PCDS The Bridge Magazine, Winter 2018-19

THE BRIDGE A P U B L I C AT I O N O F P H O E N I X C O U N T R Y DAY S C H O O L

Winter 2018/19

THE BRIDGE Phoenix Country Day School, Winter 2018/19

Andrew Rodin Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership Roz Bolger Abero ’89 Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Katie Charles Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99 Director of Alumni Relations C. Ryan Joyce Director of Advancement Tina Pitts Advancement Coordinator Lydia Rodin Advancement Events Coordinator and The Bridge Editor Largo Photography Feature Photography Other photography and articles: PCDS students, faculty, and staff

The Bridge is published twice each calendar year—winter and summer.

An Annual Report on Philanthropy is also sent each fall.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please email The Bridge at communications@pcds.org. © 2019 Phoenix Country Day School.

All rights reserved.

This Page: US English teacher Dr. Gordon-Smith leads juniors in a class discussion. Left to right: Chaya Feng, Jessie Dady, John Moore, Jared Novoa, Ethan Zimmerman, and Natalie Lewis.

Contents

ON THE COVER

Senior boys dance at Blue & Gold 2018 The dance and US Girls’ Volleyball team vs. the senior boys game (left)—were just two of the many fun School spirit traditions during Blue & Gold 2018

ON THE BACK COVER

Alaia Lalji ‘28 with her father and grandmother

Inside this Issue: All the latest news from PCDS Upper School (US), Middle School (MS), and Lower School (LS), plus alumni features and philanthropy highlights.

2

Message from the Head of School

22 Faculty News and Notes

4

Louis Family Society for Planned Giving

26 Annual Fund

6 Athletics 11 Music 12

US Fall Play

14

Speech & Debate

17

Merit Honors

18

Fall Snapshots

20 Turkey Drive 21

The Groundlings

27 Tax Credit 28 Message from the

Alumni Board President 29 IMPACT 33 Save the Date: Alumni

Spring Weekend 35 Alumni Fall Events 37 Class Notes 49 PCDS Alumni

Book Club

PCDS MISSION PCDS prepares promising students to become responsible leaders and lifelong learners through an education that emphasizes intellectual engagement, independence, collaboration, creativity, and integrity.

WINTER 2018/19 | 1

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Let’s Make An IMPACT

A

s Phoenix Country Day School closes in on 60 years of existence, we find ourselves looking in the mirror and seeing a reflection that looks a little different than the one that stared back at us in 1961. Before you get down the path of more wrinkles and graying hair, I’ll interject that what I see is a school that is much wiser and more refined. A school that knows who it is and knows what it needs to be. A school that can both live in the moment but also plan thoughtfully for the future. I see a school where love and joy and wonder still delightfully set the tone each day.

But I also see a school that now—at its ripening age—carries with it a certain responsibility to be much more than a unique counter-point to the existing public school system. The PCDS that we all enjoy today is a community that possesses the strength and the will to stand as a beacon for the greater Phoenix region.

And the ones to pave the way for us, as I see it, are the ones who have spent the most time soaking in all that our program has to offer: our alumni.

In this issue of The Bridge, you will have the chance to hear about IMPACT—an exciting and powerful alumni initiative—that was recently launched with the target of making a difference beyond the traditional metrics. PCDS is deeply committed to diversity and social justice and—with actions like IMPACT—will strive through its next iteration to be the kind of school that our founders envisioned from our earliest days.

I am proud to play even a small role in these endeavors and encourage you to join us in making the difference. After all, our reflection is telling us that we’re ready.

Andrew M. Rodin P ‘19, ‘19, ‘25 Head of School Gay Firestone Wray Chair for Leadership

Above: Former Board Chair and current Trustee Taylor Burke (P‘22, ‘23, ‘25); Head of School Andy Rodin (P‘19, ‘19, ‘25); Advisory Trustee Shoshana Tancer (P‘74, ‘76, ‘79, ‘80; G ‘01, ‘02, ‘04, ‘07); Advisory Trustee Gay Wray (P‘77, ‘80, ‘84); Bob Tancer (P‘74, ‘76, ‘79, ‘80; G ‘01, ‘02, ‘04, ‘07)

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THE ALUMNI IMPACT INITIATIVE For more on IMPACT, see pages 29-32.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tracy Brennan President Charlene Whitfill Executive Vice President and Vice President Trusteeship

“ PCDS is deeply committed to diversity and social justice and—with actions like IMPACT— will strive through its next iteration to be the kind of school that our founders envisioned from our earliest days.”

Head of School Andy Rodin

Andrew Rodin Head of School Tiffany Pondelik ’00 President, Alumni Association Board

Michelle Hosmar Vice President Facilities Planning

Laurie Tutag-Wang President, Parents’ Association

David Lewis Vice President Finance/Operations

Advisory Trustees:

Charles W. Shields Vice President Finance/Investments

Phoenix-area alumni showing their support for IMPACT during halftime of a boys’ varsity basketball game. Top row: Augustine Gomez ‘99; Eric Schaefer ‘91, (P’26); Rachel Finkelstein McIntosh-Anderson ‘97, (P’32); Ian Hackett ‘89; Philip Lewis ‘16; Beri Golding ‘01, (P’30).

Middle seated: Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ‘91, (P’22, ‘24, ‘26, ‘31); Gilbert Armenta ‘00, (P’23). Seated: Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ‘00, (P’32); Clarissa Simek Robinson ‘88, (P’22, ‘25, ‘26); Tim Daley ‘89

Ex officio:

Lou Werner ’87 Vice President Advancement Darryl Berger Taylor Burke Don Dady Nicholas S. Firestone ’84 Adam Goodman Donna Johnson Mercedes Liljegren Tim Louis ’81 Jordan Rose Margaux Rosen Tracy Schwimmer Kiran Singh

Beverly Bradway Susan J. Bansak Daniel J. Donahoe III Bennett Dorrance Susan Garrity Samuel Garvin Bert Getz Donald R. Loback Nan P. Miller Jahm Najafi Ellie B. Nolan Frederick M. Pakis Nicholas J. Sakellariadis ’69 Jonah Shacknai Shoshana B. Tancer Garth Wieger Gay F. Wray

Welcome, Darryl Berger P’31, ‘29

“ PCDS is a first-class institution, and I am honored to play a role in supporting it. I believe even brighter days are ahead for our school and community.

I am thoroughly enjoying the work we all do to advance our mission.”

PCDS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which sets forth guidelines for independent school governing boards. To view the Principles of Good Practice, visit https://www. pcds.org/admissions/the-independent-school-difference.

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Louis Family Society FOR

PLANNED

GIVING

The Louis Family Society for Planned Giving recognizes members of the extended PCDS community who have included the School in their estate plans in some fashion, ranging from a bequest intention to a trust arrangement.

I was raised in an environment of giving back. My parents, by example, taught me about generosity. From them, I learned the importance of giving to a purpose or a cause that extended far beyond my own personal benefit. Now, I believe the greatest value of giving comes when a gift’s impact is so enduring that its presence is felt long after we are gone.

Impactful giving has always been important to my family.

We have a long history at PCDS that began in the School’s earliest years. My parents sent three of their children (with four grandchildren to follow) to PCDS, and my dad chaired the Board of Trustees in the early 70s. On top of that, he changed the trajectory of our then young School when, in 1969, he gave the initial funding for the endowment. A product of older, well established institutions like Williams College and Northwestern University, my dad’s intentions were clear: he was ensuring PCDS’s ability to achieve its educational potential and was guarding it from the vulnerabilities of an institution just getting

off the ground. Fast-forward 50+ years, and PCDS now stands as one of the finest schools in the country.

My wife, Amy, and I have committed to making a planned gift to PCDS, and we hope you will join us. Whether large or small, your future gift will help endow our School and contribute to its long-term strength, allowing PCDS to continue the tradition of excellence that it’s been known for since 1961.

I hope you are as inspired by my Dad’s desire to make a longterm difference as I am, and I hope you too will become a member of the Louis Family Society for Planned Giving. I look forward to celebrating these visionary gifts with you.

Sincerely,

Tim Louis ‘81, Trustee, P ‘14 ‘17 ‘22

“ Over the years, PCDS has continued to inspire me.

First as a student, later as a Trustee, and currently as a member of our community. I am proud to join the Louis Family Society for Planned Giving. It is an ideal way to give back to our School.”

Carolyn Polson O’Malley ‘65

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Ways to Leave a Legacy GIFTS FROM YOUR WILL OR TRUST The most popular way to make a planned gift is with a simple bequest to PCDS. Through your will or other estate plans, you may name PCDS as the beneficiary of a portion of your estate or of particular assets in your estate.

GIFTS FROM A RETIREMENT PLAN Donate assets subject to taxation and leave more to your family.

GIFTS FROM YOUR DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS Make an outright gift from your donor-advised fund or name PCDS as the ultimate beneficiary of the remainder in the fund.

GIFTS OF LIFE INSURANCE Make a significant gift to PCDS even without a large estate by naming PCDS as the beneficiary of your life insurance.

GIFTS OF REAL ESTATE Donate a valuable asset in exchange for powerful tax benefits.

LIFE-INCOME GIFTS There are a variety of tax-advantaged life-income gifts that you may wish to consider, including Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Gift Annuities.

Please consult with your tax advisor or estate attorney about tax implications and which options are best for you.

For more information or to let us know you have arranged for a planned gift, contact: Roz Abero ‘89, roz.abero@pcds.org, 602-955-8200 x 2221, or Ryan Joyce, ryan.joyce@pcds.org, 602-955-8200 x 2310

“To continue as one of the city’s star assets, and to attract remarkable young people, PCDS must have that extra financial support that ensures superior teaching, programs, facilities, and above all, educational results.

No greatness without commitment—count me in!”

