsylvania Fellowship program to teach mathematics and coach cross country. She earned her BS in mathematical analytics from UC Davis, where she ran cross country and track. In her free time, she loves trail running, biking, and climbing, as well as playing bluegrass and traditional Irish folk music.

The Magic of MA

Dear Members of our Marin Academy Community:

For our family, MA has been a school where our kids could try new things, be challenged academically, and discover who they are and what they value. What we have cherished most about this school is the community—it's the teachers who pull students aside at lunch to answer questions, the coaches who understand the life lessons that happen on the playing field can be just as important as those taught in the classroom, and it’s the deep friendships that will last long after MA—I think that’s the magic of MA.

In this 50th year of Marin Academy, the magic in this community is alive and well. This edition of NEXUS magazine takes us on a journey to reflect on how our past has defined and informed the MA of today. It looks into the future of education at Marin Academy and beyond. I hope you feel as inspired as I do to be a member of this community and engaged in this work.

This year's Annual Report reflects our community's ongoing efforts to be a leader in education in the Bay Area and beyond. Every gift at every level profoundly impacts how we can face these rapidly evolving moments with confidence. Please take the time to celebrate our loyal donors and read the inspiring stories. And most importantly, please accept my gratitude for your commitment.

I want to express my thanks to our outgoing members of the Board of Trustees: Rajan Dev, Ian McKinnon, Stephanie Notowich, Sophie Ross, Kevin Thau, and Molly Tomforde . Our entire MA community appreciates their outstanding commitment and dedication to the School. Please join me in welcoming our newest Board members!

Thank you for all you do to keep the magic alive at Marin Academy.

With gratitude, Marie Lyons (Henry '14, Mac '17, Sam '18, George '21) Chair, MA Board of Trustees

Contributing to the MA Community Isaura Resendiz

Isaura Resendiz shares more about her experience as a MA parent, Board of Trustees member and why it’s important to support MA.

What’s your favorite MA memory?

What strengths and skills have you brought to your roles as a Trustee and volunteer?

I value diversity and equity as criteria for decision-making and I’m proud to play a role in representing my community’s language and culture. In my lived experience as an immigrant and also in my professional work as the Intensive Care Coordination Manager for North Marin Community Services, I am in contact with lowincome people and immigrants, which allows me to share that perspective and voice as we make decisions as a board for the students and the faculty.

What have you learned or gained through your service to MA?

I have learned to respect the opinions of others, know my role as a trustee and parent, and support the head of the school after a final decision has been made. As a volunteer, getting to know and connect with the Latinx community in a more meaningful way talking to people individually by phone and getting to know them has been a unique experience. Being on the board with other professional and very highly skilled people, I’ve learned a lot about areas such as diversity, strategic planning, and finance.

What inspires you to serve the MA community, as both a Trustee and annual fund volunteer?

I’m inspired by the connection with other parents, faculty, and administrators. Also, it allows me to share my strengths by helping other parents and students from my own community.

Your son César is a senior at Marin Academy. Why did your family choose MA?

Because of the distinctive opportunities for the students, innovative curriculum, and the amazing, welcoming, and inclusive community, along with the science curriculum and the athletic program. We also chose MA because of its generous financial support, which allows us to be able to be part of the MA community and open doors to broader opportunities.

When my son got injured, all his teachers and the 9th-grade Dean stepped up and supported him during his challenging time. They moved a class into a more accessible classroom, assisted him with his school backpack, walked with him when he needed to transfer from one classroom to another, and many other extraordinary moments of support from his friends and peers. I spent one week in the school and I was able to witness so much love and care by everyone who encountered us at MA.

You also support MA philanthropically. Tell us about that.

I believe contributions to the MA community can be made in different ways, not only by giving large monetary contributions. I can also contribute by giving some of my time to any event or activity where my skills can be used. As I often discuss with families I connect with through my annual fund outreach, at MA, participation is valued no matter the amount, so that we can show how much we care about and love our school.

How does MA foster a culture of service among students?

The school maintains an inclusive curriculum that remains respectful of differences. Teachers ensure that all students are included in all aspects of the school, while acknowledging the unique differences students may possess and how those differences contribute to the MA community.

Participation is valued no matter the amount, so that we can show how much we care about and love our school.

