KnightTimes Winter 2020

WINTER 2020

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

VOLLEYBALL WINS BIG AGAIN!

THREE STRAIGHT STATE TITLES

POLICY SIMULATION SPECIAL

Spotlight on Model UN

www.paceacademy.org/pacerace

THIS PAGE: Upper School students in front of the Castle during the 1997–1998 school year.

As a Pace Academy alumna, the Castle is a special place to me. I recall writing an admissions essay at a small, round table at the top of the stairs and attending meetings in the basement as a member of the Honor Council. Today, my office is located in what was the College Counseling suite during my time as a student, and I’m pretty sure that the kitchen hasn’t been updated since. It is a beautiful, welcoming building filled with 60 years of Pace history— and it’s time for an update.

I’m thrilled that the Accelerate Pace campaign will restore and preserve Pace’s first home, while celebrating the growth and future of our school. It’s a lovely metaphor for Pace as a whole. We hold true to the core values upon which we were founded and strive for excellence as we move forward, propelled by courage, innovative thinking and the sense of community that colors all we do.

In this issue, we mark the launch of the Accelerate Pace campaign and detail its first phase: the Kam Memar Lower School. We will share updates throughout the process and celebrate the opening of the building in August 2021 before embarking on Phase II of our journey: Pace’s original home.

So please pardon our progress and enjoy the view!

Follow Pace! facebook.com/ paceacademy

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CAI T LI N G O O D R I C H J O N E S ’00 D I R E C TO R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

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

Contact us to deliver a meal: pacecares@paceacademy.org

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

HEAD OF SCHOOL FRED ASSAF

DIVISION HEADS MICHAEL GANNON Head of Upper School GRAHAM ANTHONY Head of Middle School SYREETA MOSELEY Head of Lower School

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 Director of Communications, Editor OMAR LÓPEZ THISMÓN Digital Content Producer

GUEST WRITER HANNAH K ELLY ’15 HANNAH KELLY is a first-year seminarian at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. She recently graduated from Duke University and is seeking a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Episcopal and Anglican studies.

When Kelly is not in class, you can find her working at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, walking outside or listening to country music.

CONTENTS 06 NEWS 06 TEEN VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

RYAN VIHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer

06 20 UNDER 20 07 FOOTBALL FIELD OF THE YEAR

LELA WALLACE Digital Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

07 SHARMAN WHITE COURT 08 AROUND PACE A look at what's happening on campus

FRED ASSAF

SMAX PHOTOGRAPHY www.smaxart.com

08 RECENT CAMPUS EVENTS Diwali, Fall Fair, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Homecoming, Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sunday Supper, Middle School PJ & Cocoa Day and Spirit Week

ASHTON STANISZEWSKI

12 CASTLE CIRCLE RECEPTION

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

14 A NIGHT OUT WITH KEEPING PACE

GEMSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHIC www.gemshots.com LAURA INMAN

MELANIE POPE

15 A DEBATE UPDATE

DANA RAWLS

16 KNIGHTS CIRCLE PARTY

HAYLEY SHOJI ’12

17 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

26 ICGL The Isdell Center for Global Leadership 26 IGL FALL STUDY TOUR The Isdell Global Leaders travel to California to explore the theme of WASTE 28 THE YEAR OF WASTE Students in all divisions dive into the ICGL theme 30 GLOBAL LEADERS Inspiring individuals within the Pace community 30 FACULTY PROFILE AMY UNDERWOOD 32 ACCELERATE PACE A $50-million campaign to build the Kam Memar Lower School and restore the Castle 42 VOLLEYBALL THREE-PEAT Our varsity squad firmly establishes Pace as a volleyball powerhouse

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

18 SHE KILLS MONSTERS

46 MODEL UN Student leadership re-energizes Pace’s decades-old program

19 WINTER SHOWCASE

50 ALUMNI

20 HOLIDAY PROGRAM

50 ALUMNI UPDATES

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

21 HOLIDAY CONCERTS

58 ALUMNI OUT & ABOUT

OUR MISSION

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

22 FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Cross-country, football, football cheerleading, mountain biking, softball and water polo

60 HOMECOMING & REUNIONS 61 RANDALL HOUSE FAREWELL 61 ALUMNI CHALLENGE RECAP

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL THE COVER A rendering of the new Kam Memar Lower School. Conceived by tvsdesign and awardwinning residential designer William T. Baker, the three-story, 36,500-square-foot Kam Memar Lower School will open in the fall of 2021. Read more about this state-of-the-art facility in the Accelerate Pace article on page 32.

Dear Pace Family, It’s time to pick up the Pace! In January, we officially launched Accelerate Pace, a $50-million capital campaign for the Kam Memar Lower School, renovations to our Lower School classroom building and the restoration of the Pace Academy Castle.

In this issue of the KnightTimes, we unveil our plans for the 36,500-squarefoot Lower School facility, which will provide expanded, state-of-the-art space for innovative learning, the arts, academic support, community gatherings and play; we introduce you to our campaign leaders; and we share the story that inspired Pace parents DIANA and BIJON MEMAR to make Accelerate Pace’s lead gift (page 35). I hope you’ll take the time to peruse the plans published here and take our virtual tour at accelerate.pacecademy.org.

We also celebrate our history-making volleyball squad, the first Pace athletics team to win back-to-back-to-back state championships (page 42), and we tip our hats to longtime Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH and the students leading our thriving Model United Nations program (page 46). In addition, you’ll find updates on our arts, athletics and global leadership programs; news from alumni all over the world; and recaps of the events that keep our beautiful campus bustling.

It’s a busy and exciting time to be a Pace Knight! Thank you for helping us propel Pace!

Sincerely,

ABOVE Our fans pushed the volleyball squad to its third straight championship. Read the story on page 42.

FRED ASSAF HEAD OF SCHOOL

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NEWS What you ne ed to know

SENIORS NAMED

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Atlanta Chapter recognized seniors SPENCYR ARONSON and MAYA KAPLAN as its 2019 Teen Volunteers of the Year. The award salutes students who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the community through direct financial support, development of charitable programs, volunteering and leadership in philanthropy.

Aronson and Kaplan, participants in Covenant House Georgia’s Scholars in Service program, raised more than $50,000 for the nonprofit organization, which fights youth homelessness and human trafficking in Atlanta. The enterprising duo received the award at the AFP’s 2019 National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon on Nov. 7 at the Georgia Aquarium.

Citizens of the World

Each year, Atlanta INtown and the Buckhead Reporter publish 20 Under 20, a list of young people doing extraordinary things to make the world a better place. Congratulations to our 2020 honorees!

Spencyr Class of Maya ARONSON 2020 KAPLAN Honored for her work with Covenant House Georgia (see left)

Sophie LETTES

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Honored for her work with Covenant House Georgia (see left)

Class of Michael 2020 FU

Honored for her environmental advocacy through Pace’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership

Class of 2020

Class of 2021

Honored for co-founding Scholarly Chess

NEWS

ALWAYS GREENER

WALSH FIELD, located in Pace’s Riverview Sports Complex, garnered recognition as the 2019 Football Field of the Year from The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) in its schools and parks category.

Judges scored entries based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utilization of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program. Winners of the award, the professional association’s highest honor, are featured in SportsTurf Magazine, the official monthly publication of STMA. Congratulations to Sports Complex Facility Manager DANIEL PRINCE and the entire Pace facilities team!

WHEN FANS of the Miller Grove High School basketball team attend home games, they’ll cheer on the Wolverines at Sharman White Court, named in honor of Pace Academy varsity boys basketball coach SHARMAN WHITE. White led Miller Grove Athletics for 11 years and coached its boys basketball team to seven state titles. A USA Basketball coach, he was the 2014 USA Today All-USA Coach of the Year. White cut the ribbon on the court on Nov. 12, prior to the Knights’ 63–47 win over the Wolverines.

White also served as a lead coach during the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team October minicamp and will undertake his ninth USA Basketball coaching assignment as head coach of the 2020 Nike Hoop Summit Team in April. USA Basketball recognized White for his contributions to the organization during a varsity boys basketball game at Pace in January.

HIS COURT

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AROUND PACE A Look at What's Happening at Pace

Mid-Year Momentum There’s no such thing as the winter doldrums for our Pace Knights! From Homecoming and Hispanic Heritage Month to the Fall Fair and Spirit Week, students, faculty and staff stayed busy before and after the holiday break.

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Fall Fa i r

AROUND PACE

Diwali

ic Hispange Herita Month her t u L n i Mart r . Day K i n g J y S u ppe r Sunda

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AROUND PACE

i ng m o c e Hom

ool h c S e l Midd coa Day PJ & Co nts e r a p Gr andial & Spec s Day Frie nd

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AROUND PACE

S pi r i t We e k

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AROUND PACE

Meet BRENT EDEN ’98 In January, BRENT EDEN ’98 assumed the role of Planned Giving Committee co-chair, a partnership with GARRY SCHAEFER, committee chair since 2018. Together, Schaefer and Eden lead the committee’s efforts to educate the Pace community about planned giving and to expand membership in The Castle Circle, which recognizes planned gifts to Pace.

A principal at Nease, Lagana, Eden & Culley Inc., Eden provides life insurance advisory services and planning solutions to families, business owners, corporate executives and others. Eden is married to Upper School counselor and AP psychology teacher SARA EDEN.

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AROUND PACE

Castle Circle member HELEN SMITH, center, has taught history to generations of Pace students, including Planned Giving Committee members BRENT EDEN ’98, left, and AUSTIN MCDONALD ’97.

Planned Giving Committee Chair GARRY SCHAEFER thanks members of The Castle Circle for their commitment to the future of Pace.

PACE ACADEMY’S PLANNED GIVING COMMITTEE hosted a reception in October for the members of The Castle Circle—individuals and couples who have made estate-plan provisions for a planned gift, such as a bequest in a will, to Pace. The reception took place in the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School’s Woodruff Library, where guests socialized with friends old and new while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

Planned Giving Committee Chair GARRY SCHAEFER, a Pace Life Trustee and Castle Circle member, addressed guests. “We are excited about the future of planned giving at Pace and appreciate each of you for your membership,” he said.

“Eventual gifts to Pace from Castle Circle members will help secure the Pace mission and benefit Pace students for generations to come.” Unless donors designate gifts for a specific purpose, realized planned gifts support the Pace Academy Endowment.

Board of Trustees Chair ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS, who recruited Schaefer for the role, surprised him with a gift in appreciation of his service as chair. “Garry has created tremendous momentum for planned giving at Pace by engaging an outstanding committee and raising awareness of The Castle Circle,” she said. “His efforts have helped establish a foundation that will grow Castle Circle membership and ultimately benefit Pace’s endowment.”

The event also celebrated the Planned Giving Committee’s growing success in educating the Pace community about planned giving and its benefits. Launched in early 2018, the committee has built upon the work of volunteers from decades past, when The Castle Circle was known as the 1958 Heritage Society. Life Trustee MELINDA WERTHEIM, a member of the current committee as well as The Castle Circle, was an early proponent of planned giving at Pace in the early 1990s when her children were Pace students. Other Planned Giving Committee members include BRENT EDEN ’98, who has stepped up to co-chair the committee with Schaefer; Pace parent and Trustee BRUCE CARROLL; Pace parents SETH ADAMS, TIM CURTIN, MILES MARKS, AUSTIN MCDONALD ’97 and STEVE PARKER; and parents of Pace alumni and former Board members BONNIE HARRIS and GREG DEXTER, also a Life Trustee.

