St. Andrew's 2018 Spring Magazine

SPRING 2018

The Arts at St. Andrew’s

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Head of School Robert Kosasky Editors Richard Coco Blair Kaine Kirsten Petersen Designer Nancy Schwartz Photographers Eric Bickel Jonah Koch LifeTouch Photography Andrea Joseph Photography Kirsten Petersen Joe Phelan Mark Regan Photography Joseph Sinnott Photography John Troha Photography 2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Sandy Horowitz Vice Chair Anthony Izzo, III Treasurer Karen Smith Secretary Alfredo Antezana Gail Atwood Rudy Casasola David Cheung Michael DiPaula-Coyle ‘98 Elizabeth Drucker Noelle Eder Brian Harris Diane Hastings Mary Beth Kirchner Andrea LaRue Sheila Maith Martha Martin Brian Radecki David Smith Steven Ward EX-OFFICIO Head of School Robert Kosasky Alumni Council President Larissa Levine ‘06

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 A letter from Ms. Walsh

02 Message from

Robert Kosasky

After 39 years of teaching Chemistry, Irene Walsh is hanging up her safety goggles. She takes the opportunity to say some thank yous and remind everyone to “Stay happy.”

12 The Arts at St. Andrew’s

For the past 40 years, the arts have been a pillar of a St. Andrew’s education.

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56 40th Anniversary Celebrations 58 Homecoming

& Reunion 2017 63 Class Notes

Take a deep dive into the curriculum, learn more about our faculty artists, and read a student perspective on the program.

38 Alumni in the Arts

Whether they are winning a Tony Award (Steven Levenson ‘02) or executive producing “Roseanne” (Whitney Cummings ‘00), St. Andrew’s alumni are making their mark in the world.

Parents Association President Christine McCloy Bishop’s Representative John Harmon Counsel Marc Kaufman

ON THE COVER Ashlynn Smith ‘19, who has won multiple awards for her artwork, paints in the Advanced Portfolio Development class. Photo by Andrea Joseph Photography.

St. Andrew’s is committed to a diverse and inclusive community with respect to race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, family status, economic circumstance, age, and physical disability in its student body, faculty and staff. Pursuant to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, St. Andrew’s does not discriminate in the administration of admission, financial aid or loan practices, educational or other school-sponsored programs and activities, or in the hiring or terms of employment of faculty and staff, except that the Chaplain shall be a member of the clergy of the Episcopal Church.

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A Letter from Our Head ear Friends, Dynamic growth is a core value and constant reality of St. Andrew’s. We celebrate the ongoing growth of our campuses with our design labs, Izzo Quadrangle, and Student Center. We pursue the growth of research and program opportunities, like robotics and coding, mindfulness and Responsive Classroom.

We strengthen and expand athletic offerings and our singular and impactful Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Most importantly, we commit to the growth of our students as they learn to think innovatively, to seek challenges eagerly, and to lead confidently.

As you turn the pages of this magazine, you’ll (re)discover an area that has been a strength of the St. Andrew’s experience for decades – our arts program. At St. Andrew’s the arts have never been optional or unrecognized; rather we think of the arts as a pillar of each student’s education.

St. Andrew’s students take visual and performing arts classes throughout their education. Each year, students discover the joys of throwing their first bowl, strumming their first chord, and printing their first three-dimensional creation. Many of those students discover not only an academic and extracurricular passion but also a lifelong calling.

Almost 10 percent of the Class of 2018 will enter elite college-level programs in architecture, art and design, or music.

As you read this magazine, you will

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learn about the arts curriculum in detail. You will hear the student perspective on our arts program and see how our faculty continue to be vital artists in their own right. And you will read about a sampling of our alumni artists and how their work speaks to social change.

Steven Levenson, Class of 2002, won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for the smash hit “Dear Evan Hansen.” Steven’s production explores, among other issues, the impact of social media on high school students today.

Whitney Cummings, Class of 2000, is an executive producer on the hit television series “Roseanne,” exploring how a family with differing political views navigate this polarized time. Tim Rogan, Class of 2007, recently starred in an Arena Stage production of “Pajama Game,” which updated its views of workplace romance to represent changing gender roles and the realities of dating in the #MeToo era.

The articles and photographs in this magazine fill me with pride and respect for our students, faculty, and alumni.

I hope that you will join me in celebrating the arts at St. Andrew’s at an upcoming show or performance.

Faithfully,

Robert Kosasky Head of School

A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

The power of yes “Yes” is a powerful word. As St. Andrew’s moves into its next decade, the power of “yes” will become even more potent.

Dear Friends, Milestones are a time for celebration and sharing memories of the past. As planning begins for St. Andrew’s 40th anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on our humble beginnings, our tumultuous childhood and our adult transformation into a nationally recognized destination school for researchinformed teaching, learning, and leadership, supporting a student body of close to 600 students.

From its inception, St. Andrew’s has possessed a spirit and energy that is palpable, always drawing people towards it. This spirit, combined with a visionary growth mindset and the affirmation that academic challenge and student well-being are intrinsically linked and form the basis of an exceptional education truly sets St. Andrew’s apart from its peers.

Today, our school is poised for continued growth and committed to deepening our

mission to know and inspire each child through exceptional teaching. We are building on our foundation of strong enrollment, excellent financial management, a highly trained and committed faculty and record annual giving and engagement from our community.

Since its founding, the level of engagement and investment from the St. Andrew’s community has been astounding and is a main driver of our school’s success. As Board Chair, I am tasked with soliciting our community to invest their time, talent and treasures in support of St. Andrew’s. And your response is a resounding “YES!” In addition to family commitments, demanding jobs, and a host of other obligations, you make St. Andrew’s a priority. Trustees devote countless hours to managing the schools’ resources and setting a bold vision for the future. Parents and alumni dedicate an enormous number of volunteer hours and offer their expertise and talents to further the mission of our school. Your financial support and belief made the Student Center a reality two years ahead of schedule. In March we gathered as a community in the Student Center for our annual gala to support financial aid and shattered previous fundraising records. And we are on track to have a record breaking year in annual giving. “Yes” is a powerful word. As St. Andrew’s moves into its next decade, the power of “yes” will become even more potent.

As always, thank you for saying “Yes,” and for your continued support of St. Andrew’s.

With Best Wishes,

Sandy Horowitz Chair, St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees SPRING 2018

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SCHOOL

news

Postoak Campus to introduce new schedule Beginning in the Fall of 2018, the Postoak Campus will start to live a new schedule, the first major change to the Upper and Middle School schedules in more than a decade. The new schedule was designed by a task force of teachers and administrators, who gathered input and research as well as feedback from students and parents, to determine how the flow of each school day can maximize student learning and well-being.

Working closely with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, the task force prioritized four major needs: • Lengthening class periods beyond the 40-minute standard to promote creative teaching and deep learning • Reducing the number of class periods per day (and therefore the number of homework assignments per evening) to promote focus and moderate the rushed tempo of school life • Increasing time for students to meet with teachers and their peers during the school day for academic enrichment and healthy socialization • Minimizing conflicts between class time and other important school activities, including assemblies, chapels, field trips, and athletic competitions The result of this work is a new schedule that will continue to provide our students with a rigorous research-informed education that gives them time to pursue their passions and focus on their wellbeing.

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The Middle and Upper School piloted the new schedule the week of Feb. 26. The new schedule will allow students to get a brain break or eat while meeting with affinity groups — whether it’s robotics, student government, or other clubs.

A typical school day will have four class each lasting 65 minutes. Research suggests that engaged, focused, deep learning requires longer class periods with fewer transitions during the school day and fewer, more meaningful homework assignments at night. Passing time between classes will be increased to 10 minutes. This creates more peer interaction and reflection, and a less stressful flow to the school day. Additionally, the schedule affords structured “office hours” several times a week for students to meet with teachers to receive individual enrichment and extra help, and allows for classes to be extended when necessary for science labs, studio art lessons,

and other specialized learning.

The Middle and Upper School piloted the new schedule the week of Feb. 26 with positive feedback from students, teachers and parents.

Robotics team advances to state meet in first year In their first year with a sponsored FIRST Tech Challenge Team, St. Andrew’s Upper School students managed to

At a January qualifying competition, St. Andrew’s robotics team performed two perfect runs, took home first place and won the Best Robot Design Award.

not only improve at every competition they attended, they also were able to qualify for the state meet.

The team competed at a Jan. 14 qualifying competition, winning four of its five matches and averaging 63 points.

That strong showing motivated them to push to qualify for states. Fast forward two weeks and the team, having refined their time and rewritten their code, performed two perfect runs, took home first place and won the Best Robot Design Award.

Team members include Andy Harris ’18, Ashley Cheung ’19, Michael Primmer ’19, Sam Figueredo ’20, Jake Lee ’20, George Mazloom ’20, Ben Naab ’20, Annabel Resor ’20, Fiona Gallagher ’21, Hanaah Junaideen ’21, and Taylor Stern ’21.

Malala Yousafzai inspires students’ conversations St. Andrew’s Middle School students had a yearlong conversation around gender, education, and youth empowerment, and the dialogue began and was inspired by the book “I Am Malala.” All Middle School students were required to read the book by Malala Yousafzai, the youngestever Nobel Peace Prize winner. During the first week of school, students were treated

This past summer all Middle School students were required to read “I Am Malala.” On the first day of school, students reflected on the book by collaborating on a poster project.

to a screening of “He Named Me Malala,” a film about Yousafzai’s journey.

The conversation around gender continued throughout the year in advisories. Driven by research on single gender classroom environments, the Middle School introduced single-sex advisories.

The switch paid immediate dividends in the eyes of Middle School advisors.

“I’ve noticed that they feel more comfortable and the social pressures are gone in a single gender advisory,” said math teacher Molly Magner.

“When we do discussions or check-ins, I think it allows them to feel more comfortable sharing and being themselves,” said history teacher Savi Tuber.

CTTL continues to raise profile internationally The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning continued to raise its international standing this year, with high-profile grants, prestigious publications and packedhouse speaking engagements.

In January, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative approved a grant to the CTTL and St. Andrew’s to help fund the CTTL’s pilot program of Neuroteach Global, an online professional development platform that delivers research-informed strategies in Mind, Brain, and Education Science.

In March, Glenn Whitman, Director of the CTTL, and Dr. Ian Kelleher, Head of Research for the CTTL, had a paper accepted into an academic journal and an article printed in an academic magazine.

Throughout the spring, Whitman and Kelleher have spoken about the power of research and understanding how the brain learns to impact students in the classroom. They spoke in April at a Learning & the Brain conference and are slated to speak in South Africa in May at the first seminar in Africa on Mind, Brain, and Education Science.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Sensenbrenner skates circles around competition Zoe Sensenbrenner ’25 first began ice skating as a 3 year old after her grandmother gave her a book on the subject. Fast forward eight years later, and she is half of one of the top juvenile ice dancing teams in the country.

Sensenbrenner and her partner, Matthew Sperry, placed second at the U.S. Nationals in January adding to a pair of golds and another silver won in three previous competitions since the pair started skating together in July 2017. The pair has spent Spring 2018 working on new routines and skills as they prepare to move up to the Intermediate level with major competitions in June, July, September and November, with eyes set on another appearance at Nationals in January 2019.

While in Beijing, Head of School Robert Kosasky, center, met with parents of current St. Andrew’s international students.

St. Andrew’s travels to Asia Over the past several years, the number of international students at St. Andrew’s has grown to about 5 percent of the Upper School. With that in mind, Head of School Robert Kosasky traveled to Asia in the fall to meet with a number of international families. The trip was a wonderful opportunity as parents had a chance to meet Mr. Kosasky and learn more about St. Andrew’s commitment to a diverse student population, including those from other countries.

Wonder Workshop illuminates design thinking

In January, Zoe Sensenbrenner ‘25 and her partner, Matthew Sperry, placed second at the U.S. Nationals.

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For the second straight year, the Lower School hosted a Wonder Workshop for students and their parents. This year, the theme was to explore the artistic and scientific brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci.

“He was a polymath who never rested in his quest to design, plan, iterate, and create,” said St. Andrew’s Lower School Science Teacher Hilarie Hall. “This is the heart of the design thinking program at

Mila Guilani ‘30 and her father, Mehrdad, work together to build a parachute during a Wonder Workshop on the Lower School campus in December.

St. Andrew’s and the way that we work with our very youngest learners in order for them to gain confidence in trying and improving their work.”

Students and parents tried their hand at building a variety of flying machines, including planes, flying saucers and parachutes. They also created their own Vitruvian Man using outlines on giant sheets of colored paper.

“The Vitruvian Man deals with universal principles,” said Lower School Art Teacher Justin Pyles. “I could take each child and outline them and apply the circle and the square on top of their individual outlines so that they might see how his theory relates to them.”

Boys soccer won its first MAC title since 2003. They finished the regular season with a 10-6 record.

Soccer, lacrosse reclaim MAC dominance After back-to-back seasons of girls sports bringing home championships, the boys teams responded this year with a pair of banners.

In the fall, boys soccer took home their first MAC title since 2003 by taking control of the MAC standings early in the season and never letting go.

In the spring, the lacrosse team went undefeated in the MAC to take home its first title since 2002. The romp through the conference regular season featured the Lions outscoring conference opponents by an average score of 15-4, including a pair of 17-1 victories. The only conference match the Lions did not win by eight goals or more was an 11-8 victory over Flint Hill.

The girls cross country team continued its stretch of bringing home the small school state title as they won the championship for the fourth-straight year, the first

In the fall, the girls cross country team won its fourth-straight small school state title.

without long-time coach Gary Wyatt, who retired from teaching and coaching last year. Girls basketball also came within a game of winning their second straight ISL banner.

In all, 10 St. Andrew’s seniors are headed to college in the fall intending to continue their athletic careers.

In May, the boys lacrosse team won its first MAC title since 2002, completing an undefeated season in conference play.

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FACULTY PROFILE

A Letter from Ms. Walsh Dear Alumni, Shortly after I was asked to write a farewell letter for this issue of the school magazine, I realized that I would much rather take this opportunity to say thank you.

At this point in my life, my heart is brimming over with gratitude. Those of you whom I have had the opportunity to teach, advise, work with on SGA, or have gotten to know from pleasant verbal exchanges in the hallways, have enriched my life immeasurably over these past 39 years.

I would like you to know that.

For at least fifteen years I have had a quote of Katherine Graham’s on my dresser which says: “To do what you love and feel that it matters, what could be more fun?” To be absolutely honest with you, this has indeed been my experience. I have been truly blessed! When I reflect upon what it is about teaching at St. Andrew’s that I so loved and enjoyed, memories of interactions with you come flooding back — and make my heart dance. Thank you!

I find that these words from a Gregory Norbet song perfectly express my feelings at this time — so I will shamelessly use them: “I want to say something to all of you who have become a part of the fabric of my life: the color and texture that you have brought into my life have become a song, and I want to sing it forever.”

You have enabled me to stay happy through the years. Thank you.

I hope that you will always remember to stay happy!

Love, Ms. Walsh (a.k.a. Mrs. Walshie) 8

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Irene Walsh is retiring this year after 39 years at St. Andrew’s. Irene began teaching chemistry here in September 1979, one year after St. Andrew’s was founded, making her the school’s longest-serving teacher.

THANK YOU

Sandy Horowitz: A dreamer and a doer Dear Friends, Behind every successful school – and every happy head of school – stands a great Board Chair. During the past four years Sandy Horowitz has led our Board of Trustees with vision, grace, and good humor, and her legacy welcomes our students each day when they walk across the Quad and enter their classrooms.

Sandy joined the Board in 2012, and the next year became the chair of our Students at the Center Campaign. Sandy continually encouraged us to dream big about our building plans, correctly predicting that our community would come together to fund a campus vision that would improve every student’s experience and make us a stronger academic, artistic, and athletic community. She strongly supported increased support for our Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, including its beautiful new home at the center of the Postoak Campus, and helped St. Andrew’s set ever-increasing records in our annual Lion’s Fund and Gala efforts.

Sandy is not just a dreamer, but a doer.

She led the most successful fundraising effort in St. Andrew’s history, surpassing our $16,000,000 goal in less than four years and opening the Student Center and Izzo Quad to our students a full two years ahead of schedule! Sandy’s default question to any challenge has always been: “What can we do to make this happen?” As her partner and cheerleader in this effort, I remain awed by Sandy’s accomplishment.

Sandy is one of the most strategic think-

ers I have met. In addition to leading the transformation of the Postoak Campus, she has championed a thorough, forwardthinking review of options for expanding and improving our Lower School facilities, the school’s next strategic priority. Sandy holds St. Andrew’s mission and culture close to her heart, and recently shepherded the Board consideration and affirmation of the school’s core values.

Sandy’s leadership has benefited from a remarkably wise and supportive Board of Trustees. She readily attracts talent and commitment with her wisdom, grace, and humor, always helping her fellow trustees raise their sights and think about the long-term best interests of St. Andrew’s.

Her warm and humble demeanor and her abundant love for the school has inspired dozens of parents and friends to volunteer and support St. Andrew’s.

While Sandy is stepping down from her position as Board Chair, she will continue to serve on the Board as Secretary next year, providing St. Andrew’s with institutional knowledge and guidance as we continue to grow.

When you next see Sandy at one of the myriad events that she attends, please join me in thanking her for her years of service to St. Andrew’s.