Contribuyendo a la Comunidad de MA

Isaura Resendiz comparte más sobre su experiencia como madre de MA, miembro de la Junta Directiva y por qué es importante apoyar a MA.

¿Qué lo inspira a servir a la comunidad de MA, como miembro de la mesa directiva y como voluntario del fondo anual?

Me inspira la conexión con otros padres, profesores y administradores. Además, me permite compartir mis fortalezas ayudando a otros padres y estudiantes de mi propia comunidad.

Su hijo César está en el último año en Marin Academy. ¿Por qué su familia eligió MA?

Nosotros escogimos Marin Academy por diferentes razones. Primero, por las oportunidades distintivas para los estudiantes, después, el plan de estudios innovador y la comunidad increíble, acogedora e inclusiva, junto con el plan de estudios de ciencias y el programa deportivo. También elegimos MA por su generoso apoyo financiero, que nos permite ser parte de la comunidad de MA y abrir puertas a oportunidades más amplias.

¿Cuál es tu recuerdo favorito de tu tiempo en MA?

El recuerdo favorito que tengo es cuando mi hijo se lesionó jugando fútbol y todos sus maestros y el decano de noveno grado lo apoyaron durante este momento difícil. Movieron una de sus clases a un salón más accesible para que él pudiera asistir, lo ayudaron cargando su mochila escolar, lo acompañaron cuando necesitaba trasladarse de un salón a otro y muchos otros momentos extraordinarios de apoyo de sus amigos y compañeros. Pasé una semana en la escuela con mi hijo y pude ser testigo de tanto apoyo y atención por parte de todos los que nos encontraron en MA.

¿Qué fortalezas y habilidades ha aportado a sus roles como miembro de la junta directiva y como voluntario?

Valoro la diversidad y la equidad como criterios para la toma de decisiones y me enorgullece desempeñar un papel en la representación del idioma y la cultura de mi comunidad. En mi experiencia vivida como inmigrante y también en mi trabajo profesional como trabajadora de casos críticos con North Marin Community Services, estoy en contacto con personas de bajos ingresos e inmigrantes, lo que me permite compartir esa perspectiva y voz al tomar decisiones en la junta directiva para beneficio de la facultad y los estudiantes.

¿Qué ha aprendido o ganado a través de su servicio a MA? He aprendido a respetar las opiniones de los demás, sé cuál es mi papel como miembro de la mesa directiva y mi papel como padre, también aprendí que una vez que se discute un tema, la decisión que se toma en grupo es apoyada por todos. Como voluntario, conocer y conectarme con la comunidad Latina de una manera más significativa, hablar con las personas individualmente por teléfono y conocerlas ha sido una experiencia única. Al estar en la junta con otras personas profesionales y muy capacitadas, he aprendido mucho sobre áreas como la diversidad, la planificación estratégica y las finanzas.

También apoya a MA filantrópicamente. Cuéntanos sobre eso. Creo que nuestra contribución a la comunidad de MA se puede hacer de diferentes maneras, no solo dando grandes contribuciones monetarias. También puedo contribuir dando parte de mi tiempo a cualquier evento o actividad donde se puedan utilizar mis habilidades. En los últimos tres años, he tenido la oportunidad de hablar con las familias Latinas sobre el fondo anual en MA, y les comparto porque la participación sin importar la cantidad es esencial para que podamos demostrar cuánto nos interesa la escuela y cómo apoyarla.

¿Cómo fomenta MA una cultura de servicio entre los estudiantes?

La escuela mantiene un plan de estudios inclusivo que se mantiene respetuoso de las diferencias. Los maestros se aseguran de que todos los estudiantes estén incluidos en todos los aspectos de la escuela, al tiempo que reconocen las diferencias únicas que los estudiantes pueden poseer y cómo esas diferencias contribuyen positivamente a la comunidad de MA.

Fund Summary

Language Study With Experiential Richness

John Petrovsky

John Petrovsky retired in 2007 after a 21-year career teaching Spanish at Marin Academy. Now, his generous commitment funds the Summer Language Study Abroad Scholarship, which provides an opportunity for one student to hone their language skills and forge crosscultural connections through independent study overseas. We caught up with John to find out more.