Members of The Castle Circle include both past and current Pace leaders. BOB CHAMBERS, former Head of Upper School, left, and FRED ASSAF, Head of School, attended the reception.

A Salute to MEMBERS OF THE CASTLE CIRCLE

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AROUND PACE

SPONSORS INCLUDED: $1,000 Michele Johnson & Anthony Burnett Nicole Felton & Paul Ginsberg Debra & Bobby Rosenbloum

$500 Wendy & Neal Aronson Ellen Downer Michele & Pat Boushka Deni-Kay & Jason Freier

$250 Allison & Drew Battista Radhika & Sanjay Behl Mara & Justin Berman Jennifer Buckley & Mark Chastain Caroline & David Crawford Cathy & Reid Funston Jennifer & Quill Healey Jane & Phillip Hight Ginny & Mike Hobbs Terri & Dan Janki Stephanie & Matt Johnson Laura Drohan & Russ Maxa Angela & Ron Pace Mindi & Pete Shelton Marisa & David Chin Yee

FOOD TABLE SPONSORS Arby's Bites by Eydt Howell's Kitchen and Bar Joey D's Oak Room Local Three Kitchen and Bar Smoke Ring UrbanTree Cidery

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A Night Out with

KEEPING PACE

IN OCTOBER, A Night Out with Keeping Pace brought friends of Keeping Pace together for a convivial fundraising affair at UrbanTree Cidery, located in West Midtown. Event attendees enjoyed delectable fare donated by local eateries, caterers and vendors, plus a wide selection of ciders produced on site. The fundraiser generated over $40,000 for the summer program, now in its 15th year, offered to middle- and high-school students from under-resourced metro Atlanta communities.

Would you like to make a difference to Keeping Pace? Please contact Keeping Pace Director MARTHA DOWNER-ASSAF at martha.downer@paceacademy.org for information regarding volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for the summer 2020 program or A Night Out with Keeping Pace.

LEFT: Pace parent of alumni LINDA WILLIS donned an apron to assist caterer Bites by Eydt in serving up squares of its mouth-watering specialty pizzas to guests.

RIGHT: Pace parent LAURA KARETSOS (left), a Keeping Pace volunteer, and fourth-grade teacher ELIZABETH RUCKER, a teacher for the summer program, enjoyed the food and festivities.

AROUND PACE

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A D E B AT E U P D AT E

pper School Director of Speech and Debate ABBY SCHIRMER was a Pace Academy fan long before she joined the faculty this past fall.

“Before coming to Pace, I was in awe of how well supported and successful the debate program was,” says Schirmer. “When I took the job, I felt lucky to get the opportunity to build on that outstanding legacy.”

Schirmer and her students spent the fall semester doing just that as they traveled the state to a variety of tournaments, participating in both the LincolnDouglas and novice policy divisions.

They kicked off the season at Chattahoochee High School’s Cougar Classic, where the novice policy team of eighth-grader JACKSON ALLEGRA and seventh-grader STEPHEN YANG advanced to the octafinals round. Freshmen FOREST POLLARD and DOUG PARKER were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Ten students competed in the Woodward tournament, where freshman HANNA YILMA was named 13th speaker out of a field of more than 50. At the Peach State Classic, Pollard, ranked as the seventh speaker, teamed up with freshman LUCA TANASA to finish as quarterfinalists.

Three Upper School teams made the trip down West Paces Ferry Road for the Westminster tournament. There, Pollard and Tanasa defeated Woodward to end the tournament as semifinalists.

They were named the tournament’s sixth and fifth speakers, respectively. The team wrapped up the semester at Johns Creek High School’s tournament.

H O N O R I N G A D E B AT E R ’ S L E G A C Y IN LATE JANUARY, debaters from seven schools representing five states and Washington, D.C., descended on the Pace campus to participate in the 24th annual Justin G. Wilson Debates, a two-day policy round robin. The tournament celebrates the memory of JUSTIN WILSON ’94 (left), a Pace and University of Texas-Austin student-debater whose life was cut short while returning from a college debate tournament.

In front of expert judges, students debated the topic Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce direct commercial sales and/or foreign military sales of arms from the United States. When all was said and

done, the team from North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, Fla., took home the team trophy, while Rohan Shah from Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, N.Y., was named top speaker.

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AROUND PACE

Accelerating Construction Students bid a fond farewell to the Randall House prior to departing for the winter break, and construction on the Kam Memar Lower School officially began on Jan. 9. Since then, crews have cleared select areas of the construction site to allow work to begin.

Stabilizing the site to prevent erosion and control rainfall discharge has been the primary focus thus far— a typical first step for all construction projects. Heavy rain hasn’t made it easy for those working on the site, but they’ve pressed on and continue to make progress.

At press time, crews were relocating the utilities that serve the Lower School classroom building in order to dig the foundation for the new structure.

In mid March, installation will begin on a complex system of structural shoring adjacent to the existing building to allow for the excavation for the lower levels of the Kam Memar Lower School.

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You may not notice much change as you drive by, but know that much is happening underground to make way for our beautiful new building (see story on page 32)!

AROUND PACE

Knights Circle The Knights Circle reception, at the home of Pace parents ANNE and GREG KELLY in October, honored donors of $5,000 or more to the 2019 uknight: The Pace Fund campaign.

The Georgia Private School Tax Credit Program allows individual and corporate taxpayers to donate a portion of their state tax liability to a Student Scholarship Organization. The funds are then used for need-based financial aid at the independent school(s) of the taxpayer's choice.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE: • Taxpayers receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit and incur no cost for participating in the program.

• Tax credits are limited based on tax filing status—up to $1,000 individual; $2,500 married filing jointly; $1,250 married filing separately; $10,000 for pass-through taxpayers from an S-Corp, LLC or Partnership.

• C-Corps, under the newly adopted IRS ruling, can allocate the tax credit as an expense against revenue, reducing taxable income on the Georgia return by 5.75%.

• Under a recent IRS-adopted ruling, only those taxpayers who are itemizing and who fall under the SALT cap are able to claim the federal deduction.

Put your to work for Pace Academy.

Apply now for the 2020 TAX YEAR www.paceacademy.org/tax-credit

ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

PACE ACADEMY performers continue to make a name for themselves in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State One-Act competition. For the third year in a row, the cast and crew of the Upper School play brought home the Region 5-AAA title. Pace hosted the region one-act festival this past fall, and the school’s production of She Kills Monsters, playwright Qui Nguyen’s comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, placed first, qualifying for state.

Director SEAN BRYAN, technical director SCOTT SARGENT and 31 students traveled to Forsyth, Ga., in November to participate in the state competition, where She Kills Monsters placed fourth overall. Seniors MADISON EDWARDS and JACKSON GRAY were named to the All-Star Cast. l

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A Killer Performance

ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

Have Playbill, Will Travel THOSE WHO ATTENDED the Upper School theatre department’s annual Winter Showcase were advised to wear their walking shoes.

Beginning in the Fine Arts Center, audience members traveled around campus in small groups to take in scenes from plays such as The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and David Ives’ Foreplay, or The Art of the Fugue, as well as student-written and adapted works. Students directed five of the seven pieces and staged their productions in spaces ranging from the Woodruff Library to the Fine Arts Center loading dock. l

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

FOR 29 YEARS, Lower School students have shared the Hanukkah and Christmas stories with the Pace community through Light One Candle, their annual holiday program.

Among this year’s first-grade performers—who portray the stories’ historical characters—was LYLA LOWERY, whose father, JAKE LOWERY ’03, was in the first grade when the Lower School staged the inaugural production of Light One Candle.

“I was cast as a shepherd in the original show, but unfortunately missed the performance due to a case of the chickenpox,” the elder Lowery reports.

Nevertheless, the Lowerys are the first legacy duo to depict characters in the beloved production. l

A Pace Family Tradition 20

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Making Merry Music

FOR ONE WEEK in December, sounds of the season filled the Fine Arts Center as student performers presented holiday concerts.

The Upper School chorus—including ensembles and soloists—performed a variety of classic and comedic holiday favorites representing countries and traditions around the world.

The Lower, Middle and Upper School bands took the stage with crowd-pleasers like Sleigh Ride and A Charlie Brown Christmas medley.

Lower, Middle and Upper School strings students presented standards such as Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, Hanukkah Dances and selections from The Nutcracker. The Middle School chorus closed out the week with additional festive tunes. l

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IGHLIGHT

VA R S I T Y SOFTBALL

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Coached by JEWELL MARABLE, JOHN LEGERE, RACHEL LEGERE, SELENA PATTERSON and CAREY SCHILLER The varsity softball team had a recordbreaking 2019 season, which included defeating Class 7-A powerhouse Lambert in a regular-season showdown, claiming victory over Cherokee Bluff in the first round of Region 5-AAA play and advancing to the Class AAA Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.

Despite a challenging schedule, the Knights notched a competitive 13–16 overall record and a 6–2 region record.

The team looks forward to an even better 2020 season and hopes to claim a region championship—and more—for Pace.

Following the season, five players were named GHSA All-Region: senior CAROLINE LANDIS, juniors SYDNEY SILVERSTEIN and JAMIE KORNHEISER, and freshmen SOPHIA MADOR and SARA MAZUR. The team will miss the leadership of seniors MOLLY BUFFENBARGER and Landis.

FALL SPORTS

VA R S I T Y B O Y S CROSS - COUNTRY Coached by STEVE CUNNINGHAM and GUS WHYTE The varsity boys cross-country team concluded the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 2019 season in strong fashion. Region 5-AAA champions and Class AAA state runners-up, the Knights were ranked 10th across all classifications in Georgia.

Senior GEORGE ADAMS placed third overall at the state meet, followed by sophomore EDWARD BLAHA in sixth. Both were named to the Class AAA All-State Team. The Atlanta Track Club also recognized Adams as a member of its All-Metro Team.

In the postseason, the Knights placed second at the Meet of Champions and 18th at the Nike Southeastern Championship. Four members of the team now hold spots on the Knights’ top-10 record board: Adams, E. Blaha, sophomore GEORGE BLAHA and sophomore ROBERT MALLIS. The team bids a fond farewell to seniors G. Adams, SAM ADAMS, QUILL HEALEY, ANDREW NEVILLE, EVERETT O’GORMAN, JASON ROSENBLOUM and WILL STRATTON.

VA R S I T Y G I R L S CROSS - COUNTRY Coached by JOLIE CUNNINGHAM and GUS WHYTE The varsity girls cross-country team had a tremendous march to the 2019 state meet. At the Region 5-AAA competition, sophomore LAURA ARENTH led the Knights, placing third overall. Senior PAYTON PAYNE followed close behind, in eighth place.