Faithfully, Robert Kosasky SPRING 2018

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1 The Academy started with participants learning about the brain by — how else? — dissecting one. 2 The Academy was more than a series of lectures.

Participants wrote on sticky notes to demonstrate their learning. 3 Attendees were treated to presentations and one-on-one time with national leaders in Mind, Brain, and Education Science, including Dr. Daniel Willingham, Psychology Professor at University of Virginia. 4 Participants enjoyed “brain breaks” throughout the week by doing activities such as yoga. 5 Johns Hopkins University researcher Dr. Mike McCloskey explained the workings of a human brain during a field trip on the “Science in Action Day.” 6 Student intern Andy Carr ‘18 spoke about his classroom experiences and how he best learns.

LEARNING AND THE BRAIN

CTTL LAUNCHES SUMMER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Educators from five countries gathered on campus last summer for intensive Mind, Brain, and Education Science training.

BY KIRSTEN PETERSEN

Teachers and school leaders from more than 20 states and five countries traveled to St. Andrew’s in the summer of 2017 to discover how they could bring neuroscience research to their classrooms and schools at the first Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy.

The Academy was hosted by the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning from July 23 to 27. Participants took a deep dive into research and strategies in how the brain learns, works, and thrives, and applied this new knowledge as they created action research plans they would bring to their schools in the fall.

The CTTL and St. Andrew’s will host the Academy again, this year from July 22 to 26.

“It’s been amazing, but we expected it to be amazing because we were not telling people what to do,” said Dr. Ian Kelleher, Head of Research for the CTTL. “We were giving them tools to help them work with their colleagues and kids, (hoping) they would leave here feeling empowered with great content to make a difference.”

Participants heard from St. Andrew’s students, who shared how they learn during speed pitches; national leaders in Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science, including Dr. Daniel Willingham, Psychology Professor at University of Virginia and Author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?”; and from education researchers during a Science in Action Day at Johns Hopkins University.

“This reaffirmed that what I am doing is research based ... to see the joy and engagement and the desire to take it back to their schools ... there’s a hunger for this type of information.

It’s not just knowledge; it’s a way of being.”

Phyllis Robinson, Academy participant and St. Andrew’s biology teacher

“This reaffirmed that what I am doing is research based,” said participant and St. Andrew’s biology teacher Phyllis Robinson. “To see that it’s spreading out to all these other educators, to see the joy and engagement and the desire to take it back to their schools…there’s a hunger for this type of information. It’s not just knowledge; it’s a way of being.”

Participant Hadiza Gidado, who came from Nigeria and trains teachers in Africa through the Discovery Learning Alliance, recalled her own learning experience as she realized the impact of the Academy.

“In primary school I was good at everything except mathematics. I didn’t have anybody to realize this and know how to assist me,” Gidado said. “With this kind of information, teachers will be able to perform better and increase student performance.”

The Science in Action Day, which was co-designed by the CTTL and researchers at the Science of Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins, gave participants the chance to learn first-hand about educational research being conducted in 16 different labs.

“My job is to support people on the

front lines, and teachers are on the front lines,” said Dr. Ashley Berner, a Johns Hopkins researcher who discussed the impact of school culture on students’ academic and civic outcomes. “Sharing ideas with teachers is a privilege, and that’s where it counts. What they do matters, and the research bears that out.”

A key component to the Academy’s success was the involvement of students: seven Upper School students and two college students worked as Academy interns, assisting with final preparations before Academy participants arrived.

During the Academy, interns worked behind the scenes — setting up for the next session or tweeting about the day — but they also took the stage when they spoke with participants about how they learn.

“There are a lot of places like St. Andrew’s that are trying to make learning better for students,” said intern Josh Magee ’18. “It’s cool to see how the CTTL is connected with other schools that are all trying to achieve the same goals.”

Dr. Kelleher said the Academy purposely featured student voices and student faces throughout the week. During the student speed pitches, educators moved to different places to listen to students — an intentional role reversal, he said.

“You couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without students,” Kelleher said.

“Their stories kept us grounded in why we’re doing this.”

For participant Jodi Simpson, a secondgrade teacher at Paonia Elementary School in Paonia, Colo., listening to and interacting with students at the Academy was symbolic.

“The students are leading us,” Simpson said. “How full circle is that, that we’re putting our belief into this [MBE science], and these kids are literally leading us into the future?”

THE ARTS at St. Andrew’s

ILLUSTRATION BY JOY REEVES ‘18

ARTS CURRICULUM

INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF ARTISTS How St. Andrew’s arts educators ignite the spark in students.

BY LAUREN COOK AND JORDAN YONCE HEADS OF THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENTS

We’ve always known the importance of the arts in our students’ lives, making it one of the pillars of our school’s philosophy from its inception. And in recent years the education field has articulated critical new attributes for 21st-century learners, many that tap into the need for multimodal forms of personal expression and ways of thinking we’ve always encouraged in our young artists. St. Andrew’s students are joining a new age of “creatives,” a trendy label acknowledging the demographic swell of people interested in connecting art and design, imagination and innovation more intentionally into how we shape our social, cultural and economic lives.

As arts educators, it’s our job to help all our students understand, integrate and creatively operate within and across traditional disciplines, and through modalities that include visual, kinesthetic and auditory ways of communicating with the world. Given this demand and the growing body of research on the cognitive and social/emotional developmental gains of arts-based learning, it follows that these are exciting and critical times for arts education. At St. Andrew’s, our work starts from the first day students enter our classrooms, studios and workshops.

How We Teach

Across every division of our school,

Students often enter the ceramics studio with no experience and emerge with a passion for working the wheel.

our arts curricula is shaped by both long standing and emergent arts pedagogy and practices. At each level, the curriculum is tailored and thoughtfully sequenced to cultivate the creative nature and artistic potential of each student in developmentally appropriate ways.

In early childhood, we know students are whole-body learners and sensorimotor explorations are key to their learning.

Their arts education at the Lower School provides opportunities to work on gross and fine motor skills through kinesthetic

experiences like dance, drawing, painting and music making as they explore self and community identities.

Our Intermediate School students build foundations of confidence, creative identity, and technical skill by focusing on the studio processes, techniques and mindsets that serve all great art and design. Research suggests that students learn more quickly when they first envision the overall structure, form and process of a visual or Continued on page 14 SPRING 2018

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Whether its Lower School visual arts, Intermediate School performing arts, or Upper School ceramics, the arts at St. Andrew’s are always a hands-on experience.

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Continued from page 13 musical composition. In IS Music, immersion in song form and repertoire-based activities leads students to develop their independent musicianship as well as notational literacy and ear training skills to perform within a group. In IS Art, students not only see inspiring examples of artwork by established artists but also learn how artists and designers actually go about their work.

Such exposure informs student thinking as they develop procedural knowledge and make their own original artworks.

As youth move out of childhood into adolescence, their physical, aesthetic, cognitive, emotional and social development is impacted by hormonal changes in the body. This is also a time of transition in developing diverse intellectual, physical, social and emotional competencies.

During this stage of increasing development and competency, we acknowledge the importance of continuing to foster confidence and supporting each student’s emerging personal voice. Research indicates that students’ self-perceptions of their individual ability and a positive attitude towards their area of study were the strongest predictors for elective participation. Multiple opportunities for individual choice are embedded in every Middle School art project, and students choose from multiple performing arts electives and clubs to pursue areas of interest as they are given a stake in deciding repertoire, content and performance criteria/ aesthetics.

Students in the Upper School can continue to sample across artistic forms or pursue their passions in a specific specialization where we see them hone and use their artistic voice in both the visual and performing arts. Whether in sequenced trimester electives or yearlong ensemble and AP offerings, students have a wide range of opportunities in tracks such as photography, scenographics, drawing, music production, 2 and 3D design, acting, jazz band and dance composition. Depending on their priorities, students with multiple interests have the flexibility to mix and match their elective selections to sample multiple routes in artistic training. This type of buy-in has been found to boost motivation and self-evaluation, and such cross-disciplinary opportunities build the

Students can express themselves and express other voices when they take the stage, as these Upper School students did in a production of “Sister Act.”

kind of dexterity at transferring skills and knowledge that students will need throughout their lives.

Expression, Creative Critical Thinking, & Communication

As can be deduced from these descriptions of what we do, we try to inspire in each student an appreciation of their current and future potential as artists, designers, and patrons of the arts, and of the power of art as a tool for expression and social change. Our program is designed to address three compelling ways that art functions in our lives, the major drivers of our pedagogy and core beliefs that keep our arts faculty always learning along with our student artists.

Expression, Voice & Agency: Think for a moment how we first express ourselves as children. As we become verbal, we also begin experimenting with new emotive modes that involve sounds, song, and physical making – “these blocks are my house” or “I made myself and my little brother with my red crayon.” Now, imagine asking a child to wait until they could use the written word before expressing themselves. Or imagine muting the arts from the repertoire of a young person’s evolving catalog of ways to express feelings and thoughts. Arts education provides students the foundation for discovering their

Arts education provides students the foundation for discovering their own voice and the agency to speak out loud to their world. We want every student to experience satisfaction and joy through the production, exhibition, and performance of their own art as they attain and master additional modes of expression such as writing and math.

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Every year a group of St. Andrew’s vocalists join students from other Mid-Atlantic Episcopal schools in a Choral Evensong performed at Washington National Cathedral.

Continued from page 15 own voice and the agency to speak out loud to their world. We want every student to experience satisfaction and joy through the production, exhibition, and performance of their own art as they attain and master additional modes of expression such as writing and math.

Creative Critical Thinking: Researchers and educators recognize that the openended nature of creating art in any form helps us think. With open-ended inquiry, it’s about the process. Students engaged in inquiry-based learning construct their own knowledge by doing. Through planning, questioning, and using the appropriate tools and techniques, they can actively develop their own questions, knowledge, experience and explanations. Arts educators have always seen every visual and performing art studio as a design lab with corollary emphases on rigorous ideation, testing, iteration, and other procedural hallmarks of good design thinking. Technical theater students plan, construct, and, as needed, iterate their set designs to deepen their conceptual understanding. Music production students use 16

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the same process to investigate the nuances between recording and sound engineering in various musical genres. Every visual arts student progressively develops these studio habits as well. In advanced courses the value we place on these thinking and procedural processes is reflected in how we grade: up to 50 percent of the grade for an artwork may be based on evidence of the creative critical thinking that went into the piece in both the planning and reflection or critique stages of the art production.

Students take their art-based skills, literacies and habits for applied work to projects in every other part of their academic life.

This year, students in Algebra II/Trigonometry were given the choice to represent the Unit Circle in a medium of their choosing. The project yielded a plethora of deliciously represented baked goods, and artistic renderings such as the unit circle inscribed in the iris of an eye and a crossstitched pillow. Faculty from every division and department can provide examples of how they ask students to tap these artistic skills to demonstrate knowledge in every domain.

We use art to process and comment on the profound personal and cultural shifts we experience, and to develop empathy and insight into diverse viewpoints that span time and culture. Now, more than for any previous generation, the practical utility of presentational arts literacy skills such as visual composition has come in to focus.

Communication: The often-cited claim that art, in any form, has been used by humankind to identify, process and protest societal tragedy and transgression, reimagine ourselves as a society, and explore the un-writable nuances in between is inarguable. Whether it be the Freedom Songs empowering thousands of marchers during the Civil Rights movement or the hand-drawn self-portrait of a child as an astronaut proudly displayed on the family refrigerator, art enables us to expressively articulate our deepest sorrows and our loftiest dreams.

We use art to process and comment on the profound personal and cultural shifts we experience, and to develop empathy and insight into diverse viewpoints that span time and culture. Now, more than for any previous generation, the practical utility of presentational arts literacy skills such as visual composition has come in to focus.

What guidelines of visual organization help in designing effective infographics? Are they different for a web page? With multiple and “new media” technologies vying for our attention in our leisure and work environments, our students must gain the ability to “decode” what they are seeing and hearing, and in turn use these formats for their own purposes. With the advent of virtual and interactive reality technologies, the days of simple PowerPoint presentations or static computer screen pages are nearly over. Our students learn how all types of perception, including visual, auditory and kinesthetic, impact learning and communication.

Meeting the Challenge

Here at St. Andrew’s, we see that many of our students receiving the highest academic honors and Cum Laude Society induction are invested in either or both the visual and performing arts. In learning to incept, iterate, repurpose, reimagine and comment through their work as artists, their arts education excites new possibilities for innovation and adaptability in our students.

With an intentional arts education, students learn to become thinkers, doers, and integrators, which in a world of new emerging economies is a very marketable if not vital combination. They leave St. Andrew’s with an understanding and the agility to wield artistic sensibilities, find joy in their unique creative voices, and weave them all seamlessly into every dimension of their 21st-century lives.

Students are able to express their creativity inside the classroom, and also during morning assemblies, after school activities and evening performances and exhibitions.

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VISUAL & DIGITAL ARTS

Processing the World through Creation Visual arts allows students to reflect the world they see and design new ones.

BY LAUREN COOK HEAD, VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

Why do we teach art at St. Andrew’s?

The answer begins with another question: what drives our students, from 2-yearolds to 12th graders, to create art? At its core, making art helps us make sense of our experience as humans, interact with the world around us, and understand our place within it. Our need to explore and be understood compels us to employ every mode of expression and communication we can. The saying goes that it is a civilization’s art that continues to speak to the hearts of humans, that connects us over time, eons after its people, and the artists among them, are gone. We use the act of making art to help us develop ideas, and the art itself to define who we are.

We see this act of creation at the earliest stages of artistic expression. After developing verbal expression through spoken language, we see children co-opting the materials around them, from plastic building blocks to simple marks on paper, creating something new, unique to themselves, from nothing. In the visual arts, our Lower School curriculum specifically supports each child’s natural genius for playful exploration with emotionally safe environments and engaging art projects. Our aim is to help shape and validate every child’s identity and authority as an artist and creative thinker while developing social, procedural and technical skills. With few preconceptions about what is “good art” and joyful art-based experiences, we find

Head of the Visual Arts Department Lauren Cook works with Bill Zhang ‘20 during an Upper School drawing course.

our youngest learners among our boldest and most confident artists. A peek through the hallway windows of our Lower School art studio sees young learners responding to art prompts devised to support informed choice and unbounded expression.

We see the first outlines of personal voice emerge through the unfiltered “scribbles” of their crayons, the selection of their colors.

Our Intermediate School students fortify these foundations of creative identity and confidence by focusing on the processes and mindsets that serve all great art and design. In syncing our arts and science curricula through our IS Design program, we reinforce the planning and procedural elements of design thinking Continued on page 20 SPRING 2018

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One of the most important parts of the visual arts curriculum is the reflection or critique stages of the art production. Students assess their own art, as well as that of other students in their class.

Continued from page 19 and project-based learning. By brainstorming ideas for an art project, testing how paint colors interact, deciding which tool is best for a task, or keeping a sketchbook to capture ideas and record discoveries, our young artists practice the rigorous thinking and studio processes that go into artistic production. For instance, before beginning their studio production, our fourth graders must analyze how many sculptural components their Chesapeake Bay animals will need before realizing them in paper mache. Such planning is key in design, as is the ability to collaborate: fifth graders worked in pairs to plan a design showing a connection between two panels for their glass tile mosaic diptychs.

Art classes in Middle School keep students working across media and form, including traditional 2D drawing and painting, 3D sculpture, and “new media” digital art. In these years we place particular emphasis on ensuring our students can be critical viewers of their visual world by 20

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equipping them with the conceptual foundations — the principles and elements of design — for analyzing and talking about art and design. What makes for a strong visual composition? What graphic effects can a web page designer or fine artist manipulate to make a viewer think or feel a certain way? Students learn about how the mind and brain process visual information, and how this knowledge can be used in creating art and in critically navigating our visually-saturated world. The middle school years present art educators with a special challenge, for it is during this period we see students refining how they view themselves and how they want to be viewed by their peers. We start hearing “I can’t do art” or “I’m not an artist, I do sports.” Thus, we offer projects that ask students to include various facets of their evolving identity as the content of their art using the skills built as artists, such as our seventh-grade multi-media and superhero project. At St. Andrew’s we strive to ensure every student carries what they’ve been learning about art into the other domains

“We see [students] using the language of art to explore who they are, to connect with one another, to demonstrate a confident agency as they engage the complex and controversial issues of our times, and to help us envision the limitless possibilities the future holds for us all.

that interest them, that they value art as a language for expression and communication in any sphere of their lives.

These arts literacy basics hold our Upper School artists in good stead as they continue to explore a variety of art forms through survey level courses featuring every major media including clay, oil paint, printmaking and digital photography and video. This is also a time when students discover a passion for a specific medium, and can drill down into its possibilities in advanced level courses and self-designed independent studies. In addition to work in the fine arts, students can also employ their individual artistry and collaborative skills on client-based and public use design applications. Our students routinely supply school “clients” with multi-media marketing and promotional materials for school events, but also learn business skills including managing creative teams, meeting deadlines and working within a budget as editors and staff for our student publications such as the yearbook, the Creaturae literary magazine and our online newspaper, the Mane News. A new course next year will provide students with real world experiences in the arts sector of our economy, including curation and arts management. Our Portfolio Development and AP Studio Art courses prepare students for the rigors of the country’s top art and design schools, engineering and architecture programs and the interdisciplinary majors that are on the rise at colleges and universities.

