Review Magazine - Winter 2019

WINTER 2019

ALUM NAE /I N E W S

Scoring Goals Thomas McCabe ’10 achieves lifelong dream of playing professional soccer

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

2

CLASS OF 2018 REPORT

10

ALUMNAE/I NEWS

24

FROM THE ARCHIVES

26

CLASS NOTES

FEATURES

10

LANGUAGE OF DANCE Erin Strong ’96 encourages students to find their voices through dance

13

REWRITING HER OWN SCRIPT Maddi Niebanck ’13 pens books, follows passion while recovering from near-fatal stroke

16

DRAWING ON HER PASSION Claire Tomasi ’13 pursues lifelong dream of becoming graphic artist

18

SCORING GOALS Professional soccer team signs Thomas McCabe ’10

REVIEW is published twice per year by the Marketing & Communications Department for alumnae/i, parents and friends of Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.

Head of School Timothy J. Saburn

EDITOR Meghan Hodgin Director of Marketing & Communications ASSOCIATE EDITOR James McEvoy Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications EDITORIAL STAFF Cynthia Prewitt Director of Institutional Advancement

Elizabeth O’Mara ’86 Associate Director of Institutional Advancement Barbara Lindner Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement PHOTOGRAPHY Julia Beckwith FC Cincinnati McCabe Family James McEvoy Andy Mead/YCJ

Notre Dame Chianan Yen DESIGN Abbie Moore Design PRINTING Action Graphics Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child 44 Blackburn Road Summit, NJ 07901 908-522-8109 www.oakknoll.org

Message from the Head of School “Run with ardor in the way that He has pointed out.”

Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus

Dear Oak Knoll School Community, Enjoy this winter edition of Review. We made the decision to produce another issue this year in order to focus on the tremendous talent of our alumnae/i. In my 14 years as Head of School, I continue to be impressed by what our graduates do to make their communities and our world a better place. Some we know about and some we do not. What I do know is that there are thousands of graduates who embody and live Cornelia’s axiom, “Actions, not words,” every single day. This issue of Review shares just a few of those stories with all of you.

Inside this edition, you will find a report on the Class of 2018 – 63 young women at 47 different colleges across the globe. You will also read about Maddi Niebanck ’13, who wrote an inspirational novel after she recovered from a near-fatal stroke; Christine Butchko ’13, who initiated a Female Empowerment Summit in Malaysia; our cover story, about Lower School graduate Tommy McCabe ’10, who achieved his lifelong dream of playing professional soccer earlier this year; and many others.

As you read these stories, I ask that you share your own story with those around you. Unlike most Holy Child graduates ... don’t be modest. Tell your story and share it with as many people as you would like. Not to boast ... but to set an example for those around you. In short, to be an Oak Knoll grad.

Facta non verba,

Timothy J. Saburn, Head of School OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

1

ALUMNAE/I ON THE MAP A LOOK AT THE

OREGON Reed College

CLASS OF

2018

IN COLLEGE ACROSS THE GLOBE CALIFORNIA

University of California, Los Angeles Santa Clara University Stanford University University of Southern California

TEXAS

Texas Christian University

INTERNATIONAL:

SCOTLAND

University of Edinburgh

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CLASS 2018 REPORT WINTER 2019

NEW YORK

Colgate University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Fordham University, New York University, Skidmore College, Syracuse University

PENNSYLVANIA

MICHIGAN

University of Michigan

Bucknell University Carnegie Mellon University Drexel University Dickinson College Lafayette College Lehigh University Villanova University

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Harvard University, Olin College of Engineering, Williams College

RHODE ISLAND

Providence College

CONNECTICUT

INDIANA

Indiana University, University of Notre Dame

Fairfield University, Trinity College, Quinnipiac University

MARYLAND

NEW JERSEY

University of Maryland

Kean University, Princeton University

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON, D.C.

University of Richmond University of Virginia Washington and Lee University

Georgetown University, George Washington University

NORTH CAROLINA

Duke University

MISSOURI

Washington University in St. Louis

GEORGIA

Emory University University of Georgia

LOUISIANA

Tulane University

FLORIDA

Stetson University

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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CLASS OF 2018

BY THE NUMBERS

63 47

YOUNG WOMEN AT

LARGEST NUMBER of MATRICULANTS: 4 3

AT BOSTON COLLEGE AT GEORGETOWN

7.8

DIFFERENT COLLEGES

OF THE

47 COLLEGES, have a single

36

MATRICULANT

3 3

AT NOTRE DAME AT VILLANOVA

Average number of applications per student

324 APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED

96% 24% SUBMITTED

EARLY DECISION OR EARLY ACTION

4

Attended Catholic colleges

16

Recruited

ATHLETES

CLASS 2018 REPORT WINTER 2019

FIRST YEAR CHECK-IN Madison Dyer ’18 FIRST YEAR CHECK-IN offers advice and an inside view of what our most recent graduates may expect during their first year away at college. This year, we caught up with Madison Dyer ’18 on her first year at Georgetown University. Madison talks about her fears heading off to school, making friends and the importance of getting involved.

Q: Did you have any hesitations or fears before you headed off to school in the summer?

A: During the summer, I was so anxious

and excited to start school because I had a lot of hope I was going to love it. However, I also knew it would take time and the beginning would be overwhelming, scary and awkward — which it was!

Q: Do you have a roommate?

A: I do have a roommate! I was planning

on just letting the university choose one for me, but then my current roommate Stephanie DMed (direct messaged) me on Instagram asking to room together. Based on her Instagram and texts, she seemed nice and funny, so I said yes! She is now one of my best friends at Georgetown.

Q: Was it easy to make friends?

A: I won’t lie, making friends was the scariest challenge of

beginning college. I was terrified of being lonely and not having people with whom to eat and hang out. I was so lucky to have Ariana Russo ’18 and Annabelle Zebrowski ’18 coming from Oak Knoll to Georgetown with me. I would see them in the halls or grab meals with them, which made the initial transition a lot easier to handle because they acted like a support system. Throughout the semester I made friends mostly from my hall and my classes.

Q: Have you chosen a major?

A: Yes, when I applied into the School of Nursing and Health Studies, I was required to choose a major. I have always dreamed of joining Doctors Without Borders, so I chose “Global Health” as my major.

Q: Are you involved in any activities/organizations at Georgetown?

A: I joined “GIVES” (the random acts of kindness club); the

“Georgetown Programming Board,” which puts on studentrun events for the school; and “Hoya Blue,” which is the sports fan section. For exercise, I also took group classes at the gym, and then later got a job at the gym’s pro-shop.

Q: How is the college experience different from high school?

A: The freedom that you have in college is the most radical

change from high school. You have way more free time that you need to budget and use effectively. The freedom comes

with lots of decision-making as well. You choose what to eat, how to work out (or not), when to go to bed, when to factor in social time, and how to squeeze in an episode of “Riverdale” when necessary.

