KnightTimes Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

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

MODEL UNITED NATIONS M E N T O R S H I P S DE V E LO P I NT E R NATI O NAL U N D E R S TA N D I N G

Reimagining Our Annual Auction

team of

DE ST INY Boys basketball wins state… AND MORE!

SATURDAY KNIGHT LIVE!

TITLE $40,000+

PRESENTING $25,000+

P L AT I N U M $10 , 0 0 0 +

GOLD $5,000+

B R O N Z E $1, 5 0 0 +

KNIGHTS $500+

The Alden Family

S I LV E R $ 2 , 5 0 0 +

Dr. Michael Sebastian, Orthodontist Dr. Wes Powell, Pediatric Dentist elitesmileschastain.com

Nicole and Russ Allen ’93 Meg and Jeff Arnold Andrea and Chip Miller Whitney and Ryan Paulowsky

Karina Khouri Belinfante ’95 and Josh Belinfante ’95 The Borenstein Family Joelle and Tim Fox Ashley and Grier Campbell The Hayes Family

Mindi and Pete Shelton

The Hirokawa Family

Elizabeth and Boynton Smith

Stephanie and Austin McDonald

Laura and Jimmy Trimble

The Proctor Family

The Hobbs Family

The Swann Family

Lisa and Dan Brooks Elizabeth Dangar Cleveland ’92 and David Cleveland The Dempsey Family The Hardesty Family The Hight Family The Mallis Family The Nuckols Family The Prout Family Tiffany and Rob Walton

Stephanie and Patrick Warren The York Family

THANK YOU PACE ACADEMY AUCTION SPONSORS

Thanks to COVID vaccines and sunny skies, the members of the Class of 2021 celebrated Great American Picnic, a longtime Pace tradition marking seniors' final day of school, on April 30.

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It’s spring, my favorite time of year on the Pace Academy campus. As the Gardens turn green and annual traditions like Middle School Team Challenge, Prom and Great American Picnic signal the approach of summer, students, parents, faculty and staff begin a collective exhale. Things slow a bit, and even in the midst of exams and year-end anxieties, there is a sense of anticipation and accomplishment.

This year, more than ever before, has been a year of held breath; the exhale feels more deep, more needed. We made it. On behalf of our school community, I want to take this opportunity to thank those who pushed Pace forward throughout this trying time.

To our teachers and staff, THANK YOU for your brave and steadfast commitment to our school and our students; to Head of School FRED ASSAF, our medical advisers, and our COVID Response Team members PETE DEWAR, ANNA GRETCHEN and MEGAN TURNER, THANK YOU for answering late-night phone calls, demonstrating grace under pressure and letting science be your guide; to Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN and her team, THANK YOU for leading our community through a year of self-reflection, critical thinking and growth; to the members of our facilities team, cleaning crew and dining staff, THANK YOU for going the extra mile to keep us safe; to Pace parents, THANK YOU for trusting us with your children and putting health and safety first; and to our students, THANK YOU for your ability to roll with the flow and your indomitable spirit.

The 2020–2021 school year will go down in the history books as one of great challenges and great triumphs. I, for one, am glad it’s over, but I’ll always be proud to remember how the Pace community persevered, holding tight to the courage to strive for excellence.

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

CONTENTS 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327

06 NEWS

www.paceacademy.org

HEAD OF SCHOOL FRED ASSAF 10

32 ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

08 ROBOTICS SUCCESS A stellar year in all three divisions

32 UPPER SCHOOL WINTER SHOWCASE

09 SCHOLASTIC AWARDS Six writers and visual artists honored; ALIVIA WYNN earns an American Voices Medal

34 DESCENDANTS: THE MUSICAL A Middle School extravaganza 36 ARTS ALLIANCE MEMBERS

DIVISION HEADS

AROUND PACE A look at what’s happening on campus

MICHAEL GANNON Head of Upper School

10 CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO Our school's inaugural TEDx event

GRAHAM ANTHONY Head of Middle School

12 FACES OF PACE MAC MCCALLUM, DANA RAWLS and SHAKILA WILLIAMS

SYREETA MOSELEY Head of Lower School

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 Director of Communications, Editor OMAR LÓPEZ THISMÓN Digital Content Producer RYAN VIHLEN Creative Services Manager, Graphic Designer LELA WALLACE Digital Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS FRED ASSAF GEMSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHIC www.gemshots.com

44 ICGL The Isdell Center for Global Leadership’s Year of Global Health

16 LIFE TRUSTEE PROFILE MARY RUSHING

47 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 48 SATURDAY KNIGHT LIVE Reimagining the Pace Auction

18 LISTENING AND LEARNING An update on our Action Plan for Racial Equity 19 OUR COUNCIL FOR RACIAL EQUITY

22 ACCELERATE PACE 22 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 24 WHAT'S IN A NAME? Donors share insights behind meaningful naming gifts

38 WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Girls basketball, basketball cheerleading, swimming and diving, and wrestling 42 BOOSTER CLUB MEMBERS

14 NAVIGATING A PANDEMIC On campus in the year of COVID

21 NIRVANA SCOTT NAMED DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION

37 SEAN BRYAN NAMED DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS

52 BASKETBALL CLAIMS TITLE Varsity boys earn an invitation to the prestigious GEICO Nationals 56 MODEL UNITED NATIONS Foreign policy simulation program facilitates cross-divisional connections 60 ALUMNI 60 ALUMNI UPDATES 64 OUT AND ABOUT 65 FROM THE ARCHIVES

28 ACCELERATE PACE DONOR LIST

SMAX PHOTOGRAPHY www.smaxart.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS HAYLEY SHOJI COATES ’12

CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

DANA RAWLS

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

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

EIGHT WEEKS OF CAMP PROGRAMS

JUNE 1–JULY 30

ATHLETICS, ACADEMIC, STEM AND SPECIALTY CAMPS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR GRADES K–12

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

Dear Pace Community, In this letter last spring, I recounted the remarkable ways in which the Pace Academy community had weathered the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic—from technology training and virtual learning to Zoom dance parties and online bingo.

I went on to speculate that enduring the challenges posed by a global pandemic would make us stronger as a community, more compassionate and more committed than ever to fulfilling our mission. “WE CAN DO THIS,” I wrote. And, more than a year later, I’m happy to report that WE HAVE! While the pandemic remains a presence in our daily lives, together we have demonstrated resilience, creativity, strength and empathy; in spite of innumerable obstacles, our Pace community has thrived.

In this issue of the KnightTimes, we celebrate the many milestones of recent months: a growing, cross-divisional Model United Nations program (page 56), another boys basketball championship (page 52) and a reimagined Pace Auction (page 48). We applaud the students who launched TEDx Pace Academy (page 10), penned award-winning poetry and prose (page 9) and rolled up their sleeves—literally and figuratively—for the good of others. We also report on our progress in implementing our Action Plan for Racial Equity (page 18) and, as the Kam Memar Lower School nears completion, thank those who have contributed to the Accelerate Pace campaign thus far (page 28).

This issue is going to print in the final week of the 2020–2021 school year, and I am filled with gratitude and pride for our students, faculty, staff and families. We have not let the pandemic define us; we have used it as an opportunity to redefine ourselves. Thank you for your partnership in this unprecedented year!

Sincerely,

FRED ASSAF HEAD OF SCHOOL

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL THE COVER Our Model United Nations (MUN) program thrived even in the midst of the pandemic and introduced a cross-divisional mentorship program this year.

Standing left to right are longtime MUN adviser HELEN SMITH, MUN executive board members RYAN VARMA, LEAH FAVERO, ISABEL BATTISTA and MICHAEL FU, and faculty adviser MARTY HAMBURGER. Seated left to right are the Middle School students honored for their outstanding work during an April MUN conference: ARNAV MADDINENI, REESE HONEYCUTT and GAVIN SENDER. Read the story on page 56.

Image by OMAR LÓPEZ THISMÓN

THIS PAGE Student excitement was off the charts as our varsity boys basketball team brought home the state title in a 73–42 win against Columbia High School on March 11 at the Macon Coliseum. The resounding victory secured an official invitation to GEICO Nationals. Read the story on page 52.

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A Matter OF MERIT

ROMIG, HARLEY RYAN and ANTHONY SALAZAR, who have been named National Merit Finalists based on their performance on the PSAT. The distinction places them among the top 15,000 of the 1.5 million students who entered the 2021 competition.

There’s no doubting the healing power of dance—or, in the case of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon, its fundraising potential. In January, the Pace Miracle Knights team, led by senior SYDNEY SILVERSTEIN, pulled off an all-day dance party to support Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. The event was the culmination of months of hard work during which the team raised money and awareness for CHOA’s life-saving mission.

“CHOA has always held special meaning for my family and me,” Silverstein says. “The hospital saved my sister’s life when she was born, and I wanted to give back. I hope that the Miracle Knights will continue to grow and become a program that all Pace students want to join.” This year’s Miracle Knights team generated $33,505 for CHOA and is the only high-school group in the history of the Georgia program to surpass $20,000.

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S A L A Z A R

Congratulations to seniors ISABEL BATTISTA, ASHLEY MYERS, LAURA

GET UP AND DANCE

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R Y A N

R O M I G

M Y E R S

B A T T I S T A

NEWS What you ne ed to know

ONE-OF-A-KIND

MARTHA LEE THWAITE ’80 and PASCALE BIENNE’s second graders are now award-winning authors. Students wrote and illustrated One of a Kind, a book in which each child authored a page about what makes them special. Studentreasures Publishing selected One of a Kind as a winner in its 2020– 2021 $100 grant giveaway.

A BRIGHT

W A S H B U R N

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

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

Senior LAURA ROMIG was named Pace’s 2021 STAR Student and selected Upper School English teacher EMILY WASHBURN as her STAR Teacher. A master of the written word, Romig’s short stories, poetry and flash fiction have earned praise at Pace and beyond. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognized her with a National Gold Medal in 2020, and she was one of five Regional American Voices Nominees in the short story category. As co-editor of Knight Gallery, the Upper School literary magazine, Romig lends her critical eye and wordsmithing wizardry to her fellow students’ work. She also serves as a staff writer for VOX ATL and is working on a novel.

When she’s not writing, Romig helps lead the Pace Academy Community Engagement Board, volunteers with Books for Africa and Upchieve, plays principal viola in the orchestra and serves as treasurer for the Class of 2021. This past fall, she helped the varsity girls cross-country team bring home a state title—and she led the track team to a second-place finish at the state meet this spring.

Campaigning to CURE CANCER

Pace teams raise more than $400,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) annual Students of the Year program brings together exemplary high schoolers to raise funds for LLS while developing entrepreneurship, marketing and project management skills. Two groups of Pace students participated in the 2021 program and, out of 33 teams, placed first and second in terms of dollars raised.

“I decided to participate in this year’s contest in honor of my dad, EVAN APPEL, a breast cancer survivor,” says junior CARLY APPEL who, along with junior COURTNEY KAHN and sophomore BARRI SEITZ, led team Secure the Cure 2.0 to victory. “Through the program, I wanted to communicate the importance of serving the community and to learn valuable skills in leadership, business development and research—but most of all, I want to be a part of the last generation to see cancer.”

For seven weeks, students worked to raise funds, gain corporate sponsorships and increase awareness of the work of LLS, and when all was said and done, Secure the Cure 2.0 generated $233,707 to support cancer patients and life-saving research.

“We were so excited to win first place, but even more thrilled to know that CARTER FREUDENSTEIN and IAN DEMPSEY came in right behind us,” says Kahn. The sophomore team, The Answer for Cancer, brought the Pace teams’ total contributions to LLS to more than $400,000.

“I hope that our participation in Students of the Year communicates that teens are just as capable as others when it comes to successfully fundraising and raising awareness,” Seitz says.

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NEWS

LOWER SCHOOL TEAMS

PACE TEAMS WIN AT REGIONALS, SUCCEED AT STATE

A ROBOTICS RECAP Undaunted by a new virtual format and the many other challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, Pace’s five Lower and Middle School robotics teams swept the awards categories at the Regional GA FIRST LEGO League Tournament. Two teams advanced from the competition to state: the region-champion Lower School Coding Chickens and the Middle School’s Pick Up the Pace, the region’s Innovation Project winner and secondplace overall finisher.

In the state tournament, both teams beat out more than 200 other squads to place in the top three. The Coding Chickens, coached by Lower School science teacher KATIE SANDLIN and fifth-grade teacher HAYLEY HARDWICK, won third place for Robot Design, while coach ZACH SLANEY and Pick Up the Pace brought home a silver medal for their Innovation Project, making Pace the only school in the state competition with multiple wins.

Not to be outdone by their younger counterparts, three Upper School robotics squads participated in this year’s virtual competition through the FIRST Tech Challenge Gwinnett Remote League. The teams placed third, fourth and fifth in the league, which qualified Team 112— juniors MICHAEL LYNCH, JOHN CATHERMAN and JACK WARREN, and sophomores BRANDON GOMEZ-MENDOZA and WILLIAM CUMMINGS—for the April state tournament.

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TEAM PICK UP THE PACE

TEAM 112

NEWS

W Y N N

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS HONOR SIX; WYNN EARNS HIGHEST HONORS

K A Y E K A Y E ' S S I L V E R K E Y S C U L P T U R E

G R A Y

THE VOICES OF A GENERATION R O M I G

A U C H I N C L O S S

W I D E M A N

Each year, thousands of students across the country enter the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in hopes of earning scholarships and exhibiting or publishing their works. In a banner year, Pace Academy writers and poets racked up 20 awards—tying for the second-highest total number of writing awards in the state. Senior LIZZY KAYE earned a visual arts award: a Silver Key in the sculpture category.

