Pace Academy KnightTimes Spring 2016

SPRING 2016

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F PAC E A C A D E M Y

LEADERSHIP

PACE DEFINING the PACE ALUMNI

STORY A BETTER CHANCE in THE BUSINESS OF CREATING LEADERS

STATE CHAMPIONS BOYS BASKETBALL & GIRL SWIMMERS

ICGL THE YEAR OF FOOD

CONTINUES

SPRING 2016

Learn more about students’ journey to Vietnam and other ICGL study tours on page 28.

L ET T ER FRO M T H E EDI T O R

I

Caitlin Goodrich Jones ’00 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Follow Pace! www.facebook.com/paceacademy

www.instagram.com/paceacademy

love most everything about travel — the research and planning and navigating foreign cities. I get excited about disconnecting from everyday duties, meeting new people and asking questions. But most of all, I love FOOD. I’m not going to lie — when Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) advisors REBECCA RHODES and JOE SANDOE asked me to join them in traveling with 18 Upper School students on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Vietnam, one thought crossed my mind: Phỏ.

As visions of rice noodles danced in my head, I happily agreed to spend spring break sampling spring rolls and slurping soup — all under the guise of this year’s ICGL theme.

And while my knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine certainly grew during our time abroad, I learned far more than I’d anticipated as I watched Pace’s mission —“To create prepared, confident citizens of the world”— come to life.

In nightly meetings, students shared observations from each day; we discussed the challenges inherent in laying brick and the discomfort that can come when words simply don’t suffice. Students reacted to levels of poverty most had never encountered, and to new tastes, smells, sounds and scenes. They took it all in, and FOOD became just one of many facilitators of our cultural discovery.

With travel, change comes quickly; perspectives shift. During one meeting, a student acknowledged that she had arrived in Vietnam pessimistic about the state of the world. She often felt that global issues were insurmountable, differences too great, she said. But, as she shared meals, swapped stories and worked alongside the individuals we encountered, disparities began to disappear. One on one, the world’s problems seemed solvable, she said. And isn’t that the point? Certainly food for thought.

PACE CARES When our families and staff are in need, Pace Cares.

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Contact us to deliver a meal: www.twitter.com/paceacademy

404-926-3727 or pacecares@paceacademy.org

TH E M A G A Z I N E O F PAC E A CA DEM Y

CONTRIBUTOR HANNAH KELLY ’15 HANNAH KELLY, a former intern for the Pace communications department, is a freshman at Duke University studying English and visual art. While at Pace, Kelly was a member of the Barbara and Sanford Orkin Society, the National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running and playing with her cat.

KnightTimes 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org

Head of School FRED ASSAF

Division Heads

CONTENTS

MICHAEL GANNON Head of Upper School

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SYREETA MOSELEY Head of Lower School

NEWS What you need to know

10 AROUND PACE A look at what's happening on campus 12 All About Pace Arts 14 Middle School Musical Bugsy Malone 16 Life Trustee Spotlight THE MCALPINS: Our first three-generation family 18 Pace Fund Volunteer Profile THE COLEMAN FAMILY 20 Spotlight on STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics in the Middle School

22 WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Girls basketball, basketball cheerleading, boys swimming, diving and wrestling

26 ICGL The Year of FOOD continues 27 Middle School Love Your Body Week 28 Spring Study Tours Students visit Germany, Cuba, Spain, France, South Africa, Yellowstone and Vietnam

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32 GLOBAL LEADERS Highlighting students who set the pace outside of school 32 DARBY COCHRAN '16 & MORGAN KELLY '16 33 Girls on the Run 34 GIBBY HEISER '22 35 Faculty Spotlight TARA HARRIS, ANDY LOPUSZYNSKI & EDEN TRESIZE

36 LEADERSHIP PACE Defining the Pace alumni story

40 ABC SCHOLARS A Better Chance and Pace Academy celebrate their 35-year partnership

44 STATE CHAMPIONS The boys basketball and girls swimming teams victoriously complete historic campaigns

50 ALUMNI 50 Updates 54 Knight Cap 56 Alumni Out & About 58 Compassion in Times of Crisis TEMPLE MOORE ’00 and EMMA LATTOUF ’06 are on a mission to care for refugees

JOHN ANDERSON Head of Middle School

Communications Department CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 Director of Communications, Editor RYAN VIHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer LELA WALLACE Digital Communications Manager

Staff Writers TROY BAKER Director of Athletics LIZ WIEDEMANN Stewardship Manager

Contributing Photographers FRED ASSAF GEMSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHIC www.gemshots.com LAURA INMAN

Our Mission To create prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values and legacy of Pace Academy.

To contribute ideas for the KnightTimes, please email Caitlin Jones at caitlin.jones@paceacademy.org.

STEAM initiatives expose students to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Meet the new director of Middle School STEAM on page 20.

L ET T ER FRO M T H E H EAD O F S CH O O L

Dear Pace Family, This semester, the Pace Academy Board of Trustees invited our parent community to a series of meetings regarding the five focus areas within our 2016–2021 Strategic Plan. The Board envisioned these presentations and resulting discussions as opportunities for Pace parents to learn more from school leadership about our strategic initiatives, ask questions and provide feedback.

We owe you our thanks for both attending and participating in these robust conversations.

From the outset, it was clear that everyone at Pace has the same goals— and that our school community is mission-aligned. Moreover, the discussions helped us reimagine and revise the way in which we communicate our strategic vision, the process for implementation and the involvement of many important voices in our Pace family.

Every discussion was filled with smart, thought-provoking inquiries, affirming anecdotes, and a powerful feeling of shared responsibility for the wellbeing of our students and the success of our school. I left each meeting confident in our strategic direction and excited about our future.

I’m happy to report that we’re already making strides within our five areas of strategic focus. In this issue, you’ll meet DR. KIRSTEN BOEHNER, director of Middle School STEAM and Design (page 20); you’ll learn how we’re increasing student diversity in partnership with A Better Chance (page 40); and you’ll see how we’re creating prepared, confident citizens of the world through programs like Leadership Pace (page 36) and the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (page 26).

The Board’s leadership reminded me once again of the power of our community and the strength of our unique culture. By embracing change while remaining true to our founding principles, we are truly living out our motto: To Have the Courage to Strive for Excellence.

Thank you for sharing my passion for Pace.

ON THE COVER

Sincerely,

In March, alumni participated in the very first Leadership Pace retreat. The event was designed to foster deeper connections between members of Pace’s impressive alumni network, provide alumni with access to school leadership, and develop relevant reengagement between alumni and Pace. Read the story on page 36.

Fred Assaf HEAD OF SCHOOL

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NEWS What you need to know

Kann

OUR 2016 STAR STUDENTS

Smith

Wu

EACH YEAR, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education partner to present the STAR Eichenlaub (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program.

The program requires that nominees achieve the top SAT score on a single test date and be in the top 10 percent of their class. STAR Students then choose STAR Teachers who have inspired them to strive for excellence.

Seniors JACK EICHENLAUB and ANDREW WU were named Pace Academy’s 2016 STAR Students. Eichlenlaub selected Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH as his STAR Teacher; Wu selected Upper School Latin teacher ELIZABETH KANN.

WESTMINSTER DEDICATES ANDERSON TENNIS OFFICE Standing, left to right: Wade Boggs and John Anderson; Seated, left to right: Madeline Adams, Howell Adams and Westminster President Keith Evans

BEFORE ARRIVING at Pace Academy in 2005, Head of Middle School JOHN ANDERSON spent 21 years as a teacher and varsity girls tennis coach at the Westminster Schools.

Anderson led the Wildcats to 13 state championships during his 17-year coaching tenure, and had a record of 249 wins, 33 losses and one tie. He was named Region and State Coach of the Year several times and was inducted into the Westminster Hall of Fame in 2011.

In 2000, former Westminster parents Madeline and Howell Adams made a gift

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to name the tennis coaches’ offices in honor of Anderson and boys tennis coach Wade Boggs. The Adams’ daughter, Madeline, played tennis on Anderson’s state-championship teams and passed away in 1992 following a battle with leukemia. The offices were eligible to be formally named upon Boggs’s retirement in 2015, and a dedication ceremony took place on March 31, 2016.

During the dedication, Anderson was called “the best role model—full of integrity, compassion, intellect, skill and athleticism.” Boggs described him as “always a gentleman, gracious to his opponents and the consummate diplomat to the sport of tennis.”

BARKLEY FORUM HONORS JORDAN PACE ACADEMY’S J.B. Fuqua Chair of Speech and Debate, SHUNTÁ JORDAN, recently received the 2016 Paul Slappey Award for the Promotion of Diversity.

The award, given annually by Emory University’s Barkley Forum, promotes diverse participation in interscholastic speech and debate competition and “recognizes the efforts of those who have developed an educational mission to enfranchise all students in the rich experience of communications.”

For 13 years, Jordan has led Upper School debaters to a multitude of state and national titles, further establishing Pace’s reputation for excellence in debate.

NEWS

FitzGerald

MAGNIFICENT MUSICIANS Myers & Obu

Left to right: Lieberman, Duncan and Rubin

PACE ACADEMY was well represented at this year’s Georgia Music Educators Association All-State events in Athens, Ga. Junior violinist WHIT FITZGERALD and eighth-grade violinist PAULLOUIS BIONDI participated in the All-State Orchestra, while sophomore IBUM OBU and junior CARSON MYERS were named to the All-State Chorus. Securing spots in these elite ensembles required several rounds of auditions.

Biondi

STATE-CHAMPION SINGERS DURING the 2016 Georgia High School Association State Literary Meet in March, Pace Academy Knights claimed two more state-championship titles.

The competition includes categories such as Dramatic Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Essay, Solo, Trio and Quartet.

Students’ preparation, knowledge and technique influence their final scores, which in turn determine their rankings among competitors from across the state.

Juniors ELLIE DUNCAN and WILLIE LIEBERMAN and senior LEXI RUBIN, the defending Girls Trio state champions, brought home the state title once again, while Rubin earned gold in the Solo competition.

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NEWS

Laura Shelton Elizabeth Hawn

Reisner

EACH YEAR, students from across the U.S. submit work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.

Five Gold Key writing entries are chosen as American Voices nominees, a prestigious prize that honors the “best in show.� For the second year in a row, one of the nominations went to a Pace student. Congratulations to senior STEPHEN REISNER! Pace students honored with 2016 Scholastic Awards are:

GOLD KEY, AMERICAN VOICES NOMINEE

Stephen Reisner, personal essay/memoir

GOLD KEY

Pace students earn 50 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

ARTISTIC ACCOLADES

Carolyne Eith, flash fiction Julia Gray, personal essay/memoir Grace Ferry, mixed media Hope Lennox, mixed media (2) Lian Shepherd, drawing and illustration

SILVER KEY

Grace Dwyer, personal essay/memoir Elizabeth Hawn, art portfolio Ashley Little, poetry (2) Lexi Rubin, critical essay Laura Shelton, photography, digital art (2) Tahirih Williams, ceramics Sophie Zelony, photography

HONORABLE MENTION

Callaway Chase, photography Lizzie DuPree, photography Carter Ferguson, photography Grace Ferry, mixed media Lizabeth Frohwein, photography (2) Jordan Harris, writing portfolio Katie Jordan, photography Hope Lennox, painting Will Movsovitz, poetry Lauren Pickman, ceramics (4) Justin Rayman, ceramics Lexi Rubin, humor Ciara Sadaka, ceramics (4) Lindsey Sample, digital art, photography (2), poetry, writing portfolio

Lian Shepherd, art portfolio, drawing and illustration, painting

Sophie Zelony Elizabeth Hawn

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Carly Silverstein, sculpture Sydney Sommerville, poetry Paige Williams, art portfolio, photography Jack Wallace, photography Sophie Zelony, photography

Pace Academy Named a Top Workplace Each year, The Atlanta JournalConstitution publishes “The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top Workplaces”— a list of the best places to work in the Atlanta metro area.

To determine who lands on the illustrious list, the newspaper gathers feedback through an employee survey.

Based on responses from 167 members of Pace Academy faculty and staff, Pace was one of 150 companies selected for the 2016 Top Workplaces award and ranked 39th on the list of the Top 50 Midsize Workplaces (150–499 employees) in the region.

THE POWER OF A STORY Admissions view book wins CASE Award of Excellence

There’s no doubt that the independent-school admissions process is competitive—not only for prospective students and families but also for the schools to which they apply. Our admissions and communications teams strive to tell the Pace Academy story in ways that attract well-rounded students who will succeed in and contribute to our community in myriad ways.

Apparently, the Pace story is compelling. Our admissions view book, rewritten and redesigned by the Pace communications team for the 2014–2015 school year, recently brought home one of two 2015– 2016 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Awards of Excellence in District III’s recruitment publication category.

Pace competed against colleges and universities and was the only secondary school recognized in this category; UNC Asheville took home the grand prize, while Stetson University received the other Award of Excellence. The Pace view book placed ahead of Elon Law School and Virginia Commonwealth University’s engineering school.

NEWS

MEET NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR ANDREW WU Standout senior ANDREW WU has been recognized as a 2016 National Merit Scholar, the National Merit Scholarship Program’s highest honor. Wu was selected from approximately 7,400 National Merit Finalists based on his performance on the PSAT and his “abilities, skills and accomplishments.” He will receive a $2,500 Merit Scholarship award.

The distinction adds yet another accolade to Wu’s impressive resume, which includes multiple academic honors. Wu is a member of Pace’s robotics team as well as a longtime participant in the Junior Classical League and the policy simulation programs Model Arab League and Model United Nations. He also plays the violin in Pace’s strings ensemble and interned with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in the summer of 2015. Wu frequently volunteers with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and has traveled on several service trips with his church.

All of Pace’s 2015–2016 National Merit Semifinalists — seniors JACK EICHENLAUB, REID FUNSTON, LAUREN PICKMAN, JOHNNY REECE, STEPHEN REISNER, JAMES SADLO and Wu — received Finalist recognition.