After third-place finishes at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 state meets, the Knights had their eyes set on a spot further up the podium. When the dust settled, they wrapped up the season as state runners-up. Arenth and Payne again led the team, placing fourth and sixth, respectively, and earning All-State honors. At the Meet of Champions, the team finished in 12th place.

Next season, the team will miss the leadership of seniors INDIA BEHL, VIRGINIA HEISER, SOPHIE LETTES, Payne, PAULA SANDOVAL, MAE SHIPPEN and FRANCESCA VANERI.

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FALL SPORTS

VA R S I T Y FOOTBALL Coached by CHRIS SLADE, NERMIN DELIC, TERRENCE EDWARDS, KEVIN JOHNSON, BILL LELLYETT, JUSTIN MILLER, BRANDON MORTON, CEDRIC OGLESBY, RON VEAL and SEKOU WALTON The varsity football program, now in its 11th year, is entering preteendom on the heels of another trip to the state playoffs. After a regular season in which the Knights went 6–5, the team fell to Greater Atlanta Christian School in the first round of statetournament play. Highlights of the regular season included wins over Redan, Monroe Area and Towers.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named junior JAYDEN THOMAS and senior MBITI WILLIAMS to its Class AAA Preseason All-State and Postseason All-Region teams. Junior CHRISTIAN BING, junior JUSTIN JOHNSON and senior SAM HARRIS received All-Region Honorable Mention recognition. In addition, Thomas is one of 10 finalists for the USA Today High School Sports Awards Atlanta Football Offensive Player of the Year.

The winner will be announced in May. The Knights say goodbye to 14 seniors: SAM HARRIS, JIMBO SMITH, MBITI WILLIAMS, BEN CALDWELL, EVAN DUNCAN, DAVIS FUTRELL, CONNOR HUSK, JACK JACOBY, CHRISTOPHER MOROCCO, MORGAN PAYNE, WILL REHMERT, JAY SATISKY, THOMAS SIEGENTHALER and BRIDGES SPENCER.

M O U N TA I N BIKING CLUB Coached by JESSE MARSHBURN and DAN BROOKS

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Open to students in grades six through 12, the mountain biking club completed its sixth season this past fall.

The Knights put in many miles training at Sope Creek and its surrounding trails and participated in five races with the Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League.

The riders criss-crossed the state from Braselton to Milledgeville to Jackson, and they faced everything from extreme heat and rough terrain to idyllic fall temperatures and smooth singletrack paths as they attempted to place among the top finishers in each race.

VA R S I T Y FOOTBALL CHEERLEADING Coached by LORI BAKER, ALICE HALL, CAMERON RUSS ’17 and JOHNNY THOMPSON The 31 members of the junior varsity and varsity football cheerleading squads blazed into the 2019–2020 school year with energy and focus and fulfilled their goal to keep Pace spirit high at games, pep rallies and around campus.

During home games, cheerleaders performed halftime dance routines on the field, wowing fans with complex cheer stunts and tumbling moves. With the addition of a competition squad, the girls made a name for themselves by winning the Region 5-AAA competition and qualifying for state.

The team thanks seniors ALEXA LEVINE, HAYDEN SAMPLE, RACHEL WRAY, CHARLOTTE LITTLE and EMMA SWASZT for their leadership and commitment.

W AT E R POLO CLUB Coached by JOHN AGUE and ROSS BROWN ’07 The water polo season started with a team camp during which players welcomed KATIE MAYER LARSON ’97, women’s club water polo coach at the University of Florida, and Brad Schumacher, a swimming gold medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Armed with knowledge and helpful skills, the team—led by seniors DILLON CARROLL, BLAKE MANER, JOHN O’BRIEN, HARRISON SAINI and ALAN TAPPER—was ready to compete.

Moving up to the Georgia High School Water Polo Association’s Division 1 brought new challenges.

The Knights finished the regular season ranked 10th with a 6–9 record and placed ninth at the state tournament. O’Brien earned All-State Honorable Mention.

Freshman CARTER FREUDENSTEIN led the team in scoring with 46 goals and 13 assists, followed O’Brien, Tapper, freshman BARRETT HIGHT and Carroll. Goalie CAMERON SAINI recorded six wins and 146 saves. (action photos by Ashford Little)

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C

onsider this: all the ants on the planet, taken together, have a biomass greater than that of humans,” architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart write in Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things. “Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years, yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals and soil. Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn’t have a design problem. People do.”

McDonough and Braungart continue: “What if humans design products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture and productivity?

That are so intelligent and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight in, not lament?”

The 2019–2020 class of Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs)—juniors TOMMY ASSAF and JACK BROWN and seniors SOPHIE LETTES and REKHA SASHTI—set out to tackle these and other questions this past fall as they embarked on a study of Waste, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) annual global theme.

The cohort’s yearlong exploration includes coursework, research and two travel opportunities, the first of which

took the group, led by Director of the ICGL TRISH ANDERSON and Associate Director of the ICGL TED WARD, to the San Francisco Bay Area to dive into the concept of circular economy.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy “looks beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model and aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural and social capital. It is based on three principles: Design out waste and pollution; keep products and materials in use; regenerate natural systems.”

Cradle to Cradle was required reading for the IGLs before they traveled west to talk with academics, activists, and civic and business leaders attempting to create change. The IGLs took the book’s message to heart and boarded the plane in Atlanta determined to spend the week “zero waste,” leaving as little as possible in their paths.

“We realized on the plane just how hard that would be,” Anderson says. “Snacks are individually packaged, and drinks are served in plastic cups. But we asked the flight attendants to fill our water bottles, and they happily obliged. It was an early lesson that, if you are prepared and ask, people are willing to help.”

As the week progressed, the IGLs carried their trash with them, shopped with reusable containers at the famous Rainbow Grocery and quickly learned that eating fast food and living a zero-waste lifestyle is nearly impossible. “Everything has to go to the landfill,” Brown says.

At the end of the week, the group had amassed one small bag of garbage. “We looked really weird hauling our trash around with us,” Lettes reports, “but it became clear that composting and paying attention to what we use and consume make a huge difference.”

Fortunately, the IGLs were in good company. “Environmental consciousness is built into California’s economy,” Brown says. “We saw that progress is actually possible because people care. It was a little bittersweet because that’s not as deeply felt [in Atlanta].”

Among those who shared their stories, hopes and work with the IGLs were Dan Knapp, a recycling trailblazer and founder of Urban Ore, which rescues reusable materials from landfills; Dr. Ryan Miya and David Rise of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control; Etosha Cave, co-founder of Opus 12, which turns carbon emissions into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels; Alexa Kielty, zero-waste specialist at the San Francisco Department of the Environment; and Dr. Manisha Anantharaman, assistant professor of

BREAKING ISDELL GLOBAL LEADERS’ CALIFORNIA EXPLORATION REVOLVES AROUND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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ICGL

justice, community and leadership at Saint Mary’s College of California.

The trip concluded with time at the multinational technology conglomerate Cisco, where Circular Economy Program Manager Eve Richer, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain John Kern and CEO CHUCK ROBBINS, a former Pace parent, discussed the company’s commitment to embracing a circular economy as a business imperative.

“We heard so many different perspectives that changed our perspectives,” Brown reports. “Our conversations gave us a really globalized view of waste and made us think of it as a universal issue. We need to create a global solution—not just one that works for capitalist America.”

Developing solutions can be daunting, to say the least, but the IGLs are hopeful.

“Before this experience, I didn’t think there was any way we could figure out issues related to waste,” Assaf says. “Given what I know now, the problems seem more overwhelming, but also more solvable.”

Sashti chimes in: “The most overwhelming piece of this is that a circular economy has to work for so many different people in so many different places. Many companies working toward a circular economy are not considering the poor or homeless, people who don’t have the resources we do. In many developing countries, waste fuels certain economies—what happens to those

people and places when we take waste out of the equation?”

The group recognizes that waste is an issue their generation will be forced to tackle—and has already taken on. And they’re excited to have joined the movement and to educate the Pace community about what they’ve learned thus far.

“There’s so much we can do,” Lettes says. “And it was really encouraging to see that there are all these people already doing it. ‘Start small. Think big.’ sounds a little cheesy, but it’s true. When it comes to change, we can create a ripple effect.” l

“Even if we all recycle, we’d still have a huge problem. To recycle, we take resources that we use a lot and break them down to try to incorporate them into new products. But it takes energy to do that, and the quality of those products is never as good. In a circular economy, we would create products that don’t have to be downcycled.”

TOMMY ASSAF ’21

THE IGLS’ TO-DOS • COMPOST • ELIMINATE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BOTTLES • SHOP AT BULK AND THRIFT STORES

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ICGL

The Year of

WASTE FROM CLEAN-UPS AND COMPOST TO CLASS PLAYS AND SCIENCE PROJECTS, HERE’S HOW THE PACE ACADEMY COMMUNITY IS WAKING UP TO ISSUES SURROUNDING WASTE, THE ISDELL CENTER FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP (ICGL) ANNUAL THEME.

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Art EDUCATION

The second-grade play, Waste Not, Want Not, used poetry and song to dig deep into the mantra “Reduce.

Reuse. Recycle. Upcycle.” and teach audiences more about taking action around the ICGL theme of Waste.

Recycling IN ACTION

Compost NOW!

Thoughtful THURSDAYS

Bettering THE BELTLINE

Another’s TREASURE

Back to NATURE

There’s no better place to learn about reducing waste than the world’s largest PET bottle recycling facility. On America Recycles Day, the fifth grade visited Mohawk Industries’ operations in Summerville, Ga., where 6.6 billion plastic bottles are recycled every year. Flooring North America President and Pace parent PAUL DE COCK provided an overview of the recycling process before students toured the sort and grind, flake washing, pelletizing and extrusion departments.

A proud partner of the Atlanta Beltline, the Pace community has adopted a section of the Southside Trail. Students, parents, faculty and staff spent several Sundays tidying up the interim trail and adjacent parks and exploring how a wave of redevelopment is affecting the surrounding community.

Did you know that Pace has contributed more than 1,000 pounds of soil to area gardens as a result of cafeteria compost programs? Representatives from CompostNow—which collects food scraps from residents and businesses to help them reduce waste and support local gardens—visited Upper School assembly to discuss the impact of these efforts and explore the environmental and social benefits of composting on local ecosystems.

Juniors LANE BRICKLEY and CAROLINE JANKI and sophomore LAURA ARENTH organized a holiday clothing drive that completely restocked the shelves at Bloom Closet, an organization that provides a dignified, free shopping experience to foster families.

The ICGL Student Council, a group of Upper School students dedicated to educating the Pace community about matters relating to the ICGL global theme, schedules events monthly on “Thoughtful Thursdays.” Recent Waste-themed activities have included workshops during which students have created hand scrub packaged in reusable containers, repurposed old T-shirts into stylish handbags and modeled how to reduce Halloween-candy waste.

To jump-start their science unit on ecology, sixth graders spent a day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, where they took a deep dive into the theme of Waste and got up close and personal with some quality compost.

