Class Notes

1950s

Mimi Auldridge Van de Houten ’54 “A few members of the Class of 1954 met for lunch at Cedar Creek in Orange County in March 2021.” Pictured are Pat Moffat O’Fallon ’54, Sheila Sullivan Conant ’54, Margaret Volken Klecker Miser ’54 and Mimi.

1960s

Patricia Smith Kunz Delgatto ’60 “I finally retired in 2018, at age 75, having worked for 30 years as a Director of Human Resources in health care. My husband is a lung cancer survivor so we started looking for healthy places to live outside of California. We settled on St. George, Utah, and relocated in December 2018. It is truly a spectacular place to live and just a five-hour drive from Pasadena. I have two sons and two grandsons. My older son is Chief Medical Officer at a Virginia hospital and my younger son makes documentaries. I will be attending our 61st reunion in October and look forward to seeing my classmates.”

Cornelia Reynolds Gould ’66 “Ed and I have been living the good life—Lake Tahoe in the summers, Indian Wells in the winters. We have five grandchildren, including twin boys born last summer, who’ve been in Salt Lake City during the pandemic but are about to move to New Jersey. We’ve been playing lots of online bridge, but are starting to transition back to in-person games. I’d love to catch up with all of you. Perhaps we can have a late 55th reunion?”

Sally McFadden Gordon ’67 “My husband, Steve, and I started the pandemic almost in a fog. Suddenly all the streets in the Napa Valley were quiet and we went out about every two weeks for groceries. It seemed very quiet and falsely peaceful until we started getting the news from New York. So many cities followed suit with truly tragic reports and the good feelings we had evaporated overnight. As the months passed we realized we missed our families more and worried about them accordingly. Santa Cruz seemed like another country and Chicago another continent. In May we finally left home and went to Joshua Tree to see some friends from Los Angeles. We saw my family and then flew to Chicago to see Steve’s clan. What an incredible relief! The exhale was audible and we are feeling much better but still a little weary. Steve is painting (thegordongallery.com, if anyone is interested) and I am still working as a life coach. Call me if you need me at (707) 927-8082. Always free for Mayfield alums.”

Farley Egan Green ’69 “I wrote a poem last year about one of my favorite teachers and shared it with some of my classmates via Zoom. They encouraged me to send it to you. After graduation, I went on to Scripps College, got a degree in English, and pursued a writing/communications career. I’m now retired and have returned to writing poems, something I first tried at Mayfield. Have even published a few. I live with my husband, Tom, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.”

One day in history class Mother St. Charles plants herself by the blackboard. She lectures the girls on the architecture of France, her long black habit swirling as she moves. “A grand cathedral!” she says. “Gothic!” “Our Lady!” “Centuries to build!” She stretches an arm overhead and leans into the board, hard, channeling the arches of Notre Dame. “Flying BUTTresses!” she exclaims and of course the students laugh. Years later, Notre Dame’s flying buttresses withstand the flames that bring down the roof. They hold the walls steady. Like Mother St. Charles, who taught school in a world that was starting to shake, where girls got pregnant, a biracial couple went to the prom, and nuns came back in the fall with girlhood names and new outfits.

1970s

Missey Moe-Cook ’71 “The Class of 1971 is gearing up for its 50th Reunion celebration, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2 at Mayfield Senior School, starting at 5 p.m. (See details above.) Less than four months away (at the time of this writing) many in the Class of ’71 have indicated they will be there that evening. It is sure to be great fun for all. We are still looking for some of our Mayfield sisters. If anyone has any contact information for Kathleen Aiken ’71, Betsy Natzel ’71, Linda Contreras ’71, Shadell Giessinger ’71 or Gwen Schad ’71, please contact the the Mayfield Alum Engagement Office directly (alum@ mayfieldsenior.org) or me at (203) 984-1061. While we are only one graduating class, each has its uniqueness, and each member of every graduating class was given an extraordinary gift with a Mayfield Senior School education.”

Peggy Eyler Legault ’74 “My husband John and I recently retired and are looking forward to some down time in Sunriver, Oregon. And also some grandparent time in Dayton, Ohio, where my daughter, Annie Legault Tufts ’06 and her husband, Matt, live with their five-month-old son, Paul. My other daughter, Emily Legault Mauller ’08, and her husband, Jonathan, are in Durham, North Carolina, so we will be wandering over there as well! Mayfield has been so good to me and our practice, providing us with plenty of patients among the current students and also when the alums who have stayed local bring us their babies! It has been such a blessing to watch the women of Mayfield grow up and head out into the world with successful careers and beautiful families! I will miss it, but it is time to slow down a bit and get some traveling in!”

Susan Koening Shiells ’77 “I have a new job with Stray Cat Alliance as the Volunteer Program Manager. And, last year I became a great aunt to a beautiful little girl. Still living in the same house as in high school so come on by!”

1980s

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Rock on!