Galen Brewster, Former Headmaster 1995-2005

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ATHLETICS

Back-to-Back State Champions Boys’ soccer claims back-to-back state titles (2019 and 2018)

Internal School Awards: Coaches’ Awards: Ty Rodin ‘19, Michael Rosenthal ‘19, Zach Sarver ‘19 Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Ty Rodin ‘19, Michael Rosenthal ‘19

Left to right: Christian Levitz ‘21, Hutch Milliken ‘20, Robby Schrott ‘22, Speed Gregory ‘22, Michael Rosenthal ‘19, Ben Kreisberger ‘21, Coach Doug Horlick, Noah Kaplan ‘20, Hector Torres ‘22, Ryan Horlick ‘20, Ben Brodsky ‘21, Luca Prozzillo ‘21

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AIA Division Recognition: 2A Conference Player of the Year: Ty Rodin ‘19 2A Conference Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Rosenthal ‘19

All Conference First Team: Ty Rodin ‘19, Michael Rosenthal ‘19, Zach Sarver ‘19, Ryan Horlick ‘20 All Region Player of the Year: Ty Rodin ‘19 All Region First Team: Ty Rodin ‘19, Michael Rosenthal ‘19, Zach Sarver ‘19, Ryan Horlick ‘20 All Region Second Team: Jake Rodin ‘19, Griffin Freret ‘20, Ethan Zimmerman ‘20 All Region Honorable Mention: Jared Novoa ‘20, Speed Gregory ‘22

Left to right: Benjamin Marsden ‘21, Ethan Zimmerman ‘20, Sam Tepper ‘22, Zach Sarver ‘19, Finn Riester ‘20, Coach Andy Rodin, Jared Novoa ‘20, Ty Rodin ‘19, Griffin Freret ‘20, Michael Slate ‘19, Jake Rodin ‘19

WINTER 2018/19 | 7

ATHLETICS

Swim & Dive State Champions Boys’ swim team captures AIA Division III State Title for second time in three years

Boys’ Small School Swim & Dive State Champions

School Records (set at State meet):

Boys’ & Girls’ Small School Swim & Dive combined State Champions

100 Free, 100 Back, 50 Free: Quinn Murphy ‘21 100 Back, 200 IM: Tyler Barfield ‘19 Diving: Samantha Stein ‘20

Division III Swim Coach of the Year: Mike Maczuga

Girls’ 400 Free Relay: Olivia Vu ‘21, Siena Hayes ‘22, Charlize Szeto ‘22, Quinn Murphy ‘21

Left to right: Samantha Stein ‘20, Lucas Olschansky ‘21, Tyler Barfield ‘19, Jaxon Gonzales ‘21, Dive Coach Kristin Pruett, Max Lerner ‘19, Logan Prescott ‘21, Lucas Oland ‘22, Swim Coach Jacob Pruett

8 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Individual State Champions:

Internal School Awards:

100 Free, 100 Back: Quinn Murphy ‘21 100 Back: Tyler Barfield ‘19 Boys’ 200 Medley Relay: Tyler Barfield ‘19, Tyler Sessler ‘22, Lucas Olschansky ‘21, Henri Richardson ‘19

Coaches’ Awards: Tyler Barfield ‘19, Max Goldstein ‘21, Jaxon Gonzales ‘21, Siena Hayes ‘22, Brett Miketinac ‘20, Quinn Murphy ‘21, Lucas Olschansky ‘21, Samantha Stein ‘20, Charlize Szeto ‘22

Division III Girls’ State Diving Champion: Samantha Stein ‘20

Division III State Swim Record:

Eagle 4-Year Award Winners: Tyler Barfield ‘19, Blake Brennan ‘19, Max Lerner ‘19, Ashley Ong ‘19, Henri Richardson ‘19, Sarah Salama ‘19, Skye Richmond ‘19, Bobby Wendt ‘19

100 Free, 100 Back: Quinn Murphy ‘21

Left to right: Ted Pham ‘22, Quinn Murphy ‘21, Tyler Sessler ‘22, Henri Richardson ‘19, Swim Coach Ken Maczuga, Max Goldstein ‘21, Brett Miketinac ‘20, Head Swim Coach Mike Maczuga, Eli Silverman ‘21, John Moore ‘20

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ATHLETICS

Additional Fall Athletic Awards MS Results

Congratulations to the following students for athletic awards in these fall school sports:

MOUNTAIN VALLEY LEAGUE GIRLS’ VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

5/6 GIRLS’ GOLD VOLLEYBALL

State Quarterfinalist

Coaches’ Awards: Kathryn Barakat ‘26, Maeve Brown ‘26

Division Recognition:

5/6 GIRLS’ BLUE VOLLEYBALL

All Region Second Team: Payton Darago ‘19, Hannah Drewitz ‘21 All Region Honorable Mention: Azin Askari ‘19, Alex Xanthos ‘21, Lily Robinson ‘22

Internal School Awards:

Semifinalists Coaches’ Awards: Morgan Mamolen ‘25, Lhuillier Poole ‘26

7/8 GIRLS’ GOLD VOLLEYBALL

Coaches’ Awards: Azin Askari ‘19, Payton Darago ‘19, Alex Xanthos ‘21

Semifinalists

Eagle 4-Year Award Winner: Azin Askari ‘19

5/6 BOYS’ FLAG FOOTBALL

GIRLS’ JV VOLLEYBALL

Coaches’ Awards: Siena Rosen ‘24, Mikayla Yue ‘24

Champions

Coaches’ Award: Bianca Burke ‘22

Coaches’ Awards: Aarush Atmakuri ‘25, Logan Rose ‘25

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

7/8 BOYS’ FLAG FOOTBALL

Division Recognition:

Champions

25th at AIA Sectionals: Erik Dahl ‘19

Internal School Award: Coaches’ Award: Erik Dahl ‘19

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY Division Recognition:

Coaches’ Awards: Jayce Huskey ‘23, Ben Lewis ‘23

CACTUS CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS LEAGUE 6/7/8 GIRLS’ BLUE VOLLEYBALL Quarterfinalists

Ninth at AIA Sectionals, 18th at AIA State Meet: Claire Linos ‘21

Coaches’ Awards: Quincy Rodin ‘25, Hilary Tucker ‘23

Internal School Awards:

GREAT HEARTS LEAGUE

Coaches’ Award: Claire Linos ‘21

GOLF Top 5 Finish: Sebastian Reddy ‘23, Annabelle Winssinger ‘23 Coaches’ Awards: Tim Moriarty ‘23, Sebastian Reddy ‘23

10 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

STUDENT SECTION

The Beat Goes On…

LS Fall Concert Left to right: Back to front rows, kindergartners Adam Kunimoto, Allie Parzych, MacKenna Bergevin, Tyler Feldman, Olivia Miele, Elle Burgess, Liam Havasi; Cassel Layton ‘30; Fourth graders performing on stage

MS and US Jazz Concert Left to right: Mirabel Bienert ‘22 at the mic; Justin Racine ‘19 sings a duet with guest artist Nayo Jones; Brenna Dugel ‘19; Below: Robby Schrott ‘22, Mirabel Bienert ‘22, Sedona Korzay ‘22, Brenna Dugel ‘19, Alex Petrides ‘20, Karsen Yue ‘21, Yash Wadweker ‘22

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STUDENT SECTION

All in the Timing: Fall Play

by Kira Liljegren ‘20

This fall, the US theatre program performed David Ives’s All in the Timing: a collection of eight humorous and heartwarming one-act plays with storylines ranging from two people exploring alternate paths while navigating their first interaction (“Sure Thing!”) to monkeys trying to recreate Shakespeare’s Hamlet (“Words, Words, Words”). The performances featured laugh-out-loud jokes as well as wacky alternate realities and were tied together with an overarching theme which questioned the meaning of time and the usage

12 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

of words as they pertain to relationships. With a set featuring both a giant working clock (constructed by our US Robotics Team) and words painted on its walls, neither of these pieces was ever far out of sight for our audience.

In between “Sure Thing!” and “Words, Words, Words,” the audience was taken on a journey through storylines both bizarrely surreal and unexpectedly romantic. Wackier scenes included tales of the famed Russian theorist Leon Trotsky

sitting on stage with an axe protruding from his head (“Variations on the Death of Trotsky”), a man caught in a “Philadelphia” and unable to get anything he asks for (“Philadelphia”), and four people in a bakery using words and movements to mimic the repetitive works of well-known composer Philip Glass (“Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread”).

More romantic-leaning scenes featured a man who speaks only in the made-up language “Unamunda”, who then teaches it to a girl who wanders into his studio (“The Universal Language”), a narrated scene of a man and a woman meeting at a party for the first time (“English Made Simple”), and a story of one man taking three different girls on the same miniature golf date (“The Art of Foreplay”). Threading each one of these scenes together was the importance of timing and words in forming—or destroying—relationships.

This production was unique for the seeming separateness of each scene, and what that entailed for the rehearsal process. The cast of each one-act truly became a team within themselves, forming their own relationships through having to rely on one another in a rather intimate way. My experience in “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” was very much as described: with the intricacies of our movements within the scene, it is no wonder that by the end of the show we worked extremely well together both on and off the stage. However, the most amazing part of the entire process was how nicely the entire cast bonded despite the clear separation of scenes.

Through aiding one another in all performance aspects, and because of the countless hours spent watching each other’s pieces, the love we all felt for one another by the end of the show was truly remarkable.

This spring, our community can look forward to a production of the timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. n

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STUDENT SECTION

Speech & Debate

Team results leading into the 2019 Speech & Debate season

MIDDLE SCHOOL The PCDS National Championship MS Speech & Debate team wrapped up the first half of their season with an undefeated record. From September through December 2018, the team attended three tournaments. The 2019 season kicked off with a trip to NYC in January. Congratulations to the following students (and to the entire team) on their 2018 successes:

Scottsdale Prep (Congressional Debate Only) First Place Team Champions Champion: Niamh Campbell ‘23 Third Place: Harry Steiner ‘24 Fourth Place: Emilia Safir ‘24

Mountain View High School Tournament First Place Team Champions Champion: McKinley Paltzik ‘23 Second Place: Niamh Campbell ‘23 Third Place: Esben Sorensen ‘23 Fourth Place: Emilia Safir ‘24

PCDS Tournament First Place Team Champions 13 Individual Champions and over 30 Finalists

Fullerton Winter Classic High School Tournament Special trip for five students who have the longest tenure on the MS team. These five students have 20 years of Speech & Debate experience between them.

Semifinalist in Extemporaneous Speaking: Arianne de Trenck ‘23 Semifinalist in Duo Interpretation and Third Place in Prose/Poetry: Abby Caplan ‘23 Semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation and Semifinalist in Duo Interpretation: Katie Eckerman ‘23 Semifinalist in Original Oratory and Second Place in Prose/Poetry: Misha Ghafouri ‘23 Champion in Declamation: Niamh Campbell ‘23 Below: Katie Eckerman ‘23, Abby Caplan ‘23, Niamh Campbell ‘23, Misha Ghafouri ‘23, Arianne de Trenck ‘23

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UPPER SCHOOL Tournament results between October and December 2018 leading up to the 2019 season.