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AROUND PACE A look at what's happening at Pace

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT! YES, WE DO! There’s something special about Spirit Week. Each year, Upper School students spend their first days back from winter break participating in a competition between grades.

Somehow, through hours of planning and practice, sleepless nights and enthusiastic performances, students in each class come together and emerge from the week more unified than before.

This year, the Class of 2016 spread post-Christmas cheer with their Elfthemed décor, while Star Wars, Toy Story and Fairly Oddparents battled it out amongst the underclassmen. Not surprisingly, Santa and Buddy the Elf claimed the 2016 Spirit Week title.

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AROUND PACE

COLLEGE TOUR EXPLORES THE MIDWEST PACE ACADEMY’S college counselors know that finding the perfect college “fit” is easier said than done. With thousands of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and countless more abroad, choosing where to spend those formative years can be overwhelming.

To educate students about their options and expose them to a variety of educational institutions, the Office of College Counseling coordinates an annual springtime tour.

This year, college counselors GAVIN BRADLEY and AMY SECOR, 10th-grade dean ALLISON RILEY, and 17 sophomores and juniors visited eight colleges across the Midwest. Early stops included Loyola University Chicago and Northwestern University, where the group

A HOME IN THE

HEARTLAND? caught up with Northwestern undergrads LAUREN GOLD ’12 and MARIA GRENADER ’15.

Research continued on the DePaul University and the University of Chicago campuses and included visits with NATALIE MARCRUM ’15 and REBECCA HUSK ’15, respectively. At Notre Dame, JACK ASSAF ’13 and KATIE LUCKE ’14 bundled up to tour students around campus, and HANK ASSAF ’15 reflected on his first-year experiences with the group over lunch. The tour concluded with time at Purdue University, the University of Indiana and Butler University.

A GOLD STANDARD FOR GIVING On January 13, the Goldman family was recognized at a dedication ceremony for the Lower Lobby space within the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School. The space includes the building’s main student entrance and is located on the second floor of the Upper School.

Head of School FRED ASSAF, Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON, and Trustee and Aim High Campaign Co-Chair ELIZABETH RICHARDS gathered for the occasion.

Thanks to LAURIE ANN GOLDMAN, JONATHAN GOLDMAN, AUSTIN GOLDMAN ’12, senior JARED GOLDMAN and freshman LANE GOLDMAN for their generous contribution to the Aim High capital campaign.

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Look and listen in the Fine Arts Center, the Middle School studios or the Lower School hallways, and there’s no doubt—the arts are thriving at Pace Academy. From jazz classics and pop favorites to portraits and parodies, our artists and performers wowed the Pace community this spring.

STUDIO ART EXHIBIT Middle School studio art students showcased a semester’s worth of work for family, friends and faculty in their spring exhibition.

ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS FACULTY ART EXHIBIT The incredible talents of Pace’s visual art teachers were on display during February’s Art Faculty Show.

STUDIO ART Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum hosted Middle School studio art students for a morning dedicated to art conservation, and CherryLion Sculpture Studios rolled out the red carpet to provide a lesson on creating large-scale sculptures for commissions.

VISITING ARTIST BETH CAVENER Sculptor Beth Cavener is known for her lifelike pieces of animal forms, and she paid Pace students a visit in March to share her work, technique and inspiration.

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ELECTRIC STRINGS CONCERT Electric folk-rock band Little Tybee joined strings students in all divisions for a March concert featuring movie themes, jazz numbers, classic rock and pop favorites.

AROUND PACE

FIFTH-GRADE PLAY Fifth graders channeled Greek gods and monsters in their play, It’s Greek to Me! BRUSH WITH FAME Senior GRACE FERRY took home the secondplace ribbon in the sixth annual Brush With Fame painting competition, organized by visual art teacher DONICE BLOODWORTH and including work from students all over the metro area.

KNIGHT OF JAZZ The Upper School concert band, ensembles and vocal soloists took the stage for the fourth annual Knight of Jazz, which included jazz favorites and appearances by guest artists from the band Mango. Prior to the performance, Mango members conducted clinics for participating Pace performers.

WINTER THEATRE SHOWCASE Upper School performers led audiences on a “theatre hike” in their Winter Showcase, a series of eight scenes performed in various locations throughout the Fine Arts Center.

IMPROV THROWDOWN The Middle School’s third annual Improv Throwdown! welcomed its largest audience ever to an evening that included a surprise video visit from Head of School FRED ASSAF, a game of invisible dodge ball, an epic dousing of Sprite and countless triumphs of wit. Nearly 40 students participated and raised more than $800 for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

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AROUND PACE

BUGSY MALONE It’s all fun and games until someone gets a pie in the face.

BUGSY MALONE may go down in history as the messiest production ever to grace the Pace Academy stage.

In this year’s Middle School musical, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the gangster films of the 1920s, Dandy Dan’s gang squares off against Fat Sam and his cronies in a rivalry of Al Capone-ian standards. The gangsters’ weapon of choice? “Splurge” guns that fire cream pies instead of bullets.

Bugsy Malone, a one-time boxer, is thrust into the limelight when he becomes Fat Sam and his gang’s last chance for survival —but Bugsy is otherwise occupied by his new love.

Based on the eponymous 1976 film, Pace’s production of Bugsy Malone was a rip-roaring hit, complete with car chases, a swinging score and 70 cans of shaving cream.

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THANK YOU TO THE 2016 PACE RACE SPONSORS! PR E S E NT I N G ( $4,00 0 )

THE CARLAND GROUP • ISDELL FAMILY FOUNDATION G O L D ( $ 2 ,00 0 )

SKIN CANCER SPECIALIST S I L V E R ( $ 1, 0 0 0 )

Anonymous • Atlanta Falcons • The Litvak Family • Alex and Ani • The Bethel Family BRONZE ($500)

Exam Med • The Carroll Family • The Curtin Family • The Davis Family • Fab’rik • The Ferry Family John Keller • The Johnson Family • Drs. Anand & Tejal Lalaji • The Lubin Family • The Mallis Family The Marks Family • The Owens Family • Amy Selig • Stellar Bodies • Steve Rayman Chevrolet The Swann Family • The Warren Family • The Woman’s Imaging Group • The Zubairi Family RUNNERS ($250) The Ganz Family • The Ibarra Family • Reisinger Family Chiropractic • The Nuckols Family • Peachtree Smile Center, Evis Babo D.M.D. WALKERS ($100) The Gash Family MEDIA SPONSORS Ashley Helton Design • Eric Dewyngaert Design • Intrepy Healthcare Marketing E V E N T PA R T N E R S Active Network • Orion Racing E N T E R TA I N M E N T Alchemy • DJ Turton • The Francisco Vidal Band • Street Wise IN-KIND Caribou Coffee • Chick-fil-A • The Coca-Cola Company • Forte Promotional Marketing • The Frushtick Family Happy Belly Curbside Kitchen • Ivivva • Kyle Pease Foundation • Marco’s Pizza • McDonalds • PeaceLoveMom, LLC Publix Super Markets • Roadie • Split • Snobayou • Willy’s Mexicana Grill • West Stride • Whole Foods Market

AROUND PACE

Knight After Knight After Knight

Left to right: Charlie McAlpin '02, Kirk McAlpin '00, Lila Thwaite McAlpin '74, Henry McAlpin '05, Radha Retnasaba (Pre-First, Class of 2028), Kirk McAlpin, Lila McAlpin Retnasaba '98 and Gajan Retnasaba

MEET PACE ACADEMY’S FIRST THIRD-GENERATION FAMILY

By way of first impressions, Pace Academy Life Trustee LILA THWAITE MCALPIN ’74 and her daughter, LILA MCALPIN RETNASABA ’98, may seem like opposites. And then again, they seem exactly alike.

“We are interested in all of the same things, we just approach them differently,” say the two, more or less in unison.

An artist by trade and at heart, McAlpin is a lover of the outdoors and connects deeply with the “inspirational artfulness of nature”; she paints and draws from life. The fifthborn child of six, McAlpin attributes some of her free-spirited, laidback nature to her birth order.

Retnasaba is the firstborn of four—and the lone female of the McAlpin sibling clan.

“Lila is very much a Type-A personality, and I am definitely not,” McAlpin says. The two laugh and shake their heads, “no,” in agreement.

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Retnasaba’s father, KIRK MCALPIN, JR., wanted his four children to attend public school, at least during their elementary years. Lila McAlpin supported her husband’s view, so both Retnasaba and her younger brother, KIRK MCALPIN, III ’00, attended a local public elementary school before enrolling at Pace. By the time the two younger boys, CHARLIE MCALPIN ’02 and HENRY MCALPIN ’05, were of school age, Pace had become home. The family felt that the school would suit all four of their very different children, so they applied Charlie and Henry to the Lower School.

While the McAlpin kids shared some interests, the four were remarkably different from one another. Lila and Kirk had a common love of the arts, but Kirk was also a sports fanatic. Charlie was passionate about literature and played in the Pace band. Henry was very social, an avid lacrosse player and “a

bit of a cutup—he may have gotten some of that from me,” McAlpin says.

HOW FAR DOES THE APPLE FALL? McAlpin describes her only daughter as diligent, on-the-ball and organized in every area of her life, even as a child. Now mother to Pace Pre-Firster RADHA RETNASABA, Retnasaba approaches aspects of parenthood in much the same way. With Radha’s enrollment in the fall of 2015, the McAlpinRetnasaba crew became the first to forge a third generation of Pace Knights within an immediate family.

As Radha sits patiently stringing beads, pulling them from a large Tupperware container while her grandmother and mother participate in this interview, McAlpin looks on with a twinkle in her eye.

AROUND PACE

“Mom, you want to be making necklaces with Radha right now, don’t you?” Retnasaba asks. Her mother grins, as if caught in the thought. “I do!”

Perhaps not surprisingly, art was always McAlpin’s favorite class at Pace. And as it turns out, the same is true for her daughter and granddaughter.

In fact, the arts were paramount for Retnasaba, both as a Pace student and today.

She came to Pace in the fifth grade and immediately gravitated towards musicals, dance and singing in the chorus.

“I was not a fan of P.E.,” Retnasaba says.

“Primarily because despite being competitive in other areas, I didn’t care about competing in [games or sports].”

McAlpin attended Pace in the days of tiny classes and all-hands-on-deck participation; she was a member of Pace’s first swimming team, a captain of the volleyball team, a cheerleader and even the Pace Knight mascot. Still, McAlpin tried her hand at theatre, as well. Though she says she didn’t find a true calling on the stage, she does share a special part of Pace history with Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH. The two joined Pace the same year, one as a student and one as a teacher, and both played roles in one of the school’s first fall musicals—a production of The Sound of Music.

Like her mother, Retnasaba had many interests and chose to explore several of them. With an analytical mind, she took an academic approach, and her relationship with the fine arts and with Pace did not end after high school.

Retnasaba graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s and high honors in art history from the University of the South (Sewanee), before pursuing graduate classes at Columbia University, followed by a semester studying theology at Emory University’s Candler School of Divinity. During this time, she met her now husband, GAJAN RETNASABA, who has practiced intellectual property law, worked in management consulting for McKinsey and Co. and currently serves on the leadership team of Spiralyze, a marketing company dedicated to website optimization and growth marketing. The couple shares a passion for education, early childhood development and childhood literacy.

In 2008, Retnasaba joined the Pace faculty as a second-grade teacher, until she and Gajan moved to Dallas, Texas, where Radha was born and the family lived for the next four years. Currently, she assists with marketing efforts for two side ventures that her husband has helped launch. Their work provides creative tools and resources that support early childhood literacy, specifically geared toward virtual and at-home teachers.

Despite her relative indifference towards competitive sports, Lila Retnasaba is an avid yogi. A continuous learner, she has also begun taking tap dancing classes at The Studio Atlanta Dance.

THIRD GENERATION: PACE STILL FITS THE BILL “When the time came to look at schools for Radha, [Gajan and I] kept a very open mind and considered lots of options,” Retnasaba says. The Retnasabas had moved back to Atlanta, and after conducting a good deal of data-driven research, they decided that Pace was the best fit for their daughter.

“Radha is very mathematical,” says Retnasaba.

“She is also the first child of two first-born children—a guaranteed Type-A and high achiever!” echoes McAlpin.

Radha grins ear-to-ear when asked about school. She says she loves Pace—her friends, her teachers, and yes, she loves math. Still, art class is her favorite time of day, well above recess, because, “It’s just so much fun. We get to make things!”

McAlpin attended several local schools, growing up in Atlanta during the 60s and 70s.

From The Westminster Schools and E. Rivers Elementary to Northside High School (now North Atlanta High School), she found her permanent fit at Pace in her 10th-grade year.

“I loved them all,” McAlpin says of her various alma maters. Her mother knew that McAlpin, whom she used to say, “played well with others,” was adaptable and would be happy among any surroundings, but she was looking for an environment conducive to her daughter’s creative spirit. The family found just that in Pace, a small school that offered a personalized approach to learning. Positive reports from Pace student NELL MATHIS BLACK ’74, McAlpin’s best

friend, sealed the deal.

“I knew how much [Nell] loved Pace, but mainly I think I just wanted to go to school with her!” says McAlpin. She knows now, just as she knew then, that the fit was just right.

PACE TODAY, PACE TOMORROW While ushering four children through Pace, Lila and Kirk McAlpin, Sr. served in just about every volunteer capacity. As past presidents of the Parents Club, former Parents Club Auction chairs and former grade representatives, they became keenly aware of where they could be most effective—and of those areas better suited for someone else’s skillset.

“You won’t see me run another auction, for example,” McAlpin advises. “It’s just as important to know what you won’t do as it is to offer what you will do. I try to make that known to the organizations I’m involved with so they know what types of things they can always count on me for.”

As a member of Pace’s Board of Trustees, McAlpin says she loved being a part of the search committee for former and current Heads of School MIKE MURPHY and FRED ASSAF, respectively. “[Conducting a search] was an exciting, interesting process. The primary responsibilities of the Board are fundraising, hiring heads, firing heads and monitoring financial activity,” she says. “You spend a lot of time with this group of people and get to know one another really well. They really become like a secondary Pace family.”