Q: What about college has surprised you the most?

A: I was mostly surprised by my peers. They are all such wellrounded, intelligent and independent people. I think just by watching others I was inspired and motivated to study and work out, for example.

Q: What sort of advice would you give to our current seniors as they prepare to leave OKS and home for school next year?

A: When you get to college, be nice to everyone and don’t be

afraid to reach out and start a conversation first. Make sure to get eight hours of sleep; you’ll be surprised how hard that is. And, mostly, get involved. Get out of your dorm room and become a part of something.

Q: Looking back, how do you think Oak Knoll prepared you for Georgetown?

A: Oak Knoll definitely prepared me academically! I know

how to study, deal with stress and handle long classes. Oak Knoll’s small community also has encouraged me to find small communities in college and get involved. Finally, since my college of Nursing and Health Studies is mostly all girls, I also feel like I was prepared for this unique environment because of Oak Knoll.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GO TO COLLEGE ABROAD

Emma Saheed ’18 describes moving 3,270 miles to attend university in Scotland challenging to get used to include the currency, since pounds to dollars is not exactly one-to-one. Also, cars drive on the opposite side of the road in the UK than the U.S., which sounds like a small difference but was actually quite hard to get used to! Every day we walk to and from class and have to cross roads, but in the beginning, I never knew which way to look! Another difference was just the sheer amount of accents. It’s actually quite fun to guess where someone is from depending on their accent. Like the American accent, there are many different types of English and Scottish accents, although some are much harder to understand than others. However, I have really embraced the differences between living in the US and the UK.

Q: What was your biggest surprise when moving to Edinburgh?

A: My biggest surprise when moving to Edinburgh was

Q: Why did you decide to go to college in Scotland?

A: I decided to go to college in Scotland for a lot of

reasons, but mostly because I absolutely love the city of Edinburgh. I first visited Edinburgh when I was 16 on a trip with my family to the UK. I’ve always enjoyed Scottish history and its culture (in fact, I used to Scottish Highland Dance!). The country as a whole is so beautiful and has tremendous historic significance which is very neat. Edinburgh’s proximity to other places in the UK as well as Europe also appealed to me because I enjoy traveling, and so many European countries are just a short plane-ride away.

I also found that the Scottish are very kind and practical people, which really resonated with me. With regards to the university, there is such a breadth of opportunity here to get involved with activities and classes in which I am interested. That has made my college experience already quite fulfilling.

Q: What’s it like living in another country?

A: Living in another country is a very neat and fun

experience. Some small quirks that were only a little 6

the amount of international students! I have met people from literally all over the world — from as close as Edinburgh to as far as Singapore, Zimbabwe and Australia.

Coming to Edinburgh, I knew it had a large international population, but I was unaware of the volume of different nationalities represented in the students and in the staff.

Another surprise was how environmentally-conscious Edinburgh is, which is actually something that I really appreciate living here. Grocery stores, for instance, charge for plastic bags, which encourages us to use reusable bags. “Keep-cups” are also very popular, which are reusable cups that students and others alike use to get coffee and tea. In fact, some cafes will charge for using a non-reusable cup. Overall though, it’s quite refreshing, especially with regards to recent reports about climate change, that Edinburgh as a city has made efforts to be environmentaly-friendly.

Q: Are there any similarities between living in Scotland vs. America that you found surprising?

A: There are definitely some similarities living in Scotland

and America, especially as a student. Like U.S. universities, there are lots of clubs and societies to join as well as sports.

The living accommodation that I am in is quite similar to dorms in the U.S. except the majority of students here do not have roommates. One major difference I have noticed, though, between universities in the U.S. vs. Scotland is that in Edinburgh we are not required to take courses outside of our degree. For instance, my degree is math, so I am only required to take specific math courses. I then have the freedom to take any outside course, which differs from most U.S. colleges where you have other required or core courses outside of your major. For the most part, it’s rather unique, which makes life here quite exciting.

CLASS OF 2018 REPORT WINTER 2019

Q: How do you stay in touch with your family and friends?

A: Staying in touch is super easy! I have a UK cellphone

number so I’m able to text, call and FaceTime my family and friends. Although there is a five-hour time difference between Edinburgh and New Jersey, I usually can always find a time to call home to my family and friends.

Q: Are there many other students from the U.S. at the University of Edinburgh?

A: There are a lot of students from the U.S. as well as other

countries at the University of Edinburgh. There are both four-year students from the U.S. at the University as well as U.S. students on study abroad. In fact, I know other people from New Jersey in Edinburgh, which is quite funny. There is also a North American Society, which has a large U.S. student population and hosts events such as a Midterm Election Viewing party and a Thanksgiving Ball.

Q: Do you find that it has been easy or difficult to integrate with Scottish students?

A: For the most part, it’s been pretty easy to integrate

with Scottish students. While I do have a few friends from Scotland, most of the people I have met are from England.

Again, there is a large international student population, so we’re all trying to integrate with each other. For the most part it’s rather fun learning about the cultures, schooling systems, and living habits of students from both Scotland and other parts of the world.

Q: How have the locals welcomed you as an American student?

A: The locals are quite welcoming. Edinburgh is home to the University of Edinburgh as well as Napier University and Heriot-Watt University, so the city in general has a large student population. Therefore, a lot of cafes, restaurants, shops, bars, etc., have student discounts, which is really nice. In general, the University is very much

integrated into the city. In fact, through the University, I was able to get involved with a local primary school where I volunteer and assist in math classes. So, for the most part, the locals really embrace the students.

Q: Have you done any touring?

A: Of course! In Edinburgh, I’ve toured Edinburgh Castle,

the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Royal Mile. I’ve also been to Stirling, Scotland, which is home to another historic castle. During my first week, a group of friends and I hiked up Arthur’s Seat – there’s a superstition that if you do not hike up Arthur’s Seat in your first week as a student that you will fail all your exams, so I didn’t want to take the chance! I’m quite keen to do even more travelling in the months to come!

Q: If you could give advice to our seniors who are considering applying to college outside of the U.S., what would you say?

A: I would certainly recommend applying to college out-

side of the U.S., or at least study abroad in another country.

I have learned so much — not only about the people and country in which I am living, but about other countries just from meeting a tremendous amount of interesting students and professors. My advice to those applying to college outside of the U.S. is to go for it! For me, it has been such an incredible adventure. You never know if you truly enjoy a school or place until you try it out. One of my main concerns was the distance, but students tend to get homesick even when they are only a state away from their home. Technology has made it so effortless to stay in touch with family and friends, which also helps with the fear of distance. Another thing is that college is more than just where you attend class, but it also where you will be living, so it’s important that you surround yourself with kind people and in an environment that best suits you. My advice is to be fearless in whatever direction and place you decide to spend the coming years of your life.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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Hands On

BY DESIGN Julia Benton ’18 experiences project-based engineering education that goes beyond academic theory book, we are given a thin book of notes from the teacher specific to our course that explains concepts,” she said.