Outside of the boundaries of our campuses, St. Andrew’s artists proudly represent our school through their talents, competing and placing in prestigious local and national art competitions every year. But it is especially gratifying to see the community of artistic exchange and support our students have established at this school, celebrating each other’s artistic growth and accomplishment, offering advice on a composition or camera angle, and co-teaching lessons with our art faculty. We see them using the language of art to explore who they are, to connect with one another, to demonstrate a confident agency as they engage the complex and controversial issues of our times, and to help us envision the limitless possibilities the future holds for us all.

Technology (top) is playing a larger role in the arts, but nothing tops the visceral joy of creating art with your bare hands.

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Elias Milam ‘24

Katie Hester ‘20

A Portrait of the Artist as a Student Ria Naab ‘18

St. Andrew’s artists work in many different mediums across all divisions and disciplines. Here is a small sample of their artwork. PAGES 22-25

Benny Anderson ‘18

Caitlin Hillman ‘19 22

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FaSade Fagoroye ‘19

Caiseal Corkran ‘28

Baraka Kiingi ‘18

Constantine Doulaveris ‘26

Vasilios Doulaveris ‘24

Sarah Schwartz ‘20

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Knox Streeter ’28 Mila Guilani ‘30

Michael Rosenblum ‘18

Tinuke Alarapon ‘22

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Ashley Webb ‘18

Sydney Giunta '20

Lisa Leitner ‘18

Naomi Jackson ‘26

Colin McDermott ‘20

Ava Fainberg ‘19

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MUSIC

Conducting a musical education Choice and belonging are crucial to motivating music students.

BY JORDAN YONCE HEAD, PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT

I love attending music education conferences. They’re essentially like Comic-Con for music teachers, swapping Marvel comics paraphernalia with kiosks of conductor’s batons, reed distributors, and method books publishers. These festive atmospheres feature impromptu singing and other musicking amongst strangers openly throughout the convention centers and neighboring hotels.

In addition to the high-quality professional development sessions, the keynote speakers consistently deliver riveting talks about the state of music education, discussing recent trends and forecasting where we are headed. A common underlying question in all of these talks is this: how do we effectively engage 21st-century music students?

It was at one of these conferences in 2012 where I heard Dr. John Feierabend describe the arc of music making dating to the late 19th century. Originally, we were primarily a society of music producers — when families and friends wanted to experience music, they would collectively perform the music. In the 20th century as recorded mediums became normalized, society shifted towards music consumerism, thus diminishing the necessity for music making. Today, the necessity for informal musicking has largely atrophied while the

For music teacher Jordan Yonce, center, students can be effectively motivated through choice and belonging.

availability and accessibility of high quality recording in digital mediums has increased considerably.

Since that conference, some interesting trends have occurred signaling a soft return to producerism. Performers have started to revive the musicking tradition on completely new digital platforms. The performance space has moved from concert halls and school auditoriums to screens of varying sizes. Websites like YouTube allow musicians, both novice and advanced, to share their covers, arrangements and original music. In these desktop or pocket-sized spaces, digital natives can be both consumers and producers. Tutorial videos and new formats of dynamic notational representation have broken down the necessity for formal music

Helping our students to recognize and take ownership of their artistry, pursue their passions and explore areas of interest is a worthy cause to making them more confident, creative, empathetic, and connected consumers and producers.

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music

Continued from page 27 training for learning to perform music.

These trends acknowledge the opensourced quality of these new creative spaces and sharing economies. These young “creatives” aren’t just consumers of music, they’re consumers of musical skills and talents, and can supplement their formal music education by independently teaching themselves.

A student’s proclivity towards both tech-driven music production and music consumption isn’t enough for deep and sustained engagement. The deeper, more fundamental question underlying engagement remains — how does one effectively motivate students? I believe that answer can be found within choice and a sense of belonging.

Choice. There is a wealth of studies in music education literature that points towards the effectiveness that musical choice has for motivating students.1 Allowing students the autonomy to choose some of their own repertoire has been found to both increase motivation and sustain effort towards their learning. This is especially true when students can select repertoire that is musically meaningful for them. For example, when ensembles prepare selections in the popular vernacular, students can receive positive feedback from their peers which also provides huge returns for confidence, self-evaluation and sustained interest.

Belonging. Choice is wonderful and effective for drawing interest and motivation, but a sense of kinship and being needed in joint pursuits is what keeps kids in a program. This is the invaluable feature upon which most strong and long-standing music programs are built, and what most philosophies of performing arts education point toward.2 It speaks to the shared relationship between students and their teachers, but moreover what is shared among students.

It’s what drives Middle School choir girls to schedule sleepovers and weekend gettogethers to practice for the talent show. It’s what drives upperclassmen instrumentalists to hastily eat lunch so they can spend another 15 minutes jamming together before

Yasmin Edu ‘28 and Chase Marino ‘28 play the xylophones during the Elementary Holiday Show in December. Students performed dances, sang songs, and played instruments during the show.

Mary Kelkay ‘24 practices her guitar chords during Middle School band practice.

the next period begins. Fostering these kinds of friendships and student/teacher relationships, paired with a joint pursuit of shared musical goals, is what drives longsustained engagement, investment and, in many cases, purpose and student identity as part of something bigger than themselves.

We aim to ensure these formative music curricular experiences remain steeped in rich and time-tested pedagogy, but also include sensible supplementation that augments learning and amplifies motivation.

By leveraging new digital platforms, choice and belonging, we can curate student experiences to make them more meaningful and effective.

Performing with conviction is an elevating experience that surpasses notes on a page. Taking your first improvisational solo at a school assembly, singing with 400-plus

Victor Zhen ‘20 performs with the Symphonic Rock Orchestra during St. Andrew’s Night, an Evening of Lessons and Carols.

students in the Washington National Cathedral, or performing a combined group anthem at chapel — these are the experience that leave a great impact on those student musicians.

Music is an art that everyone can appreciate and participate in. Helping our students to recognize and take ownership of their artistry, pursue their passions and explore areas of interest is a worthy cause to making them more confident, creative, empathetic, and connected consumers and producers.

SOURCES: 1 FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEE: CAMPBELL, 1995; CHOATE, 1968; DAVIS, 2005; GREEN, 2002; GREEN, 2008; JAFFURS, 2004; KAMIN, RICHARDS, & COLLINS, 2007; MCGILLEN & MCMILLAN, 2005.; 2 ADERLEY, KENNEDY, & BERZ, 2003; MORRISON, 2001

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DRAMA

Setting the stage How performing arts at St. Andrew’s helps students gain perspective.

BY RITCHIE PORTER PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER

Long-time St. Andrew’s music teacher, Roy Barber, would eloquently task his performing arts colleagues to help students find “their voice.” Mr. Barber was not referring to the ability to sing or make speeches, but rather to that agent of expression that goes beyond GPA, prowess on athletic fields or academic achievements. The goal is to have students learn to tell their story, and the stories of others, through acting, dance, movement, directing, design and technical theater.

Our approach is to provide, when possible, both breadth and depth through a variety of curricular and extracurricular offerings, as well as smaller scale and larger public performances.

The process starts early in our Lower School and its busy schedule of events starting with the Halloween Sing-a-long and ending with the huge Spring Show.

These presentations do much more than just provide opportunities for our younger students to be adorable onstage and for their parents to take photos. They teach fledgling performers how to memorize and deliver dialogue, learn and reproduce choreography, while instilling the poise needed for public speaking. The steady diet of shows also makes the performing arts a regular, community-based activity, and not something that happens now and then with only a few individuals. In the classroom, skills are reinforced through the acting out of stories and nursery rhymes with dance, movement and instruments.

Cameron Reeder ‘19 and Michaela James-Thrower ‘20 in the fall play “She Kills Monsters.”

In the Intermediate School students continue to grow as performers, with drama and movement fitting well into the Responsive Classroom approach. While the IS performing arts curriculum focuses

on music, the annual spring show adds drama and movement, as evidenced by last year’s large-scale “Joseph and the Amazing Continued on page 30 SPRING 2018

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drama

Continued from page 29 Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

In the Middle School, there is increased choice, with drama, technical theater and dance joining music on the list of electives.

Seventh and eighth graders can participate in the popular Middle School musical, either in the cast or tech crew. We sponsor a Winter Dance Company during sports period, culminating with an end-of-term performance. Middle School performing arts assemblies in the fall and winter continue the LS/IS traditions of providing the students opportunities to share their work in front of an audience.

A wide array of options in the Upper School allows our students to go deeper into disciplines and find their voice. Curricularly, we offer Technical Theater, Dance Composition, Acting, Improv, Public Speaking, Physical Performance Skills (juggling, mime, stage combat), One-Act Play and Acting Shakespeare.

Independent study, especially for budding designers in technical theater, has been a growing trend. Much of our production design (sets, lighting and sound) is now done by students with instructor supervision. After school, our stage and rehearsal spaces teem with activity. We sponsor fall and spring dance companies, presenting a major showcase of instructor and student work in April. The fall play and winter musical, with the support of our tech crew, provide great opportunities for our students to grow as theater artists, learning how to perform in a variety of genres

In 2017, Intermediate Schoolers worked as a division on a year-end production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

(comic, dramatic, classical, contemporary).

We are filled with pride that many of our students have gone on to careers in the performing arts, but we are equally proud of those who have discovered a talent they never knew they had, while enjoying the self-fulfillment that our disciplines provide. Extracurricular clubs, including the Cappies reviewer program, add to student involvement. Performing and award assemblies give experience and exposure, while reminding our community that the school values our program as essential to its overall mission.

Telling one’s story or making a personal statement through a work of art empowers

Each fall, Lower School students perform songs and dances during Grandparents and Special Friends Day. This is one of the first opportunities for our youngest students to perform on a stage.

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our students, makes them feel heard and promotes dialogue. It provides another take on the mission of St. Andrew’s: “to know and inspire each child.” The student plays an active part in being known, while serving to inspire, instead of just being inspired. We have long observed that for many of our performing artists, academic success starts with their achievements onstage, and the self-confidence they gain transfers to the classroom.

Often we notice that the skills acquired in our drama, tech, music and dance classes show up in other disciplines. Chase Felker ’08, focused his college essay on the improv game, Sound and Movement, in which a player steps into a circle with a simple repeated sound and movement, transferring it another actor, who in turn transforms the vocals and gestures, then transfers it to someone else. He was terrified of the game the first time he played it, but eventually embraced its surprisingly far-reaching lessons. “In addition to providing spontaneous fun, playing Sound and Movement taught me to be confident when faced with unexpected situations.

The important skill is not being prepared for every possible situation, but being able to think flexibly in any situation” By the time our students graduate, we hope they have gained a lifetime appreciation of the performing arts along with confidence and the ability to express themselves, problem solve and collaborate.

DANCE

The true gift of dance How growth in the dance studio can lead to growth in the classroom.

BY ASHLEE MCKINNON DANCE TEACHER

“To touch, to move, to inspire. This is the true gift of dance.” - Aubrey Lynch As long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the power and expression of the human body. From the age of 3, I fell in love with the art of dance, and determined to make it my life’s passion, hobby, and inspiration.

But within an education setting, such as St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, the art of dance can and should be seen as more

than that just a passion, hobby, or inspiration. It should be seen a pathway to both know and inspire students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community at large.

Since coming to St. Andrew’s in the fall of 2017, I have noticed that the community places a deep emphasis on knowing and inspiring students to become their best selves. St. Andrew’s provides multiple opportunities, both traditional and nontraditional for students in their care to learn and grow academically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. As an advocate for the performing arts, I see the tremendous impact that dance has on the student body in those areas of growth. I have witnessed students become physically stronger, mentally resilient, emotionally comfortable to expressive themselves, and academically curious as they begin to make cross conContinued on page 32

The Student Center, which opened in the fall of 2016, offers a dedicated space for dance students.

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dance

Continued from page 31 nections with the arts and other academic subjects.

In Amanda Freeman’s U.S. History class, one student sought out a historical figure of the African dance community in Maryland as the subject of her oral history project. In Susheela Robinson’s Power of Persuasion course, students incorporated body awareness exercises and movement patterns into their speeches to give them more confidence as they delivered a persuasive message. In Middle School Dance, students who classified themselves as “shy” and “awkward” completed the course with a heightened sense of confidence, and were able to vocalize their accomplishments to others. The process of learning and mastering an art form takes time, attention, strategy, resourcefulness, resilience, and intrinsic motivation.

Students who not only complete an arts course, but also engage in the process discover that they have the potential to be refined both artistically and holistically.

During the winter trimester, I was approached by a senior in the Upper School musical after our brief dance warm up.

She said to me in the kindest voice possible, “I have been going to this school for a while and usually dancing makes me feel uncomfortable. But for the first time, I felt secure in my body and comfortable to move. Thank you.” Being able to teach both Middle and Upper School students the passion and art form that I have based my life on is a gift that I do not take for granted. Being able to witness their growth in confidence, security, and willingness to explore is a joy that many do not experience.

I count myself fortunate to have experienced the transformative power of dance and the arts in my upbringing, education, social practices, and now profession. Not only has dance given me the ability to know myself more, it has given purpose to my teaching profession by inspiring students who have a heart for the arts, and those who simply appreciate it. In my short time here at St. Andrew’s students have felt “more at home,” “like I am free to be myself,” and “have fun” through the dance company. Isn’t this what teaching in the arts is all about?

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Ashley Webb ‘18 performs in the Upper School Dance Company spring concert, which was titled “Statements.” Of the eleven dances performed, seven were choreographed by students.

Seventeen students participated in the spring dance concert, including Michelle Cavelier ‘21, Stefen Rincon ‘21, and Cameron Reeder ‘19.

LITERARY ARTS

Creating a voice St. Andrew’s creative writing curriculum opens doors for students to find their voices.

BY ANDREW SEIDMAN ENGLISH TEACHER

Creative writing provides opportunities for students who might struggle with more standardized writing to demonstrate their knowledge and their talents. During my first year teaching “The Merchant of Venice,” I recall a striking example of this. This student had difficulties crafting the traditional essay, and while she often didn’t seem to have much to say in class, she rose to a very different challenge when asked draw inspiration from Shylock’s famous “I Am A Jew” speech and craft a poem of her own, one that gave voice to someone stigmatized by modern-day society.

When the time came to read the poem aloud, she didn’t simply recite her work, she transformed into an entirely new student. She raged with Shylock’s anger.

She performed deft argumentative moves using Shakespeare’s rhetorical techniques.

She blended her own style with that of The Bard to create something both new and exciting while, simultaneously, demonstrative of her understanding.

At St. Andrew’s, we are committed to helping students develop their own unique voices while exercising the researchinformed strategy of choice within a given curricular frame. Creative writing opportunities is one of the most effective ways of reaching that goal.

Creative writing prompts, such as “If I Were President” and “What Will I Be Like When I’m 100 Years Old?” are introduced in the Lower School. These sorts of prompts allow students to demonstrate their content knowledge as well as stretch their imaginations. In the Intermediate School,

In the Intermediate School, there is a strong emphasis placed on choice. Students explore different genres of writing and are often tasked with creating their own personal narrative.

students receive explicit writing instruction during mini-lessons in which they learn new skills used by proficient writers. Then, they apply those skills in their own writing. Again, there is an emphasis on student choice and on allowing young writers to connect with their own particular interests within a particular genre of writing; for example, students are assigned to write a personal narrative but they are often free to choose their own topic.

In Middle School, creative writing assignments are often employed as part of a larger assessment of students’ understanding of the lesson and as an opportunity for students to grasp key literary devices.

For example, students may be asked to write their teacher a postcard from ancient Rome or to describe a chapter of Harry Potter from another character’s point of view in order to help students comprehend

literary perspective. In the Upper School, creative writing assignments are integrated throughout the English curriculum. Assignments include composing and delivering monologues as characters from “The God of Small Things,” writing poems using the same literary techniques Shakespeare employed in his works, composing short stories to demonstrate knowledge of the Gothic conventions, delivering closing arguments in a court case they’ve been studying, or writing and performing humorous short skits laced with rhetorical fallacies to establish command of logical argumentation.

Helping students come to know abilities that they might not otherwise reach, seeing the world around them from new perspectives, and gaining confidence to share that newfound voice — ultimately, that’s what learning to write creatively at St. Andrew’s is about.

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

THROUGH THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER A senior artist, writer, and singer shares how she sees the arts at St. Andrew’s.

BY JOY REEVES CLASS OF 2018

Before high school, I had always considered myself one of the “artsy kids.” Every school seems to have them – the self-proclaimed theater geeks, painting virtuosos, and crafty photographers. Yet, when I arrived at St. Andrew’s as a freshman and assimilated into the social and extracurricular scene, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by “artsy kids,” and everyone I met seemed to possess a unique artistic talent. The SGA president also writes music for the Jazz Band? Who knew? The astrophysics expert illustrates mythology stories in her free time? That’s awesome. The captain of the basketball team sings a duet in the talent show? I guess the harmoniously wellrounded characters in High School Musical are realistic after all. The curriculum at St. Andrew’s encourages us to take the skills we develop in our art classes and apply them in all pursuits, inside and outside of the classroom, on a daily basis.