Honorable Mention recognition went to junior writers JAYLA WIDEMAN and MADISON AUCHINCLOSS, while seniors LAURA ROMIG and ALIVIA WYNN and freshman MILLIE GRAY earned Gold Keys to advance to the national competition. Gray’s Gold Keys came in the poetry category; Romig won in both the poetry and writing portfolio categories, and she claimed six Silver Keys and three Honorable Mentions—bringing her grand total to 11 awards.

For Wynn, who also received two Silver Keys for poetry and two Honorable Mentions, Gold Key awards in the poetry and short story categories led to national recognition. Judges selected both of her pieces as American Voices Award nominees, and her poem Victory Garden claimed the prize. The piece received a National Gold Medal and an American Voices Medal—Scholastic Art & Writing’s highest honors.

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JACK BROWN

IDEAS WORTH SPREADING

MADDIE HALE

AROUND PACE A Look at What's Happening at Pace

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CARLOS ANDRÉS GÓMEZ

MICHAEL FU

Challenging the Status Quo was the theme at TEDx Pace Academy, the school’s inaugural TEDx event in March. Over the course of an afternoon, Pace student and faculty speakers reflected on personal experiences in brief speeches on topics ranging from multiculturalism and sexist stereotypes to the intersection of identity and social acceptance.

Pace speakers included Director of Student Life DR. TROY BAKER, senior JACK BROWN, juniors KARGIL BEHL, MADDIE HALE, MEGAN HARDESTY and AMALIA HAVIV and sophomore KATE ROMERO. In addition, special guests Carlos Andrés Gómez, an award-winning poet and author, and Kristina Smith-Newton, founder of HYPE, an organization that empowers girls of color by teaching technology skills, shared stories around the theme.

The program, organized by senior MICHAEL FU, English teacher ROBERT KAUFMAN and a team of Upper School students, played to a sold-out (COVIDsafe) crowd.

“The TEDx event was one of my goals for the past year and a half—to see that vision finally accomplished made me feel so proud,” says Fu. “Yet, what was more meaningful was the feedback. Multiple students and teachers expressed how inspired they felt from listening to the speakers' various personal stories, and that meant the world to me.”

Planning for the next TEDx Pace Academy, The Force of Words, is already underway.

K ATE ROMERO

TEDx Pace Academy tackles brave decisions, builds understanding and sparks meaningful conversations

MEGAN HARDESTY DR. TROY BAKER A M A LI A H AV I V

ROBERT KAUFMAN KARGIL BEHL KRISTINA SMITH-NEWTON

ARE YOU A CASTLE CIRCLE MEMBER? Have you included Pace in your will or estate plan? If so, you are a Castle Circle member, and we hope you’ll let us know!

If you’d like to confirm—or explore— Castle Circle membership, please contact DANA RAWLS in the Office of Advancement at 404-262-3534 or dana.rawls@paceacademy.org, or visit www.paceacademy.org/supportpace/planned-giving for information.

AROUND PACE

Dana Rawls /// STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNED GIVING MANAGER /// How did you come to work at Pace?

My older daughter, ERIN RAWLS ’15, came to Pace in 2011 as a ninth-grader and my younger daughter, JILL RAWLS ’19, joined the seventh-grade class two years later. As a Pace parent, I would sometimes joke that I’d have to get a job at Pace to stick around after both girls had graduated. Jill’s sophomore year, as the prospect of being an empty-nester with time on my hands grew more real, I started looking for a full-time job in place of the contract work I had been doing. My “networking” email to Director of Advancement HEATHER WHITE in 2016 turned into a position the following year.

What do you do at Pace that falls beyond the scope of your job description?

I have to credit Heather for writing a very comprehensive job description… I’m not sure a lot falls outside of it. Not many people know what I do—so perhaps it’s better to answer that. I spend much of each day writing—everything from foundation proposals to articles for the KnightTimes. I also oversee the school’s planned giving initiative and, moving forward, will be working to help Pace strengthen connections with former and Life Trustees.

Why is Pace a special place to work?

Pace employees are kind to one another and quick to lend a hand.

Pace’s electronic universe (of email to all) is one place where our caring culture is evident. Whether it’s the “Computer Guys” offering tips (they are ridiculously funny) or teachers coordinating to help one another or personal updates, the messages are supportive. This has been especially meaningful in this more distanced year.

Shakila Williams /// ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR COLLEGE COUNSELING /// What do you do at Pace that falls beyond the scope of your job description?

I'm not sure this falls beyond the scope of my job description, but I spend a lot of time listening to teens and learning more than I need to know about the High School Musical series and the latest trends/challenges on TikTok. I'm also a leader of the Black, African and African Diaspora affinity group and a member of the faculty committee for the Action Plan for Racial Equity.

Why is Pace a special place to work?

Community. Hands down. This community is special. I'm surrounded by some of the brightest and best minds who wow me on a regular basis. From the staff to students to our incredible teachers. The commitment to learning—on all levels—is unmatched. It's also a thoughtful and introspective place. I feel supported and appreciated while also being challenged to ask myself “How can I be better?” and “What more can I offer this community?” And, I mean, the ICGL opportunities, food trucks, faculty treats, Deepak Chopra leading a meditation, Richard Blanco in morning assembly on a random Wednesday? Yes, Pace is a very special place indeed.

Is there one particular memory or experience that defines Pace for you?

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Obviously, Pace isn't perfect, no place is, but I think this year and the way the entire Pace community navigated the pandemic is a Pace memory I will never forget. We did hard things this year. We all did. And we did it together.

AROUND PACE

Mac McCallum /// ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID /// How did you come to work at Pace?

I spent years hoping that my career would eventually lead me to Pace!

This school is held in such high regard across the country, and though I spent many wonderful years in North Carolina and Tennessee, an opportunity at Pace had long been top of mind. Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON and Dean of the Class of 2022 BEN EWING ’06 were instrumental, however, in bringing my wife [second-grade teacher MARY PAT MCCALLUM] and me to Pace and Atlanta.

Why is Pace a special place to work?

My colleagues and I marvel at how multidimensional, and downright fascinating, our students become when given all these opportunities to stretch themselves at Pace. Maybe less apparent, however, is that the faculty and staff are encouraged and able to do the same. I have held something like five or six different roles, some bigger and some smaller, during my years at Pace, and this is not unique. For me, the mark of a truly strong independent school is that it values the growth of all the people in its community.

Is there one particular memory or experience that defines Pace for you?

It is not even close: DANIEL LUCKE’s ’20 buzzer-beating shot to seal our boys basketball team's victory against Lovett two years ago. What a wonderful and quintessentially Pace moment, not just for Daniel, but for the entire community. For those who missed it, Daniel, a senior manager for the varsity basketball team, was asked, to his great surprise, to suit up for our biggest game of the year. Hundreds of Daniel's friends and classmates spent much of the second half chanting for Coach SHARMAN WHITE to call Daniel off the bench. They exploded when he finally entered the game, but when Daniel nailed a deep 3-pointer as time expired, it was pandemonium in the Inman Center. Winning was great, but the victory was secondary. That single moment captured so much that happens here every single day: opportunity, hard work, collaboration, spirit, and most importantly, celebration of one another. Hard to beat that.

FACES

Get to know the Pace Academy staff members who make the business of school happen.

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AROUND PACE

on campus in the year of COVID

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Pace Can Do This!

AROUND PACE

ON MARCH 12, 2020, Head of School FRED ASSAF sent an email to all Pace Academy families announcing a move to remote learning due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in Georgia. “At this point, we plan to conduct school via digital platforms for the next two weeks,” Assaf wrote. He continued: “There are too many details to cover in an email this late in the night, but what needs to be said is: We can do this!”

As two weeks turned into two months, the 2019–2020 school year concluded virtually, and students returned to a masked and modified campus in August, Assaf’s statement became something of a mantra for the Pace community.

Parents, students, faculty and staff shared photos of virtual learning experiences using the hashtag #PaceCanDoThis, and parents, unable to visit campus due to COVID protocols, followed on-campus activities via social media and school updates. Assaf and Board of Trustees Chair ELIZABETH CORRELL RICHARDS took to Zoom at various points throughout the year to report on progress, protocols and future plans, and the Pace community adjusted to its new normal.

As 2021 dawned, so too did the hope for an effective vaccine. When the state began offering vaccines to those 65 and older, Assaf and the school’s COVID Response Team partnered with MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service to ensure that eligible faculty and staff were on the list. Then, in March, nearly a year to the day after the move to remote learning, the remaining faculty and staff who chose to be vaccinated received their first doses.

“As I reflect on this past year, there are no words to fully express my gratitude to each and every one of you,” Assaf wrote to all Pace employees. “You have tackled every challenge with patience and grace, always putting our students at the center. I know that you are tired, and I truly hope that this miraculous milestone… signals the end of our COVID era.”

At print time, all faculty and staff who wished to receive inoculations were fully vaccinated, and more than 250 Upper School students and parents received their shots on campus, thanks again to the school’s partnership with MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service.

In an April 27 virtual address, the last of the school year, Assaf and Richards announced plans to be fully in person with the start of the 2021–2022 school year. “While much still remains unknown, we do know that we will do whatever is necessary to keep children in school in person,” Assaf reported. Because, after all, Pace can do this. l

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AROUND PACE

BELOW Mary Rushing with her older daughter during a secondgrade field trip to the Atlanta History Center's Tullie Smith House during the 1985–1986 school year.

MARY RUSHING L IF E T RUS T E E PROF IL E

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AROUND PACE

L

ife Trustee MARY RUSHING joined the Pace Academy Board of Trustees in 1986, volunteering her time as well as her financial acumen to partner with fellow Board members to usher in an exciting era of expansion for Pace. Rushing, a CPA and the chief financial officer for a local agency of Northwestern Mutual for 24 years, served on the Board until 2004—nearly two decades—and was named as a Life Trustee in 2005.

Rushing and MICHAEL RUSHING, her husband of 37 years who died in 2012, first learned about Pace from friends at Northside United Methodist Church. As the couple’s two young daughters approached school age, these friendships “were a major influence on our decision and love for Pace,” Rushing says.

The Rushing’s first visit to Pace, in 1983, “made quite an impression on us, as young parents seeking the perfect school,” she says. “We were thrilled when our older daughter, MARY ELIZABETH RUSHING LOTT ’96, was accepted into Pre-First, and right away we became involved as classroom volunteers and with the Pace Fall Fair.”

Those first years, Rushing “drove carpools, volunteered for field trips and even made costumes for the class plays,” she explains. “It was the way of life for Pace parents, and I made friends that way. I found my niche in the Lower School Store, where I sold supplies and learned all the names of the children.”

“Our younger daughter, MELANIE RUSHING HALL ’99, accompanied me and learned to make change and count coins.

She thought she went to Pace long before she entered Pre-First,” Rushing laughs.

“From all those interactions and being on hand often, I just grew into the Board opportunity,” she explains. At the time, Pace was “financially sound but very fiscally conservative,” she says. “We were without an endowment and operated everything off of tuition. I served as Board treasurer and remember that as Board members, we paid dues to cover our Board expenses.” She notes that a Trustee today could not serve for as many years as she did, as the Board now limits service to three three-year terms.

(Nor do today’s Trustees pay dues!)

The seeds of Rushing’s interest in finance and business were planted “growing up in small-town Alabama, where my father owned a general store with a potbelly stove,” she says. “My mother was a retired high-school math teacher, and she managed the office. My profession as a CPA was destined, as I was in the family store often and the business environment just soaked in.”

She loved the academic environment in the local high school and was eager for additional studies in college. She adds, “In 1964 in my hometown, you either went to the University of Alabama or Auburn, and that usually depended on your dad's allegiance.” Her choice was Alabama, where

she earned both her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Business Administration degrees.

In Rushing’s years on the Board, she served on the Finance and numerous other committees, helping oversee additions including baseball fields, tennis courts, parking and more. Although her younger daughter graduated in 1999, Rushing remained engaged. “I was involved with the strategic planning process, and we were in the middle of a capital campaign to add athletics fields, the natatorium and the Inman Student Activities Center,” she says.

“I found myself very involved and very challenged.” She recalls. “Our proudest moment was the opening of the Fine Arts Center, an achievement we celebrated.

Looking back, of course, it was just the beginning.”

Beyond her rewarding years on the Board, her daughters’ Pace experiences make her “beam with pride,” she says.

“Both are women with confidence who treasure the 13 years at one school, longlasting friendships, and strong academics with love and support from faculty.”

Rushing says, “Mary Elizabeth attended the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Georgia, and today is married with two children and working as a pediatrician in Jacksonville, Fla. Melanie graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South after playing college soccer.

She is married with two children and lives in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and works for an agency of Raymond James.”

Rushing also beams about the Pace of today: “It is financially sound and has great leadership. There does not seem to be a challenge it cannot meet. Even with so much growth, it is still a family school, involving parents and alumni. The students are well-rounded, all unique, and still have the opportunity to find themselves and where they will excel in their own time.”

Rushing explains that the Life Trustee group’s purpose is to support the Pace mission and contribute financially to the school, either personally or through influence. Her greatest hope for Pace? “It always will be for it to build the endowment for the needs of the future,” she says. l

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O U R AC T I O N P L A N F O R R A C I A L E Q U I T Y:

TRACKING OUR PROGRESS MAKING STRIDES IN THE AREA OF LISTENING & LEARNING IN OUR ACTION PLAN for Racial Equity, published in July 2020, Pace Academy committed to “eradicating racism and its legacy, and to dismantling any racial hierarchies within our school community.”

To accomplish these goals, foster true racial equity and ensure that every community member feels supported, valued and safe, we have since embarked on an examination of institutional practices, policies and procedures—and have begun to implement meaningful changes.

The Board of Trustees, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN and Director of Student Life DR. TROY BAKER are working alongside dedicated students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents and alumni to ensure that the action items detailed in the plan come to fruition.