Congressional Debate Runner-Up: Yash Wadwekar ’22

Glenbrooks National

Third Place in Congressional Debate: Erik Dahl ’19

Semifinalist in Congressional Debate: Darwin Harriss ’21

Third Place in Extemporaneous Speaking: Pierce Florey ‘21

Quarterfinalist in Programmed Oral Interpretation: Ethan Lambert ’21

Third Place in Congressional Debate: Darwin Harriss ’21

Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation: Isabella Sigalove ’20

Scottsdale Prep (Congressional Debate Only) Senate Congressional Debate Champion: Michael Bendok ’21

Original Oratory Runner-Up: Anika Patel ’21

Third Place in Informative Speaking: Ava Rossides ’19

Toro Country Classic Third Place Team Humorous Interpretation Champion: Alain Kouchica ’20 Prose Interpretation Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22

House Congressional Debate Runner-Up: Yash Wadwekar ’22

Programmed Oral Interpretation Runner-Up: Ethan Lambert ’21

Third Place Senate Congressional Debate: Erik Dahl ’19

Third Place in Public Forum Debate: Pietro Ori ‘20

Jim Fountain Classic

Third Place in Public Forum Debate: Kassra Tehranchi ‘19

Third Place Team

Third Place in Programmed Oral Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22

Congressional Debate Champion: Michael Bendok ’21 Dramatic Interpretation Champion: Bella de Roos ’19 Programmed Oral Interpretation Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Dramatic Interpretation Runner-Up: Bennett Montrose ’21

Third Place in Congressional Debate: Yash Wadwekar ’22

ASDCA Division I Winter Trophy Congressional Debate Champion: Yash Wadwekar ’22

Left: US Speech & Debate team braving Chicago weather at Glenbrooks National. Right: The US team on stage celebrating a recent tournament win

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STUDENT SECTION

Famous Last Words

by Nick Klemp, US Teacher and US Speech & Debate Coach

The Speech & Debate Program at PCDS owes much of its success and culture to two young women: Sophia Corridan ‘19 (left, below) and Bella de Roos ‘19 (right). Both graduate this year and will leave behind legacies that have helped cement PCDS as one of the top forensics programs in the country. As eighth graders, they were founding members of our MS program. Sophia was a two-time middle school national finalist; while Bella was the first middle school student to win two national championships in the same year!

Because of the quality of competition and the districting in this state, qualifying for high school nationals in any grade is a feat, but qualifying as sophomores is nearly unprecedented.

Naturally, these two young women rose to the challenge and attended the tournament with each other as tenth graders,

16 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

competing in Duo Interpretation. That year, their chosen performance interrogated issues of identity and began to set a team standard of performing material with critically important and personal messages. They returned to nationals last year where Sophia finished as the National Runner-Up in Expository Speaking.

Over their five years in the program, Sophia and Bella have mentored countless students at both the US and MS levels.

They have championed the belief that hard work in speech & debate makes you a better student, friend, citizen and human. Students at PCDS casually refer to them as speech & debate legends, while their teachers and coaches marvel at their talent and leadership. n

STUDENT SECTION

PCDS Seniors Recognized in National Merit Competition 15 Seniors Recognized / 22% of the Senior Class

Fifteen members of the Class of 2019 received recognition in the National Merit Scholarship competition. The PCDS senior class is comprised of: 6 Merit Semi-finalists, 8 Commended Scholars, and 1 National Hispanic Recognition student—representing 22% of the 2019 senior class.

Top row, left to right: Sky Travis (SF), Alex Tam (SF), Max Montrose (C), Sam Roland (SF), Oliver Rosenberg (C), Bikram Takhar (C), Henri Richardson (C). Bottom row: Charlotte Robbins (C), Renee Grange (National Hispanic Recognition), Ava Rossides (SF), Momo Siu (C), Audrey Novoa (C), Brenna Dugel (SF), Sarah Salama (C), Kelly Culpepper (SF) (SF: Semi-Finalist; C: Commended)

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STUDENT SECTION

Snapshots from the Fall of 2018

US Boat Regatta Left: Erik Dahl ‘19, Caden Mikkelsen ‘20, Mattia Saladini ‘20, Dominik Deciga ‘20. Right: Karsen Yue ‘21, Neil Patil ‘21, Logan Prescott ‘21, Tanner Hamilton ‘21

LS Swim Exhibition Left: Third graders Kayla Swanson, Jyothi Patil, Siena Stearns, Blake McDermott, Connor Perry, Oscar Albuquerque, Zach Andersen. Right: Fourth graders Reid Bock, Reid Umar, Jadd Agha, Soren Etheridge, Braden Shuster, Oliver Roach

Sixth grade stay-cation Left: Sebastian Wesley, Ms. Larrea, Lily Gentry, Mrs. Bloomston, Megan Eckerman, Siena Roach, Ally Isgar, Mr. Girod, Jaxson Bulloch. Right: Emery Voss and Audrey Cabbil

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Around Campus and Beyond

Kindergarten buddies Left: Brenna Dugel ‘19 and Caden Short ‘19 painting with their kindergarten buddy, Claire Cady ‘31.

Right: Renee Grange ‘19 and Sam Roland ‘19 read to their kindergarten buddy, Levi Shanks ‘31

Eighth graders at Catalina Island Mariana Deignan, Sophia Nistor, Mia Valente, Ella Brenes, Misha Ghafouri, Min Young Lim

Blue & Gold The mighty PCDS Eagle

Blue & Gold Left: Seniors Jakob Feng, Audrey LeClair, Jake Rodin, and Bella de Roos with kindergartners Levi Shanks, Savannah Stevenson, Lettie Karr, and Milton Manley. Right: Fifth-graders Lhuillier Poole, Evelyn Sandoval, Sarah Bendok, and friend

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STUDENT SECTION

MS Turkey Drive

by McKinley Paltzik ‘23

I began my PCDS career in pre-kindergarten and with this also came my introduction to a community that emphasizes the great importance of giving to others. In LS, I loved shopping for a gift to give to an underprivileged child whose name I had pulled off the Sharing Tree. Now, in MS, we conduct the Turkey Drive to benefit St. Mary’s Food Bank. In this friendly competition between the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, each Thanksgiving the MS aims to beat the number of turkeys donated the year before. This past November, should the MS beat the standing record of 631, the teachers pledged to reward us with an afternoon of fun electives and dodgeball—instead of classes—for the grade levels and advisor groups that donated the most. To sweeten the deal, Safeway/Albertsons even agreed to match our donation!

Never ones to pass up competition, my sister, Michaela, and

661

1,322

TURKEYS DONATED BY PCDS FAMILIES

FAMILIES RECEIVED THANKSGIVING MEALS

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I obtained four turkeys each, stowing them in the freezer until the next morning. The morning of the Drive, as we pulled into the school parking lot, a horrified cry escaped my lips, “We forgot the turkeys!” Dad immediately turned the car around, we raced back home to grab them, and then he sped back to school and deposited our turkeys in the large bins (that are always set up in front of School) to collect our donations. As I sprinted to class, I learned that the MS had not only met our goal, but beaten it—donating a total of 661 turkeys.

Clearly, even as an eighth grader, the values instilled in me in pre-k still ring true in the PCDS community. Competition or not, the feeling I get from knowing that over 1,322 underprivileged families were able to have Thanksgiving dinner this past November—because of the generosity of PCDS—is something for which we can all be appreciative and thankful. n

McKinley Paltzik ‘23 aspires to be a journalist.

STUDENT SECTION

We Love to Laugh Groundlings visit with the US

by Keith Burns, US Theatre Teacher and Director It’s good to laugh! PCDS US students and faculty shared hearty laughter throughout the day when improvisation came to campus in December 2018. Four “Groundlings” performed improvisation for the US and taught the basics of improv to various classes. This all came about due to generous support of a family who understands the value of arts in education.

Tracy and Marc Schwimmer established an endowed fund, which will live on in perpetuity, to ensure that all divisions at PCDS are exposed to outside artists. Each year the fund will spin off enough money to allow the LS, MS and US to welcome performing artists or attend a production.

The Groundlings, a Los Angeles based improv theatre and school, is well renowned for alumni like Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Melissa McCarthy, and many others. (Fun Fact:

I studied as a Groundling in 1987.) US students and faculty joined in laughter as our visiting Groundlings—Josh, Lauren, Chris, and Lisa—took student suggestions, spoofed the PCDS faculty lounge, and helped us understand the art of creating comedy before our very eyes.

The basics of improvisation are not for the singular purpose of being funny. The same things that make good improv also make good life practices. Listening, agreeing, teaching positivity, connecting to one another, paying attention to detail, working collaboratively, and making your partners “look good” are some of the first lessons taught to improv students. “The funny” only comes after these life-skills are instilled in the art of improvisation. And let’s face it, life is largely improvised, isn’t it? n

“Your body cannot heal without play. Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy.” — Catherine Fenwick

Above: The Groundlings performing. Top inset: US students laugh along with Groundlings; Bottom inset: Theatre students recently joined Mr. Burns onstage at improvMANIA in Chandler after a Friday night show. Mr. Burns performs in the mainstage troupe most weekends.

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FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES

Rodin Plaza Dedication Towards the close of the THRIVE Capital Campaign in 2017, the Board of Trustees and Advisory Trustees combined forces and raised the additional funds necessary to recognize Head of School Andy Rodin’s vision and leadership in the largest fundraising campaign in School history. The Trustees honored Mr. Rodin by naming the space outside the new Shepard Welcome Center, in the renovated front entrance of campus, Rodin Plaza. The location of Rodin Plaza is fitting, as it is adjacent to the entrance where Mr. Rodin greets students each morning with a handshake or a fist-bump.

Andy Rodin (center) stands with (left) past Board President and current Trustee Taylor Burke (P‘22, ‘23, ‘25) and (right) current Board President Tracy Brennan (P‘18, ‘19) at the dedication. The plaque on the wall reads: Named by the Board of Trustees to honor Head of School Andrew M. Rodin, whose inspirational leadership played a pivotal role in the THRIVE Campaign (2013-2017).

Rodin Plaza was officially commemorated at a small ceremony in November 2018.

22 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES

Built to Scale: Hallie Mueller’s Progress

by Kate Halsey, US Dean of Students and Counselor

Veteran’s weekend of 2018 was like most weekends for US Art teacher Hallie Mueller, her husband Nick, and their two dogs, Dutch and Onyx. They loaded up their truck with camping and climbing gear and set out for a weekend of outdoor adventure.

For Hallie, home is trails, mountains, rocks, and trees. It is open sky, and the feeling that while the earth is expansive, it is connective, and where one finds a great sense of belonging.

This particular trip was to Oak Creek Canyon, northeast of Sedona, and a destination for seasoned climbers. Hallie is not just an avid climber, she is a highly skilled one, adept in ways that only hours in climbing gyms, scaling mountains, and commitment can grant you. Hallie is beyond modest about her achievements as a climber and has always been humbled by the unexpected elements one is subjected to when in nature. On that particular day’s climb, Hallie took a significant fall from 60 feet.

It was a free fall, and one that is hard and painful to imagine.

She endured many painful skeletal breaks and fractures, but miraculously managed to withstand the accident without more severe damage. After two very frightening helicopter rides to Flagstaff Medical Center, she was quickly assessed and treated. At that point, she entered into the long process of healing.