These days, McAlpin’s first allegiance is to participate in any and every Lower School activity involving Radha. However, McAlpin considers her role as a Life Trustee a valuable one and appreciates the extraordinary individuals represented within it. In fact, if she finds herself in the Lower School on the day of a Board meeting, McAlpin just might wander into the meeting to learn more about the current state of her beloved school—her family’s school. •

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AROUND PACE

CeCe and Sean with their children: Drew, Ned and Francie

THE COLEMAN FAMILY

PACE FUND VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Figure Out What You’re Good At CECE COLEMAN knew that she and her husband, SEAN COLEMAN, had chosen a special place in Pace Academy when she heard Head of Middle School JOHN ANDERSON address new students—her then-sixth-grade son, NED COLEMAN, among them—two years ago. “[Anderson said], ‘You come to Pace and figure out what you’re good at doing. Try new sports, pick up an instrument for the first time, get involved with the school play, etc.,’” CeCe recalls. “I love the fact that

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

Pace Middle School students are accepted for their age—an awkward blend of child and young adult.”

It seems that Ned, now in seventh grade, and his sixth-grade sister, FRANCIE COLEMAN, have taken Anderson’s advice to heart. Both students have tried their hands at new sports, musical instruments and clubs since coming to Pace—not to mention building some great new friendships, their parents say. “[Both children are] learning about and getting involved in a wide variety of activities that they had little or no experience in previously,” said Sean. “I think that is one of the best things about Pace—you are truly

encouraged to try new things, and the kids are so diverse in their interests.”

The Power of Community The Colemans lead by example. Just as their children acclimated to new surroundings by diving right in, Sean and CeCe took a proactive approach to their grown-up version of the “first day of school.”

“I felt that Pace did a great job assimilating the new families, beginning with the spring picnic before entering the first year, having lunch with [Head of School] FRED

AROUND PACE

[ASSAF] and a handful of new families and the summer buddy system; these were all thoughtful ways of making new families feel welcome,” CeCe says.

There’s no question—the Pace community is exceptionally welcoming, and the Pace campus knows no stranger. Still, for CeCe, volunteering was perhaps the most effective means of becoming involved with Pace and

Pace Fund is a huge part of ensuring those resources are there.”

CeCe agrees. She attended a large public high school in her hometown of Spartanburg, S.C., and experienced a small, liberal arts environment as an undergraduate at Wofford College, followed by the contrasting big-campus feel of the University of Georgia, where CeCe earned a master’s degree in social work. She gleaned valuable insights from each institution that shaped her broader views on education.

Today, she identifies “strong academics, athletics and arts, along with a sense of community, pride and fun” as key attributes that a [secondary] school experience should offer.

The demand for competitive academics coupled with quality co-curricular programs has become the standard for independent schools looking to facilitate well-balanced learning for students. Thanks to the support of a school community that cares deeply about how it impacts the world and about each of its members, Pace exceeds that standard in myriad ways.

“There was never any doubt in our minds that we would support The Pace Fund,” CeCe says. “Coming from a public elementary school, we knew the school was government funded. But at an independent school, it truly takes a village to raise the funds necessary to keep the school operating and performing at the level to which we’ve all become accustomed.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you give, as long as you give something. Whether it’s 10 dollars or a million, your contribution makes you an active investor in the school.” •

“I strongly recommend to other newcomers to volunteer when possible.

What a great way to meet other parents!” developing new relationships.

“I strongly recommend to other newcomers to volunteer when possible. What a great way to meet other parents!” CeCe says. As members of The Pace Fund’s New Parent Committee this year, the Colemans have found that raising support for The Pace Fund has become an important means of staying in touch with more Pace families. But fundraising is meaningful to the couple on several levels.

Growing up in Washington, D.C., Sean says that quality education was always important to his family. He attended a diverse Catholic high school, located just four blocks north of the Capitol, and studied history at Princeton University before attending law school at the University of Virginia.

Also a competitive college rower, Sean understands the correlation between strong school programs and the resources available. After practicing law for several years, Sean started his own insurance brokerage and annuity design business with some of his clients 13 years ago.

“Having been active in fundraising for the schools I have attended, I have known firsthand the impact that those dollars have on the school and the services that are provided to the kids,” Sean says. “The resources that Pace has for the students are like none I have seen before, and The

To learn more about volunteering, giving or fundraising opportunities for The Pace Fund, please contact the Office of Advancement at advancement@paceacademy.org or 404-266-4423.

The Pace Fund: The most fundamental giving priority at Pace Academy PACE FUND Q&A: WHAT IS THE PACE FUND? The Pace Fund accounts for ANNUAL operating-budget expenses not covered by tuition dollars. Tuition alone does not cover the complete cost of a Pace Academy education. Rather than raising tuition, a taxable expense, we offer an alternative that’s far more beneficial to you: The Pace Fund.

Your charitable gift to The Pace Fund is tax-deductible and supports faculty salaries, innovative initiatives like the Isdell Center for Global Leadership, campus beautification, the arts, athletics and more.

HOW CAN I GIVE? Pace accepts gifts of cash, checks and appreciated assets, such as securities, real estate or personal property. For more information and to make an online gift, please visit www.paceacademy.org/ thepacefund.

WHAT ABOUT TUITION? Tuition covers 87 percent of Pace’s operating budget. A gift to The Pace Fund is tax-deductible and allows tuition to be kept within range of other independent schools in the area, thereby enabling Pace to continue to attract the best students, faculty and staff.

HOW MUCH AM I EXPECTED TO GIVE? At any amount, your gift makes a real difference. Pace encourages families to make a gift every year that is both meaningful and replicable, in the amount that is comfortable for you.

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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AROUND PACE

“Pace’s saying, Start Small. Think BIG., is the perfect mantra for STEAM and design. I love that [Pace faculty members] are given a mandate to build something that resonates with the Pace culture while making it uniquely our own.”

Boehner assumes her role as a true scholar and experienced professional, but perhaps above all, the new Middle School STEAM director embodies a childlike spirit

Investing in STEAM DR. KIRSTEN BOEHNER joins the Middle School team as director of STEAM and Design.

T

here’s no doubt that STEAM—the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics—is a hot topic these days. We hear about the importance of STEAM in business, in politics and especially in education.

In the 2016–2021 Pace Academy Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees identified curricular and extra-curricular programming around STEAM as “one of [the] most important issues to address in the next five years,” particularly at the Middle School level.

But why?

DR. KIRSTEN BOEHNER, director of STEAM and Design in the Middle School, is here to answer that question.

Boehner joined the Pace team in early 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and went on to earn a master’s and doctorate from Cornell University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Previously a visiting technology design researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Boehner serves as a resource to Middle School teachers as they build on and integrate STEAM components into their curricula. She collaborates with them to design experiential-based learning modules, supports extra-curricular STEAM opportunities and will soon create a course focused on design exploration.

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

that is unmistakably playful. Read on for more of our conversation with Boehner.

Why is an increased focus on STEAM important for Pace students and the Pace community?

STEAM has become an increasingly important strategic objective for most educational communities, as these areas are marked by fast growth and exciting potential for tomorrow’s leaders. The really powerful [element] of the STEAM platform comes not just from bolstering the individual parts, but from taking what Upper School science teacher JONATHAN DAY has referred to as an “integrative approach” to STEAM. For Pace students, this integrative approach translates into leveraging three critical aspects of STEAM. First, when taken as more than the sum of its parts, STEAM challenges us to work across disciplinary boundaries. It encourages exploring math through science or engineering through the arts and vice versa, for example. This ability to cross disciplines is not only an effective way of providing different pathways to similar learning objectives, but it also provides a systematic way of approaching the increasingly complex and intertwined problems we face in today’s world.

When you add the (A)rts to STEM, the integration gets even more powerful, especially when the arts stand on equal footing as a method of inquiry and a discipline marked by curiosity and expression.

The second aspect of STEAM is an emphasis on project-based learning—on making things as a way of making learning tangible. The third powerful aspect of STEAM is the focus on real-world applications, on finding personally relevant and meaningful connections to what can often be abstract concepts.

Learning fractions through rhythmic beats of a favorite song, for instance, can reach students in a more visceral way than an equation on paper; F=m(a) becomes much more exciting when trying to figure out how to realistically depict the trajectory of a catapulted Angry Bird; and exploring the elemental properties of different materials is much more powerful when this informs designs of temporary shelters for the homeless or disaster relief.

How do you plan to expand STEAM offerings in the Middle School?

As I get started in this new role, my first objective is to understand our current STEAM offerings. What is not surprising is that Pace is already doing STEAM in the sense of collaborating across disciplines, emphasizing project-based learning and seeking realworld applications.

Various robotics teams led by [teachers] TY RICHARDSON, EMILY CAMP, ANDREW HEACOCK and LISA DUBOVY, for example, draw not just on technology and engineering skills but also on a design perspective of understanding users’ needs and external constraints. Richardson and [art teacher] KATY COWLES have also created new programs working across technology and the arts, such as designing cars through 3-D software and printing. The media arts program as a whole is another excellent example of cross-disciplinary applications of current STEAM initiatives.

I’m also looking for opportunities to extend this work and explore possible new directions, all with an eye toward the mandate of the Isdell Center for Global

Leadership (ICGL) to create prepared, confident citizens of the world. The ICGL Advisory Board has recognized that many jobs of the future don’t even exist today, making adaptability, resourcefulness, and the ability to think critically and systematically ever more important.

Our future leaders need to be able to work collaboratively across silos and navigate competing values. They need to be able to identify what they don’t know, what they need to know and how to get there either by learning it quickly or partnering with others with complementary skill sets.

These are all skills and experiences that our students are already exposed to at Pace that we can continue to develop through STEAM. We will work within the ICGL theme each year to create opportunities to use STEAM and design to understand and address critical issues.

Beyond aspirational challenges, I would love to create smaller-scale, more personally directed opportunities for students to explore design—this is something Head of Middle School JOHN ANDERSON and Assistant Head of Middle School KATHIE LARKIN and I have been referring to as "everyday design." I’d love to foster a mindset of design that is not just about problem solving but is about everyday interactions and opportunities as well.

What are your goals for Middle School STEAM programming?

As we formalize and build out the STEAM work at Pace, we will articulate measurable goals, but for now I can talk about bigpicture goals. Ultimately, I think the focus on STEAM is a way of revisiting principles of learning, such as an experiential focus, that have been around for a long time—principles of educating the whole child that are at the heart of Pace’s approach.

I would add to this a goal of using STEAM projects and practices as a way to keep our students' minds flexible and open to ways of knowing the world. It’s around this time in Middle School that our students start to identify themselves as a "math person" or "not a math person," for example. What STEAM may offer is another way of guarding

Under the leadership of faculty advisor TY RICHARDSON, this year’s Middle School robotics team, the RoboKnights, advanced to the state competition.

against this kind of premature shutting down or shutting out of key skills.

We aren’t necessarily training every child to be a scientist or to be an engineer, but we want to ignite the skills and perspectives necessary to follow that path while still making these same skills and perspectives relevant for every child.

On the design side of my role, I want students to leave the Middle School with an ability to see the world as a system of designed objects and to understand how to read this space. I want them to develop their capacity and efficacy for intervening in their communities—to not only read the world as designed but to design for the world.

Just as we don’t want our students to shut down in certain disciplines of STEAM, we also don’t want our students to shut down

their natural curiosity and impulse for action.

We want our students to have a “see-something, do-something” mentality that’s rooted in hope. "Seeing something" depends on maintaining a curiosity that guards against tunnel vision; "Doing something" depends on cultivating a sense of commitment and compassion that guards against apathy.

My final goal for the design program is that our students begin to see design as a manifestation of choices and values. There is a lot of love for design right now, and while it is not a panacea, it is a great vehicle for focusing discussions and awareness around matters of concern.

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WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating at state

VA R S I T Y BASKETBALL CHEERLEADING Coached by MARY LIEBMAN ’00 and CRYSTAL TAYLOR State championships don’t come easily.

Bringing home the title requires hard work and dedication from players and coaches.

But a team can’t do it alone; it needs the support of a vibrant community.

The 13 members of the varsity basketball cheerleading squad led the spirit charge this season, encouraging the Knights every step of the way along the team’s march to Macon (see story on page 46).

“Our squad made tremendous strides in both cheerleading and basketball knowledge,” says head coach MARY LIEBMAN. “The girls’ enthusiasm for our basketball teams and commitment to the squad and each other will be hard to match.”

The squad bids a fond farewell to seniors KASSIA TOURE and LALI ZAMORA.

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

SPENCER SINCLAIR

NICOLE ORTIZ

JULIA ROSS

ANN RAFEEDIE

JOELLE ZELONY

REGAN BATES

WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

VA R S I T Y B O Y S S W I M M I N G Coached by JOHN AGUE, GRACE ALEXANDER and LYNN WILMOTH

MCKENZIE BAKER

The varsity boys swimming team finished the regular season with a single loss and a new school/pool 200 freestyle record from junior CONNOR LAMASTRA—a sign of things to come at the state meet.

LaMastra, senior JAKE JENKINS, junior ALEX KAYE and freshman CHARLIE KAYE qualified for the state meet in individual events, and the boys medley relay and 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams vied for state titles as well.

The state championship pit the Knights against more than 100 teams in Classes A through AAAAA, and when all was said and done, the medley relay team of senior JOE LOUGHRAN, A. Kaye, C. Kaye and LaMastra finished eighth in the state with a new school record.

LaMastra broke his own school record in the 200 freestyle, finishing 12th in the state, and the 400 freestyle relay team (Jenkins, LaMastra, A. Kaye and C. Kaye) also was 12th. The Knights came away from the state meet with an overall eighth-place finish, triumphing over all other Class AA teams.

Next year the team will miss Jenkins, Loughran, OWEN MONCINO, HARRISON RAY and JAMES SADLO.