Though the style is obviously different, Oak Knoll and its educators nevertheless served as the catalyst for this thinker’s latest experiment.

“Oak Knoll guided me to engineering through my physics and computer science classes,” Benton said, specifically pointing to honors physics with Dr. Regina Neiman during her freshman year. “I was able to dig deep and realize I loved analyzing the world around me to understand how it works.”

Realizing she had a budding interest in engineering, Benton said she was able to take advantage of other math and science courses, including AP computer science with Camille Burke, herself an alumna.

“My programming experience has been helpful in my Programming and Modelling first-year required course, and I was able to dig deeper into the course having already mastered the basic concepts at Oak Knoll,” Benton said.

When deciding on her educational pursuits after Oak Knoll, Julia Benton ’18 knew she was looking for something different — a place that could feed the curiosity about the world first fostered at her alma mater.

8

She gained additional confidence from the all-girls’ education at Oak Knoll, noting Olin’s own commitment to encouraging women to embrace the sciences – her own Class of 2022 is more than half female.

The hands-on, self-directed nature of her new studies was evident on the first day of class when students immediately began soldering components for a study of sensors.

This desire for the road not taken ultimately brought Benton to Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts.

“Moving to project-based learning was initially a big shock,” she admitted. “But I have grown to love it. Instead of stressing about getting a good test grade and cramming information I would forget soon in test-taking, I am spending time delving into concepts and applying them in my work.”

“Olin is a project-based, collaborative school that is reinventing engineering education by providing a hands-on education rather than academic theory alone,” said the first-year engineering student. “Rather than studying a text-

She noted she already has enjoyed real-world applications of her work, as she has built an EKG, oximeter and other devices that were able to monitor her own heart rate, pulse and blood pressure.

CLASS OF 2018 REPORT WINTER 2019

At Olin, first-year, first-semester students like Benton are given grades, but they are not incorporated into GPAs to allow students to adjust to the project-based curriculum and college life in general.

Teamwork is also heavily emphasized and was part of the reason why Benton chose Olin.

“I didn’t want a culture of competition, but rather collaboration,” she said. “Olin teaches you to work with people on teams in classes, which is how the real-world engineering field is structured.”

Such collaboration was on full display in the course Design Nature, in which Benton and her classmates crafted a bio-inspired project, designed around the concept of a beehive in which fourth graders from a nearby elementary school mimicked the bee behavior of projecting the hive. The fourth graders were also asked to rate the game.

Benton also lauded her new school’s efforts to ensure its graduates are ready to enter the working world.

“The post-graduate planning office at Olin is incredible. In a short time, all first-year students had resumés and learned the ways to pitch ourselves to companies at a career fair,” she said.

Though she admits she has time to fully plot her course, Benton currently hopes to major in mechanical engineering with the goal of building theme park rides for Disney Imagineering.

Though only a freshman, she feels like she’s in an advantageous position as it relates to life after Olin.

“I know I will enter the workplace with skills others will not have from the impressive hands-on projects I will have completed during my four years at Olin,” she said. “The environment of caring about students learning rather than test grades is how engineering education should be.”

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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La n g u a g e

10

ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

of Dance Erin Strong ’96 encourages students to find their voices through dance Erin Strong ’96 returned to her alma mater this fall to teach dance and physical education classes while also bringing a message to young Oak Knoll women to find their voice and to not be afraid to use it.

“I really believe firmly in helping instill a sense of confidence in young women to use their voice. They have a voice and they should use it, and that’s definitely something I learned here,” said Strong, who was in the midst of a sabbatical year from Phillips Academy Andover, where she teaches in the theatre and music department.

“I teach in a coed school, but I became the person that I am because of being in a single-sex environment for high school. I really found my voice and needed that environment to find my voice,” she said.

Strong’s earliest memories feature a crystallized picture of herself, not even 3 years old, directing adults around her to kick to the ending credits theme to the TV show, “Sha Na Na.” “I was directing kick lines from the age of 3, so my mom put me into a dance class and ever since then, it’s not something I do, it’s who I am. I am a dancer,” she said.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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La n g u a g e o f D a n c e

Over the course of her career, Strong’s time in dance and the performing arts has taken many forms – including arts administration and teaching – but her first love of dance remains performing in front of audiences and footlights.

“I love performing. I love it. It’s something I continue to find ways to do, even though I’m not dancing full-time like I was. I still find little areas here and there to perform,” she said, pointing to Andover’s annual holiday rendition of the “Nutcracker” where she plays Mother Ginger.

Revisiting the theme of voices, Strong said its what has always drawn her to the performing arts. “It’s a way of speaking and expressing yourself and getting the audience to reflect. Here’s a story, here’s an emotion, and I can connect to the audience – not even through words, it’s the art of it that I keep coming back to,” she said. “It’s why I think dance is so important. It’s like a language.

“Sometimes our voice is not always spoken. As Cornelia Connelly said, ‘Actions, not words,’” she added. “Sometimes the actions need to be words, but sometimes the action is not words; it needs to be something else, but it’s still about a voice in something bigger than just words.”

The school’s sense of valuing each student’s voice has informed her own teaching practices and philosophies.

“I really believe in getting to know people as individuals and I always felt like I was known as an individual while I was here, and that’s how I teach,” she said.

“I wait to see who comes in the room and you see what mood they’re in. So, I have my plan, but I can always adjust.”

Strong has been a frequent visitor to her alma mater, returning as a guest choreographer in 2002 and 2004, but she was eager to talk about how Oak Knoll has changed, yet remained the same.

“During my first couple of years at Oak Knoll, the dance studio was the Green Room in Connelly,” she said – Tisdall Hall wouldn’t be opened until Strong was a sophomore. “We were the first dancers to really christen this dance studio, so there is a sense of home here.”

But she said the sense of community remains the same, and it’s what keeps her coming back.

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“Dance at Oak Knoll gave me something I could not find anywhere else. It gave me a sense of artistry to my dancing and the sense of community and supporting one another and working toward that annual dance concert,” she said.

“In that sense it’s like a sports team, and that really shaped me through high school – through the ups and downs.”

She also enjoys being around Upper School Dance teacher Carlee Bennett, whom she described as a mentor.

“I always feel like giving back to the program that I feel gave so much to me,” she said. “Carlee’s been such a mentor to me throughout my life. Even after I graduated, her connection to me remained her mentoring me.”

After graduating from Oak Knoll, Strong earned a bachelor’s in dance from Skidmore College where she was also the first recipient of the Margaret Paulding Award for Excellence in Dance. There, she also worked with the school’s Summer Dance Workshops, studying closely with, among others, the Limon Company, Trisha Brown Company and Mark Morris Dance Group.