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UNDERWOO

GLOBAL LEADERS

G L F S

L E A P

O A C O

B D U T

A L E R S L T Y L I G H T

“My job is to learn,” says Lower School Director of Curriculum and Professional Development AMY UNDERWOOD. “Whether I’m researching best practices, understanding more about what teachers are teaching or determining how to pull Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) themes into our curriculum, I talk about teaching and learning all day long.”

It’s a role that Underwood—a data-driven organizer and strategic thinker—relishes.

Now in her third year at Pace Academy, Underwood works hand in hand with Head of Lower School SYREETA MOSELEY and Director of Academics BARBARA SCOTT to implement strategic initiatives and ensure that Lower School faculty members have the resources they need to succeed, thereby enabling student success.

Her work includes teacher observation and coaching; curriculum review, creation and implementation; coordinating a faculty mentor program; tracking student progress; and facilitating professional development. “I really love working with people to identify their goals and then helping them grow,” she says.

Prior to her arrival at Pace, Underwood spent 16 years at Woodward Academy, where she taught science to fourth, fifth and sixth graders before transitioning to a first-grade classroom. In addition to her teaching duties, Underwood coordinated the school’s professional development and mentor programs, served on its Blue Ribbon Task Force and innovation team, helped author its sustainability report, advised the Odyssey of the Mind club, and coached volleyball and cross-country—all while running a 5:15 a.m. bootcamp for

faculty and balancing family life. Needless to say, she was busy.

“My experience teaching at a variety of grade levels and living the life of a classroom teacher was imperative to me understanding my role now,” Underwood says. “I firmly believe that teachers need to remain current in terms of pedagogy and curriculum, but I know that finding the time to do that is nearly impossible. My job is to bring those resources to our teachers and make their jobs easier.”

To that end, Underwood created and maintains The Pace Press, an online hub that “anchors what we’re doing here,” she says. Teachers visit the site to retrieve required observation forms, but it also provides resources, recommended reading, online assessments and highlights from Pace classrooms. “The Pace Press is just another way to build community,” Underwood says. “So much amazing work happens here, and we want to share those stories.” She updates the site regularly, ensuring that content meets the everchanging needs of busy teachers.

“The Pace Press has been an incredible resource for me as a new faculty member,” says MARTHA LEE THWAITE ’80, who collaborated with Underwood to design a composting unit to help her second-grade class explore this year’s ICGL theme of Waste. “The curricular ideas, links, podcasts and articles housed in The Pace Press enrich our classroom plan.”

Spanish teacher POLI APARICIO also appreciates the ongoing support Underwood provides. “I often have conversations with Amy about the best ways to implement effective teaching

I firmly believe that teachers need to remain current in terms of pedagogy and curriculum, but I know that finding the time to do that is nearly impossible. My job is to bring those resources to our teachers and make their jobs easier.

strategies and best practices,” she says.

“This support includes ideas for differentiating instruction or planning lessons.

Amy always welcomes the opportunity to observe my lessons and gives me constructive feedback. She has confidence in those around her, and her words and actions show her passion for education.”

Underwood loves working individually with faculty to create lessons, and because she has her finger on the pulse of every classroom, she facilitates innovative collaborations between teachers and disciplines.

“I really enjoy looking at our curriculum from a holistic perspective and creating cohesion,” Underwood says. “The ability of our students and teachers to participate in cross-curricular collaborations shows intellectual agility, critical thinking skills and great depth of understanding. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.” n

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ACCELERATE PACE

The $50-million Accelerate Pace campaign will build the Kam Memar Lower School and renovate and restore the Castle.

Spaces for the Speed of Learning FOUR YEARS AGO, the Pace Academy Board of Trustees published its 2016–2021 Strategic Plan, a visionary document that reflected on Pace’s progress and outlined the school’s strategic initiatives going forward.

Academic & Institutional Excellence emerged as one of the plan’s five focus areas, and included under that umbrella were the evaluation of aging structures on our campus, the renovation or expansion of arts facilities and regular reviews of campus safety.

Since then, the Board, in partnership with the West Paces Neighborhood Association, has developed a campus plan that supports the school’s strategic vision, provides for safety and accessibility, and

accelerates values the Pace community holds dear: joy, play, giving, creativity, wellness, innovation and community.

To secure these values and realize the plan's vision, Accelerate Pace, a $50-million campaign, launched in January to raise funds for the construction of the Kam Memar Lower School, updates to the existing Lower School classroom building and the restoration and renovation of Pace’s historic Castle.

With academic excellence and student wellness at the center, Accelerate Pace will ensure that all our facilities match the quality of the experiences inside, creating spaces where innovative instruction, creative exploration and the sense of family that defines the Pace experience thrive like never before.

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ACCELERATE PACE

THE CASTLE A M O D E R N TA K E O N A MED IE VA L MASTERPIECE

The pre-function space in the new Kam Memar Lower School

THE K AM MEMAR LOWER SCHOOL A NE W PL ACE FOR TR ADITIONS TO THRIVE PACE’S youngest learners deserve a school home that embraces academic challenge, piques curiosity and inspires joy, while providing a safe, accessible learning environment.

Conceived by tvsdesign and award-winning residential designer William T. Baker, the three-story, 36,500-square-foot Kam Memar Lower School will open in the fall of 2021. The facility will replace the Randall House—the Lower School administration building constructed as a home in 1941— and adjoin the existing classroom building.

At nearly three times the square footage of the Randall House, the Kam Memar Lower School will accommodate Pace’s growing curriculum and program needs. Science, STEAM and design classes will find their homes in state-of-the-art makerspaces, while an expanded Academic Resource Center will provide individualized support for all students. Music programs will enjoy large, soundproof spaces, and an indoor gymnasium with direct access to the playground will accommodate PE classes and shelter en-

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ergetic youngsters during rainy-day recess.

In addition, a 2,200-square-foot meeting room will provide space for gatherings and class performances, and a conference room will allow for additional on-campus appointments. The admissions team will greet prospective families in its new suite, and the Lower School leadership team will move into centrally located offices. Faculty and staff will find respite in a new lounge, while nursing mothers can retreat to private rooms when needed.

In addition, Accelerate Pace will fund the reconfiguration and modernization of the existing Lower School cafeteria and update the current library to create a more open, inviting atmosphere conducive to 21st-century learning and technology use.

PACE’S first classroom building, originally a home dating back to 1931, has welcomed students since the school’s founding in 1958. In the early days, Pace utilized every nook and cranny of the stately building— classes took place in former bedrooms and bathrooms, and the formal dining room functioned simultaneously as a classroom, library and cafeteria.

Over the decades, student-centered activities moved to newer facilities on Pace’s growing campus, and the “Castle” became a hub for the school’s administrative functions. Nonetheless, Pace's spirit of family—and home—first took root inside the Castle's walls; today the iconic building remains a symbol of pride and tradition for the entire Pace community.

Accelerate Pace will provide for the restoration and renovation of the Castle, modernizing the aging structure’s interior spaces while preserving its iconic facade.

The Castle will continue to house administrative offices, but it will also accommodate academic endeavors in new spaces specifically designed for Middle and Upper School robotics and STEAM & Design programs.

Planning for these enhancements is in the early phase, and construction will begin following the completion of the Kam Memar Lower School.

ACCELERATE PACE

A F A M I LY L E G A C Y HONORING K AM MEMAR WHEN Pace Academy’s Kam Memar Lower School opens in August of 2021, the building will serve as a hub for our youngest students, a place where science, technology, art, design and play thrive—but even more, it will be a lasting monument to the life and work of entrepreneur Kam Memar.

Pace parents DIANA MEMAR and BIJON MEMAR, a member of the Pace Board of Trustees, contributed Accelerate Pace’s lead gift in memory of Bijon’s late brother, Kam, an entrepreneur, a world traveler, and a man dedicated to his parents and brother.

In 1962, Bijon and Kam left Iran with their parents, Farah and Hushang, a physician. Following a three-year stint in Germany, the family lived in Massachusetts and then in Maryland, where Dr. Memar worked for the federal government opening drug-addiction treatment centers. The Memars later settled in the Atlanta area, where Dr. Memar built a private practice.

“My brother and I were just 20 months apart and were always close,” Bijon remembers. “People often mistook us for each other.”

Kam studied zoology and chemistry at the University of Georgia and always longed to start his own business. After college, he founded Atlanta Investment Services, which sold oil and gas leases, before entering the medical billing industry.

“Kam’s motto was, ‘I’ll never work for someone else,’” Bijon says.

Kam struck out on his own again in the late 1980s and founded Medical Bureau Inc., a billing company located in Augusta, Ga. Bijon, employed

by Cox

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1) Kam Memar; 2) Diana and Bijon Memar with their children, Madeline and Michael Enterprises at the time, joined Kam at MBI in 1989. The business quickly grew.

Despite its success, the brothers closed MBI in 1992 to launch Medac, a company focused strictly on anesthesia billing.

Medac was in the midst of launching Kam Technologies, a proprietary software product that would allow clients to track reimbursements in real time, when Kam was killed in a car accident on Interstate 20.

Bijon was devastated but carried on despite his heartbreak. “Kam’s vision was to grow the company and sell it—and we had named the software after him. I knew I had to stick with the business.”

Under Bijon’s leadership, Medac overcame significant challenges—bugs in its technology, financial hardships and legal struggles. “Everyone told me I wasn’t going to make it,” Bijon recalls, “but Kam taught me to be honest and persevere. He had a very positive outlook on life.

He was a great communicator— very caring and loving. He was just a great guy. So I went out there and sold and sold and sold.”

Today Medac is one of the largest anesthesia revenue cycle management companies in the

world. “I wouldn’t be where I am without Kam,” Bijon says. “I could have done a lot of things to keep his name alive, but Pace seemed like the right fit. Kam was very loyal. He always said that we had to take care of our family first—and although I didn’t expect to get that sense of family from Pace, the school has been amazing. Pace has nurtured our son, MICHAEL MEMAR [now in seventh grade], and our daughter, Madeline Memar, [who currently attends the Atlanta Speech School and hopes to return to Pace].”

The family’s connection to the school has been further strengthened by Diana’s involvement; she taught AP calculus in the Upper School math department for four years.

Kam was 41 when he passed away, and he wanted a family of his own. The Memars believe that Kam—an athlete, avid traveler, consummate dealmaker and intellectual— would have loved Pace, with its focus on global education and commitment to exposing students to a variety of activities and perspectives. They feel it’s a place that he would have found deserving of his loyalty and generosity.

And so the Kam Memar Lower School will stand as a testament to Kam’s passion, charisma and curiosity—and as a legacy of a family’s love.

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ACCELERATE PACE

C A M PA I G N CO - C H A I R S PA R T N E R I N G T O A C C E L E R AT E G I V I N G

Amy & Ronnie Agami

PACE Academy parents AMY and RONNIE AGAMI, TAYLOR and RONNIE BROWN, and ALLYSON and JIM MASKE are serving as the co-chairs of the Accelerate Pace capital campaign.

While their Pace experiences are varied, the couples share an appreciation for the school’s unique sense of community. They believe that Pace’s facilities must match the high caliber of its programming and teaching, and are enthusiastic to partner in leading the Accelerate Pace campaign committee (see sidebar)—and accelerate giving at Pace! Read on for their Pace stories.