While her healing journey has been swift and impressive (by February she was actually walking again!), it has not been without emotional toil and much physical pain. After multiple surgeries to her pelvis and heels, she transferred to

a rehabilitation facility in Scottsdale in order to learn how to reconnect and resume activity in her body. Her heels took the brunt of the fall, so she was told that it would be some time before she could put weight on them. Not surprisingly, Hallie was an all-star patient. She was able to move through physical therapy in record time and returned home where she has been recovering since early December. While it must have felt like a lifetime to her, I cannot think of many who could sustain that type fall and be home in one month’s time. She truly is remarkable.

Hallie’s road to recovery is ongoing. Her rapid progress is attributed to her attitude, gratitude, positivity, strength, and zest for life. However, she deeply credits the outpouring of love and support from her family and from the PCDS community as sources of personal strength. Since the accident, she has had constant visitors at her side. She has been given handmade crafts, creative videos, homemade baked goods, and care packages beyond her expectations.

Perhaps what has been the most meaningful to her are the phone conversations and visits from folks near and far, as well as all of the words of encouragement. She has consistently felt the love from those all around her, which has helped her healing remarkably. She told me that it can be too easy to lose sight of our existence in the world, to feel isolated, or forget how much we matter.

Albeit painful, this experience has reconfirmed Hallie’s sense of place and importance to our community, and her work for and on this earth. And, for that, she is forever grateful. n WINTER 2018/19 | 23

FACULTY NEWS AND NOTES

Yellott Faculty Grants Faculty research aimed at further engaging students, 2018-19

by Dr. Andrea Avery, US Teacher and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Day-in and day-out, PCDS teachers reflect on, revise, and re-imagine their work as educators. It’s not uncommon to hear two teachers in the cafeteria at lunchtime dreaming up new courses or making tweaks to that afternoon’s classroom activities based on how the morning went. But sometimes this work of re-imagining teaching requires longer stretches of time and the freedom to fully immerse oneself in reading, research, reflection, and curricular or pedagogical re-design—the kind of time and mental space that just isn’t available during the school year. To enable (and encourage) teachers to engage in this kind of work, PCDS offers the Yellott program: a funding opportunity available to any and all full-time teaching faculty who want to spend time over the summer designing substantial, immersive teaching projects, alone or in collaboration with colleagues, that they then implement during the following school year.

During the spring of the school year, teachers submit applications for Yellott funding, describing the goal of the project, the guiding questions, the method of inquiry, division of responsibilities and timeline, a plan for its implementation, and a discussion of the suggested impact of the project. These proposals are then evaluated by a committee comprising the Head of School, the Division Heads, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Yellott funds are not granted to faculty members if the proposed project represents the work all PCDS teachers are expected to do to keep themselves abreast of new texts or ideas in their field; rather, the committee is eager to fund those projects that go beyond surface-level modifications. Yellott projects are intended to be time-intensive deep dives into teaching practice and curriculum, and successful projects are those that have implications not only for the teacher but for the School.

Last spring, the Yellott committee approved two projects for summer funding. Here is a little bit about each project, the faculty members working on them, and some insight into their experience at the midway point of the year.

MS teacher Kelly Butler wanted to help her sixth-graders move from reliance on letter grades as the ultimate indicator of “success” and instead engage in frequent, authentic self-reflection so that they see learning as a highly individualized process. To this end, Kelly used her Yellott funding to explore the bodies of research around grading theory, mindset, portfolios, and self-reflection. She then designed self-reflection tools and rubrics for her students to use, and she designed curriculum for the teaching of self-reflection and self-evaluation. This past semester, Kelly has been implementing her summer’s work.

What she’s doing in her classroom has changed her class, of course, but it has also changed her. “While my Yellott was written with the intention of being primarily focused on student self assessment, I have been surprised with how much it has forced me to reflect upon my own approach to grading.”

A second Yellott grant funded last summer came from a team of eight math teachers spanning the MS and US (Jeanel Hoagland, Jenny Cherilla, Jim Waller, Liz Olson, Nicki Barber, Rebecca Bernhardt, Sue Mazzolini, and Tammy O’Dea, pictured from left on page 25). This group proposed an ambitious project to revise the grading structure across courses and grade levels to engage students in the process of evaluating their progress towards skill mastery. But that’s not all—they also delved into changing the structure of US courses to make higher-level math more accessible and engaging for all students. As Sue Mazzolini explains, this work also included “a redesign of the calculus curriculum into semester courses. We tried to more clearly distinguish the elements (basic) course from the conceptual course, and we added a projects, applications, and readings course.” This group’s Yellott proposal laid out in careful detail how this wide-ranging project would be tackled in logical steps by various small groups, partnerships, and individuals from the applicant group of eight. Their summer work involved a great deal of study of the body of educational research and best practices before moving into designing new course and grading structures that would best serve PCDS students specifically. In briefest terms, the new grading structure is designed to help math students isolate particular skills 24 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

or concepts that they need to work on as opposed to lumping an entire unit under a test grade. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to retake their assessments until they master the skill or concept, so that they are equipped to move into areas of further complexity. Math department chair Jenny Cherilla points out that “students (most of them) are really invested in correcting their work, improving their understanding, and retesting. They are taking ownership and can articulate exactly what skills they need to work on.” And the math teachers are finding that their Yellott project invites them to self-reflect as well. Liz Olson says, “As my course has become defined by learning targets, I was surprised at how much more effective my teaching became when I had to focus more clearly.”

Yellott projects are supported through the Yellott Faculty Grant Program, funded by an endowment that honors the memory of John I. Yellott, PCDS Headmaster from 1966-72. n

Other Faculty Celebrations PCDS MS Speech & Debate Coach and Director of Advancement C. Ryan Joyce was honored with the Marcella E. Oberle Award for Outstanding Teaching in grades K-12 by the National Communication Association at their 104th Annual NCA Convention in Salt Lake City.

Under the direction of Mr. Joyce during the last seven years, the PCDS MS speech & debate team has boasted more than 40 finalists and won an unprecedented 10 national championships at the National Speech & Debate Association Tournament, earning the school five Overall Team of Excellence Awards. This is another huge honor for Mr. Joyce, who had previously been recognized as the 2017 National Speech & Debate Association Middle School Speech & Debate Coach of the Year.

MS Spanish teacher Hannah Willis married Parker Fox in July 2018 in Avon, Ohio.

Mr. Joyce with his award

Nathan Lewis at Grand Rapids Art Museum with his piece

Hannah and Parker Fox at their wedding in July 2018

US Art teacher Nathan Lewis had an art piece of his own installed at the Grand Rapids Art Museum for ArtPrize in September 2018. He was honored at the official Merrill Lynch opening just prior to the show.

MS English teacher Chris Eriksen played Walter Hobbs (Buddy the Elf’s dad) in Elf The Musical at Phoenix Theatre this past winter. Thirty-two fifth-grade girls showed up to experience Mr. Eriksen’s magic on the stage.

Chris Eriksen and fifth graders

WINTER 2018/19 | 25

PCDS

ANNUAL FUND Every Family • Every Year 2018-2019 Annual Fund touches every aspect of our students’ lives—from academics to arts to athletics.

We ask each community member to pledge their Annual Fund support today, payable by June 30, 2019.

Visit pcds.org/give to pledge online.

Gifts range from $25-$50,000.

PCDS is non-profit—donations are tax-deductible.

Tax Credit

MAKE A

170

25%

100%

NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED TO PCDS STUDENTS EACH YEAR

OF PCDS STUDENTS RECEIVE A NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP

COMMITMENT

BY PCDS TO SUPPORT A STRONG, DIVERSE COMMUNITY

STATE

MENT 2018 TAX CREDIT

YOU DECIDE WHERE YOUR STATE TAX DOLLARS GO! $ ARIZONA TAXPAYERS CAN DECIDE:

OR ARIZONA GENERAL FUND

1

MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION The maximum amount for 2018: $2,213 (married filer) and $1,107 (single filer).

2

CLAIM YOUR DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR CREDIT Visit www.PCDS.org/taxcredit for more information.

CORPORATE TAX CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES ALSO AVAILABLE.

DEADLINE FOR TAX CREDIT PARTICIPATION IS APRIL 15, 2019.

WINTER 2018/19 | 27

Alumni Board WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Jon Ashley Corcoran ‘98

Left to right: Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ‘91, Maddie Wilmink ‘19, Sarah Dworkin ‘98, Jon Ashley Corcoran ‘98, Tiffany Westlie Pondelik ‘00, Sarah Nixon Wolfswinkel ‘00, Ali Hicks LeClair ‘01. Not pictured: Clarissa Simek Robinson ‘88, Colby Kant Harris ‘95, Aylin Tashman Kim ‘99, Gilbert Armenta ‘00, Sasha Pasulka ‘00, Elizabeth Reahard Oviedo ‘04, Eric Fram ‘09, Matthew Prusak ‘11, Michael Rosenthal ‘19

“ I feel so lucky to have gone to PCDS. I credit my past, current, and future successes to Phoenix Country Day School, which gave me every tool needed to thrive personally and professionally.”

MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT Greetings, fellow Eagles! It has been an exciting year for the PCDS Alumni Association with the launch of Alumni IMPACT. In the alumni pages that follow, you’ll learn more about the launch of this new initiative, plus other fall highlights including: the return of the Alumni Tent at Blue & Gold; our New York Alumni Dinner at the Harvard Club; and, the Annual Holiday party at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.

2019 includes: • The first annual MAVERICK: Senator John McCain Memorial Speaker Series, which featured a conversation with Cindy McCain on February 20

Stephanie Vithoulkas Hackett ‘91

“ As a true blue (and gold!) alumna married to a fellow alumnus, I am proud to serve on the Board.

Our four children are all thriving at PCDS, and I am thrilled to participate in initiatives that support the PCDS community.”

• Alumni IMPACT dinners in San Francisco on February 23 and in Los Angeles on March 2 • Our Alumni Masters’ Lecture on March 13, which featured Mr. Chuck Flail • Alumni Spring Weekend April 26-27 (see page 33) • Golden Circle Induction of the Class of 1969 on June 6 • Next fall: a Phoenix IMPACT dinner to celebrate our Alumni Scholarship Fund As always, if there is programming you would like to see or if you would like to come back to campus, please get in touch. We are also always looking for Class Agents and other fellow alumni who have an interest in serving on our Board.

ENGAGE, CONNECT, GIVE BACK and GO Eagles!

Tiffany Westlie Pondelik `00 28 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Colby Kant Harris ‘95

“ I am so excited to be a new member of the PCDS Alumni Board. What a wonderful way to be able to give back to this special place that has given me so much!”

Throughout our history, the PCDS Alumni Association has worked to engage our ever-growing body of alumni, both locally and nationally. Over the past several years in particular, we have seen an explosive growth in alumni involvement, including: • record crowds at local and regional functions around the country • active membership in our robust networking program • more local alumni applying for admission for their own children to attend PCDS In the fall of 2018, the Alumni Association focused our mission, encouraging all alumni to have an IMPACT in three ways:

ENGAGE

CONNECT

GIVE BACK

by attending events, sending in class notes, or speaking on campus.

through our alumni networking program.