C. Kaye

VA R S I T Y G I R L S BASKETBALL

J. Jenkins

Coached by TROY BAKER, BOBBY BOYER, JOE SANDOE and STEPHANIE SOSEBEE The 2015 season marked a tremendous period of growth for the varsity girls basketball team. Although the team was young, with a starting lineup of three freshmen and two juniors, the Knights solidified their identity as a scrappy and relentless group. Season highlights included wins over Hapeville Charter School and Whitefield Academy.

The Knights lose senior DORI GREENBERG but hope to build on the momentum they established under their new head coach, Director of Athletics Troy Baker.

Ray, Loughran and Sadlo LaMastra

Loughran

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

OWEN MONCINO, S T AT E R UN N E R-U P

Moncino with supporters on the medals podium

Throughout his high-school diving career, senior OWEN MONCINO has contributed significant points to the varsity boys swimming and diving team’s total scores at the state meet—and this year was no different.

Under the leadership of coach JIM EBERT, Moncino placed second in the 2016 GHSA 1-Meter Diving State Championship with a score of 515.15 points and All-American consideration.

Moncino added his silver medal to an already long list of diving accolades. In 2015, he finished fifth in the state with a score of 440.85 and AllAmerican consideration. He also placed fifth in the 2013 state meet and was sixth as a freshman.

He garnered All-State recognition in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Next year, Moncino will dive for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

Find coverage of the

varsity boys basketball team’s statechampionship season on page 46, and, on page 48, see how the varsity girls swim team dominated the state competition.

WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Houser

Boss JACKSON FULLER

WRESTLERS HOU S E R, WA L S H S E C O N D I N S T AT E WA L S H E N DS CAREER WITH 12 5 W I N S Under the leadership of coaches MARK SOMMERVILLE, GRADY STEVENS and GUS WHYTE, Pace’s varsity wrestlers put in strong performances throughout the season.

Three Knights —sophomore FRANK HOUSER, junior JONATHAN BOSS and the team’s lone senior, JACK WALSH —qualified for the sectional tournament, where they vied for a chance to participate in the GHSA state meet. Boss finished in sixth place at sectionals, while Houser and Walsh both finished second, advancing to state.

In front of a packed house at the Infinite Energy Arena, Houser and Walsh won their quarterfinal and semifinal matches and went on to compete in the state finals, Houser in the 132-pound weight class, Walsh in the 220-pound division.

At the end of the day, both boys brought home second-place state medals, and Walsh wrapped up his wrestling career with an astounding 125 wins, second all-time at Pace.

The Knights finished eighth in the state with 38 points, a tremendous feat for a team of two.

Walsh

Whyte and Sommerville

JUSTIN MORRIS

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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ICGL A global education for every graduate

t INJUSTICE AND FOOD

ANOTHER BIG BITE More on the ICGL’s Year of FOOD

Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press reporter Martha Mendoza has spent the past two years investigating human trafficking in the seafood industry.

Through a series of articles, Mendoza and her colleagues have tied major global grocer supply chains to fish and shrimp caught and/or peeled by slaves, prompting massive international investigations. As a result of Mendoza’s work, more than 2,000 enslaved fishermen have been liberated. She shared her powerful story with Upper School students during a special assembly. p STOCKING THE PANTRY Middle Schoolers took part in a time-honored Pace tradition this spring: Canstruction. Students collected non-perishable food items and designed elaborate, themed structures, using the items as building materials.

The Pace Academy community can’t get enough of FOOD, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s (ICGL) annual theme.

From clay and Canstruction to farmers markets and field trips, here’s a look at how we’ve been playing with FOOD.

Groups chose from themes such as All Things Pace, Movies and TV, Sports and the ICGL’s Year of FOOD. The food collected during Canstruction was donated to the Bread Basket Food Pantry, and students stocked the shelves with enough provisions to last until summer.

p EDIBLE ART

p THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD Seventh-grade students put their language skills to the test during visits to authentic French and Mexican restaurants, where they sampled food, ordered meals in their languages of study and conversed with fluent speakers.

“It’s really important for students to get real-world experience using their languages,” says Middle School ICGL Director EDNA-MAY HERMOSILLO. “Field trips like these are almost like shorter ICGL study tours.”

Our Middle School visual artists have quite literally drawn inspiration from food this semester. “In my classes, we created clay sculptures of bowls, plates and stands of food, acrylic paintings of fruits and veggies and coloredpencil drawings of candy,” reports visual art instructor KATY COWLES. u FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! Every January, the second grade brings poetry to life through dance and song in its class play. This time around, food was the thespians’ focus.

In Food, Glorious Food!, each poem or dance related in some way to what we eat. t SPREADING THE WORD

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The Pace Academy Office of Admissions knows how important food issues are, so the ICGL theme was incorporated into Middle School admissions interviews this year. Inspired by the Upper School’s annual Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, groups of prospective students were tasked with developing apps designed to help with food-related issues of their choosing.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

p A SECOND HELPING OF SERVICE All Lower School students enjoyed springtime visits from Joe Labriola, executive director of Second Helpings Atlanta. The organization picks up surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, corporate dining halls, farmers markets, and schools like Pace and delivers it to agencies that feed Atlanta’s homeless and hungry.

Following Labriola’s discussion of food insecurity and waste, Lower School families joined Second Helping’s fleet of drivers and delivered food to the organizations it serves.

p FOOD FOR THOUGHT Pre-First students tackled healthy eating in their Nutrition Food unit, which included a trip to the DeKalb Farmers Market, a homemade feast and Foods with Moods, a creative activity based on the children’s book How Are You Peeling?

Spotlight on

LOVE YOUR BODY WEEK Love Your Body Week (LYBW) isn’t new to the Pace Academy community. In the Middle and Upper Schools, the springtime ritual coincides with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and focuses on encouraging positive body image and sharing messages of affirmation.

This year, Middle School Counselor DARCY BERGER and her co-ed committee of 13 students upped the ante. Taking their cue from the Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s annual theme of FOOD, the team planned a week of activities that incorporated healthy eating choices and self-care in addition to positive body image.

To prepare for the week, the LYBW committee wrote 339 compliment cards for students and faculty with messages like, “You’re so awesome at math,” and “You have an amazing sense of humor.” The cards sat on each student’s assigned assembly seat, an affirming way to start the day.

Rather than bring in a speaker for the week, the LYBW team brainstormed topics related to food and body image and coordinated breakout sessions around these issues. Posters throughout the Middle School promoted these themes, and all students selected the session in which they were most interested.

SAGE Dining Services Chef JEREMY MIFFLIN talked about good food choices; science teacher LARRY IVENS discussed how genetics affects one’s body; Pace

ICGL

parent JENY MATHIS led a session on mindfulness; newspaper advisor LAURA INMAN explored photoshopping and the media; Middle School ICGL Director EDNA-MAY HERMOSILLO organized a food tasting; and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator CLEMENT ROUVIERE showed students healthy ways to train. In all, 19 breakout sessions took place, and representatives from each group later presented what they learned in a general session. “[In my breakout session], I learned the difference between exercising and being active,” says eighth-grader DARREN MAYS. “Exercise is planning on doing something to get more in shape, and being active is doing what you do every day—and you can still get a workout.”

Students also participated in themed dress-down days like “You Be You” day, enjoyed sampling smoothies in the cafeteria, and learned about eating disorders, their causes and how seek help with these illnesses.

“Through Love Your Body Week, we really wanted to deemphasize physical appearance and to encourage students to question the media and to rethink their appearancerelated comments to their peers,” Berger says. “Through student-led initiatives, we taught self-care—how to treat one’s body and mind in healthy ways. It’s an important, lifelong lesson.” •

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ICGL

The Academy Abroad WINTER AND SPRING STUDY TOURS TRAVERSE THE GLOBE.

GERMANY Jan. 9–17

Ber lin

anstein

Neu schw Castle

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

Avid history students need look no further than Upper School History Chair TIM HORNOR’S annual study tour to Germany — a trip that combines the varied cultural, economic, and political sights of the country’s past and present.

Hornor, Upper School teacher JASON SMITH and Keeping Pace Director MARTHA DOWNER-ASSAF traveled with eight students to Munich, Berlin, Potsdam and into the Alps on a journey through history.

The group took in performances of the world-famous Glockenspiel and the Bavarian State Ballet’s Paquita, visited Neuschwanstein Castle and Dachau concentration camp, toured countless museums, explored Berlin’s many historic landmarks and walked the snowy grounds of the Sanssouci, the “Prussian Versailles.”

“The highlight of the trip for me was walking through Berlin and seeing history and amazing art museums. I could feel what it’s like to be a German citizen,” says junior JIBRIL SADIQ. “I learned that I really enjoy traveling, and it’s something that I would like to continue to do when I’m older. I also learned that I would be comfortable living in a different country for some time.”

ICGL

Read more about our students' adventures on the ICGL Student Travel Blog at: knightlife.paceacademy.org/travel

g E xplorin n F OOD i Cuba

CUBA March 5–13

nal The Natio of Fine Mu seumHavana Arts in

In December 2014, President Barack Obama announced plans to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba following 50 years of stalemate. Naturally, Pace students needed to investigate.

So, Upper School teachers PAULA PONTES and KEITH NEWMAN and 13 students journeyed to Havana to delve into U.S./Cuban relations, a subject they studied at length prior to their departure.

To understand Cuba’s complex history, students visited villages and markets, museums, restaurants and rivers. They explored Hemingway’s home; observed local farming methods; ate rice, beans, yuka, potatoes and flan family style; toured the University of Havana; and interacted with local people at a Catholic preschool, vocational and music schools and medical facilities.

“Cuba is almost a time capsule into the 1960s,” senior JAKE JENKINS wrote following the trip, a sentiment echoed by his fellow travelers, who found disconnecting from smartphones and other technologies forced changes in behavior. “[That sense of being in another time] makes you focus on the present,” says Pontes. “It makes you talk to your company at a dinner table, makes you journal and digest what you see more and helps your memory focus on what is really

important. You learn differently. There is no ‘Googling’ it. There is listening and asking questions. In person. One on one.

Learning from one another. Relying on and sharing our human experience.”

“I don’t know what I expected in Cuba, but one of the best experiences for me was the people,” says senior CARLEE POKALSKY, who bonded with a young Cuban girl as a result of their shared love for the music of Miley Cyrus.

“We genuinely wanted to learn about their culture, and they genuinely wanted to learn about ours. We struck up many conversations with residents there, and learned about their individual lives as well as their jobs and aspirations.”

“This experience made me realize how interested I am in other cultures,” Pokalsky continues. “I’m not one who enjoys traveling, but once in Cuba, I didn’t want to leave… Hands down, it was the most eye-opening experience of my life. I now know what I am grateful for.”

FRANCE & SPAIN March 3–12 The lives of famous artists shaped the itinerary for the 12 Middle School students who traveled to France and Spain with art instructors DONICE BLOODWORTH, KATY COWLES, and SCOTT SARGENT and Assistant Head of Middle School GRAHAM ANTHONY. Students explored the work of Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence, discovered Van Gogh’s painting spots in Arles, paid tribute to Dalí in Port Ligat, and surveyed Gaudí and Picasso’s old stomping grounds in Barcelona.

In Aix-en-Provence, painter and alumna JILL STEINHUIS RUFFATO ’76 hosted the Pace entourage at her home, sharing with students her artistic journey and her love for Cézanne. And over

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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ICGL

the course of the study tour, students created their own artwork, attempting to capture the scenes made famous by the masters.

“The highlight of the trip was learning all about the talented artists,” reports eighth-grader VIRGINIA HOBBS. “I was amazed at the wonderful work they accomplished, and I am so lucky to have

Then it was off to My Tho for three full days of building. The group braved temperatures in the 90s to filter sand, mix cement, lay bricks, paint and sand, constructing homes for— and building relationships with— two families.

“The highlight of my trip was definitely the people we met. They were all so lovely and patient with us,” says junior

Ancient Ruins

FOOD: They sampled street food; meandered through markets; learned to make spring rolls, egg pancakes and other traditional dishes in a cooking class; observed coconut candy makers; and planted and watered rice, Vietnam’s most prolific crop.

Hiking, biking, and boating around beautiful Halong Bay and its breathtaking rock formations wrapped up the group’s Southeast Asian adventure.

SOUTH AFRICA Frenche Cuisin

learned about them — not just in a classroom, but to witness their work myself.”

The study tour also included art classes, cooking lessons, flamenco dancing, and a visit to the FC Barcelona Stadium and Museum.

“It’s definitely a trip we will all be able to look back on when we’re seniors and say, ‘Hey, remember when we went to Barcelona?’” says Hobbs. “I’m so fortunate to have had this experience.”

March 3–15

uis l Steinh l i J h it W to '76 in Ruffa n-Provence Aix-e EMMA DOWNEY. “I spent three days just trying to learn how to pronounce [my new friend Nhi’s] full name, and she was very patient when trying to teach me common Vietnamese phrases.”

Following the build, the group flew north to Hanoi for some rest and relaxation. Students visited temples and nearby towns, shopped in the city’s Old Quarter and enjoyed a traditional water puppet performance. They also explored the ICGL’s annual theme of

Nelson Mandela once said, “Sports has the power to change the world.

It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”

For the 23 Upper School students who journeyed to South Africa and Lesotho, Mandela’s words ring true. The group, led by ICGL Director TRISH ANDERSON and Upper School teacher GRADY STEVENS, joined forces with the third half, an organization that uses soccer for cultural and educational transformation.

The third half, in turn, partners with Kick-4-Life, an organization that strives to “change the lives and long-term prospects of vulnerable young people

VIETNAM March 3–15 Planning for the ICGL’s fifth study tour in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International began months before Pace’s team of 21 departed for Vietnam.

With guidance from faculty advisors— Lower School ICGL Director REBECCA RHODES, Upper School Assistant Dean of Students JOE SANDOE and Director of Communications CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00—students raised nearly $21,000 to build two homes in the city of My Tho. The group’s adventures began in Ho Chi Minh City, where students visited the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi Tunnels, thousands of miles of tunnels dug by the Viet Cong to combat South Vietnamese and American forces.