Personally, my passion is visual arts. I arrived at St. Andrew’s and enrolled in the survey-level class “Studio Art Fundamentals,” then progressed onto Drawing, Advanced Drawing, Advanced Painting, Advanced Portfolio Development, and finally, AP Studio Art. In this progression, 34

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I’ve learned how to narrow my artistic focus, one of the most important skills we can learn as high schoolers. I’ve started taking the art I’ve been making for almost four years at St. Andrew’s and applying it — with my own artistic freedom — to specific, real-world purposes. One of my favorite projects is “Homage to Modern Art: A Dinner Party,” an interactive banquet-table exhibit my Advanced Portfolio Development class designed and completed for a school fundraiser. I’ve also harnessed my design skills working as a Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning Student Research Fellow as I create blog posts and design the cover of neuroscience workbooks, just one example of visual arts intersecting with STEM fields.

The literary arts are equally as important at St. Andrew’s, and I would say our school’s culture truly fosters an appreciation of literature. The best example is Creaturae, our literary magazine, which sparked my interest as a prospective student and continues to be one of the gems of the St. Andrew’s community. Submitting to Creaturae and the Mane News has educated me on the values of organizing writing and group collaboration, two skills which also resurfaced in my summer volunteer internship for the C&O Canal Trust. Within school curriculum, humanities and literature classes (in Spanish as well as English) have taught me not just to read habitually but to read well. My teachers have helped me read analytically and even philosophically to find more nuanced meanings within literature, a skill evident when our conversations about “Song of Solomon,” “The Merchant of Venice,” or “Don Quixote” carry over long into lunchtime.

Although performing arts are not my strong suit, I appreciate that St. Andrew’s culture is rich in theater, dance, and music.

What’s special about St. Andrew’s is how our community buzzes with excitement and pride towards our award-winning jazz band, symphonic rock orchestra, dance team, and masterful stage productions.

Seeing my friends succeed in stage performances motivated me to — tentatively,

I’ll admit — sign up for A Cappella Club my freshman year. Since then, I’ve found bliss and confidence in blending my voice in intricate harmonies with dozens of my friends’ voices. Similarly, St. Andrew’s students are instructed in the onstage art of public speaking, which I strive to employ in Chapel Talks and presentations. Singing and speaking at St. Andrew’s has taught me confidence, poise, and the value of a strong production. I felt well-prepared to utilize the same skills in another summer internship, when I was given the daunting task of presenting a restoration project summary to the USDA Forest Service. Sometimes, I still find it challenging to master a strong stage presence or to sight-read music, but part of the arts program is learning to overcome those challenges.

These days, as I spend eighth period working on my graphic novel and chatting with my AP Studio Art family, I realize how grateful I am to have had such a rich artistic

career in high school. My art portfolio helped me get into my dream college, where I will no doubt continue utilizing an innovative mindset next fall as I study Environmental Science & Policy Solutions. Overall, the arts program at St. Andrew’s allows students to find personal joy, specialize in preferred talents, and apply our creative skills within our community. Although students have a vast array of classes to choose from, all art classes have one factor in common: they are engaging, small, cross-disciplinary classes that instill a creative mindset in students that we will apply for the rest of our lives.

Joy Reeves is a senior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School where she has served as a CTTL/Finn Student Research Fellow and helped the cross country team win four-straight small school state titles. She won the National Science Foundation’s 2018 Nano Award and will matriculate to Duke University, where she has received a full scholarship.

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Teaching

by Example St. Andrew’s art teachers put to rest the faulty notion that “those who can’t, teach.”

BY DAVID BRANDT

Artists, by their very nature, are involved in an ongoing process of discovery, problem solving, and refinement of their skills within their chosen medium. Artists, who also happen to be classroom teachers, must be capable of sharing their artistic knowledge with their students while inspiring them to harness their own artistic talents.

At their best, teachers who pursue their art outside the classroom help provide a tangible link between the creative process and all kinds of learning, and they make manifest in classroom and community settings the human drive to make meaning of the world.

Furthermore, they provide a firsthand knowledge on how the arts can provide students with a multitude of options for expressing and communicating their ideas and how to learn about problems from a broad range of perspectives.

Fortunately for St. Andrew’s students, the majority of the Visual Arts and Performing Arts faculty pursue their artistic passions outside the classroom. In doing so, they share their own energy and passion for the arts with their students while being re-energized on a daily basis by their students.

Lauren Cook, the head of the Visual Arts department, expresses this sentiment well: “I love sharing what I learn, and am inspired and humbled by the authenticity of the conversations with my students that our art facilitates. I also feel art — all art — is the highest form 36

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Ritchie Porter, St. Andrew’s performing arts teacher, performed in “King Lear” at the Lumina Studio Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“Berries” by Intermediate and Middle School art teacher Josephine Monmaney.

of human communication, so teaching art became an obvious life path.”

She remains very active in the art world by selling her own artwork, which explores themes of how humans learn and adapt to change and environmental stewardship.

She also curates exhibits and acts as an art competition juror.

Both performing arts teacher Ritchie Porter and dance teacher Ashlee McKin-

non describe the “magical” feeling they get when expressing themselves through their art.

Porter says, “I am at my happiest when I am working on a creative project, making connections and discoveries, while collaborating with like-minded people. The process feels magical to me.”

Since 2016, Porter has directed an evening of one-acts for the Capital Fringe Festival. He has also been involved with Lumina Studio Theatre, performing in “King Lear,” an adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse stories, and a reading of “Great Expectations.” In addition, he submitted an original play to the Maryland State Arts Council for an Individual Artist Grant.

The personal experience of being a performer is a driving force in McKinnon’s life.

“The arts help me to be creative, take risks, look at life from a different perspective, and constantly stay in touch with my heart and passion as I navigate the world,” she says.

McKinnon, a modern dancer, is a company member of Uprooted Dance in Washington, D.C., and also has worked with various companies in the DMV area.

She also choreographs musicals for CBT

Community Theater and Bowie State University.

Like his colleagues, Performing Arts head Jordan Yonce’s love of the arts is personal. He observes, “In my mind, I have no choice but to pursue a life-long journey “down the rabbit-hole” of grappling with and trying to understand the vast mystery, complexity, power and humanity that is music. I believe in its power to evoke, heal, and inspire.”

Yonce performs regularly as a bass in The Washington Chorus and serves as an arranger and director for collegiate, postcollegiate, and semi-professional a cappella groups along the East Coast.

While her Upper School colleagues are challenging their students with theory and technique, Intermediate School art teacher Josephine Monmaney loves the simple pleasures of introducing her younger students to new materials and what images they are drawn to in their work. As she notes, “I love children’s natural excitement and joy over being able to make art and their pride and satisfaction when they make something they like.”

Monmaney enjoys working with different materials and manipulating them to create new images or new forms, especially textile art and sculptures made of unusual materials, and exploring the relationship between clothing construction and sculpture.

Lower School art teacher Justin Pyles is greatly appreciative of how the Washington, D.C., and St. Andrew’s communities have supported his art. He states that both “have supported my interest and inspired me to continue my work.” Over the past two years, he has had a gallery exhibition with his Upper School colleague Lauren Cook and has also shown his work at the Parker, Orchard, and Yellow Barn galleries.

The newest member of the Performing Arts department, Peter Fraize, brings nearly forty years of experience as a music educator and professor to his work leading the St. Andrew’s Jazz Band, Symphonic Rock Orchestra, Middle School Band, and Show Band, not to mention the fact that he is one of the most sought after jazz saxophonists in the Washington, D.C., area.

He has been performing professionally since he was 16 and earned his Artist’s Diploma from Koninlijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatory) in The Hague, The

Lower School art teacher Justin Pyles shows his paintings of local Washington, D.C. sites regularly.

Over the past two years, he has had a gallery exhibition with his upper school colleague Lauren Cook and has also shown his work at the Parker, Orchard, and Yellow Barn galleries.

Ceramics teacher Tracey Goodrich has strived to inspire as many students as possible in her 32 years at St. Andrew’s. “I give them a space to experiment, to take risks, and to allow for creative freedom,” Goodrich says. “I help build their confidence and challenge them to have a deeper appreciation for art. “

Netherlands. Fraize has also been at The George Washington University teaching jazz saxophone performance, jazz harmony, and coaching ensembles since 1994. A

fixture on the D.C. jazz scene for decades, Fraize has played at Blues Alley, Alice’s Jazz and Cultural Society and Twin’s Jazz.

When asked why he continues to pursue his passion for art, Fraize states, “Because it is a journey with no final destination or product. Any art produced with sincerity is inspiring. If I can make students even half as excited about music as I am, I’m doing my job!”

Tracey Goodrich, a ceramics teacher and the longest serving member of the Visual Arts department, is modest when she claims that she is not a “working artist.”

The truth is that she has inspired countless St. Andrew’s students in her 32 years of teaching at the school.

“I give them a space to experiment, to take risks, and to allow for creative freedom,” she says. “I help build their confidence and challenge them to have a deeper appreciation for art. I am positive and encouraging with each and every student. I love art and I want my students to love art. I encourage my students to be as excited as I am and expect them to commit themselves to doing their best. I have truly inspired and opened doors when they start believing that they are an artist.”

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ALUMNI PROFILE

DEAR STEVEN LEVENSON How a St. Andrew’s alumnus constructed a Tony Award-winning musical.

BY KIRSTEN PETERSEN

lmost a year after winning a Tony Award, Steven Levenson ’02 is enjoying both the perks of fame and the pleasures of relative anonymity.

Opportunities are coming his way — new films, television shows, musicals to write. Yet, while the actors of his comingof-age show, “Dear Evan Hansen,” are greeted by a barrage of fans, he can slip out the theater door unseen.

For Levenson, who wrote the book for “Dear Evan Hansen,” the biggest change is acknowledging that, while the show will go on, it must go on without him.

“The journey for so long has been, ‘Still another step. Hopefully we’ll get there!’

Now it’s over — the show is only what is happening today at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.,” he said. “As big as it can feel, it still has to happen again and it still has to be great for those people. As the writer, you no longer have much control over that. It’s something cool and terrifying.”

After seeing the show through productions at Arena Stage, off Broadway and on Broadway, Levenson won the Tony Award for the Best Book of a Musical in June of 2017, an accomplishment he credits to a challenging, collaborative, and iterative process.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done creatively. I was naïve in thinking it would

be easier,” he said. “You’re basically steering an aircraft carrier. With a play, you can fix it yourself. With a musical, it’s basically getting a hundred people to all agree to move in the same direction — designers, writers, cast.

“It’s a machine, but what is amazing about it is how incredibly satisfying it is when it works. The emotional response from the audience is something I’ve never experienced before. A play doesn’t elicit that kind of response from people.”

Levenson describes himself as the author of the dialogue and the “architect” of the story of “Dear Evan Hansen,” explaining that he was tasked with “building the scaffolding everything is hanging on.”

“It was so much about the characters and relationships — building a really credible world, then seeing how music fit into that. That’s how we wrote it,” he said. “I wrote the entire first act as a play originally, and where we had talked about having songs, I left them blank or wrote long monologues that felt musical to me.”

He shared one of those monologues — the text that ultimately became the song “So Big/So Small” — when he spoke with current St. Andrew’s students during an assembly in October. Levenson said

“I learned how to read at St. Andrew’s: how to read critically, and how to understand what language can do and how it can work. I learned the joy of theater and the joy of performance.”

Steven Levenson ‘02 Tony Award winner and author of the book “Dear Evan Hansen”

Continued on page 40 SPRING 2018 39

During his time at St. Andrew’s, Steven Levenson ‘02 took part in numerous plays including “Into the Woods” (pictured above), “Guys and Dolls,” and “Pippin.”

Continued from page 39 St. Andrew’s was where he discovered his love of theater and his love of writing, passions he would combine in college when he first explored playwriting.

“I learned how to read at St. Andrew’s: how to read critically, and how to understand what language can do and how it can work,” he said. “I learned the joy of theater and the joy of performance. So many of those feelings I had at St. Andrew’s — being part of a family, making a play together — in some ways as a writer I’ll never get that again, that level of just joy.”

“I think my life would be really impoverished without not just making art, but loving art and loving literature and music, and I learned all of that here.”

Upcoming projects for Levenson include a movie musical starring Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell, and TV drama “Adam & Eva,” a modern-day adaptation inspired by the biblical story of Adam and Eve and based on the 2011 Dutch series “A’dam — E.V.A.” When writing, especially now with “Dear Evan Hansen” behind him, Levenson said he is humbled by the blank page.

“As I’ve been moving on to other things, I’m just reminded every time that it’s hard every time. You work so hard on this one thing and by the end you’re an expert at it, but you’re only an expert at that — I know 40

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FROM MAC HALL TO MUSIC BOX

Before Steven Levenson ‘02 won his Tony, he was performing in plays and musicals on the MacDonald Hall stage. His first encounter with “a” Ben Platt was not during “Dear Evan Hansen” rehearsals, but rather at St. Andrew’s, where he and Ben Platt ‘04 wrote for the Mane News.

His senior prediction? “Steven Levenson becomes the chair of the English Department.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON KEMPIN

how to write that musical, but it doesn’t help with the next.”

“It’s a scary feeling and a really hard feeling. It’s sort of part of it — it’s always the same struggle,” he said. “Whatever award you have on your shelf doesn’t help you at that moment. It’s amazing because everybody, regardless of who they are or what they’ve accomplished, when they sit down to write something new they’re in the same place as you are. When it doesn’t feel that hard, you’re doing something wrong.

I have yet to do it where it isn’t that hard, banging-your-head-against-the-wall sort of process.”

As Levenson’s star continues to ascend, he said he is still brought back to

In June 2017, Steven Levenson ‘02 received one of the highest honors for a playwright — winning a Tony Award. He took home the prize for Best Book of a Musical.

St. Andrew’s, even when he’s watching his script performed on Broadway.

“I had this really distinct feeling in tech for Broadway. I was in the back of the theater, what I dreamed of my whole life, doing the same thing I did in plays at St. Andrew’s when I was 13 years old,” he said. “Everything you learn about theater, you learn during your first production.

The scale changes, but the difficulty of it, the joy of it, the messiness of it, it’s all the same.”

ALUMNI PROFILE

Q&A with: WHITNEY CUMMINGS One of the most

recognizable names in comedy, Whitney

Cummings ’00 has spent years making audiences laugh with her writing and performing. She took time out of her schedule to discuss St. Andrew’s, her

career, and “Roseanne.”

SEE PAGE 42 >>

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH WEINBERG SPRING 2018 41

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Q&A with: Whitney Cummings ‘00 You’re a comedian, writer, producer, director. Who have been your biggest professional influences and why?

I have been very influenced by George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, “Roseanne” Barr. I guess I really responded to sort of a voracious appetite for honesty and the truth, and digging into the little nooks and crannies of our psyche that are uncomfortable and embarrassing and shameful. I think that I get a lot of fulfillment out of doing that kind of thing, and I think that’s probably where I got it. It’s so oxygenating for me to receive the work of people who are brave and fearless enough to tell their truth and to admit humiliating thoughts or behaviors. And so I guess that’s kind of the route I wanted to go down as a comedian because I think that’s very healing for both the person enjoying it and the person doing it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY CUMMINGS

Whitney Cummings ‘00 is one of the executive producers of “Roseanne,” which returned to TV with new episodes in the spring of 2018.

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In terms of writing, Michael Patrick King. I’m a big fan of Norman Lear. In terms of making movies, I mean, endless.

There’s so many people that inspire me every day. But I always love Sofia Coppola and Jane Campion and Patty Jenkins now. She did “Monster.” But now she just did “Wonder Woman” and I love that she can kind of do anything, that she did this drama about a horrific story, and then she did this triumphant superhero movie. I’m inspired by people’s careers that didn’t pick a lane, if you will. I’m inspired by people who, even if they have never done it before, decide, you know what, I’m going to switch gears and try this thing that I’ve never done before. And I think that’s sort of the people whose careers that I try to follow, the people who don’t limit themselves and don’t make fear-based decisions.

How have you evolved as an artist over the years and what do you believe has sparked that change?

I think in the beginning as an artist, you’re just kind of doing what you think people want you to do, or you’re doing sort of an impression of someone that you like.

So I think for me, I started writing just very, for lack of a better word, jokey jokes. I was doing the Comedy Central roasts. I was just kind of telling jokes. I was writing jokes and then telling them. I didn’t know at that point that anyone would be interested in who I actually am. I thought they just wanted to hear jokes, so it took me a long time to build up my self-esteem and understanding of myself and self-awareness to even be capable of doing that. So I think you have to evolve as a person in order to evolve as an artist. You have to stay curious.

You have to stay hungry. You have to stay open and willing to be wrong and willing to explore really uncomfortable situations.

So for me, as soon as I started being Continued on page 44

Reaching a new audience Producing “Roseanne” gave Cummings a chance to diversify.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

When “Roseanne” debuted in October of 1988, it quickly shot to the top of the ratings. Depicting a working class family struggling to get by, the show touched a cultural vein. During its first six seasons it sat in the top four in the annual ratings and was in the top 20 for eight of its nine seasons. The show went off the air in 1997.

Nearly 21 years later, “Roseanne” returned to the airwaves with new episodes in the spring of 2018. It debuted at No. 1 and stayed there for the first four episodes of its nine-episode run.

Whitney Cummings, St. Andrew’s Class of 2000, is one of the show’s executive producers.

“It was a huge show,” Cummings said in a Q&A for this magazine. “It was the number one show in America for

quite a long time. It was huge. And so having it come back, it’s not a surprise that people wanted to check in again.

But I also think that with obviously this national conversation about politics, I think people were intrigued because it became obvious that she voted for Trump, and that in the show she also voted for Trump. And I wanted to depict a broken home that had been shattered by this election.”