Network with alumni in your city or field.

by contributing to the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Regardless of the amount, alumni giving changes students’ lives.

WINTER 2018/19 | 29

All gifts to the Alumni Scholarship Fund help current and future students benefit from the same outstanding education that our alumni received, regardless of their ability to pay.

PCDS alumni know that we were fortunate to have attended one of the nation’s best schools. Let’s band together to change students’ lives—both now and in the future—by giving to the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Together, over time, we can make a powerful IMPACT.

Your annual gift of any amount can serve as the springboard for a child’s future.

Join fellow alumni in making a PCDS education possible for a deserving student.

awarded in financial aid every year

of PCDS students benefit annually from financial aid

students receive scholarships

Did you know that nearly 25% of current students receive a need-based scholarship in order to make a PCDS education possible? And did you know that alumni donations to the Alumni Scholarship Fund help make this socio-economic diversity possible? Thank you for helping give today’s students the same outstanding education that you received, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

30 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

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largely because of the educators and coaches I had as a student. Financial aid enabled me to attend PCDS, and I’m so thankful.

I have a sense of duty to give to the Alumni Scholarship Fund, and I hope that other alumni do as well.”

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IMPACT Launches in New York City We were thrilled to take the first step in launching the IMPACT initiative this past November in New York City, one of our most active alumni hubs. It felt like PCDS took over NYC for the weekend! The Alumni IMPACT dinner took place at the Harvard Club of New York City, thanks to the sponsorship of Julie and Nick Sakellariadis ’69.

Among other speakers that evening, PCDS Trustee Lou Werner ’87, (P’24, ‘28,) gave the audience of 50+ an update on their alma mater, ranging from impressive new facilities to continued points of pride. Nick Sakellariadis ‘69 then spoke about the vital role alumni philanthropy plays in the strength of a school, and why he has chosen to support his alma maters as a volunteer and as a donor.

Finally, Tope Oweyemi ’97 reflected on his PCDS experience, which he said would not have been possible without financial assistance. He shared personal stories as the son of a single father who had emigrated from Nigeria and wanted the best education for his son but could not afford it. Tope joined the PCDS community as part of the Project Excellence program in the fourth grade when he was a student at Balsz Elementary, and from there matriculated to PCDS full time. After attending Tufts University as the first in his family to go to college, he moved to New York City, where he has worked at Tope Oweyemi Deutsche Bank for over a

decade. He capped off his talk by making his first pledge to PCDS in support of the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Tope told the audience: “ At PCDS, if you needed more, you got more. People were invested in expanding my horizons and knowing me as a person, and I was blessed to have a community that supported me…PCDS allows students to have ambition and focus, and to use their talents to achieve their goals, unhampered by their socioeconomic status.”

We are so grateful to Tope and all the other attendees that evening who generously contributed to the Alumni Scholarship Fund.

The morning after the dinner, we were delighted to host some of our New York college-age alumni at Blank Slate Tea, owned by Zach Israel ’02. This was an opportunity for some of our youngest alumni to learn about how they, too, could make an IMPACT on their alma mater. Thank you to all of our New York Eagles for making this a weekend to remember.

Blank Slate Tea: Seated: Samantha Dady ‘18, Caroline de Marneffe ‘18, Miles Kohler ‘17, Angelica Sisson ’13, Calvin Hamilton ‘17. Standing: Leslie Feldman ’99, Tiffany Pondelik ’00, Roz Abero ’89, Augustine Gomez ‘99

The IMPACT launch has just begun! We look forward to continuing the rollout in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Let us know if you’d like to help plan an IMPACT rollout in your city!

New York City Alumni Dinner attendees

32 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Stanley Casselman ’81 visits with Nick Sakellariadis ’69

Save the Weekend to Celebrate!

Alumni Spring Weekend April 26 & 27, 2019

Athletic Hall of Fame Induction honoring the 2009 Men’s and Women’s State Champion Tennis Teams, Alisha Blischok Duryea ‘04, Varsity Tennis Coach Jerry Keever Outstanding Alumna of the Year Presentation to Dr. Kimberly Yamanouchi ‘74 Reunions for the Classes of ‘74, ‘79, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, ‘99, ‘04, ‘09 The Seventh Annual Bridge-the-Gap THANK YOU Celebration RSVP at: https://www.pcds.org/alumni/engage

WINTER 2018/19 | 33

Join PCDS:Connect pcdsconnect.org The Network of PCDS Alumni EAGLES HELPING EAGLES Offer career and academic advice Connect with other PCDS alumni

ALUMNI association

Expand your network Find and post jobs Receive feedback Get introduced

Be sure to “like” the Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Facebook Page and follow the PCDS Alumni Instagram Page Stay up to date with alumni events See news and accomplishments from your classmates Get updates from your alma mater

www.facebook.com/ PhoenixCountryDaySchoolAlumni

https://www.instagram.com/ pcds_alumni/ For more information regarding our alumni programs, please contact Leslie Kornreich Feldman ’99, Director of Alumni Relations, at 602.955.8200 or alumni@pcds.org 34 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Near and Far…

We loved seeing so many of you at the fall 2018 alumni events!

Alumni Holiday Party at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

Alumni Holiday Party From left: Alex Sylvester ‘13, Nicholas Meyer ‘12; Lou Werner ‘87, Jason Hackett ‘88, Bennett Hopper ‘88, Chris Coy ‘87, Stephanie Hackett ‘91, Kristopher Stathakis ‘87, Elizabeth Simchak Buchanan ‘87; Party attendees enjoying the photo mural at the Museum of the West

New York City Alumni Dinner at the Harvard Club From left: Sydney Portigal ‘14, Diana Schron ‘10, Isabelle Brothers ‘14; Alumni representing the class of ‘96-’99 with Director of Alumni Relations Leslie Feldman ‘99 and Director of Advancement Ryan Joyce; Daniel Obus, Laura Reahard ‘07, Elizabeth Oviedo ‘04, Nick Sakellariadis ’69

Blue & Gold 2018 From left: Blue & Gold Alumni Tent; Alumni showing off their exclusive Blue & Gold Alumni EAGLE NATION t-shirts; Stacey Piccinati Woods ‘95, Valeska French ‘93, and Cynthia Frenczek showing off their Eagle pride

WINTER 2018/19 | 35

Wear Your Eagle Pride Wherever You Go!

Royal Blue Men’s Hoodie XS-XXL

Trucker Hat

One Size – Adjustable

Women’s Tank

White Women’s Hoodie

$40

$20

$15

$40

XS-XXL

Contact alumni@pcds.org to order.

36 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

XS-XXL

Here’s what some of our alumni have been up to…

2000 Sarah Pachtman married Vikram Shetty on two continents in fall 2018! Stephen Canova (pictured to the left of Sarah and Vikram) joined in their New York City wedding reception.

Tiffany Westlie Pondelik and Sasha Pasulka celebrated with Nat Shultz in Phoenix after Nat’s wedding to Lissa Wanserski. Nat and Lissa were married this past November in Ortezi, Italy.

2005 Kirk Bansak married Lauren Zletz in October 2018.

In 2015, Elaine Keightley married Jeff Fields in her hometown of Lexington, KY, with many fellow ‘05 PCDS alums there to celebrate: Sean Kramer, Jason Sanghi, Dax Howard, Cassie Sonntag, Toby Seadler, and Alex Dru—quite the rowdy bunch! This past summer, she and Jeff relocated to Austin, Texas, and they welcomed a beautiful baby boy named James Sterling.

Ryan Tree is an award winning musician, filmmaker, and influential artist in the Valley. After graduating from Syracuse University in 2009, he pursued both a music and marketing career.

Ryan has partnered with organizations such as HALO Animal Rescue and Military with PTSD to support noble causes through his projects. His music, recorded by Grammy Award winning producer Jeremy Parker, has aired on 98KUPD and other local radio stations, while his films have been featured at Sundance Film Festival, California Film Awards, and FilmQuest. Ryan currently resides in Fountain Hills, Arizona, and he works in web design at GoDaddy in Scottsdale.

Photo Credit: Miwa Takaki

Ryan Gibbons and Alice Gaston were married in May 2018 in Costa Rica.

Alice’s maid of honor was Brianna Eller, and one of Ryan’s groomsmen was Tom Fogelsong .

Ryan Tree

After graduating from PCDS, Kevin Oelze attended Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, where he studied computer science and mathematics. He subsequently accepted a position at a small startup in Mountain View, California, where he worked for about five years before moving down the road to Google. Kevin currently works at Google as a part of the maps team, working to improve and maintain the top Android app for maps and navigation.

These alumni are registered members of the PCDS Alumni Networking Platform. Click pcdsconnect.org for more information.

WINTER 2018/19 | 37

Stephanie Papp married Michael Correia in July 2018 at the University of San Diego Founders Chapel, followed by a reception at the Hotel Del Coronado. They live in San Diego, CA, where Stephanie works as a postdoctoral fellow at the Celgene Corporation.

Since graduating from PCDS, Danny Curzon was named to Team USA Figure Skating four times before retiring in 2010. After working several years at a Tempe-based marketing agency, Danny moved to Palo Alto in 2014 and earned his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Danny and his wife Kelsey, who were married in 2012, moved back to Phoenix in 2017 and are expecting their first child in early 2019. Danny currently works for Cruise Automation, GM’s self-driving car division, where he leads their Market Deployment team.

Anne Slovin continues to pursue her career in music. She finished her master’s degree in voice performance at Indiana University in May 2018 and spent the fall season as a Resident Artist at Indianapolis Opera, where she covered the role of Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème. She plans to return to school in fall 2019 to begin her doctoral work in voice.

cooperative and open source decisionmaking software Loomio, of which he is now lead developer and co-owner. He now spends about six months a year in New Zealand, and the other half traveling the world with a laptop in a backpack while taking pictures of interesting things he sees (https://take-five.in).

He’s currently in Mexico City, trying to remedy his monolingualism.

Alexa Tibshraeny attended PCDS for MS and “received a tremendous education” during her three years there.

Memories of the classes she took at PCDS have stayed with her even more so than some of her high school and college courses. She graduated summa cum laude with a double major (business management and entrepreneurship) from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, while also minoring in French. After college, Alexa attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Since passing the California Bar in 2013, she has practiced family law exclusively. She is currently working on her credentials to become a board certified family law specialist. She lives in Brentwood, Los Angeles with her fiancé. They plan to be married in Scottsdale in the spring of 2019.