Strong later earned her master’s and teacher’s certification in K-12 Dance Education from New York University, where she was honored as a Susan Hersh Scholar.

She has performed with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Ipswich Moving Company, Deborah Damast, Renata Celichowska and the NYU Kaleidoscope Dance Company.

She also presented at the National Dance Education Organization 2003 conference and NYU’s 2008 Arts Education Conference.

Strong co-founded the NDEO student chapter at NYU and was a founding member of the Massachusetts Dance Education Organization.

Teaching at Phillips Academy Andover since 2005, she served as Theater and Dance Department chair from 2008-14. She also directed school musical performances and developed global programming, leading to art-focused trips to New York City, Scotland and South Africa. She currently teaches modern contemporary, ballet and jazz dance.

ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

REWRITING HER OWN SCRIPT Maddi Niebanck ’13 pens book, follows passion while recovering from near-fatal stroke

Maddi Niebanck ’13 was just a little more than a week removed from earning her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a soon-to-be blossoming career in technology sales in Boston when a sudden and nearly fatal detour arose.

Following a pre-op procedure for brain surgery, Niebanck suffered a massive stroke on May 30, 2017.

And while doctors were able to save her life in emergency surgery, she was left paralyzed on her left side and missing roughly half her field of vision.

Undaunted, as Niebanck rehabbed her body – teaching herself how to walk again over the course

of a year – she also used the challenging time to reset her life and set out a new path for herself, culminating with her recently-published book, “Fashion Fwd: How Today’s Culture Shapes Tomorrow’s Fashion.”

“It’s kind of like having a stroke and going through rehab proved to be the perfect chance for me to refocus my efforts and repurpose my life for something I am very passionate about, and that happened to take the form of fashion,” she said.

Niebanck said she hopes those who read her book may be inspired to pursue their own destinies, in addition to learning about the latest trends in fashion,

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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REWRITING HER OWN SCRIPT

That, like so many other things in her life, quickly changed, and after spending time in the intensive-care unit and the Kessler Rehabilitation Center, Niebanck found something else to occupy her time – beyond the four hours a day she spent on rehab exercises. She learned that her entrepreneur professor from Georgetown had started a pilot class for students and recent graduates to write a book on a topic of interest to them in order to unlock new career opportunities.

“It was good because it got me sending cold emails to people, conducting interviews, doing my own research ... it was the perfect thing for me to be doing,” she said.

As it turns out, the book is merely a continuation of her expressing her love for fashion in the written medium, which began when she first attended Oak Knoll as an eighth grader.

Interviewing her classmates and photographing her sister Bridget Niebanck ’17 in a variety of outfits, she published a one-time edition of a magazine dubbed “Passion for Fashion.

“It’s just something I’ve always had a casual interest in, but not something in which I necessarily thought I could make a career,” she said, adding she now hopes her book will open new doors of opportunity.

“I have already had some interviews with luxury fashion brands and interviews for my book,” she said.

Maddi Niebanck ’13, right, with fellow alumna Elizabeth Borowiec ’13, during the fall 2018 book release in Washington, DC.

including sustainability, fashion as empowerment and brand personalization.

“People that I would want to read my book are not just people who have an interest in fashion, but people who are looking for change in their life or looking to find what their actual interests are, but they don’t really know how,” she said.

Prior to the surgery, intended to address arteriovenous malformation – essentially an abnormal tangling of the vessels that connect arteries and veins in the brain – Niebanck was excited for her job in Boston, though she readily admitted she wasn’t sure of her long-term path.

“I was going through the struggle of not knowing what I was really passionate about, interested in and where I wanted to make my impact,” she said. “So, I was all set to go to Boston and excited about it, but I hadn’t really taken a step back to think about what I was interested in and what I actually wanted to be doing.”

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In addition to finding a new outlet for a longstanding interest, Niebanck said during her recovery she was able to rely on the support of her family and friends, as well as the Oak Knoll community and her faith.

“I think one of the most important things is the kind thoughts and prayers from the Oak Knoll community during my recovery. I really feel like it’s a community here, and so many people have been thinking of me, praying for me and helping out my family when they need the assistance,” she said. “That is something for which I am really grateful.”

At Oak Knoll, she said she especially appreciates her classmates with whom she shared a bond formed while performing with the concert choir and spring musical.

She also competed on the varsity cross country team.

Though she has made tremendous strides in her recovery – learning how to sit in a wheelchair, then how to walk with a cane and ultimately forgoing the cane altogether – Niebanck said she strives for more.

ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

“I am left-handed and it affected my left side, so I can’t write with my left hand anymore. But that is a more long-term goal of mine, to be able to use that hand again,” she said, adding that the entire ordeal has made her appreciate things she used to take for granted.

“Every single step I take, there are about 20,000 things going through my head, like, ‘extend your knee, flex at the hip,’ you know all that stuff that I never used to think about before is now every time,” she said.

Whether by her efforts inspiring others through her writing or her sheer perseverance in rehabilitating herself and renewing the purpose of her life, she has already achieved one of the loftiest of goals set for each Oak Knoll student.

“I’ve really focused a lot more on being a woman for others,” she said.

“I feel Oak Knoll really instilled in me those values of integrity and caring for other people.”

In addition to becoming a published author and burgeoning voice in the world of fashion, Niebanck also mentors young scholars in the college admissions process and English as a second language with Dyad, which began as a school business project at Cambridge University and seeks to connect students with mentors to achieve their university admission goals.

In Good Company A look at the many Oak Knoll alumnae/i authors Eileen Kirwin Cameron ’61 is the author of “G is for Garden State: A New Jersey Alphabet,” “Rupert’s Parchment: Story of the Magna Carta,” and “Canyon.”

Elizabeth Countryman ’96 published a book of

Late,” which was named Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year.

Sophia Ihlefeld ’14, in collaboration with Creative

poems, “A Forest Almost,” in a series she described as autobiographical in November 2017. The collection was awarded the Subito Press Poetry Prize.

Arts Teacher Will Cardell and Upper School English teacher Grace Fidler, wrote “Dophia and Delia Dare the Dune Devil” about two sisters who learn compassion by not judging someone by their appearance.

Margaret Smith Crocco ’68, Ph.D., professor and

Diane (Wilderotter) Mayer ’66 self-published a

chair of the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education of Michigan State University, has written and collaborated on a number of books on women’s history and education.

memoir on faith entitled “An Ordinary Woman … An Awesome God” in 2016. The book, which Mayer wrote to share her faith with her granddaughter, includes a chapter describing how Diane grew in her faith at Oak Knoll.

Victoria Demos ’77 co-edited “Heart Melts Forward:

Patricia Richel ’55, with the help of illustrator and

The Collected Works of Emmanuel Ghent,” which was published in 2017 by Rutledge Press, UK.