THE AGAMIS

Taylor & Ronnie Brown

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As native Atlantans and passionate philanthropists, Amy and Ronnie Agami have loved seeing how members of the community work together and support one another, particularly at Pace Academy—a community they joined in 2014, when their oldest child, ZACH AGAMI ’27, enrolled in Pre-First.

The couple’s Pace connection extends back to their childhoods. Both recall coming to the Fall Fair, even though they didn’t attend the school. “Pace has been on my radar as long as I can remember,” Amy explains. “Even as a child and an outside onlooker to Pace, it seemed like such a warm, welcoming and happy place.”

When it was time for the Agamis to look at schools for their children, they had that same feeling. “Amy and I could not wait for our children to start at Pace,” Ronnie explains. “We loved everything about it from the moment our family stepped on campus.” The couple’s younger children, JILL AGAMI ’29 and NOAH AGAMI ’31, also began in Pre-First.

“As a Pace family, we know that our initial feelings about the school were true,” Ronnie says. “From academics to arts to athletics, the Pace family is second to none. Now we just need our facilities to match all our school has to offer. We have had a great start with much of our campus.

We cannot wait to see how incredible the school looks and feels when the Lower School and Castle have been updated.”

Amy says, “Growing up, my parents always emphasized giving back to the community. The Accelerate Pace campaign is an opportunity to show appreciation for all Pace has done for our family and community, and give back to the school we love.”

A former educator, Amy is especially excited to bring the facilities up to the level of Pace’s education. “The new building will provide our incredible teachers the spaces and tools they need to support their teaching. Not to mention, the kids will feel pretty special, too! Additionally, students become more motivated learners when their surroundings feel up to speed.”

Amy and Ronnie have both been actively involved in Pace. They have served as classroom volunteers and grade reps, and have supported The Pace Fund, Booster Club, Auction and other giving opportunities.

Amy will also co-chair the Fall Fair in October 2020. They wanted to become involved in a different way, and the Accelerate Pace campaign is “the perfect way,” Ronnie says.

“We believe that one of the most important aspects of Pace is the welcoming and accepting climate families find here,” he adds. “Once you are a part of Pace, it feels like home. It’s refreshing to be in a place like this—we have made so many friends here. This campaign is a great chance to energize our very special community and make it even better.”

THE BROWNS Taylor and Ronnie Brown enrolled their son, RHYS BROWN ’31, in Pace’s Pre-First class in 2018. “We wanted to find a place where he would thrive and where our family would truly be involved,” Taylor says.

This involvement began on day one: as a new parent, Taylor began volunteering in the classroom and joined the Pace Cares Committee; this school year, she began volunteering with Lower School hospitality.

Ready for deeper engagement, the couple considers serving as campaign co-chairs the ideal opportunity. “We are passionate about Pace,” Ronnie explains. “It has a genuine community feel and has been a

ACCELERATE PACE

great addition for our family—it is imperative for us to support the school.”

The Browns believe in investing in people, community and family. “We feel that our participation in the campaign is and should be an obligation,” Taylor notes.

“With Rhys starting in Pre-First and his little sister, Reagan, hopefully following in his footsteps, we plan on being around for years to come.”

Ronnie adds, “We are immersed in this community, and it is an honor to assist in leading the charge in making Pace better, in any capacity, for all of our children. They are our greatest assets and the future.

“Pace is as first-class as they come, and the school should reflect that in every way,” he continues. “The Accelerate Pace campaign provides the opportunity to address necessary upgrades across our campus. It is vital for Pace to remain competitive in every aspect.”

One of Ronnie’s favorite quotes, by the internationally acclaimed organizational consultant and author Idowu Koyenikan, conveys the sentiments underpinning the family’s engagement with the campaign: “There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests get together to work toward the same goals."

The Browns feel the campaign offers an opportunity to show pride in and strengthen the Pace community. “Community is important because it allows people to interact with one another and share experiences to develop relationships, which help us all to grow,” Ronnie says.

“When we look at Pace and what it provides for all children, we see lives being shaped and transformed. We see problem-solving, critical thinking and community,” Taylor adds. “We think it is critical to take pride in who and what we represent.”

THE MASKES When Allyson and Jim Maske enrolled their daughter, EMMA STEWART MASKE ’22, at Pace as a Pre-First student in 2009, they discovered a school home that felt like a family. Their appreciation for the school deepened after their son, JD MASKE ’24, joined the Pre-First class two years later.

“We value having a school where our children are known for who they are, and where the teachers care about and connect with every student,” Allyson explains.

Jim adds, “The close-knit community and the strength of the academics, arts and athletics set Pace apart.”

Even as they juggle busy careers—Jim is a vice president in Goldman Sachs’ investment management group and Allyson is a plastic surgeon and co-owner of the Aya Medical Spas—the Maskes have been active in the school community.

“Our family has strong feelings for the school, and we enjoy giving back to it,” Jim explains. Previously the Maskes have volunteered in Lower School classrooms and served in leadership roles with the Aim High campaign, Fall Fair, Georgia Tax Credit program and Pace Fund.

In 2018, Jim joined the Board of Trustees; in 2019, the couple accepted the opportunity to serve as Accelerate Pace co-chairs. Jim explains, “Our family has benefited from preceding campaigns; now it is our turn to give back.”

Although the family’s Lower School years are past, Allyson and Jim are excited about the new Lower School facility and classroom building renovations, which they believe will strengthen the school family that nurtured their children.

“Bringing the Lower School building up to par with the rest of the Pace campus will make our school family complete,” Allyson says. “We owe it to our students and teachers to have a facility of equal caliber.”

Jim adds, “Renovating the Castle—the second phase of the campaign—is also a vital undertaking. Plans are to modernize and preserve our school’s iconic building, and repurpose spaces within it for STEAM and Design, which will return students to Pace’s first classroom building.”

He adds, “The juxtaposition of past and future will make the Castle truly exceptional—it will honor Pace’s history while housing spaces for innovative and forward-looking learning. This in combination with the Lower School expansion and renovations will make Accelerate Pace one of the most impactful campaigns in school history.”

Accelerate Pace Committee C A M PA I G N LEADERSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR Elizabeth Correll Richards

CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS Amy and Ronnie Agami Taylor and Ronnie Brown Allyson and Jim Maske

ALUMNI COMMITTEE ALUMNI CO-CHAIRS Scott Butler ’81 Natalie Underwood Shirley ’01

PA R E N T COMMITTEE LOWER SCHOOL CO-CHAIRS Stacy and Ken Crumley Shivani and Krishna Mukkamala

THIRD GRADE Grace Gavric Julie Johnson Amanda Parrilli Tisha Tipnis

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAIR Julie Goldstrom

FOURTH GRADE Kara and Anand Dutta Banu Asik Elizondo Julia Kaufman

UPPER SCHOOL CHAIR Derek Hardesty NEW PARENT CO-CHAIRS Amy Brumfield Stephanie McDonald INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY CO-CHAIRS Marisa and David Chin Yee Ciara and Eddie Irons NEW PARENTS Buddy Blaha Barbarella Diaz Chris Gabriel Spyro Karetsos Tricia Kinney Liz and Justin Ryan ’95 Leigh and Michael Segall ALUMNI PARENTS Charley Brickley ’88 Trey Pope ’86 PRE-FIRST Kavita Kotte and Samir Bhatia Kim McWhorter Kathleen Morris FIRST GRADE Jenny Beauchamp Hillary Shaw Hyman Ellen Laddin Charlie Thompson SECOND GRADE Eric Brune Mitch Nelson Sarah Rich

FIFTH GRADE Alfred Kallingal Chris McDaid Natasha Swann SIXTH GRADE Bill Monroe Wendy Siskin Ellie and Josh Weiss SEVENTH GRADE Pete Davis Alli and Matt Richardson Emily Washburn EIGHTH GRADE Valerie Ausband Sarah Gray Kimberley Ichter Lisa Lemke Tad Little NINTH GRADE Ripple Alkire Matt Gaudet Geeta Lochan Kimberly Nuckols Leslie Stebbins 10TH GRADE Ed Holmes Palmer Proctor Rodney Schiffer 11TH GRADE Michelle Boushka Bob Brennan ’88 Mike Hall 12TH GRADE Forrest and Bob Caton Jimmy Cushman David Duncan Mindi and Pete Shelton

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Design Thinking Lab Design Thinking builds understanding of real-world problems through a human-centered, hands-on and team-based approach. In the Design Thinking lab, adjacent to a new science classroom, young innovators will have the tools they need to collaborate, think critically, communicate and create.

Academic Resource Center In the Academic Resource Center (ARC), learning specialists support each child’s unique needs. With a welcoming common area, offices and a testing room, the new Lower School ARC will facilitate studentfaculty collaboration throughout the day.

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Gathering Places The Pace community will come together in a 2,000-square-foot meeting room suitable for hosting everything from class plays to guest speakers. The pre-function space outside the meeting room will welcome guests as they enter or attend a meeting in the nearby conference room.

Gymnasium With direct access to the playground, a 3,900-square-foot gymnasium will allow students to engage in the important work of play. Gym users and playground-goers alike will use the space’s adjoining restrooms, and a nearby elevator will provide accessibility from the floors above.

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Music Classrooms The sounds of instruments and young voices in song will fill the lower level of the Kam Memar Lower School, which will include two large music classrooms to accommodate the Lower School’s thriving strings, band and choral programs. Adjacent storage will maximize instructional spaces.

Cafeteria The updated cafeteria will annex the current music room, creating a sense of openness. SAGE Dining Services will operate out of a full kitchen, serving delicious and nutritious meals in a cafeteria line set apart from the main dining space.

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Library A reimagined library will bring literature and learning to life in the Lower School like never before.

Quiet nooks for reading, designated spaces for small-group work and a video conferencing area will create an academic hub for students and faculty alike.

Learn more about Accelerate Pace and take a virtual tour of the Kam Memar Lower School at accelerate.paceacademy.org.

Playground Students will slide into a state-ofthe-art outdoor space from the Lower School classroom building’s second-story deck and enter a series of structures designed to augment the imagination. Playground elements will circle the perimeter of the space, creating a grassy center for sports and games, while ADA-accessible structures will ensure the playground accommodates all students. The air-conditioned gym at ground level extends the playground indoors and facilitates easy access to restrooms and an elevator.

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VOLLEYBALL DYNASTY

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL CLAIMS ITS THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLE

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BACK TO BACK TO BACK

VOLLEYBALL DYNASTY

n storytelling, music and art, the rule of three suggests that a trio of characters, words or visual components is inherently more memorable, satisfying and successful than other numbers. As it turns out, the same applies to volleyball.

This year, the varsity squad captured its third consecutive state championship, a feat that cemented the program’s place in school history and firmly established Pace Academy as a volleyball powerhouse.

Three members of the team—seniors ADA JANE AGOLLI, LUCY FERRY and DOMINIQUE TURNER—were four-year starters. Senior SASHA RATLIFF, “our missing piece,” says Agolli, joined the squad in 2018.