Jim McManus, Head of School, 1980-88

As we were clearing out the basement of Strub Hall for construction, we discovered a mysterious cache of items stored behind the Senior Locker Room. Lo and behold, there were boxes and boxes of rocks! Associate Head of School for Strategic Initiatives Angela Howell ’76 knew exactly who to call for clues—former Head of School Jim McManus. He had a lot of fun returning to campus and rediscovering these rock collections amassed by his Geology students for their final project, which had been sitting undisturbed for almost 40 years! Jim kept a few rocks for posterity and will donate some specimens to other schools. The rest will go back into Mother Earth.

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Dr. Honora Howell Chapman ’80 has been appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State University.

Liz Rusnak Arizmendi ’81 “Andrew and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows at our Lady of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta this last April. We are so thrilled we had our children by our side—Andrew II, who graduated from Loyola High School in 2012, and Isabella, who graduated from Mayfield Senior School in 2017.”

Megan Lynch ’83 entered UC Davis as a disabled non-traditional Masters student in the Department of Plant Sciences. She banded together with other disabled UC students, staff and faculty to form the UC Access Now coalition, which released their “Demandifesto” in July 2020, on the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Demandifesto sets out examples of systemic ableism within the University of California system as well as action steps to begin to address the university’s lack of compliance with ADA. UC Access Now’s advocacy has led to growing improvements in accessibility but, Megan says, “Success depends on the public—abled and disabled— pressuring UC to not just finally comply with ADA, but exceed this minimal standard of accessibility and go beyond to universal design, access and inclusion.” Megan recently led a workshop for the American Society of Plant Biologists’ 2021 World Summit called Beyond Law—Providing Accessibility & Inclusion Just Because. She says that most approaches to accessibility and inclusion for disabled people in academia and in workplaces focus on legal compliance rather than eagerness to work with and include another human being. Her workshop included tips on making scientific workplaces, processes and communications accessible, and challenged participants to go beyond. “Rethinking what our goals really are as communicators, teachers, PIs, managers and scientists can help us redesign for a better, more humane and productive environment for all of us. And that helps make plant science accessible, pleasurable and sustainable to as many people as possible!”

Marcela Escobar-Alava ’86 and her husband, Giovanni Alava, have moved to Washington, D.C. and she is serving her country as a Presidential appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director Technology for the White House. In her new role, she focuses on enterprise applications across the Executive Office of the President.

1990s

Gian Sardar Schwehr ’92 “My second novel, Take What You Can Carry, was published in May 2021!”

Anne Wilson ’90 “I graduated from Dominican University in River Forest, Ill., with a Master of Library and Information Science in 2013. I also have a son, Sean, who is 19.”

Amie Bettencourt ’98 met up with Mayfield’s Director of Alum Engagement, Nicole Cosand Burcham, during her visit to Baltimore in July. Amie is an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and her research focuses on the prevention and treatment of disruptive behavior problems in youth.

2000s

Nicole Sandoval ’00 “I am celebrating five years as a nurse practitioner in family medicine, and continue to provide primary care to people experiencing homelessness in the San Fernando Valley. I am thrilled to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, both personally and professionally. When I am not working my full-time gig or being mommy to my two little guys, Bryce (7) and Cameron (4), I’m building a side practice in medical aesthetics.” Things are busy, but very fulfilling, and she hopes to reconnect with some Mayfield pals soon.

Tana David ’04 “I finally got hitched to my best friend, Cameron Burns, on March 28, 2021. After two canceled weddings at my parents’ house in the south of France we decided to elope to Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The date was extra special as it was also my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary! May we be so lucky! Our big wedding celebration with Mayfield Senior School bridesmaids in tow will just have to wait…

Allie Adishian Fazende ’04 married Sean Fazende in April 2021 at an intimate celebration in Austin, Texas. “Our original date was March 21, 2020, just one week after the lockdown hit. After a couple of postponements, our day finally happened and we feel so grateful to have been able to safely celebrate in person with our family and closest friends.”

Tricia Mok Galloway ’04 “My husband Tyler and I welcomed our first child, Marleigh, born in Dec. 2020. Many of Marleigh’s aunties are friends from Mayfield!” Tricia is a Program Manager for the L.A. Chapter of the California Society of CPAs. Their family lives in Arcadia, Calif., along with their cat, Wally.

Anne Emerson Leak ’04, husband Jimmy, and big sister Hannah (4) welcomed baby Emma to their pandemic bubble in April 2020. Anne is an assistant professor of STEM education at High Point University in North Carolina. She still loves riding her horse, Stetson, and recently met up with lifelong Mayfield friend Kaity Hagen ’04.

Kaity Hagen Reece ’04 recently completed her first year of studies in the Master of Divinity program at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif.,as part of its low residency program. Kaity, her husband Jarrod, and their daughter, Camille (5), live in Omaha, Neb., where she is a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska. She also serves as a lobbyist for nonprofit and government entities in the Nebraska Legislature, where she works on issues including behavioral health, foster care, juvenile justice and education.

Whitney Willis Visger ’04 “My husband Nik and I welcomed a daughter, Olivia Lee, to our family on Nov. 16, 2020! A potential future member of the Mayfield Senior School Class of 2038.” She joins big brother Cameron (3).