Tracy Fusco joined forces with her husband-to-be (a local general contractor and owner of Temac Development for 15+ years) and started the Design Division of Temac Development. They work together as a design-build team on everything from custom homes to restaurants and even on their own development projects! She thanks her years at Phoenix Country Day for helping to mold the person she is today and for giving her the confidence to follow her dreams—no matter her age or stage of life!

James Kiesel attended Skidmore College in upstate New York, where he graduated in 2009 with a double major in computer science and theater.

After working for several years in the pharmaceutical industry and producing underground indie theater under the name GDP Productions, he uprooted and followed a girl to New Zealand, where he’s now a resident. There, he became involved with the worker-

2006 Dr. Chloe Brandon Charlton and her family (husband, Andrew; daughter, Rose) have moved back to Arizona!

Chloe is a veterinarian at Animal Medical and Surgical Center in North Scottsdale and is currently welcoming new clients!

David Bracher completed a PhD in physics in September 2017, working in the fields of quantum information and nanophotonics. He now works as a scientist at Exponent, which specializes in scientific and engineering consulting.

He currently lives in Chicago while his wife, Jessica, pursues a medical degree.

Members of the classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969: Please mark your calendars for June 6, 2019 for the next Golden Circle celebration.

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After graduating from Stanford in 2010, Dan Haddock worked at a commercial real estate start-up in the Bay Area for a few years. From 2015-2017, he attended business school at the University of Washington in Seattle.

He got married in Phoenix in March 2017 at the Desert Botanical Garden, and he was happy that fellow PCDS class of 2006 alums Harry Zeitlin, John Schupbach, and Tracy Thomas were there to celebrate with him. In late 2017, Dan moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area to join IBM. He is now an Enterprise Healthcare Client Executive for Payers and Providers in Northern California. He lives in Menlo Park, CA, with his wife, Lindsey, who is a doctor pursuing a geriatrics fellowship at UCSF. They live a few blocks away from Dan’s brother, John ‘03 and his wife, and split their holidays between Phoenix and Seattle.

Alex Heuser Hazell graduated from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, with a degree in history. She is currently teaching history, religious studies, and Japanese at Norwich Red Balloon, a school devoted to educating teenagers struggling with mental illness and experiences of trauma. Her husband, James, and she are enjoying living in the middle of the English countryside with their three-year-old daughter, Anastasia; cat, Peanut; and German Shepard, Katya. They are also excited to be welcoming a new baby to their family in 2019!

Network with PCDS alumni around the globe at pcdsconnect.org After graduating from PCDS in 2006, McGarrett Sutherland attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, majoring in psychology. Near the end of his undergraduate education, he decided to become a dentist, and he spent four years in the San Francisco Bay Area doing part-time work and postbac courses (and he got married). He graduated from Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry —back to Portland again—in 2018.

Even after grad school at 30 years old, he thought he might as well pursue one more year of education, so he is currently doing a medical-dental residency through the University of Washington in Seattle. He intends to start practicing dentistry next year in Portland. True to form and in the theme of his senior speech, he still refuses to take anything in life too seriously.

After graduating from Williams College in 2010, Stephen Vrla worked as a field instructor at a wilderness therapy program in Utah, and as a middle and high school teacher at a school in Texas. For the past five years, he’s been working toward a triple major PhD in sociology, teacher education, and environmental science and policy at Michigan State University. He’ll be defending his dissertation on solving wicked environmental problems through deliberative democratic education in the spring. He also works as a part-time environmental educator at a nature center and spends his free time hiking, backpacking, and hanging out with his dog, Hermes.

2007 Lizzie Thompson is the manager of client engagement and philanthropy at United Talent Agency. She recently married Brian Lloyd at the Andaz Resort and Spa in Scottsdale. They celebrated alongside fellow PCDS 2007 alums Abigail Seadler Wulf, Amanda Smith, Laura Reahard, James Lundeen, Toby Seadler and Sandeep Dhadvai, as well as her sister, Callie Thompson ‘05, and Kerry Persen ‘05. Lizzie and her husband live in Santa Monica with their rescue dog, and they can occasionally be found hiking Runyon Canyon with fellow PCDS alum, Asher Landay.

For the last seven years, Alexa Itkin Bloom held various leadership roles with Lululemon in Arizona, Connecticut, and Minnesota. In these roles, she focused on people, management, and strategic community relations. Alexa is excited to share that she got married in October 2017 in Scottsdale. She currently resides in Minneapolis with her husband (a third-year anesthesia resident) and their two pups. Alexa is now the Community Director at WeWork where she oversees the Twin Cities market. In her free time, Alexa has enjoyed teaching yoga to both kids and adults. She now spends most weekends exploring her city; hiking, biking, and enjoying lake-life.

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Last summer, Ross Bridgeman had a secret plan in mind when he moved with his girlfriend, Jill, from Los Angeles to Whitefish, MT. In October, they drove up to the Canadian Rockies, where Ross surprised Jill with a helicopter ride that dropped them off at an alpine lake. After traipsing around in already a couple feet of snow, Ross got down on one knee and popped the question…and she said yes! The two got married in July 2018 amidst friends and family, with a beautiful ceremony and reception in the shadow of Glacier National Park. The night was highlighted by the local funk band, Shakewell, hired to play the reception, which Ross reluctantly joined on stage only 5+ times. Jill works for the Glacier Conservancy, the fundraising organization for the park, while Ross is gigging almost nightly as one of Northwest Montana’s premier pianists and performers.

After PCDS, Annie Gould focused on both business and writing at U of A. Since college, Annie has not lived a “conventional” life, but she is happy.

Rick Selling currently lives in beautiful San Diego, California, and works as a Senior Accountant at 24 Hour Fitness’s corporate headquarters in Carlsbad. While he works in many areas on the “cost” side of the business, the majority of his duties revolve around the company’s management and analysis of its utilities expense, which for 430+ gyms across the country that are open 24 hours a day, is quite the project. Rick “really enjoys that his position has him constantly interacting with essentially all levels of management, both within the corporate finance team and with the nonfinancial business owners as well. He is taking full advantage of the many perks of the job, his favorite by far being able to walk downstairs anytime to workout and, depending on the time of day, work the remainder of the day in gym shorts.” Rick’s CPA license is still active in Arizona, and he is currently working through the requirements to eventually transfer his license to California. Though a bad quad tear from a couple of years ago still hinders the amount of baseball Rick would like to play, he is enjoying playing golf almost every weekend with friends (a little easier on the body than catching through nine innings!).

Jamie Geller is a Senior Advisor and Communications Director for Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) in his Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill office. Previously, Jamie served as a House Foreign Affairs Committee Democratic Professional Staff Member and Deputy Communications Director

Did you graduate in 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979, or 1974?

If so, we can’t wait to see you in at your reunion weekend April 26-27!

40 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

advising on cyber, national security, anti-Semitism, and communications.

During the previous presidential election cycle, Jamie volunteered as Hillary Clinton’s Counterterrorism Working Group Administrator. Jamie also worked at Georgetown University for Dr. Daniel L. Byman as a Research Assistant, and coded, launched, and managed GeorgetownX’s first generation MOOC on terrorism and counterterrorism. Jamie holds a Master of Arts in security studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and he has spent considerable time living abroad in the Middle East.

Using her background in child development and family services, Jamie Engelman recently launched Oh Baby Consulting, a boutique consulting service for expectant and new parents to get expert advice and personalized support around all things parenting and child development. She offers personalized sleep consulting, parent coaching, and developmental support for families both in the Phoenix area and across the country. She also runs group seminars and education on building healthy sleep habits from birth, soothing colic, parenting during the fourth trimester, and a wide range of child development and infant mental health topics. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and their two dogs at their new home in Gilbert.

Are you following the PCDS Alumni Instagram Page? https://www.instagram.com/pcds_alumni/

Chris Opila currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he is a secondyear law student at the University of Michigan Law School and a resident of the Telluride Association’s intentional community. After high school, he obtained a degree in international politics and economics from Middlebury College and spent a year studying Arabic language and literature in Alexandria, Egypt. Upon graduation, Chris returned to Egypt as a Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) Fellow at the American University in Cairo. He remained in Cairo until March 2014, working as a freelance translator and refugee resettlement legal advisor for St. Andrew’s Refugee Services and the International Refugee Assistance Project. In March 2014, Chris relocated to Nairobi, Kenya, to work for the CWS-operated United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRP) Resettlement Support Center and spent approximately the next three years conducting various refugee resettlement interviews in different refugee camps and cities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.

After graduating from law school, Chris aspires to practice immigration and refugee law domestically in a direct client service context.

Throughout high school and college, Chelsea Blandford worked part-time in the administrative office of her family’s manufacturing company located in Scottsdale, Arizona. After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at ASU in 2012, Chelsea chose to continue working for her family’s company rather than pursue a career in that field. In 2014, she made the decision to go back to school to follow her true passion of fitness. She received her associate degree in exercise science and personal training from Scottsdale Community College in 2016 and became a certified personal trainer in 2017. Around the same time that she chose to chase her dream of working in the fitness world, she was in the midst of chasing the woman of her dreams as well. Chelsea was lucky enough to marry her in February 2018.

Chelsea and Casey now live in Scottsdale, where they plan to stay for years to come. They do hope to start a family after a few years of traveling and enjoying married life.

2008 Nick Pappas spent the last six years working in commercial real estate brokerage in New York City but relocated to Los Angeles this past summer to pursue his MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Photo Credit: Tara Beth Photography

After graduating from PCDS, Lauren Motzkin attended Yale University where she majored in the history of art and served as an editor for the Yale Daily News. Upon graduation, Lauren moved to New York and worked at Sotheby’s before accepting a fellowship in Hamburg, Germany, through the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. Following her fellowship year, she moved back to New York to work for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in Global Communications. She is currently a second-year MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management and plans to move to Los Angeles for a job at Deloitte in Human Capital Consulting after graduating in May. Since leaving PCDS in eighth grade, Devin Randle received a high school degree from Xavier College Prep, and an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Arizona. After living in San Diego for a few years (taking a break from school to work in sales and marketing) she moved to Washington, D.C. There she attended George Washington University and received her Master of Arts in forensic psychology—working with inmates in the federal prison system. Afterwards, Devin moved to Indianapolis to be a social worker in the non-profit sector, generally working with families referred from the Department of Child Services.

As of this past fall, she currently lives in Los Angeles and has recently started her doctorate in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University.

Jonathan Lorentzen spent three years in Chile running California—a restaurant, bar, and nightclub—where he helped organize the country’s first clothing donation undie run for charity. He then got his MBA from Michigan and will start working for Citi’s Industrial Investment Banking group in July 2019.

Between January and July 2019, he plans on traveling to Southeast Asia, India, and Brazil.

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Upon graduating from Brown, where she studied comparative literature, Emily Gogolak moved to New York to pursue journalism. She had a reporting fellowship at The New York Times and then joined the editorial staff at The New Yorker. While at the magazine, she started reporting on immigration (an interest certainly inculcated by growing up in Arizona).