The plan focuses on six areas: Teaching & Curriculum, Our Community, Listening & Learning, Our People, Joining Our Community and Our Pledge. In each issue of this magazine, we report on strides made in one of these areas. Up next?

Listening & Learning.

ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRESS IS AVAILABLE AT www.paceacademy.org/diversity-inclusion.

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

ll members of our community must have the capacity to engage in a manner that demonstrates fluency and strong capabilities to address matters of race, diversity, equity and inclusion,” the plan states.

Therefore, our goal in the area of Listening & Learning is to establish cultural competence and an antiracist culture among all school leadership, faculty, staff and students through continued training, professional development and education in antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Work began prior to the start of the school year when all faculty, staff and administrators kicked off pre-planning week with mandatory professional development.

Programming included a facilitated panel during which Black alumni shared their experiences as Pace students; Journey to Allyship with Dr. Damon Williams, who provided tools for effective allyship while sharing the national and historical context of race; and division-specific faculty workshops on engaging in difficult conversations, understanding racial trauma and implementing the Action Plan for Racial Equity in age-appropriate ways. Racial affinity group meetings allowed time for

processing, discussion and reflection.

“Our pre-planning programming really set the tone for the school year,” Brown reports. “It meant that each and every member of our faculty and staff was better prepared to have proactive conversations around racial equity—and our students immediately felt the difference.”

Faculty and staff have continued to take part in robust training and programming throughout the year.

Teachers and administrators attended the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference; participated in programming through the National Center for Civil and Human Rights; and tuned in to Building AntiRacist Organizations, a series offered by the INDEX schools consortium and hosted by Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Uche Amaechi.

As part of the ongoing implementation of the plan, Brown and the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team have also engaged with parents. They kicked off the year in front of the Parents Club Board and partnered with the leaders of Community of Change, a parent group dedicated to fostering authentic, respectful and honest dialogue about everything from race and gender to religion and politics, to create spaces for listening and learning.

“We want to establish expectations for parent involvement in supporting an antiracist culture and to foster a deep understanding of community standards,” Brown says. To that end, she and Baker hosted DEI Conversations & Coffee— virtually, of course—for parents in each division and used the time to expound

Members of the Upper School PABD (Pace Academy Board of Diversity) with Joanne Brown and Omar López Thismón.

OUR COUNCIL FOR

AROUND PACE on the purpose, strategy and structure of the Action Plan for Racial Equity.

“It’s important to answer parents’ questions and give them insight into how our plan is coming to life within the student community,” Baker says. “Our efforts succeed only if our parents understand and support our goals. Continuing to build trust and partnership is vital.”

The core of the plan, however, centers on what happens on campus, and Brown and Baker have taken care to ensure that students of every age share a deep understanding of the values and expectations set forth within it. In addition to putting the plan in front of all students in ageappropriate ways and shepherding student programming through the Pace Academy Board of Diversity and other organizations, the DEI team has helped faculty incorporate the plan into their classroom discussions and lesson planning.

Faculty and staff have also been helpful in providing feedback and making sure all voices are heard. “Our Action Plan for Racial Equity calls for regular reporting and clear communication regarding our actions and initiatives,” Brown says. “To assist with this feedback loop, we have created a Council for Racial Equity made up of Black and Brown faculty and staff members.

Collectively, these individuals touch every student in every division. They allow us to take the pulse of our community and help foster a sense of belonging for everyone on our campus.”

With the one-year anniversary of the Action Plan for Racial Equity quickly approaching, Brown is pleased with the progress the Pace community has made thus far and is eager to tackle what lies ahead with an expanded team. In July, Lower School DEI Coordinator NIRVANA SCOTT will assume a new role: Director of Equity and Inclusion (see page 21). In addition, three new DEI coordinators will join those already in place—for a total of six—two in each division. All are Pace employees who have expanded their current roles to serve as coordinators.

“I’m really encouraged,” says Brown.

“DEI work is never done, but Pace’s continued investment in people and programming signals its importance in the life of our school.” l

1

R ACI A L E Q UIT Y [1] A S H L E Y C L AY Middle School faculty [2] D R . K AY L A N HAIZLIP Upper School faculty

2

3

[3] TA R A HARRIS Middle and Upper School faculty [4] N I K K I M CC R A R Y Assistant to the Head of Upper School [5] A R M A N D O V I Z C A I N O - SA N T I AG O Lower School faculty

4

6

5

7

[6] N I R VA N A S CO T T Lower School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Lower School faculty [7] O M A R L Ó PE Z T H I S M Ó N Upper School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Digital Content Producer [8] L E L A WA L L AC E Digital Communications Manager [9] E D WILLIAMS Middle School faculty

8

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[10] S H A K I L A WILLIAMS Administrative Assistant for College Counseling [11] PAT R I C E W R I G H T- L E W I S Lower School faculty

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KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

19

AROUND PACE

B

A

K

E

R

KO R V E R

LISTENING & LEARNING OTHER RECENT INITIATIVES FROM THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

C O N V E R S AT I O N S : VOICES & LENSES

BL ACK HISTORY MONTH

This series of virtual sessions spotlighting perspectives helped the Pace community engage more deeply in conversations about race. Director of Student Life DR. TROY BAKER shared his experiences as a Black man in educational settings; Pace parent and former NBA star KYLE KORVER talked about his blind spots when addressing matters of race, highlighting the importance of acknowledging privilege and building authentic relationships; and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN led a discussion regarding the questions posed in the Oscar-nominated film A Concerto is a Conversation.

The annual celebration built upon the work in which students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni have engaged throughout the year, culminating in a meaningful experience for all members of our community. Through history lessons, assemblies, musical performances, student-created videos, writing workshops and food, students examined diversity in social, cultural, political and historical contexts with the goals of educating for empowerment, capturing the unseen, resisting storytelling simplification and connecting to the present.

CHINESE NEW YEAR Lower School students learned about the annual celebration of Chinese culture thanks to several Pace families who shared their traditions via video.

AROUND PACE

Following a competitive nationwide search, Pace announced

in April that NIRVANA SCOTT will serve as Director of Equity

and Inclusion, effective July 2021.

Scott is a familiar face within the Pace community. A

magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University with

a degree in philosophy, she joined the faculty as a Lower

School strings instructor in 2015, became an active member of the Faculty Diversity

Committee in 2016 and took on

the added role of Lower School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

(DEI) coordinator in 2019. As a DEI coordinator, Scott has developed student affinity

continue to build on the incredible work

groups, facilitated professional

that we've done

staff, and collaborated with

to support equity

development for faculty and

administrators to design cur-

and inclusivity at

responsive teaching guidelines

Pace so far. My

riculum targets and culturally

to integrate DEI programming into the curriculum.

In her new role, Scott will

goal is to cultivate a culture where

work alongside Chief Equity

every member of

BROWN to plan and execute

our community feels

and Inclusion Officer JOANNE schoolwide DEI programs; facili-

that they belong by

for faculty and staff; support

affirming the dignity

tate professional development

SCOTT NAMED DIRECTOR OF EQUITY & INCLUSION

“My hope is that we

students, parents, colleagues

of each person and

belonging in all areas of campus

celebrating our

and alumni; build systems of

life; and implement our Action

Plan for Racial Equity.

diversity.”

“We continue to strive for ex-

—Nirvana Scott

cellence in diversity, equity and inclusion at Pace, and the ad-

dition of Nirvana as a full-time

member of our DEI team bolsters those efforts,” says Head

of School FRED ASSAF. “She brings tremendous experience, intellect, empathy, honesty, curiosity and passion to this

complex work and, in everything she does, strives to equip

students with the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to understand the world, each other and themselves.”

Outside of Pace, Scott, an accomplished violinist and

violist, advocates for equity, justice and inclusive teaching practices. In 2016, she founded Georgia Artists for

Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting the Atlanta arts community with social justice activism; she served as

the organization’s executive director until 2019. Scott is the

current chair of diversity and inclusion for the Junior League of Atlanta, and she works with under-resourced students at local elementary schools through Georgia State University

School of Music’s Sound Learning program. l

KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

21

ACCELERATE PACE

Apr. 15

Jan. 19

Jan. 19

Jan. 19

Jan. 19

Jan. 19

Jan. 19

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

ACCELERATE PACE

Jan. 19

THE HOME STRETCH A C O N S T R U C T I O N U P D AT E

T

he Kam Memar Lower School project site has been bustling with activity this spring—and the results will soon be visible to all passersby. “In the next few months, much like a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly, the dusty construction site will transform into the stately Kam Memar Lower School,” says Project Manager BOB MILLS, president and chief operating officer of UDS Development Services and parent of two Pace Academy alumni.

The 36,500-square foot addition to the existing Lower School classroom building will sit at the corner of Rilman and W. Paces Ferry roads, where the former Randall House once stood, and accommodate the Lower School’s growing program and curriculum needs.

The New South Construction team has braved the onslaught of pollen and taken advantage of beautiful springtime temperatures and sunny skies to accelerate progress. With roofing work well underway, the interior of the building is being prepared for finishes. Soon, sheetrock will be sanded and painted; flooring, cabinetry and ceiling finishes will follow.

The building’s exterior is also progressing rapidly. Following installation of the final stone and brick finishes, crews will begin the renovation of the existing Lower School’s exterior to better match the new building. Summer will also include the creation of a new commercial kitchen in the Lower School classroom building and the complete renovation of the Lower School cafeteria.

Finally, if a playground without a slide isn’t really a playground, what would you call a playground with 12 slides?! We call it the World’s Greatest Playground! Final planning is underway to coordinate the installation of what will truly be a one-of-a-kind play experience. Students will access the playground directly from the Pre-First terrace via three large, twisting slides, climbing nets and a rope bridge. Age-appropriate activity areas, swings and fully accessible play spaces will be located on themed rubber safety surfaces, with the main area of the playground being artificial turf.

“Our guess is that we’ll see more than one adult on the slides, and who could blame them?” Mills asks. “It’s fun to never grow up!” l

Apr. 28

KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

23

ACCELERATE PACE

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Donors to the Accelerate Pace campaign share their reasons for giving

T

he Accelerate Pace capital campaign offers individuals, families and organizations naming opportunities in newly constructed spaces—and elsewhere—on campus. A naming gift provides meaningful support to the campaign and allows donors to honor their children, families or other loved ones, or simply demonstrate their commitment to Pace in a lasting way.

Read on to learn how three Pace families plan to make their mark on the school.

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ACCELERATE PACE

Krystal

ZELL

& Oliver

BELL

“Our family relocated from New York to Atlanta four years ago, and after our son became a Pace Knight, we found a diverse, vibrant and welcoming community at Pace Academy,” says KRYSTAL ZELL, whose son, COLIN BELL ’31, enrolled at Pace in Pre-First.

“Colin has received love, attention, support and a strong educational foundation in his first three years in the Lower School,” she says. “He feels welcomed, known and loved every day, and we look forward to future students being extended the same experience,”

For Krystal and her husband, OLIVER BELL, the decision to support the Accelerate Pace campaign was an easy one, thanks to their positive Pace experiences and shared conviction that learning spaces impact the quality of an education. “A cornerstone of a firstclass education is the facilities in which students interact every day,” Oliver says.

“Through Accelerate Pace, the school has the chance to redefine the future of education.”

“Pace has a strong community and outstanding educators,” Krystal adds.

“Accelerate Pace will ensure the physical environment for the children and faculty inspires, nurtures and develops them into the future. Providing students space to cultivate their talents and curiosities, whether learning about history, exploring art or coding robotics will help more fully develop them into capable adults ready to make a positive impact on the world.”

With their gift, the couple will name the office of the Upper School math department chair, located in the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School.

“We want to honor Colin's grandfather— my father, an educator by trade and a

mathematician by heart—with this recognition,” Oliver says. “He received a Ph.D. in math from Massachusetts Institute of Technology—where he applied because, at the time, it was the only graduate school without an application fee.”

To the Bells, naming the office also provides an opportunity to underscore the importance of mathematics: “Even in this age of computers, we still believe quantitative aptitude is core to our children's education,” Oliver says.

In addition to their campaign gift, the Bells are supporting Pace with the gift of time—and in a way that showcases the importance of quantitative aptitude!

During the 2021–2022 school year, Oliver will serve on the Pace Parents Club’s Executive Board as treasurer. l

READ MORE NAMING GIF T STORIES ON T H E N E X T PAG E

KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

25

ACCELERATE PACE

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Ciara & Eddie

IRONS

“We see Accelerate Pace as an opportunity to expand upon the great work Pace Academy has done thus far to be on the forefront of changes in education,” says Lower School parent CIARA IRONS. She and her husband, EDDIE IRONS, parents of BRICE IRONS ’31, have put these words into action by supporting the campaign as donors as well as volunteers. The couple has made a gift to Accelerate Pace that will name a reading nook in the Lower School’s new Soni Family Library. They are also co-chairing the campaign’s

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

Inclusion and Community Committee together with MARISA and DAVID CHIN YEE. The decision to engage in the campaign on dual levels stems from their deeply held beliefs about education. Eddie explains, “As a family, we believe a whole education in all forms promotes the understanding of social justice, interdependence for how we work as a community and self-identity in our children.”

“Curriculum does not start and stop in a book in the classroom,” Ciara says. She and Eddie are committed to supporting all that “encompasses the needed and necessary education for the whole child. We must do our part where we can.”

The couple's participation in the campaign is also personal.

Eddie explains, “Knowing that our child—and hopefully two children, when the time comes for our younger child [daughter Rori Irons] to apply—will directly benefit from all the new Lower School will offer was also a deciding factor for us.”

Naming a reading nook in the Soni Family Library through their campaign gift was personal to them as well. “Our family has a very long line of avid readers,” Ciara explains. “This was an opportunity to contribute to the school and leave a legacy attached to something our family holds dear.”