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ting Rice P lan in

Buildinog, Vietnam My Th

“The most important thing I learned about myself [in Lesotho and South Africa] was how utterly fortunate I am and how it is my duty to constantly internally acknowledge my good fortune. I was so captivated by the stories we heard from people who faced unimaginable adversity, yet are able to be very optimistic and consider themselves rich. When I say ‘rich,’ words like money, capitalism, Trump, Gates and profit come to mind for most individuals. 'Rich,' in this context, refers to the invaluable friendships and hope these individuals hold.”

— Sophomore ETHAN MUCH

in Lesotho, through a wide range of social development activities focused on health, education and support towards sustainable livelihoods.”

After an overnight stay in Johannesburg and leadership training, students traveled to the city of Maseru, Kick4-Life’s home base. They explored Maseru’s mountain, plateaus and local culture before diving into Kick-4-Life’s important work— educating children about HIV/AIDS and using soccer as a vehicle for social development.

“I loved the [soccer] tournament we played [with the children Kick-4Life] serves,” says sophomore ETHAN MUCH, who plays varsity soccer for the Knights. “It took all the attention away from the immense, evident differences between the Pace students and the children. A wonderful game was played with two teams, united as one.”

Senior MARK HANDLER, also a soccer player, anticipated that those differences might be insurmountable.

“I think what surprised me most was how well we were treated,” he says.

“No matter where we went, even when on the bus, people smiled and waved.

I felt almost like a celebrity, which was a humbling feeling for me. It reminded me that I am, in fact, quite privileged to live where I do and to go to school where I do.

ICGL

“It’s quite easy to get caught up in the little challenges and messes in our lives, but until you experience a different part of the world in its rawest form, you quickly realize that we are distracted from real issues in the world— like the HIV/AIDs epidemic. People struggle a lot more than we do… traveling to South Africa and Lesotho definitely opened my eyes.”

YELLOWSTONE March 5–12 Over spring break, 17 Middle School students and teachers GINNY PARRINO, ANDREW HEACOCK and LIZ TUTT discovered that Atlanta’s recent “snowstorms” have nothing on the white stuff out west. The group spent a week in Yellowstone National Park’s winter wonderland, braving the elements to explore natural and cultural history and geology in the world’s first national park.

In partnership with the Yellowstone Association Institute, students trekked to Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs, learned to build quiznees (shelters made of snow), and snow shoed, hiked and cross-country skied their way across miles of wilderness.

Wildlife abounds in Yellowstone, even during the winter months, and students were delighted to see bison, big horned sheep, mule deer, coyote, elk, bald eagles, foxes, goats, wolves and even a Grizzly bear.

For many Middle Schoolers, ICGL study tours mark their first travel experiences sans family — and their first time traveling with their teachers and peers.

Inevitably, a week of supervised independence makes quite an impression.

“I was surprised that the teachers really don’t seem like teachers,” reports eighth-grader QUILL HEALEY. “They’re very fun and relaxed! The fact that my peers were on the trip added to the experience, and I learned that I don’t get homesick at all when I’m with my friends. I wish I could do this every year!” •

to Getting oung know y people in Lesotho

e a Squar M andel nesburg in Johan

Yellows tone

Majesticpes Landsca

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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GLOBAL LEADERS

A LESSON IN PHILANTHROPY

Cochran and Kelly raise funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Seniors DARBY COCHRAN and MORGAN KELLY wanted to “do something to benefit [the] community before leaving for college,” and a well-timed email provided just the opportunity.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Georgia Chapter (LLS) was launching the Student of the Year campaign, a six-week initiative in which nominated high-school students commit to raise $10,000 for LLS and compete to bring in the most cash. Participants would fundraise in honor of a “patient hero,” a child battling or in remission from a blood cancer.

“We did our research and loved everything we heard about LLS,” Kelly says. “As we told people what we were thinking about doing, we learned that nearly everyone has a connection to blood and bone cancers, so that made us want to do this even more.”

Cochran and Kelly were in.

Before kicking off their campaign, the girls got to know James Corporal, a four-year-old battling Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.

“Meeting James inspired us to work even harder to support him,” Cochran says. “He’s the cutest kid you’ll ever meet, and he’s handled everything with bravery and optimism. We couldn’t let him down.”

Generating $10,000 in six weeks was a daunting task, so Cochran and Kelly took a multifaceted approach to fundraising.

“We went door to door to shops, asking them to donate auction items,” Kelly says. “We wrote letters and emails to hundreds of family members and friends. We posted—and made our friends post—all over social media. There was a lot of trial and error. We tried to throw

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a fundraising event by coordinating a daycare on Valentine’s Day so parents could go on dates. We had one family sign up.

“We met with CEOs and business owners and asked for sponsorships. We sold ad space. We probably spent at least one or two hours every single day for six weeks working on this project. The most effective method that we found we learned from fundraising queen (Pace parent, Trustee and Aim High capital campaign cochair) ELIZABETH RICHARDS. She taught us how to come up with a speech, make a list of people, and just meet with them and ask for a certain amount of money. This was terrifying of course, but we grew more confident every time we tried.”

When all was said and done, the dynamic duo finished in second place, raising $30,860—nearly 15 percent of the competition’s $210,285 total.

It was an eye-opening and inspiring experience for Cochran and Kelly. “[Participating in the Student of the Year competition] made me more confident and willing to talk to strangers,” Kelly reports. “It taught me how hard it is to run a large-scale fundraiser, but how rewarding this type of work is… It taught me leadership and people skills, how to be creative, how to think outside the box and how to have fun with work.”

Their advice to other aspiring philanthropists? “Find a cause you’re passionate about and throw yourself into working for it,” Kelly says. “It’s the most rewarding work, and you meet so many amazing people along the way. You’re guaranteed to learn a lot.”

GLOBAL LEADERS

MOVING FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE Girls on the Run fosters healthy lifestyle choices “I learned to love running at a young age, so I want to show young girls how to exercise and have fun at the same time,” says junior MARY BROOKS PERKEY, one of three Girls on the Run Upper School coaches.

Girls on the Run strives to “inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.” The three-month program encourages positive emotional, social, physical, and mental health and culminates in a 5k run.

Perkey, fellow juniors ANNIE NOTTINGHAM and JULIA ROSS, faculty and staff advisors COURTNEY LUNDEEN and BETH THOMPSON, and Pace parents LYNN CASTLE, KATHY LOOMIS and ANN WALSH take turns leading twice-weekly meetings with nine girls in grades three, four and five.

“The [Girls on the Run curriculum] includes all of the activities and workouts we do each practice,” Perkey explains. “During our practices, we lead lessons, encourage the girls, help them achieve their weekly lap goal and train them for the 5k. We also remind them to ‘move forward with positive intent!’ As long as they’re moving forward—skipping, walking,

jogging, running or dancing—it doesn’t matter how fast they are.”

Age-appropriate lessons cover nutrition, positive self-talk, cooperation, real beauty and dealing with peer pressure. “It’s important to help these girls build their confidence in preparation for their teenage years,” Ross says. “They are about to have so many new experiences, and we want to teach them that it is so important to remember to take care of yourself and to have a positive attitude.”

While Girls on the Run aims to develop confidence in very young girls, it also has a positive impact on its coaches.

“I have loved every second of it!” Ross says. “The girls are always so engaged and enthusiastic about the program. I’m so impressed at their eagerness to participate. Additionally, I think that having to lead lessons and discussions has improved my leadership and cooperation skills.”

Left to right: Perkey, Ross and Nottingham

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33

GLOBAL LEADERS

The Power of a

Pencil S

ixth-grader GIBBY HEISER has a passion for pencils. As the founder of Pencil Orphanage, she collects pencils bound for the trash, cleans and packages them and sends them to children with limited access to basic educational resources.

Since launching the project at Morningside Elementary School in 2014, Heiser has partnered with nine schools, countless individuals, and organizations all over the world to collect and distribute the ubiquitous utensils.

It all began as a hobby. “I noticed that pencils on the floor at school were being swept up, so I started collecting them in tissue boxes and giving them to my friends,” Heiser explains. Boxes began to overflow and, after learning from Morningside’s maintenance staff that 40 pencils hit the trash every day, Heiser began to wonder, “What if everyone rescued pencils, and those pencils could help kids?”

Morningside leadership okayed Heiser’s first pencil drive. She collected donations in cardboard boxes fashioned to look like homes and enlisted friends to help package her products.

The tightknit group soon became the Pencil Orphanage Board, and things took off.

Pencil Orphange launched a website, joined forces with additional schools and, to avoid shipping costs, armed mission groups traveling abroad with pencil packets.

Through the Pencil Orphanage website, Heiser has heard from students all over the world who want to become involved—she even used her Spanish skills to translate a message from Chile. Children in India, Kenya and the Dominican Republic have received Pencil Orphanage deliveries, each packet marked with a note reading, “Packaged with Love.” And Heiser has recruited her Pace classmates to the cause; several Middle School students spent a recent school holiday delivering pencil packets to Lake Forest Elementary School, and Lower School students participated in a spring collection drive.

Heiser was named to Atlanta INtown newspaper’s 2015 “20 Under 20” list, and her efforts also caught the eye of TEDxYouth@TheBeltline, Atlanta’s annual TEDxYouth event. She was the youngest presenter at the 2016 event.

Heiser ended her Tedx remarks with a story: “Now you might think, how badly do people need pencils?” she asked. “They do need them! When we delivered pencils to a school in Africa, three girls were sitting at desk. We realized the girls only had one tiny stub of a pencil between them. Those girls each got a pencil of her own that day, thanks to the Pencil Orphanage. We underestimate the power of a pencil here in America… If anything sticks with you, it is to never underestimate the power of a notso-perfect pencil.”

Learn more about the Pencil Orphanage at www.pencilorphanage.org.

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Above: Gibby Heiser in action Below, left to right: Eighth-graders SOPHIE LETTES and VIRGINIA HEISER, Sixth-graders Gibby Heiser and ELEANOR DUPREE

GLOBAL LEADERS

Facu

lty Spot light

TARA

EDE N

HARRIS

TRESIZE

L

& LOPUSZYNSKI

eading a group of 20 students on an international study tour is no small task. Countless hours of work go into each Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) trip, but no amount of planning can ensure the group chemistry necessary to create life-changing experiences.

Middle School teachers TARA HARRIS, ANDY LOPUSZYNSKI and EDEN TRESIZE have the energy and je ne sais quoi to make that magic happen. The unlikely trio—a musician, a mathematician and a linguist, respectively—has combined their varied experiences and expertise to take students on unforgettable trips, thousands of miles from home.

In the summer of 2015, the fearsome threesome traveled to Australia, where Middle School students climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, visited the Daintree Rainforest, snorkeled, and surfed as they journeyed

A ND Y

through Melbourne, Cairnes and Syndey.

Tresize once lived in Melbourne, so the trip felt like a homecoming of sorts. “I was a little nervous about taking a group to Australia because I love the country so much,” she says. “I wanted everyone to fall madly in love with it, too. We got to do some things I had never done when I lived there, which was a lot of fun!”

Part of what makes this team work so well together is its members’ complementary strengths. Tresize plans and organizes the trips, booking flights and creating itineraries. Lopuszynski takes care of the details, keeping the group together and on time. And Harris brings the energy, providing pep talks and staying calm under any kind of stress.

“We are a really good balance of energies and personalities,” Harris explains. “We problem-solve quickly and easily with each

other, and we respect each other’s opinions.”

While abroad, Harris, Lopuszynski and Tresize keep a tight schedule, but they always make time to find the best coffee spots.

Tresize believes that leading study tours is so important because travel allows students to learn how they can make a difference in the world.

“Through traveling, you get to discover who you are—both strengths and weaknesses,” she says. “You create meaningful relationships and develop skills you never realized you had. Travel is the ultimate teacher. And the cool part is we can all be global citizens simply by getting out our Left: The terrific trio with a guide during passports and going to a recent Middle discover the incredible School ICGL trip to world around us!”

Australia This summer, the trio will travel with Middle School students to Scandinavia. They’ll spend 10 days visiting the capital cities of Oslo and Copenhagen, kayaking, biking and hiking while learning about the region’s history.

The trip will also incorporate this year’s ICGL theme of FOOD. Students will study the New Nordic Diet and spend time on an organic farm to learn about the importance of using locally and sustainably produced ingredients. Studying food is just one way students will stretch beyond their comfort zones to learn and engage in Norwegian culture.

“I think it is critical for our students to experience other cultures and see how others live,” Harris says. “Developing a broad awareness of people, places and things that may be very different is essential as our students are the future leaders of our society.”

— by HANNAH KELLY ’15

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LEADERSHIP PACE

LEADERSHIP PACE 2016 Defining the Pace Alumni Story 36

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

LEADERSHIP PACE

LEADERSHIP PACE CLASS OF 2016 ANGELA BUZZETT SHIFLET ‘65

Perhaps Upper School History Department Chair TIM HORNOR best captured alumni sentiment when he took inaugural Leadership Pace participants on a storytelling tour from Pace Academy’s past to present.

Acknowledging significant changes that returning alumni had surely noted around campus—some bittersweet but all welcome—Hornor assured his audience, “Fear not, my friends—Pace Academy remains quirky.” “[And] when you look deeper, past the expanded Gardens, the satellite athletic fields and this magnificent new building… You will find the same deeply caring community that was Pace when you were a student.”

Eighteen Pace alumni returned to campus March 20–21, to participate in the school’s inaugural Leadership Pace retreat. Representing a wide array of alumni throughout the school’s history, participants spanned

graduating classes from 1965 to 2009. So, what were they doing here?

JONATHAN R. LEVINE ‘77 VICKEY KEY WILE ‘71 LINDY MORRIS FISHBURNE ‘88

What Is Leadership Pace?

STEVEN WRAY ‘88

Leadership Pace is a new annual program for alumni, centered on a two-day spring retreat on campus. The retreat was designed to foster deeper connections between members of Pace’s impressive alumni network, provide alumni with access to school leadership, and develop relevant reengagement between alumni and Pace. Leadership Pace aims to increase overall alumni involvement, educate participants about the school’s operations and long-term direction, allow for in-depth interactions with school leaders and provide meaningful volunteer opportunities.