Under the leadership of head coach ANNA BUSH, the Knights have dominated the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Class AAA since 2016, Agolli, Ferry and Turner’s first season on the varsity team. That year, the squad defeated rival Lovett in a Final Four match for the ages and advanced to the GHSA state championship for the first time in program history.

Ultimately, the Knights fell to Westminster, but the experience had a lasting impact on the team’s three youngest members.

“That loss really hurt,” recalls Turner.

“After it was over, we thought, ‘we’re not doing that again.’ But if we had won that first year, I don’t know that we would have continued to win.”

Agolli agrees. “I saw the loss as just the beginning,” she says. “We were such a young team, and we were all confident in what the next season held. Yes, it was a step back, but it was also a look into the future.”

The Knights returned to the GHSA finals the following year, again facing Westminster. This time, the result was different. They claimed the 2017 state volleyball title— Pace’s first ever—and went on to bring home the 2018 trophy as well, emerging victorious over the Wildcats a second time.

Expectations were high as the back-toback state champs began the 2019 season.

“In the beginning, we thought we had this season in the bag,” Agolli says, “but it turns out that we were focused on the end instead of the journey.”

Upon returning to practice in the summer of 2019, Bush and assistant coaches SCOTT MCEWAN and TAYLOR BRYAN didn’t find the energetic group they’d hoped to encounter. “There was a lot of fatigue,” Bush says. “Many of the players had just finished a grueling club [volleyball] season, and there wasn’t much focus.”

It showed. In the team’s first match-up against Westminster, the Knights lost 1–2.

“It wasn’t that we lost,” Bush says. “It was how we lost. The seniors were not happy with the result, and we came to an understanding that we had some work to do.”

That work included team-building activities off the court to welcome new players and strengthen relationships among the 10-person squad, a small group by volleyball standards. “Volleyball is such a team sport,” says Ferry. “There’s a togetherness that you have to have to compete at a high level. The energy that you can feel on the court is different than what you feel in any other sport.” As the season progressed, the seniors took charge, and that energy built.

But as the team came together, they also fell apart. Junior HANNAH PACE came down with mononucleosis; Agolli sprained her ankle; junior standout KALISSA GREENE was sidelined for three weeks with a knee injury. “We had to do some major reshuffling and ask girls to play at new positions,” Bush says. “It was all hands on deck, and the team handled it really, really well.”

The Knights fell to Westminster in the area championship and entered the state playoffs with Greene still on the bench. When she returned to the court against Greater Atlanta Christian School in the state semifinals, everything clicked.

“That last week was perfect,” Ferry recalls. “Everything was there.”

“Those three championships in a row make me feel like a legend.

No other Pace team has ever

For the fourth consecutive year, Pace faced Westminster in a neighborhood battle for the state title. The area-runner-up Knights were the underdogs, and Bush decided to make a change.

“The last few times we had played Westminster, they had never changed their lineup or their sub patterns, and

done that.

We made history.”

DOMINIQUE TURNER ’20

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VOLLEYBALL DYNASTY

they had a few of our players pegged,” Bush says. “So I decided to change the rotation.”

It was a risky move, one that would put Ratliff, the team’s unstoppable middle, in the back to start the game. But it worked.

“Westminster was thrown off,” Bush says. “The match-ups were different. As that first set began, Sasha rotated her way through the back row, and by the time she made it up front, we were up 6–5. I knew we were fine.”

The Knights never looked back—and they never dropped a set.

“Everyone on the team made an impact,” Bush recalls. “Kalissa played through a broken finger and was phenomenal. Sasha is such a freakishly great athlete and put the ball on the floor every time we needed her to. Ada Jane and Lucy had their best performances of the year. [Junior] ELLIOT MATHIS was outstanding. I just can’t say enough about this team.”

One very important member of the team, however, never set foot on the court.

“The Pace student section made all the difference,” Agolli says. “Volleyball is such

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a mental sport. You feed off the energy of your team, the team across the net and your surroundings. Pace fans stayed positive. They lifted us up. I’m really thankful that we had that support system and sense of community.”

Bush will have another young team next year, and, as a result of GHSA reclassifications, Pace will play in Class AA, making the possibility of a fifth state match-up against Westminster impossible.

“We’re reloading,” Bush says. “I can’t worry about what I can’t control.

We will put together the best team that we can, and we will continue to get the process right.”

Agolli feels confident about the future of the program: “We seniors know that the [volleyball] girls can take it to the next level and continue growing as a program and a team,” she says. “We’re really thankful that we got to be a part of the process and helped spark that growth.”

Images: Chrystal Moore Photography

THE TEAM ANNA BUSH HEAD COACH • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA Coach of the Year SCOTT MCEWAN ASSISTANT COACH TAYLOR BRYAN ASSISTANT COACH ADA JANE AGOLLI • 4-AAA All-Area Second Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All Star LUCY FERRY • 4-AAA All-Area First Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA All-State Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All Star KALISSA GREENE • 4-AAA All-Area First Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA All-State Team • VolleyballMag.com 2019 Girls Club All-American MEGAN HARDESTY TAYLOR KNOWLTON ELLIOT MATHIS MORGAN NEILL HANNAH PACE SASHA RATLIFF • 4-AAA All-Area First Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA All-State Team • 2019 Under Armour Second-Team All-American • PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace • PrepVolleyball.com All-American • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All Star DOMINIQUE TURNER • 4-AAA All-Area Second Team • Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All Star

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MODEL UN

Modeling

STUDENT LEADERSHIP RE-ENERGIZES PACE’S DECADES-OLD MODEL UN PROGRAM

DIPLOMACY SPIRITED DEBATE,

intellectual curiosity and global engagement have long defined the Pace Academy experience, and nowhere do these educational hallmarks more clearly converge than in Pace’s Model United Nations program.

An activity in high schools around the world, the policy-simulation program requires that students research global issues—topics such as climate action, gender equality and poverty—and come together at Models, simulations where students act as country ambassadors to the United Nations or other international bodies.

Other committees require that students think on their feet. They might be asked to relive history as part of Rome’s Imperial Crisis, Mary Stuart’s 1586 trial or President Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet; use their imaginations on crisis committees for organizations such as Spectre, the Premier League or the NBA; or choose an ad hoc experience in which they face challenges such as designing a society from inception or surviving a nuclear winter.

From its humble beginnings over a quarter-century ago, Model UN at Pace has blossomed under the leadership of longtime Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH, known by students, faculty, parents and alumni as a force of nature. Smith’s extreme passion and knowledge can only be described hyperbolically: “Asking what Ms. Smith does for Model UN is like asking what the sun does for a tree,” JEB CARTER ’18 explains.

Smith does not work alone. Fellow Model UN sponsors DR. DON DUPREE, DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP and MARTY HAMBURGER provide assistance, as do willing teachers such as DR. CHRISTINE CARTER and JASON SMITH, all of whom welcome working with students in ungraded environments that allow students to gain confidence in their research, writing and speaking abilities.

Participating in a Model is not for the faint of heart. For a faculty adviser, it requires recruiting students, overseeing logistics such as registration and travel, preparing students to engage in the program, attending weekend workshops and overseeing Pace delegates at the Model itself.

Students liken participating in Model UN to taking an intensive, multi-week independent-study course in which they learn how to research, as well as summarize and cite articles covering topics such as a country’s political system, economic status, major societal issues, allies, enemies and role in the region.

During a Model, students must speak confidently from the points of view of their assigned countries and counter arguments from delegates who disagree, using specific evidence to determine where and when their countries might be willing to compromise. Between 50 and 3,000 delegates attend a given conference; students may be in large General Assembly committees in which all 200 members of the UN are represented, or they may participate in small groups such as the historical committee on Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

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Adventures in MODELING…

2009 T UF T S C O NF E R E N C E Over the years, technology and the changing political landscape have had significant impacts on Model UN—for better and for worse. Thirty years ago, research was limited to a reference book, now the Central Intelligence Agency’s online World Factbook, and to The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, a biweekly publication that indexed topics in periodicals.

Today, there is nearly limitless access to information—far too much for any student to ingest for an academic extracurricular activity. In addition, shifting political alliances and the evolving roles of major powers have added new layers of depth and complexity to students’ research and proposals.

The most significant change for the Model UN program at Pace, however, has been student leadership. Smith credits senior INDIA BEHL with instigating this transformation. During a Model her sophomore year, Behl and four other students—seniors PAUL-LOUIS BIONDI and FRANCESCA VANERI, junior ISABEL BATTISTA and sophomore LEAH FAVERO—whom Smith has nicknamed “The Gang of Five,” asked if they could increase student participation in Model UN. Thrilled, Smith and DuPree agreed.

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2011 C HIC A GO

2013 Q ATA R

“India has completely innovated how students participate in Model UN,” Smith explains. “She has not only inspired other student leaders, but has also helped us as sponsors see our potential.”

As a result of Behl’s vision and leadership, students actively bring in and train new members; organize and teach delegate workshops; and plan the future of the program. Previously, Smith felt as though advisers’ busy schedules and other commitments limited the depth and scope of the program, but now—even with time and budgetary constraints—Model UN is thriving. In recent years, Model UN has morphed from a low-key extracurricular activity involving 15 to 25 students participating in three or four Models, to a robust program with 60 to 80 students traveling to five or six Models during a school year.

With this increased participation, Smith’s leadership has only grown. Freed from the weight of much of the logistical planning, Smith now sees her primary role as empowering students to serve as resources for one another and encouraging additional faculty members to take part. The program is poised to thrive in the coming years, thanks to this new emphasis on student

leadership and collaboration, as well as the experience of sponsors and teachers.

Although research and academic skills are critical elements of any Model, Smith’s mentorship isn’t limited to making sure students are prepared academically for a conference. CLAIRE WISKIND ’13 explains, “I’ll never forget what Ms. Smith would tell us before each conference: ‘We may not win all of the awards, but the students from Pace Academy will be the most polite and respectful students there.’”

Students carry lessons like these throughout their lives, and participation in Model UN has been life changing for many.

Not only has their involvement helped facilitate admissions to select colleges and universities, it has also influenced their courses of study.

After participating in Model UN, KEVIN LINDER ’94 decided to pursue Near Eastern Studies. For some—like ADAM CHAIKOFF ’10—participation in Model UN has had an impact long after college. “One of the most impactful lessons I learned from Model UN was that someone’s personal or cultural background can play a decisive role in how they view world

MODEL UN

2017 BUD A P E S T

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affairs or other important political issues,” Chaikoff says. “As someone who works in political strategy, this is a lesson I carry with me every day, whenever I have to think about how to best communicate and reach out to different voting blocks.”

COURTNEY FREER ’04 had a similar experience. “Model UN made me curious about the world, and that’s what led me to learn Arabic in college and then move overseas,” she reports. “I’ve now lived the past 10 years abroad, working as a political scientist focused on the Middle East.

I am still obsessed with traveling to new places and seeing the world from different perspectives.”

Following three days of extensive committee debate, three Pace students, junior MICHAEL FU and seniors ANDREW MILLER and ANDREW NEVILLE, received awards. All Pace delegates, including three new to Model UN, declared their intention to return to Lisbon in 2020 and continue learning and debating with students from five continents.