As co-chairs of the Inclusion and Community Committee, Ciara and Eddie hope to help strengthen the school community by “bringing our collective voice and interests together to develop and support conversations and practices that will ensure efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion [are ongoing],” Eddie says. Goals include “working to enhance cultural competence and creating a more inclusive culture for families overall.” l

ACCELERATE PACE

Charlie & Liles

THOMPSON CHARLIE and LILES THOMPSON, parents of EVIE THOMPSON ’31 and CHARLES THOMPSON ’26, are enthusiastic about Accelerate Pace and its impact on the Pace Academy student experience.

“Together with the previous capital projects undertaken by the school, Accelerate Pace makes Pace’s facilities second to none across the entire student experience, from Pre-First through 12th grade,” Charlie says. “It also provides an optimal experience for Pace students at the most critical time in their educational careers— the very beginning.”

Liles notes, “While our daughter in second grade will directly benefit from the new Kam Memar Lower School, our seventh-grade son is experiencing and will continue to experience the benefit of gifts made by past Pace families in the Middle and Upper Schools.”

The Thompsons, whose campaign gift will name an Admissions office in the Kam Memar Lower School, take the long view when considering their investment in Pace. “We look at being a Pace family as a lifetime commitment,” Liles explains. “We stand on the shoulders of families who invested long before us, and we want to make sure future families inherit the best Pace possible.”

Charlie says, “Liles and I both attended independent schools that were smaller relative to the others nearby, and it was ingrained in us that for these institutions to thrive and grow over generations, we all have to contribute in ways that go beyond just our time at the school.”

Naming a space through their Accelerate Pace campaign gift was an opportunity that appealed to the Thompsons. “Naming provides a personal connection that will

outlast our children’s time at the school,” Charlie says, “And when our family returns to Pace—long after Evie and Charles have graduated—it will be a visible memory of our time at the school. The Admissions office is meaningful to us as it provides a small connection with future families during their first visits to the school.”

“We consider it our responsibility to do our part to perpetuate what has been built,” Liles adds. “While naming a space was the right opportunity for us, we believe what is most important is that every Pace family contributes in a way that feels comfortable. The Pace experience would not be what it is without outstanding facilities, and all our children benefit from the investments that have been made in the school since it was founded.” l

For more information about naming opportunities, which are available for gifts beginning at $50,000, please contact DEBRA MANN in the Office of Advancement at debra.mann@paceacademy.org or 404-240-9103.

KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

27

THANK YOU, ACCELERATE PACE DONORS! As of April 21, 2021, Accelerate Pace gifts and pledges totaled $23,544,362—nearly 68% of our $35 million goal.

Help us pick up the pace by making your gift or pledge today at accelerate.paceacademy.org.

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

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ACCELERATE PACE

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KnightTimes ||| SPRING 2021

29

GLIMPSES INTO THE FUTURE PA R E N T S TO U R K A M M E M A R LO W E R S C H O O L & S O N I FA M I LY L I B R A R Y As progress on the Kam Memar Lower School advanced during the spring, the building’s interior became more friendly for parent tours, which were offered on several occasions in April. Led by Director of Facilities DAVE FORTIER and Project Manager BOB MILLS of UDS Development Services, the tours gave parents of students in all three divisions, plus a handful of parents of alumni, the chance to walk through the new spaces, check out the views and imagine the finished setting that Pace students will enjoy in the not-so-distant future.

On April 18, Pace celebrated Knights of the Round Table giving society members (making an annual gift of $1,500 or more to the Pace Fund) at a socially distanced event in Boyd Gym. More than 100 Pace parents attended the event, which also featured numerous tours of the Kam Memar Lower School as well as a visit to the newly opened Soni Family Library in the existing classroom building, d also undergoing y an Kell renovations. o l d, id G D av ther H ea nd te a W hi ek Der ty des Har

THANK YOU for participating in the Georgia Private School Tax Credit Program!

Visit www.paceacademy.org/tax-credit or call 404-240-9103 to learn more.

 488 Pace families and friends participated for the 2021 tax year.  Participants contributed $1.6 million.  Because of you, an estimated 25 new Pace students across all divisions will benefit from tax credit dollars, starting in the 2021–2022 school year.  Tax credit funds are allocated for the student’s entire career at Pace as long as they demonstrate need each year.  Pre-apply for the 2022 tax year starting July 1, 2021 at apogee123.org.

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

Online Drama Georgia ThesCon goes virtual

Where Students Run the Show SINCE 2016, the Upper School theatre department’s Winter Showcase has offered a growing number of students—from Pace theatre veterans to those making their acting debuts—opportunities for dramatic expression and exploration.

A series of unrelated scenes staged throughout campus, the production allows students to tackle a wide range of works and exposes audiences to both new and more notable playwrights. Increasingly, students have shaped the Showcase, penning pieces and serving as directors.

This year, under the expert tutelage of Theatre Director SEAN BRYAN and Technical Director SCOTT SARGENT, Upper School students directed all eight of the featured scenes and authored six, and the Showcase adopted a tagline: A New Works Festival. From casting and costume design to sets, props and planning, Upper School writers, directors, performers and technicians did it all.

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SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

With theatres shuttered and gatherings canceled due to COVID, the Georgia chapter of the International Thespian Society reimagined this year’s ThesCon, its annual conference, and moved the three days of theatre workshops, acting competitions and performances online.

Upper School students featured prominently in the statewide springtime event—30 students collaborated to present 13 video entries in ThesCon competitions, and the Pace production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, filmed throughout campus, was selected as a featured performance.

When all was said and done, six students received awards: freshman HANNAH WHITE earned an Overall Superior rating in the Solo Musical category for her performance of the song I Speak Six Languages from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the ensemble of White; juniors CAROLINE BROWN, REBECCA KANN and LAUREN SMITH; and seniors JORDYN LEWIS and OLIVIA ULLMAN earned an Overall Superior in the Group Musical category for their rendition of Cell Block Tango from Chicago.

Applause!

Applause!

IN EARLY APRIL, the Pace community took part in the Spring Arts Festival, an annual celebration of all things Pace Arts. Throughout the week, students, faculty and staff recognized the work of outstanding visual and performing artists in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools.

Seventeen Lower School students were recognized as Knights of the Arts, chosen by their peers and teachers for exhibiting excellence, dedication and passion in one or more areas of the arts. Knights of the Arts, highlighted in a video message shared with their classmates and parents, were Pre-First students MICHAEL DICKEY and SERENA CHINTANA; first-graders MAYA RENTERIA and CLAY SOKOLSKY; second-graders BRADY MORRIS and AMIYA ABEL; third-graders CHASE HAMMOND and MARY CHAPMAN HOWARD; fourth-graders ROHAN BRAHMA and LAVIN LEMANNA; fifthgraders SCARLETT ELIZONDO, ELIZA SMITH, ALEKSI UYHAM, SIMANI WHITE, GEORGE TUCKER, EDUARDO AMBRA and LEXIE KAUFMAN. In addition, following an audition process, the arts faculty selected 17 Middle and Upper Schoolers as Arts Laureates. This year’s Laureates included sixth-graders LUCY FLEMING and ELLA REAGAN ROTH; seventh-graders NAYANA NAG and JON SOREN UYHAM; eighth-graders BEATRIX BOEHNER, TAYLOR HASTIE and LIVIE LYNCH; ninth-graders EMMY BATTISTA and DAVID FU; sophomores AMARTYA KALLINGAL and OVIE NIRGUDKAR; juniors EMMA STEWART MASKE and LEAH FAVERO; and seniors GRACE DEMBA, MATT GENSER, KATE MALLARD and JONNY SUNDERMEIER. Arts Laureates BELOW: Seniors presented to or performed for their Mallard, Sundermeier, classmates both virtually and in person Demba and Genser throughout the week.

A scaleddown Spring Arts Festival celebrates studentartists

Friday Night Laughs In a school year that required much improvisation, the Middle School drama department ended its 2020–2021 season with an evening of… improv. The hour-long Sketchy/Improv combined sketch comedy in the vein of Saturday Night Live with improv exercises. ”Basically, we rehearsed the first half of the show and made up the second,” says Director PATRICK CAMPBELL. The production, streamed live online given limited seating capacity, allowed students to take part in a written, prepared performance or to be spontaneous. “Different people excel in different areas and, as I had hoped, the experience allowed students to shine where they excel,” Campbell reports.

“It had everything from [eighth-grader] TAYLOR HASTIE playing with raw chicken on stage to an improvised Western musical based on the phrase ‘heebiejeebie’ performed by [eighth-grader] PETER DAVIS and [seventh-grader] ARIANA ZALIK. Good times.”

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

Good is the New Bad

A SECOND GENERATION of Disney royals and villains took the stage in February in the Middle School’s production of Descendants: The Musical. Based on the eponymous Disney Channel Original Movies, the show chronicles the drama that ensues when the children of Maleficent, Snow White’s Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil and Jafar enroll at Auradon Prep with the offspring of their parents’ sworn enemies and must choose to live lives of good or evil.

“I try to pick different types of shows so Disney favorites students experience a wide variety of percome to life formance styles during their three years in the Middle School,” says Director PATRICK in the Middle CAMPBELL. “Last year’s Spamalot was a School musical fairly traditional musical. With Descendants, we embraced pop.”

Given the COVID pandemic and related protocols, far more went into staging the annual musical than ever before. “We had plan A, B, C and D,” says Campbell, “but once the Pace COVID Response Team determined we could sing indoors thanks to the Fine Arts Center’s upgraded air filtration system, we got to work.”

Campbell and his team organized rehearsals in small groups, recorded choreography and vocal parts so cast members could practice independently and even crafted custom masks to match the characters' costumes.

“Since we could only have a limited number of people in the audience, we were also able to make the largest Middle School set ever,” Campbell says. “[Technical Director] SCOTT SARGENT’s amazing two-story set extended out into the audience, allowing us to spread out the cast over a larger playing space. COVID-19 was never going to hold these kids down!”

The one-of-a-kind production, streamed live to Pace theatre fans near and far, did not disappoint. In fact, the cast and crew knocked it out of the park. “Our mission this year was to #bringjoy,” Campbell says. “I’m proud to report that our Middle School students accomplished that goal.”

Asked what’s in store for the ever-innovative Middle School drama team, Campbell responds with a smile: “Next year, who knows? Anything goes around here, I guess.”

Photog raphy by CHRIS BER RY

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

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ALL ABOUT PACE ARTS

Martha & Fred Assaf Kathryn & Seth Adams Elisha & John Alden Alkire Family Lorrie & Patrick Allegra Fred Anochie Ella & Slava Avdyeyeva Babo-Weizenecker Family Bader Family Anne & Will Barnette Allison & Drew Battista Jenny & Todd Beauchamp Beaver Family Karina K. Belinfante ’95 & Josh B. Belinfante

Kimberly Setser Cochran Sue & Scott Cole Caroline & David Crawford Joe & Jane Cross Stacy & Ken Crumley Mary Kelly & Jeff Cunningham Kimberly & Cory Davis Cindy & Craig Davis Allison & Pete Davis Anh & Patrick DeLeon Don & Jennifer Demba Dempsey Family Angela & Ketan Desai Barbarella & René Diaz Sean & Lauren Donohue

Katie Goodman Susan & Earl Goodrich Ann Marie & Mario Govic Dr. Kiery Braithwaite ’90 & Dr. Matthew Grabowski Kim & Wayne Grant Emily & Noah Graubart Sarah & Bill Gray Greenbaum Family Ashley & David Grice Kimberly & Robert Grossman Alexis & Shelby Guilbert Gunn Family Parkey & Dan Haggman Hammond Family

Lindsey & Josh Kamin Karamanolis Family Laura & Spyro Karetsos Julia & Dan Kaufman Kedme Family John C. Keller Ann & Dave Kincaid Mary & John Kirkland Leach Family Cara Isdell Lee ’97 & Zak Lee Vivian & John Lennon III Alisha & Chad Levitt Jae Lieberman Ashford Little Lohr Family

Kavita Kotte & Samir Bhatia Emily & Buddy Blaha Michele O. Boushka Mary & Cameron Bready Lisa & Dan Brooks Susan & Doug Brown Sally & Doug Brown Carrie & Eric Brune Lexie C. Bryan Buehler Family Jenn & Frank Buonanotte Bybee Family Monique & Bland Byrne Byrne Family Allison & Craig Camp Jenny & James Cannaday Carson Family Chern family Chin Yee Family Kavitha Reddy & Prashanth Chintanapalli

Jennifer Douglas-Ullmann Daneen Durr Michelle & James Edwards Eisenman Family Banu & Paul Elizondo Favero Family Ginger Fay & Ken Rona Dana Feinstein Danny & Tiffany Ferry & Family Shea & Chad Fleming Meredith & Jeremy Forrester Jennifer & David Foster Fox Family Julie & David Frushtick Jin Wang & Youzhong Fu Courtenay & Chris Gabriel Jodi Ganz Aisah Gayle Elizabeth & Fred Glass ’89 Annie & Jason Goode

Lee Ann & Doug Hantula Jane & Derek Hardesty Nicole & Clay Harmon Deanna & Mark Harris Kristi & Brent Hastie Jen & Brandon Hayes Hight Family Barbara Hingst Allison & Curt Holton Honeycutt Family Melissa Horne Houser Family Mandy & Wes Howard Stacey & Michael Howe Angie & Clay Howell Jean Song & Paul Huang YiYi & Curt Hutchins Jill & Eric Irvin Janko Family Adam P. Jones Katherine & Michael Jones

Loree Family Loughran Family Elise Lowry Sarah & Rob Lynch Manogna & Sreedhar Maddineni Laurie & Hampton Mallis Mathis Family Angie & Joe McCollum Catherine & Ted McMullan Jennifer & Adam Meyerowitz Miller Family Toni & Chris Millner Elizabeth Moore Lucie Morrisroe Muffley Family Henrietta Muller Renee & Zachary Myles Ann & Tripp Nagle Pam & Wally Neill Hilary & Stuart Nelson Jon & Kimberly Neville Laura & Dan Newberg Nirgudkar Family Nordin Family Kim & Hal Nuckols Owens Family Jennifer & Jonathan Palmer Sneha Desai & Tarak Patel Whitney & Ryan Paulowsky Persily Family Abigail Pickard Melanie & Trey Pope ’86 Donna & Mark Pottorff Kimi Price Quéguiner Russell Randolph Travis Reed Z. Pressley & William Rice

Thank You,

Patrons of Pace Arts!