Elisabeth Egan ’91, books editor for Glamour magazine, authored “A Window Opens,” which was published in July 2016. It is also a partially autobiographical work. In 2018, Egan gave the Upper School Commencement Address.

Kate Egan ’88 is a children’s author and editor of the popular “Hunger Games” trilogy of novels. She has written the “Magic Shop Series” and “Kate and Nate Are Running

granddaughter Faith Turnbach, has written three children’s books about “Patsy the Seagull” that encourage compassion and understanding.

Kristin Manley White ’91, director of Darien Academic Advisors, wrote “It’s the Student, Not the College: The Secrets of Succeeding at Any School — Without Going Broke or Crazy” after authoring “The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things to Do Between High School and College.”

Did we miss any alumnae/i authors?

Let us know by emailing us at communications@oakknoll.org.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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DRAWING ON H E R PASS ION Claire Tomasi ’13 pursues lifelong dream of becoming graphic artist After Claire Tomasi ’13 graduated from Kenyon College in 2017 with a degree in Japanese, she worked as a ski instructor in Lake Tahoe before enrolling in the California College of the Arts to more formally embrace her love of the arts. Here, Review staff caught up with Tomasi to chat about her pursuit of a master’s degree in comics and her lifelong dream of becoming a graphic artist.

Q: When did you first develop an interest in comics?

A: I’ve been doodling ever since I could hold a pencil. My interest in comics specifically began with my interest in Japanese cartoons as a kid. I would spend my free time copying panels from Manga and began to develop a style of my own.

I never used any fancy materials, just a mechanical pencil.

As I grew up and my skill increased, I moved to using inks, brushes and different technical pens. I always felt at home at my desk, drawing fed my creativity and vice versa. Eventually, I was able to enter California College of the Arts as a graduate student working toward a master’s in comics.

That was when my illustration took off. Since then, I’ve been submitting to anthologies, and developing mini-comics called zines and building a webcomic, in addition to writing and illustrating a full-length graphic novel about my time on Kenyon College Women’s Rugby Team. I also work for Gotham Writers in New York City assisting with building their comics and graphic novels curriculum.

Q: What do you enjoy most about illustrating for the

graphic novels?

A: I love seeing how creative writing and art go hand in

hand in storytelling. They’re not kidding when they say “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and graphic novels are worth millions. There is a special time and effort taken to producing long-form comics.

The process of creating a written story, then combining with many – sometimes hundreds – of panels to emphasize the emotion and flow of a story, is something magical to witness. I like being a writer because it gives me the bones of the story to shape, but I love being an illustrator because the drawings are what bring the tale to life.

As a cartoonist, I tell funny – and not so funny – stories about my life through the lens of comics. I write and illustrate zines that I sell at conventions, and make for myself because it’s what I love to do.

Q: What are your goals for your work in illustration?

A: As of right now I have a short comic series on Insta-

gram, along with self-published zines while I write my full-length comics and graphic novels, while also doing charcoal portraits. I plan to have a webcomic, along with a published graphic novel of my own sometime in the near future. I have so many plans for my future as a sequential artist that I couldn’t possibly imagine pursuing anything else.

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ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

Being a comic artist has been my dream since I was little, and I plan for comics to be my full-time career as I make more content. Something else I’d like to explore is storyboarding for animated TV shows and movies. The zanier the better!

Q: How did your artistic abilities grow at Oak Knoll?

A: One of my favorite classes at Oak Knoll was writers’

roundtable, which I took every year of my high school career. That creative writing class allowed me to explore different kinds of ways to convey a story, which ultimately helped me gain a better understanding of the anatomy of a narrative. I particularly loved writing poetry. Usually my poems were the first to be illustrated. I’m not sure why they were easier, maybe because I liked pairing the pretty language with pretty pictures. Oak Knoll’s writing classes prepared me for writing classes I took at Kenyon College, where I took an interest in creative nonfiction. In fact, my writing portfolio at Kenyon helped me get into California College of the Arts. So, thank you to everyone who ever encouraged me to write!

Q: What advice would you have for current Oak Knoll

students?

A: I know it sounds cheesy, but truly, don’t give up on

what you love. Even if you don’t think it’ll help you with your college major or your future career. I didn’t take art at Oak Knoll, and I didn’t even major in art at Kenyon, but I’m here today working as a cartoonist! There’s no possible way to know what the future holds, so do what you like, and eventually everything will shake out. Also, don’t be afraid to be a kid. Crack that joke! Draw that thing!

Embrace your imagination, and let it run! I got inspiration from my favorite childhood comics and TV shows, and I still love them today! Oh, and even as an adult, Cartoon Network is still my favorite channel.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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SCORING

GOALS Thomas McCabe ’10 achieves lifelong dream of playing professional soccer

Perusing the pages of a Lower School yearbook reveals each graduating sixth grader’s nickname, hobbies, favorite Oak Knoll memories and future aspirations.

“I started playing soccer pretty much since I could walk and kick a ball around the house,” the midfielder said of his nearly lifelong passion.

In the 2010 edition, Thomas “Tommy” McCabe ’10 — an avid athlete and Geography Bee winner who fondly recalled his Lower School days through memories of the Fairview Lake trip and building Rome out of Legos — had a lofty goal in mind: he wanted to become a professional soccer player.

“I would always hang around the team and their practices,” said McCabe, who began competing at age 5. “That everyday exposure to soccer and sharing it with my dad is where I first fell in love with the game and the beginning of soccer being such a big part of my life.”

On January 11, 2019, McCabe’s dream came true when he was drafted 29th overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by FC Cincinnati, and was officially signed on February 6, 2019.

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One of his first influences — his father, Thomas McCabe — played goalkeeper at Princeton University and was an assistant coach at Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark during the younger McCabe’s formative years.

Playing soccer at Oak Knoll was the first time McCabe played for a school team and, outside of a single year of high school, he wouldn’t play on a school team again until his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame.

“There’s something different about playing for your school and with all your friends that you see all day,” McCabe said. “I was grateful that Oak Knoll gave me the opportunity to show a big part of my life to my classmates in a way that wouldn’t be possible without a school soccer team.”

ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

19

SCORING

GOALS “The experience of moving away with the best players your age was frightening at first ... then, as I performed well and started to integrate into the core group, it gave me confidence in my childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player,” he said.

It also perfectly encapsulated the sacrifice McCabe and his family endured to realize his childhood goal.

“Moving away from my family at an early age was not easy. I gave up the experience of a typical high school and college student to get to this point,” he said, pointing to his graduating high school after three-and-a-half years (two-and-a-half of those years were spent away from home) and college after just three years, foregoing his senior year of playing for Notre Dame.

Thomas McCabe ’10 with sister Margaret ’20, who currently plays varsity soccer and performs in the Ensemble and Concert Choir at Oak Knoll.

Oak Knoll’s impact on his life went far beyond athletics, he said.