In January, more than two months before the reboot of “Roseanne” was back on the air, Cummings authored a piece for Vulture.com. In it, she mentions how rarely she hears negative feedback on her Twitter feed when she tweets about politics — because all of her followers agree with her. This was on her mind when approached to work on the

reboot, along with something Michelle Obama once told a group of television creators.

As she wrote in Vulture, “(Michelle Obama) filled us in on some metrics indicating that iconic gay characters on TV shows had a big impact on how people across the country thought about gay marriage. Turns out, many Americans never get to know or even meet people who aren’t like them, so putting them on a flickering box in their living room — full of vulnerabilities, problems, jokes, and dreams — is a great way to develop empathy toward a type of person they may normally not cross paths with...hearing that information made me think that maybe what’s on TV in the next year could influence how this national healing process goes.”

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Continued from page 42 braver in my life, that’s when I became braver in my work. They say life imitates art. I believe art imitates life. But in order for art to imitate life, you have to have a life. So for me, I really had to work hard on curating a life and making time for the things that I could actually write about and draw from. So I think that I started growing as an artist when I started growing in my personal life. And then I think about things that make you grow as an artist that you don’t necessarily plan or want to happen. Pain sometimes can be very motivating, heartbreak, a death. I went through a really bad breakup and my dad died, things like that, that are horrific, not to glorify them, sometimes end up accidentally being something that really helps you grow as an artist because you figure out what’s important and you have to look at yourself in the mirror. And self-awareness, I think, is really a fundamental part of being an original artist.

You got your start doing standup.

What inspires your material and performance style?

It’s really just the things that drive me nuts and the things that get under my skin, things that bug me. A lot of people describe standup as people that have an obsession with justice. And I totally relate to that. The things that I think are wrong, the things that I think that are unfair, the things that hurt me and frustrate me, those are usually the things I talk about because that’s how I’m able to sort of work through my own feeling about them.

After years of performing and writing, you moved into producing with “Two Broke Girls” and “Whitney.” You recently starred, co-wrote, produced and directed “The Female Brain.” How challenging was this evolution/transition into leadership?

Being a comedian is a leadership role.

When you’re doing standup, you are in charge of the 500, 1,000, 2,000, whatever number of people that are in the room.

Your job is to make sure they feel safe and taken care of. You have to make sure that they aren’t worried about you. They need 44

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to know that you know what you’re doing.

So I think that it was a natural transition for me to direct or produce because a lot of the job is just convincing people that you know what you’re doing, even though everything’s on fire.

And you have to just convince people that things are under control when they’re kind of not. So that is a lot of what the job entails. So it was kind of a natural transition. If you want people to work hard, you have to make sure they’re in an environment that they enjoy. And being a comedian and learning how to make people laugh is super helpful when things aren’t going well, to bring levity and humor and having a sense of humor about yourself and the high stakes nature of making a TV show or a movie, I think really helps everybody give their best, not be in fight or flight, and to enjoy the process, which is how you get good staff and crew. It’s by having a good reputation and not taking yourself too seriously and making sure people have a good time.

You seem pretty active on social media. How important do you believe it is for artists to use your platform to engage in public on social issues?

I don’t think we know yet if social media’s going to help or hurt, because it seems like there’s a lot of downsides to social media, especially around young people and being exposed to so much whatever it is, like celebrity and private planes and seeing your friends at parties that you weren’t invited to. I’d imagine social media would be very traumatizing if I was still in high school. Not that high school wasn’t traumatizing anyway. But at least I had AP history (with Mr. Whitman) to get me through it.

I think if you do have a following and if you do have a microphone, or a voice, or the power to get people to listen, or read, or engage, I think that is a responsibility.

If you are a celebrity or have a lot of followers and you can remind young people to go vote or register to vote, I think it’s a little bit crazy not to. But I also don’t think people should feel obligated to do that.

But I don’t know. The jury’s still out on social media. As long as you’re telling the truth and not spreading fake new, I think that as a celebrity, you’re probably in good territory.

“Being able to debate really smart people and present alternative views on something, that’s what I just sort of did on ‘Roseanne.’

I was able to work with someone that voted differently than me and that was a skill that I think I definitely got early on from St. Andrew’s.”

Whitney Cummings ‘00 on what she carried with her from St. Andrew’s

Whitney Cummings’ HBO special “Whitney Cummings: I’m Not Your Girlfriend” premiered in January 2015.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO

What have you carried from your St. Andrew’s experience?

Well, I definitely read the news every morning, which is something that Mr. (Glenn) Whitman drilled into our heads.

We used to get The Washington Post every morning and we would read it. Links is a big one. I don’t know if he teaches that anymore. But Mr. Whitman used to make us always, when something was going on currently, we’d have to link it to something that happened in history that was similar, or put it into context. Which, now on a daily basis I sort of use that in my stand up because we do call backs. I do call backs in shows, which is like links in a way.

And I took a class that was ... What was it called? Crisis, something crisis, culture crisis. I don’t remember, but it was basically a class where all we would do is argue.

And it really helped me develop my brain because that’s what being a comedian is.

You’re kind of arguing with the audience about something. You’re arguing with yourself. You’re trying to present both sides and be fair and just. And sometimes put yourself in someone else’s shoes that you

might not agree with, or take an unpopular stance on something and then defend it.

Being able to debate really smart people and present alternative views on something, that’s what I just sort of did on “Roseanne.” I was able to work with someone that voted differently than me and that was a skill that I think I definitely got early on from St. Andrew’s. Sure.

If you could go back 20 years and speak to your high school self, what advice would you give her?

I would tell her, you need to work hard, but you don’t need to try hard. Does that make sense? Basically, I think it’s really important to do the work and to go the extra mile, so that when you arrive at your destination, you’re not having to scramble or overcompensate. Work hard with grace, not with desperation.

Busyness is a failure, not a success. It took me a long time to realize that. Being busy for the sake of busy does not mean that you’re important. It doesn’t mean that you’re interesting. It doesn’t mean that you are successful. Some of the most successful

PROFILE

alumni in the arts

people I know actually work like five hours a day, and they work really smart instead of really long. And an absence of a life is not something to celebrate. Working weekends and until two in the morning is not impressive. It actually is sort of, you’re bragging about the wrong thing. It seems like a failure. Why are you so bad at managing your time?

Garry Shandling said this to me once: You can never make it too late if you’re an artist because you’re only going to get better. There’s no way you’re ever going to get worse as an artist. Just be patient and get good. Don’t try to make it early because if you make it too early, you’re going to get torn apart. And you’re not ready anyway.

You might be ready for the money, but you’re not ready for the success and the fame and the feedback. It takes a while to get ready for that.

Save your money. That’s another big one. Don’t spend it on stupid stuff that you’re not going to need or want in 10 years. Spend time with your family. I think when I was in high school, I didn’t realize how fast life goes, because you think in high school, “I hate my dad. I hate my mom. They’re so annoying.” They’re just the people that are stopping you from doing the things you want to do. But in fact, they’re everything, and before you know it, they could be gone.

Your teachers are smarter than you. I think when you’re in high school, you think you’re smarter than everybody. Then you get older and you’re like, “Oh gosh. I can’t believe that I tried to pull that off.” Of course my teacher knew that I was faking it, or lying about that, or that I pretended that I had done that work and I hadn’t.

They knew. And a lot of the subjects that you think are a waste of time, I promise aren’t. Even if you’re not going to remember all the stuff from the class, your brain changes when you learn, and it grows. And it might be more about developing the skill to follow through than to actually retain information.

Learn about neurology as soon as you possibly can. Your life will get better and more clear. That’s probably what I should’ve said first. Just start studying neurology immediately.

I think that’s enough advice. I think my former self is annoyed by all the advice I’m giving her, so I’m going to stop.

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Tim Rogan ‘07 played Sid in “The Pajama Game”, which took place this past winter at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. The role is his most prominent to date.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARENA STAGE

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Team Player Tim Rogan ’07 treats acting like a team sport, and it pays off with leading roles.

BY RICHARD COCO

Ask Tim Rogan ’07 and he will tell you, he had a comprehensive education at St. Andrew’s, filled with AP classes, highlevel athletic competition, performing arts opportunities and plenty of club offerings.

He also will tell you that one of the most valuable things he learned, perhaps the one that has aided him most in his career as an actor, was the importance of teamwork.

“Be the hardest working person on the team and make people want to work with you again,” Rogan said. “If you work hard and you’re a good team player, even if the production doesn’t work out, people will want to work with you again.”

That team-first attitude is what led Rogan to the starring role in the Arena Stage’s production of “The Pajama Game” this past winter, his most prominent role to date.

“I was contacted a little over a month before rehearsal was scheduled to start for the show,” Rogan said. “I knew the director (from previous roles), and he told me the whole show was cast and he wanted me to come in and audition.” Rogan also knew the musical director and choreographer from previous gigs and discovered that his reputation had preceded him.

“Your reputation is invaluable in everything. People want to work with people that are good to work with, who are going to put the show first and be a team player,” Rogan said. “This opportunity at Arena is a culmination of living that idea of controlling what you can control.”

For Rogan, acting was something he loved throughout his St. Andrew’s experience. It began as a sixth-grader when the class created their own play, the Lion’s

During his time at St. Andrew’s, Tim Rogan (left) was cast in plays such as “The Wizard of Oz” (pictured above), “Oliver,” and “On the Town.”

Amulet, and continued the following year when he was cast as the lead in “Oliver” in the Middle School musical.

“It was obvious from the start how much Tim wanted to be in this business,” said performing arts teacher Ritchie Porter.

“He took advantage of every opportunity, worked hard, studied voice outside of school and never lost sight of his goal.”

But performing arts wasn’t Rogan’s only love. A standout athlete who was once recruited to play lacrosse collegiately, he found that St. Andrew’s offered the perfect environment for someone wishing to have it all.

“The great thing about St. Andrew’s was it operated on a trimester schedule and for me, shows and sports never conflicted,” Rogan said. “I could do soccer in the fall, the musical in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring. I had zero conflicts of interest

between academics and performing arts and visual arts and sports. Who knows if it came down to performing or playing lacrosse at the same time and asking me, as an eighth-grade boy, to choose one.”

Despite his love for acting, Rogan had always placed his passion as secondary to a career in medicine. It was during a time of transition in his life that his priorities transitioned as well.

“I remember having a conversation with my friend Nick Trager (Class of 2007) and the question of ‘do you want to be an actor for a living?’ came up. And the answer was ‘yes.’ ” A transfer to Catholic University and one of the oldest theater programs in the country followed and Rogan went to work on honing his craft and building a name for himself.

When asked what advice he would give to St. Andrew’s students, Rogan was emphatic about the importance of taking chances.

“If I had a time machine and could go back I would tell myself – try to fail more,” Rogan said. “Try to find those things that you want to do and not because you think it will look good on a college resume. If you want to make birdhouses and that’s what you love, be the best damn birdhouse maker in the world. And then find a school that specializes in woodworking and has a great ornithological program. Don’t go based on a ranking, go to a place that’s going to foster the things you care about.

Keep trying and failing at things until you find the things you want to do.

“St. Andrew’s is such an incredibly competitive school and that’s one of its strengths but remember, it’s OK to fail sometimes.”

SPRING 2018 47

Reiko Tate ‘94 produces her own art, professionally and personally, in her studio in downtown Washington, D.C.

ALUMNI PROFILE

The Art of Business In creating her own business, Reiko Tate ’94 took an artistic approach.

BY KIRSTEN PETERSEN

Reiko Tate ’94 knows how executives and artists think. She’s been both – she is both – and she applies that expertise to her work as an events manager, specializing in bringing cultural experiences to corporations.

“Starting a business, it’s almost like creating a painting. You make modifications to a color; you make modifications to business,” Tate said. “That’s why I think art is such a good tool for helping people because it’s very similar. You start off with a vision and it may or may not end up that way.”

Tate grew up as the “artsy one” in a family of accountants. Her parents didn’t stifle her creativity; rather, they indulged her passion, buying her art supplies and taking her to museums.

While she once imagined herself as an artist on the streets of Paris, when it came time to declare a college major, she heeded her parents’ advice — she studied economics and art at Spelman College.

Her aspiration shifted to business, but she found that she ultimately wanted a career that “focused less on numbers and offered more flexibility, more excitement.”

Consulting turned out to be the right move.

“I always had this idea of using art as a means of training people, as a means to succeed in business,” Tate said. “With how

fast things move, the value of making sure the whole team can deal with changes in the market, and all the different things that come with business, doing art, creating art, is a way to exercise getting comfortable with changes and being more confident.”

So in 2009, after working a corporate job and selling pieces at art festivals on the side, she left her job to focus on art full time. Her first concept, Fun + Art + Wine, launched in 2009, just as the paint and sip industry was taking off.

One of her early challenges with Fun

+ Art + Wine was making her offering unique. Rather than present a completed painting for clients to copy, Tate started with a blank canvas.

“I made the decision that I wasn’t going to compete on price but (rather) on experience,” she said. “It’s more of a creativity class than an art class, so people understood you’re not just going to come in and paint something — you won’t paint the same thing.”

Clients were apprehensive at first, but Tate encouraged them to lift the paint brush and realize their vision.

“There’s nobody in the years I did it

that came back and said it would have much easier (to copy a painting),” she said.

“Once they got over the initial hesitation — being responsible for creating something…they had fun with highs and lows and they learned a lot too.”

After six years of hosting Fun + Art + Wine parties, Tate transitioned to connecting cultural organizations with corporations to design artistic team-building events.

Tate continues to produce her own art, professionally and personally. Her recent work features neon flowers and expressive women with wire limbs and yarn afros.

As a businesswoman, she knows what sells, but she is also inspired by the challenge of producing new art.

“I like to create things that are different, and trying to figure out ways to make them more different,” Tate said.

“That part of the creative process, that idea of asking ‘How can I make it different? How can I make it better?’ ” Her fondest memories of the arts at St. Andrew’s are at the wheel, where she sculpted clay into what have become timeless pieces.

“I’ll go to a friend’s house and I’ll see something and say, ‘Oh that’s really pretty,’ and I’ll flip it over and see my signature and realize, ‘Oh, I made that! I made that in high school,’ ” Tate said. “It still looks like it could have come out the kiln the other day.”

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Designing a Dream A love of metal work has allowed one alumna to brighten up faces...and fingers, and necks, and ears.

BY RICHARD COCO

You never know when something will change your life forever. That’s what Maura Green ’00 discovered when she was 15 years old and took a summer class in jewelry-making and metalworking.

Fast forward 20 years and Green has climbed the ladder to become VP of Design and Merchandising for Verigold Jewelry. Verigold designs, manufactures and sells jewelry to mass market retailers like Zales, Kay, Macy’s, Helzberg, and J.C. Penney, to name a few. In her position, Green has a hand in creating pieces that lead to gross sales of nearly $20 million annually. All thanks to a summer of exploration. “(That class) allowed me to work with my hands and tools and to do some soldering,” Green said.

“I loved it. When I got to the age where I was too old for camp but not old enough to get a job, I needed something to do in the summers. My parents encouraged me to find something to do that I would enjoy. And I said, ‘you know, I think I want to do metalworking.’ ” Green was fortunate to have a resource like the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. It was there that she met Deborah Dubois, the metalworking artist in residence who took Green on as an apprentice.

“I learned so much from her about how to construct things by hand,” Green said.

“She taught me as much as she could during the weekends and summer. That’s where I developed deep interest and developed a passion for it.”

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Green wanted to attend a college that was steeped in the fine arts, but said that was a step too far for her parents who worried she might be pigeonholing herself at a young age. With the help of St. Andrew’s college counseling office and English teacher Shelly Webb, Green discovered Ohio Wesleyan University, which provided her with a liberal arts education while also allowing her to earn a Bachelor

of Fine Arts degree in Jewelry and Metals.

After graduating she spent a year working for a jeweler in Philadelphia before becoming an assistant designer for Joan Rivers, who had a line of costume jewelry that was sold on QVC. “That was a great experience, working for a female-owned business and learning more about mass production,” Green said. “So that was sort of the next step in learning this side of the business where you are doing more sketching and working with a studio that’s usually overseas. Having had that knowledge of doing it yourself helps when working with a factory overseas because

you can troubleshoot.”

Eight years ago, Green moved to Verigold, starting out in an entry level position as a merchandising assistant. From there she has worked her way up to her current position as a vice president.

“I think I have had the good fortune of always knowing this is what I wanted to do,” Green said. “To develop an expertise in anything you need to put in a lot of hours and in order to put in the hours, you need to love it and care. Like any career, if you’re kind of just doing it for a paycheck, you’re going to burn out if you work really hard.

“What’s really cool about my position now is I get to do the merchandising and design of these collections. I get to work on individual pieces that are expected to be big sellers. But I also get to do collections with pendants and earrings and rings and get to work on the romancing behind it and the taglines and marketing of it.”

Green credits her teachers at St. Andrew’s, including Tracey Goodrich and the recently retired Gary Wyatt, with supporting her passion. As a senior taking AP Studio Art, she was allowed to submit some of her metal work for grading.

“Maura was one those students who truly made art a part of who she is,” Goodrich said. “It’s not surprising at all to see her build a career around her passion.”

As far as advice for future artists, Green has some pragmatic words.