Thanks to the generous members of the PACE ARTS ALLIANCE for supporting our programs during a year of challenges, creativity and innovation.

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Ritchie Family Amy & Philip Rodbell Romig Family Stephanie & Peter Ross Roth Family Sonja & Ricky Russ Sheila & Chip Ryan Molly & Brian Sappington Wendy & Jay Schmitt Mary & William Schoeffler Lauren & Tim Schrager Scott Family Marissa & Paul Share Mindi & Pete Shelton Shippen Family Mindy & David Shoulberg Jane Sibley Lisa & Josh Silverboard Puja & Sid Singh Ashley & Ben Smith Christy Smith Lori Bibb & David Smith Quincy Sneed Jennifer & Richard Sober Heather & Chris Spires Leslie & John Stebbins Katie & Tony Sundermeier Meredith & Darrell Sutton Swann Family Jo & Steve Tapper Andrea & Lanier Thomas Liles & Charlie Thompson Elizabeth & Garrett Thompson Julie & Scott Thompson Corrie & Bret Thrasher Allison & Brian Timberlake Laura & Jimmy Trimble Katie & Ricks Tucker Mary Kathryn & Trey Turner Vadnais Family Van Staden family Leigh & Tim Walsh Margaret & Bill Warren Emily & James Washburn Kaprice Welsh Traci & Robert West Suzanne & Reed White White Family Alison & Josh Williams Kim & Travis York l

Bryan Named Director of Fine Arts With the start of the coming academic year, Upper School Visual and Performing Arts Chair SEAN BRYAN will assume a new role: Director of Fine Arts.

In this new position, Bryan will oversee the arts progression from Pre-First through 12th grade, working with members of the faculty to ensure alignment across our arts curriculum.

The addition of this position fulfills the arts vision set forth in the Pace Academy 2016–2021 Strategic Plan and serves as a testament to the school’s commitment to excellence in the visual and performing arts.

Bryan—who has a bachelor’s degree in acting and a master’s in directing—joined the Pace community as Upper School theatre director in 2015 and became department chair in 2018. Prior to his arrival, he led the drama program at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, Fla., and served as an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College.

Under Bryan’s leadership, the Upper School visual and performing arts department has grown. Curricular offerings now include classes in acting, advanced acting and directing; the drama club boasts more than 50 members; and students participate in the annual Georgia Thespian Conference at the state and national levels, and in the Georgia High School Association’s One-Act Play Competition and Literary Meet.

In addition, Bryan and the Pace Arts Alliance have partnered with organizations like the Alliance Theatre, the Wallace Buice Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, the Center for Puppetry Arts and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival to facilitate student workshops, bring outside directors and professionals to Pace and coordinate field trips. Students have traveled to London, Chicago and New York City to take in professional productions, visit theatre landmarks and learn from experts in the industry.

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IGHLIGHT

WINTER SPORTS 38

SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

VA R S I T Y WRESTLING Coached by DEVIN BILLINGS, DUKE SHERRELL and GRADY STEVENS Wrestling—like swimming and diving, gymnastics, golf and crosscountry—is both an individual and a team sport, and while Pace has sent individual wrestlers to the state tournament for decades, this year, for the first time in program history, the Knights qualified as a team.

They entered state competition following a successful outing at the area tournament in which juniors BEN SCHIFFER, THOMAS WELLS, ALEX MATHIAS and XAVIER AGOSTINO claimed individual championships in their respective weight classes. The team of 10 then traveled

to Macon, Ga., and concluded the season as the 13th-place squad in the state. Four Knights placed individually in their weight classes: junior SAM HOWE was third; Mathias finished fourth; Schiffer was fifth; and junior HENRY LEUSINK tied for seventh.

This year’s wrestling roster did not include seniors, so the Knights hope to add to their ranks and build on this year’s success in the 2021– 2022 season. Photography by NICOLE SEITZ

VA R S I T Y B A S K E T B A L L CHEERLEADING Coached by LORI BAKER and CAMERON RUSS ’17 This year’s varsity basketball cheerleading squad followed the varsity boys basketball team all the way to the GHSA Dr. Ralph Swearngin Basketball State Championships in Macon, where the girls cheered the Knights to a decisive victory over Thomasville High School (see story on page 52).

Despite season-long COVID protocols, capacity limits and mask mandates, the 19 members of the team cheered on, putting a pep in the step of every member of the girls and boys basketball squads. The seven juniors on the team—its most senior members—look forward to additional leadership opportunities next season.

VA R S I T Y G I R L S BASKETBALL Coached by TROY BAKER, KELSEA AYERS, BOBBI BOYER and STEPHANIE SOSEBEE The varsity girls basketball team closed out the regular season with a 41–33 victory over Coretta Scott King Academy and a 15–5 record. On their way to the region tournament, the Knights racked up notable wins against North Atlanta, Towers, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate and rival Lovett—twice.

The team faced South Atlanta High School in the first round of region play and fell by just 3 points to earn a spot in the consolation game, where they again took on Lovett. After an outstanding fourth-quarter comeback, with 5.3 seconds left on the clock, the Knights trailed the Lions 30–31 when junior GABBY HUDSON hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer to secure a third-place seed in the state tournament. The team was unable to maintain its momentum, however, and fell to Chattooga High School in the first round of the GHSA state tournament.

Three Knights earned Region 6-AA All-Region recognition: Hudson was named to the All-Region First Team, while senior HANNA VINCENT earned a spot on the Second Team, and junior MARGO KAYE received Honorable Mention honors. With the close of the season, the Knights said goodbye to seniors JAMIE KORNHEISER and Vincent.

Photography by NICOLE SEITZ

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ATHLETICS

VA R S I T Y B O Y S SWIMMING & DIVING Coached by JOHN AGUE, PATTI ALEXANDER, JIM EBERT, MARTY HAMBURGER and ANNA VAN ZYVERDEN ’16 Despite COVID protocols and general unpredictability, the varsity boys swimming and diving team jumped right into its 2020–2021 season and concluded a successful—and healthy—run at the GHSA Swimming & Diving State Championship.

Led by sophomore CARTER FREUDENSTEIN, who, for the second year qualified for every individual state swimming event, the Knights brought a balanced attack to their final competition. Freshman LANE CANOVA, Freudenstein, sophomore BARRETT HIGHT, junior SAM BROOKS and senior RIVERS GRAHAM were outstanding in their individual events, and the team notched impressive performances in the relay events as well. The 200 freestyle squad—Graham, Hight, Canova and senior ALEXANDER SWANN—broke the previous year’s school record with a fifth-place finish, while the 200 medley and 400 freestyle teams placed fifth and sixth, respectively. The Knights ended the season in fifth place overall.

Next year, the team will miss the leadership of seniors Graham, ANTHONY SALAZAR and Swann. Photography by RIVER OAK PHOTOGRAPHY and ASHFORD LITTLE

VA R S I T Y G I R L S SWIMMING & DIVING Coached by JOHN AGUE, PATTI ALEXANDER, JIM EBERT, MARTY HAMBURGER and ANNA VAN ZYVERDEN ’16

40

Every year, diving events kick off the GHSA Swimming & Diving State Championship, allowing teams to earn points before their swimmers hit the pool. Fortunately for the varsity girls swimming and diving team, senior diving phenom LIZZY KAYE led the way and brought home her fourth consecutive state championship to put the Knights on the board (see sidebar).

Kaye’s strong start proved to be just what the team needed. Led by seniors JACQUELINE CUNNINGHAM, AMALIE LITTLE, MAGGIE JENKINS and Kaye, the Knights captured ninth place in the state while recording multiple personal- and team-best times. The 400 relay team—Little, Jenkins, Kaye and sophomore MARISA SAPRE—placed fifth, and the same squad was sixth in the 200 medley relay.

In addition to Cunningham, Jenkins, Kaye and Little, the team bids a fond farewell to seniors ISABEL BATTISTA, LILY KOCH and AMALIA MAXA. Photography by RIVER OAK PHOTOGRAPHY and ASHFORD LITTLE

SENIOR LIZZY KAYE MAKES HISTORY IN THE POOL “As a freshman, my goal was to get on the state podium,” recalls senior diver LIZZY KAYE. “I had confidence in my abilities to reach that goal. Only after I won that first year did I realize that my goal had changed to four state titles.”

Mission accomplished. On Feb. 2, Kaye, who missed half the season due to an injury, wrapped up her Pace Academy diving career with her fourth consecutive state title. With a score of 635.60, Kaye bettered her previous performance and made Pace history.

“This year was the most important year for me,” she says. “I didn't want to let Pace down by falling short of a fourth title. I was especially grateful to have won knowing that we were lucky to even have a championship meet given the situation with COVID. It was a really proud moment to represent Pace my senior year.”

Kaye credits much of her success to “one-of-a-kind” varsity diving coach JIM EBERT. “[Coach Ebert] has been beyond supportive; he believes in me; and he keeps it fun,” she says. “I’m so happy to have gone on this journey with him by my side.”

Kaye, also a member of Pace’s inaugural varsity flag football team, will graduate as one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history—she holds every Pace Middle and Upper School diving record. The three-time All-American plans to continue her diving career at the University of Virginia.

“I cannot wait to get to UVA to dive,” she says. “The girls team just won the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championship for the first time in UVA history. None of the team’s points came from diving though, and I want to be the one to score points for the team at next year’s championship.”

FOUR TIMES A

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ATHLETICS

John D. Abram Kathryn & Seth Adams Alkire Family Nicole & Russ Allen Fred Anochie Dana & Stephen Aronson Neal & Wendy Aronson Martha & Fred Assaf Megan & Will Auchincloss Valerie & Brad Ausband Ella & Slava Avdyeyev Bader Family Jeff Baker Will & Anne Barnette Chip & Gina Bates Allison & Drew Battista Karina & Josh Belinfante Tonya & Danny Bennett Mara & Justin Berman Dana & Eric Bernath Kavita Kotte & Samir Bhatia Calvin & Tara Bing Emily & Buddy Blaha Boushka Family Mary & Cameron Bready Melissa & Bob Brennan Larry Bride Lisa & Dan Brooks Meek Brown Susan & Doug Brown Alison Brown Amy Brumfield Carrie & Eric Brune Lexie C. Bryan Buehler Family Jenn & Frank Buonanotte Bybee Family Byrne Family Bland & Monique Byrne Frank & Ebony Caldwell Allison & Craig Camp James & Jenny Cannaday

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Canova Family Gabriela & Bruce Carroll Mikel Muffley Family Chin Yee Family Kavitha Reddy & Prashanth Chintanapalli Sue & Scott Cole Caroline & David Crawford Paige & Scott Creasman Renee & Zachary Myles Joe & Jane Cross Jeff & Mary Kelly Cunningham Kimberly & Cory Davis Cindy & Craig Davis Anh & Patrick DeLeon Dempsey Family Anne & Jeff Dennen Barbarella & René Diaz Lauren & Sean Donohue Daneen Durr Michelle & James Edwards Banu & Paul Elizondo Julie & Jonathan Elster Clarez & Keith Evans Danny & Tiffany Ferry & Family Shea & Chad Fleming Jena & Nick Fletcher Meredith & Jeremy Foster Jennifer & David Foster Fox Family Brett & Oz Friedmann David & Julie Frushtick Jin Wang & Youzhong Fu Fuller Family Courtenay & Chris Gabriel Laura & Jim Gash Quantiyanna Gaskins Ivery Gaskins Gasque Family Elizabeth & Fred Glass

Julie & Seth Goldstrom Annie & Jason Goode Susan & Earl Goodrich Ann Marie & Mario Govic Kiery Braithwaite & Matt Grabowski Bart & Susan Graham Kim & Wayne Grant Emily & Noah Graubart Sarah Reckford Gray Greenbaum Family Ashley & David Grice Kimberly & Robert Grossman Alexis & Shelby Guilbert Gunn Family Parkey & Dan Haggman Dawne & Michael Hall Robin & Andrew Halpern Hammond Family Michelle & Matt Rohrig Lee Ann & Doug Hantula Jane & Derek Hardesty Nicole & Clay Harmon Deanna & Mark Harris Kristi & Brent Hastie Jen & Brandon Hayes Debbie & Justin Heineman Hight Family Barbara Hingst Mary & Ed Holmes Hood Family Melissa Horne Houser Family Mandy & Wes Howard Stacey & Michael Howe Angie & Clay Howell Jean Song & Paul Huang Hudson Family Jen & Chris Hurd YiYi & Curt Hutchins Jill & Eric Irvin Jamieson/Sloan Family

Terri & Dan Janki Janko Family Mary & Scott Jenkins Moksha Johnson Adam P. Jones Chenille & Joel Jones Katherine & Michael Jones Norma Shohet & Robert Kadoori Spyro & Laura Karetsos Dan & Julia Kaufman Kedme Family John C. Keller Berry & Jason Kendall Rachel & Lee Killian Tracey & Jim Klein Laurie & Michael Kogon Jami & Larry Kohn Chari & Michael Kornheiser Stacey & Steven Kaye Leach Family Cara Isdell Lee & Zak Lee Jing & Wenke Lee Gretchen & Eoin Lehane Lemke Family Drs. Vivan & Cale Lennon Leusink Family Ashford Little Stewart & Tad Little Lohr Family Loughran Family Sarah & Rob Lynch Manogna & Sreedhar Maddineni Laurie & Hampton Mallis Rachel & Michael Massey Mathis Family Mautner Family Angie & Joe McCollum Courtney & Garrison McMillan Catherine & Ted McMullan Caren & Michael Merlin