“Ever since Oak Knoll, I have attended Catholic schools and having faith integrated into school at a young age gave me resources to grow my faith in ways that wouldn’t be possible in other school environments,” McCabe said.

He fondly remembered his teachers, whom he called role models, including Lower School language arts and reading teacher Mary Lou Carter, whose happiness he described as “contagious.” McCabe also recalled the real-world survival skills he gleaned from Lower School social studies teacher Leslie Smith’s Oregon Trail project.

“That project is coming to life for me these days as I enter the real world and try to budget my life,” he said.

Reflecting on his time at Oak Knoll inspires McCabe to offer a bit of advice for those still learning and growing in the classrooms of Bonaventura Hall.

At the end of this journey, however, including a collegiate career at Notre Dame that included being named Third Team All-ACC and playing in more than 60 games, he called being drafted and signed by FC Cincinnati “ a blessing.”

“Being drafted was definitely an incredible moment and a culmination of the sacrifices my family made for me and the hard work I put in along the way,” McCabe said. “It certainly validated the decisions I made from an early age to get to this point. The experience since my decision to leave Notre Dame has been a whirlwind.”

McCabe called the professional experience so far “eye-opening,” and he’s already learned a great deal at Cincinnati.

“The club, its staff and players have been very welcoming to me and helped me adjust and settle into my new life as a professional,” he said. “I have tried to soak it all in and learn as much as I can from those guys.”

Only weeks after the draft, McCabe’s professional career has already begun. After a few preseason games with Cincinnati, he was “loaned” to North Carolina FC of the USL Championship league. Such loans are frequent under a partnership between the MLS and the USLC. He will eventually return to Cincinnati.

“I would advise Oak Knoll students to enjoy their time at the school and don’t get caught up in all the small things of going to school,” he said. “Don’t take the time at Oak Knoll for granted. There are great teachers and role models there to help you. Respect them and get to know them because those relationships will continue past your time in their class.”

After Oak Knoll, McCabe continued playing soccer and eventually moved to Florida to attend IMG Academy to play for a youth national camp. There, he played for the U-17 Men’s National Team in the FIFA World Cup in Chile at age 15, competing with and against players from across the globe, some of whom had already signed professional contracts.

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ALUMNAE/I NEWS WINTER 2019

PERSPECTIVES: WHY I CAME BACK

A look at the many reasons these former Oak Knoll students returned to campus as faculty, staff and administrators Kathleen Skiff ’75

Elizabeth O’Mara ’86 Associate Director of Institutional Advancement “I chose to come back to be a fundraiser. Reasoning that, if there were ever a place for which I’d want to fundraise, it would be Oak Knoll. I thought about the many ways Oak Knoll shaped who I am and the confidence it gave me and decided it would feel great to give back to the school that had given me so much.”

Beth Huck ’84

Director of College Counseling “My family has always valued the school and the special people who worked here. Now I am able to see Oak Knoll through a different lens and know that being a member of the community is rewarding whether you are a student, parent, employee or alumnae/i. Returning to Oak Knoll has been an ongoing gift that I will always treasure.”

Kathleen Rathbun ’08 Lower School French teacher “I received an email from Lower School Division Head Christine Spies regarding an open position in the Lower School for French, and immediately I thought, ‘Wow. I’d love to have this position.’ I came back because this is such a special school and community and it felt very right to come back and teach here.”

Doryan Amato ’89 Varsity Tennis Coach “I always knew I wanted to coach tennis at Oak Knoll. I had such a wonderful experience playing varsity tennis in high school and then playing Division 1 college tennis at Providence College. I had great coaches and great teammates. And as a tennis instructor, I knew that I could share my knowledge of the sport with Oak Knoll athletes.”

Lower School Language Arts, Reading and Religion Teacher “As for coming back, I was at a place in my life where I began considering a change in career. I finished the 2017-18 school year as a classroom teacher and spent the beginning of the summer thinking about what other job I would be happy doing. My sister helped me to realize that teaching is a passion of mine, not just a job. Oak Knoll has lived up to my expectations so far. Every staff member has been welcoming, kind and supportive.

The administration has shown their appreciation for the staff in ways that would never happen in my former schools.”

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

Katie (Cummings) Siegfried ’03 Varsity Basketball Coach “I knew that if I was going to coach high school basketball, the only place I’d want to be is Oak Knoll. Oak Knoll has had such a huge impact on my life through friendships, mentors and athletics, and I hope to provide the same experiences to the next generation.”

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BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Fulbright Scholar Christine Butchko ’13 brings female empowerment to Malaysian students In the 2017 summer edition of Review, we shared the story of alumna Christine Butchko ’13, who was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant from the U.S. State Department and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to tutor students in Malaysia.

Still living in the Muslim majority country, Butchko and one of her fellow English teaching assistants recently initiated a special Female Empowerment Summit. Read below to hear firsthand how the summit impacted not only her students, but herself as well.

“I told the boys that I care twice as much about them as I do the girls because they’re twice as important to our society.”

I shook my head vigorously as soon as I heard it. While I had signed up for my Fulbright fully well knowing that I might confront attitudes toward race, religion and gender that were surprising and unsettling, I hadn’t anticipated hearing something like this – especially not from my female mentor who serves as the head of the English department and has been the main breadwinner of her family for five years.

Maybe it was the culture shock that had slowly begun to seep into me, or maybe it was my own experiences of going to an all-girls’ high school and being surrounded by strong, empowering women, but I spent the next week in a seeming daze over the comment my mentor had made.

Suddenly, I found myself furiously scribbling a text to a fellow English teaching assistant: “Hey, remember how we wanted to host that female empowerment camp? I really think we should do it.”

Terengganu, where I live in Malaysia, is many things, but diverse it is not. The population is majority Malay, practicing a very unique, strict and conservative form of Islam. Wearing a tudung (hijab) is compulsory and women dress conservatively, covering past their ankles and to their wrists.

However, in describing what Terengganu is like, I am hyper cognizant of the current political climate in the United States and the number of assumptions that stem from what I say. For this reason, I want to emphasize that in spite of the sometimes shocking realities of living in a conservative Muslim country, Malaysia is still incredibly progressive in some ways that the United States is not. For example, the gender ratio of men to women in STEM careers is nearly equal.

In other ways, Malaysia and the United States are more similar than what you would imagine in regards to some of

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the challenges that young women face. For example, while the majority of my female students are at the top of their classes academically, they are generally more shy about participating in class, even when they have the right answer. They tend to possess little confidence in their abilities and capacities. Low self-esteem, it seems, is universal and endemic.

So that is why early on the morning on September 21, 2018, I found myself lugging 100 white hijabs into a small auditorium an hour away from home in Dungun. After months of planning, collaborating and securing funding from the U.S. Embassy, my fellow assistant Sarah and I, were finally hosting a two-day long statewide Female Empowerment Summit for 100 of our Form 4 (grade 11) students.