What were your earliest experiences of studying abroad?

As a junior at UC Berkeley, I studied Spanish in Guadalajara, Mexico. I lived with a family and three other Americans, and the family's father wanted to practice his English. It was fun and good for my language ability, but it wasn’t until after I got my master’s degree from Berkeley that I had an authentic immersion experience. I received a full scholarship to attend a two-month summer program in Madrid. I lived with a welcoming family, had incredible professors (including the director of the Prado Museum, who taught art history), and was friends with other Americans who wanted to practice their Spanish. My time in Madrid made me want to help MA students share that experience.

Tell us about some of the trips you led for MA students.

My eight trips to Spanish-speaking countries with MA students were real highlights in my career and, in fact, my life. My dear and respected colleagues Madelon De Lauff Johnson, Glenn Stanfield, and I decided to lead trips to countries other than Mexico and Spain since we assumed students might visit those countries on their own.

Madelon and I took students to Costa Rica in the summer of 1987 and then four times to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In Buenos Aires, we were delighted to be joined by the eighteen Argentine students from our cross-cultural exchange program with whom we had already forged bonds of friendship. The visiting Argentine scholars enriched our whole MA community while attending classes with their MA student hosts. Some of the porteños (people from Buenos Aires) even did MA homework. I know that at least two former MA students are still in contact with their porteña families and have attended weddings there.

Glenn and I took students three times to the beautiful mountain town of Cuenca, Ecuador, where our young people lived with families for two weeks and attended small classes in conversation and culture. The last week in Equador we visited the Galapagos Islands and journeyed into the Amazon where biology classes and environmental issues were brought to life.

It seems that students who studied abroad with us improved their conversational skills in Spanish, having to use it daily in their homestays and participating in daily life. In addition, and probably even more importantly, they learned about the culture and made critical comparisons between what they knew at home and what they lived there.

Most job applications ask if a job seeker speaks a second language, which is undoubtedly an asset in many fields and businesses. Here in California, increasingly a multilingual state, we have many opportunities to practice Spanish and use it in various fields. It’s a joy for language teachers to hear students report using their language skills outside the classroom, including travel.

Why study a second language?

Above all, students learning a world language (particularly learning it well with three or more years of study, as at MA) should lead to a more positive and respectful attitude towards other cultures and cultural diversity. Strong language programs don’t just study grammar (yikes!) and vocabulary. They explore cultural habits, geography, literature, history, the environment, art, and music.

What’s the difference between learning a language in a classroom and being immersed in that language for weeks or months?

In the MA World Language Department, students hear and speak the language daily, but it’s a somewhat formalized version, often slower than people usually talk. When students have the chance to be abroad and use it in a real-world context, it’s more challenging and rewarding when they realize they are communicating. I’ve relished seeing students smile with a sense of accomplishment when they understand and are understood.

Imagine you could wave a magic wand and make it, so every high school student senior in the United States had the opportunity to spend a month in a different county. How might our society be different?

Being exposed directly to another cultural and linguistic experience abroad makes everyone more open to other ideas and points of view, opening up horizons and closing the doors of prejudice. I believe professionals who have more experience abroad tend to be more open-minded.

Why did you create this scholarship?

I hope students have the chance to have the types of experiences that I had in Spain back in 1968 when I had the opportunity to live and breathe Spanish and Spanish culture almost exclusively. I feel I returned a fuller person, more knowledgeable and confident, and I hope that many MA students in the future share that experiential richness.

New Board Members

EMILY BRAKEBILL, a native San Franciscan, lives in San Francisco with her three kids, Benji, Sydney ’22, and Kelsey ’25. Emily is a Founding Partner, Head of Investor Relations, and Chief Operating Officer at HMI Capital, where she has been since its inception in 2009. HMI is an investment management firm with a long-term perspective seeking to invest in the highestquality growth businesses globally. Prior to HMI, Emily spent four years at a credit opportunity fund and previously held positions at other specialty finance, investment, and technology businesses. Emily received an A.B. with the highest honors from Stanford University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. Previously, Emily served for seven years on the National Board of Directors (including a three-year stint as Board Chair) for the nonprofit Kesem.