“I would highly recommend to anyone interested in pursuing the arts to take as many business classes as possible,” Green said. “You need to know how to write a business plan, know how to balance what’s coming in and going out and the margins you need to meet to stay afloat. That’s definitely a void and I’m lucky I was able to learn it on the job.”

Maura Green ‘00 is the vice president of Design and Merchandising for Verigold Jewelry. Verigold designs, manufactures and sells jewelry to mass market retailers like Zales, Kay, Macy’s, Helzberg, and J.C. Penney.

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Over the Pond and Through the Woods At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, one alumna’s confidence and exploration has proven key.

BY KIRSTEN PETERSEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROYAL 52

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bigail Stephenson ’12 capped off a year studying musical theater in Scotland with critically acclaimed roles at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, roaming about as Little Red Riding Hood in “Into the Woods” and starring in an original musical, “Atlantic: America and the Great War.” Her time at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she said, has equipped her with the tools to excel as she embarks on her professional career.

“This program helped me gain a perspective on what type of artist I want to be and need to be, besides just being on a stage or aiming for Broadway or the West End,” she said. “I see myself as well rounded, and [my artistry] is something I’m trying to improve constantly.”

Her Masters of Arts in Musical Theatre program focused on skill-building and how she could apply her talents in acting, singing and dancing to a concert, a cabaret, or a musical. She was also exposed to a new way of performing, where expression on stage was more organic, she said.

Her favorite production so far, “Into the Woods,” exemplified this. “The entire stage is your playground,” she said.

“I’ve gotten to be more artistic than I’ve ever been in a production. I played around the set, jumping up and down and going underneath the stage. It helped me become a much better actress, and understand how to just live in that moment on stage.”

Her first experiences on stage at St. Andrew’s, she said, prepared her for the leap across the pond.

“Being on stage in a full-scale production is something that is really good to get as early as possible,” Stephenson said.

“Performing in seventh and eighth grade helped me understand how to do it in the future as well.”

Stephenson started piano lessons at three years old and performed in elementary school shows, but she said she got her big break on the MacDonald Hall stage when she was cast as the lead in the

Middle School musical, “Once On This Island.”

“The feeling that I had being on stage is immeasurable. It really made me feel alive,” she said. “I found the stage to be a place where I could really express myself.”

She would go on to play Edith in “Pirates of Penzance,” Mimi in “Guys and Dolls,” and Anita in “West Side Story.”

She credits St. Andrew’s theater teachers Roy Barber and Ritchie Porter with helping her realize her potential.

“The teachers who believed in me... have allowed me to see I can be more than just what I’m doing,” she said.

At Bryn Mawr College she spent time away from the stage, studying classical voice and chemistry. But when she was asked to choreograph a student production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” she found herself wondering, ‘How did I not audition?’

“I had a gut feeling — I needed a musical theater coach,” she said. And, thanks to timing and talent, she booked private lessons with Tony Award nominee Forrest McClendon.

In just six weeks, McClendon elevated her confidence, taking her from “an amateur musical theater prospect to someone who can go to a professional audition with a book, ready to tackle the industry.”

Stephenson decided to hone her skills by pursuing graduate studies; McClendon suggested she consider the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Now a graduate of the Conservatoire, Stephenson said she’s open to any opportunity that comes her way, whether it’s abroad or back in the states. She is inspired by the patience, encouragement and generosity of her mentors.

“If you want to go into a field, you need a teacher who believes in you more than yourself,” Stephenson said. “The moment I had a mentor, my life turned from (musical theater) being something I wanted to do on the side to something I can do professionally.”

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Our Artistic Pride We’ve highlighted six alumni working in the arts, but they aren’t the only ones making a splash on the canvas or stage. Here are a few more:

JESSICA NORTH MACIE ’96

WILL RAST ’99

J. LINDSAY BROWN ’06

JILLIAN R. WIEDENMEYER ’07

Jessica North Macie ’96 co-produced “Banned,” a play she co-wrote with Washington, D.C.based Fully Charged Productions. “Banned,” which premiered last fall, is a collection of short scenes that assert the power of books in the face of fear with humor, parody, and irreverence. When she isn’t writing or producing, North Macie is teaching English and serving on the Diversity Committee at National Cathedral School in D.C.

Will Rast ’99 is coming off a world tour playing organ and electric piano with Afrobeat band Antibalas. Rast first saw Antibalas in 2000 while studying jazz improvisation and theory at Manhattan School of Music. He was inspired to start his own funk and groove ensembles in Washington, D.C., and worked as an accompanist and side man in multiple genres before accepting an invitation from Antibalas to join the band in 2013.

J. Lindsay Brown ’06 is the founder of J. Lindsay Brown Dance, a Chicagobased modern dancetheater company that focuses on collaboration, improvisation, and humor.

She is also the creator of Faith Jam, a collaborative project that explores scripture and spirituality through movement.

Lindsay provides opportunities for up-andcoming choreographers to show work in a fair and supportive environment.

Recently, the company became a fiscally sponsored 501(c)3.

Jillian R. Wiedenmeyer ’07 is the lead architect and artist behind the Chroma Line, a new 460-foot mural that has transformed the Franklin Pedestrian Bridge in Boston. The artwork is the result of community design charrettes and collaborations with local artists. Her work has been shown both nationally and internationally, including recognition by the Corcoran, Parsons, Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, and the National Foundation for the Advancement of Arts.

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LINDSAY ABROMAITIS-SMITH ’99 Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith ’99 is a painter and ritual performance artist who is thriving as she learns to “manifest differently” with ALS. “I am thriving because my artistic practice has evolved into something I never dreamed,” she said. “My art helps me express my experience while connecting to people in a way that is authentic and inspirational.”

Abromaitis-Smith has never limited herself to one form of expression; her art ranges from puppeteering and multimedia stage performance to painting on bodies and canvases with her feet. Her “footworks” have been shown in exhibitions along the East Coast, and one piece even appeared on a Starbucks gift card in 2016.

Current projects include a series of mixed media paintings for a tarot deck and an accompanying book, a film project, and a “dance machine” that would allow her to paint with her feet while suspended above a canvas.

She said her formative years as an artist were shaped by her time at St. Andrew’s, in particular her time in the classroom and on the stage.

“A good artist draws inspiration from a rich and well-rounded educational foundation,” she said. “(At St. Andrew’s) my brain was nourished as well as my creativity and artistry.”

ALBERT GORDON ’13 Albert Gordon ’13 is a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia.

Since joining the company, he has danced principal and soloist roles in “Le Corsaire,” “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake.” He has also been featured in works by Nacho Duato, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexander Ekman, Matthew Neenan, Nicolo Fonte and George Balanchine. He previously danced with the Boston Ballet for three years. Gordon is a 2012 Princess Grace Scholarship Award winner.

We love hearing what our alumni are up to. Do you have a career in the arts, or incorporate visual or performing arts in your work?

Let us know; you could be featured on our website or social media!

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Years of Inspiration

A YEAR-LONG CELEBRATION 4 0 Y E A R S O F E XC E P T I O N A L T E AC H I N G , L E A R N I N G , & S E RV I C E

OPENING CHAPEL

Sept. 7, 2018, at Washington National Cathedral

Please join the St. Andrew’s community as teachers, students, parents, and staff commit themselves to a new year of learning at our traditional opening service.

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE AT THE ELEPHANT HOUSE! Sept. 29, 2018, at the National Zoo The Founder’s Circle celebrates its 40th Anniversary in the newly restored Elephant House. Members of the Founder’s Circle are invited to join the Head of School and hosts Philip and Lynn Mento for a special party to thank our leadership level Lion’s Fund donors. For more information on how to join the Founder’s Circle, contact David Pivirotto at dpivirotto@saes.org.

HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND

Oct. 13, 2018, on the Postoak Campus Begin the day with our traditional Walk for the Homeless.

All members of the community are invited afterwards for games, musical performances, food, and athletic events.

The evening concludes with a special 40th-Anniversary Alumni Reunion that will welcome graduates and faculty from all years for cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a special awards ceremony. For alumni-related information, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@saes.org.

ST. ANDREW’S NIGHT OF ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS Dec. 6, 2018, on the Postoak Campus

Join in the celebration of the season with readings and musical performances, a reception with holiday treats, and the traditional sale of St. Andrew’s shortbread cookies, stone lions, peppermint bark, as well as crafts to benefit our partner school in Haiti.

COME TOGETHER!

March 2, 2019, at Washington National Cathedral The 40th-Anniversary Gala is open to all current and previously enrolled families as well as all present and past trustees, faculty, and staff. To volunteer or for more information, contact Ana Naab at anaab@saes.org.

CLASS OF 2019 COMMENCEMENT

June 7, 2019, at Washington National Cathedral Head of School Robert Kosasky will confer diplomas on members of the Class of 2019 at Washington National Cathedral. Alumni are invited to participate in the processional. Reserve your spot by contacting the Alumni Office at alumni@saes.org.

n io n u e R d n a g in m o c e Hom The St. Andrew’s community came together Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.

The day was filled with events, including the annual Walk for the Homeless, the alumni vs. faculty soccer game, the second annual Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, an Alumni Awards luncheon, a design thinking workshop and an alumni vs. student volleyball game.

We hope you can join us for a special Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Oct. 12-13, 2018, celebrating our 40th anniversary!

Above: Tammy Stone ‘87 was awarded the Thomas Shaw award for her service to St. Andrew’s. Classmate and current St. Andrew’s teacher Liz Kiingi ‘87 presented the award.

Right: The Class of 1996 took home the Lion’s Pride Award for the highest class participation. Paige Shirk ‘96 accepted the award presented by Larissa Levine ‘06, President of the Alumni Council.

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Steven Levenson ‘02 was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Melissa d’Arabian ‘96 was the previous recipient of the award.

Above: Naomi Jackson ‘26, parent Tara Kidd, Isabel Aguilar ‘25, and parent and St. Andrew’s employee Luis Aguilar.

Right: Mila Guilani ‘30 and Paige VanHuysen ‘30 got into the spirit with our mascot, Leo.

The alumni were victorious once again during the alumni vs. faculty soccer game.

Madison Gamma ‘18 had fun playing the keyboards with the Jazz Band on the Student Center Terrace.

Hall of Fame inductees include Coach Gary Wyatt, Alex McColough ‘02, Carolyn Ford ‘02 and the 1982 Championship Soccer Team, which was represented by Tom Graves ‘83, Donnie Gross ‘86, Chris Reed ‘84 and Coach Gabe Hodziewich.

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Alumni Weekend Classes ending in 2 and 7 celebrated their reunions on and off campus on

Oct. 14, 2017. Thank you to the Class

Reunion Chairs for their time and effort bringing their classmates together.

THE CLASS OF 1982 celebrated their 35th

reunion at Fontina Grille in Rockville. Reunion Chair: Sharon Smith. THE CLASS OF 1987 celebrated their 30th reunion at Guapo’s

in Washington, D.C. Reunion Chair: Tammy

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Stone. THE CLASS OF 1992 celebrated

their 25th reunion at Brickside in Bethesda.

Reunion Chairs: Will Evans and Jason Klippel.

THE CLASS OF 1997 reunited at Hawthorne in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their 20th

reunion. Reunion Chairs: Susanne Fogt Paul and Mirko Pefaure. THE CLASS OF 2002 celebrated their 15th reunion at The Big

Stick in Bethesda. Reunion Chairs: Nathan Fleming, Alison Inderfurth, Justin Ross

and Emily Williams. THE CLASS OF 2007

gathered at Town Hall in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their 10th reunion. Reunion Chairs: Nora Goddard and Tim Rogan. THE CLASS OF 2012 celebrated their 5th reunion at

Local 16 in Washington, D.C. Reunion Chairs:

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Zoe Atchinson, Adam Barton, Janice Freeman and Bridget Greaney.

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Save the Date!

CLASSES ENDING IN 3 AND 8 will be celebrating their 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, 30- and 35-year reunions on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, with a full day of Homecoming activities and a 40th-anniversary reunion party that night. All alumni are invited to join us for the celebrations!

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If you are interested in being part of the 40thanniversary committee or a reunion chair, please contact alumni@saes.org. See pages 56-57 for more information on how we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary with events throughout the school year.

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1980s

Ms. (Tracey) Goodrich, center, started teaching at St. Andrew’s in 1986, and has taught ceramics in all of her 32 years as a teacher. Today, she teaches ceramics six classes a year to Upper School students.

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class notes

New email, phone number or mailing address? Simply fill out the form online to submit your updated information: www.saes.org/alumni.

1983 In 2012, Stephen Meima co-founded MetroAid LLC with his wife, Rachel. His daughter, Rose (Holy Child ’17) is a freshman at The University of the South. His Stephen Meima ‘83 son, Hughes, is with his son, Hughes. a sophomore at Landon. Stephen is a handgun instructor and range safety officer for SpecDive Tactical and Learn to Shoot.

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college and married in 2016. Last November, they became delighted grandparents!

Their daughter, Allison, will be married this July. Lynda, their youngest daughter, is a nursing major at Messiah College and is excited to start clinicals this spring.

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Jen White ‘85 with her husband, Steve, and daughters Hailey and Ren.

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Chris and Lauren (Cunningham) Reed ‘84 are delighted to be new grandparents!

1984 Chris and Lauren (Cunningham) Reed are happy to be back in Potomac after living in Sicily, Italy for two-and-a-half years. They traveled often while overseas and especially loved Amsterdam, Florence, and Budapest. Chris worked as Director of Surgical Services at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Sigonella, Italy. Chris is now working as an OB/GYN at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Lauren is teaching at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s Lower School campus. Their eldest daughter, Kelly, graduated from

Janie Haynes is officially an empty nester living in Chevy Chase. Both of her sons are now in college. Rhys Steuart ’14 is at Loyola University New Orleans and Brendan Steuart is at Elon University in North Carolina. Janie is working full time as a realtor.

Jen White shared that, after a wonderful 30-year career as an all-species animal behavior consultant, she is in a stage of transition and semi-retirement. She still loves to travel the globe with her husband and co-presenter, Steve. She lives in Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle, on a busy animal training facility property, where she is currently converting a training space into an art studio specializing in glasswork and metals. She hopes to host exploration classes in all media for artists and curious locals, bringing in guest artists and craftspeople from around the planet. to share their techniques and inspiration. She is also a writer and alternative healthcare practitioner. Jen and Steve have four daughters, two each from former

Introducing Our New Director of Alumni Relations & Giving This summer, Patrick McGettigan will join St. Andrew’s as our new Director of Alumni Relations & Giving. Patrick has held related roles at The Masters School, Trinity-Pawling, and the Nature Conservancy in New York, and most recently worked in communications at the University of Virginia.

Patrick will assume his new role on July 1, 2018. He looks forward to joining St. Andrew’s and getting to know the alumni community.

Madeline O’Brien ’05, who previously held the position of Director of Alumni Affairs, recently moved to the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Graham.

2017-2018 Alumni Council President Larissa Levine ‘06 Vice President Tom Taylor ‘00 Lane Brenner ‘05 Catherine Callaway ‘88 Chanele Clark ‘96 Hannah Harlan ‘08 Alex Facciobene ‘10 Alex Bierlein-George ‘95 Alisa Kaswell ‘05 Jennifer McZier ‘92 Danielle Moore ‘09 Sam Speier ‘95 Tammy Stone ‘87 Erin Wright-Gandhi ‘96, At-Large

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John Barron shared that he had an exciting year coming off of the high of his 30th reunion at St. Andrew’s in October 2016, where he served as co-chair of his class.

He was excited to introduce his partner to the many friends and mentors dear to him.

On July 4, 2017, he legally married his partner, Drew, at a ballroom near the National Mall under a sky full of fireworks.

They also welcomed the newest member of the Barron-Shields family, their puppy, Disco. They are looking forward to their honeymoon cruise in Italy, which will coincide with their first wedding anniversary.

John Barron ‘86 married his partner, Drew, on July 4, 2017, near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. They will honeymoon in Italy this July.

marriages, along with a delightful 7-yearold grandson who keeps them laughing.

Steve’s eldest child is a former Army medic, and his other child is a paralegal; Jen’s eldest works full time at a medical clinic while completing her degree in political science, and her youngest is training to be a pilot.

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Melissa d’Arabian ‘86 and her family enjoyed attending St. Andrew’s Reunion weekend in October. Her family has relocated to Bethesda for a sabbatical year.

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Wendy Fitzgerald loves working at Children’s National Hospital. She shared that, “It was my pleasure to accompany my mother, Dona Weingarten, to Homecoming in the fall. It was great to see how beautiful the campus looks with the new building.” Her daughter is now in 11th grade and they are starting the college search.

Carlos Ortiz Mena and his wife of 20 years, Marcela Ortega, have three children — Marcela, Cecilia, and José Carlos.

He lives in Mexico City where he is the Head of Legal for Fresnillo plc, a gold and silver company quoted out of the London Stock Exchange. He is looking forward to moving into a new house this summer.

After attending the St. Andrew’s reunion last year, Melissa d’Arabian was inspired to move the whole family to Bethesda for a sabbatical year! Melissa, her husband, Philippe, and four girls are loving the adventure of living outside Washington, D.C. Melissa is working on her third book — her first non-cookbook — that explores the intersection of food and faith. She is writing it now, and it will be released by Random House in 2019.

In the meantime, She is still writing her weekly column for the Associated Press, and cooking on her live Facebook show every Tuesday.