Over the course of two days, the students from 10 schools across the state of Terengganu would participate in activities aimed at instilling and cultivating a sense of confidence, self-compassion, esteem and worth, as well as creating positive female support groups.

Through the weekend, the students worked together, having discussions about female role models, learning about selfcompassion, working through insecurities, tie-dying hijabs, doing yoga, reframing the word “beautiful” and giving group affirmations. To varying extents, the activities required girls to write, read and share their opinions on different topics in English (such as how their insecurities make them feel, things they can do to be kinder to themselves, what they find beautiful about each other and future self-care goals), increasing not only their confidence in themselves, but also the English language.

Naturally, I recognized that one weekend may not radically change my students’ perceptions of themselves or alter the unique challenges they face as young women in Terengganu.

I do, however, believe that at the very least this camp planted a seed within my students that will continue to grow and blossom into long-term confidence, curiosity and zeal.

One “victory” that happened a few days after the camp serves as evidence enough of this: my previously hyper-shy student, Batrisya, ran up to me the Monday after, asking if she could read a poem in front of the school during weekly English Day assembly.

As for me, this weekend was important in many different ways. For one, it solidified my interest and passion in working toward gender equality and female empowerment. It also allowed me to “give back” in its own way to the all-girls’ high school I attended that cultivated its own unique sense of confidence. It was truly a blessing and an honor.

IMPACT WINTER 2018-2019

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F R O M

T H E

ARCHIVE S

COMING TO AMERICA

A tumultuous first year in the U.S. for 6 Holy Child sisters On July 31, 1862 — the Feast of St. Ignatius — six Holy Child sisters departed the convent at St. Leonards-on-Sea to become the first members of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus to step foot in America.

This trip took place just 16 years after the founding of the Society and more than 60 years before a different group of sisters would embark on their own bold journey to the Larned estate in Summit, New Jersey.

diocese with every prospect of good to souls and increase of faith in the neighborhood that shall be agreeable to you,” Connelly wrote to Philadelphia Bishop James Wood, who was

Several of the sisters documented the nearly two-week trek across the Atlantic on the Scotia, a steamer of the Cunard Line, chronicling the pitfalls of sea travel, including varying weather quality, sea sickness and even an iceberg sighting.

Ultimately, the sisters arrived in the New York Harbor on Tuesday, August 12, 1862, landing in Jersey City. Six days later, two of the sisters, accompanied by a priest, made their way to Towanda, Pennsylvania. The land, located approximately 65 miles northwest of Wilkes-Barre in Bradford County, was a gift by Louis Catherine, Duchess of Leeds, which reflected the love she shared for the Catholic church and religious orders.

The duchess had learned that Holy Child founder Cornelia Connelly wanted to expand in America and offered land as she had become an “ardent admirer” of Connelly. She also gifted the Mother House in England, Holy Child Sister Mother Mary Mildred wrote in the 1950 book, “Annals Society of the Holy Child Jesus American Province 1862-1882.”

Towanda did not represent the Society’s first attempt to gain a foothold in the United States, as earlier attempts to take advantage of gifted lands in Baltimore and 2,000 acres in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, fell through largely due to complications stemming from the Civil War. “We give up all intentions of going to America until the war is over, and then we shall hope that we may labour in your

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FROM THE ARCHIVES WINTER 2019

very much interested in having the Society find a home in his diocese.

The Society would ultimately settle within Bishop Woods’ diocese, and between 1861 and 1862, Connelly was alerted to the Towanda land. Despite initial optimism, Connelly was cautioned to temper expectations.

“The beginning of an establishment will require patience and perseverance, and to Sisters accustomed to refinement and luxurious surroundings, there must come privations, very many of them, at the outset,” Mr. Ward, the duchess’ land agent, wrote.

Indeed, the arriving sisters found an environment less than ideal in Towanda.

“It was a small wooden building, falling into decay, the paper hanging in festoons from the walls, the paint covered with dirt, or else not existing at all – certainly the rats and spiders, not to speak of other inhabitants, had enjoyed themselves there for many a year,” Mother Mildred wrote of the structure.

Despite an offer from the Philadelphia Bishop that he would take care of them if they found the Towanda property unsatisfactory, the sisters decided to try and make it work in Towanda.

“It is needless to say that the mothers did not feel encouraged at the prospect before them, but rather than be a burden to the good Bishop, they determined to settle in Towanda as it belonged to the Society and remain there until there was an opportunity of going elsewhere,” Mother Mildred wrote of the sisters' perseverance.

Mother Mary Xavier, one of the first sisters, was left little doubt as to what the sisters thought of their new home.

“We are agreeably disappointed with our convent here and have decided to remain. I shall not attempt to describe the place to you in any way, but will leave everything to make its own impression,” she wrote to another Holy Child sister.

“Pray, pray, pray very much – the work is difficult, and we are only beginning.”

Despite the state of their new home, which forced them to postpone the start of the inaugural school year, they nevertheless set out to put everything in order, and had some initial successes.

However, the school had some difficulty sustaining itself with enough students from the community. Meanwhile,

(L-R): Mother Xavier Noble, Mother Agathe Deacy, Mother Aloysia Walker, Mother Lucy Ignatia

the sisters gained another strong supporter in Father Charles Ignatius Hamilton Carter, pastor of the Assumption Church in Philadelphia, who wanted the sisters to teach in his parish school.

He was later able to find the sisters who remained in Towanda a property a few miles away from the city in Sharon Hill that would ultimately replace Towanda as their home. Father Carter used much of his own funds to establish the sisters there, according to the American Catholic Historical Society.

After his passing in September 1879, his body was buried at the sister’s convent at Sharon Hill. Though the inaugural home and school for the sisters was short lived, their desire to persevere amid deplorable conditions remains a significant example of the Holy Child spirit, even more than a centuryand-a-half after the fact.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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CLASS NOTES Upper School

Stay in Touch If you would like to keep your fellow classmates and the rest of the Oak Knoll community updated on your personal and professional milestones, feel free to email Cynthia Prewitt, director of Institutional Advancement, at

’77

Victoria Demos ’77 recently co-edited the book “Heart Melts Forward: The Collected Works of Emmanuel Ghent.” The book was published by Rutledge Press. Demos works as a supervisor at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York.

’90

Kathryn Murray Dickinson ’90

opened her fifth clean beauty retailer.

Four years after starting AILLEA – a beauty retailer with more than 50 brands of clean makeup, skincare, haircare, bath and body – her new store officially opened in Raleigh joining her two locations in Denver, as well as stores in Atlanta and Charleston. She hopes to open a sixth location in Charlotte next year.

’94

Theresa Hannon ’94 married Michael Cooper on July 29, 2017, in Sunnyvale, California. Sharing in the special day with Hannon were classmates Adama Sheppard Brennan

Theresa Hannon ’94 and groom Michael Cooper with OKS classmates Adama Sheppard Brennan ’94 and Christina Chang ’94.