Miller Family Toni & Chris Millner Mininberg Family Carter & Bill Monroe Lamar Moore Lucie Morrisroe Henrietta Muller Pam & Wally Neill Hilary & Stuart Nelson Kimberly & Jon Neville Nirgudkar Family Nordin Family Kim & Hal Nuckols Owens Family Jennifer & Jonathan Palmer Sneha Desai & Tarak Patel Whitney & Ryan Paulowsky Persily Family Alice & Todd Phelan Abigail Pickard Melanie & Trey Pope Donna & Mark Pottorff Holly & Palmer Proctor Travis Reed Dr. Z. Pressley & William Rice Natasha & Richard Rice Ritchie Family Richlynne & Jeff Rocker Michelle & Matt Rohrig Romig Family Barbra & Phillip Rosing Stephanie & Peter Ross Roth Family Sonja & Ricky Russ Molly & Brian Sappington Mary & William Schoeffler Vickie & Lou Schwartz Kimberly Setser Cochran Marissa & Paul Share Mindi & Pete Shelton Shawn & Patrick Shields Shippen Family

Mindy & David Shoulberg Sarah & Joey Silver Amy & Steven Silverstein Puga & Sid Singh Singha Family Valerie & Jeff Sitterle Amanda & Shawn Smith Ashley Smith Ashley & Ben Smith Elizabeth & Boynton Smith Christy Smith Souza Family Maury Spinelli Heather & Chris Spires Leslie & John Stebbins Barbara & Les Steiger Meredith & Darrell Sutton Swann Family Kim & Jonathan Swartz Jo & Steve Tapper Andrea & Lanier Thomas Liles & Charlie Thompson Elizabeth & Garrett Thompson Julie & Scott Thompson Corrie & Bret Thrasher Allison & Brian Timberlake Laura & Jimmy Trimble Michelle & Doug Trivers Katie & Ricks Tucker Van Staden Family Mary Kathryn & Trey Turner Jennifer & J.P. Vincent Leigh & Tim Walsh Margaret & Bill Warren White Family Alison & Josh Williams KC Williams Veminda Williams Travis & Kim York Weizenecker Family l

2020–2021 BOOSTER CLUB MEMBERS! Despite virtual viewing, sparse crowds and stringent COVID policies, Pace spirit remains high thanks to our generous Booster Club members.

Thanks to these individuals and families for supporting Pace Athletics during this unusual year.

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F O R A E Y E H H T T L A E H L A B GLO

cc i n e nd va a bal g f Glo ea r i n dy o sk-w u t a s l m a e t of l w id Glob mid s choo r fo r e s e h e d. t r t u n u In ll C e o ntin o n, o e i c t d , u s e I b i ar’s to hem dis tr i s ye ual t uses ) ann th, th D v ir l L 3 a G e d e’s C H p (I , her es an e r s hi h w ay ha ng g c i x H e L ea d al f f ex fo rd v ir tu d sta d Bu n n a a n g. y i Fr o m t s r me ac ul is sp d ga n t s, f th t h l e a d e b oar u st bal H Pace f Glo h ow ues o s s i d p l o re

04

03

01 Stories for All

[01–02]

In a cross-curricular collaboration, first, second and fifth graders designed “story boxes” for the Ellis Center, a nonprofit organization serving children with complex communication needs and disabilities.

Students’ story boxes brought together tactile representations of several children’s books’ most relevant objects, characters and experiences to ensure that those with visual impairment can experience reading through a multisensory approach, emphasizing tactile perception and exploration.

The project allowed Pace students to act as real-life healthcare heroes and to take an active role in tackling a problem Ellis Center students experience every day.

The Timeline of a Pandemic

[03]

This spring, the entire fourth grade made history and global health come to life by creating a three-dimensional exhibit that educated the Pace community about significant pandemics through the ages.

Students, split into groups, thoroughly researched seven pandemics and determined the most important facts and images to include in their displays before

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02 engineering 3D models of their viruses in Design Thinking class.

Coming Soon to a Newsstand Near You

05 and participated in virtual partnerships

with students around the globe. MARIA

SINGLETON’s Spanish class dug deep into issues of Global Health with students at

Los Almendros School in Aguascalientes,

[04–05]

Third-grade classroom teachers joined forces with ICGL, Design Thinking and

technology instructors to challenge students to create Global Health Heroes, a

magazine highlighting the work of some

of the world’s most influential individu-

als. Students selected a healthcare hero,

completed extensive research and drafted articles before designing their very own

magazine. Global Health Heroes—com-

Mexico, while EDNA-MAY HERMOSILLO’s seventh-grade French students spent

several days interacting with university students at Dar Moustaqbel, a board-

ing residence for women in Marrakech,

Morocco. Exchange participants shared

how they have adapted during the COVID

pandemic, discussed their educational and

cultural traditions, and connected over similar life experiences.

“Overall, we learned through our vir-

plete with a letter from co-editors SARAH

tual connection that cultural exchanges

ads promoting the COVID-safe door

other people and about ourselves,”

year—featured 63 healthcare heroes from

the MidKnight Times. “One of the biggest

IRAVANIAN and BROOKE HUANG and

openers students engineered earlier in the

Patricia Bath, the first woman ophthalmologist, to Kajmere Hutchins, a childhood cancer survivor turned activist.

Cross-Cultural Collaborations

provide opportunities for learning about

Hermosillo’s students wrote in an article in concerns raised by some Dar Moustaqbel students was the desire to break down

stereotypes. It was important for them to

[06]

Middle School world languages students made the best of a year without travel

share with us who they are, what they care

about, what their dreams are. They did

not want to be limited to stereotypes and

assumptions. This led us to wonder what

ICGL /// ISDELL CENTER FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

07

06 we wanted people to know about us as

individuals, as a Pace community and as

Americans. What is our culture? What do we value? What defines us?”

Game On!

[07–08]

Middle School students in Director

of STEAM and Design DR. KIRSTEN

BOEHNER’s class used game design as a

vehicle for understanding and communicating about issues of global health. Inspired

by Plague Inc., a popular strategy simulation

video game, students set out to create their

08 modeled on capture the flag in which

researchers searched for the coronavirus’

spike protein and could become infected,

quarantined or immune, to Virusopoly, a

version of Monopoly that raised questions

about vaccine access, health insurance and

11

09

10

support the organization CURE Childhood

Cancer. In April, the Council highlighted nutrition by organizing a snack stand to

provide junk food alternatives to students

and faculty and examining the film Fed Up,

which explores the food production indus-

exacerbating conditions that could compli-

try’s overreliance on sugar and its impact

Council Highlights Cancer Awareness & Nutrition [09]

Behind the Scenes on Buford Highway

cate health.

The Upper School ICGL Student Council,

on global health.

[10–11]

In partnership with We Love BuHi, an

a group of 10 student leaders charged

organization committed to preserving the

Global Health, continued to highlight one

Buford Highway, this year’s Upper School

Boehner reports. “They compared games

information and resources in assemblies,

Los Vecinos de Buford Highway, Second

those that depended more on luck; they

ing educational infographics to display

own games that would animate and educate players about current global health issues.

“Students started their design process by

playing several games in the health space,”

that were primarily strategy based with

with educating the Pace community about health-related topic per month by sharing hosting hands-on activities and design-

multicultural identity of Atlanta’s bustling

Food Highways ICGL Fellows worked with Helpings Atlanta and Whole Foods 365 to provide donated food for residents of a

debated the merits of games with a collab-

throughout campus.

and they discussed how to make a game

on cancer awareness. Students hosted

distribution events allowed Fellows to

sacrificing one objective for the other.”

Special Report: Killing Cancer, coordinated

community. “Even along this venerable

and implemented their creations. Games

Pace community impacted by cancer and

orative approach versus a competitive one; both educational and entertaining without Ultimately, students designed, tested

ranged from a physical activity loosely

In March, the group focused its efforts

a watch party and discussion on Vice

local apartment complex and the surround-

ing neighborhood. The Sunday morning better understand the Buford Highway

a remembrance project for those in the

food oasis, there are still many who are

participated in Lauren’s Run, an initiative to

Director TED WARD.

food insecure,” says ICGL Associate

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45

ICGL

from the FRONTLINES GLOBAL HEALTH FELLOWS FACULTY ADVISER DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP REPORTS ON THE YEAR

46

EMMA KILLIAN ’22

CHRIS MASON ’23

PRANAVH PRADEEP ’22

BARRI SEITZ ’23

MARY AMELIA WEISS ’23

DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP

SPRING 2021 ||| KnightTimes

LAURA ARENTH ’22

SYDNEY FAUX ’22

ELOISE GAUDET ’23

REBECCA KANN ’22

This was a banner year for the Upper School ICGL Global Health Fellows, a cohort of nine charged with investigating issues of global health around the world. With the COVID pandemic in full swing and the school year off to an unprecedented start, the Fellows banded together to make the best of a confusing situation.

We started the year in the summer with a deep dive into infectious disease with David Quammen’s book Spillover. To prepare our senior fellows—rising seniors to be precise—for their new roles as mentors, we had them lead discussions with their peers about immunology and vaccine function. We were also able to connect with Emory’s Vaccine Dinner Club via Zoom to learn more about vaccine hesitancy and the mechanism of action behind the Moderna RNA vaccine.

At the start of the second semester and with the release of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, we attempted to get a better handle on the impetus behind vaccine hesitancy. We were well aware of the many reasons individuals might not get vaccinated, however, it was unclear if we could change those individuals’ minds and actions regarding the vaccine. To this end, our students created a survey looking to answer the question “How can we change someone’s mind?”

To help us in this endeavor, we spoke with ICGL Advisory Board member ELLEN WHITNEY, director of programs for the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) at Emory University; Jessica Blackburn, a senior research protocol analyst with Emory’s Institutional Review Board; and Matthew Masiello, a graduate student at Emory Rollins School of Public Health who had recently collected data about COVID vaccine hesitancy on the Emory campus.

After a lot of work and rewrites, we distributed the survey to the Upper School student body. We hope to analyze this preliminary data, fine-tune our questions and distribute our survey to undergraduate students at Georgia colleges. Once that data is collected and analyzed, we plan to host a public health event at a local university to encourage vaccine uptake. l

ICGL

Teams of Middle School students put their creative juices to work to benefit Meals On Wheels Atlanta during their annual Canstruction event. Students worked throughout the Garcia Family Middle School to build elaborate, themed structures out of cans, boxes and bags of food and, following the competition, donated more than 6,750 pounds of food to Meals On Wheels Atlanta’s pantries.

In March, the Upper School Community Engagement Board launched Engage Pace, a week of student-led events in support of local nonprofit organizations and Pace partners. Engage Pace included COVID-safe opportunities for students, families, faculty and staff.

A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATE The spring semester and warmer temperatures brought a multitude of community engagement opportunities for the Pace community. Activities included clothing collection drives for The Bloom Closet, cleanup projects on the Atlanta BeltLine, and fundraisers for Grady Hospital and Habitat for Humanity.

Pace students, parents, faculty and staff donated calculators and school supplies, created inspirational videos for hospital patients and nursing home residents, and walked, ran and biked to support important causes. l

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REIMAGINING THE AUCTION

With photographs by ANDREW WOODMAN

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REIMAGINING THE AUCTION

G I A N I M NG I E R

T H E PAC E

AUCTION M

ixing and mingling and dinner and dancing have not topped many to-do lists over the past year, so when planning for the 2021 Pace Academy Auction began, the Parents Club team knew they might have to reinvent the wheel.

The 2020 Auction, A Knight of Celebration, had been scheduled for March 28, but the outbreak of the COVID pandemic earlier that month necessitated its cancellation. “The amazing 2020 Auction chairs, BARBARELLA DIAZ, WHITNEY PAULOWSKY and ELIZABETH SMITH, had taken care of everything,” recalls Parents Club President NICOLE ALLEN. “There was a venue and an emcee; sponsors had signed on; auction items were ready to go.

We were hoping to leverage their amazing groundwork to hold an in-person event this year, but by October, we realized that we needed to pivot to a virtual format.”

Allen had attended less-than-inspiring virtual fundraisers during the pandemic and worried that Zoom fatigue and general exhaustion would put a damper on Pace’s party. The event would need to grab the attention of the entire Pace community, she believed. There had to be a hook.

Fortunately, Allen knew just who to call.

“I have a very niche job,” says Pace parent KIMI QUÉGUINER, who works with chief experience officers at corporations

around the world to produce large-scale events. “I lead a team that puts together everything a company needs to pull off an event—from videos and staging to talent and streaming.”

Allen had been impressed with Quéguiner’s involvement as a parent volunteer. “Kimi travels all the time for work, but whenever she has signed up to participate in a Parents Club or Arts Alliance initiative, she knocks it out of the park,” Allen reports. “Everything she does is incredibly creative and well executed. I knew that if anyone could make a virtual auction a success, Kimi could.”

As luck would have it, Quéguiner, traveling far less frequently due to the pandemic, was willing to lead the project. She recruited Pace parent KIMBERLY SHAPIRO, head of sales and marketing for the TV show Atlanta Eats, as her co-chair.

Together, Quéguiner, Shapiro and Allen envisioned a free, 90-minute online broadcast streamed live from the Fine Arts Center that would include pre-produced video content—something families in the Pace community and beyond could gather together to enjoy. They wanted the evening to celebrate and share stories of the indomitable spirit of the Pace community in an inclusive, authentic and entertaining way. 

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REIMAGINING THE AUCTION

Sixty-five-page PowerPoint in hand, they pitched the concept to Head of School FRED ASSAF and members of the Pace communications and advancement teams.