Sharon Leach has been living in Vermont for 14 years. Her oldest is graduating high school this June and will attend Oberlin College. She attended high school orientation for her son for this fall.

1987 Bammy Luke is currently living in Annapolis and works in the administrative department of a specialized pediatric dental office. She is two classes away from finishing her accounting degree and is working toward becoming a CPA. Her oldest daughter just got married last October, and works for a law practice. Her youngest just bought a new home last year after finishing her degree from the University of Maryland. She is a now a county inspector.

Chris Thomas lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Jennifer Suchanec, and children, Josephine (age 12) and

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Samuel (age 10). He is an intellectual property litigator at the law firm Parker Poe. If you knew Chris at St. Andrew’s, you might recall that his chief ambition at the time was to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone along with Brad Meeker ’87, Todd McCombs ’87 and Scott Shankman ’87. While that dream has (so far) gone unrealized, Chris recently filed several lawsuits against defendants who were cheating at the popular video game, Fortnite®, by injecting unauthorized computer code (aimbots) into the game, creating unauthorized derivative works of the game, and impacting the game-playing experience for other players. Those lawsuits were reported in various news outlets, including Rolling Stone. Chris was recently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2018 and elected to Business North Carolina Magazine’s Legal Elite in Intellectual Property.

1988 Heather (Certner) Brugger, Amy (Understein) Strahan, Kristen (Friedman) Venit and Ali (Understein) Rottner ’86 met up in Atlanta this fall after sending their children to college.

Heather (Certner) Brugger has four children — ages 18, 16, 15 and 13. Her oldest attends the University of Michigan.

Amy (Understein) Strahan’s oldest attends Georgia Southern University. Kristen (Friedman) Venit’s oldest attends Auburn University and Ali (Understein) Rottner’s youngest attends Rollins College.

Catherine Callaway recently joined the Visiting Nurse Service of New York as vice president of Marketing and Development.

After more than 20 years as a marketing and innovation leader, managing diverse brands from Dentyne and Sour Patch Kids to British Airways and Theraflu, she decided to follow a mission-driven passion and turn to the non-profit sector. She lives and works in New York City. She enjoys marketing with passion, addressing the constant challenges of our healthcare system today, while giving back to her community.

Nik Fisken and his wife, Leslie, live in Little Rock, Arkansas, with their three kids — Natalie (16), Cooper (14) and Allie (12).

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Jessica Karp ‘90 got married in June 2017.

Leslie is an attorney working for the governor of Arkansas and Nik runs the equity division of Stephens Inc, an investment bank headquartered in Little Rock.

1990 Adam Pollin moved to Denver approximately two years ago and loves living in Colorado. He is the Operations Manager of several apartment communities.

Jessica Karp, who lives in State College, Pennsylvania, was married in June 2017.

1991 Justin Haynes was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the United States Army in August 2017. He has served more than 22 years as a Military Intelligence Officer with tours of duty in the Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently attending the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington D.C., studying national security strategy.

Carolyn Kopf married her husband, Marc, in the Spring of 2016 and they have settled into the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta. The branding firm she founded, C.E.K. & Partners, turned 10 in

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Class of 1988 classmates Heather (Certner) Brugger, Amy (Understein) Strahan, Kristen (Friedman) Venit and Ali (Understein) Rottner met up in Atlanta this fall after sending their children to college.

89 Class of 1989 classmates Kiki Condon, Janna Hopkins and Dave Sotiros caught up last November in Annapolis.

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January. They are proud to have created St. Andrew’s Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning brand identity.

Stacy Smith loves continuing being a teacher and administrator at Edmund Burke School in Washington, D.C. Her children, Taylor (10) and Riley (5), attend Mount Rainier Elementary School.

1992 After spending the majority of his career in software and IT consulting, Jonathan Bruskin co-founded Sprightbulb, a management consulting firm, in 2017. Sprightbulb helps guide companies to achieve better business results through product management and organizational transformation.

In addition, Jonathan still plays drums and is currently performing with his Arlingtonbased grunge cover band, Power Child.

Alex Bierlein-George ‘95 recently took a trip to Thailand.

Stacey Alfandre ‘94 works for Conservation Legacy, which engages youth and veterans in a variety of outdoor settings building trails, maintaining trails and eradicating invasive species in the watershed.

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1993 This past November, Andrea Nogues launched a small enterprise to host groups of hikers and runners who want to experience Patagonia. She loves living in the mountain town surrounded by lakes, but she missed being in contact with folks from the States, and this endeavor gave her the chance to offer a life-changing experience to each of the participants. She’d love to host alumni who are interested in visiting Patagonia. You can view more information on her Facebook page: Patagonia Trail Adventures.

James King is living and working in Annapolis with his wife, Katie, and 4-year-old son, Cooper. James is the CEO and owner of Mid-States Management Group, which owns and operates 14 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic region. He just started an independent restaurant brand, Blackwall Hitch, with recently opened locations in Annapolis; Alexandria, Virginia; Chantilly, Virginia; Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; and in downtown Baltimore in November.

In his downtime, James spends time as a board member and volunteer for the Oyster Recovery Program based out of Annapolis.

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This past year, Andrea Nogues ‘93 launched a small enterprise called Patagonia Trail Adventures, which hosts groups of hikers and runners who want to experience Patagonia.

James King ‘93 lives in Annapolis with his wife, Katie, and 4-year-old son, Cooper.

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1994 Since June 2016, Stacey Alfandre has been employed with Conservation Legacy, a national non-profit that engages youth and veterans in a variety of outdoor settings by building trails, maintaining trails and eradicating invasive species in the watershed. She recently had the opportunity to catch up with classmate Alex Tansor as he passed through Durango, Colorado.

Lisa McKay and her husband, Mike, live in Port Vila, Vanuatu, in the South

Lisa McKay ‘94 and her husband, Mike, live in the South Pacific with their two sons.

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96 Hallie Sherard ‘96 married Jason Kuller on April 29, 2017, in her parents’ backyard.

Pacific. Mike is the country director for the humanitarian organization World Vision, and Lisa works from home part time as a consultant psychologist. She also runs the long distance relationship website Modern Love Long Distance, and her latest book, Deeper Dates For Couples, was released late last year. Their two little red-headed boys are 4 and 6 and love island life.

1995 Alex Bierlein-George is excited to be starting a new job this spring at Facebook.

He will be based in Los Angeles. He will be working on Facebook groups, marketing and growth strategy. He recently took an amazing trip to Thailand.

Theo Pahigiannis launched his business, CATAPULT BD, this year after more than 10 years in commercial banking. The company provides business development and sales support to small and mediumsized businesses finding them long-term contracts on a pay-for-performance model.

The intent is to create predictable revenue thus increasing the business value with the intent of extracting wealth and exiting the business. They then help facilitate the merger and acquisition transactions with their partners. Details can be found at Catapultbd.com.

Mariah Bibby is currently working at Manna, Inc. in Washington, D.C., as an administrative assistant. She loves her job and the people she works with.

Hallie Sherard is currently director of business development for EvensonBest in Washington, D.C. EvensonBest is one of North America’s top 10 largest volume furniture dealerships in the industry.

They help companies of all sizes plan for, acquire, install and manage their furniture.

She married Jason Kuller on April 29 in her parents’ backyard. They live in Brookmont.

1996

Sally Daee, her wife, and their daughter, Simone, live in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Paige (Speyer) Shirk and her husband, Tim, welcomed a daughter, Jade Caroline Shirk, to their family on Nov. 18, 2017.

1997

Brooke (Stanley) Kenny and her husband, Ed, welcomed a baby, Riley, in October 2017. They are also parents to daughter, Maya.

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Ben Stein and his wife, Nicole, welcomed their first child, Noah Joseph, on March 4, 2018.

Susanne Fogt Paul lives in northeast Washington, D.C., with her husband and

Paige (Speyer) Shirk ‘96 and her husband, Tim, welcomed a daughter, Jade Caroline Shirk, to their family on November 18, 2017.

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Sally Daee ‘96 lives with her wife and daughter in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Ben Stein ‘97 and his wife, Nicole, welcomed their first child, Noah Joseph, on March 4, 2018.

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two small kids. She works for M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks as a park and trail planner.

01

1998 Kevin Crips was awarded Full Professor this year at St. Olaf College in Minnesota.

1999 Amy Petersen and her husband, Matthew, moved back to Washington, D.C., after two years working at the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan. Amy is working in the European Bureau in the Department of State and enjoying being back in the area close to family and friends.

Melissa Levin is an independent art director and designer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, Daniel Wagner.

Erica (Harvey) Long ‘01 married Steven Long, who attended St. Andrew’s for sixth through eighth grades, on Oct. 21, 2017. In attendance were former Headmaster Dr. James Cantwell, Jen Cantwell Thomson ‘01, Simone King ‘01, Ariana Martini ‘01, Miranda Mosquera ‘01, and Matthew Blumenthal ‘01.

Alex O’Flinn is still living in Los Angeles with his wife, Shannon. He continues to work as a film editor and recently received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Editing for his work on the film “The Rider,” which came out in theaters in April.

2000

Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith is thriving despite being in her sixth year living with ALS. Two years ago she moved to a small town in New Jersey and took up painting with her feet. Painting has taken her on a transcendent journey of alchemy and movement. She has been a featured artist for Starbucks gift cards. Her work has been exhibited at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, the Hunterdon Art Museum, the Milk Crate Gallery, and the Clinton Library. She is currently developing a workshop incorporating painting and the four elements which will make debuts at the Hunterdon Preparatory School and Mad Lavender Farm in the spring. Lindsay is also working on a book of poetry and prayers, painting a tarot deck, and searching for a place to remount her performance piece “Bloom. She is Descending.”

She is the proud mother of two “magical tigers,” Chicken and Litha Lu. Her work can be seen at alchemyofthesole.com.

2001

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Chris Keithley and his wife are thrilled to announce the arrival of their first baby, Jacqueline Joe Keithley, born Sept. 30, 2017.

Following the completion of her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in Performance Studies, April Sizemore-Barber returned to Washington, D.C., in 2015 to take up a position as an assistant professor at Georgetown University’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Her first book, looking at LGBT performance in contemporary South Africa, is currently under review at several interested presses and will hopefully be published in the next two years. April shares that it has been lovely being back in the area and spending time with her parents and old friends. (To the surprise of no one, her father, Roy Barber, has only been busier since retiring from teaching at St. Andrew’s.)

Erica Harvey Long married Steven Long, who attended St. Andrew’s for sixth

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Chris Keithley ‘00 and his wife welcomed their first baby, Jacqueline Joe Keithley, on Sept. 30, 2017.

through eighth grades, on Oct. 21, 2017.

In attendance were former Headmaster Dr. James Cantwell, Jen Cantwell Thomson ’01, Simone King ’01, Ariana Martini ’01, Miranda Mosquera ’01, and Matthew Blumenthal ’01.

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PJ Hart and his wife, Jaime, are living in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with their 2-year-old son, Teddy. Teddy loves running and hitting golf balls with his plastic golf clubs.

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03

2002 Michael Green and his wife, Kristin (Luviano) Green, were married in Neavitt, Maryland. The wedding, which took place outdoors on the Chesapeake Bay, was officiated by Michael’s oldest brother, Josh. They lucked out with the weather as they spent the day celebrating with family and friends.

The two honeymooned in Thailand and the Maldives before packing up and moving to Tokyo for the next two years.

Jennie (Collea) Billman and husband, Owen, welcomed James Francis Billman on Dec. 13, 2017, weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches. They are so in love, especially big sister, Blaire (4).

Meredith Coyle will be graduating from a two-year infectious disease fellowship in June 2018 from Rush University in Chicago. Soon after graduation, she will be moving to Detroit to work as a junior attending at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. She recently traveled for two weeks in Kerala, a state in the southern part of India.

Meghan Ball married Robert Whittier Dudley on July 15, 2017, at St. Albans Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. Afterward a reception was held at Congressional Country Club. The couple honeymooned in France, where they visited Meghan’s friend and classmate Nicole Zarafanitis ’02 in Lyon. Meghan and her husband live in Paso Robles, California — Central Coast wine country. She works as the assistant winemaker and director of sales for a boutique winery, Linne Calodo.

2003 Sarah (Taylor) Bower and Doug Bower welcomed Nicholas Taylor Bower on Nov. 8, 2017. Nick came two-and-a-

Benjamin Gadbaw ‘03 is the director of user experience at WeWork. He works closely with the head of User Experience and the rest of the UX team to make the member experience better.

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Jennie (Collea) Billman ‘02 and husband, Owen, welcomed James Francis Billman on Dec. 13, 2017.

PJ Hart ‘01 and his wife, Jaime, with their twoyear-old son, Teddy.

half weeks early weighing 6 pounds and 11 ounces. Sarah, Doug, and Nick are enjoying being a new family of three.

Michael Rogan became a background investigator with Keypoint Government Solutions, a federal contractor. He shares that he is excited to do his part to keep the country safe.

Benjamin Gadbaw is an angel investor and director of user experience at WeWork. He is passionate about creating new products, brands, and businesses based on a better understanding of human needs.

02

Michael Green ‘02 married Kristin (Luviano) Green near the Chesapeake Bay. The couple honeymooned in Thailand.

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05

Nick Phelps ‘05 will marry Allison Ishkanian in June in Telluride, Colorado.

Sarah (Taylor) Bower ‘03 and Doug Bower welcomed Nicholas Taylor Bower on Nov. 8, 2017.

05

Cara Skubel ‘05 is engaged to Chris Hoadley of Boston. They will be married in July 2018 in Washington, D.C.

05

Madeline (Wallace) O’Brien ‘05 and her husband, Graham, recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest, outside of Portland, Oregon.

Robbie Janowitz ‘05 married Elissa Davidowitz on Dec. 9, 2017, in Beacon, New York.

05

Alex Freeman ‘05 purchased property in Chesapeake Beach and replaced the existing structure with a new three-story house.

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Margaret Sclafani ‘04 was the recipient of a grant to create a short documentary film, “Saints of Little Italy,” which was screened as a finalist at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Gala.

05

Emily (Taylor) Young ‘05 and her husband, Adam, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Maire Nancy Young, on Feb. 13, 2018.

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Benjamin works closely with the Head of User Experience Tomer Sharon, and the rest of the UX team to make the member experience visible to all of WeWork and help the company decide what to work on using evidence of what members need.

D.C., bar and joined a law firm. He spent last year in New York and recently moved back to Bethesda to start working as a lawyer in federal lobbying and international trade disputes for both the solar and broader energy industries.

2004

Jasleen Singh is an attorney with Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and looks forward to connecting with alumni in the San Francisco area.

This summer, Margaret Sclafani was the cinematographer of a narrative feature film. She was also the recipient of a grant to create a short documentary film, “Saints of Little Italy,” which was screened as a finalist at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Gala in Washington, D.C., this past fall and is streaming on the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum website. Over the Christmas season, Margaret caught up with Amanda Moodie ’04 and saw “The Pajama Game” at Arena Stage starring Tim Rogan ’07 — an “On the Town” St. Andrew’s musical theater mini reunion.

Margaret continues to live and work in Brooklyn, New York when she’s not traveling the world with recent trips to India, Indonesia, Crete, Warsaw and Berlin.

Madeline (Wallace) O’Brien and her husband, Graham, relocated to the Pacific Northwest, outside of Portland, Oregon.

2006 06

Amy Bachman ‘06 married Brandon Zerante in June 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Amy Bachman married Brandon Zerante in June 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Tracey Bachman ’04 served as maid of honor and bridesmaids included Abby Olson ’06 and Abbey Wallace ’08.

2005 Newly engaged Nick Phelps is getting married this upcoming June to Allison Ishkanian in Telluride, Colorado. The couple has a puppy, Penny.

Emily (Taylor) Young and her husband, Adam, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Maire Nancy Young, on Feb. 13, 2018.

Robbie Janowitz married Elissa Davidowitz on Dec. 9, 2017, in Beacon, New York.

Alex Freeman, who is teaching at Capitol Hill Day School in Washington, D.C., purchased property in Chesapeake Beach last year and replaced the existing structure with a new three-story house overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Cara Skubel is engaged to Chris Hoadley of Boston. They will be married in July 2018 in Washington, D.C.

J. Lindsay Brown recently danced in a performance in Woodstock, Illinois (where they filmed “Groundhog Day”) at the Old Courthouse Arts Center. Lindsay continues to produce dance in Chicago with her company J. Lindsay Brown Dance, and provides other up-and-coming companies with mentoring and performing opportunities. You can learn more at jlindsaybrowndance.com.

2007 06

J. Lindsay Brown ‘06 recently danced in a performance in Woodstock, Illinois (where “Groundhog Day” was filmed) at the Old Courthouse Arts Center.

David Sanders, his wife, Jana, and their son, Henry, moved to Munich. David started a new job with Deloitte Digital Ventures, where he is presently focused on the insurance sector. They will travel to the United States on multiple occasions in 2018 to see family and old friends!

After graduating law school a year ago, Andy House passed the Washington,

Tim Rogan performed the lead role of Sid in “The Pajama Game” at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., this past fall.

Alumni, parents and former teachers attended a performance in December.

In October 2017, Nora Goddard married David Cole in Vermont.

Caroline Downing left her previous firm in August and is now at Rothschild in an administrative position. She remains active in the Washington, D.C., blogging network as community manager of Bubbles & Bloggers. Last February, her now fiancé, Kendall Price, proposed to her on stage with her favorite band and they will be married in April at Saint John’s in GeorgeSPRING 2018

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town. Casey Petz ’07 and Kaytee Nesmith ’07 will be maid of honor and bridesmaid, respectively.