’94 and Christina Chang ’94. Hannon is currently in her 14th year of teaching chemistry at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California.

’95

Ali Good ’95 earned her 300th coaching victory as varsity field hockey head coach at Oak Knoll with an 8-0 win over Summit on Monday, September 17, 2018. Good began coaching junior varsity at Oak Knoll in 1999 and served as an assistant varsity coach before becoming head varsity coach in 2005. She coached her sister, Laura Sumas Barry ’03, from 1999 through 2002, and alongside another sister, Christina Sumas ’98, for the past 14 years.

cynthia.prewitt@ oakknoll.org or by visiting www.oakknoll.org/ page/alumnaei.

Oak Knoll Head Field Hockey Coach Ali Good ’95 earned her 300th coaching victory with an 8-0 win over Summit on Monday, September 17, 2018.

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CLASS NOTES WINTER 2019

’99

Beloved family, friends and classmates gathered together to honor and celebrate the life of Maureen Ellinwood Pluvinage ’99 by riding in support of her memorial scholarship fund during a Fly Party at Flywheel Sports in Millburn on Saturday, February 9, 2019. The 90-minute ride supported a GoFundMe effort, which raised more than $35,000.

’02

Meghan Rafferty Hakanson ’02

welcomed into the world Hadley Grace Hakanson on September 28, 2018. Hadley Grace was born weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces and mom reports she is thriving!

Tricia Johnson Gasek ’03; Martha Donnelly ’71; Ghislaine Smith ’08; and Sabrina Solow ’15.

Claire Bukata ’04 married Christopher Beaver on July 19, 2018.

works as a math teacher at San Domenico School, an independent school in California.

’08

Katie McCafferty ’08 married Jonah Rathbun on June 16, 2018 at Grace Hall Chapel in a Mass celebrated by Father Bob Stagg, who celebrates many liturgies throughout the school year. Other alumnae present included McCafferty’s mother, Margaret McDermott ’76; aunt Caroline McDermott ’80; cousin

Katie McCafferty ’08 married Jonah Rathbun on June 16, 2018

Meghan Rafferty Hakanson ’02 gave birth to Hadley Grace Hakanson on September 28, 2018.

’03

Kaitlin Hespos ’03 married Lorin Herman on September 15, 2018 in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

’04

Claire Bukata ’04 married

Christopher Beaver on July 19, 2018, at San Francisco City Hall. The couple met at their shared alma mater – Colgate University. Bukata

Kaitlin Hespos ’03 married Lorin Herman on September 15, 2018 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Pictured, from left, are Mary Cummings ’07, Genny LaPaglia ’03, Kristin Hespos ’94, Laura Hefferan ’03, Kaitlin Hespos ’03, Katie (Cummings) Siegfried ’03, Katherine Schaumburg ’03 and Katherine Giaccio ’03.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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CLASS NOTES

Ann Porter ’08 married Josh Loigman on July 7, 2018.

Ann Porter ’08 married Josh

Loigman on July 7, 2018, at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. The couple met at George Washington University as first-year law school students, according to a New York Times article about the nuptials.

Kasia Borowiec ’08 performed as

Cio-Cio-San in the Tri Cities Opera’s October 14, 2018, performance of “Madama Butterfly.”

Katherine McCullough ’08 married Billy Lewis at the Church of St. Ignatius on the Boston College Campus on July 7, 2018. Pictured, from left, are Joan Griffin ’76, Liz (Griffin) Rollenhagen ’80, Abigail Rollenhagen ’11, Fiona Ismail ’09, Grace Ragold ’09, Katie (McCullough) Lewis ’09, Pam (Griffin) McCullough ’72, Annie McCullough ’11, Lauren Fedor ’08 and Carol (Griffin) Appino ’76

’09

Katherine McCullough ’08

married Billy Lewis at the Church of St. Ignatius on the Boston College Campus on July 7, 2018. She was joined by several alumnae on her special day.

’11

Nora Burd ’11 married Thomas

Wolf on December 22, 2018, at Oak

Pictured, supporting Kasia Borowiec ’08 during her October 2018 performance of “Madama Butterfly” are, from left: former OKS Math Teacher Julie Carlson, Lexi Pappas ’19 and Upper Music Director Ruby Robertson-Knox.

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Knoll’s Grace Hall Chapel. The day was celebrated by many Oak Knoll alumnae and friends. Nora is the daughter of Caroline Coffey Burd ’81 and sister of Margaret Burd ’16 and Nicholas Burd ’08 (LS).

Nora Burd ’11 married Thomas Wolf on December 22, 2018.

CLASS NOTES WINTER 2019

’12

Amanda Fritz ’12, joined by a

friend, completed the Pan Mass Challenge – a two-day bicycle ride from Lexington, Massachusetts, to Provincetown, Massachusetts, in August 2018. Fritz rode as a member of Team Quinn, raising funds for the Quinn Amsler Fund at Dana Farber that was established by the family of nine-year-old Quinn Amsler, who lost his battle with a rare form of cancer in July 2016.

Jennifer Spottz ’15 during the 2015 production of “Anything Goes” at Oak Knoll.

’15

Naji Thompson ’15 became one

of the first residents of the X House, a special interest house dedicated to African-American culture at

Dickinson College. Thompson was among the students instrumental in the house becoming a reality after petitioning the college to found the house in the fall of 2017.

Jennifer Spottz ’15 performed

“How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana,” as part of the “Broadway Princess Party” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center September 15, 2018.

Spottz was among 100 performers to audition for the performance, which was hosted by two-time Tony-nominated star Laura Osnes and featured Broadway standouts Benjamin Rauhala, Susan Egan, Courtney Reed and Adam J. Levy.

Amanda Fritz ’12 and friend completed the Pan Mass Challenge in August 2018.

’13

Caroline Dillon ’13 earned a master’s degree in business management from the Wake Forest School of Business in 2018. Dillon, an assistant marketing manager on the brand activation team at Pure Fishing, previously graduated from Wofford College in 2017 with a double major in art history and religion.

Naji Thompson ’15 became one of the first residents of the X House, a special interest house dedicated to African-American culture at Dickinson College.

OAK KNOLL SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD REVIEW

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

44 Blackburn Road Summit, NJ 07901

PAID S. Hackensack, NJ Permit No. 79

Change service requested

RELIVE — REMEMBER — RECONNECT CLASSES ENDING IN 4 AND 9 ARE CELEBRATING THEIR REUNIONS All alumnae/i and their guests are welcome to join in the celebration!

Friday, April 26: for 50th reunion, class of 1969, and alums who have previously celebrated their 50th Saturday, April 27: for all classes

Visit www.oakknoll.org or contact the Alumnae/i Office: alum@oakknoll.org or 908-522-8106 OakKnollAlumAssociation

@OakKnollAlum