Fundraising would be a secondary goal, they said. Their primary aim would be to “tell the story of how Pace successfully overcame the adversity of 2020 by living by our mission to create success through partnership with parents, students and faculty.”

Once the administration had signed off on their vision, Quéguiner, Shapiro and Allen got to work. In partnership with Director of Advancement HEATHER WHITE, Advancement Parent Organizations Manager MELANIE POPE, Director of Communications CAITLIN GOODRICH JONES ’00 and Digital Content Producer OMAR LÓPEZ THISMÓN, the team created a run of show for the broadcast, mapping out video content that would highlight programs such as the Isdell Center for Global Leadership, athletics and the arts, as well as Pace personalities like Sir Winsalot, student leaders and beloved faculty. Quéguiner would also use her entertainment industry connections to recruit Atlanta-based celebrities like Puddles Pity Party, poet Amena Brown and musician CeeLo Green to the project.

As the broadcast took shape, Quéguiner conceived a concept that would tie it all together: Modeled after NBC’s longtime late-night comedy series, Pace’s 2021 Auction would be themed Saturday Knight Live.

“Saturday Night Live provided the shell for what we ultimately produced. Like the show, we wanted our broadcast to be entertaining and to include digital shorts, fun bumper images and live components.

Unlike Saturday Night Live, we wanted to make sure it was age-appropriate and didn’t tackle politics,” Quéguiner says with a laugh.

As the creative team—including award-winning local photographers and filmmakers—began compiling content with the help of Upper School Visual and Performing Arts Chair SEAN BRYAN, Shapiro reached out to her colleagues in

the restaurant business to coordinate the Saturday Knight Supper Club. The idea was that families could support local businesses by ordering meals to eat as they watched the show—”sort of a party-ina-box concept,” Shapiro says. Offerings ranged from tacos from the popular Nuevo Laredo Cantina to a three-course seafood feast from Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s Greek mainstay, Kyma. “Again, we wanted to be inclusive and provide options for all tastes and budgets,” Shapiro says.

Meanwhile, parent volunteers and members of the advancement team recruited sponsors and solicited donations for both the live auction and the silent auction, accessible online prior to the event, and Parents Club Technology Chair DIANE SAINI worked with Digital Communications Manager LELA WALLACE to shore up the technical elements of the production.

As the event approached, frequent social media posts and promotional videos plugged Saturday Knight Live to the Pace community, and Quéguiner, Shapiro and Allen made sure that all students, parents, faculty and staff felt appreciated. Zac Brown Band’s Coy Bowles, also a children’s book author, Zoomed in to talk with Lower School students; Deepak Chopra led a guided meditation for all faculty and staff; and artist and lyricist Bernie Taupin offered members of the Pace community a virtual sneak peek of his upcoming museum exhibit, American Anthem.

Then, on March 20, hundreds of Pace families tuned in as Assaf and emcee Ronnel Blackmon kicked off the live show.

“When trying to pull off something like this, it doesn’t hurt to have a head of school who is up for a challenge and has a great sense of humor,” Shapiro

says. “You have to be special to get thrown into a live TV situation with a script and a teleprompter and make it work.”

Quéguiner also had a few surprises up her sleeve. Between the auctioning off of items like VIP Rolling Stones tickets and an NFL experience with alumnus ANDREW THOMAS ’17, cameos with inspiring messages popped in from Deepak Chopra, the San Francisco 49ers’ Katie Sowers and musical powerhouse Todrick Hall. The broadcast closed with a music video of CeeLo Green’s Lead Me, which featured Pace students and was filmed on the Pace campus.

“Through Saturday Knight Live, we wanted to celebrate the Pace community despite our inability to be together as a community,” Allen says. “I think we did that, and at the end of the day, we also raised funds for the school. It made me proud of our school and proud to be a Pace parent.”

Assaf agrees. “In the midst of challenging times, the Parents Club went above and beyond, and Pace parents used their vast array of professional expertise to pull together a wonderful celebration,” he says.

“Saturday Knight Live was a beautiful tribute to the people and programs that make Pace so special—and it was a blast!” lll

Watch SATURDAY KNIGHT LIVE at www.paceacademy.org/auction.

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VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL

Boys basketball claims back-to-back state titles, earns a trip to the national tournament

THE BEST 52

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B AC K-TO B A C K S T AT E CHAMPS SHARMAN WHITE HEAD COACH

• Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AA Coach of the Year • Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro Coach of the Year

MASON AMBLER A S S I S TA N T C OAC H

GREG BLYTHE

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he Pace Academy varsity boys basketball team entered the 2020–2021 season hot off their Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class AA state-championship win. All five of the previous year’s starters had returned for the Knights—seniors MATTHEW CLEVELAND, MADISON DURR, COLE MIDDLETON and JOSH MININBERG, along with junior JOSH REED—and seniors LOGAN BAKER and JUSTIN JOHNSON were ready to lead. The team had spent the off-season putting in the work.

“We believed we were the top team in the state, regardless of class,” says Head Coach SHARMAN WHITE. “We weren’t afraid of anyone.” The Knights’ goal was to earn an invitation to GEICO Nationals, a prestigious post-season tournament featuring the country’s top 10 high-school basketball teams.

Then they lost their first game.

Granted, Class AAA’s Sandy Creek High School was a formidable opponent, boasting the No. 5 prospect in the Class of 2021 and an impressive record, but the 59–63 defeat was a blow to the Knights’ confidence and hopes for the future.

“After that game, the boys were under the impression that all was lost,” White recalls. “I told them that wasn’t the case, but to get to GEICO, we’d have to have a really shiny record. We couldn’t lose again.”

The Knights took White’s advice to heart.

“The feeling of losing a game that we had in our hands was a feeling I didn’t want to have again,” Durr remembers.

A S S I S TA N T C OAC H

JOHNATHAN ROBINSON

A S S I S TA N T C OAC H

In response, the team adopted two mantras: Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop, a reference to the group’s continual push for excellence, and Get Paid, a reminder that they had a job to do, and that if they did it well, rewards would follow.

The Knights’ resolve paid off. In their next outing, they bested Marist by 20 points, and they didn’t look back. The team went on to win the following 28 games by an average of 29.6 points. “It was an incredible streak,” White says.

Highlights of the streak included Playing for a Change, a holiday tournament featuring the top teams in the state. Hosted

by Pace Athletics, the tournament called attention to racial justice and to the Black Lives Matter movement in an effort to “bring light to those issues,” White says.

Against the likes of Class 7A’s North Gwinnett High School and Grayson High School, the Knights emerged victorious and claimed the inaugural Playing for a Change title. “That final game against Grayson was a thrilling, signature win,” White says. “It moved us into the national rankings and showed that we belonged among the top teams in the country.”

As the season progressed, the Knights overcame challenges associated with the COVID pandemic and resulting protocols, defeated rival Lovett to claim their second region title in as many years, and easily blew by Dade County, Banks County, Butler and Thomasville high schools en route to the GHSA Class AA state final.

MATTHEW ARONSON WILL ARONSON LOGAN BAKER FRANK CALDWELL MATTHEW CLEVELAND

• Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AA Player of the Year • Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro Atlanta Player of the Year • Region 6-AA Player of the Year

MADISON DURR

• Region 6-AA Second Team

KENDALL EVANS BUCK HALL JUSTIN JOHNSON BEN LEACH COLE MIDDLETON

• Georgia Athletic Coaches Association AA All-State First Team • Atlanta Tipoff Club All-Metro Third Team • Region 6-AA First Team

JOSH MININBERG LAMAR MOORE JOSH REED

• Georgia Athletic Coaches Association AA All-State Second Team • Region 6-AA First Team

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VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL

The team’s preseason goal of earning an invitation to GEICO loomed large as they prepared to face Columbia High School. They knew that their ticket to Fort Myers, Fla., the site of the 2021 national tournament, rode on a win, and they were determined to see it through. The defending state champs showed up ready to play.

“My goal for the season was to win a second state championship and finish out on top,” says Mininberg. His teammates and coaches felt the same.

“We were locked in for so many reasons,” says White. “We wanted to prove that we were the best team; we wanted to play for JORDAN SLOAN [a sophomore recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered during a fall football game]; we wanted to erase any doubt about us in peoples’ minds.”

They did just that. Up 29–21 at halftime, the Knights opened the second half with 10 unanswered points and won the third quarter 34–7. Columbia just couldn’t recover.

Led by Cleveland’s 24 points, Pace brought home the title, 73–42, and an official invitation to GEICO Nationals.

On March 31, the Knights took the court at Suncoast Arena ready to face Oak Hill Academy out of Virginia, “the most renowned prep school basketball program in the country,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Its alumni include Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse and Josh Smith.”

While the Warriors maintained a slim lead throughout most of the game, the Knights tied the score with just under 3 minutes remaining, but ultimately fell 77–84. “A couple free throws here and there, and the game could have gone the other way,” says White. “Our performance showed that we belonged.”

For White’s players, it was an unforgettable experience, one that cemented their place in school history.

“I believe that our team will be remembered as the best in Pace history,” says Middleton.

He just may be right. After all, it’s hard to argue with back-to-back region and COACH state championships, a trip SHARMAN to the national tournament, WHITE and a two-season 46–2 record. •

“Our team became a brotherhood thanks to the leadership of our seniors.

In the locker room, off the court, on the court, our guys embraced our team culture from day one.”

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“Winning is more than what the fans see on game day. Our preparation and hard work behind the scenes are the reasons that we were so successful. The entire coaching and training staff, parents, managers, facilities team and everyone that had a hand in what we did deserves recognition as well. Without them, we would not be where we are today.”

MADISON DURR ’21

When the Knights hosted rival Lovett in a much-hyped matchup on Feb. 5, two very special members of the Pace community cheered them on: former Upper School Principal BOB CHAMBERS and Judge CLYDE REESE ’76. Chambers served as varsity basketball coach during his time at Pace, and Reese was one of his star players.

The men met with the team before the game and stayed to watch as the Knights defeated Lovett 66–50.

Reese sent the team a letter prior to the state championship which read, in part: “You have come all the way to the end.

Trust your ability, your teammates and your coaches. I am extremely proud to have once been a Pace Knight. You have built a legacy of excellence that shines brightly on anyone of us who ever wore the uniform.

You have made your friends and families proud. Finish the job; bring it home one more time.”

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MODEL UN

MODEL MENTORS FOREIGN POLICY SIMULATION PROGRAM FACILITATES CROSS-DIVISIONAL CONNECTIONS

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MODEL UN

“I chose to serve as a mentor because I'm passionate about Model UN, and I wanted to help Middle Schoolers develop the same love. I developed as a leader throughout the mentoring process—it made me love Model UN even more, and it helped me improve skills such as communication, research and writing.”

CLAIRE HOWELL ’21

F

or decades, Pace Academy Upper School students have participated in Model United Nations (MUN), a policy simulation program that requires that students research global issues—topics such as universal health care, deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa and preventing nuclear war—and come together at models, simulations where students act as country ambassadors to the United Nations and other international bodies.

Participation in MUN involves extensive extracurricular research, writing and preparation, as well as an ability to speak confidently from a point of view that might not be one’s own. Students do not receive grades at the end of a model; the experience itself is the reward.

In recent years, MUN’s popularity has skyrocketed at Pace, thanks in large part to student leadership. Longtime MUN adviser and Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH has welcomed the increased involvement. An executive board of student leaders now actively recruits and trains new members, organizes and teaches delegate workshops, helps orchestrate travel logistics and plans for the future of the program. In a typical year, 60 to 80 Upper School students might travel to five or six models.

This year, however, has been anything but typical.

Rather than jetting off to Prague or Lisbon to take part in international conferences as in years past, students were unable to travel due to the COVID pandemic.

Nevertheless, the Model UN executive board— seniors ISABEL BATTISTA

and MICHAEL FU and juniors KARGIL BEHL, LEAH FAVERO and RYAN VARMA—coordinated a virtual conference for Upper School MUN veterans in October and a mini MUN for seventh and eighth graders in January. A total of 30 Upper School delegates attended three virtual models—William and Mary, Yale and Georgetown—interacting online with advanced MUN students from around the world. Awards to senior LAURA ROMIG and sophomore KATE WEBB showed Pace students’ ability to compete in models with more than a thousand participants.

While the virtual conferences provided valuable experience, “We really wanted to give that ‘live’ experience to those who were new to Model UN,” Fu reports. In particular was a group of enthusiastic seventh and eighth graders who in October responded to a proposal from Varma. “At my previous school, Model UN started in the middle school,” says Varma, whose family moved to Atlanta from Singapore in early 2020. “I noticed that at Pace, there was a lot of training for freshmen. I thought we could cut down on that training if the Middle School program were more robust.

I talked to Ms. Smith about it, and we presented the idea to the Middle School. To our surprise, nearly 40 students signed up.”

From January through April, 11 Upper School mentors, with help from Smith and faculty adviser MARTY HAMBURGER, met weekly with Middle School students, individually and in small groups, to introduce them to MUN, collaborate on short assignments and craft papers. “Model UN is challenging,” says Varma. “Explaining it can be complex.

Unless you get your hands and feet in the water, you don’t understand it. Our Middle Schoolers hopped in there, took risks and did everything to the best of their abilities.”

Students’ hard work paid off in April when Middle and Upper School delegates

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MODEL UN

joined forces to participate in PACEMUNC II, a one-day, Pace-only model. Along with fellow faculty advisers DR. CHRISTINE CARTER, DR. DON DUPREE and DR. KAYLAN HAIZLIP, Smith, Hamburger and Upper School leaders executed the event without a hitch.

“It was so good,” Smith reports. “The Middle School students were as active and involved as the Upper School delegates, and some were really outstanding in both research and speaking.”