Life-changing study tours like these are just part of the perspective-altering Model UN experience. Smith encourages any student who is interested in current events or the wider world to participate.

“We will meet you exactly where you are, and you will learn things you never expected,” she promises. “Pace Model UN students are preparing for a globalized world in which contacts from high school help delegates form a web of connections that make us part of a world-wide elite based on education, experience and profession.”

Recently, eight current students traveled with Smith and English teacher ROBERT KAUFMAN to Lisbon, Portugal, to participate in Yale Model Government Europe in which delegates represent European countries and entities such as the European Union and NATO. From tours of castles and museums to cooking classes and decadent meals, students experienced Lisbon during the day and continued research and writing in the evenings, with a looming deadline at the first session of their committees.

BOOK YOUR SUMMER CAMPS TODAY BEFORE THEY FILL UP! EIGHT WEEKS OF CAMP PROGRAMS

JUNE 1–JULY 31 ATHLETIC, ACADEMIC, ART/THEATRE AND SPECIALTY CAMPS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR GRADES K–12

— by HANNAH KELLY ’15

VISIT US AT: www.paceacademy.org/summer-programs

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[1] ETHAN SMITH ’96 lives in Los Angeles, where he works in the film industry as a writer, director and producer. He is currently in the pre-production process for a film about World War II, which he adapted from a memoir.

In addition, Ethan is an outspoken national advocate for mental health, specifically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He delivered the keynote speech at the International OCD Conference in Los Angeles in 2014, became a national spokesperson for the foundation in 2015 and was named its only national ambassador in 2018.

“I speak all over the world educating on the realities of OCD in an effort to reduce stigma,” Ethan writes. “I've also been consulting at Yale and Harvard, helping experts better understand how to relate to those suffering with OCD.” In August 2019, Ethan completed a documentary short entitled Uncovering OCD: The Truth About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The film will be released this summer; a full-length documentary on the same subject will follow. Ethan’s articles on OCD have been published in more than 20 publications, and he has appeared on National Public Radio and various national podcasts.

[2] ALEX MARSDEN ’02 joined PwC as a partner in the company’s Health Industry Strategy practice in late 2019. Alex's work focuses on helping hospitals and health systems across the country enable sustainable, organic growth by improving patient engagement and accessibility to patient care. Alex enjoys spending as much quality time as possible with his wife, Kara, and their two children, Cameron, 5, and James, 2. The family lives in the Atlanta area.

[3] KAT BELINFANTE ’10 lives in New York City, where she works as an actor, comic, writer and producer. She runs a sold-out monthly standup show at the Lantern Comedy Club called Too Much Hot Sauce and has performed in festivals (New South Comedy Festival), clubs (Caroline's on Broadway) and other venues throughout the country and internationally.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?

Kat continues to develop her own work and act on the stage and screen. Recently, at the Big Apple Film Festival, she debuted Locker Room Talk, a comedic web series exploring what “locker room talk” looks like for the modern woman. Upcoming projects include a sketch comedy troupe for Instagram and When You Least Expect It, a horror-comedy short she wrote and acts in.

[4] MORGAN BATEY ’12 plays professional basketball for Guifões Sport Club, part of Portuguese Liga Feminina. In her first season on the team, Morgan was named Interperformances Player of the Week twice and led the league in points.

[5] A recent graduate of DePaul University, NATALIE MARCRUM ’15 served as press information coordinator for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Prior to the festival, Natalie’s duties included assisting with press accreditation and calculating filmmaker and festival demographics, facts and figures. During the festival, she sent daily media-coverage reports highlighting film reviews and acquisitions to the Sundance Institute. She also managed the festival media center, where film teams and members of the press conducted interviews. “The experience was incredible, and I will always remember it!”

Natalie writes.

[6] LAUREN ARCHER ’16 serves as cohead of marketing for the Fellowship of St Andrews. The group of social entrepreneurs at the University of St Andrews in Scotland works at the heart of town-gown relations by organizing volunteer opportunities, fundraisers and public events that promote a shared sense of community. The profits from these events benefit various charities.

“I have loved my time spent in this position as I have gotten to know the community I live in on a much deeper level while also supporting charitable efforts,” Lauren writes. “We are a very close-knit group of students with similar values, and I feel lucky to have gotten to be a part of the organization during my time at the

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University of St Andrews. I will miss my fellow students and this role when I graduate in June 2020.”

[7] JORDAN HARRIS ’16, a redshirt junior offensive guard for the Furman University Paladins, received All-Southern Conference Second Team honors following the 2019 football season. In addition, Jordan, a former announcer for Pace Athletics, serves as a part-time public address announcer for Furman's soccer, softball and baseball teams.

“When Jordan Harris speaks, folks listen,” FurmanPaladins.com writes in an article entitled The Voice Heard ‘Round Campus. “[He] is blessed with a booming, Barry White-quality voice that plumbs the bottom end of sound systems with resonance.”

Jordan is double majoring in urban studies and international affairs with a minor

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in poverty studies. He hopes to become a certified city planner.

[8] SAMUEL SLOMAN ’16, a senior placekicker for the Miami University football team, was one of 20 finalists for the 2019 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.

The award honors the top collegiate placekicker in the nation.

In addition, Samuel was named Special Teams Player of the Game at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Football Championship, where the Miami RedHawks defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas.

Samuel’s fourth field goal of the game put Miami ahead of Central Michigan with just 30 seconds left to play. “[Sloman’s] teammates lifted him into the air as the RedHawk faithful chanted his name,” The Miami Student wrote.

Samuel’s Pace classmates JAKE RICHARDS ’16, PHILIP ELLIOTT ’16,

BRAD RUBIN ’16 and JOE LOUGHRAN ’16 traveled to Detroit’s Ford Field to cheer him on in the championship game.

Pictured left to right: Richards, Sloman, Elliott, Rubin and Loughran [9] XION JOHNSON ’18 was inducted into the Morehouse School of Medicine Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy.

The UHSA identifies and equips undergraduate students for graduate programs in medicine, dentistry and other STEM-related health professions. Only 10 Morehouse students are selected each year.

[10] In November 2019, MARC MITCHELL ’18, a sophomore at Denison University, was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week for the second time in his career. The accolade came after Marc helped Denison tie for seventh at the O'Briant-Jensen Memorial in Greensboro,

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email alumni@paceacademy.org 9

N.C. He also was named to the AllTournament team.

[11] ALEXANDRA BAKER ’19 is enjoying her freshman year at Boston College, where she has joined the women’s rugby team, playing alongside fellow alumna SYDNIE JIANG ’18. “Being on the team has been an incredible experience—my teammates are the most supportive group of people I have ever met,” Baker, a rugby novice, writes. “I won't lie, it was a little scary learning how to tackle someone with no padding, but I actually love it.” Participating in the sport has allowed Alexandra to explore the Northeast as the group travels to other states to compete. Pictured: Jiang and Baker (bottom row, second and third from left) with the Boston College women's rugby team

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[12] CHARLIE HIRSCH ’19, a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has joined 180 Degrees Consulting, a volunteer consultancy that strives to provide the highest quality advisory services to nonprofits and socially-minded organizations.

Charlie’s clients have included a nonprofit that seeks to increase recycling and boost employment in Haiti, and Club Nova, a community center that provides employment, education and social opportunities for individuals with serious mental illnesses.

In addition, Charlie and several friends have launched a project that aims to provide the ability to confidently give money to those experiencing homelessness. “Our product is a radio-frequency identification chipped card that people can buy for $5,” Charlie writes. “Those experiencing homelessness can then use the card to purchase food and personal products at participating vendors.”

On Tuesday nights, Charlie can be found running trivia for college students at Chapel Hill’s He's Not Here Bar. [13] ABIGAIL LUND ’19, a first-year student at the University of Virginia, serves as secretary/treasurer of the Virginia Senior Classical League. Virginia SCL supports the Junior Classical League, an academic youth organization that promotes study of the classics. Abigail is also treasurer of the Accessible Theatre Project, which partners with arts and theatre groups in the Charlottesville area to produce shows with sensory-friendly modifications such as adjusted light and sound levels and flexible seating—alterations that allow families with neurodiverse needs, such as autism, to enjoy a trip to the theatre. Pictured: Lund (right) with friends

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MARRIAGES [1] CARY DONALDSON ’99 married Theresa Flanagan on Dec. 31, 2019, at Chateau du Val in Brittany, France.

[2] LUCY INMAN CLIFFORD ’02 and Mac Clifford were married on Sept. 14, 2019.

The ceremony took place in Cashiers, N.C. The couple lives in Atlanta.

[3] ANNA ZANE ’02 married Scott Moscow on Nov. 23, 2019, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Pace attendees included Matron of Honor MAUREEN SAUNDERS ECKARD ’02, bridesmaids KATHLEEN MCNEILL TRESTRAIL ’02 and CAMILLE BARCHERS ’02, and groomsmen DAVID ZANE ’98 and JOSHUA ZANE ’00.

The couple was introduced by a mutual friend when Anna moved back to Atlanta

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from New York City. Anna is a director of marketing and account management at GSN Games. Scott is an optometrist and clinical director at Roswell Eye Clinic. The couple lives in Buckhead.

[4] JORDAN HARBIN ’06 married Sylvain Bekaert on June 1, 2019, at the Chateau de Roquelune in Pezenas, France. The bridal party included TAYLOR HARBIN RIX ’08, CONNOR HARBIN ’10, MARSHALL HARBIN ’12 and JULIANNA CRITZ ’07. JONATHAN RIX ’06, ZACK EZOR ’06, LARA GOODRICH EZOR ’06, CARRIE PATTERSON ’06 and LINDA OYESIKU ’06 attended.

The couple met while they were working at Canal+, a media company in Paris.

Jordan recently left her job in marketing

at Uber to start her own mobile app.

Sylvain is a lead software engineer at Dior. They live in Paris.

[5–6] COURTNEY SCHAEFER DEVEAU ‘07 and PATRICK DEVEAU ’05 were married on October 5, 2019, in Hyannis Port, Mass. The wedding party included LUCY SCHAEFER AYRES ’08, MEGAN KNOTT ’04, CAROLYN SCHAEFER ’11, TODD CARTER DEVEAU ‘01, ANDREW GARCIA ’05 and CASEY SHUSTER ’05.

Additional Pace guests were SARAH BUTLER ’07, CHARLIE BUTLER ’05, KRISTIN CHICK CARPENTER ’07, MOLLY DALY ’07, PETER FINNERTY ’07, LAUREN KRAVITZ HAIRE ’07, HENRY MCALPIN ’05, PEARSON MATHEWS MCSHANE ’07, CHRISTINA MORRISON ’05, VANESSA

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PETROSKY ’05, KIEFER PIRRUNG ’05, JENNI RIDALL ’05, BRECK ROCHOW '05, MARY HIPP ROGERS ’06, REID ROGERS ’07, OLIVIA MILLS SMITH ’07, BEN TORBERT ’05, MAGGIE MATHEWS WINGO ’05 and former Pace student Ben Lowenthal.