Eventually Emily shifted to freelance work in order to focus on her own non-fiction writing and relocated to Texas, where much of her reporting is centered. Emily’s writing appears in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, newyorker.com, POLITICO Magazine, among other places, and in the anthology “City by City: Dispatches from the American Metropolis.” She also translates fiction and poetry from French and Spanish. She currently lives in Austin with her dog, Laszlo.

2009 Gino Picozzi currently lives in New Orleans, where he manages the Business Analytics program for Premium Parking, a high growth company in the parking and hospitality industries.

Working in an entrepreneurial environment has been an eye-opening experience for Gino. He is amazed every day by the quality of work and innovation his team brings to the table.

In his free time, Gino enjoys the food, culture, and music that make New Orleans one-of-a-kind. He would advise any PCDS student to venture out and explore the places and job opportunities that are truly interesting to you.

Mark Zhang went to ASU and majored in biochemistry and sociology. After undergrad, he attended the Keck School of Medicine at USC in Los Angeles. He graduated with his MD in 2017, and he has been an emergency medicine resident physician at LA County+USC Medical Center since then.

42 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Steph Kost “gave up the best years of her life and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to pursue a career in medicine.” She is now a resident at Valley Fair Hospital in Las Vegas, NV, where she tells patients that they’re “going tibia ok”. She credits her success to “the three most important men in my life: my bro, Alex ‘11; Hans Teeuwen; and God.” To all PCDS alumni, she shares, “If you’re ever in Vegas, hit me up!”

2010 After eighth grade, Danielle Dozer attended Xavier before graduating from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. She has spent the last four years working for E & J Gallo Winery in their Management Development Program. Danielle is currently working in their internal Lean Six Sigma department. In addition, Danielle will complete her LSS Black Belt Certification by the end of 2018.

Alexis Myers graduated with a Master of Science in nursing from Vanderbilt in 2017. She is currently working as a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner in Glendale, AZ. This past May, she got engaged to Karthik Kumar, whom she met thanks to PCDS alum, Jaclyn Roberts.

Morgan Shepherd is currently living in Henderson, Nevada, and just started nursing school at Roseman University.

She graduates next November and is extremely excited to work in the field of nursing. She loves working with kids, and thus hopes to specialize in pediatrics once she is finished with school.

After high school graduation, Max Keller attended California Lutheran University where he played DIII football for the Kingsmen. Following a career ending injury, Max transferred to the University of Arizona to earn a degree in business management and a certificate in sports management. He spent a year in Chicago following graduation and held an internship with Riddell Inc. before moving back to Arizona and accepting a job as the marketing and broadcast coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals. In the spring of 2018, Max got engaged to his fiancé, Vanessa Fernandez, and in mid-September they moved to Washington, D.C., as she was accepted into a program at Georgetown University.

Spenser Gwozdzik recently began pursuing a PhD in public administration at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. He is interested in studying urban education policy and how its interaction with other public policy areas impacts issues of inequality. Spenser is a fellow with NYU’s Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training (PIRT) program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Previously, he worked as a research associate for the Tennessee State Board of Education, where he led the production of the state’s Teacher Preparation Report Card and studied other issues related to teacher preparation and licensure.

Alex Diones is living in LA and starting his fourth year of his PhD in the department of political science at UCLA, doing research in the history of political thought. He is writing a dissertation on the emergence of the concept of social science in the early 19th century.

Diamond Ashleigh Troutman studied globalization and international business at Drew University and Sorbonne Nouvelle University, after Paul Schweikher sparked in her a passion for communications. She is fluently trilingual in French, Spanish, and English, and is conversational in Arabic and Mandarin Chinese. From 2014 to 2016, Diamond served as the Communications Director with Alliance Francaise of Greater Phoenix and assumed responsibility for launching platforms to build multimedia visibility and revitalize brand health. This role provided her with the opportunity to travel amongst the Fondation, Délégation, and Federation as a delegate to the 2015 AFUSA Convention in San Francisco, California. Diamond joined Original ChopShop and Bellagreen in 2016, where she conceptualizes all high-level brand building experiences and oversees visual brand decisions for the fast-growing restaurant concepts, which plan to expand nationally in the near future. Diamond’s work has been seen on ABC’s Shark Tank, and has been featured on Design Sponge, as well as in Phoenix Magazine, Shamrock Farms Smart Solutions Magazine, and Arizona Foothills Magazine.

Sophie Cohen attended college at the College of William and Mary. She was a biology major and public health minor, and subsequently attended medical school at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She is now an Emergency Medicine Resident physician at Stanford.

Since graduating from PCDS, David Linder completed both his BS and MS at Arizona State University in biological sciences and science of health care delivery, respectively. Immediately after, he worked for two years at an executive search firm based in Scottsdale, where he helped recruit and place senior leaders in a variety of healthcare organizations. Since December 2017, David has worked for Banner Health as a Quality Improvement Specialist. He manages quality improvement projects for a couple dozen primary care clinics in the West Valley with the goal of improving the quality of care for an entire population. It is hugely rewarding for him to be able to help clinics identify areas where they could better take care of their patients. Outside of work, David enjoys keeping in touch with friends, staying physically active, reading, and keeping up with new music. He currently lives in Scottsdale and continues to fall in love with the natural beauty of our great state of Arizona.

2011 After leaving his role at Bain & Company’s Southeast Asia office in 2017, Matt Prusak won the Schwarzman scholarship and spent a year studying for a master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Following the completion of this degree, he worked as a policy consultant in Malta before matriculating to the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Alex Kost graduated from a five-year program at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, after only seven years. He currently lives in the disruptive and revolutionary Silicon Valley, home of Theranos and the Zuck. He spends all day googling “how to do my job” at Tesla and is very grateful to live on such a great, flat Earth.

Rebecca Matwijkow lives in Washington, D.C., and works as a political consultant. Since graduating from PCDS, her professional experiences have included working for Arizona congressional races, a Democratic fundraising firm, and a direct-mail and digital strategy firm where she worked on races across the country—from city council to the 2016 presidential race.

Rebecca also spent time at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a progressive journal in D.C., and she studied at SciencesPo in Paris. Rebecca enjoys rowing, rock climbing, and trying to keep her vegetable garden alive.

After graduating from Seattle University, Bailey Keogh did a brief stint in culinary school and received both Sommelier Certification I & II. After spending a year in wine distribution, selling high-end wine to high-end restaurants, Bailey leapt at the opportunity to be the head grower for an organic medical marijuana grow operation in southern Oregon. She used her viticultural knowledge and a lot of Google searches. After one season, Bailey then packed her bags and moved to Berlin, where she worked at a nightclub while sorting out her visa situation. Once her visa was processed, however, she broke into the tech start-up scene. She is now a marketing manager for an interactive agency that works exclusively with ICOs, STOs, and Blockchain projects.

Outside of her work, Bailey paints and exhibits her pieces in shows and galleries in Berlin and around Europe.

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Meryl Woods graduated from Texas Christian University in 2015 and moved to Dallas, Texas, to work for ISN, a private software company that specializes in global contractor management.

After three years of working in account management and in the sales department, she is now launching a new subsidiary of ISN focusing on risk management consulting.

After graduating high school in 2011, Olivia Cumsky attended the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU where she received her bachelor’s degree in business law. Upon graduation, Olivia worked as a legal assistant for a criminal defense attorney in Mesa. Currently, she is a second-year law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she serves as a staff writer on the Arizona State Law Journal. She will be a summer associate next summer at a global civil law firm, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where she will practice commercial litigation. Olivia has also interned each semester at the District Court for the District of Arizona, and she hopes to clerk for a federal judge after law school.

2012 Will Gridley attended PCDS through the eighth grade, and although he did not graduate from the US, he still considers himself an alumnus and a part of the PCDS family. He attended Brophy College Preparatory for his high school years before heading out to college in sunny Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, Will took a full-time position at Marshall & Stevens, Inc., a full-service valuation advisory firm, where he had been interning during his final year at Loyola Marymount. He has now been working at Marshall & Stevens for nearly three years, focusing primarily on financial valuation.

44 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Did you miss the Alumni Masters’ Lecture featuring Mr. Chuck Flail?

The full video of the lecture can be accessed at: https://www.pcds.org/alumni/engage

Since graduating from PCDS, Rachel Underhill attended Boston University where she studied economics and business and was a member of their Division I Lightweight Rowing Team.

She then spent two years in Los Angeles working for Capital Group in the Fixed Income division. Rachel now lives in New York City and works for Citigroup, currently focusing on municipal bond trading.

Nic Meyer graduated from Amherst College in 2016 with a degree in economics, as his first choice degree of comparative literature of the Star Wars expanded universe was not available.

He played varsity baseball for all four years while at Amherst with very mild success, as well as intramural flag football with much greater success. He also won the award for “Most Likely to Wear Shorts During the Winter”, indicating that his subpar high school sartorial sense had in fact, not improved one iota during college. After graduating, he moved to San Diego where he gets to wear shorts to work every day. He works at a craft brewery —Ballast Point Brewing—a job that theoretically sounds a lot sexier than it actually is. He spends most of his day manipulating Excel and PowerPoint. He stills plays in every single intramural league, and he is hoping to potentially catch on with the U.S. Olympics Men’s Beach Handball team (this last one is not really a joke, they are terrible, so maybe he has a chance). He would

like to go to business school in the next year or two, as well as return to Arizona to see the love of his life—his Maltese dog, Snuggles!

Since graduating from PCDS, Elliot Goldberg received a B.S. in computer engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He has been working in Los Angeles as a systems engineer for Raytheon. Currently, he and his team are working on the design and implementation of fighter jet instrumentation devices that will actually be used in the field. If any alums find themselves in LA, give Elliot a shout!

Quinn Lincoln started a company in Seattle that specializes in lighting design/operation for music events. He works as a technical contractor for a night club and as a freelance lighting technician for theatres around the Seattle area. With the rest of his time, he works as a DJ and produces music.

2013 Since attending PCDS, Scott Minard graduated from Chapman University with a degree in television writing and producing. He has worked in Los Angeles and across the country as a freelance filmmaker, having won national awards and creating content for companies like Motor Trend, Adidas, and Fox. His last major project was purchased for exclusive international distribution by Hard Rock Cafe.

Leila Noghrehchi started her second year of graduate school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Last summer she interned in Tuba City, Arizona, where she worked with local women’s health physicians to learn more about rural medicine and the Indian health services. Outside of school, Leila is a leadership member at the UACOM-T Women’s Clinic, which provides free healthcare to women and children in partnership with a local domestic violence shelter. She also participates in a mentorship program that assists with the tutoring of children with refugee status. Leila plans to pursue her interest in women’s health and community medicine in the next few years, as she begins clinical rotations in February.