Battista, whose engagement with MUN began in Middle School, was equally awed. “I remember being really scared as an eighth grader,” she recalls. “All of these students were so involved. Everyone contributed to the debate, which doesn’t happen at a normal conference. I was very impressed.”

Middle School participants found the experience rewarding as well. “I learned how to research a country, think on my feet, create resolutions and partner with other delegates,” reports seventh-grader REESE HONEYCUTT. “I had a phenomenal experience interacting with Ms. Smith and the Upper School mentors. [Sophomore] EMMA BETH NEVILLE was the best mentor I could have asked for. She met with my group weekly and was super involved in making my first Model UN experience the best it could be.”

Behl would like to see the mentoring piece of the program continue and hopes that the joint Middle-Upper School model grows with each passing year. “We’re looking forward to a new group of leaders taking the reins,” he says. “The goal is to pass on this project but to be there to help when needed.”

That’s exactly what Smith has wanted to see. “From my point of view as a teacher for five decades, the most exciting part of Model UN is that you, the student, are in charge of your own learning,” she says.

“You start working with others to learn skills, you figure out what is needed and how you best achieve it, and you gradually become an independent learner and speaker. We think that the self-directed, fact-based exploration of issues [through MUN] is what we need as citizens of our country and global citizens in the 21st century.” •

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MODEL UN

“In terms of student participation, Model UN is the largest club at Pace. That says a lot. It means that Pace students are curious and want to learn for the sake of learning.”

MICHAEL FU ’21

THANKS TO OUR MODEL UN MENTORS! Isabel Battista ’21 Leah Favero ’22 * Eloise Gaudet ’23 Kathleen Glass ’22 Claire Howell ’21 Rebecca Kann ’22 Emma Beth Neville ’23 * Josie Swain ’23 Kate Webb ’23 * Mary Amelia Weiss ’23 * Jayla Wideman ’22 * Will join rising seniors Kargil Behl and Ryan Varma on the 2021–2022 Executive Board

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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[1] PAUL ATTAWAY ’81 has released his debut novel, Blood in the Low Country, a tension-filled family saga of betrayal. Paul and his wife, Lyn, split their time between Charleston and Phoenix, where they raised their three children. Paul recently retired from a 30-year career as a small business entrepreneur.

bilities for characters to “try on” different identities in a quest for self-discovery.

These literary explorations inform many of the questions permeating the fashion world today: Is fashion possible without cultural appropriation? Can fashion deepen our connections to community? Does fashion constrict us in our gender identities or can it be liberating? And, is there a way to participate in the fashion world as an informed, ethical and eco-conscious consumer?

desire to improve and drive innovation will serve our sport well in this new and important leadership role.”

[2] The University of Virginia Press has published Fashioning Character: Style, Performance, and Identity in Contemporary American Literature by LAUREN CARDON ’96 as part of its Cultural Frames, Framing Culture series. Fashioning Character, Lauren’s fourth book, illustrates how works of post-World War II American literature incorporate fashion as a means of identity construction—specifically, how fashion opens possi-

[3] CHIP WILE ’98, formerly president of Daytona International Speedway, has taken on a new role within NASCAR. As senior vice president and chief track properties officer, Chip now oversees operations across 13 NASCARowned tracks. “Chip has played a tremendous role in guiding the success of two of our flagship racetracks, Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway,” says NASCAR President Steve Phelps. “Always looking to deliver for our incredible fans, Chip’s constant

[5] HURST WILLIAMSON ’11 has co-authored Disrupted!: How to Reset Your Brand & Your Career, his first book. Disrupted! shares the perspectives of talent leaders who balance companies’ fast-paced expectations against employees’ skills, and introduces the tools needed to help anyone reset their career and build a career narrative. Hurst leads the sales team at Atlanta-based Sally Williamson & Associates, where he has also begun his career as a professional coach, working with Fortune 500 companies' early-career workforce.

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[4] LAUREN GUY ’02 is a registered nurse living in Chapel Hill, N.C. She works for UNC Health and has spent her weekends volunteering with the Orange County Health Department in its vaccination efforts. By Lauren’s estimate, she has vaccinated more than 400 people against COVID-19.

[6] SYDNEY WILLIS ’13, a soon-to-be graduate of Mercer University School of

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Medicine, has matched into OB-GYN residency at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, a UNC Health system affiliate in Wilmington, N.C. “I am excited to be part of the Tarheel family,” Sydney writes. “My residency program is four years long, and I am considering a maternal fetal medicine fellowship, which would add three more years to my residency.”

[7] JOHN MORRISON ’14 is graduating from Harvard Law School this spring and will begin his career as an associate with the Atlanta-based firm King & Spalding in its Washington, D.C., office. John is a summa cum laude graduate of The University of Alabama with a double major in finance and economics—and was part of Alabama’s 2015 national-champion football team.

[8] MORGAN BAKER ’15 recently changed careers and now works for Kylie Bass, a high-end residential designer in New York. Morgan helps with furniture layouts, schemes, sourcing, billing, client presentations and installations. “I was

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working at a media agency when I realized I wanted to pursue my passion for interior design,” she writes.

[9] ANNIE BUTLER ’15 was an extra on the Feb. 6 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by actor, writer and director Dan Levy.

Annie appeared in a sketch called Wedding Friends in which she sat next to Levy.

“It was a total dream come true to even be in the building,” Annie reports. “The most fascinating part was just seeing how Saturday Night Live comes together—from rehearsal to dress rehearsal to the show! If I look really bored, it’s because they told us not to pay attention to Dan and [Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon], which was really hard, especially when trying not to laugh!”

Annie lives in New York City, where she tutors students as her “day job” while also pursuing “whatever acting opportunity comes [her] way next.”

[10] In December, TONYIA JOHNSON ’17 graduated a semester early with honors from the University of Miami where she double majored in political science and

sports administration. She will enroll at the University of Miami School of Law in the fall and is the recipient of a Dean’s Merit Scholarship, awarded to law students with excellent academic records and other outstanding qualifications. “I am very excited to share this news with my Pace family, as so many of my former teachers have supported me along the way,” she writes.

[11] ANNIE NOTTINGHAM ’17 graduated from Rhodes College in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and will begin pursuing her Ph.D. in industrialorganizational psychology at George Mason University. At Rhodes, Annie’s research focused on the antecedents and consequences of emotional labor among diversity and inclusion professionals, as well as the mechanisms that contribute to the race-based wage gap between Black and white employees. “While pursuing my doctoral degree, I plan to continue investigating diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace to better understand how organizations can promote a learning and effectiveness diversity paradigm,” Annie writes.

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MARRIAGES [12] BEN EWING ’06 married Thea Mink on Jan. 17, 2021, at Northside Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine. Along with family, fellow Pace faculty members MARY PAT MCCALLUM and MAC MCCALLUM were in attendance.

Ben teaches Upper School science at Pace and is dean of the Class of 2022.

Thea is finishing her first year of a master's program at Emory Rollins School of Public Health. “Like everyone else, we're trying to find ways to pass the time these days, which primarily consist of going for walks with our dog, Calvin, around the park,” Ben says.

[13] ROBIN LALONE SPILKER ’12 married Stephen Spilker, her college sweetheart, on March 27, 2021, in Gruene, Texas. Both are graduates of Auburn University. Robin is the Southeast Texas marketing and philanthropic manager for Kendra Scott, a company she joined nearly eight years ago.

Stephen works as a consultant for a commercial real estate valuation firm in Houston where they live with their “fur child,” LuLu.

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[14] KATIE BREWSTER CLARK ’14 married Sam Clark in March 2021. The couple met as English majors at Rhodes College. Katie now works as a senior admission counselor for Oglethorpe University, and Sam teaches high-school English at Darlington School in Rome, Ga.

BIRTHS [15] MEREDITH WERTHEIM BLECHMAN ’02 and her husband, Andy Blechman, welcomed Henry Jack on December 10, 2020. Henry weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

He joins big sister Remy, 2. The family lives in Atlanta.

[16] LUCY INMAN CLIFFORD ’02 and her husband, Mac Clifford, welcomed Charles “Charlie” Henry on Jan. 18, 2021. Lucy is a product designer at Varian Medical Systems, a company based out of Palo Alto, Calif., that envisions a world without cancer. She works directly with a team of researchers and developers to create a compelling user experience for the company’s

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products, services and systems. The family lives in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood with their shih tzu pup, Gnocchi.

[17] HEATHER ALLEN BERNES ’05 and her husband, Matt, had a son, Jackson “Jax” Halpern, on Feb. 4, 2021. Jax was 5 pounds, 12 ounces and 19 inches. The family lives in Atlanta, where Heather is associate director of Middle and Upper School Admissions at Pace. Photo by The Morgan Studio [18] PEARSON MATHEWS MCSHANE ’07 and her husband, Chris, welcomed son Wilson Page on Oct. 14, 2020.

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FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES [19] Upper School counselor AMELIA TUTTLE HARMON and her husband, Forrest Harmon, had a son, Forrest Sommers Jr., at 12:20 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2020. He was 7 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches long.

[20] Upper School history teacher MINDY LAWRENCE and her husband, fellow Pace parent MATT LAWRENCE, welcomed Joseph “Jack” Raphael to their family on Feb. 6, 2021. He weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. Their daughter, AJ LAWRENCE ’33, loves being a big sister.

[21] Director of Sports Performance SEKOU WALTON and Ashley McCormick welcomed son Kairo Blaze on March 10, 2021.

He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces.

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IN MEMORIAM [22] EUGENE ASSAF, father of Head of School FRED ASSAF and a stalwart supporter of all things Pace, passed away on April 5, 2021, at the age of 91. The consummate people person, Gene was an early riser who knew the value of a loyal family, a hard day's work and being kind to others. The Pennsylvania native served in the United States Army as a member of the Military Police in the Korean War. A long-time parishioner of St. Joseph’s Melkite Catholic Church in West Scranton, he was also the first president of the West Scranton Lions Club.

Gene owned an insurance agency and later spent more than 20 years at the helm of Holiday Pancake House, which had five locations in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre areas. He retired from the restaurant business and served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under Governor Robert Casey, directing fleet services.

Gene spent his retirement in Myrtle Beach before moving to Atlanta in 2006 to be closer to his family. He enjoyed golfing,

reading and watching his grandchildren play sports. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, THALIA JOSEPH ASSAF, to whom he was a devoted caregiver during her ongoing struggle with advanced dementia. As parents to Fred and his brother, Gene, Gene and Thalia always emphasized education and enjoyed their boys’ sporting events.

In addition to his beloved wife and sons, Gene is survived by daughters-in-law Dr. Elizabeth McHenry and DR. MARTHA DOWNER-ASSAF, and grandchildren Electa McHenry-Assaf, Quinn McHenryAssaf, JACK ASSAF ’13, HANK ASSAF ’15, MICK ASSAF ’16, SAM ASSAF ’19 and TOMMY ASSAF ’21 (pictured).

A lifelong reader, Gene believed that education was the greatest gift one could give children. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to either Pace Academy or Scranton Prep.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?

EMAI L US! alumni@paceacademy.org

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ALUMNI

MS. SMITH LEADS

KNIGHT SCHOOL Have you liked or joined us yet?

On March 11, more than 75 alumni tuned in for longtime Upper School history teacher HELEN SMITH’s return to the classroom—virtually. Over Zoom, Smith shared with alumni how teaching history has changed in her almost 50 years at Pace.

She led a second installment of Knight School in May.

www.facebook.com/paceacademy alumniassociation

ALUMNI

OUT & ABOUT

www.instagram.com/ pace_alumknights www.linkedin.com/groups/160587

Help Us Tell the Pace Story The Kam Memar Lower School will feature a space dedicated to telling the story of Pace Academy.

Do you have a Pace artifact of significance to the school that you might consider loaning or donating to the gallery? Send a photo of the item and a thorough written description to Creative Services Manager RYAN VIHLEN at ryan.vihlen@paceacademy.org.

LEADERSHIP PACE

GORDON CORSETTI ’06, who moonlights as an official for Atlanta Youth Lacrosse, served as a referee during a March lacrosse game in which Pace faced North Atlanta. The Knights emerged victorious, defeating the Warriors 14–3. When he’s not on the field, Gordon works for Atlanta-based Volt Power.

PARTICIPANTS REUNITE On Feb. 18, graduates of the Leadership Pace program gathered virtually for the first-ever Leadership Pace reunion. The program, launched in 2016, is designed to foster the next generation of school leadership and facilitate deep alumni engagement with the school, the community and fellow alumni. To date, 74 alumni have participated in Leadership Pace.

As Leadership Pace strives to offer participants an insider look at school operations, purposeful interactions with school leaders and a voice as to the school’s direction, the virtual program featured presentations by Isdell Center for Global Leadership Director TRISH ANDERSON, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN and Head of Upper School MIKE GANNON.

ALUMNI

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Legendary Pace skipper CHARLIE OWENS is hoisted on his players’ shoulders after winning a doubleheader to secure the 1986 baseball region championship and state playoff berth.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO After losing the first game of the series on the Bowdon Red Devils’ home turf, the Knights returned to Pace needing both wins in the best-two-of-three format.

Games 2 and 3 went to extra innings, with Pace prevailing in Game 2 in nine innings and in eight innings in Game 3. Owens’ masterful game management was the deciding factor in both games; he called two “suicide squeezes,” which were executed successfully to secure the championship.

Students rushed the field in one of the most exciting days in Pace sports history.

—by CHRIS PAYNE ’86

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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.

Y O U R S U P P O R T MAT T E R S !

The Pace Fund—Pace Academy’s highest giving priority—provides vital resources that directly support ALL students, faculty members and programs at Pace. We rely on the generous support of our parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to maintain the exceptional student experience so valued by our entire community.

In this unusual school year, your support makes a difference like never before. We are so grateful for your partnership in keeping Pace strong and prepared for the future.

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