BRYAN CHITWOOD ‘93

IAN M. SMITH ‘90 GREGORY MULLIN ‘90

JENNIFER FESTA GIORDANO ‘94 MARK JOHNSON ‘94 CARA ISDELL LEE ‘97 MEREDITH MENDEL YEHUDAI ‘97 JAY STEVENS ‘98 ASHLEY MCFARLIN BUIE ‘99 TYLER WHEELER ‘00 JONATHAN HARPER LEE ‘06 COURTNEY SCHAEFER ‘07 NIMAT LAWAL ‘09

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LEADERSHIP PACE

Head of School FRED ASSAF observed that since the school’s inception, a relatively low number of alumni have served on Pace’s Board of Trustees—a fact largely reflective of alumni demographics. With Pace’s average alumni age now approaching the mid 30s, Assaf says it’s time—the perfect time— to start tapping into that group in terms of leadership.

“Pace Academy’s vibrant partnership with its parent community is absolutely second to none. One of our school-wide goals, as outlined in the 2016–2021 Strategic Plan, is to cultivate that same type of relationship with alumni,” said Assaf. “I think a program like Leadership Pace is a key next step for alumni to define their road ahead.”

How Were 2016 Participants Selected?

In the program’s inaugural year, the Alumni Office requested Leadership Pace nominations from Pace faculty, administrators and the Alumni Board. Nominees applied for Leadership Pace in the fall of 2015—the number of applicants far exceeded expectations. A selection committee, comprised of the Alumni Board and Pace administrators, chose a group of 18 outstanding alumni, including two moderators, who represented

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a broad spectrum of class years, professions, level of current Pace involvement, and personal interests and volunteerism.

A Roomful of Leaders To facilitate discussion and impart a bit of their own knowledge of the art and science of effective leadership, LINDY MORRIS FISHBURNE ’88 and JENNIFER FESTA GIORDANO ’94 served as this year’s alumni moderators. The two came well equipped for the task. As the founder of Breakout Labs and senior vice president for investments at the San Francisco-based Thiel Foundation, Fishburne has a background in management consulting and has a deep understanding of what it takes to make it through the early days in business.

Giordano leveraged her master’s degrees in counseling psychology and organizational psychology, and her years of experience working in the financial services industry, to launch her own consulting practice, Smartful Works, LLC, in 2009.

During a jam-packed two days, alumni took in all things Pace, via classroom visits, a “speed-dating” session with teachers and administrators, presentations from division

heads, lunch with Board members and a lively student panel discussion. Vice Chairman of Pace’s Board of Trustees and Chair of that group’s Governance Committee GREG KELLY discussed Board leadership and the process of creating the 2016–2021 Strategic Plan. BRENT HASTIE, a Trustee and chair of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Advisory Board, presented on the tremendous accomplishments and future initiatives of the ICGL, fielding thoughtful questions from the group during a seated dinner Sunday evening.

Alumni participants also put their own leadership skills to practice. Giordano led the group in an interactive workshop exploring executive presence and dynamic storytelling as keys to effective leadership.

Afterwards, alumni participants took the stage individually to share a one-minute story of their own. Each presentation elicited a reaction— both belly laughs and even a few misty eyes—a feat easier said than done!

Outcomes One takeaway was unanimous: the Pace alumni network is vibrant, diverse and eager to plug in to the Pace community in new ways. Collectively, the Leadership Pace

From Leadership Pace 2016 Grads

LEADERSHIP PACE

Class of 2016 expressed particular interest in bolstering its interactions with current Pace students and fellow alumni through internship, mentorship and extended networking opportunities. As the group continues to reflect on its Leadership Pace experience in coming months, the Pace administration hopes to facilitate ways to voice ideas and recommendations to the Board. The 2016–2017 school year promises to hold exciting new opportunities for Pace’s alumni leaders.

No crash course in Pace Academy would be complete without a wrap-up discussion from the students themselves—and Monday’s outstanding student panel session inarguably took the cake. Juniors WHIT FITZGERALD and JULIA ROSS, along with seniors JOHNNY REECE and LINDSEY SAMPLE offered honest, thoughtful and precocious commentary that is characteristic of students here. Arguably the only presenters capable of holding the attention of a roomful of professional adults at the conclusion of a long two days, the students spoke candidly about the challenges and rewards of academic rigor, how they balance and excel in their many extra-curricular endeavors and what friendship has come to mean at Pace. Ultimately, said Reece, “Pace is a feeling.” •

“Leadership Pace 2016 provided our inaugural group a window into Pace’s present and future unlike any other that I have experienced as an alum. Connecting and reconnecting with fellow alumni and faculty to discuss how all alumni can make a difference—beyond financial support—was truly inspiring. And having a chance to sit in on one of Marsha Durlin’s classes again... classic.”

— Mark Johnson ’94 “Any time you gather professionals to discuss leadership and to meet with other leaders of an organization, there is value gained. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet and discuss issues with the school’s leadership and the Board of Trustees.”

— Gregory Mullin ’90 “I underestimated the impact that being back on campus would have on me. It reinstilled all the principles of excellence and honor that Pace is rooted in.

The conversations with other alumni and Pace faculty were so fruitful.”

— Ashley McFarlin Buie ’99 “I was so impressed with Pace and the people involved.

Moreover, the program was very informative and interesting.”

— Angela Buzzett Shiflet ’65

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39

A BETTER CHANCE

IN { } THE BUSINESS OF CREATING LEADERS Pace Academy and A Better Chance celebrate 35 years of partnership.

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KnightTimes | Spring 2016

A BETTER CHANCE

{on diversity} Pace Academy embraces diversity, in the broad sense of the word, as a crucial component of a meaning ful and global education… In order to prepare confident citizens of the world, the Pace student body must more accurately reflect the diversity of our local and global communities. We have made progress in increasing enrollment of students of color... [but] our diversity goals are and should be even greater.

—Pace Academy 2016 –2021 Strategic Plan “I’VE BEEN a part of A Better Chance since I was in the eighth grade,” says Martina Previl. “I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and, through A Better Chance, ended up at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

At the time, boarding school was a foreign concept, but A Better Chance recognized my potential, gave me an opportunity, and I ran with it.”

Today, Previl, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, serves as Southeast Region Program Manager for the national organization that shaped her life and future. A Better Chance (ABC) strives to “transform the lives of young people of color through educational opportunities.” Since 1963, ABC has placed more than 14,000 talented children into the nation’s leadership pipeline through increased access

Martina Previl

to academically rigorous independent and public schools.

“Simply put,” Previl explains, “we’re in the business of creating leaders.”

Pace Academy is in the same line of work.

For 35 years, Pace has partnered with ABC to recruit students of color— high-achieving individuals who meet Pace’s admissions standards and will contribute to the overall school community.

Currently, 25 ABC Scholars attend Pace in grades six through 12, placing Pace amongst ABC’s top five Southeastern schools. Pace’s ABC Scholars have gone on to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities, fulfilling ABC’s mission to produce “young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society.”

As the Pace community strives to live out its mission to create prepared, confident citizens of the world, attracting a more diverse student body is paramount— and ABC is happy to help.

The A Better Chance Process A Better Chance relies on word-of-mouth assistance from community organizations and school administrators to identify potential ABC Scholars, talented students who are intrinsically motivated and pursuing a passion.

“Our message is, ‘Let us work with your students, hand them the tools to achieve and excel, and witness what they can do,” Previl says.

Once identified, students participate in ABC’s rigorous admissions process, which mimics that of independent schools. ABC requires an application, teacher recommendations, transcripts, and essays from both students and parents in order to consider an applicant. ABC’s partner schools accept these materials as a prospective student’s application, thereby streamlining the admissions process for ABC families, particularly those applying to multiple schools.

“Our process is not like enrolling in an after-school activity; it’s an actual application,” Previl says. “It’s competitive. We keep in mind the best interests of each student.

We look at all the information submitted. If it shows a child may not be ready [for the independent-school admissions process], we speak with the family to give feedback and allow them the opportunity to try again.”

ABC selects approximately 200 Atlantaarea children each year and provides a boot camp in independent-school admissions for those accepted.

“The independent-school admissions process is daunting regardless of who you are,” Previl says. “We break it down into more manageable pieces. We conduct workshops focused on essay writing, interviewing, the SSAT, etc. We encourage our families to use this information to help showcase their best. After enrollment, we provide ongoing leadership development to our Scholars to build on what they are already receiving in the independent-school environment.”

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A BETTER CHANCE

Top row, left to right: ANIA BRISCOE, RAMIRO JUAREZ, Martina Previl, TONYIA JOHNSON, LALI ZAMORA and XORI JOHNSON; Bottom row, left to right: ALEX ALLEN and KASSIA TOURE

Making a Match As Previl and her team come to know referral candidates and families, they build student profiles and begin to consider the type of educational environment in which each student might excel.

“We want the best match, a good fit between student and school,” Previl explains.

“We strategically refer each candidate to an average of three to five day schools based on his or her profile; this involves targeted, laser-like focus.”

Referring students to an appropriate list of institutions means that Previl and her team must truly understand a school’s profile and what sets it apart from its competitors.

That’s easier said than done. ABC partners with more than 300 schools nationwide; 34 of those schools are in the Southeast, and 22 of those are in Atlanta.

Previl maintains frequent contact with admissions representatives to get a sense

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A Better Chance at Pace of the students they hope to enroll. When referring students to Pace, for example, Previl says she looks for individuals willing to “jump in.”

“Pace is smaller than many of the schools in its peer group,” Previl explains. “Because of that, we scan our candidate pool for kids who will take risks, who are hungry to participate. Pace appreciates students who are willing to try new things, who want to explore all that the school has to offer.”

Associate Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions JOANNE BROWN says Previl is right on. “In the admissions process, we search for students who can meet Pace’s level of academic rigor while balancing a number of interests outside of the classroom. Knowing that Martina is on the same page and understands the kinds of students who will succeed at Pace adds weight to an ABC referral candidate’s application.”

Previl encourages ABC families to do their own research as well, and to visit the schools on—and off—their lists.

“I first came to Pace with my eighth-grade class at Atlanta Youth Academy,” says freshman RAINA WILLIAMS. “AYA required each student to apply to ABC… I hadn’t originally thought about Pace as an option for high school, but after my visit, I became very interested. When I learned about the school environment and the curriculum, I knew that I would fit in well at Pace.”

DORIS ALLEN and her daughter, freshman ALEX ALLEN, had a similar experience.

“During our [Pace] campus tour, we were encouraged by the warm welcome we received from the admissions team,” Doris says. “The whole staff was willing and able to answer all of our questions. After researching multiple

A BETTER CHANCE

“Pace appreciates students who are willing to try new things, who want to explore all that the school has to offer.”

schools, we felt Pace was a good fit for Alex— the academics are solid, and the performing arts and athletics programs are excellent.”

Allen raves about the support ABC provided. “ABC is the one-stop shop for the independentschool process,” she says. “ABC has a wealth of information about participating schools, and they deliver that information in ways everyone can understand. ABC kept us informed of test and application dates and financialaid information—and the information was provided with a smile and encouragement… the process can seem long, but the results are worth it.”

Bright Futures “Our relationship with ABC is important because these dynamic students have been selected into the program and then referred specifically to Pace,” says Director of Admissions JENNIFER MCGURN. “These are some of the top students in the city—and we know that they’re being advised in a knowledgeable way.”

That attention to detail and the level of engagement ABC provides to the families it serves go a long way in ensuring its Scholars thrive at the schools in which they enroll.

“My Pace experience has been amazing,” Williams reports. “A highlight was

Pace Academy & A Better Chance: Our Progress participating in the fall musical. It was a lot of work, but the fun and the things I learned made it worth it. I’ve also enjoyed debating all year. Although being a debater was harder than I thought, I learned a lot and made great friends. I want to take advantage of every opportunity Pace sends my way. Three years from now, I hope to be preparing for college—preferably Vanderbilt [University]—and finishing out my senior year as strong as possible.”

That’s music to McGurn’s ears, she says.

“Our ABC Scholars are extremely engaged and plugged in to all aspects of student life,” she says. “They choose Pace because, among other things, our size allows them to participate in extracurricular activities, hold leadership positions and excel in the classroom—and that’s the formula for success at Pace.”

ABC will support and encourage Williams and her fellow Scholars throughout high school, offering programs to assist with continued intellectual and social growth.

Senior JORDAN HARRIS has remained involved with ABC during his five years at Pace; he attends the annual luncheon ABC hosts for its Pace students, and he served as a panelist during a discussion with accepted candidates.

An award-winning staff writer for The Knightly News and a member of the statechampion football and basketball teams, Harris advises current ABC applicants to “find the school that will best prepare you academically and in whatever extra-curricular you pursue.”

As for his future, Harris will attend Furman University, where he has committed to play football for the Paladins.

“I want to study health sciences and mathematics,” he says. “I hope to be a great student-athlete. I want to be a leader.” •

• Students of color represent nearly 20 percent of the Pace Academy student population and one third of the overall applicant pool.

• More than half of 2016 applicants to the Upper School were students of color.

• Twenty-five ABC Scholars are currently enrolled at Pace.

• The Pace Class of 2019 includes eight ABC Scholars—more than any other class to date.

• Students of color make up 26 percent of the Class of 2028, this year’s PreFirst class.

• Pace accepted 10 ABC referral candidates for the 2016–2017 school year.

“I learned about A Better Chance while working in admissions at Colgate University. I was impressed by how well the program prepares its Scholars for college, so later, at the Flint Hill School outside Washington, D.C., I pushed to establish a partnership with ABC there. Flint Hill welcomed its first two ABC Scholars in 2012, and the relationship continues to this day. It’s amazing to be at Pace, where the connection with ABC is so well established and so strong.”

—Fé Patriciu Associate Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions, Director of Financial Aid

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

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STATE CHAMPIONS

TEAM FIRST, ME SECOND PAGE 46

The varsity boys basketball team defeated Manchester High School on March 4 to bring home the first state championship in Pace basketball history.