Courtney is the associate director of membership and affiliate programs at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Patrick is an associate at Front Inc., an architectural design and engineering consulting firm in Brooklyn. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in real estate development at Columbia University. The couple resides in New York City.

[7] HURST WILLIAMSON ’11 married Emma Hurt Williamson at Christ Church

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on St. Simons Island, Ga., on Oct. 26, 2019.

Hurst and Emma celebrated with several Pace friends, including groomsmen ZACK LINDSEY ’11, CHARLIE LINDSEY ’11 and BENJAMIN HARRIS ’11, who also sang at the wedding. Emma is a journalist for National Public Radio, and Hurst a communications consultant at SW&A in Atlanta.

FRANCES FUQUA ’12 and MARGARET WORRELL ’12 were bridesmaids. Other Pace attendees included ALEXANDRA SUGARMAN ’12, TREY POPE ’86, FRED GLASS ‘89 and MARY COTA REED ’93, Hayley’s godmother. The couple honeymooned in Europe and are happily settling into married life in Atlanta.

[8] ARDEN CARLTON ’14 and RICARDO GOELLNICHT ’12 were married on Oct. 26, 2019, in Miami’s South Beach. Pace attendees included CATER CARLTON ’16, HOLLAND CARLTON ’19 and CAROLINE DRAUGHON ’14.

[10] Kayla and GLEN HARRIS ’12 were married on Feb. 1, 2020, in Birmingham, Ala. Head of School FRED ASSAF and MARTHA DOWNER-ASSAF attended.

Kayla is working toward a master’s in biomedical sciences at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles. Glen is an active duty Marine officer serving out of Camp Pendleton.

[9] HAYLEY SHOJI COATES ’12 married Jason Coates on Dec. 21, 2019, at the Wimbish House in Midtown Atlanta.

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BIRTHS [1] DEANNA THOMAS and DREW THOMAS ’97 welcomed twins, son River and daughter Pfeiffer, to their family on Sept. 1, 2019. Big brother BAUER THOMAS is a Pace sixth grader.

[2] ALAINA BEACH ’00 and her husband, Patrick Chaffin, had a son, Warner James, on Jan. 13, 2020. He was 7 pounds and 19 inches long. The family lives in Nashville, where Alaina practices law, and Patrick is an appraiser.

[3] KAREN MARGOLIS KAYE ’00 and her husband, Ian, welcomed a son, Owen Charles, on May 17, 2019. He joins big sister Lila, who adores him. The family lives in Atlanta. Karen works as a physician

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assistant in the Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center.

[4–5] TALBOTT HEAD SHAW ’03 and her husband, Burk, had a son, George Loving, on Oct. 14, 2019. He weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces. George joins brother William and sisters Sophie and Ella.

[6] LINDSEY WILLIAMSON BAUMANN '04 and her husband, Dan, welcomed David Robert on Sept. 28, 2019. He weighed 8 pounds and joins sister Eloise, 2. DR. DARA PERLOW MATTHEW ’04 delivered David.

[7] MAGGIE O’HAIRE ’04 and her husband, Mitchell Zischke, welcomed Lily Zischke O'Haire on Sept. 16, 2019. Lily came into

the world at 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and 19.75 inches. Lily's godmother is Maggie's good friend STEWART BARBOUR ’04. The proud grandmother is Pace Campus Store Manager LISE O’HAIRE. [8] CAROLINE FAULKNER SHIRLEY ’04 and STEVE SHIRLEY ’03 welcomed son Ellis Warren on Dec. 15, 2019. He weighed 8.5 pounds and joins twin siblings Clara and William, born Nov. 1, 2018.

[9–10] KELSEY ANNE JONES PRATT ’06 and her husband, Tyler Pratt, welcomed daughter Emerson “Emmy” Anne on Sept.

12, 2019. “Emmy is a healthy, happy and very easy baby,” Kelsey writes. “The entire family, including big brother Bennett, is

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smitten.” The Pratts live in Hamden, Conn., where Kelsey works as a healthcare consultant for Avalere Health, and Tyler is an assistant professor at Yale University.

[11] MACKENZIE BARRATT ATKINSON ’11 and her husband, Michael, welcomed son Ian Barratt on Nov. 5, 2019. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Michael, a captain in the U.S. Army, was stationed at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, Hawaii, for three years. The family recently moved to Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. “While we miss Hawaii, we are enjoying being closer to family and friends again,” Mackenzie writes.

FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES Controller WILL SMITH and his wife, Laura, welcomed daughter Nora Kate on Dec. 9, 2019. She was 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 19.5 inches.

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ALUMNI OUT & ABOUT 3

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1) BLAKE DEXTER ’90 and RUSS ALLEN ’93 coached a basketball team including several Pace second graders all the way to the Trinity Presbyterian Church Basketball League championship in February. HART ALLEN, BLAKE DEXTER and BLAKE SHIRLEY, son of NATALIE UNDERWOOD SHIRLEY ’01 and BLAKE SHIRLEY ’00, were the second-generation Pace Knights among the players who clinched the title.

2) DEON JACKSON ’17 and MARK SOMMERVILLE ’17 came out to cheer on the varsity football team against Towers High School. Deon plays football at Duke University; Mark plays for Berry College.

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3) Over the Thanksgiving holiday, members of the Class of 2019 reunited with Class Dean ERICA BARBAKOW at the home CARLY IRVINE ’19. The recent graduates enjoyed meeting Erica’s twin girls, Harper and Charlie.

4) Many young alumni returned to campus in January to celebrate the Spirit Week 2020 finale. Pictured left to right are NATE ROBINSON ’19, CONOR HARTMAN ’19, MADELINE JANKI ’19, ANDREW LADDEN ’19, MAX APPEL ’19 and ANDREW KONRADT ’19.

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Have you liked or joined us yet?

www.facebook.com/paceacademy alumniassociation www.linkedin.com/groups/160587

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VISITING THE DOCTOR During the winter break, Director of Athletics DR. TROY BAKER welcomed back a host of former Pace Knights, several of whom returned to support our current student-athletes.

1) KAYLA ROSS ’19, Baker, MCKENZIE BAKER ’17, ZOE WEITZNER ’17 and PAIGE FLEMING ’19 2) WILL NULTY ’18, Baker and MARC MITCHELL ’18 3) Baker and CHILTON TOLLIVER ’19 4) Baker and JORDAN HARRIS ’16 5) DORI GREENBERG ’16 and Baker 6) Baker and ADARA ANTHONY-JONES ’19 7) A varsity girls basketball reunion—Assistant Coach STEPHANIE SOSEBEE, MADELINE JANKI ’19, K. Ross, Head Coach Baker, Weitzner, JULIA ROSS ’17, Assistant Coach BOBBI BOYER and Fleming

Need an old yearbook?

Was yours lost, damaged or destroyed?

We can send you a new copy!

Contact Pacesetter adviser Ryan Vihlen for availability. ryan.vihlen@paceacademy.org

ALUMNI

ALUMNI REUNITE This year’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend festivities kicked off with a Friday-evening tailgate [PHOTOS 1–3] at Riverview Sports Complex and wrapped up with Saturday-night reunions for several classes. In between, alumni and their families gathered on campus to take part in a community engagement activity supporting the Perfect Love Foundation, founded by TAOS WYNN ’04.

CLASS OF 1974 [4] The Class of 1974 celebrated its 45th reunion at the home of LILA THWAITE MCALPIN.

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CLASS OF 1979 [5] The Class of 1979 gathered at the home of ANDY SUMLIN for its 40th reunion, which JOHN MCCUNE helped coordinate.

CLASS OF 1989 [6] The Class of 1989 held its 30th reunion at the home of the Van Huss family. DENISE VAN HUSS, EMERY DEYO BOURNE, CARTER INGLIS, HEATHER PATRICK MCCLOSKEY and ALICE FOWLER THOMPSON planned the event.

CLASS OF 1994 [7] CORY WEISS hosted the Class of 1994’s 25th reunion at his home with help from ANNA SKILES MUIR.

CLASS OF 1999 [8–9] The Class of 1999 reunited at Ormsby’s for its 20th reunion. WILL FRAMPTON and ANDREW TEEGARDEN coordinated the event.

CLASS OF 2009 [10] The Blind Pig served as the gathering spot for the Class of 2009, which celebrated its 10-year reunion. ANDREW HENRY, NIMAT LAWAL and ELIZABETH PATTERSON planned the evening.

CLASS OF 2014 [11] The Class of 2014 came together at Ormsby’s for its fifth reunion, planned

by KELLY BROWN and SYMONE SOMMERVILLE.

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WINTER 2020 ||| KnightTimes

ALUMNI

Stop by the Campus Store to pick up a tube or two of Little Otter Lip Balm, part of Little Otter Skincare’s line of natural, organic, hand-crafted and sustainable products. Chief Operations Officer CHAD RALSTON ’04 and his wife, Chief Executive Officer Jess Hunt-Ralston, unofficially launched the company in 2017. Their Plastic-Free Lip Balm and Golden Light Face Oil are made with raw beeswax from Northeast Georgia and GC/MS tested, certified organic ingredients from a distillery in France.

ALUMNI BID FAREWELL

The biodegradable lip balm tubes are compostable and printed with soybased ink, and Little Otter Skincare donates 10% of its net revenue to clean-water initiatives. At $3.50 for a .22 ounce tube, Little Otter Lip Balm makes the perfect gift—and is a great way to celebrate and support Pace Academy’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership Year of Waste.

On Dec. 5, alumni gathered for breakfast in the Randall House’s Goldman Conference Room to say goodbye to the Lower School administrative building, which was demolished in January.

The Randall House, a family home that Pace acquired in 1977, housed the school’s fine arts program until the opening of the Lower School classroom building in 1983, when it became part of the Lower School. The Kam Memar Lower School, set to open in August 2021, will nearly triple the size of the Randall House and provide much-needed space for academic, administrative and programmatic needs (see story on page 32).

3 CHEERS FOR THE CLASS OF 1973!

Congratulations to the Class of 1973, Alumni Challenge winner for the third year in a row, with 65% participation!

The Alumni Challenge asks alumni to show their school spirit by contributing to The Pace Alumni Fund. Contributions support needbased financial aid, providing new generations of students access to the opportunities and experiences Pace alumni enjoyed.

If you have not yet made your gift to The Alumni Fund, there is still time! Donate online at www.paceacademy.org/alumni/support-the-alumni-fund or mail a check to 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327, Attn: Alumni Office.

Learn more at www.littleotterskincare.com

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

RECEIVING MULTIPLE COPIES? If you have received multiple copies of this publication, please contact the Advancement Office at 404-240-9103 or advancement@paceacademy.org to update your information.

WE NEED YOU! Which area is most meaningful to you?

Pace Academy is a vibrant community composed of many parts, and we treasure the diverse passions represented within our school family. To ensure that your Pace Fund gift aligns with your Pace priority, you may elect to support one of seven areas of need. In other words, uchoose.

For more information or to make a gift, visit www.paceacademy.org/support/uknight-the-pace-fund.