On Nov. 11, 2017, Jeffrey Michel married Ana Gessel, a veterinarian from Plano, Texas, whom he was dating since they met in 2012 at Texas A&M University. They currently live in Dallas with their two dogs.

After two years of community listening, project planning, and municipal red tape, lead artist Jillian R. Wiedenmayer transformed a deteriorating overpass into a 460-foot-tall mural of bright color and imagery. The final artwork, installed on Franklin Bridge between the north and south Allston neighborhoods, enlivens the bridge with color and conversation. The piece is open to the public 24-hours a day and is now Boston’s longest mural to date.

07

Tim Rogan ‘07 performed the lead role in “The Pajama Game” at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., this past fall. Alumni, parents and former teachers attended a performance in December.

07

2008 Hannah (Davis) Harlan married Chris Harlan on June 10, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Sadie Davis Berman ’07, Becca Davis ’12 and Kelly (Tillotson) Bradway ’08, who sang two songs during the ceremony, and Victoria Bodnar ’08 were bridesmaids. Other St. Andrew’s alumni in attendance included Tom McMackin ’08, Remick Smothers ’08, Teresa Nolan ’08, Leili Doerr ’08, and Ben Chernow ’08. Jack and Kate Harlan both attend St. Andrew’s currently.

Abbey Wallace lives in Park City, Utah, and welcomed a new addition this past year — Merle, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. This year, she went hiking in the desert in Moab, Utah, fly fishing in the Uinta National Forest, and skiing in the Wasatch Mountains. She is an international program assistant director at the American International School of Utah and recently returned from Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. She was able to catch many of the Olympic games while there and cheered on Team USA. Bryn Whiteley is an assistant professor in the Engineering and Society department at the University of Virginia. She co-wrote a paper for the American Society 72

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09

Gillian (Ellsworth) Messer ‘09 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed Samuel Tamaoki Messer, on Jan. 5, 2018, in Durham, North Carolina.

for Engineering Education, which will be published at the annual conference in June 2018. Bryn is engaged to Tom Seabrook, whom she met at Virginia Tech during graduate school. She looks forward to having Kimi Hugli ’08 and Cara Borrelli ’08 as her bridesmaids for the big day in September 2018.

2009 Gillian (Ellsworth) Messer and her husband, Matthew, welcomed Samuel Tamaoki Messer, on Jan. 5, 2018, in Durham, North Carolina.

In November 2017, Jeffrey Michel ‘07 married Ana Gessel. They currently live in Dallas with their two dogs.

In 2017, Neha Shastry accepted a position as a producer for a new digital venture on CNN, where she produced documentaries for their newly acquired YouTube channel. In January 2018, Neha began fronting her own series.

LeRoy Howard is currently finishing up his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Upon graduation, he will join Goldman Sachs as an Investment Banking Associate.

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07

Caroline Downing ‘07 will marry Kendall Price in April at Saint John’s in Georgetown.

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08 Hannah (Davis) Harlan ‘08 married Chris Harlan on June 10, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

07

08 Abbey Wallace ‘08 lives in Park City, Utah, with her dog, Merle.

In October 2017, Nora Goddard ‘07 married David Cole in Vermont.

08

Bryn Whiteley ‘08 is engaged to Tom Seabrook, whom she met at Virginia Tech during graduate school. The couple will marry in September.

09

Neha Shastry ‘09 works for CNN, where she produces documentaries for their newly acquired YouTube channel. In January 2018, Neha transitioned into CNN digital, where she will be fronting her own series. Above, Neha is interviewing Kimbal Musk in Boulder, Colorado.

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2010 In September 2017, Jonah Orr married Natalie Crane Orr, whom he met at Vassar College. They live in Durham, North Carolina, with their new puppy. Jonah is in his third year of medical school at Duke University.

Brendan Harvey will graduate from the University of Michigan Law School this May. Upon graduation, Brendan will relocate to New York City to work as an associate at the law firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP. Clinton James married Rachel Adams on July 7, 2017, in Richmond, Virginia.

Philip Doerr married Michelle Burrows on Dec. 30, 2017.

10 Philip Doerr ‘10 married Michelle Burrows on Dec. 30, 2017. Many St. Andrew’s Class of 2010 alumni were groomsmen and guests including Mark Small, Noah Platt, Alex Facciobene, Elliott Silverman, John Gill, Kevin Wyatt, Ben Yeo, Ben Naughton, Jimmy Petersen, Tom Belikove and Chas Griffen.

10

2011 Amy Sharfman is an event planner for OPTAVIA, the direct selling division of Medifast. She recently got engaged and is planning a November wedding.

Margaret Kenworthy recently returned to Washington, D.C., after teaching English for six months in Thailand.

Krissia Rivera Perla started medical school this past fall at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is a candidate for a MD degree and a Master of Science in Population Medicine.

2012 Over the past year, Janice Freeman continued her work with the Asia team at Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest dedicated peace-building organization. In 2017, her work took her to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, and Indonesia to work on projects regarding countering violent extremism, behavior change communications, and youth and conflict. She also published a briefing paper on urbanization and conflict in Myanmar and a journal article on the radicalization of youth in Kyrgyzstan.

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In September 2017, Jonah Orr ‘10 married Natalie (Crane) Orr.

Sam Wallace spent the last year in Zambia as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Rural Aquaculture Promotion program.

He is currently living in a remote village in the Luapula province. His primary project entails working with farmers on creating, maintaining, stocking, and harvesting fish ponds throughout the year in surrounding communities, in which they are growing tilapia and bream. He has also done work with rice farming, and attends camps with pupils and counterparts on the environment and coding in rural areas, with future plans for HIV/AIDS and malaria work, and implementing beekeeping and animal husbandry programs in his community. He is looking forward to the next 15 months of his service.

Delonte Egwuatu recently returned to St. Andrew’s — this time as a teacher

Krissia Rivera Perla started medical school this fall at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

and coach. Delonte teaches Humanities and Spanish to Middle and Intermediate School students. He also coaches Middle and Upper School tennis.

2013 Emma Davey is completing her first year of veterinary school at Colorado State University.

2014 This past April, Brian Bies published a book, titled “Indie Gaming: Finding Entrepreneurial Success in Video Games.”

It debuted as a bestseller in its category.

Since then, he has gone on to work at New Degree Press, a new kind of media com-

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12

12 For the last year, Sam Wallace ‘12 has been in Zambia as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Rural Aquaculture Promotion program. He is currently living in a remote village in the Luapula province.

pany that publishes books and produces podcasts for the new landscape of content creation. He has coached 29 authors already, and expects to hit 100 by June 2018. As publishing manager/GM for the imprint, he guides new authors through the publishing process, including the cover design and promotion portions of a book launch. In addition to working for this start up, he is a senior at Georgetown University and will graduate this May. He has remained involved in all of his other long standing commitments, including being an ESCAPE co-leader, Philodemic Debate Society, Entrepreneurship Fellow program, mentoring business school students, and for the fourth year he danced in Rangila, a dance performance held each year.

Leia Karam will be graduating with a Master of Arts with Honors in Digital Media and Information Studies from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, in June 2018. She currently works as a laboratory demonstrator in the School of Humanities for the University. Additionally, she was the only successful candidate selected this year to be offered a position at BT in the Internal Communications Graduate Program, which is based in London.

Kristin Butler spent the fall semester of her senior year studying abroad in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. She lived with a host family, conducted research on marine plastic pollution, and worked with a

In 2017, Delonte Egwuatu ‘12 returned to the classroom at St. Andrew’s. He teaches Humanities and Spanish to Middle and Intermediate School students.

community development and conservation non-profit while she was there. Her favorite memories include diving with migrating sharks, camping on volcanoes, seeing bioluminescent algae in lagoons, viewing sunsets with marine iguanas, and dancing salsa with her host sisters and mom.

Prior to her arrival in the Galápagos, she traveled independently around Peru. She continued independently traveling on continental Ecuador after leaving the Galápagos. Kristin will graduate in May 2018 and continue her education at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences where she will attain a Master of Professional Science in Marine Conservation.

In July 2017, Ella Farago became a big sister to her fourth sibling. Her family now has four girls and a healthy baby boy.

This past November, Ella placed in the top three in the Miss Vermont USA 2018 pageant. In May, Ella plans to graduate from the University of Vermont with an Environmental Studies degree. Within this realm, she has focused on policy and development and is attending Vermont Law School through the UVM VLS 3+2 Law Merger. Ella is a member of the Student Bar Association and the Food and Agriculture Law Society.

Ethan Lockshin helped create a legacy program at Regis University. As the founding student director of the Regis Universi-

12

Janice Freeman ‘12 works with the Asia team at Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization.

In 2017, her work took her to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, and Indonesia.

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Kristin Butler ‘14 spent the fall semester of her senior year studying abroad in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.

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ty Innovation Challenge, his job is to help build a foundation for student entrepreneurs. Ethan says. “Lots of people have ideas, but very few people act on their ideas. I wish I had this challenge when I was a freshman, therefore as a senior, I wanted to leave my institution better than I found it.” The inaugural final challenge event took place in April and will take place every year moving forward with a new student director each year.

In May, Tiffanie Snyder will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Media, Culture, and Communications from New York University.

2015 Last summer, Scotty Matthewman ascended Mount Kilimanjaro. It took four-and-a-half days to get to Uhuru Peak, the tallest point in Africa, and another day and-a-half to hike back down the mountain. Scotty says altitude sickness took a toll on many of the hikers, but for him, the toughest obstacle was loss of appetite.

His two tent-mates, Jack, who they called Steve, and Ryan, kept him going on the hike. Scotty says, “No matter how brutal the 8-, 10-, or even 12-hour hike was that day, I knew that we were just going to be laughing in the tent at night. The final hike up is called ‘Summit Night.’ We wake up at midnight, and hike the steepest part of the mountain for eight hours. At no point in the hike is there a level or downhill slope. We are wearing headlamps, and looking down at our feet until about 4 or 5 a.m. Around then, the sun rose above the clouds, leaving everyone speechless. A pink/orange patina stained the side of the mountain and the air. Although we wanted to take in the beauty, we knew we had to keep moving.” At 8 a.m. June 4, he summited Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet.

Memuna McShane attends MICA, an art school in Baltimore. She is a full-time student studying painting and architecture.

She also recently accepted a job as an administrative assistant.

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Ethan Lockshin ‘14 with Dr. Ken Sagendorf, Dirctor of the Innovation Center at Regis University.

In May, Tiffanie Snyder ‘14 will graduate from New York University.

in Seville, Spain for the spring semester.

He is taking four literature courses on a variety of different subjects, from female writers to contemporary literature.

2016 Aidan Lucas is enjoying UC San Diego and the nanoengineering and marine science programs. He is working part-time in the Tao Research Group synthesizing bipyramidal gold nanoparticles and is involved with the Nanoengineering & Technology Society.

Laurence Ruberl is at Earlham College majoring in computer science and minoring in theatre arts. He will be interning at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center this summer. He’s been busy writing a web app which helps stage managers make and distribute line notes. The app will undergo wider testing later this year after being used by the Theatre Department at Earlham.

In April, Matthew James-Thrower helped man the start and finish point for the International Sand Hurst Competition at the United States Military Academy.

The Sand Hurst completion is held at West Point and hosts military academy and ROTC cadets from all over the country and world. Temple University, Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, England, Japan, Latvia and South Korea had teams represented. Matthew, a cadet at West Point, has chosen to major in International Affairs at West Point.

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After a four-and-a-half day hike up the mountain, Scotty Matthewman ‘15 (sporting his St. Andrew’s basketball t-shirt!) summited Mount Kilimanjaro in June.

15

Ian Decker ‘15 is currently studying abroad in Seville, Spain for the spring semester.

16 Matthew James-Thrower ‘16, a cadet at West Point, helped man the start and finish point for the International Sand Hurst Competition at the United States Military Academy.

in memoriam Carolyn Cage Former Board Member and Alumni Parent Carolyn Cage died June 19, 2017. The mother of two St. Andrew’s alumni, Ted Cage ‘85 and Andy Cage ‘88, Carolyn was instrumental in helping the school secure its Postoak Campus at a time when the school’s future was in doubt.

“Helping St. Andrew’s find a permanent home in Potomac when Montgomery County revoked the young school’s lease at the Bethesda Campus was one of my mom’s proudest achievements,” said her son, Ted. An avid golfer and traveler, Carolyn, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, continued to help organizations find new homes after moving to Colorado.

“We never appreciated the challenges that would be dumped in our lap when we joined the Board,” Carolyn recalled in St. Andrew’s An Oral History of the First 30 Years. “But in the event (of needing to find a new home), it was exciting, emotionally charged work that we were doing, truly occupying our minds night and day, and a cause very highly deserving of our dedication.”

Carolyn is survived by her husband, Gary, and her sons, Andy (Maria) and Ted (Lucy).

Heather Jordan ’01 St. Andrew’s alumna Heather Jordan died May 3, 2017 after an illness. As her former English teacher Ms. Dresden Koons reflects, “Heather was an amazing, graceful, funny, strong individual.”

William (Bill) Way, founding Board Chairman, was ‘driving spirit’ of St. Andrew’s St. Andrew’s founding Board Chairman, William (Bill) Way, died Sept. 8, 2017, in Henderson, Nevada. Bill struggled with numerous health challenges over the past year, eventually succumbing to an aggressive brain tumor.

Bill led St. Andrew’s through our critical early years, including the initial planning committee meetings that led to the school’s creation and the early campus moves from Pilgrim Lutheran Church to Clara Barton Elementary School to North Bethesda Junior High School (our Bradmoor Campus). In recognition of his essential and exceptional service to St. Andrew’s, the school’s highest student award is rightfully named the William Way Award.

Through our enduring mission and

ongoing growth, Bill’s spirit remains strong at St. Andrew’s forty years after he became our first Board Chair.

Bill instilled in the school the need for a diverse student body. “We wanted to make sure that it was diverse as to religious background, race, gender, and ethnic background,” said Bill in St. Andrew’s oral history. “I think there was a dedication on the part of everybody involved in this process that it would be an intentionally diverse school... Financial aid would be a reality.”

“Bill was the driving spirit of this wonderful school,” said founding Board member Audrey Demas. “His ‘act of faith’ kept us all going. I am grateful and proud to have known such a fine man.”

Jay Liesener ’91

Sarah McDowell ’93

St. Andrew’s alumnus Jay Liesener died Nov. 27, 2017. Jay was paralyzed while in the eleventh grade at St. Andrew’s and had been experiencing health issues for the past ten years, but he “refused to idly waste away what remained of his life.”

Jay is survived by his parents Jim and Edie Liesener; his wife, Melanie; and his sister, Jeni Liesener Costello.

St. Andrew’s alumna Sarah McDowell died earlier this year. According to a friend, “Sarah’s animals were her heart and soul,” and her family requested donations to an animal rescue organization in lieu of flowers. If you would like to honor Sarah’s life in this way, memorial gifts may be made to Alley Cat Allies or the Animal Rescue Foundation.

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2018 FUND-A-SCHOLAR GALA

The St. Andrew’s community gathered on Saturday, March 3, in the Student Center for the 2018 Funda-Scholar Gala. Led by Co-Chairs Carol Mudd and Rose Wallace, the event drew nearly 350 guests who dined, danced, and celebrated.

Alumni Dannie Moore ’09 and Delonte Egwuatu ’12 offered moving testimonials about the transformative effect of their St. Andrew’s scholarships on their lives, and the many ways that they try to give back. The crowd responded by giving generously; the event sailed past its fundraising goals and netted around $340,000, smashing last year’s record for the financial aid program.

We extend thanks to our co-chairs as well as to Holly Cirrito and Sara Jane Harris (co-Chairs of Solicitations), Katherine Corsico and Karen Portik (co-Chairs of Marketing), Ana Naab (Chair of Decorations) and the entire auction committee of close to 40 parent, faculty, and staff volunteers.

Dana Jackson P’23 ‘24 ‘26, Suzi Henderson P’24 ‘26 and Maureen Edu P’24 ‘28 enjoyed catching up during the cocktail hour.

Eight items were up for bid during the Best of Live!, including getaways, tickets to Superbowl LIII, Elton John tickets, and a beer dinner.

2018 Fund-a-Scholar Gala Co-Chairs Rose Wallace P’22 and Carol Mudd P’19.

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Auctioneer, parent and Math teacher John McMillen is always a crowd favorite.

Attendee Brian Radecki P’18 celebrates a winning bid during the Best of Live! portion.

The Fund-a-Scholar Gala had record attendance with nearly 350 guests.

What Does the Lion’s Fund Mean to You? The Lion’s Fund makes an immediate impact on every facet of life at St. Andrew’s.

From the classrooms, to athletic facilities, to academic programs and financial aid, a gift to St. Andrew’s is an opportunity to significantly contribute to the quality of the school. It is the single most important gift you can make to St. Andrew’s each year.

Learn how you can participate and make a gift by visiting saes.org/lionsfund.

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Bethesda, MD Permit No. 7

8804 Postoak Road, Potomac, MD 20854

Address service requested

Third class mail is not forwardable. Please notify us if you move.

Save the Date!

40th-Anniversary Homecoming and Reunion Celebration OCT. 12-13, 2018