STATE CHAMPIONS

Olivia Baker (left), Anna Van Zyverden (right), Grace Ferry and Madison Graham took the gold medal in the Girls 200 Medley Relay.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF PACE SWIMMING PAGE 48

Director of Athletics TROY BAKER on

varsity boys basketball’s first-ever state title

Wendell Carter scored 30 points in the championship game.

MARK SOMMERVILLE and DEON JACKSON and sophomore GUNNOR FAULK were still competing for the football title.

Junior WENDELL CARTER and sophomore — Margaret Mitchell ISAIAH KELLY, both starters, suffered injuries in December’s Spartanburg Invitational, PACE ACADEMY’S 2015–2016 varsity boys and sophomore HARRISON LEWIS and basketball season began under the weight junior PARKER PAYNE were also sidelined of tremendous expectation. with prolonged injuries.

Since its unceremonious exit from the These notable absences and the Knights’ quarterfinals of the 2015 Georgia High “anyone-anytime-any-place” schedule School Association (GHSA) state tournament, combined to create the perfect storm. In the the team—and the Pace community—had first month of season play, the team took on begun to formulate a quixotic vision for the top-ranked, powerhouse teams from across new year. We expected the Knights to win the country—among them five eventual often, and we expected them to win big. state champions, four state runners-up and On the heels of the varsity football team’s the Chicago City Schools champions. first state championship, we wanted more; The Knights emerged from the gauntwe expected more. But there was somelet with a 2–8 record, bruised egos and a thing no one took into account when this shadow of doubt. The pressure mounted, year’s journey began—adversity. and the pressure was palpable; it was The Knights began the season without key ponderous. members of the team; seniors MICK ASSAF, JORDAN HARRIS and KYLE ORR, juniors

“Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect.”

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“Do not depend on the hope of results. You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.

You gradually struggle less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people.

In the end, it is the reality of personal relationship that saves everything.”

— Thomas Merton

Once the football team clinched the title, the Pace community took a deep breath and sat back to watch the basketball team’s turnaround unfold. The football players’ return would surely elevate the Knights back to the level of what was expected.

But team members still didn’t seem to be on the same page. The boys played tight. They made mistakes on routine plays; the offense was discontinuous, and most importantly, they didn’t seem to be having fun. Coach DEMETRIUS SMITH needed to find a way to accelerate team chemistry and to unite the Knights around a common cause. He knew his team had the talent, but something was missing. He had to think outside the box.

Smith and assistant coaches KABEYA KOBONGO, GREG BLYTHE, TIM WALSH and PETE POPE began to focus on the team’s mentality off the court, on enjoying the moment, and on putting the needs of the team before the needs and desires of individuals. They devoted several hours each week to gathering in a classroom setting in which players were encouraged to speak freely, and the coaching staff extolled the value of sacrificing for the greater good of the team. They worked hard to build team chemistry, confidence and—most importantly—trust.

As the boys learned to work together, to trust one another, and to focus more on the moment and less on expectations for the future, the tide started to change. The team looked different. They played loose. They played for each other. They played freely,

STATE CHAMPIONS

and they began having fun. The weight of expectation lifted from their shoulders, and the change in process resulted in a drastic change in results.

The Knights put together an impressive string of victories, resulting in the Region 6AA championship and a state-playoff berth.

They throttled every opponent on the road to the GHSA state final in Macon, Ga., including Darlington School, Jefferson County High School and top-ranked Thomasville High School. They entered the state final with an average playoff margin of victory of 21 points per game.

On the eve of the state final, legendary Pace basketball coach BOB CHAMBERS and several members of the 1982 state-runner-up team (the only other Pace team to advance to the finals) joined the Knights for dinner to offer well wishes and words of wisdom.

What was astounding—aside from the fact that one of them still fits into his varsity letter jacket—was that 34 years later, these men recalled their state-final experiences in vivid detail. They remembered what was said in the huddle during timeouts. They remembered other players’ names, and they remembered turning points in the game.

They never forgot the moment, and they encouraged our players to enjoy their own moments, to leave it all on the court.

It was incredible to witness Chambers speak about his team’s journey. I truly felt the passion and love that he still has for Pace. He instantaneously connected with the current team, and his words resonated with each player and coach in the room.

What I found most implausible was that

Chambers seamlessly aligned his comments with the virtues that Smith and his staff had worked so hard to infuse into the fabric of their team today.

As a coach, one wonders whether or not a team will be ready when it matters most.

In the Knights’ final game, there was never any doubt. From junior BARRETT BAKER’S first three-pointer to Carter’s last two-hand slam, the Knights were more than ready. The crestfallen team that started the season 2–8 had evolved into a well-oiled machine. The Knights capped their season with a convincing 65–43 victory over Manchester High School and brought home the first state championship in Pace basketball history.

A few weeks later, I sat down with Smith to discuss the season. During our conversation, he talked very little about game strategy.

Instead, he spoke of bonding as a coaching staff on an early trip to Nashville and the importance of those bonds in the team’s success. He talked about the impact of positive energy and about the power of relationships between his players. He talked about the individual growth he saw and how proud he was of his players’ ability to respond to adversity. He talked about the truth of the work itself. He didn’t speak of wins and losses— only of people and process.

Perhaps our 2016 state-championship basketball team can be an example for the entire Pace community. After all, in the words of Thomas Merton, “In the end, it is the reality of personal relationship that saves everything.”

INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES The basketball community recognized several Knights for their performances this season: HEAD COACH DEMETRIUS SMITH • Atlanta Journal-Constitution AllState Class AA Coach of the Year • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta/South Fulton All-Metro Coach of the Year

WENDELL CARTER • USA Today ALL-USA Georgia Boys Basketball First Team • MaxPreps Junior All-American First Team • Region 6AA Player of the Year • Atlanta Journal-Constitution AllState Class AA Player of the Year • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta/South Fulton All-Metro Player of the Year • Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State Class AA First Team • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta/South Fulton All-Metro First Team

ISAIAH KELLY • Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State Class AA Second Team • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta/ South Fulton All-Metro Second Team • All-Region First Team

ZACK KAMINSKY • All-Region Honorable Mention

Coach Chambers and Coach Smith

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STATE CHAMPIONS

Graham

varsity girls make history in the pool NEVER IN ITS 45-YEAR HISTORY has Pace Academy’s varsity girls swimming program boasted such a strong group of student-athletes—a fact not lost on AquaKnights head coach JOHN AGUE. “We knew going in [to the season] that we had a special group returning,” Ague recalls. “We thought we matched up well against our competition in the pool, and we planned to finish as high as we possibly could at the state level.”

No one could have predicted quite how high. When the 2015–2016 varsity girls swimming and diving season came to a close, the Knights left the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state meet in fourth place and with medals—three of them gold—in five events.

These accomplishments are even more remarkable given that all swimmers and divers in Classes A through AAAAA compete in the same state meet; there is no Class AA champion as with other GHSA sports. In the Georgia Tech pool, the AquaKnights faced more than 100 teams, the majority of which came from schools far larger than Pace, and the Pace girls had no divers to bring in valuable points.

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“The girls finished first in Class AA, and the three teams ahead of us had divers,” Ague reports. “If you look only at our classification or take the diving points out of the equation, our girls would have been state champions.”

Ague credits “the core”—seniors BRENNER APPEL, GRACE FERRY, MADISON GRAHAM and ANNA VAN ZYVERDEN— for setting the tone for the AquaKnights’ historic season.

“They led by example because they are all hard workers,” he says. “The girls pushed each other while cheering each other on at the same time.”

That kind of camaraderie is not easy to achieve; it takes time to develop, and Ague, who also teaches P.E. in the Lower and Middle Schools, has been privy to its growth over the past 13 years.

Appel and Graham started at Pace in Pre-First, Zyverden arrived in fifth grade, and Ferry joined the team as a freshman.

All four-year members of the varsity squad, these swimmers have shattered school records only to break them again and again.

They’ve amassed long lists of accolades—

All-State, All-American, All-American Consideration, Scholastic All-American and Iron Man. Each is a four-time state qualifier, and together “the core,” along with newcomer and junior standout OLIVIA BAKER, can claim nine of 10 school records.

This combination of speed and chemistry made the AquaKnights nearly unbeatable on their push to the podium. With fellow seniors JUNE BRENNER and CIARA SADAKA, Baker and the rest of the team, the girls finished the regular season with a 11–2 record.

Each member of the core will continue her athletic career at the collegiate level.

Appel will swim for Davidson College; Graham will join the University of Tennessee Volunteers; Ferry has committed to the University of Pennsylvania; and Van Zyverden will head south to swim for the Rollins College Tars (look for more on all Class of 2016 signees in our summer issue).

“All of our seniors made their marks in the pool. They set high standards and have left challenges for our underclassmen to work toward,” Ague says. “They have lived up to the Pace motto: To Have the Courage to Strive for Excellence.”

STATE CHAMPIONS

Gold medalists: Van Zyverden, Baker, Graham and Ferry

Appel

ALL THAT GLITTERS The AquaKnights brought home the following state medals: GOLD • Girls 200 Medley Relay: Madison Graham, Olivia Baker, Grace Ferry* and Anna Van Zyverden • 200 Free: Ferry (shown above) • 500 Free: Ferry

SILVER • 100 Backstroke: Graham

BRONZE • Girls 400 Free Relay: Graham, Ferry, Van Zyverden and Baker Ferry

Ferry

Baker

* Ferry was the only swimmer in the state competition to win three first-place medals.

AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT Congratulations to senior swimmer MADISON GRAHAM (shown above with her silver medal). Graham is a four-time recipient of the Iron Man Award, given annually to swimmers who qualify for the state competition in every event!

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Alum ni

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Writer, journalist, webcaster and actor DON SCHWARTZ ’66 recently published Telling Their Own Stories: Conversations with Documentary Filmmakers, now available for purchase at Amazon.com. Through in-depth interviews, the book explores 12 filmmakers’ beginnings, the genesis and production of their films, their philosophy of filmmaking and what’s next in their careers.

Don has degrees in psychology and counseling, has published more than 500 articles and interviews since 1977 and loves helping people tell their stories. He also co-hosts a monthly documentary review/interview show with indie film icon Carole Dean, founder of From the Heart Productions.

JAY HUTCHISON '93 is a realtor with Keller Williams Cityside and is dedicated to providing the highest-quality service available to his clients in the active Atlanta real estate market. "Maximizing exposure and reach with the largest brokerage in the world behind me, I use the power of technology to deliver results for buyers and sellers," he says. "I'm available to assist the Pace community with any real estate needs."

1) Megan McSwain Mann; 2) Wilson Alexander; 3) Don Schwartz; 4) Michelle Rosenbaum; 5) Jessie Barnett; 6) Brian Klarmen (seated, second from right) and Tanner Lewis (seated, second from left); 7) Jay Hutchison; 8) Gwynnie LaMastra

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MEGAN MCSWAIN MANN ’99 joined Peachtree Art Therapy and Counseling, LLC, a new private therapy group practice in Atlanta. The practice provides art therapy and other creative-based counseling and psychotherapy services to children, teens and families. The practice includes six psychotherapists and offers yoga, massage and speech therapy. Megan and her colleagues also run groups on college readiness, social skills and providing therapeutic camps.

JESSIE BARNETT ’04 was awarded the 2016 Minnesota Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award. As a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR), Jessie was recognized for effective leadership in significantly advancing the campus’s distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic engagement, and working to institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement.

Jessie received her undergraduate degree, Master of Public Health and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. Before arriving at UMR, she worked at UGA on a nationwide project studying substanceabuse treatment centers. Jessie teaches public health courses at UMR as well as a sociology class, Health Policy in a Global Context. Her research addresses health disparities, sexual health, LGBTQ health and wellness, as well as successful behavior change with regards to smoking cessation. She also specializes in qualitative research methods.

A graduate of Tulane University, MICHELLE ROSENBAUM ’11 has been promoted to senior marketing production coordinator at Force Marketing in Atlanta. Force Marketing is an automotive marketing agency for car dealerships across the U.S. and provides digital, email, direct and service marketing.

ALUMNI

Gwynnie has collected 10 All-American honors in her first two years of collegiate competition, placing her amongst Johns Hopkins top 25 swimmers of all time. This season, she set the Johns Hopkins pool record in the 100 breaststroke, her third school record.

WILSON ALEXANDER ’14 began covering tennis for the The Red & Black, the University of Georgia’s student newspaper, in October 2015. Soon thereafter, he was promoted to covering men’s basketball, one of the paper’s premier beats. He was a media member at the 2016 SEC men’s basketball tournament in Nashville and is now covering Georgia’s spring football practices —“a dream come true,” he says.

TANNER LEWIS '15 enjoyed an outstanding freshman year as a member of Emory University’s debate team. Tanner and his debate partner won the Southeastern Cross Examination Debate Association Championship in February, and he qualified for the National Debate Tournament as a secondround recipient.

Correction: Please note that BRIAN BECKER ’02 is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and opened The Becker Law Firm in Atlanta.

MARRIAGES In her new role, Michelle oversees all direct-mail jobs prior to printing. “We send out over 2,000,000 pieces of mail a month, and we only market for automotive dealerships,” she reports. “I follow jobs from the moment a sales person invoices them to when they hit the mailbox of our car dealerships’ clients.”

This includes, but is not limited to, reading invoices, creating purchase orders for vendors, understanding pricing and margins, sending art and database lists to the company's printers, proofing every mail piece and matching it accordingly, following tracking and postage, scheduling shipments and inputting and filing samples. “As you can see, I keep very busy— which is great!” she says.

Emory University junior BRIAN KLARMAN ’13 and his debate partner received a first-round bid to the National Debate Tournament in Binghamton, N.Y. The tournament took place the first weekend of April. Only the top 16 teams in the country receive bids.

GWYNNIE LAMASTRA ’14 completed another outstanding season for the Johns Hopkins University swimming team. Gwynnie competed at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in the maximum seven events; she swam the 100 and 200 breaststroke races and was the only Johns Hopkins swimmer to swim five relays. She achieved All-American honors in every event in which she competed.