After graduating in May 2017 from the University of Tampa with a degree in sport management and a minor in law, justice, and advocacy, Kate Pokorski went straight to law school and is currently in her second year at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU. She is on track to graduate in 2020 with a concentration in sports law & business. During law school, Kate has been blessed with so many opportunities, including an externship with the Arizona Coyotes and a position as a staff writer for the Arizona State Law Journal. After her second year of law school, she will be working as a summer associate at Snell & Wilmer.

Mariclare Rethore left Boston after college and moved to the beautiful city of San Francisco. She was hired to draw logos and develop collateral swag for emerging companies located around the country. Soon after, she was recruited to join the Brand Team at Postmates that delivers food to your front door. She can’t wait to see what happens next in her life!

After graduating from Northern Arizona University in May 2017, Philip Rody began a dual degree—JD/MA—in the Latin American Studies program at the University of Arizona. During his first year, he was a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses and was named the Graduate Student Chair of the 2017 Tinker Symposium. This past fall, he began his studies in the James E. Rogers College of Law and is serving as a board member for the Immigration Law Student Association (ILSA).

Philip is also actively involved in the Latin American Studies Student Organization (LASSO), which was awarded grants to host Salvadoran filmmaker Marcela Zamora at a free and open-tothe-public event in late January 2019.

Although busy, he still finds time to volunteer and explore Tucson’s many hiking trails. He expects to graduate with both degrees in 2021.

Grant Gustafson graduated from Brown University in 2017 with a degree in computer science. He lives in London where he works as a quantitative strategist for a hedge fund. Previously, he worked as a software engineer for an advertising technology company in New York City.

Following his time at PCDS, Jordan Cohen spent an amazing four years at Duke University. He graduated in 2017 with a major in neuroscience, and with minors in both Spanish and chemistry. Outside of experiencing an NCAA basketball championship his sophomore year, Jordan spent a summer—through a Melinda Gates scholarship—working with the Red Cross in Argentina. Subsequently, as a senior, he wrote a thesis on the neural components of attention. He also got to happily overlap with his younger sister, Jamie Cohen ‘16, for a year at Duke which allowed for some real sibling bonding. After graduation, Jordan spent a year applying to medical schools, working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and traveling around Asia and Israel. He’s now a firstyear med student at the University of Miami School of Medicine, hanging around the library and palm trees.

2014 After receiving her master’s degree in English literature from the University of Edinburgh, Gabby Shacknai moved to New York. Soon after, she began the part-time master’s program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, while working a full-time job at Condé Nast. Gabby works for the magazine company’s Special Interest Publications department, where she helps produce special issues for Vanity Fair, Bon Appétit, and Architectural Digest, among others. She is also a regular contributor to the city’s daily newspaper—amNY—and does freelance writing for other outlets.

Have you “liked” the Phoenix Country Day School Alumni Facebook page? www.facebook.com/PhoenixCountryDaySchoolAlumni

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In 2014, Tyler Dial moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where he took every opportunity available to play his music in front of people. He spent a lot of weekends playing fourhour cover sets on the legendary 6th Street, playing fraternity and sorority tailgates, and even opening for some big-name artists, like Cole Swindell, when they came to town. After graduating last May, Tyler moved straight to Nashville, realizing a dream that he had since his time at PCDS. Shortly after moving to Nashville, he released an EP, called Repaint, which was produced and written with some big songwriters in town and the release has been going well! He was recently put on some big Spotify playlists, named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists to Know,” and he signed a publishing deal with Neon Cross Music. Tyler was also excited to play his first hometown show in Phoenix in October 2018. Tyler says that he, “can’t thank PCDS enough for creating an environment that allowed me to be myself, pushed me to succeed, and fostered the belief that anything is possible.”

Kate Werth graduated in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in digital and print media, with honors from both Carnegie Mellon University and the College of Fine Arts. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and she is currently working as an artist and designer in Phoenix, Washington D.C., and New York. Recently, Kate has been working on organizing, designing, and promoting events in New York City for World Menstrual Hygiene Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both of which have been featured in The New York Times.

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The Alumni Virtual Book Club is a great way to stay connected with fellow PCDS alumni while continuing your journey of lifelong learning.

Next discussion begins online March 28: https://www.pbc.guru/pcds/

Chase Bishov is thankful for the knowledge, relationships, and experiences PCDS allowed him to acquire. It helped shape him into the person, friend, artist, and soccer player he is today.

Briana Ewart graduated from ASU’s Fulton School of Engineering this past year with a B.S. in electrical engineering (summa cum laude). She then went on a graduation trip to Greece with Ana Corey and their other college roommates. They spent two weeks exploring Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini, which was an amazing way to celebrate and say goodbye before starting new chapters in their lives.

In June, Briana moved up to Portland, Oregon, and she was finally able adopt a puppy named Echo. Echo is reportedly a lot of work but makes up for it in cuteness. In August, Briana started a new job at Intel as a Validation Engineer for Memory IO. She really enjoys working with her new team members while developing new skills.

Alexa Lewis graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering from Dartmouth College and is actively applying to PhD programs. She was recently credited in an article in Scientific Reports entitled, “Detection of high-risk carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae isolates using volatile molecular profiles.”

Michelle Greenfield is currently working as an animal behavior intern at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As part of her job, she performs daily observations and maintains long-term datasets for behavioral projects for westernlowland gorillas, Sumatran tigers, Taveta golden weavers, blue-crowned laughingthrushes, Nile crocodiles, and lesser flamingos. In addition to the behavioral studies, she regularly interacts with park guests to communicate conservation stories and scientific findings, creating magical opportunities for both the animals and the guests.

In May 2018, Sam Ax graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in economics. He currently lives in New York and works as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Healthcare group at Goldman Sachs.

He is grateful for the incredible education he received at PCDS which, he reports, prepared him well for college and life beyond.

2015 Shannon Burke is finishing her degree in American studies at Georgetown University by working as a teaching assistant for the program and through completing a senior thesis project. She is writing about the benefits for the Southwest region in appropriating the (originally indigenous) Kokopelli symbol in business logos and governmentfunded entities, within the broader conversation of marginalizing and commodifying Native cultures. After graduating from Georgetown in the spring, Shannon will be joining the Teach for America corps in Denver, where she will be getting her master’s while teaching pre-school for a few years.

This past summer, as part of the John Hazen White internship, Sabrina Whitfill interned at the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans where her main project was creating a social media toolkit showcasing AAPI support for affirmative action. Seeing herself represented in positions of power had a lasting impact on her. She loved the immediacy of the work she did. According to Sabrina, she “had the chance to sit in on meetings where we would discuss courses of action as events were happening. Instead of just reading the news, it almost felt like we were living it. We were out on the steps of the Supreme Court when the news about the Muslim ban broke and in Lafayette Park for the Families Belong Together Rally. I think that being at NCAPA really highlighted for me that the work doesn’t end just because you’ve clocked out for the day. Advocacy is a constant necessity, and the work that the coalition members do is really changing the world for our communities, and the ones with whom we stand in solidarity.”

After working in Washington, D.C. at The Washington Center—a higher education non-profit institution—for a year and a half as the Senior Coordinator of Social Digital Content, Lilia Dashevsky left to pursue other career opportunities. She recently accepted a position as Account Manager at MDG (Marketing Design Group), a marketing agency with a 40-year track record of working with associations, large events, and conferences in D.C., Chicago, and San Diego. Lilia also continues to regularly consult political candidates and clients in Arizona regarding digital marketing, public relations, and communication strategies. Lilia graduated from Arizona State University in December 2018, a semester early, with a B.A. in mass communications and media studies.

2016 Iya Agha, a U.S. citizen of Iraqi origin, was crowned Miss Arab USA on January 5, 2019.

Kyle Money caught up with Head of School Andy Rodin this past winter.

He will be graduating this spring from Vanderbilt and is looking into graduate programs.

Join fellow alumni on the Alumni Scholarship Fund honor roll at pcds.org/giveback WINTER 2018/19 | 47

2017 After graduating, Calvin Hamilton moved to New York City to work for the CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk.

Alexa Portigal is in her second year at Northeastern University. She is the head of the Men’s Styling team for Northeastern’s fashion magazine, and she writes music pieces for Northeastern’s entertainment magazine.

Mason Fritz spent the summer of 2018 dissecting brains for RNA analysis and determining APOE genotypes for Alzheimer’s research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix. He transferred to Northwestern University and will soon be published as a co-author in an article for the Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism.

Madison Dever is getting her BFA in theatre at Southern Methodist University.

After working on a new program for Google at Howard University, Mina Rodriguez has decided to “change her career path from computer science to something that will allow me to be engaged with technology while also allowing me to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workforce.”

Head of School Andy Rodin enjoyed catching up with Oliver Marsden and Jake Bain over lunch during winter break 2018. Oliver is an engineering major at Tufts, and Jake is a business major at Claremont McKenna.

2018 B e n Davie s is helping to develop and diversify the newly-created eSports program at Colorado College. He also runs a class that serves as a pipeline for creating eSports players, where students learn the basics of playing a video game competitively in a team environment.

Sophie Ax is currently a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania.

During the summer of 2017, Sophie did medical research at Stanford Medical School. While there, she worked for Tess Branon, PhD, in Alice Ting’s lab (a global leader in proteomics). The research Sophie supported was published in Nature in August 2018, and she received special mention in the publication.

In Kylie Fisher’s first semester of college at Southern Connecticut State University, she helped her volleyball team win its first conference championship in program history! Go Owls!

Carolina Olea Lezama is a Tufts Community Union Class of 2022 Senator.

Jake Sarver is majoring in business administration at USC. He is having a good time.

In November, Nirvaan Reddy and AJ Rosenthal visited Josh Sidi in Israel, where he is studying at IDC Herzliya.

They had a blast and enjoyed catching up with each other.

Madison Stringer is currently attending the University of Pennsylvania as a biochemistry major.

Do you have news to share? We are always excited to hear from you. Send details about a graduation, a new job, a birth, engagement, or marriage announcement, a recent trip, a new hobby, or a visit with another alumnus/a (and email accompanying photos) to alumni@pcds.org. We look forward to learning what you have been up to!

We collect many Class Notes each year and cannot guarantee that all submissions will be printed. Class Notes are written in an individual’s own words.

48 | PCDS THE BRIDGE

Please Join Us! You are invited to join the virtual book club for Phoenix Country Day School Alumni!

The book club connects through a private, moderated online forum where alumni can discuss the current book and network with each other.

There is no cost to participate—you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy.

The group reads one selection approximately every two months.

We will begin discussing our second selection, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less,

by Andrew Sean Greer, on Thursday, March 28.

Register for the online forum at: www.pbc.guru/pcds Continue your journey of lifelong learning with PCDS! WINTER 2018/19 | 49

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