Sylvana Hidalgo ’05 “My husband Dave and I welcomed our second child, Javier Peter Wheelock, on March 18, 2021. Older sister Anabel (2) was thrilled to welcome him to the family, and we couldn’t be happier. I also finally finished my medical training in July 2020 and I am an attending at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where I practice pediatric cardiology. We recently moved to Pasadena and we are looking forward to exploring our new neighborhood as a family of four!”

Kelsey Boesche Belli ’06 married Silvio Belli during the pandemic on May 4, 2020. “Our original wedding was canceled, but when Vegas opened up we drove to The Little Church of the West and got married. It was a whirlwind complete with a Taco Bell dinner and store-bought cake, but it was really lovely! Currently I’m living in Berlin, Germany. While the opera houses are just starting to reopen, I had an online opera premiere in June. It was called ‘Gianni Schicchi’ by Puccini and its setting was a family Zoom call gone wrong.”

Maureen Clougherty ’06 and her wife, Morgan, welcomed their daughter, Nolan Rose Clougherty, on Feb. 25, 2021.

Annie Legault Tufts ’06 “My husband Matt and I have had a pretty exciting year! We welcomed our son Paul this past January and our airplane last summer! Here’s our family at the Daytona Air Show. We enjoy having the opportunity to share the joy of flying with Paul and other young people!”

Emily Osterkamp Murphy ’06 and her husband, Ryan, welcomed their son, Robert John Murphy, on Oct. 21, 2020. Parents and big sister Hannah (3) are in love!

Katie Symes Summers ’06 “On May 31, 2021, my husband, Jonathan Summers, and I welcomed our first baby, Theodore ‘Teddy’ Stephen Summers. We could not be more excited!”

Kayla Yokoyama Dodge ’07 20 graduated from USC’s Iovine and Young Academy with a Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology. During her studies she collaborated with businesses like Adidas and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to innovate in each realm.

Grace Carroll ’08 and her husband welcomed their first child, Cassidy Lea Leger, born in Oakland, Calif. on May 11, 2021. She was 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches long. Mom and daughter are both doing well, happy and healthy. Grace hopes Cassidy might be a future Cub, Mayfield Senior School Class of 2038!

Anne Mergenthaler Hokanson ’09 “My husband Mark and I welcomed our daughter Elle Sloane Hokanson into this crazy world on March 3, 2021. We are overjoyed with this blessing in our lives and are excited to start this journey together. We want to share our love of the mountains, movement and God with our Ellie. Go Cubs!”

2010s

Rachel Aragon ’10 met up with Mayfield’s Director of Alum Engagement, Nicole Cosand Burcham, in Baltimore in July. Rachel is a reporter for FOX 45 and works in the field as a morning show correspondent.

Julie Sanchez Brehove ’11 “On Nov. 23, 2019, I married the love of my life Matthew Brehove (Loyola High School ’06) in the Old San Gabriel Mission. It was a beautiful Mass, with a dinner reception held at Tamayo Mexican Restaurant and Art Gallery. My sister Robyn and my twin sister Elizabeth Sanchez ’11 were my maids of honor.”

Michelle Mohr ’11 25 graduated with a JD/MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and the Wharton School.

Lauren Banis Burchill ’12 and her husband, Scooby, welcomed their daughter, Addison Grace, into the world on Nov. 18, 2020. Addie is the first grandchild born on either side of her family so she gets more than her fair share of snuggles and attention. Who knows, she may be a future member of the Mayfield Senior School Class of 2038!

Venezia Hyland ’13 “After four wonderful years teaching middle school history and English at the Cornelia Connelly Center in New York City, I will be attending Teachers College at Columbia University to complete a master’s degree in philosophy and education!”

Lora McManus ’14 was recently published in Allies for Education. Her piece, Such a Beautiful Family—Transracial Adopted in A Monoracial-Dominant Society, was published in the May 2021 issue, Vol 3, No. 2, titled Pathways to Radical Change.

Emily Monroe ’14 graduated from USC Gould School of Law in May 2021 and has accepted an offer to work at Paul Hastings in the fall of 2021.

Jocelyn Gaona ’15 is headed to Michigan to begin medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

Julianna Amado ’17 graduated from Chapman University with a B.S. in business administration and management and a minor in peace studies. She has accepted a position as a loan partner at Rate One Financial in Sierra Madre.

Isabella Arizmendi ’17 graduated on May 4, 2021, from High Point University with a degree in international business and a minor in Spanish. She will be pursuing her master’s in communication and business leadership, also at High Point University.

Gabriela Morales ’17 graduated in May from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts in digital marketing and religious studies. During her senior year, Gabriela was involved with Gonzaga’s Student Media Board, IDEAS (Inclusivity, Diversity & Equity in the Arts & Sciences) in Action Council, and was inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, an academic honor society for religious studies majors. Following graduation, Gabriela accepted a position as a recruiter with Aerotek in Spokane, Wash.

Welcome, Class of 2021!

Thank you to the dozens of Mayfield grads, spanning six decades, who joined us at this year’s Baccalaureate Mass to present the Class of 2021 with their Holy Child medallions. We were touched to see so many alums back at Bellefontaine for this special rite of passage, which officially welcomes the senior class to our alum community.