JOHN LYNCH ’99 married William Loyess Peek on Feb. 12, 2016, in Athens, Ga. John accepted a research faculty position at the University of Illinois at Chicago starting August 2016.

MAUREEN SAUNDERS ECKARD’ 02 married Davis Eckard on Jan. 9, 2016, in Philadelphia, Penn., where the couple met.

ANNA ZANE ’02 was the maid of honor.

Maureen works as a project manager and behavior specialist at the Autism Center, Navicent Health, in Macon, Ga. Davis is a live event producer and experiential marketer, focusing on connecting brands and consumers through custom experiences and events. The couple plans to move to Atlanta in the summer of 2016.

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ALUMNI

MATT SIMONDS ’07 married Kadie Burpee in Murphy, N.C., on Dec. 19, 2015. Pace alumni in attendance included CLAY MITCHELL ’07, ROSS BROWN ’07 and MARK DICRISTINA ‘97.

Kadie is a nurse practitioner in Atlanta, and Matt is the national sales manager for Guardian Caps, a company based in Norcross, Ga., that manufactures football safety products. The Pace Knights use Guardian Caps, but “the company takes no credit for the Knights’ 2015 state football championship,” Matt says. “That was all Coach CHRIS SLADE.” Kadie and Matt volunteer for Young Life and live near Chastain Park.

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EMILY NICOLE EVANS ’08 and Adam Daniel Schifter were married on March 19, 2016. The wedding ceremony took place at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Atlanta and was followed by a reception at the Capital City Club Brookhaven. The couple honeymooned in Argentina, visiting the capital city of Buenos Aires and the wine region of Mendoza. They reside in Atlanta.

After attending Pace, Emily graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012 with a double major in English and journalism. While at UNC, Emily served as copy editor of The Daily Tar Heel, was a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, was involved with the fundraising groups Dance Marathon and Heel Raisers, and worked as a summer intern at both CNN and People Magazine.

Emily graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in May 2015. While in law school, she served as a deans ambassador, a teacher’s as-

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

1) Evans/Schifter; 2) Lynch/Peek; 3) Burpee/ Simonds; 4) Saunders/Eckard; 5) Giuliana Grace Knight; 6) Abigail "Abby" Lindsay Killgore; 7) Abigail with big brothers William and Forrest; 8) Lynn and Graham Smith with son Lochlan

sistant and editor in chief of the Intellectual Property Journal. She worked as an intern at Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and Turner Broadcasting. Emily was recently inducted into the Georgia Chapter of the Order of the Coif.

Emily currently works as a law clerk for Walter E. Johnson, a federal magistrate judge of the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Rome, Ga. She will join the Troutman Sanders law firm in August 2017.

Adam grew up in Tempe, Ariz.; he and Emily met while they were students in Chapel Hill. Adam works in Atlanta for CSE, a sports and entertainment marketing agency, where he focuses on online campaigns.

Got something to share?

Email alumni@paceacademy.org

BIRTHS

IN MEMORIAM

Will and MAGGIE ISLER KILLGORE ’96 welcomed their third child, Abigail “Abby” Lindsay, on Nov. 29, 2015, in Atlanta. Abby was 9 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches. She joins her very proud big brothers, William, 5, and Forrest, 4. The family lives in the North Buckhead area of Atlanta.

After nine years as a nurse at Egleston Children’s Hospital, Maggie now works in Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s quality department as a clinical process improvement specialist, helping develop clinical practice guidelines.

PARKER BERMAN ’17 passed away on March 14, 2016. He was a member of Pace’s varsity lacrosse, water polo and swimming teams, Model United Nations and Knight Capital investment club.

Parker also was an Eagle Scout and a member of SuperTroop 197.

He founded GPB Outreach Lacrosse as his Eagle Scout project in 2013 to provide lacrosse summer camp clinics to underprivileged youth in the Atlanta area, particularly elementary school aged boys at the Agape Youth & Family Center. He attended the Cathedral of St. Philip. Donations may be made to the Parker Berman Memorial Fund at the Agape Youth & Family Center, summer sports programs.

GRAHAM SMITH ’97 and his wife, Lynn, welcomed their child, son Lochlan Owens, on Feb. 5, 2016. He weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

Ramsey and JENNA CRUTCHFIELD KNIGHT ’99 had daughter Giuliana "Gia" Grace on April 30, 2015. Gia joins big brother Jackson, 4. The family lives in Atlanta’s East Cobb area, and Jenna works as the director of marketing and communications for the Boy Scouts of America.

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ALUMNI

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ALUMNI

A Knight to Remember Knight Cap raises more than $29,000 for financial aid On March 18, more than 200 alumni, faculty and friends gathered at Chastain Horse Park for the Pace Academy Alumni Association’s third annual Knight Cap event. The evening included bourbon and wine tastings, food by Avenue Catering Concepts and a silent auction.

A critical component to Pace’s fundraising efforts, the 2016 Knight Cap raised $29,100 for need-based student financial aid, The Pace Alumni Fund’s dedicated cause. CINDY GAY JACOBY ’83 and ANDREW ALEXANDER ’04 co-chaired the event, which achieved the Alumni Board’s annual goal of covering one student’s full tuition. Congratulations to the fabulous Knight Cap committee and all the event’s supporters!

All alumni are invited to join the Alumni Association for the 2017 Knight Cap. If you are interested in helping plan or promote next year’s event, please email alumni@paceacademy.org.

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ALUMNI

Alumni Out & About

In April, alumni in the marketing and communications fields returned to Pace to share their expertise and career counsel with members of the Upper School newspaper staff.

Panelists included TRUDY BAKER KREMER ’88, a partner at Jackson Spalding; BRIAN STEELY ’92, lead designer and art director at Jackson Spalding; and CATHERINE WOODLING ’00, director of communications for The East Lake Initiative. Anthony Black, general manager of corporate communications at Delta Air Lines, also joined the panel.

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Fifth-grade teacher SALLY FORB reunited with former students LINDY MORRIS FISHBURNE ’88, HEATHER NICHOLS STARNES ’88 and RHONDA PECK O’GORMAN ’88 at the Ellis School of Atlanta’s Walk & Roll fundraiser in March. The Pace Academy group, which also included MARY ELLEN MANGOLD MCDONALD ’88, participated in the event to support Adair O’Gorman, Rhonda’s daughter, who is a student at the Ellis School. Lindy is Adair’s godmother.

2006

Alumni of both Pace and Miami University of Ohio might have recognized two familiar faces in the Miami University Alumni Association’s recent #MUThankU campaign video.

DUSTIN HADLEY ’15 and HARRISON MONCINO ’15 were featured in the video.

A VALENTINE’S DAY SURPRISE

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Members of the Class of 2015 received sweet Valentine’s Day treats in care packages assembled with love by their parents and the Office of Alumni Relations.

Parents stuffed more than 100 care packages, which included an assortment of candy, salted treats, cough drops and other items that all college freshmen love to receive.

KnightTimes | Spring 2016

IMPROMPTU REUNIONS:

2003

Classes of 2003 & 2006 Members of the Class of 2003 reunited for dinner at The Pig & The Pearl restaurant in Atlanta. Pictured left to right are: ERIN MAZURSKY, BLYTHE O’BRIEN HOGAN, BROOKS FICKE, CLAIRE GRAVES, ASA FLYNN, JULIANNA RUE CAGLE, JON GLASS and WILLIAM WATTERS. Washington, D.C., was the site of a mini reunion for several members of the Class of 2006. Pictured left to right are: EMILY HISHTA COHEN, ANNA RHODES, BECKY ARNOLD, MICHAEL HUDSON, MCKINSEY BOND, LINDA OYESIKU and LARA GOODRICH EZOR.

ALUMNI

48 %

1ST: CLASS OF 1973

20 % 15 %

2ND: CLASS OF 1965

Have you liked or joined us yet?

3RD: CLASS OF 1997

A CHALLENGE

TO GI VE BACK

The Class of 1973 wins the Alumni Spirit Challenge for the second year in a row!

Calling on the memory of camaraderie and rivalries of Spirit Week, the 2015–2016 Pace Alumni Challenge turned up in its second year to see which graduating class could achieve the highest participation percentage in The Pace Alumni Fund.

For the second consecutive year, the title of Most Spirited Class went to the Class of 1973, with 48-percent participation.

All participation in the 2015–2016 Pace Alumni Challenge supports need-based student financial aid, providing new generations of students the experiences and opportunities all Pace alumni hold dear.

www.facebook.com/paceacademy alumniassociation www.linkedin.com/paceacademy alumniassociation

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SAN FRANCISCO TREAT

The Pace Academy Alumni Association hosted a happy hour in February for all alumni in San Francisco. Several members of the Pace administration were in the city for a National Association of Independent Schools conference and enjoyed catching up with many Bay-area Knights.

If you are interested in holding an alumni gathering in your city, please email alumni@paceacademy.org.

To give to The Pace Alumni Fund, visit www.paceacademy.org/alumni-fund.

NEED AN OLD YEARBOOK? Was yours lost, damaged or destroyed?

We can send you another copy!

Contact Pacesetter adviser RYAN VIHLEN for availability. ryan.vihlen@paceacademy.org

ALUMNI

TEMPLE MOORE ’00 The ability to apply lessons learned in school to the real world is a test of true understanding. While it’s important to demonstrate a grasp of certain concepts on paper, what really matters is the ability to do something with that learning. Temple Moore ’00 is a strong proponent of this learning-to-action mentality.

While working toward global mental health trauma and recovery certification through the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Moore decided to move to Lesvos, Greece. For five months, she volunteered with Platanos Refugee Solidarity, acting as the first point of response for refugees arriving in boats from Turkey. The refugee camp accepted 10 to 15 boats during the day, but most boats came at night to avoid the coast guard. Volunteers worked tirelessly to bring these refugees warm food, dry clothes and medical attention.

Platanos Refugee Solidarity launched in October 2015 with 12 volunteers and grew to 40 by January 2016. For several weeks, Moore was in charge of coordinating its warehouses, which contained clothing and shoe donations from all over the world.

During her time in Greece, Moore also volunteered with MetaAction, an organization that provides protection and safe transit to refugee children traveling without an adult.

Many refugee families save all of their money

to send their children to safety; MetaAction works to protect these children from traffickers and others who may exploit them.

Helping refugees during the biggest migration crisis since World War II has been a life-altering experience for Moore.

Volunteers are not there out of charity, she explains, but to stand in solidarity with the refugees because it is the human thing to do. In the camps, the refugees are viewed simply as human beings who happen to be approaching the crisis from the opposite side of the sea. “They deserve mutual dignity and respect,” Moore explains.

Moore’s greatest takeaway from her time abroad has been the value of choosing compassion over self-interest. “I saw the evil humans are capable of doing to each other juxtaposed with the compassion and love that we are also capable of sharing,” she says. “Choosing compassion in our lives includes compassion towards ourselves and those who are different from us.”

Moore recently left Lesvos for Istanbul, where she works with the Kusra Community Center and other projects that assist refugees looking to start new lives. Follow and support her journey at http://tinyurl.com/ templemoore.

COMPASSION IN TIMES OF CRISIS Temple Moore ’00 and Emma Lattouf ’06 are on a mission to care for refugees.

The path to global citizenship requires a deep understanding of the needs of others—applying empathy within local, national and international communities. Becoming a global citizen necessitates taking action to meet those needs.

Here we salute Temple Moore ’00 and Emma Lattouf ’06, citizens of the world.

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ALUMNI

EMMA LATTOUF ’06 Facebook can inform users of far more than what the neighbors are eating for dinner.

While most people use the social networking tool to view photos or share news, Emma Lattouf ’06 used the platform to bring medical treatment to thousands of refugees in Jordan.

While completing her residency for the University of Texas Advanced Education Program in General Dentistry, Lattouf, a 2015 graduate of Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine, traveled to Jordan. For a week, she volunteered with the Syrian American Medical Society at the Za’atari Refugee camp, home to more than 80,000 refugees, of whom thousands need medical treatment.

Many of these refugees require serious dental procedures, as most cannot afford to worry about their teeth until they are in debilitating pain, Lattouf explains. The extent of decay and disease was so great for patients that nearly every dental procedure performed at the camp had to be surgical. Despite substantial need, the Jordanian Ministry of Health does not cover dental work in any of its refugee camps.

After a few days of work, Lattouf and her team were stopped by the Ministry of Health and prevented from continuing treatments. Determined to make a difference, however, Lattouf turned to Facebook, asking her network of friends for connections to higher-ups in the Ministry of Health. Within hours, Lattouf received calls from both the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Work, resulting in conversations that allowed her team to continue with its mission and provide treatment.

Beyond this stumbling block, the trip was a success. “I told [the individuals I treated] that once they enter my room, they are no longer refugees; they are my patients,” Lattouf says. “I said I would treat them with the same respect and care that I do my patients [in the U.S.].” Lattouf’s compassionate approach worked. Despite their desperation to be seen, patients wrote their names on pieces paper and quietly waited their turns.

One of the hardest parts of the trip for Lattouf was saying goodbye. “I was starting to get a routine,” she explains. “I enjoyed going in every day and felt like [these people] were my people. But as I drove

off waving at my new patients and friends, I realized that when they walk out of my room, they’re ultimately refugees stuck behind barbed wire. I left the camp’s gates that day with a heavy heart.”

Lattouf’s ultimate goal is to work with the Ministry of Health in hopes of making dentistry a recognized specialty in the Za’atari camp and creating a standard of care there that matches that of the United States. She plans to return with a larger team of dentists.

“If anyone would like to make a donation to dental treatment for refugees, I will personally ensure that it’s used to purchase anesthesia and other materials needed at Za’atari,” Lattouf says. She can be reached at emmalattouf@gmail.com.

— by HANNAH KELLY ’15

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It takes a village!

You Set Pace Apart! #PaceFunduKnight

uKnight means more than a dollar amount— it is the collective support that defines the Pace Academy family. Together, we fulfill our singular mission: to create prepared, confident citizens of the world.

For more information or to make a gift, visit www.paceacademy.org/thepacefund.