DAVID COREY lives in San Francisco and is a parent of Rei '25 and Teagan. David is a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone where he is Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Strategic Partners, which he joined in 2001. David earned a B.A. from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

MARISA GOMEZ is English Department Chair and has taught a variety of English courses since she arrived at MA in 2018. Marisa has also served as a faculty advisor to Echoes, as a coordinator for Lit Fest, and as a member of the Teacher Competencies PLC. Marisa received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Texas Christian University and her Master’s Degree in Private School Leadership as a Klingenstein Fellow at Teachers College/Columbia University. Marisa began her teaching career in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, where she taught in public and independent schools. She has also lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York, where she served as the English Department Chair at Poly Prep Country Day School prior to joining the MA faculty. Given her career as an English teacher, it is probably no surprise that one of Marisa's favorite pastimes is reading. She also enjoys hiking through national parks, strolling through art museums, and visiting family and friends who live all over the country.

SPENCER WANG is the Chief Investment Officer for JSW, LLC. He serves on the Board of Directors for Inclined, China Live, the Marin Health Foundation, and First Tee of San Francisco. He has also been actively involved in the past with Family House. Prior, Spencer was the CIO and co-PM for Seasons Capital, a San Francisco-based hedge fund. He started his hedge fund career at Pequot Capital, the world's largest hedge fund at the time, before joining the technology team at Pequot in the spin-off that became known as Andor Capital. He graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. An avid basketball fan, Spencer recently retired from the ranks of coaching both the basketball and softball teams of his two daughters. He resides in Tiburon with his wife, daughters, and pet dog Curry.

SIGGY STRACK and his wife, Denise, live in Kentfield and are the parents of MA graduates Katrina '15 and Nicki '17, current MA student Lexi '24, and younger siblings Tina, Heidi, and Mattias. Siggy oversees a series of private investment funds at Trinity Alps Capital and previously led private equity and venture investments at Willett Advisors, the family investment office of Michael Bloomberg. Siggy started his career in management consulting at McKinsey & Company and holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

SCOTT MOLLETT '99 is a Marin Academy graduate and lives in Oakland with his wife and two daughters. He is a corporate attorney focusing on transactional work and corporate governance. He currently works at CSAA Insurance, a AAA insurer, and was previously a partner in a boutique law firm and an associate at several major firms. He has published in academic journals and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Fordham Law School. Scott graduated with an AB from Dartmouth College, a JD from Stanford Law School, and was a Fulbright Fellow at Kobe University. He is an active alumnus serving on the Alumni Board as Secretary.

Paul Levitan (Chair)

Marie Lyons (Vice Chair)

Lisa Hauswirth (Vice Chair)

Mandy Tachiki (Vice-Chair)

Robert Brown (Vice-Chair)

Travis Brownley (Head of School)

Ari Blum

Emily Brakebill

Tad Buchanan David Corey Sarah Byrne

Lorri Durbin

Brighid Dwyer

Jessica Eisler

Marisa Gomez

Erica Hunt

Rachel Kernodle

Christina Kosmowski

Jason Lee Scott Mollett

Florencia Parada

Isaura Resendiz

Ali Rezaian

David Riley

Ed Sarti

Siggy Strack

Spencer Wang

2022 Student Art Spotlight

TO SEE MORE IMAGES,

"Basketball Fever" by Max U. '22

Aoife R. '24

"Gold Star" by Chase F. '23

"Double Exposure" by Everett R. '23

"Arsonists" by Max U. '22

By Sophia I. '23

CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

16, 1974: Jerry Garcia wore a Marin Academy sweatshirt on stage at a Grateful Dead show at the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Behind him is the legendary Wall of Sound, designed in 1973 specifically for the Grateful Dead's live performances. An unsolved MA mystery, no one knows how Jerry Garcia ended up with MA Spiritware just two years after the school was started. Want to help solve the mystery? Email us at alumni@ma.org to share your conjectures or clues.

"Star Skyline" by Mark S. '23

"Queen Eliza" by Danica B. '23

CELEBRATING

Think. Question. Create.

Marin Academy students marry art and science, explore the meaning of space and place, and bring their visions to life through creativity and the latest technology.

Many voices are welcomed and encouraged at MA, allowing our students to cultivate the tools they need to live their lives fully, and the inspiration to contribute as compassionate citizens of the world.